Forbidden Kung Fu

"The Grandmaster said the most challenging
object he ever has pulled was a 60-foot truck
— and that was with another man. These days,
however, he's looking to up the ante... Master Tu
has another extraordinary stunt in the works.
He is in the process of getting clearance from the
Taiwanese government to borrow a 747 jet airplane.
It promises to be an attention-getting event if they
can pull it off - or rather pull it forward...."
Pull this

So you want to marry an Indian ?

REUTERS/Stringer photo

To be outspoken in India is to be subject to
humiliation and public scorn. Take the case of
actress Khushboo (shown here during a film
shoot in Chennai). Kushboo has been
pelted with sandals, tomatoes and rotten eggs *
and hauled before court for telling Indian men not
to expect their brides to be virgins anymore.
Yahoo News story

* Brings to mind the Biblical tale of Mary Magdalene
who was about to be stoned in public for being a
harlot, when Jesus Christ saved her with his words,
"Let him who is without sin cast the first stone".
No Jesus available this time around...

Fred Before n after2aa

Before n after2aa
Originally uploaded by FredMikeRudy.

Omly in America can a man dream that one day he can grow up to become President....
of the Hair Club For Men. Yes, I'm not only not a client but I'm also not the President!

Angie and Brad in Pakistan via UNHCR

Angie and Brad in Pakistan
Winter was on everyone's minds as UNHCR Goodwill
Ambassador Angelina Jolie visited earthquake zones
in northern Pakistan last week. She helped to deliver
food and blankets to remote mountain villages and
spoke to women in a camp on their struggle to
survive through the cold spell.

UN Refugee Agency news item on Brad Pitt

Indecency guide for tourists to India

Tourists Jackie and Wayne say it is important
to know the culture

Wayne, says: "We do not kiss or embrace each other
in public because I know it is not liked here. When you
open up a bottle of beer you can make out from the
looks around you, it is not liked," he says.

On the heels of a previous Virtual Poona report:

New Guidelines from Rajasthan state
- BBC News, Delhi

Men should never touch women in public, even to help a
woman out of a car, unless the lady is very elderly or infirm

In Indian culture...men socialise with men, and women with women.

Married couples in Asia do not hug, hold hands or kiss in public.
Even embracing at airports and train stations is considered
out of the question

Generally it is improper for women to speak with strangers on the
street and especially to strike up a casual conversation

Drinking alcohol or smoking in public, no matter how innocent, are
interpreted as a sign of moral laxity and are not acceptable.*

* It is comforting to me to know that I participated in all the
'restricted activities' before Progress set in...

Flickr Photo : Cental, Pune Mall

Cental, Pune
Originally uploaded by lecercle.

Found this at Flickr.com - a Puneite's Photo album with some
great shots in and around Pune. This Pune mall blows away most
of the ones in Houston, Texas since this part of the country is not
Tornado-proof, and safety concerns mandate two-story structures.

Visit lecercle's Flickr album

Jackie Chan in Mumbai

At Cannes (click to enlarge)

Everyone wanted a piece of Jackie Chan. And at the
media gathering at J W Marriott, Juhu, the Chinese superstar
who’s here to promote The Myth, was at ease even when
the cameras trailed him to the loo.

‘‘I don’t know how the Indian film market functions, how
many theatres are there, how many prints you need, but I
will learn,’’ said Chan. Accompanied by director Stanley Tong
and agent, Willie Chan, his reason for coming to Mumbai for
the premiere was because Mallika Sherawat wailed on
the phone.

Sherawat was reconciled to the fact that she wasn’t the
only one attracting the flashbulbs. ‘‘I can tell my grandchildren
that I’ve done a film with the world’s most famous Chinese
man,’’ she said when asked why she chose to do a role that
supposedly amounted to nine minutes of screen footage.
‘‘It’s a full-fledged role, much longer than nine minutes.
But it’s a Jackie Chan film.’’

