wave

Surf's up Wednesday: Google Wave update
Starting Wednesday, September 30 we'll be sending out more than 100,000 invitations to preview Google Wave to:

• Developers who have been active in the developer preview we started back in June
• The first users who signed up and offered to give feedback
  
• Select customers of Google Apps
  

We'll ask some of these early users to nominate people they know also to receive early invitations — Google Wave is a lot more useful if your friends, family and colleagues have it too. This, of course, will just be the beginning. If all goes well we will soon be inviting many more to try out Google Wave.

Some of you have asked what we mean by preview. This just means that Google Wave isn't quite ready for prime time. Not yet, anyway. Since first unveiling the project back in May, we've focused almost exclusively on scalability, stability, speed and usability. Yet, you will still experience the occasional downtime, a crash every now and then, part of the system being a bit sluggish and some of the user interface being, well, quirky.

There are also still key features of Google Wave that we have yet to fully implement. For example, you can't yet remove a participant from a wave or define groups of users, draft mode is still missing and you can't configure the permissions of users on a wave. We'll be rolling out these and other features as soon as they are ready — over the next few months.

Despite all this, we believe you will find that Google Wave has the potential for making you more productive when communicating and collaborating. Even when you're just having fun! We use it ourselves everyday for everything from planning pub crawls to sharing photos, managing release processes and debating features to writing design documents. In fact, we collaborated on this very blog post with several colleagues in Google Wave.

Speaking of ways you could potentially use Google Wave, we're intrigued by the many detailed ones people have taken the time to describe. To mention just a few: journalist Andy Ihnatko on producing his Chicago Sun-Times column, filmmaker Jonathan Poritsky on streamlining the movie-making process, scientist Cameron Neylon on academic papers and lab work, Alexander Dreiling and his SAP research team on collaborative business process modelling, and ZDNet's Dion Hincliffe on a host of enterprise use cases.

The Wave team's most fun day since May? We invited a group of students to come spend a day with us at Google's Sydney office. Among other things, we asked them to collaboratively write stories in Google Wave about an imaginary trip around the world. They had a ball! As did we...
Finally, a big shoutout to the thousands of developers who have patiently taken part in our ongoing developer preview. It has been great fun to see the cool extensions already built or being planned and incredibly instructive to get their help planning the future of our APIs. To get a taste for what some of these creative developers have been working on, and to learn more about the ways we hope to make it even easier for developers to build new extensions, check out this post on our developer blog.

earthquake

Earthquake rocks western Indonesia

A powerful underwater earthquake has struck off the the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island.

The 7.9 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday damaged hundreds of houses, destroyed bridges and started fires in the costal city of Padang, witnesses told local television.

It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.

"Hundreds of houses have been damaged along the road," the Reuters news agency quoted a witness in Padang as saying.

"There are some fires, bridges are cut and there is extreme panic here maybe because water pipes are broken and there is flooding in the streets."

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued regional tsunami warning following the earthquake, but the warning was cancelled soon afterwards.

The Indonesian earthquake comes just hours after a series of tsunamis caused death and devastation on the Pacific island nations of American and Western Samoa.

Padang, the capital of Indonesia's West Sumatra province, sits on one of the world's most active fault lines along the "Ring of Fire", where the Indo-Australia plate grinds against the Eurasia plate, creating regular tremors and sometimes earthquakes.

In 2004, a 9.15 magnitude earthquake, with its epicentre roughly 600km northwest of Padang, caused a tsunami that killed 232,000 people in Indonesia's Aceh province, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, and other countries across the Indian Ocean.

red fox labrador

Fox red is not a separate color of the Labrador but only a shade of yellow. In the early years of the breed development, fox red or dark yellow was the original yellow shade of the Labrador Retriever. The original yellows were in fact called Golden until the British Kennel Club came to register them.

They argued that gold was not a colour, so yellow they became. One has to only look at the first yellow Labrador over recorded, Ben of Hyde in 1899 sired by Major Redclyffe's Neptune out of lord Wimborne's Duchess both blacks to see this original shade. These early Labradors were either dark golden or butterscotch tinged with red. Until and even to some point after World War 11, dark yellow was the norm.

Registered AKC Labrador Retriever puppies, Fox red Color

AKC registered labrador retriever puppies, all fox red color. Mother is Rose and father is Baron who are both fox red labs.

Males and Females available. Black nosed and lived nosed. Championship bloodline, Hall of famers in the pedigree. Health guaranteed, parents on site. Will be ready for new homes on September 12, 2009.

Come pick out your puppy now and with deposit will hold until ready. Health contract and guarantees provided to new owners. $650 each. Call 704-982-9726. New pictures added on 8-30-2009. These puppies are beautiful!!

colonial period

Simply the best - by the river Banks of Southern Laos

The rainy season, or otherwise referred to as the green season, is often considered a boring period for many people. Conversely, personally this period of time brings me a feeling of cheerfulness, as all the things surrounding me are starting their new lives. Trees change from a dreary brown to a glowing green, while the rice fields are carpeted with green hopes.

As soon as I had the opportunity of a short break due to a long public-holiday weekend in July, I wasn’t going to miss the chance to recharge my batteries by visiting one of my favourite places, Southern Laos. What’s more, to make my trip even more special, I spent most of my time lazing during the Vat Phou Cruise, observing and really appreciating the close look I had into the colourful lives by the river banks of Mekong River.

tropic of cancer

City Banker to cycle the tropic of cancer in AID of Cancer awareness

City banker Jon Wright has given up his job with Barclays Wealth to cycle 11,000 miles along the Tropic of Cancer this October in aid of cancer awareness and the importance of early detection of the disease. Having been given the all clear from two unrelated cases of testicular cancer the 27 year old will raise funds for Macmillan, Orchid, Starlight and Willow Foundation.

Starting at the Bank of England, London, Jon and his brother Dom (32) will cycle 50 miles a day, for nine months, until they reach Havana, Cuba in time for the summer solstice 2010 to symbolise the long life which can be lived after cancer. The TCC Challenge (Tropic of Cancer for Cancer Challenge) will start on October 9^th 2009 and will finish on June 21^st 2010.

Jon and Dom are hoping to raise over £100,000 for their chosen cancer related charities. “I wanted to plan a huge physical and mental challenge to match the effect that cancer had on my life. The first time was not easy but I confronted it and got on with it. The second time was a rare occurrence as it was unrelated, that hit me extremely hard and prompted me to create something positive from my experience. I was determined to use my natural energy to travel a long distance to show that cancer hadn’t beaten me; one day I was looking at a world map for inspiration and came across the idea of travelling along the Tropic of Cancer and had a bit of a eureka moment, I totalled up the distance over land which, at 11,000 miles, ruled out walking (I’m not sure my fiancée would wait that long) so I thought about how feasible it would be to cycle. I had begun cycling short distances to regain my fitness following radiotherapy treatment and my passion for the sport was growing, cycling along the Tropic of Cancer seemed to tick all the boxes of what I hoped to achieve. Further research indicated that it’s not something which has been done before and the TCC (Tropic of Cancer for Cancer) Challenge was born.” Jon said.

