Wear your good underwear

The Netherlands will immediately begin use of its 15 full body scanners to analyze passengers flying to the United States.  The increased security comes in the wake of Friday's failed attempt by a Nigerian passenger to detonate an explosive device aboard Northwest 253 from Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport to Detroit, Michigan.  Umar Farouk Abdulmuttallab passed through a security checkpoint which included baggage scanning and a metal detector during his layover in the Netherlands.  The full body scanners have not been used there due to privacy objections; the scanners show security personnel the body contours of passengers.  Authorities in the Netherlands say they will employ new software that only highlights areas of the body where items are stored, such as pockets.  Still, authorities advise all passengers to wear their good underwear for their flight.

Today is the 5th anniversary of the massive 2004 Tsunami

Thousands attended prayers and ceremonies of remembrance around the world on Saturday to mark the fifth anniversary of the deadly Indian Ocean tsunami   The huge waves left hundreds of thousands displaced on coastlines across Africa and Asia and killed about 250,000 people in 14 countries five years ago.

Breaking News: A U.S. plane has skidded off the runway in Jamaica

An American Airlines flight overshot a runway in Kingston, Jamaica, skidded and crashed into a fence some 10 feet from the ocean late Tuesday night. Unconfirmed reports say the fuselage broke into three pieces. All of the 148 passengers and 6 crew members survived, though some 91 of them have injuries. The accident happened during heavy rains in the area.

Prince William sleeps in an alley with the homeless

Britain's Prince William spent a cold night near Blackfriars Bridge last week with Seyi Obakin, the chief executive of British homeless charity Centrepoint. He spent the night exposed to the elements in order to experience and hilight the plight of Britain's homeless teenagers. William has been the charity's patron since 2005. He was first exposed to homelessness during a trip with his mother to a homeless shelter at the age of 13. At that time, he and his younger brother spent an hour touring the shelter. William's mother, Diana Princess of Wales, was Centrepoint's patron until her untimely death in 1997.

"I cannot, after one night, even begin to imagine what it must be like to sleep rough on London's streets night after night," William said Tuesday. "Poverty, mental illness, drug and alcohol dependancy and family breakdown cause people to become and then stay homeless.
"I hope that by deepening my understanding of the issue, I can help do my bit to help the most vulnerable on our streets."

As you enjoy your holidays surrounded by friends and family in your warm homes, fill your bellies, and rip open presents think of those that have no where to go and nothing to eat. What can you do for them?

Here is the website for Centrepoint in the UK

For information on various charities that help the homeless in the United States, go to charitynavigator.org

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Great Britain is doing away with checks

After a 300 year run, the lowly check is set to be phased out in Great Britain. Due to high processing costs and the sagging economy, banks are encouraging consumers to turn towards paperless and electronic means of transferring funds to creditors.

Usain Bolt in running to be Time's Person of the Year

The world's fastest man, Jamaica's Usain Bolt, is a runner-up for Time Magazine's Person of the Year 2009. The 6'5" 212 lb sprinter wowed when he broke the 100 meter and 200 meter world records at the 2009 Beijing Olympics. In Berlin, the site where Jesse Owens humiliated the Nazis in the 1936 Olympics, Germans sang Happy Birthday to Bolt. Since then, the world has been captivated with the golden shod, fleet footed phenomenon. He is known for his victory pose to the world, feet planted shoulder's width, one hand pulling back an imaginary bow, the other pointed at the heavens. The sky's the limit for Bolt's success. Congrats.

Angelina Jolie criticizes the Obama administration

Angelina Jolie, a staple on OTHER gossip websites, recently criticized the Obama administration in an editorial for Newsweek Magazine. "Their policy, though, raises a number of questions," the top box office star wrote. "How is the Obama administration's approach to Sudan an evolution of justice? In addition, when the administration says it intends to work to 'improve the lives of the people of Darfur,' I would like to know what that means, besides the obvious point that their lives could hardly get worse."

Now, I was sucking my teeth and thinking she should sweep outside her own door and explore her relationship issues before I read it was about Darfur. The problems in the Sudan, South Africa, Kenya, and other places really touch my heart. I think there is always more we can do. I admire her for doing the unpopular thing by speaking up in an attempt to spur the President to re-examine his timetable for addressing the problems of the developing world.

For more information on what YOU can do, visit http://www.savedarfur.org/

Tiger Woods' Caddie is backing away

Tiger Woods' long-time caddie, New Zealander Steve Williams, is now distancing himself from his boss admidsts calls for his sacking in the wake of the Woods scandal. Williams came under criticism from ESPN sports columnist Rick Reilly, that a number of Woods' staff members need to be fired if he wants to save his marriage:

"[Woods] needs to clean house," Reilly wrote in ESPN Magazine. "If he wants to keep his wife, he has to get a new agent, a new caddie and some new friends...It's hard to believe all this went on without their help or knowledge."