Read the expressindia article here

Travel Tip : The Lock 'Em Inn

Drunks are being offered a weekend break with a difference
by police in eastern England -- "convenient accommodation
with lots of bars" at the "Lock'Em Inn."

A spoof brochure is being distributed by Ipswich police in an
effort to remind revelers of the effects of drinking too much
during the first festive season under Britain's new
open-all-hours drinking laws.

Police have produced more than 30,000 leaflets proclaiming
the dubious attractions of the "Lock'em Inn," an establishment
"conveniently located within easy reach of Ipswich pubs,
clubs and criminal courts."

"Built in the 1960s, the atmosphere is truly unique," the leaflet
says of the local police station. The accommodation is
"minimalist chic with economy in mind."

A picture of a microwave meal promises: "Warm food lovingly
reheated in seconds."

Minimum stays are available of between four to six hours, but
the leaflet suggests "Why not make it a long weekend? Get
arrested on a Saturday and stay with us until court Monday."

New licensing laws come into effect across England and Wales
Thursday, which will allow pubs and bars to open for longer.
Senior judges and police have warned the new rules could make
the country's already serious drinking problems worse.

Badmash : Comic strips

At Badmash., an insightful and funny look at Desis like the
one above, plus music and movie reviews. Check out the
Viral video clips and Desi Stand-up Comics !

RE: Yahoo! News Photo - World Cyber Games on Yahoo! News Photos

Heh thanks for the photo! --XJ -----

Original Message-----
From: Fred Miller [mailto:frdmill.2005@blogger.com]
Sent: Monday, November 21, 2005 6:16 AM
To: xeni@xeni.net
Subject: World Cyber Games on Yahoo! News Photos

Laxmi Road Mirrored in Canada

You can take the man out of Pune
but you can't take Pune out of the man...
Pune, November 20: A bit of Pune remained inside
Nashik-born architecture student Yogeshwar Navagrah
when he went to the University of Calgary, Canada.

Laxmi Road with its open shopping area and walking down
Fergusson College Road with friends were etched so deeply
in his memory that he decided to incorporate it while
redesigning a suburban mall into a contemporary shopping
district in Calgary.

His new design fetched him the Mayor’s Urban Design Award
2005 in the student category. Navagrah, a student of
Environmental Design at Calgary, attributes his success to the
“vibrancy of Pune streets that make it a sought-after place
by people”.

“I selected this project because I didn’t find many places in
Calgary that I would love to go to as in Pune. The core concept
was creating a good street with lots of small shops and
restaurants,” says Yogeshwar, an Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya
graduate, who plans to use the skills gained in Canada in urban
design, in India.
Link
Pune images at Leitmotif

George Carlin: "I'm a Modern Man"

George Carlin, November 5th, 2005
Beacon Theater, NYC
George Carlin recently did an HBO Special in which
he shows why he's still the most astute Stand-up Comic
around as he examines our world once again :

I'm a modern man.
I'm a modern man.
I'm a modern man.
I'm a modern man.

I'm a modern man,
A man for the millennium,
Digital and smoke free.

A diversified multicultural postmodern deconstructionist,
Politically anatomically and ecologically incorrect.

I've been uplinked and downloaded.
I've been inputted and outsourced.
I know the upside of downsizing.
I know the downside of upgrading.

I'm a high tech lowlife.
A cutting edge state-of-the-art bicoastal multitasker,
And I can give you a gigabyte in a nanosecond.

I'm new wave but I'm old school,
And my inner child is outward bound.

I'm a hot wired heat seeking warm hearted cool customer,
Voice activated and biodegradable.

Link generously provided by Viewpoint West Partners, LLC :

http://vpwpartners.blogs.com/viewpoint_west_partners/2005/11/

Bloody Indian Merry-Go-Round

Let's see here now :
Once upon a time the Pilgrims sailed to the New World
(America) to escape the British and after many bloody battles
drove the British out of the American colonies and established
their own rule in 1776.