He continues, “The key objective of this challenge is to raise awareness over the importance of early detection. If diagnosed early testicular cancer is easily treatable with a 99% cure rate, I want to reach out to those people who fear something may be wrong to go and get it checked out. Many men don’t feel comfortable talking about their testicles but if something as serious as testicular cancer is left untreated it will spread and eventually kill you, for me it was a no brainer- I’ve got a lot of living left to do.”

Jon’s story is even more remarkable given the fact that he was only a novice cyclist before he started training a year ago. “I think the furthest I’d cycled before I started training was around 10-15 miles. I started training for the TCC Challenge on my Ridgeback mountain bike that I did my paper round on at 12 years old!” Ironically the boys are now sponsored by Ridgeback and will embarking on their journey on Ridgeback Voyage and Panorama touring bikes.

The TCC Challenge will take the brothers through the continents of Europe, Africa, Asia and Central America, putting their bikes through their paces by enduring some of the world’s most challenging terrain. They will be cycling unsupported but joined on various legs by some friends including Jon’s fiancée.

“It’s great to have my brother joining me” Jon says, “I’m sure they’ll be moments when we can’t stand each other but on the whole it will be a great morale booster and we do get on well, furthermore his sense of direction is far better than mine- I tend to get lost in a phone box so it’s a definite plus having him on board!”

Macmillan are currently running their ‘We’re Here’ campaign where they are aiming to reach the 2million people who are currently living with cancer. Orchid exists to save men’s lives from testicular, prostate and penile cancers through pioneering research and promoting awareness. Willow Foundation provides special days for seriously ill 16-40 year olds and similarly Starlight Children’s Foundation brightens the lives of seriously and terminally ill children by granting their wishes and providing hospital entertainment to help take their minds off the pain, fear and isolation of their illness.

Tawny Kitaen

Tawny Kitaen Arrested on Suspicion of DUI

Better get Dr. Drew on the phone.

Celebrity Rehab alum Tawny Kitaen was taken into custody Saturday afternoon near John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, Calif., on suspicion of driving under the influence. 

The 48-year-old former actress and reality star allegedly, "made contact with officers after operating a vehicle while under the influence," according to Sgt. Shontel Sherwood of the Newport Beach Police Department.

Kitaen, who has also appeared on VH1's The Surreal Life, was busted in 2006 on drug possession charges, after police found 15 grams of cocaine in her San Juan Capistrano apartment. 

The Whitesnake music video babe struck a plea deal with prosecutors in which they agreed to drop the felony drug charges after she completed a drug treatment program.

philippines weather

'10 dead, missing' as storm hits Philippines

At least 10 people were reported dead or missing and more than 1,800 were forced to evacuate as tropical storm Ketsana lashed the Philippines Saturday, officials and radio reports said.

The government declared Manila and 25 other provinces to be in a "state of calamity," Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said, as heavy rains brought by the storm caused the worst flooding seen in the capital in some 20 years.

A wall, weakened by floodwaters, collapsed in a suburb of Manila, killing a father and child while five children drowned in flooding elsewhere in the city, radio station DZMM said.

Three other people were swept away by a swollen river outside the capital, it said.

Over 1,800 people were forced to flee their homes and take refuge in evacuation centres due to rising waters, the civil defence office said.

Flooding was reported in many districts with waters in some areas reaching as high as the rooftops of one-storey buildings, the civil defence office said.

Power was cut in many parts of the city, partly due to flooding but also as a protective measure in some districts to prevent people attempting to escape the floodwaters from being electrocuted by fallen lines.

Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, who is also in charge of civil defence operations, said all the efforts of the police and the military were being concentrated on rescuing people trapped on rooftops.

But he said the flooding in the streets and the large numbers of stalled vehicles were giving rescue units "a hard time" in reaching those affected.

In a radio broadcast, he advised that "if you are on the roof, don't try to leave. Just remain there on the roof and we will do everything to rescue you."

He remarked that even he had to swim through chest-deep waters to reach his office.

The storm, bearing winds of 85 kilometres (53 miles) per hour with gusts of 100 kph, hit the main island of Luzon near the town of Infanta at about 0200 GMT Saturday, moving west at 19 kilometres per hour, the weather station said.

Government weather forecaster Gener Quitlong said the equivalent of one month's worth of rain fell on the city in less than a day.

"We knew there would be rain but not like this," Quitlong told reporters.

One of the three airport terminals in Manila was forced to cancel and divert flights after the flooding hampered its electrical system.

Local officials interviewed on radio said they were moving to evacuate more of their residents.

At least four hospitals in the capital had to move their patients to higher floors after water began seeping into lower levels.

The highways leading to metropolitan Manila were rendered impassable due to the huge number of vehicles stalled in the floodwaters.

Local officials made radio appeals asking rescue agencies to send rubber boats to rescue stranded people, some of whom had been on their rooftops all day and were panicking because of rising waters.

In a suburb of Manila, residents in a flooded area were seen rescuing children from rooftops by placing them in inflated inner tubes before dragging them to higher ground.

The second level of a three-step storm alert was raised over the eastern provinces of Luzon while the first level alert was hoisted over metropolitan Manila and surrounding areas, the government said.

The storm is expected to move west, across the main island of Luzon, before exiting the country early Sunday. The government weather station said it is weakening and that rains are likely to ease up after sundown.

An average of 20 typhoons and storms enter the Philippines from the Pacific Ocean over the eastern seaboard every year.

Australian Rules Football

Australian rules: Cats back on top

Paul Chapman kicked a match-high three goals and was named the game's most valuable player as the Geelong Cats won their second Australian Rules football title in three years, beating the St. Kilda Saints 12.8 (80) to 9. 14 (68) tonight.

Playing before 99,251 fans in rainy conditions and on a soggy pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Cats, from an industrial port city about an hour southwest of Melbourne, overcame a seven-point deficit after three quarters and prevented the Saints from scoring a goal in the final quarter.

St. Kilda, which had the best regular-season record in the Australian Football League this year, was attempting to win its second league title in its 113-year history, having won its only grand final in 1966.

soldier boy

Soulja Boy Fiance Photos - Meet Sexy Rosa Acosta!

Popular rapper, Soulja Boy, is sparking media attention this week with news of an engagement to his model girlfriend Rosa Acosta.

According to reports, Soulja Boy (not Soldier Boy) proposed to the dark-haired beauty sometime last week and the two are thrilled about planning the wedding.

So who is Rosa Acosta and what’s her story?

Well the Dominican Republic native is a model and an accomplished ballerina. She came to the US in 2006 to try and boost her modeling career. If she looks a little familiar to you, it’s probably because she’s appeared in music videos for P. Diddy, Drake, Mario and 50 Cent.

Soulja Boy and Rosa hardly have a high profile relationship, so why is the engagement sparking so much interest from mainstream media?

