Pentagon Chief in Taleban Warning

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has warned Pakistan that relations with the US will be threatened unless Islamabad combats the rise of the Taleban.

His comments echo a warning from US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.Mrs Clinton said on Wednesday that Pakistan poses a "mortal threat" to the world by abdicating to the Taleban.

Earlier on Thursday, Pakistani troops were sent to tackle Taleban militants who had advanced into a region just 100km (67 miles) from Islamabad.One policeman was killed in the assault in Buner district, which is next to the Swat valley, where the Taleban holds sway after government forces failed to quell an insurgency.

Partnership threatened

Speaking at a US military base in North Carolina, from where American marines are about to be deployed to Afghanistan, the US defence chief said some Pakistani leaders recognise the "existential threat" facing the country's government, but needed to act swiftly.

"It is important they not only recognise it [the threat], but take the appropriate actions to deal with it," Mr Gates said."The stability and the longevity of democratic government in Pakistan is central to the efforts of the coalition in Afghanistan," he added."And it is also central to our future partnership with the government in Islamabad.

The Obama administration is clearly stepping up the pressure on Pakistan's government and security forces to do much more to combat the Taleban, the BBC's Jonathan Beale reports from Washington.

Taleban 'springboard'

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs issued a separate warning on Thursday, calling the developments in Pakistan "very disturbing"."We are extremely concerned about the situation and it is something that takes a lot of the president's time," he said.

The Taleban moved several hundred men into Buner, just weeks after a peace deal signed by President Asif Ali Zardari allowed the introduction of Islamic Sharia law in Swat.Insurgents have now begun patrolling the streets and mounting checkpoints in the area.The Sharia deal was designed to end a bloody 18-month conflict with the Taleban in Swat by yielding to some of their demands.But critics say the militants can now use Swat as a springboard to take over new areas of the country.

Female hairiness health warning

Excessive hairiness in women is not just a cosmetic problem but is likely to be a sign of an underlying medical condition, say UK doctors in a report.

Five to 15% of women have excess hair, and a hormone disorder the most likely cause in many cases, the doctors said.

Women with the problem should not be afraid to seek medical advice, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists report urged.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the cause in 70% to 80% of cases.

Report author, Dr Rebecca Swingler, a specialist registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology at St Michael's Hospital in Bristol, said the condition, known as hirsutism, is distressing and can be particularly upsetting for young women.

Estimates of how many women are affected are likely to be underestimated because women can be reluctant to seek help, she added.

In addition to PCOS, rarer causes of excessive hairiness include certain tumours and thyroid dysfunction, as well as the use of certain drugs.

Mild cases can be treated cosmetically, she said, but in moderate to severe cases, hormone therapy, such as the oral contraceptive pill and other treatments are available.

Weight loss, especially in obese women, may also help reduce high levels of the male hormone testosterone which can be an underlying factor in cases of excess hair.

"Often women have spent many years trying to cope with their hirsutism before they seek professional help," said Dr Swingler.

"Women need to look at themselves in the context of their family and ethnicity and what is 'normal' for them.

"If they notice a change in the pattern of hair growth or they notice they having to wax more often then they should seek help," she said.

Reluctance

Professor Stephen Franks, an expert in reproductive endocrinology at Imperial College London, said the condition could be very embarrassing and women might be reluctant to seek medical advice.

They may also not realise hirsutism could be linked to a condition like PCOS because symptoms such as irregular periods are not present, he added.

"It's always worth getting it investigated. Even if it's a benign condition."

Professor Franks said how much hair growth was considered excessive was subjective, but that women should not be afraid to seek help.

Rachel Hawkes, chairwoman of PCOS charity Verity, said many women with excess hair growth did not actively seek treatment because they were embarrassed.

"The effect that excess hair can have on a woman's self-esteem and how she views herself as a woman - and therefore her quality of life - can be extremely distressing.

"We recommend women with PCOS who suffer with excess hair growth seek the advice of their GP, or ask to be referred to an endocrinologist or dermatologist."

Slumdog Makers Pledge Mumbai Cash

The makers of Slumdog Millionaire have announced they are to donate £500,000 to a charity which will help children living in the slums of Mumbai.

Director Danny Boyle said: "It is only right that some of the success of the movie be ploughed back into the city". Two of the film's stars were rehoused after criticism they were still living in poverty after the film's release. Danny Boyle’s salaciously seamy “Slumdog Millionaire” has walked away with 10 Oscar nominations. Nothing unusual. David Fincher’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” has clinched 13. Earlier in 1950, “All About Eve” won 14. So did the 1997 “Titanic”. “Gone with the Wind”, “From Here to Eternity”, “Mary Poppins”, “Forrest Gump”, “Shakespeare in Love” and others got 13 each.

'Intimidating odds'

Child actors Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail, who played young versions of two main characters, were moved to new homes by the Indian authorities.

"Having benefited so much from the hospitality of the people of Mumbai it is only right that some of the success of the movie be ploughed back into the city in areas where it is needed most and where it can make a real difference to some lives," Boyle said of the charitable donation.

"Despite intimidating odds, extraordinary work is going on to help people break the cycle of poverty through education. We're delighted that this initiative will add to that ongoing work," he added.

