All Fundies are Alike

UT ON THE Innertubes, you can find a bunch of cool religion talk shows. One such is BBC 4’s Beyond Belief, a 30 minute weekly that touches on a wider variety of religious and ethical issues. The Episode on 26 January was about the Ramayana, an important Hindu Scripture. There were three guests on the show, including one who was quite clearly the token Hindu Fundamentalist.

What surprised me was how exactly like Christian FUndies he was. He was certain of a literal reading of the Ramayana; certain, even, that a later, more-embellished form of the text was the authentic text, even though scholars had found earlier versions; he was sure, for example, that the God-Man, Ram, had lived 100,000 years ago in a glorious kingdom. Of course there is no evidence of mankind at all more than 60 or 80,000 years ago and certainly not in glorious kingdoms reaching all over the world…

Unless you ask a Hindu Fundamentlist, who will get all “Creationist” on you and insist the human species is hundreds of thousands of years old.

The entire conversation was very interesting. You can listen to it on the website

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Non-Toxic Kids Pregnancy and New Mom Series: Avoid Chemicals and Toxins

When you are pregnant, or nursing, it is even more important to avoid toxins in your food and everyday products. Here's a compilation of posts from Non-Toxic Kids for new moms and moms to be about some ways to limit unecessary exposures to toxins, chemicals and radiation. Hopefully having it all in one post will be helpful for you expectant and new mamas.

1. Limit your exposure to plastics.

2. Eat less processed foods.

3. Avoid heavily using your cellphone.

4. Avoid pesticides, definitely the dirty dozen.

5. Use safer cosmetics.

6. Buy and use safer paints in your house.

Readers, what are your tips for expecting parents?

image: Pregnant Belly by kellyandapril on flickr under Creative Commons



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BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF PAPA JOHN’S aNAMES FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN JOHN H. SCHNATTER AS INTERIM CEO

Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) today announced that its Board of Directors has named John H. Schnatter, the Company’s Founder and Chairman, as Interim Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Schnatter succeeds Nigel Travis, who has served as Papa John’s President and Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors since 2005.
Mr. Travis is leaving the company to pursue another opportunity. Mr. Travis and the Board have agreed that his employment with Papa John’s will continue through Dec. 30, 2008.
The Company’s Board of Directors has formed a committee comprised of William M. Street, who will serve as chair, Alexander W. Smith, Olivia F. Kirtley, Norborne P. Cole, Jr. and Mr. Schnatter, to undertake a search for a permanent Chief Executive Officer.
Norborne P. Cole, Jr., Papa John’s Lead Director, said, “We appreciate all that Nigel has done for the Company over the last four years. Papa John’s has made progress in several key areas during Nigel’s tenure, including international expansion and growing our online leadership position in the pizza category. We thank Nigel for his contributions and extend our best wishes to him in his future endeavors.

“We are pleased that John has once again agreed to lead the Company, albeit on an interim basis, until we can identify a permanent replacement. John is a proven business leader with broad management experience, an unparalleled understanding of this business and valuable relationships with franchisees throughout the Papa John’s system,” concluded Mr. Cole.
Mr. Schnatter said, “I look forward to working closely with our talented team and strong franchise family to build on our strengths and continue moving the Papa John’s brand forward throughout the world. We are fortunate to be well-capitalized with a conservative balance sheet. The key to Papa John’s success has always been the quality of our pizzas and our high service levels - and we remain committed to providing our customers with a superior-quality customer experience.”
As previously announced on November 19, 2008, the Company is implementing a comprehensive package of domestic franchise system support initiatives in response to the current economic and consumer climate. The Company believes the support program will produce long-term shareholder benefits by mitigating potential unit closures and strengthening its brand. Other important objectives of the support program include growing market share in a consolidating category, stabilizing transaction levels and targeting a substantial multi-year increase in online ordering percentage.
John Schnatter created the Papa John’s concept and founded the Company in 1985. He currently serves as the Company’s Chairman of the Board. He served as Executive Chairman of the Company from 2005 until May 2007, as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer from 1990 until 2005 and as President from 1985 to 1990 and from 2001 until 2005.
Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Papa John’s International, Inc. (NASDAQ: PZZA) is the world’s third largest pizza company. For nine years running, consumers have rated Papa John’s No. 1 in customer satisfaction among all national pizza chains in the highly regarded American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI). Papa John’s also ranks first among pizza companies in the 2008 Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, was honored by Restaurants & Institutions Magazine (R&I) with the 2008 Silver Award for Consumers’ Choice in Chains in the pizza segment, and was named 2007 Pizza Today Chain of the Year. For more information about the company or to order pizza online, visit Papa John’s at www.papajohns.com.

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NZ Raelians Celebrate World Nude Day!

Fri 6th Feb is World Nude Day. It's an opportunity to celebrate the beauty of the human body and to rid society of the outdated Judeo-Christian belief that 'nudity is bad.' "On the contrary! There is nothing more natural or beautiful than the human body!", states Mark Woodgate, National Guide for New Zealand.

"It's quite unbelievable that we're only just beginning to emerge from a society with these outdated beliefs. We're ALL born naked and children feel no shame in their nudity until they are programmed otherwise."

RAEL, the spiritual leader of the International Raelian Movement explains in his teachings that the human body is one of the greatest works of art, the result of a scientific creation which should be cherished and celebrated. Instead, in this so called ‘enlightened’ 21st Century, nudity and the fundamental right of self expression is still under fire.

We are created "in the image" of our Creators, the Elohim, an advanced race of people mistaken as 'gods' by our ancestors, so what could be shameful about nudity?

The NZ Raelians are demonstrating their support for World Nude Day by offering body painting at Mt Maunganui Beach (next to Leisure Island) from 11am on Fri 6th Feb. Body painting is symbolic that the human body is a beautiful work of art and should be celebrated as such.

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Just Like Old Times: Lakers Vs. Celtics [NBA Live Thread]

All right everyone, a special live thread tonight for those of you who'll be watching the Lakers/Celtics game. Kobe is coming off of 61 and 36 point games after Andrew Bynum went down, while the C's have won 12 straight.

With this game being in the Garden - by which I mean the TD Bank North American Leprechaun Arena, or whatever the hell they call it - and Bynum being out, I wouldn't exactly say I like the Lakers. And neither does FanIQ.

69% of you say the Celtics are going to win.

But then again, Kobe is probably the best player in the league, so you never know what could happen.

Feel free to chat it up here, or on the already seriously active game page.

Also, if you're interested, stick around for game two which features Dallas versus Utah. You'll probably see more white guys on the court in that game then you will the rest of the season.

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Are You One of Madoff's Victims?

Last night, the list of the Madoff scandal victims were released. For many, the actual dollars lost were included in the report.

The Wall Street Journal has a copy of the 162 page madoff client list in PDF format. You can download it and see if any of your rich friends are on this list. Well, I guess they might not be rich anymore. There is a Barry Schwartz on the list, but it is a Barry A. Schwartz in Merrick, New York - which I think is in Long Island. Anyway, it is not me.

WSJ also has a clean list of the most exposed victims of Madoff. Too many names on that list look familiar, including many charities, non-profits and schools.

I keep thinking, "what a shame... what a shame..."
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'General Hospital' to be Involved in 'Go Red for Women'

ABC is joining Campbell's Soup for the American Heart Association's "Go Red for Women" program, to give women knowledge about heart disease and actions they can take to reduce the risk of heart attack.

