BBC NEWS | Americas | Brazil's 'last playboy' bows out: "The man regarded as Brazil's last playboy, famous for dating a string of film stars, has died at the age of 88."

Danger to unveil prototype device | CNET News.com

The Register: "Danger's new Hiptop: even more impressive in real life

In short, the device is longer, thinner and a little more rectangular than the first generation Hiptop. It's much more usable as a phone, however, with dedicated call and hang-up buttons that with characteristic Danger ingenuity, nestle around a more discreet, redesigned wheel. Which also doubles up as the earpiece. Over on the left are the familiar Menu and Jump keys, but are joined by a new D-pad. "

Video of Motorola�s MPx300 Pocket PC Phone - engadget: Cell Phones - cellphones.engadget.com Over at Smartphony.org, some video clips of the MPx300, Motorola’s eminently buzzworthy new dual-hinged Pocket PC Phone with a built-in QWERTY keyboard, a 1.3 megapixel digital camera, WiFi, and Bluetooth.

Not a Picture of the New Hiptop, a Picture FROM It - engadget.com - www.engadget.com: "Last week Danger showed off their new Hiptop by appointment only at 3GSM in Cannes. Journalists were allowed to write about the new device, but not allowed to take pictures of it. Here�s what we know: the device is thinner, and a bit longer. On the face, the new model has a couple of new buttons, a new speaker and mic, and we hear there�s a new screen that looks much better [Editor�s note - turns out this isn�t the case]. But the big news is that the camera is finally built in (with an LED flash), and apparently it�s VGA quality. One of the prominent member Hiptopper took a picture with his new baby and posted it to Hiptop Nation, then whoops, Danger asked him remove to the pic. He did, but that didn�t stop a loyal devotee from posting it to his own site. "

BBC NEWS | Business | Girl Power softens Volvo's edges

Khoury Construction: "MEET THE TEAM" Priceless web content of Khoury Construction.

FlipStartpc.com Size and Performance
Microsoft® Windows® XP operating system gives you the performance and functionality of your favorite PC applications in the palm of your hand:
Full Windows XP Home/Professional operating system
1 GHz processor
256 MB system DRAM
30 GB hard drive
3D graphics with 8MB video DRAM
5.8" x 4.0" x 1.0" (148mm x 101mm x 26mm)
Weighs under 1.0 lb (450g)
USB 2.0 port

BBC NEWS | Americas | America: An empire built on sand? : "In the final episode of his six-part series entitled Age of Empire, the BBC's Jonathan Marcus examines the challenges which lie ahead for the world's greatest power."

BBC NEWS | Europe | Putin dismisses entire government: "Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed his government in a live television broadcast."

BBC NEWS | Technology | Girl gamers strike at the boys : "The women challenging the stereotype that professional online gaming is the realm of geeky men alone."

The Archives of the Fed: "How do you like your eggs in the morning?

Un-fertilized, thank you."

BBC NEWS | Americas | Exporting the American dream In the penultimate episode of a six-part series entitled Age of Empire, the BBC's Jonathan Marcus examines how US culture is as crucial a weapon in the American arsenal as its military hardware.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Flexible displays on the horizon

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | FBI weighs into anti-piracy fight: "CDs, DVDs, and video games in the US are to get an FBI seal in an attempt to deter people from copying them.
The new labels warn consumers that criminal copyright infringement could land them with a $250,000 (�133,000) fine and five years in prison. "

