FirstPageNews

Bishop Thomas Weeks : The man who is news by beating his wife

2007-08-23T10:35:00.000-07:00

Well-Known televangelist Juanita Bynum has been brutally assaulted by her estranged husband, preacher bishop Thomas W. Weeks, according to police.

Juanita Bynum met with her estranged husband, the founder of Global Destiny Churches, at the Renaissance Concourse Hotel near the Atlanta Airport on Wednesday - where she planned to try and reconcile her relationship with her husband.

It was in the parking lot of the hotel that Bynum would realize Weeks wasn't capable of containing his anger. It was about 4 AM when Weeks was discovered assaulting her.

Submarine carrying cocaine worth $435 million

2007-08-23T10:31:00.000-07:00

US Customs and Border Protection said the semi-submersible vessel - which was only partially visible from the surface - was spotted by a surveillance plane 482 kilometres south-west of the Mexico-Guatemala border on Monday.

The plane then guided a US Navy ship to the scene as the four suspected drug smugglers scuttled the vessel along with the bulk of its cargo, believed to be around 5,000 kilograms of cocaine.

The suspects and 11 bales of cocaine weighing around 548 kilograms were eventually recovered from the scene.

Juanita Bynum got attacked by her husband

2007-08-23T10:02:00.000-07:00

Police said Juanita Bynum, a televangelist who has won a national following with sermons about women's empowerment, was assaulted by her preacher husband in the parking lot of an Atlanta hotel early Wednesday.

Bynum and her estranged husband, Thomas W. Weeks III, the founder of Global Destiny churches, met at Renaissance Concourse Hotel near Atlanta's airport to try to reconcile, police said.

About 4 a.m., they fought in the parking lot until a hotel bellman pulled Weeks off, Officer Ronald Campbell said.

"She was bruised up and battered," Campbell said. "She had purple bruising around her neck and upper torso."

No charges had been filed by Wednesday night against Weeks, who left the scene accordign to police.

What is the Dogbook Facebook ?

2007-08-22T17:49:00.000-07:00

Dogbook was developed by Alexandre Roche. It allows you to create a Facebook Profile for your dog. When you enter the application, you are taken to a window that looks just like Facebook profile entry window. You enter in your dog’s name, its breed and type, its favorite actitivites.

Lehman Brothers Holdings to close subsidiary BNC Mortgage

2007-08-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

PM Investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (LEH) said Wednesday that it is closing its BNC Mortgage LLC subsidiary as a result of the turmoil in the U.S. subprime mortgage market.

BNC Mortgage LLC issues home loans to people who cannot document their income or have shaky credit histories. BNC Mortgage was a publicly traded company till 2000 when Lehman helped finance the buyout of BNC by its management for about $47 million. Lehman took an ownership stake and by 2004 bought out management's stake. Last year BNC Mortgage was the 40th-largest U.S. mortgage lender with $13.7 billion in volume, according to U.S. Banker.

The closure will affect about 1200 employees in 23 cities and cost the company $25 million in severance, real estate and technology costs, New York-based Lehman said. The company will also record a $27 million accounting charge for writing down goodwill.

BNC Mortgage said in its Web site that it will no longer accept new loan submissions and will be returning any loan files that have not already been approved.

Lehman, however, said that it will continue to issue home loans in the U.S. through its Aurora Loan Services LLC subsidiary.

Mike Flynt makes come back

2007-08-22T17:40:00.000-07:00

Mike Flynt is a 59 year old strength and conditioning coach at Nebraska, Oregon and Texas A&M. One of his regrets in life was being kicked off a college football team before his senior year. Mike decided to try out for the team (amazingly enough he was still eligible) and has now made the Division III team’s roster for Sul Ross State University. While many people warn him of his age and the dangers of playing football, Mike Flynt is in excellent condition for his age.

Ohio's governor has declared a state of emergency

2007-08-22T17:38:00.000-07:00

Ohio's governor has declared a state of emergency in nine counties as part of the state pushes through its worst flooding in nearly 100 years.

Authorities are shutting down schools and streets, and at least 500 people have been evacuated.

In Findlay, rescuers have set out to reach dozens of people trapped in flooded homes. With only a few rescue boats available, neighbors are ferrying through the town's streets in their own canoes to help those who are stranded.

The town's Blanchard river is close to seven feet over flood stage. It's the highest it has been since a 1913 flood. Forecasters say it could rise by another half foot or more.

Cayman Islands ready for the Dean

2007-08-20T07:35:00.000-07:00

The Cayman Islands readied for a brush with Hurricane Dean, which has already killed eight people, as Texas officials on Monday opened emergency centers and passed out sandbags in preparation for a possible encounter with the powerful storm.

Dean was expected to pass to the south of the Caymans, but the government said it posed a "significant threat" to the islands. Forecasters said the islands could receive up to 12 inches of rain.

Dangerous Dean is now heading towards Yucatan Peninsula

2007-08-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Dean slashed through southern Jamaica and is currently moving westward at 21 miles per hour, expecting to approach the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula tonight. Dean is still a category 4 storm with its 150 mile winds, but is expected to strengthen into a category 5 over the next 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service in Brownsville.

Dean will sweep across the peninsula and make landfall again near Tuxpan, Veracruz, about 280 nautical miles south of Brownsville.

The man who played young frankenstein in 1974

2007-08-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

Cloris Leachman, was it who played Frau Blucher in Mel Brooks's 1974 comedy Young Frankenstein. The plot summary was as follows...

The grandson of Victor Frankenstein is a teaching surgeon who has spent his life living down the legend of his grandfather, even changing the pronunciation of his name. When the diary of his grandfather is brought to him, he takes a leave of absence to examine the family castle. Then things get a little silly. Due to a switch, he implants an abnormal brain in his creation which causes problems, but things really get out of hand when the young Frankenstein's bride to be shows up at the castle. The whole film is shot in Black and white to simulate the old monster movie feeling

Where was the first subway in the world located ?

2007-08-20T07:18:00.000-07:00

The oldest rapid transit system in the world is the London Underground, which opened in 1863. The two primary ways that subway tunnels are constructed are by cut and cover and tunnel boring. The world's most extensive urban rail systems are Tokyo's rail network and Osaka, Japan.

In the United Kingdom and some Commonwealth countries (such as Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, and Singapore), the term subway normally refers to a specially constructed underpass for pedestrians and/or cyclists beneath a road or railway, allowing them to reach the other side in safety.

The term is also used in the United States, specifically by the California Department of Transportation, for a road undercrossing which is depressed.

Underground pedestrian passageways are less common in North American cities than in European cities of comparable size. They are constructed when it is necessary for pedestrians to cross a railroad or a limited-access highway such as an interstate highway, and of course they appear at the exits from underground rapid transit systems, but one would be rarely built just to enable people to cross an ordinary city street. When they are built, the term "pedestrian underpass" is more likely to be used, since the word "subway" is usually used there to refer to rail-based rapid transit systems such as New York Subway.

Who is the creator of Carmen ?

2007-08-20T07:14:00.000-07:00

Carmen Sandiego is a fictional character featured in a long-running edutainment series of the same name. As a criminal mastermind and the elusive nemesis of the ACME Detective Agency, Sandiego is the principal villain of the series and head of ACME's rival organization V.I.L.E. Most of her crimes involve spectacular and often impossible cases of theft. Her full name, according to Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? Treasures of Knowledge, is Carmen Isabela Sandiego.

Carmen Sandiego is almost always portrayed with a red trench coat, a matching fedora and long brown hair, although her hair color was given to be "auburn" or "black" in some of the earliest games. Her fedora is often shown leaving her face in shadow and obscuring her eyes. When her eyes are visible, they are usually brown, although they were blue in Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego? and in Carmen Sandiego Math Detective. In many appearances she also wears gray or black gloves.

In the original Brøderbund games and in all the TV shows, she wore a yellow or orange dress under her trench coat, with a matching stripe on her fedora, and red high-heeled shoes. She also seemed to have a flair for elegance, often wearing jewelry. However, in the games created under The Learning Company, her appearance was retooled so that she wore a grayish black catsuit under her trench coat, with the stripe on her fedora changed to match, and more practical footwear. Her "new" look is seen in the image above.

Aerogel : The 'miracle substance'

2007-08-19T10:56:00.000-07:00

Aerogel is a low-density solid-state material derived from gel in which the liquid component of the gel has been replaced with gas. The result is an extremely low density solid with several remarkable properties, most notably its effectiveness as an insulator. It is nicknamed frozen smoke, solid smoke or blue smoke due to its semi-transparent nature and the way light scatters in the material; however, it feels like expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam) to the touch.

Aerogel was first created by Steven Kistler in 1931, as a result of a bet with Charles Learned over who could replace the liquid inside a jam (jelly) jar with gas without causing shrinkage.

Aerogels are produced by extracting the liquid component of a gel through supercritical drying. This allows the liquid to be slowly drawn off without causing the solid matrix in the gel to collapse from capillary action, as would happen with conventional evaporation. The first aerogels were produced from silica gels. Kistler's later work involved aerogels based on alumina, chromia and tin oxide. Carbon aerogels were first developed in the early 1990s.

The Metropolitan Opera

2007-08-19T10:52:00.001-07:00

The Metropolitan Opera Association of New York City, founded in April 1880, is a major presenter of all types of opera including Grand Opera. The Metropolitan is America's largest classical music organization, and annually presents some 240 opera performances. The home of the company, the Metropolitan Opera House is one of the premier opera stages in the world. The Met is one of the twelve resident organizations at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Events at Metropolitan Opera

Hurricane Dean heads for Jamaica (Radar loop)

2007-08-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Dean is closing in on Jamaica and at last look (just at the start of Sunday 8/19/2007) the radar and satelite images , Dean’s eye appears to be headed just south of the island. The storm bands are huge though and the storm bands will more than cover all of Jamaica as it passes on Sunday.

Using Jamaica radar and the Jamaica map, experts predict that hurricane dean will hit Jamaica at 155mph (249kph) winds and bring up to 20 inches (50cms) of rain.

To protect the people of Jamaica, over 1000 shelters have been set up across Jamaica in preparing for the bad weather that hurricane dean will bring.

Andre the Giant tribute videos

2007-08-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

André the Giant was the stage name of Andre Rene Roussimoff, (May 19, 1946 – January 27, 1993) a French professional wrestler and actor. He was at least 2.09 metres (6 ft 10 in) tall and believed by many to have been over 2.13 metres (7 ft) at his tallest. His great size was a result of excessive growth hormone, a condition known as acromegaly, and led to him being dubbed "The Eighth Wonder of the World".

Remembering Claudio Arrau

2007-08-19T10:23:00.000-07:00

Claudio Arrau Leon (February 6, 1903 – June 9, 1991) was a Chilean pianist of world fame for his deep interpretations of a huge, vast repertoire spanning from the baroque to 20th-century composers. He is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.

Awards and recognitions

Gold Medal, The Royal Philharmonic Society. 1990
Doctor, The Juilliard School. 1989
Honorary Member, The Royal Philharmonic Society. 1988
National Prize of Art of Chile. 1983

Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur of France

First Honorary Member, The Robert Schumann Society
Beethoven Medal of New York
Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France
Hans von Bülow Medal of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. 1978
Großes Bundesverdienstkreuz of the Federal Republic of Germany. 1970
Homage from the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Kurt Westphal, on behalf of the orchestra, called him "heir to the throne of Gieseking and Busoni". 1968
Doctor of Music, University of Chile. 1959
Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Concepción (Spanish). 1959
Gold Medal of the City of Concepción
Doctor Honoris Causa, University of Chile. 1949
Gold Medal of the Chilean Government. 1944
Winner of the Grand Prix of the Concours International des Pianistes. The jury was composed by Arthur Rubinstein, Joseph Pembaur, Ernest Schelling, Alfred Cortot and José Vianna da Motta. Cortot exclaimed: "Cela c'est un pianiste. C'est merveilleux". Geneva, 1927
Honour Prize of the Stern Conservatory (German), becoming Professor. 1925
Liszt Prize in 1919 (after 45 years without a first place winner), and again in 1920
Schulhoff Prize. Berlin, 1918
End of studies at the Stern Conservatory, receiving an "Exceptional Diploma". Berlin, 1917
Grant of the Stern Conservatory. Berlin, 1916
First Prize in the Rudolph Ibach Competition (he was the only participating boy). Berlin, 1915
Gustav Holländer Medal for young artists. Berlin, 1915
Grant of the Chilean Congress for musical studies in Berlin. 1911

James Bay - As seen from the space

2007-08-18T07:54:00.000-07:00

James Bay is a large body of water on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. Both bodies of water extend from the Arctic Ocean. James Bay borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario; islands within the bay are currently part of Nunavut, but the islands have been ceded to Quebec and Ontario in a soon-to-be-signed agreement. The James Bay watershed is the site of several major hydroelectric projects, and is also a destination for river-based recreation. Several communities are located near or alongside James Bay, including a number of Aboriginal communities such as the Kashechewan First Nation and nine communities affiliated with the Crees of northern Quebec.

