INTO THE FIGHT: LATEST PICTURE UPDATES ON LIBYA

    Satellite image of Sirte

    Gadhafi tank near Ajdabiya

    Rebels in Ras Lanuf

    Open fire near Bin Jawad

Gandhi; a defining moment of shock

http://highdefinitionphotosandwallpapers.blogspot.com/2011/02/mahatma-gandhi-imgemahatma-gandhi.html

Mahatma Gandhi fans across the world, brace yourselves. Because the man who cared for his country and family may not look so straight anymore. According to new sources by British writer Joseph Lelyveld 'Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi And His Struggle With India' in his new book; Gandhi left his wife he had married when he was 14 and lived in South African with German body builder and architect Hermann Kallenbach for two years in the same house. Gandhi also cited before that whenever he thought of vaseline and cotton wool he would think of Kallenbach. This new biography also exposes other peeves of Gandhi, and his activities with his niece that bring new insight into the life of Gandhi. This very likely will bring uproar and horrendous shock to Gandhi fans around the world who worship him at a god like status.

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1370554/Gandhi-left-wife-live-male-lover-new-book-claims.html

And we remember...

Perhaps now at a time of mourning for Liz, we can recount the words she once said, in mourning for her best friend, and know that she is in a better place now with Michael and the people she loves.

“My heart … my mind … are broken. I loved Michael with all my soul and I can’t imagine life without him. We had so much in common and we had such loving fun together. I was packing up my clothes to go to London for his opening when I heard the news. I still can’t believe it. I don’t want to believe it. It can’t be so. He will live in my heart forever but it’s not enough. My life feels so empty. I don’t think anyone knew how much we loved each other. The purest most giving love I’ve ever known. Oh God! I’m going to miss him. I can’t yet imagine life without him. But I guess with God’s help … I’ll learn. I keep looking at the photo he gave me of himself, which says, ‘To my true love Elizabeth, I love you forever.’ And, I will love HIM forever.”


Source of quote: http://www.fadedyouthblog.com/115011/elizabeth-taylor-issues-a-statement-about-the-death-of-michael-jackson33

May you rest in peace-living a life of glamour, Elizabeth Taylor

As of recent reports, Elizabeth Taylor aged 79 has died of congestive heart failure. Famous for her role as Cleopatra and other memorable roles, the beauty and talent of Liz lives on in our hearts.

http://www.comcast.net

Kate Middleton vs. Princess Diana; why compare?

http://guestofaguest.com/why-dont-you/why-dont-you-channel-princess-diana/

http://dailymaxam.com/2010/11/23/prince-william-engaged-but-who-is-kate-middleton/

http://www.stylelist.com/2011/01/26/kate-middleton-vs-princess-diana-who-is-more-stylish/

With the royal wedding almost under way, many media outlets have been comparing Kate and Diana. Monica Ali sums up the lives of these different "Princesses" and why the general public loves comparing them so much. 

"And we want to feel that we've "learned the lessons" from Diana's life, and the way it turned into a tragedy. We want to know that Kate has learned them too, and commentators have approvingly noted that she keeps her mouth shut and her lawyer in the wings, apparently acting on the hindsight of Diana's legacy.

But, for all that we wouldn't wish Diana's difficulties on Kate, there is a part of us that longs for another Diana, and that is why her daughter-in-law to be faces the unending comparisons.

Diana was a fascinating, warm-hearted individual, who reached out to the public as no other royal before her. She was a gorgeous bundle of trouble who broke the mold, and in so doing, captured many millions of hearts around the globe. We'd never seen her like before and I doubt we ever will again. Comparisons, in the end, are futile. Kate is her own person, but Diana was one of a kind."

-Monica Ali comparing Kate Middleton to the late Princess Diana

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/OPINION/03/14/uk.monica.ali.comment/index.html

The True Story of Lech Walesa

An inspirational film about the Solidarity leader and President of Poland, Lech Walesa. A man who can be defined as "living history".

http://www.buymrbongo.com

THE HOLY LAND; the place with the purest oil in the world, and what they're going to do with it

http://www.spaceandmotion.com

Libya, now known as a holy land, as the democratic powers form in another imperialist like league in their hunt for oil. Primarily involved is the French President Mr. Sarkozy.

Libyan oil is actually the purest in the world because it does not require, a second process to enhance it as oil from other countries needs. Thus, the power holders of the world are now very keen to get their hands on this god foresaken place called Libya.

