Tornado...captured in Picture!

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I've experienced some nasty natural calamities like earthquakes [I was in Taiwan when the 1998 devastating earthquake happened], hurricane [I am in the hurricane capital of the US] and of course the ones I experienced in the Philippines.

One calamity though that I don't want to even think about happening is a tornado. It seems tornadoes are happening a lot in past few days and I came across this picture in Yahoo of a tornado touching down during the Midwest storms last Tuesday. Look how big it is! It's scary just looking at the picture.

Photo courtesy of Yahoo News Pictures

Racheal Ray's Dunkin Donuts Ad

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So Rachael Ray has been doing these TV commercials on Dunkin Donuts. I've seen a couple of them and they were okay, I guess. I like watching her shows at the Food Channel but not the Rachael Ray Show that Oprah is producing.

Anyway, her commercials for Dunkin Donuts already came under fire by one food critic who said that her commercials are sending the wrong lessons to kids. How? Because it's for a donut company maybe?

Just recently, Ray's latest Ad for Dunkin was pulled out though by Dunkin itself. It has nothing to do with her endorsing the product but what she's wearing on the advertisement. Yes, her choice of wardrobe....particularly her S-C-A-R-F! Here's a picture I got from Yahoo.


Some people complained that the scarf she's wearing in the ad resembles kaffiyeh, the traditional Arab headdress. It seems that this particular piece of clothing symbolizes Muslim extremism and terrorism. Yep, the "T" word again....

So next time you choose a scarf to wear, make sure it is not a fringed black-and-white scarf that may resemble this scarf. You may just be accused of something.

from Yahoo

Irresponsible People....

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And I am not talking about people who don't do their jobs...it's much worse than that. I just read in Yahoo about a couple of 'losers' [excuse the word] who put up a 7-day old baby for sale in Craigslist! Why? Because the baby was a 'surprise' and they want a better home for him/her! Yeah, right!

They said it's just a hoax but c'mon! It just baffles me what other people do. Let's say it's really a hoax which I personally think is a big L-I-E! Why would they put an innocent baby in such a risk? If it's indeed a hoax why did they a certain amount for any taker....Canadian $10,000?

I'm glad they're caught and I admire the lady who reported them to the Canadian police as soon as she read the advertisement. I just hope they get what they deserve and the baby be taken away from them. I can only imagine what future that baby has with these kind of parents.

from Yahoo News

Moms who are Nursing...

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If you are using nipple cream to help soothe dry or cracked nipples from nursing, you may want to stop using it and read this article in Yahoo. According to the news article, FDA is saying that the cream contains ingredients that may be harmful to infants. The ingredients are chlorphenesin and phenoxyethanol and may cause:

- respiratory distress
- vomiting
- diarrhea

The particular cream is called Mommy's Bliss Nipple Cream, marketed by MOM Enterprises Inc. Here's a picture of the product.

This the specific product mentioned in the article but you may want to check whatever it is you're using and see if it has the 2 ingredients mentioned. The company [MOM Enterprises, Inc] has stopped selling the product. Mothers whose children may have suffered adverse effects because of this product should contact the FDA's MedWatch at 800-332-1088.

from Yahoo News

MySpace Hoax....

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I have read this story before and I felt that the woman who did it is a very cruel person. She is now indicted on federal charges for the crime she committed. So what is this MySpace hoax all about?

It's about a 16-year old girl who committed suicide after her 'fictional' boyfriend online broke up with her. She didn't have any idea at the time she committed the suicide that the boyfriend never really existed.

Who created the 'fictional' boyfriend? The 49-year old mother of a girl that used to be friends with the victim. They had a falling out and the mother aided her daughter and some friends in making this other girl believe that a 'fictional' boy was in love with her. The mother pretended to be fictional 16 year old Josh Evans and tried to woo the victim. The victim fell in the trap.

When the victim and the 'fictional' boyfriend broke-up, the victim had an argument with her mother. She committed the suicide in her bedroom closet afterwards.

When the woman who initiated this horrendous act learned about what happened - they're neighbors, by the way - she deleted the fictitious profile at MySpace and warned the girl who knew about the hoax to keep her mouth shut.

I have a young daughter so I cannot imagine how the mother of the victim must have felt upon learning what the other mother did. I am happy that something is being done to put this woman where she belongs. First, she is not a good example to her daughter and her friends. And second, she did not care about other people's feelings. Her case is something new so she may not even go to trial but there is a chance she will. I am hoping that she gets what she deserves.

from Yahoo News

Good News for those with "Bootylicious"...

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Hmm..well, actually it's for those with a big 'booty' or as the news article called it: big bottom! What can be the good news? The "subcutaneous fat" that accumulate around the hips and bottom may actually be good to ward off diabetes.

Aha! So those 'love handles' may come in handy then, eh? I mean, health wise...LOL! Where did the information come from? Where else but from one those 'studies' that I so like to read and re-read then blog about. Haha....

