This website has updated its privacy policy in compliance with EU GDPR 2016/679. Please read this to review the updates about which personal data we collect on our site. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our updated policy. Read More
Always Active
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
No cookies to display.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
No cookies to display.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
No cookies to display.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
No cookies to display.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
No cookies to display.
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
Petsmart (www.petsmart.com): Labor Day Sale, save up to 50% and free shipping of some products (ends 9/5)
Petco (www.petco.com): Save up to 35%, save 15% sitewide and free shipping on over $49 purchase.
Labor Day Sales 2011 Computer / Electronics
Adobe (www.adobe.com): 10% off orders over $375 (ends 9/8)
Accesory Geeks (www.accessorygeeks.com): Labor Day Sale, save up to 50% and double geek point (ends 9/5)
Hhgregg (www.hhgregg.com): Labor Day Sale, everything on sale $99 & up, extra 5% off instantly (ends 9/10)
Newegg (www.newegg.com): Labor Day Sale, promo codes only for subscribers (ends 9/5)
Office Depot (www.officedepot.com): Pre-Labor Day Sale, save up to 50%
J&R (www.jr.com): Labor Day Weekend Sale, save up to 63%, free shipping on some products, get access to free live concert (Earth,Wind & Fire) on September 8.
HP (www.shopping.hp.com): Labor Day Sale, save up to 60%, free shipping on all products. (ends 9/10)
Computer Geeks (www.geeks.com): Labor Day Sale, save up to 85%
Best Buy (www.bestbuy.com): Labor Day Sale (ends 9/5)
Labor Day Sales 2011 Travel
Southwest Vacantions (www.southwestvacations.com): Labor Day Vacation Deals, save up to $ 100 on vacantion packages, up to 40% on hotels & more (September & October).
Expedia (www.expedia.com): Labor Day Deals, save at least 20% on hotels
Hotels.com (www.hotels.com) : Labor Day Sale, save up to 30% on your hotel stay, over 20,000 last minute deals each week
CheapoAir (www.cheapoair.com): Labor Day Flight Deals, save up to 65%, redeem $10, promo code LABORDAY10 (ends 9/6).
Please notice that most of the Labor Day Sales ends on September 5, 2011!
People who ate more chocolate had lower incidents of cardiovascular disease and stroke compared to those who ate less, a study finds.
Eating chocolate could benefit the heart, possibly lowering heart disease by 37%.
The results coming from a meta-analysis were released online this week in the British Medical Journal.
Researchers from the United Kingdom and Colombia focused on 7 studies looking at the link between eating chocolate and a reduction in heart disease that included 114,009 people.
Eating chocolate could benefit the heart, possibly lowering heart disease by 37 percent
Of those 7 studies, 5 showed an association between higher levels of chocolate consumption and a lowered risk of cardiometabolic illness. The highest levels were linked with a 37% drop in cardiovascular disease and a 29% reduction in stroke, compared to the lowest levels.
There was no significant association seen between chocolate consumption and heart failure, and only one study drew a link between eating chocolate and a lowered risk of diabetes.
None of the studies, including the meta-analysis, were funded by a chocolate company or a related industry.
However, the study authors caution about eating chocolate with abandon. After all, they point out, chocolate isn’t exactly calorie-free. Although the participants in the studies ate a variety of chocolate products, including chocolate bars, drinks, nutritional supplements and desserts, all chocolate is not created equal, and eating too much of the stuff that’s filled with fat and sugar can put on pounds, possibly upping the risk of high blood pressure and diabetes — the very stuff that can lead to cardiovascular problems.
The study authors noted that among the studies there was no obvious dose-response relationship between chocolate and the risk of cardiometabolic disorders, so for now, everything in moderation, as they say.
And although the studies reviewed did control for a number of factors, including age, body mass index, physical activity, smoking and aspects of diet, there still may be other factors at work causing the heart benefits.
If chocolate is the root of these heart-healthy advantages, it may be due to its polyphenol content, anti-oxidants that could improve endothelial function (which may affect the risk of stroke and heart attack) as well as have a positive effect on blood pressure and insulin resistance.
More studies are needed, the authors wrote, to go beyond just an association and determine causation.
Adolf Hitler’s tea house, placed on the top of a Bavarian mountain, has become one of the most visited sites in Germany.
German Tourism authorities announced that over 300,000 people visited the tea house in a year. This is nearly 30,000 up on last year.
The tea house on the peak of the Kehlstein Mountain was built for Hitler as a 50th birthday gift by Nazi party secretary Martin Bormann in 1939.
Adolf Hitler’s tea house, placed on the top of a Bavarian mountain, has become one of the most visited sites in Germany
Hitler’s Berghof home on the mountain was destroyed by the Allies in bombing raids and after WW2, but the tea house survived and became a tourism attraction in peacetime.
According to officials, most visitors to the mountain are Americans followed by Britons; combined they make up 85% of the people who came to see where Hitler ate cream cakes with his mistress Eva Braun and snoozed in chintz chairs as the world war he started raged.
Germans make up just a small proportion of visitors to the “Eagle’s Nest” tea house.
For 20 euros (about $30) , visitors to the house 6,000 feet up are rewarded with spectacular views and can get refreshments from the privately run restaurant, including roast pork with dumplings and cabbage, salads and sandwiches, that operates in summer months inside it.
There is even a gift shop.
Visitors access the tea house on a bus via a serpent-like mountain road called the Kehlsteinstrabe and enter a golden brass lift built into the mountain side, itself accessed via a tunnel through the granite.
The Kehlsteinhaus (Eagle’s Nest in English) is built in a chalet-style taking 13 months to construct.
The tea house was finished in the summer of 1938 before it was presented to Hitler a year later, but he only made a few visits to the chalet partly due to his fear of heights.
After the war, the retreat place was used by the Allies as a military command post until 1960 when it was handed back to the State of Bavaria.
The new tourist attraction is 1834m above sea level and is perched on a rock wall having cost 30 million Reichsmarks to build (about $180 million today).
Not very long ago not one person had actually heard of a “Global Positioning System” (GPS).
Today you can scarcely buy a car that doesn’t have one.Not surprisingly, developments in technology never stop, and GPS’s today are substantially smaller and more powerful than ever before.You can bring your GPS everywhere you go, be it boating, driving a car or walking.You will discover only a couple of GPS manufacturers with as much prominence in the industry as Garmin.We have now taken a good, close look at the Garmin 1450LMTGPS, a very small unit, in hope of aiding you with your purchasing decision.
One thing that has been inconvenient years ago was initially having to update your GPS database each and every year.With the introduction of the Garmin 1450LMT, that difficulty is solved. It features no cost map and traffic revisions for the life of the unit.This means you are going to save a ton of hard earned cash on updates, which are not inexpensive.Better yet, you’ll receive Garmin’s “ecoRoute” system updates integrated as well.The ecoRoute system enables you to choose a route that could offer the best gasoline savings.You spend less time And also cash!
Garmin’s 1450LMT features a gorgeous, good sized touchscreen display (5″ diagonal).
Garmin 1450 LMT - Free Maps/Traffic
You can quickly check out your travel directions at many numerous map levels.And you should not worry, urban direction-finding is also well designed and integrated.The 1450LMT features street-to-street and also door-to-door navigation so you can get around the city with full confidence.With the stroke of a finger you will find where your stops are for community transport like buses and subways, and exactly where crosswalks are if you’re walking.You’re going to be real glad you have this product the next time you’re in a unexpected new city trying to determine how best to get around.
My 1450LMT frequently had this problem. You have the option of using a "via point" to tell the GPS to route you via a certain highway. However, if you use a highway intersection as your "via point", the software invariably dumps you off the highway for some random maneuvers before putting you back on your way. I though this one was kinda funny (magenta is my route).
