Here is the another source from scandasia.com about Series of Bombs Explosion Kill Several People in Bangkok
Around 18:00 on Sunday evening local time in Bangkok, bombs exploded in several places acccross the Thai capital killing several people and injuring many more.
There is no doubt of the authenticity of the bomb reports and the coordinated attack, with the first exploding 17:47, but the number of bombs and the size of the damage may be wrongly reported by the sources used for the following report. Here below are the facts and the reported news as they appear in Thaqi news sources. Feel fre to call mobile phone of Editor Gregers Moller with details or corrections +66 8 1629 0117.
Bombs have reported exploded in the following locations:
Victory Monument (in Thai “Anusawari Thai”)
- Time: about 6.30 pm
- The bomb was near a bus station outside the Dok Yai bookstore.
- The bomb was placed in a trashcan
- A tree broke in the explosion
- 20 people injured
- 2 people killed
Saphan Kwai
- Near the Big C supermarket
- A witness saw a man dropped a grenade from a pedestrian bridge just over the police box.
- The roof of the police box has a big hole.
- 2 people injured
- 1 person dead
Seacon Square
- Time 18:42
- At the Seacon Square Shopping Mall, a loud explosion went off at the parking space, creating a panic but no injury.
- Authorities ordered all shoppers to evacuate the mall, one of Bangkok largest, and all shops to close down for business.
- The explosion was at the motorcycle parking lot.
- No injuries reported
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Seven Bombs Rock Bangkok, Kill two
One person was dead near the Big C supermarket, Sapan Kwai branch, where witness saw a man dropped a grenade from a pedestrian bridge just over the police box.
At the Klong Toei area near the Na Ranong intersection, a bomb hidden in a trash can near a Chinese spirit shrine exploded and injured two bypassers. The explosion caused a secondary explosion to a number of cookinggas cylinders that were situated nearby.
At the Seacon Square Shopping Mall, a loud explosion went off at the parking space, creating a panic but no injury.
Authorities ordered all shoppers to evacuate the mall, one of Bangkok largest, and all shops to close down for business.
Government’s spokesman Yongyuth Malyalarp urged the public to remain calm, adding that police officers have been instructed to stay on high alert, including areas where high concentration of people are expected to take part in the New Year’s count down.
Continue Reading ....
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American Idol's Ryan Seacrest is hoping for a New Year's kiss from Christina Aguilera tonight.
The show's host is co-presenting Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2007 live from New York's Times Square, where Aguilera will be performing some of her hits.
"Last year I got lucky with Mariah Carey, so hopefully at that moment she's right there," he joked.
Asked whether Idol judge Simon Cowell will be watching the show, Seacrest replied: "He won't even turn it on because he can't stand to watch anything where he's not featured.
"It's true. So last year, he went to an island where they didn't get American television or cable, and I would imagine he's probably doing the same thing."
By Daniel Kilkelly
New York City is gearing up to usher in 2007 with a really wild party at Times Square, and helping them celebrate will be songstress Christina Aguilera.
Even as organisers get set to fill the sky above Times Square with balloons and confetti as the New Year rings in, NYPD helicopters will also be circling around to make sure that one of the most famous dos remains both fun and safe.
"We're almost ready except for the balloon inflations. Already, we can see that people are coming by Times Square to soak in the atmosphere," the New York Daily News quoted Tim Tompkins, president of the Times Square Alliance, which hosts the bash, as saying.
As for who is hoping to get that kiss from Aguilera when the clock chimes 12 midnight, well that would be 'American Idol' host Ryan Seacrest who will co-host the live broadcast of ABC television's "New Year's Rockin' Eve" with icon Dick Clark.
"Last year I got lucky with Mariah [Carey], so hopefully at that moment [Aguilera's] right there," Seacrest said.
Nearly a million people are expected to cram the streets where the party will be taking place, with NYC Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and 10 members of the U.S. armed forces, representing all five branches of the military, being there to lead the final countdown, the organizers revealed.
As for the music for the celebrations, the organisers have not only gotten together 11 musical acts - including Aguilera, soul singer Toni Braxton and rockers the All-American Rejects to perform before midnight.
said ZeeNews
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Keith Urban is apparently going to be testing that old saying that any publicity is good publicity. Since releasing his fourth album, "Love, Pain & the whole crazy thing," Urban has continued to rehab in a drug and alcohol clinic reportedly in the Nashville area.
On Wednesday, Urban appeared with wife Nicole Kidman at a private movie screening in Sydney. The couple was seen holding hands. Keith’s publicist Paul Freundlich denied that the superstar had completed his rehab, only that he was in Australia for Christmas break.
Yesterday, Freundlich had a bigger controversy to deal with as a 23-year-old Nashville model alleged in a London newspaper that she had an affair with Urban until a month before his June wedding to Kidman.
Amanda Wyatt told London's The Mail that she met Urban at a Nashville bar in 2004. She admits looking for a one-night stand but claims the affair continued for almost two years.
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Keith Urban has taken a break from rehab to join his family in Sydney, Australia.
He is currently being treated for alcohol abuse at the Betty Ford Centre in Palm Springs California, after checking himself in voluntarily in October. He joined his wife Nicole Kidman earlier this week.
Media reports had initially speculated that the country music singer had finished his rehab, but his publicist confirmed that he is only on a break.
"Keith is on leave in Australia to be with his family during the holidays. This is a natural occurrence at this point in his treatment," his publicist, Paul Freundlich told the Associated Press.
"He will continue with his rehab upon his return." Continue Reading ....
Her single "A moment like this" reached the number one position and sold 571,253 copies in the first week itself.
'It's great news for Leona, and the song looks solid at number one for a second week,' The Mirror quoted her spokesperson, as saying.
Lewis single smashed Britney Spears record of 464,000 copies of her single "Hit Me Baby One More Time".
Killer File of Saddam Hussein 1947-2001
2002 - Following the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon in the United States and the subsequent retaliatory action against Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terrorist network and the Taliban in Afghanistan, US President George W. Bush nominates Iraq as one of the members of an "axis of evil" that also includes Iran and North Korea.
The Bush administration is particularly concerned about Iraq's alleged ongoing attempts to develop weapons of mass destruction, which it claims are a threat to the region and the world. President Bush also stresses the need for "regime change" in Iraq.
The US begins to agitate for a resumption of the armed conflict with Iraq to force it to disarm. President Bush advocates preemptive, unilateral action and receives backing from Britain and Australia, which indicate that they would be prepared to participate in any renewed conflict.
However the suggestion is rejected by most Western and Asian nations, including Russia, Germany, France, Canada and China, which insist that any action must be sanctioned by the United Nations (UN) Security Council and that Iraq should first be given the opportunity to allow the UN weapons inspectors to return to complete their work. The Arab states also rebuff the US plan.
On 12 September President Bush takes his case to the UN Security Council, calling for a tough new resolution demanding that Iraq disclose and remove all weapons of mass destruction, end support for terrorism, and cease the persecution of its population.
Almost all member nations of the UN, including most Arab states, subsequently urge Iraq to accept the return of the weapons inspectors.
On 16 September Iraq tells the UN that it will allow the unconditional return of the inspectors. However the offer is later muddied when Iraq announces that the inspectors will only be allowed back under the terms of existing UN resolutions and that unrestricted access will continue to be denied to 42 presidential "sites".
The offer is dismissed by the US, which continues to press for a new Security Council resolution containing a clear statement of Iraq's responsibilities, a short deadline and the prospect of military force if Hussein fails to comply.
Other permanent Security Council members, including France and Russia, favour two resolutions - one setting out the terms for the return of the inspectors and a second on the consequences if Iraq fails to comply. Intense and protracted negotiations between the US and the other permanent members of the council over the issue follow.
Hussein's personal response to the crisis is read to the UN on 19 September. "I hereby declare before you that Iraq is clear of all nuclear, chemical and biological weapons," Hussein says in the prepared text.Read the rest of this entry
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Full name Saddam Hussein al-Majid al Tikriti. AKA 'Great Uncle', AKA 'Lion of Babylon', AKA 'Lion of Iraq', AKA 'Beast of Baghdad'. Saddam translates to 'One Who Confronts'.
Country: Iraq.
Kill tally: Approaching two million, including between 150,000 and 340,000 Iraqis and between 450,000 and 730,000 Iranians killed during the Iran-Iraq War. An estimated 1,000 Kuwaiti nationals killed following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. No conclusive figures for the number of Iraqis killed during the Gulf War, with estimates varying from as few as 1,500 to as many as 200,000. Over 100,000 Kurds killed or "disappeared". No reliable figures for the number of Iraqi dissidents and Shia Muslims killed during Hussein’s reign, though estimates put the figure between 60,000 and 150,000. (Mass graves discovered following the US occupation of Iraq in 2003 suggest that the total combined figure for Kurds, Shias and dissidents killed could be as high as 300,000). Approximately 500,000 Iraqi children dead because of international trade sanctions introduced following the Gulf War.
Background: Following the First World War Iraq is placed under British mandate. Iraqi nationalists, who believed their assistance to the British during the war would be rewarded with independence, rebel. Complete independence is finally granted in October 1932.
The Iraqi military become increasingly involved in politics following independence, staging a coup d'etat in 1936. A protracted period of political instability follows. Opposition groups, including the Baath (Arab Socialist Resurrection) Party, begin to make inroads. Baath is committed to the socialism, Arab nationalism, and secularism. More background.
Mini biography: Born on 28 April 1937 in the village of al-Awja, near Tikrit, on the Tigris River in northwest Iraq, into a landless but influential Sunni family. He is a member of the al-Khatab clan. Hussein will later have his genealogy fabricated to claim direct descent from the prophet Mohammed.
Hussein's father dies while his mother is pregnant with him. When an older brother also dies during the pregnancy Hussein’s mother tries to abort the foetus and commit suicide but is stopped by a neighbouring Jewish family.
After Hussein is born his still depressed mother places him in the care of his maternal uncle, Khairalla Msallat, an army officer, fervent Arab nationalist, and former Nazi sympathiser. When Hussein is three his uncle is imprisoned for participating in a failed coup. Hussein is returned to his now remarried mother but is mistreated by her and his stepfather.
1947 - When his uncle is released from jail Hussein runs away from home to live with him in Tikrit. Unable to read or write, Hussein now begins his formal schooling.
1955 - After his graduation from primary school Hussein follows his uncle to Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, and enrols at the Karkh high school. While in Baghdad he will become involved in the Arab nationalist movement, joining the Baath Party in 1957.
1957 - Hussein is denied admission to the Baghdad Military Academy.
1958 - The Iraqi monarchy is overthrown in a coup on 14 July and a republic is declared, although instability continues as communists led by the Iraqi Communist Party struggle with the Baath Party and other nationalist groups for dominance.
Meanwhile Hussein is recruited by his uncle to assassinate a prominent communist in Tikrit, killing his victim, a distant cousin, with a single shot to the head. Hussein, who is still a secondary student, is arrested and imprisoned for six months, then released for lack of evidence.
During the year Hussein marries Sajida, his first cousin and daughter of his uncle Khairalla Msallat. The couple will have two sons, Uday and Qusay, and three daughters.
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Iraqi state television said former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein was executed at 0300 GMT Saturday in an unspecified location. Saddam was sentenced to death by an Iraqi court on November 5, 2006, after a year-long trial over the killings of 148 Shias from the village of Dujail in the 1980s. The former Iraqi leader was captured by US armed forces on the December 13, 2005, from a cellar in a farmhouse, close to his hometown of Tikrit, following a tip-off. The deposed leader had his final appeal turned down on Tuesday. Earlier, on Friday, Saddam’s lawyers said they were informed that the former leader had been transferred to Iraqi custody, a statement which was later denied by the Iraqi Justice Ministry. The US defense department also stated that troops in Iraq were prepared for the backlash expected to follow the execution.
The execution was carried out hours before the start of the Islamic holiday of Eid, which is scheduled to commence at 0900 GMT, Saturday. Government and religious officials, a doctor and a lawyer were present at the execution, which was also filmed to provide proof of death. Though the former leader was also on trial in connection with a military campaign against Kurdish communities in the 1980s, the Iraqi law required he be executed within 30 days regardless of the outcome of the second trial.
Also sentenced to death were Saddam's half brother, Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, and former Chief Judge of Revolutionary Court, Awad Hamed al-Bandar. Former Iraqi vice president, Taha Yasin Ramadan, was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison while, senior Baath officials, Abdullah Kadhem Ruaid, Abdullah Rawed Mizher, and Ali Daeem Ali, were sentenced to a comparatively lenient sentence of 15 years in prison.
In a letter written from his cell during his last few days, Saddam Hussein accused the US and Iran of instigating the violence and the blood shed tearing the country apart. He called for unity among Iraqis, to save the country from "falling into servitude". Saddam proclaimed his death a sacrifice and said his death would make him a “true martyr". Countinue Reading .....
In Thailand Broadcasting, the saddam executed news has been released at 11:00 AM of Thailand Standard Time. The Executing time is at 7 GMT.
Saddam Hussein and two co-defendants have been found guilty of murder and crimes against humanity, and sentenced to death by hanging over the 1982 killings of 148 people in the Iraqi town of Dujail.
The death sentences for Hussein, his half brother and a senior official in his regime marked the end to a trial that began more than a year ago. The trial cost the lives of three defense lawyers and was set back by the replacement of the main judge, among other interruptions.
"Although the outcome against Saddam Hussein was never in doubt, it was nonetheless a riveting moment when he walked in the courtroom this morning," said ABC News' Terry McCarthy, who was in the Baghdad courtroom when the verdict was read. "It was tense in the courtroom as the eight defendants faced their verdicts. Saddam at first, refused to stand up."
Potential for Lengthy Appeals Process
Despite the verdict, the saga of Saddam Hussein is not yet over. He has the right to have the case reviewed by automatic appeal, a process that could take many months.
On "Good Morning America Weekend Edition," Noah Feldman of the Council on Foreign Relations said Hussein's execution could be finalized in about a month.
"He gets an automatic appeal that will probably take at least a month. If the appeals court upholds the verdict, in principal, he's supposed to be executed within 30 days," Feldman said.
Feldman said it's unlikely the culmination of the trial will put an end to violence in Iraq.
"We already saw this morning that Shiite Iraqis were happy," he said. "Many Kurds were happy, although they would like to see the trial continue to include trials of issues having to do with them. And Sunnis were upset in Saddam's hometown. Not surprisingly, there were protests."
Feldman said while evidence proved Hussein's wrongdoing, the legal process may have been skewed.
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Have you seen this style before as the dress of fruits. I think this makes me a new idea and way of new style.
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More than 1,000 people amassed at Loma Park last night for the “Light Up Phuket 2006” ceremony to commemorate two years since the Indian Ocean tsunami.
Tourism and Sports Minister Suwit Yodmanee opened the evening ceremony with a speech, during which he commended Phuket’s recovery and suggested that a remembrance ceremony be held in Patong every year.
Phuket children sang about remembering those lost to the wave.
After the song the crowd observed a minute’s silence.
K. Suwit then led attendees in laying wreaths on the beach. Attendees also lit thousands of candles on the beach and released balloon lanterns into the night sky.
More on Phuketgazette Thainews
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Microsoft is investigating a security vulnerability which affects Vista, its newly launched operating system.
Mike Reavey, operations manager at Microsoft’s Security Response Centre, revealed last Friday that Vista is vulnerable to a flaw that allows a malicious hacker to escalate user privileges within several versions of Windows.
Proof-of-concept code that exploits the code has been posted online, Reavey said in a blog posting, adding that Microsoft isn't yet aware of any malware that takes advantage of it.
"Initial indications are that in order for the attack to be successful, the attacker must already have authenticated access to the target system," wrote Reavey.
"While I know this is a vulnerability that impacts Windows Vista I still have every confidence that Windows Vista is our most secure platform to date. As always, we here at the MSRC encourage everyone to enable a firewall, apply all security updates and install anti-virus and anti-spyware software," he added.
Vista is Microsoft's first operating system release in five years. The company had repeatedly emphasised that it is more secure than previous versions, having been extensively rewritten.
One major change in Vista is that users accounts are created with administrator privileges turned off by default, unlike in XP where they are automatically turned on. Microsoft has cited this change as a key security change, as these administrator powers can be used to turn off other security measures.
zdnet
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Supermodel Kate Moss is planning to attend a lavish New Year's Eve party in Thailand.
