Ta da

There is a new thing to do in Sin City: Follow the trail of ‘The Amazing Race’ finalists who sprinted through Las Vegas, Nevada, in a search to win a 1 million grand prize.

After zipping through 8 countries in 21 days, the competitors landed at McCarran International Airport and raced to the Graceland Wedding Chapel on the Las Vegas Strip to get their next clue.

The chapel offers ‘Elvis wedding packages,’ full with Elvis Presley impersonators who walk the bride down the aisle and ensure musical entertainment for the couple and guests, including performing ‘Viva Las Vegas’ at the final of the ceremony.

Coming up stop: Mandalay Bay, the well known resort and casino, where a competitors from each team had to rappel face first down the side of the gleaming 43-story building.

‘Thats the craziest thing Ive ever done,’ said Cheyne Whitney, who ended up winning the race with girlfriend Meghan Rickey at the finale, which aired Sunday on CBS.

The hotel offers a such sight on a more smaller scale at its restaurant Aureole, where wine stewards attached to mechanical hoists fetch bottles from a four-story wine tower.

Teams then have to race to the theater at the Mirage, where they got a taste of Cirque du Soleils ‘The Beatles Love,’ and the Monte Carlo, where they had to count 1 million worth of poker chips.

Clues also led them to a high rollers suite at the MGM Grand and ‘Mr. Las Vegas’ Wayne Newton, who announced the finale line for this seasons race was his house: Casa de Shenandoah.

For those unknown with ‘The Amazing Race,’ the hit reality television series takes a dozen two-member teams and sends them on a crazy, breakneck-pace journey around the world in search of clues that will lead them to the next station in the competition. The team who finish first gets 1 million.

cnn

The stock market of Dubai has fallen for the 2nd contiguous day on continuing fears about the big companies capacity to repay debts.

The principal Dubai Financial Market index fell 6.1%, after last down almost 6% on Monday.

Two weeks ago, Dubai World asked for a six-month retard on debt payments. Credit agencies have since downgraded many leading companies in Dubai.

The index of Dubai has now fallen with more than 20% since the extension supplication.

Tuesdays plunge was led by real estate developer Emaar Projects, which fell by 9.8%.

One of Dubai Worlds first principal payments to bondholders in its property firm Nakheel is due next week.

‘Up till there is some clarity in debt restructure, there will not be someone serious buyers (of shares),’ said Julian Bruce at EFG Hermes Holding in Dubai.

‘The closer we get to the Nakheel deadline with no news, the worse it will be.’

The World of Dubai has some esteemed priority, vastly its ports business, which includes Londons Tilbury Docks and Frances Le Havre.

Different items in its wide-ranging investment portfolio include the luxury retailer Barneys of New York, a list of high-end US hotels, and the Canadian acrobatic circus franchise, Cirque du Soleil.

bbc

It happened 68 years ago today, but Clarence J.M. Davis can yet quite clearly remember the noise, confusion, frenzied activity and deadliness of the attack that propelled the United States into World War II.

The St. Marys County resident, now 86 , is one of a few dozen known survivors of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor who are still live and life in Maryland. He plans to mark the day, and remember the dead, at a ceremony scheduled for 12:30 p.m. at Marylands World War II Memorial, next to Route 450 close to Annapolis.

More than 2,400 Americans were killed in the surprise attack.

In the city, the nonprofit Historic Ships in Baltimore is holding a detached memory event onboard the USCGC Taney, a Coast Guard cutter that saw action in this day.

Chris Rowsom, executive director of Historic Ships in Baltimore, said the Taney had been bedroom not at the Pearl Harbor naval base but in Honolulu. It fired on enemy planes as they flew by, Rowsom said, and it is the only ship combative that day that is still afloat.

The ship carried nine 16-inch guns with armor-piercing shells as well as multiple 5-inch anti-aircraft guns mounted on each side. ‘The shells of the 16-inch guns had a trajectory of 23 miles. They were huge.’ (WOW, I still cant understand why this ship is been attacked! .. )

They set sail toward the Panama Canal where they at the end had liberty for a some days and then onto the San Francisco Navy Yard for their final preparation for war in the Pacific.

Just two people on the ship were injured in the fighting, and the two survived, he said. But the Oglala sank. It still strikes him as a miracle that he wasnt on that ship.

His son Mike called Pearl Harbor ‘a monumental event in American history’ and noted that his fathers organization works not only to memorialize the dead but to keep Pearl harbor in younger generations minds.

Tri training during the Off Season

This is a really good article

Triathlon Off Season Training

Dont you think good points are made there

I totally agree what what is said. Lots of triathlets take themselves too seriously and count
every mile or calorie.

What is training without fun I cant let myself going to the gym every week and worrying about exactly what I need to do.

Triathlon training is not easy at the best of times, so winter really is the moment to enjoy yourself.