Shawn Klush : The number one Elvis tribute artist

2007-08-18T07:45:00.000-07:00

Shawn Klush has been selected as the number one Elvis tribute artist, in Memphis at Graceland.
Watch him perform....

Roanoke Woman Wins $250,000 In Mega Millions

2007-08-18T07:37:00.000-07:00

It was a long weekend for Wanda Williams of Roanoke after she discovered she had a winning Mega Millions ticket. She had to wait from Saturday morning, when she checked the winning numbers, until Virginia Lottery offices opened on Monday morning. All the while, she had a ticket worth $250,000 in her possession.

“I chewed my nails. I walked the floor,” she told Virginia Lottery officials when she claimed her prize first thing that Monday morning.

Ms. Williams won Mega Millions’ second largest prize in the August 10, 2007, drawing. Her ticket matched the first five winning numbers and only missed the Mega Ball number.

Her husband purchased the winning ticket at Sky Mart, located at 3902 Melrose Avenue in Roanoke. On the morning following the drawing, he woke her and told her the good news.

“He was picking me up and carrying me around the house,” she said. She didn’t believe him until she had a chance to look at the winning numbers herself. Then she exclaimed, “I can’t believe it. We did win!”

Ms. Williams said the winnings will help purchase a new home for retirement.

All profits from the Virginia Lottery go to K-12 public school education in the Commonwealth. In fiscal year 2006 the Lottery turned over more than $454 million for Virginia’s public schools, representing about 10 percent of state funding for public education in Virginia.

Movie : Harold and Kumar 2 Go to Amsterdam

2007-08-18T07:31:00.000-07:00

The first teaser trailer of the movie Harold and Kumar 2 has just arrived. The plot outline is that they're running from authorities who suspect them of being terrorists after they try to sneak a bong on board their flight to Amsterdam.

Elsa Pataky : Biography

2007-08-18T07:25:00.000-07:00

Elsa Pataky is a Spanish actress. She was born in Madrid, Spain, and is fluent in Spanish, French, English and Romanian. Pataky attended the Universidad de San Pablo and studied journalism. During this time, Pataky also enrolled in acting classes. She was also a member of the Madrid theatre company, Teatro Cámara de Ángel Guitiérrez. Eventually, she left school when she was cast in the television series Al Salir de Clase. With the success of Al Salir de Clase, Pataky received her first film offer, El Arte de Morir. Some of her subsequent films were co-productions with the UK and France, which introduced her to working in English and French.

Acting Carrier
With the success of Al Salir de Clase, Pataky received her first film offer, El Arte de Morir. Some of her subsequent films were co-productions with the UK and France, which introduced her to working in English and French.

Pataky has appeared in over ten Spanish films and most recently crossed over into the French market with her co-starring role in the 2004 box office hit, Iznogoud. She also appeared in a supporting role in the David Ellis-directed film Snakes on a Plane (2006), alongside Samuel L. Jackson. She is currently receiving good reviews for her work in the Spanish film Ninette, helmed by Oscar winner José Luis Garci.

Clay Buchholz is about to start today

2007-08-17T12:00:00.000-07:00

Clay Buchholz is slated to start Game 1 today against the LA Angels as the Red Sox Number One pitching prospect makes his first ever Major League Baseball start. This is an exciting day for Red Sox fans as we haven't had this much buzz around a Sox pitching prospect since Jonathan Papelbon came up, and lets just say he's working out just fine. Buchholz has pitched 30.1 innings thus far for our triple A Pawtucket Red Sox (after starting the season in double A) and he's sporting a 3.26 ERA. In his 30.1 innings this year he's struck out a total of 48 batters and walked only 8 which is truly impressive.

Read about Clay Buchholz

'Jimmy Justice' is watching you madam

2007-08-17T11:45:00.000-07:00

One man from Brooklyn has made it his crusade to scold New York City workers who he catches parking illegally. He goes by the name 'Jimmy Justice' and he's armed with a camera.

In this video, he observes a traffic enforcement agent make an illegal u-turn.Then she covers her badge so she cannot be identified.

Kestrel : The hunter bird

2007-08-17T11:31:00.000-07:00

The name kestrel is given to several different members of the falcon genus, Falco. Kestrels are most easily distinguished by their typical hunting behaviour which is to hover at a height of around 10–20 m over open country and swoop down on prey, usually small mammals, lizards or large insects. Other falcons are more adapted to active hunting on the wing. In addition, kestrels are notable for usually having much brown in their plumage. Kestrels require a slight headwind in order to hover, hence a local name of windhover for Common Kestrel.

Plumage often - but unusually for falcons - differs between male and female, and (as is usual with monogamous raptors) the female is slightly larger than the male. This allows a pair to fill different feeding niches over their home range. Kestrels are bold and have adapted well to human encroachment, nesting in buildings and hunting by major roads.

Kestrels do not build their own nests, but use nests built by other species.

Britney's pose for Allure magazine

2007-08-17T10:52:00.000-07:00

The cover of the September issue of Allure magazine features Britney Spears posed provocatively in jeans and dark brown wig. There are two similar shots inside the mag. She very cooperatively posed for the shots in April.

Cameron Maybin is coming back to The Tigers

2007-08-17T10:44:00.000-07:00

The Tigers are going to recall top hitting prospect Cameron Maybin and designate LF Craig Monroe for assignment. This is quite a surprise. Not because Monroe had been doing well, he wasn't, but because Maybin has so little minor league exeperience. This is his second season, and he has just 20 AA ABs.

For the year, Maybin has hit very well for his age - 316/409/523. This followed a 304/387/457 in his first season. Those stats support the judgment that Maybin is amongst the best minor league hitting prospects.

Additionally, he has 14 HR and 25 SB this year in 323 ABs compared to last year's 9/27 in 385 ABs. Those stats say he could contribute in those counting categories right away. The area of concern is his strikouts.

Sabra Johnson became America’s Favorite Dancer

2007-08-17T10:38:00.000-07:00

Sabra Johnson has been named the first female winner of the So You Think You Can Dance crown, earning $250,000. Johnson has only four years of dance training – something that impressed Dance judge and co-creator Nigel Lythgoe.

Runner-up Tidwell, who was praised by judges Nigel Lythgoe, Mary Murphy and Dan Karaty for his technical proficiency but often chastised by guest judges for his “arrogance,” happens to be the adopted brother of last year’s second place finisher, Travis Wall.

Toxic magazine for men

2007-08-17T10:27:00.000-07:00

Toxic magazine was launched in September 2002 by London-based Egmont Publishing UK.

The intention being to address the elusive boy's magazine market. By including reviews of DVDs, PC games, movies, sport features and the like, combined with irreverent toilet humour and original comic strips, the magazine proved to be extremely successful and continues to be published.

Toxic is "edited" by Team Toxic, a group of creatures under the supervision of Doc Shock. (Although in reality, Toxic is edited by Matt Yeo). Designed by the cartoonist Jon Rushby Team Toxic also appear in a regular two page comic strip in the magazine, written and drawn by Lew Stringer. Other comic strips include Grott the Mighty by Nigel Kitching and Rex written by John A. Short and drawn by Alex Paterson.

Initially launched as a monthly title, Toxic increased frequency to every three weeks with issue 14, then to fortnightly with issue 34. Despite its title, it has no connection with the comic Toxic! which appeared in the 1990's. If anything it is influenced by the popular Oink! (comic) from the 1980s.

Another magazine by the same name was launched in January 2005 with a focus on content for men. That Toxic magazine is currently being published as a major online publication since February 2006.

Toxic magazine

The wife of Detroit Sheriff Deputy has been charged with prostitution

2007-08-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

The wife of an Oakland County sheriff's deputy has been charged with prostitution and using the Internet to solicit her services for $250 an hour, authorities said. Christy Newlin, 45, of Waterford Township, is free on bond after being arraigned in two district courts this week on charges that included keeping a house of prostitution and using a computer to commit prostitution.

Newlin, married to sheriff's department veteran Randy Newlin, faces a preliminary examination Monday. Sheriff Michael Bouchard said Randy Newlin has not been disciplined, The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press reported Friday.

Most Dugg Up Digg Story Ever Got Dugg 41881 Times

2007-08-17T08:14:00.000-07:00

This is the story which got dugg up by 41881 Digg users. And there isn't any other story that i can see which got these much of attention. The story as all of us know, was submitted by Kevin Rose.

Digg This: 09-f9-11-02-9d-74-e3-5b-d8-41-56-c5-63-56-88-c0

Direct link

Uncle Kracker Arrested On Sex Offense

2007-08-17T08:05:00.000-07:00

Uncle Kracker was arrested early this morning in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is being charged with second-degree forcible sex. His bail has been set at $5million dollars and he is being held at Wake County Jail till he faces a judge later next Friday.

Uncle Kracker is an American rock, country, and rap-rock musician.
He started out his career at a young age as a fledgling rapper. He met Kid Rock in 1987, and Rock asked Kracker to become his DJ. Kracker did not know how to work the turntables, but he soon learned how to, and he became a long-term friend and colleague of Rock.

Discography

2000 - Double Wide - 2 million sold
2002 - No Stranger to Shame - 500,000 + sold
2004 - Seventy Two and Sunny - 200,000 + sold
2007 - Happy Hour (not yet released)

Racer John Blewett killed in Thompson Speedway crash

2007-08-17T07:57:00.000-07:00

33-year-old race car driver from New Jersey has died in a crash involving several cars at the Thompson Motor Speedway.

John Blewett III of Howell, N.J., was killed while driving his modified tour racing car during the New England Dodge Dealers 150 Thursday night. Blewett died after a collision involving a car driven by his brother, Jimmy Blewett, 26. Blewett's No. 66 car smashed against the wall under his brother's car.

Thompson International Speedway in Thompson, Connecticut, USA, is a 5/8th mile paved oval racetrack that was once known as the Indianapolis of the East. It was the first paved race track in the United States and is now under the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series banner. Each year Thompson hosts one of the great fall variety events "The World Series of Auto Racing" highlighted by the ISMA Super Modifieds and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. This event frequently draws over 600 race cars in 15 separate divisions over three days.

New U.S. News college rankings

2007-08-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

Top 10 national universities

1. Princeton University

2. Harvard University

3. Yale University

4. Stanford University

5. California Institute of Technology

University of Pennsylvania (tie)

7. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

8. Duke University

9. Columbia University

University of Chicago (tie)

The top 10 liberal arts colleges

1. Williams College

2. Amherst College

3. Swarthmore College

4. Wellesley College

5. Carleton College

Middlebury College (tie)

7. Pomona College

Bowdoin College (tie)

9. Davidson College

10. Haverford College

Henry Hager : The man who is going to marry Jenna Bush

2007-08-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

Henry Hager is in the news today as he will soon be marrying the President’s daughter, Jenna Bush. You can see photos and a biography of Henry Hager below. Henry and Jenna became engaged yesterday in Maine.

Henry Hager is the son of politician John H. Hager, He is currently a graduate student in business administration at the University of Virginia. He did his undergraduate work at Wake Forest University. He was a White House aide and worked for Karl Rove.

