Beijing brushes off Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy"

China gave short shrift to U.S. rockers Guns N' Roses' controversial new album "Chinese Democracy" Tuesday, saying the music was bad and that they were not that popular anyway. The band's first album in 17 years was released Sunday and its Geffen Records label has already said it thinks it unlikely to be approved for release in China. "As far as I know, many people don't like this kind of music," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a news briefing. "It's too noisy and clamorous." Formed in California in 1985, the band has sold over 100 million albums worldwide and won many international music awards. Their 1987 hit single "Sweet Child o' Mine" is frequently voted one of the great rock tracks of all time. But their new album has drawn a furious response from some Chinese Internet users, who read more...................

Blogging from 25,000 feet

Blogged with the Flock Browser

For an aviation geek like me, the simple act of flying is more then enough reason to get on a plane.

So when sassy airline Virgin America offered CNET the chance to test its new Gogo in-flight Wi-Fi service, I jumped at the chance. And yes, I'm writing this 25,000 feet or so (we're still climbing) above the Northern California coast. We're cruising on an hour-long demonstration flight out of the San Francisco International Airport. Check out the slideshow for more shots.

After passing 10,000 feet, I was able to find the sky-high Wi-Fi signal and create an account within minutes. The service works faster than I expected--not as quick as my cable Internet service at home but zippy nonetheless. Yahoo and CNET loaded relatively quickly, and CNET's Kara Tsuboi was able to stream videos. I went straight to blogging, so I didn't take much of an online tour, but it looks promising. read more..........

Gamca clinics continue to exploit OFWs

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino nurse Sitti Rashidam Abdul thought that she had finally fulfilled her dream of working in Saudi Arabia after passing a hiring firm’s standards, only to be denied that opportunity by a failed medical test administered by an exclusive group of clinics.Abdul is just one of the many Filipinos who wished to work in Saudi Arabia but were not allowed after failing to pass the exam administered by member clinics of the Gulf Cooperation Council-(GCC) Accredited Medical Clinics Association (Gamca).Under Saudi hiring policies, foreign workers from the Philippines and other Asian countries are required to pass the medical tests conducted only by Gamca clinics that use the “referral decking system."The “referral decking system" is a centralized medical referral decking system established in 2001 by GCC states — Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain supposedly to stop the proliferation of fake medical certificates and the transfer of communicable diseases from foreign workers to citizens of the GCC-member countries. read more......................

KSA urgently needs 600 Muslim nurses, says POEA

MANILA, Philippines — Saudi Arabia urgently needs 600 Muslim nurses to work in government hospitals in the holy cities of Makkah (Mecca) and Madinah (Medina), the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA).Outgoing POEA Administrator Rosalinda Baldoz said a recent communication from the Saudi Ministry of Health said the nurses need not have prior experience as long as they are licensed and belong to the Muslim faith.Under Saudi law, only Muslims are allowed to enter Makkah and Medina, although exceptions are made depending on the necessity. read more.....................

Vietnamese Snake Wine

Vietnamese snake wine for sale in the Mekong Delta. The wine often contains scorpions and birds as well, but in this case it was plain cobra flavor.

Vietnamese snake wine is used to impress tourists and increase libido. Unfortunately, the taste doesn't quite live up to the marketing hype. Exploring, preparing and eating the local food will be a highlight of any trip to Vietnam. But while most Vietnamese cuisine is supremely palatable, there are a few local delicacies that break the mold. Vietnamese snake wine is one of them.
Enthusiastically offered to tourists at every available opportunity, snake wine is essentially snake-infused rice wine. It can be found all continue..................

Crossing the Street in Vietnam

Crossing the street in Vietnam is anything but pedestrian. But follow these basic guidelines, and you should stay safe from Saigon to Hanoi.

Crossing the street in Vietnam is something of an adrenaline sport: The traffic is mad, there are no discernible traffic rules, and accidents are an all too common sight. As a result, getting around Hanoi or Saigon on foot can be a pretty daunting project.
To help you cope with the traffic chaos and cross the street safely, here are a few tips that we picked up along the way:
* Don't look both ways. In fact, it's better if you don't look at all, lest you lose your nerve. It's also a mistake to focus on the oncoming traffic. If you make eye contact with other road users, you automatically forfeit the right of way. read more.................

Saigon Traffic - Saigon motorcyclists temporarily stopped in a dramatic break with tradition at a red light.

Multidirectional foot and motorcycle traffic in the middle of a Hanoi intersection.

Lining up for a busy intersection in central Saigon.

Night time Crossing - Central Hanoi, the only thing scarier than crossing the street in Vietnam is crossing the street in Vietnam at night.

Unsafe Crossing surrounded by speeding motorcycles on a pedestrian crossing in Hanoi.

Kissing Chemistry

You must remember this, a kiss is just a kiss… hang on a minute. No it isn’t! Because when it comes to dating, a kiss can change everything. Sometimes it’s spine-tinglingly magical and sends shivers from your neck to your toes. And sometimes, well, it feels more like licking a wet fish. While the chemistry you feel on your night out says a lot about how the kiss might go, there are a few things you can do to increase your chances of butterflies, chills, fireworks, and other memory-making moments. Try these lip-smacking tips to make this the first of many kisses to come. Read when the moment is rightEver found yourself bumbling and mumbling at the end of a date, wondering if your attempt at a good night smack will be the kiss of death? You’re not alone. “This is, without a doubt, one of the most common questions people ask me,” says Sheila Lee, creator of advice site Kissingbooth.com. So how do you tell if someone would welcome a smooch from you? According to Lee, look for these signs: Are they making tons of eye contact with you, or standing closer than a friend or business colleague would? If so, says Lee, this person probably wants you to go for it. continue...............

company plans to launch lunar cemetery

A US funeral business that specializes in launching cremated human remains into Earth's orbit has begun taking reservations for landing small capsules of ashes on the moon, announced the company's founder. "Celestis' first general public lunar mission could occur as early as 2010 and reservations are now being taken," said Charles M. Chafer, Celestis founder and president, in an email to AFP.
"We can send up to 5000 individual capsules to the lunar surface," he said. The company hopes to install a cemetery on the lunar surface to hold cremated remains of the dead, or a smaller symbolic portion of them, which one day could be visited by relatives of the deceased, said Chafer.
For transportation, Celestis has made deals with two other US private space companies, Odyssey Moon and Astrobotic Technology, which are currently working on making commercial flights to the moon.
For sending a tiny, one gram portion of cremated remains full story

the Saudi nurses

Nursing, one of the most hallowed of professions, still does not get its due today. It is a profession, which is ideally suited for women, that focuses on assisting individuals, families and communities. However, there are misgivings in the Kingdom about the women who take up nursing as a career.
Nurses are said to be angels in disguise. But in Saudi Arabia, nurses have a hard time being recognized as such. It is easy for a Saudi woman to say, “I am a nurse,” and then be overlooked as a potential wife. Read more...........

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