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2010-03-02T08:34:00.002-08:00

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A Line Skirts

2010-03-02T08:34:00.001-08:00

February 21, 2010 by Luffy12

If there is one type of clothing that no woman should be without it is A line skirts.

These items are must-haves for a woman’s
wardrobe. The A line skirts come in an array of colors and designs and they are ideal for just about any figure. There is little wonder that this type of skirt has won the hearts of women around the world.

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Best Western Anaheim

2010-03-02T08:33:00.002-08:00

by Luffy12 on 21/02/10 at 9:36 am

The Anaheim Best Western hotel is walking distance from Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure theme park.

Visitors to Disneyland in California need convenient accommodation from a reliable source.

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Natural Apple Cider Vinegar Diet

2010-03-02T08:33:00.001-08:00

By Luffy12 on February 21st, 2010

No one likes to carry extra pounds but few of us have the means to naturally rev up the metabolic rate while keeping cravings under control.

There are some simple steps that dieters can take to ensure that they can drop weight naturally and with relatively little effort.

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You and Alternative Health

2010-03-02T08:32:00.001-08:00

By Luffy12 on February 21st, 2010

Alternative medicine has long been used to treat a variety of conditions from psoriasis to dysentery.

Today the amount of holistic therapies is staggering, and not all of it created equal, which is why it’s so important to keep up to date on the latest happenings in this rapidly growing field.

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Manage Your Anger

2010-03-02T08:31:00.000-08:00

by Luffy12 in Advice, February 21, 2010

Been yelling a lot lately?

FBI says: Commie China has 180K Cyber Soldiers Attacking the US

2010-01-13T21:25:00.000-08:00

from:

www.thedailybeast.com
credit to: Gerald Posner

While Google weighs exiting China, a classified FBI report says that country has already developed a massive cyber army attacking the U.S. with “WMD-like” destruction capabilities.

A classified FBI report indicates that China has secretly developed an army of 180,000 cyberspies that “poses the largest single threat to the United States for cyberterrorism and has the potential to destroy vital infrastructure, interrupt banking and commerce, and compromise sensitive military and defense databases."

These spies are already launching 90,000 attacks a year just against U.S. Defense Department computers, according to a senior FBI analyst familiar with the contents of the report, making news Tuesday that the Chinese government may have hacked the email accountings of human-rights activists, prompting Google to consider withdrawing from that country, seem like child’s play.

The FBI report estimates that the Chinese Army has developed a network of over 30,000 Chinese military cyberspies, plus 150,000 private-sector computer experts, whose mission is to steal American military and technological secrets.

Cyber warfare is part of every developed country's 21st century **************. Although no U.S. official will admit it, the Pentagon, CIA, and NSA regularly probe and try to hack into China's military and industrial computer networks to obtain the information that years ago were brought back by the James Bonds of spy services.

The U.S., and many of our European allies, try to find ways to wreck some havoc in the Chinese computer grid if a conflict ever takes place. The difference is that the Chinese are better than anyone else and lead the way in technological breakthroughs for the cyber battlefield.

The FBI report concludes that a massive Chinese cyberattack could “be in the magnitude of a weapon of mass destruction," says the analyst, who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about it, adding that it would do substantial damage to the American economy, telecommunications, electric power grid, and military preparedness.

The FBI report estimates that since 2003, the Chinese Army has specifically developed a network of over 30,000 Chinese military cyberspies, plus more than 150,000 private-sector computer experts, whose mission is to steal American military and technological secrets and cause mischief in government and financial services.

China’s goal, says the FBI report, is to have the world’s premier “informationized armed forces” by 2020. According to the bureau’s classified information, the Chinese hackers are adept at implanting malicious computer code, and in 2009 companies in diverse industries such as oil and gas, banking, aerospace, and telecommunications encountered costly and at times debilitating problems with Chinese-implanted “malware.” The FBI analyst would not name the affected companies.

One of China’s most effective weapons, according to the FBI report, is a continuation of what Pentagon security investigators originally dubbed Titan Rain; it is a Chinese scanner program that probes national defense and high-tech industrial computer networks thousands of times a minute looking for vulnerabilities.

The Chinese military hackers, the FBI analyst told me, enter without any keystroke errors, leave no digital fingerprints, and create a clean backdoor exit in under 20 minutes, feats considered capable only for a military or civilian spy agency of only a few governments.

These attacks are proliferating. The FBI report lays out the identifiable attacks originating from China just on the Defense Department computers; they increased from 44,000 in 2007 to 55,000 in 2008, and topped 90,000 last year. “They probe, they test our responses, as quick as we make changes and fix vulnerabilities, they are moving a step ahead,” the analyst told me.

The Chinese hackers aren’t after credit-card numbers or bank accounts or looking to steal private identities. Instead, they are hunting for information. Although the barrage of attacks may at times appear random, the FBI report concludes that it is part of a strategy to fully flush out U.S. military telecommunications and to better understand—and to attempt to intercept—intelligence being gathered by American spy agencies, particularly the National Security Agency.

“It’s the great irony of the Information Age that the very technologies that empower us to create and to build also empower those who would disrupt and destroy,” President Obama said last May when he announced a new White House office dedicated to protecting the nation’s computer systems.

The Pentagon followed shortly after with a new military cyberspace command. In his remarks, the president said that, “In today’s world, acts of terror could come not only from a few extremists in suicide vests but from a few keystrokes of a computer.” And he admitted, “We’re not as prepared as we should be, as a government or as a country.”

China’s Ministry of Public Security has thousands of so-called Information Warfare Militia Units that effectively monitor all domestic Internet traffic of the country’s 140 million 'Net users. It’s this internal program that may have affected Google. On Tuesday, Google said it had detected a “highly sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure originating from China.” While Google did not specifically accuse the Chinese government, it said it was “no longer willing to continue censoring our results” on its Chinese search engine, as the government requires. Thus, it may need to withdraw from its largest potential market.

The private-sector issues affect government security. As a precondition to doing business in China, several years ago Microsoft was required to provide the government the source codes for the company’s Office software. The Chinese State Planning Commission contended that Microsoft's Windows operating system was a secret tool of the U.S. government and demanded Microsoft instruct Chinese software engineers on inserting their own software into Window's applications.

That gave the Chinese Army’s cyberwarfare department what computer hackers dub a “skeleton key,” allowing them access to almost every networked private business, military, and government computer in the U.S. Among the Chinese Army-backed Microsoft attacks, the FBI report includes successful forays against computer systems at the State Department, Commerce Department, the FBI, and the Naval War College, among others.

Some Chinese attacks plant embedded covert programs into government networks, searching for classified files and then automatically forwarding them by email to China. Using sophisticated “rootkit” programs to hide their presence, China’s hackers are “simply the most sophisticated,” says the senior FBI analyst. Homeland Security’s $1.8 billion computer network was penetrated by Chinese cyberwarriors in 2007, and an unknown amount of information was copied to a secure Chinese Web site.

Even the Pentagon was breached in 2007 and again in early 2009, despite what it considered foolproof Titan Rain security patches. The 2009 intrusion was particularly worrisome since the Chinese managed to get inside the Pentagon's $300 billion Joint Strike Fighter project—the Defense Department's costliest weapons program ever—according to a government official familiar with the attack who spoke to The Daily Beast on the condition of anonymity.

The cyber intruders copied several terabytes of data about the design and electronics systems, information that might make it easier to defend against the craft.

The FBI report concludes that many of the attacks identified as being from China might be part of Beijing’s plan to occasionally let its cyberspies be unmasked in order to give American and other Western counties a false sense of security. “There is no telling how many breaches there are that we haven’t yet picked up,” the FBI analyst told me. Most American government agencies have stopped buying Chinese hardware from Lenovo (the Chinese firm that acquired IBM's personal-computer division in 2005) and any software from the mainland.

But China is manufacturing microchips for dozens of major international companies, and those chips could hold viruses set to activate when used in a computer network. Chips employed in military applications could be designed to reverse engineer the weapon’s design and provide the information to Chinese spies. China’s microchip output is almost doubling every two years, and chip giant Intel has opened a multibillion-dollar plant in Dalian, China.

The FBI report’s grim conclusion: China sees its cyberwarriors as a critical component of its asymmetric warfare capability and the U.S. government should publicly identify China as an “ongoing intelligence risk.” The Chinese Embassy says that the country "opposes and forbids all forms of cyber crimes" and that charges of its cyber warrior program are remnants of “a Cold War mentality" and intended only “to fan up China threat sensations."

“Without confronting it as a major threat,” the FBI analyst told me, “companies like Google go to do business there incorrectly assuming they face no greater risk from Chinese penetrations than they face from any other country. It’s just not true. There’s no more imminent cyberthreat than the one posed by China.”

2010 Avatar

2009-12-31T23:53:00.001-08:00

Beanatar

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The Avatar Twilight

Jessica Albatar

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Avatar Watch - Pamela

Avatar Laden

Twitter Hacked, Defaced By “Iranian Cyber Army” (Developing)

2009-12-17T23:34:00.000-08:00

We’ve received multiple tips right around 10 pm that Twitter was hacked and defaced with the message below. The site is currently offline. We’re looking into this and waiting on a response from Twitter.

The message reads:

Iranian Cyber Army

THIS SITE HAS BEEN HACKED BY IRANIAN CYBER ARMY

iRANiAN.CYBER.ARMY@GMAIL.COM

U.S.A. Think They Controlling And Managing Internet By Their Access, But THey Don’t, We Control And Manage Internet By Our Power, So Do Not Try To Stimulation Iranian Peoples To….

NOW WHICH COUNTRY IN EMBARGO LIST? IRAN? USA?
WE PUSH THEM IN EMBARGO LIST
Take Care.

Update: – We have just found out that the same defacement is appearing at at least one other site, mawjcamp.org. We are not able to see what was at this domain before, but it is now displaying the same defacement that Twitter was only a few minutes ago.

Twitter does not have the best record with security issues. We have previously covered a number of incidents, and as recently as two months ago their web servers were misconfigured to reveal detailed internal network information. We also previously wrote about their admin interface having a password of ‘password’ on one account, and the well-known Twitter doc incident. It was hoped that with the hiring of a new COO, Dick Costolo, as well as a number of other high-level engineers, including security experts, that Twitter had grown out of the phase of being vulnerable to security incidents on such a large scale.

We do not know a lot about the group claiming responsibility for the attack as we haven’t heard their name before and they do not show up in any defacement mirrors or security sites. Similar Iranian groups were active during the election campaign in that country. We have emailed the group (they were kind enough to leave an address on the defacement) for a comment (also added them on Gchat – worth a shot).

Update 2.: Twitter.com is down, status.twitter.com is down (not useful, perhaps they should host it at blogger). Some tweets are getting through at the moment because parts of the API are up. Search also seems to be working. The Firehose is up – Tweets are coming in from FriendFeed (all those tweets about ‘is twitter down’ are from third-party sites)

Update 3.: It is suggested that if you use the same password on your Twitter account with other accounts, now would be a good time to change your password on those other accounts.

Update 4.: There is a history between Iran and Twitter. It was well noted and covered in the media that Twitter was used as a tool during the Iranian election protests. The US government actually intervened to assure that Twitter was available to the protestors in Tehran and around the country. This attack may be an act of reprisal from groups who were not happy with the role that Twitter played during the protests

Update 5.: There is speculation at the moment that this may be a DNS redirect, which means that the Twitter.com domain has been redirected to the defacement page. This doesn’t explain why some sub-domains are down, while others are currently still alive (such as search)

Black Friday's Top Tech Deals

2009-11-27T08:21:00.000-08:00

Black Friday discounts bleed a little red as tough times in retailing call for sharp cuts on prices at a few big tech shops. These ten top deals show just how much pressure is riding on holiday sales.

Apple

No. 10: Apple

Apple is traditionally the stingiest of tech discounters in the gadget market, and this year will continue that grand tradition. If reports of Apple's Black Friday specials are true, Macs and iPods will get a one-day price break of about 10%.

The numbers. Apple's "cool" gizmos have enjoyed a remarkably resilient status among consumers. That position is reflected in the company's tightfisted pricing stance. Apple's implied theme here is big discounts are for big losers. But retail partner Costco seems eager to dangle some marked-down coolness to lure its members. Costco is selling the latest Apple iPod nano for $129, a 13% discount on the $149 regular price.

The stock. Like its gadgets, Apple's stock attracts an eager crowd willing to pay top dollar to be part of the action. Costco, however, could use a few tricks to keep its bargain-hunting customers from finding deals in Wal-Mart's aisles. In the past month, Wal-Mart shares have doubled the rise of Costco's stock.

No. 9: Hewlett-Packard

Hewlett-Packard grabbed the top place in PCs from Dell two years ago by jumping on the notebook bandwagon as consumers went shopping for desktop power in portable devices. Hewlett-Packard hopes to cash in again in an emerging category of hybrid laptops called super netbooks.

The numbers. One of the most-watched devices in this category is the DM3, a 13-inch, thin, lightweight notebook with an eight-hour battery life, four-gigabyte memory and no DVD drive. HEWLETT-PACKARD introduced the DM3 in July priced at $599. On Friday it will sell on Amazon for $499.

The stock. Hewlett-Packard branched into IT services last year and hopes to get a chunk of Cisco's networking market with the pending acquisition of 3Com. But computers are still its biggest business and if hybrid notebooks are a winning category, Hewlett-Packard could continue to punish Dell.

Garmin

No. 8: Garmin

Garmin was a top destination in the GPS device boom, but navigating the post-boom is proving to be a challenge.

The numbers. While rivals like Magellan and TomTom have typically offered the cheaper options in GPS, Garmin is going on the offensive this Friday. For the first time in a national retail offering, Garmin will break the $100 barrier with a $99 device. The Garmin Nuvi 205W is being advertised for $99 at Best Buy this Friday, a 29% discount from the $140 regular price.

The stock. Garmin shares are down 16% in the past month as analysts and investors absorb the shock of weaker margins on new devices like the Nuvi phone. Deeper discounts, it seems, aren't exactly the right road toward alleviating those concerns.

Dell

No. 7: Dell

Dell has been paddling furiously, but still lagging behind and losing business to Hewlett-Packard and Acer, among others.

The numbers. Dell told analysts last week that it would not build its turnaround on deep price cuts on PCs. But Dell didn't mention computer monitors. Black Friday will see another $100 price barrier shattered when Dell's S2009W 20-inch desktop monitor goes on sale for $99 at Best Buy. That price is 37% below the monitor's regular mark up of $159.

The stock. Dell shares are down 8% from Thursday levels when the company reported disappointing numbers, thinning margins and eroding market share. Dell's lousy performance came amid a surprisingly strong period of PC industry sales giving investors the sense that Dell may be missing out on a recovery.

Palm

No. 6: Palm

Palm's Pre phone was expected to spark the revival of a smartphone pioneer. With a bright touch screen, a slide-out keypad and a new WebOS operating software, the $200 phone debuted as the best challenger yet to the Apple iPhone.

The numbers. After a dismal debut and meager sales, the Palm Pre, sold exclusively by Sprint, quickly fell in the bargain bin. In three months, the Pre price fell to $149. Getting into the spirit of Black Friday, Amazon has begun to offer the Pre for $80, a 46% discount on the previous price of $149.

The stock. Despite a 23% drop in the past month, Palm shares are still up more than 400% over the past year. A lot of that appreciation is tied to the value of the Pre as a contender in the booming smartphone market. But with the Pre prices falling so fast, it's difficult to stay as hopeful about Palm's revitalization plan.

Western Digital

No. 5: Western Digital

Western Digital drives down prices of external hard drives in its battle with rival Seagate Technology. The newest crop of hard drives offer twice the capacity at half the price of last year's models.

The numbers. As a Black Friday special, Wal-Mart is offering the Western Digital portable 320 gigabyte external hard drive for $49, a 50% markdown from the $99 regular price. Seagate's popular FreeAgent 320-gigabyte external hard drive goes for $80.

The stock. Storage has been a popular theme for tech investors this year. With component costs falling, manufacturers have been able to cut prices profitably as higher sales offset lower prices. Shares of Western Digital and Seagate have tripled this year.

SanDisk

No. 4: SanDisk

SanDisk is flashing some astounding Black Friday prices on flash memory devices. Flash drive prices have fallen faster than those of hard drives. USB thumb drives now pack three times the memory capacity at a third of last year's prices.

The numbers. The SanDisk 4 gigabyte flash drive is available for $8 at Wal-Mart, a 73% discount from the $30 regular price. In contrast, Target sells a Lexar 4 gigabyte flash drive for $20.

The stock. Falling memory prices haven't hurt SanDisk shares. The stock has doubled this year. A big part of that enthusiasm, however, was due to a positive resolution to a licensing dispute with Samsung in May.

Palm

No. 3: Palm

The Palm Pixi, the diminutive follow up to the Pre, hit stores last week priced at $100 with a Sprint contract. However, Sprint quickly started the discounts to stem the flow of subscribers from its service.

The numbers. Amazon is now selling the Palm Pixi for $25, a quarter of the price it went for when it was introduced Nov. 15. Falling prices on new smartphone models suggest demand may not be strong.

The stock. Palm's Pixi was designed to compete with the $99 Apple 2G iPhone and lower cost BlackBerries from Research In Motion. Investors have been concerned the Pixi could cannibalize Pre sales. The timing of Pixi's arrival also puts it up against Motorola's Droid at Verizon. Palm investors, who cheered the company's revival, are now looking at a very crowded market.

BlackBerry

No. 2: BlackBerry

Research In Motion's BlackBerry Curve at Sprint is also battling it out in that market. Nothing in tech gets cut deeper than the price of a three-year-old phone. The best example was the Motorola Razr. The ultrathin trendsetter debuted in 2004 with a $600 price tag, but by 2007, it was a promotional freebie.

The numbers. Best Buy, along with desperate partner Sprint, is giving free Curve phones to people who sign up for two-year service contracts on Black Friday. The phone was recently advertised for $50 to $200.