It appears that the couple is trying to keep the news under wraps, which only fuels media interest in the entertainment business.

Soulja Boy is known for sharing every intimate detail of his life with his friends on twitter but has failed to mention anything about an engagement to his loyal followers. Why so hush, hush?

News of the engagement has been confirmed by sources close to the couple but neither party have confirmed the news themselves. Do you think Soulja Boy is getting married – and what do you think of his fiancé?

Hiv Vaccine

HIV vaccine: five damaging Aids myths

The HIV vaccine has been hailed as a "milestone" in the fight against Aids, after decades during which scientists have struggled to counter false information about the virus.

Here we present five of the myths – rejected by almost all the medical community – that have deflected attention from mainstream opinion about how to save lives. 

Showering after sex prevents Aids
During his 2006 rape trial the current South African President Jacob Zuma revealed that he showered after having sex with an HIV-positive woman to reduce the risk of infection. The politician's views were condemned as ignorant and irresponsible in a country where more than five million people have Aids. 

Houston Weather

Heavy rush-hour rains snarling Houston roads

Early morning rain showers have swamped some roads and made others slick, contributing to fender benders and other mishaps that are snarling traffic. 

But emergency crews are working quickly to clear the wrecks and so far, few remain in traffic lanes for long.

Houston TranStar officials report water on the ramps at West Sam Houston Tollway north and sound bound at Clay Road. 

Traffic also is backed up because of a single-car crash on the west tollway northbound at W. Gulf Bank. 

A two-car collision is snarling northbound traffic on U.S. 59 near Texas 288. The wreck occurred about 8:20 a.m. 

Traffic is stacking up after a two-car collision on the North Sam Houston Tollway westbound a T.C. Jester about 8:30 a.m. 

Heavy downpours are expected throughout the day as a mild cold front approaches the Houston area.

As much as 3 inches of rain is expected in some spots today, making street flooding possible, according to the National Weather Service.

The front is expected to hit the region later today or early Wednesday and forecasters said the rainfall will continue through at least Friday as the weather system moves toward the coastline. Then it will shift north, taking the showers with it.

The area should dry out for the weekend.

Temperatures are expected to drop slightly behind the front. 

Today, the high temperature will be in the mid 80s and the low will be about 70 degrees. An 80 percent chance of rain is forecast.

Some high winds are possible during the rainfall, but forecasters said few severe thunderstorms are likely.

More rain is on tap for Wednesday, when a 70-percent chance of thunderstorms and showers is forecast. 

The high will struggle to reach about 80 degrees as the front passes through. The low will be near 70.

The front is expected to reach the coastline and move off shore by Thursday, but rain will continue to rake the area while the weather system moves north, said Kent Prochazka, a weather service meteorologist.

Temperatures begin to climb Thursday, when the high will be in the mid 80s and the low will be in the low 70s.

The high temperature Friday will be in the upper 80s and the low will be near 70.

Late Saturday, the area begins to dry out. Rain chances drop to 20 percent, and by Sunday only a slight chance of showers is predicted.

The high temperature each day will be near 88 degrees and the low will be in the low 70s under mostly cloudy skies.

Sunny skies and no rain are expected early next week with high temperatures near 90 degrees.

ringtone maker

Xingtone Ringtone Maker 5.0.1 Full
Don’t settle for the same clip of music everyone else has. Express yourself with your own custom ringtone from any of your favorite audio files.Choose exactly the clip you want, adjust it and get it just right, then send it to your phone via text message - no cables, no hassles,no clubs to join, no hidden charges. It’s fast, easy, and fun. - Select any of your favorite audio files -even record your own or someone else’s voice. Make real music ringtones that sound great! Make as many as you like. -Select the exact part of the song you want to make a ringtone that’s truly personal.




Agorics is proud to announce its new free ringtones Maker Online. This is yet another peerless addition to the already fantastic range of services extended by Agorics to its prestigious customers worldwide. Other than personalizing your mobile phone using melodious ringtones, latest videos, wonderful wallpapers and games, the Ringtone Maker will provide you another mesmerizing way of adding a personal touch your beloved cell phones.

As most cell phone users are into personalizing their free ringtones, the Ringtone Maker from Agorics allows them to do this job without any problem. It is extremely easy to use and even the ones who are not very proficient with using various software can handle it without any issue. The great demand of customers for customizing ringtones has provoked Agorics to cater to the needs of its much-valued customers with its special Ringtone Maker software. You can use it for editing and extracting sound files which can be used for your free sprint ringtones.

The free ringback tones Maker from Agorics is highly innovative and allows you to convert your music files to your cell phones which can be played instantly. Unlike the other programs, you will not have to go through the intricate processes or undergo several steps to achieve what you desire as Ringtone Maker from Agorics provides you with this facility just by a couple of clicks. Other than providing you with the comfort of playing customized audio formats, you will also be able to generate music files which can be played by means of the media player of your mobile phone. You can store these files as free ringtones for verizon on the phone's memory or can use them as you wish.

The Ringtone Maker from Agorics is compatible with all types of mobile phones including Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung and Motorola. The latest models of these cell phones can play a number of audio formats which are used for ringing tone as well. As many cell phones users wish to continuously upgrade their ringtones, the Ringtone Maker from Agorics enables the user to customize the songs or music of their liking and makes it a part of their ring tones collection. No matter if you want to create new alltel ringtones or personalize playlists on your cell phone, this program will enable you to do all you wish to on your mobile phone.

With this and much more, Agorics Ringtone Maker is the experience of a lifetime with all its brilliant offerings, which are accessible to you for FREE!

calvin and hobbes

As a journalism major, the fact that newspapers are dying is deeply saddening — as a comic fan, not so much. Newspaper comic strips have been stagnant and boring for years, with the same old repetitive Garfield, Cathy and Dilbert dominating the printed page.

To save money, newspapers are pushing out comics and cutting down on pages. The ones that remain are unfunny and geared toward the average local newspaper reader — older people with a low tolerance for the new and different.

Many people yearning for the golden age of comics, when artists and writers weren’t afraid to push the envelope and actually make the readers laugh, have turned to web-comics, which are becoming more and more popular. Web-comics are competing and overtaking syndicated comics in terms of moneymaking as they churn out T-shirts and other merchandise to capitalize on inside jokes.

Many syndicated cartoonists complain about the new paradigm of financially successful comics, calling the creators of web-comics “salesmen” rather than artists.
These print cartoonists are hypocrites. “Peanuts” made money because Charles Shultz sold his images to be used as marketing tools for insurance companies and merchandisers. “Garfield” merchandise is ubiquitous.

The reason web-cartoonists make money off their merchandise is because people want it. Bill Watterson never allowed Calvin and Hobbes to be used as a marketing tool, which led to a huge bootleg industry of stickers of his character urinating on various logos. It’s best for people to license their characters and make money off it rather than allow bottom feeders to illegally use images for profit.

