TWO NASA SPACE SHUTTLES ON TWO LAUNCH PADS FOR FINAL TIME

This is an incredible moment in history.

It is in a sense scary as it is being done due to a possible rescue mission.




For more information check out NASA's website

Report: U.S. Soldier In Iraq Kills 4 Troops, Self

The war in Iraq is taking on a whole new life. Statistics show that more soldiers are committing suicide than ever before.

A U.S. soldier stationed Baghdad started shooting at fellow soldiers Monday, killing four of his own troop members before killing himself, a senior defense official said.

Three others were hurt at Camp Liberty, in Baghdad, according to officials.

The U.S. military has issued a news release saying only that five coalition soldiers were killed Monday in a shooting at Camp Liberty.

The military did not give the soldiers' nationalities or provide further details.




It's a crazy war folks, it will be Obama's Vietnam.

Sad story.

Gary Dell'Abate blows Mets first pitch

This is funny.

Howard Stern's long time producer Gary Dell'Abate is infamously known as Baba Booey. The history of the nickname comes from a mistake Dell'Abate made in the studio many years ago.

Saturday, Baba Booey messed up again. Big time. Watch it.



In other news. Both space shuttles will be in space getting ready for a possible rescue mission. According to the Associated Press.



Rescue shuttle at launch pad for Hubble trip
By MARCIA DUNN
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — In what's expected to be the last time ever, both of NASA's shuttle launch pads are occupied. Atlantis is on one, primed for a flight this coming week to the Hubble Space Telescope. Endeavour sits on the other a mile away for a mission no one wants.

Endeavour is on unprecedented standby in case the seven astronauts who go up on Atlantis need to be rescued.

Atlantis and its crew are headed into space for one last repair job on the 19-year-old Hubble Space Telescope. It's a venture that was canceled five years ago because it was considered too dangerous. After a more recent delay, the launch finally is scheduled for Monday.

The risk is this: If Atlantis suffers serious damage during launch or in flight, the astronauts will not be at the international space station, where they could take refuge for weeks while awaiting a ride home. They would be stranded on their spacecraft at the Hubble, where NASA estimates they could stay alive for 25 days before running out of air.

Endeavour and four more astronauts would need to blast off on a rescue flight after NASA determined Atlantis was too damaged to fly home.

The Atlantis astronauts say there's a slim chance any rescue will be needed, and they say they would fly to Hubble even if there were no such backup plan.

Scott Altman, Atlantis' commander, said it may seem like overkill, but having a rescue ship on the pad is the right thing to do.

"It's kind of a belt-and-suspenders approach. But if you need the belt after your suspenders fail, you would be glad you had it," said Altman, a retired Navy captain and former fighter pilot.

On top of the usual launch and landing dangers, the Atlantis crew faces an estimated 1-in-229 chance that a piece of space junk or a micrometeoroid will cause catastrophic damage to their ship. Those are greater odds than for a typical shuttle flight because of Hubble's extremely high and debris-littered orbit 350 miles up.

To better their odds, Atlantis astronauts will fly to a lower, cleaner altitude as soon as they complete work on Hubble.

In addition, the astronauts will inspect their spacecraft for signs of damage before reaching Hubble and again after leaving it, just as shuttle crews always do in orbit.

NASA has had a rescue plan in case of irreparable damage ever since space shuttles resumed flying following the 2003 Columbia tragedy. Columbia was hit by fuel-tank foam during liftoff, and its left wing melted from the inside out during re-entry. The shuttle broke apart, and all seven astronauts were killed.

But there has never been a need to have the rescue ship at the launch pad, all primed and ready to go. That's because all the missions since then have been to the space station, where astronauts could camp out for two months. And all shuttle voyages after this one will go there as well.

The Hubble mission offers no such safe haven. The telescope and space station are in different orbits, and Atlantis could never get to the space station from Hubble. That's why the Hubble repair mission was canceled in 2004; NASA's boss at the time deemed it too dangerous.

A new NASA regime reversed that decision, once space shuttles were flying safely again and repair methods were developed for spacewalking astronauts. The caveat was that another shuttle be on the launch pad, all prepped and ready to fly — something never before attempted.

NASA took similar steps in 1973 during its first space station program, Skylab. But a rescue was never needed.

Once Atlantis is aloft, "if it even begins to smell" like a rescue might be needed, final preparations for Endeavour will begin, said launch director Mike Leinbach. Endeavour will be seven days from flying at the time of Atlantis' launch. Even if there is no immediate indication of launch damage, preparations will continue until Endeavour reaches the three-days-from-lifting-off mark. NASA will keep it at that three-day point until Atlantis is back on Earth.

NASA assigned a new, fresher four-man crew to the rescue mission, after the Hubble mission suffered a seven-month delay last fall. A telescope breakdown caused the postponement.

If Atlantis suffered damage too severe for repairs, the rescue craft would fly up and use a 50-foot robot arm to grab the crippled shuttle. The Atlantis astronauts would put on spacesuits and float, a few at a time, to Endeavour. Endeavour would return home with all 11 astronauts.

The toughest call, officials say, would be deciding that Atlantis indeed had serious enough damage that a rescue should be tried.

"This will be an emotional thing," Leinbach said.

Such a rescue would put four more astronauts at risk and would mean the end of Atlantis, and undoubtedly the space shuttle program, which is set to be phased out in 2010. Atlantis would be sent into the Pacific once its astronauts were aboard Endeavour.

It would rank right up there with the drama of Apollo 13, according to some NASA managers. For Leinbach, it would be the most important thing NASA has ever done, period.

Altman realizes that if pressed into service, Endeavour might not get off in time. Storms or a last-second engine shutdown could keep it grounded.

"There's no guarantee it would get there," Altman said in an interview with The Associated Press. "On the other hand, you look at how many things would have to go wrong to make it not possible to pull off. ...

"There's a scenario out there that doesn't have a happy ending, and I think we all have to come to grips with that before launch."

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Happy Mother's Day to all you mom's out there. In keeping with the theme today's post will be a question and answer for child and mom.

Conversation starters to help you better understand the woman who kept you in clean underwear (among many other things), daughter, and author of a book on motherhood.

Here are 10 Questions to Ask Your Mother Now



1. What's the one thing you would have done differently as a mom?

2. Why did you choose to be with my father?

3. In what ways do you think I'm like you? And not like you?

4. Which one of us kids did you like the best?

5. Is there anything you have always wanted to tell me but never have?

6. Do you think it's easier or harder to be a mother now than when you were raising our family?

7. Is there anything you regret not having asked your parents?

8. What's the best thing I can do for you right now?

9. Is there anything that you wish had been different between us―or that you would still like to change?

10. When did you realize you were no longer a child?

Enjoy the time you spend as you go over the answers ;)

How do I get a Canadian government grant?

Free Government Money - click here.

Whether you agree with it or not, Canadian governments, be it Provincial or Federal are actively involved in your business community. Each year hundreds of millions of dollars are given to small, medium and large businesses to help stimulate the economy and creating employment.

If you chose not to take advantage of the literally hundreds of millions of dollars made available by governments, to the business community, each year you are missing out on improving your new or existing business and your future.

There are so many options that it's hard to know where to start.

Here is a great list.


Types of Grants or Assistance

Grants & Subsidies : One-time & renewable grants and subsidies when you receive this money, you don't have to pay it back. It's yours to use under the terms of the grant. The Government provides billions a year to aid Canadian product innovation. They also realize that some areas are more in need of economic development support than other areas. In order to support business expansion they allot billions a year to aid businesses to build & expand in areas all over Canada that need economic support. The greatest thing about these programs rests in the fact that once you are granted the money it is not uncommon to be able to get more grants from the same agency because you meet their program requirements.

Loans : Low- or no- interest loans are available to small businesses, & you may also be eligible for no-interest loans. These are repayable over a set period of time, but you pay back only the original principal. The government provides many options for financial assistance through financial agencies.

Tax refunds or tax credits: These programs offer a break at tax time which can free up your business cash flow. An area that is largely over looked by small business and the general public.

Awards: A presentation of an item of monetary value to a person or group persons for recognition of somebody's merit or an achievement in their field.

