Vicky's Cancer

Excerpts from his blog:

The first album formed during the treatment of my cancer medication, chemotherapy and radiation. Around the world many die because of this painful disease and the therapy. To overcome the pain and the trauma, music was the soul thought and expressing it in words with the lyrics attached is the best known way to heal. I went through 8 chemos and 19 radiations, every song in this album was a journey of expressions, thoughts, memories…This is my way to support and respect all my friends undergoing the treatment that they are not alone and I am with them and so is GOD. Just hang in there you will be fine… read more here.

Watch the Maula video he made:

Music Saved My Soul

New York New Year

In the United States, New Year’s Eve is a major social holiday. One of the top destination cities for New Year’s Eve from 2003 to 2006 has been New York. Las Vegas’s America’s Party? is also attracting a large number of New Year’s Eve party goers with the famous Las Vegas Strip being closed to vehicles and fireworks launched from numerous rooftops.

In the past 100 years the “ball dropping” on top of One Times Square in New York City, broadcast to all of America (and rebroadcast in many other countries), is a major component of the New Year celebration. The 11,875-pound (5,386 kg), 12-foot (3.7 m) diameter Waterford crystal ball located high above Times Square is lowered, starting at 11:59:00pm and reaching the bottom of its tower 60 seconds later, at the stroke of midnight (12:00:00am). This is repeated in many towns and cities across the United States. From 1981 to 1988, New York City dropped an enlarged apple in recognition of its nickname. It is sometimes referred to as “the big apple” like the city itself; the custom derives from the time signal that used to be given at noon in harbors.

From 1972 through 2007 (except in 1999), Dick Clark hosted televised coverage of the event called Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, shown on ABC, and now renamed Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest for the arrival of 2009. The show did not air for the arrival of 2000 as it was preempted by ABC 2000 Today. From 1956 to 1976 on CBS, Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians serenaded the United States from the ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel on Park Avenue in New York City. The Royal Canadians continued on CBS until 1978, and Happy New Year, America replaced it in 1979, continuing until 1995. The song Auld Lang Syne has become a popular song to sing at midnight on New Year’s Eve, with the Lombardo version being the standard. NBC also has hosted New Year’s coverage; traditionally, the networks’ late night hosts have hosted special editions of their regular shows (including a special Central Time Zone-specific countdown on Late Night with Conan O’Brien), but since 2005, the network has opted for a special entitled New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly. Fox, CNN, and Fox News Channel also have their own New Year’s specials.

Some of the famous events in New York on New Year’s eve:

• Times Square All Access Pass :  Access Multiple Times Square Parties & SEE THE BALL DROP!!!! Thu, Dec 31, 09 6:00 PM – 4:00 AM
• Bryant Park Grill : Bring in 2010 in style at Bryant Park Grill, Thu, Dec 31, 09 10:00 PM – 4:00 AM
  China Grill : NYC’s #1 Upscale Party in Times Square – A Night to Remember, Thu, Dec 31, 09 9:30 PM – 3:00 AM
  Bourbon Street : Mardi Gras Themed New Years Eve Party in Times Square!, Thu, Dec 31, 09 8:00 PM – 4:00 AM
  Espace : Rated Most Exclusive Party in the Heart of Times Square!, Thu, Dec 31, 09 9:00 PM – 3:00 AM
  Mars 2112 in Times Square : Rated #1 Themed Nightclub in Times Square, Thu, Dec 31, 09 9:00 PM – 4:00 AM
  Sequoia : Alizé presents New Years Eve on the Water ,Thu, Dec 31, 09 9:00 PM – 3:00 AM
  Carlton Hotel : Voted New York’s Most Glamorous Hotel Party on New Years, Thu, Dec 31, 09 9:00 PM – 3:00 AM
  Webster Hall : Music by “MSTRKRFT” at the Annual New Year’s Eve Ball ,Thu, Dec 31, 09 8:00 PM – 9:00 AM
• Bryant Park Grill : Bring in 2010 in style at Bryant Park Grill, Thu, Dec 31, 09 10:00 PM – 4:00 AM
• China Grill : NYC’s #1 Upscale Party in Times Square – A Night to Remember, Thu, Dec 31, 09 9:30 PM – 3:00 AM
• Bourbon Street : Mardi Gras Themed New Years Eve Party in Times Square!, Thu, Dec 31, 09 8:00 PM – 4:00 AM
• Espace : Rated Most Exclusive Party in the Heart of Times Square!, Thu, Dec 31, 09 9:00 PM – 3:00 AM
• Mars 2112 in Times Square : Rated #1 Themed Nightclub in Times Square, Thu, Dec 31, 09 9:00 PM – 4:00 AM
• Sequoia : Alizé presents New Years Eve on the Water ,Thu, Dec 31, 09 9:00 PM – 3:00 AM
• Carlton Hotel : Voted New York’s Most Glamorous Hotel Party on New Years, Thu, Dec 31, 09 9:00 PM – 3:00 AM
• Webster Hall : Music by “MSTRKRFT” at the Annual New Year’s Eve Ball ,Thu, Dec 31, 09 8:00 PM – 9:00 AM

Someecards' Obama Shoe Polish Joke (Click to see larger image)

Above is the screen-shot one of the e-cards that the website www.someecards.com had published on occasion of Halloween. This e-card was also available in its iPhone application and seems like Apple contacted Someecards to remove the ecard from the iPhone app which it removed promptly (else Apple would have definitely banned the app from iTune store).

I tough to judge if the e-card content actually falls under racism or it is just a poor joke. But I definitely think this is one of the lamest joke which involves race! Be your own judge, vote below and lets us know what you think about this?

