Material Boy

DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co (F.N) posted a narrower-than-expected quarterly loss on Thursday and said it was nearing a deal to spin off British luxury brands Jaguar and Land Rover.

Shares of Ford rose almost 5 percent in pre-market trading.

Ford said it expects to conclude a deal to sell Jaguar and Land Rover by early next year. By contrast, it said it would focus on improving results at its Swedish Volvo unit and start detailing the brand’s financial performance next year.

Ford also forecast a “substantial” year-over-year improvement in fourth-quarter results compared with last year’s pre-tax loss of $3.15 billion.

The Dearborn, Michigan-based automaker posted a third-quarter net loss of $380 million, or 19 cents per share, compared with a loss of $5.2 billion, or $2.79 a share, a year earlier.

Ford’s loss from continuing operations, excluding one-time items, was 1 cent per share. On that basis, the average Wall Street forecast was a loss of 48 cents per share, according to Reuters Estimates.

Ford said it cut 6,800 jobs in North America during the quarter.

by Poornima Gupta
editing by John Wallace
source: news.yahoo.com & reuters.com

LOS ANGELES (Nov. - As the writers strike entered its third day Wednesday with no end in sight, Fox said it would not air “24″ this season.

The seventh season of the hit real-time series was scheduled to begin in January, but producers had completed only about one-third of its 24-episode order as of last week.

“24″ started production late, and was affected by the recent wildfires. The show’s star, Kiefer Sutherland, is also scheduled to do a stint in jail later this year in connection with a drunk-driving conviction.

The high-profile new drama “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” originally slated to run in tandem with “24,” will now premiere on Sunday, Jan. 13, and will air in “24’s” Monday 9 p.m. slot, following “Prison Break” and the reality series “When Women Ruled the World.”

“Women,” about educated and independent women ruling over a group of unsuspecting men, is one of two reality series Fox is planning to launch midseason, along with “The Moment of Truth,” a show featuring people being administered a lie detector test to be hosted by Mark L. Walberg.

With “House” running out of original episodes, “Hell’s Kitchen” will land the plum post-”American Idol” Tuesday 9 p.m. slot beginning April 1.

Fox’s midseason schedule also includes new scripted series “The Return of Jezebel James,” “Unhitched,” “New Amsterdam” and “Canterbury’s Law.”

by Reuters
Source: news.aol.com

To all those people who blurt out “Wow, you’re tall!” as they stare up at George Bell: He knows. And now, the world will know, too. The lanky, 7-foot-8 Norfolk sheriff’s deputy is being recognized Thursday by Guinness World Records as the Tallest Man in the United States.

That makes him 2 inches taller than the NBA’s current tallest player, Yao Ming, but too short to be the world’s tallest living man. He stands below, according to Guinness, Ukraine’s 8-foot-5.5 Leonid Stadnyk and China’s Bao Xi Shun, who is 7 feet 8.95 inches.

To answer the inevitable questions:

Bell wears size-19 shoes, pants with a 43-inch inseam and shirts with 45-inch sleeves.

He did play basketball, in college and with the Harlem Wizards and Harlem Globetrotters show teams.

And as for how he feels about being so tall?

“I have no choice but to like it,” Bell, 50, said in an interview with The Associated Press as he paced the sidelines of a Pee Wee football game at a city park, where he was providing security.

“I’m used to a small man’s world,” he added in a deep voice that suits his stature. “I’ve been dealing with a small man’s world since I was a kid.”

Bell was to be revealed as America’s tallest man on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Thursday, when 200,000 people worldwide were expected to celebrate Guinness World Records Day by attempting to set records of their own.

Guinness began searching for America’s tallest man in August. Bell’s ex-wife registered him online, and Guinness spokesman Stuart Claxton said Bell’s doctor documented his height.

The Guinness record book now lists only the tallest man in the world, but Bell will be noted - along with the tallest men in several other countries - in the edition to be published next year.

Bell hit 5-foot-4 at age 9. In middle school, he topped 6 feet. By the end of high school, he was 7-foot-6. He played basketball until, at 30, he lost interest in the sport and switched to law enforcement.

His height doesn’t intimidate jail inmates - it helps him develop a rapport.

“They’ve never seen anyone this tall before, so they’re amazed,” Bell said. “They want to talk.”

Bell focuses on the perks of being tall. For example, he usually gets free upgrades to first class on flights when the ticket-counter attendants realize he’s going to need a lot of leg room.

