Song List - New songs list 2009

Pop Rock Top 10
1. Lily Allen - Not Fair

2. Fastball - All I Was Looking For Was You

3. Calvin Harris - I'm Not Alone

4. La Roux - In For The Kill

5. Dogs Die in Hot Cars - Pop Nonsense

6. Death Cab For Cutie - Little Bribes

7. Enrique Iglesias Ft Ciara - Takin' Back My Love

8. Depeche Mode - Wrong

9. The Pussycat Dolls - Jai Ho

10. Beyonce - Halo

http://www.themodernmusic.com/2009/04/new-songs-list-2009.html

Quotes - Love Quotes

" If you love somebody, let them go, for if they return, they were always yours. And if they don't, they never were. "

" The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart. "

" Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your heart or burn down your house, you can never tell. "

"Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for"

" We begin to love not by finding a perfect person, but by learning to see an imperfect person perfectly." http://www.romancelovequotes.com/famouslovequotes.htm

Quotes - Bosses wife

Hung Chow calls into work and says, "Hey, I no come work today, I
really
sick. Got headache, stomach ache and legs hurt, I no come work."
The boss says, "You know something, Hung Chow, I really need you
today.
When I feel like this, I go to my wife and tell her to give me
sex. That
makes everything better and I go to work. You try that."
Two hours later Hung Chow calls again. "I do what you say and I
feel
great. I be at work soon......... You got nice house.

New virus!!

Just wanted to send you this Warning and to be on the Lookout !
There's absolutely no cause for Alarm.
This is just to prepare you for the Event.


I thought you would want to know about this e-mail virus.
Even the most advanced programs from Norton or McAfee cannot take care of this one.
It appears to affect those who were born prior to 1960.
Symptoms:
1. Causes you to send the same e-mail twice.
2. Causes you to send a blank e-mail.
3. Causes you to send e-mail to the wrong person.
4. Causes you to send it back to the person who sent it to you.
5. Causes you to forget to attach the attachment.
6. Causes you to hit "SEND" before you've finished.
7. Causes you to hit "DELETE" instead of "SEND."
8. Causes you to hit "SEND" when you should "
DELETE."

IT IS CALLED THE "C-NILE VIRUS."

Lyrics - Im so Paid by Akon

(feat. Lil Wayne)
[Intro]
Rubbing’ on that Italian leather
Dem’ Konvict jeans on!
Ay yo Weezy! You Ready?
Yeah!

[Chorus]
I get it in ‘till sunrise
Doing 90 in a 65
Windows rolled down screaming “Ahhh!!!”
Hey-ey-ey… I’m so paid
Number one hustla get money
Why do you wanna count my money?
I’ma hustla don’t need them! One of them ya’ll see!
I‘m so paid

[Verse 1]
I see police on the crooked I
Doing a 100 on the Interstate 95
My shawty leanin’ blasting that Do or Die
Pushin’ that motherfuckin’ wood cuz we certified
Got a system that’ll beat and knock your wall off
Got a pump under my seat, the sawed-off
Got a bunch of goons, hoping they never call off
I’m a sniper sitting on the roof already saw y’all
It ain’t too much to put a strain on me
That’s the reason why I had to put the blame on me
I rather have them dollar bills rain on me
Then let them haters come and make the name of me
That’s why…

[Chorus]
I get it in ‘till sunrise
Doing 90 in a 65
Windows rolled down screaming “Ahhh!!!”
Hey-ey-ey… I’m so paid
Number one hustla get money
Why do you wanna count my money?
I’ma hustla don’t need them! One of them ya’ll see!
I‘m so paid

[Verse 2]
I am the boss it only takes one call
For a driver to hit you up and drop you off that’s all
Guess what I won’t be taking that fall
Homie I got cake that’s what I’m paying them for (aha!)
Ain’t that funny?
Cuz niggas want war but ain’t got money
Cuz I’ve seen them all talking ‘till they start gunnin’
Quicker than Usain Bolt the fastest thing running
Yeah! Akon! Weezy!
Block oil holdin’ down Jersey
Devine making sure we gettin’ it up front
My little brother Boo got that vision bake it!

