Myth Busting – the Facts about Ethanol in Petrol

Ethanol is a renewable non-fossil biofuel produced in Australia, and other countries, by either taking one of the by-products of the sugarcane industry (molasses), wheat or other grains such as corn and processing it to produce ethanol.
Shell Unleaded e10
Ethanol, when used in vehicles, can help maximize the performance and acceleration potential of many modern cars. It is a cleaner burning, renewable component that helps reduce Greenhouse gas emissions. It also helps to achieve low benzene and sulphur levels.

Shell has over 25 years of global experience successfully formulating and testing ethanol based fuel in markets including US, Sweden and Brazil, selling over 1 million tonnes of ethanol-based fuel each year.


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Myth 1. Ethanol burns hot due to an earlier ‘pre-detonation ratio’ (i.e. it explodes too soon) and can corrode engines over time.

Ethanol has a high octane (Research and Motor Octanes) and as such ethanol based fuels have a natural tendency to resist compressive precombustion in engine combustion chambers. Its incorporation into fuel, in controlled quantities, will have the effect of lifting octane and allowing exposure to greater heat and compression in engines without 'pinging' (precombustion).

The potential for corrosion due to ethanol has, in the past, been due to improper use by other retailers of lower quality ethanol at inappropriate blend ratios without corrosion protection.

Along with this standard, Shell fuel-grade ethanol contains a corrosion inhibitor additive to ensure that corrosion due to trace impurities naturally present in ethanol is minimised.



Myth 2. Ethanol fails to lubricate the engine like petrol so there is a potential for pistons and other moving parts within the combustion chamber to ‘seize up’ over time.

Lubrication of piston rings in spark ignition 4 stroke engines is a result of traces of lubricating oil trapped between rings and combustion chamber wall. It is not due to the lubricating qualities of the motor spirit, so the impact of ethanol in this part of the engine will be negligible.

Lubrication of other components such as fuel pumps of moving fuel system components is, however, dependent on the lubricating property of the fuel. In these cases ethanol contents of up to 10% have not been shown to cause excessive / noticeable wear in any other countries where Shell markets ethanol containing fuels.

Shell has extensive experience with biofuels and is the largest global retailer of ethanol containing fuels. Shell markets ethanol containing petrol in several countries and has no records of adverse lubrication issues relating to these fuels. Also, a review of the available literature / studies also does not indicate that fuel system wear due to lack of lubrication is an issue.


Forex 101



Myth 3. Ethanol can corrode fuel lines or anything rubber, including seals.

Ethanol in high concentrations has been known to affect some plastic and rubber fuel system components. However, it is advisable to check the FCAI web site or contact your vehicle’s manufacturer to determine if there are any compatibility issues with particular makes and models.



Myth 4. Ethanol always reduces fuel economy.

10% ethanol petrols, or E10 fuels, are known to result in a slight reduction in fuel economy in comparison to the same base fuel without the ethanol content. It has been documented that there is an approximate loss of 3.5% economy for E10 fuels and 1.5% for E5 fuels. Economy losses of this size are difficult to detect under typical driving conditions due to the impact on economy of other factors such as tyre pressure, driving style and driving situation (city vs. freeway driving).


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Source: Shell

U.S. Can't Have The 65 mpg Ford "ECOnetic"

If ever there was a car made for the times, this would seem to be it: a sporty subcompact that seats five, offers a navigation system, and gets a whopping 65 miles to the gallon. Oh yes, and the car is made by Ford Motor, known widely for lumbering gas hogs.

http://www.autospies.com/images/users/Agent009/Focus_ECOnetic_1_01.jpg

Ford's 2009 Fiesta ECOnetic goes on sale in November. But here's the catch: Despite the car's potential to transform Ford's image and help it compete with Toyota Motor and Honda Motor in its home market, the company will sell the little fuel sipper only in Europe. "We know it's an awesome vehicle," says Ford America President Mark Fields. "But there are business reasons why we can't sell it in the U.S." The main one: The Fiesta ECOnetic runs on diesel.

Forex 101

Automakers such as Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz have predicted for years that a technology called "clean diesel" would overcome many Americans' antipathy to a fuel still often thought of as the smelly stuff that powers tractor trailers. Diesel vehicles now hitting the market with pollution-fighting technology are as clean or cleaner than gasoline and at least 30% more fuel-efficient.

Yet while half of all cars sold in Europe last year ran on diesel, the U.S. market remains relatively unfriendly to the fuel. Taxes aimed at commercial trucks mean diesel costs anywhere from 40 cents to $1 more per gallon than gasoline. Add to this the success of the Toyota Prius, and you can see why only 3% of cars in the U.S. use diesel. "Americans see hybrids as the darling," says Global Insight auto analyst Philip Gott, "and diesel as old-tech."

None of this is stopping European and Japanese automakers, which are betting they can jump-start the U.S. market with new diesel models. Mercedes-Benz by next year will have three cars it markets as "BlueTec." Even Nissan and Honda, which long opposed building diesel cars in Europe, plan to introduce them in the U.S. in 2010. But Ford, whose Fiesta ECOnetic compares favorably with European diesels, can't make a business case for bringing the car to the U.S.

Too Pricey to Import

First of all, the engines are built in Britain, so labor costs are high. Plus the pound remains stronger than the greenback. At prevailing exchange rates, the Fiesta ECOnetic would sell for about $25,700 in the U.S. By contrast, the Prius typically goes for about $24,000. A $1,300 tax deduction available to buyers of new diesel cars could bring the price of the Fiesta to around $24,400. But Ford doesn't believe it could charge enough to make money on an imported ECOnetic.