Crimson Magazine will donate a silk chiffon and taffeta dress for the "Go Red" gala in New York. The dress, which will be auctioned, was designed by Mary Iannelli, who designs for General Hospital. When the model can't do the job, Maxie wears the gown! Perfect, since Maxie is the beneficiary of a heart transplant.

Maxie will be escorted to the Go Red event by Johnny Zacchara. Hmm....

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Val Kilmer's flirtation

Checking out the local news on the tele last night, lo and behold, I spied Val Kilmer actually speaking to the press--as in, the New Mexico press. Kilmer went to the Roundhouse yesterday and caused a big stir. How come that doesn't happen when I walk in the door? I want to hang out on the rostrum with the Speaker of the House and flirt with a gubernatorial run too.

Kilmer has a couple of big issues to deal with if he wants to run.

First, does he run as a Democrat? If so, he has that pesky Ralph Nader-supporter thing to deal with. As someone who did support Nader when he was still officially Green, I can attest to the loathing that Democrats have for Nader. The more left the Democrat, the more they'll begrudgingly acknowledge Nader's smarts, but they still don't like him. And I have to admit, I've come a long way in that direction myself. Nader is an egomaniac, plain and simple. If he wasn't, he would have supported Cynthia McKinney instead of running this year himself. Not to mention, that vaunted lifestyle he leads--in which he lives with practically no material goods, has no relationships and is totally committed to his work? Also a sign of the egomaniac if you ask me, not to mention someone who scorns the "regular guy." Lefties often border on this particular trait when they say things like "I don't own a television" proudly. Anyhow, I know a lot of smart radicals, and Nader doesn't impress me much. But he impressed Kilmer, who gave him a bunch of green bills last year.

Second, Kilmer hasn't voted in New Mexico although he's lived here an awful long time. You know, I don't really have much of a problem with this one, if it's just about a fellow citizen's choices. Look at all the scandal. The pay-to-play allegations may turn out to be unprovable, and at that level, maybe they're untrue. But anyone in their right mind can see that money buys access, and those relationships turn into nice gigs for the players. Richardson took this system to new heights but in truth it's something that permeates the political economy we've set up for ourselves as a society. Frankly, it's discouraging. But back to Kilmer. Do we really think he doesn't vote because he feels disempowered? Sorry, but that's kind of a stretch. I think it's more like he's been disengaged. And now that he's "flirting" with a governor's run, he told a local television reporter that he "regrets" those choices.

So, these are the two primary stumbling blocks I see for Kilmer. Both could potentially lead into deep examinations of how and why our society functions the way it does. This is why I call them stumbling blocks, not big massive walls that will stop him cold. The potential is interesting...if he decides to go there.

Frankly, having mulled this all over, I like the Kilmer flirtation. It's certainly a welcome distraction--or absurdity, however you want to look at it--in the face of all this gross stuff swirling around New Mexico politics lately.

Not to mention, I'm kind of curious about his ideas for New Mexico. Afterall, he is a Nader supporter. ;-) Not to mention, he's sort of weird, so if the PR machine doesn't get hold of him, his ideas could be pretty interesting.

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It's National Wear Red Day

"He who has health, has hope. And he who has hope, has everything."

-Proverb

Tomorrow is National Wear Red Day to bring awareness to women's heart health. Heart disease is still the number one killer of women, so educating ourselves on nutrition and ways to take care of ourselves is more important than ever. There are all kinds of things that can be done to raise awareness to women's heart health and one of the easiest is to wear red today.

I have a picked out my red sweater, black skirt, and red handbag for the day, and I am going to go out into the world and show my support. I am thinking about the ladies in my family who struggled with heart disease, like my mother in law who suffered a heart attack late last year, after years of dealing with heart related conditions.


I'm wearing red for her.

How about you? Will you wear red tomorrow?

Go Red For Women Website

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Bailout Wine Bets On A Rebounding Dow

Custom wine facility Crushpad has a unique answer to the financial crisis, Bailout Wine. The wine is a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon which will sell for $39 per bottle. But what makes this wine with the bear and bull label so unique is that for every 100-point drop in the Dow Jones from the date of purchase to the projected bottling date of August 14 2009, Crushpad will knock another $2 off the bottle. If the Dow rebounds the $39 price stands. Only 500 cases of Bailout will be produced but the company could still take a hit if the Dow tumbles. For example if you bought when the Dow was at 8,800 and then on August 14, 2009 it closes at 7,300 (let's hope not) you would pay just $9 a bottle and get your $30 back. The wine will be shipped after it is bottled in Summer 2009.
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Bailout Wine

For all my brokerage friends, may I suggest a product for your customers who have stayed with you over the past 12 months. Sure means they love you if they can stick with you after the market’s are down 50%!!


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Chicago Outfit Boss James Marcello Sentenced To Life

Chicago Outfit mob boss James "Little Jimmy" Marcello, convicted in September 2007 "for his role as the leader of a racketeering conspiracy" that included the murders of the two Spilotro brothers in the Operation Family Secrets trial, today was sentenced to life in prison:

Tony "The Ant" Spilotro, the Chicago mob's man in Las Vegas, and his brother Michael, a restaurant owner, were found beaten and buried in an Indiana cornfield in an apparent act of mob vengeance. Tony was the inspiration for Joe Pesci's character in the movie "Casino." * * * Nicholas Calabrese, a mob hit man, testified at the trial that Marcello drove the Spilotro brothers to a meeting in a home where they were murdered in June 1986. Calabrese testified that Tony Spilotro arrived at the meeting believing he was about to become a member of the Chicago Outfit. He said when Spilotro saw those waiting, he knew immediately what it meant. "Is there time to say a prayer?" he quoted Tony Spilotro as asking.

In imposing the life sentence the judge "also held Marcello liable for the 1981 mob murder of Nicholas D'Andrea, as he is allowed to do under law, even though a jury deadlocked on that count at trial":

The judge found prosecutors proved the D'Andrea murder by clear and convincing evidence. Mobsters kidnapped D'Andrea to question him about a botched mob hit but beat him to death in the back of a car instead. Marcello was driving, according to courtroom testimony. Nicholas D'Andrea's son, Bob, came before the judge today, looked Marcello straight in the eyes and told him he wished Marcello could imagine the pain his father went through as he was beaten to death. Marcello stared right back at him. "I want you to imagine the pain someone feels being beaten with the butt end of a shotgun," D'Andrea said. "Imagine that, for a moment."

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Medisana Back Pain Relief System

Medisana Back Pain Relief System - You have pain? Then you must take a look at this relief system from Medisana. It is only $49.99 just special for today. Below you can see the detailed features and pictures of Medisana Back Pain Relief System. This gadget most important and interesting specific is that you can do some actions even for example when your shoulder hurts. Namely, after you put it on, you won’t feel any pain in any way. Of course this system is especially for back, lower back. I have searched for this system a little, and i have nearly not seen anyone who has Medisana Back Pain Relief System is not satisfied with that except a few things. Anyway, of course the choice is yours! But you must also know a deal like this comes only once in a year. That is all. If you have any questions to ask, we will be around here to answer them.