He credits his late great-aunt, Etonia Johnson, with his positive attitude: “She always told me, ‘Don’t feel ashamed of yourself. Stand tall. God made you. Be happy and show your pride.

By Sonja Barisic
Source: news.aol.com

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “I’ll be back” is the movie line we use the most, according to a new survey.

Arnie uttered the immortal words in The Terminator.

Rhett Butler’s closing line in Gone With The Wind - “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn” - is second.

“Beam me up, Scotty” from Star Trek is third - even though it was never actually said in any episode of the TV series.

The survey of over 2,000 people was carried out by website myfilms.com, a personalised film and cinema finder from the UK Film Council.

It asked which famous phrases we borrow from films to use in everyday conversation.

Star Wars line “May the force be with you” was fourth, followed by Forrest Gump’s “Life is like a box of chocolates”.

The poll also included famous lines from Taxi Driver, Jerry Maguire, Dirty Harry, Casablanca and Dirty Dancing. All 10 most memorable lines were spoken by men.

Elsewhere in the survey, women named Dirty Dancing as the film they would most like to have starred in, followed by Pretty Woman and Gone With The Wind.

Men opted for the Bond films, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.

Source: news.yahoo.com

By Marilynn Marchione

A shot that robs smokers of the nicotine buzz from cigarettes showed promise in midstage testing and may someday offer a radically new way to kick a dangerous habit.

In a study, more than twice as many people given five of the shots stopped smoking than those given fewer or phony shots - about 15 percent versus 6 percent after one year.

That is comparable to some other smoking cessation aids currently sold and could be an important new tool for people who have failed to quit on other methods, doctors said.

The results, presented Wednesday at an American Heart Association conference, do not prove the new approach works but encouraged some experts.

“It clearly shows promise” and merits a definitive study, said Dr. Frank Vocci, director of medications development at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which has given $8 million for the research so far.

“There’s merit in it,” but it won’t be available tomorrow, said the lead researcher, Dr. Stephen Rennard of the University of Nebraska.

The study tested NicVAX, a vaccine designed to “immunize” smokers against the rush fueling their addiction. It’s made by Nabi Biopharmaceuticals of Boca Raton, Fla.

The treatment keeps nicotine from reaching the brain, taking the fun out of smoking and hopefully making it easier to give up. Some nicotine still gets in, possibly easing withdrawal, the main reason quitters relapse.

Continue reading »

NEW YORK — Lynne Spears say she’s responsible for her daughter Britney’s troubles. “I blame myself,” she tells Life & Style Weekly magazine. “What mother wouldn’t?” “I wish I’d been there more while she was touring,” Spears says. “But I couldn’t be. I had the other kids to look after.”

Spears, the mother of three children with ex-husband Jamie Spears, is writing a memoir about raising her family in the public eye. “Pop Culture Mom: A Real Story of Fame and Family in a Tabloid World” is set for release May 11, which is Mother’s Day.

“I didn’t raise my children to have Hollywood careers. This all just exploded in my face, and big dreams became big headaches,” says Spears, who recently reconciled with her 25-year-old pop singer-daughter after a period of estrangement.

Britney Spears, a tabloid fixture thanks to her public blunders and turbulent personal life, was ordered last month to temporarily surrender custody of her sons, Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, to ex-husband Kevin Federline.

“Here are two parents who care about their kids,” Spears says. “They’re good people. With my daughter’s, Kevin’s and the boys’ interest at heart, I’m trying my best to bring them together, to bridge the gap. I think things are getting good.”

“Britney loves her kids from the pit of her soul,” she says.

Source: FoxNews.com

Jennifer Lopez told South Florida concertgoers Wednesday night that she and husband Marc Anthony have a baby on the way.

“Marc and I are expecting,” Lopez told the crowd in Miami.

After her announcement, Anthony kissed Lopez’s belly.

“I didn’t know she was going to talk,” he said.

Lopez, 39, did not say when she was due to give birth. Lopez and Anthony married in 2004.

Designer Roberto Cavalli confirmed, perhaps inadvertently, that Lopez was pregnant in October.

Asked what types of clothing he designs for celebrities, the fashion designer told People magazine: “Well Jennifer Lopez, at this moment, she requests something very special because she is waiting for the baby.”

“It is so complicated because every week she is getting bigger,” Cavalli said.