He graduated from St. Christopher's School in Richmond, Virginia.

Pat Summitt files for divorce after 26 years of marriage

2007-08-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

Pat Head Summitt, head coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols, has filed for divorce from her husband, R.B. Summitt II, after 26 years of marriage. The papers to start divorce proceedings were filed Wednesday in Blount County, where the couple lives.

The filings cite irreconcilable differences for the split. The couple has one son, Ross Tyler Summitt, 16. He lives with his mother. Summitt acknowledged last spring that she and husband R.B. had separated after nearly 22 years of marriage.

Summitt hasn't made any public comments about the filing. August 23 will be their 27th wedding anniversary.

About Great Southwest Mortgage, the retail arm of First Magnus

2007-08-16T12:47:00.000-07:00

Lets listen to what Great Southwest Mortgage, the retail arm of First Magnus says about themselves..

"Great Southwest Mortgage joined the mortgage community in Arizona in December, 1995. Erik Lutz, our founder and President, started with the concept of a mortgage company that dedicated itself to outstanding customer service and creativity in matching the most advantageous loan program with each individual client’s specific needs.

As Great Southwest Mortgage continued to grow, we sought to further expand the options available to our customers and to increase the market to which we could bring our particular branch of home-town service. We accomplished this in October, 1999 when we teamed with First Magnus Financial, a mortgage broker and banker headquartered in Tucson, Arizona."

Read on.....

Jose Padilla Convicted by U.S. Jury in Terror Case

2007-08-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

Jose Padilla was convicted of terrorism-conspiracy charges in a victory for the Bush administration, which held him in a military prison as an enemy combatant for more than three years.

Padilla, 36, a U.S. citizen, and two co-defendants were found guilty today by a federal jury in Miami of conspiring to commit murder in a foreign country, conspiring to provide support to terrorist groups and providing such support. They could be sentenced to as much as life in prison. An earlier accusation that Padilla plotted to explode a radioactive ``dirty bomb'' wasn't included in the charges.

``We can appeal,'' Padilla's mother, Estelle Lebron, told reporters. ``I don't know how they could find him guilty. There were 300,000 calls and there's no evidence he spoke in code'' in the phone calls recorded by investigators.

About Jose Padilla

Jose Padilla (born October 18, 1970), also known as Abdullah al-Muhajir or Muhajir Abdullah, is a United States citizen accused of being a terrorist by the United States government. Padilla (whose birthname is has been anglicized) [1]) was arrested in Chicago on May 8, 2002, and was detained as a material witness until June 9, 2002, when President Bush designated him an illegal enemy combatant and transferred him to a military prison, arguing that he was thereby not entitled to the protection of United States law. On January 3, 2006, he was transferred to a Miami, Florida jail to face criminal conspiracy charges. Jose Padilla was found guilty on charges he conspired to kill people in an overseas jihad and to fund and support overseas terrorism.

Hurricane Dean now on to the Caribbeans

2007-08-16T12:29:00.000-07:00

Hurricane Dean, currently a Category 1 hurricane and the first Atlantic hurricane this season, continues to intensify and now has sustained winds of 90 miles per hour. Its track is expected to take the system through the Netherland Antilles, with Dominica and Martinique bearing a potential direct hit from the hurricane. Dean should continue westward into the Caribbean and has the potential to continue to increase in strength and threaten Hispaniola, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands. Other surrounding islands will also feel Dean's impact. Hurricane warnings and watches have been posted for parts of the Lesser Antilles, where Dean is expected to hit sometime Friday morning.

According to National Hurricane Center Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R, the Amateur Radio station at the NHC in Miami, WX4NHC, plans to activate on Friday, August 17 at 6 AM EDT (1000 UTC) as Hurricane Dean approaches the Lesser Antilles. The VoIP Hurricane Net on EchoLink *WX-TALK* Node: 7203/IRLP 9219 will activate as well, starting at 2 AM EDT (0600 UTC). This could change based on the speed of Dean.

Chicago air and water show videos

2007-08-16T12:15:00.000-07:00

The Chicago Air and Water Show shakes up the lakefront August 18 - 19, 2007 for the largest FREE show of its kind in the United States. This year the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and U.S. Army Parachute Team Golden Knights will headline the Chicago Air and Water Show along the lakefront from Fullerton to Oak Street, with North Avenue Beach as the focal point. The water show begins at 9 a.m. and air show runs from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. both days.

Following are the videos of 2006 Air and Water show.

Max Roach, the jazz master dies at 83

2007-08-16T11:17:00.000-07:00

Max Roach, the master percussionist whose rhythmic innovations and improvisations defined bebop jazz during a wide-ranging career where he collaborated with artists from Duke Ellington to rapper Fab Five Freddy, has died after a long illness. He was 83.

Biography

Maxwell Lemuel Roach (January 10, 1924 – August 16, 2007) was a bebop/hard bop percussionist, drummer, and composer. He has worked with many of the greatest jazz musicians, including Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Sonny Rollins. He is widely considered to be one of the most important drummers in the history of jazz.

What does the term 'monegasque' stands for?

2007-08-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

Monegasque (natively Munegascu) is a Romance language and a dialect of the modern Ligurian language. It is rather similar to the language spoken in Genoa, but differs from its neighbour languages Intemelian and Mentonasque. It has been strongly influenced by Occitan. Occitan is also traditionally spoken in some parts of Monaco, besides Monegasque.

It is spoken in Monaco in addition to French by the Monagasques. Because the Monegasques in Monaco compose only a minority, Monegasque was threatened with extinction in the 1970s. In the meantime, the language is being taught in schools and its continuance is regarded as secured. In the old part of Monaco, the street signs are marked with Monegasque in addition to French.

Remembering Eriq La Salle

2007-08-16T09:22:00.000-07:00

Tall, intense African American actor with New York stage experience who has scored twice in regular roles in TV medical series. In fact, it was putting on his old costume from "The Human Factor" (CBS, 1991) that played a part in La Salle snagging a regular starring role on "ER" (NBC, 1994- ) as Dr. Benton, a competent and tough emergency room doctor. Before completing acting studies first at Juilliard and then NYU's graduate theater program, La Salle was already cast in the first of several productions for Joseph Papp's New York Shakespeare Festival. Throughout the late 1980s, he found continuous acting work on and off-Broadway as well as in the ABC daytime soap "One Life To Live" as reporter Mike Rivers.

La Salle move to Los Angeles in 1991 to take a regular role on the TV series "The Human Factor" that lasted less than a year but piled up guest TV credits on such shows as "L.A. Law", "Quantum Leap", "A Different World", "HBO Vietnam War Stories" and several TV-movies. In feature films, he had small roles in Tony Bill's well-received "Five Corners" (1988); the Eddie Murphy vehicle "Coming to America" (1988) and Adrian Lyne's "Jacob's Ladder" (1990). He made his directorial debut with the HBO movie "Rebound: The Legend of Earl 'The Goat' Manigault" in 1996 and later helmed the pilot for Showtime series "Soul Food".

2002 was a busy year for LaSalle. He was cast as Detective Van Der Zee in the thriller-suspense feature "One Hour Photo" and directed his first feature film, "Crazy as Hell," which he co-starred in and co-wrote.

The polluted lake titicaca in pictures

2007-08-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

The lake Titicaca which is world's highest navigable lake and second largest lake in South America, located in Bolivia, is also known for the pollution from nearby cities. Tonnes of bottles, cans, plastic bags, medical refuse and tattered clothes can be found flowing during the dry season.

The real story about First Magnus Financial Corporation

2007-08-16T08:35:00.000-07:00

Various sources reports that the First Magnus Financial Corporation halt their loans. But no one seems to be sure of what the real problem is after the announcement.

The president and founder of Great Southwest, Lutz says "Nearly all the people that I care about in this world have relied on this great company to raise their families and grow professionally"

There is nothing regarding this issue on the official website of the firm

Videos of Peru earthquake

2007-08-16T06:46:00.000-07:00

These are the 7.9 magnitude earthquake that hit the coast near Lima in Peru. The quake has killed about 330 people, the latest reports says.

US soldier suicides at highest level for 26 years

2007-08-16T06:20:00.000-07:00

A military report today says that the number of US soldiers who commit suicide has reached highest level in the last 26 years. The study by the Associated Press says that more than 25% of those who committed suicide had done so when they were on duty in Iraq or Afganistan.

Among serving US troops, there was a total of 99 suicides last year. In 2005, it was 88.
This study tells us that there is 17.3 suicides per 100,000 soldiers. while over the last 26 years, it was just 12.3

Article source

Elvis Presley week in Graceland

2007-08-16T05:02:00.000-07:00

Let's see what elvis.com says about 'elvis week' in graceland.

"Graceland/EPE presents three special events for the public each year: The Elvis Presley Birthday Celebration (January), Elvis Week (August) and Christmas at Graceland (November – January).
We also provide facilities, catering, decorating and planning services for private event bookings in the Graceland visitor center and at Elvis Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel. For weddings we have Graceland’s Chapel in the Woods. Explore our site for more detailed information about our annual public events and about booking your own very special private event.

Planning your trip to Graceland is easy and quick with our online Graceland trip planner. Get all the details on different Graceland tours and packages, Heartbreak Hotel, special offers, directions, other Memphis attractions, group tour rates, and much more.

While at Graceland, you can enjoy shopping for Elvis gifts, dining in Memphis restaurants, and much more all in our Graceland Plaza area.

For the ultimate Elvis experience, you'll want to stay at Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel located across the street from Graceland. It features 24-hour-a-day Elvis movies, a deluxe continental breakfast, heart-shaped pool, and more."

Read about Elvis on Wikipedia

Author Earl M. Maltz and his "Dred Scott and the Politics of Slavery"

2007-08-15T10:50:00.000-07:00

The slave Dred Scott claimed that his residence in a free state transformed him into a free man. His lawsuit took many twists and turns before making its way to the Supreme Court in 1856. But when the Court ruled against him, the ruling sent shock waves through the nation and helped lead to civil war.

Writing for the 7-to-2 majority, Chief Justice Roger Taney asserted that blacks were not and never could be citizens. Taney also ruled that the Missouri Compromise of 1820 was unconstitutional, upsetting the balance of slave and free states. Earl Maltz now offers a new look at this landmark case, presenting Dred Scott as a turning point in an already contentious national debate.

Maltz’s accessible account depicts Dred Scott as both a contributing factor to war and the result of a political climate that had grown so threatening to the South that overturning the Missouri Compromise was considered essential. As the nation continued its rapid expansion, Southerners became progressively more fearful of the free states’ growing political clout. In that light, the ruling from a Court filled with justices sympathetic to the Southern cause, though far from surprising helped light the long fuse that eventually exploded into Civil War.

Maltz offers an uncommonly balanced look at the case, taking Southern concerns seriously to cast new light on why proponents of slavery saw things as they did. He presents the arguments of all the parties impartially, tracks the sequence of increasingly strained compromises between pro- and anti-slavery forces, and demonstrates how political and sectional influences infiltrated the legal issues. He then traces the impact of the case on Northern and Southern public opinion, showing how a decision meant to resolve the question of slavery in the territories only aggravated sectional animosity.

By presenting a more nuanced picture of the pro-Southern justices on the Court, Maltz offers readers a better understanding of how they came to their opinions, even as they failed to anticipate the impact their decision would have—a miscalculation that to some degree undermined the Court’s power and authority within the American political system. Ultimately, as Maltz suggests, this is a story of judicial failure, one that remains a vital chapter in American law and one that must be mastered by anyone wishing to understand the peculiar nature of our national history.

Tropical Storm Erin heading towards texas

2007-08-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

The tropical storm Erin which was formed wednesday in the Mexico gulf, is now heading towards Texas. Under this situation, while taking all the precautions, the governor Rick Perry says "Because storms have saturated much of our state this summer, many communities in this storm's projected path are at high risk of dangerous flash flooding,".