The cash will fund a five-year project to help poor children in the city, which will be run by the organisation Plan. It is thought the charity, which works in nearly 50 countries, will train people in good hygiene and set up education schemes.

Plan's Marie Staunton said: "Around one billion of the world's population live in slums and there are 100,000 new slum dwellers every day. "Slumdog Millionaire has shown audiences around the world a snapshot of what life is like for one in six people on the planet."

GM Chief Wagoner Ousted by Obama

The chief executive of struggling US car company General Motors has been ordered to step down by US President Barack Obama.

Rick Wagoner will leave immediately, a government official confirmed.

Mr Obama is preparing to outline terms for offering more help to GM and fellow car giant Chrysler.

The two firms have already received $17.4bn (£14.4bn) in bail-outs. Chrysler has requested a further $5bn while GM says it needs $16.7bn more.

Plans rejected

Reports have suggested that a frustrated Mr Obama will reject GM and Chrysler's turnaround plans as unrealistic, raising the risk of the carmakers' bankruptcy.

The auto task force appointed by Mr Obama released two reports on Monday on the financial health of both carmakers, saying that Chrysler was "not viable" in its current form.

It demanded a merger with Italy's Fiat or another carmaker if Chrysler was to survive and said the Obama administration would only provide the company working capital for the next 30 days.

It also said that it would pledge to fund GM's operations for the next 60 days only, requiring the carmaker to come up with another plan detailing further restructuring.

"While Chrysler and GM are different companies with different paths forward, both have unsustainable liabilities and both need a fresh start," the task force said.

"Their best chance at success may well require utilising the bankruptcy code in a quick and surgical way."

Leaner, meaner

In an interview with US broadcaster CBS, President Obama said the firms must do more to justify further aid, saying "they're not there yet".

"We think we can have a successful US auto industry," the president said.

"But it's got to be one that's realistically designed to weather this storm and to emerge - at the other end - much more lean, mean, and competitive than it currently is."

GM plans to axe 47,000 jobs and Chrysler 3,000, as well as shedding a number of car models.

The job cuts would take place by the end of 2009 and are the largest work-force reduction announced by a US firm in the current downturn.

Mr Wagoner, 56, has headed GM since 2000, after first joining the company in 1977.

Fritz Henderson, the GM president and chief operating officer, will replace Mr Wagoner as chief executive, while Kent Kresa, a director at GM, will take over as interim chairman.

The news comes as France's biggest carmaker, Peugeot Citroen, sacked its chairman Christian Streiff, citing "extraordinary difficulties" in the automotive industry.

Brands halved

In December, GM had said it would cut the number of plants from 47 in 2008 to 38 by 2012, but now plans to close a further five factories, which would leave it with 33 facilities.

The carmaker's brands would also be reduced to just four in the US - Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC.

GM and Chrysler received their first bail-outs at the end of last year, warning that without the support they risked financial ruin.

Ford, the third of the "Big Three" US carmakers, has yet to require any bail-outs, but says it may need funds in the future.

GM, Ford and Chrysler have all seen sales fall sharply in their home market.

Democrats: Texas Gov Should Disavow Secession Talk

Texas – In a state that once was its own nation, a Republican governor who talked about secession without completely dismissing the idea has Democratic lawmakers in an uproar. Gov. Rick Perry, in comments following an anti-tax "tea party" Wednesday, never did advocate Texas breaking away from the United States but suggested that Texans might at some point get so fed up they would want to leave the union.

That was enough to feed opinions for and against secession on Web sites, cable TV and talk radio across the nation.

At the Texas Capitol on Thursday, Rep. Jim Dunnam of Waco, joined by several fellow Texas House Democrats, said some people associate talk of secession with racial division and the Civil War and that Perry should disavow any notion of seceding.

"Talk of secession is an attack on our country. It can be nothing else. It is the ultimate anti-American statement," Dunnam said at a news conference.

State Sen. Rodney Ellis, a Houston Democrat, said that by not rejecting the possibility of secession out of hand, Perry "is taking a step down a very dangerous and divisive path encouraged by the fringe of Texas politics."

The Democrats are proposing a House resolution expressing "complete and total disagreement with any fringe element advocating the 'secession' of Texas or any other state from our one and indivisible Union."

Perry emphasized Thursday that he is not advocating secession but understands why Americans may have those feelings because of frustration with Washington, D.C. He said it's fine to express the thought. He offered no apology and did not back away from his earlier comments.

Perry's remarks Wednesday were in response to a question from The Associated Press as he walked away from the Austin rally, where some in the audience had shouted "Secede!" during his speech. The governor said he didn't think Texas should secede despite some chatter about it on the Internet and his name being associated with the idea.

"We've got a great union. There's absolutely no reason to dissolve it. But if Washington continues to thumb their nose at the American people, you know, who knows what might come out of that. But Texas is a very unique place, and we're a pretty independent lot to boot," Perry said Wednesday.

A day later, Perry said he found the fascination with the remark interesting.

"I refer people back to my statement and I got a charge out of it," he said. "I was kind of thinking that maybe the same people that hadn't been reading the Constitution right were reading that article and they got the wrong impression about what I said. Clearly I stated that we have a great union. Texas is part of a great union. And I see no reason for that to change."

