Heading

While it could be argued that Volkswagen was really the company that started the box-that-it-came-in styling trend with its old vans, vehicles like the Honda Element and Scion xB made it popular again. Besides being a rolling fashion statement, this shape of vehicle also happens to be extremely practical and allows for much more interior [...]

Ubisoft’s Protöthea will be available as a WiiWare title across North America in May. Developed by Sabarasa & Digital Builders, Protöthea is a 3D top-down vertical scrolling shooter game. Players will control a last-generation spaceship using the Wii Remote and Nunchuk as they seek to destroy an asteroid known as Maqno 01 and sabotage plans of The Core, a political faction. Multiple missions set on futuristic planets coupled with dynamic AI changing attacks based on player’s action mean that enemy paths are unpredictable and game play experience varies. Players will be armed with eight different air-to-air weapons as well as two air-to-ground bombs. You will also be able to make use of a special power that decelerates time, enabling you to avoid enemy fire while moving quickly to

The solution to ending gridlock on our overcrowded roads is to take to the air in a plane-car hybrid that will revolutionise the way society works. This vision of the future twenty years hence was revealed at the 2008 Electric Aircraft Symposium held a stone's throw from San Francisco airport in California. Plotting the next frontier in green technology was Richard Jones, a technical fellow at

Palm trees and benches line the pedestrian shopping street Sparano da Bari, which sports Gucci, Nike and Benetton. There's a spiffed-up and well-lighted waterfront park and public beach, and the centro storico — old Bari — is a colorful residential neighborhood in the heart of the busy commercial city.Be sure to visit the Church of St. Nicholas, an Orthodox Catholic church and major European pilgrimage site where the relics of St. Nicholas were brought from Turkey in the 11th century.You could make your way to Lecce, but there are many pretty little towns along the coast north and south of Bari. You'll need a car — it might be worth renting one for a day or two and exploring.

Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynolds have always kept their relationship under wraps, but there is some news even they can’t help but share: their engagement! Reynolds was the one who recently got down on one knee to propose to “The Other Boleyn Girl” actress. The couple, who have been dating for a little over a year, [...]

On Sunday Britney Spears was spotted boarding a private jet with her mother, Lynne, and father, Jamie, at a private airport in Mississippi where is off to Los Angeles to get herself ready for a court hearing with Kevin on Tuesday regarding their child custody dispute. Britney was visiting her hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana attending [...]

The BlackBerry Kickstart, RIM’s new customer friendly clamshell BlackBerry handsetis something of a design that will either be loved or hated by BlackBerry users; while it’s looking at the design inspirations such as climbing gear, sun glasses shows that RIM it putting an “urban style” slant on their new clamshell handset. Clearer details have emerged [...]

FROM BRYAN HOCH :Alex Rodriguez has been placed on the disabled list. He has a Grade 2 quadriceps strain.GIRARDI ON HIS THIRD BASEMEN:"It's not the news I was looking for tonight," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said following New York's 6-4 loss to the Tigers. "You have to deal with it. This is baseball and nobody is going to feel sorry for you. You've got a couple of guys banged up and you just press on.""He's a hard guy to replace, but we have a lot of good players in this organization," Girardi said. "You've just got to find a way to get it done. It's unfortunate we're not going to have him for two weeks, but we've got to find a way."BRIAN CASHMAN ON A-ROD:"Grade 2 puts him down for the 15 days," Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. "If it's longer and it needs longer, so be it. We

By BOB HERBERT Barack Obama is winning, so why does it look like Hillary Clinton is having all the fun? Senator Obama has been thrown completely off his game by a combination of political attacks (some fair, some foul), a toxic eruption (the volcanic Jeremiah Wright was a gift from the gods to the Clintons and the [...]

Recently, much of the focus has been on the prospects of the US entering into recession. However, the EU and Eurozone in particular look susceptible to the prospects of a recession. The effects of the credit crunch are being increasing felt in Europe. However, unlike the US, the Eurozone faces additional difficulties to the economy, not confined to just the credit crunch. Strength of the Euro.

Getting a case of head lice has carried with it a lot of negative connotations. Take heart! It is more likely a case of being in the wrong place at the right time. I want you to be confident around people. You now know you have a safe and natural way of combating these [...]

After spending the past week evaluating my blog and the direction it has been heading in, I’ve decided to head back to my roots.  What does this mean?  Well it means I’m going back to writing about beauty products/reviews and cooking.  I got a tad wrapped up in clicking on sites, joining directories, and well [...]

G-UNIT HEADING OVERSEAS 50 Cent and G-Unit stay busy. Currently they are overseas for a short tour that include Australia and South Africa. Virgin Mobile is even giving fans the chance to win one of 115 double tickets to the one of the two performances in South Africa. To Enter just text the names of 50's G-Unit crew followed by your name, concert JHB / CT and address to 34112. 50 and G-Unit were recently ...