“Dinosaur Comics” is one of the best web-comics out there. It’s too bad this name can also be applied to the vast majority of print cartoonists. They’re scared of the new model, and of changing. They’re much like their readers — afraid of change.

shane mosley

Mayweather dominates, Chris John Keeps title

Surprising few, Floyd Mayweather Jr. beat Juan Manuel Marquez easily over 12 rounds. Scoring a knockdown in the second and dominating throughout, the unbeaten Mayweather, now 40-0 was never really troubled by his smaller opponent. Having significant advantages in both height and weight, Mayweather used his jab effectively and landed an impressive 59% of his punches to Marques' 12%.

Whether boredom, reported staggering IRS bills or a genuine love of competing drove Mayweather back to the ring after 2 years off, he clearly hasn't lost a step. His next fight will probably be against Manny Pacquiao, although Shane Mosley callled him out immediately after the fight and the two had to be seprated. Mosley might be too large of a prospect to take on, being both much larger and stronger physically, however that discussion is for another day. For the time being Mayweather will be basking in the glory of his latest win, proclaiming himself to be the top pound for pound fighter in the world, and hyping up whichever fight he wants to take next. Mayweather said after the fight:

"I've been off for two years, so I felt like it took me a couple of rounds to really know I was back in the ring again," And later: "I know I'll get better.""He's a great small man," Mayweather said. "Don't forget, I came from a small weight class too, so I know when you're in front of a great fighter. I think he brought his best tonight."

Indonesian Chris John also retained his title on the undercard, beating Rocky Juares to a unanimous decision. He looked a lot sharper than the first time the two met, and clearly won all but the later rounds. Juarez like the first meeting surged towards the end of the fight, but didn't do enough to put the result in question. He did hurt John briefly in the last round, but failed to capitalize or get the knockdown. John moves to 43-0-2, with 22 KOs, while Juarez slips to 28-5-1 with 20 KOs.

edgar

Edgar Allan Poe Comes Alive at Philly Fringe

The only thing more difficult than memorizing the lyrical prose of Poe’s literary genius is capturing his unique ability to mount tension as his stories progress. The gem of Scott Craig Jones portrayal of Edgar Allan Poe is his talent for replicating the tension Poe wove so beautifully into his poem and stories. Jones pours his heart and soul into his craft with the same precision as Poe, and the result is at times spectacular in his dreadfully wonderful production Edgar Allan Poe Comes Alive!

Consisting of six poems and two short stories from the Poe collection, Jones indulges the audience in an hour with the man responsible for directly influencing some of the greatest science fiction and horror authors in American history. The pieces are broken up with tidbits from Poe’s life, including the peculiar ritual that’s been performed at Poe’s gravesite every year on the anniversary of his death since 1949.

Jones does a fantastic job of bringing to life Poe’s twisted tales of macabre and paranoia, particularly in The Tell-Tale Heart, one of the most suspenseful stories ever written. In an equally excellent display of versatility, he manages to stay true to the gentle sweetness of Poe’s love songs, Annabel Lee and A Dream Within a Dream. The real highlight of the performance, however, is The Masque of the Red Death, the morbid tale of a prince who foolishly believed his money and power could protect him from death.

Jones injects a bit of hu mor into his Poe character interacting with the audience between sets, a dim spot in an otherwise bright performance in the Philadelphia Live Arts Festival. It’s not that the jokes aren’t appreciated; it just serves as a stark contrast to the dreary setting one seeing Poe would hope for and expect. Jones does such a wonderful job accomplishing the daunting task of capturing Poe’s tension that it seems almost unfair to himself that he’d want to snap the audience back to life before trying again and again to re-set the mood.

This weekend, if you’re looking for something to set the Halloween mood as the leaves turn brown and the weather turns crisp, you should seriously consider catching one of Jones last performances at the Studio 1831 in Northern Liberties. It’s a small venue, so be sure to purchase your tickets in advance at Edgar Allan Poe Comes Alive!

rosh hashanah

Husband, wife rabbis prepare journey to Rosh Hashanah in Fort Collins,

Traveling paths to holiness and happiness is Rabbi Shoshana Leis' theme for this year's Rosh Hashanah sermon.
As new rabbis of Congregation Har Shalom in Fort Collins, meeting Jews on those paths is exactly what she and her husband, Rabbi Ben Newman, plan to do.

"We want to reach people where they are," Leis said, describing ideas for services on the bank of the Poudre River, hikes with her congregation and integrating more music into the services because "music helps souls to understand," she said.

Leis and Newman were busy preparing for Rosh Hashanah on Thursday and said they were excited to observe the Jewish new year with their new synagogue. Leis and Newman were married three years ago and moved in early August, along with their 2-year-old daughter, Sophia, from Riverdale in the Bronx borough of New York City. A major part of their mission in Fort Collins, they said, is reaching out to young families.

"A lot of places in New York, you have to harangue people," Newman said.

He explained that he was happy to see that isn't so for the Congregation Har Shalom. The passion and commitment of Jews in Fort Collins were evident to Newman and Leis from their initial visit last winter.

Rosh Hashanah is a time for deep reflection and self-analysis, said Leis and Newman. It begins the 10 "Days of Awe" and culminates in Yom Kippur or "the day of forgiveness," as the pair translates it.

This is a time for "denying our physical needs so we can focus on our spiritual needs," said Leis, explaining that many Jews will practice a 25-hour period of fasting to help bring them closer to God.

Workplace Violence

Workplace Threat Assessment Expert Available to Comment on Yale Murder

The news that that a young Yale scientist was strangled before being stuffed
into a wall, and that a lab technician obsessed with cleanliness is allegedly
responsible for the killing, raises profound questions regarding workplace
safety and professional responsibility. 

The American College, the nation's only institution with a president devoted
to researching workplace violence and threat prevention, is available to share
its expertise with reporters covering this story.

Interview Offering
Dr. Larry Barton, president and holder of the O. Alfred Granum Chair in
Management at The American College, teaches threat assessment at The FBI
Academy.  He is available for interviews regarding the arrest of a Yale
University employee who has been charged in the murder of student Annie Le.

Puff The Magic Dragon

For the occasion of the Aqua Metropolis festival, in Osaka, Japan, the artist Yanobe Kenji turned a 50-foot cruise boat into, well, a cruise boat with a fire-breathing, animatronic dragon on top. Through mid-October, the vessel, christened Lucky Dragon, will be navigating Osaka’s Okawa River and Dotonbori canal; periodically, the operators raise the dragon-head to its full height of 23 feet and put on a fire-breathing show for spectators. (The head also sprays water.)

Conceptually, if not visually, the boat owes something to Godzilla: it is named after the Lucky Dragon No. 5, a Japanese fishing vessel that was exposed to fallout during a nuclear-weapons test conducted by the United States in 1954, in the South Pacific. So the dragon carries anti-war, as well as pro-tourism, messages.

The wisdom of janitors

A new documentary film probes the lives and world views of an often-overlooked group on college campuses: the janitors. “The Philosopher Kings,” reports Inside Higher Ed, focuses on service employees at the University of Florida, Cornish College of the Arts, Cal Tech, Duke, Princeton, and Berkeley. The original goal was to home in on Ivy League colleges, say the film’s producers, but several declined to make their employees available for interviews.