[Chorus]
I get it in ‘till sunrise
Doing 90 in a 65
Windows rolled down screaming “Ahhh!!!”
Hey-ey-ey… I’m so paid
Number one hustla get money
Why do you wanna count my money?
I’ma hustla don’t need them! One of them ya’ll see!
I‘m so paid

[Lil Wayne – Verse 3]
Oh-oh,
Big money Weezy
White wife beater with the sig underneath it
How do I feel bitch I feel undefeated
Snap my fingers disappear from the precinct
Yea!
I’m ballin’ we ball out
Thoughts of before until the ball bounce
I see some niggas with guns at y’all house
Only to find out you live in a doll house
Damn!
But I thought you was tough don’t
We carry choppers on our necks
Call it cut throat
We, bury powers on the set that they come from
We, no magic turn
We, smoke the gun smoke
We, bomb first when we ride
You, in a hearse when you ride
Ay-yay
I put my shoes on baby
And I’m holding down Young Mula baby!
That’s why…

[Chorus]
I get it in ‘till sunrise
Doing 90 in a 65
Windows rolled down screaming “Ahhh!!!”
Hey-ey-ey… I’m so paid
Number one hustla get money
Why do you wanna count my money?
I’ma hustla don’t need them! One of them ya’ll see!
I‘m so paid

Lyrics - Your Song by Parokya Ni Edgar

It took one look
And forever laid out in front of me
One smile and I died
Only to be revived by you

There i was
Thought i had everything figured out
Goes to show just how much i know
'bout the way life plays out...

Chorus:
I take one step away
but i find myself coming back to you
My one and only, one and only you...ooh...

Now i know

That i know not a thing at all
Except the fact that i am yours
And that you are mine

Ooh
They told me that this wouldn't be easy
And no
I'm not one to complain...

I take one step away
then i find myself coming back to you
My one and only, one and only you

I take one step away
but i find myself coming back to you
My one and only, one and only you...

http://www.pinoylyrics.net/lyrics/parokya-ni-edgar/your-song-lyrics-1311.html

Real estate - selling couple take on infamous homes; next up is Dr. Robert Stokes' former East Grand Rapids mansion

by Cami Reister | The Grand Rapids Press

Sunday August 16, 2009, 7:47 AM

Rex Larsen | The Grand Rapids PressBob and Lisa Novosad are selling the East Grand Rapids mansion formerly owned by Dr. Robert Stokes. The rear of the house faces Reeds Lake.

EAST GRAND RAPIDS -- Bob and Lisa Novosad did not set out to be real estate agents for the opulent homes of infamous area ne'er-do-wells.

But with their recent history, they might consider it.

Last week, the Keller Williams real estate team listed the 11,300-square-foot Reeds Lake mansion once owned by dermatologist Robert Stokes.

Stokes, imprisoned for bilking insurance companies for more than $1.9 million through double billing and unnecessary procedures on unsuspecting patients, caused widespread fear of HIV and hepatitis when he was accused of using less-than-sterile practices.

Fifth Third Bank foreclosed on the estate, and an asset management company assigned the sale to the Novosads last week. Bob Novosad, who handles a fair amount of foreclosures, saw the property coming in the pipeline toward his team earlier in the year if it did not sell by July 21.

"You've got to be kidding me," he said, recalling his reaction. "I think it will be a rush to sell. It's a local landmark in many ways."

He said he's not concerned about the checkered past of its former owner. After all, that didn't come into play last year when they sold the 5,000-square-foot gated Alpine Township home once owned by Michael Vorce.

Vorce also is in prison. He pled guilty in June to fraud and money laundering involving one of the area's largest fraud cases: $27 million, mostly obtained by creating fake papers to borrow money for boats that did not exist. Federal documents alleged that he used that loan money to buy the home.

"We had multiple offers, and it sold just a tad over asking price," Novosad said.

The Vorce home, with its private pond, creek, gazebo, tanning bed and built-in electronics, sold for $480,000, a heck of a deal when tax records valued it at around $650,000.

And prospective buyers can look forward to a similar deal on the Stokes home. It is priced at $1.899 million, 75 percent lower than its original asking price of $7.7 million and 27 percent lower than the $2.6 million indicated by tax records.

The original price is the highest ever sought for a Kent County home. It might have been influenced by the potential $7.75 million that Stokes faced in fines at the time.

And despite being vacant for several months, the home remains in good condition. It has seven bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, an indoor pool and 255 feet of Reeds Lake frontage.

Lisa Novosad said Stokes used quality construction and products.