In this bid for more oil, and now added onto that slogan "better oil", Obama (the beloved president that he is), may not be holding his hand out for Libya at all but could in turn be seen as an oil mongorer type personality, like that of George W. Bush.

It can be understood why Mr. Sarkozy wants all this oil, sure France has had its downward moments in history. But now they want to step above the US trenches and gain some oil for themselves; for France, the "gold" of the 21st century I suppose. So in turn these presidents fighting for their countries will power and "gold", can also be seen as "gold diggers" or in this case perhaps "oil diggers".

In America's bid for democracy worldwide, once again, bringing up the Truman Doctrine "we have a duty to protect the free nations of the world (aiding small nations under violent, corrupt, and unjust rule)"-it is not difficult to understand Obama's motive for moving into Libya, but the truth is Libya could turn out to be another Iran or Afghanistan, in worse circumstances maybe even like Iraq. The point is once a country or a few countries decide to mobilize; bring their troops into the place, they can't just get the freakin' hell out of there, they need to help build the government ground up after defeating the Gadhafi forces. Thus, the future of the Libyan nation is now in the hands of capitalist France, USA, and Britain. All these countries were once well known colonizers as well, would it be surprising to say that the new diminishing of terrorist states, like Libya, or Iraq; is just a new way of colonizing, may the term "terronizing be suggested"?

Well leave it to the big three here to decide who is terrorizing who, personally there is lots of irony in the current situation in Libya, and not just from one perspective either.

Where they're based, what they're landing, where they're landing

Read the article at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1368043/Libya-US-Tomahawk-missiles-herald-beginning-end-Gaddafi.html

I’m a Chinese resident, get me outta here!

 http://www.ausbt.com.au/china-blocking-gmail-and-secure-vpns

A RECOUNT FROM FRIDAY NIGHT:

Today at exactly 7:30pm or so my Express VPN failed on me. Checking all the servers I was not able to cross the Great Fire Wall Of China, and struggled to link two more VPN’s to no avail.

VPN number one: something called GoTrusted (always telling me to click “secure connection”) is actually quite insecure with itself and tried to disconnect and tether off as soon as I was connected. Loading Blogspot from GoTrust was like eating shit out of a horses’ mouth. In conclusion: it did not work. So then I decided to move on to my next VPN.

This time something called Surf VPN with a Tunnelback installation, all this is sounding very Australian somehow. This VPN required me to pay via a Google email account, which I did so, as soon as I paid, I could not get into Gmail to retrieve my password. Remembering a friend had said she couldn’t get on Gmail a few days ago, I decided that that must have been blocked by the firewall too.

Somewhere along the Googling VPN’s I found a link to an Australian business site with a post about the firewall of China blocking different sources of online media and websites. Apparently, a recent uprising of protestors on the web in China were using VPN’s to access their communication site. Thus, the Chinese government has shut them down. This site told me that Gmail is being monitored too, and that SSL VPN’s work better because it is hard for the Chinese government to monitor. Then having said this the article advised a SSL VPN Witopia at the end of the article, which upon one click on its link, quickly revealed that the VPN download site from Witopia was no longer working. Really, it is quite dumb how the site has decided to suggest and give kind and direct advice to our China resident viewers by sabotaging Witopia use in China form the start by giving it out blatantly. I think from now on we should think with our heads on this one.

Apparently the Chinese government is also blocking Skype, a product I have not had trouble accessing, apart from the somewhat irregular pauses in the system when I my status shows offline when my computer is actually connected to the internet. The site also states that the government has been joining paid VPN’s in order to figure out if the proxies actually work; to bring them down. This I personally find ironic and hilarious, binding to the phrase “if you can’t beat em’ join em’ ”. Despite the blocking of Chinese VPN’s a Chinese official in charge of the Information Office Internet Affairs Bureau of China’s ruling State Council states that there has never been a problem with corporate company VPN’s, suggesting that the government, being the “socialist” country with the capitalist characteristics it entails, does not want their censoring of protestors to influence their fair trade policy or economy and trade with foreign investors.

Later, after some more web surfing a Mr. Nyguyen’s web service blog yielded some quotes that can typically describe the fury most people like myself feel because of the censoring China is doing to its users on the world wide web. Mr. Nyguyen says “At first I thought binh.name is blocked, and I was thinking ‘Why? Did I do anything against China?’. Then when I changed the DNS to 203.12.160.35 I realized it's just China ISP has really poor DNS server that doesn't even know half of the World Wide Web. Notice the lines ‘why did I do anything against china’ and "doesn't even know half the www" really are humorous highlights to Mr. Nyguyen’s argument. His statements and quote is more like an outcry for help that many of us living here in the PRC are willing to extend and make obvious.

