Baskin Robbins-31-cent scoop

Baskin Robbins 31-cent scoop night Participating stores will be doling out sweet treats for spare change, while accepting donations for local fire service organizations. 5-10 p.m. Various locations. www.baskinrobbins.com.

Baby Maker: See what your baby will look like?

This is the news on Baby Maker software.
here is Luxand promises that Babymaker is

not just another face morphing program.

Instead, BabyMaker is based on the newest facial recognition technologies. The program carefully analyzes the two faces, detects their facial features, and applies sophisticated mathematical transformations to these facial features to obtain a totally new face. As a result, you'll always get a quality rendering - no matter how bad the quality of the original photos is!

Babymaker.com sites and software allows you to create your baby-to-be's image by merging two photos. Maybe the photos of you and your spouse, maybe you and, say, President Obama. The possibilities are endless.
The most high-tech Baby Maker software program, featured today on the "Live With Regis and Kelly'' show, can be downloaded for $20.

You might be rich

You might be rich! Here's how to find out from www.msnbc.msn.com
Search state databases, listed below, for unclaimed money owed to you.

In a rough economic time like this one, who couldn't use some extra cash?

There's billions of dollars of unclaimed cash out there.

Welcome to the wonderful little secret called unclaimed property: It could be an old paycheck, stock note, or inheritance that’s owed to you. When no one claims these valuables, they’re eventually turned over to a state— where they may languish for years. On “Dateline,” we showed people who were happy to discover they had forgotten treasure.

Most states don’t have the staff come out and find you. But if it’s there, you can find it on your own.

STATE-BY-STATE UNCLAIMED PROPERTY
Search state databases below
1/5
State Web site
Alabama Click here
Alaska Click here
Arizona Click here
Arkansas Click here
California Click here
Colorado Click here
Connecticut Click here
D.C. Click here
Delaware Click here
Florida Click here
Georgia Click here
This list has been updated as of 4/23/09. Some Web sites may be experiencing high traffic and may be unavailable. We suggest checking back at a later time. Having trouble? Disable your pop-up blocker.

All you have to do is use the links above, or log onto unclaimed.org(not unclaimed.com). Just pick a state you or any member of your family has ever worked in or played in, type in the name, and within seconds you can find out if this is your lucky day. It is all absolutely free, and you should exercise caution in accepting any offers from paid finders. (Also note that unclaimed.org seems to be experiencing some technical difficulties, so you may have to check back at a later time.)

You can also use this link to be directed to the unclaimed property Web sites of 32 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

And don’t say “it could never happen to me.” Some states have billions of dollars to give away. Some people never dreamed there was money just waiting for them... that is, until the day “Dateline” came knocking on their doors.

And while finding the money is easy, some warnings:

Never pay anyone to get your own money back.
There are companies that will call or send you a letter stating they've found money for you-- but they'll want to take a cut of your money... as much as 30 or 40 percent and there is absolutely no need for it.
Every state has a free online database where you can check your name.

You Might Be Rich: A Local Man's Story

A local man is featured on national television after the network tracks him down to tell him he's inherited a lot of money!

Sound like a dream come true?

For 55-year-old Madison resident Nick, who lives alone and suffers from Parkinson's disease, NBC's phone call was too good to be true!

"We call our series 'You Might Be Rich,' and what we do is we find people who don't know they have money coming to them and return it," explains Dateline NBC producer Rob Buchanan, "It's a big surprise!"

"What makes Nick's case really interesting is that it's a big dollar amount and it's been sitting with the state for a bunch of years," he adds.

But every time Buchanan called Nick, Nick hung up on him.

He was skeptical.

So Dateline enlisted my help.

After numerous phone calls and visits, Nick agreed to the Dateline interview, and crews flew to Madison to film the big reveal.

"It's not an uncommon reaction for someone to be a little skeptical," says reporter Matt Bean as he meets Nick for the first time, "But I hope with all the lights, the cameras, Leigh is here, have we been able to convince you that we're legit?"

Nick responds, "Yes, you are very legit. You're lucky you had Leigh!"

Bean continues, "We've got a little surprise for you Nick!"

Nick quickly responds with a smile, "I think I'm getting spoiled here!"

Then a group of singers walks into the room.

Bean says, "Nick you're probably wondering what all these people are doing here, why we're making such a fuss right now."

Nick has had a hard life. He lost him mother in 1997 and was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2005. But today, he had something to celebrate!

"Well, Nick, your mom left something behind for you that I think is really going to change your life!" Bean continues, "But before I tell you exactly what that is, do you have any idea what it could be? What your mom left behind for you?"

Nick responds with a mischievous smile, "A new hairline?"

The room erupts in laughter.

No, it wasn't a new hairline!

But, you'll have to watch Dateline this Sunday at 6 p.m. to find out how much money Nick's mom left for him.

It's not our decision -- so please don't email us!

NBC won't let us say what he got until their broadcast on Sunday.

So make sure to watch Dateline this Sunday night at six!
-------------------------
Could you be rich?

If you'd like to know whether you have any unclaimed property or cash, check the database on the state treasurer's website, http://www.statetreasury.wisconsin.gov or call 1-877-699-9211 or (608) 267-7977.

There are more than one million names in Wisconsin's database worth more than 352 million dollars!

There is also a national database you should check, if you or your family members have lived in other states. That website is www.missingmoney.com.

from: www.nbc15.com

Christy Yamanaka

Christy Yamanaka -- Stripper ends judge's career

Judge protip: don't be friends with strippers. If you're a judge, it's probably for the best to not hang around with strippers. Just ask Thomas E. Stringer, a Florida judge who's losing it all due to accusations of improper conduct between himself and Christy Yamanaka, an exotic dancer. From an AP report: Thomas E. Stringer spent more than three decades quietly building his legal career in Florida, working his way up from an assistant state attorney to appeals court judge in...

more at www.zimbio.com

Scheana Marie Jancan: New John Mayer Plaything

Looks like John Mayer is done pining Jennifer Aniston.

According to Star Magazine, the douchebag has moved on to a newer, younger and possibly made-up piece of tail - aspiring actress Scheana Marie Jancan!

They met in early April at a Beverly Hills lounge.

Scheana Marie Jancan, who turns 24 in May, was serving drinks at The Grand Havana Room when John Mayer started charming her and chatting her up.

It apparently didn't take long for JM to work it.

“Scheana was shocked and thrilled when John asked her out,” a source said.

more at: thehollywoodgossip.com

China Targets Google, Baidu Over Porn

The Chinese Government has warned Google, Baidu and other popular sites in China that they must do more to block porn.

Porn is banned in China but remains widely available.

The Chinese Government said in a statement that the sites had failed to take efficient measures in removing porn from its pages. The censorship of porn is meant to “purify the Internet’s cultural environment and protect the healthy development of minors.”

A Google China spokesperson quoted in an AP article said that Google does not have any pornographic content in Google China and “if we find any violation, we will take action. So far, I haven’t seen any examples of violations.”

Other sites targeted include Sina and Sohu.

source:http://www.inquisitr.com/

Caroline Caz Pal PHOTOS!

PICTURES! Here are photos of Caroline Caz Pal, Michael Phelps’ reported girlfriend. Caroline Caz Paul of Palms Moon Nightclub Las Vegas joined boyfriend Michael Phelps for Thanksgiving, says reports.

People claims “The Olympic champ has been dating Las Vegas cocktail waitress Caroline “Caz” Pal, 26, for about two months. … Along with dating Pal, a waitress at the Palms Casino Resort’s Moon Nightclub, Phelps is spending time in Vegas working on his poker game.”

The mag says Pal joined Phelps’ family Thanksgiving week in Baltimore, a first time visit with Phelps’ family.

Caz appeared in an undated photo shown above and again below for Moon Nightclub. Moon hosted Caz’s birthday with the title “Champagne Seduction - A birthday celebration for Caz”.

photo from: http://news.lalate.com

photo from: http://www.inquisitr.com

More on Fire at Myrtle Beach

More photos of the wildfire at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Photos were taken 4/22/09. The fire was just starting up in the late afternoon. You could see the columns of smoke for miles around. The wind was carrying the smoke out to sea.

