Many star athletes lend their names to bars or machine dealerships and say they're in business. Not being content with that, Johnson parlayed his illustriousness into a groundbreaking role in urban development. "His role was quite revolutionary," said Chicago-based trusted estate investor Quintin Primo, who occasionally competes against Johnson for deals. "And you still can't require that urban investment is commonplace today.

His involvement still speaks to the apparition has had." Johnson has other ventures cooking as well. In March, he signed a multiyear marketing deal to lend a hand electronics retailer bolster sales in urban neighborhoods.

His Beverly Hills-based Magic Johnson Enterprises has AMC Magic Johnson theaters in four cities, 116 in 14 states and Washington, 31 Burger King restaurants in the Southeast, and 13 24-Hour Fitness/Magic Johnson Sport healthfulness clubs. He also owns a nearly 5 percent equity of the. Johnson daily has declined to salvation financial data for his privately held businesses and himself. But a dealing associate, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to speak by Johnson, estimated the value of the old NBA star's various holdings at $700 million.

This associate estimated Johnson's deprecating net worth at nearly $500 million. Pioneering investment Johnson was a customary retired athlete in 1995, when he approached the California Public Employees' Retirement System about a pioneering investment in black, Hispanic and other urban neighborhoods. But when the earlier Laker spoke before the Calpers board, "He said, 'I'm almost as highly-strung as I would be shooting a free throw at a championship game,' " recalled ancient Calpers executive Robert Aguallo Jr., who manages the Los Angeles City Employees Retirement System, which invested in the flash Canyon-Johnson fund.

"At the time, there unqualifiedly weren't many developers going into urban areas." Johnson, 48, began to structure his business career while commuting to and from Laker games. He was drawn to the commonplace Santa Barbara Plaza shopping center in the Crenshaw district. Although attempts to terminate deals on the property failed, Johnson saw the potential for profiting from urban redevelopment, a procedure that formed the foundation for subsequent transactions.

His post-basketball career began earlier than expected, after he was diagnosed with HIV in 1991. (Johnson said he remains healthy, the virus all but motionless backing him.) Initially he was frustrated, though, because a string of potential business partners turned down his overtures. "A lot of them wanted my autograph and a facsimile with me," Johnson said. "But they didn't want to sink with me.

"People said, 'If you believe in urban America so much, why don't you supply your money and prove it?' " Johnson did just that in 1995, taking an equity stake along with what was then the Loews restrict in a 12-screen movie theater in Baldwin Hills, Calif. Three years later, he opened a Starbucks coffee store in south Los Angeles and remains the Seattle-based coffee company's only joint-venture partner. Making improvements He raised eyebrows, but mostly was proved right, with ideas such as restocking theater revival stands in predominantly black areas with sweeter drinks, spicier intense dogs and Buffalo wings. He followed the same strategy at many of his Starbucks, changing the music to R&B tracks and contribution sweet potato pie in addition to scones, he said.

Johnson since has struck even-handedness and licensing deals with such diverse partners as Burger King, Royal Caribbean International, grub services firm Sodexho and health insurer. Johnson also joined forces with Los Angeles billionaire Ron Burkle on a pool focused on urban markets. Johnson's urban investments are flow through an alliance with , a managing partner of Canyon Capital. The Century City investment comrades manages about $20 billion quality of assets. The first Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund struggled for two years to jack up $300 million to invest in urban neighborhoods.

A subsequent fund raised $600 million in a puzzle of months and the third iteration was oversubscribed in a matter of weeks, Turner said. The funds have helped banking affordable housing and retail space in Chicago, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Brooklyn, Houston and San Diego.

Respected author post: click there

...si epigonii

My Rating: 7 out of 10

I was surprised at how much I liked Get Smart. I had been expecting a slapstick comedy with guns involved, but the film proved to be something more akin to the Bond films of Pierce Brosnan’s era, only they’d been played for laughs as much as for excitement.

The film follows Maxwell Smart (Carrell), the top analyst for spy agency CONTROL, who wants to be a field agent. He gets his chance when the evil KAOS organisation kills most of CONTROL’s agents, forcing the Chief (Arkin) to promote Max and partner him with the mysterious Agent 99 (Hathaway). What follows is a spy romp across Russia and the US as Max and 99 take on the forces of KAOS and its nefarious leader Siegfried (Stamp).

There was never any better choice for the role of Max than Steve Carrell, who I think is one of the best comedic actors of our time. He doesn’t play the exact same character that Don Adams did in the 60s, but it would’ve been a mistake to. Carrell’s Maxwell Smart... well, he actually has character. He’s still clumsy, sure, but he’s also pretty smart, and not to shabby at all the action-spy stuff, and over the course of the movie he develops confidence in himself. Max may not be an Oscar-worthy character, but I appreciate having a bit of character between the jokes and the action.