A weather specialist Bobe Rose here says that

"The area of disturbed weather in the central Gulf of Mexico has strengthened into Tropical Storm Erin. This morning, satellite images show thunderstorms increasing across the central Gulf and the cloud pattern becoming more symmetrical. Recent data from a NOAA Reconnaissance plane investigating the depression indicates the center of circulation is still fairly broad, but beginning to concentrate around a tight center. As a result, the system has been upgraded to minimal tropical storm status. Upper-level winds are favorable for additional strengthening later today and tonight. At 10:30 am, the ill-defined center was located near 25.6N/93.5W, or about 250 miles east of Brownsville. Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph, with higher gusts. The depression is moving to the west-northwest near 12 mph and this general motion is expected to continue for the next 24 hours, as it is steered by a large upper-level ridge of high pressure, centered over the Tennessee Valley. The latest forecast track from the National Hurricane Center calls for the center of the storm to move inland around sunrise Thursday morning along the lower Texas coast, close to Port Mansfield, or just north of Brownsville. Maximum sustained winds at landfall are forecast to be around 50 mph. A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for the Texas coast, from Freeport southward."

Following is the latest data about Erin from National Hurricane Centre

000

WTNT65 KNHC 151516

TCUAT5
TROPICAL STORM ERIN TROPICAL CYCLONE UPDATE
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL   AL052007
1015 AM CDT WED AUG 15 2007
DATA FROM A NOAA RECONNAISSANCE AIRCRAFT INDICATE THAT TROPICAL
DEPRESSION FIVE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO HAS REACHED TROPICAL STORM
STRENGTH AND IS NOW TROPICAL STORM ERIN.  A SPECIAL ADVISORY WILL
BE ISSUED WITHIN THE HOUR.

$$

FORECASTER AVILA

Natascha McElhone : Biography and films

2007-08-15T08:55:00.000-07:00

Born to parents who were journalists. She was educated at St. Mary's Hall School for Girls, an independent boarding school in Brighton, East Sussex, England (1982-1986). She graduated from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) in London, England.

In Spring 2006, she was starring in the West End production of Honour at the Wyndham's Theatre alongside Diana Rigg and Martin Jarvis.

Her husband is the plastic surgeon Dr. Martin Hirigoyen Kelly (May 19, 1998 - present). They have two sons, Theo and Otis.

She has a brother Damon, who lives in Los Angeles, and two half brothers Alexander and Nicholas, who live in Stockholm.

Her films and shows

Bergerac (TV, aired 19 January 1991), Louise Calder
A Breed of Heroes (1994, TV), Janet
Cold Lazarus (1996), Angie (Third Hostess)
Surviving Picasso (1996), Françoise Gilot
Karaoke (1996), Angie (Third Hostess)
The Devil's Own (1997), Megan Doherty
Mrs. Dalloway (1997), Young Clarissa
The Truman Show (1998), Lauren/Sylvia
Ronin (1998), Deirdre
Love's Labour's Lost (2000), Rosaline
The Contaminated Man (2002), Holly Anderson
Killing Me Softly (2002), Deborah
Laurel Canyon (2002), Sara
FeardotCom (2002), Terry Huston, Dept. of Health
City of Ghosts (2002), Sophie
Solaris (2002), Rheya
The Other Boleyn Girl (2003 television movie), Mary Boleyn
Ladies in Lavender (2004), Olga
Revelations (2005 miniseries), Sister Josepha Montafiore
Guy X (2005), Irene Teal
Big Nothing (2006), Penelope Wood
The Company (2007 miniseries), Elizabet
Californication (2007

What www.dontdatehimgirl.com says

2007-08-15T08:42:00.000-07:00

Lets see what dontdatehimgirl.com says themselves in their about page.

Don’t Date Him Girl, until you’ve checked him out first! DDHG is a social networking site where women from around the world can share their dating experiences with each other. Share your story of inspiration, hope and determination with other women around the world. Learn about how you can date safer and smarter, build your self-esteem, find true love and empower yourself to become the powerful woman you really are! You are worth it. You deserve to be happy and you deserve to be in a loving relationship! Find the tools you need on www.DontDateHimGirl.com!

The catholic holidays

2007-08-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

The holidays of obligation for Latin Catholics are..

1 January: Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
6 January: the Epiphany
19 March: Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Thursday of the sixth week of Easter: the Ascension
Thursday after Trinity Sunday: the Body and Blood of Christ
29 June: Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles
15 August: the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
1 November: All Saints
8 December: the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
25 December: the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ (Christmas)

Features : Vito 42” High Definition LCD TV

2007-08-15T08:19:00.000-07:00

Features are

Display Area: 42” diagonal
Resolution: 1366×768
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 widescreen
ATSC/NTSC tuners built in
Total of 10 video inputs
Contrast Ratio: 1200:1
Brightness (cd/m2): 500 (typ)
Viewing angle: 178 H /178 V
Pixel Pitch: 0.5415×0.5415 mm
Picture in picture and picture by picture
Built in stereo speakers, 15 watts per channel
Subwoofer output
V-chip and closed caption
Full function remote
One set of AV inputs on the side for easy access
Available resolutions: 640×480, 800×600, 1024×768, 1280×720, 1366×768
Dimensions With Stand: 42×34x11 (inches)

Input/output

HDMI in – 1
PC/VGA in – 1
Audio in for PC - 1
Antenna in – 2 (ATSC/NTSC)
Component (YPbPr) video in – 2
Audio in for component – 2
S-video in – 1
Audio in for S-video – 1
Composite (RCA) video in – 3
Composite (RCA) audio in – 3
Optical digital audio out – 1
Sub-woofer out – 1
Headphone out – 1
Video out – 1
Audio out – 1

Whittle Shortline Railroad : "100 % kid safe"

2007-08-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

"We are little bitty, but we are taking some leaps and bounds her." That is what Mike Whitworth told NEW YORK TIMES reporter Andrew Martin. Mike Whitworth is the owner of WHITTLE SHORTLINE RAILROAD, a small AMERICAN company that makes wooden trains, trucks and proudly proclaims its products are made with "LEAD FREE PAINTS." Trouble in China that has hit the big guys like MATTEL really hard, has helped family owned and operated Whittle Shortline Railroad which the NYT article says is enjoying a 40% JUMP IN SALES since June.

On the website of Whittle Shortline Railroad, they says that the paints they used are 100% led free.

You may visit their history page

Toy Recall List : Mattel's recall of chinese toys

2007-08-15T07:55:00.000-07:00

Moms and Dads all over America are combing their children’s toy boxes looking for dangerous substances. YIKES! Toys made with lead paint, magnets and other harmful stuff on toys, stuff that could possibly hurt or even kill their children.

The toy makers all over this country may be in crisis. Yet another major blow may be giving parents reasons to reinvent their notions of toys and how-to get them AND even where to get them. As consumers we may have amazing power in this critical time before the upcoming holiday shopping season.

It seams, Mattel did the right thing in their recall of another hazardous toys of Chinese origins. AND because of the sensitive nature of this recall principals in the know are hushed or speaking under a cloak of anonymity.

See a list of toy hazard recalls

Jim Florentine: about this american comedian

2007-08-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

Jim Florentine is an American comedian best known for his characters "Special Ed" and "Bobby Fletcher" created for a series of prank phone calls featured on the Comedy Central television show Crank Yankers. He is also a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show and a cohost of Miserable Men on Sirius Satellite Radio's Howard 101 with the Reverend Bob Levy and Shuli. He also had a small role as the redneck radio host Bobbie Ray in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories.

Florentine has a series of prank call CDs known as Terrorizing Telemarketers Volumes 1-4 [1]. The CDs feature a series of recorded telephone conversations, often with Florentine receiving calls from telemarketers, wherein he turns the tables on often aggressive salespeople by being deliberately difficult and creating awkward situations.

On more than one occasion, Florentine has had police show up at his home because the victims of his pranks, believing the fictitious and often heinous scenarios he presents (including allusions to murder and conducting home abortions), traced the calls and contacted authorities.

Florentine has recently come out with a series on comedycentral.com's "Motherload" called "Meet the Creeps." This show is very similar and hugely based on his two DVDs of the same name available exclusively through his website.

Kings of Judea : The facts

2007-08-15T07:41:00.000-07:00

Judea is the mountainous southern part of the historic Land of Israel, an area now divided between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and, in a few geographical definitions of Judea, Jordan.

Human settlement in Judea stretches back to the Stone Age and the region is believed by paleoanthropologists to have been one of the routes through which Homo sapiens travelled out of Africa to colonise the rest of the world around 100,000 years ago. Archaeological evidence of human settlement dates back 11,000 years in the case of the city of Jericho, believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the world. In historic times, the region was inhabited by a number of peoples, most famously the Israelites. Judea is central to much of the narrative of the Torah, with the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob said to have been buried at Hebron in the Tomb of the Patriarchs.

In historic times, Judea was ruled by the Kingdom of Judah, a client kingdom of Persia, and later the Seleucid dynasty of Greece who were eventually expelled from the region by Judas Maccabeus. The Maccabean family established the Hasmonean dynasty of Kings who ruled in Judea for over a century. A power struggle within the ruling family led the Romans to assert control in the region after being approached for aid by one side of the conflict. Eventually as Roman policies became intolerant and oppressive a massive uprising took place which proved unsuccessful. Jerusalem was destroyed and much of the population was killed or enslaved. The Jews rebelled again 70 years later under the leadership of Simon Bar-Kochba and established the last Kingdom of Israel, which lasted three years, before the Romans managed to conquer the province for good at a terrible cost in terms of manpower and expense.

The list of Kings of Judea

August 15 is National Relaxation Day

2007-08-15T07:23:00.000-07:00

August 15 is celebrated as the national relaxation day. The people who celebrates this day, used to be relaxed for a full day. No phones, no messages, no contacts. The purpose of this celebration is about to remind the whole world about the importance of relaxation, to avoid stress building up.

They says that a person experiencing continual stress is more likely to smoke cigarettes, consume more than a casual amount of alcohol, overeat, or commit suicide. Stress also can be a significant factor in the development of heart disease, high blood pressure, strokes, and have negative impact on the immune system.

Jose Offerman of the Long Island Ducks Arrested On assault charge

2007-08-15T07:09:00.000-07:00

In last night’s game against the Bridgeport Bluefish, Jose Offerman the 38 year old of Long Island Ducks has charged the mound with bat in hand, when the Bluefish pitcher Matt Beech drilled Offerman in the left calf. Beech tried to defend, but Offerman swung his bat at him and thus breaking Beech's right hand middle finger. Offerman’s bat also hurt he head of Ducks catcher John Nathans who was trying to stop him.

The game delayed for atleast 20 minutes and then later in the club house, Bridgeport police arrested Offerman for assault. Even though Offerman got released after all these, he will be facing a ban from the league.

Read what wikipedia says about Offerman

Independance day homepage for the Indians when they celebrate 60 years

2007-08-15T01:06:00.000-07:00

These are the home pages of Google, Yahoo, Orkut, etc....
Independence day homepage for the Indians when they celebrate 60 years...
Read artcle on India at wikipedia

Itch Mite : Treatements and precautions

2007-08-14T15:26:00.000-07:00

There's been a run on anti-itch cream in suburban Chicago as people seek relief from bites thought to be caused by itch mites.

This mite is very seldom seen, lives actually in and on the skin, with the female burrowing tunnels in the upper horny layer, particularly on the front of the wrists, the sides and webs of the fingers, the buttocks, the genitals and the feet. Different varieties of Sarcoptes scabiei (De Geer) are believed to be specific for different mammals, including man and a large variety of domestic and wild animals, but are transferable from one host to another. The variety specific to man is generally referred to as the "itch" or "scab" mite, and acariasis caused by it is sometimes called "scabies." People are most likely to become infested when living in continually crowded quarters, such as slums or jails, or during periods of major calamities that result in prolonged overcrowding.