The British bowed to the military demands of World War II and
the bloody opposition in India to whom it granted Independence
in 1947.

Decades later, workers in Indian call-centres vacate their bloody
jobs because bloody Americans verbally abuse them and cause
them trauma.

So who do we have as prime recruits to field calls from the USA ?
None other than the bloody Brits !

It should be interesting to see how well these British call-centre
recruits fare in this new Indian battleground where it's Britain vs.
America vs. the rest of the world...

WIRED Blog reports :
Young Britons flock east to answer India's
call-centre crisis
In a remarkable reversal, the subcontinent's telesales firms
are eagerly recruiting British labour to fill a skills shortage

An army of British workers is being recruited to staff India's
vast network of call centres because of a shortage of
suitable candidates on the subcontinent.

In a remarkable reversal of the outsourcing that has seen
thousands of jobs lost in the UK, telesales operations are
looking to fill a skills gap in the east with young Britons
willing to work on Indian wages.

And they are eagerly taking up the challenge. Both recent
graduates and those with experience of working in British
call centres are flocking to sign up for jobs in Bombay,
Delhi and Bangalore that pay just $350 (U.S.) a month.

It might not sound like much, but many are finding that
they can earn enough to live on for six months or a year
before heading off travelling. Indeed, a stint in the call centres
followed by a period mellowing out on Goa's beaches or
touring the palaces of Rajasthan is becoming the fashionable
way for single young Britons to spend a gap year.
http://wiredblogs.tripod.com/sterling/index.blog?entry_id=1284171

Thai government censors Ramayana opera - Yahoo! News

Thai government censors Ramayana opera - Yahoo! News

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061118/ap_en_mu/thailand_operatic_intrigue

============================================================
Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/

Yee- haw ! DISH TV !

They've had it up to here with Cable TV
and they're not going to take it anymore in
Clark, Texas

'A Texas town has changed its name to DISH in exchange for
10 years of free satellite television service...the best part of
the contract, Mayor Merritt said, is the free television will
be extended to anyone who moves to Dish and any land that is
later annexed by the town. The new town signs were a bonus,
designed and paid for by DISH Network '
Link to AFP/Yahoo article

2005: An Honorary Sri Lankan

Arthur C. Clarke Honored by Sri Lanka
One of the first to suggest the use of sattelites
orbiting the earth for communications, Clarke
has written more than 80 books, including
"2001 - A Space Odyssey" and 500 short stories
and articles.

IIn the 1940s he forecast that man would reach the
moon by the year 2000, an idea experts dismissed as
rubbish. When Neil Armstrong landed in 1969, the
United States said Clarke "provided the essential
intellectual drive that led us to the moon."

On Monday Arthur C. Clarke became an Honorary Citizen
of Sri Lanka and was awarded its highest civilian award for
his contributions to science and technology and his
commitment to his adopted country.

Link to Reuters item via Yahoo news
http://tinyurl.com/789q7

Eureka !

No special genius required here, just
a basic knowledge of the English Language
Here's a fun thing to do : change the famous Einstein
equation to one of your own choosing like I did,
save the image to your PC and then you can e-mail it,
all in seconds !
Visit http://www.hetemeel.com/einsteinform.php
for instructions and other fun stuff...

Battle of The Sexes

WIFE VS. HUSBAND
A couple drove down a country road for several miles,
not saying a word. An earlier discussion had led to an
argument and neither of them wanted to concede their
position. As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats,
and pigs, the husband asked sarcastically,
"Relatives of yours?"
"Yep," the wife replied, "in-laws."*

WORDS
A husband read an article to his wife about how many
words women use a day... 30,000 to a man's 15,000.
The wife replied, "The reason has to be because we
have to repeat everything to men..."
The husband then turned to his wife and asked, "What?"

CREATION
A man said to his wife one day, "I don't know how you
can be so stupid and so beautiful all at the same time."
The wife responded, "Allow me to explain. God made
me beautiful so you would be attracted to me;
God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you!"