Simple HTML code that will allow you to change your Blurbs, Friends Space and Comments heading font Question: Here’s one from Jena asks- I am looking for a way to modify the font type and color of the Friends and Comments Sections, can you help here? Answer: Sure Jena, Thanks for asking. Here’s the CSS code you will [...]

The KSE-100 index is scaling new peaks daily as Friday saw a new intra-day high of 15,700 and the market closing at a record high of 15,676. Nishat Mills was the flavour of the day with 21.3 million shares traded. 15,700 is considered to be a major resistance level and a successful break and close [...]

Are Malaika Arora and her husband Arbaaz Khan set for a split? This was the question which seemed... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

No one can deny how popular the Nintendo Wii is, from the start we have enjoyed how great this console is especially when you have a bunch of mates around. For years we were warned how bad it was for us to just sit in one place while playing a game for hours on end. Well [...]

My ES SWING Chart above... With the PRIME Higher Low established, PRICE is now heading back up to challenge last PRIME Resistance at 1389.00. With the Bull TREND still intact on the SWING Chart, the expectation is that PRICE will make a new PRIME High, thus creating a new PRIME Resistance (With some caution in mind though...POSITION Chart is still pointing down but if a new PRIME High is created

It was almost amazing that private equity funds never did go acquire many banks, despite the lending woes that came to pass. For some time there was value... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

The frontman for rock group Oasis has denounced the inclusion of Hip Hop in the upcoming Glastonbury Festival, where Jay-Z is scheduled to headline. Noel Gallagher believes integrating Hip Hop into... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

Can focus to the consumer really helpful in making Dell a global leader? Michael Dell has said his firm can regain its spot as the world's number one PC maker by switching its focus to consumers and the developing world. "We're growing faster than our industry," he told BBC News, "so if you keep on doing that for long enough time, you'll certainly get there." Mr Dell returned as chief executive in 2007 after the company he founded as a college student was overtaken by HP. He said his turnaround strategy for the firm was already bearing fruit. He said sales were up 19% at the end of the year, having started the year falling at a rate of 11%. [...] Read more!

Human Evolution - Evolution of Man - Human Evolution and Why Human Evolution is Heading Down The Wrong Path - Human Evolution Video(Hint: Don't read the commentary until you have viewed the video.)Human Evolution News - Human Evolution is headed down the wrong path. Years from now as scientists waste research dollars examining why our society and particular branch of human evolution became extinct, they will hopefully come across this video and discover the answer before they waste billions of dollars on useless research. I am guessing that once they view this video they will feel satisfied in knowing that we died out due to a lack of common sense.Our society is becoming endangered because we squander our research dollars on mindless nonsense like the research being conducted in this video

Cuba’s economy was long held down by dictator Fidel Castro but his younger brother, Raul Castro, the new acting President of Cuba, has enacted some small reforms that are stepping stones toward economic improvement. He has legalized the sale of computers, DVD players and cell phones, allowed Cubans to stay at hotels previously reserved for tourists and, most recently, lifted the wage ceiling for employees in Cuba. The wage restriction was a major damper on production in Cuba and one of the strongest sources of complaints from Cuban workers because they were paid the same regardless of how hard they worked. Naturally if employees can’t make more money the harder they work, there is little motivation for them to exceed the absolute minimum for productivity. The fact the Raul Castro has

Earlier in the year Take Two announced that Bioshock 2 would be released in quarter 2 of its financial year and would be developed by 2K Marin. The publisher did not announce which platforms the games would be released on.However, job postings on 2K Marin’s website seem to suggest that Bioshock 2 might be headed to the PC, Xbox 360 as well as the PS3 and Wii.The postings call for applications from people who are familiar with the Xbox 360 as well as the Wii and PS3. The level designer position calls for “experience working with recent generation game console technology (Xbox, Xbox 360, PS2 or PS3) and PS3 experience is required.”

We’re still on our journey north, taking it very, very slowly.  I’m feeling wandery and content to look out of the van window.  Chinua and I are having a good time, giving each other loving looks in the car, and the kids are amazing, as usual.  I love my kids.  Have I mentioned that? My eyes [...]

50 and his G Unit crew are heading to South Africa to perform in Johannesburg and Capetown this May. "The Virgin Mobile 50 Cent and G-Unit Tour" is being presented and produced by SABC 1, Showtime Productions and Virgin Mobile. That's a good look right there. Some of the performers will be 50 Cent, Young Buck, Lloyd Banks and Tony Yayo. The concert will be held on May 1 at the Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg. From there they will head to Capetown for a performance at the Belville Velodrome on Saturday, May 3. There are future artist to be announced for this concert, if you would like to attend the tickets are available at www.computicket.com. I really hope that some of the proceeds go to African children who are in real need of food, clothing, schooling, etc. I'm really excited that 50 is d