Wildfire threatening Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Here are more pictures of wildfire threatening myrtle beach upscale neigborhoods and golf courses.

Fire at Myrtle Beach
North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Photos of the 250 acres forest fire raging near North Myrtle Beach. Photos taken at dusk from the shoreline looking west.

Source: www.ireport.com - recent update

Myrtle Beach fire claims dozens of homes

Photos: Myrtle Beach fire from http://www.latimes.com/news

Governor declares state of emergency for fire that has burned thousands of acres in one of the busiest tourist stretches in South Carolina.
Associated Press
7:06 AM PDT, April 23, 2009

North Myrtle Beach, S.C. -- Gov. Mark Sanford has declared a state of emergency for the South Carolina county where a fire has burned thousands of acres near one of the state's busiest tourist areas.

Sanford today ordered the state of emergency for Horry County. He said the blaze has destroyed dozens of homes and consumed 15,000 acres, or about 23 square miles, nearly double earlier estimates.

No injuries have been reported.

But about 2,500 people have been evacuated, mostly in the Barefoot Landing area near North Myrtle Beach. There are three shelters set up in the area, housing a total of about 250 people.

Sanford said the fire is continuing to spread and more people may be affected.

more at: www.latimes.com/news

IPOD NANO VS. IPOD SHUFFLE

The shuffle and nano both use flash drives, and so you can excerise both of them without worrying about damage to that and music skipping.

The shuffle however has less to go wrong with it, you won't find yourself pulling it out of your pocket to find a cracked screen, and it also has more scratch resistance.

The end all is that the shuffle is stronger than the nano, and so you dont have to worry as much about looking after it, you really can forget it's there. That said, the nano holds more songs which can be accessed with a screen. Plus the nano has more features therefore.

If you would like to be able to choose your music wherever you are, you need the nano, but if you just want a device you can fill with music in the morning and then throw it into your bag without worrying too much to damage, get the shuffle.

Source:4 GB IPod Shuffle

How do you transfer music to the ipod shuffle

iTunes includes several options to automatically or manually sync music to your iPod, iPod classic, iPod nano, iPod shuffle (3rd generation), or iPod mini. If you are using and iPod shuffle (1st and 2nd generation), click here to learn how to sync music to it.

1 Connect iPod to your computer and open iTunes.
2 Click on iPod in the Devices segment on the left side of the iTunes window.


3 In the main iTunes browser window, click on the Music tab. then click on the checkbox labeled "Sync music".


4 You can sync all songs and playlists or just selected playlists. Your iPod need to have enough free space for the sync.
Tip: To determine how much free space is available use the capacity bar at the bottom of the iPod settings window.


5 Podcasts can also be automatically synced to iPod. Select the Podcasts tab and choose to sync all podcasts or selected ones. You can also determine which episodes are synced based on if they are recent, new, or unplayed.


6 Click Apply and iTunes will begin syncing the audio content you've selected to your iPod. The iTunes LCD will display the sync progress and notify you when the iPod sync is complete.


7 Click on the eject icon under devices to disconnect your iPod

source: 4gb ipod shuffle

RecycleBank's Ron Gonen Named 2009 United Nations Environment Programme Champion of the Earth

NEW YORK, April 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Ron Gonen, co-founder and CEO of RecycleBank, is the recipient of the 2009 United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Champion of the Earth award in the Entrepreneurial Vision category. Gonen is one of only seven honorees to earn the prestigious distinction this year and will be recognized at a special international ceremony held in conjunction with the Business for the Environment Summit (B4E) in Paris today, Earth Day.

Champions of the Earth is an international environmental award established in 2004 by the UNEP to acknowledge the best and brightest who have made a significant contribution globally, regionally and beyond, to the protection and sustainable management of the Earth's environment and natural resources. This year's award recognizes prominent and inspirational examples of environmental leadership in the areas of Policy Leadership, Science and Innovation, Entrepreneurial Vision, Inspiration and Action, and Next-Generation Champions. Past award winners hail from a diverse background, from presidents and economists, to scientists and philosophers, to religious and civic leaders. Candidates are judged by a senior UNEP panel with input from UNEP's regional offices. No monetary reward is attached to the prize; each laureate receives a trophy specially designed for the occasion with environmentally-friendly materials.

read more at :sev.prnewswire.com

KATMAI FISHING BOAT

Katmai survivors: Harrowing hours after fishing vessel rolled

A couple of years ago, a jobless Bobby Harrison contemplated a dramatic shift in lifestyle, leaving the urban comforts of Portland to join his cousin aboard the Katmai, a fishing vessel that tapped into the harvests off Alaska.

But Harrison couldn't swim, and had heard a few too many tales about the dangers of fishing the North Pacific.

He opted to stay put.

"I heard stories about guys who had lost limbs and arms, and was just too scared to go," he said.

Thursday, Harrison's cousin, Cedric Smith, and a longtime friend, Glenn Harper, were identified as two of the men who died when the Katmai sank early Wednesday morning off the Aleutian Islands. Their bodies, along with three others, were recovered from the Bering Sea on Wednesday.

Two men — Carlos Zabala of Helena, Mont., and Robert Davis of Deming, Whatcom County — remained missing and the focus of a major search after four were rescued from a life raft Wednesday evening.

The Katmai was part of the head-and-gut fleet — vessels that catch, clean and freeze fish in labor-intensive operations that require more crew than traditional fishing boats.

This is the third time in eight years that a head-and-gut vessel has sank off Alaska. The trio of sinkings have claimed at least 25 lives, and the fleet has been under a Coast Guard safety spotlight, which will ramp up again next week as a Marine Board of Investigation convenes in Anchorage to delve into the latest sinking and how to prevent future casualties.

more at: seattletimes.nwsource.com

Katmai Sinking - Katmai Fishing Boat News

These are today's news for katmai sinking boat. Fans of Discovery's popular Deadliest Catch have grown accustomed to the habits of the ornery skippers. Their collective demeanor can be as tough to navigate as the perilous Arctic waves that smash into their weathered crafts. Katmai Sinking.

Deadliest Catch has personified the hardscrabble work ethic of blue-collar professions that has been popularized by reality TV, but tonight's fifth-season opener (9 ET/PT) takes on a softer, soap-operatic tone. It examines the personal side of the boat captains and the fallout the dangerous King and Opilio crab harvests exact on fishing crews. Katmai Sinking.

"This life is taking a toll on the skippers," says Thom Beers, the reality TV kingpin behind Catchand such shows as History Channel's Ax Men and Ice Road Truckers. "They're all getting older and dealing with years of stress." Katmai Sinking - Katmai Fishing Boat.

more at: breaking-news-time.blogspot.com

Google Changing Algorithm & AP's Battle for Relevance

In the New Year, Google seems to be changing their algorithm and making the search results more time related. The leading search engine has been ranking items from popular sites like Digg higher than factual or historical sites like Wikipedia. Is this a move towards a Web 3.0? In other news, Kara Ratliff reports that Yahoo's Chief Performance Expert, Steve Souders plans on joining the Google team on January 7th, 2008. For more details of the news, keep watching WebProNews.

Blackhat SEO spammers force Google’s hand

Google is set to make changes to its search ranking algorithm to combat the spate of links leading to malicious web pages appearing at the top of Google’s search results, according to an inside source.

Over the past few months, cybercriminals have been using blackhat SEO techniques to manipulate search rankings. When it first began, they were marginally successful at following Google Trends to find buzzy search queries and elevating a newly created targeted webpage.

But after a short period of time, these same gangs appear to have become disturbingly effective. Last week, when researching a news story, I found the top five results all led to fake scareware pages.

Obviously if Google fails to do something about this manipulation, users will lose trust and the good ole days of Google will be over fast. A Googler speaking on condition of anonymity told WebProNews a ranking change is pending that tackles spam of this kind. Once the change goes live, users shouldn’t see it “nearly as often.”