Triathlon is a lonely sport

Perhaps its a good idea to find a tri friend for those long bike rides.

There was this in the news:

The old feet are walking models – built for stability, not speed or grace. The fact that he has managed to run, even race, on them is testament to what others describe as extraordinary mental toughness.

Called Its Go Time Events Inc., the new nonprofit made its first mission to pay for those expensive carbon-fiber feet.

Rajesh learned to walk at the same time most of his peers did, but he also learned he had to modify a lot of movements to accommodate what were then rather crude artificial limbs.

We heard a hearsay that the Volkswagen Scirocco might be brought to India as Volkswagen Shirako/Shiroko, but that’s yet uncofirmed news, so it is better to take it with a tweak of salt. VW are known for their care to detail and commitment to virtue when it comes to designing vehicles.

The auto is at the same time amazingly nature-amicable, emitting carbon at 194 g/km, which is quite low compared to recent models by some other companies. Many of VW’s diffes, similar the Jetta and Passat have enjoyed memorable success both in their home country as well as overseas.

Shiraco is a word that owes its origin to an Italian word called Sirocco that means stormy wind. VW also has some other successful models like Passatand Jetta, that are sold in huge numbers in domestic and international market. Shiraco discern from the other autos as it sports two petrol and one diesel engine. The inside of the Shiraco is pretty impressive with high quality upholstery and backlit controls that give it an aura of chic.

The main thing that sets the Shirako aside from other autos is that it offers three engines two petrol-based ones and a diesel engine.

The model has a feature named adaptive Chassis Control. It makes use of a computer guided suspension to provide a smooth driving attempt to the riders. The control in the Shiraco is circumstantial and works well. It is definitely not a car for the budget deliberate buyers.

Anyway, the VW brand name is associated with class and chic.

thaindian

Even with not so great publicity, Tiger Woods looks to soar past the rest. In possibly the most publicized bit of not so great making the world has ever seen, in a story that might have gotten a one-inch mention in the international newspaper if it had been you or me or the placekicker for the Cleveland Browns, Tiger Woods early-morning wreck has gone on to enlist accused scandal, possibly driving under the influence, domestic abuse.

Thousands of theoretical twists to stories of said accused scandal and their possible influence on the auto crash, people denying sex skandal and lawyering up, people lawyering because others believe they know something they do not (Tiger Woods neighbors), people allowing to sex skandal, and the two main in the convoluted story going quiet and keeping away speculating even to Florida law enforcement agencies.

The media has created a superficial monster of hyperbolic proportions, devoid of substance and newsworthiness. Is this where MTV and the never-ending onslaught of realities shows have taken us?

The The nomber 1 golfer Tiger Woods story has simply taken over the media. It was the lead story Friday evening on the ‘CBS Evening News.’ It has taken over TMZ, with two out of every three stories having something to do with some aspect of the The nomber 1 golfer Tiger Woods sex skandal or auto crash. It has taken over the internet, with one or few trending topics having been in the Top 5 since Friday, when the auto crash first came to light.

nydailynews

Last night, President Obama traveled to the oldest military academy in the United States to unveil his highly-touted strategy to bring along positiveness to Afghanistan and eliminate terrorist safe havens that intimidate the region and the world.

Emphasizing the need to concern the strategy and resources Obama said had been lacking since the United States went into Afghanistan, Obama claimed his war plan will concern whats needed to succeed and bring the U.S. mission there to an end.

Obama conceded that his strategy i going to have a profound impact on its most firsthand audience: thousands of Army officers in training at the U.S. Military Academy who will be called on to carry it out.

According to President Obamas plan, the distribution of additional troops would factor in the current U.S. mark in Afghanistan, which contains about 68,000 troops — a mixture of fight forces and trainers — spread throughout, but with the east and south serving as focal points. Troops under NATO’s order add a complement of 42,000 troops.

The Obamas plan also demands much from Afghanistan, calling on Afghan President Hamid Karzai to help grow Afghan safety forces rapidly, concern better governance at the local and national levels. Deployment lengths for U.S. service members will remain about the same — seven months for Marines, and 12 months for soldiers. With the planned reduction in U.S. forces in Iraq to 50,000 by August 2010

However, Obama stated that only 30,000 more troops would be deployed, far fewer than the 60,000 originally requested by General Stanley McChrystal, the top U.S. commanding officer in Afghanistan, or the 40,000 many expected as a compromise.

examiner nydailynews

Deep- fried turkey is rapidly becoming a Southern favorite. Its tricky, though and if you arent careful, you can get seriously burned.

Dont forget to make sure your turkey is dry before you drop it into the oil. Because they may cause a fire.

‘Most people associate a not big grease fire. But when this happens it commonly happens so rapidly and you actually have a fireball that will erupt and it can be very detrimental,’ said Kelly Harcrow, Albany Battalion Chief..