They are so small that even the adults are barely visible to the unaided eye. Adult females are 0.33 to 0.45 mm long, and the males, 0.20 to 0.24 mm. The mites are a translucent, dirty-white color, with the more highly chitinized (shell or nail like composition) portions brownish. In living specimens, the body is seen to be divided into 2 regions by a fold in the integument (any natural protective covering, such as a skin, rind, or shell); the posterior portion bears the last 2 pairs of the 4 pairs of very short legs. The last 2 pairs of legs do not extend as far as the margins of the body.

Means of Transmission: The ease of transmission of body lice via infested clothing and bedding has led many people to assume that itch mites could be transmitted in the same way. An important difference, however, is that body lice live on their host's clothes and contact his body only to feed, whereas itch mites spend most of their lives beneath the host's skin. Merely putting clothing away for 2 or 3 days at ordinary room temperature should be sufficient to rid it of mites, as they dessicate very easily. Two persons in a bed gave the greatest opportunity for the spread of itch mites. However, transmission is also possible through dancing, flirtation, and ordinary intimate contact between members of a family.

Symptoms of Infestation: Whereas in animals large numbers of mites give rise to "sarcoptic mange," in humans relatively small numbers of mites can cause unpleasant symptoms, and the disease is known as "scabies." At a certain stage, the irritation may become so severe that the patient becomes frantic and suffers from lack of sleep. If the infestation is long continued, or if a later infestation occurs, an allergic reaction develops, with intense itching and a redness, or rash of follicular papules (small blister at the base of a hair) over much of the body. The rash may develop on areas such as around the armpits, the wrists, the waist, inside the thighs, and backs of the calves, but these areas do not necessarily coincide with those of mite infestation. The rash may occur over much of the body, even though only a few mites may be present in restricted locations between the fingers.

Medical Treatment: It is important to diagnose scabies correctly, for neither the irritation nor the liability to skin diseases can cease until the mites have been eliminated. Look for the burrow of a female in such places as between the knuckles and in folds of the wrist and elbow, and then gently prick the burrow open. Toward the end of the burrow, the mite can usually be distinguished as a dull-white spot. Remove it with a needle. A bath before treatment is desirable for hygienic reasons. Thorough treatment is essential, and is best done by a physician or a reliable nurse or orderly. Ramsay recommended that any preparations should be applied in the evening after the patient had taken a warm bath, and that the application be left in place until the next evening, when the treatment would be repeated. All areas of the skin below the neck should be treated, including body folds, palms, and soles. A cleansing bath should be taken 48 hours after the second application. Some tingling of the skin is to be expected after treatment, and it may last as long as 10 to 14 days. Calamine lotion or emulsion may be applied to alleviate this condition. Instructions on the package in which the medication is sold should always be read and followed carefully. Secondary infections may require the skills of a medical doctor or dermatologist. If the treatment is satisfactory and reinfestation occurs, an effort should be made to find untreated persons with whom the patient may have had contact.

Any treament described here should not be taken as policy. You need to see your own doctor if you have a problem.

Mortgage Thornburg To Delay Dividend : Shares Fall

2007-08-14T15:14:00.000-07:00

Thornburg Mortgage will delay paying its quarterly dividend, scheduled for Wednesday, after plummeting mortgage security prices drastically reduced the value of its holdings.

After trading closed Tuesday Thornburg announced that it will push back its second-quarter dividend payment of 68 cents. The dividend will now be paid on September 17. Payment was originally scheduled for August 15.

Thornburg said the delay comes in response to significant disruptions in the mortgage market that have caused a "sudden and unprecedented" decline in the market prices of the company's AAA-rated mortgage securities. Thornburg's Chief Executive Larry Goldstone said that as of Tuesday the company's book value was $14.28 per share, down from $19.38 per share on June 30.

Actor Albert Insinnia charged with child porn possession

2007-08-14T14:57:00.000-07:00

Albert Insinnia, the 57 year old actor who is known for NBC's "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" has been charged with possession of child pornography.

Insinnia was charged with possession of child pornography after authorities discovered 180 images of child porn from the hard disk of Insinnia's laptop computer.

After getting bail tuesday morning, Insinnia's lawyer Joseph Portelli says "I understand what he's been charged with, but I do have to say that based on my conversations with him and the authorities involved, I sincerely believe he's not guilty,"

Sixty years after partition, why is India doing so much better than Pakistan?

2007-08-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

Are Pakistan's military dictators to blame for all its problems? How do Pakistanis react to the portrayal of their country versus that of India? Andrew Buncombe asks The Big Question

Why are we asking this now?

Pakistan celebrates the 60th anniversary of its independence from Britain today (14 August) while India marks the occasion precisely 24 hours later. For much of the long campaign for independence - led by Mahatma Gandhi - the campaigners' demand was for the creation of a single independent nation in which the rights of Hindus and Muslims would be protected. The campaign for an independent Pakistan grew during the 1930s and 1940s, under the direction of Mohammed Ali Jinnah, the leader of the All India Muslim League and the man who served as Pakistan's first Governor General. In the years since Partition India has proudly and robustly championed its occasionally chaotic democracy while Pakistan has been ruled by military dictators for more than half its history (1958-71, 1977-88, 1999-present). Now, at the age of 60, India's image is that of a resurgent, confident regional power racing to compete with China and the West. Meanwhile, Pakistan's image - at least in the West - is as a broken, backward country that provides a safe haven for extremists.

How correct are these perceptions?

In recent years India has certainly been making rapid economic progress. Its economy is now the 10th biggest in the world and a new middle class of up to 200 million has been created. The economy is currently growing at about 9 per cent a year. Pakistan's is also growing. One government minister said recently it was the third fastest-growing economy is Asia. Over the next four years it is expected to grow at about 6 per cent. The UN Human Development Index - which measures a series of economic and lifestyle indicators - ranks Pakistan 134th out of 177 and India 126th. In India and Pakistan, life expectancy is 63.6 and 63.4 years respectively, the adult literacy rates are 61 per cent and 49 per cent and the GDP figures are $3,139 and $2,225. However, the Gini Co-efficient, which measures a country's economic equality, suggests there is a slightly greater disparity between the rich and the poor in India than in Pakistan.

And what about politics?

India never misses an opportunity to remind people that it is the world's largest democracy. There is a broad swath of mainstream political opinion represented. The left has a long history in India, particularly in places such as Bengal. Meanwhile 60 years after independence, Pakistan's leader, General Pervez Musharraf, who first seized power in a coup in 1999, is desperately seeking to hold on to his position ahead of elections, technically scheduled to take place before the end of the year. Of the many difficulties he faces is the increased threat from extremists, largely situated in the country's north-west where Islamabad's ability to exert influence - and also perhaps its desire to exert influence - is greatly reduced. In the aftermath of the Lal Masjid operation this summer which saw more than 100 people killed, there has been a backlash against police and troops. The US - which has been a crucial backer of General Musharraf both politically and financially - has grown increasingly unhappy with his record at confronting extremists. The public of Pakistan appear poorly served by their leaders and yet there appear few genuine alternatives to the roster currently seeking popular support - a roll-call which includes former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, who both intend to return to Pakistan from exile to contest the election.

Are Pakistan's military dictators to blame for all its problems?

India's economic transformation dates to a series of reforms that were introduced in 1991 when the government removed many restrictions and opened up the country to foreign capital. Tariffs were reduced and financial markets were opened. One of the architects of the reforms was the current Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh. Pakistan's attractiveness to foreign investors, meanwhile, remains hobbled by the country's political uncertainty. At the weekend, General Musharraf claimed that the development of both Pakistan and Afghanistan was being held back by a "a small minority that preaches hate, violence and backwardness". Yet a number of commentators have pointed out that Pakistan's military leaders have paid little attention to developing the country's economy and have spend vast amounts of the nation's revenues on its military budget. Even when civilian leaders have been in power, the Pakistan military - a major owner of business, land and logistical operations - has retained crucial power.

Is there another side to all of this?

Yes. For all the confidence of its politicians and wealthy elite, India is a country that still faces huge problems. It remains riven by the caste system, especially in the rural areas, and the majority lives in abject poverty. A report published last week suggested that 77 per cent of Indians were living on 20 rupees (25p) a day. "For most of them, conditions of work are utterly deplorable and livelihood options extremely few," said the report by the state-run National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector. And while India's middle class is frenziedly buying up consumer goods that for a long time were unavailable, the country's infrastructure remains utterly inadequate; roads are congested, ports and airports have insufficient logistical capacity and even the biggest cities are routinely struck by electricity cuts and water shortages. Many believe that India's head-long pursuit of consumerism is not the correct path for the country to take and that too many people are not being included in the country's progress.

How do Pakistanis react to the portrayal of their country versus that of India?

Since Partition the relationship between the two countries has been deeply competitive. There have been three full wars fought between them and several other conflicts, most recently in 1999 when Pakistani troops and fighters entered the Indian side of the Line of Control in Kashmir. The fighting threatened to escalate. There was huge worldwide concern because by that time, both India and Pakistan were nuclear powers. India carried out five nuclear tests in May 1998 and Pakistan responded in kind just days later. An earlier war in 1971 coincided with the eastern part of the country's own conflict with West Pakistan - a conflict that would result in East Pakistan securing its own independence as Bangladesh. India supported the separatists in their efforts. Anecdotally, one finds that the overwhelming majority of Pakistanis resent the portrayal of their country as a terrorist haven and go out of their way to show friendliness and hospitality to a visitor. They are also unfailingly inquisitive about the situation in India and whether the image of India's economic transformation is genuine.

Is India successful because of its own efforts?

Yes...

Politicians took crucial decisions that helped transform the country's economy

Indian politicians have proudly protected the country's democratic tradition

India has insisted that foreign companies must work with Indian firms, thereby helping turn Indian companies into international players

No...

India's large internal market has made it a hugely attractive option for foreign corporations

India's large number of English speakers has helped it develop itself in industries such as the service sector

India has not been entirely successful. There are still huge challenges facing the country

Original article at http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/features/article2861951.ece

Emgeton Mini One : The iPhone clone powered with windows

2007-08-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

This iPhone like windows based based phone is found at emgeton
The phone comes with a 720x480 display, touch screen capability, and powered with windows mobile 6. Other features are 3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, TV out and an ARM11 CPU which works at 30 frames per second.

The mirror tiles which reflects your moods when switched on

2007-08-14T09:49:00.000-07:00

The mood light reflector panel is a new invention which pulses and sweeps in various colours.
The panel will be just like a normal mirror when turned off. But when turned on, you can create light scenarios and various colour patterns with remote control. You can blend unlimited colour combinations by changing the intensity of primary colours.
The tiles also comes with pre-programed mood-light settings. Basically the mirror tiles are built based on led's.
Multiple mirror tiles can be placed together to create a wall of your desired mood.

Dimensions : 19.7"W x 19.7"H x 3.75"D

Price: US$600.00

Buy this product

What India and Pakistan fighting for : Kashmir in winter(pictures)

2007-08-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

These are some of the pictures which reveals the natural beauty of Kashmir in winter.

Russian accused of killing 49 people

2007-08-14T02:53:00.000-07:00

Alexander Pichushkin , a 33 year old russian, working in a super market; wanted to be the 'worst serial killer' .

Pichushkin says that he had killed 63 people. But the police found only 14 bodies. And there isn't any evidence to prove that he had killed that much.

The police says "This is the first such case in Moscow. We are charging him with 52 murders. He insists that he killed 63, but there are no bodies, no murder weapons, no testimony, and not even records of people gone missing".

Pichushkin's mother says that her son started this when he was struck on the head by a swing at the age of four.

Monday Night Football : Interesting facts

2007-08-13T13:35:00.000-07:00

Monday night football is back tomorrow. Lets move on to some interesting facts about it.

Monday Night Football (MNF) is a live television broadcast of the National Football League. Originally airing on the ABC network from 1970 to 2005, Monday Night Football was the second longest running prime time show on American broadcast network television (after CBS' 60 Minutes) and one of the highest-rated, particularly among male viewers. ABC aired a total of 555 Monday night games.

Monday Night Football moved to the ESPN cable network in 2006, ending a 36-year run on ABC. ABC and ESPN are both owned by the Walt Disney Company.