A report from security company PandaLabs identified over a million links targeting malicious webpages ranking for auto part searches. Google noted that many of the phrases mentioned in the report were rare. A phrase like [1989 Nissan Pickup Truck Engine Check Light Troubleshooting], for example, only appears on attack sites set up by spammers, which explains why Google brought back so many attack sites in response to it and similar queries.

Google's response seems also an admission of how difficult it is to provide fresh, timely search results while simultaneously combating spammers. Part of the appeal of Twitter to many people is the platform’s ability to provide real-time information; the live Web works remarkably well there so far because Twitter’s set up isn’t very conducive to spam (yet). At least Twitter has to some extent control over accounts.

Google, on the other hand, cannot control for content appearing on the Web at large, and historically its famous algorithm performed better than any other at weeding out spammy webpages and malicious results. Unfortunately, that was a version of the Web that was more static. The live Web presents entirely new challenges manifesting as the first major weakness the search engine has faced.

The company naturally didn’t have a comment on the recently pondered “link velocity” ranking factor. Search engine optimization experts have identified the speed at which organic links appear as a possible important influence.

Link velocity therefore aids in explaining how blackhatters were able to manipulate search results by dropping enormous amounts of link spam into comment and discussion areas of social sites. The freshness or buzzy nature of a query also aided in this pursuit, and cybercriminals merely have to follow Google Trends and Google News to know which keywords and phrases to target.

www.webpronews.com

River plane crash survivors

Hospitalized Survivors Speak

Dave Sanderson and Barry Leonard, two Hudson River plane crash survivors, talk to Harry Smith about their dangerous rescue and miraculously minimal injuries.

Investigation into Katmai sinking to reconvene Tuesday

What caused the sinking vessel do go down (Katmai Sinking).
Coast Guard Invest. Katmai

SEATTLE — The Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation will reconvene the Katmai investigation Tuesday Feb. 3, at 9:30 a.m. at the Divers Institute of Technology, 4315 11th Ave NW, Seattle.

The purpose of this portion of the investigation will be to test the inflation of a recovered liferaft from the Katmai and determine the integrity of its buoyancy chambers to assist in determining whether or not the liferaft inflated properly when it was deployed from the Katmai prior to the Oct. 22, 2008, sinking.

The liferaft will be transported by the Coast Guard to Divers Institute of Technology on Monday, Feb. 2 at 10:30 a.m. The liferaft will be laid out and the inflation hose removed so that it can be examined by the National Transportation Safety Board. The Coast Guard will work with Divers Institute of Technology to identify the appropriate fittings needed to connect an air hose to the liferaft in preparation for the inflation test on Tuesday.

It is not expected that any witnesses will be called upon during this test nor will any testimony be requested.

Source: coastguardnews.com

Katmai sinking: Owners wanted out of fishing

ANCHORAGE — In testimony Monday, the captain of the fishing vessel Katmai — lost at sea last week — described a nightmarish fight for survival in a life raft that kept flipping in rough seas.

The vessel with 11 crewmen went down after midnight Wednesday, and through a long dark aftermath, Henry Blake III said, the life raft probably flipped more than 20 or 30 times. Three crewmen were lost from the raft, but Blake and three others managed to hang on until their rescue some 17 hours later.

Blake, of Massachusetts, was unsure what happened to one of the seven who made it to the raft, Carlos Zabala, of Helena, Mont. Two other men, Cedric Smith, of Portland, and Joshua Leonguerrero, of Spanaway, perished when the raft flipped early on in the ordeal, Blake said.

Source:seattletimes.nwsource.com

miss california carrie prejean

Carrie Prejean , Miss California USA 2009, a beauty queen 21 year-old from San Diego.

She will represent her stat in Miss USA 2009 Beauty Pageant on April 19, 2009 at the Theatre for the Performing Arts in Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

A transcript of Perez Hilton’s Miss USA question and Carrie Prejean’s answer is here:

Perez Hilton: “Vermont recently became the 4th state to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit. Why or why not?”

Prejean: “Well I think its great that Americans are able to choose one or the other. We live in a land where you can choose same-sex marriage or opposite marriage. And you know what, in my country, in my family, I think that I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman. No offense to anybody out there, but that’s how I was raised and that’s how I think it should be between a man and a woman. Thank you very much.”

Here are some of her Pictures

Google TV Ads Online Launched in Beta

A few weeks ago, it was reported that Google was testing an online version of its Google TV Ads. They're now launching Google TV Ads Online in beta by invitation only.

It's pretty cool because advertisers can target specific shows, and ads will show up whether they're being broadcast on television or on the web. "These programs may appear in various places, including the websites of the networks which originally broadcast them and on other sites that specialize in video content," explains Google TV Ads Product Manager Geoff Smith. "What if an advertiser wants to reach the audience of a particular program, no matter whether they're watching on a television or online?"

Advertisers can target specific shows and select their cost-per-thousand (CPM) bid. Then, based on targets, budgets and bids, ads are shown in the regular ad slot that would take place during a show's originally airing. Ads can also be shown pre-roll or post-roll (below is a short video on Google TV Ads).

more at :www.webpronews.com

YouTube Finally Goes to the Next Level

Starts Offering Movies and Shows

YouTube has finally announced after months of talks about deals with major media companies that they are now offering new sections on the site dedicated specifically to movies and television shows.

Partners include Crackle, CBS, MGM, Lionsgate, Starz and many others, which contribute thousands of television show episodes and hundreds of films. They also bring the social element of YouTube along with them because users can still comment, favorite, and share the videos.

more at webpronews.com

Google's Need For Freshness Sours Search Results

Every so often SEO professionals produce a list of what they believe to be the top factors influencing search engine rankings. The latest update to this list of proposed factors looks much like past lists, focusing on traditional factors like links, content, HTML tags, and domain registration age, and some new ones like geographical factors and personalized search history. But one term might be new to many people: link velocity.

Link velocity refers to the speed at which new links to a webpage are formed, and by this term we main gain some new and vital insight. Historically, great bursts of new links to a specific page has been considered a red flag, the quickest way to identify a spammer trying to manipulate the results by creating the appearance of user trust. This led to Google’s famous assaults on link farms and paid link directories.

But the Web has changed, become more of a live Web than a static document Web. We have the advent of social bookmarking, embedded videos, links, buttons, and badges, social networks, real-time networks like Twitter and Friendfeed. Certainly the age of a website is still an indication of success and trustworthiness, but in an environment of live, real time updating, the age of a link as well as the slowing velocity of incoming links may be indicators of stale content in a world that values freshness.

This puts Google and other search engines in a tight spot for determining the relevance of any given destination. With information suddenly so viral and speedy, bursts of links to content are key indicators of freshness and what is at the top of mind for searchers. That means the balance has changed, and we may have caught Google in an awkward stage of transition.

Source:webpronews.com

eBay Unleashes Changes Galore for Sellers

Major Announcement from eBay

Earlier in the year, eBay announced that it would be making two big announcements per year regarding the eBay Marketplace. Each announcement would be made 60 days in advance of when the changes were scheduled.

eBay has now made the first announcement of the year, and it includes three groups of changes (comment on them here.), each with components of their own. As highlighted by eBay the new changes are as follows:

1. Easier, more visual shopping-plus buyer incentives to drive more sales.
2. Key information to set buyer expectations and help reduce your costs.
3. More updates to make selling on eBay "more efficient"

eBay Resolutions are a subject that should be of great interest to sellers. eBay says:

We are introducing a new, more efficient dispute resolution process for when buyers claim an item was not received or the item they received was different than described in the listing. The goals of the new process are to keep buyers on eBay by giving them a more familiar eCommerce resolution experience, and to reduce the time buyers and sellers spend resolving issues.

Direct communication between buyers and sellers will continue to be strongly encouraged. With the new process, buyers and sellers will also have an option to call eBay. We'll be taking a more active role, and in certain cases when we determine the seller was not at fault we may refund the buyer at our own expense.

eBay will also start directing buyers to resolve disputes on eBay instead of PayPal. This process will be "gradually transitioned," according to the company.

