Yellow Jersey Time
1. Thomas Voeckler 58h 27m 00s
2. Lance Armstrong :22 behind(He is toying with them.)
3. Ivan Basso 1:39
4. Andreas Kloden 3:18
5. Francisco Mancebo 3:28
6. Georg Totschnig 6:08
7. Jose Azevedo 6:43
8. Jan Ullrich 7:01
9. Pietro Caucchioli 7:59
10. Sandy Casar 8:29
Pop star Mariah Carey's forthcoming foray into literature will be ghost written by another author. The singer is busy writing an illustrated children's book to compete with her bookish chart rival Madonna whose third children's book reached seventh place on The New York Times bestseller list last week. But Carey's own record boss has admitted Mariah's getting a lot of help. CAA head Rob Light said: "She has an idea based on her bi-racial heritage. It's something she's worked on with the help of ghost writers."
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/17/2004 5:13:08 PM ||
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#1
"She has an idea based on her bi-racial heritage..."
Some people just can't seem to get over the race thing....
#6
Don't pick on her. She is one of the most deer-in-the-headlights inadequate celebrities walking around today. With just enough brains to realize that everything she likes in life will be kaput and pretty darn soon.
What in blazes does she have to look forward to? Pert breasts at 45? Gaining 100 pounds? Honking horns for fish at Sea World? Learning how to tie her shoes and wave bye-bye?
Pity the poor creature.
#7
Don't pick on her. She is one of the most deer-in-the-headlights inadequate celebrities walking around today. With just enough brains to realize that everything she likes in life will be kaput and pretty darn soon.
What in blazes does she have to look forward to? Pert breasts at 45? Gaining 100 pounds? Honking horns for fish at Sea World? Learning how to tie her shoes and wave bye-bye?
Pity the poor creature.
(News via Pravda, the National Inquirer of Russia)
38-year-old woman from the Russian city of Ekaterinburg arrived to Surgut in search of a job. When her search did not yield any positive results, she decided to kill herself by swallowing several thermometer with mercury. According to "Novi Region", the woman first purchased two thermometers and ate those; afterwards, she purchased another one and consumed it as well. When she started to feel sick and decided to seek medical help, she was denied assistance. Doctors assumed the woman was under the influence and refused to help her. The woman did not lose hope and went to another hospital in Nizhnevartovsk (neighboring town) while the three thermometers were still inside her. According to the local media, Nizhnevartvovsk's paramedics were the ones to extract the thermometers from the victim's body. In addition, they found out that the woman has been registered in a psychiatric clinic. According to the latest information, she was released from the clinic. She refuses to go back to Ekaterinburg. She did manage however to find a job at one of the local cafÃs in Surgut.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/17/2004 4:24:22 PM ||
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[heavily EFL] Friday, July 16, 2004 Posted: 12:28 AM EDT (0428 GMT)
China has kicked off war games simulating an invasion of Taiwan as military chief Jiang Zemin vows to recover the democratic island by 2020. If China still remains the same autonomous body in 2020 that it is today, it will be a major miracle. Taiwan's economy is poised for the future and was placed around 18th worldwide at one point. China's endemic corruption and massive bank debt will haunt its debut upon the global corporate scene.
Posted by: Zenster ||
07/17/2004 3:47:09 AM ||
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The life span of Japanese women, already the longest in the world, grew to an average 85.33 years in 2003. The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry's 2003 "abridged life tables," released Friday, show the average life expectancy of Japanese women grew 0.10 year from a year earlier, extending the record for the longest average life span into the 19th consecutive year. The tables show how long a population at different ages is expected to live, on the assumption that factors causing death remain unchanged. The average length of life refers to life expectancy at birth.