This time, the study was done at the Harvard Medical School in Boston and was started by Dr. Ronald Kahn. What did they use for the study? Mice of course.

So stop panicking about your growing bee-hind and your expanding hips...the fat residing in those areas of your body may just save you from diabetes. Huh??

Picture/Story Courtesy of Yahoo News

Yahoo and Microsoft Tandem...

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.... went 'kaput'. Microsoft announced that they are no longer interested in buying Yahoo...for now anyway. The news that Microsoft was interested in Yahoo came out in January when it was announced that they were offering some 40 billion dollars to buy. Yahoo did not bite the offer so Microsoft upped its offer to about 47 billion dollars or $33 per share from the original $31 per share.

Apparently, Yahoo wants $37 a share. Microsoft is not willing to shell out that much dough so they decided to just 'fuggedaboutit'.

So what's next with this 'saga'...not sure. There was some news not too long ago that Time Warner is also interested but nothing came out of that one. I guess it's back to the drawing boards for Yahoo now?

Yahoo News

Austria's "House of Horrors"...

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I heard of this news yesterday, I think. I did not read the story about it till now when I came across it at Yahoo News and it's a story that would probably stay in people's minds for a long time.

It's about a 74-year father abusing his daughter for 24 years in their own house. The mother of the woman who lived in that same house had no idea of what was happening because the father locked his daughter in a cellar in the house. What she was told, which obviously believed, was that their daughter, the abused woman, ran away with a sect. The abuse resulted to 7 children. One of the the children died shortly after birth. The children's age range from 19 to 5 years old. Three of the children stayed with their mother in the cellar while the other 3 were adopted by the abusive father and his wife [their grandmother].

How were they discovered? The 19 year old had some medical emergency and had to be hospitalized. It was when urged for medical history, that the abused woman narrated her ordeal to the authorities.

Everyone has the same question in mind. How did it last this long without anyone knowing about it? Not even the mother of the abused woman who lived in the same house?

I have no words to explain how I feel towards this man. He indeed created a 'house of horrors'. I can only pray for the daughter that he abused and the children she bore because of her father's sickening behavior.

Prince William is in Hot Water...

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for landing his helicopter at his girlfriend's parent's garden??? Ok...let me get this straight? Who's angry? The girlfriend's parents? Nope! The neighbors, maybe? Not sure! But it sure has made headlines everywhere, didn't it?

Anyway, not too long ago, Prince William just earned his wings on April 11, 2008. It was presented by his Dad, Prince Charles. It was a proud moment in his life I bet. His girlfriend was even present to cheer him on as he becomes a real pilot.

A few days after getting the wings, he is now in the middle of this controversy. The Defense Ministry though already, yes, defended his actions. Apparently, he was cleared to do that landing and by doing so he " achieved essential training objectives." Still, the detractors of the future king are relentless in calling this action as unacceptable.

I wonder if this would be as controversial as it is now if he chose to land in someone else's garden and not on his 'future' in-law's garden?

Men More Forgetful than Women???

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Here's an excerpt from the article:

Men were one-and-a-half times more likely to have mild cognitive impairment than women. The prevalence in men increased from 12 percent in men ages 70 to 74 up to 40 percent in the oldest age group, ages 85 to 89. "This was an unexpected finding," Roberts said during a press briefing, referring to the difference between men and women.

Really now?? Actually, if it will be based solely on us - meaning the husband and I - then this study is right on the dot. Seriously! My problem is not so much in forgetting but more on not paying attention...parang ADD baga. Hahaha...

Anyway, this study contradicts what other studies found out that more women have dementia. Ha!

from Yahoo

Drinking and Breast Cancer Related!

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Really now?? Tell me that ain't true. Seriously, I'm not surprised at all that they would link drinking with breast cancer or any other kind of cancer and health problems. Anyway, according to the study regardless of the type of alcohol abused the risk is very evident.

About 184,000 participated in the study but they said that it's still too early to make any health recommendations related to this. But women are being advised to talk to their doctors just to assess risk factors and to help them reassess their lifestyles as well.

From Yahoo News

Bizarre Story...

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Yep, I came across one again. It's been a while since I posted one so I thought I'd post this one now. Actually the story is not 'bizarre' per se but a case of being an 'ignoramus'.

According to the story, police officers accused a woman of DUI or Driving Under the Influence. Well, that's a daily occurrence, isn't it? So what's bizarre about this story? The woman was arrested at the police station and NOT while she was driving. Aha! So what was she doing at the police station drunk???? She actually works there....LOL! Yep, she came in with her 12 year old son to clean the state police office. The officers present at the station said that she showed signs of being intoxicated.

So they gave her that alcohol test and her alcohol level recorded at 0.19 percent. That is more than 2x the legal limit. Ha! How dumb can one be to drink then drive to the Police station??? DUH!!!

from: Yahoo News

The Look of Love....or Lust???

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Yep, it's one of those studies again...LOL. I just find them fascinating so I keep reading them. Hey, they make it to the headlines so there must be something to them, right?