Texas was a republic from 1836, when it declared independence from Mexico, to 1845, when it became a U.S. state.

Perry has been speaking out against the federal government lately over federal economic stimulus spending. He's also in a tough race for re-election against a fellow Republican, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, whom he is trying to portray as a Washington insider.

Perry spokeswoman Allison Castle criticized Dunnam, saying he was "trying to distract from the fact that yesterday thousands of Texans, including many in his own district, expressed their extreme displeasure at Washington's rampant taxation, big spending and bloated government."

Dunnam suggested Perry is positioning himself for his political future."We all knew he wanted to be president. I just didn't know it was president of the Republic of Texas," he said to chuckles from onlookers.

Celtics GM Ainge Suffers Heart Attack

Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Boston Celtics president and general manager Danny Ainge suffered a minor heart attack earlier Thursday and was rushed to the hospital.

The Celtics released a statement saying Ainge, 50, is recovering nicely at Massachusetts General Hospital and that he is expected to remain in the hospital for a few days, most likely through Boston's playoff opener with Chicago on Saturday.

The ABC news affiliate in Boston, WCVB, reported that Ainge woke up Thursday morning with chest pains and was rushed to hospital, where doctors had to insert a stent to unclog an artery that was 100 percent clogged.

Ainge orchestrated Boston's run to an NBA-record 17th Championship in franchise history last season, having acquired All-Stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in trades and pairing them with Paul Pierce to form the "Big Three." For his work, Ainge won the 2007-08 NBA Executive of the Year.

Danny Ainge as a general manager have workhard for the Celtics' roster. The Celtics recently solidified their roster by adding veterans Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown. So Ainge is on the road scouting for the draft, planning to check out the Pacific-10 and West Coast Conference tournaments.

If the Celtics maintain the best regular-season record in the NBA, they will have the 30th and last first-round pick. The draft could be quite deep if numerous talented underclassmen come out. That would be bad news for Boston about heart attack of Ainge.

North Korea Says Will Boycott Six-Party Talks

Foreign ministry says it ‘resolutely condemns’ actions by the U.N.

SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea vowed Tuesday to bolster its nuclear deterrent and boycott six-party talks aimed at its denuclearization in protest of a U.N. Security Council statement condemning the country's recent rocket launch.

North Korea's Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it "resolutely condemns" the action by the United Nations, which it said "rampantly" infringes upon the country's sovereignty and "severely debases" the people's dignity.

"We have no choice but to further strengthen our nuclear deterrent to cope with additional military threats by hostile forces," the statement said.

The statement also said that "six-party talks that we are taking part in are not necessary any more."

Those negotiations, which also involve China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States, began in 2003 and have been aimed at achieving North Korea's denuclearization.

The North also said it will restore nuclear facilities it has been disabling in line with an international disarmament-for-aid deal negotiated under the six-party process and resume operating them.

The statement was the country's first reaction to the Security Council's unanimous condemnation Monday over the April 5 rocket launch, which Pyongyang says sent a satellite into space but critics say tested long-range missile technology.

The Security Council demanded an end to missile tests and said it will expand sanctions against the reclusive communist nation.

Mets Open Citi Field With A Dud, Fall to Padres

New ballpark gorgeous, unlike the play of the home team.

NEW YORK - The place looked gorgeous. The Mets looked lost.

Jody Gerut christened Citi Field with a leadoff homer — the only time that’s happened in major league history — and the San Diego Padres spoiled New York’s first game in its glittering new ballpark with a 6-5 victory Monday night.

Pedro Feliciano balked in the go-ahead run and the Mets made several costly mistakes, opening Citi Field the same way they closed Shea Stadium: with a dud.

“It’s bittersweet,” David Wright said. “Winning will do a lot more than the park.”

Gerut’s shot off Mike Pelfrey marked the first time that the first batter homered in the opening game at a big league ballpark, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“Very cool,” Gerut said. “Maybe at the end of the season when I look back on this, I’ll have a greater sense of what happened here. But at the time, all I’m thinking is that it put us ahead.”

Wright rallied New York from an early four-run hole with a three-run homer that tied it, but it wasn’t enough. Duaner Sanchez and Heath Bell, both former Mets relievers, closed out the fifth straight win for surprising San Diego, expected to be one of baseball’s worst teams this year.

Adrian Gonzalez also homered for the Padres, who improved to 6-2.

The Mets are looking for more success at $800 million Citi Field than they had at big Shea, where they spent 45 seasons that produced two World Series championships — and consecutive September collapses the past two years.

The Mets lost to Florida in the Shea finale last season, eliminating them from playoff contention. They haven’t been any better in their stadium openers — New York dropped its first game at the old Polo Grounds (1962) and at Shea Stadium (1964), both by 4-3 scores to Pittsburgh.

Wide-eyed fans filed in Monday through the stately Jackie Robinson Rotunda, many snapping photos and searching for souvenirs only steps from where Shea Stadium was razed to make room for Citi Field’s parking lot.