Apprenticeship/Mentor programs: Students earn an income while learning their trade. Skilled trades offer apprenticeship programs. Mentor Programs are offered by professionals in media, business, and education.

Bursary: Is an award of any monetary value given to a student on the basis of demonstrated financial need. Additional selection criteria may also be used.

Scholarships: Funds used to pay for higher education that do not have to be repaid. Scholarships are often awarded on criteria such as academics, achievements, hobbies, talents, group affiliations, or career aspirations.

Rebate: Rebate programs offer a percent of money back after the upgrade has been completed or the equipment has been purchased.

Government Insurance against business risks: With the backing of government insurance (available for low premiums or even no premiums), you may borrow money from a bank much more easily. Guaranteed government purchases of your product or service: An order of this sort guarantees cash flow, builds customer confidence in your business, & improves your chances of private financing.

Government Information & Services: These programs can offer many things that have monetary value & can help you build & grow your business. Some are training programs others let you use government consultants to build vision like a business plan. These are very worthwhile programs & are generally offered to anyone who is registering a business. These services are especially useful to start-up ventures.

Access to Resources: Sometimes equipment & facilities need to develop or research a product are far beyond your businesses capabilities to access through the government you may gain access to expertise, resources & facilities that are state of the art.

Conditionally Repayable Contribution: It's like a venture capitalist investing in your company but only wanting return on investment if your project is successful & makes you profit.

Grants in-lieu of Property Taxes: In many areas the government offers a break on property taxes to encourage investment. It is like getting the money as a grant since you would have had to pay it back otherwise.

Equity Financing: It's the government investing in your company but they are less anxious about the return on the investment so there is less pressure on you to deliver profits to them. Relocation Grants: In some areas there are special funds made available for relocating your business.


Examples of Types of Grants and Assistance

Small Business
Home Owners
Transportation

For more information check out the grant option below.

Free Government Money - click here.

Internet and the savy, a Star Trek view

Are you a trekkie fan? Are you or have you already scene the new Star Trek film?

Two reviews are:

Village Voice: Robert Wilonsky
Not only does this Star Trek proffer smart thrills and slick kicks, but it builds upon the original's history–from its very first pilot episode to Robert Wise's 1979 "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" and beyond–while creating an entirely new future.




The second review is mine. I love trekkie movies but it seems to me that Start Trek is losing it's life and becoming as bad as Jason Movies.

Enough already!!!

Controversial doctor unveils corpse sex exhibition

This is quite the interesting article and it is xcausing quite the stir all over the place.

Basically a German doctor has created an exhibition, "The Cycle of Life," which is showing at Berlin's Postbahnhof and features 200 human bodies at various life stages -- from conception to old age, including embryos and fetuses taken from historic anatomical collections.


There is a more in depth look at this here.

10 Creative Ways to Earn Extra Money

We all see the economy nose diving and we all want a way out of it. This is even affecting the rich to an extent.

So let's get creative and think up some crazy ways to make some extra cash shall we?

You might even enjoy a few and they might, just might put some extra cash in your pocket. Pretty simple stuff....


1. Become a freelancer
With the internet this one is easy. Go to today.com or associated content etc. Google the term, there is a lot of ways to earn with this one. Quick tip; anyone asking for money up front is a SCAM.

2. Sell your books
Do you have college books? Do you really need to hold on to them?

Do you have a library in your basement with books so old the dust is old? Get rid of them for quick cash. You might have a collector's edition you can charge a high price for.

3. Look for rare coins.
It's not a gold mine (pardon the pun) but hey, extra money is extra money. Some coins are worth a pretty penny...ggrrr..sorry ;)

4. Start a "business"
The couch is not your friend! Turn your passion into something lucrative. Money is not the root of all evil people, boredom is...you can only watch the Food Network so much ;) Sites like Jobvana.com can help you with this by providing free tools to market your business and get you started.

5. Enter local and online sweepstakes
You don't win if you don't try. You can win cash, t.v's etc. Personally I won a television once and sold it in three hours for a nice 1800.00 bucks.

6. Give your opinion -- and get paid
Be careful on this one, again same rule, if they are asking for upfront money check them out thru the BBB online or scam fraud reporting agencies. You shouldn't have to pay up front here is a great way with no start up got to this link

For focus groups go here http://findfocusgroups.com.

7. Sell your junk
Yes you can make $2,000 to $3,000 per month just by selling junk. On eBay there is a gold mine, get creative go to dollar stores or other junk thrift stores and buy low then sell high.

8. Join a direct selling company
Avon...enough said.

9. Be a secret shopper
I have actually done this one. All I can say is "Good times, good times"

Google it for your local area and do not pay to join. There are legit ones out there but they cost nothing.

10. Sell your photos to stock agencies
Most people don't even know about this one lol. Each time someone downloads your photos, you get 25 cents. Go to Shutter Stock

David Ogden Stiers Comes Out

Not much shocks me. Seriously...not much.

This however totally threw me for a loop. Don't get me wrong I have no issue with who people spend their lives with. Who the hell am I to judge. But come on...coming out at 66 years old!!

It seems that our beloved Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester on M*A*S*H has


opened up about his sexuality.

He acted in alot of televison roles but he did not gain incredible fame until the late '70's as Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester on M*A*S*H for the latter part of the series.

He may be best known to younger folks and Disney Movie Lover's as the voice of Cogsworth in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" and the villainous Ratcliffe in "Pocahontas."

According to imdb.com, the actor just revealed his true sexuality for the first time. He was warned against telling audiences he was gay throughout his acting career, but now wants to search for a life partner.

He tells the Gossip Boy blog: "I could claim noble reasons as coming out in order to move gay rights forward, but I must admit it is for far more selfish reasons. Now is the time I wish to find someone and I do not desire to force any potential partner to live a life of extreme discretion for me."

Personally, I have always loved gay men because it meant more women for me ;)

Company recalls 11 Hydroxycut dietary supplement products in Canada

According to the Canadian Press, Canadian-based company Iovate Health Sciences Inc. is voluntarily recalling 11 products, and an additional three not sold in Canada, which were the subject of a public warning in the United States late last week after reports linking some of them to cases of serious liver damage and at least one death.

Company recalls 11 Hydroxycut dietary supplement products in Canada


The following have been recalled:

-Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets

-Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets

-Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Capsules

-Hydroxycut Max Liquid Capsules

-Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets

-Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Drink Packets

-Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix)

-Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets

-Hydroxycut Liquid Shots

-Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed Capsules

-Hydroxycut 24 Caplets

An additional three products were mentioned in an advisory from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday, but they are not sold in Canada by Iovate: Hydroxycut Carb Control Caplets, Hydroxycut Natural Caplets and Hydroxycut Hardcore RTD (Ready to Drink).

The Hydroxycut products are natural health products promoted for weight-loss, fat burning, and energy-enhancement.

LAPD Robert MacFarland = Pathetic Cop

I am a Law and Security graduate. I have served in the military. My opinion of this video is that Sargeant...yes I said Sargeant Robert MacFarland needs to apologize to this young girl and her father and then he should do the Honorable thing:

Resign - Oh wait he has union protection. DAMN.

Well if he has any honor HE WILL QUIT! What a P.O.S.

You tell me. Watch the video. This is my opinion and I know I would not feel safe with this kind of cop answering my distress call.

Check out the video.

Connie Culp: Face Transplant (Video) Google Hot Topic

Connie Culp is the first person to under go full face transplant



Surgery Below

Rest In Peace Dom DeLuise

August 1, 1933 - May 4, 2009

A history of such a great and funny man.

Date of Birth 1 August 1933 Brooklyn, New York

I'm actually a thin serious person but I play fat and funny, but only for the movies.


So here is some movie and fun trivia.


Once appeared with all three of his sons, Peter DeLuise, Michael DeLuise and David DeLuise as their father in "3rd Rock from the Sun" (1996)

Once appeared with all three of his sons--Peter DeLuise, Michael DeLuise and David DeLuise--in the "Vapors" episode of "SeaQuest DSV" (1993)

Appeared with all three of his sons--Peter DeLuise, Michael DeLuise and David DeLuise--and wife Carol Arthur in Hot Stuff (1979).

In Happy (1983) (TV), appeared with his wife Carol Arthur and his three sons: David DeLuise, Michael DeLuise and Peter DeLuise.