"They spent an incredible amount of time and money making sure that it was just right," she said. "We know he spared no expense."

The Novosads said they are comfortable with the asking price, which was determined with the bank's cooperation.

"It's nowhere near the cost to replace it," Bob Novosad said. "In this market, to move things, you really have to have added value."

He said they had four showings in the first week and are already negotiating an offer. With an annual tax bill of about $40,000, he said he doubts the property will appeal to investors.

The house failed to sell at two auctions and with a price drop to $2 million before it went into foreclosure. But the Novosads have the benefit of an improving market. Area home sales have increased year-over-year for the past six months.

Lisa Novosad said she sees the activity.

"Prices are still down, but what we're seeing is the consumer confidence," she said. "It's there. Four years ago, it was at a standstill. This year's been great."

Cami Reister | The Grand Rapids Press

Sunday August 16, 2009, 7:47 AM

Real Estate - Nightmare of real estate scams continues

The number of people scammed by Buyersnet Real Estate Corp. has risen and so has the dollar amount they owe their victims.

“The only difference here is that in October 2008 there were only 15 victims who came forward, now there are more than 60 [victims],” said Assemblymember Jose Peralta, who held a press conference on August 6 alongside Buyersnet victims.

Victims have lost about $1.3 million – an increase from about half a million reported last year, according to the Peralta.

Founded by Giancarlo and Ana Giuseppe in 1986, Buyersnet – a division of a bigger company, Tael Group – offered investment programs, including one called the Guaranteed Interest Option Plan that enticed investors with an annual 12 percent return. With offices throughout Queens, Buyersnet had managed to lure consumers by telling them that they could take their money or interest at any time. But when the victims tried, they couldn’t get their money back.

“My mom received statements, but when she wanted to take the money advisors told her not to,” said Alex DeJesus, who represents his mother, Sonia DeJesus.

Sonia DeJesus first learned of the program through “word of mouth” in November 2005 and decided to invest the money her grandmother had given her. Since she saw an increase, DeJesus wanted to divest her money, but advisors at Buyersnet told her to keep it invested so that she could accumulate more interest.

Buyersnet has closed all of their Queens offices since the scam came to light in last October, but none of the money has been returned to the victims.

Another victim, Dolly Velasquez reported a loss of $200,000 from her life savings. She’s nervousness about her future and that of others.

“Please, we need help from the government to speed up this situation because it is really difficult,” said Velasquez.

On behalf of the victims, Peralta has sought help from Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and District Attorney Richard Brown to bring this matter to a close.

Other victims of Buyersnet are asked to call the victim hotline at 718-458-5367.

BY CLAUDIA CRUZ & KELDY ORTIZ

http://queenscourier.com/articles/2009/08/16/news/top_stories/doc4a82d8e6e8cb4259225596.txt

Real Estate - 10 Cities Facing the Next Real Estate Bust

By Rick Newman Rick Newman – Tue Aug 11, 2:05 pm ET

The worst of the housing bust might finally be over, but another real estate tsunami is about to swamp many American cities. This time, it will be office buildings and retail space going vacant and facing foreclosure.

Like housing, commercial real estate goes through booms and busts, and the coming wipeout is likely to be a doozy. Commercial developers went on their own spending spree earlier this decade, racing to cash in on the hot economy with new office towers, hotel complexes, and retail projects. Banks supplied hundreds of billions of dollars in loans, often assuming that rents paid by tenants would keep going up. "The assumption was that the good times would go on forever," says Victor Calanog, director of research for REIS, a real-estate-research firm.

[See 10 Cities Primed for a Real Estate Recovery.]

If that mistaken assumption sounds familiar, so will the ramifications. Instead of going up, commercial rents have begun to plunge as companies downsize, warehouses empty, merchants go out of business, and huge retailers like Starbucks and Macy's close underperforming stores and demand rent reductions. Office and retail vacancy rates are near record levels and going higher, and developers are about to face crunch time as billions in loans come due for repayment or refinancing over the next three years. Like homeowners who are "under water" on their mortgages, many of those developers owe more than their buildings are now worth.

The commercial crunch won't hit consumers as directly as the housing bust, but they'll still feel it. A resurgence in construction spending is often the springboard out of a recession, but in dozens of overbuilt areas, it won't be. Many shopping centers could close completely. Urban development projects have been put on hold or canceled, giving blight a reprieve instead of chasing it out of town. As many as 3,000 banks may face significant losses on commercial real estate loans, according to economist Gary Shilling, which could crimp other lending and even threaten the banks' solvency as losses start to pile up.