Pregame ceremonies included Hall of Famer Tom Seaver and former New York catcher Mike Piazza walking in together from the bullpen, both wearing Mets jerseys. Seaver threw out the first pitch to Piazza, a strike, and pumped his fist.

Both players autographed the ball, which is headed to the Hall of Fame.

With its intricate brickwork and charming archways, Citi Field was designed to invoke the warmth of Ebbets Field, beloved home of the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1913-57.

Even the team mascot, Mr. Met, has his own room under the stands.

“It’s impressive. It’s a nice place. It’s such a stark, dramatic change from Shea Stadium,” said Padres Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, now an executive vice president and senior adviser for San Diego.

The Mets tested out the cozy ballpark with two exhibition games April 3-4 against Boston. But this was the real thing, and it certainly didn’t go as planned.

Gerut pulled Pelfrey’s third pitch down the right-field line, stunning a sold-out crowd of 41,007. The first hit at Shea Stadium also was a home run, by Pirates Hall of Famer Willie Stargell off “Fat Jack” Fisher on April 17, 1964.

“That’s probably the only place in the yard where I can get it out. This park plays pretty big,” Gerut said.

Indeed, Wright and Carlos Beltran hammered long drives to center that Gerut caught near the fence, balls that probably would have left most big league parks — including Shea.

Pelfrey looked out of sorts all night in his team’s new digs. He caught a cleat on the mound in mid-delivery, sending the 6-foot-7 right-hander tumbling awkwardly to the turf in the second inning with Padres starter Walter Silva at the plate.

Pelfrey wasn’t hurt, so he tried to waive off manager Jerry Manuel and a team trainer. They came out to check on him anyway.

“I asked them if the game was on TV. It was pretty embarrassing,” Pelfrey said.

Silva then slapped a two-out single, sparking a three-run rally that included David Eckstein’s two-run double and Brian Giles’ soft RBI single.

Gonzalez gave San Diego a 5-1 cushion with a fifth-inning homer against Pelfrey that caromed off the screen attached to the right-field foul pole.

“We just haven’t seen the life in those pitches,” Manuel said. “We’ll have to really sit down and see if there’s anything wrong with him.”

Use Mapping Programs to Locate Places and Get to Your Destination

Need directions to a meeting or the hot new restaurant across town? Want help planning a bicycle trek or a cross-country road trip? Curious about the location of your neighborhood or the small town your grandparents were born in?

Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to find, mapping software and Web sites can make finding what you need easy and fun.

With digital mapping tools, you can check directions to an address in an unfamiliar area before you leave home. You can print a map of the city you're going to visit, including the city's major attractions, transit centers, and restaurants. With GPS technology on your mobile device you can hear street names and directions en route. With Virtual Earth and similar imaging technology, you can enjoy a bird's-eye view or 3-D view of any location on earth.

Find addresses instantly online

MapQuest, Yahoo! Maps, and Windows Live Search are among the most popular map sites on the Web. Enter an address and within seconds a color map of the location appears. You can zoom in for closer street information and get turn-by-turn directions to print out and take with you. Some sites calculate the number of miles from your starting point to your destination and estimate your travel time.

Steven Bernstein recently put these mapping functions to good use to find child care for his one-year-old daughter while he was out of town on business for a few months. "We used a map program to find out how close the day care that we got into was to the apartment we're renting," he says.

Plan detailed trip or jogging routes with map software

Installing a practical tool like Microsoft Streets & Trips on your computer can be very useful. It enables you to map routes that don't follow roads, map multiple destinations, send location information to your mobile phone, and find restaurants, landmarks, hotels, and public transportation stops in North American cities. It also gives you travel tips, such as how much gas you'll use getting to specific locations.

Paul Mero uses Streets & Trips to create jogging routes and track his time and distance. He likes being able to map routes that don't correspond with roads, such as footpaths through parks and along the edges of rivers.

"As a runner, one of the challenges is figuring out how far you've run and what your time is. Traditionally, people will jump in the car to figure out how far they're running," he says.

"And you don't want to do the same route over and over again. It gets boring. With this software, you can map out a bunch of five km or 10 km runs and pick which one you feel like running that day. You can also print them out and share them with your friends," he says.

Use map tools to simplify and enhance your everyday life

Maps are useful for far more than family road trips or driving directions. Try using these handy mapping tools in your everyday life. For example:

* Print maps to your child's party to enclose with the invitations.

*Map the carpool route that is used to transport your children and their friends to extracurricular activities like swimming lessons or hockey practice. Print a copy for each parent.

*Include maps in e-mail directions to your house when sending an electronic invitation

*Find out how far it is to walk different routes. Plan a "walking route" for each day of the week or to share with your walking group

*If you are an avid biker in a big city, use a map to find alternative side-street routes to your destination and to avoid the larger, busier streets at rush hour

*New to a city or area? Use maps to find the major routes to stores, your new job, and recreational facilities.

Consult additional resources

Mapping programs are handy and helpful, but they do have limitations. For example, they don't provide essential driving information that you may need, such as weather and road conditions and border crossing wait times. This information is available online. Check out the National Weather Service online and the information on Canada and Mexico border crossings on the U.S. Customs and Border Protection site.

