Monday, February 27, 2012

Shortest man in the World is Chandra Bahadur Dangi of Nepal

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Shortest man in the World is Chandra Bahadur Dangi of Nepal. A 72-year-old Nepalese man who is about the size of a toddler on Sunday became the world's shortest person ever recorded. A doctor and Guinness World Records official measured Chandra Bahadur Dangi to confirm his height of 21.5 inches (54.6 centimeters). Guinness official Craig Glenday presented Dangi with two certificates for being the world's shortest living man and the world's shortest person recorded in Guinness' 57-year history. He is declared shortest person ever.
"I am very happy. Now I want to travel across Nepal and to foreign countries," Dangi told reporters afterward. He said he has no desire to get married or have a family of his own, but would like to meet the prime minister of Nepal soon. Dangi lives in a remote mountain village, Rhimkholi, about 250 miles (400 kilometers) west of Katmandu, with his youngest brother and his family. His five brothers are all average height.

Friday, February 17, 2012

IPL 2012 Time Schedule | IPL Season 5 Time Table DLF IPL 2012 Schedule Time Table www.iplt20.com

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DLF IPL 2012 Schedule Time Table www.iplt20.com, The DLF IPL have tentatively announced the schedule/ timetable for 2012. The Season Five will be beginning on Wednesday, 4th April, 2012 and ending on Sunday, 27th May, 2012. Indian Premier League 2012 is an international tournament, to be organised and hosted by India and will comprise of 76 T20 matches this time in April-May 2012. The total duration is going to be 54 days.

The IPL 2012 tournament, being a specific part of Future Cricket Tour Programs (FTP), is arranged by International Cricket Council (ICC) and our country will be hosting it completely. Have a look at IPL 2012 Auction Players List.

The first match T20 would be between IPL 4 winner Chennai Super Kings and 1st Runner-up Mumbai Indians on 4th April at 20.00 local time to be played at MA Chidambaram Stadium- Chepauk, Chennai.