Those institutions may well have been wary of how the issue of class would be portrayed: images of janitors cleaning up after society’s sometimes-spoiled future leaders can make for unpleasant viewing. But while a socioeconomic chasm provides the backdrop to the movie - “Sometimes I’ll talk to people and they won’t even look at me,” says one worker - “The Philosopher Kings” doesn’t dwell on inequity.

Instead, the janitors, chosen in part for their articulateness, get to talk about their pasts (a harrowing tour in Vietnam, in one case), aspirations (a dream of financing clean water for a village in Haiti), and, yes, their philosophies. The film received several standing ovations when it was shown at Cornell a few weeks ago. It arrives on DVD October 2: National Custodial Workers Recognition Day.

The MCAS spirit hits campus

Is the standardized-test-driven, one-size-fits-all educational model making its way from K-12 into college? Yes, and with infuriating results, reports the pseudonymous blogger Clio Bluestocking. And professors, she suggests, aren’t putting up enough of a fight.

The problem, as Clio B. sees it, stems from a burgeoning movement in higher ed to measure “outcomes,” or what young people gain from their time in college. It sounds good in theory: an attempt to come up with a measuring stick for effectiveness that avoids the problems of selection bias and circularity (judging a college’s quality by the SAT scores of entering freshmen, for example).

In practice, however, the on-campus proponents of “outcomes assessment” act like Star Trek’s Borg, in Clio B.’s analogy. They tend to be administrators, not professors - “a group of True Believers who get paid a lot of money NOT to teach” - and they won’t relent until professors bend to their will.

It works like this, the blogger writes: The outcomes-assessment staffers come to the history department and say they want the department to produce an “instrument” to measure students’ mastery of, for example, American history. Much is made of the fact that the creation of the test will be up to the professors themselves (who happen to think they already measure outcomes through essays and exams). But as the negotiations continue, it is clear the Borg will not be satisfied until it sees a single test, given to all students, that will produce very specific, uniform answers. (“What caused the American Revolution?” “The Stamp Act.” Etc.)

“To keep up the lie that ‘we aren’t asking for a standardized or common exam’ they have to get us to decide that a standardized and common exam is the best option,” Clio B. writes.

“We rebel against that,” she says, “{hellip} We see that as not only an infringement on our freedom in the classroom but also the source of our students being untrained and even frightened to think on their own after 12 years of similar standardized testing.”

Alas, the “rebellion” mostly takes the form of grumbling and cynicism. (And kvetching on blogs.) To avoid trouble, professors mostly go along, producing a test they all think is a joke and which they will ignore. But it will keep the Borg happy, at least till next semester.

leonid stadnyk

Leonid Stadnyk,Sultan Kosen:Making his first ever trip outside his native Turkey to tour London this week, Sultan Kosen is guaranteed a unique view of the English capital — at more than eight feet tall he will tower above the crowds.

Crowned the world’s tallest man on Thursday, 26-year-old Kosen stands at 8 feet 1 inch (2.46 metres), making him the first person in more than a decade to officially measure over 8 feet, and one of only 10 confirmed cases in history, according to Guinness World Records.

He takes the title from China’s Bao Xi Shun who, at 7 feet 8.95 inches, regained the title last year after 8 feet 5.5 inch Ukrainian Leonid Stadnyk’s claim was discredited when he refused to be independently measured.

Kosen lists being able to see a long way into the distance as one of the main advantages of his height, as well as helping his mum with domestic jobs such as changing light bulbs and hanging curtains.

But he admits finding shoes to fit his 36.5 cm (14.4 inch) feet — the world’s largest — or big enough clothes, are a disadvantage.

While being able to find a car that accommodates his size is one of Kosen’s hopes after receiving the official title, his ultimate quest is romance.

“My biggest dream is to get married and have children,” he told reporters. “I’m looking for love.”

Kosen’s trip was organised to mark the launch of the Guinness World Records 2010 edition, which also features the world’s most pierced man — 78-year-old former British bank manager John Lynch, who has 241 piercings — and the world’s youngest billionaire, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerman, who made his first billion dollars aged 23 years 296 days.

peter paul and mary

"Person of interest" watched... Terror raid... Folk singer Mary...

Police say they're watching a hotel room in Connecticut where a "person of interest" in the killing of a Yale graduate student has been staying. The hotel is in Cromwell, about 25 miles north of New Haven. Investigators searched the home and car of lab technician Raymond Clark III Wednesday. He worked in the same building where the body of Annie Le (lay) was found Sunday.



EAST MEADOW, N.Y. (AP) Charges have been dropped against four New York men who had been accused of the gang-rape of a Hofstra University student. Officials say the woman recanted her story that she was attacked in a dormitory men's room.

AURORA, Colo. (AP) A lawyer for a Colorado man says his client is not involved in a terror plot. Agents searched the man's suburban Denver home and that of a relative Wednesday. The man's weekend visit to New York sparked raids on three apartments Monday.

He was taken to FBI headquarters in Denver for what the lawyer says was an interview.

ANTIOCH, Calif. (AP) Police say bone fragments have been recovered from the property of a California couple charged with kidnapping a girl and holding in their backyard for 18 years. Tests are under way to determine if the bones are human and could be linked to child abductions in the 1980s.

BOSTON (AP) Singer Mary Travers, of the 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, has died. The band's publicist says she died Wednesday at a hospital in Danbury, Conn. after a long battle with leukemia. Bandmate Peter Yarrow says Travers spent her final months showing her love to friends and family.

linda mcmahon

WWE News: Mainstream Media Coverage Of Linda McMahon, Future WrestleMania Cities, Big Match For Decade of Smackdown Special

MiamiToday.com is reporting that the Miami-Dade Sports Commission will know in the next week whether or not they will host a WrestleMania event in 2011 or 2012. Indianapolis, Toronto, Las Vegas, Orlando and Jacksonville have all been rumored as locations for the event. You can check out the full article.

- The Associated Press has picked up the story of Linda McMahon resigning as WWE CEO to run for the US Senate. You can check that out here.

- The Greenwich Post also covered the story, which you can read here.

- John Morrison vs. Dolph Ziggler for the IC Title will likely happen at the Hell in a Cell PPV.

- A big 8-man tag has been announced for the September 29th WWE Smackdown tapings, which will be the WWE Decade of Smackdown special. The match will be The Undertaker, John Cena, Shawn Michaels and Triple H vs. CM Punk, Randy Orton, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. There is no clarification if this will be on the show or a special dark match.

prince harry

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Prince Harry Turns 25, Photos Of The Prince Through The Years,

Prince Harry turned 25 on Tuesday, making him entitled to part of his inheritance from his mother, Princess Diana.

The Ap reports that Prince Harry and his brother Prince William were left equal shares of their mother's estate when she died in a car crash in 1997. The value of the estate has not been disclosed, but it was valued at nearly 13 million pounds 12 years ago, the AP reports. The princes, who are entitled to the income from their share of the estate when they turn 25, gain access to the capital when they hit 30.