The star is among a number of high-profile guests at the bash, which is being thrown by businessman David Tang.
Other guests at the party on the island of Phuket include the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, along with her two daughters, Beatrice and Eugenie.
The guest list has not yet been officially revealed, but Tang has hinted that the party will be an A-list event.
'I can't say who will be there but I can say there are a few people far grander than me who will be attending,' he said.
'They have all taken homes very close to us so we'll be having something of a do.'
Ferguson has reportedly rented a villa in the region for the bash and other big names are thought to be planning on attending, with Naomi Campbell thought to be on Tang's list.
We thought Kate Moss was meant to be tying the knot today, instead she's flown off on holiday... without Pete Doherty.sky, opodo Read more!
The supermodel has popped over to Thailand to bring in the New Year.
She'll be partying with the likes of the Duchess Of York and her daughters on Phuket, as guests of multi-millionaire socialite David Tang.
But as Kate boarded her flight from Heathrow on Wednesday, there was no sign of her supposed fiance Pete.
Pete Doherty
That they're not getting married today in a registry office in Fulham - as reported - is clear.
But it seems Pete is keen to join his lady in Thailand, only he has to check in with a probation officer once a week, so the long-haul trip is not ideal.
But a friend told The Sun: "Pete is desperate to make it to Thailand to bring in the New Year with Kate.
"They have been on and off a lot recently but patched things up properly leading up to Christmas.
"Kate has flown to Thailand and was trying to organise a flight for Pete before she left."
Let's see what happens and whether Pete does make it, and then whether Kate comes back with another ring on her finger.
CAT Telecom, Thailand's Internet regulator and monopoly operator of the country's international gateway, said it would invest in 300 extra internet connections via the Indian Ocean as alternatives to those in the Pacific that failed after a powerful earthquake off Taiwan.
Thailand was slowly recovering its Internet connectivity on Friday, but was still operating far below normal bandwidth as Korean and Taiwanese technical operators tried to repair the damaged and seveered cables from the Tuesday earthquake.
Four of CAT’s eight optical networks had been affected by the earthquake, causing its speed to drop by 50 per cent. The problem was expected to continue until repairs to the undersea network were completed.
A company executive told reporters that he did not expect operations to be back at full strength before the end of February.
Jirachai Srichorn, vice president of CAT Telecom, told reporters that CAT Telecom would share the maintenance costs with other members in the submarine cable consortium. It has yet to estimate the financial losses as a result of the damages to the undersea cable networks.
He said that users might have felt the impact of the damages more strongly, had CAT Telecom not had alternative routes in the Indian Ocean and therefore were able to re-route about 50 per cent of the traffic away from damaged submarine cables.
The cables account for about 90 per cent of total telecom services capacity, and principally affected Thailand's connections to Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, and the US.
The company has put forward a request to the Geneva-based International Telecommunication Union, which coordinates global telecom networks and services, to increase its internet capacity by 600 megabit via the Indian Ocean.
Jirachai said he expected approval within the next few days.
Bangkokpost
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Samsung said today that it has developed a new one-gigabit chip that is about 20 percent thinner than its current chip.
Samsung Electronics Co. announced today that they have developed a new mobile memory chip that is thinner than its current chip and uses less power. It's the size that is the best part as this is the first 1GB DRAM chip to reach the market.
The new chip is at least 20 percent thinner than existing chipsets that use up to two 512-megabit chips, and it uses about 30 percent less power, the company said in a press release.
The new chip can also be used in a wide range of advanced handset applications as well as for digital still cameras, portable media players and portable gaming products.
Gameshout
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Paris Hilton sure gave the locals a show in Sydney.
The heiress arrived in Australia this morning, where she'll celebrate New Year's Eve as hostess of a giant bash. After spending the afternoon seaside with BFF Kim Kardashian, it was time for a beachside shower in her Louis Vuitton bikini. Of course it was.
We're guessing the photogs also needed a cold shower. on tmz
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Nicole Kidman was reunited with her husband Keith Urban for Christmas.
The 'Cold Mountain' star and the country singer have been seen together in her hometown of Sydney, Australia, following Urban's release from rehab.
A source said: "Nicole looked radiant. She was beaming and her skin was aglow. They looked very in love and happy to be together."
Urban checked into rehab in October to be treated for alcohol and drug addiction at California's Betty Ford clinic just four months after their wedding.
It is the 39-year-old singer's first visit to Sydney since the couple married there in June this year.
They now live in Nashville, Tennessee, but Urban began losing his battle against his alcoholism while Kidman was away filming her latest movie 'His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass', based on the Phillip Pullman novel.
The 39-year-old 'Moulin Rouge' star is determined to save her marriage, despite a rocky start.
A source told Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper: "Keith is the love of her life and supporting him hasn't been easy. by people
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The people - 98 per cent black - came to say goodbye to the Godfather of Soul, as he was billed at the front of the theatre, at the place most closely associated with him.
Showman ... Al Sharpton greets mourners as they file past James Brown's open casket in the Apollo Theatre.WHEN James Brown played the Apollo Theatre, he used to ask: How many people are there? Is the line around the block?
In death, he packed the Apollo for one last time. It was his biggest-ever audience at the famous theater in Harlem that launched the careers of many great artists.
The people lined up all day in two queues that went around the block. For eight hours people filed past his open coffin.
Some wore the T-shirts that hawkers sold. Others wore badges or tickets from old concerts. Boom boxes, resurrected from the garage or storage, blared out It's a Man's Man's Man's World, or I Got You (I Feel Good).
A showman to the last, his body was dressed in a sequinned midnight-blue suit, complete with white gloves and silver shoes. It arrived in a horse-drawn white hearse, pulled by two white horses dressed as if for a trooping of the colour.
The gold casket was so heavy, the Reverend Al Sharpton said, it could not be flown to New York.
The people - 98 per cent black - came to say goodbye to the Godfather of Soul, as he was billed at the front of the theatre, at the place most closely associated with him.
John Fitzgerald was one of the few white faces in the crowd. He saw Brown perform on his 70th birthday at a free concert in New York in 2003.
"It was not the greatest concert I've ever seen; it was the greatest thing I've ever seen. You've never seen James Brown perform live? You have no idea. It was a combination of God and the devil - together."
Mr Sharpton, the New York black activist for whom Brown was a mentor and a surrogate father, told family and friends assembled in the theatre that the tens of thousands of mourners had come not just because of his music. "We didn't line the streets because he had hits - many people had hits. We didn't line these streets because he had awards, many people had awards. James Brown didn't need a hit to be a superstar. James Brown changed the culture."
He said that one song Say It Loud - I'm Black and I'm Proud had erased the word "negro" from the vocabulary of African Americans forever.
For a man with a messy private life - he was in and out of jail, and had four wives, including one with whom the legality of the marriage is disputed - he was still a role model.<smh>
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Enjoy These Nice Sms
When i open my eyes every morning i pray to God that everyone should have a friend like you.... Why should only i suffer!!!
------------ --------- --------- --------- ---------
When I was born Devil said...Oh Shit!!! Another GOD!!!..& When u were born devil said ...Oh Shit!!!!Competition ...!!! ....
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girls are like phones. we like to be held and talked too- but if u press the wrong button u'll be disconnected!
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Pappu, while filling up a form: Dad, what should I write for mother
tongue.?
Santa: Very long!
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Marriage:
It's an agreement in which a man loses his bachelor degree and a woman gains her master
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PRINCIPAL :Agar koi ladka girls hostel mein gaya toh first time 100 Rs fine, 2nd time 200 Rs. Fine and 3rd time 500.
MUNNA BHAI :Boley to Monthly paas ka kya lega Mamu
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Husband asks, Do you know the meaning of WIFE.
It means...Without Information Fighting Everytime!
WIFE satys No, it means -
With Idiot for Ever.
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girl friends are like mobile phone, whenever you want happiness just check inbox, whenever u want to cry check out box, and whenever u want to enjoyment just plug in your charger and enjoy.
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Why do couples hold hands during their wedding day?.?.?.?.. .. It is just a formality, like two boxers shaking hands b4 the fight begins !
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Dear user,your wife can become mother without your struggle!Just SMS 'CHILD' or call customer care at 9890****** & be a tension-free DAD!
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can you lend me 2000 Rs? i need it. please help me out, i know you have it, i wil return it .Bholajee asks to ATM machine????? ??
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Bad guy of 2006: President George W Bush. Good guy of 2006: President George W Bush.
Britney Spears outdistanced Paris Hilton as the worst.
When Americans were asked in an AP-AOL News poll to name the villains and heroes of the year, Bush topped both lists, in a sign of these polarised times.
Among entertainment celebrities, Oprah Winfrey edged out Michael J Fox as the best celebrity role model while Britney Spears outdistanced Paris Hilton as the worst.
Bush won the villain sweepstakes by a landslide, with one in four respondents putting him at the top of that bad-guy list. When people were asked to name the candidate for villain that first came to mind, Bush far outdistanced even Osama bin Laden, the terrorist leader in hiding; and former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, who is scheduled for execution.
The president was picked as hero of the year by a much smaller margin. In the poll, 13% named him as their favourite while 6% cited the troops in Iraq.
On the question of celebrity role models, a pop singer's bad behaviour claimed worst honours.
When asked to choose from a list of names, nearly three in 10 adults, or 29%, bestowed the honour of worst celebrity of the year on Spears.
Britney "went too far"
The 25-year-old pop singer and mother of two young sons recently filed for divorce from Kevin Federline, her husband of two years. She then followed with highly publicised nights out with party girls Hilton and Lindsay Lohan, including photographic evidence of Spears wearing no underpants, which raised questions about her fitness as a parent. more on planetsave
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ANGELINA JOLIE and BRAD PITT are to spend New Year's Eve in the same Costa Rica hotel where PINK wed CAREY HART earlier this year (JAN06).
The couple have been staying in the Central American nation since last week and spent Christmas Day with Colombian refugees.
Jolie and Pitt, who have been raising awareness about poverty during their stay, have been residing in the luxury Four Seasons hotel on the Papagayo peninsula with their three children MADDOX, five; ZAHARA, 23 months; and SHILOH NOUVEL, six months, nanny and personal chef since last Friday (22DEC06).
Costa Rica's La Nacion newspaper reports the couple will join in the New Year festivities at the hotel on Sunday night (31DEC06). //pr-inside
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Hours after her husband passed away at the hospital, Tomi Rae Brown, James Brown’s widow, found herself locked outside the home where she lived together with the singer and their 5-year-old son.
Brown’s widow said on Monday when she returned to their Beech Island, South Carolina home from the hospital where the singer died of heart failure, she found the gate padlocked at the request of Brown’s lawyer and accountant.
James Brown's widow is desperate to turn the soul star's home into a museum for devoted fans, maintaining the singer "wanted a Graceland".Read more!
Tomi Rae Hynie, 36, was locked out of Brown's home by his lawyers following his unexpected Christmas Day death. They insist her 2001 marriage was illegitimate because she was already the wife of a Pakistani man she met in Texas in 1997 at the time.
Despite the allegations, Hynie is adamant she'll not only gain entry to the Augusta, Georgia residence, but she'll also fulfil Brown's last wishes by converting it into a museum.
The soul legend's agent Frank Copsidas confirms he was keen for the memorial.
He tells the New York Post: "He said his house could be another Graceland. He said: 'Elvis did it, why can't I?'"
Brown will be buried near the house on Saturday after a public funeral.
IOL
Thousands of fans have paid their last respects to James Brown as his body was left lying in state at the Apollo Theater in New York yesterday.
The singer’s body was brought to the legendary venue by horse drawn carriage where it remained on the venues stage from 1pm to 8pm.
Brown’s close friend Reverend Al Sharpton accompanied the golden coffin in front of a huge floral display spelling the word Godfather.
Upon James Brown’s body arriving at the venue, fans chanted his famous line “Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud.”
Some fans had queued through the night for their chance to pay their last respects to the musical legend.
James Brown died aged 73 in the early hours of Christmas morning. The Apollo Theatre in Harlem was the setting for his defining 1962 live album.
A private funeral is being held for James Brown today in his native Augusta, Georgia, before a huge public service takes place at the 8,500 capacity Civic auditorium: gigwise
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Pirates Of The Caribbean star Johnny Depp is the most searched Hollywood celebrity by movie fans around the world.
The actor dominated searches by over 42 million users on the Internet Movie Database (IMDB) website, generating more enquiries than any other star this year.
ANGELINA JOLIE was the second most sought-after star, with SIN CITY actress JESSICA ALBA third. BRAD PITT, SCARLETT JOHANSSON, LINDSAY LOHAN and PARIS HILTON also featured in the top 20 results. <pr-inside>
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Britney Spears and Paris Hilton have been voted the Worst Celebrity Role Models of 2006 in a joint poll between Associated Press and AOL.
The pop star has come under fire this year (06) for her questionable parenting skills and her incessant partying since filing for divorce from KEVIN FEDERLINE in early November (06) and scooped 29 per cent of the votes.
Spears' partying pal Hilton followed in second place with 18 per cent of votes, while MEL GIBSON came third with 12 per cent following his July (06) arrest for drink-driving and anti-Semitic attack against the arresting officer.
Other names in the top 10 Worst Celebrity Role Models include TEOM CRUIS, MICHAEL RICHARDS, NICOLE RICHIE, Federline, LINDSAY LOHAN and ANGELINA JOLIE.
Meanwhile, OPRAH WINFREY narrowly beat MICHAEL J FOX to the Best Celebrity Role Model title, with 29 per cent votes to his 23 per cent.
US PRESIDENT GEORGE W BUSH was voted both Bad Guy Of 2006 and Good Guy Of 2006.-pr-inside
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U.S. film actors Tom Cruise and Angelina Jolie have been named by "Access Hollywood" as the top newsmakers of 2006.
Using a calculation of how many stories were published about or centering on certain celebrities, "Access Hollywood" determined Cruise to be the top newsmaker, with 94 stories. Jolie came in as top female newsmaker, with 79 stories.
Other celebrities recognized on the news-making list for 2006 were Kevin Federline, Britney Spears, Katie Holmes, Brad Pitt and Paul McCartney.
"From nuptials and new babies to dancing, singing, and some sad splits, 2006 was a whirlwind year," said "Access Hollywood" executive producer Rob Silverstein. "I'm sure there will be much more to come from all these stars and top shows in 2007."
The newsmaker lists will be revealed throughout this week on Access Hollywood.
(realitytvworld)
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A veteran leader of Myanmar's ethnic Karen rebel movement, which is fighting one of the world's longest-running insurgencies, has died aged 79, rebel officials said on Sunday.
General Bo Mya of the Karen National Union (KNU) is shown saluting during celebrations of the KNU's 50th year of fighting for an autonomous state in eastern Myanmar, in this January 31, 1999 file photo. Bo Mya has died, aged 79, a rebel official said on Sunday.
Bo Mya, the 79-year-old former leader of the ethnic Karen insurgency in Myanmar, died Sunday in a Thai provincial hospital, Karen and hospital sources said.
"It's a big loss for our struggle," said Mahn Sha Lah Phan,the current general secretary of the Karen National Union (KNU), and a former personal aide to Bo Mya between 1988 to 1995.
A funeral for Bo Mya is planned in the next few days in the Karen State of Myanmar. While Bo Mya's passing marks the end of an era for the nearly six-decades of Karen struggle, his demise will not lead to a change in strategy for the movement, KNU officials said.
"Our policy has not changed," Mahn Sha said in a telephone interview with Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. "We have set down our principles and we will stand by that."
He added the KNU will continue to seek a political dialogue with Myanmar's military government in an effort to find a peaceful solution to their conflict with the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), as ruling junta calls itself.
"For the KNU, we want to solve the problem through political means but now nothing is happening because the SPDC doesn't have a dialogue strategy," said Mahn Sha.
Bo Mya, who was president of the KNU rebel movement for almost three decades before his retirement from all active duties in 2004, was known for his tough stance against Myanmar's military regime and refusal to consider a ceasefire agreement as other ethnic rebels have opted for.
He had been suffering from a variety of ailments, including high blood pressure and diabetes, for years.
"He died at 1:00 a.m.," said Suwanna, a spokesperson for the Phra Wah Hospital in Mae Sot, Tak province, about 600 kilometres north of Bangkok.
The KNU was the first ethnic minority group to rebel against Myanmar's Rangoon-based central government following the country's independence in 1948 from its former colonial master Britain.