Ford plans to make a gas-powered version of the Fiesta in Mexico for the U.S. So why not manufacture diesel engines there, too? Building a plant would cost at least $350 million at a time when Ford has been burning through more than $1 billion a month in cash reserves. Besides, the automaker would have to produce at least 350,000 engines a year to make such a venture profitable. "We just don't think North and South America would buy that many diesel cars," says Fields.


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The question, of course, is whether the U.S. ever will embrace diesel fuel and allow automakers to achieve sufficient scale to make money on such vehicles. California certified VW and Mercedes diesel cars earlier this year, after a four-year ban. James N. Hall, of auto researcher 293 Analysts, says that bellwether state and the Northeast remain "hostile to diesel." But the risk to Ford is that the fuel takes off, and the carmaker finds itself playing catch-up—despite having a serious diesel contender in its arsenal.



Source: Yahoo Finance

Future Cars: Cars of Tomorrow

Overview

Toyota’s 1/X, which debuted at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show, is a lightweight, 4-door tribrid—meaning it can use three different fuels for propulsion: electricity, conventional gasoline, and ethanol (E85). It is named the 1/X because it “weighs only ‘1/Xth’ that of other vehicles in its class.”

Despite Toyota’s emphasis on her nifty powertrain, they also gave consideration to safety, space and weight efficiency. Consequently, the 1/X is sporting some impressive specs.


What We Like

• The Flex-Fuel engine. FFV technology—Flex-Fuel—allows the use of E85, a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline. Also called bioethanol, E85 is a high octane fuel that substantially lowers carbon dioxide emissions compared to conventional gasoline.

• The plug-in. Coupled with the flex-fuel engine, the plug-in battery addition gives the Toyota 1/X a unique and enviable powertrain.

• The safety. The body frame’s rigid carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) should make for outstanding collision safety.

• The roof. Made out of a bio-plastic derived from plant material (kenaf and ramie), it improves heat insulation, reduces noise and increases the amount of light entering the cabin


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Overview

Loremo is a portmanteau for ‘low resistance mobile’ and the vehicle made big headlines at the Geneva Auto Show in 2006 when it boasted of a jaw-dropping 157 mpg. The Germany-based company hopes to make it, along with the sportier GT model, the world’s first mass-market ultralight vehicles.

Recently they announced production plans for an all electric car model, the E-Loremo, with hopes of a prototype in mid-2008. Although they have offered up a number of proposed specs for this vehicle in the company blog, they read a bit like they’re winging it, and as you'll note below, they aren’t very good at accurately estimating specs. So we’ll side-step the electric model for now and focus on the original.


What We Like

• The wing door. There are concerns that, on a rainy day your interior will get wet when open. To their credit, Loremo responds in their FAQ: “Driving pleasure was the more important factor to us. After all, how many days will there be, when it rains so heavily, that the front seats will be affected by water?”

• The seating configuration. As a 2+2, the Loremo rear seats are either folded up for truck space or, as seats prove not quite big enough for your average adult, but in the event you can fit back there, do it—the seats are mounted facing the rear window. Fun ride! A great distraction for otherwise unruly kids as well.

• The crash-resistant frame. Thanks to energy-transferring, front-to-back steel girders and a single crossbeam, the frame weighs less than half that of other cars, without a compromise in safety.

• The price. Despite some fluctuations, the current estimate of 15,000 Euros amounts to about US $22,000 ofr the Loremo. This is a consumer-friendly price that, coupled with the vehicle’s mpg, dynamic profile and trunk space, suddenly makes the Loremo cost-efficient (in re fuel), good-looking and reasonably practical.



Forex 101




Overview

Norway-based manufacturer Think successfully previewed the Think City at the 2008 Geneva Auto Show, and having recently been on the receiving end of a few million dollars from GE, the vehicle shows no signs of slowing down. Currently there are about 1200 Think vehicles driving the streets of Norway.


What We Like

• The materials. According to the company web site, the Think City is made of 95% recyclable material, and “the car itself is designed to be recycled”. You don’t see that claim very often.

• The clever, and honest, marketing copy. The Think City says what few others do—that, as an electric car that plugs into the grid, it is not a zero emissions vehicle when you consider the source of that energy. Instead, the Think City is a “zero local emissions” vehicle. Bravo.

• The safety. ABS brakes, airbags, side impact bars in the doors, and those are just for starters. Granted when you make a car this small, safety will automatically come to mind to wary consumers, but the Think City is armed with about as much as she can handle.

• The 2+2. This option elevates the Think City into a practical electric car.

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Is Forex Legitimate?

Is this regulated by any government agency?

Yes. If you trade with a Philippine broker, they have to be regulated by SEC ( Security and Exchange Commission ), however if you trade with an offshore broker ( a broker outside the Philippines), the broker must be registered in the particular country that they are based and they must also be a registered on FCM ( Futures Commissions Merchant ) regulated by the Commodities and Futures Trade Commission (CFTC) and the National Futures Association.


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What Tools Do I Need to Start Trading Forex?

What Tools Do I Need to Start Trading Forex?

A computer with a high-speed Internet connection and all the information on this site is all that is needed to begin trading currencies.

What Does It Cost to Trade Forex?

An online currency trading (a “micro account”) may be opened with a couple hundred bucks. Do not laugh – micro accounts and its bigger cousin, the mini account, are both good ways to get your feet wet without drowning. For a micro account, we'd recommend at least $1,000 to start. For a mini account, we’d recommend at least $10,000 to start.


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Why Trade Foreign Currencies?