As Prince Harry celebrates a quarter century, check out this slideshow of him through the years.

The prince, the younger son of Prince Charles and the late Diana, was spending his birthday by continuing his pilot training in the Royal Air Force on Monday.

Harry and his brother Prince William were left equal shares of their mother's estate following her death in a car crash in Paris in 1997.

With inheritance tax deducted, the estate was valued at nearly 13 million pounds 12 years ago, but its present value has not been disclosed. In today's currency markets, that would be worth nearly $22 million.

Under the will, the princes are entitled to all the income from their part of the estate when they are 25.

They gain access to the capital at age 30. William is 27.

Jennifer Grey

Jennifer Grey: Patrick Swayze Was a Real Cowboy,

Jennifer Grey, who appeared alongside Apostle Swayze in his 1987 gaolbreak flick Dirty Dancing, is remembering the New actor, who died weekday daytime after a nearly digit assemblage effort against unserviceable pancreatic cancer.

“Patrick was a thin and bonny compounding of nakedness sexuality and awful grace,” Jennifer said in a evidence to The Insider overnight. “Gorgeous and strong, he was a actual cattleman with a protective heart. He was manful and insisted on ever doing his possess stunts, so it was not astonishing to me that the struggle he waged on his cancer was so courageous and dignified.

When I conceive of him, I conceive of existence in his blazonry when we were kids, dancing, practicing the displace in the chilling lake, having a wind doing this tiny lowercase flick we intellection no digit would ever see. My hunch goes discover to his spouse and immatureness sweetheart, Lisa Niemi, to his mom, Patsy, and to the rest of their family.”

Grey, who played Frances “Baby” Houseman, remembered Swayze, who died Monday at age 57 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, by saying, “When I think of him, I think of being in his arms when we were kids, dancing, practicing the lift in the freezing lake, having a blast doing this tiny little movie we thought no one would ever see.”

Miss Grey added that Swayze was a “real cowboy with a tender heart,” who loved danger and did his own stunts that “it was not surprising to me that the war he waged on his cancer was so courageous and dignified.”

She added, “Patrick was a rare and beautiful combination of raw masculinity and amazing grace. My heart goes out to his wife and childhood sweetheart, Lisa Niemi, to hi mom, Patsy, and the rest of their family.”

Meanwhile, choreographer from the hit Dirty Dancing, Kenny Ortega, made a statement, saying, “Patrick was a great human being who I knew as a loving son, husband, brother and friend. He was one of the most creative, enjoyable and alive people I knew. He did as much for dancing as any man of our generation.”

Adding on to the devoted star, he says, “Patrick loved life, and had such an enthusiasm for everything he did. If he could climb it, he climbed it. If he could write it, he wrote it. If he could dance it, well, we all know he did. He lived. Patrick Swayze was a loving and soulful man. The planet has lost a big heart. And I, a forever friend. My loving thoughts to Lisa, Patsy and his entire family.”

Amanda Knox

The murder trial of American student Amanda Knox in the death of her housemate two years ago resumed Monday in Italy after a summer break.

Knox, 22, and her Italian ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito also face charges of sexual assault.

They are accused of killing British student Meredith Kercher, Knox’s housemate in Perugia, a scenic university town north of Rome.

Kercher, 20, died in what prosecutors called a “drug-fueled sex game.” She was found half-undressed in bed, with a stab wound to her neck on November 2, 2007.

mtv music awards 2009

September 14, 2009, (Sawf News) - The Twilight trio - Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner - presented an exclusive extended trailer for their new film, New Moon, at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Sunday, September 13.

The stars, currently filming for the next installment of the Twilight saga, Eclipse, in Vancouver, flew in to New York City for the VMAs.

Stewart, 19, enthralled audiences as she appeared on the stage wearing a sparkly Valentino frock with Rock & Republic studded heels and House of Lavande jewelry. She debuted her pixie haircut with spiky bangs.

Pattinson, 23, kept it simple in a classic navy suit and an un-tucked beige shirt underneath.

Lautner, 17, hid his famously bulked up torso in a Calvin Klein collection suit and a black shirt underneath. The young star earned well deserving praises from his Twilight co-star, Ashley Greene, who was MTV's special celebrity fashion correspondent for the evening. She told Lautner, "You're going on the best-dressed list, for sure."

The brand new 2m27s long footage of the hotly anticipated film, due out on November 20, prominently features Taylor Lautner (Jacob), Kristen Stewart (Bella) and Robert Pattinson (Edward).

The trailer also gives a first ever sneak peek of Dakota Fanning and Michael Sheen as evil Volturi vamps - Jane and Aro.

Karl Malone

Sloan: Malone, Stockton Did All the Work

”You don’t get here without a lot of help from a lot of people,” said Jerry Sloan, who is the longest tenured coach in major professional sports.

Entering his 22nd season coaching the Jazz, Sloan likes to say his 1,137 victories — including 1,043 with Utah — are as much a product of longevity and having good players as anything he has done as a coach.

”I don’t want to step in John and Karl’s way. They’re the ones that did all the work. They’re the ones that probably helped keep me here, along with Larry Miller,” Sloan said. ”I certainly don’t want to take anything away from them by me tagging along. I tagged along for a long time.”

todd beamer

New Delhi, Sept 11, 2009: Has Lisa beamer remarried? Lisa Beamer the widow of Todd Beamer a victim of 9 11 who has been hailed a hero for his effort to stop an airplane being crashed into a building is rumored to have remarried. I am sure no one should object her decision to remarry at this stage in life.

Lisa Beamer remembers the events of September 11, 2001 probably better than anyone. Her husband, Todd Beamer was aboard United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed in Western Pennsylvania.

Since her husband's death, Lisa Beamer has published a book called "Let's Roll: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage," about her life with Todd and her life after the crash. The book is named after Todd Beamer's famous last words that he used as a rallying cry when passengers overcame the terrorists who hijacked the plane.

Todd Beamer has been hailed as a national hero for his role in stopping the hijackers from crashing United Flight 93 into a building and injuring more people. He was awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 2002.

maura tierney

Maura Tierney backs out of Parenthood

Actress Maura Tierney has been forced to abandon Parenthood, the NBC ensemble series in which she was cast last spring. Tierney had been diagnosed with breast cancer, had surgery and now must have treatment – chemotherapy and radiation.

The producers had pushed back production when Tierney's health crisis arose in July, but now that her condition requires prolonged treatment, she's walking away from the project and they will move on without her.

Maura released a statement saying that she was disappointed about not being able to do Parenthood, but she was confident that she would recover and resume her career after her treatments are complete.

NBC had picked up Parenthood based on the pilot, in part because of Tierney's participation. The actress was playing a single mother with money troubles who's forced to move in with her parents. Because Maura has a great track record with NBC, especially her tenure on ER, they wanted her to stick with the show. With that in mind, NBC shelved Parenthood till mid-season, giving Tierney a chance to stay with the show. In Parenthood's place, NBC scheduled Mercy for the fall.

