Activists warn US lawmakers of uranium mining perils

A French physicist and a US actor have joined representatives of indigenous peoples from Africa, Australia and the United States to send US lawmakers a stark warning about the dangers of uranium mining. "We want US lawmakers to understand that uranium mining is highly pollutant and that there is currently no scientific answer to the question of radioactive waste containment," Bruno Chareyron of France's CRIIRAD laboratory, which measures radioactivity in the environment, told AFP Friday. "We want them to know that the information they are given by the mining companies is not wholly reliable," he said. Representatives of the Tuareg nomads of Niger, Native Americans and Australian aborigines told of the ravages of uranium mining on their communities. In Niger, French company Areva has been mining uranium for more than 40 years with "no regard for the environment, people's health, animals," Sidi-Amar Taoua, a Tuareg who has lived for seven years in the United States, told AFP. "Uranium mining has impacted every area and sparked a war between the Tuareg who took up arms to defend their land, and the government, which is complicit with Areva," he said. Areva announced last month that it has applied for US government approval to build a two billion dollar uranium enrichment plant in the northwestern state of Idaho. The project would be the French state-controlled group's first uranium enrichment plant in the United States. Native American lands in the southwestern United States have been the site of more than 1,300 uranium mines. Although most have been closed, the mines' legacy includes contaminated drinking water and illnesses from cancer to kidney disease, said Native American environmental activist Manny Pino. "In this process of nuclear renaissance, it's almost like the federal government is ignoring the historical legacy of uranium mining in the past and prioritizing the economic benefits of nuclear power in the future at the expense of our land, our water and our people," he said. Mitch, an aboriginal militant against radioactive waste dumps and uranium mining in Australia, currently the world's biggest producer of the mineral, said: "Short term monetary gain will leave us with long-term deadly waste for generations to come." Uranium mining saw a long boom period in the United States between the 1940s and 1980s, before coming to a near halt in the 1990s as prices paid for the mineral plummeted. In 2005, as uranium prices were starting to climb upwards again, the Navajo passed a law banning the mining or processing of uranium on their lands. But when the price of the mineral peaked at around 140 dollars a pound in 2007, mining companies descended "like vultures" on uranium-rich areas, 70 percent of which are situated on land inhabited by low-income indigenous communities, said James Cromwell, the actor who played George H.W. Bush in the film "W." As oil and gas prices spiked last year, nuclear power gained ground as an attractive energy option to ensure US energy independence. Then secretary of the interior Dirk Kempthorne authorized uranium exploration near the Grand Canyon, a UNESCO World Heritage site. "There's a lot of activity. When uranium prices went up we saw proposals for exploration all over the place," said Sandy Bahr of environmental group the Sierra Club's Grand Canyon chapter. In January, Arizona lawmaker Raul Grijalva introduced a bill in Congress that would permanently withdraw from mineral extraction one million acres of public lands in watersheds surrounding the Grand Canyon.

Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.4c999f90264b7ed04991ea3074b70eae.d1&show_article=1

Armed robbers hold three generations of family in bank raid

Armed robbers hold three generations of family in bank raid - Telegraph Accessibility links Skip to article Skip to navigation Friday 27 February 2009 | Ireland feed | All feeds Advertisement Website of the Telegraph Media Group with breaking news, sport, business, latest UK and world news. Content from the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and video from Telegraph TV. Enhanced by Google Home News Sport Finance Comment Travel Lifestyle Culture Fashion A - Z Jobs Dating Puzzles  Offers UK World Politics Celebrities Obituaries Weird Earth Science Health News Education Topics News Video You are here: Home News World News Europe Ireland Armed robbers hold three generations of family in bank raid An armed gang held three generations of the same family hostage during a multi-million euro robbery at one of the Bank of Ireland's flagship branches.   By Auslan Cramb Last Updated: 5:10PM GMT 27 Feb 2009 Tiger Kidnapping. Gardai at a roadblock at Badgers Hill in Kilteel in County Kildare where a bank officials family were kidnapped by an armed criminal gang and held hostage Photo: PHOTOCALL IRELAND The six-strong gang forced a bank worker into the College Green offices in central Dublin while they held his girlfriend, her mother and her five-year-old daughter at gunpoint.They threatened to kill the hostages unless he co-operated and are believed to have escaped with up to 7 million euro (£6.2 million) in cash.The banker was taken from his girlfriend's home in the rural Badger Hill area of Co Kildare, 15 miles south-west of Dublin, after raiders burst into the house at gunpoint on Thursday night. They forced the man, who is in his late 20s, to drive into the city centre branch at dawn yesterday and take bags of cash from the vaults before dumping them at a drop-off point to secure his family's release. Gardai said the man was not injured but the grandmother, mother and child were badly traumatised by the ordeal. The gang struck at around 6pm on Thursday. The two women and the child were then held hostage overnight at an unknown location before walking into a garda station in Co Meath, 14 miles north of the capital yesterday morning. Dermot Ahern, the justice minister, was briefed on the "tiger kidnapping" - so-called because the raiders stalk their target before attacking - as questions were being asked about why one employee had access to so much money.Bank of Ireland issued a short statement but refused to discuss how much money was taken. A spokesman said: "All of the people involved have been released unharmed and Bank of Ireland is currently investigating the incident."Bank of Ireland's priority is for the safety and wellbeing of the staff member and the family involved in this incident and all of the bank's support services have been made available to them." At least two cars and one van were used in the heist. One of the vehicles, the employee's Toyota Celica, was recovered in north Dublin hours after the robbery. It is believed the man drove the cash to the nearby rail station between 7am and 9am.Tiger kidnappings are common Ireland, but usually involve much smaller cash losses. If confirmed, it will be the second biggest incident of its kind.In 2004, two Northern Bank employees were forced to help a gang take more than £26 million from the bank's central Belfast vault.In December, five raiders entered the home of a director of a security company that transports cash and threatened his wife and daughter before taking him to his office in Dublin and escaping with one million euros.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ireland/4863437/Armed-robbers-hold-three-generations-of-family-in-bank-raid.html

Response Systems Selected to Present at the Third National Emergency Management Summit in DC

Response Systems Selected to Present at the Third National Emergency Management Summit in DC - Free-Press-Release.com Register Login

Source: http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200902/1235707250.html

Hiroshima Univ. holds pathological specimens of Fukuryu Maru crewman+

HIROSHIMA, Feb. 27 (AP) - (Kyodo)—Pathological specimens believed to be from Aikichi Kuboyama, who died after radiation from a U.S. hydrogen bomb test in the South Pacific hit his fishing boat, the Fukuryu Maru No. 5, have been kept at Hiroshima University, university institute officials said Thursday. Kuboyama, the 40-year-old radio operator of the 140-ton trawler, died on Sept. 23, 1954, after the vessel, also known as Lucky Dragon, was hit by radiation from the bomb test at Bikini Atoll on March 1 the same year. He became the first person to die as a result of a hydrogen bomb explosion. Hiroko Takahashi, a lecturer at Hiroshima City University, found a document earlier this month in the United States showing that the U.S. Armed Forces Institute of Pathology returned the specimens to Japan in 1968 after obtaining them through an army doctor who was stationed in Japan and attended the autopsy of Kuboyama. The document was found at the AFIP's archives in Washington. The officials at Hiroshima University's Research Institute for Radiation Biology and Medicine said the specimens kept at the institute must be those of Kuboyama as they had the registration number attached by the AFIP for Kuboyama. On his death, the United States had argued that he died of serum hepatitis caused by transfusion treatment, while the Japanese side has said he passed away due to radiation injuries. The latest discovery has stirred expectations that the cause of Kuboyama's death will be clarified through analysis of the specimens using the newest technologies, according to researchers. The Bikini Atoll incident, in which the blast from the U.S. "Bravo" hydrogen bomb exposed residents of Rongelap Island and the 23 crew members of the Fukuryu Maru to radiation, occurred nine years after the end of World War II while Japan was undergoing reconstruction. As his dying wish, Kuboyama said, "Please make sure that I am the last victim of a nuclear bomb."

Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D96JCNK03&show_article=1

San Francisco Chronicle newspaper may close

If the paper can’t reduce expenses dramatically within the next few weeks, the Hearst Corporation said it will close or sell the Chronicle, northern California’s largest newspaper. “Survival is the outcome we all want to achieve. But without the specific changes we are seeking across the entire Chronicle organization, we will have no choice but to quickly seek a buyer for the Chronicle or, should a buyer not be found, to shut the newspaper down,” Frank Bennack Jr, Hearst’s vice chairman and chief executive , said. “Survival is the outcome we all want to achieve. But without the specific changes we are seeking across the entire Chronicle organization, we will have no choice but to quickly seek a buyer for the Chronicle or, should a buyer not be found, to shut the newspaper down.” Hearst said The Chronicle, which has daily circulation of 339,000, lost more than $50 million in 2008 and will lose more this year. It has had significant losses every year since 2001, a year after Hearst bought the company. The Chronicle has given Hearst financial headaches since the New York-based company bought the newspaper in a complex deal valued at $660 million. Shortly after Hearst took control, the San Francisco Chronicle was hard hit by a high-tech bust that caused its advertising revenue to shrivel. The only other daily newspaper in San Francisco, a city with a population of about 800,000, is the San Francisco Examiner, a free newspaper. Hearst formerly owned the San Francisco Examiner, but sold it for just $100 and even provided the new owners with a $67 million subsidy as a condition for completing the Chronicle acquisition. The Examiner changed hands in 2004, and is now owned by the Anschutz Company.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/4822857/San-Francisco-Chronicle-newspaper-may-close.html

Trazic Hoodia Gordonii Diet Supplement

Trazic Hoodia Gordonii Diet Supplement - Free-Press-Release.com Register Login

Source: http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200902/1235582022.html

Big banks get ready for stress tests

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration is getting ready to conduct "stress tests" on the nation's biggest banks to judge whether they can hold up if the recession were to worsen. Banking regulators plan to scrutinize the financial conditions of Citigroup Inc., Bank of America Corp. and more than a dozen other institutions that have received billions from the Treasury Department's $700 billion bailout pot. The tests, expected to start on Wednesday, will help regulators decide whether the banks have sufficient capital—and the right mix of it—to withstand any additional shocks to the economy over the next two years. The tests also will help regulators decide whether the banks may need additional assistance so that they can carry out the critical mission of boosting lending to customers, a key ingredient to the economic turnaround. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke returns to Capitol Hill Wednesday for the second straight day. This time he'll appear before the House Financial Services Committee where's he likely to get tough questions about the government's controversial bank-rescue efforts. Testifying before a Senate panel on Tuesday, Bernanke calmed investor fears that the government was heading down a path of nationalizing troubled banks and Wall Street rallied a day after hitting 12-year lows. "We've always worked with banks to make sure that they're healthy and stable, and we're going to work with them. I don't see any reason to destroy the franchise value or to create the huge legal uncertainties of trying to formally nationalize the bank when it just isn't necessary," Bernanke told senators on Tuesday. "The outcome of the stress test is not going to be fail or pass," added Bernanke, whose agency is the primary regulator for many of the country's largest banks. "The outcome of the stress test is, how much capital does this bank need in order to meet the credit needs of borrowers in our economy " Critics worry the government's rescue actions have the potential to put ever-more taxpayers' dollars at risk and encourage "moral hazard," where companies feel more comfortable making high-stakes gambles because the government will bail them out. It's all troubling to Stan Eden, 48, of Miami. "If you can't perform, you move to the side," Eden said of companies seeking bailouts. "All the greed and deceit has overtaken common sense in the decision-making process in the country." On the economic front, Bernanke told lawmakers that the economy was suffering through a "severe contraction." But he planted a seed of hope that the recession might end this year if the government managed to prop up the shaky banking system. Speaking to Congress Tuesday evening, President Barack Obama said more money would be needed to rescue troubled banks beyond the $700 billion already committed last year. Saying he understands bank bailouts are unpopular, he insisted it was the only way to get credit moving again to households and businesses. He also called on Congress to move quickly on legislation to overhaul regulations on the nation's financial markets. A report out Wednesday from the National Association of Realtors is expected to show the sales of previously owned homes nudged up in January. Economists are predicting that buyers snapped up foreclosed and other properties at bargain prices, which pushed up sales. If that happens, it could be a sign that home sales are inching toward a long-awaited bottom. Still, home prices are expected to keep falling this year. That has whittled away Americans' single-biggest asset and figured prominently in consumers' decisions to cut back spending, which has sorely hurt the economy. Bernanke says the economy is likely to keep shrinking in the first six months of this year after posting its worst slide in a quarter-century at the end of 2008. However, the Fed chief is hopeful the recession will end this year, but there were significant risks to that forecast. Any economic turnaround will hinge on the success of the Fed and the Obama administration in getting credit and financial markets to operate more normally again. The behavior of consumers also plays a key role whether a recovery will take hold in 2010, as Bernanke hopes. Consumer confidence, though, went into a free fall in February, sinking to new lows, according to a report out Tuesday. Vanishing jobs and nest eggs factored into the drop. "I'm faithful there's a light at the end of the tunnel, but I feel like we're not seeing the light yet," said Dan Walpole, 28, an elementary school teacher in Rochester, N.Y. ___ Associated Press writers Matt Sedensky in Florida and Ben Dobbin in New York contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D96ID6B80&show_article=1