The stock. Sprint's willingness to subsidize customers' phone costs is a bold strategy to keep and lure customers. Last year, Sprint lost more than 1 million subscribers because of neglected service and rival offers, such as those for AT&T's iPhone. Fewer contract cancellations will be seen as a major accomplishment. And while Sprint shares are well below their one-year high in May, the stock has still doubled this year.

BlackBerry

No. 1: BlackBerry

Research In Motion takes the top two spots with the BlackBerry Curve. This model, the Curve 8900, is one of the newest from the three-year-old line. Its sold by Amazon on behalf of AT&T.

The numbers. Amazon has already opened the Web doors with its online Black Friday special on the Curve 8900. The phone costs 1 cent if you sign up for a two-year contract with AT&T.

The stock. While free Razrs once sounded the game-over bell for Motorola, free Curves aren't as dismal a warning sign for RIM. Unlike Motorola, RIM has new models to keep the smartphone momentum going. Even with a 9% drop in its share price over the past month, RIM is still up nearly 50% for the year.

Manny Pacquiao batters Cotto for TKO win

2009-11-15T00:31:00.005-08:00

Manny Pacquiao celebrates with trainer Freddie Roach after beating Miguel Cotto in a WBO welterweight title fight on Saturday in Las Vegas.
(Jae C. Hong/AP Photo)

LAS VEGAS – Manny Pacquiao staked his claim atop boxing’s mythical throne as the pound-for-pound best, using his lightning hand speed to beat and batter Miguel Cotto into submission Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Pacquiao knocked Cotto down once in the third round and again in the fourth, pummeled him repeatedly and easily lifted the World Boxing Organization welterweight belt from the Puerto Rican with a 12th-round stoppage. The time was 55 seconds into the final round, as referee Kenny Bayless leaped between the fighters to save Cotto a more savage beating and ignominious end.

Cotto came out strong and landed some hard punches, but Cotto couldn’t deal with the speed. Pacquiao was landing three shots for every two Cotto did early. After the knockdown in the fourth, Cotto’s offense was nonexistent as he spent most of the last two thirds of the fight fending off Pacquiao’s onslaught.

Cotto landed in single digits in power shots in every round from the fifth forward.

Pacquiao nearly had the stoppage after the 11th when Cotto trainer Joe Santiago walked onto the ring apron and waved his hand at Bayless.

It appeared he was going to stop the fight, but then Bayless and ringside physician James Game spoke and allowed it to continue. It was only extending the misery as Pacquiao poured it on in the 12th.

When the fight ended, the crowd began to chant, “We want Floyd!” It was a reference to Floyd Mayweather Jr., the other man with a claim to the top of the boxing pound-for-pound list.

Pacquiao, who has won championship belts in five divisions and beat the linear champion in two others, can no longer be knocked as a small man who was beating washed up fighters.

In Cotto, he took on an elite and powerful welterweight whose only loss came under suspicious circumstances to Antonio Margarito last year. There is suspicion that Margarito’s gloves were loaded for that fight, though it has never been proven.

But Pacquiao proved he was able to not only take a welterweight punch, but rock him repeatedly. It was a magnificent performance and will create public demand for a fight with Mayweather.

“I want to see him fight Mayweather,” Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said.

Santiago said Pacquiao hit harder and was stronger than expected. Cotto injured his left shoulder in the eighth.

Watch HBO 24/7 PACQUIAO vs. COTTO Episode 2

2009-11-02T03:59:00.000-08:00

October 31, 2009 · Filed Under Announcements, Featured, News, Pictures and Photos

PacquiaovsCottoHBO247

Watch episode 2 of HBO 24/7 Pacquiao/Cotto on Halloween Night Oct. 31, 8:00 pm PT/11:00 pm ET. HBO will continue to follow both fighters as they prepare for their upcoming bout on November 14th. Manny Pacquiao leaves the Philippines and begins training at Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood, California. Miguel Cotto will be wrapping up his training at the Fight Factory in Tampa, Florida as he heads out to Las Vegas, Nevada.

HBO Sports 24/7 has featured Roy Jones Jr., Joe Calzaghe, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Ricky Hatton, Manny Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez and now Miguel Cotto.

Sunday, November 1, 2009 Pacquiao vs Cotto 24/7 - Episode 2

2009-11-02T03:56:00.000-08:00

Part1

Part2

Part 3

Sunday, October 25, 2009 Pacquiao vs Cotto 24/7 - Episode 1

2009-11-02T03:48:00.000-08:00

Latest Pound For Pound Ratings

2009-11-02T03:44:00.001-08:00

1. Manny Pacquiao

Country: Philippines

Record: 49-3-2 (37 KOs)

Ranking: This Week: #1 | Last Week: #1 | Weeks On List: 303

Titles: The Ring
2. Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Country: USA (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Record: 40-0-0 (25 KOs)

Ranking: This Week: #2 | Last Week: - | Weeks On List: 1
3. Shane Mosley

Country: USA (Las Vegas, Nevada)

Record: 46-5-0 (39 KOs)

Ranking: This Week: #3 | Last Week: #4 | Weeks On List: 35

Titles: WBA
4. Bernard Hopkins

Country: USA (Philadelphia, Pa.)

Record: 49-5-1 (32 KOs)

Ranking: This Week: #4 | Last Week: #3 | Weeks On List: 172
5. Juan Manuel Marquez

Country: Mexico

Record: 50-5-1 (37 KOs)

Ranking: This Week: #5 | Last Week: #2 | Weeks On List: 132

Titles: WBA, WBO, The Ring
6. Israel Vazquez

Country: Mexico

Record: 43-4-0 (31 KOs)

Ranking: This Week: #6 | Last Week: #5 | Weeks On List: 112
7. Rafael Marquez

Country: Mexico

Record: 38-5-0 (34 KOs)

Ranking: This Week: #7 | Last Week: #6 | Weeks On List: 70
8. Nonito Donaire

Country: USA (San Leandro, Calif.)

Record: 22-1-0 (14 KOs)

Ranking: This Week: #8 | Last Week: #7 | Weeks On List: 21

Titles: IBF
9. Miguel Cotto

Country: Puerto Rico

Record: 34-1-0 (27 KOs)

Ranking: This Week: #9 | Last Week: #8 | Weeks On List: 21

Titles: WBO
10. Celestino Caballero

Country: Panama

Record: 33-2-0 (23 KOs)

Ranking: This Week: #10 | Last Week: #9 | Weeks On List: 35

Titles: IBF, WBA

Roach Won't Allow Cotto To Use Mayweather Trick

2009-11-02T03:42:00.000-08:00

“We will make sure that Cotto cannot use his weight to his advantage,” Roach told The Philippine Star.

Trainer Freddie Roach will not allow WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto to use the weight tactic of Floyd Mayweather Jr. Last Saturday in Las Vegas, Mayweather weighed 146-pounds for his fight with Juan Manuel Marquez. The fight was agreed upon for a catch-weight of 144-pounds. At the late hour, the Marquez camp was informed that Mayweather was unable to make 144 and a deal was reached for the fight to move forward.

Marquez weighed four pounds less at the weigh-in. Nobody knows what Mayweather weighed on the night of the fight. He refused to step on the official scales in the back and refused to answer any and all questions regarding his weight. Some speculate that he may have been in the mid-150s.

Roach's prize pupil Manny Pacquiao faces Cotto at the catch-weight of 145-pounds on November 14. He will not allow Cotto to jump on the scales at any weight above the contracted limit of 145. Cotto is in a different position than Marquez. Mayweather was brining all of the money to the table and did whatever he pleased. Pacquiao is the one bringing most of the money to the table in his fight; giving himself the advantage to impose his authority on Cotto.

Fight's off if Cotto weighs over 147 lb

2009-11-02T03:40:00.000-08:00

“It means he has a lot more work to do than us in losing weight,” said Ariza.

MANILA, Philippines - There’s just one thing that can keep the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto fight from happening, and that’s if the champion from Puerto Rico weighs in at over 147 lb.

“That’s the highest we could go (147 pounds),” Pacquiao’s chief trainer, Freddie Roach, was quoted as saying in an Internet report that came out yesterday.

Pacquiao and Cotto are fighting at a catchweight of 145 lb even if the 27-year-old Puerto Rican has agreed to stake his WBO welterweight (147 lb) crown.

At the start of the negotiations, Team Pacquiao tried to drag Cotto down to as low as 143 lb, but the latter said he can’t go lower than 145, and the fight was sealed.

“ I would call the fight off if he comes in weighing more than that,” Roach also said, meaning Cotto will have to make sure or even die trying to make the catchweight.

Or face the severe consequences, like losing all his purse, or even facing a legal battle.

Based on reports, Cotto will be fined $1 million for every pound in excess of 145. He can weigh in at 147, pay Pacquiao $2 million and go on and fight the Filipino pound-for-pound champion.

But if Cotto weighs just a fraction over 147, Roach said he’s pulling the plug on what could be or what should be the biggest fight of the year.

In the fight contract that either fighter who exceeds 145 lb will have to pay a fine, but it’s only today that the details had come out.

“We’re just protecting Manny,” Mike Koncz, Pacquiao’s adviser, had said.

Pacquiao is three days into training at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood after spending more than 30 days training in three different gyms in the Philippines.

Before he boarded the plane to Los Angeles last Saturday, Pacquiao walked around 150 lb, and was happy to report in his regular column that he still gets to eat as much as he wants.

Cotto, on the other hand, must be bleeding to get down in weight. In New York, during the press tour last September, Cotto said he was at 160, and Pacquiao’s conditioning coach, Alex Ariza, liked what he heard.

“It means he has a lot more work to do than us in losing weight,” said Ariza.

Penalties if Miguel Cotto is Overweight on Official Weigh-in

2009-11-02T03:33:00.000-08:00

“Our limit for Cotto is just 147 lb. There’s no fight if he weighs beyond that. Cotto will be assessed a $1-million penalty for every pound overweight.”

Just in case Cotto does a Mayweather on the official weight-in Freddie Roach warned that there'll be no fight if he comes in beyond the regular welterweight limit of 147 lbs.

Pacquiao - Cotto Fight Weigh-in Pictures/Photos and Videos to be posted once available

Pacquiao vs Cotto

2009-10-15T05:45:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao and Cotto fight are almost here.
Lets wait and see!

10 Highest-Paying Blue-Collar Jobs

2009-10-15T05:36:00.000-07:00

Who says hard work doesn't pay? These 10 blue-collar jobs show that the color of your collar doesn't necessarily dictate the level of your income.

What Does It Mean to Be a Blue-Collar Worker?

Blue-collar jobs are typically classified as involving manual labor and compensation by an hourly wage. Some fields that fall into this category include construction, manufacturing, maintenance and mining.

What It Does Not Mean

Do not mistake blue-collar jobs for easy to land, easy to keep or low-paying ones. Although some blue-collar jobs do not require a four-year degree, many of them require additional education by way of specialized training, a certification or an apprenticeship.

There are several blue-collar jobs that offer competitive compensation packages, relative to their white-collar counterparts.

Elevator installers and repairers sit atop the list with an average hourly wage of $42.08. This hands-on occupation involves many tasks, including assembly, testing, maintenance and repair of elevators, escalators and moving sidewalks. On average, an elevator installer or repairer can bring in over $87,000 per year.

Ship and boat captains and operators earn an average of $24.86 per hour for navigating their vessels through a variety of waterways. On average, a captain or operator brings in almost $58,000 each year, but these captains have to work a bit harder for the money -- the average work week is 51.8 hours.

The pressure is on, literally, for gas plant operators who control compressors to keep gas flowing through pipelines. This essential job pays workers just under $64,000, or approximately $30.71 on an hourly basis.

There are several specialties within the electrical and electronic repair industry. The most lucrative area involves inspecting and repairing electrical equipment at generating stations, substations and in-service relays. These workers bring in an average salary of $68,000 per year.

The Top 10 List

1. Elevator Installer and Repairer

Average salary: $87,518
Average hourly wage: $42.08
Average work week: 40 hours

2. Electrical and Electronics Repairer -- Powerhouse, Substation and Relay

Average salary: $68,084
Average hourly wage: $32.75
Average work week: 40 hours

3. Power Plant Operator, Distributor and Dispatcher

Average salary: $65,846
Average hourly wage: $31.50
Average work week: 40 hours

4. Gas Plant Operator

Average salary: $63,872
Average hourly wage: $30.71
Average work week: 40 hours

5. Locomotive Engineer

Average salary: $63,125
Average hourly wage: $28.27
Average work week: 42.5 hours

6. Electrical Power Line Installer and Repairer

Average salary: $60,354
Average hourly wage: $29.02
Average work week: 40 hours

7. Structural Iron and Steel Worker

Average salary: $59,224
Average hourly wage: $28.55
Average work week: 39.9 hours

8. Construction and Building Inspector

Average salary: $59,144
Average hourly wage: $28.31
Average work week: 40.2 hours

9. Ship and Boat Captain and Operator

Average salary: $57,910
Average hourly wage: $24.86
Average work week: 51.8 hours

10. Radio and Telecommunications Equipment Installer

Average salary: $57,149
Average hourly wage: $27.48
Average work week: 39.9 hours

About the List

The jobs are ranked by annual salary, from highest to lowest, excluding overtime. The data was pulled from the National Compensation Survey: Occupational Earnings in the United States, 2008, which is published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

HP jump-starting Compaq brand with ultra-cheap machines

2009-10-15T05:31:00.000-07:00

Remember Compaq? Hewlett-Packard acquired the venerable computer company way back in 2002, but it's kept the name alive as a secondary brand ever since, mainly relegating Compaq to overseas markets (Compaq is particularly popular in Asia) and as second-tier PCs sold on the cheap at warehouse-style stores.

But now HP is looking to breathe a little new life into the Compaq brand, positioning it not just as a label for extremely cheap computer equipment but also as one with mainstream appeal in the U.S.

Today the company is announcing the rollout of a line of ultra-inexpensive PCs, both laptops and desktops, with extreme budgets in mind.

Consider first the Compaq CQ61z (pictured), a 15.6-inch laptop with an AMD Sempron CPU, 2GB of RAM, DVD burner, 160GB hard drive, and discrete graphics. Running Windows 7 Home Premium, the machine costs a nearly unfathomable $399. That price point probably sounds familiar -- it's the usual cost for your average netbook, which in comparison offers a tiny screen, minimal hard drive, and an ultra-low-power Atom CPU.

With the $400 laptop's arrival, Compaq wants potential buyers to ask: Why not jump up to a much larger and more capable system for exactly the same price? I'm having a hard time seeing any reason not to. Seriously, it even has a numeric keypad.

Even better bargains abound for desktop shoppers. The attractive Compaq Presario 4010f has similar specs (with a 250GB hard drive) and starts at just $309 after a $100 rebate.

Both systems are available on Windows 7 launch day, October 22.

Compaq's aggressively inexpensive hardware -- particularly the $399 laptop -- could have massive ramifications for the computer market. Will netbooks finally feel the pinch that they've been giving to standard laptops for two years now? And what kind of pressure will machines like this bring to bear on more expensive notebook PCs? Price war in 3... 2... 1...

2012 isn't the end of the world, Mayans insist

2009-10-12T07:11:00.000-07:00

By MARK STEVENSON, Associated Press Writer Mark Stevenson, Associated Press Writer – Sun Oct 11, 3:58 am ET

MEXICO CITY – Apolinario Chile Pixtun is tired of being bombarded with frantic questions about the Mayan calendar supposedly "running out" on Dec. 21, 2012. After all, it's not the end of the world.

Or is it?

Definitely not, the Mayan Indian elder insists. "I came back from England last year and, man, they had me fed up with this stuff."

It can only get worse for him. Next month Hollywood's "2012" opens in cinemas, featuring earthquakes, meteor showers and a tsunami dumping an aircraft carrier on the White House.

At Cornell University, Ann Martin, who runs the "Curious? Ask an Astronomer" Web site, says people are scared.

"It's too bad that we're getting e-mails from fourth-graders who are saying that they're too young to die," Martin said. "We had a mother of two young children who was afraid she wouldn't live to see them grow up."

Chile Pixtun, a Guatemalan, says the doomsday theories spring from Western, not Mayan ideas.

A significant time period for the Mayas does end on the date, and enthusiasts have found a series of astronomical alignments they say coincide in 2012, including one that happens roughly only once every 25,800 years.

But most archaeologists, astronomers and Maya say the only thing likely to hit Earth is a meteor shower of New Age philosophy, pop astronomy, Internet doomsday rumors and TV specials such as one on the History Channel which mixes "predictions" from Nostradamus and the Mayas and asks: "Is 2012 the year the cosmic clock finally winds down to zero days, zero hope?"

It may sound all too much like other doomsday scenarios of recent decades — the 1987 Harmonic Convergence, the Jupiter Effect or "Planet X." But this one has some grains of archaeological basis.

One of them is Monument Six.

Found at an obscure ruin in southern Mexico during highway construction in the 1960s, the stone tablet almost didn't survive; the site was largely paved over and parts of the tablet were looted.

It's unique in that the remaining parts contain the equivalent of the date 2012. The inscription describes something that is supposed to occur in 2012 involving Bolon Yokte, a mysterious Mayan god associated with both war and creation.

However — shades of Indiana Jones — erosion and a crack in the stone make the end of the passage almost illegible.

Archaeologist Guillermo Bernal of Mexico's National Autonomous University interprets the last eroded glyphs as maybe saying, "He will descend from the sky."

Spooky, perhaps, but Bernal notes there are other inscriptions at Mayan sites for dates far beyond 2012 — including one that roughly translates into the year 4772.

And anyway, Mayas in the drought-stricken Yucatan peninsula have bigger worries than 2012.

"If I went to some Mayan-speaking communities and asked people what is going to happen in 2012, they wouldn't have any idea," said Jose Huchim, a Yucatan Mayan archaeologist. "That the world is going to end? They wouldn't believe you. We have real concerns these days, like rain."