The KNU, seeking the autonomy of the Karen State, declared independence in 1949 and even sent troops to attack Rangoon, prompting a host of other ethnic minority groups such as the Shan, Mon and Kachin to launch similar independence struggles for their traditional territories in Myanmar's hinterland.
But the KNU and its military arm, the Karen National Liberation Army, have been on the decline as a rebel force since the fall of its headquarters at Manerplaw, near the Thai border, in 1994.
Today it is the last insurgent group that continues to actively oppose the military junta and refuses to sign a ceasefire or surrender pact, prompting annual offensives in the Karen State that have driven an estimated 140,000 civilian refugees to Thai-Myanmar border camps.
An estimated 15,000 Karen were forced out of their homes and villages in the Karen State during the first three months of this year in what the military government claims is an effort to secure the area. But the Karen see as an effort to destroy them as a people and drive them from their traditional homeland.
ref:bkkpost
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It's good to be the king, but not so great to be the emperor.
Acclaimed director Zhang Yimou's "Curse of the Golden Flower" hit Chinese cinemas last weekend. The film is not expected to fuel the box office, but is bringing a windfall for those who have registered "Huangjin Jia" or "Golden Flower " as a trademark. Deng Wei tells us who's cashing in on the bloom.
The emperor's innovative solution for all of this, at least at first, is to turn his wife insane by slowly poisoning her. Meanwhile, someone's raising an army to strike at the heart of the empire during the annual chrysanthemum festival, someone else is searching for a long-lost relative, and so on.
All these palace intrigues play out across a gloriously colorful version of imperial China; Curse of the Golden Flower is a triumph of set dressing, cinematography and costuming.
Now if only it were compelling. The curse of this movie is that every twist in its plot is either revealed long in advance or appears in completely arbitrary fashion. You're either irritated, or wondering aloud, "Hey, when did all those black-clad guys with sickles get here?"
This is a stumble for director Yimou, a film with neither the mythic qualities of Hero nor the approachable story of House of Flying Daggers.
There's probably a lesson in it somewhere, but none of the characters learned it. All I learned was, essentially, to never cross a guy with access to hot-and-cold-running goons. Sadly, that's just common sense. eonline
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Miss California Tamika Nash seems to be just the kind of girl a "Miss" should be. Honest, caring, strong, smart. Tamika works part time in an elementary school (helping lil kids, awwww), and for the Grammy Awards. She’s been called "genuinely nice" and someone "everyone really likes."
But, like every rose, there are a couple thorns. Miss Nash is the latest gal to grace a the cover of a Snoop Dogg album, is a reality TV star (Deal or No Deal), and at age 27, would be the oldest Miss USA ever.Continue Reading >>> Read more!
Some relationships just aren't made to last. And 2006 proved it. Some celeb couples called it quits after more than a decade together (Bobby & Whitney), while others realized sooner that they were better off just being friends (Jen & Vince). From Reese & Ryan to Britney & K-Fed, here are the romances that went kaput in '06:
1. BRITNEY & KEVIN
Two years of marriage, two babies (Sean Preston, 1, and Jayden James, 3 months) and it was kaput for Spears and Federline when she filed for divorce on Nov. 7. Of course, the rumor mill had been predicting it all along. Continue Reading at Source >>>
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Freckled face beauty has sparked rumors of falling off the wagon after a night of mystery drinks.
Lindsay Lohan with her hood up the whole night, sipped several unidentifiable drinks from the bar while taking in a performance by Under the Influence of Giants Tuesday night at the DKNY Jeans/Complex magazine party at Cinespace reports NYDN
Last week, the 20-year-old actress sais she stopped drinking alcohol completely after going on a series of binges.
She said: "I’ve been going to AA for a year."
Continue Reading at Source >>>
One time sex symbol Tom Cruise is continuing his descent into fat man land.
The extra large star has been spotted with man boobs, and a few chins just weeks after his huge wedding.
Now reports out of the UK suggests Cruise's massive weight gain could be the result of gorging.
Tom Cruise couldn't wait to start eating at his wedding to Katie Holmes, it has been claimed.
The "Top Gun' actor - who reportedly wore a corset to hide the weight he has gained when the couple tied the knot in Italy last month - began gobbling pizzas as soon as they were cooked after the ceremony.
Don't be surprise this is not a plant or a flower. It is a mammal on Earth. But recent study found it can smell prey while underwater.
The biologists found that moles are the fastest mammalian foragers on Earth.The mole has now displayed equal prowess as a lightning-fast underwater sniffer, blowing and inhaling air bubbles at a rate of five to ten times a second.The bubbles make contact with a target, such as morsel of earthworm or fish, and apparently pick up the target's scent before being sucked back up the nose.
Moles are not totally blind - they have tiny eyes covered with hairy skin.
Their favourite food is worms.
Moles can burrow through 13lbs of earth every 20 minutes.
In the early 1900s, moleskin clothes were very fashionable and lots of moles were killed
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About Moles
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President Bush says he is inclined to believe that the United States needs to increase the size of the army and the Marines. But Bush said he has not decided whether to order a short-term surge in U.S. troops in Iraq in hopes of gaining control of the violent and chaotic situation there.
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According to Albert Goldman's book, The Lives of John Lennon, the Beatle had an affair with the band's manager and close friend, Brian Epstein, from 1963 until Epstein's death in 1967. Two other authors, Peter Shotten and Hunter Davies, claimed that Lennon and Epstein had sex but not a long-term relationship. Lennon denied the rumor, telling Playboy in 1980 "it was never consummated, but we had a pretty intense relationship." Lennon’s ex-wife Cynthia also refuted the claim in her memoir, John, saying, Continue Reading at Source >>>
"Hitler — has only got one ball/ Göring — has two but they are small. . . " That's the classic doggerel verse, set to the "Colonel Bogey March." (MIDI here; thanks, Wikipedia). But what's the truth behind it? While historians generally agree that Hermann Göring's testicles were of average size, the notion that Hitler had but one testicle (or a shrunken testicle, or a retracted testicle, or one smooth blue testicle and one fuzzy green testicle) actually has some grounding in history. A Soviet autopsy report from 1945 written by one Dr. Faust Shkaravski, reports that "the left testicle could not be found. . . "
Very interesting, but dubious. First of all, Hitler’s body, of course, was burned, removing any kind of testicular evidence. More importantly, Soviet documents are not noted for their untouched authority. Continue Reading >>> Read more!
Rap megastar Eminem and his high school sweetheart divorced for a second time Tuesday, less than a year after they remarried.
Eminem and Kim Mathers agreed to divide property under terms of a private settlement and to share custody of their 10-year-old daughter, Hailie Jade Scott. They told a judge they understood the divorce was final.
The couple "conducted themselves with dignity and respect," Circuit Judge Antonio P. Viviano said. "All in all, they are a very fine couple to deal with."
Eminem, 34, declined to comment after the brief hearing as two men whisked him into a black Cadillac Escalade. Mathers, 31, did not speak to reporters.
Eminem and Mathers remarried Jan. 14. He filed for divorce April 5. They first married in 1999 in a secret ceremony in Missouri, and divorced in 2001.
Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Bruce Mathers III, has won nine
Grammy Awards, including best rap album, for "The Slim Shady LP," "The Marshall Mathers LP" and "The Eminem Show." He won an Oscar for the song "Lose Yourself" from "8 Mile," the semi-autobiographical 2002 film in which he starred.
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The partnership of Google and Nasa would bring anyone using internet connection to more imagery information of weather forecasting, three-dimensional maps of the moon and Mars, and real-time tracking of the International Space Station and space shuttle flights. Google plans to build a one million-square-foot campus at the NASA center, located a few miles south of the company's Mountain View headquarters.
NASA Ames Research Center director of strategic business development, Chris Kemp, poses with a poster of Mars in 1996, left, and the moon and earth in 1968, right, at NASA in Mountain View, Calif. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
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If you loves jewels and their names you can pick up some here to make a name for yourself, someone or baby names. Even there's a country singer named 'Jewel'. It's sure that everyone knows her. I was even named Jewel as in my mother language.
The names include,
Amber
Amethyst
Aqua(marine)
Beryl
Coral
Crystal
Diamond (Diamanta)
Ebony
Esmeralda (Emerald)
Garnet
Gemma (Jemma)
Jade (Jada)
Jet, Jetta
Jewel
Onyx
Opal
Pearl
Ruby
>>
Gemstones
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Snowman is cute and I am sure it is ever the best friend for children especially in Christmas.Meet the snow man here. The snowman was first published in 1978 as a childrens book ,written and illustrated by Raymond Briggs.
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Do you know how Christmas tree has occurred and been celebrated along Christianity? The story based on Germany and it's interesting how the tradition spread to England.
The fir tree has a long association with Christianity, it began in Germany almost 1,000 years ago when St Boniface, who converted the German people to Christianity, was said to have come across a group of pagans worshipping an oak tree. In anger, St Boniface is said to have cut down the oak tree and to his amazement a young fir tree sprung up from the roots of the oak tree. St Boniface took this as a sign of the Christian faith. But it was not until the 16th century that fir trees were brought indoors at Christmas time.
From the book "Christopher Radko, The First Decade"
"It is from Germany that we today get many of our customs, songs, images of Santa, pine trees and European hand blow glass ornaments.
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I picked some summer/spring fashion by Sonia Rykiel. It all looks cheerful.
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Sharon Stone and Christian Slater have confirmed rumors they're dating and now plan to spend Christmas together. The starry couple, who co-star in new movie Bobby, sparked romance rumors when they attended a string of events together, but refused to confirm their relationship.
But now 48-year-old Stone and her 37-year-old beau aren't hiding their affections for each other - they recently attended a party for fashion label Dolce & Gabbana at the Chateau Marmont Hotel in Los Angeles arm-in-arm and made sure everyone knew they were a couple.
Read more!This picture somehow hides some inspiration. What do you say?
Cormorants search for a place to roost near the northern Israeli city of Hadera on Wednesday, December 13. About 9,000 of the seabirds are expected to settle in the Holy Land this winter during their annual migration>>
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Celebrities have become scientologists like Tom Cruize and Leah Remini. Now Jennifer Lopez and Jim Carrey seems to join Scientology. How do you think of this Scientology?
Scientology is a body of teachings and related techniques developed by American science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard. It began in 1952 as a self-help philosophy, an outgrowth of his earlier self-help system, Dianetics. It claims to offer "an exact methodology" to help humans achieve awareness of their spiritual existence across many lifetimes and, simultaneously, to become more effective in the physical world. The name "Scientology" is also used to refer to the often controversial Church of Scientology, the largest organization promoting the practice of Scientology, which is itself part of a network of affiliated corporations that claim ownership and sole authority to disseminate Dianetics and Scientology.
Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise's wedding last month was a star-studded event. Longtime friends of the couple like Will and Jada Pinckett-Smith and Victoria Beckham were there, but so were Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony and Jenny McCarthy and Jim Carrey. These two couples weren't known to have associated with Tom and Katie in the past. How did they score tickets to the wedding of the year?.
According to sources for Page Six, Jim and Jennifer are currently looking into joining Cruise's Church of Scientology. One insider told the gossip column, "Jim is taking the introductory and beginner's courses right now." Meanwhile, Lopez was introduced to the religion through another Cruise wedding guest, "King of Queens" star, Leah Remini, also a Scientologist.
A snitch said, "Leah and Jennifer have been friends for years, and Leah has always talked to her about the church without pressuring her…We can see Scientology appealing to Jennifer because, in the early stages, it is a lot of self-help." Whatever Leah has been telling Jennifer must be working. The source revealed that Lopez "has started using Scientology phrases and explains the church to people."
Insiders suspect that Jennifer may be turning to Scientology to help her in her attempt become pregnant. It wouldn't be the first time a star sought out Scientology to help with a child-related problem. Last year Victoria Beckham was spotted reading a Scientology book called Assists for Illnesses and Injuries. It was believed she was reading the book for advice on how to deal with her son Romeo's seizures.
Both Carrey's and Lopez's reps were hesitant to reveal any connection between their clients and the Church of Scientology. Jim's rep expressly denied that he was taking classes.
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Have you known that;
Americans drank more than 23 gallons of bottled water per person in 2004 — about 10 times as much as in 1980.
At the same time, Americans spent more of their lives than ever — about eight-and-a-half hours a day — watching television, using computers, listening to the radio, going to the movies or reading.
Americans bought more than 2 billion pairs of shoes in 2004, a new federal book of data says.
For the first time, the abstract quantifies same-sex sexual contacts (6 percent of men and 11.2 percent of women say they have had them) and learning disabilities (among population groups, American Indians were most likely to have been told that they have them).
Taller, too. More than 24 percent of Americans in their 70s are shorter than 5-foot-6. Only 10 percent of people in their 20s are. Among graduate students, 27 percent had at least one foreign-born parent. The number of foreign students from India enrolled in American colleges soared to 80,000 in 2005 from 10,000 in 1976.
As recently as 1980, only 12 percent of doctors were women; by 2004, 27 percent were.
In 1970, 33,000 men and 2,000 women earned professional degrees; in 2004, the numbers were 42,000 men and 41,000 women. More
Would you dare to walk on this for the first time?
This 30-million-dollar stel-and-glass walkway will open to the public in coming March 2007.The Hualapai, or "People of the Tall Pines," are working with the Las Vegas, Nevada-based Destination Grand Canyon to market the Skywalk and draw in valuable tourist dollars.
The steel-and-glass Skywalk, seen in this artist's conception, will jut 70 feet (21 meters) from the canyon wall and sit 4,000 feet (1,220 meters) above the Colorado River.
The Native American tribe building the walkway hopes to bring in valuable tourist dollars that will bolster the local economy. But some members and residents worry that the structure will be doomed by its support system—steel poles drilled 40 feet (12 meters) into the porous canyon wall.
Photograph courtesy Destination Grand Canyon
California businessman David Jin was first inspired to build the Skywalk in 1996 after taking a tour of the canyon. According to the Associated Press, the Hualapai tribe will own the Skywalk, but Jin will collect up to half of the money from ticket sales for the next 25 years.
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The Pursuit of Happyness is the most search in NYTIMES. I hope this movie will give you some certain thing as Will Smith as performed and it said it's a true story for christmas 2006.
A fairy tale in realist drag, “The Pursuit of Happyness” is the kind of entertainment that goes down smoothly until it gets stuck in your craw. Inspired by a true story, as they like to say in Hollywood, the film traces the fleeting ups and frightening downs of Chris Gardner, whose efforts to keep his family from sinking into poverty evolve into a life-and-death struggle of social Darwinian proportions. It’s the early 1980s, and while Ronald Reagan is delivering the bad economic news on television, Chris is about to prove you don’t need an army to fight the war on poverty, just big smiles and smarts, and really sturdy shoes. (It also helps that the star playing him is as innately sympathetic as Will Smith.)Read more!
Given how often Chris breaks into a run on the streets of San Francisco, it’s a good thing his shoes are well built; his lungs, too. Written by Steven Conrad and directed by Gabriele Muccino, “The Pursuit of Happyness” recounts how Chris, plagued by some bad luck, a few stupid moves and a shrew for a wife, Linda (Thandie Newton), loses his apartment and, with his 5-year-old, Christopher (Jaden Christopher Syre Smith, Mr. Smith’s own beautiful son), joins the ranks of the homeless, if not the hopeless. Evicted from the mainstream and bounced from shelter to shelter, Chris holds firm to his dignity, resolve, faith, love and independence. His optimism sweeps through the film like a searchlight, scattering clouds and dark thoughts to the wind, nyt
Will you surprise if you see your name as selected for Time Magazine's " Person Of The Year"? Now, it's real. You are named Time Magazine "Person of the Year" on Saturday for the explosive growth and influence of user-generated Internet content from such sources as blogs, video-sharing site YouTube and social-networking site MySpace.com.
"For seizing the reins of the global media, for founding and framing the new digital democracy, for working for nothing and beating the pros at their own game, Time's Person of the Year for 2006 is you," the magazine's Lev Grossman wrote.
The magazine has put a mirror on the cover of its "Person of the Year" issue, released on Monday, "because it literally reflects the idea that you, not us, are transforming the Information Age," Editor Richard Stengel said in a statement.
You beat out candidates including Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, China's President Hu Jintao, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and James Baker, the former U.S. Secretary of State who led Washington's bipartisan Iraq Study Group.