Originally posted Saturday March 29, 2008 10:00 AM EDT Is Katie Holmes preparing to swap playdates for the Great White Way? Britain's Daily Mail newspaper reports that she's in talks for a role on Broadway.Respected showbiz writer Baz Bamigboye reports that Holmes is "in final negotiations" to make her professional stage debut in a revival of All My Sons, Arthur Miller's heartbreaking, post-World War II family drama.While the Mail reports the actress has committed to participating in a workshop of the play in May, a rep for Holmes tells she is in discussions but also says, "nothing is set."If she does take the role, Holmes would play a woman who visits the family of her former lover, a missing pilot. It would be her first play since high school and Holmes would be on stage six nights a wee

Congressional Quarterly today released a ranking of all the states in terms of their health care.No surprise that Kentucky ranks below the middle, but unfortunately the data seem to be trending in the wrong direction.The Healthiest State designation is awarded based on 21 factors chosen from the 2008 edition of Health Care State Rankings. These factors reflect access to health care providers, an emphasis on preventative care, affordability of health care, and a generally healthy population.Negative Factors1. Births of Low Birthweight as a Percent of All Births2. Teenage Birth Rate3. Percent of Mothers Receiving Late or No Prenatal Care4. Age-Adjusted Death Rate5. Infant Mortality Rate6. Age-Adjusted Death Rate by Malignant Neoplasms7. Age-Adjusted Death Rate by Suicide8. Average Annual Fam

Well, Easter is over, March is finishing up, and the birds are back with a vengeance.  Devon just celebrated his 8th birthday (OMG, how did eight years fly by so quickly?) The days are longer, the sun is stronger and my driveway is filled with chalk-drawn cities and roads.  Yep - spring is in the [...]

Last month, I traveled from Islamabad to Peshawar and then headed north to Kashmir. To understand where Pakistan is today and where it is heading, I presented the following briefing to the U.S. Congress. Today, there is cautious level of enthusiasm and hope in the country, made evident by the February 18th election results which confirmed the popularity of the country's two main centrist parties. It would be an understatement to say that the Pakistani public desires change, and hope that the new...(read more)

Take the field with a new lineup of scrappy sandlot sluggers! Starring Luke Perry as a pampered pro athlete who rediscovers his love for the game, The Sandlot: Heading Home is a pulse-pounding and heartwarming tale about losing your ego, putting your friends first...and winning it all!

The top recruit, 6-foot 6, 230-pound QB Terrelle Pryor is now a Buckeye. Pryor has made the decision to join up with Ohio State, teaming up with Chris Wells in what will be an explosive, dynamite backfield, reminiscent of the days when Tommie Fraizer lined up with Lawrence Phillips and Ahman Green in Nebraska, [...]

My ES TREND Chart above... Though PRICE has yet to fail, do not discount the fact that a pullback of sorts is on the cards tonight. We have already made a PRIME Higher High on the TREND Chart but no PRIME Higher Low as yet. And with the SWING Chart still pointing up, we still need PRICE to head back down in PRIME, to challenge last PRIME Support at 1296.50, which was established right after the

March 19, 2008 US Stocks Heading for Lower Open By MADLEN READAP Business Writer U.S. stocks were poised to open lower Wednesday as investors grew more cautious about the banking system and prepared to take profits following Tuesday’s pop on Wall Street.On Tuesday, the Dow Jones industrial average shot up 420 points after the Federal Reserve cut its [...]

The 2009 Nissan Maxima, which will become larger and more luxurious in its seventh generation. A high-mileage diesel option is expected in 2010, in addition to a gasoline V-6."We'll show the next Maxima in New York and a couple of other things — but not concepts," Nissan North America spokesman Darryll Harrison said.He also added that Nissan will have a fairly low profile at Media days at the 2008 New York Auto Show kick off on March 19.The current Maxima was last redesigned in 2004. It is considered one of Nissan's most historic vehicles and was known originally as the Datsun 810. It was rechristened "Maxima" in 1982.Although we'll be seeing the official reveal of the new 4DSC or "4-Door Sports Car" from Nissan this week at the New York Auto Show. That's not stopping us from pushing the

Market strategy is to buy a bounce near 2.0153.RSI momentum has strong momentum heading towards the 70% line. MACD 12 & 26 are about to meet for a bullish cross below the zero line. Prices have made a break for the middle Bollinger band but yet to break it in its latest run. Market strategy is to buy a bounce near 2.0153.Finotec

I went to do some shopping here in the Greater Toronto Area a couple of times during the last month and noticed several new things that I did not quite like. I view them as alarming signs that many things in the Canadian economy are not as robust and steady as Canadian politicians are painting them for the general public. What are these signs? First, a number of people in shopping malls went

News: 11-03-2008: Jeff Loomis has scheduled the following appearances at the Schecter booth at the Musikmesse Frankfurt 2008 fair in Frankfurt, Germany: Friday, March 14, 2008: 12:00pm; and 4:00pm Saturday, March 15, 2008: 11:00am; 1:00pm; and 3:00pm No news of the upcoming solo CD, but Jeff Loomis also makes a guest solo appearance on Marty Friedman's upcoming record to be released in March... This is a content summary only. Visit Truth In Shredding to find out more!

