The classic Super Bowl commercial for the Mac.
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Extreme : Underwater Ironing Record
UK reclaims world underwater ironing title from Australian rivals
Dozens of divers have taken part in a strange underwater challenge in the British town of Chepstow.
It involved a very dull household chore which has been transformed into a type of sport.
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Miss World Finalist Dead at 20: Report
A Brazilian model and Miss World finalist whose hands and feet were amputated to fight off a little-known disease died early Saturday morning, CNN has reported.
20-year-old Mariana Bridi da Costa became ill December 30 and was misdiagnosed with kidney stones, according to CNN.com.
When her health deteriorated, doctors ultimately figured out she was suffering from a severe urinary tract infection and septicimea, an infection of the blood that limits the amount of oxygen that flows to the extremities like hands and feet.
This infection forced doctors to amputate.
She also had her stomach removed in another surgery to stem internal bleeding.
"Unfortunately Mari couldn't resist any longer. She passed away at 3 a.m. today," Henrique Fontes, executive director of Miss World Brazil said in an e-mail to the cable news network.
Fontes had urged people to donate blood for Bridi, who had a rare blood type.
Renato Lindgren, a friend of the model who has dedicated a blog to Bridi, also confirmed her death to CNN.
Bridi’s family had set-up a blog updating her condition, which has been crashing due to high traffic. The family had asked people to continue praying for her life. As of early Saturday morning, the blog had not noted the model's death.
Bridi was a finalist to represent Brazil in the Miss World contest and participated in the Miss Bikini International pageant in China last year. nbcbayarea
President Barack Obama 2009 Inauguration and Address
President Barack Obama took the oath of office as the 44th president of the United States and delivered an inaugural address focusing on the themes of sacrifice and renewal on January 20, 2009.
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U.S. Celebrates As President Obama Vows New Era
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Barack Obama promised to tap the virtues and resiliency of Americans as his administration ushers in an era of accountability and improved dialogue with the world.
In his inaugural address Tuesday, Obama thanked those who sacrificed so much so "a man whose father, less than 60 years ago, might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath."
People crowded the National Mall and surrounding area that encompasses the Capitol, White House and Lincoln Memorial. They sang, danced and waved flags as Obama's swearing-in approached.
"This is America happening," said Evadey Minott of Brooklyn, New York. "It was prophesized by King that we would have a day when everyone would come together. This is that day. I am excited. I am joyful. It brings tears to my eyes."
Many in the crowd seemed moved as Aretha Franklin belted out a rousing version of "My Country 'Tis of Thee" before Joe Biden was sworn in as vice president. See, zoom in on satellite image of inauguration crowd
Wearing a navy suit and red tie, Obama repeated the oath of office, his hand on the same Bible used in President Abraham Lincoln's first inauguration.
When Obama took the podium, however, the jubilant crowd grew somber and quiet, hanging on his every word. There was only scattered applause -- punctuated by an occasional "That's right" or "Amen."
Obama acknowledged the challenges facing the country and boldly asserted, "Know this, America -- they will be met." He promised to end petty squabbles on Capitol Hill, bring "old friends and former enemies" into the fold, and invoked the Bible, saying, "The time has come to set aside childish things."
He also vowed to leave Iraq to its people, responsibly, and to finish forging "a hard-earned peace" in Afghanistan. To Muslims, he promised "a new way forward, based on mutual interest," and to terrorists, he leveled a threat: "You cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you."
He vowed to tackle the nation's economic woes forcefully and guaranteed accountability among those who handle taxpayer dollars. But the economy is not all that is reeling, he said, referencing "a sapping of confidence across our land -- a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable."
The challenges are daunting, he said, but anyone who underestimates this nation has forgotten about its past perseverance.
"Greatness is never a given. It must be earned," he said.
His words resounded with spectators and revelers who let out deafening cheers after his address. Spectator L.J. Caldwell likened Obama to some of the most heroic figures of the civil rights movement.