Woods attended the kiwi's 2005 wedding, but now Williams says Woods' scandal has caused tension within his own marriage. Williams also says that he knew Tiger had a problem and tried to talk with him about it, but he had no specific knowledge of the affairs:

"The media has made it very difficult for my family. There is no question about it, Williams exclusively told the New Zealand newspaper the Sunday News. "Obviously, I understand Tiger has got a problem. And we [Woods and Williams] discussed that. What people fail to realise is I [just] work for Tiger Woods ... I am not with him 24/7. ... When he is not competing, I am back in New Zealand. I have no knowledge of what he is doing."

Personally, I think Woods' entourage may or may not have provided cover for him on various occasions, but in the end Woods' actions are his own. You cannot hold someone else responsible for the actions of another. Tiger was the one placing the phone calls and texting, he arranged the rendezvous. He climbed into bed (or wherever) with this incredibly long list of women. He obviously knew what he was doing. Some have suggested he might soon claim to have a sex addiction and enter rehab to clean up his image. That would be the coward's way out. Tiger's situation is less one of addiction than one of an incredibly rich and powerful man who wanted to have his cake and eat it too.

Similarly, his wife Elin Nordegren's reported ultimatum that he leave the PGA tour and the sport of golf or lose his family also misses the mark. She has reportedly bought a mansion on a secluded Swedish isle accessible only by boat. Golf didn't cause Tiger to cheat, that was his own selfish ego. There is no shortage of buxom blondes in Sweden. Won't they need a large staff to serve at that mansion and to help her with the children? Without golf to occupy his time, Elin will have an even tougher time keeping her husband's zipper up.

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S. Africa says no; they want JHud to go

South African actors want to stop Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson from playing former South African President Nelson Mandela's wife Winnie Madikizela-Mandela in a new film. Members of the film union say casting a foreigner in such a large role undermines efforts to develop the national fim industry. The film will be directed by South African film-maker Darrell J. Roodt, whose films include "Cry, The Beloved Country" and "Sarafina."

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela continued her husband's political activism during his 27-year stint as a political prisoner and campaigned tirelessly for his release. She separated from Nelson Mandela in 1992, two years after his release from prison. Her image was tarnished by a series of scandals including her links to the kidnap and murder of a young activist and a 2003 conviction for fraud.

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These hands don't do dishes

You may have thought giant weves and long painted talons were the province of inner city America, but you were wrong. The Tokyo Nail Expo 2009 is one of the hottest shows in town and is a bigger draw than the Bronner Brothers Hair Show in Atlanta. Even with the sagging economy, the Japanese nail art business has grown to 200 million yen.

The annual exposition is a showcase for the latest trends in the the upscale world of nail design. It attracts women of all ages to a competition between professional nail artists seeking to display the most innovative and outlandish designs. Approximately 50,000 visitors descended upon the Japanese metropolis to attend the show this year to view the creation of whimsical designs, many of the 3-D and costing in the thousands of U.S. dollars.

I once worked with this woman who had wild nails like those above only hers were maybe twice as long. One day someone asked her how she tends to her hygiene with nails like that. (I wondered, too, but would never ask something so personal.) She told us she wraps the toilet paper around the nails and pats or something to that effect. Plus with nail art like that you don't want to wash your hands too often or they will weaken and peel. From then on I was perfectly nice to her, but never ever ever touched anything after she did. Never mind her a$$, can you imagine the state of her....?

Today is World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day. For your own health and peace of mind, please get tested for HIV. There are over 85,000 people living with HIV in the United Kingdom; 1/4 of them do not know they are infected. There are an estimated 1 million Americans living with HIV and over 33 million people worldwide infected with the virus. President Obama made a proclamation declaring the day World AIDS Day. To find an HIV Testing location near you in the United States, send a text message with your ZIP code to KNOWIT (566948) or visit http://www.hivtest.org/.

Resources: http://www.worldaidsday.org/ and http://www.hhs.gov/aidsawarenessdays/days/world/index.html

Alicia Keys has some news that will change 5 people's lives

Alicia Keys made an announcement yesterday that will change the lives of 5 people--no she's not expecting! A Keys will officially announce at her concert tonight she wants to take five people with her to visit Africa.

The Grammy-winning singer is launching a contest through her charity, Keep a Child Alive, that will give five people an opportunity to visit the continent with her. She says her initial trip to Africa "totally changed my life." "Going to Africa was unbelievable for me," the 28-year-old said. "I was able to see the great separation between have and have not," Keys said. "I was able to see the incredible spirit of people. I was able to learn firsthand about the AIDS pandemic of Africa."

Be careful what you post on Facebook

A French Canadian woman has lost her sick leave benefits after her insurance adjuster spotted pictures of her on Facebook. Nathalie Blanchard was on leave from her job at IBM for major depression and under the care of a doctor. According to her, her doctor advised her to go out and try to have fun, so she went clubbing with friends and went on a vacation. So far so good. The trouble started when she uploaded pictures of her smiling and seemingly enjoying herself to her Facebook page. The claims adjuster spotted them and cut off her benefits. First of all, I am shocked they paid long-term sick leave benefits for depression. I know in the U.S. and other countries it is very difficult to obtain benefits for mood disorders other than manic-depression. Many people think it is just too subjective and that people take advantage of the system. What do you think? Should she get the money or get a job?