Any getaway can be made far more pleasant simply via proper and effective planning.Garmin’s 1450LMT offers you features for route arranging.The unit enables you to plan (and save) as many as 10 various routes, showing excellent previews and important points along the way for all.Should you be considering on a lot of stops, it’s easy to sort out and save the most suitable routes to accomplish this.When you plan a long journey, there are wonderful tools to take care of that too.There is certainly enough capacity to retain up to 10,000 sights, all of which will be stored instantly.You’ll have a log of your gasoline consumption for further research and future planning.
Garmin 1450LMT - Free Lifetime Maps And Traffic
This targeted article is meant to be concise and to the point, so we cannot go into all the other wonderful features of the 1450LMY.
EcoRoute, as an example, will give you quite possibly the most fuel-efficient recommendations to any destination.Better yet, it keeps gas usage records, as well as other crucial information.This 1450LMT GPS by Garmin can be as flexible and handy as they come, and can be a enormously useful and fun tool for vacationing anywhere.Crossing time zones is taken care of with computerized updates and modifications.Obviously, this product comes highly recommended mostly because of its numerous benefits and features. It’s a great one!
As the years have progressed, a number of the characteristics of online shopping actions have changed. It is no longer true that people don’t think about buying furniture off the web. Quite a bit of weight is on the amount that a person believes in the website they are buying from.
This is the explanation as to why people spending money on sites like Home Decorators Collection are able to find some excellent furniture and decorations for their home at nice prices. This isn’t the sort of retailer that sells things such as computer and telephone accessories which everybody wants to buy. Despite the fact they have more than hundreds of products available on their site, they are still directing all their attention to home furnishings and décor. We want to give you an honest review of an Internet ecommerce website called HomeDecorators.com.
Buying Furniture Online - HomeDecorators.com
There are countless times throughout the year in which people need to purchase gifts.
Home Decorators Collection has sub-sections with names such as Gifts for a Couple, Gifts for Him, Gifts for the Traveler and some more. They divide the give options into particular price ranges, for example below $50 and $100 and over $100. Naturally, there are some individuals who take pride in customization, for instance having things personalized and monogrammed gifts, and you can see thing in this category.
There is a category called Last Chance which is found in the Outlet category. The products in this sub-category are almost completely sold out with very few remaining. Actually, they are set up in accordance with the number remaining. You can select from links such as 10, 5, 3 or less and 1 product left. Sure enough the Price Cuts and this sub-category are not much different as they both offer a multitude of merchandise. It is not surprising, that with nobody being able to have command over the array of merchandise that is offered and sold, you will obviously be able to see a mishmash of various merchandise that is about to be sold out. Because you will be totally unaware of what to expect in the category, this is an extra pleasurable part to encounter with this site.
Creating an account at HomeDecorators.com is easy and convenient.
With an account, you will have access to all your shopping history. All of this information is readily available at the bottom of each page under the Customer Service heading. If you are the type of person who likes to stay on top of your orders, rest assured that with click of the mouse, you will be able to track all your orders. Since even the best of products may have recalls, the site also has a link where you may see all the product recalls. While there aren’t many home decor recalls, for the safety of your family, it’s nice to know you have a place to go to find the recalls.
Outdoor Furniture
If you happen to live nearby a Home Decorators Collection physical store, then that would be the best situation. There is a real habit many online shoppers have of finding information online, and then going to a store to get a look at it. Albeit it there is expedience in online shopping and it is a really wonderful thing, it is just not the same as seeing a product in person and being able to touch it.
Countless overweight men and women have starved themselves for a short period until they quickly lost the fight for weight loss.
The truth is that you can shed some weight simply as a result of eating less calories. However, very many people will explain to you that is a challenge to do as well as maintain. There will most certainly be too many difficult behavior changes regarding eating considerably less, or even half-starving your self. Positive along with healthy lifestyle and eating improvements will be much simpler to accomplish with a different approach. The basic policy is to do a reduced amount over time and little by little make the desired shift.
Weight Loss Target
Excessive caloric intake causes weight gain in nearly everyone. A small minority cannot put on pounds irrespective of how much they eat. Nevertheless you have to be aware that your body needs calories to work at a good level. You can get by with a bare minumum daily caloric intake, but the likelihood is very good that you would feel exhausted, sluggish, hungry and miserable. Consequently the initial step would be to begin decreasing foods that are not helping your weight difficulty. You’ll find it much easier to lessen, initially, than attempt to completely eliminate them.
Naturally you should make a parallel effort to begin with eating healthier foods on a daily basis to achieve and maintain weight loss.
Yet again, you do not need to make a significant change here, or even a total lifestyle makeover. For people who have tried implementing total change and were unsuccessful, then this may be an agreeable strategy for you. Effortlessly begin by making modest changes, and then keeping them on a daily basis for a period of time. As soon as you feel comfortable with that magnitude of change, then you can make another modification in your daily diet. On top of that, you may consider introducing some kind of physical exercise to your weekly routine.
It becomes very beneficial if you take a look at the quality of calories and fats you take in each day. Empty calories are most likely the worst, and a good illustration of that are all kinds of sugar. Then, one needs fat in your diet, but it is the sort of fat that makes a significant difference. Ready-made foods and fast foods are great examples of the incorrect kinds of fats for you. When you notice that you are eating these fattening foods far too much, then slowly begin reducing them. The key point here is to make some form of positive change that will assist you.
Weight Loss - Eat Healthy Vegetables
It’s essential to make these small changes an integral part of your new behaviors and routines. This is going to of course take time, but that is the trade-off any time you make smaller modifications. On the other hand, this method will certainly work for some people who cannot make drastic changes. Just don’t forget that you need to keep striving forward and cutting out increasingly more fattening foods. You certainly will, at some point, make a reasonable change so you begin to see greater success. There isn’t anything more inspiring than results in any endeavor. This works for weight loss too.
In an interview with the German newspaper Bild, David Guetta has revealed something interesting about him – the world-famous French DJ lost his driver’s licence for life!
According to Bild, David Guetta, 43, was driving too often too fast, and his licence has been withdrawn for life in France!
The French DJ now moves himself with a driver. David’s wife, Cathy can drive, but this is not the same. He will never enjoy the happiness of driving a roaring engine in France.
“I have a lifetime withdrawal in France because I drove too fast … several times. It does not matter. I am anyway not a guy who has a garage full of expensive cars.”
David Guetta, the world-famous French DJ lost his driver’s licence for life
Originally a DJ at nightclubs during the 1980’s and 1990’s, David Guetta is the co-founder of Gum Productions and released his first album, Just a Little More Love, in 2002.
In 2009, David Guetta released One Love album, which include the hit singles “When Love Takes Over” (featuring Kelly Rowland), “Gettin’ Over You” (featuring Chris Willis, Fergie & LMFAO) and “Sexy Bitch” (featuring Akon), the last becoming a top five hit in the US and all three reaching #1 in the UK, as well as another internationally known single called “Memories” featuring Kid Cudi which became a top five hit in many countries.
David Guetta has sold over three million albums and 15 million singles worldwide.
David Guetta is currently one of the most sought-after music producers.
Noah’s Ballroom – The Pit a strange and exciting venue at Outlook Festival 2011
Outlook Festival 2011, the fourth edition of an event started in Fort Punta Christo, Croatia, began on Thursday, September 1.
The festival features artists from the dance scenes, line-up includes biggest names in Soundsystem Culture from Dub, Dubstep, Dancehall, Drum & Bass, Hip-hop, Grime, Garage, Electronica and Bass Music.
Outlook Festival 2011 is held in an amazing location, an abandoned fort in Pula, in the region of Istria, Croatia.
Fort Punta Christo was built in the eighteen hundreds and looks like something from a lost world. The fort is located on a peninsula and is surrounded by Adriatic Sea. During the day sun-soaked beach parties and boat parties are held and during the night the Fort becomes a strange, yet attractive and exciting place.
This year the Outlook Festival 2011 has two new arenas, the moat surrounding Fort Punta Christo, and the Harbour Stage where Outlook Festival 2011 showcase most of the headliners.