"When you think back, Malcolm [X] fought. Then we come a little further, Rosa Parks sat. Then come up a little further and [the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.] spoke. Then today, President Obama ran and we won," said Caldwell, of Somerset, New Jersey.
After the address, hundreds of thousands remained on the National Mall as Obama went inside the Capitol and signed his first documents as the 44th president of the United States. Among those were his Cabinet nominations. The Senate approved most of those nominations later in the day.
"I was told not to swipe the pen," Obama quipped after signing a proclamation of national renewal and reconciliation.
Obama then lunched with lawmakers at the Capitol's Statuary Hall, telling them, "What's happening today is not about me. It is about the American people.
Americans, he said, "have come together across races and regions and stations. Now we have to do the same. Now it falls to us, the people's representatives, to give our fullest measure of devotion to the cause of freedom and liberty and justice, decency and dignity."
Later, the crowds flocked to barricades along Pennsylvania Avenue as Obama's motorcade crawled by.
Many said before the festivities that they did not have tickets and would be happy to catch a mere glimpse of the nation's first African-American president.
At St. John's Episcopal Church, where the Obamas kicked off a packed day of festivities, 9-year-old Laura Bruggerman waited with her mother, Wendy, and father, Jeff, of Bethesda, Maryland. The affable crowd tried to let shorter onlookers and children to the front for better views.
"I want to see Obama. I think that would be really cool. I could tell all of my friends that I got to see him," the youngster said.
Some spectators were more than a mile from the swearing-in ceremony, watching on giant TV screens erected along the National Mall.
Security was tight in Washington. The effort involved the Secret Service, 8,000 police officers from the District of Columbia and other jurisdictions, 10,000 National Guard troops, about 1,000 FBI personnel, and hundreds of others from the Department of Homeland Security, the National Park Service and U.S. Capitol Police.
The ceremony also drew celebrities like Dustin Hoffman, Denzel Washington and Steven Spielberg.
"It's behind the dream. We're just here feeling it with the throngs of people. It's amazing grace personified," Oprah Winfrey said, sitting next actor Samuel L. Jackson.
Obama and congressional leaders formally bade farewell to Bush, and the now-former president took a presidential jet to Midland, Texas, shortly afterward.
As Obama and his wife, Michelle, made their way to the White House, they stepped out of their limousine amid another round of boisterous hoorahs.
The first couple beamed as they walked down Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to the throngs kept back by police barriers. They walked a few blocks before returning to their vehicle to finish the two-mile parade that took them to the White House.
"I have a sneaky suspicion that Barack and Michelle will be out and about on the streets of Washington [during his term]. ... You'll see them again," said Tracy Miller, who was watching the Obamas.
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Upon arriving at the White House, Obama and his family entered a reviewing stand to watch the rest of the inauguration parade. The Obamas will close the night by attending 10 official inaugural balls.
After a day and night of events celebrating his historic presidency, Obama and his family will officially take up residence at the White House. cnn
Obama Honors King On Final Pre-presidency Day
WASHINGTON – Fresh off a rollicking celebration in the shadow of Abraham Lincoln, President-elect Barack Obama is shaping the final day of his pre-presidential life around another giant figure, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
Obama is taking part in a community renovation project in the Washington area to honor King, the civil rights leader who was assassinated in 1968. Monday is the federal holiday commemorating the birthday of King, who advocated peaceful resistance and equality among all races. He blazed a trail for Obama, soon to be the nation's first black president.
The vice president-elect, Joe Biden, is also taking part in volunteer service on Monday. His wife, Jill, and Obama's wife, Michelle, are helping with a service project, too.
Transition aides declined to name the locations or details of the projects.
The run-up to Obama's inauguration on Tuesday has, like his election itself, been defined by enormous public enthusiasm, carefully choreographed events and a lofty spirit of unity. What awaits, as Obama often reminds the nation, is many months, if not years, of tough work.
The weekend celebrations began Saturday with Obama's whistle-stop tour, from Philadelphia to Washington, along the path Abraham Lincoln took in 1861. Then came a roaring celebrity-filled concert at the Lincoln Memorial on Sunday, where several hundred thousand people flanked the reflecting pool, hearing actors, singers and then Obama himself rally for national renewal.