IPL 2012 Time Schedule | IPL Season 5 Time Table

Time

Match

DayDateISTGMTTeamTeamVenue
Wed04-Apr8pm2:30pmChennai
Super Kings
Mumbai
Indians
Chennai
Thu05-Apr8pm2:30pmKolkata
Knight Riders
Delhi
Daredevils
Kolkata
Fri06-Apr4pm10:30amMumbai
Indians
Pune
Warriors India
Mumbai
8pm2:30pmRajasthan
Royals
Kings
XI Punjab
Jaipur
Sat07-Apr4pm10:30amRoyal
Challengers Bangalore
Delhi
Daredevils
Bangalore
8pm2:30pmDeccan
Chargers
Chennai
Super Kings
Vizag
Sun08-Apr4pm10:30amRajasthan
Royals
Kolkata
Knight Riders
Jaipur
8pm2:30pmPune
Warriors India
Kings
XI Punjab
Pune
Mon09-Apr8pm2:30pmDeccan
Chargers
Mumbai
Indians
Vizag
Tue10-Apr4pm10:30amRoyal
Challengers Bangalore
Kolkata
Knight Riders
Bangalore
8pm2:30pmDelhi
Daredevils
Chennai
Super Kings
Delhi
Wed11-Apr8pm2:30pmMumbai
Indians
Rajasthan
Royals
Mumbai
Thu12-Apr4pm10:30amChennai
Super Kings
Royal
Challengers Bangalore
Chennai
8pm2:30pmKings
XI Punjab
Pune
Warriors India
Mohali
Fri13-Apr8pm2:30pmKolkata
Knight Riders
Rajasthan
Royals
Kolkata
Sat14-Apr4pm10:30amDelhi
Daredevils
Deccan
Chargers
Delhi
8pm2:30pmPune
Warriors India
Chennai
Super Kings
Pune
Sun15-Apr4pm10:30amKolkata
Knight Riders
Kings
XI Punjab
Kolkata
8pm2:30pmRoyal
Challengers Bangalore
Rajasthan
Royals
Bangalore
Mon16-Apr8pm2:30pmMumbai
Indians
Delhi
Daredevils
Mumbai
Tue17-Apr4pm10:30amRajasthan
Royals
Deccan
Chargers
Jaipur
8pm2:30pmRoyal
Challengers Bangalore
Pune
Warriors India
Bangalore
Wed18-Apr8pm2:30pmKings
XI Punjab
Kolkata
Knight Riders
Mohali
Thu19-Apr4pm10:30amDeccan
Chargers
Delhi
Daredevils
Hyderabad
/ Cuttack
8pm2:30pmChennai
Super Kings
Pune
Warriors India
Chennai
Fri20-Apr8pm2:30pmKings
XI Punjab
Royal
Challengers Bangalore
Mohali
Sat21-Apr4pm10:30amChennai
Super Kings
Rajasthan
Royals
Chennai
8pm2:30pmDelhi
Daredevils
Pune
Warriors India
Delhi
Sun22-Apr4pm10:30amMumbai
Indians
Kings
XI Punjab
Mumbai
8pm2:30pmDeccan
Chargers
Kolkata
Knight Riders
Hyderabad
/ Cuttack
Mon23-Apr8pm2:30pmRajasthan
Royals
Royal
Challengers Bangalore
Jaipur
Tue24-Apr4pm10:30amPune
Warriors India
Delhi
Daredevils
Pune
8pm2:30pmKolkata
Knight Riders
Deccan
Chargers
Kolkata
Wed25-Apr4pm10:30amKings
XI Punjab
Mumbai
Indians
Mohali
8pm2:30pmRoyal
Challengers Bangalore
Chennai
Super Kings
Bangalore
Thu26-Apr8pm2:30pmPune
Warriors India
Deccan
Chargers
Pune
Fri27-Apr8pm2:30pmDelhi
Daredevils
Mumbai
Indians
Delhi
Sat28-Apr4pm10:30amChennai
Super Kings
Kings
XI Punjab
Chennai
8pm2:30pmKolkata
Knight Riders
Royal
Challengers Bangalore
Kolkata
Sun29-Apr4pm10:30amDelhi
Daredevils
Rajasthan
Royals
Delhi
8pm2:30pmMumbai
Indians
Deccan
Chargers
Mumbai
Mon30-Apr8pm2:30pmChennai
Super Kings
Kolkata
Knight Riders
Chennai
Tue01May4pm10:30amDeccan
Chargers
Pune
Warriors India
Hyderabad
8pm2:30pmRajasthan
Royals
Delhi
Daredevils
Jaipur
Wed02May8pm2:30pmRoyal
Challengers Bangalore
Kings
XI Punjab
Bangalore
Thu03May8pm2:30pmPune
Warriors India
Mumbai
Indians
Pune
Fri04May8pm2:30pmChennai
Super Kings
Deccan
Chargers
Chennai
Sat05May4pm10:30amKolkata
Knight Riders
Pune
Warriors India
Kolkata
8pm2:30pmKings
XI Punjab
Rajasthan
Royals
Mohali
Sun06May4pm10:30amMumbai
Indians
Chennai
Super Kings
Mumbai
8pm2:30pmRoyal
Challengers Bangalore
Deccan
Chargers
Bangalore
Mon07May8pm2:30pmDelhi
Daredevils
Kolkata
Knight Riders
Delhi
Tue08May4pm10:30amPune
Warriors India
Rajasthan
Royals
Pune
8pm2:30pmDeccan
Chargers
Kings
XI Punjab
Hyderabad
Wed09May8pm2:30pmMumbai
Indians
Royal
Challengers Bangalore
Mumbai
Thu10May8pm2:30pmRajasthan
Royals
Chennai
Super Kings
Jaipur
Fri11May8pm2:30pmPune
Warriors India
Royal
Challengers Bangalore
Pune
Sat12May4pm10:30amKolkata
Knight Riders
Mumbai
Indians
Kolkata
8pm2:30pmChennai
Super Kings
Delhi
Daredevils
Chennai
Sun13May4pm10:30amRajasthan
Royals
Pune
Warriors India
Jaipur
8pm2:30pmKings
XI Punjab
Deccan
Chargers
Mohali
Mon14May4pm10:30amRoyal
Challengers Bangalore
Mumbai
Indians
Bangalore
8pm2:30pmKolkata
Knight Riders
Chennai
Super Kings
Kolkata
Tue15May8pm2:30pmDelhi
Daredevils
Kings
XI Punjab
Delhi
Wed16May8pm2:30pmMumbai
Indians
Kolkata
Knight Riders
Mumbai
Thu17May4pm10:30amKings
XI Punjab
Chennai
Super Kings
Dharamsala
8pm2:30pmDelhi
Daredevils
Royal
Challengers Bangalore
Delhi
Fri18May8pm2:30pmDeccan
Chargers
Rajasthan
Royals
Hyderabad
Sat19May4pm10:30amKings
XI Punjab
Delhi
Daredevils
Dharamsala
8pm2:30pmPune
Warriors India
Kolkata
Knight Riders
Pune
Sun20May4pm10:30amDeccan
Chargers
Royal
Challengers Bangalore
Hyderabad
8pm2:30pmRajasthan
Royals
Mumbai
Indians
Jaipur

IPL Season 5 Play of Week Schedule

Time

Match

MatchDayDateISTGMTTeamTeamVenue
Qualifier
1
Tue22May8pm2:30pmFirst
Placed Team
Second
Placed Team
Bangalore
EliminatorWed23May8pm2:30pmThird
Placed Team
Fourth
Placed Team
Bangalore
Qualifier
2
Fri25May8pm2:30pmWinner
of Eliminator
Loser
of Qualifier 1
Chennai
FINALSun27May8pm2:30pmWinner
of Qualifier 1
Winner
of Qualifier 2
Chennai

IPL Seasons 1,2,3 and 4 have all been successful with increased number of matches. For sure this year too, IPL 5 would also rock and be more exciting than the last ones, gathering more crazy crowds.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Flower Delivery Valentine's Day

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Flower Delivery Flowers worldwide with Flower Delivery dot com, a quick way to send flowers by flower delivery online through our florist. Order flowers today!
flower shops said the Valentine Day push began late last week and will be crazy on Tuesday. "We have all the walk-in traffic of placing the orders for tomorrow and then tomorrow there are about 600 orders that just go out for delivery and we have

