100% perfect Grammy Awards predictions

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
"Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends," Coldplay
"Tha Carter III," Lil Wayne
"Year of the Gentleman," Ne-Yo
X - "Raising Sand," Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
"In Rainbows," Radiohead

RECORD OF THE YEAR
(Award to the Recording Artist)
"Chasing Pavements," Adele
X - "Viva La Vida," Coldplay
"Bleeding Love," Leona Lewis
"Paper Planes," M.I.A
"Please Read the Letter," Robert Plant and Alison Krauss

SONG OF THE YEAR
(Award to the Songwriter)
"American Boy," (Estelle Featuring Kanye West) William Adams, Keith Harris, Josh Lopez, Caleb Speir, John Stephens, Estelle Swaray & Kanye West, songwriters
"Chasing Pavements" (Adele) Adele Adkins & Eg White, songwriters
"I'm Yours" (Jason Mraz) Jason Mraz, songwriter
"Love Song" (Sara Bareilles) Sara Bareilles, songwriter
X - "Viva La Vida" (Coldplay) Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters

The only suspense in the top Grammys races is which awards will be doled out to Coldplay and which ones to the duo of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. Will Plant/Krauss claim best album, as seems logical, leaving the prize for best record to Coldplay? Or the other way around? Or will one team sweep both races?

Remember back in 2002 when virtually all Grammy pundits thought Alicia Keys would win best record for "Fallin'"? It was widely expected that she'd also win best song too. The two awards agree about 60% of the time. If those two Grammy categories split, pundits figured that Alicia Keys at least would keep best record and U2 would siphon off the song victory for "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of," which was Bono's lament of the suicide of his pal Michael Hutchence, late lead singer of INXS.

The latter tune wasn't up for best record, though. A different U2 tune was — "Walk On," which was about Burmese activist Aung San Suu Kyi, but it was widely adopted as an inspiring anthem of endurance about Sept. 11 attack by terrorists on the World Trade Center.

What happened? A weird Grammy flip-flop. Alicia Keys won best song, but not record! That was odd. While the tune was admired for its writing, it was revered for its performance, so that didn't add up. U2 won best record for "Walk On." Nobody saw that coming.

Veterans tend to win the album award (Herbie Hancock, Ray Charles, Steely Dan in recent years), so it's believed that Plant's team takes that this year. But Plant/Krauss could pull off a sweep like the Dixie Chicks did in 2007. Sweeps are common at showbiz awards. Or at least a mini-sweep might happen here. Plant/Krauss are nominated for best record, but not song. (Does Coldplay get that as consolation?) The last time a veteran chap was teamed up with a pretty young thrush in the record and song categories, he won — quite recently: Ray Charles with Norah Jones. (He won both, she just claimed the record prize.) It's possible that Coldplay could sweep all three, but unlikely. Plant/Krauss will take record or album. Probably album.

Colplay is guaranteed the best song award. No rival is strong enough to beat the hipsters there. It's just a question of whether the Brit band is strong enough to claim best record too. Indeed, they proved to be four years ago when Coldplay's "Clocks" took that Grammy crown.

Since "Viva La Vida" was such a super-hit and "Please Read the Letter" was not, that suggests Coldplay will claim best record and song, leaving the album prize to Plant/Krauss. That prediction all falls into place nicely according to past voting patterns.

What about all of those other Grammy nominees, you ask? Well, to be quite frank about it, most are there because of political correctness. A Secret Committee of "music experts" is assembled by the recording academy every year to listen to the 20 entries of music that get the most votes for best record, song, album and new artist (Grammy's top four awards — together they're known as the "General Field") from the whole membership. The committee likes to add lots of hip-hop that doesn't have a prayer to win. Rap's never won best record or song and only once took best album: "Speakerboxxx: The Love Below." Outkast had to win that year or else the whole music industry would've burnt down the normally fuddy-duddy academy.

Most pundits (who forgot about the fuddy-duddy issue) predicted "Late Registration" would win best album in 2006, but, come on, Kanye West was too creepy and In-Yo-Face for the geezer Grammy voters, which swallowed Outkast when they had to because the duo was cool in a slick establishment way, not wacky like Kanye.

Therefore, when you are looking over the top races, nix all of the hip-hoppers from your predix. Grammy voters think they already gave at the office.

Radiohead was placed here by the Secret Committee as a matter of conscience (it's a sainted band in the rock world now) and balance of music sound. No chance to win. Leona Lewis is the sexy R&B diva du jour, but she's not in the same heavyweight league as Alicia Keys or Norah Jones. So forget it. Adele is even more lightweight — she just had a nifty video and great exposure on "Saturday Night Live." Voters may give her best new artist as a consolation prize.