In the box, you will also have

Support belt
Snap cables
Digital dual channel stimulator
Self-adhesive stimulator pads
Operation manual
Convenient carry case
9-volt battery
with Medisana Back Pain Relief System

Medisana Back Pain Relief System Features
Provides relief of lower back pain associated with sore and aching muscles without the side effects common with some pain relief medications
Uses TENS Technology (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation), an approved non-invasive drug-free method of reducing lower back pain. It sends small electrical impulses though electrodes places on the skin to underlying fibers
Electrical stimulation of the nerve fibers can block a pain signal from being carried to the brain, and pain is not perceived
TENS can also trigger your body to release endorphins in the brain which can relieve pain
Easy-touch, hand-held controls allow you to customize your therapy
Medisana Back Pain Relief System Pictures:


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ANTHONY "THE ANT" SPILOTRO

Anthony Spilotro was born on May 19, 1938 in Chicago. Spilotro grew up in a loving family, and seemed to be on track for a decent and honest life. But he decided he wanted something else, and in his sophmore year at Steinmetz Highschool he dropped out and turned to a life of crime. Once out of school he joined forces with other Steinmetz dropouts and engaged in petty crimes, like shoplifting and purse snatching. On January 11, 1955 Spilotro is arrested for the first time, for stealing a shirt. He is fined ten dollars and is put on probation. But after several more arrests Spilotro receives some special attention from the police. By 1960 Spilotro has been arrested thirteen times and he feels he is ready for the next step in his criminal career.

Full Article:

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Flight of the Conchords tickets on sale Saturday

It's business, it's busiiinessss tiiiiime. Especially now that Kiwi comedy duo Flight of the Conchords headed to Seattle's Paramount Theatre on May 11 and 12. The duo's new tour coincides with the end of season two of their HBO TV series, and Arj Barker has been tapped to open. Tickets are $35 and go on sale at 10 a.m. on Saturday (Feb. 7). Check here for more details.

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Infectious Laughter, Muttley Weatherman, Video

Infectious Laughter, Muttley Weatherman, Video. This guy seriously can not get through his forecast. I would really like to know what was said, but I guess I can just laugh at this guy. His laugh sounds a lot like Muttley the dog. I left a video to remind you of Muttley under the Weatherman vid.




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Amanda Beard Not Dating Thorpe

Swimming hottie Amanda Beard recently denied dating Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe, in an interview. Thorpe had earlier talked about Amanda and everybody thought they were in a relationship.

“Well, I did have a long-term, long-distance relationship (with champion American breaststroker Amanda Beard), and it was great while it lasted. It was sort of public knowledge we were seeing each other, and yet not. It went on for ages, years,” he was quoted as saying.

Amanda completely falsified the statement, saying that they were just friends.

Beard, 27, yesterday told her agent: “Take out the word relationship and put in the word friendship and that’s exactly what it was.”

Now, these revelations have come at a time when people have started questioning about an alleged ‘chemistry’ between Thorpe and his Brazilian flatmate Daniel Mendes. That apparently makes him gay after having a ‘long-distance thing’ with the hottest female swimmer in the world.

This guy has certainly moved on!


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Calif. octuplets' mom's veil of secrecy vanishes

Source: Associated Press

Suleman, who now has 14 children, told doctors she battled with depression for years after she was injured in a riot in 1999 at the state mental hospital where she worked.

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Among other things, the documents reveal that Suleman collected more than $165,000 in disability payments between 2002 and 2008 for an injury she said left her in near-constant pain and helped end her marriage.

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"That was always a dream of mine, to have a large family, a huge family," she said. "I just longed for certain connections and attachments with another person that ... I really lacked, I believe, growing up."

In the state report, however, doctors indicate she had a happy childhood. She told them she was an above-average high school student, enjoyed being a cheerleader, had many friends and stayed out of trouble. She said her parents were loving and supportive.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090206/ap_on_re_us/octuple...

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Fulton Innovation has a wireless power coming out party at CES

It was just a short year ago that we went to Fulton Innovation's tiny booth at CES and failed to get a working wireless power demo, but a lot's happened since then -- the company is at CES 2009 in force, with a much larger, swanker booth, partners like Energizer and Motorola demoing working products, and tons of working real-world examples of the tech in action. We were particularly taken with the modded Dish DVR that automatically turned itself on and off when the remote was placed on top of it to charge up -- oh, and the remote featured super-capacitors instead of batteries that charge fully in 10 seconds. There were also a ton of cell phones (including a modded iPhone, of course), new cooking demos featuring a blender, and a super cool Leggett & Pratt power tool charging workbench. Extremely impressive, all in all -- we're starting to think that 2009 could be the year that wireless power could really take off. Gallery below, video after the break!

P.S.- We asked if Fulton had anything to do with the Palm Pre's sexy Touchstone wireless charger, but the guys in the booth didn't know. We'll let you know if we find anything out.
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TED Conference Opens in Long Beach, as Bill Gates Releases Mosquitoes

The high-level, think-tank-style TED Conference (the name stands for technology, entertainment, design) kicked off Tuesday in Long Beach, California—the conference's new home, after more than two decades in Monterey, California.
Adding a level of drama to yesterday's events, Bill Gates opened a jar of mosquitoes on stage to draw attention to the malaria epidemic. "Not only poor people should experience this," Gates told the assembled group, according to news reports online, before reassuring the crowd that those particular insects did not carry the disease. Reports of the incident varied: Facebook's Dave Morin first reported an unspecified number on Twitter, some bloggers characterized it as a "swarm," and other outlets reported seeing only a handful of bugs.

The conference runs through February 7 and is also being simulcast in Palm Springs, California.
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Nadya Suleman picture & Ann Curry: Nadya Suleman photo

Nadya Suleman’s photo is here. Suleman has shoulder length hair. Suleman is fair skinned and prettily made up. Suleman’s picture showed her dressed in a dark colored top and grey pants.

Nadya Suleman has reached an agreement to do her first ever interview with NBC network’s Ann Curry. Suleman supposedly has a lucrative deal with the TV media for her first public appearance since giving birth to octuplets in January 2009. The video, photos and other material will be loaded here as soon as they become available.

Nadya Suleman photo/picture.
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Etta James has senior moment and wants to kick Beyonce’s ass

Etta James has senior moment at a Seattle concert last week where she trashed Beyonce for singing “At Last” at US President Barack Obama’s inauguration.
If you don’t already know, “At Last” was Etta’s most famous song and Beyonce recently portrayed Etta in the film Cadillac Records as well.
We wonder what causes this public diss, since the two got along fine at the premiere of Cadillac Records(above).
Listen to what Etta said about Beyonce and her inauguration snub below:


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Solis Nomination Vote Postponed After Husband Pays Old Tax Liens - 02/06/09

The U.S. Senate Thursday postponed a committee vote on the Labor Secretary nomination of Rep. Hilda Solis after her husband paid $6,400 to settle outstanding tax liens. Republicans had delayed action on Solis’ nomination earlier out of their opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act labor law reform. The Obama administration says the Solis nomination is not in trouble. Solis is the most pro-worker, pro-union Labor Secretary nominee in many years.

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Michael Phelps USA Swimming Suspension!

Added to a lost Kellog’s endorsement, a Michael Phelps USA Swimming suspension! Michael Phelps now has a USA Swimming suspension!

The suspension comes as press reports of Phelps out of shape and significantly heavier. Is Michael even significantly training now in the first place?

