Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts

Friday, October 03, 2008

Rubber Robbers

B.O.L.O. -- Condom-mobile stolen in D.F.

Missing in Mexico: One condom-mobile
By Maria Gallucci
ASSOCIATED PRESS
11:02 a.m. October 1, 2008

MEXICO CITY – Missing in Mexico: One truck carrying 5,000 condoms, 800 HIV tests and a 23-foot (7 meter) inflatable prophylactic.

The coordinator of an HIV/AIDS awareness tour, Polo Gomez, said Wednesday that the “Condomovil” was parked in front of a friend's house in Mexico City when it disappeared Sunday evening. He believes the truck was stolen, but he doesn't know why. Police are still investigating.

The truck should be easy to spot. It features painted images of a peeled banana, the exposed part shaped like a condom, and a shirtless man saying: “I protect myself. Do you?”

Gomez estimated US$19,000 (200,000 pesos) worth of material is missing, including the truck, its contents and sound equipment.

The United Nations AIDS program says there are some 200,000 people living with HIV in Mexico.

The Condomovil program has toured Mexico since 1998 promoting safe sex practices while distributing 1.2 million condoms to more than 700,000 people, Gomez said. The inflatable condom was used to draw attention from passers-by.

Gomez said a scheduled tour of Mexico's south would likely be canceled unless the truck is found.

The group bought the truck with a grant from Mexico's federal Health Department. The department also donated the 5,000 condoms in the truck when it went missing.
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Wednesday, September 17, 2008

No wonder we like it here!

Apparently we are all happy!

World "Happiest" Countries vs. Countries with the Highest Levels of "Subjective Well-Being"
The University of Michigan's World Values Surveys (WVS) has compiled data on the happiest countries in the world for over twenty years. Their results are considered the most authoritative by happiness researchers.WVS measures the happiness of individuals by two different means. The first is to simply ask them how "happy" they are. The second is to ask them how "happy" they are, and also how "satisfied" they are. The results are then combined to arrive at a measure of their "subjective well-being," a term generally considered synonymous with happiness. Because of these two different ways of measuring happiness, some confusion arises in determining which countries in the world are happiest. There is support for the the validity of both measures. For example, former president of the American Psychological Association, Dr. Martin Seligman, uses the "happiness only" measure in his book Authentic Happiness. However, Dr. Ron Inglehart, director of World Values Surveys, considers the "subjective well-being" measure a more accurate indicator of personal happiness.Therefore on this page I present the international rankings using both measures.

When individuals were asked:"Taking all things together, would you say you are: 1. Very happy, 2. Rather happy, 3. Not very happy, or 4. Not at all happy?" countries achieved the following rankings (Dr. Inglehart has not released the complete list):

Ranking of the World's Happiest Countries

1. Nigeria
2. Mexico
3. Venezuela
4. El Salvador
5. Puerto Rico

Ronald Inglehart et al. (eds.) HUMAN BELIEFS AND VALUES: A CROSS-CULTURAL SOURCEBOOK BASED ON THE 1999-2002 VALUES SURVEYS (Mexico City: Siglo XXI, 2004).

When individuals were asked the above "happiness" question and the results were combined with the following question: (On a scale of one to ten) "All things considered, how satisfied are you with your life as a whole these days?" a ranking of "subjective well-being" for the following countries was achieved.

Ranking of Countries by Level of "Subjective Well-Being"

1. Puerto Rico
2. Mexico
3. Denmark
4. Colombia
5. Ireland
6. Iceland
7. N. Ireland
8. Switzerland
9. Netherlands
10. Canada
Please note that not all of the world's countries are included in the survey.

Ronald Inglehart et al. (eds.) HUMAN BELIEFS AND VALUES: A CROSS-CULTURAL SOURCEBOOK BASED ON THE 1999-2002 VALUES SURVEYS (Mexico City: Siglo XXI, 2004).
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Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Great Ideas, Part 1

Baghdad plans to build giant Ferris wheel
Aug 27 02:42 PM US/Eastern
By SAMEER N. YACOUB
Associated Press Writer
BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraq is calling on companies to submit designs to build a giant Ferris wheel in Baghdad—the latest in a string of lavish proposals painting the capital as a leisure friendly city.

The Ferris wheel, dubbed the Baghdad Eye, will soar more than 650 feet over the city and feature air-conditioned compartments that would each carry up to 30 passengers, Baghdad municipal spokesman Adel al-Ardawi said Wednesday.