Just because cool, edgy music acts are nominated in these races, don't make the mistake of thinking that they must therefore have broad support across NARAS. Most of those nominees are put on the list by the Secret Committee so that the Grammys look cool, not because they're serious contenders to win.

And also they're placed there so that Tony Bennett doesn't land another top nom -- and win. The academy was so embarrassed by Bennett's best-album victory for "MTV Unplugged" in 1995 that it whipped up these Secret Committees to clean up the ballots in the future, make them look presentable, boot off any fuddy-duddies who might win before the ballots are handed off to the full academy membership for voting. When trying to predict who'll win in these top four races, you can usually throw out window dressing like Radiohead and Ne-Yo and whittle down the contenders to just a few who have a real shot.

When you go through that process of elimination in the General Field this year, you end up with Coldplay and Plant/Krauss. That's how we know they're the front-runners.

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On Darwin's 200th, a theory still in controversy

It's well known that Charles Darwin's groundbreaking theory of evolution made many people furious because it contradicted the Biblical view of creation. But few know that it also created problems for Darwin at home with his deeply religious wife, Emma.

Darwin held back the book to avoid offending his wife, said Ruth Padel, the naturalist's great-great-granddaughter. "She said he seemed to be putting God further and further off," Padel said in her north London home. "But they talked it through, and she said, "Don't change any of your ideas for fear of hurting me.'"

The 1859 publication of "On the Origin of Species" changed scientific thought forever — and generated opposition that continues to this day. It is this elegant explanation of how species evolve through natural selection that makes Darwin's 200th birthday on Feb. 12 such a major event.

More than 300 birthday celebrations are planned in Britain alone, where Darwin's face graces the 10-pound bill along with that of Queen Elizabeth II. Shrewsbury, the central England town where Darwin was born and raised, is holding a monthlong festival for its most famous son. And a permanent exhibition re-creating some of his most famous experiments is opening at Down House, his former home near London.

Many more events are planned worldwide, including the Second World Summit on evolution in the Galapagos islands in August. In Australia, the Perth Mint is putting out a special commemorative silver coin.

Even Darwin's ideological adversaries concede that he was a towering figure.

Director Bob Bloomfield poses for a portrait by the statue of British naturalist Charles Darwin ahead of an interview with the Associated Press at the Natural History Museum in London, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009. Bloomfield, special projects director at the museum, said Darwin was cautious not only because he didn't want to offend his wife, but also because he understood that the concept of man's evolution from other animals was controversial. He didn't want to present it simply as a hypothesis, but as an explanation buttressed by many observations and facts. The 1859 publication of "On the Origin of Species" changed scientific thought forever _ and generated opposition that continues to this day. It is this elegant explanation of how species evolve through natural selection that makes Darwin's 200th birthday on Feb. 12 such a major event. (AP Photo/Akira Suemori)

"He was clearly extremely important, his thinking changed the world," said Paul Taylor, a spokesman for Answers in Genesis, a prominent group that rejects Darwin's theory of evolution in favor of a literal interpretation of the Bible. "We disagree with his conclusions, with the way he made extrapolations, but he was a very careful observer and we've got a lot to be grateful for."

Bob Bloomfield, special projects director at London's Museum of Natural History, said Darwin was cautious not only because he didn't want to offend his wife, but also because he understood that the concept of man's evolution from other animals was controversial. He didn't want to present it simply as a hypothesis, but as an explanation buttressed by many observations and facts.

"He knew he had to make an absolutely iron-cast case for his theory," Bloomfield said. "He was one of the earliest true scientists where everything he was prepared to write about had to be based on evidence."

Darwin's small, handwritten diaries are on display at a major exhibit at the Museum of Natural History, as well as thousands of specimens he collected. Some came from his fabled five-year trip to South America aboard the Beagle, when he visited the remote Galapagos Islands and saw how some species had adapted to its strange, demanding environment.

The diaries offer insights into Darwin's meticulous, analytical approach. He even lists the pros and cons of getting married.

The advantages? A wife would be a constant companion, a friend in old age, and fill the house with music and feminine chitchat. The cons? Losing the freedom to come and go as he pleased and to read as much as he wanted at night. Visiting relatives. And he would have to spend money on children, not books.

After much deliberation, Darwin renounced the single life: "One cannot live this solitary life, with groggy old age, friendless & cold, & childless staring one in ones face, already beginning to wrinkle," he concluded.

It is in the diaries that Darwin's personality best comes through, said Padel, one of 72 great-great-grandchildren.

"That's where his real life was," said Padel, an acclaimed poet. "He had the most amazing sense of wonder. He was always thinking, 'How does that work?' And that led him to everything."

Once he married, Darwin turned his family into willing research assistants. He enlisted his wife to play piano to a jar of earthworms placed on the piano lid to see if they would respond to music (they didn't).