To determine which cities are most vulnerable, U.S. News analyzed data from REIS covering retail and office vacancy rates in the 79 biggest metro areas. At our request, REIS combined its retail and office data into a single commercial vacancy rate for each city, for several time periods. The research firm also provided its 2010 projections for each city.

[See America's most endangered and most profitable malls.]

To gauge the impact on each city over the coming year, we measured the difference between the commercial vacancy rate in 2008 and the projected rate in 2010. So the cities that landed on our list won't necessarily have the highest vacancy rates next year, but they'll experience the biggest increase over a two-year period. In most of these cities, commercial real estate woes are likely to hamper a recovery. In a few, they'll compound a set of problems that's already profound. Here's where the next real estate bust is likely to hit hardest:

Las Vegas (projected commercial vacancy rate, 2010: 18.1 percent, up 6.8 percentage points from 2008). What happens in Vegas depends on the rest of the American economy, and until Americans start to feel wealthy again, travel (and gambling) budgets will remain crimped. Southern Nevada already suffers from one of the worst housing busts in the nation and a 12.3 percent unemployment rate. Vegas had a hot hand earlier this decade, which led to lots of commercial construction. But nearly one fifth of Sin City's commercial space will stay vacant until tourists, conventioneers, and their cash start to return.

[See 8 industries that will sit out a recovery.]

Baltimore (15.8 percent, up 6.5 points). Several large universities and proximity to recession-resistant Washington, D.C., have propped up Baltimore's economy, but the city is still exposed to many economic strains. With the nation's retail sector in a tailspin, shipments in and out of the Port of Baltimore have tanked, leaving acres of vacant warehouses. Other development programs have stalled as businesses have cut back on spending. Mayor Sheila Dixon has also been indicted for suspicious dealings with area developers, casting a pall over Baltimore's business climate.

Detroit (24.8 percent, up 6.3 points). What else could go wrong in Motor City? Two of the area's biggest employers, General Motors and Chrysler, declared bankruptcy this year, and the whole auto industry is undergoing severe cutbacks amid the biggest sales plunge in decades. So many companies have left Detroit that there's barely a rush hour in this once bustling metropolis. If there's any good news, it's that prime office space is cheap: Rents have fallen eight years in a row and are likely to drop an additional 13 percent through 2010, according to REIS.

San Bernardino/Riverside, Calif. (15.9 percent, up 6.3 points). The availability of land once made Southern California's "inland empire" a housing hotbed, with hundreds of mortgage brokers and a booming retail sector. No more. A vicious housing bust could ultimately drive home prices down 65 percent from peak values, and the unemployment rate could hit 16 percent next year. That's knocked many of the mortgage brokers out of business and devastated the area's ubiquitous strip malls. Even government jobs have been disappearing, thanks to California's budget crisis.

[See the industries hurt most by soaring healthcare costs.]

Hartford, Conn. (20.2 percent, up 6 points). A recent survey identified Hartford as one of the first cities to bounce back from the recession, but local economists are doubtful. Many of the city's insurance firms have slashed jobs in response to the financial meltdown. Aircraft-engine maker Pratt & Whitney may close two local plants, and the Obama administration's push to end production of the F-22 fighter jet would hurt defense contractors in the area. With little new construction over the past year, most of the increase in vacancies is coming from businesses scaling back or shuttering their operations completely.

Dayton, Ohio (22.8 percent, up 5.9 points). After 125 years in Dayton, NCR is closing up its headquarters and moving to Georgia, taking 1,300 jobs with it and leaving more than a million square feet of office space behind. The collapse of the auto industry has also hurt the area, with several local parts suppliers dependent upon the Detroit automakers. In a survey of the 100 biggest cities, the Brookings Institution ranks Dayton near the bottom in terms of lost jobs and economic output.

New York (12 percent, up 5.9 points). Those lavish Wall Street bonuses you've been hearing about are going to a lot fewer bankers. The financial industry, Manhattan's mainstay, has contracted by about 7 percent over the past year. Other industries have lost even more jobs, causing a sharp reversal in what used to be one of the world's hottest real estate markets. Office rents skyrocketed in 2006 and 2007, when Wall Street was at its peak, but REIS expects them to fall 28 percent between 2008 and 2010. REIS's vacancy data for New York include only office space, so the combined vacancy rate including retail space is probably higher than 12 percent.