Why Trade Foreign Currencies?
There are many benefits and advantages to trading Forex. Here are just a few reasons why so many people are choosing this market:

No commissions.No clearing fees, no exchange fees, no government fees, no brokerage fees. Brokers are compensated for their services through something called the bid-ask spread.
No middlemen. Spot currency trading eliminates the middlemen, and allows you to trade directly with the market responsible for the pricing on a particular currency pair.

No fixed lot size.In the futures markets, lot or contract sizes are determined by the exchanges. A standard-size contract for silver futures is 5000 ounces. In spot Forex, you determine your own lot size. This allows traders to participate with accounts as small as $250 (although we explain later why a $250 account is a bad idea).

Low transaction costs. The retail transaction cost (the bid/ask spread) is typically less than 0.1 percent under normal market conditions. At larger dealers, the spread could be as low as .07 percent. Of course this depends on your leverage and all will be explained later.

A 24-hour market. There is no waiting for the opening bell - from Sunday evening to Friday afternoon EST, the Forex market never sleeps. This is awesome for those who want to trade on a part-time basis, because you can choose when you want to trade--morning, noon or night.
No one can corner the market.The foreign exchange market is so huge and has so many participants that no single entity (not even a central bank) can control the market price for an extended period of time.

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Leverage.In Forex trading, a small margin deposit can control a much larger total contract value. Leverage gives the trader the ability to make nice profits, and at the same time keep risk capital to a minimum. For example, Forex brokers offer 200 to 1 leverage, which means that a $50 dollar margin deposit would enable a trader to buy or sell $10,000 worth of currencies.
Similarly, with $500 dollars, one could trade with $100,000 dollars and so on. But leverage is a double-edged sword. Without proper risk management, this high degree of leverage can lead to large losses as well as gains.

High Liquidity.Because the Forex Market is so enormous, it is also extremely liquid. This means that under normal market conditions, with a click of a mouse you can instantaneously buy and sell at will. You are never "stuck" in a trade. You can even set your online trading platform to automatically close your position at your desired profit level (a limit order), and/or close a trade if a trade is going against you (a stop loss order).

Free “Demo” Accounts, News, Charts, and Analysis. Most online Forex brokers offer 'demo' accounts to practice trading, along with breaking Forex news and charting services. All free! These are very valuable resources for “poor” and SMART traders who would like to hone their trading skills with 'play' money before opening a live trading account and risking real money.
“Mini” and “Micro” Trading: You would think that getting started as a currency trader would cost a ton of money. The fact is, compared to trading stocks, options or futures, it doesn't. Online Forex brokers offer "mini" and “micro” trading accounts, some with a minimum account deposit of $300 or less. Now we're not saying you should open an account with the bare minimum but it does makes Forex much more accessible to the average (poorer) individual who doesn't have a lot of start-up trading capital.

Forex Trading Basics

What is FOREX?

The Foreign Exchange market, also referred to as the "FOREX" or "Forex" or "Retail forex" or “FX” or "Spot FX" or just "Spot" is the largest financial market in the world, with a volume of over $2 trillion a day. If you compare that to the $25 billion a day volume that the New York Stock Exchange trades, you can easily see how enormous the Foreign Exchange really is. It actually equates to more than three times the total amount of the stocks and futures markets combined! Forex rocks!

What is traded on the Foreign Exchange?

The simple answer is money. Forex trading is the simultaneous buying of one currency and the selling of another. Currencies are traded through a broker or dealer, and are traded in pairs; for example the Euro dollar and the US dollar (EUR/USD) or the British pound and the Japanese Yen (GBP/JPY).

Because you're not buying anything physical, this kind of trading can be confusing. Think of buying a currency as buying a share in a particular country. When you buy, say, Japanese Yen, you are in effect buying a share in the Japanese economy, as the price of the currency is a direct reflection of what the market thinks about the current and future health of the Japanese economy.

In general, the exchange rate of a currency versus other currencies is a reflection of the condition of that country's economy, compared to the other countries' economies.


Unlike other financial markets like the New York Stock Exchange, the Forex spot market has neither a physical location nor a central exchange. The Forex market is considered an Over-the-Counter (OTC) or 'Interbank' market, due to the fact that the entire market is run electronically, within a network of banks, continuously over a 24-hour period.

Until the late 1990’s, only the “big guys” could play this game. The initial requirement was that you could trade only if you had about ten to fifty million bucks to start with! Forex was originally intended to be used by bankers and large institutions - and not by us “little guys”. However, because of the rise of the Internet, online Forex trading firms are now able to offer trading accounts to 'retail' traders like us.

All you need to get started is a computer, a high-speed Internet connection, and the information contained within this site.

Source: Babypips

Total Eclipse Provides Rare Delight

A total solar eclipse was sweeping across Earth Friday, providing a rare sight for people in the upper Northern Hemisphere.

The eclipse began mid Friday morning in the Northern Hemisphere.

The eclipse will be visible in parts of Canada, northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia, and China. It will move across the planet in a narrow path that begins in Canada's northern territory of Nunavut and ends in northern China's Silk Road region at sunset, according to NASA.

A solar eclipse happens when the moon passes directly between Earth and the sun. When the moon's shadow falls on Earth, people within that shadow see the moon block a portion of the sun's light.

The moon's shadow has two parts, an umbra and a penumbra. The umbra is the main part of the shadow which appears to black out the sun. The umbra is the moon's faint "outer" shadow -- the outer ring of the main shadow.

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During a total solar eclipse, the moon appears to cover all of the sun for observers located in the moon's umbral shadow. Those viewing the eclipse from the moon's penumbral shadow see the moon cover only a portion of the sun.