Stephen Keynes, a great-grandson, said Darwin also enlisted his children to throw flour on bees so the path of their flight could be followed. There are no reports of any of the children being stung.

"He was the most wonderful father, ever," said Keynes, 81. "He allowed his children access to his study where he was working at any time."

Darwin was also an innovator at home. He put wheels on the chair in his study so he could get to his specimens more quickly — and, bingo, the modern office chair was invented.

His passion to understand nature's unseen workings made him a frequent visitor to the London Zoo, where he made friends with an orangutan called Jenny. He offered Jenny a mouth organ and showed her her reflection in the mirror. He also noted that when her keeper would not give her an apple, she pouted and sulked like a child. These seemingly trivial observations helped Darwin develop his theory that man evolved from primates.

"He was very interested in the expressions of animals and in particular primates and how similar they could be to humans," said Becky Coe, an education director at the zoo, which is setting up a temporary "Darwin Trail" using animals to help explain evolution. Coe said Darwin went back to the zoo time and time again to make sure he had physical evidence for every aspect of his theory.

Darwin's inquisitiveness outlasted his physical vigor.

"Late in life when he was quite ill, he would look at plants curling up at the window, bending to the light, and he would wonder, 'How do they do that?'" said Padel. "He was constantly thinking of relationships and that led him to understand natural selection. He realized that every population is in competition with every other. He realized that is how species adapt, because they are always competing for light, water and food."

What would he be doing if he were alive today?

Padel thinks he would probably be studying DNA and the immune system. And she thinks the great scribbler would be online much of the time.

"He'd be a demon at e-mail," she said.

source

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SCENARIOS-Here's what happens next on U.S. stimulus package

he U.S. Congress is weighing two versions of an economic stimulus package of tax cuts and spending programs that are aimed at pulling the U.S. economy out of its downward spiral.

Here's what is expected to happen next:

* The Senate is expected to vote at about 5:30 p.m. EST (2230 GMT) on Monday to limit the debate on the stimulus package. Democrats, who control the Senate with 58 seats, need 60 votes to end debate and they have picked up support from at least three Republican senators.

* The Senate on Tuesday is expected to vote on an amendment to slim down its version to roughly $827 billion from $937 billion. It is expected to pass with support from Republican Senators Susan Collins, Arlen Specter and Olympia Snowe.

* If the Senate approves the legislation, likely to happen on Tuesday, it will need to be reconciled with the different version that passed the House of Representatives with a $819 billion price tag. A group of lawmakers from each chamber will be appointed by party leaders to resolve the differences.

* Lawmakers will have to sort through scores of differences, from spending priorities to various tax cuts and incentives, a process that could take several days or longer.

* Amid the votes and negotiations, President Barack Obama will travel to two cities hit hard by the ailing economy -- Elkhart, Indiana on Monday and Fort Myers, Florida on Tuesday -- to hold town meetings where he will try to build support for the stimulus package.

* Once a compromise is reached between the lawmakers, the House and Senate would again have to vote on the final version before it could be sent to the president for his signature or veto. (Reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky in Washington, editing by Jackie Frank and David Wiessler)

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Police: Death toll in Australia fires reaches 65

HEALESVILLE, Australia (AP) - A police spokeswoman says the death toll from wildfires that have swept Australia's southeast has risen to 65.

The toll from firestorms in southern Victoria state climbed steadily Sunday as emergency crews reached further into a huge burnt-out area.

Officials say at least 640 houses were destroyed in Saturday's blazes, and that tally was expected to rise.

Victoria state police spokeswoman Creina O'Grady said the latest death toll on Sunday evening was 65.

Australia's worst wildfire tragedy was in 1983, when 75 people were killed in two states.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

HEALESVILLE, Australia (AP)—Towering flames razed an entire town in southeastern Australia and burned fleeing residents alive in their cars, authorities said Sunday as the death toll from the country's worst fire disaster in a quarter-century reached 49.

A fire truck moves away from out of control flames from a bushfire in the Bunyip Sate Forest near the township of Tonimbuk, 125 kilometers (78 miles) west of Melbourne, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009. Walls of flame roared across southeastern Australia, razing scores of homes, forests and farmland in the sunburned country's worst wildfire disaster in a quarter century. (AP Photo)

Officials said at least 640 homes were destroyed in Saturday's inferno when searing temperatures and wind blasts produced a firestorm that swept across a swath of the country's Victoria state, where all the deaths occurred.

"Hell in all its fury has visited the good people of Victoria in the last 24 hours," Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told reporters as he toured the fire zone. "It's an appalling tragedy for the nation."

Thousands of exhausted volunteer firefighters were still battling nine uncontrolled fires Sunday in Victoria, though conditions had eased considerably. Government officials said the army would be deployed to help out, and Rudd announced immediate emergency aid of 10 million Australian dollars ($7 million).