Australia issues historic apology

The Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued a historic apology today to thousands of impoverished British children shipped to Australia with the promise of a better life, triggering calls for compensation for the abuse and neglect that many suffered. Approximately 150,000 British children may have been shipped over a period of 350 years through programs run by the government, religious groups and children's charities. The relocations were touted as a way to give the children a chance at life--and to keep the British Empire supplied with white workers in its outposts. Many of the children ended up in institutions where they labored as farm hands ore were physically or sexually abused. The program formally ended 40 years ago; approximately 7,000 survivors of the program who still live in Australia.

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Yaki Nights Over Egypt

The gentleman on the left, Egyptian chief Egyptologist Zahi Hawass called American pop-star Beyonce a “stupid person” during her brief tour of the Giza pyramids earlier this week

In a shocking display of poor diplomacy, writing in al-Shorouk newspaper, Summer al-Gamal said that Hawass became fed up with the pop star’s attitude after she did not show the interest Hawass felt was deserved of the pyramids, according to Bikya Masr website.

According to Gamal, during Hawass’ self-guided tour, he said “I showed her the Sphinx and I gave her a book on King Tutankhamen,” but then his anger and frustration made its way to the forefront.

“Then he stopped being diplomatic and said in anger, ’she’s a stupid person and she doesn’t understand a thing and she doesn’t want to understand’,” wrote Gamal. But if he really felt that way, why did he give her a book, must be a picture book.

I knew I left something off my shopping list!

Photo credit: AP via BBC UK

Proving WalMart will sell just about anything that turns a profit, reportedly China's first Sam's Club warehouse store stocks whole crocodile in its meat and seafood department. Crocodile meat is as common as chicken and turkey in China, but I'm still mad at that orange it their mouths.

Madonna visits Malawi

Madonna will visit Malawi to observe the progress of the school for girls she is building through her charity, Raising Malawi. Her charity helps feed, educate and provide medical care for some of Malawi's orphans. The country is one of the poorest nations in the world; out of 12 million people, half a million children have lost a parent to AIDS. During her visit, Madonna will visit several orphanages and meet with President Bingu wa Mutharika. Madonna controversially adopted two children from Malawi, her 4-year-old son David and 3-year-old daughter Mercy.

Hoeshit Down Under

It's a small world after all seeing as how Snow White couldn't find any one else and finally bedded the Seven Dwarves. Australian Jamieson's Raspberry Ale is in hot water with the Disney Company over a racy advert depicting alter egos of popular fairy tale characters. Snow White--now dubbed Ho White--is shown blowing smoke rings in a post-coital recline semi-nude under bed covers. The heroine is sandwiched in between no less than seven partners: the seven dwarves Happy, Sleepy, and Doc now redubbed Smarmy, Filthy, and Randy. Ad company The Foundry defended itself by saying they wanted to convey their fruit-flavored ale is "anything but sweet".

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Real Life 'Coming to America'

For years, Charles Wesley Mumbere worked as a nurse's aide in Maryland and Pennsylvania, caring for the elderly and sick. No one there suspected that he had inherited a royal title in his African homeland when he was just 13.

The new King of Uganda's Mountains of the Moon has undergone many transformations — from teenage leader of a rebel force to impoverished student to a nursing home assistant working two jobs in the U.S., where he lived for nearly 25 years.

He inherited the title when his father, Isaya Mukirania Kibanzanga, died while leading a secessionist group in the Rwenzori Mountains, otherwise known as the Mountains of the Moon. The rebels were protesting the oppression of their Bakonzo ethnic group by their then-rulers, the Toro Kingdom.

Shortly after his father died, Mumbere went to the United States in 1984 on a Uganda government scholarship, attending a business school until Uganda's leadership changed and the stipend was stopped. He gained political asylum in 1987, trained as a nurse's aide and took a job in a suburban Washington nursing home to pay his bills. In 1999, he moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania's capital, where he worked for at least two health care facilities.

Living in the U.S., however, was "a very difficult experience," he said. "Sometimes you have two jobs. You go to college in the morning, between 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Then you go prepare to go to work at 3 p.m. and then return at 11 p.m."

On Monday, after years of political upheaval and financial struggle, Mumbere, 56, was finally crowned king of his people to the sound of drumbeats and thousands of cheering supporters wearing cloth printed with his portraits.

At a public rally later in the day, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni officially recognized the 300,000-strong Rwenzururu Kingdom. Museveni restored the traditional kingdoms his predecessor banned in 1967, but has been adamant that kings restrict themselves to cultural duties and keep out of politics.


Source: Yahoo News

This kid brings new meaning to the phrase "big baby"

This 19lb. Indonesian newborn's mother thought she was having twins. Akbar is already wearing size 24mo. clothes and has gained another half pound since his birth a month ago. His mother still has not healed enough to lift him up.