The Chinese government strongly censors its people and everyone living in it, I guess I would not blame the government, because every time there is a political uprising about to take place they turn it down and shut it off. How do they do it? They find how these pre-protestors are communicating on the internet, what social networking site are they using, what VPN are they using to access which site that bears a main portal of communication for them;  helping them to communicate. This communication could ultimately lead to a successful revolution, which could take place at a scale even greater than the May 4^th movements that took place a few decades ago. So for now, China is uber sensitive and watching out for every little flame that lights up in its rice fields. Seeing the North African and Arab world, with authoritarian governments and their countries at stake, in reference to the events in Egypt and Libya, it is not surprising that China may be doing this for the right reasons, to protect its government system from any reversal of fortune. Just like Syria and the like, China is blocking sites for a reason, to preserve not only the legacy of Chairman Mao, Deng, and their successors, but in a way more than others; the legacy of the Chinese people. 

Point of Interest

via: http://westernexperience.wordpress.com/

This week in pictures

MONDAY: cross country skiing in Switzerland, during the Engadin Ski Marathon near Sils

www.msnbc.com

TUESDAY: life in ruins, a woman cries as she sits in devastated in Natori, Miyagi prefecture, three days after a massive earthquake hit the area

www.msnbc.com

WEDNESDAY: Chinese people in Gansu province scramble for salt, since alkaline salts have shown to help humans resist radiation (regarding Japanese radiation having an effect on Chinese provinces)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ji2dpyPxiaTCybcTZajHpeQJWSmg?docId=CNG.1411cd01df64d8f14a45e3962493fb9a.671

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ji2dpyPxiaTCybcTZajHpeQJWSmg?docId=CNG.1411cd01df64d8f14a45e3962493fb9a.671

THURSDAY: old elegance was remembered at Paris Fashion week Christian Dior Fall 2011 runway this week, in Galliano's presumably last collection for Dior

http://luxury-mode.blogspot.com/

FRIDAY: below a boardwalk in California in the photo, a snow storm hits California, as the arctic weather brushes down on the United States

France moves in

All out war to breakout in Libya?

     http://westernexperience.wordpress.com/

As of this week, France, Britain, and the USA are bringing in military support to bring down Gadhafi's military forces. The French airforce has already fired down eight or so Libyan military jets, and hundreds of people have been reported dead from the jet bombing incidents. As the west moves in to make their mark on redefining Libya, it looks like a war might break out, or perhaps has already started.

FACT: you can measure radiation.

     http://yfrog.com/gy7cvltj

Stumbling across Anderson Cooper's Twitter on Friday, it appears that Japan has these radiation testers, like the one above to measure the amount of radiation that is exposed to our bodies.

Is Facebook defining us or are our lives defining Facebook?

     http://nccattle.com/
Recently, having setup my VPN, I've spent an awful lot of my time on Facebook again. I started thinking about all the good friends I have on Facebook, and why many of us are not tagged in as many pictures together as I would've liked, or thought we should've taken. Then I read a Facebook blog post about how Facebook messaging allows us all to connect with friends and family without feeling the barrier of technology; how Facebook messaging allows us to talk to a friend or relative regardless of their preference to send emails or messages. Because they will receive them all the same.

Then I thought about some of my less talked to friends in real life, who have moved far far away from me, and the last time I saw them was probably four years ago. If we didn't have Facebook would I still be talking to them now? I also started thinking about how we like to document things more on Facebook then people ever did in their diaries before the Facebook days. Would I take pictures of myself all the time whenever I go to an important or fun event with my friends? Would I Facebook status or Twitter feed my Facebook all my micro blogging phrases? The answer is probably no. With Facebook these days, we are more prone to living our lives by defining every aspect and relationship in it almost. It is more likely, I suppose, that Facebook is defining us, mankind all over again. Yet because of the major events that hapen in life, our lives define Facebook as well.

I think this argument could go both ways. This would definitely make for a good debate topic. Facebook defining our lives, or our lives defining Facebook; I can't really see a winner there, but at least we know that Facebook is increasing the relationship productivity of people around the world, and helping every one of us in our journey to journalistic self discovery, a hobby most people relish without knowing today.