Flower Retailers in India have a very wide collection of decisions and wide range. Rose could be the most popular flower wide range you see a large selection and might be employed n diverse regimes. Florists in India present an interactive approach to buy and ship bouquets to their own preferences. You can come across different florists, leaving you that has a wide collection of bouquets to the touch the heart. It provides a variety of bouquets of various decisions for all functions and functions. The groups in the Indian bouquets will allow you to quickly ship your message, without having phrases florist with the black red and blue flowers of Friday J Adams

On line flower outlets present an easy approach to ship your bouquets and arrangements to your family members. It is possible to supply refreshing bouquets around the exact same day by regional florists in India. The bulk in the flower outlets market minimize bouquets and houseplants. Flowers are an expression of problem for a lot of decades and flower delivery miles around the flower-style regulation of networks linked to an individual who just sit at home for just a flower delivery through the globe of on the internet florists who could have employed 24 / seven The introduction in the Internet within our culture is just too generally

PC games Desert Storm II - Back to Baghdad

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Conflict: Desert Storm II - Back to Baghdad Spec Ops: Rangers Lead the Way

PC

  • Pivotal Games / Gotham Games
  • Release: Oct 8, 2003 »
  • Also Known As: Conflict: Desert Storm II (EU)
  • Also on: PS2 XBOX GC GIZ


Conflict: Desert Storm

GameSpot Image


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Kate Upton, 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Girl |

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For anyone overly upset that Punxsutawney Phil recently predicted six more weeks of winter, let us offer five very welcome -- and very lovely -- signs that summer will be here before you can say "body paint."

Arguably among our most reliable heralds of rising temperatures, Sports Illustrated's annual Swimsuit Issue has arrived. Packed with photos of 18 of the world's most beautiful models, as well as cameos by various athletes, Swimsuit 2012 is arriving on newsstands, in your mailbox and on just about every mobile device that you could possibly use to appreciate the fine work of distinguished photographers like Walter Iooss Jr. -- or, perhaps, just to appreciate Iooss' photographs of Kate Upton.

Along with Swimsuit 2012 cover girl Kate Upton, Bar Refaeli returns to SI in 2012. The Israeli beauty graces a feature dubbed "Bar & the Boys" that includes photographs of her with U.S. Olympic gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps, Lob City point guard Chris Paul and tennis superstar Rafael Nadal.



Kate Upton
graces the cover of the "Sports Illustrated 2012 Swimsuit Issue." / Walter Iooss Jr. / Sports Illustrated Samantha Critchell, Associated Press NEW YORK — She's a Florida girl who's comfortable in a bikini, and now 19-year

Kate Upton's 2012 Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover leaked a few hours ago – Barstool Sports had it, then other sites piggybacked – so here it is. She'll be on Letterman tomorrow. Thought you might be interested. Kate Upton spilling out of

Monday, February 13, 2012

Jennifer hudson tribute to whitney houston 2012

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grammys Big Top.jpg

Grammy Executive Producer Ken Erhlich told press that the late Houston, a six-time Grammy winner, made such a huge impact on the Grammys over her career.

"It's too fresh in everyone's memory to do more at this time, but we would be remiss if we didn't recognize Whitney's remarkable contribution to music fans in general, and, in particular, her close ties with the Grammy telecast and her Grammy wins and nominations over the years."



Jennifer Hudson
performed a Whitney Houston tribute at the 54th annual Grammy Awards. J-Hud lifted up Houston's legacy with an incredible performances of “I Will Always Love You.” (props to Yardie). Watch LL Cool J's Whitney .

The 54th Annual Grammy Awards this year was highlighted by the triumph of recovered British soul singer Adele and Jennifer Hudson's tribute performance of the late Whitney Houston.

Adele swept the major honors of song, record and album of the year Sunday for her lost-love epic "21" and its driving single "Rolling in the Deep." She picked up her final two awards after making her first public performance in months after being sidelined for throat surgery. Her total of six Grammys matched Beyonce for most ever by a female act.

After seeming almost sheepish in picking up some of the trophies ("This is ridiculous," she said after winning record of the year), Adele's tears flowed upon winning best album.

"This record is inspired by something that is really normal and everyone's been through it -- just a rubbish relationship," she said. "It's gone on to do things that I can't tell you how I feel about them. It's been the most life-changing year."

Celebrities Who Once Were Undocumented

The Foo Fighters won five Grammys for music that singer Dave Grohl said was made in his garage, and ceremony no-show Kanye West won four. Indie rockers Bon Iver won best new artist.

Show host LL Cool J's neat pivot allowed the assembled industry leaders to mourn Houston while enjoying the night's music. He offered a prayer at the outset for Houston, who died Saturday in a Beverly Hills hotel. Later Jennifer Hudson, under a portrait of the late vocalist, sang a portion of "I Will Always Love You." Bruno Mars, Alicia Keys, Rihanna and Stevie Wonder all saluted Houston.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

New 'Hunger Games' Trailer Debuts Sisterly Love On Full Display

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Hunger Games” is based on the Suzanne Collins dystopian novel of the same name and follows Katniss Everdeen as she enters the fight-to-the-death games. Watch the trailer here. We welcome thoughtful comments from readers.
You know what they say: The early Mockingjay catches the worm. Days before a new "Hunger Games" trailer was set to debut during the Super Bowl pre-grame show, the clip has swooped onto the internet courtesy of Yahoo! Movies.