The Mayan civilization, which reached its height from 300 A.D. to 900 A.D., had a talent for astronomy

Its Long Count calendar begins in 3,114 B.C., marking time in roughly 394-year periods known as Baktuns. Thirteen was a significant, sacred number for the Mayas, and the 13th Baktun ends around Dec. 21, 2012.

"It's a special anniversary of creation," said David Stuart, a specialist in Mayan epigraphy at the University of Texas at Austin. "The Maya never said the world is going to end, they never said anything bad would happen necessarily, they're just recording this future anniversary on Monument Six."

Bernal suggests that apocalypse is "a very Western, Christian" concept projected onto the Maya, perhaps because Western myths are "exhausted."

If it were all mythology, perhaps it could be written off.

But some say the Maya knew another secret: the Earth's axis wobbles, slightly changing the alignment of the stars every year. Once every 25,800 years, the sun lines up with the center of our Milky Way galaxy on a winter solstice, the sun's lowest point in the horizon.

That will happen on Dec. 21, 2012, when the sun appears to rise in the same spot where the bright center of galaxy sets.

Another spooky coincidence?

"The question I would ask these guys is, so what?" says Phil Plait, an astronomer who runs the "Bad Astronomy" blog. He says the alignment doesn't fall precisely in 2012, and distant stars exert no force that could harm Earth.

"They're really super-duper trying to find anything astronomical they can to fit that date of 2012," Plait said.

But author John Major Jenkins says his two-decade study of Mayan ruins indicate the Maya were aware of the alignment and attached great importance to it.

"If we want to honor and respect how the Maya think about this, then we would say that the Maya viewed 2012, as all cycle endings, as a time of transformation and renewal," said Jenkins.

As the Internet gained popularity in the 1990s, so did word of the "fateful" date, and some began worrying about 2012 disasters the Mayas never dreamed of.

Author Lawrence Joseph says a peak in explosive storms on the surface of the sun could knock out North America's power grid for years, triggering food shortages, water scarcity — a collapse of civilization. Solar peaks occur about every 11 years, but Joseph says there's evidence the 2012 peak could be "a lulu."

While pressing governments to install protection for power grids, Joseph counsels readers not to "use 2012 as an excuse to not live in a healthy, responsible fashion. I mean, don't let the credit cards go up."

Another History Channel program titled "Decoding the Past: Doomsday 2012: End of Days" says a galactic alignment or magnetic disturbances could somehow trigger a "pole shift."

"The entire mantle of the earth would shift in a matter of days, perhaps hours, changing the position of the north and south poles, causing worldwide disaster," a narrator proclaims. "Earthquakes would rock every continent, massive tsunamis would inundate coastal cities. It would be the ultimate planetary catastrophe."

The idea apparently originates with a 19th century Frenchman, Charles Etienne Brasseur de Bourbourg, a priest-turned-archaeologist who got it from his study of ancient Mayan and Aztec texts.

Scientists say that, at best, the poles might change location by one degree over a million years, with no sign that it would start in 2012.

While long discredited, Brasseur de Bourbourg proves one thing: Westerners have been trying for more than a century to pin doomsday scenarios on the Maya. And while fascinated by ancient lore, advocates seldom examine more recent experiences with apocalypse predictions.

"No one who's writing in now seems to remember that the last time we thought the world was going to end, it didn't," says Martin, the astronomy webmaster. "There doesn't seem to be a lot of memory that things were fine the last time around."

NASA probes give moon a double smack

2009-10-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein, Ap Science Writer – 1 hr 11 mins ago

WASHINGTON – Take that, moon!

NASA smacked two spacecraft into the lunar south pole Friday morning in a search for hidden ice. Instruments confirm that a large empty rocket hull barreled into the moon at 7:31 a.m., followed four minutes later by a probe with cameras taking pictures of the first crash.

But the big live public splash people anticipated didn't quite happen. Screens got fuzz and no immediate pictures of the crash or the six-mile plume of lunar dust that the mission was all about. The public, which followed the crashes on the Internet and at observatories, seemed puzzled.

NASA officials said their instruments were working, but live photos of the actual crash were missing. Some select photos should be ready by a 10 a.m. press conference, they said.

But so far all NASA had was "images on the way in," said NASA spokesman Grey Hautaluoma.

Expectations by the public for live plume video were probably too high and based on pre-crash animations, some of which were not by NASA, project manager Dan Andrews told The Associated Press Friday morning 80 minutes after impact.

Another issue, one NASA thought was a good possibility going into Friday, was that the lighting was bad and work needs to be done on images to make them easier to see, Andrews said. Experts said the images could be essentially "gray against black," he said.

"What matters for us is: What is the nature of the stuff that was kicked up going in?" Andrews said. "All nine instruments were working fine and we received good data."

Andrews said the science team is pouring through the information — including what are supposed to be good images from ground-based telescopes on Earth — to answer the big question: Is there some form of water under the moon's surface that was dislodged? It will probably be two weeks before scientists will be certain about the answer, he said.

Before the crash, mission scientists said there was a chance that if it was really moist under the crater, they'd know about water within an hour. That's not the case now, Andrews said.

People who got up before dawn to look for the crash at Los Angeles' Griffith Observatory threw confused looks at each other instead.

Telescope demonstrator Jim Mahon called the celestial show "anticlimactic."

"I was hoping we'd see a flash or a flare," Mahon said.

About 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles, 70 elementary school students at the Lewis Center for Educational Research charter school in Apple Valley capped off their weeklong "moon camp" experience by rising early to watch NASA television along with 300 members of the public.

"It was cool seeing actual pictures of the moon live," said 10-year-old Jackson Bridges, but he added: "I wanted to see the debris flying out. It was still interesting to watch, but it was less interesting without the flying debris."

The first and much bigger crash was supposed to hit with the force of 1.5 tons of TNT into crater Cabeus and create a mini-crater about half the size of an Olympic pool. The second crash was to be about one-third as strong.

The idea is to confirm the theory that water — a key resource if people are going to go back to the moon — is hidden below the barren moonscape.

The images were to come from the probe itself. The probe is LCROSS, short for Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite and pronounced L-Cross. It had five cameras and four other pieces of equipment to look for ice or any form of water as it dove through the dust storm created by the empty hull.

Minutes before the first crash, NASA was riding high, reporting no trouble at the Ames Research Center in California, where the mission was being controlled.

"Everything is working so very well," NASA's Victoria Friedensen, a manager in NASA's exploration office, said minutes before the one-two smack.

Best Jobs in America

2009-10-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

Money/Payscale.com's list of great careers

AP Photo

In the midst of the worst job market in three decades, you might think the only thing people care about when it comes to their career is having a job and keeping it. But when Money and PayScale.com, a leading online provider of employee-compensation data, surveyed 35,000 people online about what makes a great job, they rated intellectual challenge, a passion for the work, and flexibility just as highly as security. Perhaps the financial crisis has made many of us realize that we’re going to be on the job a few extra years, so we might as well be doing work we can enjoy.

1. Systems Engineer

Median salary (experienced): $87,100
Top pay: $130,000
Job growth (10-year forecast): 45%
Sector: Information Technology

What they do: They're the "big think" managers on large, complex projects, from major transportation networks to military defense programs. They figure out the technical specifications required and coordinate the efforts of lower-level engineers working on specific aspects of the project.

Why it's great: Demand is soaring for systems engineers, as what was once a niche job in the aerospace and defense industries becomes commonplace among a diverse and expanding universe of employers, from medical device makers to corporations like Xerox and BMW. Pay can easily hit six figures for top performers, and there's ample opportunity for advancement. But many systems engineers say they most enjoy the creative aspects of the job and seeing projects come to life. "The transit system I work on really makes a tangible difference to people," says Anne O'Neil, chief systems engineer for the New York City Transit Authority.

Drawbacks: Long hours are common; project deadlines can be fierce.

Pre-reqs: An undergrad engineering degree; some jobs might also require certification as a certified systems engineering professional (CSEP).

Veer

2. Physician Assistant

Median salary (experienced): $90,900
Top pay: $124,000
Job growth (10-year forecast): 27%
Sector: Healthcare

What they do: Call it MD lite. Working under the supervision of a doctor, PAs do all tasks involved in routine medical care, such as diagnosing illnesses and assisting in surgery. In most states they can write prescriptions as well.

Why it's great: You get the satisfaction of treating patients minus insurance hassles, since PAs have far less administrative responsibility than the typical MD. "I'm part of a team yet have a lot of autonomy," says PA Robert Wooten. You don't have to take on the time or expense of med school (see pre-reqs) and the field is virtually recession-proof, owing to an ongoing shortage of primary-care physicians. PAs are also far cheaper to employ than MDs, so demand is expected to steadily increase as medical facilities try to rein in costs, says Bill Leinweber, CEO of the American Academy of Physician Assistants. And since they don't need as much specialized training as doctors, PAs can switch from, say, geriatrics to emergency care with relative ease.

Drawbacks: It's a fairly new profession, so the number of annual job openings is still small.

Pre-reqs: A master's degree; 100 hours of training every two years; recertification every six.

3. College Professor

Median salary (experienced): $70,400
Top pay: $115,000
Job growth (10-year forecast): 23%
Sector: Education

What they do: Teach and grade papers, of course. But profs also spend about half their time doing research and writing articles and books about their field.

Why it's great: For starters, major scheduling freedom. "Besides teaching and office hours, I get to decide where, when, and how I get my work done," says Daniel Beckman, a biology professor at Missouri State University. And that doesn't even take into account ample time off for holidays and a reduced workload in the summer. Competition for tenuretrack positions at four-year institutions is intense, but you'll find lots of available positions at community colleges and professional programs, where you can enter the professoriate as an adjunct faculty member or non-tenuretrack instructor without a doctorate degree. That's particularly true during economic downturns, when laid-off workers often head back to school for additional training. More valuable perks: reduced or free tuition for family members and free access to college gyms and libraries.

Drawbacks: Low starting pay and a big 50% salary gap between faculty at universities and community colleges. If the position is at a four-year university, you'll probably have to relocate, and you'll be under pressure to constantly publish new work to sustain career momentum.

How to get it: For a tenure track position, you'll need a Ph.D. But all colleges want at least a master's degree and prefer plenty of teaching experience.

Getty Images

4. Nurse Practitioner

Median salary (experienced): $85,200
Top pay: $113,000
Job growth (10-year forecast): 23%
Sector: Healthcare

What they do: In addition to performing routine caretaking tasks, nurse practitioners have the advanced medical training to diagnose and treat a wide range of ailments. They can also prescribe medication without consulting an MD.

Not that stability and growth don’t matter, of course. We put the heaviest weight on those factors when we began crunching the numbers to come up with our list of the 50 best jobs. But to make the final cut, a job had to get high quality-of-life marks too. Whether you’re thinking of switching careers, are job hunting, or want to nudge a child in the right professional direction, this list should give you plenty of fodder for discussion.

Why it's great: Thanks to the growth of retail health clinics and the shortage of primary-care doctors, opportunities abound for nurse practitioners in settings from hospitals and urgent-care centers to private practice. They can specialize in fields such as women's health or oncology. Experienced nurse practitioners looking for a change of pace can shift to teaching or medical research. Nurse practitioners are also specifically trained in patient teaching; disease prevention is typically a large part of their practice. "Helping people see that small changes in their lifestyles can make a big difference to their health is very rewarding," says New York City nurse practitioner Edwidge Thomas.

Drawbacks: Constant insurance headaches. Education requirements are ratcheting up.

Pre-reqs: Must first complete training to get license as a registered nurse; master's degree, plus certification. A doctor of nursing practice degree is increasingly in demand, which requires about three additional years of study.

Getty Images

5. Information Technology Project Manager

Median salary (experienced): $98,700
Top pay: $140,000
Job growth (10-year forecast): 16%
Sector: Information Technology

What they do: Keep big tech projects like software upgrades running on time--and on budget. "We bring order to chaos," says April Ellison, an IT project manager in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Why it's great: Lots of opportunity. "Just about all companies need techsavvy people who are great managers," says Houston tech recruiter Linda Ranostaj. Figuring out how to implement cutting-edge technologies keeps the job challenging. Good upward mobility: IT project managers can rise to chief technology officer of a company, where the salaries can hit $300,000. Do you prefer to work for yourself? The field offers plenty of consulting work.

Drawbacks: Hours (and hours and hours) of meetings. Aggressive project timelines. Staff jobs can be outsourced to consultants.

Pre-reqs: Five to seven years of technology and computer-related experience. A project management professional certification, along with an MBA, will enhance career prospects.

6. Certified Public Accountant

Median salary (experienced): $74,200
Top pay: $138,000
Job growth (10-year forecast): 18%
Sector: Financial

What they do: Crunch the numbers, whether it's for financial analysis or tax preparation.

Why it's great: Businesses began stocking the payroll with CPAs after major accounting scandals earlier this decade, and a host of new corporate accounting rules going into effect soon should ratchet up demand further. Government agencies are also hiring CPAs, to monitor how well companies are complying with the new regs. Add inevitable changes to personal income tax rules and you have a pretty recession-proof profession. "Unless Congress does away with taxes, we'll always have work," says CPA Lisa Featherngill of Winston- Salem, N.C. Some 33,000 independent CPAs also work for themselves, typically as tax preparers.

Drawbacks: Deadlines are nonnegotiable; if you're in tax preparation, kiss your personal life goodbye between mid-February and April 15.

Pre-reqs: A certification exam and, typically, 150 hours of business and accounting classes and work experience.

Getty Images

7. Physical Therapist

Median salary (experienced): $74,300
Top pay: $98,100
Job growth (10-year forecast): 27%
Sector: Healthcare

What they do: Restore strength, flexibility, and range of motion to people who have been sidelined by injury, illness, or disease.

Why it's great: Unlike many health-care professionals, physical therapists generally see great progress in their patients. "I don't just treat the symptoms-- I give people the tools to get better," says Jennifer Gamboa, an orthopedic physical therapist in Arlington, Va. Plus, there's no overnight or shift work. Medical advances that allow a growing number of people with injuries and disabilities to survive are spurring demand, says Marc Goldstein, senior director of research at the American Physical Therapists Association. And hey, baby boomers' knees aren't getting any younger: An aging population means more chronic conditions that need physical therapy treatment.

Drawbacks: The impact of health reform on the profession is a wild card. Can be physically demanding.

Pre-reqs: A master's degree, plus certification and state licensing. Many employers prefer a doctor of physical therapy degree.

8. Computer/Network Security Consultant

Median salary (experienced): $99,700
Top pay: $152,000
Job growth (10-year forecast): 27%
Sector: Information Technology

What they do: Protect computer systems and networks against hackers, spyware, and viruses. "I consider myself a cybercrime fighter," says Gregory Evans, an independent computer security consultant in Atlanta.

Why it's great: No company or government agency can afford to have a serious breach in the security of its computer system. New technologies and an unending supply of creative hackers around the world keep the field challenging. Consultants can often work from home. And top-level pros command big paychecks.

Drawbacks: Talk about stress. If a system is infiltrated by a virus or hacker, it could mean lights out for the security consultant's career. "This is a job you can't afford to ever fail in," says Evans.

Pre-reqs: Mostly major geekdom, since the skills can be self-taught. Still, a computer science degree comes in handy. An information systems security professional certification (CISSP) is increasingly favored. Experience is key for better-paying positions: Most companies won't hire a consultant with less than five years of experience.

AP Photo/CIA

9. Intelligence Analyst

Median salary (experienced): $82,500
Top pay: $115,000
Job growth (10-year forecast): 15%
Sector: Government

What they do: Gather and analyze data related to international policy and military strategy, most often for the government or defense contractors.

Why it's great: Like adventure? Data might be collected from satellite images, wiretaps, Internet chatter, and military and spy reports. Given the country's continued vigilance about national security, demand should remain high. "The best part is helping our country," says Nate Copeland, an intelligence analyst in Herndon, Va.

Drawbacks: High stress; you often can't talk about your job outside of work.

Pre-reqs: Security clearance, of course. Foreign languages and often military experience are a huge plus.

10. Sales Director

Median salary (experienced): $140,000
Top pay: $239,000
Job growth (10-year forecast): 10%
Sector: Sales and Marketing

What they do: Set and meet sales goals, generate new accounts, and mentor and train new recruits.

Why it's great: A successful sales director--especially one who can weather an economic downturn-- will always be sought after. "I feel secure since I'm bringing money into the company," says Holly Anderson, a sales director in St. Helena, Calif. Sales directors often move into high-level management.

Drawbacks: Sales down? You're vulnerable to getting the ax. Commission-based pay can fluctuate dramatically. Expect to be on the road about 50% of the time.

Pre-reqs: 10 years of sales experience and a year or two in management. A proven track record beats an advanced degree.

Where Americans Earn The Most

2009-10-08T03:03:00.000-07:00

Median incomes in these metro areas are the country's highest.

Though fewer Americans these days have salaries to brag about, and unemployment at is at 9.7% nationwide, there are enclaves of the country where the rich keep getting richer, figures released Tuesday show.

Families earn the highest median income in the Bridgeport, Conn., San Jose, Calif., and Washington, D.C., metro areas, according to the latest numbers from the United States Census Bureau. (These areas are broader than the city limits; the Bridgeport metro area, for example, encompases wealthy suburbs Norwalk and Stamford.) What's more, as incomesplummeted in many areas across the country--real adjusted family income was the lowest it has been since 1997, according to the Census Bureau--these cities all saw a rise in median family income from the previous year.

The fact that residents of these wealth centers bring in over $100,000 per year is hardly surprising. Some of these places create wealth, like Washington, where the U.S. government is a robust employer, or San Jose, a tech-industry hot spot. Others, like the Bridgeport area, are where powerful executives make their home--and bring their paychecks--after a long week in the big city.

