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Canadians Urged To Don Sealskin As "Birthday" Suit

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadians should wear sealskin to celebrate the country's birthday on July 1, an Inuit leader said on Friday, in defiance of a European movement to ban the import of Canadian seal products.

"I am quite tired of other people telling us how to live our lives, without taking the time to learn about our culture and way of life," National Inuit leader Mary Simon said.

"I am calling on Canadians who support us to get some seal clothing and wear it in a show of solidarity to Inuit and other Canadian sealers on Canada Day."

Simon said she made the plea in response to plans by animal rights protesters to gather in Brussels and demand a prohibition on seal items like furs, skins and health products.

Protesters -- supported by celebrities like Paul McCartney and Brigitte Bardot -- have long objected to the seal hunt for its cruelty. They've won widespread public opinion over the years with graphic footage of young seal pups being bludgeoned to death on the ice.

Canada's assurances this year that it would impose new rules to ensure the animals are killed more humanely has done little to dampen the protests.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper defends the seal hunt as a traditional way of life among Canada's aboriginal peoples and a an important source of income for many small communities along the Atlantic Coast.

"Sealing is still important to the Inuit economy in 2008," said Simon, who wore a sealskin vest at a public event earlier this month.

"It angers me that animal-rights protesters, ignorant of and callous toward Inuit culture, are trying to take that away."

Original Source : http://uk.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080628/tod-uk-seals-59e8dbf.html


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Obama & Clinton First Post-Primary Event


UNITY, N.H. — Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton came to this tiny town of Unity on Friday for their first public appearance after a bitter primary fight. Less certain was whether Unity would come to them.

“We had a spirited dialogue,” acknowledged Mrs. Clinton, speaking first before a crowd of roughly 3,000, many laughing.

She was referring to the presidential nomination campaign, not the extended time the former rivals spent together Friday en route to the premiere of what the Obama campaign hopes will be a long-running buddy movie, at least through November. “That was the nicest way I could think of phrasing it,” Mrs. Clinton added, to more laughter.

Unity was both the venue and the watchword of the heavily choreographed event, held on the grounds of an old elementary school, adjoined by fields of wildflowers. Event organizers were hoping to evoke the feel of a latter-day Woodstock — only with better weather, more portable toilets and no skinny-dipping. It was left to the main acts, Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton, to supply the peace and love.

“Unity is not only a beautiful place, as we can see, it’s a wonderful feeling, isn’t it?” Mrs. Clinton said while Mr. Obama sat on a stool, nodding in agreement.

A few minutes later, Mr. Obama said of his vanquished rival, “I know firsthand how good she is, how tough she is, how passionate she is, how committed she is.”

Woodstock or no, Unity at least provided the ultimate festival for students of political body language. Mr. Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, and Mrs. Clinton appeared arm in arm, waving to a cheering crowd. U2’s “Beautiful Day” blared over loudspeakers, sputtering out for a few nervous seconds before recovering. Mr. Obama’s too-long blue tie went nicely with Mrs. Clinton’s blue pantsuit.

Once on stage, Mr. Obama placed his hand on Mrs. Clinton’s shoulder but stopped short of a full hug. There was minimal physical contact between the two throughout, though they shared a few close whispers, punctuated by laughter. He waved, she waved, often in opposite directions. There was no joint raising of hands. She smiled deferentially while he spoke, hands folded at her waist.

The Unity spirit was every bit in keeping with that of recent days. Mrs. Clinton returned Tuesday to the Senate and spoke of her commitment to campaign for Mr. Obama. The two held a joint fund-raiser in Washington on Thursday night, and later in the evening, Mr. Obama’s ever-present “body man,” Reggie Love, was seen dining in Georgetown with his Clinton counterpart, Huma Abedin, and two other people.

On Friday, Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama arrived simultaneously at an airport in Washington, where they exchanged a kiss and smiled as they stepped onto a chartered plane. They chatted through the 70-minute flight, sitting side by side, and continued the conversation during a 60-minute bus ride to Unity.

As has been well chronicled, this remote town near the Vermont border was chosen not just for its Hollywood name, but also for the perfect split of votes cast in the New Hampshire primary — 107 for each candidate.

“Divine intervention,” explained Jeanne Shaheen, a former New Hampshire governor and now a Democratic candidate for the United States Senate.

Less well known is that the town of Unity was nearly torn asunder by a land dispute in the 18th century. Then called Buckingham, it was rechristened Unity in 1764 after the conflict was resolved. Democrats were seeking a similar rapprochement Friday, and both principals were very much with the program.

“I hope you’ll work as hard for Senator Obama as many of you did for me,” Mrs. Clinton said, directing her remarks to her supporters, some of them with Hillary T-shirts and placards.

Mr. Obama said, “Hillary and I may have started with separate goals in this campaign, but we made history together.”

He placed special emphasis on her groundbreaking campaign as a woman. She demonstrated that “women can do anything that the boys can do, and do it better, and do it in heels,” he said.

“Hillary rocks,” a woman shouted from the back, and Mr. Obama agreed (“she rocks, she rocks”) and a chant of “Unity, Unity” went up from the back.

Not everyone received the unity memo, however. Carmella Lewis of Denver chanted “Hillary” while Mr. Obama spoke, smirked throughout his remarks and then stuffed her ears with scrunched-up tissue.

“I can’t listen to him,” Ms. Lewis said. “No way are we voting for Obama. We’re all voting for McCain.”

Friday’s crowd began descending on the school grounds at dawn. It was hot and sunny; at least three people in the crowd passed out from the heat before the candidates arrived after 1 p.m. A giant blue banner, “Unite for Change,” provided a backdrop. Many in the crowd, who came from New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts and beyond, wore faded stickers of their favorite candidate.

Asked if the town had ever seen such excitement, Tammy Dowd, board of selectmen secretary, mentioned something about Arlo Guthrie’s having played nearby West Unity in 1979, but that was nothing like this.