He and all three of his sons--Peter DeLuise, Michael DeLuise and David DeLuise--have each appeared on "Stargate SG-1" (1997) in various episodes.

Has spoofed The Godfather (1972) in two movies Cannonball Run II (1984) as Don Canneloni and Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993) as Don Giovanni.

Frequently co-stars with good friend Burt Reynolds.


He was also an author:

Published two books of his favorite Italian recipes, "Eat This!" and "Eat This, Too!"

He is also the author of two children's books: "Charlie The Caterpillar" and "Goldie Locks & The Three Bears: The Real Story!".

Father-in-law of actress Anne Marie DeLuise.

Was named as "King of Brooklyn" at the Welcome Back to Brooklyn Festival in 1984

He has three grandchildren. David's daughters Riley DeLuise and Dylan and Peter's son Jake (b. 2004)

His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is at 1777 Vine Street.

Cinco de Mayo with kids- history, crafts, and lot's more

Cinco de Mayo is celebrated each year on May 5, and it is a fun day for kids and adults alike to enjoy. The holiday is in honor of a military battle in 1862, when Mexico fought against a French invasion. Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza led a force of 4,000 soldiers and was able to defeat a French army twice their size. The French occupation ended in 1866, but it inspired Mexicans and Mexican Americans. In the 1960's and 1970's, Cinco de Mayo became associated with efforts by Mexican Americans to get more respect in their American home. Today, Cinco de Mayo is widely celebrated by non-Mexicans as well as Mexican Americans.

Things for the kids and a great video How To Celebrate Cinco De Mayo on the following page.

Coloring pages inspired by Cinco de Mayo - they are everywhere online.

Make a mini sombrero using a paper plate and cup - Big hit this one.

Make a Mexican Flag- get creative

My kids are hilarious, they want Chicken Tortillas lol

You get the idea. Enjoy the day, everyone else is ;)

It seems the Rihanna situation is bothering many.

Rihanna and Chris Brown, what was to be a Hollywood love affair became as we all know much much different. It became a scandal and it is sad. Rihanna has sent a very wrong message to young women out there. Here is an actual letter written by a survivor of abuse openly published online to Rihanna.

It's quite moving. It was written by Leslie Morgan Steiner. Please take the time to read this and if you have young daughters have them take a read.

An Open Letter to Rihanna

Dear Rihanna,

As I write this,


As I write this, the tabloids and TV news channels are obsessing about your relationship with Chris Brown. They want to know why you two reconciled, how many attacks you may have hidden before the one that made headlines in February, and what you'll do if he's tried and goes to jail. Reporters go on and on about battered women and their maddening tendency to forgive the men who hurt them, not realizing their words blame the victim. I know how that must feel. They could be talking about me.

When I was in my early twenties, I fell in love with a "perfect on paper" guy (Ivy League degree, big Wall Street job) who beat me and degraded me in ways I never could have imagined. I did not leave him the first time. Or the second time. It wasn't until four years after our wedding day that I finally staggered out of our marriage as unrecognizable to myself as you must have found your own bruised, swollen face to be. So I'm not going to tell you or anyone else to leave someone you love and expect that will solve all of your problems. I know from experience that leaving is easy. The tough part is figuring out how to pick up the pieces of yourself and make a new life.

I was 22 when I met my abusive lover. I'd just graduated from Harvard and had landed a great job at Seventeen magazine in New York. He was funny, self-deprecating and scrappy in a way I adored. One night he told me that he'd been abused as a child. I listened and I loved him, confident that I could be the one to help. A few of my friends tried to warn me off dating a man with a temper and a rocky past, but I didn't listen. I thought I could handle it.

Then, on our island honeymoon, he attacked me twice while I was driving the rental car. I had gotten lost looking for a barn where we were supposed to ride horses; his reaction was to punch me so viciously that my head hit the side window. A few days later he threw the cold remains of a Big Mac at me while I drove on the highway. At first I excused each attack. He was stressed, I told myself. But eventually the abuse became routine. He pushed me down the stairs, poured coffee grounds on my head and once pulled the keys out of the ignition as I went careening down the highway at 55 miles per hour.

All the while, I kept his assaults a secret. It never occurred to me that someone outside our relationship would understand; I was sure they would blame me for provoking him or think I'd blurred the line between a heated argument and abuse. I did not know then that The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 2 million women are injured by their husbands or boyfriends each year. Three of those women die every day.

It wasn't until my ex-husband almost killed me that I realized we weren't just an ordinary couple with some problems. Six months earlier I'd given him an ultimatum that if he hit me again, I'd leave. To celebrate such a long happy stretch -- and our anniversary -- we planned a trip to Paris. The night before we left, he attacked me. It was as if he'd been saving up six months' worth of anger; his beating was that brutal. My denial broke; for the first time I was scared, terrified actually. Neighbors heard and intervened. The police came. And I left my marriage.

I made a list of all of the people I had to tell. At the top was my mother. I was so scared to disappoint her, but her response was to give me a gift: a gold ring in the shape of a butterfly. I couldn't think of what I had to celebrate, but I got her point immediately: cocoon, butterfly, new life. I knew I was being transformed into something more beautiful in her eyes. And each time I went to the police station or to court to file another restraining order, my mother's present reminded me that while I may have felt like damaged goods, I wasn't.

I left my marriage broke and broken -- physically, emotionally, financially and socially. It took me years to pay off our debts, to enter a room with an easy, confident smile, to fall in love again and trust that the man I loved would not raise a finger to me, ever. But I did. My message to any woman who's been betrayed is this: You have another life waiting for you. You may be isolated, but you're not alone. I hope to welcome you into a very exclusive girls' club. One filled with wise, wise women whose experience with abusive love rests deep in the past.

Looking at my life now -- my quiet, kind husband, our three kids, a satisfying career, a beautiful home -- you'd never guess that I spent my twenties hiding cuts, bruises and a broken heart. At 22, before the beatings started, I thought I was merely lucky -- lucky to have my degree, my job, my cute apartment, my boyfriend. But I don't place my faith in luck anymore. Some of us take our lessons in love straight up. Everything I have now I earned with hard work and hard lessons, plus a stubborn faith that I deserved, despite everything, to live happily ever after. We all do.

With love and support,

Leslie Morgan Steiner
Author of the new book Crazy Love, a memoir of her abusive relationship

A little break from news and sorrow. Here's Megan Fox - A google hot trend

This is a fun video a friend sent me. Enjoy.



More pics:


Megan Fox Pics courtesy of google images and flickr.

My Lazy Way to Generate Traffic For My Blog

I found this on ezine articles and had to share it. This really is an interesting article.

Enjoy.

While I was responding to a post on a forum about generating traffic I thought to myself, "Hey, this will make a great blog entry and maybe even an article"

When I first got started I was overwhelmed with the "do this" and "do that" for generating traffic. Over time I have settled down into what matches my style.

The biggest thing was including a link to my product's website (instead of to my own website) in my signature file in every forum I joined. Also adding the link to my e-mail signatures was a big step.


It may not sound like a big step but I don't use signature files simply because I like typing my name instead of using a signature file. A letter just doesn't seem "finished" if I don't type my name. Yeah I know, the shrink doesn't get me either.

Also, I join forums that interest me, and not just ones in my niche. I have a life outside of internet marketing and I have more interests than internet marketing. Internet marketing is what I do, not who I am. It's not to project that I'm more well rounded (instead of just fat), it's a reflection of the fact that I am more well rounded.

So what if my blog training videos don't match my interests in salt water aquariums? I'm not there to advertise my product, but to participate in the forum and there's nothing wrong with having a link to my unrelated product in my signature file.

If I ever sell a related product, I'll change my signature file to match but until I do, fish keepers do more than just keep fish and they may want to learn how to set up a blog. The point is that it (fish keeping) is an interest of mine and not a sneaky way to advertise.

For article marketing I tried just writing articles but now I write articles when I feel my blog entry is "worthy" of being put into directories. I find that's easier for me than sitting down to write an article and turn it into a blog entry. Must be a reverse psychology thing.

I also post comments on other people's blogs only when I have a worthy comment to add instead of just "good entry". This helps others see I have added value as opposed to just commenting for a quick linkback.