Click on the title to read about the newest and the greatest for pet care.....Okay...here is the part I like most about it; Holistic therapy for pets Treatments: Acupuncture, Chinese herbs and homeopathy Cost: $200 for an initial one-hour appointment; $90 for 30-minute follow-ups Ummm, I think this is as much as Neurologist for humans might charge or for that matter a lawyer's hourly rate is right along that line.Ahhhh, I think I'm heading the right direction! WOWSER...I think that I could pay my bills with this kinda of rate....WhooHoo.Although...I feel a little guilty here...STOP!My idea has been to open up retail outlets that make holistic health care for pets affordable.Honestly, to charge this much is really not right, nor can regular folks afford it. As a result of these prices s

Market strategy is to sell a failure to break 103.86RSI levels have been trending along the 30% line. MACD 12 & 26 have had a slightly bullish cross but since flattened out. Prices appear to be heading towards the middle Bollinger band. Market strategy is to sell a failure to break 103.86.Finotec

New Statistics Canada figures show that along with tradespeople, there is a huge surge of post-secondary school graduates choosing Edmonton over trendy spots like Montreal and Vancouver. Why because smart people go where the money is!In Vancouver you can spend close to 70% of your income on housing, Montreal you can get a job but pay higher taxes than you would in Alberta.Or you could chose Alberta with the lowest taxes in Canada, highest salaries and enjoy quite good housing affordability.No wonder over 160,000 people have moved to Alberta over the last 7 years. With a higher quality of life and virtually limitless opportunities Alberta is where young smart professionals are choosing to make their home.

Tuesday, March 4, 06:45 We’ve been in Wellington the past couple of days, touring, visiting with friends and their families, and in an hour or so we’ll be heading north. Internet access has been less common than I had expected, but that’s partly because of the region we were in the past week. We’re keeping to [...]

Danny "The Lion" Leo, acting boss of the Genovese organized crime family, was sentenced to 60 months in prison Thursday following his guilty plea in federal court last October to two counts of extortion, U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia said. At the same court hearing Thursday, Leo's nephew and chief lieutenant, Joseph Leo, received a 45-month prison sentence. Joseph Leo had pleaded guilty in

FreeRice.com, the now famous online vocabulary game which donates 20 grains of rice for every word you get right, is heading for a new record. So far, in February, the total balance is over 20 billion grains of rice. In concrete terms, that translates into 400,000 kg of rice, or daily food rations for over one million people. Play the game, learn and help!For bloggers and website administrators, here is how you can get the FreeRice icon onto your site and help us spread the fight against hunger!Watch FreeRice distributions in Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Looks like there's about to be another drain on your wallet. Two of the biggest auto insurers are looking to raise premiums in about 20 states. The premium increase comes about after two years of price reductions. The insurers are looking to increase costs due to rising repair costs and rising medical costs resulting from injuries from automobile accidents. How can you minimize the impact to your wallet?Shop around. Shopping for insurance is about as exciting as going to the dentist. Unfortunately, just like having healthy teeth and gums, shopping for the best rate is necessary for having a healthy wallet. Don't want to waste time completing multiple insurance quotes? Sites like Insurance.com and InsureMe.com allow you to fill out one single form and will submit your information to multip

Spotted a bit of a blooper on the thisiscornwall.co.uk local news site. If you can't see from the picture below, the headline of this news story reads:48PT HELVETICA BOLD HEADINGOops. Looks like somebody forgot to supply a headline...

With the elections passing peacefully and no violence today, the KSE-100 index shot up to an intra-day high of 14,822 to close 3% up at 14,797. This is the highest close for the year and the market could well test its previous intra-day high of 14,908. A massive volume of 309 million shares were traded [...]

Looking for stocks to short? Well, this list is for you. With the market so volatile to the downside there are many easy plays that can yield you quick profits. The overall trend right now is bearish, so play the downside and you have a good shot at being a winner. The smart investor is always the successful investor. Baidu.com (BIDU) Stock, $230 This stock was a great short candidate first with the move below $262.43, and again with the move below the 200 MA below $248.30. A key entry now would be with a pullback to the 200 MA, with a great cover price being $268.10. Amazon.com (AMZN) Stock, $68.49 I shorted Amazon at $72 yesterday, current stop at $74.25. The stock was technically first a short with the fall below $73.37, then again with the fall below $72. My target for AMZN is $60. A

This week has been quite hectic and the week is not over yet. Yikes..!! So "less blogging is the outcome". So won't be able to post that much. Meanwhile I stumbled-upon this Facebook group which is named "This has got to stop".The group description says:"I DON'T WANT TO BE A VAMPIREI DON'T WANT TO BE A PIRATELEAVE ME ALONEPOINTLESS FACEBOOK APPLICATIONS ARE RUINING FACEBOOK" This group was created by 16 year old guy, Evan Poteet of Hamilton Southeastern High School, class of '09. Infact the group has more than half a million members (503,005 members on 30th January, 08). This proves that "pointless mini-apps are ruining Facebook, if not Social Media".By the way, I am a proud member of this group and as they say "The rest is History".