The pleasantries between the candidates belied a litany of extenuating issues between them. Mrs. Clinton has asked a Washington power broker and lawyer, Robert B. Barnett, to help negotiate the talks, which include helping repay her campaign debt and securing a prominent spot at the party’s summer convention. But the enmity of recent months was left behind Friday, at least by the former combatants on the stage.

“We have to make it a priority in our lives to elect Barack Obama the next president of the United States,” Mrs. Clinton told her supporters, including many who came with their own checks for Mr. Obama’s campaign.

“This was a hard-fought campaign,” she said. “That’s what made it so exciting and intense and why people’s passions ran so high on both sides. But we are a family, and we have an opportunity now to really demonstrate clearly we do know what’s at stake, and we will do whatever it takes to win back this White House.”

Mr. Obama responded in a similar spirit. ”For 16 months, Senator Clinton and I have shared the stage as rivals,” he said. “But, today, I couldn’t be happier and more honored and more moved that we’re sharing this stage as allies.”

He largely stuck to his standard stump speech, sprinkled heavily with “Hillarys” and “Unitys.” “Thank you, Senator Hillary Clinton; thank you, New Hampshire,” he said, and the candidates rejoined at the podium for more synchronized waving.

After a few seconds, Mrs. Clinton disappeared down some back steps, leaving Mr. Obama on stage by himself.

Original Source : http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/28/us/politics/28obama.html?ei=5087&em=&en=e42b44b827d8d518&ex=1214798400&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1214699614-uY2wrTRd/mKYznOIj3Q7sg



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Electric Daisy Carnival

Who said rave was dead?

Get ready for a full-blown disco circus on June 28 when downtown’s Memorial Coliseum and Exposition Park turn into a beat-infused festival with all the carnie works from rides to dance-crazy party people decked out in their urban tribal best. But the big draw will be the music. The party will also have six areas for live performers and superstar DJs like Moby, Z-Trip, Heather, Colette, BT, Armand van Helden, Paul Van Dyk, and our fave up-and-comer Paparrazzi.

Be sure to hit the "So Sweet" stage, where you'll find the electro heat of Blake Miller, Boyz Noize, Le Castle Vania and more.

Original Source : http://losangeles.metromix.com/music/fair_festival/electric-daisy-carnival/408812/content

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Six Flags Decapitation

Six Flags Decapitation Shocks The Nation


The Six Flags decapitation that took place earlier today has shocked the nation as news of a horrifying accident took place in Cobb County, Georgia, Atlanta. It was one of the worst accidents to have ever happened at the amusement part and the Six Flags decapitation was so vivid that the part was cleared to allow further police investigations. The accident happened earlier today in the afternoon. Can anyone imagine the scene at the Six Flags Over Georgia amusement park as the decapitation must have left a lot of traumatized young and old who have never seen such a morbid sight before.

The Six Flags decapitation how it took place is still anybody’s guess. Not much information is available as one is saying this while another is saying that. There are more questions than answers available at the moment. It is all very confusing and we will probably need to wait for more details from the police to learn what happened with the Six Flags decapitation. Or someone could go to the Six Flags Over Georgia amusement park and question the staff there for they must know something. Who is the person who was in the Six Flags decapitation?

What usually happens when such an accident as this Six Flags decapitation takes place? Should the people call 911 and ask for help? That should be quite obvious. But how do you deal with the shocked and traumatized who witness the Six Flags decapitation? It is enough to turn any stomach. And where exactly is this Six Flags Over Georgia amusement park where the terrible accident took place? It might actually lead to a temporary closure of the place as safety officials might want to look into the incident and find out how things can be improved to avoid another Six Flags decapitation.

The Six Flags accident would also cause much distress to friends of the teen who suffered the decapitation as they were with him. And they were also together with him when they jumped into a limited area. If they had not done such a stupid thing, this Six Flags decapitation accident would never have happened. So now who should be responsible for such a terrible end to a young life? Is it the park’s responsibility to keep them away from the restricted areas? Or should the group where the Six Flags decapitation took place have been more sensible and stick to where they are allowed?

Original Source : http://www.thetrulybeautiful.com/news/six-flags-decapitation-shocks-the-nation

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Stacy Lewis Leads

New professional Stacy Lewis leads by one

AN American playing her first golf tournament as a professional has upstaged the big guns to take the third round lead at the US Women's Open.

On a day when the Australian challenge petered out, Stacy Lewis, a 23-year-old who turned pro less than three weeks ago, carded a sizzling six-under-par 67 in strong winds at Interlachen outside Minneapolis, Minnesota.

She posted a nine-under 210 total, one stroke better than fellow American Paul Creamer, with Swede Helen Alfredsson and Korean Inbee Park two behind.

But if Lewis was surprised to lead, she wasn't admitting it.

"Truthfully, I'm not really that surprised," she said.

"I felt I could play and compete at this level. It was my goal to put myself in contention to win going into the last day."

Lewis didn't sound boastful, just honest, and she might not be unduly nervous about leading the biggest championship in women's golf, not after what she endured in her childhood.

She was diagnosed with scoliosis, a severe curvature of the spine, at the age of 11 and wore a hard plastic brace for the next seven years.

When that didn't correct her problem, she had surgery, a rod and five screws inserted into her back.

"From there I had to wear a brace for another three months," she explained.

"And then I couldn't bend or twist for six months.

"When I found out I had to have surgery, I thought I was done playing golf forever."

But Lewis eventually made a near full recovery and now stands 18 holes away from what would be a stunning achievement.

Australian Katherine Hull, who started the day only four strokes from the lead, was never a factor after two early bogeys, battling to a 77 that left her equal 31st, 11 strokes off the pace, one stroke better than Karrie Webb.

"I fought my swing all day and didn't make a whole lot of putts," said Hull.

"It wasn't an ideal start (three bogeys in the first five holes) but that's golf.