The Dungeon: a "Gothic" venue of Outlook Festival 2011
The Courtyard, The Dungeon, Noah’s Ballroom – The Pit, Oustide Arena, Mungos Arena, Main Arena, The Boats, The Beach, TheFort are the other venues of the event.
Headline performers this year are: Mala&Coki, DMZ, Macka B (live), Michael Prophet&Dub Asante (live), Mad Professor, Iration Steppas, Nero, Zinc, Roots Manuva, Skream
On the Dubstep: Distance, Quest, Pinch, Engine Earz (live), Submotion Orchestra (live), Seven, Joe Kane, Stenchman, Rouge State, Marchmellow, Daddy Nature, Captain Crunch, Play Dub. T, Luxton Brothers, Joe Dubz, Shackleton
Last year, after the festival, Outlook Festival Croatia’s Christmas Reunion took place at The Coronet Theatre in London. The tickets for Outlook Festival 2012 will be on sale from mid September 2011. Outlook Festival 2011 ends on September 4.
The latest season of “Gene Simmons Family Jewels” ended with Gene Simmons getting down on one knee to propose to Shannon Tweed after being together 28 years.
Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed have two children together: Nick, 22, and Sophie, 19, and have been together for 28 years! But the couple will finally walk down the aisle on October 1 at a hotel in Beverly Hills!
The couple’s wedding will be filmed for the seventh season of their reality show, documenting their preparation for the wedding as well as the actual ceremony!
Gene Simmons, the KISS rocker, 62, proposed while he was on vacation in Belize with Shannon during the finale of season six.
Gene stated, “I come with so much baggage, but you’re the only friend I’ve got. You’re the only one I love … and you’re the only one I ever will love.”
The season premier will air on October 4 on A&E.
Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed’s announcement and invitation has been revealed.
The announcement said, “After 28 years of loose strings, our parents have finally decided to tie the knot.”
“Our mother will share our horrendous hyphenate of a last name and our father’s life … well, it doesn’t change that much.”
It continues on a heartfelt note — saying, “But we will be united as a family in spirit and in title forever.”
Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed wedding invitation
Shannon Tweed, 54, is a Canadian actress and model. One of the most successful actresses of mainstream erotica, Shannon Tweed is identified with the genre of the erotic thriller.
Gene Simmons is an Israeli-American rock bassist, singer, songwriter, musician, actor, and businessman. Known as “The Demon”, he is the bassist/vocalist of Kiss, the hard rock band he co-founded in the early 1970s.
Gene Simmons was ranked number 12 in Roadrunner’s list of 50 Best Frontmen in Metal History.
This morning, a massive quake strikes off Aleutian Islands, South West of Alaska, threatening a devastating tsunami.
The quake, which struck at 6:55 a.m. EDT, was 22.1 miles deep and had 7.1 magnitude, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
This morning, a massive quake strikes off Aleutian Islands, South West of Alaska
People living in coastal areas have been told to leave their homes immediately and flee inland to higher ground after the 7.1 magnitude quake struck close to the Aleutian Islands, 1,031 miles away from Anchorage.
Widespread damage is feared across the West Coast – from British Columbia, Canada, to Washington – as towns brace themselves for the oncoming waves.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a warning stating that residents should flee their homes immediately.
“Those feeling the earth shake, seeing unusual wave action, or the water level rising or receding may have only a few minutes before the tsunami arrival and should move immediately.
“Homes and small buildings are not designed to withstand tsunami impacts. Do not stay in these structures.
“Earthquakes of this magnitude are known to generate tsunamis,” the warning said.
People in Pacific coastal regions outside California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska have also been told to check updates for fear of widespread damage.
It is predicted that the tsunami will hit mainland Alaska by about 9 a.m., local time, just after midday on the East Coast.
Last week, terrifying tremors were felt in New York, Washington D.C. and as far north as Toronto when America’s East Coast was struck by the biggest earthquake in over a century.
Major buildings, including the Pentagon and the White House had to be evacuated and several top tourist attractions in Washington have been closed for safety reasons after the city was shaken by a 5.8-magnitude quake, which originated in Virginia.
The 9/11 tragedy from World Trade Centre has taken a heavy toll on the health of those who tried to rescue people from the burning buildings, those who took part in the clean-up, and those who lived near the site, research shows.
The rescuers who endangered their lives trying to save people have paid a long-term price: a 19% higher risk of cancer as a result of exposure to toxic fumes, according to a study published in a special The Lancet series to mark the 10th anniversary of the atrocity.
Other research in the series reveals the scale of mental and physical damage suffered by rescuers and witnesses.
Dr. David Prezant, chief medical officer of New York City fire department, and colleagues studied the firefighters, together with others from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University, and Montefiore Medical Centre, New York.
The rescuers at 9/11 WTC are at 19% higher risk of cancer as a result of exposure to toxic fumes, according to a study published in a special The Lancet series to mark the 10th anniversary of the atrocity.
“In the years following the disaster, the firefighters began to ask about cancer. The World Trade Centre fire was like no other they had encountered,” said Dr. Prezant.
“Firefighters are not environmental scientists, but they have the common sense test,” Dr. Prezant told the Guardian.
“What they said after coming out of those buildings after participating in the rescue and recovery effort was not just that the magnitude was great; they felt they were affected in a different way.
“Most firefighters have learned there are different smells to fires. They repeatedly said to us that this area smelled different. They said this was unlike any other firefight we’ve had before.
“We have a unique group of people. On 9/11 the firefighters ran into these towers, many of them after the south tower had collapsed, with nothing in their minds except saving everyone who was in there. We concentrate on the nearly 3,000 people who died there and the 343 firefighters who died that day, as we should, but we should never forget that 20,000 to 30,000 people were evacuated from that building because of the heroic efforts of these responders.
“In subsequent years they did voice concern, asking: <<What’s going to happen to me?>>. From day one we have said we will find out and we will provide you with the services necessary to help you.”
“One of the strengths of the study is that every firefighter who was there on September11, 2001 has had many health checks since,” Dr. Prezant added.
The researchers’ efforts to avoid an over-screening bias have brought the percentage estimates down. Originally they found an increase of 32%.
The cancers are various, but the most common were those of the skin, prostate, thyroid and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. The authors say a link between exposure to the pollutants given off by the World Trade Centre and cancer is biologically plausible because “some contaminants in the WTC dust, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, and dioxins, are known carcinogens.”
Dr. James Melius of the New York State Labourers’ health fund calls for inclusion of cancer in the government-funded medical programme for firefighters.
“Waiting to do so until definitive cancer studies have been completed (probably many years from now) would be unfair and would pose a hardship for workers who willingly risked their health by responding without hesitation to the WTC crisis,” Dr. Melius said.
So far, rescue workers and civilians exposed to the dust have lower death rates than other comparable groups in New York, according to another study. But researchers say that is not surprising, because most were employed or volunteers – both groups that generally have better health – and the illnesses they might succumb to as a result of 9/11 generally do not cause death within 10 years.
Nonetheless, the more than 50,000 rescue and recovery workers who went to help at the WTC are suffering from high levels of mental and physical illness, says a third paper.
“Our findings show a substantial burden of persistent physical and mental disorders in rescue and recovery workers who rushed to the site of the WTC and laboured there for weeks and months 10 years ago. Many of these individuals now suffer from multiple health problems,” write Dr. Juan Wisnivesky and colleagues from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.
28% of the rescue and recovery workers have suffered depression at some time since 9/11; 32% have experienced post-traumatic stress disorder, and 21% panic disorder. Police officers have lower rates – 7%, 9% and 8% respectively – perhaps because of previous stressful experiences, the sort of people who are recruited, or under-reporting for fear of job-related repercussions.
Many of the 27,000 workers, including police officers, firefighters, construction workers, and municipal workers, whose health has been monitored since 9/11 have breathing-related problems. 42% have respiratory problems.
“Inhalation of toxic, highly alkaline dust is probably the cause of upper and lower respiratory injury in rescue and recovery workers,” says the report.