The rest of the cast do well. I was never fond of the casting of Anne Hathaway as 99 - for one thing, she seems much too young - but the actress does manage to capture the class that Barbara Feldon gave the original character back in the 60s, and she has great chemistry with Carrell. Alan Arkin is great as the cantankerous Chief, playing the old warhorse that would prefer to be back in the game, and I almost cheered when Arkin gets in on the action with some fisticuffs. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a natural movie star, with charisma and a good sense of humour on top of his action credentials, and I wish he’d been given a bigger role than that of Agent 23, CONTROL’s star field agent. Terrance Stamp is wasted in the role of Siegfried: he’s a fantastic actor, but Siegfried is such a simple character that he doesn’t warrant the talent.

There’s action a-plenty in the movie, more than I was expecting. There’s a chase at the end involving all the main characters, a car, a plane, a train and a fair few explosions, and its one of the cooler action sequences I’ve seen lately. Spielberg should take some notes, ‘cause this car chase kicked the ass of the one from Indy 4.

There was also some great humour in the film, and not all of it was the simple slapstick. The back-and-forth between the characters was very funny, especially between the uber-professional 99 and the bumbling Max. They also manage to work the classic jokes into the film without making it cringe-worthy - heck, they were pretty funny, and didn’t even feel that forced. Again, I’ve gotta give props to Steve Carrell: He is one of the funniest actors around at the moment.

There’s not a whole lot more to say about the movie. It’s not very deep, it’s not very nuanced. But it is fun, which is the most important thing with one of these movies, and I’ll recommend it to anyone reading.

My Rating: 7 out of 10

 Se você, como eu, não conhece a banda mas sentiu-se comovido pela barbárie, a qual foram acometidos, acesse o Myspace do grupo e deixe sua mensagem de apoio aos integrantes e família.

Maiores informações no Indiana Daily Student.

Esquisitices...

O site Total Guitar divulgou algumas esquisitices de famosos artistas. Confira a lista abaixo:

Def Leppard - very, very small plums.

Motley Crue - Grey Poupon dijon mustard

Keith Richards - Norah Jones

James Brown - two girls under 21

David Hasselhoff - a life size cut-out of...David Hasselhoff

Bon Jovi - two large Squeegees

Gorgoroth - 50 sheep heads and one carpenter

Pink Floyd - a miniature golf course

Lil Kim - three walls covered in pink fluff

Tenacious D - Three whores, houmous

Por JMauro Pimentel

I definitely need to work on improving the quality of my uploads for the web.  It looks great on the HD closed circuit TV's for Metro Hub Network-- where it shows on a loop in bars, restaurants, taxis, etc.-- but not so hot on Youtube (I've heard that videos don't look as good on Youtube anyways).  I have seen some "recipes" to make your Youtube videos look better-- but I still am not happy with them.  Let me know if you have a recipe for Compressor that you are happy with.

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Okay, first glitch I noticed with this family is that they reverted out of their custom skintone even though I haven't deleted any custom content.

As always, I forgot makeover pictures, but Meadow came walking by and I had Laurence greet her. They have 3 bolts. :D

And lucky me, Sarah decided to fall in love with the slob.

*growls* who is VERY glitched.

Kayleigh playing with the teddy bear. She did this all week.

o_O Laurence, that is inappropriate in your mother's bed!

ACR at work here *headdesk*

Uh, there is just something not right about that.

*headdesk* 3 bolt couples are quite annoying actually.

Really? How do you like talking through the TV Lucie?

Aww. Lucie is still a little kid at heart.

Sarah got her dream job in the military.

I just don't think that Laurence's teacher is going to believe that the dog ate his homework.

And they got a new house because their old one was making me angry.

Sarah invites Willow over to celebrate.

And of course, Meadow is over again.

Poor Kayleigh is going to be ruined for life.

Oops. Maybe I shouldn't have her repair something with no mechanical points.

This is all Sarah did after I added this to the house.

Kayleigh learning to study.

And Laurence learning to study.

This is what Lucie did most of the week until they finally got a dishwasher.

A+ for Kayleigh.

Try for baby time. :D

Sarah asked Willow to move in.

And I quickly changed her aspiration to grilled cheese. I really don't like pleasure.

She cleans up decent.

Sassy grew into an adult dog.

Laurence got an A+.

Sarah impaled herself through the window because of a fire.

She got a makeover to get another bolt between her and Willow and then popped.

Uh what???? How do they both get pregnant?

This was when I first started noticing more glitchyness.

Sarah proposed to Willow.

And then they got married.

Sarah invited over her parents Charlie and Lacey to tell them about the marriage and the baby.

Thats alot of candles for a little girl.

Very pretty. What do you aspire to do in life?