The tragedy echoed across Australia. Leaders in other states—most of which have been struck by their own fire disasters in the past—pledged to send money and volunteer firefighters.

Underscoring Australia's size and its often-harsh landscape, thousands of residents of tropical northern Queensland state watched the blanket news coverage of the fires from homes soaked by floodwaters after weeks of drenching storms.

In Victoria, witnesses described seeing trees exploding and skies raining ash on Saturday as temperatures of up 117 F (47 C) combined with blasting winds to create furnace-like conditions.

Police said they were hampered from reaching burned-out areas to confirm details of deaths and property loss. But Victoria Police Commissioner Christine Nixon confirmed deaths at a dozen sites.

Police said they believed groups of bodies had been found in cars in at least two places—suggesting families or groups of friends were engulfed in flames as they tried to flee.

In total, 49 deaths were confirmed by Sunday evening, said police spokeswoman Leanne Quentin, and officials were still working their way into burned-out regions, meaning the toll could rise further.

Health Minister Daniel Andrews said 78 people were hospitalized with burns. Dr. John Coleridge of Alfred Hospital, one of the largest in the fire zone, said injuries ranged from scorches on the feet of people who fled across burning ground to life-threatening burns. At least three would probably die, he said.

The fires were so massive they were visible from space Saturday. NASA released satellite photographs showing a white cloud of smoke across southeastern Australia.

Deputy Commissioner Kieran Walshe said police suspected some of the fires were set deliberately. He predicted it would take days to get all the blazes under control.

Victoria Country Fire Authority official Stuart Ord told Sky News some 460 square miles (1,190 square kilometers) had been burned by early Sunday.

Marysville, a former gold rush town that was home to about 800 people, was almost completely wiped out, witnesses said. Video taken from the air showed street after street of burned-out homes in the town, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) north of Melbourne.

"Marysville is no more," Senior Constable Brian Cross told The Associated Press as he manned a checkpoint Sunday in nearby Healesville on a road leading into the town.

The 30 or so town residents who had not evacuated before Saturday's fire huddled on a sports field overnight to escape the flames and were brought out Sunday, the Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported.

No deaths were reported in Marysville, but police sealed off the town because they feared bodies would be found there.

Another of the hardest-hit districts was Kinglake, a normally sleepy region of farms and weekend-getaway spots, where at least a dozen people were reported killed. It was there that six bodies were found in one car.

Victoria Country Fire Service spokesman Hayden Lane said 640 houses had been confirmed destroyed—550 in the Kinglake district—and that tally was expected to rise.

Residents reported the fire tearing through the region at high speed, burning everything before it.

Temperatures in the area dropped to around 77 F (25 C) on Sunday, but along with cooler conditions came wind changes that officials said could push fires in unpredictable directions.

Dozens of fires were also burning in New South Wales state, where temperatures remained high for the third consecutive day. Properties were not under immediate threat.

Police said they detained and questioned a man in connection with a blaze but released him without charge.

Wildfires are common during the Australian summer. Government research shows that about half of the roughly 60,000 fires each year are deliberately lit or suspicious. Lightning and people using machinery near dry brush are other causes.

Australia's deadliest fires were in 1983, when blazes killed 75 people and razed more than 3,000 homes in Victoria and South Australia.

source

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Pirate Bay data shows Mac users don’t share

Are you a leech? You know, one of “those” people who only keep a torrent alive long enough to download what you want, but never or only rarely seed (ie feed the other leechers)?

Quoting Pirate Bay data, TorrentFreak reports that when it comes to digital thievery of the BitTorrent kind, Windows users are more than twice as generous as Mac users.

We thought it would be interesting to compare the users of different operating systems on their sharing behavior. Therefore, we decided to take a closer look at the share ratios of Windows, Mac and Linux software on The Pirate Bay—TorrentFreak

See also—Transmission 1.5 beta 5 now available.

The gist of the data in the table is that for every for each piece of software PC users get via the torrents, they give 2.55 times as much stuff back. Users of the fair platform? Not so much.

There are several ways to spin this information, but none of them are good (ie PC users are feckless whores; Mac users a parsimonious skinflints that only serve themselves; etc). Still, whatever you think of PC, Mac and Linux users—the three most common platforms sharing “data” via BitTorrent—nothing compares to Xbox users, which post an utterly pathetic share ratio of 0.3.

Man, now those people are really evil and greedy…

What’s your take?

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The Pirate Bay Demand Webcast of Trial

Set to start in just a few days time, the trial of The Pirate Bay will be one of the most important cases the file-sharing community has ever witnessed. However, due to restrictions, the number of people viewing it first hand could be very limited indeed. “Time to make demands,” says Peter Sunde.