Clean Your Computer

Preserve the condition of your system with regular maintenance

I have a dirty secret. I've never cleaned my computer. Sure, I've dusted my monitor, but I haven't taken off the cover or tried to reach the crumbs lurking inside my keyboard.

Your computer could fry if you don't keep it clean. Dust clogs the vents behind your computer, which causes your CPU to heat up—and heat is the biggest cause of component failure in computers. Regular cleaning could save you costly maintenance fees down the road.

Keep your computer in tip-top shape by following Millman's guide to a spotless computer system.

Preparation

You'll need: screwdriver, an of compressed air (available from computer dealers or office-supply stores), cotton swabs (do not use a cotton ball), rubbing alcohol, paper towels or anti-static cloths, and water.

Always turn your computer off before you begin and unplug all the cords.

Step 1: Inside the case

Using a screwdriver, remove the side of the case that's opposite your motherboard. Touch as little as possible inside the computer, keeping fingers away from cards and cords.

Blow air around all of the components and along the bottom of the case, keeping the nozzle four inches away from the machine. Blow air into the power supply box and into the fan (from the back of the case). Lastly, blow air into the floppy disk and CD drives. Wipe the inside of the cover with a lightly moistened cloth before replacing it.

Millman recommends doing this every three months if your case sits on the floor, if you have pets that shed, or if you smoke. Otherwise, every six to eight months is fine.

Step 2: Outside the case

Run a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol around all of the openings on the back of your case. Give them one swipe with the damp end of the swab and one swipe with the dry end. Do this as often as you clean the inside of your computer.

Step 3: Keyboard

Turn the keyboard upside down and gently shake it. Most of the crumbs and dust will fall out. Take a can of compressed air and blow into and around the keys. Next, take a cotton swab and dip it in rubbing alcohol. It should be damp, but not wet. Run the cotton swab around the outside of the keys. Rub the tops of the keys. If you have a laptop, follow the same procedure but take extra care with your machine. Do this monthly.

Spills — If you have kids, you're worried about spills. If it happens, disconnect the keyboard immediately and flip it over. Blot the top with a paper towel, blow compressed air between the keys and leave it to air dry overnight. For laptops, liquid can easily penetrate the hard drive so turn the computer over immediately and leave it in that position until it dries

Step 4: Mouse

Rub the top and bottom of your mouse with a paper towel dipped in rubbing alcohol. Open the back and remove the ball. Wash the ball with water and let it air dry. To clean inside the mouse, dip a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol and rub all of the components. Scrape hard-to-remove grime with your fingernail. Finally, blow air into the opening. Replace the ball and the cover. Do this monthly.

Step 5: Monitor

Moisten a paper towel or a soft, lint-free cloth with water. (You can also buy monitor cleaning products at computer-supply stores.) Don't spray liquid directly onto the screen—spray the cloth instead. Wipe the screen gently to remove dust and fingerprints. Never touch the back of the monitor.

For laptop screens suggests to buying a special cleaning solution available at computer stores. Do this weekly.

Finally, make sure that everything is dry before you plug your computer back in.

'How I Met Your Mother': The Difference Between Peanut Butter and Jam

There were several lessons learned tonight on "How I Met Your Mother." They went from the basic (make yourself indispensible at work) to the even more basic (don't hire an assistant whom your roommate will want to sleep with, it'll upset your best friend who also wants to sleep with your roommate).

Why would Marshall ever think that keeping his job had anything to do with hard work? I think just about any one of us could have told him that. Barney's advice on that score was actually not bad – come up with a hook, do something special.

Apparently some positions at companies are universal – there's always a toy guy, a food guy, a creepy backrub guy. I was moderately surprised that the show opted to not come up with some crazy position for Marshall, instead making him the fantasy sports guy. But beyond that, how did Goliath not already have a fantasy sports guy? If this economic crisis has taught me anything, it's that bankers are gamblers. Combining that fact with the plain truth of fantasy sports – it's all about gambling (the guy who runs the fantasy sports leagues is the same guy who runs the NCAA tournament), so it seems like the position should have already been filled at Goliath. How wasn't it? One of those bankers had to have worked out that they could have bundled their bad bets into some form of derivative and gotten federal bailout money for the toxic assets, right?

I guess the bailout money may still have been available to them after handing their cash to Marshall. Giving Marshall that sort of money to walk around the city with has to be considered some sort of toxic asset, doesn't it?

Speaking of PJ, I'm not quite sure why Ted got himself an assistant at all. I do however know that watching Ted with PJ, I realized that I need one too. I do think that I'd rather take Barney's tack in looking for help though – if I have an assistant working 10 feet from my bedroom door it's going to be a woman. If it wasn't, my roommate may end up hooking up with the hot assistant, and as my roommate is my wife, that's just not acceptable. I know that Ted and Robin aren't together anymore, but surely Ted could have worked out that he wasn't going to be happy with Robin getting together with his assistant, and just as surely he ought to have figured out that was coming down the line.

The person that took the whole PJ situation the hardest though was, as you may have expected, Barney. What with his amorous feelings for Robin (Cobie is clearly terribly pregnant and they didn't do a very good job of hiding that at all tonight), he was not happy with the idea that Robin had someone to have sex with at the apartment all the time. As Robin has some very guy-like qualities, Barney knew that he could never compete with sex already being available in the apartment – what guy is going to go out and look for something different when they already have that?