The trend has been quite clear for us. 2005 was for blogs, 2006 was for Youtube, 2007 was for Facebook (if I may say so) and 2008...keep guessing. Though I have my money on it. The point here I want to talk about is what blogging has been doing in the business circle. Yeah, it has been making headlines, starting from India to US but is it adding value to the traditional business models. Nowadays, newspaper journalists are observing this space for getting relevant insider information or more importantly a different perspective but what about business.The word is advice. Bloggers give a lot of ideas to businesses. But that's where traditional organizations miss the whole point. People have talked a lot about engagement, conversations blah blah but big organizations are too awry to embrace it

Honda Motor Co., the maker of premium Acura Integra control arm or high-quality engines, is heading to the 9th Auto Expo in India on January 10 to 17, 2008. The Japanese auto maker will showcase its car ‘Jazz’ Concept at the forthcoming event.Holding on with environment as a theme, the company will also showcase its globally best selling hybrids – the Civic Hybrid and the fuel cell FCX.According to Honda Siel Cars India Senior General Manager Marketing Jnaneswar Sen, “Our theme for the auto expo would be based on environment-friendly products. We would also showcase our Formula 1 racing car. Both the hybrids and F1 cars require quite advanced technologies and we would be showcasing our leadership in technology during the auto expo.”Honda will present its small car Jazz concept a

December 28, 2007Is the Rudy Giuliani's campaign floundering? Is he going to leave New Hampshire and head to Florida?Rudy himself insisted he would spend part of his Christmas vacation here. Maybe even go skiing.And true to his word by Christmas he was back on the stump. At a house party we stumbled across one excited follower - John Deads, the New Hampshire state co-chair of Veterans for Rudy - who said Giuliani was his man because the former mayor of the city of New York would take the war to the Muslims and drive them back into their caves. Another supporter said Rudy was the man to shoot people in the head if need be.Almost as a supplement to his anti-terrorist message, Rudy often focuses on health care and immigration.He acknowledges health care as a major problem, but hopes the count

" I wonder why people look at my hair every time I say CUT "Aamir Khan in Taare Zameen Par has demonstrated unique flair for direction. He is one person who will never let his fans down and will take every step to see that each scene is an institution by itself. There have been speculations that Aamir Khan has directed(ghost directed, interferred, gave inputs-words flow thick and fast) some of his earlier movies too which the actor has denied. There have been a lot of filmmakers who have stated that Aamir Khan's inputs are always to the betterment of the film. The best example is Taare Zameen Par

Jessica Simpson rugged up heading to Yutaka Sushi Bistro in Dallas. Visit site for more fresh celebrity photos, candids, photoshoots, gossip, rumors, paparazzi pictures, entertainment news

X FACTOR winner Leon Jackson is storming towards the Christmas No1 with his single When You Believe. The song was officially released 19th December and is on course to sell 300,000 copies by Sunday, when the Christmas chart will be announced. But he may face a late challenge from the Pogues and Kirsty MacColl, whose classic Fairytale Of New York got a boost this week from the row over Radio 1's censorship of the lyrics. Woolworths said they were selling 40 copies of Leon's single a minute, with their Scottish stores shifting twice as many as those down south.   Their branch in Bathgate, Leon's home town, sold out within two hours. Fans hurled their knickers at Leon last night as he performed in Scotland for the first time since his victory.   Teddy bears and underwear littered the stage as he sang When You Believe. More than 600 fans had queued for hours - some spending the night in freezing temperatures - to get a ticket for his appearance in a Liv

Well, I'm off.  I'm off to the see the wonders of the Midwest Clinic.  This will be my 12th or 13th trip…I'm not sure.  If you are a band director or orchestra director, in my opinion, this is a MUST do often type of clinic.  If you've never been to this clinic (or the Texas Bandmasters Clinic), then I strongly encourage you to attend this in the near future.   Attending this clinic, may very well change your outlook on what you do (certainly for the better)! The Midwest Clinic is always held this time of year and has been in Chicago for as long as I can remember.   Ever publisher that is publishing, every instrument maker that is making, every technology provider that is providing, and anyone who is anyone in our field can usually be found out there.  The days are full of concerts, information, exchange of information, learning sessions, and more. Here is a list of the performers schedule of events for 2007: http://www.midwestclin