DJ Dangermouse - The Grey Album download: "DOWNHILL BATTLE -- DJ Danger Mouse's recent Grey Album, which remixes Jay-Z's The Black Album and the Beatles White Album, has been hailed as a innovative hip-hop triumph. Despite that and the fact that only 3,000 copies of the album are in circulation, EMI sent cease and desist letters yesterday to Danger Mouse and the handful of stores that were selling the album, demanding that the album be destroyed.
'EMI isn't looking for compensation, they're trying to ban a work of art,' said Downhill Battle's Rebecca Laurie.
'Special interests, including the major labels, have turned copyright law into a weapon,' said Downhill Battle co-founder Holmes Wilson. 'If Danger Mouse had requested permission and offered to pay royalties, EMI still would have said no and the public would never have been able to enjoy this critically acclaimed work. Artists are being forced to break the law to innovate.'
The Grey Album has been widely shared on file sharing networks such as Kazaa and Soulseek, and has garnered critical acclaim in Rolling Stone (which called it 'the ultimate remix record' and 'an ingenious hip-hop record that sounds oddly ahead of its time'), the Boston Globe (which called it the 'most creatively captivating' album of the year), and other major news outlets."

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | EMI blocks Beatles album remix: "A DJ who has remixed The Beatles' White Album and rapper Jay-Z's Black Album to make The Grey Album has been ordered by record label EMI to stop it being sold."

MacNETv2: "Apple will deflect this Palm bullet because they will soon introduce a new product that will do for the handheld market what the iPod has done for MP3 players. However, the timeline for the introduction of this product must be moved up, or at least Apple should announce that something is coming soon, rather than sit silent like they always do. For every Mac user (and PC user) that is PDA-dependent (and there are more than you might think) who want to upgrade their Computer this year just got a pretty good reason not to buy another Mac. I can hear some of them now; �If I buy that new Mac I won�t be able to use that new Palm-based Clie I�m waiting for!� (I'm Clie biased, I own several and think they are best Palm-based PDA you can buy)

The timeline for this product is an introduction by July 2004. Hopefully Apple will deliver it sooner now that Palm has gone public with its withdrawal of Mac support."

BBC NEWS | Africa | Gabon acts over school of shame Gabon president sacks teachers after sex-for-grades scandal.

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Music | Rascal hopes for world domination

BBC NEWS | Americas | Passion over for Barbie and Ken: "Valentine's Day is approaching, but the romance is over for Barbie and Ken."
Blain-er!!!

BBC NEWS | Business | Microsoft admits 'critical' flaw: "'This is one of the most serious Microsoft vulnerabilities ever released,' said Mr Maiffret.
'The breadth of systems affected is probably the largest ever.' "

seattleparent.org � Parent Advice, Recommendations, Resources andmore... This site is rumored to be built with moveable type.

A Movable Type Intranet

Performance Tuning Movable Type @ Technology & Business, Project Management & Marketing comments, review and links by Christoph C. Cemper, Project Manager

hiptop.com: News Mark/Space, Inc. is proud to announce Missing Sync for hiptop™. Missing Sync for hiptop enables Mac® users to connect and synchronize information between a Danger hiptop (e.g. T-Mobile SideKick, SunCom hiptop, Fido hiptop) and a Mac running Mac OS® X.

Missing Sync for hiptop will be available by the end of February 2004 for purchase in Electronic Software Download (ESD) format for $29.95.

More Details available at: http://www.markspace.com/missingsynchiptop.html

BBC NEWS | Americas | America's 'asymmetric' warfare: "In the third of a six-part series entitled Age of Empire, the BBC's Jonathan Marcus examines some of the issues confronting the US army in an age of the pre-emptive strike. "

BBC NEWS | Technology | Blaming the dark side of gaming: "It is trite and irresponsible to accuse violent video games of promoting crime, argues Daniel Etherington of BBCi Collective in his weekly games column."

THREESOMES BLOW - They're Just Not Natural -- Sorry

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | US blocks Cuban Grammy nominees: "US authorities have refused to let five Cuban Grammy Awards nominees travel to Sunday's ceremony in Los Angeles."
What a shame. Bush sucks.

SonyStyle USA - DSC-T1 It's out!!! My next camera, if I save enough...

My CL Date (WTF!) I'd be interested in getting people's opinions on this funny (as in "jokes on me" funny) dating experience. What a b*tch! I've changed a couple of names to protect the innocent/guilty. So this is about a girl I met on CL but not in the typical manner. Any input would be nice.