Three possible locations in Baghdad have been selected, but officials are waiting to see what proposals are submitted before picking one, al-Ardawi said, declining to give an estimated construction cost or timeline.

"We hope to attract a great number of customers who will be able to see the whole city and enjoy the restaurants and pools on ground below," he told The Associated Press.

Tourism is a tough sell in Iraq, however, because there are still suicide attacks that kill dozens and infrastructure is weak. But since insurgent attacks and sectarian bloodshed have declined over the past year, Iraqis are venturing outside their homes.

Al-Ardawi said the wheel would be taller than the iconic London Eye, which sits on the banks of the River Thames and reaches a height of about 450 feet over the British capital.

The London Eye opened in January 2000 and it took seven years to complete the project, which cost 35 million pounds—about $64.5 million in the current exchange rate. The London Eye has attracted more than 27 million visitors since it opened, according to its Web site.

Officials are also using the downturn in violence to begin promoting tourism. The Ferris wheel and other tourism projects could be built in areas where security is tight and unlikely that suicide attacks would happen. The main city park, Zawra, is adjacent to the Green Zone and home to the Baghdad Zoo.

Families are often seen relaxing at night in parks and children flock to pools. On Monday, tens of thousands of soccer fans cheered on their club in a Baghdad stadium—the largest sports crowd the city saw since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

There are risk-takers despite the possibility of violence. American businessman Robert Kelley announced plans last month to build a luxury hotel in Baghdad's Green Zone, which houses Iraqi government offices and the U.S. military and diplomatic facilities.

Iraq's Tourism Board also is seeking investors to develop a "romantic" island on the Tigris River in Baghdad that was once a popular honeymoon spot for newlywed Iraqis, the U.S. military announced this week.

The project would including a six-star hotel, spa, an 18-hole golf course and a country club, the military said in a statement.

"The city of Baghdad has a depth of history and a cultural legacy that, when applied to the development, can be a basis for attracting and fostering tourism," the statement said, not mentioning the war.
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Friday, August 22, 2008

And in the , "Man, I wish I would have thought of that" news....


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Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Muchas Gracias!!!

They said it couldn't be done. "It's too late in the season, too many people have already left town".
Ha! We proved them wrong! The benefit went great. Better than great. We were expecting 100, hoping for 150 people. There was over 200 stuffed in the Purple Onion and alot of money (and awareness) was raised! Thank you!! Because of all of this Conrehabit has some breathing room and the parritos will get some much needed supplies.
The "Gringo Workday" did not go exactly as planned since it was so packed. Instead it was "Gringos Just Trying To Help the Staff And Not Get In Their Way Too Much Day". A big thanks to the businesses and individuals that contributed prizes for the raffle; The Purple Onion, Mr Aces, Olas Altas Steakhouse, Soul and Spirit Ventures, Casa de Leyendes, Estrella del Mar, Carlos and Lucias, Tom and Cathy Coonce, Autumn Brown (massage therapist), the Patricia Belle, Unico Gift Shop, Brentster, Dick Damron....I think that's it. Jennifer Swarts of Deadeye Design was wonderful in helping me with flyers. Dick Damron, the Brentster, and the rest of the musicians were great and there was alot of diffrent genres played. It was some kind of fun! There were jello shots, raffles, and dance contests. Alot of new friendships were made that afternoon as well-----or so I was told-----I was way too busy behind the bar to mingle! I did meet one couple who were ending their 'Mexico Tour '08', that they had been on to see where they were going to retire. They told me that after all the other places they had visited, they were pretty much set on Mazatlan, but they had so much fun and met so many friendly people at the benefit, they now have no doubts! Welcome to Mazatlan, Robert & Sandie!
Before I close, I want to send a big 'shout-out' to Howard, the staff of the Purple Onion, and also to my fellow "Onion-Heads" that were dragged into helping with this deal. You guys rule!!
For anyone still wanting to help out, here is the Conrehabit link once again:
Here is a collection of pictures from several people around town of the parrots being fed;
One more link, this is an article about Conrehabit and a previous rescue:
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Monday, April 14, 2008

Mazatlan is going to the birds!!