"It's not a game of perfect but most of us are perfectionists so when it doesn't go the way we want, we get a little stroppy."

Original Source : http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,23940906-10389,00.html


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Rhythm And Booms

Area in severe thunderstorm watch until 7 p.m.


The Madison area is in a severe thunderstorm watch until 7 p.m. Saturday, perhaps putting a damper on Rhythm and Booms at Warner Park.

Hail was falling on the west side of Madison around 2:15 p.m. Saturday.

Thunderstorms are likely later in the day, said Mike Stiller of Weather Central. Clouds began moving in around noon with most of the thunderstorm activity expected to hit later Saturday and early Sunday, Stiller said.

That might make Rhythm & Booms a little wet, but still likely to happen, Stiller said.

"I think we'll have a chance of a few isolated showers," he said. "I don't think it will be a washout, I don't expect the event to be canceled, the fireworks and activities should still be OK."

Saturday's high temperature is expected to hit a comfortable 76 degrees, down from a normal of 81 at this time of year. Lows tonight are expected to dip to 56 degrees.

Winds are expected to pick up throughout the day. The National Weather Service predicts a west wind between 15 and 20 miles per hour with gusts as high as 30 mph today. The NWS says storms later tonight could produce small hail and gusty winds.

Sunday is expected to be mostly cloudy, with a high in the low 70s and more scattered showers.

Friday's high was right at the seasonal average of 81 degrees, with a low of 64. Two-tenths of an inch of rain fell, bringing June's total to 10.89 inches as measured at Dane County Regional Airport.

Original Source : http://www.madison.com/tct/news/stories/293776

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Uga Vi Dies

UGA's popular mascot Uga VI dies of heart failure

The University of Georgia's beloved and Churchillian English bulldog mascot Uga VI died peacefully Friday night in Savannah of congestive heart failure after serving nine years on the Bulldog sidelines as the school's winningest mascot.

Uga VI, owned by Savannah attorney Frank W. "Sonny" Seiler, was the biggest in the line of six solid white English bulldogs to serve as UGA's mascot since Uga I became a Georgia football game fixture in 1956.

"He was a good one," Seiler said in a prepared statement. "What can I say? He had a marvelous record. He was a very strong and healthy dog. He was the biggest of all the dogs, and he had the biggest heart. It just played out."

Damon Evans, UGA director of athletics, bestowed the highest praise on the beast that he could Saturday, in a statement:

"Uga VI was a damn good mascot and a damn good dog," said Evans.

With the passing of one Uga there's always speculation which bulldog is heir to the throne, which comes with a few perks, including an air-conditioned dog house, travel by Delta Airlines to away games, celebrityhood (Uga V was on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1997 as the nation's best mascot) and a fanbase that's paparazzi-like in its obsession.

"People pet him so much his head gets sore," Seiler once said of his line of Ugas. "He's like a politician who shakes too many hands."

Seiler said Saturday that the "lineage is taken care of" and would be announced by Seilers and the UGA athletic association later.

Uga VI will be buried in a marble vault in the Southwest corner of Sanford Stadium with his ancestors in private ceremonies expected to be held early next week.

There had been speculation earlier this year that the 2007 season might have been Uga VI's last as a mascot because of his age. He would have turned 10 on July 22.

Seiler said in a statement Saturday he noticed Uga VI was breathing heavily shortly after Seiler arrived home from work Friday evening. He was taken to Dr. Stanley Lester, the family's veterinarian, who consulted with Dr. Bruce Hollett at UGA's College of Veterinary Medicine.

"I noticed a little congestion in his throat, which usually is not cause for alarm," said Seiler in the release. "I gave him a bath, which he always loved, to cool him off. After that, I called Dr. Lester, whose office is about a four-minute drive from our house.

"His heart just played out. He suffered no pain and died peacefully."

UGA president Michael F. Adams said in a statement Uga VI will be "missed and remembered by UGA alumni and friends everywhere."

During his reign as mascot, the UGA football team compiled a record of 87 wins and 27 losses, captured the 2002 and 2005 Southeastern Conference championships, and won six of eight bowl games, surpassing Uga IV's record of 77-24-4.

By far the biggest of the Ugas — he weighed 65 pounds, more than twenty pound heavier than his father — his full name was pretty hefty, too: "Uga V's Whatchagot Loran?"

That's what Georgia radio play-by-play announcer and voice of the bulldogs Larry Munson says when he's trying to get more information from sideline reporter Loran Smith.

Original Source : http://www.ajc.com/news/content/sports/uga/stories/2008/06/28/ugamascot_0629.html



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World Series Of Golf

Can bets and putts pay off?

World Series of Golf backer hopes unique format will ensure franchise's longevity

Terry Leiweke doesn't want his World Series of Golf franchise to end up in the cemetery of Las Vegas-based sports teams and golfing events.

It's not that he couldn't handle the failure. It's that he couldn't handle the humiliation in the eyes of his brothers.

From arenas to teams, the four Leiweke brothers have become synonymous with success in the sports business. Terry Leiweke believes the Las Vegas-based World Series of Golf, which just completed its second season, is well on its way to similar accolades.

The made-for-television event, a unique format that combines the skill of golf with the wagering savvy of high-stakes poker, allows an amateur golfer the opportunity to win a top prize of $250,000. The tournament will be expanded next year to add two more events, including one where the top prize will be more than $1 million. Plans call for the concept to be eventually tried in Europe.

Leiweke, 58, said he didn't expect the World Series of Golf to make money in its first two years, and it hasn't. However, he was up-front about those prospects with his initial investors and he firmly believes 2009 will be the tipping point.

"The graveyard is full of headstones of ideas, especially TV golf ideas," Leiweke said. "We have a clear business model. Of course, there has never been a business with this particular model. We know what we need to do to grow this business."