Background: I'd been thinking about buying a motorcycle---the upright kind, not a crotch rocket -- and so I was looking at used bikes on CL. Usually you send an e-mail to get more details and pictures of the bike. So I saw 6-7 that I was interested in and asked for pics/more info. One bike that I liked was a large engine European model >1000cc. It was a little more expensive and bigger than what I wanted, but it was a cool bike and everyone said get a bigger bike b/c you'll eventually want that anyway.

Story: Of all the replies I get, the reply for this bike is the only one from a woman--her e-mail was signed "sarah". Now realize that almost all motorcycles (not talking scooters here) are being sold by men. So falling back on my tried and true stereotypes, I assume that the woman selling this (fairly big) bike is a 300+ pound bull dike. No big deal--I'm not going to date her, I just want to check out the bike.

Celebrity: "Janet Sparks New Craze
Super Bowl tease Janet Jackson has ignited a new demand for body art. Phones are ringing at body piercing parlors with inquiries on the nipple shield that she exposed during the Super Bowl halftime show Sunday."

Even more from CES: Pics of Sony's new DSC-T1 digital camera

BBC NEWS | Magazine | Why digital cameras = better photographers: "Digital cameras don't only eliminate the cost and hassle of film processing, they should help do away with bad holiday snaps and see us all become better photographers. "

Quick guide to camera-phone services - CNET reviews: "Camera phones are becoming increasingly popular choices for cell phone customers. According to a recent report from market-research firm Strategy Analytics, these mobiles will outsell standard digital cameras in 2004. In case you're thinking of going the picture-phone route, here's what you need to know about sending images, plus the skinny on each of the major carriers' service offerings. "

Philips to mass produce electronic paper displays: "A few months ago Philips revealed that they we working on electronic paper, and now it looks like they're close to mass-producing them, with the first product being a foldable 5-inch display which can be rolled up and fit into a pen-sized container, and when hooked up to a cellphone, can download web pages, ebooks, or email. Should be out sometime next year."

BBC NEWS | Technology | How to make spam unstoppable: "Good news for spammers, the smart filtering software used to catch spam can be beaten. "

BBC NEWS | Business | Tamagotchi reborn as an adult

Spam Costs $20 Billion Each Year in Lost Productivity What a load of horseshit...

Opera Stands at the Head of Browser Class: "We'll probably go back and forth a few times trying to figure out if we like Opera 7 better than Mozilla. And if you're wondering where eWeek Labs would rate market leader Internet Explorer from Microsoft Corp., that Web browser dinosaur would probably do no better than sixth place."

The History of Valentine's Day Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday?

BBC NEWS | Americas | America: The accidental empire?: "In the second of a six-part series entitled Age of Empire, the BBC's Jonathan Marcus visits Cuba in a continuing investigation into whether the United States is an imperial power."

Gates Backs E-Mail Stamp in War on Spam: "February 2, 2004
Gates Backs E-Mail Stamp in War on Spam
By SAUL HANSELL

Should people have to buy electronic stamps to send e-mail?
Some Internet experts have long suggested that the rising tide of junk e-mail, or spam, would turn into a trickle if senders had to pay even as little as a penny for each message they sent. Such an amount might be minor for legitimate commerce and communications, but it could destroy businesses that send a million offers in hopes that 10 people will respond. The idea has been dismissed both as impractical and against the free spirit of the Internet.

Now, though, the idea of e-mail postage is getting a second look from the owners of the two largest e-mail systems in the world, Microsoft and Yahoo.

Ten days ago, Bill Gates, Microsoft's chairman, told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that spam would not be a problem in two years, in part because of systems that would require people to pay money to send e-mail. Yahoo, meanwhile, is quietly evaluating an e-mail postage plan being developed by Goodmail, a Silicon Valley start-up company.

'The fundamental problem with spam is there is not enough friction in sending e-mail,' said Brad Garlinghouse, Yahoo's manager for communications products.

The company is intrigued by the idea of postage, Mr. Garlinghouse said, because it would force mailers to send only those offers a significant number of people might accept. 'All of a sudden, spammers can't behave without regard for the Internet providers' or end users' interests, ' he said.