Behind the Numbers

Forbes ranked the median family income for all 369 Metropolitan Statistical Areas for which the U.S. Census Bureau publishes data as part of its annual American Community Survey. MSAs are geographic entities that the U.S. Office of Management and Budget defines and uses in collecting statistics. The survey, released Tuesday, updates select subjects from the decennial U.S. Census, using a smaller sample of the population. It measures characteristics of the population for the year 2008.

Though the economic news has been dismal across the country, all 20 of the highest-earning cities in the U.S. saw higher incomes than in 2007. In part, this can be explained by timing: The survey asked Americans about calendar year 2008, which hit workers the hardest only at the end of the year.

"In 2008 we were debating what income would look like because of inflation," says Heather Boushey, senior economist at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank that focuses on policy issues. "But things didn't get grim until October, when cascading job losses began."

Bedroom Communities Do Best

While urban centers, growth-industry towns and university hubs may generate profits, it is often the suburbs and small cities surrounding those areas where workers take their paychecks. That's why Bridgeport tops our list, as the metro area it inhabits also includes Stamford and Norwalk; all are roughly an hour commute from New York City, and Stamford is a financial center in its own right, the location of companies like General Electric Capital and Xerox.

Similarly, in the Trenton, N.J., area, families live well, on a median income of $88,789 annually. This is likely not thanks to the town itself, which had 989 violent crimes in 2008, but neighboring Ewing, which has emerged as a key business location for the recent biotech boom in the state. The metro is also within commuting distance of New York and Philadelphia.

Areas where one might expect families to do quite well, like New York City itself (it ranked 29th), instead see much of their wealth transferred to outlying suburbs. New Yorkers still earn a lot (the $77,760 that families there gross is well above the $58,270 national average), but comparatively less than in some suburban areas. In part, this is because the New York City Metropolitan Statistical Area isn't just limited to Manhattan; it includes the outer boroughs, Long Island and parts of New Jersey. Thus many working-class families live adjacent to the wealthy city center, and their incomes are reflected in the lower median number.

Baltimore and Poughkeepsie, N.Y., modest areas in many ways, found their way onto this list with their surprisingly high median incomes of $81,036 and $85,463, respectively, for the same reason that other suburban metros made the top 20: Baltimore is close to Washington, D.C, and Poughkeepsie houses commuters to New York City.

Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Boston families also took home more pay in 2008 than those in nearly all other metro areas in 2008. Boston's sprawling metro area includes Cambridge and Quincy--both relatively well-to-do cities. In San Francisco, the high end of incomes are so far above the national average that the median is tugged upward.

The Jobs Picture

The numbers also confirmed something that most already knew: Where tech goes, so goes the money. Highly skilled workers congregate in high-tech cities like San Jose, Calif., where families earn a median $103,164 annually.

Other growth industries can create clusters of well-off families, and help explain why Oxnard, Calif., families make around $86,784 a year. The health industry, one of the fastest-growing in the country, helps support the city. St. John's Regional Medical Center employs more of this city's residents than any other company.

While high gross pay doesn't always trickle down evenly when taxes, Social Security, housing and other living costs are factored in, looking at median family income does give a good indication of where the country's money is pooling.

"Because 2008 was so bad, clearly, some places have borne the brunt more than others," says Bouchey. "It could be that these are the places left standing."

Top 5 Places Where Median Incomes Are Highest

1. Bridgeport, Conn.
Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Conn., Metropolitan Statistical Area
Median Family Income: $105,132

2. San Jose, Calif.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif., Metropolitan Statistical Area
Median Family Income: $103,164

3. Washington, D.C.
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.V., Metropolitan Statistical Area
Median Family Income: $101,590

4. San Francisco, Calif.
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, Calif., Metropolitan Statistical Area
Median Family Income: $94,236

5. Trenton, N.J.
Trenton-Ewing, N.J., Metropolitan Statistical Area
Median Family Income: $93,912

Somali pirates attack French military flagship

2009-10-07T19:00:00.000-07:00

NAIROBI (AFP) – Somali pirates attempted to storm the French navy's 18,000 tonne flagship in the Indian Ocean after mistaking it for a cargo vessel, the French military said on Wednesday.

The crew of La Somme, a 160-metre (525-foot) command vessel and fuel tanker, easily saw off the brazen night-time assault by lightly armed fighters on two lightweight skiffs and captured five pirates, a spokesman said.

"The pirates, who because of the darkness took the French ship for a commercial vessel, were on board two vessels and opened fire with Kalashnikovs," Admiral Christophe Prazuck said in Paris.

La Somme is the French command vessel in the Indian Ocean, overseeing French air, sea and land forces fighting Somali pirates and hunting terrorists under the banner of the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom.

Officers on the ship have directed commando operations to free French hostages in the hands of Somali pirates.

The pirates tried to flee when they realised their mistake but were pursued by French forces who, after an hour-long chase, caught one of the skiffs, Prazuck said.

On it they found five men but no weapons, water or food as the pirates had apparently thrown all of the boat's contents overboard, the spokesman said.

A Western official at sea in the area, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said that there had been an exchange of fire between the warship and the pirate launches.

"One of the skiffs managed to get away in the night because La Somme was busy with the first pirate boat," he said.

"Despite the arrival of other vessels, they haven't yet managed to find the second boat," he said, adding that many warships in the area were busy hunting another group which attacked a cargo ship off the Seychelles on Sunday.

The world's naval powers have deployed dozens of warships to the lawless waters off Somalia over the past year to curb attacks by pirates in one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes.

La Somme was operating 250 nautical miles (460 kilometres) off the Somali coast, on its way to resupply fuel to frigates patrolling shipping lanes as part of the European Union's Operation Atalanta anti-piracy mission.

This was not the first time that Somali pirates have mistakenly attacked a French naval vessel. Several pirates were captured in May when they attempted to board a frigate in the area.

Somalia has had no proper government since it plunged into lawlessness after President Mohamed Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991.

The country is riven by factional fighting and pirate gangs operate freely from several ports along its Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden coasts.

According to the environmental watchdog Ecoterra International, at least 163 attacks have been carried out by Somali pirates since the start of 2009 alone, 47 of them successful hijackings.

Last year, more than 130 merchant ships were attacked, an increase of more than 200 percent on 2007, according to the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

Pirates have in recent weeks resumed attacks with the end of the monsoon season. Last week Somali gunmen captured Spanish fishing boat The Alakrana with 36 crew members in the Indian Ocean.

The US Maritime Administration warned last month that the end of the monsoon season was likely to bring an increase in piracy off Somalia and urged shipping companies to be vigilant.

Calmer waters allow pirates, who often operate in small fibreglass skiffs towed out to sea by captured fishing vessels, to hijack freighters, trawlers and private yachts. Cruise vessels have also been attacked.

Philippines in 'state of calamity' as typhoon looms

2009-10-02T20:42:00.000-07:00

Philippines in 'state of calamity' as typhoon looms

Slideshow: Faces of Asia PH

MANILA (AFP) - – President Gloria Arroyo placed the Philippines under a "state of calamity" on Friday and terrified people fled their homes as a powerful typhoon threatened to unleash more carnage following deadly floods.

After being accused of not preparing her country adequately for last Saturday's storm that killed 293 people in and around Manila, Arroyo also ordered forced evacuations of towns in the direct path of Typhoon Parma.

"Our prayers are that no lives will be lost," said Bella Angara, the governor of the northern Philippine province of Aurora, which is one of the areas predicted to feel Parma's full force on Saturday afternoon.

The government warned Parma would tear down houses in and around Aurora, while likely bringing more heavy rain to the nation's capital, Manila, and nearby areas that were still recovering from Saturday's record floods.

"We're praying very hard that the super typhoon will spare us," said housewife Nita Solita, 42, who was living in a makeshift evacuation centre in Manila after losing her home in the floods.

"I don't know what's happening to our country."

Nearly 400,000 people remained in under-prepared schools, gymnasiums and other makeshift government shelters after tropical storm Ketsana unleashed the heaviest rains in more than four decades on Manila.

The rains from Parma threatened to worsen already squalid conditions and further hamper relief supplies for the survivors in those shelters.

Many parts of Manila and neighbouring regions also remain under water -- with mud, debris and trash still blocking drains -- so any more rain could lead to another surge in flood waters.

In one town that remained in chest-deep water on the outskirts of Manila, people were fleeing their homes in preparation for another surge in the floods.

"I ordered this morning the evacuation of people in flood-stricken areas... thousands have already transferred to public schools and my own rice milling compound," said San Pedro mayor Calixto Cataquiz. Related article: Prison under water

Arroyo also ordered the evacuation of those living in coastal and low-lying regions further north on the Philippines' main island of Luzon, such as Aurora province.

"We need that preventative evacuation," Arroyo said in a nationally televised conference with government officials that was held to discuss preparations for Parma.

Her spokesman, Cerge Remonde, told reporters later that Arroyo had declared a state of calamity for the whole country, which allows local authorities to tap emergency funds and the national government to impose price controls.

Large areas of the Philippines, including Manila, are already under a state of calamity because of tropical storm Ketsana.

"(But) it is much better if the whole country (is under a state of calamity) so that local governments are prepared," Remonde said.

About 1.8 million people could be exposed to Parma's worst winds, according to the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

"We are extremely concerned," said Elisabeth Byrs, spokeswoman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The government weather station said that Parma, which was originally forecast to hit Aurora on Saturday morning, was now predicted to make landfall on Saturday afternoon after its pace slowed.

But it was still packing wind gusts of 230 kilometres per hour and could even strengthen with the more time it spends over the sea, it said.

"These gusts are strong enough to destroy houses, to rip the roofs off houses," said Nathaniel Cruz, head of the weather forecasting unit.

The Philippines is normally battered by about 20 typhoons annually, but the pattern has changed in recent years and the ferocity of some has increased.

Some weather experts have blamed the changing nature and pattern of the typhoons on climate change.

Classes to resume Monday unless...

2009-10-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

ABS-CBN

MANILA - Classes in pre-school, elementary and high school will likely resume on Monday except in schools that are being used as evacuation centers and in areas still flooded, according to Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Jesli Lapus.

Based on the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) meeting on Friday, Lapus said classes should resume on Monday except:

1) where schools are being used as evacuation centers; 2) where local government authorities declare suspension of classes in their respective areas; 3) where schools are still inaccessible due to various reasons such as floods.

However, Lapus said this policy may still change depending on the impact of supertyphoon Pepeng, which was expected to hit Bicol and northern Luzon starting Saturday afternoon.

"We have to wait for what Pepeng is going to develop into as far as Metro Manila is concerned," he said in an interview with ANC on Friday. "Assuming Pepeng does not disturb the situation right now, we are inclined to localize the suspension of classes."

This means local government authorities will decide whether to resume classes on Monday.

Lapus said many believe classes, especially in private schools, should already resume on Monday in Metro Manila and other areas affected by Ondoy.

He expressed concern over the many class suspensions saying this has affected the minimum number of school days of 204.

"So marami na tayong mga araw na nawalan ng pasok. We cannot indefinitely be on regional suspension, dahil magme-make na tayo ng klase nito," Lapus said.

He suggested that schools may hold make-up classes on Saturdays or shorten the semestral break. Another option is home study.

"We have modules for home study. This is one way--to learn in the houses," Lapus said.

Teenager rescued 40 hours after Indonesia quake

2009-10-02T20:39:00.000-07:00

PADANG, Indonesia – Rescuers pulled a teenager alive from her collapsed college 40 hours after a powerful earthquake devastated western Indonesia, while cries for help Friday from beneath a flattened hotel spurred the frantic search for more survivors.

Two days after Wednesday's 7.6-magnitude quake toppled thousands of buildings on Sumatra island, the government said nearly 3,000 may still be trapped under the rubble. At least 715 people are already confirmed dead. Paramedics laid out dozens of corpses and the stench of decomposing bodies filled the air.

Some victims have yet to receive help. In a district north of the hard-hit city of Padang, stricken residents said they'd seen no rescue workers. Most structures there had been leveled, and people were using shovels and their bare hands to clear landslides and dig out bodies.

Against a grim backdrop of grief and destruction, rescuers found a reason to cheer: Ratna Kurniasari Virgo, 19, an English major sophomore, was found alive under the rubble of her college in Padang, the Foreign Language School of Prayoga. She was pulled out Friday morning, conscious, 40 hours after the quake hit at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday.

With excited shouts and giving words of encouragement to each other, rescuers pulled Virgo hands-first from a hole drilled in the debris. Her olive-colored T-shirt almost spotless, Virgo was laid on a stretcher before being taken to hospital to be treated for a broken leg.

"She is fine, conscious and does not have any life-threatening injuries," said Nining Rosanti, a nurse, at the hospital.

Elsewhere in the city, at the site of the former Ambacang Hotel where as many as 100 were feared trapped, rescue workers detected signs of life under a hill of tangled steel, concrete slabs and broken bricks of the three-story structure, said Gagah Prakosa, a spokesman of the rescue team.

"We heard some voices of people under the rubble, but as you can see the damage is making it very difficult to extricate them," Prakosa said, as a backhoe cleared the debris noisily.

The voices were heard 44 hours after the disaster, giving hope that many lives could still be saved.

But as the first foreign relief teams made their way to the scene, Indonesian officials said a lack of heavy digging equipment was hampering the search.

"Heavy equipment and rescuers are our priority," said spokesman Priyadi Kardono of the Health Ministry's national disaster management agency.

Kardono said Friday that 715 people have been confirmed dead and 2,400 hospitalized. U.N. spokeswoman Laksmita Noviera in Jakarta said the United Nations fears the toll could rise to 1,100.

That appeared a conservative estimate. Kardono said nearly 3,000 people may still be trapped under rubble. It is the first confirmed government figure for the missing, suggesting that the final death toll could be in the thousands.

The damage from the undersea quake was believed most extensive around Padang, a coastal town of 900,000 people and the capital of heavily populated West Sumatra province.

But about 50 miles (80 kilometers) to the north, in the rural, hilly district of Pariaman, which is home to about 370,000 people, an Associated Press reporter saw virtually no buildings still standing. The region was largely cut off and had received no outside help, leaving many to clear roads of landslides and dig out bodies using shovels and bare hands.

Officials said more than 10,000 homes and buildings had been destroyed there. It was unclear how many had died.

At a makeshift center for the homeless, dozens sheltered from the burning sun under a 15-by-30 foot (5-by-10 meter) canopy donated by a local business.

"It's too crowded here at night. We need more space and we need more shelter," said resident Ahmad Razali. "I'm worried about looters. They are out there and the police are too busy to do anything. We haven't gotten any help from the government yet."

Medical teams, search dogs, backhoes and emergency supplies, some of it given by other countries, were flown into Sumatra on Friday after Indonesia issued an appeal for international help.

"Please be patient," Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told the crowd of people whose relatives are missing, assuring them that the government was doing everything in its power to save lives.

But death was pervasive as bodies began decomposing in the tropical heat.

Paramedics laid out dozens of corpses at the Dr. M. Djamil General Hospital, Padang's biggest, which also was partly damaged in the quake. The air was filled with the wail of ambulance sirens.

Anwari, who uses only one name, burst into tears when asked who he was waiting for outside the hospital.

"Don't ask me about my daughter ... She is still missing," Anwari said, between sobs. "Please don't ask me ... it reminds me of her." He was too distraught to say anything more.

With communications and power supplies still down in many areas, fuel was being rationed to focus on locating the missing.

Twenty-eight tons of supplies, including water, medicine and basic food provisions, were flown into regional airports to be distributed to the needy. Aid workers handed tents to some of the tens of thousands of people made homeless, disaster management spokesman Kardono said.

Russia sent two planeloads of supplies, along with doctors and nurses to treat the seriously injured.

Also donating millions of dollars in aid and financial assistance were governments and charities of Australia, Britain, China, Germany, Japan, the European Union, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Denmark and the United States, Indonesian officials said.

President Barack Obama, who spent part of his childhood in Indonesia, pledged to support earthquake recovery efforts there, as well as provide assistance to the South Pacific countries of Samoa and American Samoa, which were hit by a deadly tsunami Tuesday. The United States pledged $3.3 million in immediate assistance to Indonesia.

Indonesia sits on a major geological fault zone and experiences dozens of quakes every year. Wednesday's quake originated on the same fault line that spawned the 2004 Asian tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen nations.

It was the deadliest since May 2006, when more than 3,000 people died in the city of Yogyakarta.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani said the government has allocated $25 million for a two-month emergency response. She said the earthquake will seriously affect Indonesia's economic growth, because West Sumatra is a main producer of crude palm oil.

(UPDATE) Smart, Globe lower call rates to P3/min as 'Pepeng' hits RP

2009-10-02T20:37:00.000-07:00

ABS-CBN

MANILA - The country's top 2 telecommunications firms will reduce rates rates for domestic mobile voice calls in preparation for the onslaught of typhoon "Pepeng" (international code name Parma).

In separate statements, Smart Communications Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. said they will lower per-minute voice call charges to P3 on Saturday, October 3.

Standard voice calls are usually priced at P6 per minute.

Smart's rate cut will start at 2 a.m. on Saturday, and will end at around the same time on Monday, October 5.

On the other hand, Globe subscribers can avail of the P3 per-minute call rate from 12:01 a.m. on Saturday until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, October 4.

The price adjustment will cover subscribers of Smart's and Globe's mass-market brands, which are Talk 'N Text and Touch Mobile, respectively.

However, the lower rate will only be applicable to users belonging to the same network (Smart to Smart, Smart to Talk 'N Text, Globe to Globe, and Globe to Touch Mobile).

Smart added that the temporary voice call rates are effective for both pre-paid and post paid subscribers.

"No special dialling procedure will be required to avail of the P3 per minute rate. Just dial directly as you would when making a regular voice call," Globe said. Subscribers of the Ayala-led phone firm typically have to add prefix numbers to avail of lower call rates.