Now Obama is asking the nation to honor King's legacy by making a renewed commitment to service. That has long been the goal of the King holiday, even if many see it as a day off.
The Presidential Inaugural Committee has launched a Web site, USAService.org, to help people find volunteer opportunities close to their homes.
"I am asking you to make a lasting commitment to make better the lives of your fellow Americans — a commitment that must endure beyond one day, or even one presidency," Obama said in a YouTube appeal last week. "At this moment of great challenge and great change, I am asking you to play your part; to roll up your sleeves and join in the work of remaking this nation."
The president-elect has a busy Monday evening, too.
He is to attend three private dinners to honor the public service of former Secretary of State Colin Powell; Biden, a longtime senator from Delaware; and Sen. John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee. Those dinners will be held at the Hilton Washington, National Building Museum and Union Station.
Michelle Obama, the future first lady, is hosting a children's evening concert.
Meanwhile, with the nation's transition of power now just more than a day away, a new hero has been invited to join the inauguration.
US Airways Capt. Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, who safely crash-landed a failing jetliner in the Hudson River on Thursday, has been invited by the president-elect to attend Tuesday's inauguration. So has Sullenberger's crew and his family.
An aide to Obama said the inaugural committee is working on the details. yahoo
The Best Job In The World
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Help wanted: Spend six months working for Tourism Queensland as "caretaker" and resident blogger on an island in Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Compensation is $105,000 and housing in a three-bedroom villa with a pool. From AFP (image of the view from Hamilton Island by Flickr user laurence_grayson via Wikipedia):
"They'll also have to talk to media from time to time about what they're doing so they can't be too shy and they'll have to love the sea, the sun, the outdoors," said acting state Premier Paul Lucas.
"The fact that they will be paid to explore the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, swim, snorkel and generally live the Queensland lifestyle makes this undoubtedly the best job in the world."
For Further : Australia offers 'best job in world' on paradise island
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My Bloody Valentine 3D - Trailer
Valentine's Day is coming early this year! My Bloody Valentine 3D, in 2D and 3D theaters everywhere soon !
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Dip In Ice Cold Water For Good Luck
Japanese brave ice cold water in a traditional "soul-purification' ceremony to wish for good luck in 2009.
Dozens of participants at Kanda Myojin shrine in Tokyo offered prayers and chants before stepping into a pool of ice water. With the outside temperature just below freezing, men then poured water over themselves to purify their souls which would bring them good luck.
Bathing in cold water, or standing under waterfalls is a traditional Shinto purification rite.
NOTE: Unvoiced video.
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International Anger Over Gaza Grows
There've been more protests in the Middle East and around the world about the continuing conflict in Gaza.
Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank staged demonstrations as did Muslims in Malaysia and anti-Israelis in Australia.
A group of journalists also took to the streets in Gaza after four of their colleagues were killed in air strikes.
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Rat Loves Cat!
Rat loves cat... cat tolerates rat. A really cute interspecies relationship :) My rat, Peanut, follows Ranj around everywhere! She gives him kisses and hugs.
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Study: Exercise Won't Cure Obesity
Physical activity has many proven benefits.
It strengthens bones and muscles, improves mental health and mood, lowers blood pressure, improves cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, breast cancer and colon cancer. Exercise is also good for your brain.
It may not be a cure-all for obesity, however.
Though better nutrition coupled with exercise has long been the favored prescription for losing weight and avoiding obesity, a new study suggests diet actually plays the key role.
Researchers from Loyola University Health System and other centers compared African American women in metropolitan Chicago with women in rural Nigeria. On average, the Chicago women weighed 184 pounds and the Nigerian women weighed 127 pounds.
Researchers had expected to find that the slimmer Nigerian women would be more physically active. To their surprise, they found no significant difference between the two groups in the amount of calories burned during physical activity.
"Decreased physical activity may not be the primary driver of the obesity epidemic," said Loyola nutritionist Amy Luke, a member of the study team.