Source:webpronews.com

420 friendly

420 friendly
This is a way to express the acceptance of smoking pot or accepting somone who does so, without overtly mentioning pot or marijuana.

You may find the phrase 420-friendly often in personal ads, especially on Craig's List.

It refers to the term 420 which has become lingo smoking pot.

See the definition of 420
"420 originated at San Rafael High School, in 1971, among a group of about a dozen pot-smoking wiseacres who called themselves the Waldos"
"Single white male, 420-friendly..."

"Hey, is this party 420 friendly?"

from: www.urbandictionary.com

420 video

420 LYRICS

Ya know I got 2 states of mind, stoned and asleep
First I hit the sweet leaf, and then I have nice dreams
When I get up, I wake and bake, take a piss and shake
My clock stopped at Four-twenty, what you want me to say
I stay blazed all day, no matter where I'm creepin'
Hot boxin on your block, and at the spot on the weekends
You'll see smoke risin', Just who could it be
It's my rhyme and crime partner, D. dash L. O. C.

Yeah that be me born and raised in the suburbs.
Faded off the bud smoke blowin it at you nerds
Thanks Johnny Richter for your nice little hand off
I got some purple Kush did you bring the sand box?
Let's bounce some bud so we can make a little keefe
Spice up the leaf before we smoke the tree
Everybody in the scene know we blow the most dosha
That way they label up the Kottonmouth solders.

"We got all types"- At 4-2-0 yeah our clocks is always altered
"We talkin pounds" These anti-heroes are just here to serve you proper
"Roll that shit up" So leave those blessings right up here upon the alter
"Pass it around" at 4-2-0 everybody's burnin Ganja"

You'll catch me at the Smoke-Out smoked out, dropping drinks
Havin a blast, not givin a fuck, doin my thing
Blowing rings through the crowd, being loud and obnoxious
Now the shots I did with Pak got me feelin' kind of nauseous
But I played it cool and pulled a few snapps
Big fat packed bowls, and had a chicken Caesar wrap
Dippin through the whole place, nowhere else I'd rather be
Then smokin' weed with my peeps, now I pass it to D.

24.7 Everyday every minute everybody every stoner grab your bud keep composer
Beer drinkers, pill poppers, acidheads and freaks
All the creatures in the street Heroin addicts and geeks
Kottonmouth signed a one-way contract to see the world and smoke the killa
chromic
D-Loc said it, so don't you 4get it
It's 4-4-2-0 and I blow endow.

"We got all types"- At 4-2-0 yeah our clocks is always altered
"We talkin pounds" These anti-heroes are just here to serve you proper
"Roll that shit up" So leave those blessings right up here upon the alter
"Pass it around" at 4-2-0 everybody's burnin Ganja"

We got all types" at 4-2-0
We talkin pounds
Roll that shit up
Pass it around
So pack it tight
Turn up these sounds
This is your right, so live it now (now, now)

Now you might see me on a mission searchin for double vision
And I ain't no mathematician, more like a stoney musician
But I get a little help from my friends when in need
Hit the bubble, fuck, double, now I'm seein in three's

Four-five-six-double dash it's D
I'm always drinkin beer and I'm always smoking weed
Hanging in the streets, just doing my thing
Puttin it down for the herb with the Kottonmouth Kings

All these hours and days inter-face with the planet
With bubbles and bells the kush is orgasmic
I transplant my mental to truly titanic
Fanatic levels for all you bud fiending addicts
The session begins right upstairs in my attic
We bless it we roll it we toke it and pass it
The next time you see us don't take us for granted
We're all getting lifted just the way that we planned it so?

"We got all types"- At 4-2-0 yeah our clocks is always altered
"We talkin pounds" These anti-heroes are just here to serve you proper
"Roll that shit up" So leave those blessings right up here upon the alter
"Pass it around" at 4-2-0 everybody's burnin Ganja"

"We got all types"- At 4-2-0 yeah our clocks is always altered
These anti-heroes are just here to serve you proper
"Roll that shit up" So leave those blessings right up here upon the alter
"Pass it around" at 4-2-0 everybody's burnin Ganja"

At 4-2-0

Columbine School Shootings Video

The Columbine High School massacre occurred on Tuesday, April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine in unincorporated Jefferson County, Colorado, United States, near Denver and Littleton. Two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, embarked on a massacre, killing 12 students and a teacher, as well as wounding 23 others, before committing suicide. It is the fourth-deadliest school massacre in United States history, after the 1927 Bath School disaster, 2007 Virginia Tech massacre and the 1966 University of Texas massacre, and the deadliest for an American high school.
The massacre provoked debate regarding gun control laws, the availability of firearms in the United States, and gun violence involving youths. Much discussion also centered on the nature of high school cliques, subcultures and bullying, as well as the role of violent movies and video games in American society. The shooting also resulted in an increased emphasis on school security, and a moral panic aimed at goth culture, social outcasts, the gun culture, the use of pharmaceutical anti-depressants by teenagers, violent films and music, teenage internet use,[1] and violent video games.
more at:en.wikipedia.org

Two powerful examples of Christian character were born out of the Columbine High School shootings: Courage and Forgiveness. Rachel Scott, a student at the High School, was martyred as she courageously testified of her faith in Christ. In the aftermath, her father continues to model forgiveness and its healing efforts for the broken-hearted.



FACES OF DEATH - COLUMBINE HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTINGS

Faces of death - Columbine High School Shootings

Columbine shooting cafeteria footage Harris Klebold
Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ13CZ4Hekg

COLUMBINE SCHOOL SHOOTING

On April 20, 1999, in the small, suburban town of Littleton, Colorado, two high-school seniors, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, enacted an all-out assault on Columbine High School during the middle of the school day. The boys' plan was to kill hundreds of their peers. With guns, knives, and a multitude of bombs, the two boys walked the hallways and killed. When the day was done, twelve students, one teacher, and the two murderers were dead. The haunting question remains: why did they do it?

The Boys: Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris

Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris were both intelligent, came from solid homes with two parents, and had older brothers who were three years their senior. In elementary school, Klebold and Harris had both played in sports such as baseball and soccer. Both enjoyed working with computers.

The boys met each other while attending Ken Caryl Middle School in 1993. Though Klebold had been born and raised in the Denver area, Harris' father had been in the U.S. Air Force and had moved the family several times before he retired and moved his family to Littleton, Colorado in July 1993. When the two boys entered high school, they found it difficult to fit into any of the cliques.* As is too common in high school, the boys found themselves frequently picked on by athletes and other students.

However, Klebold and Harris seemed to spend their time doing normal teenager activities. They worked together in a local pizza parlor, liked to play Doom (a computer game) in the afternoons, and worried about finding a date to the prom. For all outward appearances, the boys looked like normal teenagers. Looking back, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris obviously weren't your average teenagers.

more at history1900s.about.com

BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE - SCHOOL SHOOTING Video

Bowling for Columbine - School Shooting

Columbine Crime Scene Photos

Today marks the grim ten-year anniversary of the Columbine tragedy. The incident has left an indelible imprint on history and has reshaped the way America looks at several issues, particularly bullying, guns, and safety in America’s schools. Over the past ten years, we have seen more incidents of school shootings, including those at the University level. In the case of Columbine, however, there was an accidental release of crime scene photos, which has led to much debate. They depict the full impact of the brutality of Columbine and show the victims in their death. In total, there were fifteen people dead: twelve students, one teacher, and the two perpetrators, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.
Though the family members and relatives of the deceased were outraged over the release of the Columbine crime scene photos, they continue to circulate the Internet. The question and concern that I have regarding these photos is whether they help young people to see the realities and horrors of such violent acts of crime, or if they in turn promote more violence. There is no doubt that these crime scene photos are painful for the victim’s families, and the knowledge that ten years after the crime they can easily be accessed must be troublesome, especially since they were never to be released.

More at: examiner.com

Below are the video of Columbine Crime Scene Evidence

Woman arrested after living undetected in man's closet for a year

A homeless woman who sneaked into a man's house and lived undetected in his closet for a year was arrested in Japan after he became suspicious when food mysteriously began disappearing.