Over nine years, 28% have had asthma, 42% sinusitis and 39% gastro-oesphageal reflux disease.
Matthew Mauer of the New York State department of health writes in a further commentary: “As we mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11, reports of persistent health effects are a sobering reminder that the disaster has had far-reaching effects. One cannot help but wonder what will be reported when we mark the 20th anniversary of this tragedy.”
Las Vegas: main destination on Labor Day Weekend 2011
Labor Day Weekend 2011 starts in Las Vegas on September 2 and apparently the visitors number will be bigger than last year.
Travel could be slightly down across the countries, but Las Vegas is still the number one destination for tourists who wants a getaway on Labor Day, said AAA.
Around 291,000 persons will gather to the Strip on Labor Day weekend (a 3 percent increase over last year), said experts.
“The visitors coming are going to spend $178 million, and that doesn’t include gaming. So we’re looking forward to a good weekend” said Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
Las Vegas pools and clubs have organized parties and events hosted by renowned DJ’s for Labor Day Weekend 2011.
There are lots attractions that lure people to Las Vegas this weekend, music (electro, house and trance are the main genres) and fancy parties.
Derrick Rose and Amber Rose will host a pool party at Palms Pool on Sunday, while Pauly D and The Pharcyde will entertain the guests on Friday and Saturday.
Rain Nightclub, Marquee Dayclub and Nightclub, Encore Beachclub, Surrender Nightclub, XS, Tao Beach, Wet Republic, Haze, Tryst, Nikki Beach Las Vegas are some of the venues that have prepared exciting revelries.
The New Boyz, Fatboy Slim & Chuckie, Afrojack & Calvin Harris, Sebastian Ingrosso, DJ Vice, Will.i.am, Steve Angello, Kaskade & Pete Tong, DJ Reach, Robbie Rivera, Cedric Gervais, LMFAO, Erick Morillo, Boris & Oscar G, Tiesto, Avicii, Above & Beyond, Paul Van Dyk will perform during the Labor Day Weekend 2011.
On Monday, Identity Festival, held at Mandalay Bay Resort will feature: Kaskade, Pretty Lights, Afrojack, Rusko, Pete Tong, Burns (at Skullcandy) and Steve Aoki, The Crystal Method, Holly Ghost, Nero Doorly, The Eye (at Rockstar Energy Drink x Dim Mak).
Labor Day Weekend Las Vegas 2011 ends on September 5, but there are other events to come (pro football starts next week, big conventions are scheduled for the end of the year).
Labor Day Weekend is the weekend before Labor Day, United States federal holiday held every year on the first Monday in September. It started on September 5 1882.
As a reaction to the investigations into his alleged crimes and misdemeanors, Silvio Berlusconi said in July he wanted to leave Italy, which he described as a “shitty country” that “sickened” him.
Silvio Berlusconi‘s astonishing remarks are contained in the transcript of a telephone conversation secretly recorded by police investigating claims he was being blackmailed about his sex life.
Early in the morning on Thursday, police descended to a flat near Via Veneto, one of Rome’s most expensive streets, to arrest Giampaolo Tarantini, a central figure in a scandal that threatened to bring down the Italian PM two years ago.
Giampaolo Tarantini’s wife, Angela Devenuto, was also taken into custody and a search launched for a third person. The arrest warrant shows that the three are accused of extorting at least €500,000 (about $700,000) “as well as other benefits of economic significance”.Silvio Berlusconi has admitted paying the couple, but said he did so voluntarily.
Silvio Berlusconi said in July he wanted to leave Italy, which he described as a "shitty" country that "sickened" him
Two years ago, Giampaolo Tarantini, a businessman from Bari in southern Italy, said he supplied 30 women for parties at the Silvio Berlusconi’s Roman palazzo. He told police at least six women spent the night there.
According to the judicial arrest warrant issued on Thursday, a third person – Valter Lavitola, the editor of a small newspaper – maintained direct contact with Silvio Berlusconi and received the cash in monthly installments from the prime minister’s personal secretary.
It was in a phone conversation with Valter Lavitola late on 13 July that Silvio Berlusconi was said by the judge to have erupted in anger.
“They can say about me that I screw. It’s the only thing they can say about me. Is that clear?” he said to the man allegedly blackmailing him.
“They can put listening devices where they like. They can tap my telephone calls. I don’t give a f**k. I … In a few months, I’m getting out to mind my own f***ing business, from somewhere else, and so I’m leaving this shitty country of which I’m sickened.”
The Italian prime minister was speaking 4 days after a court in Milan dealt him the heaviest blow he has suffered in his long and intensely controversial business career. The court ruled that the firm at the core of his group of companies should pay €560 million to his bitterest commercial rival as compensation for bribing a judge in order to win control of Mondadori, Italy’s biggest publisher.
The conversation took place at the height of a crisis on the financial markets, and in the midst of frantic efforts in parliament to approve a package of measures designed to eliminate Italy’s budget deficit.
Silvio Berlusconi’s public silence during this period attracted comment at the time, particularly in the financial media.
The sex scandal at the origin of the latest allegations was one of several involving Silvio Berlusconi in the past three years. The prime minister is on trial in Milan charged with paying an underage prostitute and then using his position to cover up the alleged offence, but that case is not related to the one that has now come back to haunt him.
Details of the latest investigation were leaked last month in a news magazine belonging to Berlusconi. The magazine, Panorama, claimed the prosecutors believed Giampaolo Tarantini was being paid to stop him contradicting Silvio Berlusconi’s claim that he was unaware that some of the women who visited his home were prostitutes.
According to Panorama, Tarantini had repeatedly confirmed in wiretapped conversations that Silvio Berlusconi was indeed oblivious of the payments the women were receiving.
Silvio Berlusconi, 75, has made much over the years of his talents as a playboy and has insisted he would never pay for sex.
Panorama claimed the main reason Silvio Berlusconi was passing money to Tarantini was to ensure he did a deal with the prosecutors to avoid a trial and the disclosure of “telephone wiretaps held to be embarrassing”. The Italian prime minister told the magazine:
“I helped someone and a family with children who found themselves and continue to find themselves in very serious financial difficulty. I didn’t do anything illegal. I limited myself to helping a desperate man without asking for anything in exchange. That’s the way I am and nothing will change that.”
ARena is the app to install for Droid Bionic scavenger hunt
Verizon launched an app for an “augmented reality” scavenger hunt (from September 4 until September 7). The participants could win “the smartphone that controls them all”, the Droid Bionic.
The contestants will have to look around the city for photos of HDTVs, laptops, tablets, and quadcopters. The prizes include 16 Droid Bionic handsets, four 40-inch LED HDTVs, four Motorola XOOM tablets, four laptops, and four video-streaming Quadcopters. Each player has 30 minutes per game to track down a prize and can play up to 48 times a day.
“Each day for four days, four lucky hunters will win Bionic and one of the machines—there are up to 192 chances to win each prize. Good luck and safe hunting.” (the app description).
ARena is the augmented reality app required to follow the clues and it can be found on the Android Market.
Motorola Droid Bionic to launch on September 8
After a waiting of nine months for specifics about the Motorola Droid Bionic, Verizon’s first dual-core smartphone on its high-speed 4G LTE network, Droid Bionic seems to be released on September 8.
The smartphone first showed up with a Tegra 2 dual-core processor. Later, it was said that Droid Bionic would be fitted with a TI OMAP 1.2 GHz processor. The Droid Bionic will have 1GB RAM and 16GB internal memory configuration. It is presumed to have an 8MP camera with dual-LED flash that will feature 1080p video capture capability. Droid Bionic was first showcased with 5.5-ounce weight and 0.52-inch thickness. It comes pre-installed with Android Gingerbread.
Droid Bionic has webtop capabilities (a full suite of Google Apps) and a separately sold lapdock that connects the mobile display to keyboard and mouse.