We wouldn't characterize the minute-long montage as a Cornucopia of new footage, but there are plenty of tiny, tasty moments to savor. The trailer opens with Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) gifting sister Primrose (Willow Shields) with a Mockingjay pin. "As long as you have it, nothing bad will happen to you. I promise." she assures. (Fans of the novel will recognize this as a clear departure from the source material, but one that will likely streamline the adaptation.)

The action then jumps to the Reaping, where little Prim's name is indeed called and Katniss volunteers to take her place. We see Katniss leave her family in Gale's (Liam Hemsworth) capable hands as she departs for the Capitol, where she sits for a pre-Game interview with Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci). "What did you say to your sister when you volunteered for the Reaping?" Caesar asks. "I told her that I would try to win for her," Katniss responds. "And try you will," the host solemnly agrees as he kisses her hand.

After a series of training shots and the previously seen exchange between Katniss and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), the clip concludes with a sweet moment between our heroine and her stylist Cinna (Lenny Kravitz), who affixes the Mockingjay pin to her Games uniform as good-luck talisman, indicating it's their little secret.

If you loved the music from The Hunger Games trailer you can now download it, and listen to it by clicking play above. ZerOKilled Music contacted us to inform that the song is called Deep Shadow and is composed by their own T.T.L. (‘Tying Tiffany and Lorenzo Montana
For those of you who have been waiting for the Hunger Games trailer music to be available on iTunes the wait is over! Previously you could only download the official song Deep Shadow, by T.T.L, from ZerOKilled Music directly, but now you can download from iTunes for only $0.99!

Pee Wee Herman Top Chef' renewed for 10th season

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Which city will pony up the most cash for geographic product placement?) Boston? Denver? And was seeing Padma paired with Pee-wee Herman last night like watching the most awkward first date ever
PEE-WEE HERMAN ON 'TOP CHEF': Pee-Wee Herman - aka Paul Reubens - returned to the Alamo last night on "Top Chef." While there's still no basement at the Alamo, there are pancakes to be judged for last night's episode of "Top Chef" in San Antonio

Padma, a pile of pancakes and guest judge Pee-wee Herman who arrives on his bicycle which looks dripping wet — probably from jumping over an ocean full of sharks.

The chefs have 20 minutes to make pancakes — Pee-wee’s favorite food, allegedly — and they’re supposed to let their imaginations run wild. Please tell me someone whips up pancakes with movie theater popcorn. (No one did.) Here’s what they made:

Grayson: Ricotta-buttermilk pancake (in the shape of Mickey Mouse’s head) with peach compote, blackberry and basil.

Sarah: Confetti pancakes with blackberry sauce, cacao nibs, banana and vanilla whipped cream.

Paul: Rolled pancake with berries, black pepper and champagne Dippin’ Dots-esque topping.

Lindsay: Ricotta pancake with whipped creme fraiche, marcona almond and anise cookies.

Ed: Pancake bits with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, bacon and bruleed marshmallow.

Padma asks Pee-wee to pick the winner, which is Ed. He gets $5,000. Seriously? Five thousand dollars for pancakes? Are we watching “Top Chef” or “Top Seventh Grade Home Ec Student Final Project”? This is ridiculous.

Groundhog Day 2012 How groundhogs stack up against Mother Nature

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Groundhog Day 2012 cheat sheet, from Wiarton Willie to Punxsutawney Phil Groundhog Day 2012 in photographs: Find out if we are in for more winter or an early spring Later, in the community of Wiarton, about 200 kilometres northwest of Toronto


To all my Blogging friends; I Allegany Tom on the 2nd of February 2012 did not see my shadow when I woke up this morning. I predict that spring will come early this year!! I just love this holidays and on a side note . . . . Punxstawney Phil did see his shadow this morning! He is predicting that there will be “six more weeks of winter”!!

(been doing this since 2006 and 75% wrong but this year I think I have a chance to be right)

Groundhog_Day_fans
Groundhog Day 2012 hoopla is tickling the nation. Maybe it's a sign of too much technology in our lives or of boredom with the upcoming election, but Americans really seem to be getting a kick out of the quaint and quirky tradition of letting a groundhog predict the weather.

How else to explain why thousands of people showed up on this cold and dark winter's morning at Gobblers Knob -- seriously, it's called Gobblers Knob -- in Punxsutawney, Pa., to see whether Punxsutawney Phil would catch a glimpse of his shadow? And why "Groundhog Day" stories are setting the Web on fire, with no less than six of the Top 10 most frequently searched terms on Google relating in some way shape or form to prognosticating groundhogs?

But, come on, people, it can't all be butterflies and rainbows and groundhogs. We have to ask: Can groundhogs really predict what Mother Nature has in store?

The U.S. National Climatic Data Center says that the answer is "no."