Police found the 58-year-old woman Thursday hiding in the top compartment of the man's closet and arrested her for trespassing, police spokesman Hiroki Itakura from southern Kasuya town said Friday.

The resident of the home installed security cameras that transmitted images to his mobile phone after becoming puzzled by food disappearing from his kitchen over the past several months.

One of the cameras captured someone moving inside his home Thursday after he had left, and he called police believing it was a burglar. However, when they arrived they found the door locked and all windows closed

more at: katu.com/news

Japan deploys missile units

JAPAN'S military has deployed Patriot guided-missile units in and around Tokyo ahead of a North Korean rocket launch due next month, the defence ministry said on Sunday.

Two Patriot missile launchers are in place in front of the defence ministry building in downtown Tokyo, ministry officials said.

The cannon barrels are pointing towards air space in the northwest, where a rocket due to be launched by North Korea between April 4 and 8 is expected to pass through.

more at: two--plus--two.blogspot.com

Obama may visit Trinidad & Tobago in April 2009

Advisor to the National Secretariat for the Fifth Summit of the Americas addresses the Caribbean Civil Society Forum; Dr Riyad Insanally, OAS Representative in Trinidad and Tobago; Ambassador Albert Ramdin and Trinidad and Tobago Foreign Affairs Minister Paula Gopee-Scoon at the Caribbean Sub-Regional Civil Society Forum of the Fifth Summit of the Americas in Port of Spain on October 31, 2008]

US President elect Barack Obama may visit Port of Spain as early as April 17-19, 2009 for the Fifth Summit of the Americas. US Presidents are usually regular attendees of the Summit of the Americas.

If not the first, it would be one of the first Summits Obama attends as President of the United States, making Port of Spain a possible destination from where the new US President will demonstrate what "change" means, in terms of US foreign policy towards its neighbours.

more at: news.bn.gs

Changing the rules on how to eat chocolate

image sources: www.flybyblog.com and blog.tmcnet.com


Here are some of changing the rules on how to eat chocolate comment I have found:
First one is quite nice simple rule to do it. Second source is sort of nice one way too. The third source is quite fruitful, besides the girl is very cute :-). The last one are some other rules on how to eat chocolate; check them out.

Eating chocolate is both an art and a passion. It is important truly to appreciate the “food of the gods” and eat chocolate in moderation. And to truly appreciate chocolate in all its splendor you must try its many different forms.


Here are the rules on how to eat chocolate

1. Start with a Clean Palate
   
2. Eat Slowly
   
3. Pay Attention
   
4. Think warm
   
5. Buy Good Chocolate
   

Source: buzz.nitinh.com

What to Eat has just come out with a proposal for voluntary rules Is it really better for health to eat foods that are center for consumer freedom Cereals China chocolate climate change cloned.
no chocolate filled glazed doughnuts!!! - Zippy's ForumMy Napples are too messy to eat and get all over The decision was made to change to the existing chocolate yeast donut after Posting Rules.

Source: pptk.kwik.to

Let's put aside for the moment the confusion on industry definitions of various chocolate manufacturing terms (compound, flake, etc.)

The first issue here is erosion in flavor and sensory quality. Chocolate with vegetable oil won't taste as good or have the aromatics or other sensory qualities that chocolate made with cocoa butter has.

The second issue is profit for domestic chocolate manufacturers. Ironically, changing the regulation doesn’t make sense from a financial standpoint either.

The CMA and FDA seem to underestimate the American people when it comes to the single foodstuff that is liked more than any other in this country. Chocolate is a revered, craved, worshipped product, and Americans are willing to pay for a quality, sensual food experience,

More at: digg.com/food_drink

image source: www.sodahead.com

Another of rules of how to eat chocolate.

1. If you've got melted chocolate all over your hands, you're eating it too slowly.
   
2. Chocolate-covered raisins, cherries, orange slices, and strawberries all count as fruit, so eat as many as you want.
   
3. The problem: How to get two pounds of chocolate home from the store in a hot car. The solution: Eat it in the parking lot.
   
4. Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. It'll take the edge off your appetite and you'll eat less.
   
5. Chocolate also contains milk which is dairy. So candy bars are a health food.
   
6. If calories are an issue, store your chocolate on top of the fridge. Calories are afraid of heights and they will jump out of the chocolate to protect themselves.
   
7. If I eat equal amounts of dark chocolate and white chocolate, is that a balanced diet? Don't they actually counteract each other?
   
8. Chocolate is derived from cacao beans. Bean is a vegetable. Sugar is derived from either sugar cane or sugar beets. Both are plants, which places them in the vegetable category too. Therefore chocolate is a vegetable.
   
9. Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today. That way at least you'll get one thing done.
   
10. A nice box of chocolates can provide your total daily intake of calories in one place. Isn't that handy?
    
11. If you can't eat all of your chocolate it will keep in the freezer. But if you can't eat all your chocolate, what's wrong with you?

Source: www.listown.com

95% rubbish 5% pure - 95 percent rubbish, 5 percent pure by Eric Clapton

The music scene as I look at it today is little different from when I was growing up. The percentages are roughly the same - 95 percent rubbish, 5 percent pure However, the systems of marketing and distribution are in the middle of a huge shift, and by then end of this decade I think it’s unlikely that any of the existing record companies will still be in business. With the greatest respect to all involved, that would be no great loss. Music will always find its way to us, with or without business, politics, or any other bullshit attached. Music survives everything, and like God is always present. It needs no help, and suffers no hindrance. It has always found me, and with God’s blessing and permission, it always will.

Eric Clapton, in Clapton: The Autobiography

Eric Clapton, in Clapton: The Autobiography

US criminals target large corporate web sites

Large corporate web sites were heavily targeted by hackers in the early part of 2008, said the threat round-up report from US security firm Trend Micro.

Cyber criminals launched SQL injection attacks on thousands of web pages belonging to some of the largest companies in the US, as well as state government agencies and educational institutions.

Criminals are increasinlgy targeting affluent users such as C-level executives in the hope of accessing lucrative bank accounts and sourcing log-in credentials and email addresses that span whole organisations.

Criminals are keeping pace with technology and becoming more ambitious in selecting targets, said Raimund Genes, chief technology officer of Trend Micro.

"This is a good example of how cyber criminals are evolving with the times. They are moving away from threats that use old or waning technologies and instead focusing on the lucrative threats that bring a bigger payload," he said

In its report, Trend Micro said mobile threats are continuing to emerge, and it discovered malware disguised as multimedia content was being used to infect older Nokia mobile phones.

Tracking software ware infections declined by 15 per cent between May 2007 and April 2008 while adware and keyloggers were also down.

Source:computing.co.uk

Thai Goverment warned of covert warfare by red shirts

Puea Thai party has warned the government to prepare for a clandestine offensive now it has driven the red-shirt protesters underground.

Worawat Ua-apinyakul, a Puea Thai MP for Phrae, said the red shirts have hung up their shirts and gone into hiding since the dispersal of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship demonstration in Bangkok on Tuesday.

Their activities will now be harder to monitor, Mr Worawat said.

Dispersing them was a mistake because when the protesters came together to rally, they had leaders with known whereabouts.

Arresting the protest leaders will set the protesters loose. Protests may have ended in Bangkok, but in the provinces underground activity still carries on, he said.

"How will they resist this covert struggle? The violence will be far worse than the situation in the deep South," Mr Worawat said.

more at bangkokpost.com

Protesters leaderless

The red-shirted protest movement was practically headless yesterday, with three of its leaders held in custody and the others running from a manhunt.

The search continued for the two other key protest leaders, Jakrapob Penkair and Jatuporn Promphan, focusing partly on the Thai-Burmese border areas in the provinces of Tak, Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai, military sources said.

more at nationmultimedia.com

Thaksin's passport revoked, retains citizenship

The passport of fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra has been revoked for his role in inciting the protests that caused the cancellation of the weekend Asia summit in Pattaya and subsequent rioting, the chief government spokesman said on Wednesday.