- Jeffery <- See, I typed that part all by my little lonesome. Jeffery Wood is owner of Sweaty Shop, an internet marketing company. Give Your Blog Rock Star Status: http://www.bloglikeacelebrity.com Follow Me On Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sweatyshop Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeffery_Wood

As a Proud Canadian I am FED UP! Got a problem with Canadian Law then Get OUT

This is the last God Damn straw. Sorry for swearing and being angry but enough is bloody enough. If you are a Proud Canadian read this and pass it on. I am sooo tired with political correctness stupidity. I am all for immigrants but if you are an immigrant and you believe the story in this article then please pack your things and move back to whatever country it is you came from.

Read it and comment if you'd like. Any inappropriate comments will be dealt with harshly.

Here's the story.


Our National Anthem - at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics
Please read and forward to as many Canadians you can think of – thank you

WE ARE PROUD CANADIANS

Bruce Allen is on the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Committee and new Canadians (specifically Hindi's/Indian's) want him fired for his recent comments outlined below:

I am sorry, but after hearing they want to sing the National Anthem in Hindi at the 2010 Olympics- enough is enough. Nowhere or at no other time in our Nation's history, did they sing it in Italian, Japanese, Polish, Irish (Celtic), German, Portuguese, Greek, or any other language because of immigration. It was written in English, adapted into French, and should be sung word for word the way it was written.

The news broadcasts even gave the Hindi version translation - which was not even close to our National Anthem. I am not the least bit sorry if this offends ANYONE, this is MY COUNTRY; My Grand Dad served in the military, other family members also served, as well as my wife & I served a combined total of 56 years between us. We made many sacrifices for our country and do not feel we should feel obligated to allow invited people we've welcomed with open arms to influence & change our society to better resemble the one they chose to leave to come here!!!

- IF YOU AGREE ABOUT THIS GREAT COUNTRY, SPEAK UP BEFORE ITS TOO LATE
-- please pass this along .

I am not against immigration. In fact I believe we need more, my ancestors were immigrants -- just come through like everyone else. Get a sponsor; a place to lay your head; have a job; pay your taxes, live by the Rules AND LEARN THE LANGUAGE as all other immigrants have in the past -- and LONG LIVE CANADA!'

It's time we all get behind Bruce Allen, and scrap this Political Correctness crap. His comments were anything but racist, however, there are far too many overly sensitive 'New Canadians' that are attempting to change everything we hold dear.

ARE you PART OF THE PROBLEM ??? Think about this: If you don't want to forward this for fear of offending someone, will we still be the Country of Choice and Still be CANADA if we continue to make the changes forced on us by the people from other countries who have come to live in CANADA because it is the Country of Choice??????

Think about it!

IMMIGRANTS, NOT CANADIAN'S, MUST ADAPT.

It's Time for CANADIANS to speak up.. If you agree ? Pass this along; if you don't agree do hard working Canadians a favor and enjoy one of Canada's greatest freedoms. The freedom to leave.

If You Work Hard, You Might As Well Get Rich

When I was once an employee at Teletech Holdings doing customer care....yes if you had a Nextel phone you may have spoken with me ;), I thought that I was the big shot! I was well liked, well respected and I did my job 110%. But the problem was I never enjoyed my work. Sure I got along great with the staff but let's be honest here. $10.50 an hour is not a livable salary..



I was working hard, my bosses took control over my life! I worked anywhere from 45 to 60 hours a week as a team lead, or a supervisor stand in. It was a very stressful job and the rewards were never that great. Anyone who has worked the phones knows what I am talking about. So why did I keep doing it?

One reason... MONEY! When I was an employee, I was working for money! I was working to barely survive.

After 4 years, 4 years to the day oddly enough I left work on a Friday afternoon and decided that it was time to go. I had had enough. That was May 6 2006. It's been a long three years, but I have never looked back.

You see folks. I didn't start blogging to be another guru, which I am not, nor did I start several websites to rip people off. Believe me, I could. I know all the tricks to make people get ropped in and buy buy buy. I do this to help people. I was raised with ethics and integrity. I have been a victim of spammers, my systems has been hacked, my reputation was destroyed awhile ago by a hacker as well. It happens.

Dust off, learn a lesson and move on. Most people are so close to success online that they quit right when the money was just about to come in. Don't let that happen to you.

I can help. This blog can help. More importantly you CAN succeed.

Look around here and you will find alot of very useful information and if you have a question ask me through here or facebook or twitter etc etc.


Never forget the reason why being rich and owning dream cars and dream houses has just been a pipe dream to the majority of people out there is because of one simple word.

It is FEAR! Yes, F-E-A-R! The FEAR of losing! The FEAR of failing! The FEAR of doing something RISKY! The FEAR of losing money!

Hence, they would rather be secure and not live their dreams, they wait for the lottery numbers to make them rich. They don't push their limits. They are afraid to move ahead. Paralyzed with fear.

Have you ever watched The Worlds Richest People, here are the common words they all say:

1. "Do not be afraid of losing everything, because when you die, you will lose them all"

2. "There is no way that you will make millions and millions and millions without losing first"

3. "For you to be rich, you have to take risks. Calculated risks"

4. "Never give up, no matter how many times you fail"

5. "Failures are just temporary defeats. They only become permanent once you GIVE-UP"


Remember Edison? The guy who created that little thing called the lightbulb?

It took him 10,000 tries before he got it right!! Imagine the ridicule he faced but he kept going and he had a great mindset, when he finally got it to work he said "I never failed, I just found 10,000 ways that did not work". Thomas Edison was a very rich person!

Did you know Donald Trump made millions, then he went bankrupt? True story. He didn't wallow in self pity, he learned what he did wrong and corrected the mistakes he made. Now he is a household name. He didn't give up.

You can be more than you are. You are better than most.

Why?

Simple you read this far. Keep going and make money and when you do I want to hear about it.

Love this and had to share

Courtesy of my man frizinconklin, become his friend here

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Jordan Rudess performance - Screaming Head

Chris Brown may walk without a trial!

I CANNOT believe this.

Chris Brown may simply walk away from his trial after the "alleged" beat down he laid on singer and now ex girlfriend Rihanna because of the photo leaked to the internet by TMZ.

WHAT!!!

See the pics


This kid/punk whatever you want to call him goes to court and looks guilty as sin whilst there, scared to death (so much for being a tough guy...then again he did "allegedly" hit a woman...yup real tough guy....anyway. (Looks innocent huh >>)

Now he may walk away from facing the music so to speak because of "outrageous governmental misconduct." No I am not making that up. His lawyer is fighting for this according to online sources, to have the case dismissed.

WOW.

If he doesn't face a judge again....yet another wonderful moment in law and injustice. Women fight for the right to NOT be abused and they should never be hit by a male. I won't say man because as we men know, no real man would ever hit a woman, only little bitch punk's hit women, the male's who are weak and pathetic so to make up for this little issue of being pansies and cowards they beat women. Even inmates in prison have a code of conduct, believe me you do not want to see what happens to a woman beater in jail/prison. Stories I have heard....

Back to the topic at hand. This is just as bad as if the glove doesn't fit...brings back memories of another male celebrity who walked for stupidity.

Rihanna has stated she won't testify unless she is subpoenaed. Too bad, she might make the difference.

At least she is not responding to his calls, which is also all over the internet. If he keeps calling her then she can at least charge him with harassment if he walks away from this.

Pathetic. T.I at least had the guts to admit he was wrong and do something about it before he went to jail. That's a real man.

Chris Brown should be man enough to admit he made a mistake....if he did. This is all "alleged" remember....yup....just like if the glove doesn't fit.

He is innocent until proven guilty as the saying goes....those photo's of Rihanna speak for themselves. Photo's courtesy of TMZ

Unbelievable.

My blog needs to get some traffic

Does Digg actually work? Does social media traffic work?

These are valid questions and in today's article we will look at 9 different ways to get traffic to your site for free.

Generating free website traffic can be approached in much the same way. Your investment may not be monetary, but it will require time, energy, and above all, creativity on your part. You need to learn to think outside of the box! There are several methods that can be utilized in generating sweet equity traffic to your website.


So you made the first step. You have your first eCommerce or Affiliate Website up and running and you're ready to make money online. Now what? How do you drive traffic to your website?