On the MAP (minimum advertised price) list of upcoming Verizon phones and tablets the Droid Bionic shows with a $299.99 price tag. Droid Bionic is listed as having an average retail value (ARV) of $589.99. Everyone who wants to avoid signing a two-year contract for the Bionic can likely expect to spend $590.
The MAP list includes other devices like the HTC Rhyme (supposed to be a Beat By Dr Dre integrated phone) and a $499 Motorola XOOM LTE tablet that is set to release on the same day as the Motorola Droid Bionic. The XOOM LTE tablet is cheaper than when it was first released and comes preloaded with LTE support.
If you want to enter Droid Bionic scavenger hunt, you should read the instructions on droiddoes.com and download ARena from market.android.com.
Oscar De La Hoya became the subject of the photo scandal in 2007, when stripper Milana Dravnel, who claimed he had cheated on his wife with her, posted the embarrassing images on the internet.
In a stunning revelation, Oscar De La Hoya, known as the “Golden Boy”, has admitted that the infamous photos of him dressed in a drag were in fact real.
The boxing legend had denied back in 2007 that images of him wearing fishnet stockings and high heels had been doctored and were fakes.
Oscar De La Hoya in fishnet stockings and high heels
In 2007, Oscar De La Hoya’s handlers brushed off the photos as “bad Photoshop jobs” and the stripper Milana Dravnel as a “money-grubber”.
But he has now come clean, saying the scandalous photos were taken while he was high on drugs and alcohol.
In an interview with the Spanish-language network, Univision, which aired Tuesday night, Oscar De La Hoya revealed the truth.
“Let me tell you, yes, yes, it was me [in those photos],” he said on news show Here and Now.
“I am tired now of lying, of lying to the public and of lying to myself.”
In the same interview, the boxing legend spoke about his marital, drug and alcohol problems.
The New York Post had published photos of “Golden Boy” frolicking with Siberian model Milana Dravnel.
Oscar De la Hoya’s legal team even brought in their own “photo expert”, who said the photos were a computer-generated forgery.
His spokeswoman said of the photos:
“His head’s too small and it doesn’t even look like his body.”
Oscar De La Hoya reportedly hired a team of lawyers, a PR firm and business associates to discredit Milana Dravnel and goad her into retracting her story.
But when Milana Dravnel filed a lawsuit claiming that De La Hoya’s team had duped her into saying that the photos were not real, she was ultimately paid $20 million by the boxer to silence her, court documents have revealed.
Oscar De La Hoya and Milana Dravnel
Milana Dravnel was also ordered to return the lingerie, high heels and fishnet stockings that she has kept after their saucy photo shoot.
The boxing legend said that he unraveled after the pictures came out and thought about ending his life.
Oscar De La Hoya has two children with Millie Coretjer, whom he married in 2001.
He also has a daughter with former beauty queen and Playboy model Shanna Moakler.
Oscar De La Hoya retired from boxing in 2009 after a 16-year career that won him 10 world titles in six divisions.
After declaring that they’re killing the line of tablets, seeing the enormous success it’s price strike-down had, Hewlett Packard Co are planning to produce “one last run” of TouchPads.
A day after the chief of HP’s personal devices division told Reuters the TouchPad might get a second lease on life, HP announced a temporary about-face on the gadget after being “pleasantly surprised” by the outsized demand generated by a weekend fire-sale.
HP TouchPad Tablet
HP slashed the price of its tablet to $99 from $399 and $499 the weekend after announcing the TouchPad’s demise on August 18, part of a raft of decisions intended to move HP away from the consumer and focus on enterprise clientele.
That ignited an online frenzy and long lines at retailers as bargain-hunters chased down a gadget that had been on store shelves just six weeks.
“The speed at which it disappeared from inventory has been stunning,” the company said. “We have decided to produce one last run of TouchPads to meet unfulfilled demand.”
HP may lose money on every TouchPad in its final production run. According to IHS iSuppli’s preliminary estimates, the 32GB version carries a bill of materials of $318.
“We don’t know exactly when these units will be available or how many we’ll get, and we can’t promise we’ll have enough for everyone. We do know that it will be at least a few weeks before you can purchase,” HP said in a blogpost.
Critics have blasted HP for wavering on pivotal decisions, such as its original stated intention to integrate its webOS software into every device it makes, followed by a decision to stop making webOS gadgets, including the TouchPad.
HP TouchPad Tablet
The storied Silicon Valley giant is struggling to shore up margins as smartphones and tablets eat away at its core PC business, the world’s largest. On August 18, HP said it was also considering spinning off the PC division.
CEO Leo Apotheker is under immense pressure from investors unhappy with HP’s back-and-forth on strategy. The former SAP chief has also been forced to slash HP’s sales estimates three times since he took over last November.
In a resounding rejection of his grand vision, shareholders sent HP shares down almost 20 percent the day it announced its sweeping moves, which included a pricey acquisition of software player Autonomy. That wiped out $16 billion of value from HP in the stock’s worst single-day fall since the Black Monday stock market crash of October 1987.
HP declined to comment beyond the blogpost. Shares in the company were down marginally in after-hours trade on Tuesday.
Read below for his comments on the HP TouchPad ressurection
Before I share, let me first say thank you for enthusiasm for this product. Since we announced the price drop, the number of inquiries about the product and the speed at which it disappeared from inventory has been stunning. I think it’s safe to say we were pleasantly surprised by the response.
HP TouchPad Tablet
Despite announcing an end to manufacturing webOS hardware, we have decided to produce one last run of TouchPads to meet unfulfilled demand. We don’t know exactly when these units will be available or how many we’ll get, and we can’t promise we’ll have enough for everyone. We do know that it will be at least a few weeks before you can purchase. See more information in the updated FAQs below.
Bryna (@BrynaatHP) and I (@MarkatHP) will update you here and on Twitter on the status of the new batch of systems. Please continue to share your thoughts and questions with us. Although we can’t respond to every one directly, we are sharing your feedback with teams inside HP.
Please note that many of the questions below address concern about orders previously placed on our HP Home & Home Office and HP Small & Medium Business online stores. It’s important to note that these are separate stores with slightly different procedures. We also know that we’re sparse on information about availability outside the US. We will share updates on regional availability as the information comes in.
Updated TouchPad Availability & Pricing…
Q: When is HP getting more HP TouchPads? One week, two weeks, a month?
A limited supply are coming and it will be a few weeks before they are available. As we know more about how, when, and where TouchPads will be available, we will communicate that here and through email to those who requested notification. We can tell you that HP’s Small and Medium Business team has sold out of HP TouchPads and will not have more inventory.
Q: Can you comment on whether HP had to manufacture more to meet the recent demand?
HP will be manufacturing a limited quantity of TouchPads with webOS during our fourth fiscal quarter 2011, which ends October 31.
Q: Will HP continue to make more TouchPads with webOS to meet the demand?
HP is discontinuing the development of webOS devices and is winding down device operations within our fourth fiscal quarter 2011.
Q: Will the notification/alert emails go out all at once so everyone has a fair shot?
All those who requested notification have been notified today that more are coming in the future, and will be notified again when more specifics are known.
Q: How does HP plan to address disappointed customers?
All those who requested notification have received a one-time exclusive offer along with their email as our thanks for their patience and loyalty throughout this situation.
Q: What about retailers? Some retailers won’t price match or drop their price to $99.
Each retailer will manage their own policy and process regarding pricing and price matching. Please contact the local retailer of your choice to see what their current position is.
Q: Please limit stock to 1 per person: some people are getting 20 and then selling them on craigslist and eBay for a major profit.
If more inventory is available in the future, there will be an order limit.
Q: What if you already own a TouchPad but want to get $99 pricing?
Please contact the retailer or the specific HP store where you originally purchased for their policy on this question.
Q: What about other regions, such as hp.ca, etc.?
At this time, other regions have limited to no inventory available. Please check with your chosen retailer or your local hp.com web site for more information.