WHO DOES WHAT
A man and his wife were having an argument about who
should brew the coffee each morning.
The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up
first, and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee."
The husband said, " You are in charge of cooking
around here and you should do it, because that is your
job, and I can just wait for my coffee."
Wife replied, "No, you should do it, and besides, it
is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee."
Husband replied, "I can't believe that, show me."
So she fetched the Bible, and opened the NewTestament
and showed him at the top of several pages, that indeed
it says.........."HEBREWS"

Mother India and my Father

Checking TV listings for Turner Classic Movies for Nov. 13th I noticed
Mother India scheduled for 1:00 a.m.

Something made me want to read more about this movie and then
I figured out why: my father, Sam Millar was doing the artwork for the
poster and I had watched him as he worked on this project at our home
in Pune, India.

Unfortunately my brilliant old man wasn't too keen on being associated with
Indian films in those pre-Bollywood days, having spent a major part of his
life growing up under British Rule and being a starving, tortured artist in the
truest sense of the word. He had a deep knowledge and love of film-making,
in Cecil B. DeMille proportions that he freely shared with anyone who was
willing to listen. And listen they did, and learned, and profited immensely from
his incredible talents in Art, Music, Language and... ....you name it.
He was associated with all the major Indian film studios of the day in
some way or the other and this I know from personal experience, having
spent many a night at the homes of movie stars and producers while they
brainstormed and partied into the wee hours. So the pre-Bollywood history of
Indian film-making has many wonderful contributions of art provided by my
father, the Great Anonymous, the Great Unknown.
I figured a man of such legendary stature must surely be remembered in some
way other than as my Father. So I conducted a quick search for the film
on Google, which yielded this link to a recent U.K. Art Gallery exhibit that
features...my father's poster for Mother India ! Link to Gallery

Unfortunately, Samuel Vincent Millar received little or no credit for most of
his work during his lifetime (not unlike Vincent Van Gogh, his idol), often
using the pseudonym Vincent. The Internet Movie Database has one
lonely link to support my story here :

A contract for a huge series of portraits for the U.S. Supreme Commander
of the Armed Forces in Vietnam led to an extended visit to Jhansi as
houseguest of General Westmoreland, and a subsequent offer of
Permanent Migration to the U.S. Much as he adored Hollywood, his dislike for
American Politics and morals influenced my father's decision to spend the
rest of his life humbly in Thane, India. Oddly, my own Karma led me to migrate
to the U.S.A. in 1976 and here I am setting the record straight for Sam Millar....

Xeni Jardin mail

Yowsa ! The incredibly talented, brainy and beautiful
Xeni Jardin found time to thank me for a
previous comment !

From:	xeni
Subject:	Re: You've been Flickrd on my blog
	Jeepers! That's incredibly kind and generous of you. I am hardly deserving of that sort of praise, but I am very grateful for your note, Fred. Thank you so very much. --XJ

Cynthia Lennon Meets Madoo in NYC

His story in the making and I have the pleasure of bringing it to you :
These Cynthia Lennon (seated) meets Madoo pics made me remember
how in the '60s I devoured Melody Maker and New Music Express (UK)
mags, when The Beatles were just starting to make it to the Indian airwaves
and turntables, and were still with their first wives. Now when an Indian
artist like Madoo actually gets to give his Tribute CD to a Lennon, I see that
as a milestone on many levels...for India, Indians, and Madoo and his family.

Click on the pics to enlarge, and stay tuned for further Madoo updates, it
gets bigger and better !

Sati: Deplorable Tourist Attraction

Click on pic to enlarge/read

For the curious/naive :
Sati (Su-thi , a.k.a. suttee) is the traditional Hindu practice of
a widow immolating herself on her husband's funeral pyre.