Charleston, S.C. (16.6 percent, up 5.8 points). The antebellum charm has worn thin as this low-country mecca hopes for tourists to return and trade at its port to pick up. Several ambitious downtown hotel and redevelopment projects have stalled while developers wait for the economy to revive. Elsewhere in the state, manufacturing, retail, and construction companies have shed thousands of jobs, many of them gone for good. When not addressing his extramarital affair, Gov. Mark Sanford attempts to woo new businesses to the state.

Tacoma, Wash. (13.6 percent, up 5.8 points). Shipments are down at the city's port, one of the nation's biggest, which has left warehouses vacant and hammered the many area businesses that depend on trade. And many of the region's most prominent companies, including Microsoft, Boeing, Starbucks, and Washington Mutual--taken over last year by JPMorgan Chase--have been laying off workers, helping push Tacoma's unemployment rate higher than the state average.

New Haven, Conn. (17.2 percent, up 5.8 points). Education and healthcare have helped stabilize New Haven's economy, but even Yale University has scaled back development plans and laid off workers, after its famed endowment dropped by $6 billion because of stock market losses. And a long-term shift away from manufacturing toward financial services and other white-collar industries has left the city exposed to the financial meltdown. That means New Haven's recovery will probably lag the nation's.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnews/20090811/ts_usnews/10citiesfacingthenextrealestatebust;_ylt=Ag0XXjnVzFBezhQYxNk3Ksp1fNdF

Strong Meteor Shower Expected Tonight

he annual Perseid meteor shower is expected to put on a good show this week for those willing to get up in the wee hours of the morning and wait patiently for the shooting stars.

In North America, the best time to watch will be between midnight to 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 12, but late Tuesday night and also Wednesday night could prove fruitful, weather permitting.

The Perseids are always reliable, and sometimes rather spectacular. The only things that puts a damper on the August show are bad weather or bright moonlight. Unfortunately this week, as the Perseids reach their peak Tuesday and Wednesday nights, the moon will be high in the sky, outshining the fainter meteors.

Still, skywatchers around the globe will have a good chance of spotting the brighter meteors. Some already are enjoying the show.

Already underway

The Perseids are bits of debris from Comet Swift-Tuttle, which has laid down several streams of debris, each in a slightly different location, over the centuries as it orbits the sun. Every August, Earth passes through these debris streams, which spread out over time.

"They are typically fast, bright and occasionally leave persistent trains," says Joe Rao, SPACE.com's Skywatching Columnist. "And every once in a while, a Perseid fireball will blaze forth, bright enough to be quite spectacular and more than capable to attract attention even in bright moonlight."

Low numbers of Perseids, including some bright fireballs, have already been reported as Earth began entering the stream in late July. Seasoned observers have counted up to 25 per hour already, or nearly one every two minutes.

Most meteors are no bigger than a pea. They vaporize as they enter Earth's atmosphere, creating bright streaks across the sky.

The Perseids appear to emanate from the constellation Perseus, which rises high in the sky around midnight and is nearly overhead by dawn. Like most meteor showers, the hours between midnight and daybreak are typically the best time to watch, because that's when the side of Earth you are on is rotating into the direction of Earth's travels through space, so meteors are "scooped up" by the atmosphere at higher rates, much like a car's windshield ends the lives of more bugs than does the rear bumper.

Astronomers expect up to 200 meteors per hour in short bursts of up to 15 minutes or so. But many of the fainter meteors will simply not be visible due to moonlight, and rates will go down even more for those in urban areas. More likely a typical observer under reasonably dark skies might hope to see a meteor every couple minutes when the bursts come, and fewer during lulls.

When to watch

The best time to watch is between midnight and dawn Wednesday. Forecasters say the best stretch could come between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. ET (1-2 a.m. PT), which would be after daybreak in Europe. Some Perseids might be visible late Tuesday night, and Wednesday night into Thursday morning could prove worthwhile, too.

Meteor forecasting is still in its infancy, however, so the best bet for anyone truly hungry to spot shooting stars is to get in as much observing time as possible from around 11 p.m. Tuesday night until dawn Wednesday, and if you miss that show, try the same time frame Wednesday evening into Thursday morning.