Neither Yahoo nor Microsoft have made any commitment to charging postage, in part because the idea still faces substantial opposition among Internet users.

"Damn if I will pay postage for my nice list," said David Farber, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University, who runs a mailing list on technology and policy with 30,000 recipients. He said electronic postage systems are likely to be too complex and would charge noncommercial users who should be able to send e-mail free.

"I suspect the cost of postage will start out small and it will rapidly escalate," he added.

In the meantime, the big Internet providers, including Microsoft and Yahoo, in recent weeks have renewed talks that stalled last year about creating technological standards to help identify the senders of legitimate e-mail. That way, spammers would either have to identify themselves or risk that users would discard all anonymous mail.

But for the big Internet access providers, or I.S.P.'s, the prospect of e-mail postage creating a new revenue stream that could help offset the cost of their e-mail systems is undeniably attractive.

"Sending large volumes of e-mail involve costs that are paid for by the I.S.P.'s and eventually by consumers," said Linda Beck, executive vice president for operations at EarthLink. "Should there be some sort of financial responsibility borne by the originators of these large volume programs? I think there should." E-mail between private individuals, she added, ought to remain free.

Differentiating among classes of e-mail is one of the substantial technical difficulties that e-mail postage proposals face. In wrestling with this matter, academic researchers have proposed complex stamp systems in which each e-mail recipient sets the price for a message to enter his or her in-box. Mr. Gates talked at Davos about a system that would allow users to waive charges for friends and relatives.

Goodmail, founded by Daniel T. Dreymann, an Israeli entrepreneur, is developing a system that it hopes will be easier to adopt. It proposes that only high-volume mailers pay postage at first, at a rate of a penny a message, with the money going to the e-mail recipient's Internet access provider. (The company suggests, but does not require, that the Internet providers share the payments with their users, either through rebates or by lowering monthly fees.)

The Goodmail system is designed to work even if not all senders and not all Internet providers participate. A mass e-mailer would sign up with Goodmail, buying a block of stamps - actually an encrypted code number - that it would insert in the header of each e-mail message. If the Internet provider of the recipient participates in the system, it decrypts the stamp and submits it to Goodmail. Only then is the sender's account charged a penny and the receiving I.S.P. paid the penny, minus a service fee by Goodmail for acting as a clearinghouse.

Senders do not pay for stamps that are not used, but they do pay whether an e-mail recipient reads the message or not.

Under this plan, Internet providers would still accept incoming e-mail without stamps. But that mail would be subject to the same sort of spam filters in use now, which can at times divert legitimate mail. The Internet providers would deliver all stamped mail without any filter. Goodmail does not require that stamped mail be requested by the recipient, the so-called opt-in requirement of most other anti-spam systems.

"The very notion that I have to get permission to send you a marketing message doesn't make sense and is not good public policy," said Richard Gingras, Goodmail's chief executive. Even so, he said that Goodmail would require mailers to verify their identities and to take people off their mailing lists if such a request was made.

This kind of approach would require major policy changes by Internet providers, which all ban unsolicited e-mail even if they have little ability to block it.

In fact, some experts worry that big spammers will indeed pay the postage. Charles Stiles, manager of the postmaster department at America Online, said he was concerned that such a system might restrict the wrong mail, adding, "It is the spammers who are the ones with the big pockets."

AOL is taking a different approach and is testing a system under development by the Internet Research Task Force. The system, called the Sender Permitted From, or S.P.F., creates a way for the owner of an Internet domain, like aol.com, to specify which computers are authorized to send e-mail with aol.com return addresses. That allows a recipient's e-mail system to determine whether a message being represented as coming from someone at aol.com really is from that address. Most spam being sent now uses forged return addresses.

Microsoft has been floating a similar proposal, labeled "caller ID," that could be expanded in the future to accommodate more sophisticated anti-spam approaches including Internet postage systems. Discussions are under way among the backers of S.P.F., Microsoft and others involved in e-mail to reach a compromise sender notification system.