The World Series of Golf, which took place over three days in May at the Paiute Golf Resort, allows amateur golfers to pony up $10,000 each as an entry fee. Players wager on each tee, then bet the others in their foursome on whether or not they can make their subsequent shots. Rather than shooting the lowest golf score, the object of the game is to claim the money pot on each hole, eventually eliminating opponents by winning all the chips.

Leiweke said he and several partners were presented the idea three years ago. They played a round of golf using the format. By the ninth hole, they were hooked.

"My family has been in the sports business for 30-plus years," Leiweke said. "We knew this was a cool format."

The timing also turned out to be fortuitous. The PGA Tour has changed the name of its annual event in Akron, Ohio, to the World Golf Championship, leaving the familiar-sounding World Series of Golf moniker on the open market. Leiweke swooped in and claimed the name, which has since been trademarked.

In February, the World Series of Golf went public as an Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board stock. The 21.6 million shares have traded as high as $4.50 and closed at $1.10, down 10 cents, or 8 percent, on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of almost $25 million.

"We're a content company and you're investing in management," Leiweke said. "We have a history of being able to execute."

Unlike a casino in high-stakes poker, which takes a 6 percent to 8 percent cut of each prize pool, the World Series of Golf pays 100 percent of the prize pool to the players. Leiweke said the business makes its money in sponsorships and other areas. This year, major sponsors included FullTiltPoker.net, an online gambling Web site, and The Mirage, which served as the host hotel-casino.

"In two years, we've paid out more than we've taken in," Leiweke said, saying golfing events are expensive to operate. The World Series of Golf also pays for the players' hotel rooms. He said the company paid $50,000 alone to train "croupiers" who act as scorers and keep track of the wagers.

The growth market, Leiweke said, is additional events. Next year, a $200,000 buy-in event with the same format as the $10,000 buy-in model will be added, along with a Ryder Cup-style team event.

Also, the World Series of Golf plans on launching a Web site where online golfers, for a fee, sign up to play a digital version of the tournament. The concept, Leiweke believes, could match the once lucrative online poker phenomenon.

The Leiweke brothers' track record is impressive.

Terry Leiweke was involved with the World Hockey Association in the 1980s and was responsible for the early development of indoor soccer, including an ownership interest in the Kansas City Comets, one of the sport's one-time premier franchises.

Older brother Tracey Leiweke sits on the World Series of Golf's board of directors.

Younger brother Tim Leiweke is CEO of Anschultz Entertainment Group, which operates the Los Angeles Kings and the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Younger brother Tod Leiweke is the CEO of Vulcan Sports and Entertainment, the company that manages the Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trailblazers.

After the World Series of Golf was completed, the brothers got together. Terry Leiweke said his brothers believe the franchise will be successful.

"It's a tedious job to do a start-up," Leiweke said. "But we think this idea is global. It could be every bit as big as the World Series of Poker."

Original Source : http://www.lvrj.com/business/22300364.html



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Samantha Mumba


Samantha Tamania Anne Cecilia Mumba[1] (born 18 January 1983)[2] is an Irish singer and actress.

Her first album was released in 2000. Her most notable role was Mara in the 2002 film The Time Machine. She has also appeared in a number of Irish independent films.[3]

Biography

Mumba was born in Dublin, Ireland. Her father, Peter Mumba, is a Zambian aircraft engineer[4] and her mother Barbara is an Irish woman who works as a cabin crew member with the Irish airline Aer Lingus.[citation needed]

Mumba attended Dublin's Billie Barry Stage School from the ages 3 to 15. In 1998, Mumba was cast as the lead in The Hot Mikado, a jazzy production based on Gilbert and Sullivan's opera.[5]

Music career

2000–2002

At the age of 15, Mumba was discovered on an RTÉ TV talent show Let Me Entertain You by Irish music Svengali Louis Walsh (manager of Boyzone and Westlife). Walsh was impressed by her talent and she was signed to Polydor Records. She subsequently spent several months moving between Denmark, Sweden, the UK and Ireland where she co-wrote and recorded her debut album, Gotta Tell You. She eventually dropped out of school to focus on her music career, explaining that it was becoming difficult to stay in school and work on her music.

Mumba's first single, "Gotta Tell You", was released in 2000 and reached No. 1 in the Irish charts. It later reached No. 2 in the British charts. Mumba also had success in the USA, with the song peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album Gotta Tell You stayed on the charts for 6 months and was eventually certified Platinum for sales of 1 million copies. Five more Top 10 hits followed in the UK and she had another top 50 hit in the US. To date, her first album has sold over 4 million copies worldwide. In 2001 Mumba contributed to the track "You Raise Me Up" by the Celtic Tenors. An EP was also released in 2001 at Christmas called Samantha Sings Christmas, it is also a bonus disc on rare special editions of Gotta Tell You.

On October 2000, "Gotta Tell You" was released in France.

2002–2007

In 2002 Mumba released a new single I'm Right Here with a slightly more laid-back sound. The video features Damien Marley, son of Bob Marley. The video was a television favourite in both the US and UK. The single became Mumba's fifth UK top 5 single and her fifth top 40 single in Ireland. In the US and Germany the song was less successful, peaking at 80 and 81.

Rumors circulated that Mumba was getting ready to release a second album, Woman, but due to the poor sales of the lead single "I'm Right Here" in the US and a short lived time on the UK chart, she was dropped from her label, but Mumba stated on the Late Late Show (3 February 2007) that there never was a second album and the tracks leaked on the internet were attempts by her to find a new sound.

On October 23, 2006, a compilation album, The Collection, was released. The album features songs from Gotta Tell You, B-sides and two brand new tracks including her single I'm Right Here.

Samantha was to begin her comeback with a concert in Dublin’s Vicar Street on March 2 2007, but this was canceled on 27 February after only 30 tickets had been sold. She also did a nightclub show at Limerick’s Trinity Rooms on Sunday March 18th 2007 to showcase her new grittier club sound.