USA Swimming, an organization that LALATE served as a rep for as a youth, has issued the following statement:

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - USA Swimming has reprimanded Michael Phelps under its Code of Conduct by withdrawing financial support and the eligibility to compete for a period of three months effective today, February 5.


This is not a situation where any anti-doping rule was violated, but we decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming member kids who look up to him as a role model and a hero.

Michael has voluntarily accepted this reprimand and has committed to earn back our trust.

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Obama “Welcomes Debate” From GOP By Mocking Their Tax Cut Suggestions, Says Stimulus Is Spending

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — A fired-up Barack Obama ditched his TelePrompter to rally House Democrats and rip Republican opponents of his recovery package Thursday night – at one point openly mocking the GOP for failing to follow through on promises of bipartisanship.

In what was the most pointedly partisan speech of his young presidency, Obama rejected Republican arguments that massive spending in the $819 billion stimulus bill that passed the House should be replaced by a new round of massive tax cuts.

“I welcome this debate, but we are not going to get relief by turning back to the same policies that for the last eight years doubled the national debt and threw our economy into a tailspin,” said President Obama – sounding more like Candidate Obama than at any time since he took the oath of office less than a month ago.

Obama, speaking to about 200 House Democrats at their annual retreat at the Kingsmill Resort and Spa, dismissed Republican attacks against the massive spending in the stimulus.

“What do you think a stimulus is?” Obama asked incredulously. “It’s spending — that’s the whole point! Seriously.”

Click the link to see humorous, teleprompter-free Obama herky-jerk his way through some tax cut bashing.

But as for Obama’s suggestion that stimulus is spending, let me say this: Government spending is burden. Burden we taxpayers have to carry. And further burdening the taxpayers is not, in any way, going to stimulate economic growth.

Think about it this way: How is Obama’s stimulus spending spree going to be paid for? In order to spend $900 billion to create/save 4,000,000 jobs (at a cost of $225,000/job) as Obama suggests, the money must first come from somewhere. Which means we either raise taxes substantially (a bad, bad idea in a time of recession) or we borrow the money. Thus exploding our already out of control national debt. Which will eventually be tax burden anyway because, at some point, we really are going to have to start paying the debt down.

The more we add to it now, the more our children and grand children will have to pay.

So how is that stimulus?

Obama can mug for the camera and make smug comments about how everyone knows that stimulus means spending (watch the video at the link), but just because Obama says it’s true doesn’t mean it is true.

He really does seem to be letting this messiah stuff go to his head.

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On safari for Madagascar coupon

Here’s an e-mail I got from a reader this morning:

“Hello! I saw a commercial yesterday talking about the release of Madagascar 2 on DVD in a special set with The Penguins of Madagascar DVD. It’s supposed to come out today, and the commercial said there was a $5 coupon in Friday’s paper. I haven’t seen it. Do you know anything about this or where I can find the coupon?”

Alas, I do not. I don’t see it in our paper either, which may very well be a factor the population size of our city. I looked in The USA Today, and didn’t see any coupon there, either. I called over to Books-a-Million to see if they might help and they’re going to have a look. If they find the coupon in any of the publications they carry there, they’ll call me. Meantime, if anybody else has seen said coupon, do share.

Not wanting to leave you empty handed, here are some dancing animals . They’re not worth $5, I know. Sorry.

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We Would Like To End Bagan’s Run – Sporting Coach

The Kolkata giants host Sporting Clube De Goa tomorrow in a 14th round I-League encounter. The Green and Maroons had gone down disappointingly 2-0 to the Flaming Orange in Goa.

Life has changed for Bagan since then, as they haven’t lost ever since in the league and now have an enviable eight match unbeaten run.

“Our team is much better shape and fitness than from when we last played Sporting in Goa. The addition of Marcos and several other players who were unfit then has only helped the squad. We look much more settled than before,” said Bencherifa who is already having a great time with Mohun Bagan.

When asked about his opponents, the Moroccan coach didn’t shy from praising the efforts of the Goan side to reach the position they are currently in.

“Everyone had doubts that Sporting would continue their reign at the top. One felt that after a few games, the whole thing would come down but it didn’t. Credit goes to their coach (Vishwas Gaonkar) and the team.”

On being queried about the importance of the game in terms of the title race, Bencherifa only spoke on the necessary three points.

“It’s a very important game but it’s not that if we win, then the title race comes to an end. There is a long way to go and for us a win means three points.”

A win for Mohun Bagan would mean that they would be the first Kolkata side to top the I-League table after a wait of several years.

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Indian voices at the Grammy 2009

New Delhi (PTI): The performances, glitz and glamour attached to the Grammy Awards apart, Indians will have much to cheer as three of the country's musicians will vie for a gramophone when the music world's Oscars are announced on Sunday night, in Los Angeles.

One of India's leading jazz musician Louis Banks has earned two Grammy nominations in the "Best Contemporary Jazz Album" category for his work in the albums "Miles From India" and "Floating Point".

This category is for albums containing 51 per cent or more playing time of instrumental tracks. "Miles from India" is a tribute to the founder of modern jazz Miles Davies.

According to Banks it is "an Indian tribute to the maestro who was simply in love with Indian music".

In "Floating Point", Banks plays with legendary guitarist John McLaughlin.

In the "Best Traditional World Music Album" (Vocal or Instrumental) category, two Indians are in the race Kolkata-based classical musician Debashish Bhattacharya and veteran Hindustani classical vocalist Lakshmi Shankar.

While Bhattacharya has been nominated for his album "Calcutta Chronicles: Indian Slide Guitar Odyssey", Lakshmi has been shortlisted for her album "Dancing In The Light".

"Calcutta Chronicles: Indian Slide Guitar Odyssey" is a musical journey through the centuries of guitar playing in India. Using three unique guitars that Bhattacharya designed himself, each raga explores influences ranging from gypsy to Sufi with deep sensitivity and free-flowing movement between past and present, tradition and innovation.

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The 2009 Grammy Award nominations

The 2009 Grammy Award nominations were unveiled during a live concert special featuring Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and a host of other musical performers on Wednesday night.

Two of the biggest selling albums of the year — Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III and Coldplay’s Viva La Vida were nominated for the Album of the Year statue.

Here is the official list of the 2009 Grammy Award nominees:
Record Of The Year
(Award to the Artist and to the Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s) and/or Mixer(s), if other than the artist.)
Chasing Pavements Adele
Viva La Vida Coldplay
Bleeding Love Leona Lewis
Paper Planes M.I.A
Please Read The Letter Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

Album Of The Year
Viva La Vida Coldplay
Tha Carter III Lil Wayne
Year Of The Gentleman Ne-Yo (LOL)
Raising Sand - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
In Rainsbows Radiohead

Song Of The Year
(A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)
American Boy - William Adams, Keith Harris, Josh Lopez, Caleb Speir, John Stephens, Estelle Swaray & Kanye West, songwriters
Chasing Pavements - Adele Adkins, songwriter
I’m Yours - Jason Mraz, songwriter
Love Song - Sara Bareilles, songwriter
Viva La Vida - Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters

Best New Artist
Adele
Duffy
Jonas Brothers (LOL)
Lady Antebellum
Jazmine Sullivan

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Chasing Pavements - Adele
Love Song - Sara Bareilles
Mercy - Duffy
Bleeding Love - Leona Lewis
I Kissed A Girl - Katy Perry (ugh)
So What - P!nk