Meteors should be visible in the pre-dawn hours, weather permitting, all around the Northern Hemisphere.

"Earth passes through the densest part of the debris stream sometime on Aug. 12," said Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. "Then, you could see dozens of meteors per hour."

Viewing tips

The best location is far from city and suburban lights. Ideally, find a structure, mountain or tree to block the moon. Then scan as much of the sky as possible. The meteors can appear anywhere, heading in any direction. If you trace their paths backward, they'll all point to the constellation Perseus.

People in locations where any chill might occur should dress warmer than they think necessary to allow for prolonged viewing.

Seasoned skywatchers advise using a blanket or lounge chair for comfort, so you can lie back and look up for long periods. Allow at least 15 minutes for your eyes to fully adjust to the darkness. Then expect meteors to be sporadic: You might see two in a row, or several minutes could go by between shooting stars.

Avid meteor watchers might want to try scanning the northeastern horizon from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. local time (your local time, wherever you are) for Perseids that graze the horizon.

"Earthgrazers are meteors that approach from the horizon and skim the atmosphere overhead like a stone skipping across the surface of a pond," Cooke explained. "They are long, slow and colorful – among the most beautiful of meteors." He notes that an hour of watching may net only a few of these at most, but seeing even one can make the whole night worthwhile.

Robert Roy Britt

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20090811/sc_space/strongmeteorshowerexpectedtonight;_ylt=AuNgfqxejDbHM_gZ8622TQqCfNdF

Lifestyle - Top Diet Myths Exposed

If you're so committed to losing weight that you refuse to eat a baked potato for fear of eating empty carbs, you might be missing out on important nutrients and backing your diet into a corner. Open your mind to the truth behind these diet and weight myths and learn how to enjoy some of your favorite foods again.

Myth 1: Potatoes and bread are fattening.
Actually: It's just the opposite. Starchy vegetables and bread (whole-grain bread, that is) are quality carbs needed to fuel every part of you, from your brain to your muscles. What gets you into trouble is how you eat them: Smear butter on a slice of whole-wheat bread or deep-fry potatoes and you can double, triple, or quadruple the calories.

Myth 2: Drinking a glass of water before a meal curbs appetite.
Actually: Yes and no. Water tames appetite if it's incorporated into food, such as soup, or a thick drink, like V8 100% Vegetable Juice. Apparently, when water is bound to food, digestion is slower, explains Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of 10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman's Diet.

That's why women in one study found chicken-rice soup more satisfying than chicken-rice casserole and a glass of water -- even though the soup had 27% fewer calories! One exception to this rule: It's easy to confuse hunger and thirst, so if you find yourself craving something -- but what? -- drink a big glass of water and wait a few minutes. You may find that's what your body really wanted.

Myth 3: Shellfish is high in cholesterol.
Actually: On the one hand, it's true: Just 3 ounces of shrimp delivers more than a third of your daily cholesterol. But there's a surprising flip side to this story: Shrimp is low in saturated fat -- the kind that becomes artery-clogging bad cholesterol -- and has a smidgen of heart-healthy omega-3s. In fact, University of Southern California researchers discovered that eating shellfish, such as shrimp, every week reduced heart attack risk by 59 percent!

Myth 4: The occasional burger and fries won't kill you.
Actually: It depends on your definition of "occasional." If occasional means every Friday night and then some, well, you may be pushing it. But if it means every few months, and you're fit, and you've got good numbers (i.e., weight, waist size, cholesterol, blood pressure), AND you're chowing down on vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and other nutritious fare most other days, hey, you'll live. But few of us are that perfect. If you do occasionally indulge, offset the effects of a fat fiesta with a brisk 90-minute walk afterward.

Myth 5: Women naturally gain weight after menopause.
Actually: While you can blame a lot of things on hormones (everything from acne to PMS), in this case, slowing down physically is far more likely the cause. Study after study has found that older women who exercise regularly and vigorously can maintain their figures.

Myth 6: Diet soda is worse than the real thing.
Actually: We all would be better off switching to water, diluted fruit juice, and green tea rather than drinking soda -- diet or regular. Both types increase kidney and heart disease risk, plus they contain acids that erode tooth enamel, inviting cavities.

Final Fact (this one's no myth): Maintaining your weight, waist, and body mass index at a desirable level can make your RealAge as much as 6 years younger.

http://health.yahoo.com/featured/29/top-diet-myths-exposed

Science - Newfound Planet Orbits Backward

Updated 11:05 a.m. ET

Planets orbit stars in the same direction that the stars rotate. They all do. Except one.