Restoration

As of 3 p.m., Globe said 99% of its affected facilities are already back online. The company said it is expecting a full restoration of its cellular sites "very soon."

For its part, Smart ensured its subscribers that its network "will continue operating and provide vital communication services to the public and to emergency authorities."

The government has already placed the entire Philippines under a state of calamity as "Pepeng" is expected to make landfall on Saturday.

Just last week, tropical storm "Ondoy" dumped the heaviest rains in more than 40 years in Metro Manila and its neighboring provinces, leaving 293 people dead and 42 people missing.

Phone companies have business continuity and preparedness plans to allow them to bring back operations to normal after typhoons the soonest possible time.

Pinay confirmed dead in Samoan tsunami

2009-10-02T20:36:00.000-07:00

A Filipino immigrant was among those killed by a destructive tsunami that hit the Samoa Islands in the South Pacific on Tuesday (before dawn Wednesday in Manila), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday.

DFA spokesperson Ed Malaya identified the Filipino victim as 62-year-old Godofreda Reambonza-Palma of Pago Pago town in American Samoa, a US territory that is home to 65,000 people.

Malaya said Palma was a native of Dipolog, a city in the southern Philippine province of Zamboanga del Norte. She migrated as an entrepreneur to Samoa.

The DFA official said the victim had no other relative in the US territory and that the repatriation of her remains is being arranged by the Filipino community there.

Malaya said Palma's relatives in the Philippines were already informed of the incident.

News about the Filipino immigrant's death was first told to GMANews.TV on Thursday by Michelle Parungo, a resident of Samoa. According to her, the village that had the most damage were Pago Pago and Leone, which she said were "totally washed out."

"Thank God it was just 7 a.m. so most people were not at work/school yet and were able to evacuate," Parungo said in an e-mail.

An Associated Press report said enormous ocean waves caused by an earthquake swept the shores of Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga, flattening villages.

Samoan officials on Friday said the death toll rose to 169 and they were planning a mass funeral and burial on Oct. 6.

Of the dead, 129 were from Samoa, 31 from American Samoa and nine from Tonga.

According to a report by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the tsunami was triggered by a magnitude-8 earthquake that occurred at 5:48 GMT Tuesday (6:48 a.m. Tuesday, Samoan time and 1:48 a.m. Wednesday, Manila time).

Convoys of military vehicles have brought food, water and medicine to the tsunami-stricken villages as victims wandered through what was left of their villages with tales of being trapped underwater, watching young children drown and hoisting elderly parents above the waves.

The quake struck at about 11 kilometers below the ocean floor. It was centered about 200 kilometers from Samoa, an island nation of 180,000 people located about halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii and about about 190 kilometers from neighboring American Samoa.

The DFA said there are some 2,000 Filipinos in American Samoa and 25 in Samoa.

On Friday, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck at local time about 242 kilometers north-northeast of Tonga, and 377 kilometers southwest of Pago Pago, said the USGS. No tsunami warning was issued. - GMANews.TV

Rio wins 2016 Games

2009-10-02T20:35:00.000-07:00

By Paul Radford

COPENHAGEN - Rio de Janeiro will stage the first Olympics in South America in 2016, the International Olympic Committee decided on Friday, delivering a stunning rebuff to U.S. President Barack Obama and favourites Chicago.

IOC President Jacques Rogge announced the decision to give the Games to Rio after three rounds of voting which produced a landslide victory for the Brazilians in a final showdown with Madrid.

Chicago, despite a speech to the IOC by President Obama, who had put his credibility on the line by flying in to address the IOC just before the vote, went out as fourth and last in the first round of voting, one of the biggest shocks in an Olympic ballot.

Chicago had started as front-runners and most Olympic observers had expected the Obama factor - first lady Michelle Obama spent two days lobbying in Copenhagen and also addressed the IOC session - to be decisive.

The fourth candidate, Tokyo, was knocked out in the second ballot.

CHEERED WILDLY

The Brazilian delegation at the Bella Convention Centre, including Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and soccer great Pele, cheered wildly, then broke down in tears of joy and began singing as they hugged each other and celebrated a momentous victory.

Lula's impassioned appeal to the IOC to stop its habit of awarding Olympics to Europe, North America and the Far East and give Brazil and South America a long overdue chance clearly touched the right buttons as did an appealing video display, showing beaches, mountains and a joyous people having fun.

Rio's Copacabana beach erupted in joy after the vote was announced, kicking off a carnival-style celebration in front of the big stage and screens broadcasting events from Denmark.

In the final round of voting by 98 eligible IOC members, Rio picked up more than two thirds, winning by 66 votes to Madrid's 32 with one abstention.

Madrid had led the first round by 28 votes to 26 for Rio with Tokyo on 22 and Chicago last on 18.

After Chicago's elimination, there was a strong switch to Rio in the second round, the Brazilians almost winning an outright majority, picking up 46 votes to 29 for Madrid and 20 for Tokyo.

STRONG APPEALS

Though the U.S. President and his wife produced strong appeals in the day's first 45-minute presentation by Chicago, they were almost certainly undone by the emotional tugs provided by Lula and former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch for Madrid.

Lula raised the emotional stakes in his speech. "This is a continent that has never held the Games," he said.

"It is time to address this imbalance. The opportunity is now to extend the Games to a new continent. It's an opportunity for an Olympics in a tropical country for the first time, to feel the warmth of our people, the exuberance of our culture and the sensation of our joy."

Even more emotionally, Samaranch, now 89, pulled powerfully at the heart-strings of members when he spoke for Madrid. "I know I am very near the end of my days," he said. "May I ask you to consider granting my country the honour and also the duty to organise the games in 2016?"

Obama's appearance, the first by a sitting U.S. President at an IOC session, provoked huge interest from IOC members, even though they are used to being courted by major political figures.

Obama told the IOC: "I've come here today to urge you to choose Chicago for the same reason I chose Chicago nearly 25 years ago, the reason I fell in love with the city I still call home."

How can we help victims of Typhoon Ondoy?

2009-09-29T05:12:00.000-07:00

(Flickr photo by rembcc)

I’m sure this is the top question for so many of the Pinoy Answers community right now. After Typhoon Ondoy raged across Luzon dumping a reported 34 cm of rain, equivalent to a month’s worth of rainfall, in just 6 hours, more than 200 have been reported dead and nearly 300,000 displaced from their homes.

For a quick answer to this pressing question, here’s a list of some very important information for Filipinos everywhere to take part in the relief efforts for Typhoon Ondoy victims:

Philippine toll rises to 246 as new storms brew

2009-09-29T05:02:00.000-07:00

By TERESA CEROJANO, Associated Press Writer Teresa Cerojano, Associated Press Writer – 55 mins ago

MANILA, Philippines – Rescuers pulled more bodies from swollen rivers and debris-strewn streets Tuesday, pushing the toll from flooding in the northern Philippines to more than 284 dead or missing, while two new storms brewing in the Pacific threatened to complicate relief efforts.

Authorities ordered extra police to be deployed to prevent looting in communities abandoned by fleeing residents, as frustration rose among those who have lost their homes or belongings.

Queues of bedraggled victims grew long at hundreds of aid distribution centers as floodwaters subsided further and more people went in search of food, clean water, dry clothes and shelter.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's administration — sensitive to criticism it did not give sufficient warning of the deluge or was too slow to respond — conceded it was overwhelmed but said it was doing all it could to help.

The homes of nearly 1.9 million people in the capital and surrounding areas were inundated by flooding unleashed by Tropical Storm Ketsana at the weekend, the National Disaster Coordinating Council said. Nearly 380,000 people have sought shelter in schools, churches and other evacuation centers.

AP – A medical patient trapped during the flooding is evacuated by navy personnel after the floodwater subsides …

The council said 246 were confirmed dead late Tuesday, with 38 missing.

Officials appealed for international aid, warning they may not have enough resources to withstand two new storms forecasters have spotted east of the island nation in the Pacific Ocean. One could hit the northern Philippines later this week and the other early next week, although meteorologists say that could change.

Ketsana, which scythed across the northern Philippines on Saturday, dumped more than a month's worth of rain in just 12 hours, causing the country's worst flooding in 40 years. The storm strengthened into a typhoon mid-Monday and crashed into Vietnam's central coast on Tuesday, killing at least 23 people, officials there said. Some 170,000 people were evacuated from its path.

In the Philippines, authorities rescued more than 12,000 people, but unconfirmed reports of more deaths abound, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said.

Water that reached shoulder-depth in parts of the capital's streets on Saturday had subsided in many areas by Tuesday. People trudged through ankle-deep sludge to reach shelters where volunteers handed out bottles of water and other items. Elsewhere, people used shovels and brooms to begin mopping-up.

Many people complained the aid was too coming too slowly, and was not enough.

Arroyo said those who suffered had a right to complain but appealed to them to understand that the scale of the disaster was huge.

"We're responding to the extent we can to this once-in-a-lifetime typhoon emergency," she said in a statement issued Tuesday.

Arroyo opened part of the presidential palace as a relief center, where hundreds of people queued Tuesday for packets of noodles and other food donated by companies and individuals. At another center, Arroyo's executive chef cooked gourmet food for victims.

Arroyo and her Cabinet said they would donate two months' salary to the relief effort.

But conditions in many hard-hit areas remained squalid.

In the Bagong Silangan area in the capital, about 150 people sheltered on a covered basketball court that had been turned into a makeshift evacuation center for storm victims. People lay on pieces of cardboard amid piles of garbage and swarming flies, their belongings crammed into bags nearby.

Seventeen white wooden coffins, some of them child-sized, lined one part of the court. A woman wept quietly beside one coffin.

The storm left entire communities covered in mud, cars upended on city streets and power lines cut.

The government declared a "state of calamity" in metropolitan Manila and 25 storm-hit provinces, allowing officials to use emergency funds for relief and rescue. Arroyo would issue an executive order within the week declaring a national holiday as "clean up day," the palace said.

The United States has donated $100,000 and deployed a military helicopter and five rubber boats manned by about 20 American soldiers from the country's south, where they have been providing counterterrorism training. The United Nations Children's Fund and the World Food Program have also provided food and other aid.

___

Associated Press writer Jim Gomez contributed to this report.

RP appeals for foreign aid for ‘Ondoy’ victims

2009-09-29T04:59:00.000-07:00

The Philippine government on Monday appealed to the international community for help as it deals with the devastation caused by tropical storm “Ondoy," which battered Metro Manila and nearby provinces last Saturday and left more than a hundred people dead.

The appeal was made by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., also the concurrent head of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), on behalf of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

“The President authorized me as chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council… to request the international humanitarian community for assistance on behalf of the government of the Philippines," he said in a press briefing at the NDCC office in Camp Aguinaldo.

A total of 140 people were confirmed dead while 32 others were reported missing due to “Ondoy" as of Monday night, according to the NDCC.

Teodoro said they are requesting the office of the United Nations resident coordinator to coordinate an international appeal in behalf of the Philippine government.

“I have just authorized sending out of a flash appeal for assistance," he said.

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This early, Japan has extended Y20-million (P10.478-million) worth of relief goods for those affected by the floods caused by “Ondoy."

Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada sent a letter to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo expressing his country’s heartfelt sympathy to the loss of many lives and serious damage to property.

"The Government of Japan, in response to the request from the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, has decided to provide emergency relief goods equivalent to approximately 20 million yen (approximately US$220,000) to the Government of the Republic of the Philippines," the Japanese Embassy said in a statement on its Web site.

Similarly, Chinese firm Hwawei would donate $30,000 to be used for the relief operations for “Ondoy" victims. This was in addition to the $10,000 earlier given by the Chinese government for disaster relief assistance to the country.

Hwawei’s cash assistance would be personally given to Vice President Noli de Castro on Monday night during the celebration of the 60th Chinese National Day.

“Some of our Filipino friends find it hard, some even impossible, to celebrate with us because of ‘Ondoy’," said Chinese Ambassador Liu Jianchiao.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Franklin Ebdalin thanked the Chinese government for its generosity. - GMANews.TV

Obama @ G-20

2009-09-23T20:25:00.000-07:00

As the world’s leaders discuss the world’s problems in Pittsburgh tomorrow, Steven R. Weisman breaks down what’s at stake—climate change, economic recovery, banking reform.

A century ago Pittsburgh was home to one of the greatest concentrations of millionaires on earth. Their names still rumble with authority: Carnegie, Mellon, Frick, Westinghouse, Heinz and Schwab.

This week the names descending on Pittsburgh are millionaires only in the sense that the global financial crisis forced them to bail out, and effectively own, some of the biggest financial institutions in their countries: Obama, Brown, Sarkozy, Merkel, Hu, Hatoyama and many others.

Their task is to take the measure of the Great Recession and, with more rumble than authority perhaps, reassure us that we are finally heading out of it. Look for them to proclaim that they are readying an overhaul of the global financial system to avoid the next crisis. Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, recently was kind enough to say that “even the English” recognize the need for reform.

Some skepticism is in order, and nothing much is expected to be formally decided. But unlike many of these international confabs, this meeting could be an important one for both President Obama and his counterparts in moving the discussion toward some necessary adjustments in the global economy. A little background first:

Some 35 leaders are convening at the confluence of the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio Rivers under the auspices of the Group of 20—G-20 for short. The first thing you will note is that the numbers don’t coincide. This was a party where the 20 main organizers did not want to make too many colleagues feel bad for being left out. The invitation list kept growing and growing.

Why Pittsburgh?

Mr. Obama, who chose the site, says it’s because Pittsburgh “has transformed itself from the city of steel to a center for high-tech innovation—including green technology, education and training, and research and development.”

Could it also be that Pennsylvania is crucial to his presidential campaigns, and that its media outlets also extend to Ohio, another important state struggling to recover from the economic downturn? Just asking.

Here are five main issues to watch:

1) The Obama administration has leaked outlines of its proposal for the summit to approve an agenda of “sustainable and balanced growth” coming out of the recession. What this means for the U.S. is that it is telling China, Japan, Germany and other big exporters not to count on Americans to go into hock while they import foreign goods, as Americans have in the last decade. To some extent this issue is a proxy for the United States’s longtime effort to persuade China to switch from an export-driven to a consumer-driven economy, and to let its currency appreciate and not rely so heavily on flooding other countries with their cheap products, much to the ire of the Congress and the American labor movement. A second aspect of the growth strategy is what it will signal about the intention of the major economic powers to engage in an “exit strategy” from the recent binge of government intervention that was aimed at averting an even worse global meltdown. But not much specifics are expected on when the U.S. will raise interest rates, cut federal spending or reprivatize the American banking system.

2) Speaking of China, trade will be a big and perhaps contentious issue, because the Chinese are still furious over Obama’s recent imposition of tariffs on Chinese tires—and the implicit threat that such tariffs could be slapped on other products like steel, cement, aluminum, paper and many other things if China does not let the value of its currency, the renminbi, rise more than it has against the dollar. Obama has yet to convince global economic powers that he really is in favor of free trade. He’s yet to convince business interests in the United States either. Look for pressure on him in Pittsburgh and how he responds to it.

3) Global warming is another big issue, only a few months away from the big United Nations conference on that subject in Copenhagen. Europeans are alarmed that the Obama cap-and-trade legislation is stalled, while Congress tears itself apart over health care. They are also dismayed that the American legislation appears likely to include a package of protectionist measures to help American industries compete against Chinese and Indian products, if those two countries don’t sign on to a global warming pact. The world leaders also have to reassure poor countries that they will get the financing and development assistance to convert to low-carbon economies. That will come with a big price tag, just as everyone is trying to wind down from the crisis.

4) A deep rift has opened between the Europeans and the Americans over financial regulation, and it will be interesting to see how they resolve or paper over it. The Europeans want strict limits on compensation of banking executives. The Obama administration is resisting their call for pay caps and says the main problem is that institutions “too big to fail” had to be rescued. The administration’s solution: requirements on the minimum amount of capital each bank has to have in relation to its assets and liabilities, along with other limits on their activities. But the administration’s approach is widely viewed, even in Congress, as tepid and meanwhile Wall Street is back to many of its old tricks. Given that most of the world blames the United States for starting this crisis in the first place, look for complaints to be heard from other attendees.

5) The issue most dear to many participants, but not to us civilians, is the future global financial architecture. Should the G-20 become a permanent steering committee for the global economy, replacing the old G-8? Should the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank be given new responsibilities and be forced to give greater governing power to the emerging new economies, especially China, India and Brazil? Should they meet more often? Less often? Never again in Pittsburgh? There might be some signs of progress on this issue, with at least lip service given to the new entrants in the global picture. But of course the real question is whether any of these groups will ever have any power to do anything about the global economy, as opposed to rearranging the deck chairs on the international financial institutions that failed to foresee the crisis this time around.

It will definitely be interesting watching Mr. Obama showing world leaders the sites and sounds of Pittsburgh—which, truth to tell, is a city of many charms and much history. But it is unlikely to serve as more than a three-river diversion from the flood of problems facing him at home, from health care to Afghanistan to the economy. My sense is that on the above issues, some new signals can be sent to resolve the problems at other forums down the road. Meanwhile, the world leaders are no doubt waiting for Obama to emerge as a leader of real stature, more than a tour guide to a steel city with a great past and an uncertain future.

Steven R. Weisman, editorial director and public policy fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, had numerous senior roles at the New York Times, including international economics correspondent, chief diplomatic correspondent, senior White House correspondent and editorial board member. He is the author of The Great Tax Wars: Lincoln to Wilson—The Fierce Battles over Money and Power That Transformed the Nation (Simon and Schuster, 2002).

Dust storm shrouds Sydney, nearly closing airport

2009-09-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

SYDNEY – Australia's worst dust storm in 70 years blanketed the heavily populated east coast Wednesday in a cloud of red Outback grit, nearly closed the country's largest airport and left millions of people coughing and sputtering in the streets.

No one was hurt as a result of the pall that swept in overnight, bringing an eerie orange dawn to Sydney, but ambulance services reported a spike in emergency calls from people with breathing difficulties, and police warned drivers to take it easy on the roads.