Q: Any news on discounted TouchPad accessories or Pre2 or Veer phones or accessories?
Limited inventory remains on TouchPad and smartphone accessories. Please visit HP Home & Home Office or your chosen retailer for current availability as this situation is changing rapidly.
Information about Online Orders…
Q: What does ‘your order has been captured’ mean?
If you received this message when placing an order, it means the order itself was captured. Because of the fast pace of orders being received, that order may not have been fulfilled once processed. If it was not you should have received a cancelation notice.
Q: The website had issues, so I couldn’t place an order. Can I still order a TouchPad?
More information will be available in the next few days about whether HP’s Home & Home Office Store will have more units available in the future or not. HP’s Small and Medium Business team has sold out of HP TouchPads.
Q: Does my TouchPad order qualify for free shipping?
No other discounts or promotions can be applied to the TouchPad promotion. However, because a Free Shipping offer was on the website for a portion of the promotional period and some customers received Free Shipping as a result, we are waiving ground shipping charges for all customers who ordered the TouchPad after the reduced promotional pricing was announced on Saturday August 20. Ground shipping charges are being manually removed from all orders that had ground shipping. However, for those orders that have already shipped and invoiced, a credit will be applied for the standard ground freight charges and a revised invoice sent.
Regretfully, expedited shipping is not available on the TouchPad promotion orders. If you requested and were charged for expedited shipping, you will receive a credit for those charges. If your order has already shipped and invoiced, a credit will be applied and a revised invoice sent.
Q: Can I use an eCoupon or HP corporate discount to my TouchPad order?
No other discounts or promotions can be applied with the TouchPad promotion.
Q: What if your order status says approved but you haven’t received an email yet?
You should have received either an email confirming your order, or an email canceling your order if we were unable to fulfill it. If you received no follow-up emails after placing your order online, please contact us at www.hpdirect.com/shop/liveassistance
Q: Can I return my HP TouchPad?
No. Any HP TouchPad purchased at the price promotion of $99 and $149 is not eligible for a return.
If you are having technical difficulties with your product or it was damaged during deliver, please contact HP Technical Support at 1-800-474-6836.
Q: What is the process for withdrawing my cancel request?
Unfortunately, if you requested to have your TouchPad order canceled, it is already in process and cannot be stopped. We are not able to reprocess the order due to lack of TouchPad inventory.
More Information about Online Orders from HP’s Home & Home Office store…
Q: I placed my order online with HP’s Home & Home Office Store. How can I check the status of my order from HP?
For Home & Home Office customers you can check your order status here. Once you follow the steps to either enter order number and phone number or sign into the site, you will be shown your order status:
If it shows Shipped, then your order has already shipped.
If it shows Item being processed, then your order is in queue to be shipped and all shipments should be complete by Wednesday August 24, 2011.
If it shows Order Pending, then your order is in review and we ask you to please check your order status again the next business day.
For all other order statuses, please contact our call center at 1-888-476-3988.
Q: Why was my order canceled from HP Home & Home Office Store?
Because of the fast pace of order volume over the weekend, some customers placed orders which we were unable to fulfill. Those customers received cancelation emails informing them that we were unable to fulfill their order and that their credit would appear on their bank statements within 3-5 business days. If you have not received an email notification and are still uncertain, please visit www.hpdirect.com/shop/liveassistance for more details.
More Information about Online Orders from HP’s Small & Medium Business store…
Q: I ordered from the HP SMB Store during the promotion but the discounted price was not reflected in my cart/order confirmation page/invoice. Is HP honoring the discount price?
Yes, some of our SMB customers may have experienced a pricing error while purchasing on August 20th and 21st. We are in the process of ensuring every order is honored at the discounted price. Most orders are being manually updated to reflect accurate pricing, prior to invoicing being sent. However, for those orders that have already shipped and invoiced, a credit will be applied for the difference and a revised invoice sent.
Q: I placed my order online with HP’s SMB Store. How do I confirm that it was received?
For orders placed after 4am CT on Monday 22nd August, US SMB had already sold out of HP TouchPad. We are unable to fulfill these orders and they have been cancelled. If you saw a reserve hold for the amount of your order on your credit card, no actual charges have been made and this reserve hold will be released now that the order has been cancelled.
If you placed an order prior to 4am CT Monday, August 22, we are working through the large volume of orders, verifying payment details and seeking to source inventory for fulfillment. This process is taking longer than first anticipated. At this time, we cannot guarantee supply to all these orders but are working to supply as many orders as possible.If you saw a reserve hold for the amount of your order on your credit card and your order cannot be fulfilled, no actual charges have been made, and this reserve hold will be released if the order is cancelled.
You can check your order status here. If your order is not recognized, please check your order status again the next business day.When inventory has been allocated the status will change to “shipped.” Please note that planned ship and delivery dates on the order status page are not accurate for TouchPad orders. You can only be certain that we have identified a unit to fulfill your order once the order status shows a shipment tracking number.
Q: Why was my order canceled from HP Small & Medium Business Store?
If you placed an order for a HP TouchPad on Monday, August 22nd – Wednesday, August 24th this was after a Sold Out message was posted on our webstore. All of these orders are being cancelled. If you saw a reserve hold for the amount of your order on your credit card, no actual charges have been made and this reserve hold will be released as soon as the order is canceled.
There are several reasons that your order would have been canceled if you placed it on Saturday, August 20th or Sunday, August 21st, such as a duplicate order found or billing issues on the account. If you believe your order was canceled in error, please contact an HP Customer Service Representative at 1-866-625-0242 (Dial option #3) or via Email Customer Service option who will be happy to assist you. Please be aware that we are experiencing significant call volumes with extended wait times, so we ask for your patience.
A high protein, but low carbohydrate diet has long been hailed as a successful weight-loss method, but a new study of the McMaster University has found that protein-rich dairy foods can help aid this further.
Canadian researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, found that those consuming higher-protein, high-dairy diets experienced more abdominal fat loss and the greatest amount of whole-body fat.
The Canadian study monitored three groups of obese and overweight pre-menopausal women – each group undertaking either a low, medium or high amount of dairy foods along with high or low amounts of protein and carbohydrates.
The women then took part in aerobic exercise 5 times a week and circuit weightlifting 2 days a week over a 4 months period.
The study findings showed that the women on higher-protein, high dairy group lost the greatest amount of whole-body fat and belly fat.
The McMaster University study findings showed that the women on higher-protein, high dairy group lost the greatest amount of whole-body fat and belly fat.
The lead author of the study, Andrea Josse, from the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, said:
“100 per cent of the weight loss in the higher-protein, high-dairy group was fat.
“And the participants gained muscle mass, which is a major change in body composition.
“The preservation or even gain of muscle is very important for maintaining metabolic rate and preventing weight regain, which can be a major problem for many seeking to lose weight.”
The Canadian study will be published in the Journal of Nutrition in September.
Madonna’s movie, W.E. makes its world premiere out of competition tonight at the 68th edition of Venice Film Festival.
Madonna‘s film tells the story of celebrated romance between Britain’s King Edward VIII and the twice divorced American Mrs. Wallis Simpson, and the grave constitutional crisis it caused.
W.E., the Madonna’s film title stands for the initials of the two lovers, Wallis and Edward, although he close family and his mistresses called him David.
Andrea Riseborough, Madonna and Abbie Cornish pose at the photo call for the film W.E. during the 68th edition of the Venice Film Festival. (AP photo)
The movie subverts the Royal Family heritage genre by introducing a modern-day parallel, about an unhappily married New Yorker named Wally Winthrop. Madonna uses this second storyline to counterpoint and comment on what happened to the Duchess of Windsor, as Wallis Simpson became when she finally married the King Edward VIII after he renounced the throne for her in 1936.
Madonna studied the crisis for years before deciding to make this movie.
Everybody knows that the affair cost the King his kingdom and an empire, but Madonna, the film-maker, who wrote the screenplay with her old friend Alek Keshishian, raised the question of what it cost Wallis Simpson.