So, good for Marshall, he fixed Barney's problem, made himself likable at the office, and didn't have to do any more work for the fantasy league by the end of the night. Definitely an "all's well that ends well" deal for him.

Quotes and peanut butter:

• The quote of the night went to Barney. He said it to Ted upon learning that PJ was a guy (after his initial rant about that being the case) – "PJ is going to be getting a very confusing card in the mail, along with a garment that he should by no means wear for three days and then mail back to me."
• I actually had several choices for best lines tonight, so I'm going to give one more, it was said by Marshall to Barney –"Oh I have that thing that makes me a guy… maybe even a guy and a half." (The newspaper guy was a close runner-up for a quote too).
• Finally, the difference between peanut butter and jam. I looked that joke up after they refused to give us the punch line. Lily was totally right to disappear for four weeks. I saw two endings to that joke, and neither was remotely acceptable in polite company. I can't even link to the answers here. The joke was however a great way to make Lily appear briefly in the show before letting her take off.

Thailand Protests 'Breaking Up'

An anti - government protest in the centre of Thailand's capital, Bangkok, has begun to break up, a correspondent at the scene says.

Demonstrators who had been camped around the Government House have been walking away from the area.

The news follows calls by protest leaders for people to leave the area, after thousands of police and soldiers moved to tighten a cordon overnight.

Two people died in clashes involving demonstrators and residents on Monday.

Red-shirted protesters are demanding the resignation of PM Abhisit Vejjajiva - but he has refused and had urged them to go home.

Protester Kannika Saikaew, 37, said: "I'm sad that we've not received justice but if we'd have stayed we would have been in danger."

On Tuesday, protest leader Prateep Ungsongtham Hata told the AFP news agency: "We held talks among the leaders since last night and have agreed that we will disperse our protesters for a while."

Ms Prateep said the leaders wanted to prevent any loss of life, saying the protesters "really want to fight and sacrifice themselves so we wanted to prevent a catastrophe".

"We are not surrendering, we are just dispersing the gathering because we have done nothing wrong," she said.

Another protest leader, Jatuporn Pronpan, told Reuters: "We have to stop because we need to look after the lives of our supporters."

Supporters of former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra display placards against Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva as riot policemen keep watch outside the venue of the 14th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Pattaya April 10, 2009. Asian leaders began arriving in Thailand on Friday for a summit focusing on the global financial crisis, as protesters broke through police lines and blocked the entrance to the conference venue. REUTERS/Claro Cortes IV (THAILAND POLITICS BUSINESS CONFLICT)

Indonesia's Democratic Party Leads Polls

Early results show that the political party of Indonesia's president is likely to win in the parliament elections but by a small margin.

A reform-minded former general and praised for his solid leadership, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, is ahead in Thursday's general elections but not by a majority, forcing him to seek coalition partners in parliament beginning on Friday.

Based on about 90 percent of the quick count vote from sample polling stations by the LSI polling agency, the Democrat Party has won about a fifth of the vote to elect local, provincial and national parliaments.

The Democrats, which have led in most opinion polls, were ahead of former president Megawati Sukarnoputri's PDI-P with about 15 percent and Golkar with 14 percent, and PKS with 7,4 percent, LSI said.

Yudhoyono, 59, expected to win a second term, could either continue with his current coalition partner Golkar, the long-time political vehicle for Suharto, the country's late autocratic ruler, or turn to one or two of the small Islamic parties instead. Democrats can coalition with PKS which the member of legislative are honestly, free from coruption and struggling for importance citizen. Yudhoyono hopely can continue a stabilization economic, peacefulness, and continuity the building of prosperity citizen.

Parties must hold 20 percent of seats in the 560-seat lower house or 25 percent of the popular vote to nominate a presidential candidate on their own, otherwise they must team up with coalition partners.

This was the third general election since the fall of the Suharto dictatorship in 1998. The vote was peaceful and fast although have a distubance in a Papua.

Official results are not expected for days, but they are not likely to differ much.

U.S. Warship Monitors Somali Pirates, Hostage

FBI negotiators help try to secure release of American captain.

NAIROBI, Kenya - Somali pirates and their hostage American sea captain were adrift in a lifeboat Thursday off the Horn of Africa, shadowed by a U.S. destroyer with more warships on the way in a U.S. show of force.

The U.S. brought in FBI hostage negotiators to work with the military in trying to secure the release of Capt. Richard Phillips of Underhill, Vt. An official said the bandits were in talks with the Navy about resolving the standoff peacefully.

As the high-seas drama stretched into a second day, the freighter that was the target of the pirates steamed away from the lifeboat under armed U.S. Navy guard, with all of its crew safe — except for the captive captain. The pirates tried to hijack the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama on Wednesday, but Phillips thwarted the takeover by telling his crew of about 20 to lock themselves in a room, the crew told stateside relatives.

The crew later overpowered some of the pirates, but Phillips, 53, surrendered himself to the bandits to safeguard his men, and four of the Somalis fled with him to an enclosed lifeboat, the relatives said.