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On February 16th 2009, one of the biggest trials in P2P history begins. The case of the largest BitTorrent tracker, The Pirate Bay, will be followed by millions around the world.

The Pirate Bay team have been preparing for the media battle, in part by designating their tour bus as the site’s official media center. But already there are complaints about how accessible the trial will be to the public, with TiAMO and Brokep demanding changes to how it will be made available. In true Pirate Bay style, they want everyone to have access, one way or another.

According to Pirate Bay co-founder Fredrik Neij (aka TiAMO) the case will be heard in room 9 of Stockholm’s District Court. This room has space for maximum 35-40 people to view the case. At least 20 of these seats will be reserved for the press and, you can bet, these will be taken up by the mainstream press, many of which are unsympathetic to the site’s cause, a point not lost on Peter Sunde, aka Brokep.

“Traditional media is 90% owned by the opposition in this case and that is something that really must be taken into account,” he notes.

The court will provide another area which will have the trial’s audio fed in. “There will be a room where you can hear the sound from the trial,” says TiAMO, “this room can hold 20-25 people,” but the space allocated just isn’t enough.

“So this does not work,” says TiAMO. “I want a request for real premises immediately so they have time to fix the problem.” He’s very unhappy at the space allocated, noting that the case is one of the biggest political cases in recent times and since there are four people on trial, there isn’t even enough space for their family members to be present.

“I NEED a room for at least 150 people, 20 reserved for the family and 80 to 100 reserved for the press and public. It need not be in the same room, but we need several rooms REQUIRING video too, not just sound,” he demands.

Brokep says that in addition to the seats held back for the traditional press, he is set to demand that the court reserves seats for bloggers too.

As the discussions continue over the proposals do a live webcast of the court case of a Boston University student versus the RIAA, Brokep wants similar for the Pirate Bay. They want the case transmitted live on the web.

“We want to show how it works. Cards on the table, everything should be transparent!”

And why not?
source

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THE BUDWEISER SHOOTOUT for 2009

THE RACE, February 2009

Jumps to sections on this page:

Race Results
Segment 1 Results
Tv Info, Practices
Practice 1 Results
Starting Lineup Order
Budweiser Shootout Tidbits
Drivers/Teams Chart
Race News
Race Rules
Past Bud Shootout Winners

# Harvick wins the 2009 Budweiser Shootout: #29-Kevin Harvick only led one lap, but it was the last lap in a wild Budweiser Shootout win. Harvick started 23rd and spent most of the race in the back avoiding wrecks. A late race wreck between #16-Biffle and #12-Stremme set up a two-lap green-white-checkered finish. #26-McMurray led the race going into the GWC with Harvick 4th. On the final lap #48-Johnson, #11-Hamlin and #07-Mears were involved in a wreck just as Harvick took the lead, freezing the field. McMurray finished second followed by #14-Stewart, #24-Gordon and #44-Allmendinger. #88-Earnhardt Jr. got caught in a wreck late and finished 18th after leading the most laps with 24. Pole sitter #98-Menard led two laps but was never a factor and limped home to a 11th place finish. There were 8 cautions for 23 laps and 14 drivers lead laps with 23 lead changes.(2-7-2009)

# Race Fast Facts - Budweiser Shootout at Daytona:
Kevin Harvick won the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona his first victory in five appearances in the pre-season event.
This is his first victory and fourth top-10 finish in the Budweiser Shootout.
Jamie McMurray (second) posted his second top-10 and his best ever finish in four Budweiser Shootouts.
Tony Stewart (third) posted his eighth top-five finish in 10 Budweiser Shootouts.
The 23 lead changes and 14 leaders both set records for the Budweiser Shootout.
(NASCAR Statistics)(2-7-2009)

# Unofficial Race Results for the Budweiser Shootout - Saturday, February 7, 2009
Daytona International Speedway - Daytona Beach, FL - 2.5 Mile Paved
Total Race Length - 78 Laps - 195 Miles - Purse: $1,217,154

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NASCAR: Bud Shootout Results

Kevin Harvick started near the rear of the field and had problems all night long, but was in the right place at the right time to capture the 2009 Budweiser Shootout at Daytona.

In the first 25 lap segment, Harvick was squeezed into the wall by Brian Vickers, suffering damage to his right front fender. He fell back out of the draft soon after that, but his crew made the necessary repairs during the 10-minute intermission to get him back into the race. He was near the front in the final laps and got a push from Denny Hamlin to take the lead from Jamie McMurray in turn three just seconds before the final caution came out freezing the field. Tony Stewart finished third, followed by Jeff Gordon and A. J. Allmendinger.