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals
Rock And Roll Train - AC/DC
Violet Hill - Coldplay
Long Road Out Of Eden - The Eagles
Sex On Fire - Kings of Leon
House of Cards - Radiohead

Best Rock Album
Viva La Vida - Coldplay
Rock n Roll Jesus - Kid Rock (lol)
Only By The Night - Kings of Leon
Death Magnetic - Metallica
Consolers of the Lonely - The Raconteurs

Best Alternative Album
In Rainbows - Radiohead
Evil Urges - My Morning Jacket
Modern Guilt - Beck
Narrow Stairs - Death Cab For Cutie
The Odd Couple - Gnarls Barkley
other big cateogires are coming in right now and I will upade this post with them

Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Female
Beyonce - Me Myself and I (WTF?)
Heaven Sent 0 Keyshia COle
Spotlight - JHud
Superwoman - Alicia Keys
Need U Bad 0 Jazmine Sullivan

Best Contemporary R&B Album:
Growing Pains - Mary J Blidge
Back of my lac - J Holiday
First Love - Karina
Year Of The Gentleman - Ne-Yo
Fearless -Jazmine Sullivan

Best Rap Album:
American Gangster - Jay Z
Tha Carter III - Lil Wayne
The Cool - Lupe Fiasco
Nas - Nas
Paper Trail - T.I.

Best Country Album:
That Lonesome Song - Jamey Johnson
Sleepless Nights - Patty Loveless
Troubador - George Strait
Around The Bend - Randy Travis
Heaven, Heartache And the Power Of Love - Trisha Yearwood

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg, liberal voice on the Supreme Court, has pancreatic cancer surgery

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the only woman on the nation's highest court and one of its most consistent liberal voices, had surgery today for pancreatic cancer.

In a statement, the court announced that Ginsburg, 75, underwent surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York for removal of a cancerous tumor from her pancreas. The court said:

Justice Ginsburg had no symptoms prior to the incidental discovery of the lesion during a routine annual check-up in late January at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md. A Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT) Scan revealed a small tumor, approximately 1 (centimeter) across, in the center of the pancreas.

Appointed by President Clinton in 1993, Ginsburg was the second woman appointed to the court, an early litigator and strategist for women's rights.

Though most media coverage portrays the nine justices in ideological terms, the exclusivity of the club tends to make the justices close personally. Ginsburg, well aligned with the court's left wing, shares a love of opera with conservative icon Antonin Scalia. And Ginsburg, who had colon cancer 10 years ago, has said she misses the company of Sandra Day O'Connor, the first female Supreme Court Justice named by President Reagan. O'Connor left the court in 2006 to care for her sick husband.

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5 Steps to Selling Your House

Selling your house is one of biggest transactions you'll ever make, so it is vital that you get it right.

Before actively marketing your property you will need to have available (or at the least applied for) a Home Information Pack (HIP). This can be arranged through your solicitors, estate agents or even direct with a HIP provider.

Once you have found a buyer and have accepted an offer on your property, here's what happens next.

1. Preliminary Matters

Once you have instructed a solicitor to act on your behalf, you will need to provide proof of your identity to comply with Governmental and Law Society guidelines.

Your solicitor will also ask you to complete standardised documentation that will form part of the contract package to be delivered to the Buyer's solicitors which are called the Property Information Form and Fittings and Contents Form (an additional form called Leasehold Information Form may also be needed if the property you are selling is held on a leasehold tenure).

If you have a mortgage on your property you need to provide the solicitor with your mortgage account number. This will enable them to obtain the Title Deeds from your lender.

2. Before Exchange of Contracts

If your property is registered then a copy of the Title for your home will be ordered electronically through HM Land Registry. If your Title is unregistered then it will be up to your solicitor to present a Title to the Buyer's legal advisor based on the historically documentation within the Title Deeds.

The solicitors representing you in the sale transaction will then provide a contract package to the Buyer's solicitors. This comprises of a draft contract, copies of the Title to your property and the Property Information Form and Fittings and Contents Form referred to above.

Once a contract package has been issued to the Buyer's solicitors it is normal for them to raise a number of enquiries concerning the Title for the property as well as its historical and present physical state. Your own solicitor will deal with these enquiries on your behalf (as many of them may be technical and difficult to understand!) however, there may be some questions where your input is required.

You will need to make sure that the information you provide in any documentation is accurate and that the responses to any questions asked by the Buyer or your own solicitor are true.

Your Buyer is likely to instruct their solicitor to carry out searches through the Local, Drainage, Environmental and the Chancel Check authorities. This is to ensure that there are no hidden surprises within the said authorities records that would prevent the Buyer's from proceeding with the transaction.

Once the Buyer has received a Survey report and their solicitor is in receipt of search results, replies to enquiries and offer of mortgage (if applicable) then they are in a position to effect exchange of contracts.

3. Exchange of Contracts

When the form of the sale contract has been agreed between solicitors, your legal advisor will ask you to sign your copy of the contract. Just because you have signed your contract, it doesn't mean you have sold your house - the agreement is only binding once the contracts have been exchanged.

Immediately prior to exchange the completion date is agreed with all parties in the chain. There is no set period between exchange and completion. Completion can even be arranged a year in advance if appropriate! It may also be possible to agree a simultaneous exchange and completion date. However, this date depends upon the availability of all parties in the chain to physically move out of their existing house and into their new home.

Once exchange of contracts has been effected you are in a legally binding contract to sell your property.

4. Preparing for Completion

You'll need to arrange a removal firm to empty your house, and inform the relevant utility and other companies that you are moving.

Your solicitor will arrange for your mortgage to be paid off and settle your estate agents commission account (if applicable). In addition you will be asked to sign one final document by your solicitor called the Transfer Deed. This document will be utilised by the Buyer's solicitors to register their clients interest in the property at HM Land Registry following completion. Rest assured your solicitor will not release this document without first having received the full balance of the sale proceeds.

5. Completion Day

The sale will be completed once the purchase funds have been received from the Buyer's solicitors. Everything from the house must be removed, except for any fixtures and fittings that you have agreed to sell to the buyer or will be including in the sale price.

You will need to leave the keys to the property with your estate agent, unless you have agreed differently with the buyer. Once this has been done you have successfully sold your house.

Selling your home can be made much easier when you know what is going to happen next. Now you know what to expect of you, you can continue to look for your dream home.

via : http://jamey-astore.blogspot.com

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Friends Stand United

Friends Stand United (FSU) or Forever Stand United was initially a crew of Boston hardcore fans that formed in the late 80's/ early 90's.

FSU has grown since then, with chapters in Seattle, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Upstate NY, and several other locations.

Since the release of the video Boston Beatdown II, FSU has gained negative publicity throughout the Northeastern United States. FSU T-shirts are banned from many venues. FSU members have been accused of starting riots and fights at Boston concerts, and were even blamed for an assault on Moby.

Many blame FSU members for ruining the hardcore and punk scene through excessive fighting. They are known for picking fights in numbers. One FSU member was shot after injuring another concert attendee at a hardcore show in Arizona. They are also generally blamed (along with traveling fans who loitered outside the show, but never actually saw the bands) for the violence which erupted at the Pointless Fest held in Philadelphia in 2006.