On Wednesday December 19, 2007, the Wild1 will be spreading his wings and heading off to India. I will be there until January 1. The main purpose of the trip is to attend my cousin’s wedding, but why not try and turn it into a money making opportunity? So other then visiting and hanging out with my relatives, I am going to try and see if there are any worth “wild” investments that grab my attention. I have already planned to meet with the Founder Sameer Nerurkar of Samira Habitats. His business has made rapid moves in the last couple of years and one of the hottest acts in the Mumbia area. Their expertise lies in strategic land development. Basically Samira Habitats is looking for investors to purchase a bundle of land, while they develop the land and surrounding area. Eventually they will buy back the land from you at the agreed upon contract, and all parties will be better off. But, of course, this is just a short excerpt of what the company does. I will be sure t

Q. What are the defendant's options after being served? A. At this point, most defendants will hire an attorney to prepare their defense to the suit. The attorney will need to hear the defendant's version of events and scrutinize the complaint and summons. If the complaint appears deficient, legally or factually, the defendant may be advised to file one of several motions attacking it. Q. What

As a kid– no kidding– I hit tent revivals hosted by most of the major players in the evangelical community of the time. I had my head anointed with holy jesus oil by big names like Oral Roberts and Jimmy Swaggart and good old Billy Graham. I sat through several filmings of Jim Bakker’s TV show– agonizing. Now, I guess I’m getting back to my roots. YouTube - My Afternoon With Reverend Zero

We are only at the beginning of the financial world coming to its senses after the bursting of the biggest credit bubble the world has seen. Everyone seems to acknowledge now that there will be lots of mortgage foreclosures and that house prices will fall nationally for the first time since the Great Depression. Some lenders and hedge funds have failed, and some banks have taken painful write-offs and fired executives. There's even a growing recognition that a recession is over the horizon. But let me assure you, you ain't seen nothin' yet.Rest of the article is....hereAnother interesting article is... here

Is it evidence of Russia's increasing might? Evidence of their increasing aggression? Or a natural response to the building of the Mother of All Bombs (MOAB)?The U.S. Massive Ordnance Air Blast ,nicknamed the" Mother of all Bombs" is a large yield satellite-guided, air delivered device, which previously enjoyed the dubious accolade of most powerful non-nuclear weapon in history.These are thermobaric weapons which use oxygen from the atmosphere rather than carrying oxidizing agent in their explosives. They produce more energy than normal weapons but are hard to control. The U.S. used similar weapons to clear jungle for helicopter landing during the Vietnam war. The Soviet Union also developed its own fuel air weapons, deploying them against China and in Afghanistan.So even if nuclear bombs are banned, a big if, the potential for destruction by regular bombs will still be huge - almost equal to nuclear bombs.Some inputs from Tim Worstall, GroundReport.com, Gudem--

The Karachi Stock market continued its upward run today, opening up with a gap and making an intra-day high of 14,615. Arif Habib Securities was the volume leader today with 20.8 million shares traded out of a relatively low volume total of 170.2 million shares. MCB has closed on a new all time high of 412.40. The next upward resistance is 14,650 - 14,800. News : The government has issued sovereign guarantee for picking up Rs 22 billion (inclusive of mark-up) provided by HBL-led consortium to Pakistan State Oil (PSO) Rs 12 billion and Shell Pakistan Rs 6 billion against their outstanding differential on oil prices.Sources said the banks’ consortium has already released Rs 12 billion to PSO and Shell is likely to get Rs 6 billion in a couple of days. Shell Pakistan board had showed willingness to accept the financing through banks against differential last week. As per sovereign guarantee, the government will payback entire amount of Rs 22 billion in one go in 2010… Aaj Ne

Hrithik Roshan has been nursing a bad knee for quite a few months now but his professional commitments have forced the actor to delay taking any treatment for his injured knee. But now that he finally has some time, the superstar is heading to Singapore for six weeks for treatment and recuperation. (more…)

Google (GOOG) seems to have found support at breakout levels and is on the way back up: MACD is turning up as well. ---Related Articles at The Wall Street Matador:GOOG Nearing $700Google Stock ChartGoogle + Apple ?

Cruise West is taking a step in a different direction this winter. Long known for its leadership in Alaska cruising, they will feature exotic birds, pearls, and snorkeling this winter in multiple, sun-soaked itineraries. Cruise West is taking its distinctive brand of up-close, casual and personal experiential cruising made famous in Alaska, and sailing south for the winter with itineraries that allow guests to romanticize in the South Pacific and witness the rich marine life and history in Mexico’s Sea of Cortés. You can also take in the prolific wildlife and beaches of Panama & Costa Rica. All cruises offer onboard naturalists and topical expert lecturers to bring each distinct destination to life.