All these proposals can run into problems because there are legitimate cases when mail sent by one domain claims to be from another. For example, online greeting-card services will send messages with the return address of the person sending the card, even though the message does not go through the sender's e-mail account.

People taking part in the discussion say that companies like greeting-card services may need to change their e-mail software to comply with the new standards.

"Every proposed scheme will break parts of the way e-mail works today," said Hans Peter Brondmo, a senior vice president of Digital Impact who has represented big e-mailers in the spam technology negotiations. The challenge, he said, is to find a system that will require as little retrofitting as possible to e-mail systems.

America Can't Get Enough of Janet Jackson's Right Breast! In the past 12 hours, the Drudge Retort has received 100 times as much traffic as usual because of Internet users seeking a glimpse of Janet Jackson's exposed right breast.

Jackson's metal-encrusted mammary was displayed unexpectedly by Justin Timberlake at the close of the MTV-produced halftime show during the Super Bowl.

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Janet Jackson left exposed on TV: "TV network CBS has apologised for its broadcast of the American Super Bowl after Janet Jackson was left exposed when Justin Timberlake ripped her top."

BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | On board the historic Ghan: "Australia's dream of a passenger train crossing its unforgiving 'Red Centre' is finally being realised."

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Film | Spanish protest over Basque film: "They were angry that Basque Ball, The Skin Against The Stone by Julio Medem, was nominated for best documentary."

BBC NEWS | Programmes | From Our Own Correspondent | Dogs on the New York 'cat walk': "The weather is very bad news for the homeless of New York City. For the dog population though, it is an opportunity to get all dolled up. "

The Mac lovers of Microsoft: "People sometimes stare when Microsoft Corp. executive Tim McDonough opens his laptop in meetings. But that's probably to be expected when someone uses a Mac PowerBook in the center of the Windows world."

Rural Cambodia, Though Far Off the Grid, Is Finding Its Way Online MrHatken writes "An interesting combination of wireless, wheels, and store-and-forward email: 'In Cambodia, motorbikes act as routers for a store-and-forward email system: The New York Times reports on a system that allow remote villages in Cambodia to send and receive email via Wi-Fi-equipped motorbikes. The Motoman system converges in the provincial capital where a satellite-enabled school uploads and downloads email for the remote recipients. The system is funded in part through U.S. benefactors who aren't just sending money; they're spending time there as well, and helping to improve the quality of medicine and people's livelihoods.'"

Wired 12.02: Three Blind Phreaks: "How the phone-phreaking Badir brothers ran rings around Israel's telcos for six scam-filled years."

Monster Survey Compares Vacation Time Around the Globe
MAYNARD, Mass. - August 27, 2003 - Confirming beliefs that Americans spend more time in the office than their European counterparts, a recent poll of more than 86,000 workers worldwide reveals that 70 percent of Americans and 61 percent of Canadians have 15 days or less of vacation time per year. Comparatively, 82 percent of Europeans receive a minimum of three weeks (a). The Monster Meter, a product of Monster, the leading global online careers site and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNST), is an ongoing series of online polls that gauge users' opinions on a variety of topics relating to careers, the economy, and the workplace.
In the United States, 40 percent of workers respond as only having 10 days or less of vacation time during the entire year, while 30 percent of Canadians take similar time away from the office. However, in Europe, just 5 percent of respondents have 10 days or less of vacation. In fact, 61 percent of workers in Europe enjoy 26 days or more of annual leave. In the U.S., that category accounted for just 1 percent, and in Canada, 11 percent.

"Historically, many European governments have regulated mandatory vacation packages to their employees - a tradition that remains despite heightened unemployment," said Jeff Taylor, Founder and Chief Monster. "The U.S. work culture, among the strongest worldwide, has been defined as driven by high demands, tight deadlines, and long hours. While today's economy limits the amount of vacation time some employees were accustomed to a few years ago, it is important for employers to find other ways to recognize hard work and dedication."