Source: MSN News

By The Associated Press

Winners at Wednesday’s 41st annual Country Music Association Awards:

Entertainer of the Year: Kenny Chesney

Single: “Before He Cheats,” Carrie Underwood.

Album: “It Just Comes Natural,” George Strait.

Song: “Give It Away,” Bill Anderson, Buddy Cannon and Jamey Johnson.

Female Vocalist: Carrie Underwood.

Male Vocalist: Brad Paisley.

Vocal Group: Rascal Flatts.

Vocal Duo: Sugarland.

Musical Event: “Find Out Who Your Friends Are,” Tracy Lawrence with Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney.

Musician: Jerry Douglas.

Music Video: “Online,” Brad Paisley.

Horizon Award: Taylor Swift.

I thought this would be handy for all those Prison Break Fans out there.

Prison Break is getting more morbid. Before we saw how Veronica got shot and chopped. How Michael Scoffield’s toe was cut off… and now, another morbid way of killing an important character in the story, Sara.

I got this episode recap TV.com giving a detailed recap of the latest episode.

Previously on Prison Break: there was a box.

So, of course, we start off with Linc having a flashback about opening the Box, but we don’t actually get to see what’s inside.

SONA. Michael’s still with the creepy staring at dead bodies. Whistler pops over and Michael points out that there’s no current in the fence. Whistler says everyone knows that, but there are men with big guns (dirty!) about. Michael continues staring and Whistler interrupts by asking about his precious bird book. Blah blah “I need it.” He makes a half-assed threat against Linc, which Michael shoots down pronto.

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I just heard that they already announced the housemates for this season of Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) Celebrity Edition 2. Although I thought it was supposed to be highly confidential to not spoil the excitement, here it is:

Female cast:

1. Ethel Booba
2. Megan Young
3. Marylaine Biernes
4. Jen de Silva
5. Rizza Santos
6. Zarah Aldana
7. Yayo Aguila

Male cast:

1. Baron Geisler
2. Donald Geisler
3. Jon Avila
4. Victor Basa
5. Will Devaughn
6. Macoy Fundales

This list is going to be aired and announced on October 14. I am not super sure about it yet but at least I already have an idea of who they’re going to be.

I am not really a big fan of Pinoy Big Brother. Not even a small fan. I’m not even a fan at all. But you know, I just wanna share it since I think a lot of people are interested in knowing.

Update: ABS-CBN announced that there are 20 possible names in the list of Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) Celebrity Edition 2 Housemates. This list is not yet final. Additional celebrities were added in the list such as Mahal and Andrew Wolff. 

International stars just keep on coming in!

RnB Singer Beyonce Knowles will be in Manila, Philippines for her concert on November 7, 2007 at the Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Ticket Prices are P5665, P2575, P1030(limited) and P618 (all prices include 3% service charge). Senior citizens are entitled to 20% discount with proof of eligibility but not available in conjuction with any other promo or discount. Tickets are still available at Ticketworld. Grab your ticket now!

My favorite (to the extent of playing his songs more than 100x / day in my car) Josh Groban will have a concert at the PICC Plenary Hall in Manila, Philippines on October 17 and 18, 2007 at 8 PM.

From what I heard, tickets were already sold out a long time ago. Too bad I really wanted to go. Oh well, i’d just have to listen to him through my iTunes.

Josh Groban’s concert in Manila will only have limited seats available to the general public. The ticket prices range from P25,000 (limited), P20,000, P15,000, P10,000, P5,000 and P3,000 (limited). Also, senior citizens are entitled to a 20% discount with proof of eligibility but not available in conjunction with any other promo or discount.

Ticket prices may be costly, but considering his performance, I think it’s super worth every penny.  It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that i’m sure all the Josh Groban fans out there really wouldn’t wanna miss.

And by the way, there are two tickets being sold on Ebay for P50,000! You might wanna grab it before it’s gone. Tickets are limited. As of this minute, there’s only 1 day and hour left before the bidding closes. Bid now!

Wanna know my secret on how I lost 1-2 pounds per day resulting to a total of 10 pounds in 6 days? Let me share the best diet i’ve tried with the fastest results.

Well, have you starved yourself? Have you ever tried starving yourself and not eating anything at all to lose weight? Did you deprive yourself of anything edible just so you can lose that extra pound or achieve your desired figure?

That kind of “Starvation Diet” is WRONG! If you’re going to do an unhealthy diet, at least make it right and beneficial! There is a proper and correct way of Starvation Diet that will guarantee you better achievement compared to not eating anything at all!