The KSE-100 index opened up with a gap, crossed the 14k mark and closed up at 13,965. Cements were the flavour of the day due to the recent increase of Rs.10 per bag. The transition of Gen. Mush to Mr. Mush, securing another 5 year term as President and anticipation of the emergency rule being lifted shortly have all been upward tiggers for the market. This evening’s announcemt for the emergency rule to be lifted on Dec.16th along with the removal of the PCO, should take the market further towards restesting 14,300. Upward resistance is at 14,050-130 and downside support remains at 13,700. News : The government is expected to announce a rise in fuel prices on Friday, the first in 19 months…The caretaker government is expected to announce at least a 10 percent rise in fuel prices, with more increases to follow,… Aaj News Habib Bank of Pakistan has sought the approval of the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet for acquiring up t

Melanie Brown emerged from Monday's "Dancing With the Stars" ballroom battle with the highest score, positioning herself to claim the mirrorball trophy during Tuesday's season finale. The Spice Girl and her professional partner, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, earned 55 out of a possible 60 points for their cha cha and freestyle dances. After the show, Chmerkovskiy said Brown has improved "100 percent"

From Twenty Four Hours a Day, Nov. 23 : "Many of us use the excuse of not being able to do something perfectly to enable us to do nothing at all... we say to ourselves- I might make a mistake, so I'd better let the whole thing slide.... The mere fact that we will never reach these goals should not prevent us from doing the best we can."Recently I heard someone speak about compasses- They point to the North Pole. Does that mean that everyone who uses one plans to go to the North Pole? Obviously not. A compass is used to show us the "direction of north"- that is the goal towards which we aim(not the North Pole itself).In life, we often have a main goal- a direction towards which we'd like to aim, as well (by the time we reach 120 years). This might be something in "self -improvement", a career, an exercise profile, etc.But because the road to that place sometimes seems so long, and the end-goal seems so distant, we often give up without even starting.Writing these meditations is an e

Yesterday, the greenback continued it’s much needed recovery and it made some significant gains against the EUR and the Sterling. The main reason for the USD rebound this week was concern that U.S Banks will continue to project credit related losses and this caused carry trades to unwind. The leading financial institutions in the U.S have already reported more than $50 b in losses and many investors are sure that there is more to come. Therefore this created a risk-aversion scenario as investors reduced there risk abroad and backed away from investing in higher yielding currencies. Last week, Fed Chairman Bernanke created more negative sentiment surrounding the greenback by stating that the he expects the rising oil prices to increase inflationary pressures and that there will be a significant U.S economic slowdown in the near future. However ,with investors now shying away from carry trades and with losses in financial stocks expected to spread globally, the greenback may just be

The housing market is becoming unstable and there are a number of areas now that are experiencing the first dips in property prices for years. Is the property market now heading for a fall and are the property prices sustainable? Some areas in London primarily have been seeing some falls, and there are a lot of people now moving out to some of the more regional areas of the country where the fall has not begun. Can we expect the whole country to experience the dips in prices or is this just a blip due to the current problems with the banking and mortgage crisis that are hitting the economic sector. With the shortfall of property and the lack of first time buyers getting onto the property ladded then it can only be expected that the market is going to slow down. The government have promised to invest heavily in building millions of start and cheap housing on brown field sites in the UK over the next 10 years, but has this come to late for many. It has been said that in order for a

According to Popdirt, Lindsay Lohan is allegedly in serious negotiations to join the cast of Ugly Betty. Reportedly, Lohan “would play a fallen beauty queen”, who windup getting a job “as the assistant manager of the fast food chain where Betty's dad toils”. An insider revealed that everyone at ABC is very excited about the possibility of Lohan joining Ugly Betty case because it would create more buzz surrounding the

Rental prices tend to lag the corresponding rises in house prices, essentially because rental contracts are generally 6 to 12 months in duration. With the incredibly strong rise in house prices in Northern Ireland over the last year to 18 months it could only be expected that the rents being asked for would make a move after the customary time lag. Now, the house prices have levelled off at the moment but that’s not stopped the rents starting to shift upwards. For example, in one estate which we have a vested interest in, a typical house was £130k in September 2006 vs £225k now. The increase in rents being asked is also heading upwards over that time from a typical £425 last year to £495 now. So far that’s only a 16% rental increase compared to the 73% price rise but I suspect that it’s merely a taster of things to come from the landlords as they test the water for reactions to that rise. Certainly if the prices of the houses resume their progress upwards I would

As expected, Washington (IN) big man Tyler Zeller announced his intentions to attend North Carolina in an afternoon press conference. Zeller tried to downplay the role of the recent sanctions imposed on Coach Kelvin Sampson as a reason for spurning the Hoosiers, but one of his quotes following the press conference caught my attention. Zeller was asked how the sanctions affected his decision and here’s what he said: “A little bit, but not really. You gotta look at the long run and the more I looked into it, the long run was kind of confusing. I wanted to get it over with and I couldn’t figure out what exactly was going to happen. So a little bit, but like I said, I just felt more comfortable with North Carolina,” Zeller said. Zeller is the second five-star recruit in North Carolina’s 2008 class, joining forward Ed Davis from Mechanicsville, Virginia. The Tar Heels also have a commitment from four-star guard Larry Drew from Woodland Hills, CA. (more…

New social news and bookmarking site BloggingZoom is proving to be a rage following its Nov 1 launch - and thanks to several blogs that came out with quick reviews, BZ is certainly buzzing. Courtney... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