"Sati" means a virtuous woman. A woman who died burning
herself on her husband's funeral pyre was considered most
virtuous, and was believed to directly go to heaven, redeeming
all the forefathers rotting in hell, by this "meritorious" act.
The woman who committed Sati was worshipped as a Goddess,
and temples were built in her memory.

Here's an editorial that also condemns Tourism gone wild :
http://www.samachar.com/features/091105-editorial.html

Nun of That Humor Here

Don't read this if Religion Offends You !
Sister Mary Katherine entered the Monastery of Silence. The Priest said,
"Sister, this is a silent monastery. You are welcome here as long as you
like, but you may not speak until I direct you to do so."

Sister Mary Katherine lived in the monastery for 5 years before the Priest
said to her, "Sister Mary Katherine, you have been here for five years.
You may speak two words."

Sister Mary Katherine said, "Hard bed."

"I'm sorry to hear that," the Priest said, "We will get you a better bed."

After another five years, the Priest called Sister Mary Katherine. "You may
say another two words, Sister Mary Katherine."!

"Cold food," said Sister Mary Katherine, and the Priest assured her that the
food would be better in the future.

On her 15th anniversary at the monastery, the Priest again called Sister
Mary Katherine into his office. "You may say two words today.

"I quit," said Sister Mary Katherine.

"It's probably best," said the Priest. "You've done nothing but bitch
since you got here."

I can't Imagine Madooo is Tops on MSN

I found this on MSN Entertainment and thought you might be interested in it.
The artist in question is Madooo and he can't believe he landed on top of ...
well... here's what he says :

I find this hard to believe, but on Digital downloads for "Imagine" on
MSN_Music, I find my full version of the "John Lennon Tribute" (with a
4-star rating) is in the 1st place and the "Radio Edit" version is in
13th place with a 5-star rating. Check out the attach jpg.
I've highlighted it.
There are a total of 397 listings.

madooo

Click this link and Imagine no more. I Googled it and I'm a Believer !
http://music.msn.com/search/song/Default.aspx?ss=Imagine John+Lennon

Big Easy Yogi in Pune

If you read his Bio which follows this article from expressindia.com,
you'll see that the man is a dedicated and sought-after musician, having
played with Robbie Robertson (Dylan and The Band). Puneites are lucky
to have him in town !
Versatile strings
HE COMES from the land of music—New Orleans. With his guitar
in his bag, Jonathan Freilach is in Pune for quite another reason-
to attend a course at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute.
“I had no intention of performing in Pune, since I came here only for
the course. But I bumped into a friend of mine who suggested I play
at Cafe Shisha. I did and am quite thrilled,” says the man who plays
with six bands back home. You think that’s difficult? “Not really,”
he counters, “Even though I play Jewish music, I also play jazz, blues,
older American folk music and Cuban-Afro music with different bands.”
The ease comes because, “music is one—just the styles differ,”
And how does yoga connect with music? “Both are methods of
understanding yourself, both disciplines are enjoyable,” he says.

Being in New Orleans has been a major boost for Freilach. “There’s
no other place in the world where you can jam with a variety of
musicians at any time. The experimentation that happens there is
vast, moreso since musicians as a community, are not competitive,”
he stresses. Thoughts of home are beckoning, with just over a week
left before he heads back.

Jonathan Freilich Biography
Jonathan Freilich was born in Philadelphia, Pensylvania in 1968, and
raised in London, England and in Los Angeles, California. After
spending a couple of years in Santa Cruz, California and a year floating
around, he moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, where he has lived for
the past 14 years.

After a childhood stint with the cello he took up guitar at age 15; after
some key musical-exposure incidents, he became ridiculously addicted to
the instrument. Luckily, New Orleans took him in and offered a few outlets
for a large palette of musical desires to take flight.

Currently, Freilich plays in the New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars, Los Vecinos,
Naked On The Floor, The Naked Orchestra, The Poor Man's Speedball, 007,
The Tom Paines, and spot gigs with a few others. Many of the bands are
recurring winners of various New Orleans local 'Best Of' awards.