Planned Parenthood Defends Obama Against Catholic Criticism

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Mr. Bloomberg, a billionaire with a long-term interest in public health, said he would give Planned Parenthood Federation of America a $250000 matching gift
Live Chat by LivePerson
Customer Service Rating by LivePerson
There are two kinds of abortion in the U.S. — in-clinic abortion and the abortion pill.
Abortions are very common. In fact, more than 1 out of 3 women in the U.S. have an abortion by the time they are 45 years old.
If you are pregnant, you have options. If you are trying to decide if abortion is the right choice for you, you probably have many things to think about. Learning the facts about abortion may help you in making your decision. You may also want to learn more about parenting and adoption.

If you are under 18, your state may require one or both of your parents to give permission for your abortion or be told of your decision prior to the abortion. However, in most states you can ask a judge to excuse you from these requirements. Learn more about parental consent for abortion.

Only you can decide what is best for you. But we are here to help. A staff member at your local Planned Parenthood health center can discuss abortion and all of your options with you and help you find the services you need.


Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, responding to the controversy over a breast cancer advocacy group that cut off most of its grants to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer screening, said Thursday that he would make up a large part of the missing money.

Mr. Bloomberg, a billionaire with a long-term interest in public health, said he would give Planned Parenthood Federation of America a $250,000 matching gift — he will donate $1 for every new dollar Planned Parenthood raises up to $250,000.

“Politics have no place in health care,” he said in a statement. “Breast cancer screening saves lives and hundreds of thousands of women rely on Planned Parenthood for access to care. We should be helping women access that care, not placing barriers in their way.”

Mr. Bloomberg then highlighted his contribution on Twitter, posting a series of messages asking his followers to contribute to Planned Parenthood.

The controversy erupted this week when the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation said it would not renew most of the grants it had been making to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer screening. The Komen foundation had been giving about $700,000 a year to Planned Parenthood

Planned Parenthood Federation of America is the nation's leading sexual and reproductive health care provider and advocate.
www.plannedparenthood.org

susan g komen Money pours int pours into Planned Parenthood Foundation Website Apparently Hacked After 2012

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The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation's website appeared to be hacked briefly early Thursday morning.

A banner on the website was changed from "help us get 26.2 or 13.1 miles closer to a world without breast cancer" to "help us run over poor women on our way to the bank."

(Compare the images at The Atlantic Wire.)

The nation's leading breast-cancer charity halted its grants to Planned Parenthood affiliates Tuesday. Planned Parenthood said the grants totaled $680,000 last year and $580,000 the year before for breast-cancer screening and other related services.

The Huffington Post's Laura Bassett reported that the move came less than a year after the Komen foundation hired a new vice president, Karen Handel, who publicly stated her opposition to Planned Parenthood in her 2010 campaign for governor of Georgia. The foundation said that the cutoff comes as the result of new rules adopted by the organization barring grants to organizations under investigation by local, state or federal authorities. Planned Parenthood is the focus of an inquiry by Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.) over its handling of federal funding.


Within 48 hours of news breaking that the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation was cutting grants to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America for its breast-cancer screening program, PPFA has more than made up for the $680,000 in funds lost.

Thursday afternoon, Planned Parenthood announced that New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg was making a $250,000 matching grant. That comes in addition to pledges to Planned Parenthood totaling $400,000 from 6,000 donors in the first day, and a $250,000 grant from the Amy and Lee Fikes’ Foundation of Dallas.

The Komen Foundation, too, reported a spike in donations Thursday – 100 percent in the past two days. No hard numbers were available.

But the real battle – between two powerful women’s organizations – has only started. Planned Parenthood maintains that the funding cut was political, based on longstanding pressure on the Komen Foundation by opponents of abortion. Komen says that’s not true, and that the decision resulted from the adoption of stricter criteria that bar grants to organizations that are under government investigation.

did the groundhog see his shadow Joint Task Force Guantanamo Public Affairs 2012

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Groundhog Day 2012

Did The Groundhog See His Shadow? Happy Imbolc, Candlemas, Groundhog Day or whatever you celebrate on this cross-quarter day of the Wheel of the Year! We don't actually have groundhogs around here but I did smell skunk last night.

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - At 7:25 a.m. in Punxsutawney, Pa., a groundhog by the name of Phil was roused from his lair to see his shadow in front of 18,000 wondering spectators, only to predict six more weeks of winter. The horde of locals booed under semi-cloudy skies, hoping for an early spring.


Since 1887, when the calendar hits Feb. 2, the nation waits on a groundhog in western Pennsylvania to tell them whether we will have a lengthy or shortened winter. Nobody seems to have good explanation as to why we rely on a groundhog of all things to tell us this, but it’s a tradition unlike any other.

What many people don’t know is that Punxsutawney Phil has a cousin living in Cuba by the name of Guantanamo Jay. He too has been predicting the length of winter every Feb. 2. So let’s try this again.


Yes, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow which means 6 more weeks of winter. The forecast from Punxsutawney Phil at the annual ceremony of Groundhog Day 2012, “Many shadows do I see: six more weeks of winter it must be.”