Uh WHAT??? She's not romance, shes popularity, but ok.

Well, she changed LTWs after a few hours. It was weird stupid glitches again. She turned out pretty though.

Once again what? She popped from no tummy to third trimester.

Sarah popped too. *headdesk* That means twins.

Willow had a hard pregnancy so I used the energizer.

Kayleigh called the matchmaker, but didn't have that much money, so her date didn't go very well, but she got a few wants fulfilled.

Baby time!

Thank goodness. Welcome baby girl May to the family.

Uh? What? Okay, first she popped into third trimester again and then 5 seconds later gave birth.

Oh good, just two babies. Welcome baby girl June to the family.

Uh Oh, This was another glitch. Willow went into labor again and gave birth to another girl, July. Oh goody for me, now I have triplets to look forward to next week.

Ok Kayleigh, way to make friends with your brother's girlfriend.

And we end this week with another fire.

Points this round:

+6 for starting sims

-2 for sims moved out (Charlie, Lacey)

+4 for added sims (Willow, May, June, July)

A couple of talky disc jockeys were chatting each other up over Beckham's scintillating billboard ads sprouting up around the Nation.

I posted an item on that months ago. Old news, isn't it? Gee, news travels at a snail's pace in Sin City, I guess.

One disc spinner noted that the risque blurbs of Becks in tight undies first revved up in San Francisco. I got the distinct impression that the mere mention of the gay mecca by the bay might turn his sexual persuasion the other way - or at least make his own preference suspect - to say the least.

"That underwear thing is - uh - big up there," he noted with a suspiciously fake masculine tone to his voice.

"Is it a Calvin Klein ad," the other host queried.

Duh!

Well - it's pretty obvious that the guy's hetero - all the way.

Any self-respecting gay man knows that the splashy sexy ads are for Emporio Armani.

"The thing about this underwear - um - is that it makes your business look big."

Ah, this is the one occasion I regretted there was no visual image to match up with the dialogue. Did he actually utter that comment with a - er - straight face?

Business? Are they in the dark ages here in Vegas?

Heh dudes - it's okay to say - package, Johnson, crotch - whatever.

In fact, no one in the range of your air waves is going to cringe, I expect. After all, this is the land of the scantily-clad bodacious babe and thunder from down under!

Well, just maybe a bit of locker-room chat will give a handful of horny listeners a swelled - um - head. Don't know about you dudes, but suggestive words can be a naughty thrill to some if they're emoted just right.

"And, he looks humongous."

Ah, the dude has obviously been taking a serious gander at those shots, eh?

I am surprised they didn't wonder aloud if Becks was uncircumcised, being a Brit and all.

Maybe, the Armani folks will bring out the uncut version at a later date, do 'ya think?

"Well, he's no Mario Lopez for sure," the observant (!) jock chuckled before moving on to the next tidbit of gossip.

Mario who?

The long and short of it? Obviously, the soccer stud gets a kick out of the titillation and thrills.

Check out the impromptu snap below take recently on a downtown Hotel balcony.

Wonder who's on the end of his scope?

I'm betting it's not Posh, that's for sure!

Ok people, this blog is finally up! Please, please, please, do post as much as you can on this blog? You do realize if you don't post, your name will NOT turn up on the category list right?

If you do encounter any problems with wordpress, please read the FAQ and the "help me please!!" first before giving me a call? If you do call, I should be glad to help, if it's the right time and I'm in the right mood. Haha~

And peeps, I'm an audio reporter, I should be letting you all do the talking, so print journalists, don't let me xia suay you all and have me post more entries than you!! Wahaha~

Cheers,
Johnson
Webmaster

Stanley Jaki, The Savior of Science (Scottish Academic Press)

Philip Johnson, Darwin on Trial (IVP)

Philip Johnson, Objections Sustained (IVP)

Philip Johnson, Reason in the Balance (IVP)

Francis Schaeffer, Escape from Reason (IVP)

Michael J Wilkins and J.P. Moreland, Jesus Under Fire: Modern Scholarship Reinvents the Historical Jesus (Zondervan)

Biography

Courtney Anderson, To the Golden Shore: The Life of

Adoniram Judson (Zondervan)

Roland H. Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther (Abingdon)

Iain Murray, D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, 2 vols. (Banner of Truth)

Iain Murray, Jonathan Edwards (Banner of Truth)

C.H. Spurgeon, Autobiography (Banner of Truth)

CATECHISMS

Tom Nettles, Teaching Truth, Training Hearts (Calvary)

John Piper, ed., A Baptist Catechism (Desiring God Ministries)

THE CHURCH

Jay Adams, Handbook on Church Discipline (Zondervan)

John Armstrong, ed., The Compromised Church (Crossway)