Time has been naming its "Person of the Year" since 1927 and the tradition has become the source of speculation every year, as well as controversy over unpopular choices such as Adolf Hitler in 1938 and Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979.
The aim is to pick "the person or persons who most affected the news and our lives, for good or for ill, and embodied what was important about the year, for better or for worse." <smh>
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Nintendo's Wii Consoles are just getting the better sale than Sony Play Station 3. But now, because of the Nintendo consoles are not very tough enough and the 3.2 million straps are recalled to replace with tougher stuff.
The reception of Nintendo's Wii video game console has been enthusiastic - too enthusiastic, apparently, for the straps that are supposed to keep the game controllers in the hands of players.
After widespread reports of controllers flying out of the hands of overly energetic players to cause a Wii bit of damage to TV sets, walls and bystanders, Nintendo (other-otc: NTDOY.PK - news - people ) is recalling 3.2 million straps to replace them with tougher stuff.
The console's motion-sensitive remote controller can be swung like a tennis racket, golf club or sword, depending on the game. But soon after the Wii went on sale last month, the excesses of overzealous players became apparent.
Nintendo will now allow customers to exchange the old straps, which have a 0.024 inch diameter, for a beefed up strap that has a diameter of 0.04 inch, company spokesman Yasuhiro Minagawa said.
"People tended to get a bit excited ... and in some cases the control would come loose from their hands," Minagawa said. "The new strap will be almost twice as thick."
The wand-like controller is one of the unique features of the Wii, which Nintendo introduced as its counterchallenge in a fierce competition with Sony Corp. (nyse: SNE - news - people )'s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Corp. (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people )'s Xbox 360.
Nintendo is hoping the easy-to-control wand will appeal to a wider crowd of players - not just young men.
Customers can exchange the straps through their local Nintendo service centers, Minagawa said. The worldwide exchange is expected to cost the company several million dollars.
Billy Pidgeon, an industry analyst at IDC in New York, said the replacement program could have an overall upside for Nintendo - the company is being proactive, and problems with the wrist straps appear relatively minor.
Some older versions of Microsoft's video game console had more serious problems when electrical adapters had to be replaced because of fire dangers, he noted.
"It helps to spread Nintendo's message on the unique interface of the Wii," Pidgeon said. "As long as it doesn't land you in the emergency room."
In any case, the strap problems probably won't affect demand for the Wii. "At the launch of a console, it basically has to be fatal to hurt sales," Pidgeon said.
The market research company NPD Group estimated that U.S. consumers bought 476,000 Wiis in the two weeks following its Nov. 17 launch. That beat Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 console, which sold just under 200,000 units amid widespread shortages.
Nintendo has delivered more machines so far to consumers than Sony has, partly because of Sony's production problems.
Nintendo has shipped about 400,000 Wii machines in Japan and more than 600,000 in North America. Sony readied just 100,000 PS3 machines for the Japanese launch and 400,000 consoles for its U.S. debut.
Sony has promised 2 million PS3s worldwide by year's end, while Nintendo is targeting 4 million Wii units in the same period.
Selling machines in high volumes is crucial in the gaming business because hot-selling formats attract software companies to make more games, which in turn boost console sales.
Separately Friday, Nintendo also said it would replace 200,000 AC adapters for its DS and DS Lite consoles in Japan. Nintendo said the move would not affect adapters overseas, and officials expected only a small impact on earnings.
Associated Press Writer Curt Woodward contributed to this report from Seattle. (forbes)
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Hilton does not do MySpace.
Paris Hilton defends her girlfriend Britney Spears' about her hard partying. Paris explains it's normal at their age (25) to have wild fun. She also defends Britney, as being a good mom regardless of partying excessively.
However, Hilton never blogged in MySpace.com, it was supposedly all made up. There is no record Paris writing anything about Britney's party habits or supporting her friend. It was all written by an imposter! How rude!
Original PostParis Hilton and Britney Spears leave a private party in Beverly Hills, California.[Splash]
A blog, which Paris Hilton has reportedly been using to defend her pal Britney Spears¡¯ hard partying habits, seems to be a fake account.
Read more at Source:: Read more!The world's first cloned cat just became a mother — and she even did it without test tubes.
Copy Cat, who was cloned by Texas A&M University researchers in 2001, had three kittens in September. Mother and kittens are doing well, said Duane Kraemer, an A&M veterinary medicine professor who helped clone her and has been taking care of her since.
"They're cute and we thought people ought to know about the birth," Kraemer said. "But we're hoping it doesn't cause the same frenzy CC did."
CC got worldwide attention after she was cloned at Texas A&M, which has cloned more species than any institution in the world, including cattle, swine, goats, horses and a deer.
The father is Smokey, a naturally born tabby who was brought in to mate with CC. Two of the kittens take after their mother, while the third has a gray coat like his father.
CC is not the first cloned cat to give birth, Kraemer said. In New Orleans, two cloned wild African cats successfully mated to produce kittens.>
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Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton is being stalked by paparazzi — in court, at least.
X17 Inc., a Los Angeles photo agency known for its images of stars in personal or embarrassing moments, has filed a $7.6 million federal copyright infringement lawsuit against Hilton.
Hilton's Los Angeles-based site, PerezHilton.com, posts tabloid photos of celebs and adds cheeky captions and rudimentary doodles.
The suit claims Hilton used 51 photographs without permission, payment or credit, including images of a pregnant
Katie Holmes, Kevin Federline pumping gas and
Britney Spears showing her, um, assets.
"We've had trouble with a lot of bloggers," X17 co-owner Brandy Navarre told the Los Angeles Times for a story on its Web site. "But he's the biggest, and the most arrogant and pigheaded about it, frankly.
"He is stealing our images and costing us money every day," she said.
Hilton, whose real name is Mario Lavandeira, said he believes he has done nothing illegal.
"I am going to vigorously defend myself," he said. "I am willing to step up to the plate and fight for my rights and fight for the rights of all bloggers."
His attorney, Bryan Freedman, said Hilton has a legal right to make satirical or humorous use of newsworthy photographs.
If the copyright lawsuit succeeds, "the effect would be to eliminate the ability to comment on and transform photographs under the fair-use exception to the Copyright Act," Freedman said.
But X17's lawyer, John Tehranian, argued that Hilton "is basically free-riding on the labor and efforts of X17 and its photographers who stay up all night and roam the city."
Seven other photo agencies sent Hilton a joint letter demanding that he stop using their photographs but they have not sued, the Times said.>
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Eragon is all about one boy’s battle against evil. How predictable, says Cosmo Landesman.
Based on the novel by Christopher Paolini, Eragon is a fantasy action epic aimed at young teenagers. It automatically invites comparisons with Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and even Harry Potter: our 17-year-old hero, Eragon (Ed Speleers), follows closely in the footsteps of Luke Skywalker (blond, no mum, following his destiny); and, like Tolkien’s epic, this one takes place in a world of elves, magicians and scary soldiers. And, of course, it’s being released in the sword’n’sorcery slot, just in time for the holidays.Clearly, the subtext is a teenager’s awakening sexuality — the dragon becomes the perfect woman. (Okay, her skin is a touch scaly, and in the morning she has dragon breath, but she has nice eyes and she’s faithful.) What young man can resist an opening line (delivered telepathically) like “I’m Saphira, and you are my rider”? The sexual innuendo continues throughout — later, she tells him to mount her. “Let’s see what you got,” she smoulders. The dragon has a kind of Jurassic Park realism to its look, but for me its impact is ruined by Rachel Weisz’s voice, which needed to sound tougher and less fey.
Because there’s so much exposition to get through, the film seems to take forever to get going. And a talented cast is wasted in underwritten roles. Malkovich seems to be doing the same brooding “Get me the boy!” routine throughout. Likewise, his henchman with magical powers, Durza (Robert Carlyle), spends a lot of time telling his own incompetent henchmen to “Bring me the boy!” The trouble is that Durza’s magic tricks and spells aren’t the cool and clever kind. As for 18-year-old Speleers, he is your standard-issue teenage-idol type, with a limited dramatic range.
There’s a grandiose sweep to proceedings, but the film never seems the stuff of epics. There’s no wow moment you’d want to see time and time again, and even the final battle is small beer compared to The Lord of the Rings. more>
Beyonce's not creating the supposed catfight with "Dreamgirls" costar Jennifer Hudson – her daddy Matthew is.
As E!'s Marc Malkin reports, during the filming of "Dreamgirls," the ever-overbearing Matthew tried to sign Hudson as a management client, only to rebuffed by the former "American Idol" contestant. Despite her rejection, Matthew went around telling people he'd been representing the breakout star.
What's more, after an early screening, both Matthew and B's mom (Tina) flipped over Hudson's screen time, arguing with writer/director Bill Condon that the flick needed to be recut and include more B and less J -- Condon refused.
Of course it's not the first time Matthew has gone ballistic over Beyonce. Back in June, when TMZ posted video of PETA confronting Beyonce over her fondness for fur, Matthew tried just about everything in his quiver to get it taken down. It didn't work. >>
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A publicist for Moynahan on Friday confirmed the celebrity couple have broken up.
After three years of dating, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and actress Bridget Moynahan are free to play the field again.
A statement said Brady and Moynahan "amicably ended their three-year relationship several weeks ago. We ask for your respect and consideration of their privacy. No further comments will be made."
The 29-year-old Brady, a two-time Super Bowl MVP who has led the Patriots to three NFL titles, was named one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in 2002. The 35-year-old Moynahan has appeared in films such as Coyote Ugly and is currently on the ABC television series Six Degrees.>
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Having spent vast tracts of my youth poring over reports of her every move while she was alive, it was lost interest in Diana, Princess of Wales — and any conspiracy theories attached to her life and death — pretty much the moment she was buried.
As the stories emerged of her less-than-honest, less-than-sane, less-than-always-likeable approach to life, I think people began to feel a bit cheated — and a bit foolish for having mourned her as vociferously as they did.
But I must admit the Diana inquiry has thrown me. Lord Stevens’s long-awaited report released last week tried to lay those conspiracy theories to rest once and for all. He delivered his conclusions with a great fanfare of certainty: the death of the princess was “a tragic accident”.
Once again I was hooked on Diana. But this time not for the clichéd speculation about paparazzi and pregnancy. I was gripped by the picture of her that emerged from her friends — some of whom have never spoken publicly about the princess they knew so well.
The endless loony-toon carping by Mohamed al-Fayed about the relationship of his son Dodi with Diana has led us down a blind alley for years. In fact, according to Stevens’s inquiry, the real love of her life was not Dodi but a little-known doctor from the Royal London hospital.
She had met Hasnat Khan, a softly spoken Pakistani heart surgeon, in 1995 while visiting a friend at the hospital. At the height of their affair, she had kept a picture of him on her bedside table and had introduced him to the princes.
Far from being a friendless, haunted pariah, driven half mad by the evil machinations of the royal family and MI5, Diana had a grounded circle of confidantes who kept their counsel to the last — it took an official inquiry to hear their, real, version of events.
Through the testimony of her elder sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, and close friend Jemima Khan, we learn that Diana did seriously consider converting to Islam — but not in order to marry Dodi Fayed. It was Dr Khan she had in mind and after tidying up his tiny Chelsea flat she would read back to him what she had spent the day learning about his religion.
This was no whim. When Diana visited Jemima, then living in Pakistan, ostensibly to support Imran Khan’s cancer charity, she was really there to pay her respects to Hasnat’s family, particularly his all-important mother. McCorquodale, who describes herself as the princess’s “top confidante”, tells us that Diana had no plans whatsoever to marry Dodi — he was a summer fling, a bit of fun, perhaps a distraction from the anguish of realising things could never work out with Khan.>
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The organizers of the Miss USA pageant said Thursday they are evaluating the "behavioral and personal issues" of the reigning winner and will decide her future within a week.
Pageant officials and Donald Trump, who co-owns the Miss Universe Organization with NBC, would not say what Kentucky native Tara Conner, 20, had done to prompt the serious evaluation.
"I can't really talk about it now," Trump said. "But we have to make a decision. There is no question about that."
Internet gossip Web site TMZ.com reported that pageant officials and NBC met Tuesday to discuss Conner's alleged bad behavior, "including her conduct at New York City bars." The Web site did not name its sources.
Miss USA is considered a role model and must act accordingly, said Lark-Marie Anton, spokeswoman for the Miss Universe Organization, which produces the Miss USA pageant. Behavior such as underage drinking is clearly prohibited, she said.
The organization and Trump will evaluate Conner's "behavioral and personal issues to see what we can do to work with her and what we will do about her reign going forward," the organization's president, Paula M. Shugart, said in a statement.
"Mr. Trump will make a determination and announcement within the coming week," Shugart said.
A 5-foot-5 blonde who lives in New York, Conner has been competing in pageants since age 4. She won the title of Young Miss Russell County in Kentucky at the county fair when she was 13, and by 2002 she was second runner-up in Miss Teen USA. She finished fourth in the Miss Universe pageant in July.
Trump said if Conner gets the boot runner-up Miss California Tamiko Nash would take over as Miss USA.
This wouldn't be the first time Trump has dealt with such a scenario. In 2002, Russia's Oxana Fedorova won Miss Universe but was stripped of her title after violating her contract.
"We had a Miss Universe from Russia that was a total disaster, and we fired her, and Miss Panama took over and she did great," Trump said.
Trump said he had not spoken with Conner.
A telephone message left for Conner with her grandmother was not immediately returned Thursday.>
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Skype has introduced a downloadable 'lie-detector': an application developed by KishKish that works with the Skype softphone to detect stress levels in the callers' voice.
According to Skype, "Using the KishKish Lie detector, you can monitor (in real-time) the stress level of the person you are talking to which allows you to gauge the level of stress and modify your questions."
The use of voice stress analysis (VSA) as a lie detector became popular in the late 1970s and 80s. In the 90s the first computerised VSA (CVSA) systems came to out to the market. According to KishKish, "the CVSAT is now the truth verification device of choice in the law enforcement community as the number of law enforcement agencies utilising the CVSAT continues to grow dramatically, proving the viability of the system for twenty-first century crime detection. The CVSAT is also being utilised by the US military in the global war on terrorism."
The KishKish Skype lie detector uses the first 10 seconds to "calibrate the system to the general stress level of the speaker." (So does this mean you can fool the system by opening up with a great big porker before continuing to lie through your teeth?).
Afterwards, "you will see four indicators about the stress level of the speaker. The most prominent one is a needle that moves up and down and registers the stress level of the speaker. The second is a meter which measures the stress level from 0 to 100. There is also a green light that changes to red when stress levels are above normal and finally, on top of the display there is a message which indicates the stress level of the speaker (high, normal)." KishKish offers no indication as to the accuracy of the product.
The lie detector is the latest in a series of products from KishKish designed to enhance Skype. Other tools include: voice mail, call recorder, book and mobile and the company says further additions will be announced in the near future.
KishKish is a wholly owned subsidiary of London Stock Exchange listed BATM Advanced Communications Ltd and also works closely with hardware manufacturers on Skype-related products.>
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Starting today, HP customers can register qualifying consumer PCs for a free Microsoft Windows Vista operating system upgrade with the confidence that HP has created a unique support experience to help them with the installation process.
By requesting an upgrade at www.hp.com/go/windowsvistaupgrade, the majority of customers will receive a kit with a Windows Vista upgrade DVD and an additional DVDwith drivers needed to complete the process.
The HP DVD offers a simple, step-by-step guide that helps ensure customers follow the correct procedure when upgrading their PCs. From validating the necessary physical components to backing up files, HP helps customers protect their data and makes upgrading easy.
In addition to the driver disk, HP will have drivers available via the HP Support website for customers to download. HP plans to update the Windows Vista drivers page as additional drivers become available so customers can have access to the most current versions.
HP has worked closely with Microsoft to help ensure that HP imaging and printing products work smoothly with Windows Vista. More than 450 consumer, small business, and enterprise HP imaging and printing products, including HP LaserJet and inkjet printers, cameras and scanners, are Windows Vista Ready.
HP also has worked with Microsoft to qualify Windows Vista compatible drivers and other key software. By incorporating drivers and other key HP software into the installation process, HP addressed one of the primary reasons customers request tech support when upgrading operating systems.
When used in conjunction with Windows Vista, HP Update will download relevant software as well as technical support content such as user guides and troubleshooting tips right on the PC. HP Update is a tool that 8 million customers currently use to automatically update software to avoid issues with out-of-date drivers or firmware.