Parenthood will go back into production now with another actress cast in the role. "Our main concern is for her quick and full recovery," said a spokesman for the network.

world trade center attack

Remembering the Horror of a Bright Blue Morning

Eight years ago, hijacked passenger jets destroyed the World Trade Center. The ritual of commemorating this, the bloodiest foreign attack on United States soil, will be repeated on Friday near the pit where the Twin Towers once stood. Silence will solemnize the moments when the buildings were struck and the moments when they fell; politicians and family members of victims will offer words of grief and inspiration; and the official list of victims will be read, name by name, 2,752 in total, one more than last year.

The day could not be more different than Sept. 11, 2001: It is rainy and gray, with whipping winds. The ceremony will begin at 8:40 a.m. and is scheduled to conclude around 12:30 p.m. City Room will live blog the ceremony: check back here for updates throughout the morning.

Updated, 9:36 a.m. | The huge construction cranes that loom behind the ceremony stage, testaments to the advancing construction of the new World Trade Center site, are not the only reminders of how long eight years can be. While the event has a certain somber rhythm — and some of the speakers have choked up at the names of their lost loved ones — it seems absent of some of the deep overarching emotion of previous years. The crowd has really thinned out; more than half the journalists appear to have left. A smattering of journalists and family members are chatting as the names are read.

Updated, 9:30 a.m. | One of the speakers urges support for responders who survived the attacks but have health problems as a result of exposure to the toxic dust clouds. “They were here for our country, and now it’s time for our country to be here for them,” she says, to applause.

Updated, 9:20 a.m. | The rain is really coming down. The Red Cross handed out clear plastic ponchos when people arrived, but many people are already soaked through, including a handful who appear to have forgotten umbrellas. Some people are leaving, perhaps family members who have already heard their loved ones’ names called. The names have reached the letter C. A man who lost his son declares: “This is not the rain. This is tears.”

Updated, 9:10 a.m. | Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. addresses the crowd, quoting the poet Mary Oliver. “Meanwhile the world goes on,” he exclaims. The reading of names soon resumes.

Updated, 9:05 a.m. | The reading of the names, which is being accompanied by flute and cello music, pauses for a moment of silence to observe the moment when United Flight 175 hit the south tower.

Updated, 8:55 a.m. | The reading of names begins with Gordon M.Aamoth Jr. an investment banker at Sandler O’Neill & Partners, who went by the nickname Gordy.

This year they are being read by family members and, fitting with the theme of the Sept. 11 national day of service declared by President Obama, volunteers.

Updated, 8:54 a.m. | The crowd was addressed by Jay Winuk, whose younger brother Glenn Winuk was a prominent Manhattan lawyer and volunteer firefighter last seen running toward the towers from his office nearby, “toward the inferno and the people in danger.”

“My little brother is my greatest hero, not just for the way he died but for the way he lived,” Mr. Winuk said.

Updated, 8:46 a.m. | Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg asked the crowd for a moment of silence to commemorate the moment American Airlines Flight 11 hit the north tower of the World Trade Center.

Updated, 8:42 a.m. | The tattered American flag that had flown over the World Trade Center and survived the attack has been carried to the stage. Members of the Brooklyn Youth Chorus are singing the national anthem.

Updated, 8:30 a.m. | For the third consecutive year, the commemoration ceremony is being held at Zuccotti Park, a small patch of land adjacent to ground zero that is shaded by 54 honey locust trees. While the ceremony was initially held at ground zero, it was displaced because of efforts to redevelop the site.

Family members — some of whom were initially upset about the change in venue will visit ground zero after the ceremony.

Family members and journalists have already filled much of the park with a sea of umbrellas. The weather continues to be terrible, with gusting winds driving a light rain.

More details: http://earncommentsadsense.blogspot.com/2009/09/september-11.html

joel robuchon

Cooking In Joel Robuchon Las Vegas Restaurant For A Week:Annnnd, the domination of the women continues on Top Chef Season 6 episode 4. In the quickfire challenge, Tom Colicchio and a guest judge raised the stakes: the loser would be immediately sent home.

The challenge? To produce a stellar snail dish. Kevin once again nabbed top honors with snails, candied bacon and mushrooms. Jesse, Ashley and Robin landed in the bottom three, where they were given 20 minutes to create an amuse-bouche in a three-way cook off. Jesse, after a long stay in the bottom, was finally sent home. Her last words were, “I promise I don’t suck this much.” It’s possible that people’s nerves get the best of them, especially on national television. But so far, that hasn’t affected Jennifer, Kevin or Michael V., who continued to amaze into the elimination challenge.

Well, actually, due to his victory, Kevin had the special honor of sitting out the challenge and eating the other chefs’ meals along with the judges, who included a roundtable of top French chefs, including Joel Robuchon. As for the other competing chefs, they were asked to draw knives engraved with the names of French sauces or proteins.

Each sauce naturally corresponded to a protein, matching the chefs up in pairs. Ash and Hector did steak and peppercorn, Eli and Laurine a lobster and lobster bisque, Ashley and Mattin chicken and veloute, Bryan and Mike trout and bernaise, Ron and Robin frogs legs and Jennifer and Michael V. rabbit. Ron and Robin proved to be an interesting pair. While Robin buzzed around the chill Ron like a hyper bee, it seemed as if Ron might become irked. He maintained his cool, however, showing his temperment (and appearance) are more akin to an easy-going Jabba the Hutt.
More details: http://nikkicatsourasaccident.blogspot.com/2009/09/joel-robuchon.html

pgad

I read about PGAD or Persistent Genital Arousal Disorder today and I was quite surprised that there is a disorder like this. Here are some articles about this disorder:

Persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD) is a newly described disorder that is not yet fully understood or defined. It refers to the experience of persistent feelings of genital arousal (often described as “pelvic tension”) that are not associated with sexual stimulation of any kind, that don’t go away on their own, and that cause the individual pain or distress.

The disorder was originally called persistent sexual arousal syndrome (PSAS) in the literature. The change in terminology was recommended because strictly speaking the problem is not sexual; it’s a problem with the genitals. While PGAD was first written about in the clinical literature in 2001, it is likely something that has been experienced by women for many years in silence.

chanel iman

Recap: America's Next Top Model' Cycle 13 - Tiny Models Premere
Tyra Banks doesn't just produce and host a show about models, no no no, girl. She changes the standards of the WHOLE MODELING INDUSTRY. Never mind we've never heard from what's-her-name since she won that time. America's Next Top Model is IMPORTANT. Because Tyra says so. That's why.

As we all know by now, this whole cycle of Top Model is about finding a supermodel under 5 feet 7 inches. Tyra's logic: We have like two or three super-successful tiny models out there, so that MUST mean the industry wants another short one, right? Right. Because Tyra says so. That's why.