Dust clouds blowing east from Australia's dry interior — parched even further by the worst drought on record — covered dozens of towns and cities in two states as strong winds snatched up tons of topsoil, threw it high into the sky and carried it hundreds of miles (kilometers).

International flights were diverted from Sydney to other cities — three from New Zealand were turned around altogether — and domestic schedules were thrown into chaos as operations at Sydney Airport were curtailed by unsafe visibility levels. Passenger ferries on the city's famous harbor were also stopped for several hours for safety reasons.

The dust over Sydney had largely cleared by midafternoon, though national carrier Qantas said severe delays would last all day because of diverted and late-running flights.

The dust was still flying further north, however, and the sky over the Queensland state capital of Brisbane was clogged with dust into the early evening.

Such thick dust is rare over Sydney, and came along with other uncommon weather conditions across the country in recent days. Hailstorms have pummeled parts of the country this week, while other parts have been hit with an early spring mini-heatwave, and wildfires.

"It did feel like Armageddon because when I was in the kitchen looking out the skylight, there was this red glow coming through," Sydney resident Karen told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio.

The storms — visible as a huge brown smudge in satellite photographs of Australia on Wednesday — are the most severe since the 1940s, experts said. One was recorded traveling from southern Australia all the way to New Zealand some 1,400 miles (2,220 kilometers) away.

Officials said particle pollution in Sydney's air rose to the worst on record Wednesday, and the New South Wales state ambulance service said it had received more than 250 calls before midday from people suffering breathing problems.

People with asthma or heart or lung diseases were urged not to go outside and to keep their medicine inhalers handy.

"Keeping yourself indoors today is the main thing to do if you have any of those conditions and particularly if you're a known sensitive sufferer such as children, older adults or pregnant women," said Wayne Smith, a senior state health official.

Sydney residents coughed and hacked their way through their morning commute, rubbing grit from their eyes. Some wore masks, wrapped their faces in scarves or pressed cloths over their noses and mouths.

"These dust storms are some of the largest in the last 70 years," said Nigel Tapper, an environmental scientist at Monash University. "Ten very dry years over inland southern Australia and very strong westerlies have conspired to produce these storms."

Cars Hurt Most by the Recession

2009-07-25T05:49:00.000-07:00

By Rick Newman, U.S. News

2009 Dodge Durango

Last summer, when the prospect of a General Motors bankruptcy started to materialize, CEO Rick Wagoner was insistent: A Chapter 11 filing would be ruinous.

He was wrong, but not by a lot. GM and Chrysler are both still in business following unprecedented bankruptcy filings—but only thanks to billions in federal aid and government guarantees backing their products. And the two automakers will look quite different in their new incarnations. At GM, Wagoner is gone. His replacement, Fritz Henderson, has cut half of GM's eight divisions, leaving Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC. Chrysler is now owned by Italian automaker Fiat and desperately awaiting fresh technology and new models needed to become competitive. Many current Chrysler models may simply disappear.

Those are the biggest headlines, but the rest of the auto industry is reeling as well. Overall sales are down about 35 percent from last year, which itself was a bust, thanks to $4 gas and an incipient recession. Toyota, the world's biggest automaker, lost nearly $5 billion last year and might fare no better this year. Other bankruptcies may be on the horizon, with conglomerates in China and India prowling for bargains and Western know-how amid the wreckage. While some familiar brands could vanish, new ones may soon arrive in U.S. dealerships. Warren Buffett, for instance, believes a Chinese firm called BYD is one of the world's most promising electric-car companies—and has invested about $230 million in it.

The next several years are likely to represent the biggest shakeout in the U.S. auto industry since the 1930s, and I decided to gauge who's falling behind in what has become a frenzied race to survive. With the industry in a tailspin, sales at every major automaker are down, so I used data from J.D. Power & Associates to measure which automakers have been losing the most market share. That reveals which models and manufacturers are doing worst relative to their competitors.

Since brand loyalty matters most when money is scarce, the automakers losing market share today are likely to flounder even if there's an upturn in the economy. These seven nameplates have lost the most market share so far in 2009, compared to 2008:

Chrysler (1.9 percent market share, down 0.9 percentage point from 2008). Fire sales at shuttered dealers may have attracted a few bargain hunters, but Chrysler is proving that bankruptcy is bad for business. Sales of every Chrysler model except the Town & Country minivan are down more than 50 percent in 2009, and there's little on the way over the next 12 months to brighten the picture. The parent company is now officially Chrysler-Fiat, but the Fiat-made Eurodarters we've been hearing about won't arrive until 2011 at the earliest. They could help revitalize the Chrysler brand, the weakest and smallest under the corporate umbrella (which also includes Dodge and Jeep). But it's also possible that the whole Chrysler division could be folded into other parts of Chrysler-Fiat—or sold or dissolved.

Dodge (5.5 percent market share, down 0.8 point). Chrysler's sister division is suffering from the same double whammy: trying to survive bankruptcy with a product lineup that's middling at best. The Ram pickup is the strongest Dodge vehicle, with sales down less than the industry average. A rebound in housing and construction could help turn Ram sales around. The flashy new Challenger muscle car gives the popular Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro some competition. And the Journey crossover is thrifty and practical. But the rest of the Dodge lineup is aging and underwhelming.

Chevrolet (12.4 percent market share, down 0.6 point). There's reason for optimism at Chevy—GM's biggest division—which can boast a mainstream hit in the Malibu sedan and an exciting "halo vehicle" in the hot new Camaro. But nearly every other vehicle in the lineup has lost market share over the past year, evidence that GM's bankruptcy has hurt even its strongest division. With GM folding Pontiac and selling Saturn, Chevy needs to make a strong recovery if GM is ever going to return to profitability.

Saturn (0.9 percent market share, down 0.5 point). There are still a few loyalists, but Saturn's sales and market share began to plunge on the news that GM would sell its "no hassle" division. The new owner, Penske Automotive Group, hasn't said yet what kinds of cars the new Saturn will sell, but they could be imports from Korea or even China. Until those arrive in a year or two, GM will continue to provide lame-duck vehicles to help keep Saturn's 350 dealerships open.

Toyota (13.6 percent market share, down 0.4 point). The big loser for Toyota has been its Tundra pickup truck, which has failed to wrest key turf from Ford and Chevy even though it's made at an expensive new plant in Texas. The new Honda Insight hybrid undercuts Toyota's Prius on price, and Honda's Accord has been a tough competitor to the Camry. But one reason Toyota has lost market share is that is hasn't cut prices as much as competitors or offered the same costly incentives. Share is likely to bounce back as some GM and Chrysler buyers flee to more stable carmakers.

Scion (0.5 percent market share, down 0.4 point). The trio of small, inexpensive cars that make up Toyota's Gen Y division—the tC, xB, and xD—should appeal to buyers in lean times. But competing thriftmobiles like the Honda Fit and Mazda3 have more mainstream appeal than Scion's funky designs. And other compacts like the Kia Rio and Hyundai Elantra come cheaper.

Suzuki (0.8 percent market share, down 0.3 point). Yes, Suzuki still sells cars here, although it suspended production of its XL-7 SUV last year and pulled the Reno and Forenza sedans from its lineup. What's left? The Grand Vitara crossover, the SX-4 compact, and a pickup called the Equator. That's a pretty flimsy lineup, but if you buy an SX-4, at least you'll get three months of free gas. Better hurry, though: The last company that tried a promotion like that was Chrysler.

Searchers shovel Northwest dirt seeking giant worm

2009-07-25T05:29:00.000-07:00

By NICHOLAS K. GERANIOS, Associated Press Writer Nicholas K. Geranios, Associated Press Writer – Sat Jul 11, 3:16 pm ET

MOSCOW, Idaho – The giant Palouse earthworm has taken on mythic qualities in this vast agricultural region that stretches from eastern Washington into the Idaho panhandle — its very name evoking the fictional sandworms from "Dune" or those vicious creatures from the movie "Tremors."

The worm is said to secrete a lily-like smell when handled, spit at predators, and live in burrows 15 feet deep. There have been only a handful of sightings.

But scientists hope to change that this summer with researchers scouring the Palouse region in hopes of finding more of the giant earthworms. Conservationists also want the Obama administration to protect the worm as an endangered species, even though little research has been done on it.

The worm may be elusive, but there's no doubt it exists, said Jodi Johnson-Maynard, a University of Idaho professor who is leading the search for the worm. To prove it, she pulled out a glass tube containing the preserved remains of a fat, milky-white worm. One of Johnson-Maynard's graduate students found this specimen in 2005, and it is the only confirmed example of the species.

The worm in the tube is about 6 inches long, well short of the 3 feet that early observers of the worms in the late 1890s described. Documented collections of the species, known locally as GPE, have occurred only in 1978, 1988, 1990 and 2005.

The farmers who work the rich soil of the Palouse — 2 million acres of rolling wheat fields near the Idaho-Washington border south of Spokane — also have had little experience with the worm.

Gary Budd, who manages a grain elevator in Uniontown, said no farmer he knows has talked about seeing the worm. He compared the creature to Elvis.

"He gets spotted once in awhile too," Budd joked.

Johnson-Maynard and her team of worm hunters are working this summer at a university research farm and using three different methods to try and find a living worm.

One involves just digging a hole and sifting the soil through a strainer, looking for any worms that can be studied.

The second involves old-fashioned chemical warfare, pouring a liquid solution of vinegar and mustard onto the ground, irritating worms until they come to the surface.

The third method is new to this search, using electricity to shock worms to the surface.

"The electro shocker is pretty cool," said Joanna Blaszczak, a student at Cornell who is spending her summer working to find the worm alongside Shan Xu, a graduate student from Chengdu, China, and support scientist Karl Umiker.

The shocker can deliver up to 480 volts. That makes it dangerous to touch, and it could potentially fry a specimen.

On a recent day, Umiker drove eight 3-foot-long metal rods into the ground in a small circle and connected them to batteries. Then he flipped the switches. The only sound for several minutes was the hum of a cooling fan.

"I'm kind of bummed we haven't seen anything yet," Umiker said.

Eventually, a small rust-colored worm dug its way to the surface. It was not a GPE, but it was collected for study anyway.

The search for the giant worm is reminiscent of efforts in Louisiana, Florida and the swamps of eastern Arkansas to find the elusive ivory-billed woodpecker. The large, black-and-white bird was believed to be extinct until a reported sighting five years ago stirred national experts and federal funding to launch a full-blown campaign to verify its existence. Search efforts later dwindled after biologists and volunteers were unable to find the evidence they were looking for.

The GPE was described as common in the Palouse in the 1890s, according to an 1897 article in The American Naturalist by Frank Smith. Smith's work was based on four samples sent to him by R.W. Doane of Washington State University in nearby Pullman.

Massive agricultural development soon consumed nearly all of the unique Palouse Prairie — a seemingly endless ocean of steep, silty dunes — and appeared to deal a fatal blow to the worm.

They were considered extinct when Idaho graduate student Yaniria Sanchez-de Leon in 2005 stuck a shovel into the ground to collect a soil sample and found the worm that now is in the tube in Johnson-Maynard's office.

Conservation groups quickly petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the worm as an endangered species, citing as proof the lack of sightings. But the agency said there simply was not enough scientific information to merit a listing.

Conservationists recently filed a second request, saying they had more information. They are also hoping the Obama administration will be more friendly than the Bush administration. The GPE would be the only worm protected as an endangered species.

Doug Zimmer of the Fish and Wildlife Service in Seattle said the agency isn't ready to comment on the petition.

"It's always good to see new information and good science on any species," Zimmer said.

Farmers are keeping a wary eye on the process.

"The concern is whether a listing is going to end up curtailing farming activities," said Dan Wood of the Washington State Farm Bureau. "I don't know if people plan to stop all farming for the possibility of a worm being somewhere."

Most earthworms found in the Northwest originated in Europe, arriving on plants or in soil shipped to the New World. The giant Palouse earthworm is one of the few native species, and has become quite popular with the public.

While it's tough to come by a live GPE, visitors seem happy to take a picture with a dead one. Johnson-Maynard said she has received calls from tourists who want to come to her office and be photographed with the specimen.

"A lot of people are curious about it," she said.

___

On the Web:

http://www.palouseprairie.org/invertebrates/palouseworm.html

World's Most Expensive Cities To Live

2009-07-24T22:57:00.000-07:00

By Sarah Lynch, Forbes.com

Jul 8th, 2009

Twenty spots where it's hardest to make ends meet.

Think your morning commute is expensive? Think again. The ride on a bus or subway in Tokyo costs $3.25. Grab a newspaper and a cup of coffee on the way and the total comes to $11.70. That's more than anywhere else in the world--24% more than what those same things cost in New York, even.

Tokyo is the world's most expensive city, according to Mercer's 2009 Worldwide Cost of Living survey released today, with the cost of living up 13.1% from 2008; the city ranked at No. 2 in 2008's survey. Japan's capital is followed by Osaka and Moscow, which held the top spot in last year's rankings. Geneva comes in fourth.

In Depth: World's Most Expensive Cities To Live

Our data come from Mercer's Worldwide Cost of Living 2009 survey. Mercer's annual survey has been designed to cater to the multinational companies and governments that use the study's results to help determine appropriate compensation packages for employees sent abroad. One of the world's most comprehensive cost of living surveys, Mercer's study takes 143 cities across six continents and compares the costs of over 200 items in each location. The goods and services under inspection--including housing, transportation, food, leisure, and household supplies--are representative of executive spending patterns, and the selection of the cities reflects the request for corresponding data from the groups that use the study's findings.

10 Boilerplate Phrases That Kill Resumes

2009-07-24T22:55:00.000-07:00

by: Liz Ryan

The 2009 job market is very different from job markets of the past. If you haven't job-hunted in a while, the changes in the landscape can throw you for a loop.

One of the biggest changes is the shift in what constitutes a strong resume. Years ago, we could dig into the Resume Boilerplate grab-bag and pull out a phrase to fill out a sentence or bullet point on our resume. Everybody used the same boilerplate phrases, so we knew we couldn't go wrong choosing one of them -- or many -- to throw into your resume.

Things have changed. Stodgy boilerplate phrases in your resume today mark you as uncreative and "vocabulary challenged." You can make your resume more compelling and human-sounding by rooting out and replacing the boring corporate-speak phrases that litter it, and replacing them with human language -- things that people like you or I would actually say.

Here are the worst 10 boilerplate phrases -- the ones to seek out and destroy in your resume as soon as possible:

Results-oriented professional
Cross-functional teams
More than [x] years of progressively responsible experience
Superior (or excellent) communication skills
Strong work ethic
Met or exceeded expectations
Proven track record of success
Works well with all levels of staff
Team player
Bottom-line orientation

You can do better. What about adding a human voice to your resume? Here's an example:

"I'm a Marketing Researcher who's driven by curiosity about why people buy what they do. At XYZ Industries, I used consumer surveys and online-forum analysis to uncover the reasons why consumers chose our competitors over us; our sales grew twenty percent over the next six months as a result. I'm equally at home on sales calls or analyzing data in seclusion, and up to speed on traditional and new-millennium research tools and approaches. I'm fanatical about understanding our marketplace better every day, week and month -- and have helped my employers' brands grow dramatically as a result."

You don't have to write resumes that sound like robots wrote them. A human-voiced resume is the new black -- try it!

Yahoo! Users' Top Rated Animated Films

2009-07-24T22:51:00.000-07:00

With the release of "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" this week, we've recompiled together the ratings from Yahoo! users to rank your picks for the top 30 animated films of all time. Did your personal favorite make the cut? Click ahead to find out.

Two Centuries On, a Cryptologist Cracks a Presidential Code

2009-07-24T22:47:00.000-07:00

By RACHEL EMMA SILVERMAN

For more than 200 years, buried deep within Thomas Jefferson's correspondence and papers, there lay a mysterious cipher -- a coded message that appears to have remained unsolved. Until now.

The cryptic message was sent to President Jefferson in December 1801 by his friend and frequent correspondent, Robert Patterson, a mathematics professor at the University of Pennsylvania. President Jefferson and Mr. Patterson were both officials at the American Philosophical Society -- a group that promoted scholarly research in the sciences and humanities -- and were enthusiasts of ciphers and other codes, regularly exchanging letters about them.

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University of Pennsylvania Archives

Robert Patterson

In this message, Mr. Patterson set out to show the president and primary author of the Declaration of Independence what he deemed to be a nearly flawless cipher. "The art of secret writing," or writing in cipher, has "engaged the attention both of the states-man & philosopher for many ages," Mr. Patterson wrote. But, he added, most ciphers fall "far short of perfection."

To Mr. Patterson's view, a perfect code had four properties: It should be adaptable to all languages; it should be simple to learn and memorize; it should be easy to write and to read; and most important of all, "it should be absolutely inscrutable to all unacquainted with the particular key or secret for decyphering."

Mr. Patterson then included in the letter an example of a message in his cipher, one that would be so difficult to decode that it would "defy the united ingenuity of the whole human race," he wrote.

There is no evidence that Jefferson, or anyone else for that matter, ever solved the code. But Jefferson did believe the cipher was so inscrutable that he considered having the State Department use it, and passed it on to the ambassador to France, Robert Livingston.

The cipher finally met its match in Lawren Smithline, a 36-year-old mathematician. Dr. Smithline has a Ph.D. in mathematics and now works professionally with cryptology, or code-breaking, at the Center for Communications Research in Princeton, N.J., a division of the Institute for Defense Analyses.

A couple of years ago, Dr. Smithline's neighbor, who was working on a Jefferson project at Princeton University, told Dr. Smithline of Mr. Patterson's mysterious cipher.

Dr. Smithline, intrigued, decided to take a look. "A problem like this cipher can keep me up at night," he says. After unlocking its hidden message in 2007, Dr. Smithline articulated his puzzle-solving techniques in a recent paper in the magazine American Scientist and also in a profile in Harvard Magazine, his alma mater's alumni journal.