There was an incident in Culican two weeks ago that involved 2 guys, a pickup, telephone booth and 476 illegal birds. Here is the article; http://www.noroeste.com.mx/publicaciones.php?id=364634&id_seccion=10 .
Flash forward to today and because of this there are almost 300 baby parrots , estimated to be about four weeks old, being hand fed three times a day by alot of volunteers around Mazatlan with baby cereal embedded under their nails. The above picture is one I found on the web of a half moon conure which is the breed they are said to be. Right now they look kinda like that, but alot smaller and no feathers! For pictures and video of some of the actual orphaned birds see; http://countdowntomexico.blogspot.com/.
The group that is spearheading the effort is Conrehabit, which is a local organization that rescues and rehabilitates wildlife. It has been a huge job for all involved and once they are able to eat and survive on their own they will be released into the wild at the Conrehabit ranch. I do not have any parrots to feed, although I did receive a call yesterday that there were a couple that were not doing so well and I may be caring for them. I am helping to organize a benefit, however! For anyone in town this week, we are having a "Gringo Workday" at the Purple Onion, this Sunday April 20 from 3-6 pm. Howard from the Onion and Major from Mister A's will be manning the grill for a 'build your own' hamburger and hot dog bar. Myself and Italiano Joe will be handling the bar with happy hour prices and there will be a jam session with several musicians including Dick Damron. We will be running a raffle and the prizes include a golf/dinner/condo package at Estrella del Mar, wines, jewelry, art, two at home massages, gift certificates to various restaurants and more. It will definitely be alot of fun! For those of you that are not here, don't worry, you can still help! Just go to the Conrehabit website and click on the PayPal button. http://www.conrehabit.org/view.php?id=2 .
Also, next time you are in Mazatlan, swing by the Conamigos Bazaar to either shop or drop off that knick knack that you are tired of looking at! It is located in Centro, Calle Luis Zuniga #505 and all the proceeds help both Conrehabit and Amigos de los Animales. That is all for now, I am off to run around town and beg for more raffle prizes!
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Friday, March 28, 2008

It's nice to have famous friends!

Victoria is a very good friend of mine. She was here to visit me this past fall, so we, of course, had a house party. She was kind enough to first read tarot cards for us, then led an impromptu belly dancing class. I still hear about it from the people that attended; "You throw the BEST parties!"
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In Marietta, Turkish dance taught with Southern flavor
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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 03/20/08
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The aroma of Mediterranean and Turkish cuisine wafting upstairs from Efe's restaurant on Marietta Square is a temptation hard to ignore.
But these women aren't here to eat.
They're here to belly dance.
Bodies undulate to the beat of the music as hundreds of coins jingle on hip scarves.
"It's very liberating," said Victoria Logan, the instructor whose "dance name" is Inara.
Her students have explored more than freedom of expression since she opened the studio, Belly Dance Oasis, late last year.
One is learning how to move a body that's free of disease, but feels different. Others are pursuing independence. And others simply wanted a release from the gym.
Sharon Shillinger had reconstructive surgery in July 2006 following breast cancer.
Her body, she said, was rearranged.
"Instead of having the muscle down here, it's moved over here," said Shillinger, 52, of Marietta.
She found it difficult to exercise, but belly dancing eases her stiffness. Her daughter, Abigail House, 21, often takes classes with her and they've set up a mirror in their basement.
"I don't look so good doing it, but it feels good stretching," Shillinger said. "After you've been chopped up, you don't feel sexy. This is bringing that back again."
She's even belly dancing with a new belly button.
"The old one was better," Shillinger said, "but this one I'm getting used to."
Felicia Head, 35, Katie Lax, 27, and Maria Marrotta, 19, are residents of Just People, an independent living program in Roswell for adults with developmental disabilities.
Taking classes is part of their community integration program.
Head, who insists on being called "Amirah Princess, belly dancer," practices all the time and takes private lessons with Stacy Abston.
"I like snake arms," Head said, referring to a specific move.
How does belly dancing make her feel?
"I feel perfect," she said.
Leigh Hale, her case manager with Just People, said the dancing has boosted Head's self-esteem.
"It gives her more of a purpose," Hale said.
Elizabeth Trask's doctors made her take up belly dancing. Well, sort of.
"I was told by at least three doctors that I should exercise —not just more, but in general," said Trask, 29, of Austell. "This is as close as it gets."
Belly dancing isn't the only exercise Isabel Green does, but she said, "it sure beats doing sit-ups."
Belly dancing also has helped her get over some insecurities.
"It's changed my entire self-image," said Green, 30, of Kennesaw. "I'm very klutzy outside, and it's helped with my grace and coordination.
"It makes me feel kind of sexy," she said. "My husband likes it."
Trask hasn't bought into the seductive aspects of belly dancing.
"I don't know what I'm seducing since I have cats and a dog and no man," she said, "so I just find it fun."
Does she dance for her pets? "Absolutely," Trask said.
"And they think I'm nuts, and the dogs jump all over me while I'm doing it because they think I'm playing. And I qualify that as exercise of the week."
Susan Coward has performed in a couple of recitals since she began taking lessons a couple of years ago.
"I thought I would never do that," said Coward, 45, of Marietta. "I thought, 'There is no way I'm wearing essentially a bra and going out there with my stomach hanging out.'
"But it was so much fun, and all of us were thrilled."
Now Coward would like to solo.
"I'd like to feel good enough to not even have a routine," she said, "but just have the music come on and be able to dance."
Inara, who performs in shows at Efe's restaurant on Friday and Saturday nights, teaches a style that mimics Turkish dance, but with American fusion and a Southern flavor.
When she tells her students to "scootch," they know how to move across the floor.
Although belly dancing has become part of a new workout trend, Inara said there's still a bit of a stigma attached.
The 39-year-old mother of two said she has fielded phone calls from drunk men asking for a private dance. Some have even gotten her husband on the phone — and still asked for her.
"People automatically assume that it's about sex and stripping," Inara said. "Part of it is just a celebratory dance."
"Women are so self-conscious about their bodies," she added. "They're scared they'll get laughed at, or they won't do it right. I get all shapes, sizes, ages and levels of experience. Belly dancing is very accommodating."
Inara said older dancers have had more life experiences, which helps them portray the music.
"You know true happiness," she said, "because you've known true sadness."
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Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Wow.