London Fashion Week: Luella

London Fashion Week: Luella - Telegraph Accessibility links Skip to article Skip to navigation Tuesday 24 February 2009 | London Fashion Week feed | All feeds Advertisement Website of the Telegraph Media Group with breaking news, sport, business, latest UK and world news. Content from the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and video from Telegraph TV. Enhanced by Google Home News Sport Finance Comment Travel Lifestyle Culture Video A to Z Jobs Dating Puzzles  Offers Fashion Motoring Technology Health Property Gardening Food and Drink Outdoors Family Lifestyle Video You are here: Home Fashion London Fashion Week London Fashion Week: Luella Hilary Alexander reviews Luella's autumn/winter 09/10 collection at London Fashion Week....   By Hilary Alexander, Fashion Director Last Updated: 5:01PM GMT 24 Feb 2009 Punk notions: Bartley used a collection of hardware as decoration alongside feminine clothing to create an elcletic collection for A/W 09/10 Photo: GEOFF PUGH Luella Bartley’s muse may spend more time on the club scene than the pony club these days, but there’s still a hint of girlie-flirtatiousness about her. Bartley played with punk notions, oversized zips and a lot of hardware as decoration, including dungaree clips, dog-clips and D-rings. There were nods to the standard issue airman’s sweater – in blue, with cotton patches – and to utility clothing, in bib-front pinafores, but the pinafore was in a gorgeous emerald silk faille and the sweater was worn with skinny, tailored, check trousers. These are the kind of clothes adored by the likes of Alexa Chung and Peaches Geldof – feminine, but with tons of attitude: polka dot knit cardigans, buttoned-up with gold lame skirts; zipped tops with muted-spot tulle skirts; and sexy jodhpurs in grey, with a gathered, sack-waist, that flattered the legs like tights. Gold tights and patent slingbacks with furry pom-poms were a glam throwaway. For party-time, Bartley’s Luella girl opted for brocade trousers with fake fur capes and little reticule-like bags, or else, more dressy ‘frocks’ in panels of black and semi-transparent cream, with a short-sleeved bodice and a full skirt.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/london-fashion-week/4799925/London-Fashion-Week-Luella.html

MOBIndex.com Announces Coverage of Institutional Investor Holdings

MOBIndex.com Announces Coverage of Institutional Investor Holdings - Free-Press-Release.com Register Login

Source: http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200902/1235452503.html

Court to rule on death sentence for neo-Nazi

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court decided Monday it will take a new look at whether a neo-Nazi convicted of murdering three men in Ohio should be sentenced to death. The justices said they will hear the state's plea to reinstate the death sentence for Frank Spisak in arguments scheduled for the fall. Spisak, a self-described neo-Nazi, was convicted in the shooting deaths of the three men at the Cleveland State University campus over a seven-month period in 1982. The federal appeals court in Cincinnati has twice ordered a new sentencing hearing for Spisak, saying he received ineffective counsel during the sentencing phase of his trial and a judge's instructions to the jury were unconstitutional. In 2007, the justices reinstated Spisak's death sentence in a ruling that chastised federal appeals courts for second-guessing the decisions of trial judges in murder cases. A three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, acting after the Supreme Court ruling, reached the same conclusion it did the first time and threw out Spisak's death sentence. One of the issues before the court is whether Ohio's jury instructions at the time properly informed juries that a single vote against the death penalty would result in a life sentence instead, said Michael Benza, one of Spisak's attorneys. Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray planned a statement later Monday, said spokeswoman Holly Hollingsworth. Spisak's trial in June 1983 turned into a racially and sexually charged public spectacle in which he grew an Adolf Hitler-style mustache and carried a copy of Hitler's book "Mein Kampf." He said he was an agent of God in a war against blacks and Jews. ___ The case is Smith v. Spisak, 08-724.

Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D96HDFUG0&show_article=1

Oscars 2009: Danny Boyle wins best director for Slumdog Millionaire

Oscars 2009: Danny Boyle wins best director for Slumdog Millionaire - Telegraph Accessibility links Skip to article Skip to navigation Monday 23 February 2009 | Oscars feed | All feeds Advertisement Website of the Telegraph Media Group with breaking news, sport, business, latest UK and world news. Content from the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and video from Telegraph TV. Enhanced by Google Home News Sport Finance Comment Travel Lifestyle Culture Video A to Z Jobs Dating Puzzles  Offers Film Music Art Books TV & Radio Theatre Dance Opera Comedy Culture Video You are here: Home Culture Film Oscars Oscars 2009: Danny Boyle wins best director for Slumdog Millionaire Danny Boyle has picked up the coveted best director Oscar for his rags-to-riches Mumbai-set tale Slumdog Millionaire.   By Catherine Elsworth in Los Angeles Last Updated: 5:15AM GMT 23 Feb 2009 Slumdog Millionaire also won best picture The British filmmaker's triumph continued his movie's winning streak, as the film won best picture, taking its Oscar haul to eight. It has now beaten Shakespeare in Love, the last British film to dominate the Academy Awards. Boyle, 52, bounded on to the stage to accept his first Oscar, telling the audience he had long ago promised his children that "if this miracle ever happened" he would receive in the spirit of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh. He thanked the Academy for being "so generous to us this evening", and praised this year's Oscar broadcast as "a beautiful show" and "bloody wonderful". The director, who had never been nominated for an Oscar before, is known for directing a number of low-budget, cult films including Trainspotting, Shallow Grave and 28 Days Later. Boyle praised the actors and crew from Mumbai who helped him make the film, which was almost passed over for cinema release and has now grossed over 100 million dollars at the box office. The win made the director the first British recipient of the best director Oscar since Sam Mendes was honored in 2000 for American Beauty. Boyle beat fellow Briton Stephen Daldry (The Reader) as well as David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Gus Van Sant (Milk) and Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon) to win the award. Earlier the film picked up six Oscars including technical awards for film editing and sound mixing as well as Oscars for best original score and best song. Boyle, who had already won a Bafta and Golden Globe as well as a host of other industry honours for his film, was the clear favourite to receive the Oscar.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/oscars/4784349/Oscars-2009-Danny-Boyle-wins-best-director-for-Slumdog-Millionaire.html

Buying Pain Medication has never been easier thanks to the new service BuyingPainMedication.com

Buying Pain Medication has never been easier thanks to the new service BuyingPainMedication.com - Free-Press-Release.com Register Login

Source: http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200902/1235320506.html

Bush goes to hardware store that offered him a job

Lebanon guerrillas fire rockets into Israel

One Katyusha missile hurtled into a village in the Galilee region, where it injured a woman, while another spiralled off-course and exploded near a Lebanese town.Israel swiftly retaliated with a barrage of artillery shells across the hilly, arid border in the direction of Lebanese villages near the suspected launch site.The exchange of fire caused no deaths, but it rattled nerves along the frontier."The rockets threaten security and stability in this region," said a statement issued by the Lebanese prime minister's office, which also denounced the Israeli shelling.Hizbollah, the powerful Shia Muslim militia, which controls most of southern Lebanon and is supported by Iran and Syria, disclaimed all knowledge of the attacks, which have been the precursor to bigger conflicts in the two neighbour's past.Suspicion has instead fallen on Islamic radicals among the 400,000 Palestinian refugees, who have lived in camps in Lebanon for almost 40 years.The latest aerial raids on Israeli towns will again focus attention on the security issues that dominated the country's general elections earlier this month. They came as Benjamin Netanyahu, the hawkish leader of Israel's biggest right-wing party, Likud, was on Sunday beginning formal talks to form a coalition government. He appealed for a "new approach" of unity to deal with the "great challenges" from Iran's nuclear programme."Iran is seeking to obtain a nuclear weapon and constitutes the gravest threat to our existence since the war of independence," he said. "The responsibility we face is to achieve security for our country, peace with our neighbours and unity among us." His words were clearly aimed at Tzipi Livni, the Israeli foreign minister and leader of Kadima, the country's other main party. She is due to hold talks with Mr Netanyahu today, but has so far resisted his efforts to cajole her into joining a government of national unity alongside his Likud party.If no agreement is reached, he will be forced to court fringe Right-wing parties to build a working majority in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, a move that could scupper any remaining hopes of jump-starting the stalled peace negotiations. The largest of these parties, Yisrael Beiteinu, is led by Avigdor Lieberman, who has been accused of anti-Arab racism by some members of the Knesset. His party advocates ridding the country of many of its Arab population by redrawing the borders and submitting citizens to a loyalty test.Less powerful, but more extreme, are the National Union, led by Yaakov Katz, who swore an oath as he lay injured during the 1973 Yom Kippur war to dedicate his life to building Israeli settlements.The expansion of settlements has been described as one of the principle obstacles to peace negotiations with the Palestinians - and the inclusion of parties like the National Union in an Israeli government will hamstring any attempts at new talks.They - and the Jewish Union, another fringe Right-wing party - would also stand resolutely opposed to returning any of the Golan Heights, the area seized from Syria in 1973, or negotiations over the future status of Jerusalem, claimed as a capital by both Israel and the Palestinians.Likud members close to Mr Netanyahu have said they will be able to work with the line-up for a narrow Right-wing government and insist it is less unstable than it might appear. In the meantime, with about three weeks to cobble together a coalition, Mr Netanyahu is continuing his efforts to bring the more moderate, centrist parties on board.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/4742286/Lebanon-guerrillas-fire-rockets-into-Israel.html

Automatic & Manual Directory Submissions

Automatic & Manual Directory Submissions - Free-Press-Release.com Register Login

Source: http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200902/1235192767.html

Hungarian 'busos' crowd the streets for Mardi Gras

While Belgians in Binche celebrate "Mardi Gras" with ostrich feathers and Italians in Venice don spectacular carnival masks and costumes, in the small Hungarian countryside town of Mohacs, men go "buso" for a week. "I'm not just dressing up as buso. I am one," boasts Csaba Ferenczi, a 33-year-old truck driver who has taken part in the traditional week of carnival festivities for the past eight years. A "buso" is a rather scary-looking masked creature, with sheepskin coat and canvas leggings. They can be seen in their hundreds in the streets of this tiny town on the Danube, 200 kilometres (124 miles) from Budapest, in the week leading up to Lent, the 40-day traditional period of penitence in the Christian calendar that runs from Ash Wednesday -- this year February 24 -- to Easter Sunday. Local legend has it that the "busojaras", or March of the Buso, dates back to the Battle of Mohacs in 1526, when the town's residents fled from the invading Turks to a small island in the Danube. The Hungarians then succeeded in reconquering their town some 150 years later by wearing scary-looking masks that sent the Turks fleeing in terror, the legend says. But Gyorgy Lehel, a specialist on the "buso" and current organiser of the event in Mohacs, says the tradition is in fact much younger. "The busojaras was started by Catholic Croatians who settled in Mohacs in the mid-18th century. It was a fertility springtime rite. The first written record of it dates from 1783," Lehel told AFP. The tradition was neglected for centuries. But in a canny marketing coup back in the 1920s, the municipal authorities in Mohacs decided to turn it into a tourist attraction by integrating the "buso" into the annual Carnival festivities. Nowadays, tens of thousands of tourists from as far afield as Japan crowd the streets to watch the busojaras every year, doubling the population of Mohacs from its normal 20,000. And the masks, with their spectacular horns, are specially carved and painted by local artisans. Around 600 men dress up as "buso" in Mohacs every year. "For one week, we shed our everyday identities and become a fertility symbol that chases away the gloom of winter and welcomes the advent of spring," says Ferenczi, who heads a 20-member "buso" group under the name Favellas. He set up the group eight years ago. And the friendships among the men -- some of whom have been participating for more than 50 years -- extend well beyond Carnival week. During the week-long celebrations, "busos" are exempt from everyday rules of morality. And, with their real identities hidded by their horned masks and costumes, they have ample opportunity to flirt intensively with members of the opposite sex. Indeed, as in Carnival celebrations all around the world, there's plenty of drinking, eating, dancing and general debauchery. But the "buso" have duties to perform, too: fertility rites to increase crop yields, chase away winter and hail the advent of spring, Ferenczi explains. They are invited into local homes to turn out the spirits of winter, disease or other evils and bless the residents. The fertility rites don't just target crops, either. "It is our responsibility to bring fertility to women which we do by applying our magic rites," laughs Ferenczi. But the "buso" restrict their attentions to women who can take it in good jest, he adds. The high-point of the week is a parade on Sunday, the last Sunday before Lent. In line with the legend, groups of "busos" will row across the Danube again from a small island and meet up with their fellow masked creatures for a parade in Mohacs. At the end of the day, as darkness falls, the busos float the coffin of carnival on the Danube and perform a ritual dance around a bonfire.

Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.0b16c557f8cd57ebc366274b8b5aeb09.51&show_article=1

Grandfather of octuplets tells Oprah Winfrey birth was 'irresponsible'

Grandfather of octuplets tells Oprah Winfrey birth was 'irresponsible' - Telegraph Accessibility links Skip to article Skip to navigation Friday 20 February 2009 | USA feed | All feeds Advertisement Website of the Telegraph Media Group with breaking news, sport, business, latest UK and world news. Content from the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and video from Telegraph TV. Enhanced by Google Home News Sport Finance Comment Travel Lifestyle Culture Video A to Z Jobs Dating Puzzles  Offers UK World Politics Celebrities Obituaries Weird Earth Science Health News Education Topics News Video You are here: Home News World News North America USA Grandfather of octuplets tells Oprah Winfrey birth was 'irresponsible' The father of Nadya Suleman, the Californian woman who recently gave birth to octuplets, has told Oprah Winfrey that he was worried the public would punish his grandchildren for his daughter's irresponsible behaviour.   By Noam friedlander in Los Angeles Last Updated: 5:13AM GMT 20 Feb 2009 Nadya Suleman Photo: REUTERS "Do not punish my daughter for what she has done," Ed Doud, Miss Suleman's father, said. "You know what She needs help. I say that to everyone now - People we do need help." Mr Doud then went on to call her doctor's actions "irresponsible". His daughter has received one offer of help from Angels in Waiting, a California-based charity. They have offered Miss Suleman round-the-clock care and a place for her children. It would cost up to $135,000 a month to provide for the 12 caretakers necessary for the children, while money would have to be provided by public donations. When discussing his daughter's mental state, Mr Doud stated: "Now, I'm no psychiatrist but I question her mental situation." Mr Doud alsos aid that he hoped his daughter would finish her education and start working so she can support the family. The interview is due to be shown on Oprah in the United States on Tuesday. A PR agency that was representing Miss Suleman dropped her earlier this week after its employees received several death threats.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/4730722/Grandfather-of-octuplets-tells-Oprah-Winfrey-birth-was-irresponsible.html

5 Tips for Gastric Bypass Patients to Make Weight Loss Resolutions Stick

5 Tips for Gastric Bypass Patients to Make Weight Loss Resolutions Stick - Free-Press-Release.com Register Login

Source: http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200902/1235063153.html

Clinton hammers home Obama message in Asia

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham on Thursday relentlessly hammered home the Obama administration's message that America is under new management and ready to listen and engage the world. "When the United States is absent, people believe that we are not interested and that can create a vacuum that destructive forces can fill," she told a group of journalists after meeting with Indonesia's leader on the second leg of a weeklong Asia tour. "We don't want to be absent. We want to be present." Earlier, she took to the airwaves, appearing on the most popular youth show in the world's most populous Muslim nation to deliver her message and bring greetings from President Barack Obama, who spent part of his childhood here. "There is so much excitement in the air here," she told an enthusiastic studio audience on the MTV-style "Dahsyat" show, which translates in English to "Awesome." She said she had just spoken with Obama who wished them all well, drawing cheers. Much of her appearance was lighthearted banter about her favorite music—the Beatles and Rolling Stones—and her poor singing abilities, but she also made clear that Washington wants to address Muslim concerns about U.S. policy in the Middle East and elsewhere. Asked about the topic, which has deeply troubled Indonesians, Clinton took a shot at the Bush administration when explaining why she and Obama had appointed a special envoy to deal with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict immediately after taking office. "We felt like the United States had not been as active in trying to bring the parties together to resolve the conflict," she said. "We're going to work very hard to resolve what has been such a painful and difficult conflict for so many years." Clinton also said she would attend a donors' pledging conference for rebuilding Gaza to be held in Egypt on March 2. She met with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday, but made no comment after 45 minutes of talks in his office. Though most of Indonesia's 190 million Muslims practice a moderate form of the faith, public anger ran high over U.S. policy in the Middle East and the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan during the Bush years, fueling a small but increasingly vocal fundamentalist fringe. The country has been hit by a string of suicide bombings targeting Western interests in recent years, but experts say an effective police crackdown has sharply reduced the terror threat. Clinton praised Indonesia for its efforts to fight terrorism while respecting human rights and for its hard-won multiethnic democracy. Her message was received warmly as it was by officials in Jakarta a day earlier, although small and scattered protests were held in several cities, with some Islamic hard-liners setting tires on fire and others throwing shoes at caricatures of Clinton. After talks with Indonesian officials on Wednesday, Clinton said her choice of Asia for her first overseas trip as top U.S. diplomat was "no accident" and a sign of a desire for broader and deeper relations with Indonesia, Southeast Asia and the rest of the continent on regional and global issues. Clinton, who arrived from a stop in Japan, heads later Thursday to South Korea and China, announced plans to restart Peace Corps programs in Indonesia. The programs were suspended in 1965 after volunteers were accused of espionage and expelled. She also stressed the growing importance of Southeast Asia, a region that often felt slighted by the Bush administration. She visited the Jakarta headquarters of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and promised to attend the group's annual regional security conference, something that former Bush administration Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice skipped twice during her four years in office. ASEAN Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan welcomed the move, saying "the road to reconnecting with the Muslim world" might well run through this region. Indonesia, a secular nation of 235 million people, has personal ties for Obama, who spent four years here as a child. In her television appearance on Thursday, Clinton pointed out that she had met some children from Obama's former elementary school, who she said "were adorable" as they sang and waved Indonesian and U.S. flags on her arrival. Indonesian Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda said Indonesia would welcome a presidential visit from Obama, but neither he nor Clinton would say if an invitation had been extended.

Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D96EENV00&show_article=1

Home Secretary confident she will be cleared in sleaze probe

Home Secretary confident she will be cleared in sleaze probe - Telegraph Accessibility links Skip to article Skip to navigation Wednesday 18 February 2009 | Politics feed | All feeds Advertisement Website of the Telegraph Media Group with breaking news, sport, business, latest UK and world news. Content from the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and video from Telegraph TV. Enhanced by Google Home News Sport Finance Comment Travel Lifestyle Culture Video A to Z Jobs Dating Puzzles  Offers UK World Politics Celebrities Obituaries Weird Earth Science Health News Education Topics News Video You are here: Home News News Topics Politics Home Secretary confident she will be cleared in sleaze probe The Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, says she is confident she will be cleared by a formal sleaze inquiry into allegations that Jacqui Smith, the she misused her Parliamentary housing allowance while lodging with her sister.   By Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent Last Updated: 4:54PM GMT 18 Feb 2009 Jacqui Smith insists her claims have been 'above board' Photo: GETTY In a highly embarrassing development for a senior Government minister, John Lyon, the Parliamentary watchdog, announced that he was conducting an official probe into the Home Secretary's living arrangements. The move follows a complaint from neighbours of Miss Smith's sister Sara, casting doubt on the claim that the London address where she lodges during the week is her "main home". By registering the £400,000 house in her Midlands constituency in which her husband and children live full time as a "second home," the Home Secretary has been able to claim at least £116,000 in tax payer-funded allowances. Miss Smith insisted that her claims on the public purse were entirely legitimate, saying that she was confident that she had "followed the rules" for MPs' second homes. She added: ``I sought advice about the arrangements that I make for living in two places like lots of MPs have to. I followed the advice that I was given and I followed the rules. "And therefore I'm very happy to answer further questions that the independent commissioner puts to me.'' Critics however accused Miss Smith of seeking to maximise her allowances by claiming on the family property, rather than her sister's. David Cameron, the Conservative leader, said that as well as abiding by the letter of the rules, it was important that politicians were seen to behave "responsibly" with tax payers' cash. He said: "The Home Secretary does have some questions to answer on that front." Norman Baker, Liberal Democrat MP for Lewes, added: ``There is clearly an opportunity for MPs to designate their first and second homes in order to maximise financial advantage, which can not be right." Mr Lyon has asked Miss Smith to provide him with a detailed breakdown of how she divides her week during the Parliamentary recess as well as when the Commons is sitting. When her arrangements first came to light earlier this month, the watchdog initially dismissed two complaints against Miss Smith on the grounds that the allowances had been cleared by the House authorities. He has decided to launch an inquiry now after receiving a third complaint, this time from Dominic and Jessica Taplin, who live a few doors down from the Smith sisters. They claimed in a Sunday newspaper that the Home Secretary often stayed at the London address for just two days a week. Mrs Taplin said: "When I read that she says she spends most of the week here I thought: 'That is a fabrication'." Her husband added: "You can tell when she is here because the police guards arrive first. They turn up mid-morning on Monday and leave mid-morning on Thursday." Mr Lyon has asked the Home Secretary to clarify exactly how much time she spends in London. Sources close to Miss Smith rejected the Taplin's claims, saying that the police presence would not always be obvious to her neighbours. The source added: "Their allegations are completely unfounded. The police will confirm that their protection of the Home Secretary does not necessarily mean posting officers directly outside her house. "Sometimes they can keep an eye on her much more discreetly, so these neighbours really don't know what they're talking about. "She spent the Christmas period in London - which shows that she considers that address her main home - she's also here now during the Parliamentary recess. "Being Home Secretary is a full time job, and she needs to be in London as much as possible." The Taplins are understood to have contacted the Conservatives before speaking to the Press and writing to Mr Lyon. They were told that if they had information "in the public interest" then it was their duty to speak out. Mr Taplin has said that while he was a Tory voter in the past, he would consider backing Gordon Brown at the next election.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/4690315/Home-Secretary-confident-she-will-be-cleared-in-sleaze-probe.html

Shrink It Weight Loss System Just Released by Vitamark International

Shrink It Weight Loss System Just Released by Vitamark International - Free-Press-Release.com Register Login

Source: http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200902/1234933555.html

Italy police arrest 8 in Mafia wind farms plot

ROME (AP) - Italian police on Tuesday arrested mobsters, businessmen and local politicians who allegedly used corrupt practices and bribes to gain control of a project to build wind farms in Sicily. Operation "Aeolus," named after the ancient Greek god of winds, netted eight suspects, arrested in the Trapani area of western Sicily, as well as in Salerno on the Italian mainland and in the northern city of Trento. Police in Trapani said the local Mafia bribed city officials in nearby Mazara del Vallo so the town would invest in wind farms to produce energy. The project, worth hundreds of millions of euros (dollars), was first devised in 2003 and later uncovered by an investigation that included wiretaps, police said in a statement. Investigators discovered that luxury cars and thousands of euros in bribes were given to politicians to ensure that a Mafia-backed company won the lucrative public contract. The suspects also illegally accessed the municipality's safe to copy the proposal of a rival company, which was later excluded from the bidding. "All activities were controlled by these businessmen tied to Cosa Nostra," police official Giuseppe Linares told Italy's Sky TV. "Not only the construction of the plant, but also all the subcontracts for building materials: concrete, carpentry, electric systems and metal." The police statement said the businessman allegedly heading the project on behalf of the Mazara crime clan had links to Matteo Messina Denaro, a fugitive who investigators say is one of Cosa Nostra's top bosses. The infiltration of construction and other public works contracts in Sicily has long been a source of income for Cosa Nostra. But lately the Sicilian Mafia has been hurt by top arrests and a growing rebellion by the island's businessmen against systematic extortion. It has also lost ground in the drug trade to other Italian organized crime groups, mainly the Calabria-based 'ndrangheta.

Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D96DEVDO3&show_article=1

Bookseller discovers rare wartime Keep Calm and Carry On poster

"Keep Calm and Carry On" poster Stuart Manley, who owns Barter Books in Alnwick, Northumberland, liked the red and white Second World War propaganda poster much that he framed it and hung it up in his shop. It is one of only two original prints known to have survived after the Government reconsidered releasing the poster and pulped the original print run.To his astonishment, Mr Manley was inundated with customers desperate to have a copy or buy the original. He decided to make and sell a facsimile version and, since then, has sold over 40,000 copies alongside hundreds of mugs, T-shirts, mouse mats, tea towels and postcards. To keep up with demand, he even set up a website – http://www.keepcalmandcarryon.com – and celebrities including Jeremy Clarkson have been pictured wearing a T-shirt bearing the slogan. "There were so many people who wanted to buy the original," he said. "It is one of those lovely posters that have resonance in any time, or for anyone who works under pressure. We have sold them to doctor's surgeries, civil servants, even to Downing Street. It is lovely and British, and that's why we loved it in the first place." The original poster was commissioned by the British Government's Ministry of Information in spring 1939, and was intended to offer the public reassurance as war approached.As well as the now-famous Keep Calm and Carry On design, a further two were printed, reading: "Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution will Bring Us Victory", and the more simple "Freedom is in Peril". A total of 2.5 million red and white posters were printed, but never officially issued. "The only other known copy is in the Imperial War Museum," Mr Manley said. "The actual print run was pulped, and all that survived was a few copies taken as mementos. It was never distributed because things never got bad enough." "We would love to know the name of whoever came up with the slogan, but we fear it is lost in the mists of time," he added. Mr Manley said he had received hundreds of offers for his beloved poster, including one for £1,000, but said it will never leave his bookshop. "It was pure luck," he said. "We never meant to become poster sellers."