A newfound planet orbits the wrong way, backward compared to the rotation of its host star. Its discoverers think a near-collision may have created the retrograde orbit, as it is called.

The star and its planet, WASP-17, are about 1,000 light-years away. The setup was found by the UK's Wide Area Search for Planets (WASP) project in collaboration with Geneva Observatory. The discovery was announced today but has not yet been published in a journal.

"I would have to say this is one of the strangest planets we know about," said Sara Seager, an astrophysicist at MIT who was not involved in the discovery.

What's going on

A star forms when a cloud of gas and dust collapses. Whatever movement the cloud had becomes intensified as it condenses, determining the rotational direction of the star. How planets form is less certain. They are, however, known to develop out of the leftover, typically disk-shaped mass of gas and dust that swirls around a newborn star, so whatever direction that material is moving, which is the direction of the star's rotation, becomes the direction of the planet's orbit.

WASP-17 likely had a close encounter with a larger planet, and the gravitational interaction acted like a slingshot to put WASP-17 on its odd course, the astronomers figure.

"I think it's extremely exciting. It's fascinating that we can study orbits of planets so far away," Seager told SPACE.com. "There's always theory, but there's nothing like an observation to really prove it."

Cosmic collisions are not uncommon. Earth's moon was made when our planet collided with a Mars-sized object, astronomers think. And earlier this week NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope found evidence of two planets colliding around a distant, young star. Some moons in our solar system are on retrograde orbits, perhaps at least in some cases because they were flying through space alone and then captured; that's thought to be the case with Neptune's large moon Triton.

The find was made by graduate students David Anderson at Keele University and Amaury Triaud of the Geneva Observatory.

Bloated world

WASP-17 is about half the mass of Jupiter but bloated to twice its size. "This planet is only as dense as expanded polystyrene, 70 times less dense than the planet we're standing on," said professor Coel Hellier of Keele University.

The bloated planet can be explained by a highly elliptical orbit, which brings it close to the star and then far away. Like exaggerated tides on Earth, the tidal effects on WASP-17 heat and stretch the planet, the researchers suggest.

The tides are not a daily affair, however. "Instead it's creating a huge amount of friction on the inside of the planet and generating a lot of energy, which might be making the planet big and puffy," Seager said.

WASP-17 is the 17th extrasolar planet found by the WASP project, which monitors hundreds of thousands of stars, watching for small dips in their light when a planet transits in front of them. NASA's Kepler space observatory is using the same technique to search for Earth-like worlds.

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Manson follower known as 'Squeaky' out of prison

By ANGELA K. BROWN, Associated Press Writer Angela K. Brown, Associated Press Writer – Fri Aug 14, 5:53 pm ET

FORT WORTH, Texas – Three decades after basking in the national spotlight as "Squeaky" the infamous Charles Manson disciple who tried to assassinate President Gerald Ford, the now 60-year-old woman slipped quietly out of a federal prison Friday after being released on parole.

Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme eluded the media as she left Fort Worth's Federal Medical Center Carswell in one of the many cars streaming in and out of the front gate Friday morning. She previously refused interview requests, and prison officials would not say where she planned to live or what she planned to do after more than 30 years behind bars.

It was a far cry from her antics that captivated the nation's attention in the 1970s: shaving her red hair and carving an "X" into her forehead after Manson was convicted for orchestrating a mass murder, wearing a red robe when she pulled a gun on Ford, and being carried into her trial courtroom by marshals when she refused to walk.

In September 1975, Fromme pushed through a crowd, drew a semiautomatic .45-caliber pistol from a thigh holster and pointed it at Ford, who was shaking hands with well-wishers while walking to the California State Capitol in Sacramento. Secret Service agents grabbed her and the gun, and Ford was unhurt.

Fromme was a college student before joining Manson's "family," where she reportedly got her nickname because of her voice. She was never implicated in the 1969 murders of actress Sharon Tate and eight others, for which Manson is serving a life term in Corcoran State Prison in California. By many accounts, Fromme took over the group after that because Manson had always relied on her.

During her own trial, Fromme either refused to attend or had outbursts. Her attorney John Virga argued that she simply wanted to call attention to environmental issues and Manson's case and never meant to kill Ford. A few bullets were in the gun but not in the chamber.