Anyway, this one is about telling if a man or a woman is up for a one night stand or for a long [lasting?] relationship. How? Facial features. Here's an excerpt from the article:

On men, a square jaw, large nose and small eyes are more likely to betray the look of lust than of love. Women found men with softer features more likely to opt for commitment.

Haha. They only had about 700 participants so I don't believe it's that credible, do you?

from Yahoo.com

Married Women....Read This!

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According to a study from the University of Michigan, husbands - yep, those lying on your couch right now holding a remote - create 7 hours of EXTRA housework!! I knew there's a reason why I got married late...LOL.

Do I believe the result? Not really. Even if my husband creates 7 hours of extra work for me, it's well worth it because he's busting his bee-hind out there to support us so the 7 hours is nothing compared to his extra 30 hours a week.

Come to think of it, who actually benefits from studies like this one? Wives? Do these studies actually get husbands help more at home? I don't think so.

So why am I writing about it. Just because...hahaha.

from: Yahoo

"Pregnant Man" Update

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Remember my post about the 'pregnant' man?? It seems it's true because Oprah Winfrey got on it and she interviewed the couple, the "man" and his wife, plus their OB-Gyn and some of their friends. I just read that in Yahoo News. According to the news, the interview is airing tomorrow, Thursday, April 3, 2008. The couple also did an interview with People's Magazine and People.com has an excerpt of the Oprah interview.

I was watching the news when I first heard of the news. The reporters tried to interview neighbors and those who were working near his business place. Those interviewed couldn't believe it simply because they didn't see any physical evidence of him being pregnant. They even thought it's probably an April Fool's day prank but it seems now that is not at all the case.

Anyway, if you're interested to see him and his wife, just tune to the Oprah Show tomorrow.

Creative Ruling...

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or whatever others would call it. There's this judge in Pennsylvania who is known to be giving out creative ruling to some law breaker. The last one he handed is for 3 of the 4 who faced prison because of criminal conspiracy to commit robbery. Can you guess what Luzerne County Judge Peter Paul Olszewski Jr. asked them to do instead of staying in jail for 4 to 24 months more?

He told them to learn/write English, get a GED and get full-time jobs. If they choose to do that, they stay out of prison and be on probation while meeting these 'requirements'. If not, then they go back to jail.

Isn't that creative? Is it fair? I'm not sure, maybe, maybe not. But don't they offer classes in prison where inmates can actually earn degrees if they want to?

Anyway, this judge is indeed different from the others. I'm not sure what other creative ruling he handed in the past but I would surely look it up.

from Yahoo News

Big Belly = Dementia????

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Okay..this one scared me. Actually I am not sure how I felt but according to this study, having a big belly in your 40s [hello husband!!! LOL] can boost the risk of later Alzheimer's disease or any other dementia in the future. Whoaa.....

So aside from heart problems, stroke and diabetes, dementia is another thing that those who are obese should watch out for. How credible is the study? As credible as the other ones I guess. Well, I believe that having the excess poundage can and will always result to future problems, I just didn't expect to see Alzheimer's in the list.

Hmm...the husband is in his 40s but he has been 'forgetful' since who knows when. He actually has a short memory span on some things like movies or shows he watches. It's funny sometimes when he couldn't remember the plot of a TV show we already watched a few months back. Oh no...this means I have to ask him to lose that cute round belly of his...wahh!!!

from Yahoo News

Seven Wonders of Architecture.....

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I found this list while I was reading Yahoo News. These are the 7 Wonders of Architecture around the world. I tried to look for pictures but I could only find some of them. Here are the ones I found at Photobucket.

Burj Dubai


Wembley Stadium

New Museum of Contemporary Art

The Crystal

$204, 060 .....

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Nope that's not what I have in my Paypal account....haha! Can you guess what that figure is all about? According to a survey - Survey Says!! - by the Department of Agriculture that's the average cost of rearing a child born in 2007! That's only for 1 child...and it's only the cost up until the child reaches 18 years old. No wonder some parents want their kids out of the house the day they turn 18...LOL.

Anyway, this figure applies to middle income family. There is a significant change if the income is way below the norm or way above the norm. If a family is making a little less than $46, 000 only that figure would be a little less than $149,000. If a family makes about $77,000 they can expect to spend about $300,000. Where do all this money go? Food, housing, health care and transportation. And yes, inflation was factored in the figure just like the other 'necessities'.

Whew...those are some figures. Are they for real? Probably. But just a lot of other surveys, this one has to true to some and not to others.

From Yahoo News

A Dog that Prays...

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...yep, a "dog praying". Well probably not praying per se but 'mimicking' his master praying. Isn't it cute? This dog is actually owned by a priest in a temple in Japan. The priest said that the dog probably got the idea from their routine prayer.

So what's next for Conan the dog, well the priest said that he's trying to teach him to meditate. LOL...well, more like staying still while they are meditating.

Picture From Yahoo News