Wallis Simpson played by Andrea Riseborough
Wallis Simpson became the Duchess of Windsor and lived a life of luxury but, as she points out in the movie, the King “used me to escape his prison, only to incarcerate me in my own”. Wallis Simpson was played beautifully by Andrea Riseborough.
“My drug of choice was cocaine and alcohol. Cocaine was recent. The last two years. And I depended more in the alcohol than the cocaine.”
Oscar De La Hoya admits infidelity, drug and alcohol abuse and suicidal thoughts.
During his appearance at the Spanish-language network, Oscar De La Hoya said he had at one time suicidal thoughts.
“Rock bottom was recently,” Oscar said.
“Within a couple of years, just thinking if my life was even worth it.
“I don’t have the strength, I don’t have the courage to take my own life but I was thinking about it.”
Oscar De La Hoya added he has been clean and for three months after going to rehab and attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
The great boxer, known as The Golden Boy, became the subject of a photo scandal in 2007. At that time, a stripper who claimed Oscar De La Hoya had cheated on his wife with her posted pictures of him costumed in fishnet stockings and high heels on the internet.
In 2007, Oscar De La Hoya claimed it wasn’t him in the photos and that the stripper was “out for money.”
Oscar De La Hoya 2007 scandal photo.
Oscar De La Hoya 2007 scandal photo.
De La Hoya spokeswoman said of the photos:
“His head’s too small and it doesn’t even look like his body.”
Oscar De La Hoya continued to talk about his mistakes, saying he was unfaithful to his wife of 10 years, and that they temporarily separated.
“We are obviously not talking a Tiger Woods here, but I was unfaithful,” Oscar said.
Oscar De La Hoya has two daughters with Millie Coretjer, whom he married in 2001.
He also has a daughter with former beauty queen and Playboy model Shanna Moakler.
Oscar De La Hoya retired from boxing in 2009 after a 16-year career that won him 10 world titles in six divisions.
There is a premiere at the Burning Man 2011, the annual event held in the Black Rock Desert (Nevada): the CORE project ( Circle of Regional Effigies).
The effigies are arranged around the base of the Man in a circle. This giant ring of effigies celebrates the Burning Man Regionals and their support to the Burning Man ethos.
The Burning Man Regional organizations were started in 1998 and their importance grew bigger every year, it could say this year they reached a peak with the CORE.
There are 23 effigies at the Burning Man 2011 plus “Fire Birds of the Fifth Direction” by Charlie Smith (four steel sculptures placed in the corners of the compass).
Lucky Lady Lucy (Las Vegas) known as 777, is the alien girl who inspired Larry Harvey to build the Man in 1986.
Alchemist Tower (Atlanta), artwork of four tetrahedrons (earth, water, air, fire), seems to change its shape when is view from different angles.
Ouroboros, the eternal return, a symbol of Burning Man's Rites of Passage
Ouroboros (Austin), the Burning Flipside contribution, is an ancient symbol, a serpent/dragon eating its own tail meaning self-reflexivity or cyclicality, constantly re-creation, the eternal return.
EffiTree (Victoria, British Columbia) sculpture that is half human, half tree spirit of the rainforest (one masculine, one feminine) was inspired by faces carved into the sides of the cedar trees at the Victoria’s regional event, Otherworld.
H.A.T.U. (Utah), the Hive Alembic of Transformative Universalities, is a Hive seated on a lotus flower gazebo with a phoenix rising out of a pineapple oblongata, another metaphor for Burning Man 2011 theme.
The Lighthouse (Great Lakes) is a metaphor for the “Rites of Passage” also a symbol for the Great Lakes region of Canada and the US.
Rite of Mountain Passage (Alberta) is a huge Lotus flower, nestled in a panorama of majestic Rocky Mountains, kinetic sculpture with moving Lotus petals, cycles of growth and bloom, travels and returns, beginnings and endings.
ThunderBridge (Portland) is an arched climbable structure reminiscent of the St. John’s suspension bridge flanked by two thunderbirds guarding the journey.
Mama Nola (NOLA), fetish doll for the entire playa, is a Voodoo doll housing a temple, an art gallery and an interpretive museum of New Orleans/Mississippi River culture.
Valley of Heart’s Delight (South Bay) stands for the flourishing valley replaced by Silicon Valley. The effigy is made of wooden “laptops”, and invited the community to embellish each one with a “screensaver”, signifying their own Rite of Passage.
Burning Sheaf (Saskatchewan) is made of wheat stalks and symbolize regional rite of passage of harvest season and Burning Man’s annual festival.
Burning Sheaf as a symbol of Burning Man's Rites of Passage
Other artworks of Burning Man Festival are: The Bamboozler (Transformus) octagonal structure made of raw lumber, Carnegeia Gigantea (Arizona), iconic Saguaro Cactus, F-N Bourbon Barrel the beauty of Kentucky hills, The Ka Pilina Phoenix (Hawaii) the same design as the effigy at three Rebirth festivals in Hawaii, Lobster Bisque-O! (Maine Region), Playa Time (Vancouver) a Rite of Passage, being in the Now, inspired by Burn in the Forest, Mooseman (Toronto), Port of Fire (East Bay) ubiquitous giant cranes from the Port of Oakland, Quemaduras del Sol (sunburn) a golden sun effigy from San Diego, SCARAB Truck (Los Angeles) iconic Food Truck, Tree of Heaven by New York Burning Man Community, Dobharchu Dóiteáine (Ireland) dragon-like creature from Irish mythology half giant, half dog.
These effigies will burn on Thursday (September1) night as an introduction to the Burn of the Burning Man 2011.
Sony presented yesterday the world’s first folding tablet computer at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, which it hopes will challenge Apple’s iPad.
Sony Tablet P, the first folding tablet computer
Sony Tablet P has two 5.5 inches touchscreens, 16 GB memory, wi-fi, 3G. The tablet can be folded in half, making it more portable than the iPad and other similar devices.
Sony says it will easily fit inside a handbag or jacket pocket. The new tablet is cheaper than an iPad 2 with the same wi-fi and 3G internet access.
The two sides of the tablet can be combined and used as one large screen – albeit with a potentially irritating hinge running through the middle.
Both Sony Tablet P sides can also operate independently, with one running a game and one running emails, for example.
Sony Tablet P has two 5.5 inch touchscreens.
Sony Tablet P can download music and videos and has cameras on the front and back, allowing for video calls.
Sony Tablet P was presented at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin, where a host of manufacturers were revealing new or upgraded tablets.
Sony Tablet P specs:
Android 3.2 Honeycomb
Two 5.5-inch screens
Two 1024 x 480 pixel displays
RAM unknown
16GB memory
NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor
Book-style layout
WiFi and 3G compatible
Sony also presented at the Berlin show a more conventional tablet – Sony Tablet S.
Sony Tablet S has a 9.4 inches touchscreen, and it comes with infrared technology, which means it can be used as a remote control for a TV or Blu-ray disc player. At the touch of a button, video and photos can be transferred – or ‘thrown’ – from the tablets to compatible TV sets, such as Sony’s Bravia range.
Sony Tablet S, a more conventional tablet computer
Sony Tablet S specs:
Android 3.1 Honeycomb
9.4-inch screen
1280 x 800 resolution
512MB RAM
16GB memory
NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor
Front and rear cameras
WiFi and 3G compatible
Work as remote control on Sony products
The Mobile Gazette website praised the “innovative design” of the products and said:
“These two Sony tablets could finally provide some serious competition to the Apple iPad 2.”
Omaha, NE (NYSE: BRK.A; BRK.B)—An editorial in today’s Wall Street Journal says that “Berkshire Hathaway will enjoy an effective tax rate of 10.5% on the $300 million in dividends it will receive each year from Bank of America.” That statement is incorrect.
Warren Buffet saves Bank of America
Virtually all of the stocks that Berkshire owns are held in its property-casualty subsidiaries, and that will be the case with the Bank of America preferred.