Thousands of people that were gathered for the annual groundhog day event groaned when Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. An event that has some 15,000 to 18,000 people there to witness the furry creature’s prognostication ceremony at 7:30 a.m. EST. When the groundhog came from his burrow at dawn, it was only near freezing, which is above average for this time of year in Pennsylvania. Usually, the temperature is around 17 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

..

Another Birth Control Recall Includes Ovral and Generics 2012

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birth control pills have been swapped for extra sugar pills. That's what Pfizer is worried about. The recall includes Pfizer Lo/Ovral-28 tablets and Akrimax Pharmaceuticals brand Norgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol

BOSTON (Reuters) - Pfizer Inc is reaching out directly to women consumers to warn them about its U.S. recall of one million packets of birth control pills as concerns mounted that a manufacturing error could raise the risk of unplanned pregnancies.

The world's largest drugmaker recalled 14 lots of Lo/Ovral-28 and 14 lots of the generic counterpart Norgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol late on Tuesday, prompting panicked exchanges on social media like Twitter.

Litigators began soliciting new clients who may have suffered health problems or unplanned pregnancy as a result.

"Unfortunately, this manufacturing error diminishes people's confidence in an extremely important and safe method of contraception," said Dr. Vanessa Cullins, vice president for external medical affairs at Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

Cullins noted this version of birth control has been in use for decades and remains safe and effective.

Pfizer said on Wednesday that the error may have been limited to 30 packets of the birth control pills, in which the "placebo" tablets taken at the beginning of a woman's menstrual cycle were placed in the wrong order with the pills that contain the contraceptive's active ingredient.

Statement from Susan G. Komen for the Cure For Breast Cancer Awareness 2012

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Susan G. Komen Foundation's decision to cut funding to Planned Parenthood? The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation announced they will no longer give money to Planned Parenthood, creating a battle

DALLAS, TX -- February 1, 2012 -- We are dismayed and extremely disappointed that actions we have taken to strengthen our granting process have been widely mischaracterized. It is necessary to set the record straight.

Starting in 2010, Komen began an initiative to help us do a better job of measuring the impact of community grants. This is important because we invest significant dollars in our local community programs--$93 million in 2011, which provided for 700,000 breast health screenings and diagnostic procedures.

Following this review, we made the decision to implement stronger performance criteria for our grantees to minimize duplication and free up dollars for direct services to help vulnerable women. To support this new granting strategy, Komen has also implemented more stringent eligibility standards to safeguard donor dollars. Consequently, some organizations are no longer eligible to receive Komen grants.

Some might argue that our standards are too exacting, but over the past three decades people have given us more than just their money. They have given us their trust and we take that responsibility very seriously.

We regret that these new policies have impacted some longstanding grantees, such as Planned Parenthood, but want to be absolutely clear that our grant-making decisions are not about politics. Throughout our 30 year history, our priority has always been and will continue to be the women we serve. As we move forward, we are working to ensure that there is no interruption or gaps in services for the women who need our support most in the fight against breast cancer.

The Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation announced they will no longer give money to Planned Parenthood, creating a battle between two organizations with missions to help women.

For the past five years, the Komen Foundation has given Planned Parenthood hundreds of thousands of dollars to fund breast exams.

Barbara Zdravecky, the President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Southwest and Central Florida, said the funding cut is upsetting.

"In these tough economic times, more women than ever need access to essential health care services like these breast cancer screenings," said Zdravecky. "Unfortunately, it's the women -- our patients -- who will suffer the most for this, because of this decision."

Zdravecky said even more upsetting is the reason she believes the money is stopping.

"To cut us off, the organization that takes care of more women than anybody in America, is purely -- has to be politically motivated," she said. "You feel very saddened that they would take this course of action and bow to political pressure."

The foundation recently hired Karen Handel as their new Vice President. Handel has spoken out publicly against abortion and Planned Parenthood.

Egypt soccer riot toll climbs to 74 2012

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CAIRO, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Seventy-three people were killed and at least 1000 injured on Wednesday after a soccer pitch invasion in the Egyptian city of Port Said, in what a deputy minister called the biggest disaster in the nation's soccer history

Witnesses say scores of Egyptian soccer fans were stabbed to death while many others suffocated, trapped in a long narrow corridor trying to flee rival fans armed with knives, clubs and stones in the country's worst ever soccer violence that killed at least 74 people.

The tragedy Wednesday evening -- which followed an Egyptian league match between Al-Masry, the home team in the Mediterranean city of Port Said, and Al-Ahly, based in Cairo and one of Egypt's most popular teams -- was a bloody reminder of the deteriorating security in the Arab world's most populous country, as instability continues nearly a year after former President Hosni Mubarak was swept out of power in a popular uprising.

It was also the deadliest soccer violence worldwide since 1996. One player said it was "like a war."

Egyptian activists have accused the police and military of failing to intervene to stop the mayhem.

On Thursday morning, dozens of angry protesters sealed off Tahrir Square, the epicenter of the uprising that toppled Mubarak, while others blocked the street in front of the state TV building in downtown Cairo, ahead of planned marches later in the day to the Interior Ministry to denounce the police force.

The melee at the stadium in Port Said erupted when Al-Masry fans stormed the field following a rare 3-1 win against Al-Ahly. Al-Masry supporters, armed with knives, sticks and stones chased players and fans from the rival team, Al-Ahly, who ran toward the exits and up the stands to escape, according to witnesses.