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/4643306/Bookseller-discovers-rare-wartime-Keep-Calm-and-Carry-On-poster.html

itSM Solutions Announces Online Training Bundles for ITIL V3 Intermediate Certification

itSM Solutions Announces Online Training Bundles for ITIL V3 Intermediate Certification - Free-Press-Release.com Register Login

Source: http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200902/1234803669.html

Timberlake tops GQ's list of `10 Most Stylish Men'

NEW YORK (AP) - Justin Timberlake wins style props in the March issue of GQ magazine. The magazine picked the entertainer to lead a list of the "10 Most Stylish Men in America." It singled out Timberlake for his impact on fashion, willingness to take risks and "knack for targeting trends" such as hats, three-piece suits, skinny ties and beards. Timberlake, who launched his clothing line William Rast several years ago, tells GQ he considers model Kate Moss a style icon because she "could put a barrel on and it would be some sort of statement." It irks the 28-year-old heartthrob when an entire outfit revolves around a hat, and he'd never wear an argyle sweater vest off the golf course. He prefers to keep it simple, clothes-wise. Other "Stylish Men" include Kanye West, T.I., Jason Schwartzman, hotelier Andre Balazs and photographer Alexi Lubomirski. ___ On the Net: http://men.style.com/gq

Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D96CFD6G0&show_article=1

Alistair Darling claimed £70000 from taxpayer for his £1million home

Alistair Darling claimed £70,000 from taxpayer for his £1million home - Telegraph Accessibility links Skip to article Skip to navigation Sunday 15 February 2009 | Politics feed | All feeds Advertisement Website of the Telegraph Media Group with breaking news, sport, business, latest UK and world news. Content from the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and video from Telegraph TV. Enhanced by Google Home News Sport Finance Comment Travel Lifestyle Culture Video A to Z Jobs Dating Puzzles  Offers UK World Politics Celebrities Obituaries Weird Earth Science Health News Education Topics News Video You are here: Home News News Topics Politics Alistair Darling claimed £70,000 from taxpayer for his £1million home Alistair Darling, the Chancellor, claimed almost £70,000 in Commons expenses after designating his £1million family house as his second home.   By Simon Johnson, Scottish Political Editor Last Updated: 5:02PM GMT 15 Feb 2009 Alistair Darling claimed £70,000 from taxpayer for his £1million home Photo: REUTERS Between 2003 and 2005, Mr Darling registered rooms in two flats in London as his main residence instead of the large home he shares with his wife Margaret in Edinburgh. Using the same system exploited by Jacqui Smith, the Home Secretary, this allowed him to claim thousands of pounds for 'housing costs' towards his second home. MPs, who split their time between their constituencies and Westminster, can nowadays elect their London or family homes as their main place of residence. However, designating the larger property as their second home allows them to claim more under the Commons allowance system, including mortgage interest increases, council tax, decoration and utility bills. The Chancellor and his wife, Margaret, bought a large home in an opulent part of Edinburgh for £570,000 in 1998. Its value is now estimated to be £1.2million. In 2003 Mr Darling took cheap lodgings with Lord Moonie, one of the peers at the centre of the 'cash for amendments' scandal, who owned and lived in a South London flat. Mr Darling inhabited a single room in the £260,000 property in Lambeth, which Lord Moonie bought from Gordon Brown in 1992. Commons rules required all ministers to designate their London homes as their main residence until 2004, after which they were told to list their 'main home'. Between 2001 and early 2004, when he had no choice but declare Edinburgh as his 'second home', he claimed a total of £45,954 towards his family house. However, the Chancellor continued to list the room in Lord Moonie's flat as his main residence after the rule change gave him the choice. This enabled him to claim a further £15,341 in the 2004-05 financial year for his Edinburgh home. In contrast, the typical rent for a room in flat in Lambeth was about £150 per week, or £7,800 per year. Mr Darling then moved to a room in another flat, again listing it with the Commons as his main residence. In the 2005-06 financial year he claimed a further £19,436 in respect of his second home. The first five months of this year's claim was made in respect of his family house, before he finally decided to designate it as his main home in September 2005. In total he claimed more than £70,000 for his second home over five years, including almost £25,000 in the two years after the rule change. Additional Costs Allowance - worth up to £24,006 a year - is meant to cover housing costs including mortgage interest and utility bills associated with MPs' responsibilities at Westminster and in their constituencies. Cabinet ministers have used the allowance to claim more than £2 million over the past six years, sometimes attracting controversy. Last year Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper faced questions over their decision to designate their Yorkshire home as their primary residence, even though their children attend school in London. The move allowed the couple to claim public money on their more expensive London home. A spokesman for Mr Darling stressed the Chancellor had not broken any rules, adding that he is "fastidious" about his expense claims.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/4631428/Alistair-Darling-claimed-70000-from-taxpayer-for-his-1million-home.html

needmyLOGO: $50 Logo Designs. Affordable. Quality. Simple. | Unlimited Revisions

needmyLOGO: $50 Logo Designs. Affordable. Quality. Simple. | Unlimited Revisions - Free-Press-Release.com Register Login

Source: http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200902/1234674843.html

Japan to do its part in fighting global recession: Nakagawa+

ROME, Feb. 14 (AP) - (Kyodo)—Japan will do its part to bolster the fast-cooling global economy by enacting budget bills to implement fiscal stimulus measures at an early date and extending a helping hand to poor nations hit hard by the ongoing crisis, Finance Minister Shoichi Nakagawa said Saturday after a Group of Seven finance chiefs' meeting in Rome. "Enacting budget-related bills as soon as possible will be the best economy-boosting step," Nakagawa told a press conference after the two-day gathering in the Italian capital. Tokyo will also launch a $1 billion emergency program to support developing countries, especially those in Asia, he said. The minister pledged that Japan will contribute to a global battle against the severe economic downturn by carrying out such various measures. He also said he expressed hope at the G-7 talks that the United States will implement its $787 billion economic package at an early date. Nakagawa said the United States did not especially request that Japan work out additional stimulus measures. A senior Finance Ministry official said Nakagawa urged his fellow G-7 financial leaders to show their resolve to get rid of protectionism at the meeting. On the currency issue, the Japanese minister called on market participants to consider the significance of a G-7 message that warned against excessive volatility and disorderly movements. The Japanese yen has recently significantly gained against other major currencies, but Tokyo has stopped short of intervening in the currency market to stem the yen's rise. Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa, who was present at the same press conference, said the G-7 financial leaders shared the view that the world economy has "been significantly worsening" and appreciated "unconventional" policy measures taken by their central banks. Shirakawa said the BOJ will analyze various economic data before the next meeting to decide its monetary policy slated for Wednesday and Thursday.

Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D96BFKNO0&show_article=1

Slumdog Millionaire's child stars to miss Oscars

Slumdog Millionaire's child stars to miss Oscars - Telegraph

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/oscars/4615505/Slumdog-Millionaires-child-stars-to-miss-Oscars.html

Russian navy captures 10 Somali pirates

"The nuclear cruiser Pyotr Veliky has detained three small pirate boats," said Igor Dygalo, a navy spokesman, adding that 10 armed men of Somali citizenship were seized in the operation on Thursday.The pirates had been spotted by the cruiser's helicopter southeast of the Yemeni island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean, the spokesman told AFP."It was visually established how weapons were being dumped from the boats into the sea," Mr Dygalo said in a separate statement.He added that the navy managed to confiscate grenade launchers, automatic rifles, landmines and 500 grams of a "narcotic substance," among other things.The news of the Somali pirates' detention comes as the crew of a Ukrainian ship captured by Somali pirates arrived home at Kiev airport on Friday after a 19-week hijacking ordeal.The MV Faina, released last week, docked Thursday in Mombasa with its exhausted crew of 17 Ukrainians, two Russians and one Latvian and controversial cargo of tanks and munitions.The Russian military prosecutors were now investigating the pirates' case adding it would be then up to the Russian foreign and justice ministries to determine their fate.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/somalia/4610512/Russian-navy-captures-10-Somali-pirates.html

Israel election: profile of 'kingmaker' Avigdor Lieberman

Israel election: profile of 'kingmaker' Avigdor Lieberman - Telegraph Accessibility links Skip to article Skip to navigation Thursday 12 February 2009 | Israel feed | All feeds Advertisement Website of the Telegraph Media Group with breaking news, sport, business, latest UK and world news. Content from the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and video from Telegraph TV. Enhanced by Google Home News Sport Finance Comment Travel Lifestyle Culture Video A to Z Jobs Dating Puzzles  Offers UK World Politics Celebrities Obituaries Weird Earth Science Health News Education Topics News Video You are here: Home News World News Middle East Israel Israel election: profile of 'kingmaker' Avigdor Lieberman Avigdor Lieberman, the ultranationalist Israeli politician, holds the future course of politics in the Middle East in his holds.   Last Updated: 5:04PM GMT 12 Feb 2009 Mr Lieberman, the leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, has risen from nowhere to become his country's most sought after politician Photo: REUTERS No one rises to become "kingmaker" in the bear-pit of Israeli politics without possessing an abundance of raw political skill. Mr Lieberman, the leader of the Yisrael Beiteinu party, might hold abhorrent views, but he has risen from nowhere to become his country's most sought after politician, wielding the power to choose Israel's next prime minister. The succession of leaders now beating a path to his door has become almost embarrassing.In a single day in Jerusalem, Tzipi Livni, from the centrist Kadima Party, and Benjamin Netanyahu, from the Right-wing Likud Party, both implored Mr Lieberman to join a government under their leadership. The man himself is milking the limelight for all it is worth, coyly telling Israeli radio that he had made up his mind which of the two pretenders should become premier, but "it's too early to tell you just yet".By declining to express any preference between Mr Netanyahu and Miss Livni – save for saying that in his "heart" he wants a "Right-wing government and a nationalist government" – Mr Lieberman is maximising his bargaining power. All that remains in question is which powerful job he will hold in Israel's next government and which of the two contenders will win the struggle for his favour.Whoever does become Israel's new prime minister – and Mr Netanyahu is looking likely to win the crown – he or she will have no choice but to court international outrage by giving Mr Lieberman real prominence and power. The nationalist leader holds opinions that challenge comfortable Western assumptions about the Middle East and reflect the deeply-held views of many Israelis.Mr Lieberman thinks that what we call the "peace process" has been a mistake from the start. Put simply, Mr Lieberman rejects every facet of President Barack Obama's thinking on the Middle East. When the nationalist leader has real power in Israel, the country could find itself on a collision course with America's new administration.The Palestinians and their Arab brethren are determined to destroy Israel, he believes. Giving them a state along the 1967 borders that used to contain Israel would only whet their appetite for more. Instead of leading to a settlement, the peace agreement that America and Europe would foist on Israel would only weaken the Jewish state and embolden its Arab neighbours to fulfil their destiny and eradicate the "Zionist Entity"."The peace process is based on three false basic assumptions," Mr Lieberman has explained. "That the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is the main fact of instability in the Middle East, that the conflict is territorial and not ideological, and that the establishment of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders will end the conflict." Mr Lieberman's other fixation is with Israel's own Arab minority, which numbers about 1.4 million people or 20 per cent of the population. He thinks this increasingly radicalised community amounts to the "enemy within". While Mr Lieberman has not joined this rhetoric, his supporters have a tendency to chant "Death to the Arabs" at party rallies.His solution is less drastic. He would merely subject all Israeli Arabs to a "loyalty test", asking them to swear allegiance to the Jewish state in return for their national identity cards. This requirement would, incidentally, extend to ultra-Orthodox Jews, who also refuse to recognise Israel as a Jewish state.Mr Lieberman is vague about the penalty for failing to take this "loyalty test". During the campaign, he promised to strip any recalcitrants of their citizenship and adopted the slogan "No loyalty, no citizenship". But this policy would probably be illegal. Some of Yisrael Beiteinu's acolytes think the refuseniks should keep their Israeli passports but lose the right to vote. Daniel Ayalon, formerly Israel's ambassador to Washington and now a follower of Mr Lieberman, stunned British journalists by telling them: "The right to vote is a political right and if you want to destroy the country, I don't have to play into it."As for the damage this policy would do to Israel's standing as the only democracy in the Middle East – perhaps the one of the strongest arguments the country has in the battle for world opinion – Mr Lieberman is dismissive. He thinks that pandering to international opinion has been Israel's mistake all along. This amalgam of stubbornness and belligerence perhaps stems from Mr Lieberman's upbringing in the former Soviet Union. He was born in 1958 in Moldova, one of the poorest and most obscure of the old Soviet republics. On leaving school, Mr Lieberman worked as a bouncer in a nightclub. In 1978, he was lucky enough to leave the Soviet Union and emigrate to Israel, where he studied international relations at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and completed his national service.He entered politics as a follower of Likud, serving as Mr Netanyahu's chief of staff during his first premiership. But the arrival of one million Russian-speaking immigrants after the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991 created an immense opportunity for Mr Lieberman. This huge constituency was waiting for a party to represent their interests and, spotting his chance, he left Likud to found Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel Our Home) in 1999. The votes of the Russian minority were enough to propel Mr Lieberman into a series of minor cabinet jobs under Ariel Sharon's Likud-dominated government between 2002 and 2004. But it was only after he resigned in protest over Mr Sharon's proposed withdrawal from the Gaza Strip that Mr Lieberman managed to expand his appeal beyond the Russian arrivals. His great success was to mobilise Israelis who believe that concessions to the Palestinians lead nowhere – and events in Gaza have helped him. After Israel left Gaza in 2005, dismantling every Jewish settlement, its only reward was for Hamas to take over and use the territory as a launch pad for rocket attacks on Israel. In Mr Lieberman's eyes, this sequence of events vindicated his case.There have been numerous unsavoury incidents during Mr Lieberman's political journey. Some have accused him of "racism" and even "fascism". He is being investigated for alleged fraud, money-laundering and embezzlement, although he protests his innocence.But whatever people may think of Mr Lieberman, he represents a significant strand of Israeli public opinion that, regardless of the world's wishes, no one can ignore.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/4603474/Israel-election-profile-of-kingmaker-Avigdor-Lieberman.html

Jennifer Aniston bags internet dating!

Australia, Commonwealth of (Press Release) February 12, 2009 -- According to SFGate.com Jennifer Aniston has categorically gone on record saying she would never turn to internet dating.
In a news article recently published, Jen has described online dating as warped. Apparently the thought of using the internet to find a partner freaks her out. Jens view is that she would rather meet someone face to face to assess whether things could progress beyond a first date.


She also points out that people who use the internet build up a false sense of realism compared to the offline world, and goes on to say "you cant just copy and paste your life"


Apparently Drew Barrymore also agrees with Jen and reckons that online singles don't tell the truth about themselves claiming that they lie about their appearance and other things.

source: FPR


Whilst these comments and views are probably true with regards to a percentage of online dating members, a survey carried out by www.hookmeup.com.au confirmed that over 90% of its data base did not just rely on the internet to find a partner. Other findings resulting from the survey which included more than 15,000 singles found that the clear majority were proactive citizens participating heavily in the offline world and that the internet was not their only world.


