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News of the Week

•• > Due to high fuel prices, US Airways says it will now follow other domestic carriers charging USD $15 for the first bag.

•• > All U.S. airlines will start charging beverages from July 2008 and on. For example, USD $2 for a can of coke,
USD $2.50 for a glass of orange juice. They are free as a courtesy until said date, including wine and beer.

•• > China(PRC) and Taiwan(The Republic of China) signed agreement for direct weekend charter flights to both shores.

The talks between both sides resumed after a decade of silence. Now President Ma, Ying-jeou and his cabinet members were viewed as more China-friendly than the DPP government previously led by Chen, Shui-bien.

•• > A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck northern Japan causing 9 deaths(at the time of this report) and left hundreds injured.

160 aftershocks were detected and more to come in the store.

•• > A metal clip on one of the the landing gears on the shuttle has fallen and lost in space. NASA says the piece will not cuase danger to the descend of the spacecraft and is scheduled to land on earth on time. The fallen(missing) piece was discovered by astronauts in a routine check-up for the shuttle during space walk.

•• > Yahoo! has hired Google to provide some ads to its web publishers and webpages. Google agreed to provide some of its ads to Yahoo! for the Yahoo! search box and ad pages. This plan will not start three months from now to give the antitrust group during this time to review and approve the proposal. Yahoo! and Google will share the ad revenues.

Microsoft says it is not interested at Yahoo! now, because the buying time has passed and it is time for MS to move on.

•• > Outdated article I found back in 2006/10 but thought you might be interested. May be you were there, who knows. www.gibsoneurope.com

•• > There's only one (1) Friday, the 13th for 2008. For the next year, 2009, there are three(3) Friday, the 13ths.

Research say becuase people are more careful on Fridays that land on the 13th of that month, less accidents, car crash, thefts and fires happen than on ordinary Fridays or the 13th that are not on Fridays.

Related:
Dark Friday - www.snopes.com.
Friday 13th - www.howstuffworks.com.
Knock on Wood - Wikimedia/Wikipedia.

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Vitamin Battle

The Early Show Saturday on CBS medical contributor Dr. Mallika Marshall explained that, when it comes to vitamins, too much of it could be a bad idea and, with some supplements, doctors are feeling any dose may be ill advised, with supplements forcing the dosage level into the risky range.

Vitamin and mineral supplements are, of course, a staple of a lot of people's lives. But studies are now suggesting that some are not only unnecessary, but could be dangerous. Of course, we all need vitamins, Marshall stresses, but only in very small amounts, and we generally get what we need from what we eat. So if you are generally healthy and eat suggested food accordingly, you're probably okay and might be better off saving some money.

Some vitamins can be dangerous in high doses. For instance, Vitamin E is touted as helping to fight cancer and heart disease. It's one of those anti-oxidants we all hear so much about. But, Marshall points out, new studies and more recent data suggest that large doses can actually increase the risk of death, not prevent it. So we are not recommending that people take Vitamin E supplements for disease prevention.

Another popular supplement for fighting certain diseases, beta-carotene, used to be thought of as helping to prevent disease, but now it appears that additional beta-carotene can actually raise the risk of heart disease and cancer.

Loading Vitamin C to fight off colds is also coming to be questioned in the medical community. Too much Vitamin C can cause diarrhea and kidney stones, and studies don't suggest that it reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, or even the common cold. Vitamin A, another popular choice, can actually lead to liver damage, blindness, and bone fractures in high doses.

Still, there is substantial evidence, Marshall says, that taking folic acid before pregnancy and in early pregnancy can significantly reduce the risk of birth defects, especially neural tube defects such as spina bifida, in infants. So, universally, it is recommended that all women of childbearing age who might become pregnant take 800 micrograms of folic acid, or a prenatal vitamin containing folic acid, on a daily basis.

It's also generally recommended that women who are pre-menopausal, that is, entering the change of life, take 800 IU of Vitamin D and at least 1,200 mg of calcium to help prevent bone loss and osteoporosis.

Also, it's not a bad idea for vegetarians, especially vegans, to take a daily multivitamin, since they could be deficient in certain vitamins, such as B-12, found primarily in meats.

And alcoholics are often deficient in Vitamins like A, B, C and folic acid, so they may benefit from a multivitamin, as well.

I say take eveything in moderation and we will be fine.

• Having a bad hair day? Some hair dos here: www.stylist.com.
• Money makes Satan work for you. How much can you make donating your body parts? Do you feel like doing it?.
(redirect to AOL)
• Only two months away: The Beijing Olympics.
• Exploring the red planet: Viking 1, Viking 2, Polar Lander and Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Dual-blade humbucker pick-up on the pick board of Fender Stratocaster HSS.

Tomatoes Report Experts say supermarkets and fast food chains that threw out tomatoes suspected in a salmonella incident were acting aggressively to protect their customers' health and avoid a consumer backlash. Walmart and McDonald's have all together stop using tomatoes in their menus and produce racks. Tomatoes grown in California, Florida and in back yards are safe to consume at this time. But, most supermarkets in U.S. import their tomatoes where the outbreak were suspected from.

Vanessa Carlton (Put Your) Hands on Me. New release in 2008.

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