Phillips has a radio and contacted the Navy and the crew of the Alabama to say he is unharmed, the Maersk shipping company said in a statement, adding that the lifeboat is within sight of the USS Bainbridge, the naval destroyer that arrived on the scene earlier Thursday.

The Alabama began sailing toward the Kenyan port of Mombasa — its original destination — and was expected to arrive Saturday night, said Joseph Murphy, a professor at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy whose son, Shane Murphy, is second in command of the vessel. The elder Murphy said he was briefed by the shipping company.

A U.S. official, who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation, said a Navy team of armed guards was aboard the Alabama.

The Bainbridge had arrived earlier in the day near the Alabama and the lifeboat. Maersk shipping company spokesman Kevin Speers told AP Radio the lifeboat was out of fuel and "dead in the water."

The U.S. Navy sent up P-3 Orion surveillance aircraft and had video of the scene.

'Fully engaged'
Gen. David Petraeus, head of the U.S. Central Command, said more ships would be sent to the area because "we want to ensure that we have all the capability that might be needed over the course of the coming days." U.S. officials said the guided-missile frigate USS Haliburton was among the ships en route.

The additional ships will serve as a show of force following an increase in the number of attacks and the first one on a U.S.-flagged ship. The vessels would give the U.S. military more eyes on the threatened area and make the pirates think twice before trying to seize another ship, but it was not enough to mount a blockade, according to a senior U.S. defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss operational matters.

"These people are nothing more than criminals and we are bringing to bear a number of our assets, including naval and FBI, in order to resolve the hostage situation and bring the pirates to justice," said Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

President Barack Obama was getting regular updates on the situation, said spokesman Robert Gibbs. Attorney General Eric Holder says the United States will take whatever steps are needed to protect U.S. shipping interests against pirates.

FBI spokesman Richard Kolko described the bureau's hostage negotiating team as "fully engaged" with the military on ways to retrieve Phillips.

The pirates were holding talks with the Navy about a peaceful resolution, said a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record.

Weather in the area was expected to be sunny with calm winds over the next few days, said Josh Newhard, a meteorologist with AccuWeather.com, a global weather service. Waves were expected to average between 2 and 4 feet, which is relatively calm, he said.

Though officials declined to say how close the Bainbridge is to the pirates, one official said of the bandits: "They can see it with their eyes." He spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of talking about a military operation in progress.

The Bainbridge was among several U.S. ships that had been patrolling the region when the 17,000-ton Alabama, carrying U.N. food aid for East Africa, was attacked. It was the sixth vessel to be hit by pirates in a week.

After the pirates came aboard the Alabama, Phillips told the rest of his crew by radio to lock themselves away in a room, according to the wife of Ken Quinn, a second mate on the vessel.

"He said the pirates were desperate," said Zoya Quinn of Bradenton, Fla., who spoke to her husband via phone and e-mail. "They were going all over the stairs, back and forth, trying to find them and they couldn't find them.

It's a tragic experience in the U.S warship which need attention from a military and government. As a captain, it's need quiet and fast thinking to manage a situation .

ACMs Will be Like Revisiting Country Thunder

04/05/2009 11:38 AM

Tonight’s broadcast of the Academy of Country Music awards will feel like rewinding Country Thunder USA 2009. Many of the artists up for awards and slated to perform were just in our backyard 24 hours ago. The Academy of Country Music has announced winners of awards that will not be televised during the live telecast of the 44th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards broadcast on April 5.

Here’s a preview:

Tim McGraw will likely play something off his forthcoming studio album. He performed an eerie Thelma and Louise gone terribly wrong song when he headlined the festival Friday.

*Heidi Newfield*is up for several awards for “Johnny & June” but she’ll likely play her new single “Cry, Cry (Til The Sun Shines),” which was a rocking highlight of her show Friday.

A few of the awards already have been announced including Jake Owen as best new male artist and the Zac Brown Band for best new group. Both are now vying for best new artist honors, to be presented tonite.

Some final notes on CTUSA 2009:

• Great American Country was at the festival all weekend, filming interviews with the artists, snippets from the concerts and video requests from fans that the country music station will air in coming weeks. The Florence festival was the first stop on the network’s 2009 fairs and festivals tour.

• The final attendance tally for the weekend was just shy of 40,000, which to some longtime observers might seem a bit low. In past years, attendance was reported at 100,000 to 125,000 for the festival run. But here’s a little secret about concert math: promoters like to exaggerate the truth a wee bit. Or in the case of the former management of Country Thunder, apparently by as much as 60,000 or 70,000. The first thing the new owners impressed upon the media last Wednesday was that they would report actual attendance figures reflected by the number of people whose tickets were scanned electronically at the gate.

• The biggest show: Alan Jackson with 12,400.

• The twangiest show: Alan Jackson, but close runner up was Zac Brown and company.

• The most fun we had without a sip of beer: Neal McCoy, of course.

• Our welcome back home moment: Heidi Newfield, returning to a stage that nurtured her with her former trio Trick Pony and gave her her first full-band appearance as a solo artist last year.

• Bravest merch peddler: Beaudry RV pushing fifth-wheelers, campers and RVs. Apparently they didn’t get the memo about the recession.