It would appear that Jens and Drews opinions are very primitive. Perhaps 10 years ago when internet dating was taboo they could have been forgiven for these types of comments. Without question these old fashion views are not shared by many who live in the real online and offline world. Not everyone has the same social opportunities as movie stars.


It seems ironic that Jennifer Aniston would have these views given that she has made a living indulging in other peoples fantasies.

Source: http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200902/1234414981.html

Cyprus tourist arrivals dive in January

The number of tourists arriving in Cyprus dived 7.1 percent in January from a year earlier, continuing the weak trend of recent months, official figures showed on Wednesday. Arrivals last month in the Mediterranean island fell to 47,066 from 50,658 in January 2008. The latest month showed a steep 8.5 percent plunge in people flying in from Britain -- the island's biggest holiday market -- a 5.6 percent decrease in visitors from Germany and a 4.1 percent dip in people from Greece. By contrast, there was a 42.9 percent spike in holidaymakers from Russia, jumping to 2,793 last month. In 2008 total arrivals eased 0.5 percent to 2.40 million tourists down from 2.41 million a year earlier. It was only the fourth time year-on-year tourism numbers have dropped since 1996 and hotel bookings are said to be 25 percent down for this summer. More significantly, total tourism receipts for last year dropped by 3.5 percent to 1.79 billion euros from 1.85 billion in 2007. The government has approved more than 350 million euros in stimulus measures to stave off job losses in the key tourism and construction sectors that contribute a combined 30 percent of GDP. Bumper tourism revenues helped the island achieve GDP growth of 4.4 percent in 2007. Due to concerns the global financial crisis will trigger lower tourism revenues, the finance ministry revised its GDP growth forecast downwards to 3.7 percent for 2008 and a slower 2.1 percent for this year. The European Commission estimates Cyprus eurozone growth will be closer to one percent.

Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.4652dc1810e3452d9def8dda5bd99b75.401&show_article=1

Tzipi Livni leads in exit polls but Israel still shows decisive shift to the Right

One survey conducted by Israel's Channel Two television suggested that Kadima will take 29 seats in the 120-member parliament, or Knesset. This compares with 27 for Benjamin Netanyahu's Right-wing Likud party. Two other exit polls, shown on Channel One and Channel Ten, both forecast that Miss Livni will defeat Mr Netanyahu by a margin of two seats: 30 for Kadima compared with 28 to Likud.If these predictions are consistent with the official results - and Israeli exit polls have been wrong before - Miss Livni will achieve an electoral upset and overturn a once solid lead for Mr Netanyahu.By convention, President Shimon Peres should then invite her to form a coalition and become prime minister if she succeeds.Miss Livni would then become Israel's first female leader since Golda Meir in the 1970s. Western governments see her as the most moderate of all the contenders for Israel's premiership. Miss Livni would probably be the preferred partner for President Barack Obama's new quest for peace in the Middle East."The people have spoken: they want Tzipi Livni," said Roni Bar-On, the finance minister and a senior figure in Kadima. "As for setting up an extreme Right government, not only does it have no legitimacy abroad, it has none in Israel."But her accession to the premiership is far from assured. The exit polls provided more evidence of a decisive shift to the Right among Israeli voters. Avigdor Lieberman, the leader of the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party, is forecast to defeat the Labour party and come third behind Likud and Kadima with about 15 seats.In all, the Knesset's block of Right-wing parties is predicted to have 64 seats, compared with 56 for Miss Livni's natural allies on the centre-Left.Given this arithmetic, Mr Netanyahu could still become prime minister. Last night, he told Likud supporters that "God willing", he would form the next government.The power to decide may rest with Mr Lieberman, who is expected to hold the balance of power and be Israel's kingmaker. The nationalist leader hinted that he would install Mr Netanyahu. "We want a Right-wing government, and our heart's tendency is undoubtedly a national government and a Right-wing government," Mr Lieberman told cheering supporters.But he did not rule out joining a coalition under Miss Livni, saying that he had spoken to the Kadima leader and "we do not disqualify anyone".Jubilant supporters of Miss Livni thronged Kadima's campaign headquarters in Tel Aviv, punching the air with delight as the exit polls were announced. These surveys were consistent with the personal forecast offered by Eyal Arad, the Kadima campaign manager, to the Daily Telegraph last week.He said that Miss Livni would "put a government together and do it quickly". Final election results are expected today, but agreeing a coalition could take weeks.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/4585224/Tzipi-Livni-leads-in-exit-polls-but-Israel-still-shows-decisive-shift-to-the-Right.html

Tucson Dominatrix Directory

United States of America (Press Release) February 10, 2009 -- Looking for a directory of dominatrix listings in the Tucson area Join the world's largest database of fetish and bondage sex personals, and find a dominatrix in Tucson tonight - free! (http://www.carolinaonlinedating.net)

source: FPR

"This site features the most complete online dominatrix directory and bondage sex personal ads in the Tucson area," said a spokesperson. "Unlike other dating sites, all of the members here are like-minded adults looking for the exactly same thing - discreet, local sex partners to help them live out their most erotic fantasies. There are literally hundreds of members in nearly every part of the country and membership is free to join."



Source: http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200902/1234285543.html

New York subway entertainers play the economy blues

They can play just about anything in the world, but today's New York subway performers are all singing the economy blues. Scores of buskers serenade the grimy metro system day and night with everything from opera to Doo-wop and Mariachi to the Chinese dulcimer. But they're finding it harder to get commuters to take notice. "I've played all day, and look at that," trumpeter Ron Michaels, 55, said in Times Square station, gesturing at less than 20 dollars (15 euros) in coins and notes at the bottom of an old coffee tin. "I'd not thought the economy would be this bad. If street performers are hurting, then it's got to be serious." Calebe Arruda, a Brazilian-born guitarist and violinist playing Grand Central, said commuters suffer that same fear gripping consumers, shareholders and banks. "If you leave your home today to go to work and give 25 cents to everyone you see, then you'll end up spending more than five dollars. People think twice about that now," the soft-spoken musician, aged 49, said. Two decades ago subway entertainers were rare. Now the Metropolitan Transport Authority licenses 100 soloists and ensembles, while uncounted and growing numbers of others dodge the police to play without a permit. "There are more musicians than ever, so competition is getting a lot stiffer," said Sean McCaul, soothing hectic evening commuters at Union Square with his full-sized vibraphone. Rocker Luke Ryan, a veteran of the subterranean music world, said things are tough even with his prime spot at the platform for trains shuttling between Grand Central and Times Square. "I used to be able to support myself on this and the gigs that come out of this. Now, I do it because I love it," Ryan, 57, said during a break from playing blues ballads. A professional people watcher, Ryan has discovered that the rich are not the most generous contributors to his open guitar case, which is labelled "ECONOMIC STIMULUS." Early morning commuters from leafy suburbs and mid-morning female shoppers "with French things written on their bags and nice winter coats" are the stingiest, said Ryan. "When people have money, they don't give money. They have no empathy," he said. "The real working people, the immigrants: they give. A little later I see the regular working stiffs and they like my kind of music. They give. I'm doing OK by them." The performers say their business has always been more about love than money. "We'd do this show for nothing. If people give money then it should be from the heart," said Gerard Giddiens, 50, a member of a dazzling quartet that sings 1950s and 1960s tunes like "Under the Boardwalk" at 77th Street station. "We didn't go to school to learn this. God gave us this talent and so we're using it." Computer technician Angel Diaz, 48, was heading to work in northern Manhattan, but missed four trains so that he could savor the soul singers. "People give buskers (performers) less money these days because they are worried about other things," Diaz said. "But people who really appreciate will always pay. This is art. They bring back the music of the old days and a lot of memories of the way it used to be before things turned so bad." Then he put a dollar in the brown paper bag and caught the train. The quartet, in perfect harmony and rhythm, sang "thank you," and sang on.

Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.b0a7be9f94fe16f95ff3400ddc1d174c.1d81&show_article=1

Harriet Harman attacks bankers for visiting lapdancing clubs

Harriet Harman attacks bankers for visiting lap-dancing clubs - Telegraph Accessibility links Skip to article Skip to navigation Monday 09 February 2009 | Politics feed | All feeds Advertisement Website of the Telegraph Media Group with breaking news, sport, business, latest UK and world news. Content from the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and video from Telegraph TV. Enhanced by Google Home News Sport Finance Comment Travel Lifestyle Culture Video A to Z Jobs Dating Puzzles  Offers UK World Politics Celebrities Obituaries Weird Earth Science Health News Education Topics News Video You are here: Home News News Topics Politics Harriet Harman attacks bankers for visiting lap-dancing clubs Harriet Harman, Labour's deputy leader, has attacked bankers for visiting lap-dancing clubs as she launched an official inquiry into sexism in the City.   By James Kirkup, Political Correspondent Last Updated: 5:05PM GMT 09 Feb 2009 The 'gender pay gap' in financial services is worse than in manufacturing, retail, or any other sector Photo: BLOOMBERG NEWS Miss Harman told a trade union conference she wants to end "unfair pay and discrimination" in the City. The Equality and Human Rights Commission will conduct an inquiry into alleged unfair treatment of women in the financial sector. That investigation will look into issues including visits to lap-dancing and other strip clubs. According to the Government Equalities Office, which Miss Harman oversees, the use of lap-dancing clubs is a sign of "discrimination and harassment" in the banking sector. "There are numerous cases of sex discrimination and harassment in the finance industry, including evidence of the use of lap-dancing clubs for corporate entertainment," the office said. In her speech, Miss Harman linked the City's bonus culture with sexism She said: "Huge bonuses for city bosses are not the only thing wrong with pay in the financial services industry. They are also top of the list for treating women employees unfairly. The "gender pay gap" in financial services is worse than in manufacturing, retail, or any other sector." Women in banks are paid, on average, 40 per cent less than men, she said. In the workforce as a whole, the gender gap in pay is 22.6 per cent. Saying that the boards of City banks are "still mostly a no-go area for women," Miss Harman said: "We need a real overhaul of the pay and prospects of women in the city. " She added: "I just don't believe women are less committed, less hard-working or less able than men. So they shouldn't be paid less." As well as this inquiry by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Miss Harman said there will be "tough measures" in her new Equality Bill later this year narrow the gender pay gap. That is likely to include "gender audits" where companies have to declare how much they pay male and female staff, putting them under pressure to justify any disparity.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/4570235/Harriet-Harman-attacks-bankers-for-visiting-lap-dancing-clubs.html

1 Search Host offers Free Domains, Professional Web Hosting Plans & Website Builder.

India, Republic of (Press Release) February 9, 2009 -- Introduces: Free Domain Names with Website Hosting & Website Builder plans, Web-based Email, Free Software s, Website support on Various Platforms and Much More

1 Search Host Offers the lowest hosting prices without compromising on the Security & Reliability additionally we offer Free Domain Names ranging from 2 Domain Names to 21 Domain Names, Free Reseller Programs (Basic & Pro Reseller).

1 Search Host supports Ruby Rails, Tomcat, PHP 5, Pearl and more software s. Supporting Databases are MySQL and PostgreSQL. 1 Search Host now supports Web sites created using Ruby on Rails(TM). Ruby on Rails is an open-source framework which lets developers easily assemble rich and dynamic Web sites. Programming with Rails allows a Web designer to wrap applications easily around a database. It has been widely acclaimed in Web development and software engineering circles as a new standard for ease of development and speed of delivery.

1 Search Host announces the release of Web-Based Email (unlimited Email addresses, forwarders, Mailing lists) coupling the benefits of a desktop email program with the convenience of a Web-based platform. 1 Search Host's Web-Based Email Accounts are fraud, spam and virus protected, POP3-configured and advertising-free. Each account offers you@yourdomain.com personalization for a truly unique e-mail identity, generous disk space to accommodate large attachments and access to accounts from anywhere with an Internet connection.

Online Website Builder with our Hosting helps you create your own websites in minutes. Website requiring flash and dynamic pages can be compiling using our website builder. 1 Search Host s Site Builder has No Download Problems, No Installations.


1 Search Host Domain Name Registration offers the lowest prices prevailing in the market.
Domain Registration prices reduced .com Registration starting at $7.49/yr. info starting at $1.99/yr & .in starting at $14.99/yr.

1 Search Host now has added .in registry into its long list of Domain Names.
The .IN Registry calls .IN, a unique symbol of India and its role in the world. Currently 60 million of India s more than one billion residents are avid Internet users. Only three other countries on earth have more people online. The .IN extension is available to anyone interested in registering India's top level domain. All .IN domains have a one year minimum registration requirement.

Few of our Plans come with Free Basic reseller ($75.99) and Pro reseller packages ($160/yr). Start making money by selling or marketing Web Services like Domain Registration, Dedicated Servers and Hosting Services plus reseller services for shared hosting.

To register an .IN domain or to find out how to get online quickly and easily with 1 Search Host, visit: <http://www.domainname.1searchhost.com>.

The services that we render are derived from a highly motivated team of experts who believe in team work and they strive for perfection. We seek opportunities to deliver better than what is expected by providing the clients with tailor-made solutions. We appreciate the valuable inputs of the clients and understand their requirements. We maintain stringent security processes to maintain confidentiality of information and data we receive from our clients.
We offer continuous improvement in combining business domain expertise and process skills by understanding the client s real requirements using web-enabled work force to achieve the highest quality output within a given timeframe.