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No. 15/19 FSU Plays at Boston College on Thursday at 7 p.m.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The No. 15/19 Florida State women's basketball team is set to travel to snowy Massachusetts for an Atlantic Coast Conference showdown with Boston College (16-5, 5-2 ACC) Thursday at 7 p.m.

The Seminoles (18-5, 6-1 ACC) are looking to get back to their winning ways after losing to No. 8/11 Maryland, 72-71, on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of regulation. Prior to the loss to the Terrapins, FSU had rattled off nine-straight victories and was the only unblemished team in league play.

Thursday's game could feature some history being made as senior guard Mara Freshour could become the 23rd player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. The Nashville, Ind. native and team captain is 14 points away from reaching the milestone. In addition to Freshour, junior forward Jacinta Monroe could get close to setting a new school record for most blocks in a career. With 204 career blocks, Monroe is just five shy of tying former Seminole Brooke Wycoff's all-time career record of 209 swats.

The FSU-Boston College game is not televised so those Seminole fans that are interested in following all the action can go to Seminoles.com where play-by-play radio announcer Ryan Pensy and Sports Information Director Brandon Mellor will be sitting courtside detailing everything that takes place inside the Silvio O. Conte Forum. Fans will have access to live updating information as well as the ability to ask questions and share their thoughts about the game.

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Elizabeth Smart Appears on Oprah

6 Years ago, 14 years old Elizabeth Smart was in the dreams of people all over the world heard of the story. Elizabeth was abducted at Knifepoint from the bedroom in suburban Salt Lake City on 5 June 2002. The younger sister Mary Katherine could only watch, paralyzed with terror. For nine months, Elizabeth was imprisoned by the alleged kidnappers, a pointless and self-proclaimed prophet Brian David Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee. Prosecutors say they kept Elizabeth tied to a tree just three and a half miles from home.

Four months after the disappearance of her sister, the 10-year-old Mary Katherine miraculously remembered that a man once hired to work at home smarts resembled the man who took Elizabeth. A sketch was released, and on 12 March 2003, Mitchell, Barzee and Elizabeth were spotted on the street in Salt Lake City. Elizabeth was rescued and go home alive.

Mitchell and Barzee were charged with kidnapping and assault, but found incompetent to stand trial. They are currently in a mental institution.

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A Mini Buyer's Guide to Used Cars

via : http://jamey-astore.blogspot.com
If you are in the market for a good used car but need it to be inexpensive, you will not have to settle for something that is old and falling apart. The main thing to consider is following a few set of rules to ensure your used car buying experience is a good one and you come out with a reliable mode of transportation. It only takes a little bit of research to find the particular make and model you prefer to drive. You will also be able to get the best deal possible when you take a little time to compare prices through different sources. Taking time to shop appropriately will save you money in the long run and you will also find out how to negotiate yourself a good deal. This used car buying guide article is designed to help you find a vehicle that is right for you and your situation and not cause you to be taken advantage of when dealing with others.

The first step is to get as much information together on the particular make and model you prefer to purchase. This will give you an idea of what is supposed to be on the vehicle and what might be missing from your used car. Make sure to take in the information offered by independent reviews. Be solid on what the trade in value of the vehicle should be and alert yourself to any recalls on the vehicle in the past. The manufacturers website is the first stop for most of this information.

When you are looking at the vehicle you will need to see if it has been in an accident. Purchasing a car which has been in an accident will only serve to cause problems later. The odometer also needs to be current and not one which has been rolled back to make it look better than it really is. The vehicle should not have been used as a taxi or rental car. These types of vehicles are under a lot of abuse and are just waiting to give out on you.

Cars exhibiting rust, holes, problems with electrical devices, and engine problems are to also be avoided. The interior, brakes, and tires should be checked for sturdiness and condition. If the vehicle has any of these problems, you can ask for the price to be lowered because of it. The dealership you are working with needs to stand behind their customer satisfaction policies completely.

Used car buying needs to be times correctly to provide the best deal. Monday night is said to be one of the best days to purchase a used vehicle. The last part of a month is also good. Car dealerships need to meet a monthly quota and they will drop prices to accommodate. End of the year sales are also good because newer models will be coming in and the old ones need to be moved to make space. You can probably get them to accept any reasonable deal on any one of the late models they are selling.

Buying a used car does not have to cost a fortune. You can find a used vehicle inexpensively if you will take some time and effort into following the items listed here in this guide. Investing some time now will save you thousands of dollars later and you will be able to say you got a good deal out of it. The best part is that you will have taken the time to look over your vehicle and can rest assured it is in top condition for being an older used vehicle.

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Brain Infections and Parasites

Why Do Parasites Live In The Brain?

Different parasites choose to make their home in different places in the body. Some worms prefer the environment of the digestive system, while certain flukes thrive in the tissues of the lungs. Other parasites, like the pig tapeworm, Taenia solium, make their way to the brain to live and multiply. The brain is filled with oxygen and nutrients, and it also has structures in place that prevent the immune system from attacking parasites in the initial stages of infection. This makes for an inviting home for brain parasites!

How Do Parasites Get Into The Brain?

Most brain parasites must make a rather long journey in order to make their home in the brain. In addition, the brain can be a difficult place to invade due the protective barrier between the bloodstream and brain fluid, called the blood-brain barrier. This barrier between the blood and the fluid in the brain is comprised of cells that form a tight seal around the blood vessels that bring nutrients to and from the brain. This makes it difficult (but not impossible) for parasites and other toxins to enter the brain.

When parasite numbers become overwhelmingly large, or when a deficiency exists in the systems of the brain, parasites can make the leap from the bloodstream to the fluids of the brain. So scientists speculate that brain parasites may release an enzyme that dissolves a portion of the blood brain barrier which allows the parasite to enter.

Which Parasites Can Infect The Brain?

There are two known brain parasites, the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium, and the amoeba Naegleria fowleri.

Taenia solium: The pig tapeworm, Taenia solium, is responsible for the condition known as neurocysticercosis, the most common brain parasitic infection. Neurocysticercosis affects more than fifty million people all over the world, and it is the leading cause of brain seizures. This disease develops when larvae from Taenia solium enter the body via the ingestion of diseased pork meat. Once inside the body, the tapeworm migrates to the small intestine and remains there until it reaches maturity. From here the parasite makes its way to the brain where it attaches either to the brain tissues or to the cavities within the brain.

The parasite will then form cystic lesions that can also affect the eyes, muscles and spinal cord. The exact location of the cysts will determine the symptoms of the disease. Brain parasites can interrupt the normal activity of the brain and cause brain seizures. On the other hand, parasites that attach to the brain-fluid cavities will cause symptoms such as headaches, nausea, and dizziness, as well as brain seizures. These additional symptoms may occur because the parasite is interrupting the normal flow of brain fluid within the brain. Over time, this blockage of fluid may cause pressure to build up that can lead to permanent brain damage.

Naegleria fowleri: Unlike the pork tapeworm, Naegleria fowleri brain parasites have only infected about 175 people in the world; therefore it is not as easily known or understood. This brain parasite causes a condition called primary amoebic meningo-cephalitis. Of the 175 cases of this disease that have been reported, only six patients have survived. For this reason, scientists are eagerly searching for more answers as to these particular brain parasites can be treated.