The Monster Meter asked American, Canadian, and European Monster users:

How many days of vacation time do you get per year?

Monster U.S. (b) Monster Canada (c) Monster Europe (d)

10 days or fewer 40% 30% 5%

Between 11 and 15 days 30% 31% 4%

Between 16 and 20 days 17% 16% 9%

Between 21 and 25 days 12% 12% 21%

26 days or more 1% 11% 61%

These findings follow the release of Monster's 2003 work/life survey results, which found that 57 percent of Americans consider themselves overworked (e), 80 percent of Americans are unhappy with their work/life balance (f), and 71 percent admit to clocking more than 40 hours per week (g). Yet another proof point that U.S. workers are struggling to achieve work/life balance in today's continued slow economic period.

For more information on the 2003 Global Vacation Survey including specific country results within Europe or to view the complete 2003 Work/Life Survey, please contact Kevin Mullins at 978-461-8751 or kevin.mullins@monster.com.

(a) Several European countries mandate a minimum annual vacation leave for employees.

(b) The results of the Monster Meter are based on 72,713 votes cast by Monster U.S. users from July 7th to July 14th, 2003 on the Monster homepage. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation. Anyone interested in voting in Monster's current online poll may do so by logging onto Monster at www.monster.com. Users may review the results of this poll by going to forums.monster.com. These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinions of only those Internet users who have chosen to participate.

(c) The results of the Monster Meter are based on 3,770 votes cast by Monster.ca users from July 7th to July 21st, 2003 on the Monster.ca homepage. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation.

(d) The results of the Monster Meter are based on 10,251 votes cast across 13 Monster Europe sites: users from July 7th to July 21st, 2003 on the corresponding homepage. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation.

(e) These results are based on 61,346 votes cast by Monster users from April 14th to April 21st, 2003 on the Monster homepage. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation.

(f) These results are based on 36,128 votes cast by Monster users from June 16th to June 23rd, 2003 on the Monster homepage. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation.

(g) These results are based on 64,324 votes cast by Monster users from March 24th to March 31st, 2003 on the Monster homepage. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation.

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | DVD teenager seeks compensation: "A Norwegian who cracked the security codes of DVDs is seeking compensation from police after twice being acquitted of computer piracy. "

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Whale explodes in Taiwanese city: "A dead sperm whale has exploded while being delivered to a research centre near the southwestern city of Tainan."

BBC SPORT | Football | African Cup of Nations | New kit may be banned: "Fifa President Sepp Blatter says the new all-in-one red and green bodysuit contravenes the rules of the game. "

BBC NEWS | Business | Annan calls for development push: "'It is time,' Mr Annan told the World Economic Forum in Davos, 'to rebalance the international agenda.' "

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | In pictures: Close-ups of Mars: "The pictures, taken with its High Resolution Stereo Camera, show craters, a volcano and features thought to be created by flowing water. "

BBC NEWS | Technology | Pentagon e-voting plan 'flawed': "'Using a voting system based upon the internet poses a serious and unacceptable risk for election fraud.
'It is simply not secure enough for something as serious as the election of a government official.'
The report recommends that the Serve project be shut down and nothing like it be tried until 'both the internet and the world's home computer infrastructure have been fundamentally redesigned, or some other unforeseen security breakthroughs appear.'
Despite the criticisms, the Pentagon is standing by the project. "

BBC NEWS | Health | Giant tumour removed from woman: "A Romanian woman has had a giant tumour the weight of a person removed in a marathon operation. "

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Rare Marley songs to be released: "Rare and previously unheard tracks from Bob Marley's early years are to get official releases for the first time. "

Forbes.com: U.S. Wants You--Not WHO--To Fight The Fat: "While the U.S., with 65% of adults overweight, is the world leader in fat people, the WHO says the obesity problem is global. In 1995, there were an estimated 200 million obese adults worldwide. By 2000, that number had increased to over 300 million, according to the WHO Web site. 'Contrary to conventional wisdom, the obesity epidemic is not restricted to industrialized societies; in developing countries, it is estimated that over 115 million people suffer from obesity-related problems,' the WHO says. "

BBC NEWS | Europe | Woman 'too smart' to be victim: "A man accused of domestic violence has been released after a Spanish court ruled that his wife was too well dressed to be a victim of such abuse."