Monday Night Football can also be seen in Canada on TSN, in most of Europe on NASN and in some regions of the world outside the U.S. on ESPN International. A Spanish language version airs on ESPN Deportes in the U.S. and on ESPN International in Latin America.

History

Monday Night Football enjoyed success throughout its 36-year run, with the NFL using the national spotlight as a way of rewarding the best teams and biggest stars from the previous season. However, that process has come under fire, due to late-season contests involving promising teams whose fortunes had declined during the course of the season. Two examples came during the 1981 season, when neither of that season's Super Bowl teams—the San Francisco 49ers and Cincinnati Bengals—had played on Monday night, and 1999, when the St. Louis Rams won the Super Bowl after not having appeared in a Monday night game during the year. A third example was the 49ers and the Atlanta Falcons, after both making the playoffs in the 1998 season, meeting in the final MNF game of 1999 both with 4-11 records. Yet another example was the 2001 New England Patriots who won the Super Bowl after going through 2001 without a single "MNF" appearance.

Franchises with the most Monday night appearances include the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders, Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, and Miami Dolphins. The most common Monday Night Football pairings are Denver vs. Oakland and Dallas vs. Washington, with each matchup having been televised 14 times. Also Atlanta vs. New Orleans has been on the Monday night schedule for three years in a row.

Teams can make a maximum of three Monday night appearances per season.

The snake was original in the naked photo ; says Mary Louis Parker

2007-08-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

Mary Louis Parker, the 43 year old actress says that while she was posing naked for a photograph, the snake over her body was the thing which bothered her.

''I didn't think I was going to do it actually,'' the 43-year-old actress told AP Radio News in a recent interview. ''But then, they were there and the snake was there, and I didn't want the snake to win, so I put the snake on.

''And actually, I grew to really love the snake - by the end of the day.''

About Mary Louis Parker

Mary-Louise Parker (born August 2, 1964 in Fort Jackson, South Carolina) is an American actress whose work in theatre and film has won her international acclaim. She has been the recipient of the prestigious Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe awards. Her best-known works include Fried Green Tomatoes, Boys on the Side, Proof, The West Wing, Angels in America, and her current role on Showtime's Weeds.

The whole facts about lisfranc sprain

2007-08-13T12:12:00.000-07:00

Have you ever dropped a heavy box on the top of your foot? Or accidentally stepped in a small hole and fallen, twisting your foot? These two common accidents can result in a Lisfranc fracture-dislocation of the midfoot. This fracture gets its name from the French doctor who first described the injury.

Lisfranc injuries occur at the midfoot, where a cluster of small bones forms an arch on top of the foot between the ankle and the toes. From this cluster, five long bones (metatarsals) extend to the toes. The second metatarsal also extends down into the row of small bones and acts as a stabilizing force. The bones are held in place by connective tissues (ligaments) that stretch both across and down the foot. However, there is no connective tissue holding the first metatarsal to the second metatarsal. A twisting fall can break or shift (dislocate) these bones out of place.

Signs and symptoms

Lisfranc fracture-dislocations are often mistaken for sprains. The top of the foot may be swollen and painful. There may be some bruising. If the injury is severe, you may not be able to put any weight on the foot. Lisfranc injuries are often difficult to see on X-rays. Unrecognized Lisfranc injuries can have serious complications such as joint degeneration and compartment syndrome, a build-up of pressure within muscles that can damage nerve cells and blood vessels. If the standard treatment for a sprain (rest, ice and elevation) doesn't reduce the pain and swelling within a day or two, ask your doctor for a referral to an orthopaedic specialist.

Diagnosis

The orthopaedist will examine your foot for signs of injury. He may hold your heel steady and move your foot around in a circle. This motion produces minimal pain with a sprain, but severe pain with a Lisfranc injury. If your initial X-ray did not show an injury, the orthopaedist may request several other views, including comparison views of the uninjured foot and stress or weightbearing X-rays. In some cases, a computed tomography (CT) scan or magnetic resonance image (MRI) may be necessary to confirm the diagnosis.

Treatment

Treatment for a Lisfranc injury depends on the severity of the injury. If the bones have not been forced out of position, you will probably have to wear a cast and refrain from putting weight on the foot for about six weeks. When the cast is removed, you may have to wear a rigid arch support. Your orthopaedist will also recommend foot exercises to build strength and help restore full range of motion.

Often, operative treatment is needed to stabilize the bones and hold them in place until healing is complete. Pins, wires or screws may be used. Afterwards, you will have to wear a cast and limit weightbearing on the foot for six to eight weeks. A walking brace may be prescribed when the fixation devices are removed. You may also have to wear an arch support and a rigid soled shoe until all symptoms have disappeared. In some cases, if arthritis develops in these joints, the bones may have to be fused together.

It is important to follow your doctor's orders and refrain from activities until you are given the go-ahead. If you return to activities too quickly, you may easily suffer another injury, resulting in damage to the blood vessels, the development of painful arthritis and an even longer healing time.

A Dollar 400,000 Lamborghini crashed just 2 days after buying

2007-08-13T11:27:00.001-07:00

Ronald Tridico, 39 year old man from florida is in news just after crashing his $400,000 Lamborghini when it was just 2 days since he bought that car.
Florida Highway Patrol said Tridico was speeding when he lost the handle on his brand new sports car on State Road 429 in Orange County.

The Troopers say he skidded more than 1,000 feet before the actual impact. Tridico indicated that another vehicle had allegedly cut him off, but troopers said they didn't believe him based on the skid marks.

A representative for the highway patrol is quoted with saying, "Just because you can afford a $400,000 car doesn't mean you know how to drive it."

Tridico was subsequently arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident.

Hurricane flossie : Latest weather pictures

2007-08-13T10:05:00.000-07:00

These are the latest weather pictures provided by various weather stations.
The reports says that the hurricane will not give up soon. Hawaii is still under the threat of Flossie.

Tonight is the night for the light fantastic

2007-08-13T09:48:00.000-07:00

Britons are likely to be treated to a spectacular display of heavenly fireworks tonight.
Scientists says that the annual Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak this evening and during the early hours of Monday.
It will be most apparent in the north-eastern part of the sky near the Perseus constellation.

'If we're lucky, on Sunday night and Monday morning we might see as many as 100 meteors an hour,' Dr Robert Massey, of the UK's Royal Astronomical Society, told the BBC.

The spectacle is caused by comet debris no bigger than grains of sand that enters Earth's atmosphere at up to 50km a second and burns up producing streaks of light.

Original artcle at http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2147151,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=science

Nicole Atkins : What Nicole Atkins have to tell you

2007-08-12T13:03:00.000-07:00

A laid-back jersey girl who was equally into hair metal and her grandmother's Johnny Cash records, Nicole Atkins got started playing solo gigs at college in North Carolina, then moved home and gigged around New York's East Village. It was there that Atkins, 27, developed her strongest assets: a big voice full of longing and Loretta Lynn elegance, and slightly surreal folk-pop songs that evoke moonlit walks with the shadows closing in. Last year, Atkins scored a deal with Columbia Records; an EP, Bleeding Diamonds, is coming this summer and a full-length album late this year.

Marlo Thomas : Interesting facts about 'that girl'

2007-08-12T12:52:00.000-07:00

Marlo Thomas (Margaret Julia Thomas) born on November 21, 1937 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American actress, who first achieved fame on the TV series That Girl in the 1960s.

She is the daughter of the late Lebanese-American comedian Danny Thomas and sister of Tony Thomas, a TV and film producer, and Terre Thomas, a former actress. Her mother, Rose Marie Mantell, was the adopted daughter of Italian Americans and died in 2000.

Thomas was born in Detroit, but grew up in Beverly Hills, California, and went by the nickname of Margie Thomas while attending school. She attended Marymount High School in Los Angeles. After graduating from the University of Southern California with a teaching degree, Thomas appeared as a regular on The Joey Bishop Show (1961–1962).

She followed the series with guest shots on Ben Casey, My Favorite Martian, and Bonanza, but it was not until 1966 that she hit her professional stride as wannabe New York actress Ann Marie on the ABC sitcom That Girl. The series ran until 1971, garnering her a Golden Globe Award and four Emmy nominations.

Anxious to show she was as adept at drama as she was at comedy, she proved herself in the television movies It Happened One Christmas (1977) (a remake of It's a Wonderful Life, with Thomas in the rewritten James Stewart role), Nobody's Child (1986) , and The Lost Honor Of Kathryn Beck (1984), while she starred in Jenny (1970) and Thieves (1977) on the big screen.

Thomas's Broadway theatre credits include Thieves (1974), Social Security (1986), and The Shadow Box (1994).

She is also known for her children's books and the recordings and television specials created in conjunction with them: Free to Be… You and Me (1972 and 1974) and Free to Be . . . A Family (1987), with Christopher Cerf), which were born out of an attempt to teach her then-young niece Dionne about life. She is donating all royalties from her 2004 book and CD, Thanks & Giving: All Year Long (also produced with Cerf), to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Started by her late father, the organization helps young children suffering from grave forms of disease, especially cancer and leukemia, including many whose parents do not have much money or health insurance; the services are free to all patients, although insurance is accepted from those who are insured.

Thomas has continued her legacy of charity and donation through her publications of The Right Words at the Right Time (6 January 2004, Atria Books ISBN 0-7434-4650-X) and The Right Words at the Right Time Volume 2 (25 April 2006, Atria Books ISBN 0-7434-9743-0). Both books are collections of essays written by celebrities and fans of Thomas, explaining when a friend, family member or perfect stranger said the right thing in the author's time of need. All proceeds go to her charity (St. Jude's Hospital).

Thomas's favorable public image came under severe attack in 1990 when her former butler Desmond Atholl wrote a book called That Girl and Phil. This was an expose of sorts of the years he worked for her. Atholl claimed that contrary to her public image, Marlo Thomas was cruel and foul mouthed towards her staffers, and servants.

In recent years, Thomas has appeared in guest shots on Ally McBeal, Friends (as Rachel's mother), and made several guest appearances on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, playing attorney and former judge, Mary Conway Clark, who had a mentoring relationship with assistant District Attorney, Casey Novak. She also appeared in the 2000 comedy Playing Mona Lisa with Alicia Witt and Harvey Fierstein.

Thomas is the recipient of four Emmy Awards. She has been married to talk show host Phil Donahue since 1980. She has no children, but is step-mother to Donahue's five children from his previous marriage. The couple lives in New York City, but Thomas travels to Los Angeles for work or to receive donations to her charity, Saint Jude Children's Research Hospital. (Producer David Geffen contributed $1,000,000 by simply writing Thomas a check when she was on location in L.A. filming Friends some years ago.)

Indian cricket league : What ICL have to say

2007-08-11T04:11:00.000-07:00

The parallel cricket proposed by Essel group in india , ICL is now into the news. Lets listen what ICL says about themselves.

"India is now a global economic power with analysts predicting an excellent future for the country. Research suggests that by 2050, India would be among the top four global economies. The liberalization policy has ignited entrepreneurial passions and catapulted India as a giant in sectors like IT and biotechnology.

Although India has emerged as an economic powerhouse, to be a true global power multifaceted excellence is the norm. Sport is an area where consistent performance and domination creates a global giant. India has to achieve it to be a true world power. The Essel group has taken an initiative in this frontier and the ICL is a step in this direction.

Cricket in India is a national obsession and a religion. It is a game which governs national pride and has fantastic following. Cricket is also the game where we are the closest to becoming a champion side. BCCI, the governing body of cricket in India provides contracts to just about 20 players which does not produce a high quality large bench strength. A reserve bench strength can be produced by lifting the level of domestic cricket. This will help the youngsters acclimatize to the rigors of International cricket.

ICL's mission is to create a pool of high quality ideal cricketers with killer instinct needed to be champions. This group of players should be able to perform under the pressures of International cricket and make India a champion side.