At the moment of "totality," when the moon's shadow totally obscures the sun, the sun's outer atmosphere -- the solar corona -- becomes visible. NASA says this seldom-seen sight -- visible for about two minutes at most -- is coveted by experienced eclipse watchers and an awe-inspiring vision for first-time viewers.

The solar corona extends farther than 620,000 miles from the sun's visible surface and reaches temperatures up to 2 million degrees.

Total solar eclipses happen once or twice a year somewhere in the world but can still be a special experience for viewers.

"Just to say how special it is, in the whole universe we might be among the few beings that have the chance of seeing something like that," said Michael Khan, a mission analyst at the European Space Agency. "The fact that we have a moon and that the moon passes in front of our sun, and that the apparent size of our moon is approximately equal to the apparent size of the sun -- all these factors combine to create the solar eclipse phenomenon."

Those viewing any part of the eclipse should never look directly at it, experts warn. People can use a dense plastic foil made specifically for viewing eclipses, available at opticians or astronomy shops, or they can mount telescopes or binoculars and project the image of the sun on to cardboard.

Source:CNN

Saturn moon has liquid on surface, NASA says

PASADENA, California (AP) -- At least one of many large, lake-like features on Saturn's moon Titan contains liquid hydrocarbons, making it the only body in the solar system besides Earth known to have liquid on its surface, NASA said Wednesday.

Scientists positively identified the presence of ethane, according to a statement from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, which manages the international Cassini spacecraft mission exploring Saturn, its rings and moons.
Liquid ethane is a component of crude oil.
Cassini has made more than 40 close flybys of Titan, a giant planet-sized satellite of the ringed world.

Scientists had theorized that Titan might have oceans of methane, ethane and other hydrocarbons, but Cassini found hundreds of dark, lake-like features instead, and it wasn't known at first whether they were liquid or dark, solid material, JPL's statement said.
"This is the first observation that really pins down that Titan has a surface lake filled with liquid," Bob Brown, team leader of Cassini's visual and mapping instrument, said in the statement.

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The instrument was used during a December flyby to observe a feature dubbed Ontario Lacus, in the south polar region, that is about 7,800 square miles, slightly larger than North America's Lake Ontario.

Cassini reached Saturn in mid-2004 and at the end of that year launched a probe named Huygens that parachuted to the surface of Titan the following January.

The mission is a project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency.


Source: CNN

Viewer's Guide: Aug. 1 Solar Eclipse

Friday, August 1 is a red-letter day for eclipse enthusiasts. On that date, the sun will be partially eclipsed over an immense area that includes western and central Asia, parts of northern and central Europe, all of Greenland and even a small slice of northeastern North America.

A total solar eclipse — the first in nearly two and a half years — will be visible along a narrow track that will start over the Northwest Passage of Canada, gives a glancing blow to northern Greenland, then shifts southeast through Siberia and western Mongolia and before ending near the famed Silk Route of China.

The path of totality for this upcoming eclipse is never more than 157 miles (252 km) wide.


Where it's visible
The total eclipse begins at sunrise over Northern Canada's Queen Maud Gulf, where the moon's umbra will first touch down on the Earth, resulting in Canada's hosting its first total solar eclipse since February 26, 1979.

As the sun comes into view over the north-northeast horizon its disk will become completely blocked by the moon. This is in the area of the famous Northwest Passage, a sea route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans through the Arctic archipelago of Canada. The various islands of the archipelago are separated from one another and the Canadian mainland by a series of Arctic waterways collectively known as the Northwestern Passages. Politically, this region belongs to Nunavut, the largest and newest of the territories of Canada; it was separated officially from the vast Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999.

Although the umbral shadow narrowly misses the towns of Cambridge Bay on Victoria Island, and Resolute on Cornwallis Island, its northern edge just clips the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world: Canada's remote outpost of Alert, which lies just 508 miles (817 km) from the North Pole and has a population of just 5. Here, totality will last 43 seconds.

Crossing the open Arctic, the southern half of the totality path slides across the many fjords of northermost Greenland, coming to within 450 miles (720 km) of the North Pole at 9:38 UT over the Arctic Ocean before turning southeast. Totality sweeps over the Norwegian island group of Svalbard, while the northern edge of the umbra's path just grazes Russia's Franz Josef Land island group, then cuts across the crescent-shaped island of Novaya Zemlya on its way to central Asia. The umbra first touches the Russian coast on the Yamal Peninsula. Not far inland, greatest eclipse, producing 2 minutes 27 seconds of totality, is attained near the town of Nadym (pop. ~46,000), just inland from the boot-shaped Gulf of Obskaja.

Spending part of your summer in Siberia may sound a bit more appealing upon hearing that the central path passes almost directly over the city of Novosibirsk, Russia's third most populous city (pop. ~1.4 million) where totality begins at 10:44 UT and will last 2 minutes 18 seconds. The center of the path will then follow the Mongolia-China border for several hundred kilometers, with Olgij, Mongolia getting 1 min 36s of totality. Totality finally whisks into north-central China, crossing the west end of the Great Wall before leaving the Earth at a point northeast of the major city of Xi'an (pop. 3.9 million).

The northern half of Maine as well as the Canadian Maritime Provinces will experience a partial eclipse at sunrise.


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Eclipse expedition
A most unusual attempt to rendezvous with the moon's shadow will be made by an Airbus A330-200 twin-engine long-range aircraft. Following a flight plan optimized specifically for the purpose of viewing this eclipse, all of the many unusual requirements of this flight have been evaluated and satisfied with arrangements by the air charter company Deutsche Polarflug (AirEvents) which has previously operated successful over-flights of the North Pole with this same aircraft.