The stretch over the East China Sea; Fukushima to Shanghai

A few days ago it had been reported that levels of radiation at Fukushima Nuclear Plant had risen to 20 times its normal radiation level, and that everyone within 3-4 kilometers of the plant had evacuated.

Having received a message from anonymous, it has been reported that as of 4pm (GMT+8) today radiation levels from Japan's Fukushima Nuclear Plant have increased dramatically to levels comparable with that of Chernoble in the past and have spread to Shanghai. It is believed that through rain and humid weather such radiation levels may even spread to Beijing. We have been warned that once rain occurs we should close our windows, as the radiation could do damage to our skin.

Just when the world thought it could breathe a sigh of relief, tragedy affecting the entire globe seems to strike again. Let us pray for the Japanese people, and everyone else under this perpetual nuclear radiation.

THE WORST THAT EVER HIT-Japan's horror unveiled

    Miyagi Prefecture

    Icihara, Chiba Prefecture, East Tokyo

    factory zone in  Sendai

    Ishinomaki City, Miyagi

Galliano's victim defends him

http://bbook.tumblr.com/post/2365780138/victorian-fangs-eva-green-john-galliano

A few weeks ago, it had been announced that John Galliano had been let go by the house of Dior and is due to be held in jail for 6 months. As of recent reports, Galliano's alleged victim Philippe Virgitti and his girlfriend Geraldine Bloch, from one out of the two incidents where Galliano verbally assaulted people in bar La Perla in October 2010 -has spoken out to La Parisian newspaper on behalf of the incident. This could mean that Galliano's trial will be abandoned.

According to Virgitti, Galliano told Miss Bloch that her voice was too loud, and did everything he could do to annoy and humiliate the couple. The bar staff did nothing to constrain Mr. Galliano, since he was a regular patron, but only brought him another mojito. Virgitti has said that he was annoyed by the bar staff for this, but pleads that Galliano is not guilty, that he is simply ill and that he was probably more drunk than he was anti-semitist when he verbally attacked him and Miss Bloch.

Virgitti is to be examined in front of a court in July. As he himself states 'But ultimately it was just a bust-up in a bar and I hope this business does not end up destroying him.'

Nuclear power plant nuked by natural disaster

Prior to the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that hit around Sendai May 10 this week. Smoke was seen coming from Fukushima a nuclear power plant where several workers were injured. 

The reactor building at a nuclear power station in Japan has exploded after the massive earthquake damaged its cooling system.

Four workers suffered fractures in the blast and white smoke was seen pouring from the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

There were fears the reactor at the site could melt down and radiation levels around the plant had already reached 20 times the normal.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1365536/Japan-earthquake-tsunami-Nuclear-meltdown-explosion-vast-power-plant.html#ixzz1GOY02e7F


In response to the severity of the affect of the earthquake on the plant, Richard Black of BBC sums it up:

Richard BlackEnvironment correspondent, BBC News

The term "meltdown" raises associations with two nuclear accidents in living memory: Three Mile Island in the US in 1979, and Chernobyl in Ukraine in 1986.

In both, excess heat in the reactor caused fuel to melt - and in the first, wider melting of the core. The question is whether the same thing has happened in Fukushima.

It appears that the reactor was shut down well before any melting occurred, which should reduce considerably the risk of radioactive materials entering the environment.

However, the detection of caesium isotopes outside the power station buildings could imply that the core has been exposed to the air.

Although Japan has a long and largely successful nuclear power programme, officials have been less than honest about some incidents in the past, meaning that official re-assurances are unlikely to convince everyone this time round.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12720219

This week in pictures

MONDAY: PEDESTRIANS LOOK ON AS WORLD TRADE TOWERS SITE CONTINUES NEW CONSTRUCTION

http://manhattan.ny1.com/content/top_stories/135293/9-11-a-decade-later--glass-atrium-rises-at-wtc-memorial-site

http://news.nationalpost.com/photo_gallery/photos-of-the-day-march-7-2011-2/

TUESDAY: GARY LOCKE (SECOND GEN CHINESE) PROPOSED BY OBAMA AS NEW AMERICAN AMBASSADOR TO CHINA
http://www.allgov.com/Appointments_and_Resignations/ViewNews/Ambassador_to_China__Who_is_Gary_Locke_110308

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Barack_Obama,_Joe_Biden_%26_Gary_Locke_2-25-09.jpg

WEDNESDAY: AMERICA PROPOSES NO FLY ZONE, IS READY TO HEAD TO LIBYA BUT ONLY WITH INT'L SUPPORT
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/03/09/pentagon-gates-ruled-fly-zone-libya/

THURSDAY: LIBYAN REBEL OPENS FIRE ON GOVERNMENT JETS
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1364721/Libya-war-Rebels-Gaddafis-artillery-rocket-grenades.html

FRIDAY: DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI HITS JAPAN
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42023385/ns/world_news-asiapacific/?gt1=43001

http://blogamole.tr3s.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/japan-earthquake-tsunami.jpg

Mark Zukerberg takes over Apple from Steve Jobs?