The basic theory of website optimization is quite straight forward. You visit the popular website directories (Google, MSN & Yahoo) and fill in the appropriate information. You enter your URL address, a brief description of your website and the related keywords or keyword phrases and you're done. Piece of Cake! Just kick back and wait for the search engine spiders to crawl your site and "bam," you're on page one.

If it was indeed that simple, the search engine directories wouldn't have the need for a second, third, or 953rdpage for your designated search results. Everyone's website would be on page one. The theory of website optimization and the applied practice thereof are spectrum's apart.

Realizing this, you now have two options at your disposal to drive traffic to your website. These options are paid or organic (free) traffic.

You can start up a PPC (pay per click) campaign on Google AdWords. There are many internet Gurus who swear by the benefits of paid advertising. Admittedly, your website will start getting hits literally within minutes of your campaign going live. But there is absolutely no guarantee that your revenue will exceed your advertising expenditures. If you don't know what you're doing, you could burn through a lot of money very quickly. And you might only recoup of fraction of those expenses in generated income.

What if you are just getting started and don't have or can't risk the money to invest in a paid advertising campaign? If this is the case, then free traffic may be exactly what you need to get your internet business going.

Your first thought might be, "Come on now. Nothing in life is free." And you would be correct in this assumption. Think of generating free traffic to your website like investing sweet equity in a property you've just purchased and are hoping to turn a profit on. You don't have the money to pay professionals to come in and patch the walls, paint, rip up the nasty old carpet and the ever dreaded linoleum. So you roll up your sleeves and go to work. And why would anyone in their right mind want to do all this? Because you know that the property is worth the time and energy you will put into it.

Generating free website traffic can be approached in much the same way. Your investment may not be monetary, but it will require time, energy, and above all, creativity on your part. You need to learn to think outside of the box! There are several methods that can be utilized in generating sweet equity traffic to your website.

The Fundamental Principle of Organic Traffic:

Organic traffic is based on building back links to your website. The more numerous these links are and the more relevant they are to your website's particular niche, the higher your ranking in the search engines. Sounds complicated, right? In reality, it's following a step by step process until you obtain the desired results.

Think of it like building a staircase. The objective of building any staircase is to get to the top of where it is you need to go. You simply build one step at a time until you have reached your destination. The primary difference is that you are building arrows in cyberspace that point back to your website rather than an actual physical staircase.

Nine Foolproof Methods for Organic Link Building;

1. Web Directories

One of the oldest and most established ways to increase free traffic to your site is by submitting your link to website directories. There are hundreds of directories on the internet. Every time you add your link to a directory, you are increasing your chances of generating free website traffic to your site.

2. Article Submission Sites

Submitting ezine articles is an effective way to establish extremely relevant links to your website. In addition to accomplishing the objective, the reader can visit your website directly from the author's box.

Ezine @rticles is by far the most established of the internet ezines. Their readership is not to be ignored. There are, however, may other ezine article websites on the internet. For a comprehensive listing simply Google ezine directories.

3. Social Bookmarking Sites

In recent years, social bookmarking sites such as Reddit, Stumbleupon, Furl, Del.icios.us, and Digg have gained immense popularity on the internet. You can bookmark virtually anything on the internet on these sites (including your own Ezine articles) provided you do not violate the site's terms and conditions. Fellow users of these sites then have the opportunity to link to your bookmarks if they find the subject matter interesting. This, in essence, can escalate into a form of viral marketing.

4. Social Networking Sites

MySpace, Facebook and the up and coming Twitter are incredible resources for establishing links and generating free traffic to your website. Compete.com recently ranked twitter as the third most used social networking site surpassed only by Facebook and MySpace.

Posting bulletins (or tweets) on these sights and inviting fellow members to follow you back to your site can produce phenomenal results.

5. Yahoo Answers

Yahoo Answers is yet another great marketing tool at your disposal. There is a question posted on Yahoo Answers for virtually any topic you can think of. If the asker deems your answer the best, he will vote it best answer. I have seen best answers wind up on Goolge's first page on more than one occasion.

Just pick a question from a topic that is relevant to your website and post the answer. You are not allowed to post promotional links in the answer itself. And Yahoo does not recognize anchor text. You can, however, post your website address in the source(s) box as an expert on the topic.

Please Note: If you are new to Answers, you want to post at least five answers without posting your web address in order to avoid having your account suspended for spamming.

6. Forums

Yet another way to establish relevant links is to utilize forum websites. Forums are, in essence, discussion groups. You can post questions or topics for discussion within the forum. You can also comment on said posts, leaving your signature (a user name with your website address anchored into it).

The perfect forum for people wishing to establish links to their affiliate or eCommerce site is Warriorforum.

Warrioforum is a forum specifically for internet marketers. It is not only one of the best sources for relevant links. It is also a great place to gather creditable information from established internet marketers.

Please Note: Most forums are presided over by a moderator. It is the moderator's job to determine whether or not you are adding content or demonstrating a desire to learn within the forum. If it is determined that you are simply spamming the forum to proliferate links you will be banned. So do yourself a favor. Don't leave comments like, "Great info, Bro" just to get another link.

7. Video Websites

There are many video posting websites on the net. Inarguably, the most popular by far is YouTube. You don't have to be Steven Spielberg to post on YouTube. YouTube postings range from simple commentary format with a handheld camcorder, all the way to full-blown video productions.

How effective is YouTube? April 1st 2009, no one had ever heard of Susan Boyle. On April 11, this rather plain looking woman wearing a dress that looked as if it had been pulled straight off a Salvation Army rack auditioned for a show called Britian's Got Talent. This program isn't even aired in the U.S. Despite the judge's and audience's skepticism, she proceeded to prove her vocalizations as a force to be reckoned with. By April 20, she had received over 100,000,000 hits on Youtube, more than President Obama's Inauguration Speech. This happened in just nine days.

In case you think I went off on a tangent, I did not. Susan Boyle's unprecedented exposure was simply meant as a demonstration of the sheer pulling power of internet video. If you type in phrases such as make money online, online business or work at home jobs you will find videos that have been viewed in excess of 100,000 times.

8. Flickr

Flickr is an image and video hosting website. It also acts as an online community platform. Its primary function is to allow users to share personal photographs with the online community. However, the service is widely used by bloggers as a photo repository. When viewed from a marketing standpoint, Flickr can be an effective promotional tool.

9. Website Linking

Linking with websites compatible you your own is a great way to increase internet traffic. You will find that many sites with similar content to yours will be more than happy to swap links with you. Conduct a Google keyword search. Find sites that are similar in content to your own. Ask the owners if they are willing to swap links.

Many website owners view this as a win, win situation. You provide free content to his site. In exchange, he provides a link back to yours. Both of you will increase your web traffic and boost your website ranking. There are also automated link swapping programs. But you run the risk of less relevant links that may damage rather than aid your long-term ranking objectives.

Killing Two Birds With One Stone.

Virtually every method I have outlined above offers a dual fold benefit for your traffic generating efforts.

1. You have established a relevant link to your website for optimization purposes.

2. You have presented the internet user with the opportunity to go directly to your website via your link, whether from a website directory ad, an ezine article, a bookmarked page, a forum comment, a video posting, etc...

Play by the Rules:

Please remember to play by the rules. Virtually any website you are looking at as a means of internet marketing has its own set of terms and conditions. Failure to abide by the terms could get you permanently banned from the site. The last thing you want is to be perceived as a spammer by the online community.

Conclusion:

The free traffic techniques I have presented may not be "free" in the truest sense of the word. But the sweet equity you invest in promoting your site will pay off for months, even years to come. As an entrepreneur, you may not feel that these methods are worth your time and effort. Think hard. The pay off could be huge!

About the Author
You can make money online without having to set up website or risking a huge monetary investment. Affiliate marketing is a great way to start an Online Business. There is little or no start up money or risk involved. And you can be Making Money Online in a matter of days verses the months it takes to optimize an ecommerce site.

On my way to Dating

Why The Smartest People Have The Toughest Time Dating

Dr. Alex Benzer
Author, Tao of Dating for Women, Tao of Dating For Men

I have a mini-confession to make: I wrote the Tao of Dating books specifically for really smart people. The writing of the books was precipitated by the endemic dating woes on the Harvard campus, as I observed them as an advisor and earlier, indulged in them as a student.