J.L. Dagg, Manual of Church Order

Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church (booklet; Center for Church Reform)

Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church (book; Crossway)

Mark Dever, ed., Polity: Biblical Arguments on How to Conduct Church Life (CCR)

Mark Dever, A Display of God’s Glory: Deacons, Elders, Membership, and Congregationalism (CCR)

John Piper, Elders (Desiring God Ministries)

Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines within the Church (Moody)

CHURCH HISTORY

Mark Dever, Richard Sibbes (Mercer)

Tom Dowley, ed., Handbook to Church History (Fortress)

Greg Wills, Democratic Religion (Oxford)

DATING

Joshua Harris, I Kissed Dating Goodbye (Multnomah)

Joshua Harris, Boy Meets Girl (Multnomah)

Devotional

Augustine, Confessions (Henry Chadwick translation, Oxford World Classics)

Horatius Bonar, Longing for Heaven (Christian Focus)

John Bunyan, Grace Abounding (Anchor)

John Bunyan, Holy War (Christian Focus)

John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress (Penguin)

D.A. Carson, For the Love of God, 2 vols. (Crossway)

Jonathan Edwards, Charity and its Fruits (Banner of Truth)

Carolyn Mahaney, Feminine Appeal (Crossway)

Jerry Marcellino, Rediscovering the Lost Jewel of Family Worship (Audobon Press)

J.I. Packer, Knowing God (IVP)

Elizabeth Prentiss, Stepping Heavenwards (Calvary)

J.C. Ryle, Holiness (Baker)

C.H. Spurgeon, Faith’s Checkbook (Whitaker)

C.H. Spurgeon, Morning and Evening (thin ones; Christian Focus)

Donald S. Whitney, How Can I Be Sure I’m a Christian? (Navpress)

Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Navpress)

DISCIPLESHIP

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together (Harper & Row)

Elyse Fitzpatrick & Carol Cornish, Women Helping Women (Harvest House)

John Stott, Basic Christianity (Eerdmans)

EVANGELISM

Joseph Bayly, The Gospel Blimp (Lifejourney Books)

D.A. Carson, ed., Telling the Truth: Evangelizing Postmoderns (Zondervan)

Jonathan Edwards, Works on Revival (including Distinguishing Marks) (Banner of Truth)

Val Grieve, Your Verdict on the Empty Tomb (Paternoster)

Patrick Johnstone, Operation World (Zondervan)

Will Metzger, Tell the Truth (IVP)

Iain Murray, The Invitation System (Banner of Truth)

Iain Murray, Revival and Revivalism (Banner of Truth)

J.I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (IVP)

Mack Stiles, Speaking of Jesus (IVP)

Christianity Explained (Narrowgate Press, UK)

MARRIAGE & DIVORCE

John Murray, Divorce (Presbyterian & Reformed)

PARENTING

Ted Tripp, Shepherding a Child’s Heart (Shepherd Press)

Prayer

Arthur Bennett, ed., Valley of Vision (Banner of Truth)

D.A. Carson, A Call to Spiritual Reformation (Baker)

Samuel Prime, The Power of Prayer (Banner of Truth)

STUDY TOOLS

Handbook to the Bible (Zondervan)

New Bible Commentary (IVP)

New Bible Dictionary (IVP)

Dan Allender and Tremper Longman, Bold Love (Navpress)

Dan Allender and Tremper Longman, Bold Purpose (Navpress)

D.A. Carson, Doug Moo, Leon Morris, Introduction to the New Testament (Zondervan)

Raymond Dillard and Tremper Longman, Introduction to the Old Testament (Zondervan)

Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart, How to Read the Bible for All it’s Worth (Zondervan)

Suffering

D.A. Carson, How Long, O Lord? (Baker)

Richard Sibbes, The Bruised Reed (Banner of Truth)

Theology

Louis Berkhoff, Systematic Theology (Banner of Truth)

F.F. Bruce, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? (Eerdmans)

John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Westminster/John Knox)

D.A. Carson, The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God (Crossway)

D.A. Carson, Love in Hard Places (Crossway)

D.A. Carson, Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility (Wipf and Stock)

J.L. Dagg, Manual of Theology (Gano/Sprinkle)

John Flavel, They Mystery of Providence (Banner of Truth)

Timothy George, The Theology of the Reformers (Broadman)

Graeme Goldsworthy, Gospel and Kingdom (Paternoster)

Wayne Grudem and John Piper, eds., Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (Crossway)

Martin Hengel, Crucifixion (Fortress)

Carl F.H. Henry, Toward a Recovery of Christian Belief (Crossway)

Robert Letham, The Works of Christ

Fred Malone, A String of Pearls Unstrung (Founders)

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression (Eerdmans)