HP also is prepared to help address common issues customers face in their transition to Windows Vista in real time through self-paced classes. When customers call HP for help, they may be offered an impromptu class on that issue at no charge. The class would be followed by a live question and answer session with a tech support agent. HP has successfully used these classes in the past to respond to virus outbreaks.
For customers in need of individual support, HP began extensive training sessions with its tech support agents in November. The training gives agents hands-on experience with Vista and the potential questions customers may raise. Agents may use HP Instant Care to connect to customers’ PCs over the Internet and provide personalized advice and assistance while customers watch and learn.
Customers who have purchased a new HP Pavilion, Compaq Presario or HP Digital Entertainment Center PC designated “Microsoft Windows Vista Capable” between Oct. 26, 2006, and March 15, 2007, direct from HP or select retailers are eligible for a free upgrade to Windows Vista when it becomes available in early 2007. Customers may request an upgrade to the version of Windows Vista equivalent to the system’s existing, qualifying version of Windows XP.
The services above are designed for North American consumer products and will be available when Vista is released.>
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Today, Adobe Systems will introduce a beta version of Adobe Photoshop CS3 software, the next release of the world standard in digital imaging.
Adobe is delivering a widely available Photoshop CS3 beta to enable customers to more easily transition to the latest hardware platforms, particularly Apple's new Intel-based systems.
The beta version of the software, which can be downloaded at http://labs.adobe.com, is available as a Universal Binary for the Macintosh platform, as well as for Microsoft Windows XP and Windows Vista computers.
Packed with new features, Photoshop CS3 beta also includes a pre-release version of a major upgrade to Adobe Bridge, as well as a preview release of the all-new Adobe Device Central. Photoshop customers can use Adobe Device Central to design, preview, and test compelling mobile content, created specifically for smaller screens. This new tool, integrated in the Photoshop CS3 beta, simplifies and accelerates the creation of mobile content through a preview environment and built-in device profiles.
John Loiacono, Senior Vice President - Creative Solutions Business Unit, Adobe, said, "This is an exciting time for the Mac and Adobe wanted to ease the move to new Intel-based systems with a preview release of Photoshop CS3. We didn't want to leave Windows customers out of the party, so the beta is available to everyone in the creative industry's most passionate user community, no matter what their platform choice is. We still have some surprises in store, but this beta gives customers an early chance to see the power of another great Photoshop release, optimized and tuned to run natively on the latest hardware and operating systems."
To utilize Adobe Photoshop CS3 beta, customers require a serial number from Adobe Photoshop CS2, Adobe Creative Suite 2, Adobe Creative Suite Production Studio, Adobe Design Bundle, Adobe Web Bundle, or Adobe Video Bundle.
It is also learnt that Adobe Photoshop CS3 beta is available in English only. Customers who have a valid serial number for all other language versions of qualifying Adobe products can download the software. Without a serial number, users can still download Adobe Photoshop CS3 beta, with the product expiring after two days. Customers must register online with Adobe or have an existing Adobe.com membership account to access the software.
The system requirements recommended for Adobe Photoshop CS3 beta are: for Macintosh - Mac OSX 10.4.8 or 10.5, 1 GHz PowerPC G4 or G5 processor, Intel based Macintosh; and for Windows - Intel Xeon , Xeon Dual, Centrino or Pentium 4 processor, Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or higher, Microsoft Windows Vista. Both platforms require 512 MB RAM and a 1024x769 resolution screen.
Meanwhile, Adobe Photoshop CS3 beta will expire soon after the launch of Photoshop CS3 early next year. >
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News of a solar storm this week sent people to the Search box.
Early reports warned of potential damage to power grids and communications satellites. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station and shuttle Discovery slept in protective areas of their spacecraft to avoid affects of the solar flare's radiation storm.
But it was another feature of the solar event that sparked the interest of searchers. The flares also cause the northern lights, or aurora borealis. Earth-bound enthusiasts looked up "aurora borealis" (+334%), "northern lights" (+364%), "solar flares," and even "viewing the northern lights."
In other news for sky watchers, the Geminid meteor shower peaked this week. The annual event, often called "the year's best," is known for its slow, bright meteors that can afford viewers a better show than the summer's Perseid shower. Excited searchers dialed up "meteor shower" (+3,274%), "geminid meteor shower," "geminid meteor shower 2006," and "meteor shower tonight." Don't dismay if you missed it. Straggling meteors are expected to last into the weekend, and there's always next year.
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As a child's IQ rises, his taste for meat in adulthood declines, a new study suggests.
British researchers have found that children's IQ predicts their likelihood of becoming vegetarians as young adults -- lowering their risk for cardiovascular disease in the process. The finding could explain the link between smarts and better health, the investigators say.
"Brighter people tend to have healthier dietary habits," concluded lead author Catharine Gale, a senior research fellow at the MRC Epidemiology Resource Centre of the University of Southampton and Southampton General Hospital.
Recent studies suggest that vegetarianism may be associated with lower cholesterol, reduced risk of obesity and heart disease. This might explain why children with high IQs tend to have a lower risk of heart disease in later life.
The report is published in the Dec. 15 online edition of the British Medical Journal.
"We know from other studies that brighter children tend to behave in a healthier fashion as adults -- they're less likely to smoke, less likely to be overweight, less likely to have high blood pressure and more likely to take strenuous exercise," Gale said. "This study provides further evidence that people with a higher IQ tend to have a healthier lifestyle."
In the study, Gale's team collected data on nearly 8,200 men and women aged 30, whose IQ had been tested when they were 10 years of age.
"Children who scored higher on IQ tests at age 10 were more likely than those who got lower scores to report that they were vegetarian at the age of 30," Gale said.
The researchers found that 4.5 percent of participants were vegetarians. Of these, 2.5 percent were vegan, and 33.6 percent said they were vegetarian but also ate fish or chicken.
There was no difference in IQ score between strict vegetarians and those who said they were vegetarian but who said they ate fish or chicken, the researchers add.
Vegetarians were more likely to be female, of higher social class and better educated, but IQ was still a significant predictor of being vegetarian after adjustment for these factors, Gale said.
"Vegetarian diets are associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk in a number of studies, so these findings suggest that a such a diet may help to explain why children or adolescents with a higher IQ have a lower risk of coronary heart disease as adults," Gale said.
One expert said the findings aren't the whole answer, however.
"This study left many unanswered questions such as: Did the vegetarian children grow up in a household with a vegetarian parent? Were meatless meals regularly served in the household? Were the children eating a primarily vegetarian diet at the age of 10?" said Lona Sandon, an assistant professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
"In addition, we don't know the beliefs or attitudes of the parents of the children, nor do we know if there was a particular event that led these children to becoming vegetarian in their teens or adulthood," Sandon said.
As the study showed, more women than men chose a vegetarian diet, Sandon noted. "Other research shows that women in general will focus more on their health than men. So, if they believe that a vegetarian diet will have health benefits, they are more likely to follow it," she said.
Given these factors, "we cannot draw any solid conclusions from this research," Sandon added.
Another expert agreed that a vegetarian diet is healthy.
"The evidence linking vegetarianism to good health outcomes is very strong," said Dr. David L. Katz, the director of the Prevention Research Center and an associate professor of public health at the Yale University School of Medicine.
"Studies, for example, of vegetarian Seventh-Day Adventists in California suggest that they have lower rates of almost all major chronic diseases, and greater longevity, than their omnivorous counterparts," Katz said. "Evidence is also strong and consistent that greater intelligence, higher education, and loftier social status -- which tend to cluster with one another -- also correlate with good health."more
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Angelina Jolie shot down pregnancy rumours when she revealed she is taking the contraceptive pill.
The Tomb Raider actress confirmed she and partner Brad Pitt plan to expand heir family, but want to adopt because she thinks it will be best for their adopted children Maddox, five, and 23-month-old Zahara.
Angelina told US TV show Good Morning America: "If I was pregnant I shouldn't have been drinking wine last night! No, we're not. I'm on the pill.
"I even think that I made it clear that we would think about adopting next, which is important for me in the balance of how, in our own family, our kids perceive it.
"Yes, we have Shiloh and it's been a wonderful experience, but we want to find another brother or sister in the world for our family. You know, the questions multiply when you have a mixed-race family. Do you balance the races so there's another African person in the house for Z? So there's another Asian person in the house for Mad? Shiloh has Brad and I she can look at.
"What's best for the children as they grow? We don't just want to have different children from different countries. That's not the point."
The 31-year-old actress gave birth to daughter Shiloh in May. She adopted Maddox from Cambodia and Zahara from Ethiopia.
Angelina also praised Brad, calling him a doting father and a "great man" who loves his children.
She added: "He really enjoys them. He woke up very, very early this morning and let me sleep in because I had this interview.
"He dealt with the two girls and bottles and food, which is not easy to do, on his own, for quite a few hours so I could rest.
"He's just a really great partner, a great, great man."
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American Pie actress Natasha Lyonne was freed by a court after handing herself in on charges which included threatening to molest a dog.
The 27-year-old was also charged with trespass and harassment following an incident in 2004.
She allegedly walked into a neighbour's home saying: "I'm going to sexually molest your dog".
A judge ordered charges to be dismissed if she is not arrested for six months as she had undergone drug treatment.
Back working
She has also paid £2,000 (£1,023) compensation and is continuing to receive drug counselling.
The court appearance stemmed from an incident when authorities said Lyonne banged on the neighbour's door, stormed into their apartment, ripped a mirror from the wall and threatened the dog.
An arrest warrant was issued after she failed to appear in court three times.
She had previously been sentenced to probation following a drink-drive arrest.
As well as appearing in two of the American Pie comedies, Lyonne also featured in Blade and Scary Movie 2.
Her lawyer, Terry Karl, said the actress was back working again after a period away from the profession.>
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He is now rich several times over, but Christopher Gardner once walked San Francisco's streets homeless, pushing his toddler son and their belongings in a stroller.
It wasn't that Gardner didn't have a job. He did; in 1982, he was in a stockbroker trainee program, with a $1,000 a month stipend. But he also was a single father trying to pay for diapers, day care and food for two. And the rooming house where he was living when his girlfriend brought him his young son, well, it didn't let kids stay there.
As he once said, he was homeless, but not hopeless.
More than two decades later, at age 52, Gardner has houses in two cities. He owns a major brokerage firm. He has owned fancy cars and wears custom-tailored suits. His rags-to-riches story is so steeped in the American Dream that it forged a best-selling book, "The Pursuit of Happyness." And now the story is told in a film of the same name, starring Will Smith and featuring Smith's son, Jaden. The movie premieres in theaters this weekend. (Watch the movie trailer)
It's a story made-for-Hollywood but at the time he was on the streets, Gardner struggled as he moved from place to place at night while trying to become the one trainee out of 20 to be offered a full-time position with Dean Witter Reynolds during the day.
"You could go to work and totally throw yourself into what you're doing ... be in another space and time, and then, guess what, the markets close. Where you going to sleep tonight?" Gardner, 52, told CNN in a phone interview.
"That transition, having to make that every day; leaving mainstream of capitalism to the fringes of survival, I would say that was difficult."
Gardner and Christopher Jr. -- his girlfriend had left him after he spent 10 days in jail -- slept sometimes in shelters, sometimes in parks, or in the Dean Witter offices, where they would stretch out beneath the desks and wake up before anyone else arrived. They ate in soup kitchens, and occasionally lived out of public bathrooms in San Francisco's mass transit system. After a year on the streets, Gardner got the full-time stockbroker spot and had money saved to get an apartment.
Since then Gardner, who never went to college and who grew up with an abusive stepfather, has hoisted himself to very nearly the top of income brackets, becoming a millionaire several times over.
"I'm blessed. I mean, come on, I found something I absolutely love. I'm one of the best, and I work for myself. It ain't going to get no better than that," he said.
More important than the money, he said, are his son, now 25, and his daughter, Jacintha, 21. He's also proud of his philanthropic work. He helped fund a $50 million project in San Francisco that created low-income housing and opportunities for employment in the area of the city where he once was homeless.
Lately, he's been working on a project in South Africa that, because of security laws, he could not describe.
"I can say that next to raising my children it's the most important thing I'll ever do in my life," he said.
Gardner said he has been told the project cannot be accomplished; after all, people who are "bigger than you and smarter than you" haven't done it.
"Well, you know what, because they didn't have some of the experiences that I've had in my life, maybe they don't care enough to try," he said. "It's not important to them."
Gardner has never, it seems, reacted well to being told what he can and cannot do. A speaker once did just that -- saying people's backgrounds determined who and what they would be.
Gardner followed and felt he had to rebut, calling the theory baloney and talking about his own life story.
"So many came up to me afterward and said, 'You know what? Thank you for saying that. Because just like you, I'm from that house, I'm from that neighborhood, I'm from that family, and just like you, I chose to go the other way.' "
The last person to thank him on that day, he said, was James Earl Jones. "[When] Darth Vader says it's bullshit, it's bullshit," he said.
And he realized then he should write the book.
People connect with it, he said, because they see themselves in the pages but also realize that there are others who face the same issues.
"When I talk about the alcoholism in the household, domestic violence, child abuse, illiteracy, and all of those issues -- those are universal issues; those are not just confined to ZIP codes," he said. CNN>
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Photos from Katie Holmes's wedding to Tom Cruise just a month ago shows Katie with a svelte figure but according to gossips at last week's The Pursuit of Happyness premiere, Katie Holmes is looking rounded again reports FameTastic.
According to Life & Style Weekly, it was the main topic of conversation at their post-wedding party at the weekend. A party guest told the magazine: "You could hear everyone whispering the same question to each other - is Kate pregnant again?"
"She had that special glow about her. Some women in the room were certain that she's expecting."
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Britney Spears has been warned by her advisors to stay away from new best friend Paris Hilton reports NW Magazine. Those close to the star have told her that if she wants to resurrect her singing career, she needs to keep away from Paris and her hard partying ways. "Britney has been told by her people that if she ever wants a comeback, she has to stay far away from Paris and start acting like an adult," says a source.
The 'Toxic' singer - who befriended the hotel heiress after filing for divorce from Kevin Federline last month - has not been seen partying with Paris for almost two weeks now.
Britney - who has two sons, 15-month-old Sean Preston and three-month-old Jayden James, with Kevin - was seen enjoying a string of late nights with Paris immediately after dumping Kevin.Continue Reading ..... Read more!
if cutie adam levine the lead singer of maroon 5 ends up getting involved with lindsay lohan - he can’t say we didn’t warn him! this week’s STAR magazine claims ms. lohan is on a manhunt (watch out boy she’ll chew (or drink?) you up) she’s already gone through a string of men (most recently harry morton who just couldn’t deal) and now apparently she has set her sights (claws) on mr. levine - but as of right now he won’t even give her the time of day (oh your momma taught you well adam…stay away from spaced out skanks) but there’s no stopping lindsay…adam isn’t even safe in his own home - yikes! (check the quote below) popbytes over & out for now…xxoo! Continue Reading....
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These pics are of Britney yesterday. She was seen browsing for CDs at a music store in the afternoon and most expected her to spend her evening at home watching movies, just as lots of young mothers with two infants at home would do. But that was a perception that did not quite match the Britney reality.
Britney went straight home and later emerged dressed as a paparazzo's delight! Her very short cut off black skirt provided a sumptuous leg show, a white lace top added delicate allure and a beige fedora hat suggested Wild West charm. What made the combination heady was the absence of a bra under the see through top!
Britney next headed to Element, for what we conjecture was, a wild, wild night! How else would you explain the stains on her skirts when she came out? Or the fact that she had to be toted around by friends?
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Ciara`s 'Ciara: The Evolution' leads three new titles onto the top three spots on The Billboard 200, bowing at No. 1 with 338,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
The LaFace set achieves the R&B starlet`s best charting position and sales week ever. Ciara`s debut effort, 2004`s 'Goodies,' entered at No. 3 with 125,000 and has sold 2.63 million to date.
The Shady/Aftermath/Interscope compilation 'Eminem Presents: The Re-Up' lands at No. 2 with 309,000. Featuring a host of new Eminem tracks plus appearances from 50 Cent and members of the Shady Records roster, the album comes a year after Eminem`s 'Curtain Call: The Hits' opened at No. 1 with 441,000.