Those kids graduate and pretty much continue to have the same dating woes -- only now with fewer single people around who happen to live in the same building and share meals with them every day. So if they had challenges then, it gets about 1000 times worse once they're tossed from the warm womb of their alma mater.

From my observations, the following dating challenges seem to be common to most smart people. In fact, the smarter you are, the more clueless you will be, and the more problems you're going to have in your dating life. Once upon a day I used to be pretty smart, and believe me, I had a lock on clueless.

On the one hand, this makes no sense. Smart people can figure stuff out, right? And this stuff is simple!




On the other hand, it makes total sense. For simple things, it takes someone smart to really screw it up. So whether you went (or should have gone) to the likes of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Stanford, Columbia, Cornell, Swarthmore, Amherst, Dartmouth, Brown, Oxford, Cambridge, Berkeley, Penn, Caltech, Duke, read on:

1. Smart people spent more time on achievements than on relationships when growing up.

Smart kids usually come from smart families. And smart families are usually achievement-oriented. Bring me home those straight As, son. Get into those top colleges, daughter. Take piano, violin, tennis, swimming and Tibetan throat-singing lessons. Win every award there is in the book. Be 'well-rounded.'

Well, you're a talented little bugger. Of course you should develop those talents. At the same time, there's an opportunity cost associated with achievement. Time spent studying, doing homework, and practicing the violin is time not spent doing other things -- like chasing boys or girls, which turns out is fairly instrumental in making you a well-rounded human.

The upshot of all that achievement is that you get into a top college -- congratulations! -- and then continue doing even more of what you were doing before. Dating is at best another extracurricular, #6 or #7 down the list, somewhere between Model UN and intramural badminton.

I've been co-hosting young alumni events for name-brand schools for long enough to know that these kids come out a little lopsided (which sounds so much better than 'socially awkward', don't you think?). All they need is a little tune-up, or a little dating textbook like The Tao of Dating for Women or Men, to get them going -- plus a little practice.

Of course, as noted above, things only get worse once you graduate. And if you're frustrated with your love life, you just might try to compensate by working harder and achieving even more to fill that void. Left untreated, this condition can go on for decades. I know people in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond who still haven't figured out how to create an intimate connection with another human being.

It's because they've been going at it the wrong way. Which brings us to...

2. Smart people feel that they're entitled to love because of their achievements.

For most of their lives, smart people inhabit a seemingly meritocratic universe: if they work hard, they get good results (or, in the case of really smart folks, even if they don't work hard, they still get good results). Good results mean kudos, strokes, positive reinforcement, respect from peers, love from parents.

So it only makes sense that in the romantic arena, it should work the same way. Right? The more stuff I do, the more accomplishments and awards I have, the more girls (or boys) will like me. Right? Please say I'm right, because I've spent a LOT of time and energy accumulating this mental jewelry, and I'm going to be really bummed if you tell me it's not going to get me laid.

Well, it's not going to get you laid, brother (or sister). It may get you a first date, but it's probably not going to get you a second date. And it certainly won't bring you lasting love and fulfillment.

Here's the thing: your romantic success has nothing to do with your mental jewelry and everything to do with how you make the other person feel. And making someone feel a certain way is a somewhat nonlinear process that requires a different kind of mastery than that of calculus or Shakespeare.

In other words, you need to earn love (or at least lust). Sadly, no mom, dad or professor teaches us about the power of the well-placed compliment (or put-down), giving attention but not too much attention, being caring without being needy. I wrote a whole 280-page book about that, so that's a story for a different day.

3. You don't feel like a fully-realized sexual being, and therefore don't act like one.

At some point in your life, you got pegged as a smart person. From then on, that was your principal identity: The Smart One. Especially if you had a sibling who was better-looking than you, in which case she (or he) was The Pretty One.

Now you could be absolutely stunning (in which case you're both smart AND pretty and everyone hates you except for me -- call me, like, immediately), but your identity is still bound up in being The Smart One. So maybe you dress frumpy and don't pay a lot of attention to your appearance. Or never bothered to cultivate your sensuality as a woman. Or your sexual aggression as a male.

Attracting a partner is all about the dance of polarity. Energy flows between positive and negative electrodes, anode and cathode, magnetic north and south. Unless you actually convey femininity as a woman or masculinity as a man, you're not going to attract a suitable companion of the opposite sex.

Part of the issue is this: when all of your personal energy is concentrated in the head, it never gets a chance to trickle down to the heart, or, god forbid, the groin. By virtue of being born of the union of male and female, yang and yin, you are a sexual being. Deal with it. Now do what you need to do to perpetuate the race already. Use what mama amoeba gave you.

That brings us to...

4. You're exceptionally talented at getting in the way of your own romantic success.

Here's an incontrovertible fact: every one of your ancestors survived to reproductive age and got it on at least once with a member of the opposite sex. All the way back to Homo erectus. And even further back to Australopithecus. And even further back to monkeys, to lizards, to the first amphibian that crawled out of the slime, the fish that preceded that amphibian, the worm before the fish and the amoeba that preceded the worm.

And you, YOU, in the year 2009 C.E., the culmination of that miraculously unbroken line of succession, you, Homo sapiens sapiens, not just thinking man but thinking thinking man (or woman), are the only one smart enough to screw the whole thing up.

Perhaps you should consider thinking a little less then.

Because heaven knows that the amoeba, worm, fish, amphibian, monkey and primitive hominids didn't do a whole lot of thinking. Their DNA had a vested interest in perpetuating itself, so it made sure that happened.

Turns out your DNA works the same way, too. And maybe when you're really sloshed at a party and your whole frontal lobe is on vacation in the outer rings of Saturn, you've noticed that your lizard brain knows exactly how to grab that cute girl by the waist for a twirl on the dance floor. Or knows exactly how to arch your back, flip your hair and glance at that handsome hunk just so such that he comes on over to say hi.

To put it plainly, you are programmed to reproduce. Now quit thinking you're smarter than the 3 billion base pairs in your genome and 4 billion years of evolution. Actually, just stop thinking altogether. Let the program do its work.

5. By virtue (or vice) of being smart, you eliminate most of the planet's inhabitants as a dating prospect

Let's say by 'smart' we mean 'in the top 5% of the population in terms of intelligence and education'. Generally speaking, smart people seek out other smart people to hang out with, simply because they get bored otherwise. And if they're going to spend a lot of time with someone, intelligence in a partner is pretty much a requirement.

Well, congratulations -- you've just eliminated 95% of the world's population as a potential mate, Mr or Ms Smartypants. Now, luckily, the world's kinda big, so the remaining 5% of the gender of your choice is still a plentiful 160 million or so people. Even if only 1% of those are single enough, good-looking enough, local enough and just all-around cool enough for you, that's over a million people you can date out there.

Still, that's less than one in five thousand people. And if you live in a smaller city, it may be just a handful of folks who are going to meet your stringent criteria.

At this point, you have three choices:

A) Loosen up

B) Do a very thorough search all over the planet and be prepared to move to Duesseldorf OR

C) Join a monastery.

My hearty recommendation is choice A. The purpose of relationship (and perhaps all of life) is to practice the loving. No partner is going to be 100% perfect anyway, so learn to appreciate people for what they have to offer, not what they don't. And love them for that. That's what real loving is.

Nobody's asking to lower your standards here; you should still spend time only with worthwhile company. But do question the standards to see whether they're serving you or you're serving them.

When you open your heart to love, you may find fulfillment in ways you never imagined possible -- like the day you tried sushi or beer in spite of your trepidation, found it surprisingly alright, and expanded your personal envelope of pleasure. Taking that into consideration, given a choice between happy-go-lucky and picky-but-lonely, happy sounds like more fun.

Limescale buildup from hardwater can cost you $1200 a year!!

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Hot Google Topic - It seems there won't be a Mrs. Craigslist Killer...I mean Philip Markoff's wedding was called off

You've heard of the Craigslist killer. You have heard the story and seen the news, read the articles but there will be no happy ending for the accused....his wedding is off. WAAAAH....the news these days....who writes about this stuff...other than me writing my opinion....here are the not so gory details.