With Steve Jobs sick and out of work, apart from unveiling the February release of ipad2, the world is in a worry over whether Job's will be able to return to work in the future, and keep creating magic for Apple. In past years, Job's' had pancreatic cancer, was treated, had a transplant, and got back to work. 

It is rumored that Jobs has recently been to the Stanford Cancer Center, which could mean that his cancer is back. Apple's stock rose March 3 yesterday when ipad2 was launched and Job's was there to unveil it, it could have been just the excitement of ipad2 being out that led to an increase in overall stock, but then again it leads to the question if Apple is able to sustain its magic without the leadership of Jobs. It has been reported that Apple stocks have been down 1.1% from its usual cycle, but rose the day Jobs unveiled ipad to a high of $354.23 and eventually closed the market at $352.12.  

Apple's current standing and Jobs' current health condition pose a question, could Mark Zukerberg take over Apple from Steve Jobs? At this point it may be too early to say, but one thing is for sure, Apple and Facebook are some of the strongest technology companies out there today, Apple needs a new CEO and Facebook is looking in on how they can dominate the technology gadget market like Apple and Google. Zukerberg may not be as smooth as Jobs is as a CEO, but then Zukerberg still has many years ahead of him. The collision of Apple and Facebook could mean one of the greatest things ever. The world's favorite social networking site, teams up with the world's greatest technology device maker, we the consumer get the best of both worlds. Imagine Apple's Facebook, a social networking site for Apple users, something much more complicated, creative, and fun then Apple's Face Time or ichat. So one day hopefully the joining of Apple and Facebook may come. 

Based on Zukerberg's resumé we'd say that it's highly possible Facebook and Apple could team up, any time soon!

Genius in the downfall? Or just a hectic day? Dior's head designer gets sacked!

http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/party-snaps/celebrities-at-spring-couture-shows-0109

John Galliano, genius designer to the house of Dior was let go today. After publicly slurring words of anti semitism: “I love Hitler” and that “people like you would be dead,” and “your mothers, your forefathers” would all be “gassed.” to two other customers at a bar last Tuesday, proven by a video made on site. He was questioned by the police last Thursday.


Actress Natalie Portman who is the new face of Miss Dior Perfume Chérie has commented that after she has seen Galliano's video she feels disgusted by him, and is proud of her Jewish hertiage, refusing to take part in any relations with Galliano. 


The incident on Tuesday happened in the La Perle district which is a traditional Jewish block, which has seen an increase in its gay population over the years. Galliano's Lawyer Stephane Zerbib could not be reached for comment. 


Read the rest at: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/02/fashion/02dior.html?_r=1

"Where do I go from here?" Is Gaddafi lost?

After his own citizens have tried repeatedly to charge him out of the country, also permanently damaging his home a few days ago. The troublesome woes of Muammar Gaddafi continue, as his next destination geographically remains a question. 


Despite UN Sanctions imposing a travel ban on the Libyan leader, White House representative Jay Carney has stated that exile could be a choice for Gaddafi, though he has not mentioned if the U.S. is willing to facilitate him. While Hillary Clinton has stated: 


"Gaddafi and those around him must be held accountable for these acts, which violate international legal obligations and common decency," 


Demanding that Gaddafi be brough to justice. 


There are possible countries willing to host Gaddafi as Zimbabwe has been rumored to be a possibility, being a dictatorship run state. Although Gaddafi has said more than once that he will "live and die on Libyan soil".

http://www.newappsblog.com/2011/02/al-jazeera-on-gaddafis-coked-up-tirade.html

Oscar dresses ablaze!

If the Oscar's were about the best dress and not the best movie, than these ladies and their outfits would definitely win the gold. It sounds ridiculous, but they surely wore their dresses good!

Halle Berry in Marchesa

 Natalie Portman in Rodarte

Mila Kunis in Elie Saab

All images via www.zimbio.com