Egypt's parliament has scheduled an emergency session on Thursday to investigate the causes of a riot at a soccer game that left more than 70 people dead and 1,000 injured.

Officials in Port Said, where the violence occurred on Wednesday, raised the death toll to 74 after fans of rival soccer teams rushed the field, hurling stones and sticks at each other and sparking a stampede. Citing the Health Ministry, state television reported another 1,000 people were injured in the riot.

The riot was the worst case of soccer violence in Egypt's history and the deadliest worldwide since 1996. One player said it was "like a war."

Witnesses said most of the deaths appeared to have occurred in a stampede after fans of the home team, Al-Masry, stormed on to the field following an upset 3-1 victory against Al-Ahly, Egypt's top team whose home is Cairo.

Soul Train Don Cornelius Dead of Suicide at 75 creator of 'Soul Train 2012

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Don Cornelius | 1936 - 2012

Don Cornelius’ death from a self-inflicted gunshot wound has drawn new attention to the dark side of the “Soul Train” founder.

Cornelius, 75, was plagued by health problems in the last three decades of his life. He underwent a 21-hour operation in 1982 to correct a congenital malformation in blood vessels in his brain. ”You choose your brain surgeons for their stamina,” he said afterwards, according to The Washington Post. “You’re never quite the same afterward. Travel is always a real test.”

His personal life also suffered. In 2008, he was arrested for felony domestic violence against his estranged wife, Victoria Avila-Cornelius. In 2009, he plead no contest to one count of “corporal injury resulting in traumatic condition of a spouse,” was put on probation for 36 months, and ordered to pay over $1,000 in fines. She also filed multiple restraining orders against him.

Don Cornelius, a pioneer among African-American TV producers as the creator and host of the long-running syndicated R&B show "Soul Train," has died. He was 75. Cornelius was pronounced dead early Wednesday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to L.A. County assistant chief coroner Ed Winter. Los Angeles Police Department officers responding to a report of a shooting found Cornelius at his Sherman Oaks home at around 4 a.m. Founded in 1971 in Chicago as a weekday local showcase for black musical talent, Cornelius' "Soul Train" swiftly became the nation's principal platform for popular soul

Don was a visionary and giant in our business," producer and composer Quincy Jones said in a statement. "Before MTV there was 'Soul Train'; that will be the great legacy of Don Cornelius. His contributions to television, music and our culture as a whole will never be matched."

Aretha Franklin said Cornelius "united the young adult community single-handedly and globally."

"With the inception of 'Soul Train,' a young, progressive brother set the pace and worldwide standard for young aspiring African American men and entrepreneurs in TV — out of Chicago," Franklin, who appeared on the show, said in a statement. "He transcended barriers among young adults. They became one."

"Soul Train," which moved to Los Angeles and entered national syndication in 1971, featured other legendary artists, including James Brown, Marvin Gaye, the Jackson 5 and Barry White.

With its catchy introduction featuring an animated, psychedelic smoke-spewing locomotive, "Soul Train" became destination TV for teenagers across America in the '70s.

Magic Johnson was one of them. "Every Saturday morning I looked forward to watching 'Soul Train,' as did millions of other people," Johnson, chairman of Soul Train Holdings, said in a statement. "'Soul Train' taught the world how to dance! Don's contribution to us all is immeasurable."

Beyond the music and the artists featured on "Soul Train," much of its popularity was attributed to the young dancers on the show.

IRS Internal Revenue Service www.irs.gov 2012

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Identity Theft Crackdown Sweeps Across the Nation; More than 200 Actions Taken in Past Week in 23 States

WASHINGTON – The Internal Revenue Service and the Justice Department today announced the results of a massive national sweep cracking down on suspected identity theft perpetrators as part of a stepped-up effort against refund fraud and identity theft.

Working with the Justice Department’s Tax Division and local U.S. Attorneys’ offices, the nationwide effort targeted 105 people in 23 states. The coast-to-coast effort took place over the last week and included indictments, arrests and the execution of search warrants involving the potential theft of thousands of identities and taxpayer refunds. In all, 939 criminal charges are included in the 69 indictments and informations related to identity theft.

In addition, auditors and investigators conducted extensive compliance visits to money service businesses in nine locations across the country in the past week. The approximately 150 visits occurred to help ensure these check-cashing facilities aren’t facilitating refund fraud and identity theft.

“This unprecedented effort against identity theft sends a strong, unmistakable message to anyone considering participating in a refund fraud scheme this tax season,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. “We are aggressively pursuing cases across the nation with the Justice Department, and people will be going to jail. This is part of a much wider effort underway at the IRS to help protect taxpayers.”

“The Justice Department is working closely with the IRS to investigate, prosecute, and punish tax refund crimes committed through the theft of identities,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General John A. DiCicco of the Tax Division. “Now, more than ever, we must remain vigilant against the unauthorized use of identification information to defraud the U.S. government.”

The national effort is part of a comprehensive identity theft strategy the IRS has embarked on that is focused on preventing, detecting and resolving identity theft cases as soon as possible. In addition to the law-enforcement crackdown, the IRS has stepped up its internal reviews to spot false tax returns before tax refunds are issued as well as working to help victims of the identity theft refund schemes.