For more information about 1 Search Host s hosting plans, visit <http://www.1searchhost.com>.

1 Search Host Adds Value to your online business

- <1 Search Host> -
#23 Sri Venkateswara Nilayam
Lake View Road, Nr mana Sarovar Apts
Doddanekundi, Bangalore-560037
http://www.1searchhost.com
© 2008 <1 Search Host> All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200902/1234156937.html

Brazil crash toll 24; survivors fled sinking plane

SAO PAULO (AP) - A handful of survivors seated at the rear of a plane that crashed in a muddy Amazon jungle river managed to open an emergency door and swim to safety before the aircraft sank, dragging at least 24 others to their death. Divers on Sunday recovered the bodies of two dozen people who were killed when the twin turboprop plane plunged into the Manacapuru river in a heavy rainstorm, firefighter Maj. Jair Ruas Braga said. Seven children died in the Saturday afternoon crash, along with nine women and eight men. A 9-year-old child was among four people who survived. "It was all very fast. The plane sank very fast," 21-year-old survivor Brenda Moraes told GloboNews TV. "We only had a chance because we were sitting in the last rows and could open the emergency door." Relatives of the survivors told Brazilian media that one of the engines apparently stopped about an hour into the 185-mile (300-kilometer) flight, which originated in the city of Coari. The plane went down about 50 miles (80 kilometers) short of its destination in Manaus, capital of Amazonas state. The survivors "opened the rear door and left the plane while it was submerging," Walcione Tavares told GloboNews TV. Local residents were the first to arrive at the scene, and rescuers reached the survivors later Saturday. Another relative, Roberto Buchdid, said his wife called and told him to alert authorities. "She was very scared," Buchdid said. The four survivors suffered only minor injuries and were in good condition on Sunday, said Marcelo Alves Cabral, director of the hospital where they were treated. He told Globo's G1 Web site that the worst injury was a deep cut on the back of a 23-year-old man. "They told me that when they heard one of the engines stop, the plane lost altitude and hit something before going nose-first into the water," Cabral said. The plane was operated by Manaus Aerotaxi. Company director Fernando Bezerra said the aircraft had undergone all of its scheduled maintenance inspections, and Brazil's Civil Aeronautics Agency said its documentation was up to date. The Brazilian air force said the flight plan showed 20 people were on board, but some of the children may not have been listed. It was not clear whether everyone on board had been accounted for, and rescuers continued to search the area after a witness reported seeing what appeared to be a body being carried off by the river's current, air force spokesman Lt. Col. Henri Munhoz said. Munhoz said authorities would investigate whether the plane was carrying more people than allowed. The air force said the pilot contacted air controllers to report encountering driving rain, but he did not specifically mention engine trouble. Brazilian media, citing witnesses and local authorities, said the pilot may have been trying to make an unscheduled landing at the Manacapuru airport less than 1.6 miles (1 kilometer) from the crash site. Authorities were still investigating, and it was not clear if any tourists were on board. Local media said local police officers reported the flight was packed with members of a family heading to Manaus to celebrate a relative's birthday. Eight divers remained at the scene preparing the plane to be removed from the river. Braga said it was only partially damaged. Although water landings are rare, last month a US Airways pilot successfully brought a commercial jet down in New York's Hudson River without a single death among the 155 people on board.

Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D967GT8G0&show_article=1

Bafta awards 2009 bring Hollywood to London

Bafta awards 2009 bring Hollywood to London - Telegraph Accessibility links Skip to article Skip to navigation Sunday 08 February 2009 | Baftas feed | All feeds Advertisement Website of the Telegraph Media Group with breaking news, sport, business, latest UK and world news. Content from the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and video from Telegraph TV. Enhanced by Google Home News Sport Finance Comment Travel Lifestyle Culture Video A to Z Jobs Dating Puzzles  Offers Film Music Art Books TV & Radio Theatre Dance Opera Comedy Culture Video You are here: Home Culture Film Baftas Bafta awards 2009 bring Hollywood to London Awards season came to London as Hollywood's finest attended the Bafta nominees party ahead Sunday night's ceremony.   By Roya Nikkhah, Arts Correspondent Last Updated: 10:42PM GMT 07 Feb 2009 Mickey Rourke (left) and Sharon Stone arrive at The Orange British Academy Film Awards nominees party at Asprey in Bond Street, central London. Photo: IAN WEST/PA Kate Winslet, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were among the glittering guest list who fought off freezing conditions to attend the party held at Asprey, the jeweller, on Bond Street. Winslet, who has already triumphed at the Golden Globes in January for her roles in Revolutionary Road and The Reader is not only favourite to win the in the Leading Actress category but also second favourite thanks to her dual nominations. Meryl Streep, who is nominated for her performance in Doubt and Kristin Scott Thomas who is nominated for her role in I've Loved You So Long, both plan to attend tonight's ceremony at the Royal Opera House, but may have to once again play the role of gracious loser. Slumdog Millionaire, directed by Danny Boyle, is now the runaway favourite to land the Best Film prize at tonight's ceremony. So many punters are convinced that the Bombay-based rags-to-riches tale will take the top prize that bookies have slashed the odds to a derisory 1-6. The only other nominee considered by Ladbrokes, the bookmakers, to be more of a certainty is the late Heath Ledger, whose performance as the Joker in Batman sequel The Dark Knight is 1-25 to win Best Supporting Actor. The Baftas are now seen by many in the industry as the most reliable guide to what will happen on Oscar night later this month. Other films in contention include Mamma Mia, which has been nominated for Best British movie, and Milk and The Reader, both of which are battling it out for Best Film.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/baftas/4550712/Bafta-awards-2009-bring-Hollywood-to-London.html

Eight days and Counting to PM Moon Publishers' Contest Deadline

United States of America (Press Release) February 7, 2009 -- Mara C. Forsythe, the new managing editor of PM Moon Publishers, LLC, wants to remind all new writers that the first annual new authors' contest will end at 11:59 P. M. EST on February 15, 2009.
"On Monday, February 16, 2009, we go into the final selection process," she said, "We had a wonderful response to this first contest."
Who Is Eligible: Contest is open to any new author. A new author is defined as any new writer who has never received a publishing contract. or an author who has earned less than $500.00 in either advances or royalties.


What to Submit: Manuscripts can be submitted in the following categories: children's fiction, middle grade fiction, and young adult literature.
Children's fiction will be no less than 2400 words and no more 4800 words. It should be suitable for k-3.

Middle Grade Fiction will be no more than 40,000 words and suitable for grades 4 through 8.

Young Adult Fiction will be no less than 50,000 words and suitable for grades 9 through 12.

How to Submit:
The entry fee for each manuscript submitted is twenty dollars US ($20.00). All entry fees are payable through Pay Pal:
The transaction number then becomes your identification number.

Send two emails to entriespmmoonpublishers@yahoo.com
First Email: Include a cover sheet with Pay Pal Transaction number, name, address, phone, email, genre and title submitted.


Second Email: Paste the manuscript into the body of your email.
The subject will be your transaction number and the title of your manuscript:
Example: #987654321 The Manuscript

NO attachments will be accepted!

Author name must not appear on any manuscript page.

Sandra Poole, assistant Administrative Editor added that, "We are so excited to find out which manuscript is going to win. Only the one person knows who the leader is. I can't wait for the final round of judging. There is still time to get your manuscript in to us."

Source: http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200902/1234022344.html

Fires rage, floodwaters rise in Australian extremes

Flood waters were rising Saturday in northern Australia while more than 100,000 firefighters remained on standby as the country's east sweltered under deadly wildfire conditions. More than 40 blazes raged across two states as a heatwave pushed the mercury as high as 46 degrees Celsius (115 Fahrenheit). Fire bans were in place across much of the southeast, with conditions said to be the worst since the Ash Wednesday wildfires of 1983, which killed 75 people and razed 2,500 homes. Humidity in New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, was forecast to plunge as low at 10 percent, with 70,000 firefighters on standby as high winds fueled dozens of fires. A 160 hectare (395 acre) inferno was burning out of control in the neighbouring state of Victoria, with flames as high as 10 metres (33 feet) jumping containment lines in high winds, authorities said. Power lines supplying electricity to Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, were under threat and people in three nearby townships were being urged to either evacuate or prepare to join firefighting efforts. "People need to understand that this fire is a particularly serious one," said the environment department's Stuart Ord. "The flame heights will be something that they will not be able to stand themselves and have a bit of a go at." More than 30,000 firefighters were on standby in Victoria state, where 29 homes were last week lost to fire. Another 10,000 were on high alert in the neighbouring state of South Australia. The country's saturated north was inundated overnight, with 350 millimetres of rain (14 inches) causing flash floods in the town of Innisfail and swelling engorged rivers. Much of Queensland state has been declared a disaster zone, with an area of more than one million square kilometres and 3,000 homes flood-affected due to torrential rains caused by two recent cyclones. The sugar cane and cattle industries have been devastated by the floods, with tens of thousands of stranded cows starving to death. A tropical low off the northeastern coast was fuelling the rains, which were being compounded by abnormally high "king tides" in the region, the weather bureau said.

Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.6a7dd14dc936f97ed7aa9f6d30574a00.1a1&show_article=1

UN suspends aid to Gaza after accusing Hamas of theft

UN suspends aid to Gaza after accusing Hamas of theft - Telegraph Accessibility links Skip to article Skip to navigation Friday 06 February 2009 | Israel feed | All feeds Advertisement Website of the Telegraph Media Group with breaking news, sport, business, latest UK and world news. Content from the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and video from Telegraph TV. Enhanced by Google Home News Sport Finance Comment Travel Lifestyle Culture Video A to Z Jobs Dating Puzzles  Offers UK World Politics Celebrities Obituaries Weird Earth Science Health News Education Topics News Video You are here: Home News World News Middle East Israel UN suspends aid to Gaza after accusing Hamas of theft The United Nations has suspended all food aid for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip after accusing Hamas of stealing 10 lorry-loads of supplies.   By David Blair in Jerusalem Last Updated: 4:44PM GMT 06 Feb 2009 Palestinians receive bags of flour at a United Nations (UN) food aid distribution centre in the refugee camp of al Shati in Gaza City, Gaza Strip Photo: EPA After last month's war, which claimed 1,300 lives, about half of Gaza's 1.5 million people are dependent on emergency relief. These are the only supplies which Israel presently allows to pass through the territory's border crossings.But the UN's Relief and Works Agency was forced to close down this operation after gunmen stole food that had been delivered through the Keren Shalom crossing point. A statement from the UN said the supplies had been taken away in lorries used by the social affairs ministry in Gaza's Hamas-controlled administration.This was the second incident of wholesale theft of humanitarian aid. On Tuesday, 3,500 blankets and 400 food parcels were taken. The UN said that all deliveries would stop "until the aid is returned and the agency is given credible assurances from the Hamas government in Gaza that there will be no repeat of these thefts".Israel has frequently been accused of punishing ordinary Palestinians by restricting the flow of goods into Gaza. The latest incident opens Hamas to the same charge.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/4539655/UN-suspends-aid-to-Gaza-after-accusing-Hamas-of-theft.html

Scottsdale Personal Trainer Reveals Truth Behind 4 Myths for Getting Lean, Flat 6 Pack Abs

United States of America (Press Release) February 5, 2009 -- It s a fact most people who exercise would love to look in the mirror and find a flat, lean midsection. But in reality, most people are going about the wrong way. With hundreds of crunches and endless hours of cardio, they still they don t get the results they want.

Help is on the way as Scottsdale personal trainer and boot camp instructor, Curtis Hoekstra, reveals the truth behind 4 myths of 6 pack abs.

Myth #1- I want to lose weight so I can see my abs.

The key to seeing your abs is fat loss, not weight loss, says Hoekstra. Your body consists of fat mass and lean body mass (water, muscle, bone, organs, etc.). You want to minimize your fat mass and maximize your lean body mass to skyrocket your metabolism, which in turn is what will eradicate fat cells and build muscle 24/7. By changing your body composition, you will be setting yourself to reveal the 6 pack everyone craves.

Myth #2- Ab exercises burn tummy fat.

Spot reduction doesn t work, says Hoekstra. You can t just work the muscles of a certain area of your body and expect to have the fat in that region go away it does not work like that.

Most recent research tells us the most surefire plan is to burn as many calories during your workouts as possible by engaging your whole body each and every training session (not just your abs). Also be sure to use compound, multi-joint movements like squats, push-ups, lunges, etc. (or better yet, total body exercises like squat to curl to presses). These movements burn a lot more calories than ab-isolation movements like crunches and sit-ups.

Myth #3- Crunches are the best exercises to trim fat and show off your abs.

Present day research reveals the most effective way for core training is performing stabilization in all three planes of motion using pillar strengthening exercises (ie: planking). We have been brainwashed to believe the best way to work your core is by doing endless crunches and sit-ups since these exercises traditionally get you to feel the burn, Hoekstra claims. However, the true function of your core muscles is to prevent hyperextension, not to flex forward over and over again. These stabilization exercises also activate the key transverse abdominus muscles, or your deep abdominal stabilizers, that wrap around your spine and support your internal organs. Strengthening these inner ab muscles is the key to optimal posture, better performance and helping to prevent lower back pain or even injury.


Myth #4- Doing long, slow cardio in the fat burning zone will torch tummy blubber.

There is overwhelming research and real world examples that support the fact that aerobic training for fat loss alone simply does not work. Total body resistance training is the true foundation of any solid, long lasting fat loss plan, Hoekstra reveals.
In addition, interval training, will have you alternating between bouts of maximum effort and active recovery is scientifically proven to burn nine times more fat than ordinary exercise. Hoekstra concludes, Be sure to perform both interval strength training and interval cardio training to combine the best of both worlds.