In this manufacturers' showdown, Chevy had three of the top four spots. McMurray had the top Ford. Allmendinger had the top Dodge. Kyle Busch, who finished tenth, had the top Toyota.

David Stremme slid up out of turn four and got into Greg Biffle with three laps, bringing out the seventh caution of the night and setting up a green-white-checkered finish. Harvick came up the middle and squeezed in front of Hamlin on the outside, who pushed him by McMurray. Seconds later, Casey Mears got into the rear of Jimmie Johnson causing a chain reaction accident and freezing the field with Harvick in front.

The cars were bouncing around wildly. The result was eight cautions in just 75 laps, starting early on lap 4. Some cars slowed in the middle of the field, bunching up the cars behind. When David Regan slowed Robbie Gordon got into the rear of him, knocking out the two main contenders for Rookie of the Year, Scott Speed and Joey Lagano. By the time of the green-white-checkered restart, only fifteen cars remained on the track out of the 28 that started the race. Another four or five were damaged in the final wreck.

Race Results
Video Highlights

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Portuguese Man-of-War

Portuguese Man-of-War Profile

Anyone unfamiliar with the biology of the venomous Portuguese man-of-war would likely mistake it for a jellyfish. Not only is it not a jellyfish, it's not even an "it," but a "they." The Portuguese man-of-war is a siphonophore, an animal made up of a colony of organisms working together.

The man-of-war comprises four separate polyps. It gets its name from the uppermost polyp, a gas-filled bladder, or pneumatophore, which sits above the water and somewhat resembles an old warship at full sail. Man-of-wars are also known as bluebottles for the purple-blue color of their pneumatophores.

The tentacles are the man-of-war's second organism. These long, thin tendrils can extend 165 feet (50 meters) in length below the surface, although 30 feet (10 meters) is more the average. They are covered in venom-filled nematocysts used to paralyze and kill fish and other small creatures. For humans, a man-of-war sting is excruciatingly painful, but rarely deadly. But beware—even dead man-of-wars washed up on shore can deliver a sting.

Muscles in the tentacles draw prey up to a polyp containing the gastrozooids or digestive organisms. A fourth polyp contains the reproductive organisms.

Man-of-wars are found, sometimes in groups of 1,000 or more, floating in warm waters throughout the world's oceans. They have no independent means of propulsion and either drift on the currents or catch the wind with their pneumatophores. To avoid threats on the surface, they can deflate their air bags and briefly submerge.

Fast Facts

Type: Invertebrate
Diet: Carnivore
Size: Float, 12 in (30 cm) long, 5 in (12.7 cm) wide; Tentacles, Up to 165 ft (50 m) long
Did you know? The tiny Nomeus gronovii fish is immune to the sting of the Portuguese man-of-war. It lives among the tentacles and even snacks on the stinging tendrils.

Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man :

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Jennifer Figge Swims Across Atlantic, First Woman

Jennifer Figge pressed her toes into the Caribbean sand, exhilarated and exhausted as she touched land this week for the first time in almost a month.

Reaching a beach in Trinidad, she became the first woman on record to swim across the Atlantic Ocean — a dream she'd had since the early 1960s, when a stormy trans-Atlantic flight got her thinking she could don a life vest and swim the rest of the way if needed.

The 56-year-old left the Cape Verde Islands off Africa's western coast on Jan. 12, battling waves of up to 30 feet (9 meters) and strong winds.

David Higdon, a friend of Figge who kept in touch with her via satellite phone, said she had originally planned to swim to the Bahamas, but inclement weather forced her to veer 1,000 miles (1,610 kms) off course to Trinidad, where she arrived on Feb. 5.

Figge plans to continue her odyssey, swimming from Trinidad to the British Virgin Islands, where she expects to arrive in late February. The crew won't compute the total distance Figge swam until after she completes the journey, Higdon said.

Then it's home to Aspen, Colo. — where she trained for months in an outdoor pool amid snowy blizzards — to reunite with her Alaskan Malamute.

"My dog doesn't know where I am," she told The Associated Press on Saturday by phone. "It's time for me to get back home to Hank."

The dog swirled in her thoughts, as did family and friends, as Figge stroked through the chilly Atlantic waters escorted by a sailboat. She saw a pod of pilot whales, several turtles, dozens of dolphins, plenty of Portuguese man-of-war — but no sharks.

"I was never scared," Figge said. "Looking back, I wouldn't have it any other way. I can always swim in a pool."

Her journey comes a decade after French swimmer Benoit Lecomte made the first known solo trans-Atlantic swim, covering nearly 4,000 miles (6,400 kilometers) from Massachusetts to France in 73 days. No woman on record has made the crossing.