Burn more, eat more
U.S. government guidelines state that each week, adults need at least 2 ½ hours of moderate aerobic activity (such as brisk walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous activity (such as jogging). Adults also should do muscle-strengthening activities, such as weight-lifting or sit-ups, at least twice a week.
The benefits to overall health are clear. Exercise has even been shown to improve kids' academic performance.
People burn more calories when they exercise. Thing is, they compensate by eating more, said Richard Cooper, co-author of the study and chairman of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology.
"We would love to say that physical activity has a positive effect on weight control, but that does not appear to be the case," Cooper said.
Diet differences
Diet is a more likely explanation than physical activity expenditure for why Chicago women weigh more than Nigerian women, Luke said. She noted the Nigerian diet is high in fiber and carbohydrates and low in fat and animal protein. By contrast, the Chicago diet is 40 percent to 45 percent fat and high in processed foods.
More research seems to be needed, however, as the new finding conflicts with other studies. A study in the September issue of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine found that Old Order Amish people who had a gene related to obesity stayed thin nonetheless because they exercised a lot.
Yet results of the new study are similar to those of a 2007 study of men and women in Jamaica. Researchers from Loyola and other centers found there was no association between weight gain and calories burned during physical activity.
"Evidence is beginning to accumulate that dietary intake may be more important than energy expenditure level," Luke said. "Weight loss is not likely to happen without dietary restraint."
The results, announced in a statement from the university today, were published in the September 2008 issue of the journal Obesity.
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UN takes on Gaza
The UN debates the conflict in Gaza as Security Council diplomats say it will take at least several days to prepare a ceasefire resolution for a vote.
More than 600 Palestinians have been killed since Israel began the campaign last month with the declared aim of ending rocket attacks by Hamas.Nine Israelis, including three civilians hit by rocket fire, have been killed.
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For Indonesian : Hari Libur Nasional dan Cuti Bersama 2009
Berikut Hari Libur Nasional tahun 2009
* 1 Januari : Tahun Baru Masehi
* 26 Januari : Tahun baru Imlek 2560
* 9 Maret : Maulid Nabi Muhammad SAW
* 26 Maret : Hari Raya Nyepi Tahun Baru Saka 1931
* 10 April : Wafat Yesus Kristus
* 9 Mei : Hari Raya Waisak tahun 2553
* 21 Mei : Kenaikan Yesus Kristus
* 20 Juli : Isra’ Miraj Nabi Muhammad SAW
* 17 Agustus : Hari Kemerdekaan RI
* 21-22 September : Idul Fitri 1 Syawal 1430 H
* 27 November : Idul Adha 1430 H
* 18 Desember : Tahun Baru 1431 H
* 25 Desember : Hari Raya Natal
Cuti Bersama tahun 2009
* 2 Januari : Cuti Bersama Tahun Baru Masehi
* 18 September : Cuti Bersama Idul Fitri
* 23 September : Cuti Bersama Idul Fitri
* 24 Desember : Cuti Bersama Natal Keputusan Bersama MENTERIAGAMA,MENTERI TENAGA KERJA DAN TRANSMIGRASI,DAN MENTERI NEGARA PENDAYAGUNAAN APARATUR NEGARA REPUBLIK INDONESIA
Man's Last Lotto Ticket Wins $10M for Widow
DANBURY, Conn. – On the day that Donald Peters died, he unknowingly provided financial security for his wife of 59 years and their family.
Peters bought two Connecticut Lottery tickets at a local 7-Eleven store on Nov. 1 as part of a 20-year tradition he shared with his wife Charlotte. Later that day, the 79-year-old retired hat factory worker suffered a fatal heart attack while working in his yard in Danbury.
On Friday, his widow cashed in one of the tickets: a $10 million winner which, in her grief over her husband's death, she had put aside and almost discarded before recently checking the numbers.
"I'm numb," Charlotte Peters, 78, said at Connecticut Lottery headquarters in Rocky Hill.