Glenn Schneider, from the University of Arizona's Steward Observatory and a veteran of 26 total eclipses, has worked out the detailed formulation of the flight plan. He is targeting a point from the high polar north, at approximately +83-degrees latitude and about 440 nautical miles from the North Pole at an altitude of 37,000 feet above the Arctic Ocean.

This will be a unique event in the annals of solar eclipse-chasing since there are no records of any total solar eclipse observations as far north as this. While total solar eclipses in the polar regions are not rare, accessibility is very difficult. Until this juncture in time (and technology) very high-latitude (north or south) total solar eclipses have been elusive. The total solar eclipse of 23 November 2003 was the first in history to have been observed from the Antarctic.

Once again it needs repeating: to look at the sun without proper eye protection is dangerous. Even if you are in the path of the total eclipse you will need to protect your eyes during the partial phases.

Source: Space.com


Quarter Life Crisis

If youre between 20 to 30 years old, read this:

BEING TWENTY - THIRTY SOMETHING

They call it the ” Quarter-life Crisis.” It is when you
stop going along with the crowd and start realizing
that there are many things about yourself that you
didn’t know and may not like. You start feeling
insecure and wonder where you will be in a year or
two, but then get scared because you barely know where
you are now.

You start realizing that people are selfish and that,
maybe, those friends that you thought you were so
close to aren’t exactly the greatest people you have
ever met, and the people you have lost touch with are
some of the most important ones. What you don’t
recognize is that they are realizing that too, and
aren’t really cold, catty, mean or insincere, but that
they are as confused as you.

You look at your job… and it is not even close to
what you thought you would be doing, or maybe you are
looking for a job and realizing that you are going to have
to start at the bottom and that scares you.

Your opinions have gotten stronger. You see what
others are doing and find yourself judging more than
usual because suddenly you realize that you have
certain boundaries in your life and are constantly
adding things to your list of what is acceptable and
what isn’t. One minute, you are insecure and then the
next, secure. You laugh and cry with the greatest
force of your life. You feel alone and scared and
confused. Suddenly, change is the enemy and you try
and cling on to the past with dear life, but soon
realize that the past is drifting further and further
away, and there is nothing to do but stay where you
are or move forward.

You get your heart broken and wonder how someone you
loved could do such damage to you. Or you lie in bed
and wonder why you can’t meet anyone decent enough
that you want to get to know better. Or maybe you love
someone but love someone else too and cannot figure out
why you’re doing this because you know that you aren’t a
bad person. One night stands and random hook ups start
to look cheap. Getting wasted and acting like an idiot
starts to look pathetic.

You go through the same emotions and questions over
and over, and talk with your friends about the same
topics because you cannot seem to make a decision. You
worry about loans, money, the future and making a life
for yourself… and while winning the race would be
great, right now you’d just like to be a contender!

What you may not realize is that everyone reading this
relates to it. We are in our best of times and our worst of times,
trying as hard as we can to figure this whole thing out. Send this to
your twenty-something, thirty-something friends…maybe it will help
someone feel like they aren’t alone in their state of confusion……..

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Fare Hike Will Take Effect Next Week

Manila, Philippines. Because of the continuous increase of oil price in the market, there will be another fare increase. Fare increase effective next week and not on July 10 or 11 according to LTFRB. This is the second fare increase since the first hike 2 months ago.


The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on Tuesday approved petitions for a fare hike for passenger jeeps, buses and taxicabs.


Jeepney - minimimum fare will cost P8.50 ( first four kilometers) and an additional of P0.25 per kilometer.

Taxi -Additional of P10.00 for taxi on the total meter cost.

Ordinary buses- Minimum fare for is P10.00 and an additional P0.20 per succeeding kilometer.

Aircon Bus - Additional 20% increase
More Oil Increase, Less Traffic.

Petron, Shell: Oil Price Rollback this Midnight.

Petron Corp and Pilipinas Shell announced today that they are rolling back the prices of their gasoline. The P1-per-liter rollback will take effect Wednesday midnight.

I don't know on what to react, maybe my question is, why P1-per-liter ONLY?

More Oil Increase, Less Traffic.

Major Reason Behind Oil Price Hike

U.S. investor Jim Rogers has said that the decline in known oil reserves across the world is the main reason behind the skyrocketing oil prices that have already topped 145 U.S. dollars a barrel. While admitting that factors driving up oil prices are various, Rogers insisted that short of oil supply was the fundamental factor pushing oil prices up all the way.


"Nobody has discovered any major oil fields in over 40 years, while known oil reserves are declining amid a situation that the demand is boiling," he said, adding that oil prices will no doubt go higher unless somebody finds a lot of oil quickly, Rogers said in a telephone interview with Xinhua Thursday.

"Nearly every oil company has declining oil reserves, nearly every oil country in the world has declining oil reserves," he said, noting that "the known oil reserve will not last 100 years."

Rogers said that he was "not good at short-term trading" and predicting the price trend in a short period, but it is obvious that oil prices "will maintain an upward trend over a longer period" because the conflict between oil supply and demand is a big problem.

Rogers blamed the U.S. government for driving down the value of the dollar, saying that the U.S. government should do something about the currency. He said he has been "very vocal" about the U.S. dollar policy and criticized its "mistakes" as having been printing a lot of money since last August and lowering interest rates dramatically. All these factors have helped drive up the prices of the dollar- dominated crude oil, he said. Noting that the sharp rise in oil prices will change people's lives, he said they have to change their lives "accordingly."

Rogers highly recommended the use of nuclear fuel, saying that it is cheaper and cleaner than anything else, adding "if you are careful with it, it is safe." In September 2007, Rogers sold his mansion in New York City for about 15 million dollars and moved to Singapore, mainly due to his belief that this is a ground-breaking time for investment potential in Asian markets.