The ICL has planned a 3D strategy to achieve this target. 'Discovery' the first stage involves the best talent scouts traveling across the country to identify and unearth the finest of talents on offer. The second stage 'Diligence' would be carried out at specially built state of the art ICL residential academies across the country. The selected talent would undergo a strict training process at these academies. Their training would include skill based - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual modules. This training would be provided by seasoned professionals and would involve cutting edge sport science practices and traditional Indian sciences like Yoga. The third stage 'Display' is a professional cricket competition in a league format enabling the youngsters to display their prowess along and against the giants of world cricket.

The ICL would be run by a set of professionals with policies benchmarked against the best sports organizations globally. The executive board and other officials in ICL have a proven track record of managing sport especially cricket. Processes have been set in place to ensure transparency and high effectiveness.

Sport globally is a multi million dollar business. In the USA Sports related activities are the 11th largest contributor to the GDP. Sport has proven to be a very successful vehicle for corporates to associate with in furthering their commercial interests.

The ICL is keen to invite partners to move ahead in its goal. This document provides a description of the ICL and the various commercial opportunities and benefits associated with it. We look forward to your partnership in propelling India as a global cricketing and sporting power."
Original at http://www.indiancricketleague.in/abouticl.htm

Tom Sietas has broken his own world record for holding breath under water

2007-08-11T03:34:00.000-07:00

Tom Sietas, a 30-year-old engineering student from Hamburg exceeded his own Guinness record time by 37 seconds at the world free diving championships in New York.
Previous record set by him was 14 minutes and 25 seconds.
And right now it's 15 minutes and two !!!!!

Mr Sietas began free-diving over a decade ago after a scuba diving instructor he met on a holiday in Jamaica recognised his extraordinary ability to hold his breath.

He has since held a total of 12 world records.

Jennifer Kesse : The missing woman's photo appears on dating sites

2007-08-10T11:50:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Kesse , a missing Florida woman is now in the news , when she just popped up on the web.

Jennifer was a financial analyst, who reported missing in January 2006. After returning from a cruise, no one saw her.
But a surveillance video showed some one near her car. The police was on further investigation, and now her photos are on dating sites. Parents of Jennifer says that they are thinking about filing a suit against using her photograph without permission.

However the investigator in charge of her case said there’s not much action that can be taken against those who have stolen Jennifer’s image to use with their profiles on dating Web sites.

“There’s nothing we can do about it,” said Detective Joel Wright of the Orlando Police Department. “We can look into their background to see if it’s some sex offender, look into their history and see if it’s anybody who might have come into contact with her.”

He said it’s unlikely that those who have used Jennifer’s photograph have anything to do with her disappearance, however.

“More than likely, it’s somebody just trying to make themselves look better for someone they might want to meet later on,” Wright said. “I wonder what happens when they do meet that person.”

Jennifer’s dad worries about the fact that the people who posted his daughter’s image on the dating sites are “very fraudulent, very deceitful".

Anyone with any information is encouraged to call the Orlando Police Department at (321) 235-5300 or the Kesse family tip line at (407) 722-2162.

Jennifer Kesse in detail

Jennifer Kesse (born May 20, 1981) is a woman from Orlando, Florida who has been missing since January 24, 2006.

A graduate of Vivian Gaither High School, Kesse attended the University of Central Florida in Orlando, graduating in 2003, with a degree in finance. She was a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority; her former sorority sisters have led many searches to find Kesse.

When she disappeared, Kesse had relocated permanently to Orlando. She was working at Central Florida Investments Timeshare Company in nearby Ocoee and recently bought a condominium, where she was believed to be last seen. She was expected to come into work on January 24, but never showed up. On January 26, Orlando police found her Chevy Malibu in an apartment complex about one mile from her residence.

Orlando police have released few clues publicly in the case, but have photos of a "person of interest" with whom they would like to speak. The person is seen in frames from a security video at the complex where Kesse's car was found. The frames were taken the day Kesse was reported missing. The FBI was called in to help determine the person's size and gender, but could only say the person was someone who was about 5-foot-3 to 5-foot-5.

Police also said at a Feb. 21 news conference that they believe someone other than Kesse drove her car to the complex where it was found. They have not called the "person of interest" a suspect, but only say he or she is someone who was in the area when the car was dropped off.

The reward for information leading to her recovery was $115,000. An anonymous donor, however, set a deadline of March 19, 2006 for $100,000 of the reward, which would only have been given for the safe return of Kesse. The $15,000 remains available through Central Florida Crimeline.

Hurricane flossie confirmed - tropical storm flossie gained sufficient wind speed to be classified as a hurricane

2007-08-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

Its now confirmed that the tropical storm Flossie has got sufficient speed to be classified as a hurricane.

Following are the weather pictures and information provided by weather and hurricane centres.

Tropical Storm Flossie was formed in the Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Mexico and the U.S. state of Hawaii.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami reported Wednesday that the storm is located far from land and moving west with wind speeds near 65 kilometers per hour.

Latest technical stats about the hurricane flossie from national weather service

WTPZ24 KNHC 101451
TCMEP4
HURRICANE FLOSSIE FORECAST/ADVISORY NUMBER 8...CORRECTED
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP092007
1500 UTC FRI AUG 10 2007

CORRECTED GUST FROM 85 TO 8 KT FOR ADVISORY TIME

HURRICANE CENTER LOCATED NEAR 12.7N 136.0W AT 10/1500Z
POSITION ACCURATE WITHIN 20 NM

PRESENT MOVEMENT TOWARD THE WEST OR 275 DEGREES AT 12 KT

ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE 987 MB
MAX SUSTAINED WINDS 65 KT WITH GUSTS TO 80 KT.
64 KT....... 10NE 10SE 0SW 0NW.
50 KT....... 15NE 15SE 15SW 0NW.
34 KT....... 45NE 60SE 45SW 45NW.
12 FT SEAS.. 60NE 60SE 60SW 60NW.
WINDS AND SEAS VARY GREATLY IN EACH QUADRANT. RADII IN NAUTICAL
MILES ARE THE LARGEST RADII EXPECTED ANYWHERE IN THAT QUADRANT.

Nick thune rocks with his 'instant messenger' a love story - hahaha

2007-08-10T02:25:00.000-07:00

Watch this video to see how amazingly Nick thune has came in to the news today.

Nick Thune was born in Seattle, Washington. He gave up working for his bachelor degree at Bellevue Community College after 2.5 years. Soon after, he started playing songs at local musical open microphones. Today, he is living in Los Angeles and is a stand-up comedian who can be seen at the Hollywood Improv, The Laugh Factory and other places around the country. In winter 2006, Thune was invited to perform at the HBO Comedy Arts Festival in Aspen, Colorado. Soon after, Comedy Central asked Nick to make some short films and shoot a stand-up special (the special will be airing in 2007). Nick also dabbles in acting, recently playing some small to medium-size roles in "Unaccompanied Minors," "Knocked Up," "License to Wed" and "Spring Breakdown."

Latest pictures of Brooklyn tornado

2007-08-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

Below are the latest photos taken after the tornado hit Brooklyn.
The tornado hit Brooklyn and Paralyzed commuting in this morning - Wednesday, August 8th, 2007.
Subway stations were flooded, forcing commuters out onto the streets and into taxis and buses, and bringing traffic in many areas to a standstill. The region’s three major airports — LaGuardia, Kennedy and Newark — all reported flight cancellations and delays.

12 most used time-saving google search operators

2007-08-08T11:03:00.000-07:00

site: To search within a site or domain
link: To get the pages those links to the specified page
info: To get information about a page
cache: To get google's last cached image of a page
related: To display pages of similar content
filetype: To restrict search results by file type
inurl: To search for a word or phrase within the url
allinurl: To search for multiple words within the url
intitle: To search for a word or phrase within the page title
define: To define a word or phrase
date: To restrict search results to pages added or updated in last 3,6 or 12 months
phonebook: To display a phone directory listing

9 beautiful pencil sketches

2007-08-06T22:43:00.000-07:00

Below are the best pencil sketches i have ever seen.
The sketches are of the indian film stars amithabh bachan, kamal hassan, rajni kanth , vikram etc.
By the way i dont know anything about the artist. Hats off to him!!!!

Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind poem

2007-08-03T11:55:00.000-07:00

The 2004 film 'eternal sunshine of the spotless mind poem' is based on this poem written by Alexander Pope.

Eloisa to Abelard
In these deep solitudes and awful cells,
Where heav'nly-pensive contemplation dwells,
And ever-musing melancholy reigns;
What means this tumult in a vestal's veins?
Why rove my thoughts beyond this last retreat?
Why feels my heart its long-forgotten heat?
Yet, yet I love! — From Abelard it came,
And Eloisa yet must kiss the name.

Dear fatal name! rest ever unreveal'd,
Nor pass these lips in holy silence seal'd.
Hide it, my heart, within that close disguise,
Where mix'd with God's, his lov'd idea lies:
O write it not, my hand — the name appears
Already written — wash it out, my tears!
In vain lost Eloisa weeps and prays,
Her heart still dictates, and her hand obeys.

Relentless walls! whose darksome round contains
Repentant sighs, and voluntary pains:
Ye rugged rocks! which holy knees have worn;
Ye grots and caverns shagg'd with horrid thorn!
Shrines! where their vigils pale-ey'd virgins keep,
And pitying saints, whose statues learn to weep!
Though cold like you, unmov'd, and silent grown,
I have not yet forgot myself to stone.
All is not Heav'n's while Abelard has part,
Still rebel nature holds out half my heart;
Nor pray'rs nor fasts its stubborn pulse restrain,
Nor tears, for ages, taught to flow in vain.

Soon as thy letters trembling I unclose,
That well-known name awakens all my woes.
Oh name for ever sad! for ever dear!
Still breath'd in sighs, still usher'd with a tear.
I tremble too, where'er my own I find,
Some dire misfortune follows close behind.
Line after line my gushing eyes o'erflow,
Led through a sad variety of woe:
Now warm in love, now with'ring in thy bloom,
Lost in a convent's solitary gloom!
There stern religion quench'd th' unwilling flame,
There died the best of passions, love and fame.

Yet write, oh write me all, that I may join
Griefs to thy griefs, and echo sighs to thine.
Nor foes nor fortune take this pow'r away;
And is my Abelard less kind than they?
Tears still are mine, and those I need not spare,
Love but demands what else were shed in pray'r;
No happier task these faded eyes pursue;
To read and weep is all they now can do.

Then share thy pain, allow that sad relief;
Ah, more than share it! give me all thy grief.
Heav'n first taught letters for some wretch's aid,
Some banish'd lover, or some captive maid;
They live, they speak, they breathe what love inspires,
Warm from the soul, and faithful to its fires,
The virgin's wish without her fears impart,
Excuse the blush, and pour out all the heart,
Speed the soft intercourse from soul to soul,
And waft a sigh from Indus to the Pole.

Thou know'st how guiltless first I met thy flame,
When Love approach'd me under Friendship's name;
My fancy form'd thee of angelic kind,
Some emanation of th' all-beauteous Mind.
Those smiling eyes, attemp'ring ev'ry day,
Shone sweetly lambent with celestial day.
Guiltless I gaz'd; heav'n listen'd while you sung;
And truths divine came mended from that tongue.
From lips like those what precept fail'd to move?
Too soon they taught me 'twas no sin to love.
Back through the paths of pleasing sense I ran,
Nor wish'd an Angel whom I lov'd a Man.
Dim and remote the joys of saints I see;
Nor envy them, that heav'n I lose for thee.

How oft, when press'd to marriage, have I said,
Curse on all laws but those which love has made!
Love, free as air, at sight of human ties,
Spreads his light wings, and in a moment flies,
Let wealth, let honour, wait the wedded dame,
August her deed, and sacred be her fame;
Before true passion all those views remove,
Fame, wealth, and honour! what are you to Love?
The jealous God, when we profane his fires,
Those restless passions in revenge inspires;
And bids them make mistaken mortals groan,
Who seek in love for aught but love alone.
Should at my feet the world's great master fall,
Himself, his throne, his world, I'd scorn 'em all:
Not Caesar's empress would I deign to prove;
No, make me mistress to the man I love;
If there be yet another name more free,
More fond than mistress, make me that to thee!
Oh happy state! when souls each other draw,
When love is liberty, and nature, law:
All then is full, possessing, and possess'd,
No craving void left aching in the breast:
Ev'n thought meets thought, ere from the lips it part,
And each warm wish springs mutual from the heart.
This sure is bliss (if bliss on earth there be)
And once the lot of Abelard and me.