More at bangkokpost.com

Must Thailand sink further? The comment on The nation Thai Newspaer

Here is one comment on the red shirt riot in Thailand, posted at The Nation Newspaper. To read more on this follow the link below.

We condemn the red-shirt protesters of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, fugitive Thaksin Shinawatra and those who have been pulling the strings behind the ugly protest that has led to the cancellation of the Asean Summit with its dialogue partners from East Asia.

We were saddened by their short-sighted and selfish action, which has turned Thailand and its role as chair of Asean into an international embarrassment. The Abhisit government had no choice but to declare a seven-hour state of emergency in Pattaya and Chon Buri.

The image of Pattaya as a resort destination has also been tarnished beyond repair.

These mindless demonstrators, who have blocked streets, also did a great disservice to the country as they literally held hostage all the leaders from Asean and dialogue partners who had arrived in Pattaya days before. Those from Australia had to turn their planes away in midair. Scheduled meetings planned months ahead were cancelled. The whole of yesterday afternoon Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva was at U-Tapao Airport to see off all the East Asian leaders and personally apologise for the inconvenience. That was the least he could do in the circumstances. It was commendable that he announced the end of five-hour state of emergency in Pattaya and Chon Buri.

The postponement has once again damaged Thailand's already fragile reputation, and worst of all it will impact on the image of Asean and its international standing. The East Asian leaders gathered at Pattaya were enthusiastic about developing a coordinated approach to tackle the economic woes caused by the global financial meltdown. Both Asean+3 and the East Asia Summit have been cancelled, so the planned announcements by some of the leaders cannot be made.

In the past three years, Thailand has slipped back and forth between normality and anarchy. What happened during the summit had to do with the enforcement of law and order. In this case, the Abhisit government should have been bolder in exercising the power which it legitimately possesses to restore normality. It is one thing to refuse to use force; it is another to allow protesters to run riot into the summit venue, blocking access to the hotel and putting the foreign leaders at risk. The government should have been more decisive in handling the protesters. Indeed, the incident has raised doubt about Abhisit's leadership quality, showing that he had no control over the military and the police responsible for the security of the foreign guests and leaders.

The Abhisit government must ensure that Thailand's credibility is restored as soon as possible. It will be a tough challenge for the country to hold the 15th summit, which is scheduled for October. Certainly, we can make up, but there are still lots of uncertainties.

The government must undertake whatever is necessary to ensure law and order. The heads of security must be reprimanded, and the protesters must face the due process of law.

What is incomprehensible is that these protesters - this also applies to the majority of Thais - have no clue that what is at stake for their country is the survival of democracy. It is a value we have enjoyed and abused. In this country, we talk about democracy as if it is a possession that can transform everything over night. That is not the case. The road to real democracy is often long and arduous. All of us have to work hard for it.

Source: nationmultimedia.com The Nation

Latest New on State of emergency in Bangkok

The red shirt protesters has taken government officer as hostage.

State of emergency in Bangkok

The government enforces the Emergency Decree in several areas of Bangkok and vicinity on Sunday afternoon to deal with the red-shirt protesters.

STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED FOR BANGKOK, 5 OTHER PROVINCES

The government Sunday afternoon announced the state of emergency for Bangkok and some districts in satellite provinces.

The government reasoned that protesters had committed violence in the areas so the government had to declare the state of emergency to restore normality in the areas.

The areas include some districts in Nonthaburi, Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani, Nakhon Pathom and Ayutthaya.

The statement said the entire Bangkok and Nonthaburi are under the state of emergency.

Muang district, Bang Phli, district and Prapradaeng district of Samut Prakan are placed under the state of emegency.

In Pahtum Thani, Lard Lumkaew district, Samkhok district, Lamluka district and Klong Luang district and Thanyaburi district are under the state of emergency.

In Nakhon Pathom, the state of emergency is applied to Buddhamonthon district.

In Ayutthaya, Lard Bua Luang district, Wang Noi district, Bang Pa-in district and Bang Sai district are under the state of emergnecy.

Source: nationmultimedia.com

British man murdered in Hua Hin

BREAKING APRIL 3: Hua Hin expatriate Nicolas Francis Knight, 64, suffered a lethal stab wound in his Khao Tao home on the evening of Wednesday April 1. According to reports by Thai newspaper, Thairath, the incident occurred as the British man confronted a burglar who was in the process of robbing his house. He died later in hospital. Police are currently investigating whether there were any previous connections between the man and his assailant.

more at huahinafterdark.com

Phuket Update

Songkran’s set to make a splash
THIS year’s Songkran festival is set to be a wet and wild three days of fun, festivities and religious ceremonies. Songkran, or Thai New Year, will run from April 13 to 15, and is traditionally celebrated with lots of water throwing. And although it is a Thai festival, foreigners are welcome to join in and enjoy the fun atmosphere. Songkran is held in the hottest and driest month of the year when a bit of water can be both cooling and refreshing. But be warned. You WILL get wet, so wear clothes that can withstand a soaking.

more at phuket-post.com

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LASH out on some leathers, fire up the Honda and scoot on down to Patong for the three days of motorbike madness that is Phuket Bike Week. This year’s festival runs from April 10 until April 13. More than 5000 bikers are expected to roar into town from as far away as Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur for the festivities which will include a series of bike competitions, a tattoo contest, a Ride for Peace through Kata, Karon, Nai Harn and Phomthep Cape, and three rock concerts.

more at phuket-post.com

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Upcoming Events at Phuket
March 24-April 24 IB Visual Arts Exhibition The British International School Phuket is hosting an arts exhibition in the Main Teaching Building. The Visual Arts exhibition will be open between 7pm and 9pm for private viewing and will open to the public from March 24 until April 24.

more at phuket-post.com

Koh Samui gets ready to host the first dance music festival

Ravers are getting ready to rock from dusk until dawn as the tropical island of Samui hosts its first outdoor dance bash - the Songkran International Dance Music Festival - this Tuesday.

Lake View Dance Arena overlooking the reservoir is all prepped up to house up to 5,000 party animals and a long list of headline DJs who will be manning the deck for 12 hours straight. Topping the list is the UK's legendary dance DJ Judge Jules, who's jetting into Thailand for his second live show here. The witty joker ("Like toilet paper, we're on a roll!") and successful club and radio DJ is known for his old school dance and trance sets and spins regularly at top British nightclubs Godskitchen, Liquid and The Syndicate. He also has a summer residency in Ibiza.

Joining Jules is veteran trance figure Graham Gold, also from the UK, whose international residency at Club Culture has earned him a following among Thai clubbers. Others including electro house DJ Gary Gecko, Samui-based David Sambor, DJ A, Kris Oliver, Dunk The Funk, with a live performance by Spanish drummer Asambai and drum soloist Simon Solo.

There'll also be inflatable water pools, foam machines, cabaret shows, fun casino, lots of Thai and European food and a variety of drinks. For those who just want to have fun in the dry, VIP tickets are available. Travel and hotel packages can also be booked.

Source:xpress.nationmultimedia.com

What's Going on With CircuitCity.com?

It was recently brought to public attention that the late Circuit City had a message on its site claiming that it would be re-opening online in "the coming weeks." The message suggested that while its brick and mortar stores were gone, the company might continue as a web-only entity.

more at www.webpronews.com

Red Shirt Riot in Thailand Summary

Look for real reasons before condemning
April 12, 2009
As a Thai citizen, what I wish is that there should not just be condemnation and possible legal action against the red-shirt leaders, but that the authorities analyse why there is such rage and rampage. There can be no rage without a cause. The more their grievances are ignored, the more problems there will...

Pattaya chronology
April 12, 2009
12.45am Red-shirt leader Arisamun Pongruengrong tells press conference inside hotel Newin is behind blue-shirts.1pm Red-shirts break past guards into press centre.1.20pm Red-shirt press conference demands PM Abhisit Vejjajiva step down for ordering shooting of two red-shirt taxi-drivers.1.30pm Government postpones Asean Summit in Pattaya...