In the past, he has worked with Kermit Ruffins, Mike Ward and the Reward,
Mas Mamones, Walter Payton, Frederick Sheppard, The World Accordion to
Glenn Hartman, Mark Bingham, Iris May Tango, Gregory Boyd and VOS,
The Square Music Band, All That, The 32-20 blues band, The Wild Magnolias,
Robbie Robertson, Sam Rivers (in conjunction with the Naked Orchestra),
Eric Lindell, and some others.

Freilich also teaches Yoga in New Orleans.

Crazy Glue Tricks

Here are two of the more popular articles being e-mailed by Yahoo users:
Both of the stories involve glue and men's genitals. Does this reflect what goes
on behind closed doors in America in the name of fun ? Not according to the
men suing to restore their fallen pride.

Man glued to toilet seat, sues store

A Colorado man who had a panic attack when he found he was glued to
a toilet seat in a Home Depot restroom has sued the home improvement
giant for negligence, saying staff ignored his plight.

Retired electrical engineer Bob Dougherty, 57, said on Thursday he was
stuck in the stall with his pants down for about 20 minutes and that two
years after the 2003 incident he was suffering from post-traumatic stress,
which has triggered diabetes and heart complications.
http://tinyurl.com/8zpnv

---

Jury Rules Against Woman in Genital Gluing
A Westmoreland County jury on Friday ordered a woman to pay $46,200
to her ex-boyfriend for gluing his genitals to his abdomen.

Jurors found in favor of Kenneth Slaby of Pittsburgh in his civil case against
Gail O'Toole of Murrysville after three days of testimony and ordered the
payment for pain, suffering and emotional distress, according to television
station KDKA.

"For all the pain and suffering I've been through, and the embarrassment,
I don't think it's enough," Slaby told reporters after the verdict.
http://tinyurl.com/773ae

Caution !

attempts to make getting stuck fun for men who
are upset with this post.

MOD-alicious

Yes, I was a mixed-up Mod/Psycho/Metro Het'ro in '68
click to enlarge pic

"The groups that you liked when you were a mod were The Who.
That's the story of why I dig the mods, man, because we were
mods, and that's how we happened. That's my generation, that's
how the song My Generation happened, because of the mods. ...
It was an incredible youthful drive. It was the closest to patriotism
that I've ever felt." -Pete Townsend in Rolling Stone Interview

60s Scene Gets Another Global Revival
By SOLVEJ SCHOU, Associated Press Writer
"In the early to mid-'60s, scenesters rebelled against drabness in all forms,
opting for clean and sophisticated European looks reminiscent of the
roaring '20s versus sedate post-World War II duds. They also rejected the
1950s' greasy hair-and-motorcycles "rockers" culture.
Mod girls chopped their hair short and designer Mary Quant founded the
A-line "mini skirt." Boys adopted longer hair and sleek, dandified suits, and
rode around on tricked-out Vespa and Lambretta scooters. Bands mimicked
black American R&B artists such as Ray Charles and Bobby Bland, and took
on similar high-energy dance forms.

In the late '70s, Mods reappeared with a New Wave makeover made popular
by suited-up band The Jam. The 1979 cult film "Quadrophenia" furthered the
revival, with its romanticized portrayal of clubs packed with cavorting,
pill-popping Mods wearing World War II parkas."
http://tinyurl.com/8hndc

I like the retro web design of :
http://www.satisfactionclub.com/

http://www.shag.com/Soulpatch.html

New Delhi to NY in 16 Hours

US-based Continental Airlines has launched the first ever non-stop
flight service from India to the US, fulfilling a major need for Indian
travellers. The airline has started a daily non-stop flight from New
Delhi to New York effective Thursday.