First off, the turkey. While you could go old-fashioned with an oven-cooked meal, one-day searches have soared on the crispy kind: Many may well find a deep-fried fowl on their Thanksgiving table. Queries on the delightful sounding ‘cajun deep fried turkey recipes’ skyrocketed over 1,000%. ‘Turkey brine’ is also popular, as is ‘roasted turkey recipe.’ But hey, even searches on ‘tofurkey,’ the ‘bird’ carved from soybeans, are big right now. PETA would be proud..

For those who went with frozen poultry, thawing the turkey may be top of mind. Check out foodsafety.gov for cooking and safety tips. But if the turkey is frozen, you can still pop it in the oven and cook. Just plan on 50% more cook time than you would for the unfrozen kind. For ‘turkey cooking time per pound,’ you can also check out the guide from Whole Foods Market. If you necessity extra hand-holding on the large day with the large turkey , Butterball is standing by for your cooking questions. . .

Save on Car Insurance

But there are some steps you can take to help bring down the cost.

If you are buying a car, keep in mind that your choice of vehicle will help determine how much you pay for insurance.
Cheap Auto Insurance California
But the premium for the same policy would jump to 803 if he was driving a 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution.Insurance rates are based on the price of the car, how often that model is stolen and its safety record, says Jeanne Salvatore, senior vice president at the Insurance Information Institute.

State program offers low-cost car insurance

High unemployment in the central San Joaquin Valley is driving fear that more motorists are going without auto insurance because they cant afford it.

The most recent estimates from 2007 suggest that 18% of Californians did not have automobile insurance, said Darrell Ng, associate deputy commissioner for the state Department of Insurance. That was more than in any year since 1997, according to department estimates.
Detroit Car Insurance Quotes
To qualify, drivers must be at least 19 years old, have a good driving record, own a vehicle valued at less than 20,000 and fall below certain income thresholds. For a family of two, thats 36,425 or less per year.

Such coverage carried an annual premium ranging between 632 and 2,200 for a married couple in 2007, according to a Department of Insurance survey of insurance companies.

Qualifying drivers can upgrade their coverage for a few more dollars per month through the insurance company to which they are assigned, Ng said.
Washington Car Insurance Quotes
The basic insurance is catching on with motorists. In the first 10 months of 2009, the number of drivers enrolled in Fresno County has more than doubled, from 311 to 707. Similar growth is reported in other Valley counties. But officials say they believe there are thousands of drivers in the Valley who qualify but likely dont know about it.

Ronnie Brown injury is a blow

The Dolphins season nearly came to an end earlier today.

With a visit to rapidly-improving Carolina up next, the Dolphins have some major problems, beginning with key injuries and a penchant for fourth-quarter collapses.

Running back Ronnie Brown’s ankle tops the list because who’s going to replace him?

The Dolphins didn’t seem to miss LB Joey Porter much, either.

On the second one, Henne threw Bess open while the defender’s back was turned, a quality coach Tony Sparano praised in Drew Brees a few weeks back.

Tampa Bay’s TD makes 96 points scored against Miami in the fourth quarter, second-worst in the NFL to Buffalo (101, including 24 Sunday).

Running back Ricky Williams had a big day, finishing with 102 rushing yards, capped by a 27-yard scamper to set up the game-winning FG.

1. Running back Lex Hilliard is likely to get his chance this week. But with no carries this season, will Hilliard be ready?

It was performances like that that earned him a spot on the Miami roster, though to be fair he’s retained it until now with strong special teams play.

Miami will need a strong running game against Carolina, whose own running game entered this week’s games leading the NFC in rushing. Just as Brown and Ricky Williams were a great 1-2 punch, Hilliard and Williams make for a tandem that could pound away at a Carolina run defense, which was ranked 23rd entering the weekend.

2. Linebacker Charlie Anderson made a bigger impact than Joey Porter has all season. But Anderson’s inconsistency, not his talent, has held him back.

{Anderson stepped in for Porter and had one of his best games in two seasons as a Dolphin, with five solo tackles, including a sack, and two forced fumbles.

Anderson, a sixth-year pro, showed big-time flashes a few times a season ago, highlighted by his performance in Toronto against Buffalo (four solos, a sack, two FFs). He followed it with nice outing against San Francisco, including a key sack late in the game.

But Porter has been banged-up and played at a sub-par level, so Anderson needs to build on Sunday’s performance.

3. Kicker Dan Carpenter answered the challenge of training camp nemesis Connor Barth.

The Dolphins signed Barth during training camp to push Carpenter, who was struggling and admitted he was too focused on mechanics.

But the move made sense, given Carpenter had proven himself to be a consistent and clutch kicker for Miami as a rookie in 2008.