Naegleria fowleri is an amoeba that is commonly found in the wild, especially in warm freshwater lakes and ponds. It can also survive in heated swimming pools. This parasite can infect a human host that is swimming in contaminated waters by attaching to the inside of its host's nose and then traveling up the nose and into the brain. Once in the area of the brain, the amoeba releases an enzyme that allows it dissolve the host's tissues, and enter the tissues of the brain. Naegleria fowleri can then into feast on the valuable nutrients with the neurons of the brain. This is why this particular parasite causes such rapid death.

In addition to the brain damage caused by destroying the brain's neurons, the presence this parasite can also cause inflammation of the tissues within the brain. This inflammation can lead to additional brain damage and even death.


# Creutzfeldt - Jakob Disease
Creutzfeldt - Jakob disease (CJD) is a very rare disease that affects brain tissue in humans. When people first start to show symptoms, they usually present with confusion, disorientation and problems with walking. Death can occur up to two ...Read More

# Haemophilus Influenza type b (Hib)
Queensland Health Health Information Directory Home HID : Brain, Spinal Cord and Nerve Health : Brain Infections and Parasites Topic: Haemophilus Influenza type b (Hib) Description Haemophilus Influenza type b (Hib) is an infection caused by the ...Read More

# Meningitis
Meningitis can be caused by bacteria (bacterial meningitis) or Viruses (viral meningitis). Queensland Health Health Information Directory Home HID : Brain, Spinal Cord and Nerve Health : Brain Infections and Parasites Topic: Meningitis ...Read More

source : http://www.parasite-cleanse.com and http://access.health.qld.gov.au/hid/index.asp

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Insomnia Cookies

As undergrads, Insomnia Cookies figured out what was missing from the perfect college experience: dependable late night food delivery. It seems that every night at about the same time, students get hungry, either because they study hard, they party hard, or both. Regardless, college students need to be fed, and Insomnia Cookies set out to do that, because Insomnia Cookies too were hungry once. As you probably know, the only food available at night (without having to trek to the market) is greasy and heavy. Insomnia Cookies was born out of our dislike of heavy meals late at night, our love of food delivery, and our realization that by the time Insomnia Cookies got hungry at night, nothing was open. When Insomnia Cookies began baking cookies as juniors at the University of Pennsylvania in 2003, Insomnia Cookies only intended to give them to our friends. But when students started calling, Insomnia Cookies decided not to be selfish, so Insomnia Cookies began delivering cookies and milk around campus. Then, Insomnia Cookies expanded to four new campuses. And now, Insomnia Cookies present Insomnia Cookies to you. You don't have to order a heavy meal or a greasy pizza when you get hungry anymore. Order fresh baked cookies and milk instead. Hope to hear from you, Insomnia Cookies .

visit : http://www.insomniacookies.com

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ICFAI MCA Program 2009 Admissions Opens

ICFAI School of Information Technology offers MCA Program (2009-12)

Admission Modalities are with reference to ISIT MCA Test (IMCAT) 2009 for the MCA Program offered by the ICFAI University, Dehradun.

The MCA program of the University is a three-year, full-time program. It is designed to develop IT Professionals.

The program also designed to train students in the state-of-art technology such as object-oriented analysis/design techniques and programming, client server application development, distributed database development, telecommunications and local area network design and artificial intelligence/expert systems.

Eligibility

Graduation (10+2+3 or 10+2+4) from any discipline (English medium) with 50% and above aggregate. All applicants should have completed a minimum of 15 years of formal schooling (on 10+2+3or 10+2+4 basis) by July 06, 2009. Applicants who have completed their graduation on a one-time sitting basis or on a 2-year basis are not eligible for admission into the MCA Program. Students in their final year bachelor’s degree course are also eligible to apply, provided they complete their graduation requirements including practical examinations /viva/assignments by July 06, 2009.

Admission Criteria

The selection of applicants to the MCA program is made through ISIT MCA Test (IMCAT).

IMCAT 2009: All applicants desirous of admission into the MCA Program of ISIT are required to appear for the ISIT MCA Test (IMCAT) 2009, which will be of 3 hours duration. IMCAT format comprises multiple choice questions and test an applicant’s analytical ability. Mathematical ability, vocabulary, business and computer terminology, functional grammar and reading comprehension.

Application Forms are available at

# 1D ,1st Floor, Eldorado Building, #112 Nungambakkam High Road, Chennai -600 034, Ph: 044- 28279988, www.isitindia.org

www.isitindia.org

Admission Calendar:

Last date for receipt of application forms at, ISIT-HQ, Hyderabad
April 20, 2009

Online Admit Cards (No hard copies will be sent)
April 13, 2009 onwards

IMCAT 2009 Test Date
May 3 ,2009

IMCAT 2009 Test Centers
48 Centers All Over India.

IMCAT 2009 Results
May, 16, 2009. Available on website: www.isitindia.org. 8.00pm IST Onwards.

For more info-:

Icfai School of Information Technology
# 65, Nagarjuna Hills, Punjagutta,
Hyderabad - 500 082. Fax: 040-23430241.
http://www.isitindia.org/

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Naan Kadavul Review

After three years of tough schedules of shooting and changes in the casting, Bala’s Naan Kadavul will be releasing this month. As usual, completely removed from the commercial potboilers, Naan Kadavul is here to deliver another strong message to the audiences. It comes with the tag-line ‘Aham Brahmaasmi’. Arya plays the role of a ‘Sadhu’ and Pooja is a poor girl in the film. Major part of the shooting has been carried out in Kasi. Naan Kadavul is an Ilayaraja musical.

‘Amma Un Pillai’ is the highlight of the album. The song’s tune and tempo are remade from one of Ilayaraja’s earlier hits ‘Amma Un Kovilil’. S. Janaki’s classic, all-time favourite rendition is replicated by Sadhana Sargam and the singer does her best. The silky timbre in her voice itself delivers the exact feel. Shreya Goshal’s ‘Kannil Paarvai’ too creates a sombre mood. Shreya’s slow yet emotion-filled singing makes us lie back, close our eyes and drink in the deep feeling in the tune as well as the lyrics. ‘Maatha Un Kovilil’ by Madhumitha is a rehash of the same old tune along with the lyrics. The difference between the original and the new version is the change in the assortment of instruments Ilayaraja has chosen for the BGM.


Title : Naan Kadavul
Movie Type : Tamil
Director : Bala
Cast : Arya, Pooja, Umashankar
Dialogues : Jayamohan
Music : Ilayaraja
Production : Vasan Visual Venture K S Srinivasan
Movie Rating : 1 star
Lyrics : Valee

Movie Story

For spiritual and astrological change, a far drive his son home. Tamilnadu boy go and take refuge in Kasi. At the same time, realizing his folly, far goes looking for her son to Varanasi. Arya growing up in the middle of Saadhu and Sanyasins and become one with long hair and bloody appearance. Shocked to see his son in such a condition that he decides to end his return to his hometown. Read More Information
Ilayaraja’s music will be a great adornment to Naan Kadavul. The exquisite music and the meaningful lyrics prepare us well to absorb the intense theme of the film.

via : http://filmistan.mywebdunia.com

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Pacer Edwards most expensive Windies player for IPL auction

GOA, India (CMC) - Fast bowler Fidel Edwards will be the highest valued West Indies players when the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL) auction is staged today.

The 26-year-old Barbadian was one of eight West Indies players that will be involved in the media frenzy along with Sylvester Joseph, Darren Sammy, Kieron Pollard, Andre Fletcher, Kieron Powell, Dwayne Smith and Kemar Roach.