Donald Peters usually bought the tickets for 10 weeks at a stretch, so the winning ticket he bought Nov. 1 for the Dec. 2 drawing was among several that Charlotte Peters put aside as she, their three children and two grandchildren coped with his sudden death.
"I was in the grocery store and I had it checked and they told me I was a winner," she said. "I had no idea how much it was."
She said she thought she had won $6 million but was surprised to learn from lottery officials she'd won $10 million.
Charlotte Peters has 60 days to decide whether to take a $6 million pre-tax lump sum payment or stretch the winnings into 21 yearly payments of almost $477,300 each.
She does not yet know what she will do with the money.
"I've always wanted a Corvette, but I don't think I'll buy one. I'll stick to a small car. I might go to Mohegan Sun," she said, referring to the casino in Connecticut. "I'm going to go home and sit and think."
The Peters children think their father would have appreciated the irony.
"He'd be very mad, he just passed away and she won a lot of money," said Brian Peters, one of the couple's three children. "He'd say, 'Figures!'" yahoo
Smoking Ban Leads To Major Drop In Heart Attacks
ATLANTA – A smoking ban in one Colorado city led to a dramatic drop in heart attack hospitalizations within three years, a sign of just how serious a health threat secondhand smoke is, government researchers said Wednesday. The study, the longest-running of its kind, showed the rate of hospitalized cases dropped 41 percent in the three years after the ban of workplace smoking in Pueblo, Colo., took effect. There was no such drop in two neighboring areas, and researchers believe it's a clear sign the ban was responsible.
The study suggests that secondhand smoke may be a terrible and under-recognized cause of heart attack deaths in this country, said one of its authors, Terry Pechacek of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.At least eight earlier studies have linked smoking bans to decreased heart attacks, but none ran as long as three years. The new study looked at heart attack hospitalizations for three years following the July 1, 2003 enactment of Pueblo's ban, and found declines as great or greater than those in earlier research.
"This study is very dramatic," said Dr. Michael Thun, a researcher with the American Cancer Society.
"This is now the ninth study, so it is clear that smoke-free laws are one of the most effective and cost-effective to reduce heart attacks," said Thun, who was not involved in the CDC study released Thursday.
Smoking bans are designed not only to cut smoking rates but also to reduce secondhand tobacco smoke. It is a widely recognized cause of lung cancer, but its effect on heart disease can be more immediate. It not only damages the lining of blood vessels, but also increases the kind of blood clotting that leads to heart attacks. Reducing exposure to smoke can quickly cut the risk of clotting, some experts said.
"You remove the final one or two links in the chain" of events leading to a heart attack, Thun said.
Secondhand smoke causes an estimated 46,000 heart disease deaths and about 3,000 lung cancer deaths among nonsmokers each year, according to statistics cited by the CDC.
In the new study, researchers reviewed hospital admissions for heart attacks in Pueblo. Patients were classified by ZIP codes. They then looked at the same data for two nearby areas that did not have bans — the area of Pueblo County outside the city and for El Paso County.
In Pueblo, the rate of heart attacks dropped from 257 per 100,000 people before the ban to 152 per 100,000 in the three years afterward. There were no significant changes in the two other areas.
"The need for protection from secondhand smoke in all workplaces and public places has never been clearer," said Matthew Myers of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, in a prepared statement. He is president of the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy organization.
But the study had limitations: It assumed declines in the amount of secondhand smoke in Pueblo buildings after the ban, but did not try to measure that. The researchers also did not sort out which heart attack patients were smokers and which were not, so it's unclear how much of the decline can be attributed to reduced secondhand smoke.
One academic argued there's not enough evidence to conclude the smoking ban was the cause of Pueblo's heart attack decline.
The decline could have had more to do with a general decline in smoking in Pueblo County, from about 26 percent in 2002-2003 to less than 21 percent in 2004-2005. If there were stepped-up efforts to treat or prevent heart disease in the Pueblo area, that too could have played a role, said Dr. Michael Siegel, a professor of social and behavioral sciences at the Boston University School of Public Health.
"I don't think it's as clear as they're making it out to be," Siegel said.
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