Martin Luther, The Bondage of the Will (Westminster/John Knox, or SCM

Leon Morris, The Atonement (IVP)

John Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied (Banner of Truth)

Tom Nettles, By His Grace and For His Glory (Founders)

J.I. Packer, A Quest for Godliness (Crossway)

J.I. Packer, Fundamentalism and the Word of God (Eerdmans)

J.I. Packer, God Has Spoken: Revelation and the Bible (Baker)

A.W. Pink, The Attributes of God (Baker)

John Piper, Future Grace (Multnomah)

John Piper, God’s Passion for His Glory (Crossway)

John Piper, Let the Nations Be Glad (Baker)

John Piper, The Pleasures of God (Multnomah)

John Piper, TULIP: What We Believe about the Five Points of Calvinism (Desiring God Ministries)

Ernest Reisinger, What Should We Think of the Carnal Christian? (Banner of Truth)

Thomas Scott, The Articles of the Synod of Dort (Sprinkle)

B.B. Warfield, The Plan of Salvation (Simpson)

David Wells, The Bleeding of the Evangelical Church (Banner of Truth)

David Wells, God in the Wasteland (Eerdmans)

David Wells, Losing our Virtue (Eerdmans)

David Wells, No Place for Truth (Eerdmans)

John Wenham, Christ and the Bible (Baker)

George Whitefield, Selected Sermons (Banner of Truth)

WORSHIP

Most Hymnals

Horton Davies, Worship of the American Puritans (Soli Deo Gloria)

Michael Horton, In the Face of God (Word)

Leonard Payton, Reforming Our Worship Music (Crossway)

David Petersen, Engaging with God (Eerdmans)

Copied from 9Marks

I have chosen Johnson as the worst President ever because I think enough time has passed that we can understand his presidency. On most lists, Nixon would be #43 because of his spying on Democrats during the 1972 election. What historians have come to find out, however, is that this was a practice started by Johnson in 1968. This can be found in No Peace, No Honor by Larry Berman, a noted and credible author. Alongside Johnson's spying on Republicans in '68, I believe his actual entire administration was inept.

Johnson created "The Great Society" in a time when Americans could not afford the entitlements it promised. Although admirable for the 1964 Civil Rights Act, little else has amounted to anything. Johnson was a President that spent a lot of money and expanded military operations in Vietnam. It was his administration that made Vietnam a conflict that American could not exit from with its honor intact. The spending of the Johnson administration plagued the nation later as the dollar's value became inconsistent because of the heavy debts accumulated throughout the Vietnam war.

Johnson also was a man who could not take criticism and frankly was overwhelmed by the office of President. He was brash and angry. When he was challenged in the 1968 primaries by his own party, he ran away from the office out of fear of losing a Presidential election. Some claim that Johnson was doomed by the situation in Vietnam and that he would have been an excellent President. Johnson, however, had complete control of the conflict in Vietnam. He had the option to exit before combat troops were deployed.

These are the reasons why I believe Lyndon Baines Johnson is the WORST PRESIDENT EVER!

Tell me, what is the main difference between these two photos? No, it is not that my hair changes from slightly more/less emo from one to the other (I don't know how it got to look like that, I promise). Any guesses? Haven't got a clue, have you?

The Answer: The first photo is a before shot, and the second is an after. As in, after I had waited TWO WEEKS to shave (my face, of course). That's right, it had been two weeks since I had last shaved and there was still no noticeable man stubble upon my cheek.

Apparently I'm suppose to blame my family. My dad's side (the "Johnsons") is notorious for being nearly hairless. Some of them didn't even get real chest hair until they were thirty.

So it looks like I'll have to explain to my wife that I have gone through puberty, it's just that my genes don't to show it.

Nevertheless, it's a supposedly "spiritual" journey that was supposed to awaken us from the comfort of the shelter from our homes. Hey, I'm a sound guy. I work in an air-con suite that should be ideally soundproof! I'm not supposed to interact with the world... Haha~ kidding.

Today is 4th July. I knew I should be blogging everyday during the trip (especially so since I'm the webmaster of this blog... hmm...), but the lure of the rural life of India was too much for me to go back to my highly technological urban world...... Ok, fine, I was just plain lazy. But hey, I needed that extra sleep to cope with the extra weight I was putting on!

Okay, this blog entry is a DESPERATE ATTEMPT at trying to list down all the places we've gone to. It will be tedious to read, so.... DON'T SAY I NEVER WARN YOU, BUT READ ON IF YOU DARE~~

Day 1 - Bangalore

Reached airport. Time is around 10+am... Is it? I can't seem to remember. I was relying on my handphone to double as my watch and I had to switch it off for the flight. (Mental note: perhaps I do need a proper watch for next trip.)