2008–present

On Thursday 17th Jan 2008, Samantha appeared on U.K daytime T.V show "Loose Women". After discussing her time away from the music scene, and her appearance on ITV reality TV show "Dancing On Ice" (which ended abruptly after three weeks), the singer stated that she had almost finished recording her new album, and hoped it would be released in the summer of 2008.

She also appeared on the Clubland Live tour performing a dance mix of her debut single Gotta Tell You.

Modelling

Shortly after the success of Gotta Tell You, Mumba was seen as the face of the fashion designer Louise Kennedy's spring/summer collection.[6]

She also became a Dior ambassador when she launched the Dior Watch Collection in Ireland. Around the same time, Mumba also became the face of Reebok appearing in print advertising in the UK and Ireland for the Quest range.[7]

In 2005, Mumba became the face (and body) of the Ultimo Per Amore Lingerie range, available exclusively at the Irish high-street chain Dunnes Stores.[8]

In February 2008, Samantha appeared on the South Bank in London with a candyfloss cart carrying Tate & Lyle Fairtrade cane sugar. The company announced its ambition to move 100pc of its retail cane sugars range to Fairtrade by 2009.

Television career

After Woman was cancelled, Mumba's music career was put on hold and she began auditioning for films. In 2002, Steven Spielberg picked her to play Mara in The Time Machine. Mara is a girl who is part of a human civilization which has regressed to a hunter/gatherer lifestyle in the year 802,701 AD. She co-starred with Guy Pearce and the movie earned $56,684,819 in the US. Mumba's second venture into films was in 2003, where she appeared in the film Spin the Bottle.

In 2005, Mumba returned to acting with the lead role of Jessica in the Irish film Boy Eats Girl. The film was a box office failure in Ireland, making a little over €1 million despite it's €5 million budget.[9]

In 2006, Mumba starred in the thriller Nailed, playing the character of "Sapphire", Mumba also co-starred in Johnny Was, a British gangster movie. 2007 saw Mumba filming her part in the movie 3 Crosses.

Mumba confirmed on the Late Late Show, 9 February 2007, that a camera crew has been following her on and off for the past 6 months for a Reality TV show which was shown on Channel 4 at the end of March 2007. The show was called Get Your Act Together with Harvey Goldsmith and follows Mumba's attempts to revive her music career with Harvey Goldsmith as her mentor.

In 2007 Music mogul Harvey Goldsmith has put his considerable weight behind Samantha Mumba as the newest judge for the X Factor. The famous music promoter and manager has spent the last six months working with Samantha on the relaunch of her career in the UK and The US.“It wasn’t a smooth path by any means, and at times she drove me half mad,” he says, “but at the end of the day, Samantha revealed she’s got the great natural talent it takes to be a huge star.“I believe Samantha would make a fantastic judge, having experienced the highs and lows of success herself, and she isn’t shy of making her thoughts known.”

Mumba starred on the 2008 series of Dancing On Ice but was eliminated in week 3.

Original Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samantha_Mumba
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Sunshine Tutt To Marry Chris Kattan


She must never have seen any of his Saturday Night Live skits, but Sunshine Tutt is set to marry unfunny comedian Chris Kattan today.
The coupler started dating in the spring of 2005 after meeting her at a birthday party. He proposed on Christmas Eve 2006.

“Originally I was going to do something very special,” Kattan said about the engagement. “I tried to get Bono of U2 to serenade her. That didn’t happen. Then I asked Justin Timberlake. No answer. After hundreds of phone calls and text messages, I finally ended up asking one of the members of the Hanson group. He didn’t want to get involved.”
See, we told you he wasn’t funny.

Original Source : http://www.fashion.ie/aggregator/gossip/86656-sunshine-tutt-marry-chris-kattan

Dropa Stones

The Dropa Stone Discs

The Dropa (also known as Dropas, Drok-pa or Dzopa) are, according to certain controversial writers, a race of dwarf-like extraterrestrials who landed near the Chinese-Tibetan border some twelve thousand years ago. Skeptics note, however, a number of problems with the case (and a lack of corroborative evidence), which offers significant doubt as to the reality of the more sensationalistic Dropa claims. Mainstream critics argue that the entire affair is a hoax.

Alleged Discovery -- Chi Pu Tei, a professor of archaeology at Beijing University, and his students were on an expedition to explore a series of caves in the pathless Himalayan mountains of the remote Bayan-Kara-Ula in Qinghai on the border of China and Tibet. The caves may have been artificially carved to be a system of tunnels and underground storerooms. The walls were squared and glazed, as if cut into the mountain with great heat.

They found many neat rows of tombs with short 4 ft 4 in inch skeletons buried within. The skeletons had abnormally big heads, and small, thin, fragile bodies. A member of the team suggested that these might be the remains of an unknown species of mountain gorilla. Prof. Chi Pu Tei was said to respond, "Who ever heard of apes burying one another?"

There were no epitaphs at the graves, but instead hundreds of one foot wide stone discs ("Dropa Stones") were found having 3/4 inch wide holes in their centers. On the walls were carved pictures of the rising sun, moon, stars, the land, mountains, and lines of pea-sized dots connecting the earth with the sky. Along with the discs, the cave drawings had been determined to be about 12,000 years old.

Dropa Stones

Each stone disk was reportedly inscribed with two fine grooves spiraling from the edge to a hole in the disk's center, perhaps not unlike the Phaistos Disk.

The disks were labeled along with other finds of the expedition and stored away at Beijing University for 20 years, during which deciphering attempts were unsuccessful. When the disks were closely examined by Dr. Tsum Um Nui of Beijing around 1958, he concluded that each groove actually consisted of a series of tiny hieroglyphs of unknown pattern and origin. The rows of hieroglyphics were so small that a magnifying glass was needed to see them clearly. Many of the hieroglyphics had been worn away by erosion. When Dr. Tsum deciphered the symbols, they told the story of the crash-landing of the Dropa spaceship and the killing of most of the survivors by local people.