Uncanny Prophesy: What will happen to the world and to the Philippines at 2008

nagiging sikat na tong email na to: PLEASE DONT BELIEVE ON THIS CRAP.


Mr. Juseleeno Nobulega DaRoose is Brazilian, born in 1960, 47 years old now, his occupation is a teacher, he is a normal citizen, having a very poor life with his wife and kids. All the events which Mr. Juselleno predicted had clear indication of the year, month date of the disasters, incase any third party wants to confirm the facticity of his prophesy, Mr. Juselleno always put the story which he predicted to the notarization office or post office for the approval.
Somebody asked him, how old did he start the prophesy dream, he answered: 9 years old, from 1969, he dreamed 3 events a day, sometimes 9 events, the times he dreamed is different every day. He said all the prophesy dreams were automatically in his dream. When Mr. Juseleeno was 19 years old, he met the famous Brazilian prophesy Saint Mr. Franciscoshabiz, after that the worldwide disaster events were increased in his prophesy dream. Mr. Franciscoshabiz was two times the candidate for the Nobel Prize, he is a very famous differential functional person, at the same time he is also the Charitarian. The events which Mr. Juseleeno predicted are already more than 80000, firstly let's look at below a few big worldwide events and huge disaster from his prophesy.

July 18, 2008 - Philippines will get 8.1 earthquake, thousands of people will die.
PLS. LET US BE ALERT AND MARK THIS DATE JULY 18, 2008, FRIDAY. LET'S BE PREPARED,AND LET US ALL PRAY THAT THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN TO US.

IF POSSIBLE: PLS. DON'T GO TO WORK ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH OFFICE LOCATED IN HIGH PLACES, BUILDINGS, CONDOS AND MALLS.

NOTHING TO LOSE IN THIS KIND OF REMINDER. MAYBE, THIS IS GOD'S WAY TO SAVE YOU, YOUR FAMILY , YOUR FRIENDS AND YOUR OFFICEMATES OR LESSEN CASUALTIES.

LET'S ALL PRAY AND MARK THIS DATE.
PLS. FORWARD TO ALL YOUR CONTACT LIST TO WARN YOUR RELATIVES, FRIENDS AND YOUR LOVED ONES AND ALL PEOPLE LIVING IN THE PHILIPPINES .
AGAIN: REMEMBER JULY 18, 2008 ¡V HAVE AN ALARM ON THIS DATE.

What Happened to Marketiva Today?

I am unable to access Marketiva today and I'm worrying if this is something new, it just says that the page cant be displayed. I have never deposited any money to them because im still practicing my virtual funds. I've been practicing trading with them last week since I stopped months ago and it today it was down. Now, I'm having second thoughts if i have to still open an account with them. I think I would rather go to Oanda.

Condominium For Sale in Metro Manila

We are selling our condominium located near Edsa Shaw Blvd. at Libertad St. ( California Garden Square ) Very near to SM Megamall, Shangrila Plaza Mall, Shaw MRT Station, Robinson's Pioneer.

See details below:
- 57.5 Sq.m. Condominium with 2 bedrooms.
- separate kitchen and living room

2.6M Cash

If Rent to own:
Php 600,000 initial downpayment
another downpayment after 4 years....
plus monthly rent for 8 years. (negotiable)

Add your email in comments section if interested.







MAP LOCATION


Living Room, kitchen is on the other side of the wall

Charice Pempengco Featured in Oprah

Charice Pempengco became popular because of YouTube and now she made her way in the US as she was featured in a very popular Oprah show.

See the video from youtube below.

US Geological Society Predicts a "6.8" magnitude Earthquake

There is a rumour spreading today that there will be an earthquake today:

"US Geological Society Predicts a "6.8" magnitude Earthquake wil hit Phil. Plates Tonight.Pls. b calm & alert.This mesage fr.Hawaii Satte Emergency Preparedness Office.Lets pray that it wont happen..."

Im not sure if its true, I hope not. I searched the USGS website, telling that there was an earthquake in Isabela earlier today, around 5 AM with a magnitude of 5.8.

It may not be true since an earthquake seem to have just happened in China which killed 12,000 people. See article here

Top 10 Primetime Programs as of April 28,2008


Here are the Top 10 primetime programs based on the overnight ratings conducted by AGB Nielsen Philippines among Mega Manila households:

April 28 (Monday)

Dyesebel (GMA) - 44.9%
Joaquin Bordado (GMA) - 37.6%
Babangon Ako't Dudurugin Kita (GMA) - 31.6%
24 Oras (GMA) - 29.6%
TV Patrol World (ABS-CBN) - 23.5%
The Singing Bee (ABS-CBN) - 20.8%
The Legend (GMA) - 20.8%
Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition Plus (ABS-CBN) - 19.4%
Lobo (ABS-CBN) - 18.2%
Maligno (ABS-CBN) - 17.5%

The World Pyro Olympics III (2008) in Manila




SCHEDULE:

  • May 3, 2008 - China and Germany
  • May 10,2008 - Canada and France
  • May 17, 2008 - Italy and Venezuela
  • May 24, 2008 - Korea and Australia
  • May 31, 2008 - Fellowship of Fire - Collaboration of all countries with the Philippines La Mancha Pyro Productions representing the Philippines - Pyromusical show exihibition

LOCATION:
The World Pyro Olympics III will take place once again at the Esplanade behind SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.