First reaction when I got off the plane and stepping into the Bangalore-an air: Woah, am I still in the air-conditioned place or is the whole Karnataka air-conditioned? I was trying to explain the climate to my parents incidentally last night who assumed it was because of the presence of strong wind or the monsoon. No, it wasn't. The air was just slightly breezy and the sun was shining-hot behind whisp of clouds. The air was just... cooling.

Hence my first impression: this may not be a bad place after all.

Without heading to the hotels, we were whisked away on the bus to various organisations. Office of 'The Hindu', 'Communication for Development and Learning', and 'Green Foundation'. (The use of green colour is purely intentional.)

All three sessions felt a bit rushed. Most probably because I had not gotten the chance to ask in depth questions and to really find anything useful to use as sound bites. And I wished I had more time to explore the real Karnataka instead of looking at it behind the windows of a mini-bus.

Food was good. That's all I could say. Food was really good. Although I was expecting the diarrhoea to come...

Day 2 - Mysore

All of us were whisked off early in the morning to head to the district of Mysore. On the way, we dropped by 'Organic Farming Research Centre' in Mandya before heading to the hotel to check in. First impression of hotel: think the girls would love it.

We were thrown back onto the bus once again as we journeyed somewhere into an extremely rural part of Mysore. By now I had gotten used to the fact that I would probably not know where we're heading towards. Well, besides that unconvenience, I must admit the scenary was quite good (what with hills, mountains and tidy plots of farmland), that was if I could stay awake with the constant swaying of the bus to the uneven roads.

Vivek's Organic Farm became the first farm we had visited for this trip. I'll just save the mystery about this farm for the rest of the GO-FAR team to reveal in their stories in October (evil me... hyak hyak hyak), but all I can say now that it's an unusual farm to visit for a first farm.

We had a short dialogue session with Vivek and his wife, Juli, before we brace the darkness to head back to the hotel.

Hotel food stinks.

More to come in my next entry... Be afraid... Be very afraid... Wahaha...

Cheers,
Johnson Zhang
Radio Reporter

1. Carlos Marmol is giving me an uneasy feeling, the same uneasy feeling I get when there's a new Star Wars movie and I know it's going to be bad but will watch it anyway.  Star Wars The Clone Wars bombing soon in a theater near you.
2. Poor Ryan Dempster.  He pitches the first two innings with his fly open, pitches well enough to get his first road win and ends up with a no decision.  I still believe in him.
3. Gentleman Jim Edmonds is, like, totally awesome.  He might be my favorite Cub of all time.  Heck of an acquisition.
4. Gotta love wins that come via bombs from the Dandy Little Tiger Mike Fontenot.
5. I'd like to see Gentleman Jim Hendry get another starter soon.
6. Special thanks to the schedule-making wonks at MLB for scheduling three prime-time getaway days in two weeks for the Cubs the night before they have to fly to another time zone for the next day's game.  They'll get into St. Louis around 3 a.m. tomorrow morning for a huge series against the Birds.
7. At least Carlos Zambrano will be there in time to hit the boats and still be able to get some sleep in preparation for his big return.
8. Speaking of returns, the Cubs get Aramis Ramirez and Reed Johnson back today.
9. Look, MLB, if you're going to honor veterans, do it on Memorial Day, not the Fourth of July.  And why make teams wear navy caps?  Teams like the Giants wearing navy caps?  They look awful.  And the last time I checked, the Dodgers are the sworn enemies of the Giants (my home, Elaine, my home), and the Dodgers and blue go together like Dodger Blue.  Finally, it'd be a more sincere gesture to the vets if you weren't also selling the caps to fans dumb enough to buy them (I know they're donating profits, but what kind of cut is MLB going to get?)
10. Bob Brenly wears his Giant heart on his sleeve; that's okay.  The Cubs only play one series out there so it's not like he's a former Buc who rambles on about the mysteries of Pittsburgh four times each season.  Last night, Pat Hughes talked about his mother packing blankets for him and his siblings to take to games at old Candlestick Park when they'd go to games in July; I appreciated him sharing that with the listeners.
11. No, the last two points don't have anything to do with anything, but 110 posts into the season has shown that nothing on Cubs Masochist has anything to do with anything.  So par for the course, Bat Fans.

The Democrat Party... Do you trust George Soros?...I don't....what does he have to do with the Dem party you ask....Back in 2004 Soros said "Now it's our party. We bought it, we own it"...him and his partner Eli Pariser. (Move On.org)...now then...Do you remember Jim Johnson? He was the guy who headed Obama's VP selection committee...he is a business partner of Soros also...yes I know he left because of his involvement with Countrywide...but still...don't you see the circle forming....Back in 2004 Soros donated around $27million of his own personal money to try to stop George Bush from winning...... also Soros and his "new party" raised an additional $300 million plus....Yup...Soros owns the Dem Party....Does he own Obama? ...Remember these things when you go to vote in November....Who would have the power in this country?....