It is said that the best way to improve your metabolism is by eating every 4-5 hours or so. This is so that you can fool your stomach that it is constantly being used. Having nothing in your stomach will signal the brain to slow down your metabolism to cope up with the lack of food to digest.

Don’t forget to eat something every 4-5 hours. Maybe 1 piece of cracker? Anything below 50 calories will do. Don’t overdo it. You might end up binging on snacks consisting of 1 million grams of carb! I try to at least not take more than 500 calories per day.

Always drink lots of water. Lots and lots of water. Every hour if possible. This helps in making you feel satiated. Drink everytime you feel hungry. Maybe a glass or two of water. Avoid anything with sugar for sugar is another source of unwanted fat.

Make sure to avoid exercising when you’re starving. I tried this once and I got dizzy. Your body will not burn anything but essential muscles since you haven’t eaten anything. Exercise ONLY when you ate something heavy.

This correct starvation diet will lead to better results specifically in the midsection area. The incorrect starvation of not eating anything at all will only make you look saggy! Who would want to look like a shar pei? Plus, sagging leads to tummy tuck!

Starvation diet only works for those who are disciplined enough to avoid food. Whatever I wrote here will not help those who want tips on how they can escape from food, since that is a psychological thing already.

Oh and by the way, this doesn’t mean that I’m promoting starvation! I’m only trying to correct the generalized notion that starvation means “not eating anything” at all.

Final note: Starvation Diet is UNHEALTHY and CAN cause malnutrition and eventually death. NEVER OVERDO IT.

I have a semi-beat-up Canon Ixus digital camera. I think it’s great and all, but it’s starting to give up as it ages.

Right now I’m wishing for a better cam so that I can create a blog of my daily experiences. I want to post images of event that may occur only once in a lifetime.

Best thing I can think of after doing a 2-minute research on digital cameras is a Canon PowerShot SD1000 Digital ELPH.

Canon PowerShot SD1000 Digital ELPH is slim and fully flat. Very easy to carry around. It’s 7.1 mega pixels and has a 3x optical zoom! It also has high ISO for those moving targets.

I just hope Canon PowerShot SD1000 Digital ELPH has that very bright flash because I like taking pictures whenever I go out at night.

It’s affordable too considering that it only costs around $180. I can’t wait to get myself one. I hope soon. I’ll do more research first.

I was blogging about my previous post when my mom went in and asked if I wanted to go to Pansol in Laguna.As usual, I thought about it at first before giving a big fat (but polite) NO.

Pansol offers a lot. Hot springs, Private Resorts, Water Falls, Native dining… It is described as an ideal place for relaxation with family and friends. Here in the Philippines, it is a place where people unwind after a week of stress and hardcore labor. Basically, it’s a place where the old mature people would enjoy.

I am not a fan of nature’s best. I don’t get all excited when I see views.I don’t like swimming around, except for beaches. I don’t like hot springs, since hot water was invented.

So bottomline is, Pansol is NOT really anywhere near my type of relaxation.

I went to 7-11 earlier only to find out that they’re now selling Evian! For an affordable price of $1 per bottle!Finally! This country is coping up. I’ve longed to have this mineral water around, hearing all the great reviews.

I’ve seen lots of celebrities drink Evian! Not here in Philippines, of course. I don’t know if its claim to have better effects that normal purified or distilled water is true, considering that it came from the French Alps.

So the question is, what is it about the natural elements of French Alps that can’t be found on other mountains, say, Mount Everest? Mount Pintubo?

It’s only them who knows the answer. As for me, i’ll be hoarding Evian. Who knows, if people here realize that it’s not a necessity, they might just pull out their stock anytime. Tsk. They should consider the others who’re longing for the taste of the mineral-rich melted ice from the French Alps.

I once saw this video from Evian’s website. From that video i saw how they make Evian! It’s a very very long process. With every gulp that I make, I experience the kindness of sweet sweet mother nature. =D

Here’s a little something I got from Wiki about Evian:

“Evian is a high-end French brand of mineral water from several sources near Lake Geneva.

Today, Evian is owned by Danone Group, a French multinational company. Evian first entered the U.S. market in 1978, where it was served to celebrities in high end lounges and restaurants in distinctive bottles.

In addition to mineral water, Danone Group uses the Evian brand for a line of organic skin care products and the Evian Royal Resort in France.”

I know i’ve been blogging a lot about Material Boy and how it ranks in certain search engines, but it really excites me to see the progress of this site.