Alas, how chang'd! what sudden horrors rise!
A naked lover bound and bleeding lies!
Where, where was Eloise? her voice, her hand,
Her poniard, had oppos'd the dire command.
Barbarian, stay! that bloody stroke restrain;
The crime was common, common be the pain.
I can no more; by shame, by rage suppress'd,
Let tears, and burning blushes speak the rest.

Canst thou forget that sad, that solemn day,
When victims at yon altar's foot we lay?
Canst thou forget what tears that moment fell,
When, warm in youth, I bade the world farewell?
As with cold lips I kiss'd the sacred veil,
The shrines all trembl'd, and the lamps grew pale:
Heav'n scarce believ'd the conquest it survey'd,
And saints with wonder heard the vows I made.
Yet then, to those dread altars as I drew,
Not on the Cross my eyes were fix'd, but you:
Not grace, or zeal, love only was my call,
And if I lose thy love, I lose my all.
Come! with thy looks, thy words, relieve my woe;
Those still at least are left thee to bestow.
Still on that breast enamour'd let me lie,
Still drink delicious poison from thy eye,
Pant on thy lip, and to thy heart be press'd;
Give all thou canst — and let me dream the rest.
Ah no! instruct me other joys to prize,
With other beauties charm my partial eyes,
Full in my view set all the bright abode,
And make my soul quit Abelard for God.

Ah, think at least thy flock deserves thy care,
Plants of thy hand, and children of thy pray'r.
From the false world in early youth they fled,
By thee to mountains, wilds, and deserts led.
You rais'd these hallow'd walls; the desert smil'd,
And Paradise was open'd in the wild.
No weeping orphan saw his father's stores
Our shrines irradiate, or emblaze the floors;
No silver saints, by dying misers giv'n,
Here brib'd the rage of ill-requited heav'n:
But such plain roofs as piety could raise,
And only vocal with the Maker's praise.
In these lone walls (their days eternal bound)
These moss-grown domes with spiry turrets crown'd,
Where awful arches make a noonday night,
And the dim windows shed a solemn light;
Thy eyes diffus'd a reconciling ray,
And gleams of glory brighten'd all the day.
But now no face divine contentment wears,
'Tis all blank sadness, or continual tears.
See how the force of others' pray'rs I try,
(O pious fraud of am'rous charity!)
But why should I on others' pray'rs depend?
Come thou, my father, brother, husband, friend!
Ah let thy handmaid, sister, daughter move,
And all those tender names in one, thy love!
The darksome pines that o'er yon rocks reclin'd
Wave high, and murmur to the hollow wind,
The wand'ring streams that shine between the hills,
The grots that echo to the tinkling rills,
The dying gales that pant upon the trees,
The lakes that quiver to the curling breeze;
No more these scenes my meditation aid,
Or lull to rest the visionary maid.
But o'er the twilight groves and dusky caves,
Long-sounding aisles, and intermingled graves,
Black Melancholy sits, and round her throws
A death-like silence, and a dread repose:
Her gloomy presence saddens all the scene,
Shades ev'ry flow'r, and darkens ev'ry green,
Deepens the murmur of the falling floods,
And breathes a browner horror on the woods.

Yet here for ever, ever must I stay;
Sad proof how well a lover can obey!
Death, only death, can break the lasting chain;
And here, ev'n then, shall my cold dust remain,
Here all its frailties, all its flames resign,
And wait till 'tis no sin to mix with thine.

Ah wretch! believ'd the spouse of God in vain,
Confess'd within the slave of love and man.
Assist me, Heav'n! but whence arose that pray'r?
Sprung it from piety, or from despair?
Ev'n here, where frozen chastity retires,
Love finds an altar for forbidden fires.
I ought to grieve, but cannot what I ought;
I mourn the lover, not lament the fault;
I view my crime, but kindle at the view,
Repent old pleasures, and solicit new;
Now turn'd to Heav'n, I weep my past offence,
Now think of thee, and curse my innocence.
Of all affliction taught a lover yet,
'Tis sure the hardest science to forget!
How shall I lose the sin, yet keep the sense,
And love th' offender, yet detest th' offence?
How the dear object from the crime remove,
Or how distinguish penitence from love?
Unequal task! a passion to resign,
For hearts so touch'd, so pierc'd, so lost as mine.
Ere such a soul regains its peaceful state,
How often must it love, how often hate!
How often hope, despair, resent, regret,
Conceal, disdain — do all things but forget.
But let Heav'n seize it, all at once 'tis fir'd;
Not touch'd, but rapt; not waken'd, but inspir'd!
Oh come! oh teach me nature to subdue,
Renounce my love, my life, myself — and you.
Fill my fond heart with God alone, for he
Alone can rival, can succeed to thee.

HOW HAPPY IS THE BLAMELESS VESTAL'S LOT!
THE WORLD FORGETTING, BY THE WORLD FORGOT.
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND!
EACH PRAY'R ACCEPTED, AND EACH WISH RESIGN'D;
Labour and rest, that equal periods keep;
"Obedient slumbers that can wake and weep;"
Desires compos'd, affections ever ev'n,
Tears that delight, and sighs that waft to Heav'n.
Grace shines around her with serenest beams,
And whisp'ring angels prompt her golden dreams.
For her th' unfading rose of Eden blooms,
And wings of seraphs shed divine perfumes,
For her the Spouse prepares the bridal ring,
For her white virgins hymeneals sing,
To sounds of heav'nly harps she dies away,
And melts in visions of eternal day.

Far other dreams my erring soul employ,
Far other raptures, of unholy joy:
When at the close of each sad, sorrowing day,
Fancy restores what vengeance snatch'd away,
Then conscience sleeps, and leaving nature free,
All my loose soul unbounded springs to thee.
Oh curs'd, dear horrors of all-conscious night!
How glowing guilt exalts the keen delight!
Provoking Daemons all restraint remove,
And stir within me every source of love.
I hear thee, view thee, gaze o'er all thy charms,
And round thy phantom glue my clasping arms.
I wake — no more I hear, no more I view,
The phantom flies me, as unkind as you.
I call aloud; it hears not what I say;
I stretch my empty arms; it glides away.
To dream once more I close my willing eyes;
Ye soft illusions, dear deceits, arise!
Alas, no more — methinks we wand'ring go
Through dreary wastes, and weep each other's woe,
Where round some mould'ring tower pale ivy creeps,
And low-brow'd rocks hang nodding o'er the deeps.
Sudden you mount, you beckon from the skies;
Clouds interpose, waves roar, and winds arise.
I shriek, start up, the same sad prospect find,
And wake to all the griefs I left behind.

For thee the fates, severely kind, ordain
A cool suspense from pleasure and from pain;
Thy life a long, dead calm of fix'd repose;
No pulse that riots, and no blood that glows.
Still as the sea, ere winds were taught to blow,
Or moving spirit bade the waters flow;
Soft as the slumbers of a saint forgiv'n,
And mild as opening gleams of promis'd heav'n.

Come, Abelard! for what hast thou to dread?
The torch of Venus burns not for the dead.
Nature stands check'd; Religion disapproves;
Ev'n thou art cold — yet Eloisa loves.
Ah hopeless, lasting flames! like those that burn
To light the dead, and warm th' unfruitful urn.

What scenes appear where'er I turn my view?
The dear ideas, where I fly, pursue,
Rise in the grove, before the altar rise,
Stain all my soul, and wanton in my eyes.
I waste the matin lamp in sighs for thee,
Thy image steals between my God and me,
Thy voice I seem in ev'ry hymn to hear,
With ev'ry bead I drop too soft a tear.
When from the censer clouds of fragrance roll,
And swelling organs lift the rising soul,
One thought of thee puts all the pomp to flight,
Priests, tapers, temples, swim before my sight:
In seas of flame my plunging soul is drown'd,
While altars blaze, and angels tremble round.

While prostrate here in humble grief I lie,
Kind, virtuous drops just gath'ring in my eye,
While praying, trembling, in the dust I roll,
And dawning grace is op'ning on my soul:
Come, if thou dar'st, all charming as thou art!
Oppose thyself to Heav'n; dispute my heart;
Come, with one glance of those deluding eyes
Blot out each bright idea of the skies;
Take back that grace, those sorrows, and those tears;
Take back my fruitless penitence and pray'rs;
Snatch me, just mounting, from the blest abode;
Assist the fiends, and tear me from my God!

No, fly me, fly me, far as pole from pole;
Rise Alps between us! and whole oceans roll!
Ah, come not, write not, think not once of me,
Nor share one pang of all I felt for thee.
Thy oaths I quit, thy memory resign;
Forget, renounce me, hate whate'er was mine.
Fair eyes, and tempting looks (which yet I view!)
Long lov'd, ador'd ideas, all adieu!
Oh Grace serene! oh virtue heav'nly fair!
Divine oblivion of low-thoughted care!
Fresh blooming hope, gay daughter of the sky!
And faith, our early immortality!
Enter, each mild, each amicable guest;
Receive, and wrap me in eternal rest!

See in her cell sad Eloisa spread,
Propp'd on some tomb, a neighbour of the dead.
In each low wind methinks a spirit calls,
And more than echoes talk along the walls.
Here, as I watch'd the dying lamps around,
From yonder shrine I heard a hollow sound.
"Come, sister, come!" (it said, or seem'd to say)
"Thy place is here, sad sister, come away!
Once like thyself, I trembled, wept, and pray'd,
Love's victim then, though now a sainted maid:
But all is calm in this eternal sleep;
Here grief forgets to groan, and love to weep,
Ev'n superstition loses ev'ry fear:
For God, not man, absolves our frailties here."

I come, I come! prepare your roseate bow'rs,
Celestial palms, and ever-blooming flow'rs.
Thither, where sinners may have rest, I go,
Where flames refin'd in breasts seraphic glow:
Thou, Abelard! the last sad office pay,
And smooth my passage to the realms of day;
See my lips tremble, and my eye-balls roll,
Suck my last breath, and catch my flying soul!
Ah no — in sacred vestments may'st thou stand,
The hallow'd taper trembling in thy hand,
Present the cross before my lifted eye,
Teach me at once, and learn of me to die.
Ah then, thy once-lov'd Eloisa see!
It will be then no crime to gaze on me.
See from my cheek the transient roses fly!
See the last sparkle languish in my eye!
Till ev'ry motion, pulse, and breath be o'er;
And ev'n my Abelard be lov'd no more.
O Death all-eloquent! you only prove
What dust we dote on, when 'tis man we love.

Then too, when fate shall thy fair frame destroy,
(That cause of all my guilt, and all my joy)
In trance ecstatic may thy pangs be drown'd,
Bright clouds descend, and angels watch thee round,
From op'ning skies may streaming glories shine,
And saints embrace thee with a love like mine.

May one kind grave unite each hapless name,
And graft my love immortal on thy fame!
Then, ages hence, when all my woes are o'er,
When this rebellious heart shall beat no more;
If ever chance two wand'ring lovers brings
To Paraclete's white walls and silver springs,
O'er the pale marble shall they join their heads,
And drink the falling tears each other sheds;
Then sadly say, with mutual pity mov'd,
"Oh may we never love as these have lov'd!"

From the full choir when loud Hosannas rise,
And swell the pomp of dreadful sacrifice,
Amid that scene if some relenting eye
Glance on the stone where our cold relics lie,
Devotion's self shall steal a thought from Heav'n,
One human tear shall drop and be forgiv'n.
And sure, if fate some future bard shall join
In sad similitude of griefs to mine,
Condemn'd whole years in absence to deplore,
And image charms he must behold no more;
Such if there be, who loves so long, so well;
Let him our sad, our tender story tell;
The well-sung woes will soothe my pensive ghost;
He best can paint 'em, who shall feel 'em most.