BBC NEWS | Americas | Bush offers stark choice to voters: "In November, Americans will vote on two issues: Whether Iraq was a disaster and whether the economy is on the mend.
If Iraq is not a disaster and the economy is on the mend, President Bush will be re-elected, and this speech won't make much difference one way or another.
But if there is some sort of disaster in Iraq or the economy clearly hasn't gotten better and more jobs aren't created, no amount of rhetoric will save this president.
This is after all a 50-50 nation, split down the middle. It won't take much to tip the election one way or the other."

Fool.com: Lessons From the Donald [Commentary] January 14, 2004: "NBC's newest offering to the reality TV arena, The Apprentice, offers up the usual dose of drama, competition, eye-popping prizes, and a surprising side order: some valuable investing lessons."

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Earth 'entering uncharted waters': "The Earth has entered a new era, one in which human beings may be the dominant force, say four environmental leaders.
In the International Herald Tribune, they say the uncertainty, magnitude and speed of change in many of the Earth's systems is without precedent. "

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Belly dancers lose court battle: "A top belly dancer commands about $3,145 a night - a price foreign dancers had been happy to undercut. "

BBC NEWS | Asia-Pacific | Stolen kiss lands Chinese school in court A Chinese couple have sued their former high school after it broadcast a video of them kissing on campus as an example of "irregular action".

BBC NEWS | Business | Tech stalwarts deliver the goods

BBC NEWS | Americas | Crimes and misdemeanours in New York: "Some of the stories are no doubt apocryphal. But they're easily woven into city folklore, thriving on popular perceptions that New York is going the way of Singapore: a place where spontaneity is strictly regulated in the name of quality of life"

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | World press pans US Mars shot: "'The US President may figure that a pre-emptive strike against the Martians should occur while we have the size advantage,' "

BBC NEWS | Americas | Designer modifies 9/11 memorial: "Architect Michael Arad has updated his winning design for the main memorial in New York to the victims of 11 September after criticism from victims' families."

2004 North American International Auto Show

BBC NEWS | Europe | Dutch deny 'war on white socks': "White socks, particularly under suits, would be seen as a style crime in many parts of the world. "

Xenadrine Ephedrine Free - Why Use Ephedra Free Xenadrine? Ephedrine Update: Because of ephedrine related issues (that's my guess), Cytodyne has now discontinued the ever popular Xenadrine RFA-1. Now, the only Xenadrine available from Cytodyne is Xenadrine EFX, which is the ephedra free version. This, really is no surprise following Muscletech recent formulation change of their original Hydroxcyut to epherdra free hydroxycut.

The original Xenadrine RFA-1 contained ephedrine. The new Xenadrine EFX by Cytodyne has completely gotten rid of ephedrine, and in place of it, a good mixture of better ingredients. Read our Xenadrine EFX review here. Being ephedrine free, Xenadrine EFX is a much 'friendlier' diet and weight loss supplement than the original RFA-1.

The new ephedrine free Xenadrine so far has shown promising results, with many users reporting excellent weightloss results. Clinical studies have also reported exceptional results with Xenadrine ephedrine free.

BBC NEWS | Health | Orgasms for Women 'at the touch of a button'

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Q&A: Iran election crisis

BBC NEWS | Americas | US war in Iraq 'strategic error': "A report published by the US Army War College has criticised the war against Iraq as a strategic error."