According to Tsum Um Nui, one of the lines of the hieroglyphs reads, "The Dropas came down from the clouds in their aircraft. Our men, women and children hid in the caves ten times before sunrise. When at last they understood the sign language of the Dropas, they realized that the newcomers had peaceful intentions . . . ." Another section expresses "regret" by the Ham that the aliens' craft had crash-landed in such a remote and inaccessible mountain range and that there had been no way to building a new one to enable the Dropas to return to their own planet.

Dr. Tsum's report supposedly appeared in a professional journal in 1962. He was subsequently ridiculed to the point of self-imposed exile in Japan, where he died. The Peking Academy of Pre-history never allowed him to publish and never speak of his findings.

"Tsum Um Nui" is not a real Chinese name, and critics suggest that Dr. Tsum may not have actually existed. However Tsum Um Nui is a Japanese name adapted to Chinese language. There is no evidence of him beyond the Dropa allegations.

Further research

In 1965, Professor Chi Pu Tei and four of his colleagues were finally given permission to reveal their theory. They published it under the title "The Grooved Script concerning Space-ships which, as recorded on the Discs, landed on Earth 12,000 years ago".

The records, some 716 grooved discs later uncovered in the same caves, tell an astonishing story of a space probe sent by the inhabitants of another planet. After landing at the Bayan-Kara-Ula mountain range, the scripts allegedly say, the peaceful intentions of the aliens confused the members of the Ham tribe, inhabitants of the neighboring caves, who hunted down and killed the extraterrestrials.

Photos claiming to show Dropa Disks are in fact Bi Disks, thousands of which have been found throughout China, mostly in the Southeastern Provinces. Bi Disks range in size of a few inches to several feet, and are most commonly made of jade or nephrite, with a round or square small central hole.

Most Bi Disks date to the Neolithic Period (c. 3000 BCE), but are found up to the Shang Dynasty Period. Bi Disks beyond the Shang Period are usually more ornate, carved with dragons, snakes and sometimes fish, and used in ritual ceremonies.

Most Neolithic Bi Disks were found in gravesites, buried beneath the head or feet of the deceased. It is theorized that this was to assist the deceased's spirit. No Bi Disks have been found to contain writing or spiral grooves as described in the Dropa story by authors such as Hartwig Hausdorf.

The Dropa Disks are said to be only 12 inches in diameter. However, one black and white photograph claimed by Hausdorf and others to display a Dropa Disk clearly shows the disk resting on a seat, and it is clearly several feet in diameter and has no markings whatsoever.

Russian Research

Russian scientists asked to see the discs and several were sent to Moscow for examination. They were scraped free of rock particles which had stuck to them and then put through chemical analysis. To the surprise of the scientists, the disks contained large amounts of cobalt and other metallic substances. What is more, when placed on a special turntable, according to Dr. Vyatcheslav Saizev, who described the experiments in the Soviet magazine Sputnik, they vibrate or "hum" in an unusual rhythm as though an electric charge is passing through them. Or as one scientist suggested, "as if they formed some part of an electrical circuit." At some time, they have clearly been exposed to extraordinarily high voltages. "They seem like ancient hard disks, spinning like the hard disks we have now days. Perhaps if we could read these ancient hard disks, we would find more answers."

Wegerer's Photos

In 1974, Ernst Wegerer, an Austrian engineer, photographed two disks that met the descriptions of the Dropa Stones. He was on a guided tour of Banpo-Museum in Xian, when he saw the stone discs on display. He claims he saw a hole in the center of each disc and hieroglyphs in partly crumbled spiral-like grooves.

Wegerer asked the managers of Banpo-Museum for more information on the pieces in the showcase. The manager knew nothing of the stones' history, though she was able to tell a complete story about all the other artifacts made from clay. She only knew that the stone discs were unimportant "cult objects".

Wegerer was allowed to take one of the discs in his hand. He estimated their weight at 1 kilogram or 2 pounds, and the diameter at one foot. The hieroglyphs can't be seen in his photos, because they have crumbled away partly, and his camera's flash washed out the fine detail, such as the spiral grooves.

A few days after his visit, the manager was called away from her job without telling her why. She and the two stone discs vanished, according to Professor Wang Zhijun, the Director of the Banpo-Museum in March of 1994.

Corroboration

In the years since the discovery of the first disc, archeologists and anthropologists have learned more about the isolated Bayan-Kara-Ula area. Much of the information has been interpreted as corroborating the story recorded on the discs.

Legends supposedly still preserved in the area speak of small, gaunt, yellow-faced men who "came from the clouds, long, long ago". The men had huge, bulging heads and puny bodies and were so ugly and repellent that they were shunned by everyone. "Men with the quick horses" hunted down the ugly dwarfs. Strangely, the description of the "invaders" is said to match that of the skeletons originally discovered in the caves by Professor Chi Pu Tei.

Criticism

Critics have largely rejected the above claims, arguing they are a combination of hoax and urban legend. For example, writer David Richie notes that the Dropa tales intrigued Gordon Chreighton, a Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Society and Royal Geographical Society. Upon investigation, Chreighton judged the sensationalistic Dropa-Extraterrestrial allegations to be "groundless," and detailed his findings in an article for Flying Saucer Review.

No traceable, credible evidence for this theory exists, or can be proven to have existed in the past. Proponents of the Dropa-stones story claim that this is the result of social disruption caused by the Chinese Cultural Revolution and of a conspiratorial coverup by Chinese authorities. However this story goes well beyond China. Its opponents claim it is long proven to be a forgery by Erich von Daniken.

Below is a detailed rebuttal of most sensationalistic Extraterrestrial/Dropa claims:

    1. The discovery. There are no mentions of 'Tsum Um Nui' anywhere; as he is supposed to have fled China and died in Japan in the 1960s this cannot be negated by Cultural Revolution, Communist coverup theory. Also, there is no mention of the 1938 archaeological expedition to the Banyan Kara Ulla range. No "Peking Academy of Pre-History" ever existed.