What happened in Pattaya
April 12, 2009
As a result, the bilateral talks between Asean, Japan and South Korea were also delayed. As the red-shirt protesters moved closer to the entrance of the Royal Cliff Beach Resort, PM Abhisit Vejjajiva decided to postpone the rest of the summits.At 11am, he met the Asean leaders and diplomats from India, Australia...

Must Thailand sink further
April 12, 2009
We were saddened by their short-sighted and selfish action, which has turned Thailand and its role as chair of Asean into an international embarrassment. The Abhisit government had no choice but to declare a seven-hour state of emergency in Pattaya and Chon Buri.The image of Pattaya as a resort destination...

PM: reds
April 12, 2009
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva last night called the red-shirts

Blot on Thailand
April 12, 2009
Asst Prof Dr Wichai Kanchanasuwan, a lecturer at Prince of Songkhla University, said the red-shirt invasion of the summit's venue had been broadcast worldwide, not just shaming the government but also damaging the country."The government should not have underestimated the situation. It should have been better...

A telling blow has been delivered to country and premier
April 12, 2009
The red-shirts were able to break into the Royal Cliff, which is in the far pocket of South Pattaya, because the police and the military were standing idly by, practising paak waa taa khayip

Red
April 12, 2009
Thailand's tourism industry will lose at least Bt200 billion in revenue this year as the consequence of political unrest sparked by both yellow- and red-shirt protesters, according to Kongkrit Hiranyakit, chairman of the Tourism Council of Thailand."After the Suvarnabhumi Airport closure

Many opportunities lost as political strife returns
April 12, 2009
More importantly, the damage to the Kingdom's image as a tourist destination was devastated after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva decided to cancel the event for security fears. Only a minor outcome was achieved. A
politics

Red-shirt forces closure of Summit
April 12, 2009
Pattaya - The summit of Asean leaders with dialogue partners has been cancelled after a clash of red-shirts and blue-shirts outside the venue and a subsequent invasion of the hotel. Angry protesters stormed into the Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall, the media centre of the Asean summit, after they learned an...

more at www.nationmultimedia.com

BBC News Update

Somali pirates seize another boat
A tug with 16 on board is hijacked, reports say, as a standoff continues over a US captain taken hostage.

more at news.bbc.co.uk

More protests in Georgian capital

Anti-government protests are continuing for a third day in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.
Roads in front of key buildings were blocked by groups of demonstrators who had camped out overnight.
They accuse President Mikhail Saakashvili of leading the country into a disastrous war with Russia, and want him to step down.

more at news.bbc.co.uk

CNN updated News

Suicide bomber kills 8 in Afghanistan

A suicide bomber killed eight people in an attack on a police patrol unit Thursday morning in southern Afghanistan, officials say.

More at edition.cnn.com

Japan extends sanctions against North Korea

Japan has tightened economic sanctions against North Korea to punish the communist regime for its recent rocket launch, Japanese government officials said Friday.


more at edition.cnn.com

China executes 2 for attack before Olympics

Two men were executed Thursday for an attack on police that killed 17 in northwestern China in the run-up to the 2008 Olympics, state-run media reported.


Chinese police patrol on August 4, 2008, in the area of Kashgar where an attack killed 17 people.

Abdurahman Azat, 34, and Kurbanjan Hemit, 29, were sentenced to death on December 17 after being convicted of homicide and illegally producing guns, ammunition and explosives, the Xinhua news agency said.

More at edition.cnn.com

Ambush kills 10 Indian police officers

NEW DELHI, India (CNN) -- More than 200 heavily armed suspected Maoists ambushed a police patrol in central India, killing 10 officers and injuring 16, authorities said Saturday.

A team of federal police was on security duty at an election booth when it was attacked Friday, said Rahul Sharma, superintendent of police in the South Bastar Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh state.

A gunfight that erupted after the assault left three attackers dead, according to Sharma.

India holds general elections in scattered voting from April 16 until May.

The Dantewada district is one of the regions that Maoists attack most frequently in India.

Source: edition.cnn.com

Italian rescue teams hope to find earthquake survivo

L'AQUILA, Italy (CNN) -- Rescue workers dug carefully but urgently through the rubble Saturday to reach a person who may still be alive after this week's earthquake.


Italian police patrol the ruined streets of L'Aquila to prevent possible looting.

Teams were using an excavator at the site, a building that was flattened during Monday's 6.3-magnitude quake, to reach the possible survivor.

Nine people -- one of them alive -- have already been pulled from the same pile of debris, close to the town's historic center.

Rescuers late Friday afternoon thought they heard breathing from beneath the rubble, so they brought in search dogs. More than half of the dogs got what their handlers said was a very strong human scent.

One rescue worker, whose dog was at the scene, remained cautious.

"We don't have anything for sure, because the last time we had a strong signal, it turned out to be a mattress soaked in blood," she told CNN.

More at edition.cnn.com

Thai firm translating English Internet pages

Machine translation to boost online experience for Thai speakers

Asia Online, a Thai-based software company, has developed its own machine-translation engine, or statistical machine translation (SMT) platform, with the aim of translating English texts into Thai, to give non-English-speaking Internet users a better chance to access and benefit from vast online library resources.

Asia Online's chief executive officer and founder Dion Wiggins, was formerly vice president and research director in the Asia-Pacific region for international IT research and advisory company Gartner.

More at : nationmultimedia.com

Bangkok Turmoil In City Can Remain

Mass Transit Authority of Thailand has to redirect more than 100 bus routes due to the shut-down of traffic at Victory Monument by pro-Thaksin protesters on Thursday.

Doctors call for protesters to open at least one lane of traffic to facilitate medical services at major hospitals.

Hospitals in the vincinity of Victory Monument include Rajvithi, Ramathibodi, King Mongkut, Children's General and Phya Thai II.

Commuters have turned to sky trains on Thursday after pro-Thaksin protesters, mostly taxi drivers, blocked road access the Victory Monument on Thursday.

However the BTS train station at the Victory Momument has been crowded with the desperate commuters. Its staffs solved the traffic problems by allowing the commuters to take the train first and pay the fares at their destination station.

Dozens of taxi drivers used their vehicles to block the roads to and from the Victory Monument since noon Thursday to pressure the government to resign.

They started blocking the inbound Rajvithi Road in front of the Center One shopping mall at 12:30 pm and later on blocked the inbound Phayathai Road.

The members of the Taxi Community Radio Club said if the government refused to resign by 4 pm, they would use 20,000 taxis to block all roads in Bangkok.

As of Thursday's afternoon, police have closed several main roads and warned motorists to avoid travelling on routes used for red-shirt rally.

The closed-down roads include Ratchawithi Road from Din Daeng intersection and Victory Monument to Tuek Chai intersection, Phaholyothin Road from Second Cavalry Division (near Sanam Pao) to Victory Monument, Phaya Thai Road from Phaya Thai intersection to Victory Monument.

Kamphaengphet V Road and Rama VI Road in front of Democrat Party headquarters have also been closed.

Source: nationmultimedia.com

News update from Herald Sun, Australia

Riots shut down world summit

THAI protesters smashed their way into a major Asian summit today, forcing the country's embattled prime minister to cancel the meeting.
more detail

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Several injured at car rally

SEVERAL people have been injured in two separate accidents at a car rally in Western Australia's wheatbelt.
more detail

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Pet Shops Boys asked to change name

PETA has asked the Pet Shop Boys to change their name as part of a publicity stunt to oppose pet stores.
more detail

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Cathy Freeman marries in Melbourne

OLYMPIC champion Cathy Freeman has married Melbourne stockbroker James Murch in a private ceremony on Victoria's Bellarine Peninsula.
more detail

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ASEAN summit stormed by protesters

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd is on his way back to Australia after a summit he was to attend in Thailand was stormed by thousands of protesters.
more detail

Source: news.com.au/heraldsun

Anti-govt protests to weigh on Thai shares

BANGKOK, April 10 (Reuters) - Thai shares are expected to
trade in a narrow band on Friday, with political worries
offsetting the positive effect of a rise on Wall Street as
anti-government protests spread, analysts said.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has called a holiday for
Friday, taking people off the street to give the authorities
room to nip the political unrest in the bud and provide better
security at an Asian summit. [nBKK467316]

Investors were already winding down, anyway, ahead of the
three-day Songkran holiday from Monday.