"She was very articulate and soft-spoken ... but you could see a noticeable change in her demeanor when you mentioned Manson," Virga told The Associated Press on Friday. "I think she was an example of a young woman who was led astray and got caught up in someone she shouldn't have."

Fromme was convicted and got a life term, becoming the first person sentenced under a special federal law covering assaults on U.S. presidents, a statute enacted after President John F. Kennedy's 1963 assassination.

She later was sentenced to 15 years in prison, which was tacked onto her life term for threats against the president, after escaping in 1987 from a women's prison in Alderson, W.Va. She was recaptured two days later a few miles away after a massive search. Fromme had said she escaped to be closer to Manson after hearing rumors that he was dying.

Fromme was granted parole in July 2008 for "good conduct time" but was not released until Friday because of the additional time for her escape, prison officials said.

She will be on supervised release for two years, where general conditions include reporting regularly to a parole officer, not associating with criminals or owning guns or leaving the area, said Tom Hutchison, a U.S. Parole Commission spokesman. He declined to say where Fromme will live or if she will have to meet additional conditions sometimes imposed on parolees, depending on their crimes.

It's unclear if Fromme will return to California. Some of her relatives who still live there did not immediately return calls to The AP on Friday. Virga, who has not communicated with Fromme since the trial, said relatives did not attend the trial but that Fromme always spoke highly of her mother and siblings.

Fromme had been at the Fort Worth prison since 1998. The facility specializes in providing medical and mental health services to female offenders and also has a maximum-security unit, a minimum-security camp and an area for low-security inmates, Douglas said, declining to say where Fromme had been housed.

Prison officials previously said she was placed in the maximum-security unit for inmates who have escaped or been involved in assaults.

Fromme started out at the West Virginia prison, then was transferred to the prison at Pleasanton, Calif., in 1978 after officials said she had become a "model inmate." But she was sent back to West Virginia in 1979 as punishment for hitting another inmate with a hammer while the two tended a garden on the prison grounds. She later was moved to Lexington, Ky., and then to Marianna, Fla.

Fromme declined a recent interview request from The AP.

In 2005, Fromme responded to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's interview request with a 35-line letter in elegant cursive handwriting, the newspaper reported. At the time she had not sought release, although she became eligible for parole in 1985.

"I stood up and waved a gun (at Ford) for a reason," she wrote. "I was so relieved not to have to shoot it, but, in truth, I came to get life. Not just my life but clean air, healthy water and respect for creatures and creation."

Associated Press videojournalist Rich Matthews contributed to this report.

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Russian envoy: search continues for missing ship

MOSCOW – Russia's envoy to NATO said Sunday that operations to find a missing freighter and its 15 Russian crew members are in full swing and he was optimistic of quick success.

Russian and European maritime officials are searching for the Maltese-flagged Arctic Sea and its euro1.3 million ($1.8 million) cargo of timber. Dmitry Rogozin told state-run Vesti TV that Russian officials are in close contact with their NATO counterparts.

"The operation is ... unfolding positively. It's giving us reason to hope for success," Rogozin said.

The Finnish-owned Arctic Sea, which its owners said was carrying timber, set sail from Finland on July 23 headed for Algeria. The next day, the crew reported, about a dozen men boarded the ship near the Swedish island of Gotland, tied up the crew, beat them, said they were looking for drugs and then sped off in an inflatable craft.

The ship continued its journey but disappeared last month after passing through the English Channel.

The French Navy on Saturday said the ship was most likely near Cape Verde, off West Africa. Finnish authorities reported that the ship's owners had received a ransom demand, but they gave no further details.

Viktor Matveyev, director with the ship's operator Solchart, did not answer calls to his mobile phone in Finland on Sunday.

Nick Davis, a British maritime security expert with the Merchant Maritime Warfare Center, said he believed the ship was probably off Africa's coast, possibly near Sierra Leone or Cameroon.

"If it's a bona fide ransom that's been demanded, that would lead me to believe the vessel is at its safe destination where the hijackers feel they are able to extort money," Davis said.

Davis also said he thought the ship's disappearance appeared to be a well-planned hijack and was likely the result of a commercial dispute, rather than the sort of opportunistic piracy carried out by pirates off Africa's east coast.

(This version CORRECTS name of company in graf 7.)

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