Gwen Stefani one-ups the peak position of her smash 2004 Interscope solo debut 'Love.Angel.Music.Baby' with 'The Sweet Escape,' which debuts at No. 3 with 243,000. Its predecessor opened at No. 7 but eventually climbed to No. 5 thanks to the success of singles like "Hollaback Girl."
The soundtrack to Disney`s 'Hannah Montana' falls from 2 to 4 in its seventh week on the chart despite a 47 percent increase in sales to 243,000. The Sony BMG Strategic Marketing Group/EMI/Universal/Zomba hits compilation 'NOW 23' slips from 4 to 5 with 185,000 (+20 percent).
Il Divo`s 'Siempre' (SYCO/Columbia) experiences a 128 percent sales boom, re-entering the top 10 with a 16 to 6 surge. Fueled in part by a Dec. 6 appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," the group`s 'Ancora' also rockets forward from 161 to 87, a 174 percent increase, while 'The Christmas Collection' moves from 3 to 1 on the Top Pop Catalog chart with a nearly 200 percent boost in sales.
Chris Daughtry`s 19 Recordings/RCA debut 'Daughtry' falls from 3 to 7 with 155,000, a flat sales change, while the new Beatles collection 'Love' (Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol) drops from 5 to 8 with 152,000 (+3 percent). Sarah McLachlan`s Arista holiday album 'Wintersong' dips 7-9 with 137,000 and an 18 percent sales increase. Carrie Underwood, who won two Billboard Music Awards last week, inches up from 13 to 10 with 'Some Hearts' (Arista Nashville) on a 50 percent sales boost to 126,000.
Most of the performers from the event see increases for their albums that are larger than the 27.8 percent uptick of the overall market. Fergie`s 'The Dutchess' is up 62 percent at No. 19 while Nickelback (No. 21, up 42 percent), the Fray (No. 33, up 52 percent) and Mary J. Blige (No. 134, up 95 percent) also see gains. Even winners that accepted their trophies on the show but didn`t perform also saw some spikes, including the soundtrack of 'High School Musical' (No. 27, up 33 percent), Nelly Furtado (No. 49, up 64 percent), Chris Brown (No. 98, up 39 percent), Three Days Grace (No. 106, up 44 percent) and Kenny Chesney (Nos. 118 and 121, both up more than 30 percent).
Last week`s chart-topper, Incubus` 'Light Grenades,' sets an undesirable record on The Billboard by dropping to No. 37, the biggest position drop ever from No. 1. Previously, Marilyn Manson`s 2003 album 'The Golden Age of Grotesque' held the record after sliding to No. 21 in its second week.
The Music World Music/Sony Urban Music/Columbia/ Sony Music Soundtrax soundtrack to 'Dreamgirls,' the single-disc "highlights" version,' bows at No. 20 with 92,000. The longer two-disc version enters at No. 132. Other big debuts this week include Lil Scrappy`s 'Bred 2 Die - Born 2 Live' (BME) at No. 24 with 82,000 units and R&B veteran Brian McKnight`s 'Ten' (Warner Bros.) at No. 32 with 63,000.
Besides Daughtry`s, the only other album in the top 25 to experience a sales decrease was Jay-Z`s 'Kingdom Come' (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam), which slides from 6 to 15 in its third week on a 27 percent sales decline to 101,000. Overall, album sales are up 27.8 percent from last week`s count and are down 1.9 percent compared to the same week a year ago at 18.86 million units. Sales for 2006 are down 5 percent compared to 2005 at 519.4 million units.more>
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The Golden Globe nominations were announced this morning by Rosario Dawson, Jessica Biel and Matthew Perry. Brad's latest film Babel is the big leader scoring 7 nominations.
We were of course pleased to see Leo on the list but he will be competing with himself for best actor in Blood Diamond and The Departed. The Departed was right behind Babel scoring 6 nominations which also includes a best director nomination for Martin Scorsese. Newcomers Sacha Baron Cohen and Jennifer Hudson both picked up nominations. Grey's Anatomy, 24, Big Love, Heroes and Lost are all up for best TV drama, and Desperate Housewives, Entourage, The Office, Ugly Betty and Weeds are up for best comedy or musical TV series. Check out a complete list of all the nominations here.
We can't wait to check out the Globes on NBC January 15th to see who takes home the trophies!
for more pics, click here
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The friendship between Britney Spears and Paris Hilton was short, sweet and photogenic. But now, it seems, it's over.
This could be the best news all day. Apparently Brit is finally listening to those close to her who are telling her Paris is bad news. Sources say, "Britney has been told by her people that if she ever wants a comeback, she has to stay far away from Paris and start acting like an adult." It doesn't seem like the partying is over yet but at least we haven't seen a crotch shot in over a week. Watching these two have a conversation together is just too much.
A source close to Spears explains why the pop tart, who lost her undies last week, has not been seen with her "new best friend" Hilton since she posted an apology to her fans on her Web site, noting, "Thank God for Victoria's Secret underwear!" The source said, "Britney has been told by her people that if she ever wants a comeback, she has to stay far away from Paris and start acting like an adult.">
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Jessica Biel, Rosario Dawson, and Matthew Perry showed up bright and early to announce the 2006 Golden Globe nominations, and the list is definitely a mix of huge surprises, obvious names, and puzzling choices.
I'll post my commentary later today, but for now, tell me what you think of the nominations!
MOVIE NOMINATIONS
Picture, Drama:
Babel, Bobby, The Departed, Little Children, The Queen
Director:
Clint Eastwood, Flags of Our Fathers; Clint Eastwood, Letters from Iwo Jima; Steven Frears, The Queen; Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Babel; Martin Scorsese, The Departed
Actress, Drama:
Penelope Cruz, Volver; Judi Dench, Notes on a Scandal; Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sherrybaby; Helen Mirren, The Queen; Kate Winslet, Little Children
Actor, Drama
Leonardo DiCaprio, Blood Diamond; Leonardo DiCaprio, The Departed; Peter O'Toole, Venus; Will Smith, The Pursuit of Happyness; Forest Whitaker, The Last King of Scotland
To see the full list, here
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Anne Hathaway has been named ‘Star of the year’ at the Hollywood magazine’s Breakthrough Awards in Los Angeles.
Anne Hathaway has been named ‘Star of the year’ at the Hollywood magazine’s Breakthrough Awards in Los Angeles. She won the awards for her role as a naïve personal assistant in The Devil Wears Prada.
Other breakthrough award winners were Jessica Beil for The Illusionist and Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls.
“They must have got the wrong person; they must be kidding,” ContactMusic quoted a surprised Beil, as saying.
Jennifer Hudson took a dig at American Idol’s judge Simon Cowell and said, “Just go see the movie on Christmas Simon.”
She was a standout performer during the contest, but Hudson despite being among the semi-finalists in American Idol in 2004, was not voted into the finals. The controversy went overboard and previous guest judge Sir Elton John had said that the voting result was racist.>
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Ever since Britney Spears separated from husband Kevin Federline (or perhaps now better known as Fed-Ex) the popstar has been clinging onto the shoulder of hotel heiress and socialite, Paris Hilton.
The two have been seen partying hard together all over LA, spending so much time with one another that their sexual orientation has actually been questioned.
Britney has taken a lot of flack over the past few weeks for her hard partying habits. Her choice to go commando while partying one night led to a media frenzy and the 25 year old mom was being questioned about her ability to be a good mother. Some sources say that Brit actually has Children's Services watching over her to make certain she's a fit mom.
A few days ago Britney released a statement on her site acknowledging her awareness of the situation. She claims that she may have taken her "new found freedom" a little too far and insists that she always puts her children first. Since Britney made the comments, she and Paris Hilton have not been seen together.
Both Britney and Paris have yet to comment on the "breakup" but sources say that Britney is worried about her future in the entertainment business if her hard partying continues. Brit has been told by "her people" that if she wants to make any type of comeback in her career, her ties with Paris Hilton have to end now. Whether the popstar plans to permanently ditch Paris is still unknown.>
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We'll always have Paris. Or not. Or perhaps we'll always have Paris to blame. Britney Spears and Paris Hilton have been called the new 'it' couple.
They have been accused of being lesbian lovers. They have shopped with Britney's children, had hundreds of photos taken together that led to the Britney Spears no panties snafu.
While it seemed like a perfect match, now the sweet new couple may be on the skids.
***
Kevin Federline has reportedly expressed concern for his wife and her wild ways. Certainly her family must have been worried as well. Though it seemed to last a lifetime it was really just a few weeks and the end may be near for the 'it' girls.
According to Page Six, it may be no more Paris Hilton for Ms. Spears.
The New York Post reports that the party is over:
The friendship between Britney Spears and Paris Hilton was short, sweet and photogenic. But now, it seems, it's over.
A source close to Spears explains why the pop tart, who lost her undies last week, has not been seen with her "new best friend" Hilton since she posted an apology to her fans on her Web site, noting, "Thank God for Victoria's Secret underwear!"
The source said, "Britney has been told by her people that if she ever wants a comeback, she has to stay far away from Paris and start acting like an adult."
***
Sounds like good advice - will she be able to hold on?
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Despite protestations to the contrary, it turns out you folks are interested in seeing what (or what isn't) under the skirts of starlets.
The recent wave of starlets snapped sans underwear has pushed the buzz on three notable sexpots to new heights.
Take Britney Spears. The Cajun chanteuse is single and looking to mingle, without the constriction of undergarments. We've seen over 200 variations of search terms looking for pictures of Britney sans undies. That staggering amount covers everything from "britney spears commando" to "britney spears oops," but still isn't enough to cover her private parts. To discuss that sensitive subject, we'd have to tell you about all the four-letter, five-letter, and six-letter words appended to Britney's name and the variations of those terms that have popped up in Search. We'll leave those to your fertile imagination.
Lindsay Lohan is also devoted to the art of appearing in public without her knickers. Searches on "lindsay lohan flash" and "lindsay lohan no underwear" jumped this week along with the usual mix of the prurient and vulgar search terms attached to the asthmatic actress. Her pantyless antics don't excite you as much as Britney's—there are "only" about 40 terms related to La Lohan and her intimate area.
The true trailblazer in this arena? Ditzy heiress Paris Hilton, of course. Anyone who can count a sex tape as a career plus rather than hindrance doesn't mind displaying her goods for the patient paparazzi. Searches on "paris hilton no panties" were up 10% this week, but buzz on the celebutante without underwear pales when compared to searches for her still-in-demand (?) sex tape.
The sad thing? The pelvis revealing photos aren't sexy in any sense of the word. We did the research along with millions of other curious searchers and shrugged our shoulders. But the saddest thing? Searchers seeking photos of these attention-starved starlets in their "underware" (sic).>
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The long arms of the world's tallest man reached in and saved two dolphins by pulling out plastic from their stomachs, state media and an aquarium official said Thursday.
The dolphins got sick after nibbling on plastic from the edge of their pool at an aquarium in Liaoning province. Attempts to use surgical instruments to remove the plastic failed because the dolphins' stomachs contracted in response to the instruments, the China Daily newspaper reported.
Veterinarians then decided to ask for help from Bao Xishun, a 7-foot-9 herdsman from Inner Mongolia with 41.7-inch arms, state media said.
Bao, 54, was confirmed last year by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's tallest living man.
Chen Lujun, the manager of the Royal Jidi Ocean World aquarium, told The Associated Press that the shape of the dolphins' stomachs made it difficult to push an instrument very far in without hurting the animals. People with shorter arms could not reach the plastic, he said.
"When we failed to get the objects out we sought the help of Bao Xishun from Inner Mongolia and he did it successfully yesterday," Chen said. "The two dolphins are in very good condition now.">
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Ice is melting so fast in the Arctic that the North Pole will be in the open sea in 30 years, according to leading climatologists.
Ships will be able to sail over the top of the world and tourists will be able visit what was, until climate change, one of the planet's most inaccessible landscapes.
American researchers, assessing the impact of carbon emissions on world climate have calculated that late summer in the Arctic will be ice-free by 2040 or earlier, well within a lifetime.
Some ice would still be found on coastlines, notably Greenland and Ellesmere Island, but the rest of the Arctic Ocean, including the pole, would be open water.
The researchers, who were funded by NASA, said that the ice retreat is likely to remain fairly constant until 2024 when there will be a sudden speeding up of the process.
In 30 to 50 years, they concluded, summer sea ice will have vanished from almost the entire Arctic region.
Their forecast may, however, already be out of date and over-optimistic, said Professor Chris Rapley, head of the British Antarctic Survey.
He said a recent study by the Global Carbon Project suggested that emissions were rising more than twice as fast as in 2000, which was likely to speed up ice-loss even further.
"The study may be an underestimate of when the Arctic summer ice might be all gone," he said. "It could well be their assumptions are more optimistic than they might be."
He described the report as "worrying" but said it fitted into recent findings based on satellite observations of the speed at which ice was retreating.
Over the past 25 years Arctic ice has been reduced by 25 percent. Scientists have long realised that ice reflects heat and as the quantity reduces so, too, does the amount of heat that can be bounced away from the Earth. However, the study team from the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, and two U.S. universities, identified warmer ocean currents as an additional factor to be considered.more
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Here, Britney is seen walking around The Grove in Los Angeles with J.R. Rotem. They later stopped by a cafe/restaurant on 3rd street and were seen kissing and touching eachother.
The Ultimate Low Punch:J.R. produced for K-Fed and K-Fed even mentions him in ‘Playing with Fire’. The guy obviously produced tracks for the ex-hubbie and is (was) a very good friend, and now she’s seen all over him. You just don’t do that shit.
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Peter Boyle, best known to today’s television viewers as Raymond’s cranky father on “Everybody Loves Raymond,” has died. He was 71.
The actor died Tuesday evening at New York Presbyterian Hospital. He had been suffering from multiple myeloma and heart disease, said his publicist, Jennifer Plante.
Boyle, whose lovably rude exclamation of “Holy Crap!” was his signature line on the hit sitcom, had a long career in Hollywood.
Though nominated eight times for an Emmy Award for his work on Raymond, he was the only cast member not to have won. He did win an Emmy for a guest starring appearance on The X Files in 1996.
Continue Reading full story at Source
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Some people are saying that Paris Hilton is influencing Britney Spears,
but it looks like Britney and her sons, Sean Preston and Jayden James, are influencing Paris!
Paris has always been open about wanting babies, and now Life & Style Weekly has a new quote to back it up:
“It’s been my dream to have four babies by 30,” said the heiress. “I look after animals, so I’d have a lot to give my kids.”
Paris is really has been bitten by the baby bug; it’s been reported that recently she and Britney ended a night out early, explaining to friends,"We're going home to the babies. We miss them.".
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This year will be remembered as the ‘big-money break up year’ with Paul McCartney, Reese Witherspoon and Britney Spears all announcing their marriages are over.
However it’s not just celebrities who are seeing divorce bills soar. New research out today reveals failed marriages are costing the nation a massive £4.3 billion - with almost two-thirds (£2.5 billion) being funded by couples’ personal savings.
Despite divorce rates falling, Norwich Union’s ‘Cost of Divorce’ survey reveals that couples now spend an average of £28,000 when a marriage ends - twice the amount spent in 2003.
And whilst separating couples traditionally sold their home to finance a divorce, Norwich Union’s research reveals that almost half (48%) of divorcees are opting instead to dip into an average of £8,000 of their personal savings.
A further two in five (40%) admit their divorce had a significant impact on their disposable income.
Other findings from the Norwich Union ‘Cost of Divorce’ survey revealed:
One in five (18%) divorcees admitted they treated themselves to something they would not otherwise have bought following their divorce and those who chose a makeover spent an average of £1,125 on updating their look
62% of couples had shared finances to dissolve on divorcing
read more here
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It's been a trying year for the McCartney family, what with Paul's tricky divorce from Heather Mills in progress.
But they end it on a happy note.
That's because Stella McCartney has given birth to a daughter.
And, in honour of her late mother Linda, she has passed her name down.
Stella has given the 7lb 14oz girl the title of Bailey Linda Olwyn.
Bailey becomes the second of Stella's brood with husband Alasdhair Willis - they have a son, one-year-old Miller Alasdhair, together.
She's also the fourth of Paul's grandchildren - a fact we hope puts a smile on his face as 2006 closes in.>
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The British government has decided that an important and hugely expensive part of its national defence involves nuclear weapons. Last week, Prime Minister Tony Blair asked parliament for the money and authorisation for a new generation of submarines, all armed with nuclear weapons.