EDIT: Read this post at No Quarter.

Chicago Billionaire Industrialist on Board of Obama’s Mortgage Provider

Also look at this...

Franklin Delano Raines

Raines was a supporter of Obama's senate campaign.

Here is a list...Obama for Illinois

_______________

The Dem Party is not the party I was a part of for over 30 years....

Here is something you might want to read....

From Keith Ellison to Barack Obama

One day, I was looking at a reality TV news blog, because I had heard that American Idol was going to be having auditions somewhere in Kentucky for the upcoming season (I've always wanted to audition, just so I could say that I had). While searching for this nugget of reality TV wisdom, I came across a website called RealityCares.com, which is a volunteer organization whose sole purpose is to address the most pressing issues that face the world today, whether it is Hurricane Katrina relief or fighting AIDS in Africa.

Now, you are probably wondering what this has to do with reality television. Well, Reality Cares is made up of executives, producers, writers, cast members, publicists, and even viewers of reality television! Amongst such people are American Idol's Ryan Seacrest, Access Hollywood's Maria Menounos (also of Planet Green's Hollywood Green), Marc Marcuse of Average Joe fame, Survivor alums Rob Mariano and Amber Brkich, Ethan Zohn, Jenna Morasca, and Jonny Fairplay.

Now that I knew who was involved with Reality Cares, I wanted to see what kind of things they did to raise funds. Granted, what I found was your typical Hollywood-type gatherings, with beautiful people walking around every way you looked. One event I really found interesting, however, was an eco-friendly fashion show hosted by "The World's First Supermodel", Janice Dickinson.

The show was designed to prove that you could wear sustainable and environmentally friendly clothing while maintaining the fashion sensibilities of modern society. Among the designers showcased at the event were Deborah Lindquist, Carushka, Green Guru Gear, Haute Trash, and M The Movement.

NOTE: I do not follow the fashion world very closely, so I have no clue who any of these people are. These links only became available to me after I searched for them on Google.

Among the guests in attendance were Alec Mapa (Ugly Betty), Michael Maloney (Extreme Makeover: Home Edition), Cameron Johnson (Oprah's Big Give), and the cast of a brand new reality series "Greatest American Dog" (and I thought "Flavor of Love" was an odd show).

While I may not be a fan of reality television, I am a fan of anyone who attempts to educate or address the issues that face this world today, whether is is environmentalism, medical care, disaster relief, or global epidemics. It is, with this in mind, that I recommend that anyone who loves their planet or believes in bringing attention to the causes that matter most to head over to Reality Cares and volunteer your services today.

Chanel Iman, Spotlighted

         Her skin, soft and delicate, the color of grandma's pumpkin. Her nose and mouth , are that of an ethnic beauty. Long hair dark as night, trails down her back as she prances down the runway.

           In way she's a mere two years old. This 19 year old exotic bombshell, Chanel Iman, pranced her extravagantly luxurious lower limbs in the Fall 2006 Fashion Week, down the runways of Dolce & Gabbana, Issey Miyake, Marc Jacobs, Valentino, Dsquared, Hermès, Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta--just to name a few. Born to a half-Korean mother, and an African American father, Chanel Iman, is a bit of old news to the Rag Trade Industry--as we felt it only necessary to spotlight her, as she exemplifies everything that is fierce.

    This Culver city, diva has been already compared to the African-American  heavyweights of the industry-Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell and Beverly Johnson are fairy-godmothers to this young coquette

       With both of her size 9 stillettos placed firmly on the grounds of the industries' most elite designers, this runway cougar, has a lot of integrity and greatness in her near future.

Keep visiting: www.lifechums.com/ more Celebrities featuring Shortly .............

How the NBA Draft affected the conference, the individual and overall ACC Sportsmanship Award, baseball has wrapped up another year and time once again for those hidden tidbits in our Bits and Pieces segment. There is really no telling what you might find this week.

As always we encourage you to call us on the Buzz Line at 206-202-1706 with your thoughts and comments on stories affecting your favorite ACC team. Be sure to listen to the weekly podcast when we play back select calls.

ACC MEN'S BASKETBALL

North Carolina State's J.J. Hickson assured the ACC of at least one first round draft pick in the NBA. With Hickson the conference now has 20 straight years of first round draft selections.

Three other players out of the conference, Deron Washington, James Gist and Sean Singletary were also selected in the draft.

ACC SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD

The Atlantic Coast Conference has named Virginia Tech the receipient of this year's overall sportsmanship award.

Individual team recognition is noted here.

BITS AND PIECES

A "Pack" mentality is what it will take with Gamecocks.

The "Lowe-down" on State w/o Hickson.