The tax treatment for dividends paid by U.S. corporations to property-casualty insurance companies was materially changed by a law passed in 1986. The changes were described in detail in the chairman’s letter included in Berkshire’s 1986 annual report. A minor change in rate was made in 1993. Since that time dividends that insurers receive from U.S. companies incur an effective tax rate of 14.175%. For Berkshire, that rate will apply to dividends it receives from Bank of America.
Warren Buffet injects 5 billion in Bank of America
These moves are great news for the bank’s workers and shareholders, also as for the U.S. taxpayer, which will probably be around the hook if Bank of America’s management flies the business into a mountain. But numerous analysts think that Bank of America will require to raise a great deal much more capital prior to it gets back on sound footing. These analysts think that Bank of America is nonetheless overstating the worth of a few of the assets on its balance sheet. When the business is lastly forced to understand the actual values of those assets, this theory goes, the bank will as soon as once more need to fill a significant capital hole.
Warning: Why You Shouldn’t Follow Buffett Into purchasing Bank of America’s Stock
Why would a big bank like Bank of America, which is can get money from the Fed at an interest of no more than 0.25%, pay 6% to get cash from Buffett? The first plus is that it strengthens the balance sheet, but the tangible common equity is $128 billion, so what will $5 billion do? The bank just had to settle for over $8 billion a mortgage pushback situation, which is still not resolved. Buffett’s $5 billion will be used up quickly.
On September 24th, 2008, Buffett assisted Goldman Sachs (GS) by purchasing GS preferred stock at a 10% discount along with warrants for $5 billion. The warrants can be exercised at $115. The stock was around $110 a week ago. So, the warrants are below price.
Precisely how ended up being the actual moment for that? It turned out merely twenty days into the economic crisis, that didn’t conclude right up until five months later, on March 6th, 2009.
One week afterwards, on October 1st, 2008 he invested $3 billion in General Electric (GE), which required the money because the business paper market was frozen. The GE stock had a discount of 10% interest, similar to the GS investment. He obtained warrants to acquire $3 billion of stock options at $22.50. The stock was trading at $15 one week ago. The warrants are underwater.
Lets draw some conclusions: Two big companies, which in fact had divisions or subsidiaries in the business of funding companies, were happy to shell out 10% interest to acquire funds from Buffett. Wasn’t that a reasonable forewarning for the crisis? The warrants have become basically worthless. Therefore, it appears like Mr. Buffett has made a great interest rate, however otherwise absolutely no gain on the investments. Additionally, he still had to go through the deepening financial crisis in 2008-2009 that presented us to “within 10 minutes of shutting down the entire banking system,” according to Senator Chris Dodd.
Berkshire Hathaway business activities
Berkshire Hathaway and its subsidiaries engage in diverse business activities including property and casualty insurance and reinsurance, utilities and energy, freight rail transportation, finance, manufacturing, retailing and services. Common stock of the company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, trading symbols BRK.A and BRK.B.
Viewing the tidal bore has become an annual tradition for people living by the mouth of the Qiantang River and a popular attraction for visitors as well.
Hundreds of people came at the banks of the Qiantang River in Haining, in east China’s Zhejiang province to see what is considered to be one of Mother Nature’s more unusual spectacles.
Viewing the tidal bore has become an annual tradition for people living by the mouth of the Qiantang River and a popular attraction for visitors as well
However, the spectators unwittingly became part of the show when a huge tidal bore burst through a dam and spilled over the riverbank, sweeping scores of tourists off their feet.
The next moment people were running to save their lives as the huge wave came crashing towards them, engulfing the crowd.
There were no fatalities reported, but more than 20 people were injured after the wave swept through the throng, and some had to receive medical attention.
The astonishing natural phenomenon, which is an abrupt uprising of river water, happens when the moon’s gravity influence tides from the sea, moving them upstream, resulting in the mesmerizing bore.
More than 20 people were injured after the wave swept through the throng
Every year hundreds of people come in Haining to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival of Qiantang River Tidal Bore Watching by eating moon cake and watching the tide
Yanguan Town in Haining, Hangzhou has been regarded as the best place to watch. The annual International Qiantang River Tidal Bore Watching Festival is held here on 18th day of the eighth lunar month.
Authorities advise public to watch the tide in the designated areas, as the tide height may changes quickly and swept the visitors away without notice. Each year, few people die from tide watching, since most of them go beyond the designated tide watching areas.
[youtube n9KEMe1lELU]
Bores only occur in a few locations throughout the world, usually in areas with a large tidal range and where incoming tides are funneled into a shallow, narrowing lake or river.
China’s Qiantang River boasts the largest bore, 8.93 metres (about 30 feet) high and travelling up to 25mph. When the tide approaches, its mighty surging tidal waves look like ten thousand horses galloping ahead. Its earthshaking sound rumbles like muffled thunder. Its force seems to stem from the momentum of an avalanche.
The 46th edition of the MDA Telethon, which will be held in Las Vegas on September 4, is the first show in the entire telethon history without Jerry Lewis’ hosting.
According to organizers, this fall MDA Labor Day Telethon will air in every time zone from 6 p.m. to midnight on Sunday, September 4, broadcasting from the South Point Hotel in Las Vegas.
In 2011, MDA Labor Day Telethon for the first time without Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis, 85, has been MDA’s national chairman since the early 1950s and has hosted the MDA Labor Day Telethon since 1966.
Last May, Jerry Lewis made the announcement that he was retiring as host of the telethon, but added that he would make a final appearance on 2011 show and planned on continuing to serve as Muscular Dystrophy Association’s national chairman.
At the beginning of August, came the surprising news that Jerry Lewis was no longer the MDA’s national chairman and would not take part in 2011 MDA Telethon.
At that time, R. Rodney Howell, MDA Chairman of the Board said in a statement that Lewis “will not be appearing on the telethon” and “we will not be replacing him as MDA national chairman.”
Rodney Howell added that Lewis “is a world-class humanitarian and we’re forever grateful to him for his more than half century of generous service to MDA.”
Though the organizers have not announced a replacement for Jerry Lewis, they promise a full of entertainment program for the 2011 MDA Labor Day Telethon show, as it was posted on association’s website:
“The 46th annual MDA Labor Day Telethon is getting ready to squeeze 21½ hours of entertainment, awareness-building and fundraising into six prime-time hours on Sunday night, Sept. 4.
The shorter show, which is expected to draw more viewers in its prime-time slot, will be fast-paced and jam-packed with top-notch entertainment.
In addition to the shorter national broadcast, each hour of the local Telethon will feature two local segments of seven and eight minutes each.
Top talent and tweets
The prime-time slot already is attracting new talent, such as country music superstars Darius Rucker, Lady Antebellum and Martina McBride.
In addition, talented co-hosts Nancy O’Dell, Nigel Lythgoe, Jann Carl and Alison Sweeney will keep things hopping, joined by MDA National Goodwill Ambassador Abbey Umali, 12.
MDA’s social media will add a new dimension to the show with “tweets” and online posts from behind the scenes.
Watch for spontaneous video interviews with Telethon families and celebrities, and follow all the backstage Telethon action on MDA’s Facebook page and Twitter account. These extras will be posted on the MDA website.
Inspiring profiles
Four remarkable young people living with neuromuscular disease will be the subjects of video profiles.
Get Discovered!
MDA’s own version of “American Idol” — Clear Channel’s Get Discovered! contest — again will highlight new musical talent.
New prime-time schedule
Approximately 160 “Love Network” stations will carry the show from coast to coast, and it will be seen around the world via mda.org.
In the 46 years since it began, MDA’s signature event has meant help and hope for those affected by neuromuscular disease — and that’s one thing that will never change.”
The MDA Telethon is an American television institution and is seen each Labor Day weekend by more than 40 million viewers, having an audience comparable to that of the Academy Awards and greater than that of American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, the Emmys and the Golden Globes, according to MDA website.