    2. Early Sources. The earliest mention of the story is in Erich von Damien¹s infamous 1968 book, Chariots of the Gods. The book has been widely criticized as unreliable; in fact, the vast majority of names and sources appearing in the book cannot be corroborated, and no existence of the following Soviet or Chinese scholars can be found anywhere outside this story: Cho Pu Tei, Tsum Um Nui, Ernst Wagener, Vyatcheslav Saizev, and Sergei Lolladoff. Most tellingly, Däniken gives his main source for the story as a Soviet science fiction writer Alexander Kazantsev; however Kazantsev himself disagrees with Däniken's account and says that it was Däniken who told him the story, not the other way around.

    3. Later Sources. The 1978 book Sungods in Exile "edited" by David Agamon, appeared to lend support to the story of the Dropa, but Agamon admitted in the magazine Fortean Times in 1988 that the book was fiction and that its alleged author, a British researcher named Dr. Karyl Robin-Evans, was imaginary. Some websites claim to show a photo of Dr Robin-Evans with the Dalai Lama. A frail, old man assisted by the current Dalai Lama, the photograph is quite recent and can not be Dr Robin-Evans -- he died in 1978, according to Hartwig Hausdorf.

    4. Translation. There is absolutely no precedent for an unknown language being successfully deciphered. All lost ancient languages have been rediscovered only because they survived in forms familiar to scientists. Even in such cases, deciphering and understanding these older language forms and their scripts has usually taken decades for multiple teams of highly competent linguists, and their findings are constantly being debated and updated. Many ancient scripts (notably Linear A from the island of Crete and Rongorongo from Easter Island), have defied deciphering precisely because they cannot be linked to any known language. Given these facts, there would be even greater difficulties in translating a truly extraterrestrial language. It is therefore highly unlikely that a single Chinese scholar with no reported background in linguistics could single-handedly decipher an alien script or language in his spare time.

    5. The Disks. All that exists of the supposed alien disks are several wide-angle photographs. The disks photographed, firstly, do not match the described "12-inch disks"; the disks photographed are very large. Secondly, the photos show none of the supposed deep grooves. Finally, absolutely no photos, descriptions, analyses or any other evidence of the actual 'alien script' appear anywhere at all.

    6. The Evidence. The disks were supposed to be stored in several museums in China. None of these museums have any traces of these disks, nor can any be found of the ones supposedly sent to USSR for analysis.

    7. The Dropa Tribe. While reported to be a tribe of feeble dwarfs, in actuality the Dropas are nomadic herders who inhabit most of the northern Tibetan Plateau. The Ham are also inhabitants of Tibet, and traditionally have supplied Tibet's warriors: many of the 13th Dalai Lama's bodyguards during his escape from the Chinese invasion were Ham Tibetans. The word "Dropa", according to Chrieghton, describes the nomadic residents of Tibetan highlands, and can be roughly translated as "solitude" or "isolated". Furthermore, Chreighton described the Dropa as not resembling "troglodytes", or as stunted; on the contrary, they tend to be rather large and sturdy, befitting their occupation as herders. (Richie, 95-96)


Original Source : http://www.crystalinks.com/dropa.html

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MGMT - Time to Pretend

Amazing song...

God Save The Queen

Public foots helicopter bill for Royal visit to races

THE public spent £22,000 on sending the Queen to the races by helicopter, figures have revealed.

The Kentucky Derby blowout was revealed in an annual report that showed spending on the royals had risen an inflation-busting five per cent to £40million.

It means every taxpayer in Britain will fork out 66p a year for the monarchy - an increase of 4p.

Travel costs have gone through the roof, rising £600,000 to £6.2million.

The most expensive overseas trip was the Queen's state visit to the US last year to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement, when a plane was chartered at a cost of £381,813.

It was during the trip that she took the side jaunt by chopper to the glamorous racing event.

An anti-monarchist group last night spoke out about the spending.

The Republic group said the trip to the Kentucky Derby was unnecessary. Spokesman Graham Smith said "She took a day off and went to the horse races and it cost the taxpayers a lot of money.

"We're going to raise serious questions about that. Why are we paying for a day at the races?"

He added that the figures released yesterday were incomplete because they didn't include such things as security and the costs to local governments of royal visits.

Sir Alan Reid, keeper of the privy purse, said the Queen's financial advisers paid "continuous attention to obtaining value for money".

He said the increase in overseas travel spending was a result of a higher number of requests from the Foreign Office to make official visits abroad.

A palace spokeswoman said this applied to the Queen's trip to the Kentucky Derby as well.

She said Foreign Office officials had asked her to travel to the US and that the journey was part of an official visit when she was representing Britain as head of state.

The Queen's civil list, which funds her work, increased by £500,000 to £12.7million during the 2007-8 financial year.

The accounts also showed a staggering £32million black hole in maintenance projects on royal palaces.

The Queen's budget for maintaining Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and other royal buildings has been frozen by the Treasury for the next three years.

Reid said £32million was needed to stop royal residences falling apart.

A plea for an extra £1million a year was rejected by ministers.

Original Source : http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/2008/06/28/public-foots-helicopter-bill-for-royal-visit-to-races-86908-20623963/


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Angelina Jolie : Wanted

Wanted Review


When a film begins with a car chase worthy of my very best night of GTA 4, you know you're in business. An Angelina Jolie butt shot doesn't hurt, either.