The journey from New Delhi to New York will take nearly 16 hours
(westward) while the return journey will take nearly 14 hours (eastward).
Significantly, the airline has chosen to operate its non-stop flights out of
New Delhi instead of Mumbai. “This is not a reflection on the Mumbai
market, but our conclusion is that there is a tremendous market waiting
to be tapped for non-stop flights to the US from Delhi,” said Continental
Airlines senior vice-president John Walker.

The airline is operating a Boeing 777-200ER (extended range) for the
flight. The aircraft has a capacity of 283 passengers. There are 48 business
class seats while the rest of the seats are economy class. A return ticket is
priced at Rs 45,000. “No other airline is operating non-stop flights from India
to the US,” said Mr Walker. Currently, passengers have to travel via Europe
for a stopover enroute to the US. Most airlines break journey in major
European capitals for refuelling. The non-stop service will be a huge relief
for passengers travelling on the India-US route as they do not have to
waste time transiting European airports.

2,000 Puneites with IQ above 140

PUNEITES should be proud.
According to Mensa India, Pune chapter, at least 2,000
citizens have an above average intelligence quotient of
98 per cent. The NGO identifies intelligence of individuals
by conducting tests.

“We started the Pune chapter three decades ago, and now
it is the leading centre in the country. There are centres at
Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Vadodara and Jaipur,”
says administrator Pandurang Desai.

The test is based on visual diagrams. People of all ages can
take the test that often unfolds hidden talents and boosts one’s
personality. Apart from exposure to workshops on Vedic maths,
treasure hunts, the eco tours have made Mensa members
mini-managers.

Article from expressindia.com

Katrina : Just another Wardrobe Disaster

Another instance of fiddling while Rome burns.
The only Disaster he was concerned about was the
one occurring within his wardrobe.....

Newly-released e-mails show former FEMA director
Michael Brown discussing his wardrobe during the crisis
caused by Hurricane Katrina.

A House panel has released 23 pages of internal e-mail
offering additional evidence of a confused and distracted
government response to Katrina, particularly from Brown,
the former head of Federal Emergency Management Agency,
at critical moments after the storm hit.

The e-mails show that Brown, who had been planning to step
down from his post when the storm hit, was preoccupied with
his image on television even as one of the first FEMA officials
to arrive in New Orleans, Marty Bahamonde, was reporting a
crisis situation of increasing chaos to FEMA officials.

"My eyes must certainly be deceiving me. You look fabulous —
and I'm not talking the makeup," writes Cindy Taylor, FEMA's
deputy director of public affairs to Brown on 7:10 a.m. local time
on Aug. 29.

"I got it at Nordstroms," Brown writes back. "Are you proud of me?
Can I quit now? Can I go home?" An hour later, Brown adds: "If you'll
look at my lovely FEMA attire, you'll really vomit. I am a fashion god."

Click to read the article from AP News via Yahoo

Beatle Harrison's concert still aiding Bangladesh

Long before Katrina and tsunami relief, Live 8 and Live AID,
former Beatle George Harrison assembled an all-star concert
that cast the mold for celebrity charity, and with a new DVD
and remixed songs, "The Concert for Bangladesh" is raising
money again.

The 1971 concert in New York's Madison Square Garden
featured Harrison, who died four years ago, and fellow Beatle
Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Leon Russell, Billy Preston
and sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, Harrison's Indian music mentor.

The pair of shows, one afternoon and one evening, benefited
UNICEF and raised $250,000 from ticket sales alone. While that
may seem a small sum compared to tens of millions raised for
Katrina relief or in the Live 8 concerts to raise awareness of
poverty in Africa, it was a huge amount at the time.

Article from Reuters

Not on the Men, you....

Just another Reuters report...
Quaker Maid Meats Inc. on Tuesday said it would voluntarily recall
94,400 pounds of frozen ground beef panties that may be
contaminated with E. coli.

The beef products were produced by Reading, Pennsylvania-based
Quaker on July 19 and shipped to retail stores in Connecticut, Florida,
Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York,
Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051101/ts_nm/food_beef_recall_dc