Would you bet on Duke?

The old coaching switcheroo.

Junior Morgan passes.

Blue Devils do well in U.S. Women's Open.

Cutcliffe licks wounds and comes out winner.

*I gave Duke a bit more attention this week to make up for past sins.

FSU on the "Chopping Block".

Okay but how about today?

Xavier Lee dropped by Baltimore.

Now we're down to begging.

Big Time Backstop.

Better days ahead for Ramblin' Wreck.

Johnson builds on youth.

Friend of the Nation Wes Durham gets new partner.

Hokies head to Olympic trials.

VT builds basketball program.

Beamer Ball in action.

Edu credits Terps.

Women's lacrosse reloads.

Skeen on skids.

Wake player has last laugh.

Gaudio. He was the right pick.

Don't crown UNC Champs just yet.

Tar Heels heading to Beijing.

Miller rounds out coaching staff at Phoenix.

Pollock will be missed.

Tigers send six to swim trials.

Safety charged.

Good lord. A bit early don't you think?

Boston College picks up offensive threat.

Can Jags shine?

Best all-around sailing team.

Cavs grab Renfrow.

UVA tabs walk-on center.

 New pronunsticator at Virginia.

Remember to allow enough time, so start early in your pregnancy in thinking about names so you have the luxury to change your mind several times before your baby’s due date. You probably have some family jokes about the aunt or uncle you did not decide on a name before the baby’s birth and had to quickly come up with something for the birth certificate before leaving the hospital. Any woman who’s delivered a baby can vouch that after hours of labor and painkillers to follow delivery, we may not be in our best mental state to make a snap life long decision for our child’s name if one has not yet been chosen!

One trick that some parents use during pregnancy is to try out baby names on restaurant waiting lists to see how the name sounds to them when a stranger calls out “their” potential name. Many websites also offer anonymous voting on baby names you are considering if you would like to weigh in on other’s opinions, but would rather not have the pressured opinion of a family member.

Take the baby’s surname into consideration. How does the name you have chosen flow with the surname? Does it become a tongue twister with tough sounds to put together, does it sound funny or does it flow naturally when said out loud? Depending on the name, it is sometimes harder say a first and last name if the first name ends on the same letter that the last name starts with. For example, a name that ends with “A” and starts with “A” on the last name might be a bit tricky to say together. Also, consider what the middle name will be and what the initials together may spell out. For example, if you are naming your daughter Elizabeth Ally Thomas then her initials suddenly become EAT, which she may not appreciate in later years.

Remember the name you choose for your baby will become his or her lifelong name, not just a baby name. Some names that sound adorable for babies may not sound so enduring for your son or daughter’s job interview as an adult. Also, think about your baby’s first day at grade school and do not pick anything that sounds like a name that could be an easy target for teasing on the playground.

Consider the possible nicknames that could be derived from your baby’s name. Are these names you like? Even though you may not choose the nickname, others could if it is a typical nickname. Perhaps you like the nickname even better than the original name in which case you could do your baby a favor by picking the more formal name and letting them decide which name they prefer to go by as an adult.

Often parents feel the pressure from family members to use family names. Although family names have their value and can often convey a rich family heritage or honor a loved one, do not feel obligated to choose a name you do not like or does not convey the feeling your have for your child. If your family is dying for you to use your grandfather’s name, Isaiah, and you do not feel this is the proper identity for your child, don’t choose it. If you really would like a family name for your child but don’t care for any of the possible selections as first name choices, consider it as a middle name.

Classic always works well because it has been time tested. If you like a classic name and it works well with the baby’s surname, then you can not go wrong. On the flip side, don’t try to be too trendy or cool. Names that top the charts some years are long outdated ten years later. We all know that certain names, like Gertrude or Mildred, go with a certain age and era. But, in their day these names were cool and trendy.

If you are considering naming your baby after a celebrity, make sure it is one that you admire with a good reputation. These days a celebrity cannot get into their car without all kinds of media attention to their every piece of clothing and mood. You may find your favorite celebrity is on the bad side of the press a few years down the way, so choose your name wisely.

Unique is great, but too unique is hard to remember. You want your baby to have a special identity but make sure it is not too hard for the average person to pronounce or your baby’s name may turn into something else on the lips of others. Also, stick to the more straightforward spelling to avoid others spelling the name incorrectly or pronouncing your child’s name incorrectly.

Most important, choose the name that you and your partner like the best, even if you have to keep it secret until the baby’s birth. Chance’s are nobody’s going to criticize you for your baby’s name selection once your baby has been born. As your baby’s parent, you have your baby’s best interest at heart, so do not feel pressured or guilty about not choosing Uncle Albert’s name, even if he is promising a rich inheritance to a namesake. Although it may be worth considering for a middle name!