 WE CALL HIM SCOOT HE MAY BE 19 BUT HE STILL HAS THE HEART OF A 10 YEAR OLD. IN THE PARADE PRICTURE SCOOT IS THE BLACK HORSE. HE IS A FINISHED HEADING AND HEALING HORSE. AWESOME TEAM PENNING HORSE! SUPER FAST! RATES GREAT IN THE BOX. STAND FOR FERRIER. LOADS LIKE A DREAM POINT TO THE TRAILER TELL HIM TO GET UP THERE AND YOUR DONE! I BOUGHT HIM FOR MY 15 YEAR OLD TO START ROPING OFF OF. WE HAVE SINCE BOUGHT HIM ANOTHER HORSE TO CALF ROPE OFF OF. I WANT SCOOT TO HAVE A GOOD HOME. HE WILL GIVE YOU 100 EVERYTIME YOU RIDE HIM. MY SON ALSO HAS DONE ALOT OF TEAM PENNING OFF HIM. THIS HORSE WILL NOT LET A COW GET BY HIM! THIS HORSE HAS A BIG HEART! HE TOOK MONTHS OFF MY SON LEARNING TO ROPE. THIS HORSE KNOW HIS STUFF, BUT ALSO IS JUST A GREAT ALL AROUND RIDING HORSE. ALL SHOTS UP TO DATE. NEG. COGGINS TEST UP TO DATE. THIS HORSE IS SOUND!

Mike Conway, whose GP2 season with Super Nova was mixed but at times highly promising, is to test for Honda’s F1 team. The former Macau Grand Prix winner, who is managed by Martin Brundle and Mark Blundell at 2MB Sports Management, will test at Barcelona next month alongside Luca Filippi and Andreas Zuber. Honda’s sporting director, Ron Meadows, said the aim of the session would be to assess the drivers’ skills, with a possible view to a future testing role. He said: “Honda is committed to developing promising young talent in motor sport and we will take this opportunity to have a closer look at three young drivers who have done very well in the GP2 series this year. “We will also be evaluating their potential to assist Honda in the future with our testing requirements.” Share This

A List Of Things That Are Less Than Stellar:All through July and August when I was off work after my total laparoscopic hysterectomy, I was on short term disability leave and only received 66% of what I normally made at work.The Palinode is on the verge of taking long term disability leave, because his back is so bad that he can barely walk. I am not sure what he will be paid during that time.My union is presently threatening a strike, and if that happens, I will be paid nothing for the first ten days of the strike, and then I will only receive $40 a day thereafter until the strike ends. Sometimes I think I was a baby-eating, three-nippled witch whose brother was her uncle in a past life, because, wow, what is the universe doing to me?The skin keeps peeling off my nose. What the hell?A List Of Things That Might Make The "Less Than Stellar" List A Little More Stellar:I do not have cancer anymore. Being told that was the coolest thing that ever happened to me. It was even cooler than

My good friend Dylan has been offering Alex and me a great deal on a room at the new Sidney Pier Hotel and Spa since he started working there in March as the Front Office Manager. So, we’re headed to Sidney BC, on Vancouver Island to take in all that the Pier has to offer. We’ll be staying in a Promenade Guestroom, which includes an ocean view from the bedroom! SWEET. Being a new hotel, their prices are still reasonable. Add in the special friend’s rate, and it’s impossible to pass up! I don’t know much about Sidney, other than it can rain like nobody’s business. I know this first hand from helping Dylan move there back in March. From what I gathered during my initial brief visit, it’s a sleepy, coffee shop ladened, book shop blessed, artsy, laid back, seaside kinda town. It’s only 20 minutes drive from Victoria, so there’s lots to do and see while over there. We’re planning on a relaxing stay, so we won’t get into too

The next game series to transcend from a video game to the big screen will be the purple and adorable Spyro the Dragon. According to a report today in Variety, The Animation Picture Co. picked up the film rights from Sierra Entertainment and is planning to turn Spyro into a 3D CGI feature film.Writers Steve and Dan Altiere (Dr. Dolittle 4 and 5) will pen a script based around the recent Legend of Spyro games, which are being planned as a trilogy. The most recently released game in that series was last week's Legend of Spyro: The Eternal Night for the Wii, PS2, DS and GBA.Spyro will be The Animation Picture's third feature film; the company just finished Garfield Gets Real with Garfield creator Jim Davis. Considering that the Legend of Spyro game developers hired some big name Hollywood voice talent for their titles -- namely actors Elijah Wood, Billy West and Gary Oldman voicing Spyro, Sparx and Ignitus, respectively -- I would wager these individuals may be contacted to do the film.

In two weeks I will be heading to Las Vegas for Blog World Expo. I cannot wait to go and have a great time there.One place that I am hoping to get a chance to visit while I am there is Caesars... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit benspark.blogspot.com for full links, other content, and more! ]]