Japanese men also set a new record. Their average life expectancy was an average 78.36 years in 2003, up 0.04 year. Both Japanese men and women have expanded their average life expectancies for four straight years. But worldwide, Japanese men rank third after their counterparts in Iceland, whose life expectancy was 78.7 years between 2001 and 2003, and in Hong Kong, where the average male life span was 78.6 years in 2002. Behind Japanese women are Hong Kong women, whose life expectancy was an average 84.5 years in 2002, and those in Switzerland, where the average life span stood at 83 for 2001.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/17/2004 5:07:33 PM ||
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A STORM is brewing in China as drought-plagued regions accuse each other of stealing clouds for rain-seeding. With the help of modern technology, scientists can fire rockets filled with various substances into light, fluffy clouds to make them rain. "But the practice has caused considerable controversy in recent days, with some saying that one area's success with rain has meant taking moisture meant for one place and giving it to another," the China Daily said. The row was severe in central Henan province.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/17/2004 1:47:36 AM ||
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China is danger close to having something akin to the "Dust Bowl" that hit the US in the 1930s. Today, people are usually mystified by this event, with a "big deal, a dust storm?" response. But the removal of arable topsoil from a vast amount of farmland can devastate a region.
In China's case, food production could be cut by a large percentage, maybe even causing famine that affects tens or even hundreds of millions of people--so large that the world food bank could not compensate with imports fast enough.
And starving people are worse than a hundred swarms of locusts for destroying everything in their path. Ireland took over 100 years to recover from their potato famine.
#2
In the Ireland potato famine, however, the staple crop (potato) failed because of blight. The landlords were growing other things and the farms were doing pretty well. The famine was either benin neglect or government policy, either way, outrageous.
In the case of the Chicoms, heavy handed central govt decisions, coupled with drought, will be a disaster for the Chinese people.
Posted by: Alaska Paul ||
07/17/2004 12:39 Comments ||
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The English saw the Irish overpopulation from some years before the famine hit. A commission proposed the inexpensive fares that were used to ship Irish refugees to the United States, fearing that they would overrun England otherwise.
The blight also gave ample warning, hitting on the continent first, and causing some famine in the German nations.
And it should be noted that the Irish farms were owned by landlords, with the typical Irish family working the land as tenent farmers. Subsisting on a hole full of potatoes, any other crop being exported, ended when the potatoes became black rot.
In the case of the Dust Bowl, the Potato Famine, or what faces China today, there is no "benign neglect" because there was never any government interest in the first place. In China, seeing the problem coming, they decided to build the Three Gorges and several other dams, to ship water from water abundant South China to water poor North China.
They are also engaged in a massive tree planting project to try to stave off the dust bowl effect and preserve topsoil.
Whether it will work, only time will tell.
One of the most exclusive summer sales is under way in Croatia after dozens of paradise islands in the Adriatic were put on the market for the first time in centuries. The untouched islands, part of what the Croatian government calls the "family jewels", are on sale for up to £20 million, with local families who have owned them for generations exchanging clear blue skies and seas for the more tangible delights of hard cash. The islands are attracting the interest of celebrities and businessmen. "There are about 30 on sale," said Inga Majic, the assistant manager at Broker Real Estate. "They have been in the same hands for generations, but now that Croatia has opened up some are taking the opportunity to sell. It's a very rare chance to buy one."
The islands range from golden-sanded flecks on the map like Palacol, home to nothing more than a few olive trees and with a price tag of several hundred thousand pounds, to the much larger Obonjan, in the Sibenik archipelago, which will cost £20 million. Prospective owners will have to lease their beaches from the Croatian state, which retains the title to the country's coastline. Potential residents will also have to put up with serious restrictions on constructing the villa of their dreams, for while existing buildings can be renovated, islands without property cannot be developed at all. But the attraction of owning a sea front that is certain to be free of other people's beach towels is tempting enough for some. "To have an island in the Adriatic is very desirable," said Paul Keppler, the director of Croatia Sun property agents. "It's attracting world class VIPs because of the stunning locations."
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/17/2004 4:32:37 PM ||
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Clearing the path to a record sixth straight Tour de France crown, Lance Armstrong overpowered his rivals in the 13th stage Saturday to cement his place as one of cycling's greatest riders. Armstrong captured the stage and is now just 22 seconds behind leader Thomas Voeckler. But the French rider most likely will be easy prey for Armstrong. "The team was great. ... It was a dream," Armstrong said.