FOR Ticket Inquiries:

CALL 817-3073 (LOC 102)
TICKETS WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE IN ALL TICKETNET OUTLETS ON APRIL 19, 2008 - CALL 911 - 5555

Kim Atienza - Steve Irwin Wannabe



I just watched "Matanglawin" last week, this was hosted by Kim Atienza, if you don't know him, he's ABS CBN morning show host and weatherman. Im annoyed everytime I see his face,

it seems that he's copying Steve Irwin's style, the way how he dresses and the way how he deals with animals. i don't know why ABS CBN keeps on giving project on this guy.

5 Surprising Reasons to Get More Sleep



It could make you thinner. The less sleep you get, the higher your body mass index tends to be. Research showed that people who sleep five hours a night were found to have 15 percent more ghrelin ( a hormone that boosts hunger ) in their bodies and 15 percent less
leptin ( which suppresses it ) than those sleeping eight hours.





It could boost your memory.Sleep plays a key role in making new memories stick in the brain. A Harvard experiment showed that subjects taught complex finger movements such as a piano scaled recalled them better after 12 hours' sleep than 12 hours wakefulness.


It can fight colds, ulcers and cancers. Good sleep boosts the immune system. Melatonin, produced when you sleep, is a cancer-fighting antioxidant. Night-shift workers may have up to 70-times greater risk of breast cancer. Also the checmical to repair damage to the stomach lining is secreted during sleep, so staying up all night regularly could raise your risk of ulcers.





It can slow down ageing. Persistent sleep debt affects carbohydrate metabolism and hormone function in a way to increase the severity af age-related chronic disorders. A large-scale study concluded that people who sleep six to seven hours a night lived longer than those sleeping than 4.5 hours





It could keep you orderly.If youre a child, that is. The depression and low self esteem often associated with just being a teenager actually correlate with sleep shortage. Young kids who sleep poorly are more than twice as likely to take drink and drugs in adolescence.




Do you think that David Cook deserves to be the next American Idol?

Almost everyone just loved the way how David Cook sang Mariah's song "Always be My Baby", its a complete new version and me myself was impressed on how he delivered it. It was said that that song can be a sountrack to a movie.
Try to watch this again to see his performance and let me know if you agree that he can be the next American Idol.


Food to Feed Your Brain


Stuck late in the office? Bypass the biscuit tin and choose a snack that will satisfy your stomach rumbles for longer.

If youre starving because you did not eat lunch. Make something small to tide you over until dinner. Try peanut butter on whole wheat crackers for a handful of nuts.

If you still have a long night ahead of you. Eat a light meal that wont slow you down. Try a turkey sandwich on a wholegrain bread or cheese on toasted brown bread.

If you've had a coffee and are now pass the point of being hungry. Try to nibble a piece of fruit, a yoghurt, a boiled egg or a slice of ham. That way you wont wake up in the middle of the night famished.

If the vending machine is only your option. " The occasional packet of chips is fine" but dont reach for them everytime you work late

It's Not Just What You Eat...

Its also how you eat.
Changing your eating habits could help cut your risk of digestive illnesses:

Take meal times seriously.
Treat them as sections of the day in their own right, not things to be slotted in around work.

Take your time.
Eat slowly to give your system a better chance of digesting the food. Sitting upright will also help. Sip drinks to avoid swallowing air.

Chew well.
This releases enzymes that aid thorough digestion.

Eat early.
A good breakfast kick-starts your metabolism for the day, while overloading the digestive systems late at night can lead to bloating.

Don't miss meals.
A lack of food in the system can cause excessive gas.

A Juicy Cure for Prostate Cancer


Here's a possible treatment for prostate cancer that's a pleasure to take: a glass of pomegranate juice. Researchers at UCLA measured patients' prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood levels, which help indicate the presence of cancer. They found that drinking of 8 ounces of tangy juice daily significantly slowed rising PSA levels in patients previously treated for the disease. Additional clinical trials are planned to confirm the results but the preliminary research looks promising. About 221,000 men worldwide die from prostate cancer each year.

It is advised to take selenium and vitamin E daily to prevent prostate cancer

SCORPION: Cancer Curing Creature

A scorpion's sting may be deadly but scientists may are now discovering that the poison may be lifesaving. Researchers are using a man-made version of the venom of the yellow Israeli scorpions to treat gliomas, aggresive brain tumours that are hard to fully remove by surgery alone.

Worldwide, 176,000 cases were diagnosed in 2000 and only one in three survive. A protein in the venom selectively blinds itself to cancerous cells while bypassing surrounding healthy cells. Combined with radioactive iodine and injected to the body, the venom targets and destroys the offending cells. Early results show that the treatment is safe and extends life in some patients, so a larger study is now underway.

Exciting New Drugs



CERVICAL CANCER

The vaccine Gardasil (Merck), for girls and women 11 to 26, prevent infection from four strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) , the main cause of cervical cancer.



SHINGLES

Anyone who's had chickenpox is susceptible to the painful disease shingles. The Zostavax vaccine (Merck) is recommwended for people over the age of 60, who are at greater risk.


WHOOPING COUGH

The vaccine we get as babaies wears off after about 7 years, so we now have Sanofi's Pasteur's Adacel ( for ages 11 to 64 ) and GlaxoSmithKline's Boostrix (for those ages 10 to 18).

CANCER

Zolinza (Merck), a new medicine for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, is also being studied for other types of cancer.


DIABETES

Januvia (Merck), a once-daily pill for type 2 diabetes, is the first of a new class of medicines thant enhance the body's ability t control blood sugar. With Exubera (Pfizer), a fast acting needle free insulin, diabetics simply puff on the asthma-type inhaler before eating to deliver insulin quickly, regulating blood sugar.