All Thai financial markets will be open on Friday.

"The SET is probably still going to rise but will
underperform others in Asia and the real drag for this,
certainly, will be politics," said Sukit Udomsirikul, a senior
analyst with Siam City Securities.

"What's more worrying is how the protesters are heading to
intervene in the ASEAN summit. If things become disrupted,
that
will seriously affect investment sentiment," Sukit said.

Source: uk.reuters.com

Pastor's granddaughter arrested in Sandra Cantu slaying

A Sunday school teacher was booked early today on suspicion of murder and kidnapping in the slaying of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu, whose body was found in a suitcase in an irrigation pond.

Melissa Huckaby, 28, was arrested at 11:55 p.m. Friday after she drove to the Tracy Police Department to be interviewed. She was booked at 3:25 a.m. today at San Joaquin County Jail in French Camp, where she is being held without bail.

"She revealed enough information that we had probable cause to arrest her for both kidnapping and murder," Tracy police Sgt. Tony Sheneman told reporters. During her interview, "she was very relaxed for a bit, then she became very emotional, then she became relaxed again, then she became resigned to what was happening," Sheneman said.

No motive was disclosed in the slaying, and authorities have not said how Sandra was killed pending the results of an autopsy. Huckaby is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday.

Huckaby's arrest capped an intense investigation in a case that has transfixed the region and sent shockwaves through Tracy, a city of 84,000 that is considered the gateway to the Central Valley.

Reporters descended on the onetime farming community, which was the focus of similar media attention in December when four suspects were arrested in the torture and kidnapping of a 16-year-old boy.

more at sfgate.com

Culture of Egypt

Culture of Egypt - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It has been suggested that this article be split into articles entitled Culture of Egypt and Culture of Ancient Egypt, accessible from a disambiguation page ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_Egypt

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Egypt Culture and Traditions

Egyptians are the most accommodating people and they will go out of their way to help you and respond to any questions you have.
www.ask-aladdin.com/culture1.htm

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Egypt: Culture - The Egyptian People

Tour Egypt information on travel to Egypt - The People of Egypt and their culture, from the Ministry of Tourism, Egypt and the Egyptian Tourist Authority.
www.touregypt.net/Epeople.htm

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Egypt: History, Geography, Government, and Culture — Infoplease.com

Concise overview of the country's geography, government and history along with a map, statistics, fast facts and the Columbia Encyclopedia article.
www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0107484.html

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Culture of Egypt - History and ethnic relations, Urbanism ...
Marriage is a major focus of Egyptian culture. For Muslims it is considered a contract the signing of which is later followed by a family celebration; ...
www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/Egypt.html

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Egypt - Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette Guide

Guide to Egyptian culture, society, language, etiquette, customs, manners and protocol.

www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/egypt-country-profile.html

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Egypt Culture, Culture of Egypt
Modern Egypt is a thriving mixture of cosmopolitan culture. Egypt also boasts of a five thousand years long history of culture and civilization.

www.mapsofworld.com/egypt/egypt-culture.html

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Egyptvoyager.com: Egypt - History, Culture, Tourism and More

Egyptvoyager.com - a site about Egyptian history,culture,tourist information,virtual tours of the pyramids, the Nile, hieroglyph lessons, Cairo, Aswan, ...
www.egyptvoyager.com/

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theegyptianculture : the Egyptian culture - everything about the ...

theegyptianculture: the Egyptian culture - everything about the Ancient Egypt's culture.

clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/theegyptianculture

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Ancient Egyptian Culture

An exhibit in the MSU EMuseum which has information on the culture of ancient Egypt. This site includes information on architecture, art, hieroglyphics, ...

www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/egypt

Egypt Tourist Visa

Here are some information about Egypt Tourist Visa. There are some requirements you need to fulfill to get Egypt Visa.

There are three types of Egyptian visa:

o Tourist Visa: is usually valid for a period not exceeding three months and granted on either single or multiple entry basis.
o Entry Visa: is required for any foreigner arriving in Egypt for purposes other than tourism, e.g. work, study, etc. The possession of a valid Entry Visa is needed to complete the residence procedure in Egypt.
o Transit Visa.


Egypt Visa Requirements

For an Egypt visa request, the Egypt Embassy and Consulates require the following:

* A valid passport for at least 6 months, and a blank page to stamp the visa;
* One passport-size photo;
* Completed Egypt visa application form;
* visa fee (cash, money order or Certified Check);
* a self-addressed prepaid return envelope with postage (FedEx, US Express Mail or US Certified Mail);

Egypt travel visas are affixed in your passport on the pages specifically marked for them. Countries require that visa stamps be placed on those pages that do not contain any other stamps.

Egypt Visa Application Form

There is only one Egypt visa application form for every type of travel visa.

Egypt Visa Application Form

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The Egypt Visa Application is in .gif format. It may appear very small on your screen depending on the resolution you use but it will print out at normal size.


Visas and Passports

Non-Egyptian visitors arriving in Egypt are required to be in possession of a valid passport. Entry visas may be obtained from Egyptian Diplomatic and Consular Missions Abroad or from the Entry Visa Department at the Travel Documents, Immigration and Nationality Administration (TDINA). It is, however, possible for most tourists and visitors to obtain an entry visa at any of the Major Ports of Entry. Please check with your nearest Egyptian Consular mission for more details concerning visa regulations applying to your citizenship.

Note: Most travelers obtain their Visa upon entry to Egypt, and need not use the forms below to obtain a visa. Visa applications are normally passed out by airlines prior to landing at an Egyptian airport.


More information at:
touregypt.net
us-passport-service-guide.com

Egypt Culture and Traditions

Egypt Culture has been recently a hot search word, here I have just found a good resources on this at:

Egypt is a country with an immense cultural mix, In every major city in Egypt you will find traditions that remain from the time of the Pharaohs , and in other parts you will find pure tribal customs that were brought in by many invaders throughout the centuries. That contradiction and contrast between areas of Egypt, when you compare it with other Middle Eastern countries, is what makes Egypt seem advanced against some of the others. Yet here you will find that the customs and mentality tends to be full of warmth towards visitors and foreigners. I guess this could be the secret why Egypt is considered the most attractive country in the region for travellers. The pure nature of the local Egyptians when they are always there when you need help, or when they invite you into their houses when they hardly know you, or when they smile in your face, makes a visit to Egypt a wonderful and unforgettable experience.

Egypt’s population is about 67 million. 57 million of them are Sunni Muslims and about 10 Million are Coptic Christians (Christian Egyptians), although public statistics indicate that they are not more than 7 million. Whether Muslim or Copt, the Egyptians are moderately religious and religious principles are quite noticeable in their daily lives. Here each family member is responsible for the integrity of his or her family and for the behaviour of other members, creating an environment that would be envied by many people in the West. Here they are very close to each other, family ties are far stronger than in the west, and that is why you will find any major city in Egypt is a lot safer than any western metropolis.

Yet when travellers come to Egypt they are often apprehensive, their views of Egyptians and Arabs, fomented by unkind and untrue media stories, often bear no relation to reality. Travellers, when they meet Egyptians are often surprised by their friendly, hospitable reception and take home with them good feelings about Egypt and its population.

Egyptians form a society of a mixture of Middle Eastern family standards, taken from the different religious rules, whether in Islam or Christianity, it creates a sort of background that can colour their decision-making in a way difficult for foreigners to understand, yet it is precisely this training that makes Egyptians some of the most charming and helpful of hosts. By understanding the culture and with consideration for your hosts, you can be a welcome guest in Egypt.

In general, Egyptians are most accommodating and they will go out of their way to help you and respond to any questions you have. Most Egyptians require little personal space and will stand within inches of you to talk! You will find that whenever you start talking with an Egyptian, you will inevitably draw a crowd, and often the Egyptians will start discussing, among themselves, about the correct answer to a question.

more at:ask-aladdin.com