Figge woke most days around 7 a.m., eating pasta and baked potatoes while she and the crew assessed the weather. Her longest stint in the water was about eight hours, and her shortest was 21 minutes. Crew members would throw bottles of energy drinks as she swam; if the seas were too rough, divers would deliver them in person. At night she ate meat, fish and peanut butter, replenishing the estimated 8,000 calories she burned a day.

In this undated photo released by David Higdon, friend of swimmer Jennifer Figge, she's shown posing for a picture after her arrival to Chacachacare Island, in Trinidad, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009. Figge, of Aspen, Colorado, is the first woman to swim across the Atlantic Ocean, after leaving the Cape Verde Islands off Africa on Jan. 12, swimming roughly 2,100 miles (3,380 kilometers) to arrive in Trinidad. She plans to swim from Trinidad to the British Virgin Islands in the last leg of her journey. (AP Photo)

Figge wore a red cap and wet suit, with her only good-luck charm underneath: an old, red shirt to guard against chafing, signed by friends, relatives and her father, who recently died.

The other cherished possession she kept onboard was a picture of Gertrude Ederle, an American who became the first woman to swim across the English Channel.

"We have a few things in common," Figge said. "She wore a red hat and she was of German descent. We both talk to the sea, and neither one of us wanted to get out."

Figge arrived on Trinidad's Chacachacare Island, an abandoned leper colony, at 5:20 p.m. She plans to leave Trinidad on Monday night. During this brief respite, she has avoided the hotel pool and nearby ocean, opting instead for the treadmill.

via : googlenews

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TV On The Radio - Wolf Like Me lyrics

Artist: TV On The Radio lyrics
Album: Return To Cookie Mountain
Year: 2006
Title: Wolf Like Me lyrics

Lyrics to Wolf Like Me :
Say say my playmate
wont you lay hands on me
mirror my malady
transfer my tragedy

Got a curse i cannot lift
shines when the sunset shifts
when the moon is round and full
gotta bust that box gotta gut that fish

My mind's aflame

We could jet in a stolen car
but i bet we wouldnt get too far
before the transformation takes
and bloodlust tanks and
crave gets slaked

My mind has changed
my bodys frame but god i like it
my hearts aflame
my bodys strained but god i like it

My mind has changed
my bodys frame but god i like it
my hearts aflame
my bodys strained but god i like it

Charge me your day rate
ill turn you out in kind
when the moon is round and full
gonna teach you tricks that'll blow your
mongrel mind
baby doll i recognize
you're a hideous thing inside
if ever there were a lucky kind it's
you you you you

I know its strange another way to get to know you
you'll never know unless we go so let me show you
i know its strange another way to get to know you
we've got till noon here comes the moon
so let it show you
show you now

Dream me oh dreamer
down to the floor
open my hands and let them
weave onto yours

Feel me, completer
down to my core
open my heart and let it
bleed onto yours

Feeding on fever
down all fours
show you what all that
howl is for

Hey hey my playmate
let me lay waste to thee
burned down their hanging trees
it's hot here hot here hot here hot here

Got a curse we cannot lift
shines when the sunshine shifts
there's a cure comes with a kiss
the bite that binds the gift that gives

now that we got gone for good
writhing under your riding hood
tell your gra'ma and your mama too
it's true
we're howling forever

TV On The Radio biography

The core members are Tunde Adebimpe (vocals/loops), David Andrew Sitek (guitars/keyboards/loops), Kyp Malone (vocals/guitars/loops) along with Jaleel Bunton (drums) and Gerard Smith (bass).

Other contributors include Katrina Ford of the band Celebration (vocals), Martin Perna (saxophones, flute) of Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra and Nick Zinner (guitar) of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

The first album from TV on the Radio (initially just founding members Adebimpe and Sitek) was the self-released OK Calculator (the title being a reference to Radiohead's seminal album OK Computer), the majority of which is wildly different from their later sound, with elements of electronica, hip hop and turntablism. Later they were joined by Kyp Malone and released the Young Liars EP in 2003 to great critical acclaim. This was followed by their full-length debut, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes which earned the band the 2004 Shortlist Music Prize. They released a second EP, New Health Rock, later in 2004. Their most recent album, Return to Cookie Mountain, leaked in early 2006 and garnered pre-release praise from such outlets as Pitchfork Media[1] before its official release in July overseas. U.S. and Canadian audiences had to wait until September for an official release, on major label Interscope.

Founding member David Andrew Sitek has produced records with such bands as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Celebration, and Liars. Currently building his own studio, Sitek is in the process of producing the first LP for Dragons of Zynth, and working with them on a collaboration with Massive Attack for an upcoming New Gothic/soul album. He has also recently mixed the debut album by The Longcut.

Tunde Adebimpe has also worked with the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, producing and animating their Pin video.