The "Perfect" Cipher?

View Interactive

The 1801 letter from Robert Patterson to Thomas Jefferson

The code, Mr. Patterson made clear in his letter, was not a simple substitution cipher. That's when you replace one letter of the alphabet with another. The problem with substitution ciphers is that they can be cracked by using what's termed frequency analysis, or studying the number of times that a particular letter occurs in a message. For instance, the letter "e" is the most common letter in English, so if a code is sufficiently long, whatever letter appears most often is likely a substitute for "e."

Because frequency analysis was already well known in the 19th century, cryptographers of the time turned to other techniques. One was called the nomenclator: a catalog of numbers, each standing for a word, syllable, phrase or letter. Mr. Jefferson's correspondence shows that he used several code books of nomenclators. An issue with these tools, according to Mr. Patterson's criteria, is that a nomenclator is too tough to memorize.

Jefferson even wrote about his own ingenious code, a model of which is at his home, Monticello, in Charlottesville, Va. Called the wheel cipher, the device consisted of cylindrical pieces, threaded onto an iron spindle, with letters inscribed on the edge of each wheel in a random order. Users could scramble and unscramble words simply by turning the wheels.

But Mr. Patterson had a few more tricks up his sleeve. He wrote the message text vertically, in columns from left to right, using no capital letters or spaces. The writing formed a grid, in this case of about 40 lines of some 60 letters each.

Then, Mr. Patterson broke the grid into sections of up to nine lines, numbering each line in the section from one to nine. In the next step, Mr. Patterson transcribed each numbered line to form a new grid, scrambling the order of the numbered lines within each section. Every section, however, repeated the same jumbled order of lines.

The trick to solving the puzzle, as Mr. Patterson explained in his letter, meant knowing the following: the number of lines in each section, the order in which those lines were transcribed and the number of random letters added to each line.

The key to the code consisted of a series of two-digit pairs. The first digit indicated the line number within a section, while the second was the number of letters added to the beginning of that row. For instance, if the key was 58, 71, 33, that meant that Mr. Patterson moved row five to the first line of a section and added eight random letters; then moved row seven to the second line and added one letter, and then moved row three to the third line and added three random letters. Mr. Patterson estimated that the potential combinations to solve the puzzle was "upwards of ninety millions of millions."

Thomas Jefferson

After explaining this in his letter, Mr. Patterson wrote, "I presume the utter impossibility of decyphering will be readily acknowledged."

Undaunted, Dr. Smithline decided to tackle the cipher by analyzing the probability of digraphs, or pairs of letters. Certain pairs of letters, such as "dx," don't exist in English, while some letters almost always appear next to a certain other letter, such as "u" after "q".

To get a sense of language patterns of the era, Dr. Smithline studied the 80,000 letter-characters contained in Jefferson's State of the Union addresses, and counted the frequency of occurrences of "aa," "ab," "ac," through "zz."

Dr. Smithline then made a series of educated guesses, such as the number of rows per section, which two rows belong next to each other, and the number of random letters inserted into a line.

To help vet his guesses, he turned to a tool not available during the 19th century: a computer algorithm. He used what's called "dynamic programming," which solves large problems by breaking puzzles down into smaller pieces and linking together the solutions.

The overall calculations necessary to solve the puzzle were fewer than 100,000, which Dr. Smithline says would be "tedious in the 19th century, but doable."

After about a week of working on the puzzle, the numerical key to Mr. Patterson's cipher emerged -- 13, 34, 57, 65, 22, 78, 49. Using that digital key, he was able to unfurl the cipher's text:

"In Congress, July Fourth, one thousand seven hundred and seventy six. A declaration by the Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled. When in the course of human events..."

That, of course, is the beginning -- with a few liberties taken -- to the Declaration of Independence, written at least in part by Jefferson himself. "Patterson played this little joke on Thomas Jefferson," says Dr. Smithline. "And nobody knew until now."

July 4 Sales You Can't Afford to Miss

2009-07-03T07:58:00.000-07:00

By Kimberly Palmer
On Wednesday July 1, 2009, 10:37 am EDT

Before hitting the beach, firing up the grill, and watching the fireworks, you might want to consider stocking up on supplies--or a new wardrobe--at one of the many July 4 sales this weekend. As long as you're in the market for clothes and home-related gear, you're in luck. "The sales so far are heavy on clothing and accessories and light on computers and gadgets," says Dealnews.com's Dan de Grandpre. But he adds that electronics-heavy stores such as Buy.com and Best Buy will very likely be offering some big deals before the weekend ends.

High-end stores are also making some offers that customers might find just as tempting as red, white, and blue angel food cake. "I'm seeing more and larger sales and price cuts from the likes of Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma, Crate and Barrel, and Bloomingdale's," says Brad Wilson of Bradsdeals.com. He adds that such atypical trends are a symptom of the sluggish economy and the tight spot retailers are finding themselves in. Another hot category is restaurant coupons; Bradsdeals.com offers links to TGI Friday's coupons as well as discounts on gift certificates at Restaurant.com.

For some categories, it pays to be patient: If you have your heart set on an American flag-theme T-shirt to match other patriotic paraphernalia, you might be better off waiting until stores such as Wal-Mart and Old Navy put those items on clearance next week and then saving them for next year, de Grandpre adds.

You can stay updated on new sales throughout the weekend by checking in with websites like Dealnews.com and Bradsdeals.com. At Bradsdeals.com, for example, you can find discounts on Weber gas grills, Crocs, and Vera Bradley bags. Also, be sure to check out price-comparison websites, such as PriceGrabber.com, before visiting stores, which can save you time and gas money. Before making any online purchases, do a Web search for your retailer and the words "free shipping" or "coupon," which will often turn up additional savings. And if you arrive at a store and realize you saw a lower price for the same product elsewhere or online, don't hesitate to ask a manager to match the lowest price. He will often say yes.

[Check out these 8 money-saving websites.]

Here are some of the best July 4 deals:

The Gap. Throughout the weekend, customers can take an extra 30 percent off four or more sale items through July 6. At sister store Old Navy, capris are going for just $9 through July 4, and at Banana Republic, some T-shirts will sell for $15, and certain items, including women's clothes and shoes and men's pants and sweaters, will be marked down an additional 30 percent through July 5. If you're near an outlet, Banana Republic Factory Store shoppers will receive 40 percent off their entire purchase through July 6. Gap Outlets will offer up to 70 percent off through July 9.

Macy's. Want to sleep a little more soundly? Macy's July 4 mattress sale features 35 to 50 percent off mattress sets and, in some cases, even bigger discounts. A queen-size Sealy Posturepedic Hollybridge firm mattress set, for example, is marked down to $397 from $1,029. Jewelry, clothes and other items are also marked down until the end of the day Friday. For online shoppers, Macy's is also offering free shipping with the promotion code "fireworks" until the end of the weekend.

Home Depot. Not only has Home Depot lowered some of its prices on landscape supplies, but the store will also show you how to spruce up your garden this summer, with videos and online step-by-step explanations of how to make a flower bed, patch a balding lawn, and create a garden path.

Target. July 4 sales, which end on Saturday, feature everything you need for your barbecue, including meats, charcoal, and soda, as well as tools for some summer cleaning. Closet organizers and storage boxes are marked down, along with air conditioners and fans. You can buy a portable charcoal grill for $19 and a foldable banquet table for $42. To satisfy your sweet tooth, Target is featuring ice cream and slushie makers for $17.99. Sleeping bags, tents, and bathing suits are also on sale. (Some sale items vary by location; check your local sales by entering your ZIP code at Target.com.)

Pottery Barn. This lush home décor store is offering up to 50 percent off in its ongoing summer sale. Discounted items include outdoor furniture, bedding, and bath accessories. A normally $849 9-by-12-foot rug, for example, is now selling for $679.

Publish Post

Pacquiao KOs Hatton in second

2009-05-02T22:20:00.000-07:00

KEVIN IOLE’S UNOFFICIAL SCORECARD
Round	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Total
Manny Pacquiao	10	W
Ricky Hatton	7	KO

Round 1: Pacquiao hugs trainer Freddie Roach just before the bell sounds to start the fight. Crowd is cheering and singing. Hatton goes hard to body and referee Kenny Bayless warns him to keep them up. They’re clinching a lot. Hard right hook by Manny. Jab and a hook to the body by Ricky. Hard straight left by Pacquiao. One-two from Pacquiao and they clinch. Combination from Pacquiao on the ropes stuns Hatton. Four-punch combination by Pacquiao. Hatton is is down from a right. About 45 seconds left. Huge combination by Pacquiao. Hatton is getting drilled. This may be it. Hatton down again.
Pacquiao wins round, 10-7

Round 2: Right by Hatton early. Good combination by Pacquiao. He’s hurting Hatton with those shots. Right hook lands by Pacquiao. Three-punch combination by Pacquiao and Hatton wobbles. The speed is way too much for Hatton at this stage. Right hook again by Pacquiao. Hatton goes to body and is warned for holding and hitting. Straight left by Pacquiao and theny bang heads. Right by Hatton lands flush, Pacquiao takes it well. Combination from Pacquiao backs Hatton to corner. Right hook to body by Pacquiao. Left hand by Pacquiao knocks out Hatton. The fight is stopped at 2:59.
Pacquiao wins by knockout

Pentagon looks to Facebook, Twitter

2009-05-01T21:06:00.000-07:00

FORT MONROE, Virginia — You don't often hear a three-star general using the word "friend" as a verb.

But for Lt. Gen. Benjamin Freakley and other Army brass, a new era has brought a new language — and new tools like online social networks Twitter and Facebook — for seeking out young recruits and spreading the military's message.

Freakley, who heads the Army command that oversees recruiting, says social networking sites offer another way to reach tomorrow's soldiers.

"They live in the virtual world," Freakley said. He cited Facebook as a key component in targeting 18-to 24-year-olds. "You could friend your recruiter, and then he could talk to your friends."

The Army isn't the only branch of the military with Facebook friends or that has a following on Twitter. The Air Force has also established a Facebook page, Twitter feeds and a blog, while the Marine Corps is using various networking sites mainly for recruiting purposes. The Navy is "experimenting" with several forms of online media, and some of its commands are using Twitter, a spokesman said. Even the Coast Guard commandant regularly updates his Facebook status while traveling.

The Army has also added to its Web site video games, a virtual recruiter and clips that answer commonly asked questions about life in uniform.

Showing off the videos during an interview at his office at Fort Monroe, Freakley said some of the questions are surprising: Can I have a dog in the Army? Can I buy a truck in the Army? Can I be married in the Army?

The Army, Freakley said, wants to answer those questions.

Earlier this year, the Army established an online and social media division within its public affairs office. The division's director, Lt. Col. Kevin Arata, said the search is on every day to find new avenues online to reach not only soldiers, but their families and the general public.

"We know that's where they are, and we need to go to them," Arata said.

The Army recently launched its own Facebook page, which contains much the same information as its official Web site.

Lindy Kyzer, who updates the site, along with the Army's Twitter feed and blog, says the networking sites add a different dimension: chat.

"We really try to make it an open forum," Kyzer said, adding that negative posts are not removed. The Army has deleted some comments it deemed not "family-friendly."

"Everyone has an opinion and it's amazing that the Army is showing both sides," said Danny Andazola, a 24-year-old Army reservist from Denver who has posted on the Facebook page. "When younger people see comments from both sides, it can easily help them decide if the Army culture is for them."

The Coast Guard is also maintains a presence online.

Adm. Thad Allen, Coast Guard commandant, routinely updates his own Facebook status from his cell phone while traveling. He also posts video blogs from overseas, said a spokesman, Lt. Tony Migliorini, who called it an effort to collaborate with the public in real time.

The services' presence beyond their Web sites represents what Arata called a "culture shift."

"I'm sure there was the same pushback years ago when somebody invented the telephone. 'Ooh, you can't talk there because somebody might hear you.' Well, that's the whole point. We want people to hear us." - AP

Eugenio Vagni makes contact with family

2009-05-01T21:04:00.002-07:00

MANILA, Philippines - Eugenio Vagni, the remaining International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) worker still in captivity, was confirmed still alive after making contact with his family Thursday night.

But the ICRC said Vagni’s ordeal continues more than 100 days after he, Andreas Notter and Mary Jean Lacaba were abducted in Sulu last Jan. 15.

“He was able to call his family today. This is the only news received from him since he was last seen on 16 April by his colleague Andreas Notter, who is now free and back with his family after three months of captivity. As ever, we remain very worried about Eugenio," ICRC head of operations for East Asia, South-East Asia and the Pacific Alain Aeschlimann said on the ICRC

Aeschlimann said they remain worried for Vagni as the ordeal goes on for him, his family and friends, and for the ICRC.

He said Vagni’s safety and well-being remain the ICRC’s main concern, and appealed anew to the Abu Sayyaf to release the Italian “safe and sound, immediately and unconditionally."

“Our thoughts are with Eugenio’s family and friends in particular, who have been enduring enormous hardship since the very beginning of the crisis. We are keenly aware of the distress they are feeling," he said.

Aeschlimann said the ICRC will “spare no effort" until Vagni is free and the crisis resolved.

“We are in regular contact with the authorities in the Philippines and in Rome, who are keeping close tabs on developments. All genuine efforts to find a solution to the crisis are appreciated," he said, but refused to give details to avoid jeopardizing any of these efforts.

He also stressed the ICRC since Day One of the crisis has never received any ransom demand.

“As a matter of policy, the ICRC does not pay ransoms when its staff are kidnapped. Making exceptions to such longstanding policy might endanger the ICRC’s security and its capacity to work in conflict zones and other sensitive areas in many countries, including the Philippines," he said. - GMANews.TV

Manny Pacquiao

2009-05-01T21:04:00.001-07:00

The winning ticket. Manny Pacquiao meets former US President Bill Clinton in Las Vegas Wednesday (Thursday in Manila).

Pacquiao & Hatton update

2009-05-01T21:01:00.000-07:00

Hatton 140lbs Pacquiao 138lbs - more details from the weigh in

Acquitted Smith leaves for US

2009-04-25T07:23:00.000-07:00

Philstar.com - Friday, April 24

MANILA, Philippines – A day after being acquitted by the Court of Appeals (CA) of raping a Filipina in Subic nearly four years ago, Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith has left the country to return to the US, reports said today.

“Following the decision of the Court of Appeals, Daniel Smith has left the Philippines,” the US Embassy in Manila said in a statement.

Smith was earlier convicted by a lower court of raping Suzette Nicolas, a.k.a “Nicole,” when the two met in a club in Subic, Olongapo City, in November 2005.

But last March 12, Nicolas recanted her statements, saying Smith did not rape her.

In a five-page affidavit, Nicolas admitted that she “possibly lost her inhibitions” and became "intimate" with Smith, after drinking “alcoholic mixed drinks" with him.

It was also reported that she then left the Philippines and headed to the US to stay "for good." According to her former attorney, Nicolas accepted P100,000 in moral and exemplary damages from Smith.

Reports added that the with the acquittal of Smith, any attempts to re-pursue the case is now impossible with the “double jeopardy” procedural defense — which forbids a defendant from being tried twice for the same crime on the same set of facts. - By Dino Maragay (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

Lea Salonga eyed to sing RP National Anthem in Pacquiao-Hatton bout

2009-03-29T23:51:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines – World renowned artist Lea Salonga is being eyed by Team Pacquiao to sing the Philippine National Anthem in Manny Pacquiao’s upcoming fight against Ricky Hatton.

The Pacquiao-Hatton bout, dubbed “The Battle of East vs. West," is scheduled on May 2 (May 3 in Manila) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena is Las Vegas, Nevada.

Aside from Salonga, the other Filipino singer being considered is Philippine concert king Martin Nievera according to entertainment blog Sassyqarla.com, which quoted Bulgar columnist Nap Alip.

Alip, in his column, said that Salonga leads Nievera since the Tony Award-winning actress is Pacquiao’s personal choice.

Artists who previously sang in Pacquiao’s previous fights were Karylle (against Oscar de La Hoya), Ciara Sotto (versus Juan Manuel Marquez), Nicole Angela Judalena (against David Diaz), Kyla (versus Marco Antonio Barrera) and Geneva Cruz (against Jorge Solis). – GMANews.TV

Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/154510/Lea-Salonga-eyed-to-sing-RP-National-Anthem-in-Pacquiao-Hatton-bout

Friday, March 27, 2009 Pacquiao/Hatton fans invited to boxers' public appearances

2009-03-29T23:41:00.000-07:00

Boxing promoters are trying something new to publicize the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight May 2 in Las Vegas: a red-carpet arrival Monday night at Hollywood's Roosevelt Hotel, complete with some celebrity appearances.

The boxers, their trainers Freddie Roach (Pacquiao) and Floyd Mayweather Sr. (Hatton) and celebrity friends and fans of boxing are expected at the event, which will precede the fighters' private news conference -- the only U.S. press event before fight week.

Pacquiao and Hatton are scheduled to address their fans, who are encouraged to arrive at the front entrance of the Roosevelt (7000 Hollywood Blvd.). The fighters and trainers will arrive in limousines at 7:30 p.m. and speak to the crowd before the news conference.

No official word on the celebrity list yet, but Roach is close friends with actors Mickey Rourke and Mark Wahlberg and television personality Mario Lopez. Hatton has drawn Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to a fight. Publicist Bill Caplan said he has invited director Ron Shelton, actresses Lolita Davidovich and Nancy Travis and comedian Paul Rodriguez.

Pacquiao also has a public appearance scheduled for Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at Island Pacific Supermarket in Panorama City.
Pacquiao, ranked the top pound-for-pound boxer in the world and just named the 2008 fighter of the year by the Boxing Writers Assn. of America, is trying to win in a fourth different weight division in four fights after defeating Juan Manuel Marquez, David Diaz and Oscar De La Hoya in 2008.