Curiously, Mr Blair claimed Britain needs nuclear arms and weapons platforms deep into the 21st century to protect against terrorists and rogue states. That is not an entirely convincing argument, given the actual threats from these two directions. Perhaps the time has come for a real effort at nuclear disarmament. First of all, there is no doubt about the greatest threats to peace and to civilised nations. They lie exactly where Mr Blair found them. In fact, terrorism is not merely a threat to Britain. It has occurred in actual attacks upon the innocent people of London, and except for high vigilance it would have taken far more lives in many more attacks. Nor is there any doubt that major terrorist groups are trying to obtain both nuclear weapons and so-called ''dirty bombs''. If they obtain these deadly weapons, terrorists will use them.
Rogue states are also real threats to peace. In our own region, North Korea threatens all of East Asia with a terrible war, possibly involving nuclear weapons. The Pyongyang government of Kim Jong-Il has developed and sold missile technology to black-sheep sympathisers.
Yet it is difficult to see how Mr Blair gets from the correct identification of threats to the need for more and better nuclear weapons to defend his nation from them. Were terrorists to attack, or even to threaten to attack Britain with a nuclear device, it is difficult to see how nuclear weapons would give Mr Blair or his successors a better response.
Of course, Britain could assure the destruction of a nuclear-armed rogue state. But by definition, the weapons of rogue states are crude if deadly. Even the oldest, most outdated British weapons systems are far superior to the worst nuclear threat a North Korea or Iran could raise in coming decades. On top of this, Britain would be allied with virtually the entire world in case of such an unlikely attack by a rogue.
There is a third nuclear threat to Britain and other civilised nations that Mr Blair, perhaps diplomatically, forgot to mention. The huge stockpile of poorly controlled weapons in Russia, the ageing and effectively surplus weapons in China, and the grossly overstocked nuclear reserve in the hands of American forces pose threats in a variety of ways. The Russian ones can be stolen or sold. Rogues and terrorists insist they must own nuclear weapons because the Americans do.
This would be a good time for the original nuclear powers _ Britain, the United States, Russia, China and France _ to consider again the option of a massive nuclear weapons reduction, with a view to disarmament. Mr Blair's best argument for improving nuclear weapons logically only needs a few terrible bombs to counter. Both the Cold War and the China-Russia dispute have ended, and along with them the need for any of those involved to hold enough weapons for the policy of MAD _ mutually assured destruction. The United States and Russia have an estimated 20,000 nuclear weapons between them, France 450, China another 400, Britain close to 200. These five countries could easily shed most of their nuclear weapons without harming their national security or ability to respond to threats or attacks. Not much trust even needs to be established. That would quickly come if the countries involved simply showed and destroyed their weapons publicly.
Heavy pressure _ world and local _ then would come upon India, Pakistan and Israel to destroy some of their weapons. The more weapons destroyed, the greater the pressure to destroy more. Iran would lose at once almost all justification for owning such terrible weapons. It wouldn't solve all problems or end all threats. But nuclear disarmament would make the world a lot safer.>
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This year will be remembered as the ‘big-money break up year’ with Paul McCartney, Reese Witherspoon and Britney Spears all announcing their marriages are over.
However it’s not just celebrities who are seeing divorce bills soar. New research out today reveals failed marriages are costing the nation a massive £4.3 billion - with almost two-thirds (£2.5 billion) being funded by couples’ personal savings.
Despite divorce rates falling, Norwich Union’s ‘Cost of Divorce’ survey reveals that couples now spend an average of £28,000 when a marriage ends - twice the amount spent in 2003.
And whilst separating couples traditionally sold their home to finance a divorce, Norwich Union’s research reveals that almost half (48%) of divorcees are opting instead to dip into an average of £8,000 of their personal savings.
A further two in five (40%) admit their divorce had a significant impact on their disposable income.
Other findings from the Norwich Union ‘Cost of Divorce’ survey revealed:
One in five (18%) divorcees admitted they treated themselves to something they would not otherwise have bought following their divorce and those who chose a makeover spent an average of £1,125 on updating their look
62% of couples had shared finances to dissolve on divorcing
read more here
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The Constitution Tribunal should be left to decide if deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra should testify in person in the party dissolution trial, said Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont.
However, to do so the former Thai Rak Thai party leader would have to make a return to Thailand from his exile overseas.
The Council for National Security (CNS), which engineered the Sept 19 coup that toppled Mr Thaksin, said whether Mr Thaksin can set foot in Thailand for the trial is a matter of national security.
Thai Rak Thai has named Mr Thaksin as a key witness, together with former deputy secretary-general Pongsak Raktapongpaisal and former deputy leader Gen Thammarak Isarangkura na Ayudhya.
The party's lawyer, Somsak Toraksa, said Mr Thaksin was named as its first witness and the tribunal will decide itself how it will hear his testimony.
Gen Surayud said the tribunal can decide itself how best to handle the trial. The government would not object if the tribunal decides to permit Mr Thaksin to appear in court.
However, Defence Minister Boonrawd Somtas said the government and the CNS will have the final say on whether Mr Thaksin's re-entry is permissible. ''We can't let him in if his return leads to chaos,'' he said.
CNS secretary-general Winai Phatthiyakul said there were many other ways Mr Thaksin could testify without the need to come back to Thailand. One way would be to testify by teleconference.
The Thai Rak Thai, the Democrats and Pattana Chart Thai submitted their lists of witnesses to the tribunal on Tuesday, said Paiboon Warahapaithoon, secretary-general of the Office of the Constitution Court. Two other parties facing poll fraud charges, Phaendin Thai and Prachathipatai Kao Na, had not yet handed in their lists, he added.
Thai Rak Thai named 77 witnesses and listed 99 documents as evidence.
The Democrats have named 40 witnesses and listed 215 documents as evidence. They also asked the court to consider 73 additional documents and items as evidence. Their key witnesses are the former election commissioners in Songkhla province, said Democrat deputy spokesman Thepthai Senapong and lawyer Thosapol Pengsom.>
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Residents in three northern provinces were alarmed by an earthquake centred in Chiang Mai yesterday.
It measured 5.1 on the Richter scale, and was followed by 69 aftershocks that slightly damaged some buildings. There were no reports of any casualties. Suparerk Tansriratanawong, director-general of the Meteorological Department, said the quake was the strongest vibration ever to occur in Chiang Mai.He warned residents living near the earthquake's centre in the northern province's Mae Rim and San Sai districts to expect more earthquakes in the future. They should also keep abreast of official announcements about earthquakes from concerned government agencies and be prepared for evacuation in case of stronger vibrations, he said.
National Disaster Warning Centre director Smith Dharmasarojana said after a major quake, it was unlikely there would be another major vibration in the near future. He said Chiang Mai is still safe for tourists and residents.
Mr Smith said there are nine faultlines in Thailand that are still moving. Most of the faultlines run from the north to the western region of Thailand. Chiang Mai was on part of the faultline called Mae Ta. Yesterday's earthquake was technically moderate and occurred at about 30km under the ground.
He said vibrations on certain faultlines in the west could also affect Bangkok.
The earthquake rattled at least six districts in Chiang Mai about 12.02am yesterday. Residents felt the vibrations for about three seconds.
According to the Chiang Mai-based Meteorological Centre, the earthquake was followed by 69 aftershocks and residents in Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son also felt the vibrations.
Chiang Mai governor Wichai Srikhwan said a survey by provincial officials indicated that there was no serious damage or casualties from the quake.
Chiang Mai mayor Boonlert Buranupakorn has inspected buildings higher than 28 metres or eight storeys in his city. He said no buildings in Chiang Mai municipality were damaged as most of them were designed to accommodate earthquakes measuring up to seven on the Richter scale.
However, four buildings in Mae Jo University in San Sai district sustained slight damage. Cracks appeared on the buildings' walls and parts of the ceiling in two dormitory rooms fell down.
However, a university official said that there was no damage to the four buildings' structures and they remain safe for residents.
The quake prompted the Irrigation Department to inspect all large dams and reservoirs in Chiang Mai and Lamphun, including Mae Ngad Somboonchol and Mae Kuang Udom Thara, which are clay dams. Initially, the department found that all the dams were unaffected. Local officials will remain vigilant for changes in the dams' structure caused by the earthquake, department officials said.
Mr Smith said residents in areas at risk of earthquakes do not need to evacuate, but they should be aware that buildings in the areas must be able to sustain vibrations measured between five and six on the Richter scale that could happen any time.
The Interior Ministry's Public Works Department has warned that 10 provinces are at risk from earthquakes, while seismologists said soft soil in Bangkok would put the city at risk of seismic damage if an earthquake is centred in Kanchanaburi>
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Myanmar is planning to build an airport for a tourism-business-booming beach resort of Ngwesaung in the country's southwestern division of Ayeyawaddy to facilitate local and foreign travellers, hoteliers said today.
The number of tourists coming to Ngwesaung has exceeded that arriving at the 5-kilometre Ngapali beach resort, which lies on Western Rakhine coast near Thandwe and traditionally attracted the largest number of travellers in the past.
Once the airport is built, the Ngwesaung beach resort will become the second which is accessible by air after Ngapali.
Following Ngapali and Ngwesaung, the 2-kilometre Chaungtha, which is also in the Ayeyawaddy division, stands as the third beach resort in Myanmar that invited large number of visitors.
According to the figures released by the tourism authorities, in the first seven months of 2006-07 which began in April, 7,000 tourists visited the Ngwesaung beach resort, while 2,700 Chaungtha and 1,500 Ngapali.
The statistics also show that Ngwesaung beach resort has 21 hotels with 800 rooms, while Chaungtha 14 with 300 rooms and Ngapali 12 with 200 rooms.
Myanmar's tourism industry is signalling to boost in the current tour season.
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The biggest JAZZ festival in Thailand with world-class JAZZ artists.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is to hold the inaugural greatest jazz festival of the year, "Jazz Royale Festival", with the cooperation from the Thai Airways International Public Co., Ltd. , TMB Bank Public Company Limited, and TMB Asset Management Co., Ltd.
A number of world-class jazz musicians will gather in Phuket this weekend on December 16th and 17th at Karon beach for the “Jazz Royale Festival”. The grand event is arranged in major tourist cities like Bangkok, Pataya, Chiang Mai and Karon Beach in Phuket to honour our beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej on the occasion of his 80th birthday in 2007. H.M. the King is recognized as one of Thailand's best jazz musicians. He has composed 43 musical works which rank among the most well known in the history of Thai contemporary music. He has shared his musical interests with varied groups of musicians and members of the general public. His achievements in music have been internationally recognized, and have been presented with the highest accolades both in Thailand and abroad. The “Jazz Royale Festival” is one of the government’s initiatives to honour H.M. the King’s musical talent. The event will feature a number of well-known artists; namely, Kenny G, McCoy Tyner Trio, James Moody, The Dizzy Gillespie™ All-Star Big Band. Tickets cost 1,500 per person and can be purchased at the TAT local office in Phuket and Thai Ticket master counter at Central Festival. Part of the proceeds will go to H.M. the King’s projects under his royal patronage.
The event will be held during December 9-17, 2006, with more than 100 world-class artists and staff taking part. Led by Kenny G, McCoy Tyner, Nancy Wilson, Chris Botti, Regina Carter Quintet, and The Dizzy Gillespie(tm) All-Star Big Band, the event will take place in four main cities of Thailand, comprising Bangkok, Pattaya, Chiang Mai, and Phuket. Part of the proceeds will go to H.M. the King's royal patronage projects.
The festival will be held on four stages. It will take place in four cities. The first stage will start in Bangkok at Sanam Suapa during December 9-10. The second stage will follow at the Horseshoe Point in Pattaya during December 11-12. The third stage will be held at Sanam Hor Silp in Chiang Mai University during December 14-15, and the curtain will close at Karon Beach in Phuket during December 16-17.
In this occasion, all the artists will play H.M. the King's musical works. This unprecedented event will be accounted as the biggest jazz festival in the country's history.>
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A team of Thai and German marine geologists have discovered four volcanoes under the sea about 200 kilometers from Phuket, the team leader announced yesterday.
Dr Anon Sanitwong na Ayutthaya of Chulalongkorn University headed a 15-day survey that ended on December 6. It was conducted with support from the German government and from the National Marine Geology Institute in Keith.
The team surveyed 1,500 square kilometers of seabed at depths of 1,000 to 2,800 meters at the continental rim, about 300km off Phuket.
Dr Anon said the team had detected four mud volcanoes in the area.
The first volcano is about 200km west of Phuket and has a base about 1km in diameter. The volcano reaches 100m from the seabed, which is 650m under the surface.
The second volcano is located 50km west of the first volcano and is about 1,000m under the sea. The third and fourth volcanoes are located about 60km northeast of the second volcano and are about 800m under the sea.
Dr Anon said the survey was carried out after the 2004 tsunami, but added that the volcanoes had no apparent relation to the tsunami.
He said the temperature of the water around the volcanoes was about 100ºC, while the surrounding water was about 5ºC.
He said that the public should not panic about the volcanoes as there are no indications they will erupt.
He added that the existence of the volcanoes should bode well for the country as they could be homes to rare living creatures and might be indicators of oil resources in the area.>
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South Korea's won snapped a two-day decline on speculation exporters are taking advantage of the currency's drop to a one-week low to repatriate profits.
The won has climbed 9.5 percent this year as the economy expanded, spurred by exports that surged to a record in November. The currency's gains have eroded the value of overseas sales that account for about 40 percent of the nation's economy.
"There's a lot of export orders so that's helping the won," said Koby Koo, a currency trader at Korea Exchange Bank in Seoul. "We're also breaking through some good levels, helping momentum," and that means the won can go higher.
The won rose 0.4 percent to 922.70 against the US dollar.
Thailand's baht rose to the highest since the 1997 financial crisis on speculation accelerating economic growth will make the central bank less concerned about its advance.
The Bank of Thailand is "concerned about volatility, but they're not going to stop the trend of a rising baht," said Philip Wee, senior currency economist at DBS Group Holdings in Singapore. "With the broad trend of a declining [US] dollar, the baht will be going higher."
The baht climbed as much as 1 percent to 35.23 per [US] dollar, the highest since October 7, 1997.
Asian currencies also gained as the US dollar fell overnight in New York, after former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan said the US currency will probably keep dropping until the nation's current-account deficit shrinks.
The deficit was US$218.4 billion (HK$1.7 trillion) in the second quarter, the second-biggest on record.
By contrast many Asian nations run current account surpluses, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.
The Philippine peso was stronger as export growth accelerated in October to 15.5 percent from a year earlier, according to a National Statistics Office report Tuesday.
The currency was 0.2 percent higher at 49.485 per US dollar.
Elsewhere, the Indonesian rupiah rose 0.2 percent to 9,072 per US dollar, the Singapore dollar climbed 0.2 percent to S$1.5404 and the Malaysian ringgit strengthened 0.3 percent to 3.5465.
The ringgit is undervalued and has a "modest scope" to strengthen, as mergers and acquisitions attract overseas funds, said Sim Moh Siong, an economist at Citigroup in Kuala Lumpur.>
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EIGHTEEN key witnesses have been ignored by the £4million Lord Stevens inquiry into the death of Princess Diana.
Their evidence to French police had raised several questions about the fatal crash in Paris.
But detectives working on the three-year inquiry – which will publish its findings tomorrow – didn’t interview them to gather fresh testimony.
The revelations come after the Daily Express revealed disturbing allegations from a crucial witness in the Diana probe who claimed that British detectives tried to pressure him into changing parts of his evidence.
The claims by jeweller Alberto Repossi – who insists Diana and Dodi were engaged when they died in the crash – have been dismissed by the Operation Paget squad.
Lord Stevens’ inquiry was set up to finally discover the truth behind how Princess Diana’s Mercedes, driven by Henri Paul, came to crash in the Alma tunnel in Paris on August 31, 1997.
Dodi’s father Mohamed Al Fayed has spent the past nine years mounting a determined campaign for the truth, spending millions of pounds uncovering fundamental flaws in the original French inquiry.
He remains convinced that the pair were murdered in a plot organised by the British Establishment, including the intelligence services.
One of the many theories put forward is that the Princess’s car was struck by another vehicle as it entered the tunnel under the River Seine.
And yesterday it emerged that one family which gave detailed statements to French police – but not to their British counterparts – told how they saw two large cars heading at speed towards the Pont de L’Alma underpass in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower.