Material Boy started 12 days ago with small content and not a lot of sense. Material Boy slowly climbed up the Google Search Engine ladder being the 9th, then 6th, then 4th… and now it’s 2nd.

Imagine! Top 2 and I didn’t really exert that much effort! Now my only problem is that Google doesn’t index my posts instantaneously. And that’s my next priority.

Update: I ranked 2nd over 32,900,000 results for “Material Boy”

I had no idea about this 2007 Retro Ball at the Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club event. It was scheduled yesterday, October 9. I saw it posted somewhere then I realized that it would’ve been fun joining a Retro Ball. Dressing up is nice every once in a while. That Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club isn’t that far either. It would’ve been really nice to have pictures there.

The 2007 Retro Ball is actually one of those dual purpose events where you get to have fun and at the same time you get to help the needy. As described by the organizers “The 2007 Retro Ball will help raise funds for the Gawad Kalinga project of Couples for Christ and Christ the King Parish, so while you’re doing the hustle, you’re creating positive change!“. How very philanthropic of them. Too bad it’s too late. That Retro Ball could’ve been a once a year event or maybe a once in a lifetime chance. If I grow up and become so materially-abundant, I will do events like this too! I hope I remember this blog one day and realize that I said on this date that I will do something philanthropic someday, somehow.

I’ve been a loyal customer of David’s Salon for… almost a year now. I go to David’s Salon to have my usual Php160 haircut (Not bad huh?). Given that it’s done by a professional hair stylist, I think it’s worth it. All I do is get a trim anyway. For that price I get to have my hair rinsed and shampooed twice, a back massage, a head massage, and of course, let us not forget, a haircut. The service is good. I don’t hear anyone asking me any personal question besides my school, or age or if i’m working (which I find insulting since it’s pertaining that i LOOK OLD). I don’t hear anyone mumbling gossips. David’s Salon is a place where I can read magazines while having my hair styled and trimmed without being bothered. Very professional indeed. A stylist does my hair while an assistant goes around and cleans me up everytime the trimmed hair starts piling up. For that they get Php50 tip. Hahahah. I’m a student and I can’t afford to give more than that for just a haircut. I get my hair done every 2-3 weeks so most likely they’re already familiar with me. The first question the stylist will ask me is “The usual?“. They keep on reshuffling their stylists tho. Everytime they do that I have to brief the stylist again of the haircut i’d like, which takes time and effort. Haaai.

David’s Salon here in the Philippines (I don’t know if there are other branches of David’s Salon outside of the country) offers Haircut, Cellophane, Highlights, Shampoo, Blow Dry, Perm, Make-Up, Hot Oil, Waxing and Hair Rebonding, Paraffin Wax, Threading, Body and Back Massage (according to their list). They have over 40 branches all over the Philippines. I’ve been to 3 branches and I must say, there’s consistency in the professionalism. I like that. Being exposed in a professional environment, I don’t like the bara-bara (no system) method. Well, that depends on my mood. =D

For more information on David’s Salon, visit the David’s Salon Website. I highly recommend it.

One of the things I must always have is the Deep Cleansing Nose Strip By Beauty Formulas. I like looking at myself in the mirror. Week after week after week, I go about the same issue of dirt and oil around or in the nose area. I have tried products before that are messy and sticky all over. This eventually stopped when I used these nose strips by Beauty Formulas.

Deep Cleansing Nose Strips By Beauty Formulas claims:

• Remove Dirt and Oil from the Nose area
• Helps to Remove Blackheads
• Tightens Pores for Healthier Looking Skin

Deep Cleansing Nose Strips By Beauty Formulas costs around Php150. That’s about $3 for a pack of 6. CHEAP HUH? Good deal since you only have to use probably once or twice a week! The nose strip really helps in cleaning up my face, specially my nose. Wet your nose, apply the nose strip on your moist nose, wait for 10-15 minutes, peel it off, look at the cactus-like strip full of unwanted elements from your nose… then VOILA! You’re done! I wonder why mostly guys are the ones who’re victims of these white and blackhead phenomenon. They’re so irrelevant to the population’s existence. They have no benefit nor harm. Well, harm.. maybe… it’s such a great self-esteem vanquisher. I actually let it stay til about 20-30 mins to make sure that the nose strips really goes deep down my pore and cleans it.

For me, this is the best Nose Strip around. Either this, or I wouldn’t use nose strip at all.