Only Italian rider Ivan Basso managed to stay with the five-time champion on the last of seven climbs in the Pyrenees. Others scattered down the mountain, their hopes of winning seemingly all but over. With just the Alps and two time trials left to negotiate next week, only a meltdown by Armstrong or an unforeseen accident appeared to stand in the way of victory in Paris on July 25. Armstrong won the stage ahead of Basso, overtaking him with a final burst of speed. He also won on this route in 2002. Germany's Jan Ullrich - abandoned again, as he was Friday - was 2 minutes, 42 seconds behind.
In just two stages in the Pyrenees, Voeckler's lead has shrunk from more than nine minutes. Two punishing stages await in the Alps, Armstrong's playground in previous Tours, as well as the two time trials - more than enough for the Texan to seal a record sixth win. Basso, 1:39 behind Armstrong in the overall standings, has emerged as the last main rival to eliminate. But he is not an excellent time trial rider while Armstrong is. Ullrich, the 1997 Tour winner, is 6:39 behind the Texan overall. Last year, he lost the Tour to Armstrong by just 61 seconds.
Posted by: Steve White ||
07/17/2004 11:51:11 AM ||
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Tyler Hamilton abandoned on this stage, too - bad back from another crash. Paul Sherwen thinks he's crash prone because he sits too rigidly in his saddle, implying a higher center of gravity and less flexibility in reacting to road conditions.
#2
I'm not a cyclist, but watching OLN's coverage is great! Armstrong simply blew the doors off the last 100m
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/17/2004 12:40 Comments ||
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Complete chaos and mayhem behind Lance. What a effort by Voekler. Basso is a good looking rider. Right there with Lance. It will be intersting to see his TT form. He could be the next patron after Lance.
I knew Tyler wasn't strong enough, Sherwin has a good point. Contrast Hamiltons position on his bike to Voekler. Voekler looks compact and fast but he also looks tortured when he stands on his pedals in the climbs. He may want to train with Lance and learn the hi cadence style.
Simone, poor guy! Looks like he wants to go home too. What did I say about Ulrich, he's just GC fodder.
Mr Frank, we're all cyclists. You never forget y'know!
From Mark Steyn on France:
.....It reserves the right to treat French Africa as its colonies, Middle Eastern dictators as its clients, the European Union as a Greater France and the UN as a kind of global condom to prevent the spread of Americanization. Couldn't resist the simile....... but the whole thing is worth reading....
Posted by: Mercutio ||
07/17/2004 12:06:31 AM ||
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Neat post Merc. With the Tour going on fraance is playing the butterfly. And it also shows how stupid the UN thingy is.
Michael Moore might be in trouble in America for violating the McCain-Feingold campaign-finance rules. Fahrenheit 9/11, a movie lambasting President George W. Bush for the decision to invade Afghanistan and Iraq, comes awfully close to being a political advertisement. The message? Don't vote for Bush. That's what David T. Hardy, coauthor of Michael Moore is a Big Fat Stupid White Man, thinks. He says McCain-Feingold is a "weird law" that would apply to the advertising for Moore's recent flick.
And now, a new website is claiming Moore is also in breach of an election law north of the border. When Moore waddled into Canada's June 28 federal election with exhortations to vote for someone other than Conservative party candidate Stephen Harper, he may have broken the law.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/17/2004 12:40:45 AM ||
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Sarnia is only 90 miles from Flint, Mich., where Moore grew up. One could easily argue that Moore never grew up. Grew large obviously, but he never matured. I hope the Canadians hand him his big fat ass.
Posted by: Rafael ||
07/17/2004 8:12 Comments ||
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I've noticed a lot of F- 911 ads lately (trying to capitalize on the Dem Convention buildup? - lol). Every one of the moonbats that was gonna see it already has and tix sales are declining dramatically with other real movies coming out - better fiction movies than his "documentary" fiction
Posted by: Frank G ||
07/17/2004 9:33 Comments ||
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I saw it Thursday-what a hype. This is not a best movie of any category except anti-Bush propoganda. A 20-minute standing ovation at Cannes? How about a 20-minute nap?
This film is similar to BforC in that Moore gathers facts/partial truths and jumps to wild conclusions.
(Say something positive Jules! ) The music was good, though.