TV on the Radio is one of the favorite active bands of rock icon David Bowie, who also contributes backing vocals on the track "Province" from the latest effort, Return to Cookie Mountain. The album was released July 6, 2006 worldwide (except the United States and Canada) by 4AD. The official North American release date was September 12, 2006 by Interscope Records.[2] Bowie had been following TV on the Radio since 2003, when Sitek sold Bowie's doorman a painting and passed along some of the band's recordings. After surprising the group with an adulatory phone call, Bowie kept in touch with the band members, advising them on everything from how to deal with record executives to what to do with "Dry Drunk Emperor," a Bush-bashing single that they recorded in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. (They released the track online for free, per Bowie's suggestion.) "They have a strong link with the great body of American poetry, especially Beat poetry," Bowie says. "The sampling, multitracking and mashing identifies them as the spawn of a techno-industrial society. I love the new record. I play it about three times a week, which is, like, saturation level for me."

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Ben Carson: Gifted Hands

Ben Carson is a gifted neurosurgeon whose life story has been made into a TNT movie starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. Read about it below and see photos and a video.

Benjamin S. Carson, Sr., M.D. is a world renowned pediatric neurosurgeon. He has literally saved lives and improved the lives of the people who know him and know his story. His is an American story. Its about struggle, overcoming obstacles, redemption, grasping opportunity, faith, the pursuit of happiness and all of the things that make America unique in the world. His message is clear and consistent. You can reach the American dream. You can reach for your potential with faith, hard work and the tough loving of a good mother. He preaches the value of education and one can rise above the most humble of beginnings through a solid education. In fact, he and his wife have established scholarship foundation, the Carson Scholars Fund, to pay for college for youth who show strong academic ability and humanitarian values.

The story shows how his divorced mother, Sonya Carson, raised her two sons, Ben and his older brother, Curtis Carson on the mean streets of Detroit’s west side and taught them to rise above their circumstances to pull themselves out of poverty. Curtis Carson became an engineer and Benjamin Carson became a pediatric neurosurgeon.

Dr. Ben Carson’s story premiered on TNT tonight. Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story, sponsored by Johnson and Johnson and starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Kimberly Elise as Carson and his mother, Sonya Carson. The movie is, of course, based on the book by the same name. There is also a companion children’s book, The Ben Carson Story. The children’s book is written in such a way as to help parents use Ben Carson’s story to teach children the lessons and values that are offered through learning his story.

Dr. Carson became the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital when he was just 33-years-old. President George W. Bush awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2008. He and his wife, Candy Carson, live in Baltimore County, Maryland. They are the parents of three grown sons. You can learn more about him at his website.

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Hob Knocker: What is Hobknocker?

Hob Knocker: What is Hobknocker?!

What the heck is Hobknocker? This is on top of the trends today. My first time to hear of this word "Hob Knocker". What does Hobknocker mean? Any idea?

Well, here's what I found. The term Hob Knocker emerged in the top searches today because it was mentioned by David Archuleta in his appearance at ICarly. David mentioned about Hob Knocker. So that explains. Here's a short clip of the David Archulta mentioning Hob Knocker:

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India vs Sri Lanka, 5th ODI, Colombo , Live Scores , Live Streaming , Neo Sports

The 5th and final ODI of the series etween India and Sri Lanka will begin from Sunday, 8th Feb at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Start time 10:00 local, (04:30 GMT)

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India are looking to make a rare 5-0 ODI series whitewash on the Sri Lankan team in the last match of the series.

Sri Lanka have never been whitewashed at home and coupled with the fact that a victory here tomorrow, India will not be complacent here because a win here would take India even closer to the top slot in the ODI ranking,

India are probably going to rest Yuvraj Singh and Praveen Kumar and bring in Sachin Tendulkar and L Balaji.

Sri Lanka could play Upul Tharanga his first match of the series with opener Sanath Jayasuriya being rested. Also Mendis could take M Muralitharan’s place after he reached his world record in the last match.

Is Yuvraaj Singh Dating MInissha Lamba Check out here

Pitch Condition :

The pitch is expected to be more same like the last two games, unlike the second game, even though this is a day game.

As Ishant Sharma put it, “it would be better to bowl first as conditions will be helpful. The track becomes flat as the match progresses, to even 300 becomes an easy target’.

India: (likely) 1 Sachin Tendulkar, 2 Virender Sehwag, 3 Gautam Gambhir, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Rohit Sharma, 6 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Irfan Pathan, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 L Balaji, 11 Ishant Sharma

Sri Lanka: (probable) 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Upul Tharanga, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Mahela Jayawardene (capt), 5 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 6 Thilina Kandamby, 7, Angelo Mathews, 8 Farveez Maharoof, 9 Nuwan Kulasekara, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 Ajantha Mendis.

Watch Slumdog Millionaire actress freida pintos Hot PhotoShoot

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