Home & Real Estate: "Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration insists the levels of 13 pollutants found in salmon are too low for serious concern, this new international study shows that farm-raised salmon have enough dioxins and other potentially cancer-causing pollutants that the researchers are cautioning consumers to eat salmon no more than once a month. "

THE VICE GUIDE TO SHIT: "How often have you found yourself at some horrible family event having mind-numbing conversations with 300-pound behemoths about the minutiae of pregnancy and babies? If you listen closely you'll realize all their talk of the runs, abdominal pain, and relaxed deep-breathing techniques is, in essence, all about shit. They are just repackaging the graphically scatological in Mommyspeak. As Freud brilliantly pointed out: Penises, infants, and poop are all solid bodies that stimulate membranous passages. Every conversation anyone has ever had always comes back to shit. Therefore, young urbanite, we provide you with the A to Z of poo. "

Don'ts: "What the fuck? Is this guy on a dare? He's got Jamaica-colored accessories and a shirt that essentially says, 'Niggers can't fight,' like he's in Die Hard 3. "

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Iraqi anger after protest deaths: "In nearby Basra, an Iraqi with US residency who came to the country in April to work on reconstruction projects has been shot dead, along with a friend, the coalition said.
Correspondents said Majid Hanoun's death fitted the pattern of insurgents gunning down people collaborating with the US occupation of Iraq, ranging from local city officials to police and foreign contractors. "

BBC NEWS | Business | Feeble growth in US jobs market The statistics show that robust economic growth is still not bringing employment opportunities for ordinary Americans.

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Bush 'plotted Iraq war from start': "A top official sacked from the US Government has accused President Bush of planning for an invasion of Iraq within days of coming to office.
Former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill said Mr Bush was looking for an excuse to oust Saddam Hussein."

BBC NEWS | Technology | Phones get to know their place: "Phones get to know their place"

BBC NEWS | Americas | Chileans seal record with a kiss Nearly 9,000 Chileans kissed their way into the record books after smooching simultaneously in a Santiago street.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Women put off by gadget shopping: "A new generation of tech-savvy women is emerging but they are still being treated like idiots when it comes to selling gadgets, say experts."

BBC NEWS | In Depth | Vote USA 2004

BBC NEWS | UK | Lust declared virtue, not vice: "Lust has been wrongly branded a vice and should be 'reclaimed for humanity' as a life-affirming virtue, according to a top philsopher."

BBC NEWS | Americas | Cuba cracks down on internet use: "The bill says the state phone company Etecsa will use technical means to detect and impede access."

The Archive of Endangered, Special or Fun Words

BBC NEWS | Americas | Rogue mountain lion killed in US

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Bangladesh bans Islam sect books The Ahmadiyya movement, which claims 200 million members worldwide, was founded in the 19th century in what is now Pakistan.

It vows to revive Islam by stressing non-violence and tolerance.

But it also believes there can be prophets after Mohammed, which mainstream Islam regards as blasphemous.

BBC NEWS | Business | Ethical shopping 'hits big brands': "Boycotts by ethical shoppers cost big brands at least 2.6bn pounds a year, claims the Co-operative Bank."

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Richer, stouter, and no happier: Mo' Money, Mo' Problems
"The Worldwatch Institute says more than 25% of the world's people now enjoy the style which used to belong to the rich.
But it says rising obesity and debt, and increasing pressures on time, are reducing many people's quality of life. "

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | New giant squid predator found: "A little known shark that lives in waters off Antarctica is only the second creature known to science that hunts giant squid for food. "

BBC NEWS | Health | 'Aggressive' e-mail health threat: "Some companies have recently taken the step of banning the use of e-mail for internal communications between colleagues on the same site - claiming that it is fast becoming more of a burden to efficient working and teambuilding than a boon."

MSNBC - The Dean Dilemma: "In any case, Clark has the potential to be Trippi's—and Dean's—worst nightmare, and a comeuppance of a sort as well: a second, fast-closing Web-based outsider who can, in ways Dean cannot, appeal to insiders while at the same time 'plugging that hole' Dean has on defense and foreign policy."

BBC NEWS | Americas | Reunited twins embrace entwined future: "The two students are at neighbouring universities in Long Island, New York. They share a birthday, they are exactly the same height, and they both love hip-hop. The most important thing they share is the same Mexican mother."

BBC NEWS | Programmes | This World | Undercover with the Hells Angels