Singapore defended yesterday the deputy prime minister's surprise trip to Taiwan, saying the visit - which incensed China - was essential to enable the city-state's next leader to understand "a potential flash point" in Asia. A four-page statement from the office of Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Singapore officials had told Beijing about the visit beforehand as "a courtesy," and had then resisted pressure from China to call it off. "Singapore is a good friend of China. But to call off the trip at China's request would have undermined our right to make independent decisions, and damaged our international standing," Lee said.
Two nations full of wealthy Chinese get together and talk, that's just got to twist knickers in Beijing.
Lee - the elder son of Singapore's first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew -will assume Singapore's top job later this year, replacing Goh Chok Tong. The date of the transfer could be announced next week. Singapore officials described Lee's four-day trip to Taiwan as "private and unofficial." It involved meetings with "friends," including President Chen Shui-bian and opposition leader Lien Chan, they said. "We gave (the Chinese) representations serious consideration, but we could not agree," Lee said. "We expressed the hope that this private and unofficial visit does not change our very clear position on Taiwan."
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Posted by: Steve White ||
07/17/2004 12:41:18 AM ||
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The giant US gambling concern Harrah's has signed a firm agreement to buy Caesars Entertainment for cash and shares. With Caesars' debt included the deal is worth over 7.5 billion euros. It is the largest ever merger in the gambling industry and comes just weeks after another proposed consolidation between MGM-Mirage and the Madalay Resort group. The new number one will have turnover of more than seven billion dollars, that is two billion more than MGM-Mandalay.
The bigger operator will have around twice as many casinos as its rival and 50% more employees. The new company would dominate the two big gambling centres in the US Las Vegas in the West and Atlantic City in the East. But the merger has to be approved by three levels of regulators - Federal, state and local and that could take until next year. Those regulators might insist that Harrah's sell some of the casinos so that it is not too dominant in any one market. Investors were not too impressed and shares in both the companies fell after the intended merger was announced.
Posted by: Mark Espinola ||
07/17/2004 5:09:23 PM ||
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via NRO
By Hans Moleman - July 16, 2004, 8:36 am — Hans Moleman is an National Education Association employee and lifelong Democrat who prefers to remain anonymous. He has no relation to the Simpsons character by the same name. Any similarities are purely coincidental.
A Look to Your Left Dictators and orthodoxy at the NEA convention.
At the National Education Association convention last week, the liberal orthodoxy for the most part flowed in carefully directed channels. Resolutions and "new business" items condemning the war on terror and the occupation of Iraq were set aside without debate or votes, in a conscious and commendable effort to minimize anything that could distract from the unified anti-Bush (and incidentally pro-Kerry) event. In other words, the leadership kept the 9,000 delegates "on message" (as we all say nowadays).
The message was: "We hate Bush — for education reasons."
The popularity of the message was reflected in the 86-percent delegate vote to endorse Kerry (though there was no more warmth for Kerry there than anywhere else.) They did hear from one of the real NEA heartthrobs, Hillary Clinton (the other one was at a book-signing across town and couldn't make it). She knocked them dead, of course, but she too steered away from foreign policy. The only cracks in this impressive message wall came during two instances when everyone let their hair down and their real feelings out. The first was a special benefit showing of Michael Moore's feature-length campaign commercial Fahrenheit 9/11. This embarrassing embrace of Hollywood's number one Euro-pet anti-American produced a hate rally worthy of Orwell.
Another moment came in nostalgic mode, when Children's Defense Fund founder and liberal icon Marian Wright Edelman was honored with a Friend of Education award. She responded with a gratifying sermon on the old time religion. Channeling the spirit of Sojourner Truth to blast the Bush (-Powell-Rice?) administration, she repeatedly brought the crowd to fever pitch. It was charming.
But one particularly interesting moment came with her bold declaration that Bush was failing the world by "supporting brutal, corrupt dictators." In context, this got a nice slice of the rolling applause wave that continued throughout her remarks. But I couldn't help but wonder which dictators she had in mind. The Taliban? No, Bush took them out already. Saddam Hussein? No, the U.S. got him, too. The mullahs of Iran? Kim Jong-Il? No, Bush regards them as "evil," and they regard him as their main problem.
Continued on Page 49
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