Moments later, the vehicles disappeared into the tunnel and the family heard the screeching of brakes, the “scrunching” of metal, a first sickening impact and a louder bang followed by the haunting sound of a jammed horn.
As the witnesses looked down into the underpass, they saw the wreckage of the Mercedes car which was carrying Diana and Dodi slewed across the carriageway. But there was no sign of the second car. more>
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In the January 2007 issue of Vogue, Jolie reportedly speaks about how a relationship grew between the two of them during the 2003 filming. Fragments of the interview were published by the NYP.
U.S. actress Angelina Jolie has spoken for the first time about what happened between her and Brad Pitt on the set of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith."
"We just became kind of a pair." People also reported that Jolie said she never had intentions of breaking up Pitt's marriage to actress Jennifer Aniston. "Because of the film [Mr and Mrs Smith], we ended up being brought together to do all these crazy things, and I think we found this strange friendship and partnership that kind of just suddenly happened." She tells Vogue magazine, "I think we were both the last two people who were looking for a relationship."
"I think a few months in I realized, God, I can't wait to get to work," she said. "Whether it was shooting a scene or arguing about a scene or gun practice or dance class or doing stunts — anything we had to do with each other, we just found a lot of joy in it together and a lot of real teamwork."
Angelina played it safe and suggested nothing physical happened while Brad was still maried to Jennifer Aniston. She did say, however, that she and Pitt remained "very, very good friends" after production on their film wrapped. Tabloids reported that they actually did engage "extracurricular activities" while Pitt was still with Aniston. Personally, I don't think we should put much weight on Angelina Jolie's "confession."
Angelina suggested she had a different opinion of Brad Pitt, as conveyed by the media, until she actually worked with him. "I, like most people, had a very distant impression of him...from the media." Jolie said the decisive moment came when her 5-year-old son, Maddox, called Pitt "dad" out of the blue, when they all were playing with cars on the floor of a hotel room.
Pitt, 42, has said he and Jolie would not wed until "everyone else in the country who wants to be married is legally able," meaning gays. And Jolie, 31, agrees that tying the knot is not a priority. "We both have been married before, so it's not marriage that's necessarily kept some people together," she said. "We are legally bound to our children, not to each other, and I think that's the most important thing."
She also claims she doesn't trust anyone: "I don't trust anyone. I don't think it's a good thing...I'd like to say I trust my mother, but I also don't know if she might do something that she thinks is in my best interest." "I trust Brad will never do anything," she continues. Though on second thought..."I don't know. I don't trust anybody completely."
Angelina Jolie, for Brad Pitt's upcoming 43rd birthday, arranged a private tour of Fallingwater, the landmark Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house tucked in the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania. Jolie and Pitt were "very gracious and very engaged in the house," Fallingwater curator of education Armstrong said. "As we say in the Midwest, you could tell their mothers raised them right." The actor will be 43 on Dec. 18.
Jolie and Pitt, have three children, Maddox, 5, Zahara, 23 months, and Shiloh, 6 months.>
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Armenian singer Silva has won the BBC World Service's Next Big Thing competition with her song I Like.
The 17-year-old was chosen ahead of six other acts from around the world at the final, held in the BBC's Maida Vale studios in London.
The judges praised I Like, which was composed by the singer's sister Mane, as "fresh and new" and described her performance as "second to none."
"It's terrific, it's unbelievable to be in first place," she said.
She added the comments from the judges - producer William Orbit described her as "fabulous" - meant she felt confident she could "make the step up to international level."
Second place in the competition was split between Malawian rapper NiC and London duo Stefan and Mya.
'Great tradition'
Stefan and Mya's song My Dunks - a rock-rap track about a trainer-obsessed fashion victim and his bitter rows with his girlfriend - was described by Jeff Travis - founder of UK indie label Rough Trade - as part of "a great tradition in rock 'n' roll."
Skagz (left) and Nic await the result of The Next Big Thing
Pictures from the final
Teenage beats showcased
NiC's Take A Look Into My Eyes - an anti-materialistic rap song about the difficulties of getting into the music industry in Africa - was lauded by the judges for its lyrical content and use of a Greek sample.
Meanwhile, third place went to Brazilian collective Sweet Cherry Fury for their song Cold Blonde Body.
Generation Next
The other finalists included British rock group Skagz, American outfit MLK and the Dreamers, and Ghanaian singer Mishkini, who performed his song in three different languages.
The competition, part of the BBC's Generation Next season, was aimed exclusively at acts aged under 18.
The final seven had been selected by a panel of music journalists and experts from a group of 20 acts - who themselves had been pooled from all the entries submitted via the BBC's website.
The judges for the final included legendary producer William Orbit, Rough Trade founder Jeff Travis, African star Angelique Kidjo and Dirty Pretty Things drummer Gary Powell.
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Socialite heiress Paris Hilton tells her fans that she and pop singer Britney Spears are not lovers.
The two have been partying regularly together and have stirred speculations, reports newsweek.com.
The rumours grew when Spears ex-husband Jason Alexander, who was married to her for just 55 hours, once said: "She found other girls attractive, yes, but we never did anything about it."
In one recent photograph Hilton looked like she was stroking Spears' upper thigh. Another report said Hilton was kissing another woman and suggested that she and Spears are more than just good friends.
But Hilton's representative rebuffs these reports and said: "That is just silly. They are friends and you will continue to see them together. Paris thinks the world of her."
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These are a big suprise of new sea animals have been discovered in 2006. I believe there are still more undiscovered strange species, ofcourse.
Needle in a Haystack Isopod
The Census of Marine Life's ambitious goal is to document all life in the oceans, a task made even harder by creatures that are very difficult to tell apart, such as this little isopod.This was found by a team surveying waters around Antarctica. The researchers documented many new isopod species from the thousands of specimens collected. Some species were represented by just a single animal.
New Squid Is Champion Chewer
This previously unknown squid was among 80,000 deep-sea organisms collected from the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a chain of undersea mountains halfway between Europe and North America.
Dark Dweller: Antarctic Jellyfish Discovered during a 2006 Census of Marine Life's expedition, this species was filmed in Antarctic waters that have been kept in darkness for thousands of years by thick ice cover.
Deepest Dweller
The deepest census survey took place more than three miles (five kilometers) down in the Sargasso Sea in the North Atlantic. There, researchers trawled up more than 500 species of microscopic animals called zooplankton. Twelve are likely to be new species
Furry Crab
The "yeti crab," discovered on the floor of the Pacific Ocean, is so extraordinary that a new taxonomic family had to be invented for it.
The new species was found during a deep-sea dive expedition, some 900 miles (1,500 kilometers) off Easter Island.
Jurassic Shrimp
It belongs to a species thought to have died out some 50 million years ago.
Caught at a depth of 1,300 feet (400 meters), the new species is described as a "living fossil" by survey member Bertrand Richer de Forges, a marine biologist based in nearby Noumea, New Caledonia.
Hi all, are you one of the big fans of Rain. Who have watched 'fullhouse series' would know him well. Here are some photos of his in cover Arena magazine. His hair style has been changed and he looks more smart.
From
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Here is the 1 to 10 list of Top 10 billionaire heiresses in 2006. No wonder Paris Family can take no.2 and no.8 by Paris Hilton and Nicky Hilton. Enjoy!
NO. 1 Ivanka Trump
The Donald’s little girl graduated summa cum laude in economics from the University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Science in Economics in 2004. A one-time model, Ivanka started modelling at 16 while in school and is now represented by Elite Model Management. Her first cover was a 1997 issue of Seventeen and she hosted the Miss Teen USA Pageant that same year. Since then she has made her way down fashion runways for Versace, Marc Bouwer and Thierry Mugler. She has done ad campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger and Sassoon Jeans and was featured on the cover of Stuff magazine in August 2006
NO. 2 Paris Hilton
The great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, the founder of the Hilton Hotel chain, and granddaughter of billionaire William Hilton, Paris earned an estimated 7 million U.S. dollars in the past year on her own, mostly through licensing deals attaching her name to a perfume, watches, nightclubs and a new videogame. Her participation in the reality series The Simple Life helped skyrocket her into the public eye, followed by a series of personal scandals and publicity stunts.
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Britney Spears surprised her fans over the weekend with a new style and a makeout session with a guy called J.R Rotem. Britney's taste in men is something that I don't understand. You can see the photos below.
Page Six reports: Britney Spears is stepping out with a new man, and he looks just like Jonathan “J.R.” Rotem - a multiplatinum music producer who has worked with Rihanna, 50 Cent, Paris Hilton and, surprisingly, Britney’s ex, Kevin Federline. The two were caught on a date in Hollywood after weeks of buzz around Los Angeles that they’d hooked up. They were spotted kissing in public Sunday night and ended up going to see a movie before heading back to Rotem’s place.
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The Sun reported these horrified portraits. The portraits are drown exactly as the original photos of Britney, Lindsay and Paris.
Britney Spears is suck and shoot so many times. She is holding a bone while she is shoot, actually not in the real photo. Britney looks she STILL want to flash and slip her pussy even as a devil.
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That's Paris Hilton! She trys to defend Britney Spears on her latest behaviour. That's a good friend is. Below is the new about it.
The hotel heiress has taken Britney out partying several times since she filed for divorce from Kevin Federline, but insists the 'Toxic' singer's wild antics doesn't make her a bad mother.
Paris, 25, wrote on her MySpace web page: "Britney loves her kids to death, and I know for a fact that it truly hurts her when she sees these cruel things being written about her.
She goes home every night to her babies and partying has not come in the way of her parenting."
'The Simple Life' star insists the people who have criticised Britney for going out and having a good time should be ashamed, and has appealed to them to be kind to the 25-year-old star.
Paris said: "For people to call out her parenting skills on behalf of her partying ethics is appalling. Anyone who has called her out on this should really be ashamed.
"She's young, and if she wants to go out and have some fun, let her. Just because she does these things does not mean she doesn't care about her children.
"There are thousands of mothers out there who like to go out and have a good time. But, you do not see people out there calling them 'bad parents'.
"For the sake of Britney and her kids, be kind."
Over the last three weeks Britney - who is mother to three-month-old Jayden James and 15-month-old Sean Preston - has frequently been seen leaving Los Angeles nightclubs in the early hours of the morning.
On four occasions she was photographed wearing short skirts and no underwear. Source
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That was the whole idea behind that now famous lesbian kiss with Madonna on nationwide television from the MTV stage in 2003.
So I am fairly certain these crotch shots were planned to get Britney back to the top of the search engines and back on newscasts and Internet blogs.
Certainly as sad as the display was - she accomplished that. I saw the flashbulbs popping on Britney from CNN to my local news and of course the entertainment media online was all over the scandal.
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Six American scientists and a Turkish writer received their Nobel Prizes on Sunday at a ceremony in the capital of Sweden.
Bangladeshi Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank that he founded received the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize earlier Sunday at a ceremony in Norwegian capital Oslo for creating microcredit system that has helped millions of poor people in his homeland.
Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk won the literature prize for a body of work that illustrates the struggle to find a balance between East and West.
U.S. researchers have long dominated the science awards, and swept them all this year for the first time since 1983.
The Nobel Prize in medicine went to Andrew Z. Fire and Craig C. Mello for discovering a powerful way to turn off the effect of specific genes.
John C. Mather and George F. Smoot won the physics prize for work that helped cement the big-bang theory of how the universe was created.
Roger D. Kornberg won the prize in chemistry for his studies of how cells take information from genes to produce proteins, a process that could provide insight into defeating cancer and advancing stem cell research.
Economics winner Edmund S. Phelps was cited for research into the relationship between inflation and unemployment, giving governments better tools to formulate economic policy.
About 2,000 guests, including Sweden's royal family, were invited to the award ceremony at Stockholm's concert hall, followed by a lavish banquet a few blocks away at City Hall.
Bangladeshi Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank that he founded received the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize earlier Sunday at a ceremony in Norwegian capital Oslo for creating microcredit system that has helped millions of poor people in his homeland.
The Nobel Prizes are usually announced in October and are handed out every year on Dec. 10, the anniversary of the 1896 death of Alfred Nobel, a Swedish industrialist and the inventor of dynamite.
This year's prize carries a cash award of 10 million Swedish kronor (about 1.4 million U.S. dollars), a gold medal and a diploma.
The Nobels, widely regarded as the world's most prestigious accolades in science and literature, have been awarded since 1901.
More Photos and topic, click here
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Six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear program are to resume on 18 December, Chinese officials say.
A date for the resumption of talks has been long awaited after they stalled a year ago when North Korea walked out in protest at US financial sanctions.
Tensions have been heightened since North Korea carried out a nuclear test on 9 October.
The talks, which also involve Russia, South Korea and Japan, will be held in Beijing, China's foreign ministry said.
"The second stage of the fifth round of the six-party talks will start from 18 December in Beijing after consultations among the parties," the foreign ministry said on its website.
The new date follows weeks of behind-the-scenes diplomacy led by China following Pyongyang's decision to return to the negotiating table after its October test.
The talks are expected to discuss ways of implementing a joint statement agreed in September 2005, in which North Korea agreed to give up its nuclear ambitions in return for security guarantees, aid and other benefits.
The agreement stalled in November, when North Korea walked out of the talks in protest at US sanctions targeting its alleged counterfeiting and money laundering operations.
Pyongyang drew international condemnation and UN sanctions after testing a nuclear weapon in October. This followed missiles tests in July.
South Korea welcomed the new date for talks, and said it expects "substantial progress" to be made on resolving the North's nuclear issue. more on BBC.
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Tobey Maguire is considering hanging up his superhero suit for good after the third film is released next year, according to media reports Thursday.
The Hollywood actor has hinted that Spider-Man 3 may be his last movie in the superhero series.
"Spider-Man 3' might be a good place to stop -- I am not tied contractually to any more 'Spider-Man' movies," ITV was quoted as saying.
"I am not completely closed to the idea of another one if it made sense but I would say the odds were in favor of this being the last one," said Maguire.
The 31-year-old star is keen to pursue more challenging roles and also wants to spend more time with his family. He became a father for the first time last month, after his jewellery-designer fiancée Jennifer Meyer gave birth to a daughter, Ruby Jane.
Tobey Maguire isn't the only major star who wants to quit the comic-book film series.
Actress Kirsten Dunst, who plays Maguire's love interest in the movies, has also suggested that the latest film in the series could be her last. She even mentioned aspirations to go back to university.
"I'm not the type of actress who does movie after movie," said Dunst.>
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Who knows Beyonce true age? Beyonce's official biography claims that her mothers maiden name is "Beyince", and not "Beyonce" as the below document shows.
How cute is Beyonce with her little nephew Daniel? We're not used to seeing her in such a mommy role. She comes across like more of a pop star sensation than a domestic goddess, especially with all of the latest rumors flying around. There's the one about her supposedly feuding with Dreamgirls co-star Jennifer Hudson, and the one about her secretly getting married to Jay-Z this weekend. Now here's another one to add to the list. Beyonce claims to be 25, but new evidence says she actually may be 7 years older. Mediatakeout reports:
Over the past few weeks, MediaTakeOut.com has received hundreds of emails from people asking us to confirm Beyonce's true age. In an attempt to find the truth, we spoke with dozens of insiders - all of whom believed that Beyonce was being truthful about her age.
But yesterday MediaTakeOut.com received a tip that proved to be explosive. The tipster, who claimed to work for the Texas Department of Health, faxed over what appears to be Beyonce's official birth records. The document (a portion of which is below) shows that a Beyonce Giselle Knowles was born to a Mathew Knowles and Celestine Ann Beyonce on September 4th, 1974. If this document is accurate, that would mean that Beyonce is actually 32 years old.
Beyonce's official biography claims that she was born on September 4th, 1981. It also claims that her mothers maiden name is "Beyince", and not "Beyonce" as the below document shows.
Who knows if it's true. That kind of documentation they have could be easily altered. Still, we've always thought that Jay-Z seemed a little too old for her. If she was 32, their relationship would make more sense! Plus, as a diva I think you're allowed to be any age you want!>
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Last night Nicole Richie was busted with a DUI.
TMZ reports that Nicole was arrested early this morning when she was spotted driving the wrong way in Burbank. When she was pulled over, she admitted to smoking pot and taking Vicodin.
Nicole was brought in for her booking at 4:40 am and was just released. Her booking revealed that she is shockingly only 85 lbs. So much for cleaning up her act. Let's hope this cry for help makes Nicole really get straight this time.>
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