Edwards, who recently crested 100 wickets in Tests on the recent tour of New Zealand, has been valued at US$150,000.

The West Indians will be among 112 other players, including 27 Australians, 21 Englishmen, 15 Sri Lankans and 13 South Africans, who will go under the hammer in the multi-million dollar event.

Pollard, the big-hitting Trinidadian all-rounder, has been pre-valued at US$60,000 while rookie pacer Roach has been pencilled in at US$50,000.

IPL commissioner Lalit Modi said he was pleased with the interest shown in the tournament.

"Clearly the Indian Premier League has set new standards in helping uncover and hone some exciting new talents, that have gone on to gain international recognition," said Modi.

"All of which augurs well for development of world cricket. We are extremely happy with the interest the league has garnered globally."

England star Kevin Pietersen is set to fetch the highest price at the auction, with franchises expected to pay around US$1.35 million. Teammate Andrew Flintoff is tipped to get around US$950,000.

New South African batting sensation JP Duminy is also one of the highest valued players at $300,000.
The IPL runs from April 10 to May 29.
>

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IPL Auction - Season 2

The IPL auction — live!
Scheduled to start @ 10 am, today, 50 players will be auctioned in Goa for the 8 teams-playing in the IPL.

The 50 players have been divided into two sets of 5 players each, and then subsequent sets of 10 each, with the first set containing the players with the highest reserve price.

KP is the man with the highest reserve price, pegged at $1.3 million, and Vijay Mallya, the owner of BRC has made it clear that he is ready to spend his entire quota on this player, so as to instill some pinch hitting in his seemingly test squad! Clarke and Freddie have been reserved at $1 mil and $.95 mil each. J P Duminy, the star and the find of the SA's tour Down Under has got himself a reserve price of $300,000.

Some good money with some good talent out there!

However, even with the suspension of a few players, withdrawal of a few other, there are only 17 places up for grabs.

And then with a cap of $2 million on every team, what with some already haven spent some of it on Australian, South African and Indian domestic talent, even 17 players may not really be bought.

So, what finally happens today is yet to be seen. With All Padded Up having covered IPL, so extensively, in its inaugural season, stay rest assured that our coverage of IPL, this second season is going to get better!

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UPTU B.Tech Results 2009

UPTU publishes Even and 1st Sem BTech Results
Uttar Pradesh Technical University (UPTU) publishes first & even semester B.Tech results 2008. Click the below link for results.



1st Sem B.Tech Results

Even Sem BTech Results

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HOMEMADE 12-CELL Eee BATTERY

little project seeing the fire risks and hazzards it posses. But it is pretty neat if not ugly by any standard. Anyways TenaciousDre decided to put Asus Eee PC 10-cell battery to shame by making his own 12-cell unit.
He completed the feat by shrink-wrapping a four cell laptop battery with another eight batteries from other laptops to produce the 12-cell version you see above.
While not a design masterpiece (in terms of looks) it still gets the job done and doesn't look much better than the "hammerhead edition" currently on the Eee 901.

Source..

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Waterproof laptop bag

It is about time a truly waterproofed laptop bag reached the market, and this one from Overboard can even be used as a backpack too. It is made from a PVC tarpaulin and had plenty room for all your gadgets as well.
Features
Manufactured from tough and hard wearing PVC tarpaulin
Weatherproof main compartment with zipper flaps (Class 1)
3 stage telescopic handle fully extends to 55cm / 26″
Padded tuck-away shoulder straps with quick release buckles
Wheel covers to prevent dirtying clothes when using as a backpack
MP3 / Media pocket with hole to pass through headphones
Internal laptop holder for up to 16” widescreens
Main compartment expansion zip
Front zip document pocket
Padded top carry handle
Note: Headphones NOT supplied.
Size Guide
Height: 50cm / 19.5″
Width: 33cm / 13″
Depth: 24cm / 9.5″
Weight: 2.68kgs
Priced at $110
Source..

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Dev D Movie Review

Movie : Dev D
Director : Anurag Kashyap
Cast : Abhay Deol, Kalki Koechlin, Mahi Gill, Parakh Madan, Dibyendu Bhattacharya

There's a major difference between KL Saigal, Dilip Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan and Abhay Deol's Devdas. The first three films were faithful to Sarat Chandra's legendary novella, while Anurag Kashyap's deviant take on Devdas is contemporary and in the process, differs from the original work.

In Kashyap's Dev D, Dev is into drugs and vodka. Paro sends her nude photograph to Dev via email and later, wants Dev to have sex with her in the fields. Chanda, a hooker, indulges in phone sex mainly. Clearly, Kashyap's Dev, Paro and Chanda are audacious and rebellious. Check out Dev D special

There's no harm if you pick up an enticing story and tell it your way, but Kashyap goes a bit too far, crosses all limits and tends to get abstract once again. And that's the reason for Dev D's downfall.

To Kashyap's credit, a number of individualistic scenes are interestingly handled. Unfortunately, the proceedings gyrate from absorbing to boring to yawn-inducing. The writing (screenplay: Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane) lacks consistency.

So what's the final word? Does Kashyap redeem himself after the boring and listless No Smoking? Unfortunately, he doesn't. Watching Dev D is akin to doing atyachaar on oneself! Check out Dev D special

Son of a rich industrialist, who is sent away to London when he was 12, Dev (Abhay Deol) returns to his hometown and to Paro (Mahi Gill), his childhood sweetheart. Inseparable as they seem, a misunderstanding puts their lives in a tizzy; Paro is married off to someone else and Dev goes into severe depression.

Not one to take on responsibilities for his acts, Dev digs deep into drugs and alcohol for salvation. He stays away from home, but his finances still come from a doting father.

Lenny (Kalki) likes to live her life on the edge -- a rich student with a penchant for adventure. After a devastating MMS scandal, she's abandoned by her family and is forced into isolation. As a runaway, she finds shelter with Chunni, a pimp. With great determination and inner strength she adopts an alter ego - Chanda.

As Chanda, she gets to be a high profile escort by night, while Lenny remains a college student by day. At this juncture, Dev enters her life.

Despite the fact that you know the basic plotline of Dev D even before the reels begin to unfold, what you're keen to know is, how has Kashyap executed the subject? The sequences between Dev and Paro at the start are captivating and the volatile relationship they share makes you realize that Kashyap is on the right track. Note the altercation between Dev and Paro, which prompts Paro to marry Bhuvan, who's much older to her, besides being a father of two.

After Paro's marriage, Dev D starts going downhill. Lenny/Chanda's MMS scandal is straight out of life and the reasons that make her turn into a hooker are well explained. But the sequences between Dev and Chanda lack fizz. Equally sad are the scenes between Dev and Chunni. Besides, there's not much movement in the story after a point and the goings-on get boring. The journey to the climax is prolonged and tedious.

Amit Trivedi's music sounds good to the ears. Emosanal Attyachaar is already popular, besides a couple of other songs (Nayan Tarse and Pardesi]. But there're too many songs in the narrative. Rajeev Ravi's cinematography captures the rustic look of North India well. Check out Dev D special

Abhay Deol is natural. Mahi is decent, while Kalki shows sparks in a few scenes only. The balance cast, including the actor playing Chunni, are strictly okay.

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