Curtis Hoekstra is a Certified Fitness Trainer and rapid fat loss expert with Arizona Fitness Boot Camp. His no-nonsense approach to fast, effective workouts helps his clients transform and reshape their bodies without spending hours in the gym. To book Curtis for a free 20 minute fat loss and fitness presentation at your local business, club or organization, contact him by email at curtis@arizonafitnessbootcamp.com or by phone at 480-981-6877. To activate a free 1-week trial to his Phoenix or Scottsdale boot camp and experience the best boot camp personal training, please visit: http://www.arizonafitnessbootcamp.com.

Source: http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200902/1233894000.html

Illinois cop: No one in custody in Tylenol case

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (AP) - An Illinois police commander says he's cautiously optimistic investigators have made a breakthrough in the 1982 Tylenol murders and says authorities aren't holding anyone in custody in the case. Arlington Heights Police Commander Kenneth Galinski declined to speak in detail about the investigation Thursday. But he says one of his officers is in the Boston area, where federal authorities Wednesday searched the home of a man long suspected in the deaths of seven people who swallowed cyanide-laced Tylenol. Galinski says neither James W. Lewis—whose home was searched—nor anyone else is in custody. Lewis served more than 12 years in prison for trying to extort money from the painkiller's manufacturers.

Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D965HOSG0&show_article=1

Gwyneth Paltrow to pen cook book

Gwyneth Paltrow to pen cook book - Telegraph Accessibility links Skip to article Skip to navigation Thursday 05 February 2009 | Celebrity news feed | All feeds Advertisement Website of the Telegraph Media Group with breaking news, sport, business, latest UK and world news. Content from the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and video from Telegraph TV. Enhanced by Google Home News Sport Finance Comment Travel Lifestyle Culture Video A to Z Jobs Dating Puzzles  Offers UK World Politics Celebrities Obituaries Weird Earth Science Health News Education Topics News Video You are here: Home News News Topics Celebrity news Gwyneth Paltrow to pen cook book Actress Gwyneth Paltrow is branching out from the big screen and trying her hand as a celebrity chef.   By Caroline Hedley in Los Angeles Last Updated: 4:43AM GMT 05 Feb 2009 Paltrow has given up her macrobiotic diet Photo: AFP Paltrow, 36, will publish her first cook book next year, and will focus on "the importance of togetherness at mealtime, emphasising that cooking for your family is the ultimate expression of love".Entitled My Father's Daughter, the culinary tome will omit the actresses's former love of macrobiotic food for family-friendly meals. Last year the American-born star, who is married to Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, filmed a documentary series with chef Mario Batali. The pair were filmed embarking on a road trip across Spain, sampling Iberian cuisine on their travels.Paltrow also recently launchedthe website Goop, an online lifestyle newsletter dedicated to "nourishing the inner aspect" of its subscribers.The former advocate of macrobiotic eating says she abandoned the restrictive diet while pregnant with her daughter Apple."I couldn't look at brown rice. It made me throw up", she admitted in an interview last year, adding that she succumbed to cravings for "...french fries, grilled cheese and yoghurt".These days she favours local, organic and seasonal food but has developed "lots of lovely vices", including coffee and wine.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/4519776/Gwyneth-Paltrow-to-pen-cook-book.html

Make Your Line Lean with the New FLEXconveyor

United States of America (Press Release) February 4, 2009 -- Bliss Industries newest product offer a whole new kind of flexibility for the industry. The FLEXConveyor was designed by Bliss engineers specifically to improve the efficiency in your facility. It is an easily reconfigurable system that literally clamps together with no tools needed. This is so unique that it s patent pending. You can re-arrange your entire facility on the fly as needed. The best part is you no longer need to hire contractors, get permits, or bolt things to the floor. Instead of it taking months to set up your facility, it can take only a few weeks. Even once it s set up it takes only minutes to rearrange an entire line.

There are several new products to go with this line that focus on keeping your line as Lean as possible. The Chassis Assembly Pallet cart and Chassis Assembly Pallet are a revolutionary new product that can improve efficiency in any facility. The concept behind this product is that your technician rolls the Chassis Pallet Cart, with Chassis Assembly Pallets on it, into your stockroom area and kit it directly in the stockroom, making Kanban no longer necessary. You put the empty chassis on top of the unit and the components in the bottom pallet area. Then roll the cart over to the start of the line. The Bliss lift takes the pallet out of the cart and places it into the pick up station. It is here that the flexibility with your conveyor begins. Bliss also has relaunched its FLEXbench line that will form the workstations for this conveyor.

The most interesting part of this new product is the process and ease in which creating your line takes place. A company calls Bliss and tells them what size facility they are working with, then the customer tells them approximately how they would like their line to flow, how many work stations they would like, and any specific areas they would like on the line. Bliss engineers will then make recommendations based on their requests. In a matter of days the customer will be able to log onto Bliss website and see their line fully configured visually. They can then make any changes they like to get the configurations as close to perfect as possible. Once the order is placed, it will take only about 4 weeks before it shows up on the customers dock. The line can only ship via a blanket wrap carrier. The driver will have the drawing in hand and will actually Quick Clamp the entire line together per the approved lay out. This means the customers line can be up and running in just hours.

Bliss also released their brand new video, on their website, showing the product in action.

Source: http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200902/1233767092.html

Man dies after being refused admission by 14 hospitals+

KOBE, Feb. 4 (AP) - (Kyodo)—A 69-year-old man injured in a traffic accident in Hyogo Prefecture died last month after being refused admission by 14 hospitals, a local fire department said Wednesday, revealing yet another case indicating Japan's emergency medical care is in a grave situation. The man collided with a motorcycle when he was riding a bicycle in Itami at around 10:15 p.m. on Jan. 20. After arriving at the scene five minutes later, rescue workers provided first aid while seeking a hospital for about one hour. But 14 hospitals in Hyogo and neighboring Osaka prefectures rejected his admission, citing a lack of specialist doctors or empty beds, according to the department. The man was eventually taken to one of the 14 hospitals at around 11:30 p.m. that day, where his condition abruptly deteriorated. The hospital in Itami tried to transfer him for better treatment but the call was rejected by two hospitals. He was already in extremely critical condition and unable to be moved when a third accepted the request. He eventually died of hemorrhagic shock three hours after the accident. The 29-year-old motorcycle rider, meanwhile, was taken to a university hospital in Nishinomiya, Hyogo, as soon as the rescue workers determined he appeared to have suffered more severe injuries. In December 2007, the Hyogo prefectural government instructed local municipalities to have their fire department headquarters work to find a hospital to accept urgent patients if paramedics cannot find one after 30 minutes. On the accident in question, an Itami fire department official said, "There were four other emergency calls in the same time frame of that night and as a result we were unable to find a hospital (for the dead man)." It remains unclear, meanwhile, whether the death of the man was associated with the delay in his transfer, the department said. The incident is the latest of a growing number of similar cases in Japan in which hospitals and medical institutions have declined to accept patients in need of emergency treatment, citing a lack of medical staff available or proper equipment and facilities. In one of the notable cases that stirred public outcry, a pregnant woman from Tokyo was rejected by eight hospitals and died three days after giving birth and undergoing surgery for a brain hemorrhage last October.

Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D964IBAG0&show_article=1

Snow the unlikeliest superfood

Snow, the unlikeliest superfood - Telegraph Accessibility links Skip to article Skip to navigation Tuesday 03 February 2009 | Weather feed | All feeds Advertisement Website of the Telegraph Media Group with breaking news, sport, business, latest UK and world news. Content from the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and video from Telegraph TV. Enhanced by Google Home News Sport Finance Comment Travel Lifestyle Culture Video A to Z Jobs Dating Puzzles  Offers You are here: Home Topics Weather Snow, the unlikeliest superfood Before the great thaw begins, save as much snow as you can – eating it can be good for you   By Jasper Gerard Last Updated: 4:43PM GMT 03 Feb 2009 Snow joke: thanks to the slightly acidic chemistry of rainwater, eating snow may assist kidney function and help alleviate arthritis and gallstones. Photograph: PhotoAlto/Laurence Mouton Photo: GETTY IMAGES As child labour goes, it's hardly like being shoved up a chimney. But in between hurling snowballs and apparently competing to make the most lopsided, physically handicapped snowman, my children were put to work in the fields yesterday. We might be approaching the "hungry gap", the early spring months when nothing much edible grows, but this week most of us have been surrounded by one of nature's most bountiful fruits: snow. Before the great thaw begins, it's time to get harvesting. The savvy gastronome will already have plenty of recipes for snow – marshmallow snowmen, snow biscuits and, of course, snow ice-cream. And if bars serve snowballs, why not make a real snow cocktail But all of this is merely icing on the cake. The real use for snow is as naturally filtered and chilled drinking water. We profess to be green and recycle everything from cars to cornflake packets, yet are only too delighted to watch huge quantities of the cold stuff melt. Why Many experts believe it is far purer than water from tap or bottle; it is readily available; and it's free. Just as mineral water became an 80s status symbol, in America swish restaurants are already serving rainwater, as it said to be softer than tap, while fashionistas sip bottles of the stuff. In Britain, too, a small but growing band of eco-worriers is buying the kit – cost: £400 – that is required to collect enough drizzle, hail and snowflakes to keep a household in water. After all, no matter how squeezed we are for liquid cash, rain is one commodity we Brits will never lack. Hey, Manchester could make an industry out of the stuff. But is it actually good for you The latest issue of Psychologies magazine – the women's wellbeing magazine that, according to the tagline, helps you "make sense of your world" – reports that rainwater's "slightly acidic chemistry may assist kidney function and remove toxins, alleviating arthritis and gallstones". It also suggests it can protect us from stomach upsets, citing a University of Western Australia study that found children who drank rainwater were less likely to contract gastroenteritis. However, the magazine also recommends you catch rainwater and run it through an ultraviolet light filter that kills bacteria. "There are relatively simple technologies that render rainwater safe for all domestic usage, including drinking," says Professor Tim Burt of Durham University. All this should come with a health warning. The internet buzzes with scare stories about how snow can contain "deadly bacteria from outer-space" as the frozen state of snow apparently shuts down water's ability to break down impurities, though the journal Science pours, well, cold water on this by suggesting you would need to consume vast quantities to endanger health. Similarly, it could find no clinically verifiable reports of anyone growing ill from munching snow. Oh, but I should pass on a warning of my own. The snow you use must come pure as the driven proverbial. That is not always guaranteed, as I discovered yesterday when I stepped outside to judge the Chiddingstone Snowman of the Year Awards, known in our back garden as Snow Idol. I got, smack in the chops, a giant snowball that had – how can I convey this delicately – already run up against our spaniel's own filtering technique. Later, using snow gathered from a spaniel-free zone, we tucked into our harvest supper. When Emilia, 7, and Freddie, 4, were told they were about to try snow ice-cream – scoops of fresh white stuff flavoured with cinnamon, lavender and honey – there were few of the usual chants of "I scream/ You scream/ We all scream for ice cream". Indeed, the early verdict was "yuck". But this soon changed to a qualified "yum" upon tasting. Daddy, meanwhile, slurped a well-earned cup of tea, having filled the kettle with snow. This, I confess, just tasted tea-like, though it can surely only be time before you can buy a rosehip and snow infusion. Daddy was more impressed by the snow cocktail he tried courtesy of Salvatore Calabrese, the legendary bartender at the Fifty club in St James. As I finally began to feel my feet again by the fire, a European Snowball – Calabrese's unlikely concoction of gin, Limoncello, pastis, almond syrup and double cream blended with snowballs compacted to the size of golf balls – slipped down as smoothly as the snowflakes outside. Hmm: I'm dreaming of a white June… How to make a snow cocktail For a European Snowball, you'll need: 4 cl gin 2cl limoncello 1cl pastis 1.5cl orgeat (almond syrup) 2cl double cream Collect top snow and make five lumps the size of a golf balls. Squeeze excess water then put in blender with the other ingredients for five seconds, strain and pour in cocktail glass with a sprig of mint. Recipe by Salvatore Calabrese, head bartender at Fifty (50 St James's Street, London SW1. 0870 415 5050, www.fiftylondon.com)

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/4448896/Snow-the-unlikeliest-superfood.html

Yoga Now by West Bloomfield, Michigan welcomes all Yoga students of all levels.

United States of America (Press Release) February 3, 2009 -- Yoga Now welcomes all yoga students of all levels and interests - new or more experienced, young and old alike. Yoga Now provides a peaceful and tranquil environment with exceptional instructors specializing in Gentle, Hatha, Ashtanga, and Vinyasa/Power. Yoga Now also gives private classes as well as small group strength training!

www.GotoYogaNow.com for more information.
We are Located at the corner of Orchard Lake & Cass Lake Roads in Keego Harbor.
We are just 5 minutes driving from West Bloomfield.

We have both AM and PM classes 7 days a week. We are an intimate yoga studio with warm and friendly teachers and students who enjoy supporting each other in a practice that helps us to live more fully. Our aim is to help each student develop a lifelong daily yoga practice and to experience the health and wellness that this brings.

Yoga is a physical and mental practice that can be embraced at any age. Incorporating the practice of yoga into your lifestyle will bring relief from the fast paced urban tumult, and lead you to a stonger body and a quiet mind. We look forward to welcoming you!