Nineteenth-Century Harpoon Found in Live Whale
Wednesday, June 13, 2007

BOSTON — A 50-ton bowhead whale caught off the Alaskan coast last month had a weapon fragment embedded in its neck that showed it survived a similar hunt — more than a century ago.
Embedded deep under its blubber was a 3½-inch arrow-shaped projectile that has given researchers insight into the whale's age, estimated between 115 and 130 years old.
"No other finding has been this precise," said John Bockstoce, an adjunct curator of the New Bedford Whaling Museum.
Calculating a whale's age can be difficult, and is usually gauged by amino acids in the eye lenses. It's rare to find one that has lived more than a century, but experts say the oldest were close to 200 years old.
The bomb lance fragment, lodged in a bone between the whale's neck and shoulder blade, was likely manufactured in New Bedford, on the southeast coast of Massachusetts, a major whaling center at that time, Bockstoce said.
It was probably shot at the whale from a heavy shoulder gun around 1890.
The small metal cylinder was filled with explosives fitted with a time-delay fuse so it would explode seconds after it was shot into the whale. The bomb lance was meant to kill the whale immediately and prevent it from escaping.
The device exploded and probably injured the whale, Bockstoce said.
"It probably hurt the whale, or annoyed him, but it hit him in a non-lethal place," he said. "He couldn't have been that bothered if he lived for another 100 years."
The whale harkens back to far different era. If 130 years old, it would have been born in 1877, the year Rutherford B. Hayes was sworn in as president, when federal Reconstruction troops withdrew from the South and when Thomas Edison unveiled his newest invention, the phonograph.
The 49-foot male whale died when it was shot with a similar projectile last month, and the older device was found buried beneath its blubber as hunters carved it with a chain saw for harvesting.
"It's unusual to find old things like that in whales, and I knew immediately that it was quite old by its shape," said Craig George, a wildlife biologist for the North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management, who was called down to the site soon after it was found.
The revelation led George to return to a similar piece found in a whale hunted near St. Lawrence Island in 1980, which he sent to Bockstoce to compare.
"We didn't make anything of it at the time, and no one had any idea about their lifespan, or speculated that a bowhead could be that old," George said.
Bockstoce said he was impressed by notches carved into the head of the arrow used in the 19th century hunt, a traditional way for the Alaskan hunters to indicate ownership of the whale.
Whaling has always been a prominent source of food for Alaskans, and is monitored by the International Whaling Commission.
A hunting quota for the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission was recently renewed, allowing 255 whales to be harvested by 10 Alaskan villages over five years.
After it is analyzed, the fragment will be displayed at the Inupiat Heritage Center in Barrow, Alaska.
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