Hatton has lost only once, to retired pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr., and has never lost at the May 2 weight: 140 pounds.

Manny Pacquiao Still on Solar Sports

2009-03-29T23:22:00.000-07:00

Manny Pacquiao rumored to be air his fight on ABS-CBN network and left Solar Sports.

People’s champ Manny Pacquiao made a very shocking appearance last night in the news program of ABS-CBN; TV Patrol World announcing his upcoming fight with the British boxer, Ricky Hatton and his future fights will be aired exclusively on ABS-CBN.

As of Manny’s statement, he had personally decided to give the exclusive TV coverage of his upcoming fight with Hatton dated May 02, to ABS-CBN instead of giving the whole broadcast rights to his 4-year partner, Solar Sports. “Pagkatapos kong pag-isipan mabuti, nilapitan ko ang ABS-CBN at napagpasiyahan ko pong makipag-partner muli sa kanila. Sarili ko itong desisyon. Sa ABS-CBN mapapanood n’yo ang laban ko kay Ricky Hatton at iba ko pang laban,” Pacquaio announces.

On the other hand, Solar Sports expressed their disappointment with the decision made by Manny Pacquaio whose contract is still valid up to this date. According to Solar’s legal counsel, Atty. Enrique Dela Cruz Jr., Manny’s contract with Solar is still valid and binding. They also confirmed that Manny Pacquiao sent Solar Sports a letter stating that the boxer wanted to end his contract with the said media corporation. Solar Sports, strongly stand by their word that they will definitely file a case with Manny and his new media partner, ABS-CBN.

GMA-7, Manny’s current home network, also released their statement regarding the sudden and unexpected decision of the boxer. As expected, the network expresses its disappointment with Manny Pacquaio who currently has 2 shows namely, Totoy Bato with Robin Padilla and Pinoy Records with Ateneo blue eagle cager, Chris Tiu.

As per reports, a certain journalist of a popular broadsheet named Beth Celis wrote on her column last March 18, saying that the reason why Manny favored the exclusive rights to the station is because ABS-CBN offered Manny Pacquiao their full media support on his candidacy for the next election and ensures victory upon his political ambition on the congressional race.(ABS-CBN dominates Saranggani province and has international presence of reporters.)

The Kapuso network already sent a letter to Manny reminding him of their contract of agreement as a talent of the station. If we could still remember, this is not the first time that Manny did this kind of hasty decision-making. Manny Pacquiao made this kind of “switching” before in ABS-CBN and in Top Rank Promotions.

Manila Bulletin

2009-03-12T04:06:00.000-07:00

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korea agreed Tuesday to allow South Koreans working in a joint industrial zone in North Korea to cross the border after Pyongyang's move to cut the last military hot line to Seoul left hundreds strained overnight, officials said, North Korea put its troops on alert and cut the hot line monday as the American and South Korea militaries began joint maneuvers.
The communist regime warned that even the slightest provocation could trigger war during the 12-day drills.
The North stressed that provocation would include any attempt to interfere with its impending launch of a satellite into orbit. us and Japanese officials fear the launch could be a cover for a test of a long-range attack missile and have suggested they might move to intercept the rocket.
"Shooting our satellite for peaceful purposes will precisely mean a war." North Korea's military by the official Korean Central News Agency. Any interception attempt will draw " a just retaliatory strike," it said.

Binibining Pilipinas Winners 2009 Coronation Night

2009-03-07T21:40:00.000-08:00

Bb. Pilipinas 2009 Grand Coronation Night was held at the Araneta Center. The Philippines now has three Bb. Pilipinas 2009 winners.
1. Bb. Pilipinas - Universe 2009
2. Bb. Pilipinas - World 2009
3. Bb. Pilipinas - International 2009

he Bb. Pilipinas Beauty Pageant is the most prestigious beauty contest in the country. Let’s take a look at a brief history of Bb. Pilipinas or Miss Philippines beauty pageant.

Bb. Pilipinas 2009 Grand Coronation night is a battle of beauty and brains. Hopefully, Bb. Pilipinas (Miss Philippines) Beauty Pageant will live up to its identity being a contest of intellectual women. I wish it will not create the same controversy as last year’s Bb. Pilipinas 2008 Grand Coronation Night.

Bb. Pilipinas 2009 Grand Coronation Night was hosted by Paulo Bediones (reality show host) and Yza Calzado (model and actress). The two were privileged to announce the Bb. Pilipinas 2009 winners. The show was also co-hosted by Bb. Pilipinas 2005 World, Carlene Aguilar.

Here are the official candidates of Bb. Pilipinas 2009

Vanessa Johnson Candidate No.1	Carisheila May Kuijpers Candidate No.2	Richell Angalot Candidate No.3	Gizelle Jasmin Rivamonte Candidate No.4

Diana Arevalo Candidate No.5	Ma. Paula Bianca Paz Candidate No.6	Jane Dela Cruz Candidate No.7	Cheryl Oliveros Candidate No.8

April Love Jordan Candidate No.9	Priscilla Navidad Candidate No.10	Regina Hahn Candidate No.11	Jaysel Arrozal Candidate No.12

Sandra Inez Seifert Candidate No.13	Keann Mallari Candidate No.14	Pamela Bianca Manalo Candidate No.15	Mary Tiffany Jones Candidate No.16

Marie-Ann Umali Candidate No.17	Marie Loraine De Guzman Candidate No.18	Stephanie Señires Candidate No.19	Melody Gersbach Candidate No.20

Hazel Sutch Candidate No.21	Priscilla Mae Honorio Candidate No.22	Barbara Salvador Candidate No.23	Abegail Lesley Cruz Candidate No.24

Binibining Pilipinas 2009 Winners and Results
Bb. Pilipinas - Universe 2009
Candidate No.15 - Pamela Bianca Manalo
Bb. Pilipinas - World 2009
Candidate No.17 - Marie-Ann Umali
Bb. Pilipinas - International 2009
Candidate No.20 - Melody Gersbach
2nd Runner-up
Candidate No. 11 - Regina Hahn
1st Runner-up
Candidate No. 3 - Richell Angalot

Binibining Pilipinas 2009 Top 10 Semi-Finalist:
Candidate No. 1 - Vanessa Johnson
Candidate No. 3 - Richell Angalot
Candidate No. 5 - Diana Arevalo
Candidate No. 9- April Love Jordan
Candidate No. 11 - Regina Hahn
Candidate No.15 - Pamela Bianca Manalo
Candidate No.17 - Marie-Ann Umali
Candidate No.20 - Melody Gersbach
Candidate No.22 - Priscilla Mae Honorio
Candidate No.23 - Barbara Salvador

Best in Long Gown Candidate No.17 - Marie-Ann Umali

Best in Swimwear Candidate No. 15 Pamela Bianca

Miss Photogenic Candidate No. 17 Marie Anne Umali

Miss Friendship Candidate No. 4 - Gizelle Jasmin Rivamonte

Best in Talent Candidate No. 3 - Richell Angalot

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Showbiz potentials among Binibini bets

2009-03-07T01:32:00.000-08:00

One down (disqualified,) and only 23 beauties are competing for three titles in the 2009 (45th) Bb. Pilipinas Pageant grand finals slated for tonight at the Big Dome — Bb. Pilipinas-Universe, Bb. Pilipinas-World and Bb. Pilipinas-International. Delayed telecast starts at 9:30 on GMA.

One of the Bb.Pilipinas candidate has been disqualified cause of posing for a men's magazine.
Organizers of the Pageant send her a letter containing her disqualification status for posing on a men's magazine. She and her lawyer appealed it on the organizers but organizers said that, that's their final decision.

It’s beauty-watching time once again and, as usual, keep an eye on candidates who are deadringers for showbiz stars and former beauty queens, including (according to Funfare’s “beauty experts” Felix Manuel, Francis Calubaquib, Gery Yumping and Joey Cezeare) Carmina Villarroel, Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls, Lucy Torres, Valerie Concepcion, Cherie Gil, Carmi Martin, Francine Prieto, Dyan Castillejo, Hilda Koronel, Neri Naig, Shirley Fuentes, Kristine Hermosa, Bea Alonzo, Anne Curtis, Donna Cruz and Phoemela Barranda; and former beauty queens Alma Concepcion, Maricar Balagtas, Carla Balingit and Bong Dimayacyac.

Instead of drawing a list of “the most likely (winners),” the “beauty experts” decided to group the girls into four categories: 1). Celebrities (familiar faces among TV viewers), 2). Pageant Royalties (those associated with former beauty queens), 3). Neophytes (those who have never competed in any major national pageants, and 4). Veterans (those who have joined major national and/or minor international tilts).

♦ CELEBRITIES

• No. 3, Richelle Pacaldo Angalot a.k.a. Rich Asuncion (20, 5’6”, 35-25-36), a StarStruck 3 finalist, Miss Tagbilaran 2005 and Miss Bohol International finalist; a UP Tourism student.

• No. 24, Abigail Lesley Grivas Cruz (24, 5’5”, 34-25-34), girlfriend of Paolo Bediones (host of tonight’s pageant), appeared on GMA shows. Mutya Ng Pilipinas 2005 second runner-up, 2005 Miss Tourism Queen of The Year semi-finalist in Malaysia, Miss Fort Ilocandia 2005 and Bb. Pilipinas 2007 second runner-up.

• No. 10, Priscilla Mae Barredo Navidad (18, 5’8”, 33-23-34), the deaf Pinoy Big Brother housemate, Miss Teen Philippines 2007 first runner-up and is a Management student at the AMA University.

♦ PAGEANT ROYALTY

• No. 11, Regina Brosas Hahn (26, 5’8.5”, 33-24-35), an Ateneo B.S. Computer Science graduate, daughter of 1975 Bb. Pilipinas-Universe (and Miss U fourth runner-up) Chiqui Brosas.

• No. 15, Pamela Bianca Ramos Manalo (22, 5’10”, 35-25-37), an Advertising graduate from Assumption and a flight attendant, niece of 1968 Bb. Pilipinas-International Nini Ramos and sister of 2002 Bb. Pilipinas-World Kate Manalo.

♦ NEOPHYTES

• No. 23, Barbara dela Rosa Salvador (22, 5’7”, 34-24-34), a B.S. Communication Technology Management graduate from Ateneo.

• No. 2, Carisheila May Bundang Kuijpers (21, 5’6”, 34-25-35), a Business Management graduate from the University of Northumbria in Newcastle, England.

• No. 5, Diana Buquid Arevalo (20, 5’7”, 34-23-35), Miss Oriental Mindoro 2007 and a Commerce student at the Divine Word College.

• No. 22, Priscilla Mae Sy Honorio (21, 5’6”, 34-24-35), Miss Cebu 2008 second runner-up and a registered nurse (from the University of San Carlos in Cebu).

• No. 20, Melody Adelheid Manuel Gersbach (23, 5’7”, 33-24-35), reigning Miss Bicolandia and a B.S. Management graduate from the University of Asia and the Pacific.

• No. 19, Stephanie Rose Basubas Senires (23, 5’6”, 34-24-35), Miss Cebu 2006 and B.S. Psychology magna cum laude graduate from the University of San Carlos.

• No. 8, Cheryl Villegas Oliveros (24, 5’7”, 34-25-35), Miss Mary Chiles 2006 and a registered nurse.

• No. 6, Maria Paula Bianca Clamor Paz (20, 5’7”, 36-26-37), rumored to be Polo Ravales’ girlfriend, a sophomore Graphic Design student in L.A.

• No. 18, Marie Loraine Domingo de Guzman (21, 5’7”, 34-25-36), Miss Makati 2006 and a B.S. Nursing junior at the Perpetual Help College.

• No. 21, Hazel Sutch (19, 5’6”, 34-24-34), a beautician from the United Kingdom.

• No. 16, Mary Tiffany Jones (17, 5’8”, 34-25-36), a high school senior from Quezon City.

• No. 1, Vanessa Balajadia Johnson (21, 5’5”, 34-26-36), a Kapampangan Fashion Design and Merchandise student based abroad.

♦ VETERANS

• No. 9, April Love Antolo Jordan (20, 5’9”, 34-24-35), a graduating Hotel Industry and Hospitality Management student from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, a flight attendant, the reigning Sanita Ti Ilocos Sur 2009, Mutya ng Pilipinas 2006 second runner-up, Miss Phillipines-Earth 2006 semi-finalist, Miss CALABARZON 2005 and Miss Secret Charm in the 2006 Miss Tourism Queen of The Year contest in Malaysia.

• No. 17, Marie Ann Bonquin Umali (22, 5’8”, 35-24-35), a B.S. Tourism graduate from the College of St. Benilde, half-Filipina/half-Lebanese beauty, Bb. Lungsod ng Batangas 2005 third runner-up and semi-finalist in the 2006 Bb. Pilipinas pageant.

• No. 12, Jaysel Morelos Arrozal (18, 5’10”, 34-25-36), a UE B.S. Tourism Management sophomore, semi-finalist in last year’s Bb. Pilipinas pageant and first runner-up in Bb. Valenzuela and Miss UE Caloocan contests in 2007 and 2008, respectively.

• No. 14, Keann Alonzo Mallari (22, 5’9”, 33-24-36), a B.S. Tourism graduate from Holy Angel University in Pampanga, Mutya Ng Kapampangan 2007 and a semi-finalist during the Bb. Pilipinas pageant of the same year.

• No. 7, Mary Jane delos Santos dela Cruz (22, 5’7”, 33-24-35), a B.S. HRM graduate of Baliuag University, Bb. Bulacan 2003, Bb. Pilipinas 2005 candidate, Mutya ng Pilipinas 2007 candidate and 2007 Reyna ng Aliwan Festival.

• No. 4, Gizelle Jasmin Renes Rivamonte (23, 5’7”, 36-26-36), an FEU nursing graduate who works at the oncology unit of the Veteran’s Memorial Medical Center and Quezon City’s representative in the 2008 Miss Philippines-Earth.

FUNFARE By Ricardo F. Lo (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

Koobface's Wicked Agenda

2009-03-06T19:53:00.000-08:00

"Once cookies related to the monitored social-networking Web sites are located, it connects to these Web sites using the user log-in session stored in the cookies. It then navigates through pages to search for the user's friends. If a friend has been located, it sends an HTTP POST request to the server," Trend Micro reports.

Ultimately, the worm's agenda is to transform the victim's computer into a zombie and form botnets for malicious purposes. Koobface attempts to do this by composing a message and sending it to the user's friends. The message contains a link to a Web site where a copy of the worm can be downloaded by unsuspecting friends. And the cycle repeats itself.

Once Koobface finds the social-networking cookies, it makes a DNS query to check IP addresses that correspond to remote domains. Trend Micro explains that those servers can send and receive information about the affected machine. Once connected, the malicious user can remotely perform commands on the victim's machine.

An Attractive Face(book)

2009-03-06T19:51:00.000-08:00

"Many computer users have been conditioned not to open an attachment from an e-mail or click a link found within, but won't think twice about checking out a hot new video linked to by a trusted friend on Facebook," Argast said.

Malware authors are investing more energy in Facebook and other social-networking sites because that effort pays off, according to Michael Argast, a security analyst at Sophos. Facebook alone has more than 175 million users, which makes it an attractive target.

"I would expect to see more attacks on Facebook," Argast said. "As long as this is a successful propagation method, the bad guys will double down and invest more. They are entirely motivated by financial gain. If it pays, they'll continue to romp in your social playgrounds."

Argast said people can protect themselves by running up-to-date antivirus software, restricting which Facebook applications they install, thinking twice before clicking on links from friends and never, never installing a codec from some random Web site in the hopes of catching some celebrity in a compromised situation.

Argast called the Koobface worm a mix of something old and something new. The new is using social networks as a method to spread malware. The old is using fake codec Trojans linked to a saucy video to induce the user to install the malware.

Koobface, Other Worms Target Facebook Friends

2009-03-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

March 5, 2009

As Facebook works to make itself more relevant and timely for its growing member base with a profile page makeover, attackers seem to be working overtime to steal the identities of the friends, fans and brands that connect though the social-networking site.

The Koobface worm is dangerous. It can be dropped by other malware and downloaded unknowingly by a user when visiting malicious Web sites, Trend Micro reports. When attackers execute the malware, it searches for cookies created by online social networks. The latest variant is targeting Facebook, but earlier variants have also plagued MySpace.

Indeed, Facebook has seen five different security threats in the past week. According to Trend Micro, four new hoax applications are attempting to trick members into divulging their usernames and passwords. And a new variant of the Koobface worm is running wild on the site, installing malware on the computers of victims who click on a link to a fake YouTube video.

The Death of Francis Magalona

2009-03-06T08:50:00.000-08:00

Pinoy rapper Francis Magalona, 44, has died this afternoon at 12:20 pm. His colleague and co-host in the noontime show Eat Bulaga, Vic Sotto, announced the heartbreaking news live in today’s noontime edition of their show. Willie Revillame, host of their rival show, Wowowee also paused for a few moments of prayer for him.

The famous pinoy rapper and songwriter was diagnosed with leukemia in August last year. He reportedly succumbed to his illness at the Medical City in Mandaluyong City where he has been confined. He reportedly developed pneumonia earlier this week and it was a progressive decline from there. He is survived by his wife Pia Arroyo and children: Unna, Nicolo, Francis Jr., Isabella, Elmo, Arkin, Clara and Maxene.

My condolences to his friends and family. Let us all pause for a moment to pray for the eternal repose of his soul.

FrancisM or Master Rapper was credited as the first Filipino rapper in the Philippines who was known for successfully crossing over to the mainstream. He was married to Pia Arroyo, and they have eight children. In August 2008, Magalona was diagnosed with leukemia at Medical City Hospital, Mandaluyong. After his long struggle with his sickness and numerous wins with his battle against himself, he has been granted rest while admitted at the said hospital.

A month later...

Francis Magalona Dies At 44 due To Leukemia (cancer of the blood)

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