Our facilities include: a large yoga studio with hardwood floors; yoga props such as mats, blocks, straps, blankets, and pillows available to all in the studio; changing room with cubbies; complimentary ginger tea, herbal tonics and snacks; a retail boutique offering yoga and other wellness practice accessories and clothing, as well as unique gifts; multiple bathrooms; private sessions for massage; Reiki and Candle Waxing.

Check out our Class Descriptions!
http://www.gotoyoganow.com/classdescriptions.htm

How to attend a class:

All classes are "drop-in", so in order to attend a class there is no need to sign up or call in advance--just show up at the studio at your desired class time;
payment can be made by cash, check, credit card or auto monthly renewal available;
it is best to arrive ten minutes early so class can start promptly;
leave your cell phone behind or turn off when in the studio;
wear or bring your favorite comfortable, loose-fitting clothing;
it is recommended not to practice yoga on a full stomach; wait at least 90 minutes after eating a meal to attend a class; water & mat rental available; lastly it is highly recommended to have fun!

Look at the Bios of our wonderful staff!
http://www.gotoyoganow.com/staff.htm

We look forward to seeing you! Call 248.683.0086 for more questions or visit www.GotoYogaNow.com.

Source: http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200902/1233637523.html

Obama says differences shouldn't delay stimulus

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama said Monday that "very modest differences" over a massive package to revive the economy should not delay its swift passage, a fresh appeal to Congress as the nation dealt with another dose of dire financial news. Obama teamed up with Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, the Republican vice chairman of the National Governors Association, as he sought bipartisan backing for the stimulus legislation. An $819 billion version passed the House last week, without a single Republican vote. The Senate took up their $900 billion version on Monday. GOP lawmakers argue that the plan is too expensive and doesn't include enough tax cuts. "If I were writing it, it might look at little different," said Douglas, who sat at Obama's side in the Oval Office. "But the essence of a recovery package is essential to get the nation's economy moving." Douglas is among several GOP governors who are breaking with their Republican colleagues in Congress to ask for approval of the plan. Douglas is in Washington to lobby the Senate. Obama said that those who really know what is needed around the country—governors—have been asking for help from Washington since he was elected in November. "With very few exceptions, I heard from Republicans and Democrats the need for action, and swift action," Obama said. Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were scheduled to meet at the White House Monday afternoon with Democratic congressional leaders about the stimulus package. Obama's appeal came as the Commerce Department reported that personal spending fell for the sixth straight month in December by 1 percent. Analysts had predicted a decline of 0.9 percent. Incomes also dipped, and the personal savings rate shot higher, a sign that consumers remain extremely nervous about the economy. The department also said construction spending dropped by 1.4 percent in December, slightly worse than the 1.2 percent decline economists expected. Earlier Monday, Obama promised to establish a review board to oversee the government's separate $700 billion financial industry bailout program. He also signaled it is likely that his administration will ask for more money for that program beyond the $700 billion. "We can expect that we're going to have to do more to shore up the financial system," Obama said. An announcement is expected next week on how the Obama administration plans to use the last $350 billion of that effort, which has come under heavy congressional and public criticism. The president said he was taking full responsibility for rescuing the U.S. economy, in its worst downturn in 80 years. Already looking ahead to the 2021 presidential election, Obama said: "If I don't have this done in three years then there's gonna be a one-term proposition." He spoke during an interview taped Sunday and aired Monday on NBC's "Today" show. The massive infusion of taxpayer money into the financial sector has largely failed to thaw the nation's credit markets, while some financial institutions used the money to pay dividends, buy other banks and pay out big year-end bonuses to employees. Obama said some of the nation's banks would have to write down bad debts, while other banks may fail. "It is likely that the banks have not fully acknowledged all the losses that they're going to experience. They're going to have to write down those losses. And some banks won't make it," he said. While keeping up a drumbeat of dire predictions in the short term, Obama assured Americans that their bank accounts were not in danger. "All deposits are gonna be safe for ordinary people. But we're gonna have to wring out some of these bad assets," he said. The president demurred when asked if he planned to set up a so-called "bad bank" under which the federal government would take on the bad debts and investments of financial institutions. He suggested, however, that something like that was in the works, and that taxpayers would become owners of stock in those banks and investment houses. "We're going to have to ring out some of these bad assets," he said.

Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D963IC0O0&show_article=1

Aung San Suu Kyi meets UN envoy

A Myanmar government official said that Ms Suu Kyi and senior members of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party would hold a joint meeting with Me Gambari, who arrived in Myanmar on Saturday. People living near her sprawling lakeside compound in the former capital Yangon said cars left at about 10am (0330 GMT), heading in the direction of a state-run guest house where Mr Gambari has been holding talks. The Nobel peace prize winner, who has spent most of the past 19 years under house arrest, refused to meet Mr Gambari on his last visit to the military-ruled nation in August 2008, apparently after he failed to secure any reform. The Nigerian troubleshooter returned to Myanmar, which is also known as Burma, on Saturday to try continue to nudge the entrenched junta towards democracy, but he is not expected to meet with reclusive head of state Senior General Than Shwe. During his four-day trip the United Nations has said Mr Gambari wants "meaningful discussions with all concerned on all the points raised during his last visit." Myanmar has been ruled by the military since 1962. Ms Suu Kyi led the NLD to election victory in 1990, but the junta ignored the results and has kept her under house arrest for most of the intervening years.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/burmamyanmar/4429667/Aung-San-Suu-Kyi-meets-UN-envoy.html

Incredible Women's Plus-Size Fashion Designers To Be Shown in Web's Hottest New Fashion Blog

United States of America (Press Release) February 1, 2009 -- According to recent statistics, the average woman in the United States is a dress size 12-14, but the average fashion model is a size 0-2. Is it any wonder that women are frustrated with their clothing options Despite the fact that in five years, the plus-size segment has posted close to 50 percent revenue growth, contemporary, chic clothing in size 12+ is still difficult to find, particularly in less urban areas. Women are stuck with whatever they can find in their local department store, and if they're lucky, perhaps a mass-market brand or two. Designers are just now beginning to realize that the so-called "plus-size" women's fashion market is a largely untapped market with huge growth potential, and that the best way to reach this market is through the internet.

ShoppingPr0n is the internet's hottest shopping and fashion blog, featuring only the best women's and men's clothing and accessories. In a short period of time, ShoppingPr0n has seen a huge traffic increase, proving it's popularity on the web. It is proud to announce that it has published Pr0n Plus: its first weekly column focusing exclusively on women's designer plus-size fashion.

Pr0n Plus showcases better known designers like Lafayette 148 New York, smaller boutiques like Trashy Diva, unique lingerie designers like Gok Wan, and European lines such as Dear Starlet and Carmakoma. This weekly column will make fashion more accessible to plus-size online readers, and give great exposure to these plus-size lines. Women will have more options to buy and designers will be encouraged to create more lines for this market, all of which will give a boost to the currently sagging retail economy.

What sets ShoppingPr0n apart from other fashion blogs is the writer s eye for high quality fashion, and ability to describe to the reader the best features of the products being showcased. The author, a Washington DC native with a self-described "J. Crew problem", has a passion for fashion, and it shows in her writing. Readers will absorb her energy and enthusiasm, and will be all too eager to pass along the word to others.

Pr0n Plus, as the column is called, will be published every weekend. "Pr0n", is a deliberately inaccurate spelling/pronunciation for porn often used on the internet, in which the letter o is replaced with a zero. It is sometimes used in email discussion groups, Usenet, chat rooms, and internet web pages to circumvent language and content filters, which may reject messages as offensive or spam. The word also helps prevent search engines from associating commercial sites with pornography which might result in unwelcome traffic. "ShoppingPr0n" refers to the fact that the items featured in the blog are so attractive that looking at them is the equivalent of shopping porn.

"Shopping Pr0n: for when shopping is more than just a hobby. Do you bring your copy of "Lucky" in to bed with you at night with a flashlight Do you fantasize about a Visa card in your name with $5,000 on it Do you know exactly what you'd do with it Even if you don't know your Almond from your Ecru, Shoppign Pr0n is for you. I scan the internet for the lastest, most delicious fashion and bring it to you - FREE. So sit back, get comfortable and lube up that credit card. This is Shopping Pr0n."

Visit ShoppingPr0n every weekend for Pr0nPlus, the best exclusively plus-size fashion column on the web. Visit ShoppingPr0n every day in between for your regular pr0n fix.

ShoppingPron: for when shopping is more than just a hobby!

Source: http://www.free-press-release.com/news/200902/1233506476.html

Europe struggles for unity in face of recession

Despite promises to tackle recession together, EU governments are scrambling each in their own corner to come up with new measures to revive their economies, threatening the bloc's unity. Since the start of the year, Germany has launched a new economic recovery plan, Britain unveiled a fresh rescue package for its banking sector and a number of countries are putting together plans to help their carmakers. The hodge-podge of various measures contrasts with the spirit of unity that led EU leaders as recently as December to agree on a 200-billion-euro stimulus plan to snap the European economy out of recession. Although most of the package is made up of national measures, leaders made much of the fact that Europe's efforts to beat recession would be closely coordinated in order to reduce waste and avoid distortions to markets. However, the new wave of government actions since then has left some worried that EU states risk causing more harm than good by failing to coordinate. "I think we should improve the way we monitor the implementation of the recovery plan and the financial packages for the support of the financial sector," EU Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said. "Based on this monitoring, it will be useful to increase the coordination, because all these kinds of programmes and schemes can create ... distortions in the level playing field," he told a conference in Brussels last week. The banking sector is once again at the centre of governments' attention, with Britain announcing earlier this month an insurance scheme to relieve banks of the impact from the toxic assets ravaging their balance sheets. Belgium meanwhile is considering a so-called good-bank bad-bank scenario where lenders' toxic assets would be hived off and put into a separate state-owned institution, relieving banks' balance sheets. Germany too is considering a range of measures for its banks, but has so far ruled out creating a bad bank. Almunia warned that before rushing to set up bad banks, European governments must first agree on what assets would qualify for such schemes and what prices should be paid for them. "We need to have this discussion before going into the discussion about the possibility of these instruments," he said. But while some governments are moving fast to prop up their banks, some people consider a second wave of rescues to be unnecessary, adding to the cacophony. "I don't see the need for a second set of big, huge massive bank plans," last week, Luxembourg's Premier and Finance Minister Jean-Claude Juncker said last week. "It goes without saying that any new initiative will be examined in detail in the Eurogroup," added Juncker, who heads the group of eurozone finance ministers. After Europe saw the weakest new car sales in 15 years in 2008, governments including France, Germany, Portugal, Spain and Sweden are mulling measures for the auto industry, one of the biggest employers on the continent. Measures under consideration range from incentives for scrapping old cars to encourage purchase of new vehicles, to tax breaks, public procurement initiatives and outright state investment in carmakers. Amid the smorgasbord of ideas, EU Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen has ruled out a further relaxation in state aid rules to allow governments to prop up their struggling car industries, warning against a "race to subsidies." On the economic front, governments are also taking up different approaches, with London cutting value added tax to boost consumption, Berlin mulling big infrastructure investment and Paris looking into aiding companies. "Each country is tempted to act according to its national specificity," French secretary of state for European affairs Bruno Lemaire said last week, calling for "more coordination on economic stimulus plans."

Source: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.2b0da3fce3bfca62a3315c0183c86ea5.b1&show_article=1

Millions hit by Google 'breakdown'

Millions hit by Google 'breakdown' - Telegraph Accessibility links Skip to article Skip to navigation Saturday 31 January 2009 | Google feed | All feeds Advertisement Website of the Telegraph Media Group with breaking news, sport, business, latest UK and world news. Content from the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph newspapers and video from Telegraph TV. Enhanced by Google Home News Sport Finance Comment Travel Lifestyle Culture Video A to Z Jobs Dating Puzzles  Offers Fashion Motoring Technology Health Property Gardening Food and Drink Family Lifestyle Video You are here: Home Science and Technology Technology Google Millions hit by Google 'breakdown' Millions of internet users have been hit by a glitch on search engine Google that incorrectly reported the rest of the world wide web as potentially harmful.   By Alastair Jamieson Last Updated: 4:38PM GMT 31 Jan 2009 Google Search, January 31 2009 An apparent system error left visitors to the site puzzled when it blocked every search result with the warning 'This site may harm your computer'.The glitch, which prevented internet users from directly clicking through to search results, was fixed within 30 minutes although users of its email service Gmail have since found all genuine messages have been mistakenly sent to their spam folders.The errors have prompted panic among web surfers who at first feared the popular search engine had suffered some kind of major failure that could have had serious implications for internet commerce and worldwide communication.Google automatically identifies sites that may carry viruses and harmful software as part of its searches, but on Saturday all sites that were searched for carried the warning.It suggests that either every server on the internet had become infected with a virus, a highly unlikely scenario, or the Google security system had suffered a breakdown.Users of the social network tool Twitter who discussed the error reported their internet searches had returned to normal but that problems with Gmail remain.Internet users who tried to find out about the error were unable to access Google's own blog as it has also been incorrectly identified as a harmful link. The Google search page is by far the most popular on the internet.The website has a staff of more than 2,668 employees known as Googlers.The site is so popular worldwide that it has been claimed that 750 megawatt-hours of electricity could be saved every year if the home page was changed from white to black.Google translates billions of HTML web pages into a display format for WAP and i-mode phones and wireless hand-held devices, and has made it possible to enter a search using only one phone pad keystroke per letter, instead of multiple keystrokes.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/technology/google/4413065/Millions-hit-by-Google-breakdown.html