The law-enforcement sweep started last week across the country, reflecting investigative efforts stretching back months and even years.

The nationwide effort by the Justice Department and the IRS led to actions taking place in 23 locations across the country with 105 individuals. The actions included 80 complaints/indictments and informations, 58 arrests, 19 search warrants, 10 guilty pleas and four sentencings. A map of the locations and additional details on the actions are available on IRS.gov, the IRS Civil and Criminal Actions page and the Department of Justice Tax Division page.

Beyond the criminal actions, the IRS enforcement personnel conducted a special sweep last week and on Monday to visit 150 money services businesses to help make sure these businesses are not knowingly or unknowingly facilitating identity theft or refund fraud. The visits occurred in nine high-risk places identified by the IRS covering areas in and surrounding Atlanta, Birmingham, Ala., Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Phoenix, Tampa and Washington, D.C.

In addition, the IRS has more than 250 check-cashing operations under audit across the country and will be looking for indicators of identity theft as part of the exam effort.

The information from these audits and compliance visits will be used to assist continuing IRS investigations into refund fraud and identity theft.

The IRS also is taking a number of additional steps this tax season to prevent identity theft and detect refund fraud before it occurs. These efforts includes designing new identity theft screening filters that will improve the IRS’s ability to spot false returns before they are processed and before a refund is issued, as well as expanded efforts to place identity theft indicators on taxpayer accounts to track and manage identity theft incidents.

To help taxpayers, the IRS earlier this month created a new, special section on IRS.gov dedicated to identity theft matters, including YouTube videos, tips for taxpayers and a special guide to assistance. The information includes how to contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit and tips to protect against “phishing” schemes that can lead to identity theft.

Identity theft occurs when someone uses another’s personal information without their permission to commit fraud or other crimes using the victim’s name, Social Security number or other identifying information. When it comes to federal taxes, taxpayers may not be aware they have become victims of identity theft until they receive a letter from the IRS stating more than one tax return was filed with their information or that IRS records show wages from an employer the taxpayer has not worked for in the past.

If a taxpayer receives a notice from the IRS indicating identity theft, they should follow the instructions in that notice. A taxpayer who believes they are at risk of identity theft due to lost or stolen personal information should contact the IRS immediately so the agency can take action to secure their tax account. The taxpayer should contact the IRS Identity Protection Specialized Unit at 800-908-4490. The taxpayer will be asked to complete the IRS Identity Theft Affidavit, Form 14039, and follow the instructions on the back of the form based on their situation.

Facebook IPO Show Ad Revenue Increased 69% in 2011

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In the Facebook IPO filing with the SEC today, the company disclosed every detail about how it creates revenue

The social networking giant that coaxes 845 million people to divulge the most intimate details about their lives is one step closer to cashing in on its meteoric rise in what could be the largest initial public offering to come out of Silicon Valley.

Facebook Inc. filed papers Wednesday with the goal of raising $5 billion in a public stock sale that could come in May. The offering would be the largest among Internet companies, eclipsing Google Inc. in 2004 and Netscape Communications in 1995. Depending on demand, the company could be valued between $75 billion and $100 billion.

But in opening itself up for the first time, the famously secretive company also revealed the tough road ahead as it looks to continue its breakneck growth streak while fighting off competitors. In its own words, Facebook said it has to allay concerns of privacy watchdogs and government regulators around the globe while maintaining the loyalty of users as new user growth slows.

The regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission also unveiled the collective wealth that could be bestowed on the founder and many of his employees. The IPO could be a bonanza for Mark Zuckerberg, the 27-year-old founder, who owns 28.2% of the company and is its single largest shareholder. His stake could be worth as much as $28 billion, earning him the ninth spot on Forbes' list of richest Americans and putting him in the same league as Microsoft Corp.'s Bill Gates and Oracle Corp.'s Larry Ellison.

The SEC filing provided a telling glimpse into Facebook's finances and operations eight years after Zuckerberg hatched the social network in his Harvard dorm room.

Revenue in 2011 surged 88% to $3.71 billion. About 85% of that revenue came from advertising. Net income rose by nearly two-thirds to $1 billion.

Facebook filed for a $5 billion initial public offering (IPO) Feb. 1, claiming to make $3.7 billion in annual revenue, $1.8 billion in operating income and $1 billion in net income.

With some 845 million users, Facebook may not have been an Internet darling for a few years. When the social network goes public, it will get a seat at the adult's table, joining Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) as an arbiter of online services.

Facebook Ad Revenue 2009 to 2011

Facebook is the equivalent of the $199 flat-panel LCD at Wal-Mart," Yoshikami said.

Facebook has everything that its famous predecessors Netscape and Google had: legions of loyal users, high-caliber engineers and executives, top-flight technology, loads of promise — and something more: vastly more information than any other company has ever possessed about its users that advertisers can tap.

That's the currency that Facebook is trading in, and investors are banking there is plenty of money to be made from that rich hoard of information as long as Facebook can make inroads on Madison Avenue and sidestep the privacy concerns of users and regulators.