Now coming back to the topic, yes, you can shrink a head using an app on webpage of Nat Geo (click here). For demo I tried to shrink Adolf Hitler’s head and you can check the result below. You try putting your boss’ head into this app and shrink his/her head and have fun. Enjoy at your own risk!

Picasa Web Album

The Temple of the Warriors (Templo de los Guerreros) in ChichŽn Itz‡, Yucat‡n, Mexico

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL INVESTIGATES

THE SCIENCE BEHIND ANCIENT CLUES IN

2012: COUNTDOWN TO ARMAGEDDON

(Premieres Sunday, November 8, 2009, at 8 PM ET/PT)

What if the Maya were right about the end of humanity as we know it? Would fire pour from the sky, buildings shatter, floods destroy the nation’s capital and Los Angeles slide into the Pacific? That’s how Hollywood is interpreting the end of the Maya great calendar cycle on December 21, 2012, in the new movie “2012” with John Cusack. Is there truth behind the compelling myth that has captured the popular imagination? Now an unexpected discovery points to a catastrophic Earth event, perhaps suggesting we are doomed to repeat it … could this be a scientific basis for the date ancient Maya astronomers anticipated thousands of years ago?

National Geographic Channel examines the evidence behind the Maya calendar prophecies in 2012: Countdown to Armageddon, premiering Sunday, November 8, 2009, at 8 p.m. ET/PT. Follow Princeton University scientist Adam Maloof to three continents on a detective story that spans eons — with clues embedded in the oldest rocks on the planet. Is there evidence of global upheaval on a massive scale? What can be gleaned from the technically advanced celestial orientation of the Maya ruins? What were the Maya hoping to record in their comprehensive astronomy text called the Dresden Codex? And does a discovery from a melting glacier offer provocative signs of devastating change in ancient Maya times?

The Maya believed that everything — including creation and destruction — occurred in cycles. Their calendar spanned five cycles, each lasting approximately 5,200 years. At the end of each cycle before this one, the Maya believed the current, flawed creation had to be destroyed for the world to be born again. Some believe the end of the current cycle on December 21, 2012, is an apocalyptic sign. And those who see a connection between the complex and incredibly accurate Maya calendar and a prophecy that the world will end in 2012 point to an unexpected discovery in 2003 by Maloof and a team of scientists as proof.

What if ancient Maya myths were to come true in 2012? Maloof says, “We would expect an absolutely spectacular catastrophe; it would affect every single person on every continent.”

China Women Militia "The Femme Fatale"

No offense and all due respect to the fairer sex but this regiment of Chinese Army a civilian reserve force under China’s secretive military is one to die for. China recently celebrated its 60th anniversary of communism and it showed its military prowess to the world. This regiment added the glamor quotient to the celebration.

Watch the parade video here:

Surgery

The latest trend is to climb the corporate ladder with the help of plastic surgery. Today, more and more, people are opting to go under the knife as a way to get ahead at the office. If your features start to droop, the theory is, your career will go sour.
Why do people take such desperate measures to get ahead? Joe Scarborough discussed this with Dr. Anthony Griffin (Plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills) and Dr. Robi Ludwig(Psychotherapist).

According to Dr. Anthony Griffin being in a competitive, youth-oriented, visual world right now, everyone needs edge over others. He further said that its quite common, in fact the the statistics from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons has shown that, over the last couple of years, men have been actually one of the fastest-growing groups of getting plastic surgery. Dr. Anthony Griffin further said that he often comes across who are quite sure that they are psychologically ready for this. There are many technologies such as fillers, collagen, Restylane, lasers which don‘t even actually involve a surgical procedure.

Robi Ludwig on the other hand said that it is the Hollywood effect. According to him people today compare themselves to billboards and visions of beauty that are altered by cosmetic surgery. Looking at these images, they tend to look at themselves differently in a more negative way. He said the whole perception is that if you want to be competitive and well received in the workplace, you need to look good. It’s basically a desire to look beautiful which is manifesting in a slightly different way because of medical technology.

Ludwig mentioned two stages of plastic surgery, one is the vanity surgery, where somebody who‘s attractive, want to be more attractive and the other is the self-esteem surgery for the people who have a distraction or something that doesn‘t allows to focus on them or what they have to say. The biggest increase is in the area of Self- Esteem surgery that helps the person to build the self-esteem.

The conversation ended when all of them agreed that if surgery helps someone feel better, and it‘s safe, there is no harm in it.

The Ultimate Fighter

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is back with the tenth season. This time it has been named The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights. The season debuted on Spike TV on September 16, 2009, following UFC Fight Night 19. The casting this time has called for mixed-martial artists in the middleweight, light-heavyweight, and heavyweight divisions. On the day of tryouts, 250 potential fighters appeared including UFC fighters, International Fight League fighters, and former National Football League football players. As with the previous season, all applicants were required to have a professional MMA record. This season does not feature an elimination round as in the past few seasons. All competitors invited to Las Vegas for the show’s taping participated in the entire season. The finale will be held on December 5, 2009 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Cast

The Ultimate Fighter - Cast

Team Rashad

Coaches – Rashad Evans, Greg Jackson, Trevor Wittman, Mike van Arsdale

Fighters – Jon Madsen, James McSweeney, Matt Mitrione, Roy Nelson, Brendan Schaub, Darrill Schoonover, Mike Wessel, Justin Wren

Team Rampage

Coaches - Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Tom Blackledge, Tiki Ghosn, Hector Ramirez

Fighters – Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson, Zak Jensen, Marcus Jones, Scott Junk, Demico Rogers, Wes Shivers, Wes Sims, Abe Wagner

Fight Schedule