Wanted, based on the graphic novel by Mark Millar, tells the story of Wesley Gibson (James McAvoy), a complete nobody. Harassed by his stapler-clicking boss, cheated on by his girlfriend, and addicted to anti-anxiety drugs, Wesley sees his life is going nowhere. A "chance" encounter with the fittingly named Fox (Angelina Jolie) at a convenience store (I think I need to change 7 Elevens) lets him in on his true history: He's the son of the world's best assassin and must avenge his father's murder. Fox introduces Wes to "The Fraternity," a band of fighters born with adrenaline-fueled abilities like lightning-quick reflexes and the ability to react as if things were moving in slow-motion. The head of this, uh, merry band is Sloan, (Morgan Freeman), Wes's dad's killing partner. Sloan explains that Wesley is one of the cool crowd, and proves it by making him shoot the wings off of some flies. I suppose if you're going to be told that your entire life is about to change, it's nice to hear it from Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie.

Waking up with a really full bank account (as Wes does) isn't so bad either. Does anyone want to tell me anything about my past? I'll even wear a superhero outfit...I already have the Underoos. Anyway, the Fraternity gets the names of their marks from a code woven into fabric on the "Loom of Fate." Sorry, but I can't just let this one go. "Loom of Fate?" Really? You couldn't have a "Flaming Python of Fate?" A "Spiked Ro-beast of Fate?" Hell, a "Rabid Hamster of Fate?" Weaving doesn't strike me as very "assassin." I guess that's the point.

Director Timur Bekmambetov's (Night Watch) stylized camera work lends itself quite easily to the frames and art of the graphic novel. I only had two issues. One: I'm tired of seeing a shot of the bad guy eating a steak before someone is killed. I get it. Bloody meat=someone's gonna die. Enough. It's been done. And two: Angelina eating Doritos? Anyone else think that's likely? Still, it was entertaining from start to finish. And I know someone's going to freak out about the amount of violence. True, it may beat the last fifteen minutes of The Departed for shots in the head, but that's what I liked about it. No apologies, no real moral lesson. Just lots of fake blood and totally satisfying action.

James McAvoy is well cast as the cypher-turned-"super assassin". His transformation from sniveling LaBoef-ite to conquering ass-kicker is impressive (And I'm not just saying that because he looked damn good without his shirt). Jolie is pretty much Laura Croft, but she certainly excels as the kick-ass hot chick. She doesn't speak much. Truth be told, she isn't really in the movie as much as the trailers and marketing would have you believe. And when she is on screen, she spends most of her time shooting someone or looking haughty and amused as Wesley tries to do the same. Still, I'd love to look as cool shooting a gun that looks like it would break my arm in half. And there is a shot of her getting out of the tub (see above: butt shot. Tattooed butt shot) that is worth the price of admission. Morgan Freeman in an action movie is treat enough for anyone, but hearing this refined gentleman say "mother f*cker" put me right over the edge.

Wanted is fun, hardcore violence. In fact, it would make a really good video game. Someone must have thought of this. Car chases, guns, ancient monks, super powers, healing bathtubs of wax....and looms! Lots and lots of looms.

Original Source : http://www.ugo.com/ugo/html/article/?id=18806&sectionId=7



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Fred Keller Cascade Engineering

Fred Keller is a staunch believer in green business. He feels that companies must do more than simply complying with laws in order to reap long-term benefits. Keller, of Cascade Engineering, was a keynote speaker this past week at a conference on sustainable manufacturing.

Fred Keller
Fred Keller

Fred P. Keller is chairman, CEO and founder of Cascade Engineering, a global provider of plastic solutions to the automotive, office furniture, and material handling markets. Keller was “green” before green was cool.

He may not have written the book on sustainability, but for six years, Keller has taught students at his alma mater, Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., about sustainability, innovation and a range of concepts just now reaching the “buzz word” lexicon.

“Six years ago, that was relatively unknown and largely the domain of people who would say, ‘You must be a left-wing tree hugger,’ ” Keller said. “I was pretty adamant at the time that this is something really good for business as well as for the planet and for people.”

Keller built Cascade Engineering to reflect his beliefs about sustainable businesses. He says that equal importance should be placed on the three key types of capital: social, ecological and financial. Not only his sustainable business model, but also his community and environmental programs have earned him wide spread recognition.

Original Source : http://themediansib.com/2008/06/27/fred-keller-green-business/

3 Die In Bar Shooting

Police: 3 people shot in suburban bar

Witnesses say gunman 'started shooting wildly' from door of Pa. nightspot


NORTH BRADDOCK, Pa. - A gunman opened fire at a suburban Pittsburgh bar late Friday night, wounding at least three people before fleeing, police said.

One person was shot in the head and a second person was hit in the chest during the violence at Crud's in North Braddock, police said. A third person was shot in the foot.

Dave Riggs, 62, said he was watching TV around 10:30 p.m. when he saw a man with a gun by the door. Riggs said he pushed the door against the man, but the suspect's hand remained inside the door and fired four or five rounds from a handgun.

"I just saw he had his hand poking through the door. He just started shooting wildly," said Bill McCaffery, 35, who was upstairs when he heard a commotion on the ground floor.

'Chaos'
"It was just chaos," McCaffery told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "People were hitting the floor."

He said there were about 25 people in the two-story bar at the time of the shooting.

The Allegheny County medical examiner's office said it was called to the scene, about 10 miles east of Pittsburgh, but all victims had been taken to hospitals. The status of the victims was unknown, the medical examiner said early Saturday.

Original Source : http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25423509/


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Wedding Crashers Spark Melee

Wedding Crashers Spark Melee Which Leaves 5 Stabbed, 1 Beaten

FREMONT, Calif. — California police are investigating a bloody fight at a wedding reception that left six men injured.

Authorities said the melee started when six to eight men crashed the party Saturday night at Niles Banquet Hall. When they were asked to leave, a fight broke out, leaving five men stabbed and a sixth beaten.

All were taken to the hospital, and police have not released their conditions.

The venue is the same place where a 35-year-old man was fatally shot by party crashers during a wedding reception in February. The shooting that killed Francisco Sanchez was believed to be gang-related, police said.

Original Source : http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,364464,00.html


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