The wedding of accused "Craigslist killer" Phillip Markoff and what would have been Mrs. Craigslist killer, Megan McAllister, has been called off.

Megan McAllister, who was accompanied by her mother, met Phillip Markoff for about 25 minutes in a Boston jail earlier this week, her lawyer Robert Honecker told CNN affiliate WCVB.

"There is still a love and commitment to that person, and I think that obviously realizing what has now happened, that she has to take steps to do what she has to do on her life," Honecker told WCVB. She plans to move on, he said.

Thank God she (Megan McAllister) is ready to move on, it is probably a safer decision. Ya think.

McAllister maintained her fiance's innocence in an e-mail sent to ABC News in early April. In the e-mail, McAllister said police have the wrong man and Markoff "was set up."

Markoff, 23, a second-year student at Boston University's School of Medicine, is charged with killing Julissa Brisman on April 14 at a Boston hotel. Police said Brisman, a model from New York, advertised as a masseuse on Craigslist.

Prosecutors say she, Brisman was shot three times at close range and suffered blunt head trauma. Markoff is also charged in connection with an April 10 robbery of Trisha Leffler, 29, at another hotel in Boston. Leffler also met Brisman via Craigslist.

Leffler was robbed of $800 in cash and $250 in American Express gift cards, according to police reports.

Markoff has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail.

He pleads not guilty yet has attempted suicide twice and is now under suicide watch. Innocent people don't try to kill themselves when accused of crimes they didn't commit.

Swine Flu now officially called...

call a spade a spade and a pig a pig...this is not something to scoff at.

Some updated wikipedia information.


Influenza A virus subtype H1N1, also known as A(H1N1), is a subtype of influenzavirus A and the most common cause of influenza (flu) in humans. Some strains of H1N1 are endemic in humans, including the strain(s) responsible for the 1918 flu pandemic which killed 50–100 million people worldwide. Less virulent H1N1 strains still exist in the wild today, worldwide, causing a large fraction of all seasonal influenza and roughly half of all flu infections in 2006.[1] Other strains of H1N1 are endemic in pigs and in birds.

In March and April 2009, an outbreak of H1N1 influenza in Mexico led to hundreds of confirmed cases and a number of deaths.[2] As of April 28, the new strain was suspected to have infected more than 2,500 individuals worldwide, with 152 attributed deaths. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned that it was possible the outbreak could develop into a pandemic.[3] On April 27, 2009, the World Health Organization raised their alertness level from 3 to 4 (on a scale of 6) worldwide in response to sustained human-to-human transfer of the virus. The situation was raised to level 5 (pandemic imminent) on April 29, 2009 by the World Health Organization.[4]

Police: Dutch royals targeted in deadly crash

A Dutch driver careened through police barriers and plowed into a crowd early Thursday, in a premeditated attack on the royal family which killed five bystanders and wounded 12.

The car, catapulted transients in the air, traveled a few meters from the open topped buses with Queen Beatrix and her family in them, then hit a stone monument.

Video to follow


"I think it became obvious that this has happened with premeditation," Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said.

Prosecutors said the driver, seriously injured and still in a crumpled car, recognized the king and his family of orientation.

"The man said that his action was for the royal family," said Attorney Ludo Goossens.



The driver, whose name was not published could face life in prison.

The motive for the attack was unclear. Dutch media, citing neighbors, said the assailant was dismissed from his job and had to be evicted from his home. The police identified him as a 38-year-old Dutch man with no history of mental illness or the police, but did not release his name.

Apeldoorn officials said the driver had a map of the Queen's movements.

The festivities were canceled for the Queen's Day, National Day is to lift millions of people on the street, dances, picnics and parties outdoors in sunny weather throughout the country. The flags have been reduced to half staff. The Netherlands Embassy in Washington canceled a scheduled reception.

Queen Beatrix said: "It shocks us all"

The driver apparently acted alone and is not related to any terrorist group or ideology. No explosives were found in his car or at home. According to authorities

"From the first contact with police before the suspect was removed from the car ... we have reason to believe it was a deliberate action," said Goossens.

Although the sequence of events is cloudy, apparently he crashed his small black car with two sets of police barriers, smashing the windscreen and damaging the front of the vehicle even before hitting the building.

The final seconds were captured on video and film equipment for the media after the royal family in a bus.

Reporters saw people thrown into the air or the effects on the street, their limbs broken Askew. First aid crews and police officers have for the victims and apply resuscitation techniques.

The driver, bleeding from nose and head, was sunk off the place when the police got up and put into an ambulance.

Children among the injured

Previously, the mayor of Apeldoorn Graaf said Fred, eight of the 13 injured were in serious condition, two men and two women killed. Later a third man died of his injuries, said spokesman for the county Toon Schuiling Apeldoorn. Two teenagers and a child of 9 years, were among those seriously injured.

A police officer narrowly escaped injury when he jumped from his bike to avoid being beaten.

The Top 12 Mother's Day Gift's

Why twelve you are asking? Admit it...you are.

There are so many idea's out there so I googled around to a lot of reputable sites and came up with my Top 12 list.

Here you go.


1. Share a meal
Never mind going out to dinner. That's lame. Go over and cook for her. Make it personal. It will be much more appreciated then saying that mom is worth so much cash at the restaurant.

2. Spoil her rotten
The Spa alway's works and is always expensive, if you can't afford it then spoil her by doing her chores. Yup, you read that right, go over and clean her house or have someone go in and do it for her...crocodile tears will happen (bring Kleenex).

3. Take a hike
Tricky this one. If you still live at home then take off and give her a rest ;). Seriously, bring her for a walk somewhere. Buy her a coffee or soft drink.

4. Make Mom an online photo album
Lots of mom's don't have the time or know - how to do this. Get the old photo's out and set it up for her. Save it to disk or USB just in case.

5. Join that "class".
You know the pottery she wants to learn, you get the idea. Go with her also, don't just hand her an admit one ticket.

6. Cookware
Maybe it's time to get rid of those pots and pans she's had since you were a kid. This is a guaranteed smile.

7. Sport stuff
Lot's of folks love golf in my area, maybe your's too. A set of clubs and a membership to use at her leisure is a win win.

8. Her garden is dying
Fix it up, get out your green thumb and make it sparkle and bloom.

9. Chocolates
Expensive chocolates, with Brandy ;)


10. Flowers
What mom doesn't love flower's. Add a personal touch, never mind the usual roses make it up of her favorite smells and colors.

11. Is mom lonely?
Get her a pet, allergy permitting of course. It's a medical fact that pets improve quality of life. This might work in your case.

12. Lastly, don't just call
Show up, your mom misses you. Don't you dare say you don't have the time. She didn't have the time to bandage you up, let you cry on her shoulder and answer her phone at 2 A.M now did she?

It's once a year folks, make it count this year.

Watch out for swine flu scams - They are everywhere

It always amazes me how spammers and scammers will use Global Events or scares to trick people into giving them money. Now they are using the swine flu to get people to open emails. I have been a victim of this as I am sure many other people have, but what I read this morning, well...

MADE ME SICK - For your online protection please read this article


For your online protection please read this article

This post is not mine it comes from ConsumerAffairs.com.

It didn't take scammers long to latch on to the latest hot-button topic to try to make a quick buck. Scams built on fears of swine flu are proliferating quickly across the Internet.

The U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team issued an alert this week warning of a number of e-mail scams related to the swine flu. The attacks arrive via an unsolicited e-mail message typically containing a subject line related to the swine flu.

"These e-mail messages may contain a link or an attachment. If users click on this link or open the attachment, they may be directed to a phishing Web site or exposed to malicious code," the alert said.

US-CERT encourages users to take the following measures to protect themselves:

* Filter spam.
* Don't trust unsolicited e-mail.
* Treat e-mail attachments with caution.
* Don't click links in e-mail messages.
* Install antivirus software and keep it up-to-date.
* Install a personal firewall and keep it up-to-date.
* Configure your e-mail client for security.

To stay informed about swine flu, US-CERT says you should rely on trusted sources of information, such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

Also, be highly skeptical of unknown Web sites with the words "swine flu" in the domain name. Online security firm F-Secure reports that dozens of new swine flu domain names were registered in the last few days. F-Secure said some of these sites are already offering ways to "protect your family from this crazy flu."