HEART

One pill, three impressive jobs: the beta blocker Coreg CR (GlaxoSmithKline) reduces blood pressure and treats heart failure as well as post heart attack.


SMOKING

In trials, 44% of smokers who took prescription Chantix (Pfizer) for three months kicked the habit, versus 30% who used other drugs and 18% on a placebo.

Dental X-rays Expose Early Osteoporosis


Dentists may now be able to detect more than just tooth decay on dental X-Rays. British researchers have developed computer software that checks images of the lower jaw of early signs of osteoporosis.The software is not a replacement for DXA ( dual energy X-ray absorptiometry) - the gold standard for diagnosing osteoporosis but sounds an alarm.

Essential Oils May Spur Breasts in Boys

Use of lotions, soaps, and shampoos containing high concentrations of lavender or tea tree oil may lead to breast growth in pre-pubescent boys, according to the US National Institute of Environmantal Health Sciences

Pure lavender and tea tree oils can mimic the actions if oestrogen and inhibit the effects of androgen, the hormone known to control masculine characteristics.

Bronchial Thermolasty Cures for Asthma

Bronchial thermolasty, an experimental new treatment for asthma is showing great promise in a multicenter clinical trial.

"Bronchial thermolasty involves the direct treatment of the lung airway with thermal energy, " says Ronald Olivenstein, asthma clinic director and medical director and principal investigator of the AIR2 trial of the Montreal Chest Institute. The procedure reduces the airway smooth muscle responsible for airway constriction in asthma sufferers.

Although researchers are careful to point out that there is no expectation this is the new procedure will cure asthma, results so far have exceeded expectations in reducing the severity and frequency of asthma symptoms and improving the quality of life of the patients treated in the initial rules.

What's The World's Worst Sound?


1. Vomiting

2. Microphone feedback

3. Many crying babies

4. Train wheels scraping and squeaking on tracks

5. Seesaw squeaking

6. A violin being played badly

7. Farting

8. One baby crying

9. An argument on a TV soap opera

10. Electrical mains humming

11. Tasmanian devil

12. Cast spitting and howling

13. Coughing

14. Mobile ringtones

15. Creaky door

16. Fingernails scraping down on a blackboard

17. Sniffing

18. Dogs barking

19. Polystrene squeak

20. Dentist's drill

What is L-Carnitine ?

L-Carnitine was first discovered in Russia. It transports long-chain fatty acids across the mitochondria to be metabolized. L-carnitine aids in the release of stored body fat, tryglycerides, into the bloodstream for energy.

L-carnitine is available in the following food sources: red meat, diary products, avocado, and tempeh. It is also one of the promoting ingridient of Del Monte's Fit N' Right juice drink, and also present on Fitrum. I saw from the Fit N Right label that it contains 300mg of L-Carnitine per serving, so it is more cheaper than Fitrum where its only 50mg per capsule.


It doenst mean that you will loose fat quickly by just taking L-carnitine, it is important for you to exercise. Without L-Carnitine , fatty acids would have a difficult time permeating the walls of the mitochondria.

So far I have not yet read any side effects of L-Carnitine.

Give Yourself A Break

You're extra busy at work this month, but you need to find time to unwin: Doing too much can make you sick. Those who clock-51-plus hours a week are 30 percent more likely to have high blood pressure than those work less than 40, say Unviersity of California, Irvine experts. And those with chronic job stress are up to five times more likely than stress-free workers to get metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that can lead to heart disease and diabetes. To stay healthy, ease the strain, make friends at work and take breaks.

Related link: How to Prevent Diabetes

How to Prevent Diabetes

Here's some sound advice for all people - not just those with diabetes - to enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods such as vegetables, legumes and fruit; cereals (including breads, rice, pasta and noodles - preferable whole grain ); and lean meat; reduced fat dairy products and plenty of water, Take care to:

Limit saturated fat and moderate total fat intake. Being overweight or obese can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes, and can worsen the disease. Aim to reduce your intake of saturated fats that are found in foods such as meat products ( like sausages and bacon ), butter, full fat milk, and cheese and palm and coconut oil. Good substitutes include lean meat and fish, poly- or monosaturated margarines like canola, sunflower, skim milk, and smalll amounts of olive oil.

Exercise regularly . Maintain a healthy body weight is important for the management of diabetes, so aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. Exactly where you carry your weight can be of great importance. In general, if you are "apple" - shaped (carrying weight around the middle ), you are at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes thatn if you're "pear" shaped ( carrying weight around the hips and thighs ).

Get some sleep. Boston University medical researchers recently found that people who slept too little ( six hours or less ) were 66 percent more likely to have diabetes than those who slept 7 to 8 hours.

NO CANCER From Mobile Phone Use

Using a mobile phone does not raise thhe risk of brain tumours, according to a study of users. Mobile phone antennas eemit electromagnetic fields that penetrate four to six centimeters rasing question about the safety of long-term use.

However, after following 420,000 mobile phone users who first started using mobiles in the years 1982-1995, the study concluded mobile phone use was not linked to a higher risk of tumours in the brain, salivary glands, eyes or around the ears.

AMERICAS Most Admired Companies

1. General Electric
2. Starbucks
3. Toyota Motor
4. Berkshire Hathaway
5. Southwest Airlines
6. FedEx
7. Apple
8. Google
9. Johnson & Johnson
10. Procter & Gamble
11 Goldman Sachs Group
12 Microsoft
13 Target
14 3M
15 Nordstrom
16 United Parcel Service
17 American Express
18 Costco Wholesale
19* PepsiCo
19* Wal-Mart Stores

Notes: *Indicates a tie in rank.

Hmmmm... where's Accenture?