[A recap of Tyra Banks' salute to the world's petite women, specifically Wednesday's (Sept. 9) "America's Next Top Model" premiere, after the break...]

The tiny models all show up at a hotel. Tyra comes out and explains a few things in a French accent and a few of the girls look like they're going to faint. Then the contestants head off to meet the Jays, get their Polaroids taken and learn how to catwalk. Alison is a modeling teacher. Brittany is a math major. Amber models for Christ and likes to, apparently, model while pissed. Bianca has no hair and big ego. (Didn't we already get one of those? There an echo in here?) Sundai has the hard-luck-foster-home story for this cycle. Some Other Chick catwalks in crutches. Hey! Whoever That Chick Was Who Won Last Cycle isn't in the Cover Girl commercials over the break. Start your conspiracy theories now.

Hiyeeee! It's time for panel. Jennifer from Philly is Asian and got into a scrum with a girl from Jersey. That's her interesting story. Crutches girl has a name. It's Courtney. My God. Look at the Natalia Vodianova eyes on that one. Tyra likes her because she has no boobs.

New Orleans girl has no bathroom where she lives in New Orleans. Hi again, Bianca. Yes, we know all about you. Oh, no we don't, I guess. Her boyfriend hit her in the face once. It's sad. Bullying others doesn't seem to bother her much, though. She comes down hard on Amber for talking about her sex life, or lack thereof, and the way she dances around for Jesus.

Speaking of free spirits, Kara tells panel she's a free spirit. Lulu is gay and from New York. Miss J. loves her instantly. She is, for the record, adorable. Too bad about that ginormous tattoo of her girlfriend across her chest. Nicole thinks she's just too mature to connect with anybody. Her nickname when she was little was Bloody Eyeball. But my God is she gorgeous.

Rae has Bambi eyes.

God, all these girls have horror stories. Somebody abducted and sexually assaulted Aria and that poor girl! The first cut gets rid of 12 girls. The rest are immediately put in a "run-through" for a fashion show. They have to do their own makeup and everything.

After the li'l show, the deliberation continues. Judging from the way Jay and J talk, the new hot fash phrase of 2009 is, apparently, "I'm not mad at it." And you know what? I'm not mad at it.

Jennifer the Asian brawler makes the cut, as do a nondiscernable girl named Erin, doe-eyed Rachel, a "not fresh" girl named Kara, Lulu the Adorable, a buff blonde named Rae, Ashley, who was picked to audition out of Tyra's talk show audience, Brittany, Bianca, Courtney, Nicole of the Bloody Eyes, Crazy Amber, a practically hysterical Laura, and Sundai.

"You guys are like, the pioneers," Tyra intones. I'll make sure to relay that to Josie Maran.

--

And on to part two of episode one of Cycle 13? Follow?

Amber has suddenly disappeared because of "personal issues" that are not explained but that are probably REALLY juicy. She's replaced by a quiet girl named Lisa.

Sally Hershberger, hairstylist to the stars, arrives for makeovers. Brittany gets darker hair. Erin suffers an itchy scalp as she goes platinum blonde.

Rachel's doe eyes are offset by dark brown hair. Jennifer gets her eyebrows done. Lisa gets some hair chopped, but really, not that bad. Sundai has a disgusting Li'l Kim weave before Tyra makes her get rid of it and gives her a Rihanna. Courtney gets redder and edgier. Lulu gets the weave this cycle. Bianca has no hair -- and now she seems to have no brows. Tyra bleaches them for reasons I don't know what. "I'm goin' home like Dennis frickin' Rodman," Bianca correctly observes. Nicole gets a Grace Coddington flamin' red hair that goes on forever. Look it up. But she's not mad at it.

Single mom Rae goes white blonde. Laura gets a rainbow of colors. She looks like a tranny. Kara gets Dynasty highlights. Ashley gets a Naomi Campbell center part and long weave.

Everybody screams because they all get to live in the Top Model house. No fighting over beds this time. They have assigned beds. The house is tricked out like a kiddie playhouse and it has Tyra's childhood pictures all over it. As obnoxious as that is, Bianca is even more so. She ticks people off immediately with her stupid attitude. That night is the inevitable pool party. Gossip ensues about Nicole, who has never been a social person. With this catty crowd, I don't blame her for sitting by herself. Bianca even tells Nicole, "There is something wrong with you." No, Bianca. I think you've got that backwards. Go take a look at your bleachy self in the mirror.

The first shoot arrives. The theme is an editorial interpretation of the contestant's baby photos.

Erin is first. She impresses Mr. Jay not much at all. Lulu works the props in her shoot. Rachel garners catty comments from the model peanut gallery. Rae gets unlucky with eight-inch heels. But she's not mad at it. She wows Mr. Jay nonetheless. Bianca walks onto set like a big Debbie Downer. Mr. Jay does not likey. Could be that she's actually mad at it.

Brittany's first shoot looks too porny for Mr. Jay. Lisa has to be a clown but fashionable. She doesn't seem to get it. At all. Ashley makes her shots, however, look high fashion and very editorial. Sundai, just the opposite.

Now comes Nicole. She rocks rocks RAWKs. She has nothing to say after, which is a shame, because if she doesn't start showing some personality, she's gone, and it will be the industry's loss. Mr. Jay also likes Kara's shoot, as do I. Very high fashion. Elimination time is next! It should be Bianca, between her terrible pictures and her even more poisonous attitude.

Chanel Iman is the first guest judge this cycle. She seems either shy or aloof, hard to tell. Vogue covers do that to a girl. Rachel of the Doe Eyes is first. Her shot is OK. Her right hand is clawlike. But she looks real tall. Ashley, newly of the Naomi Campbell look, wows the judges with her dancer moves on a couch. Math wonk Brittany catches flack for being too hootchy. Tyra rubs her breasts just to illustrate her point.

Jennifer does very well with her sandy shot. Kara, love her, love her look. But she does not do well in anything but profile. Not good. Rae the ballerina makes Tyra gasp with pleasure.

Sundai is peppy in person but not in her photo. Lisa totally bombs. She looks "mean," per Chanel Iman. Nicole, wow. Nicole, Nicole, Nicole. We have a new undergod to root for. Bianca -- oh well. She manages to pull out a decent high-fashion shot despite her horrific black hole of a personality. Erin's shot shows Bianca how to rock bleached eyebrows. Courtney, still on crutches, does OK. Rae does so well that Chanel says, "I am working on this pose when I get home." Nicole, Nicole, Nicole. Cannot get enough of Nicole. Lisa has really blown it.

Called first: Rae, the ballerina, followed by Nicole. MY Nicole. Then Jennifer of the shifting sands. The rest of the order: Ashley, Courtney, Erin, Lulu, Rachel, Laura, Kara, Brittany, Sundai. Bottom Two: Lisa and Bianca.

Bianca is told to pretend that she likes her makeup next time, because she's coming back. The forgettable Lisa is sent home. She just needs to work on her everything. She says she'll miss the pool and the hot tub. Buck up, girl. And whatever you do, don't be mad at it.