You have been waiting for Mel Gibson's new girlfriend

Okay, maybe not but her she is ;) Oksana Grigorieva and Mel Gibson made their first public appearance at the X-Men Origins: Wolverine screening in L.A. Tuesday.

He's 53 and she's 38...gold digger....just kidding. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt (for now)

Wanna see her pic?




Thanks google images

LMFAO - Yes !! Another great video

A great band that will go far, 750,000 youtube views.

Don't miss this lol. It's great.

Go NOW lol.

Best Video I've Seen In A Long, Long Time. Will Make You Smile

All I can say is WOW. We all need this at some point and with times being the way they are....this is something we need to pass around the world.

Check out the video.

If this video doesn't bring a tear to your eyes and makes you smile for the rest of the day, you are cold and need therapy. Watch it from beginning to end—you won't regret it.

Sadly a baby in Texas died of swine flu

As a result American President Obama stated: Schools should consider closing if virus spread worsens.

A 23-month-old Texas baby has become the first confirmed swine flu death outside of Mexico as health professionals around the globe struggle to contain a growing global health menace that has also swept Germany onto the roster of afflicted nations. Officials say the death was in Houston.

"Even though we've been expecting this, it is very, very sad," Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Wednesday of the infant's death. "As a pediatrician and a parent, my heart goes out to the family."

This is not the first outbreak of the swine flu which is a little known fact, the last cases showed up in 1988.

For more detailed information keep an eye on your local news stations.

We will continue to report deaths in North America as they come in and hopefully there will be few more to report.

Our hearts go out to the child and her family.

What is Swine Influenza?
Source CDC
Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Swine flu viruses cause high levels of illness and low death rates in pigs. Swine influenza viruses may circulate among swine throughout the year, but most outbreaks occur during the late fall and winter months similar to outbreaks in humans. The classical swine flu virus (an influenza type A H1N1 virus) was first isolated from a pig in 1930.

How many swine flu viruses are there?
Like all influenza viruses, swine flu viruses change constantly. Pigs can be infected by avian influenza and human influenza viruses as well as swine influenza viruses. When influenza viruses from different species infect pigs, the viruses can reassort (i.e. swap genes) and new viruses that are a mix of swine, human and/or avian influenza viruses can emerge. Over the years, different variations of swine flu viruses have emerged. At this time, there are four main influenza type A virus subtypes that have been isolated in pigs: H1N1, H1N2, H3N2, and H3N1. However, most of the recently isolated influenza viruses from pigs have been H1N1 viruses.
Swine Flu in Humans

Can humans catch swine flu?
Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans. However, sporadic human infections with swine flu have occurred. Most commonly, these cases occur in persons with direct exposure to pigs (e.g. children near pigs at a fair or workers in the swine industry). In addition, there have been documented cases of one person spreading swine flu to others. For example, an outbreak of apparent swine flu infection in pigs in Wisconsin in 1988 resulted in multiple human infections, and, although no community outbreak resulted, there was antibody evidence of virus transmission from the patient to health care workers who had close contact with the patient.
How common is swine flu infection in humans?
In the past, CDC received reports of approximately one human swine influenza virus infection every one to two years in the U.S., but from December 2005 through February 2009, 12 cases of human infection with swine influenza have been reported.

What are the symptoms of swine flu in humans?
The symptoms of swine flu in people are expected to be similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza and include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some people with swine flu also have reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Can people catch swine flu from eating pork?
No. Swine influenza viruses are not transmitted by food. You can not get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork and pork products is safe. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160°F kills the swine flu virus as it does other bacteria and viruses.

How does swine flu spread?
Influenza viruses can be directly transmitted from pigs to people and from people to pigs. Human infection with flu viruses from pigs are most likely to occur when people are in close proximity to infected pigs, such as in pig barns and livestock exhibits housing pigs at fairs. Human-to-human transmission of swine flu can also occur. This is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal flu occurs in people, which is mainly person-to-person transmission through coughing or sneezing of people infected with the influenza virus. People may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

What do we know about human-to-human spread of swine flu?
In September 1988, a previously healthy 32-year-old pregnant woman was hospitalized for pneumonia and died 8 days later. A swine H1N1 flu virus was detected. Four days before getting sick, the patient visited a county fair swine exhibition where there was widespread influenza-like illness among the swine.

In follow-up studies, 76% of swine exhibitors tested had antibody evidence of swine flu infection but no serious illnesses were detected among this group. Additional studies suggest that one to three health care personnel who had contact with the patient developed mild influenza-like illnesses with antibody evidence of swine flu infection.
How can human infections with swine influenza be diagnosed?
To diagnose swine influenza A infection, a respiratory specimen would generally need to be collected within the first 4 to 5 days of illness (when an infected person is most likely to be shedding virus). However, some persons, especially children, may shed virus for 10 days or longer. Identification as a swine flu influenza A virus requires sending the specimen to CDC for laboratory testing.

What medications are available to treat swine flu infections in humans?
There are four different antiviral drugs that are licensed for use in the US for the treatment of influenza: amantadine, rimantadine, oseltamivir and zanamivir. While most swine influenza viruses have been susceptible to all four drugs, the most recent swine influenza viruses isolated from humans are resistant to amantadine and rimantadine. At this time, CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses.

What other examples of swine flu outbreaks are there?
Probably the most well known is an outbreak of swine flu among soldiers in Fort Dix, New Jersey in 1976. The virus caused disease with x-ray evidence of pneumonia in at least 4 soldiers and 1 death; all of these patients had previously been healthy. The virus was transmitted to close contacts in a basic training environment, with limited transmission outside the basic training group. The virus is thought to have circulated for a month and disappeared. The source of the virus, the exact time of its introduction into Fort Dix, and factors limiting its spread and duration are unknown. The Fort Dix outbreak may have been caused by introduction of an animal virus into a stressed human population in close contact in crowded facilities during the winter. The swine influenza A virus collected from a Fort Dix soldier was named A/New Jersey/76 (Hsw1N1).
Is the H1N1 swine flu virus the same as human H1N1 viruses?
No. The H1N1 swine flu viruses are antigenically very different from human H1N1 viruses and, therefore, vaccines for human seasonal flu would not provide protection from H1N1 swine flu viruses.
Swine Flu in Pigs

How does swine flu spread among pigs?
Swine flu viruses are thought to be spread mostly through close contact among pigs and possibly from contaminated objects moving between infected and uninfected pigs. Herds with continuous swine flu infections and herds that are vaccinated against swine flu may have sporadic disease, or may show only mild or no symptoms of infection.

What are signs of swine flu in pigs?
Signs of swine flu in pigs can include sudden onset of fever, depression, coughing (barking), discharge from the nose or eyes, sneezing, breathing difficulties, eye redness or inflammation, and going off feed.

How common is swine flu among pigs?
H1N1 and H3N2 swine flu viruses are endemic among pig populations in the United States and something that the industry deals with routinely. Outbreaks among pigs normally occur in colder weather months (late fall and winter) and sometimes with the introduction of new pigs into susceptible herds. Studies have shown that the swine flu H1N1 is common throughout pig populations worldwide, with 25 percent of animals showing antibody evidence of infection. In the U.S. studies have shown that 30 percent of the pig population has antibody evidence of having had H1N1 infection. More specifically, 51 percent of pigs in the north-central U.S. have been shown to have antibody evidence of infection with swine H1N1. Human infections with swine flu H1N1 viruses are rare. There is currently no way to differentiate antibody produced in response to flu vaccination in pigs from antibody made in response to pig infections with swine H1N1 influenza.

While H1N1 swine viruses have been known to circulate among pig populations since at least 1930, H3N2 influenza viruses did not begin circulating among US pigs until 1998. The H3N2 viruses initially were introduced into the pig population from humans. The current swine flu H3N2 viruses are closely related to human H3N2 viruses.

Is there a vaccine for swine flu?
Vaccines are available to be given to pigs to prevent swine influenza. There is no vaccine to protect humans from swine flu. The seasonal influenza vaccine will likely help provide partial protection against swine H3N2, but not swine H1N1 viruses.