• Biggest vendor misrepresentation: Phoenix-area Mexican restaurant boasting itself as “home of the 99 cent taco.” Festival price: two for $6.

Evolution Study Focuses on Snail

Members of the public across Europe are being asked to look in their gardens or local green spaces for banded snails as part of a UK-led evolutionary study.

The Open University says its Evolution MegaLab will be one of the largest evolutionary studies ever undertaken.

Scientists believe the research could show how the creatures have evolved in the past 40 years to reflect changes in temperature and their predators.

The six-month study, starting in April, will ask people to submit data online.

'Ideal organism'

Professor Jonathan Silvertown, from the OU, said: "I was thinking about Darwin year and how we could help people get an idea of what Darwin was talking about.

"The banded snail has been studied for 60 or more years, so it's an ideal organism to use. It's something that's very common, we know what the genetics are and it's safe to handle."

Professor Silvertown said there were two main evolutionary drivers that affect where yellow and brown banded snails are found.

The first is climate - darker-shelled snails tend to be further north, and scientists believe this is because dark shells get warmer quicker than lighter ones.

Darker-shelled snails could also be active for longer - which would make a difference to how much they could eat and how many offspring they could have.

The second evolutionary driver is predation by thrushes.

The birds hunt by sight and they find it more difficult to find yellow-striped shells around grass and brown shells against brown leaves - so yellow-shelled snails have been more common in grassland and darker ones in areas with brownish background environments.

'Genuine study'

"We think [the snails] have changed in the last 40 or 50 years," said Professor Silvertown.

"Firstly, the climate has warmed up, so we think the distribution of colours has probably changed.

"Secondly, thrushes have become far less common in the last 30 years or so - so snail colouring in different habitats might be less important."

This is what the Evolution MegaLab, which will run from April to October, will be trying to discover.

"There's a lot of historical data on the website," said Professor Silvertown.

"We have data from the past on 8,000 or so snail populations, so if you submit your data on the website, it will automatically make a comparison telling you whether there's been any change in your area."

Professor Silvertown said this was a genuine scientific study and not just a public relations exercise.

It has been funded in part by the Royal Society and the British Council, and he and his team are hoping that a major report will be published on the data collected at the beginning of next year.

He also points out that this could be an invaluable tool for researchers of the future who will be able to look at this project and compare any further evolutionary changes.

Snail can be a part indication of condition from the land and the weather in the sourounding , althought snail can be a plant disease and enemy for a farmer.

As part of Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s goal of using science as a teaching tool, we have started an educational inventory using empty snail shells based out of Tremont and the Appalachian Highlands Science Learning Center. Snails make a great study organism because they are able to found throughout the year and they are easy to visually sort by their differences.

Robo-Scientist's First Findings

Scientists Have Created an Ideal Colleague - a Robot That Performs Hundreds of Repetitive Experiments.

The robot, called Adam, is the first machine to have independently "discovered new scientific knowledge".

It has already identified the role of several genes in yeast cells, and is able to plan further experiments to test its own hypotheses.

The UK-based team that built Adam at Aberystwyth University describes the breakthrough in the journal Science.

Ross King from the department of computer science at Aberystwyth University, and who led the team, told BBC News that he envisaged a future when human scientists' time would be "freed up to do more advanced experiments".

Robotic colleagues, he said, could carry out the more mundane and time-consuming tasks.

"Adam is a prototype but, in 10-20 years, I think machines like this could be commonly used in laboratories," said Professor King.

Robotic planning

Adam can carry out up to 1,000 experiments each day, and was designed to investigate the function of genes in yeast cells - it has worked out the role of 12 of these genes.

Biologists use the yeast cells to investigate biological systems because they are simple and easy to study.

"When you sequence the yeast genome - the 6,000 different genes contained in yeast - you know what all the component parts are, but you don't know what they do," explained Professor King

The robot was able to work out the role of the genes by observing yeast cells as they grew.

It used existing information about the function of known genes to make predictions about the role an unknown gene might play in the cell's growth.

It then tested this by looking at a strain of yeast from which that gene had been removed.

"It's like a car," Professor King said. "If you remove one component from the engine, then drive the car to see how it performs, you can find out what that particular component does."

Expensive assistant

Duc Pham from the Manufacturing Engineering Centre at Cardiff University described the robot scientist as "a clever application of robotics and computer software".

But, he added, "it's more like a junior lab assistant" than a scientist. "It will be a long time before computers can replace human scientists."

Professor King agreed that the robot was in its early stages of development.

Professor Ross King explains how robots Adam and Eve work

"If you spent all of the money we've spent on Adam on employing human biologists, Adam probably wouldn't turn out to be the cost-effective option," he said.

"But that was the case with the first car. Initially, the investment in the technology wasn't as cost-effective as sticking with horses."

He also pointed out that his robotic associate is able to express scientific findings in a clearer way than humans.

"It expresses its conclusions in logic," he said. "Human language, with all its nuances, may not be the best way to communicate scientific findings." I remember back when I began building my very first robot. I had been wanting to build robots for years, since 3rd grade actually. I was completely fascinated by them. But unfortunately I never had any outside influence to do this - none. Not a single person I knew understood what even a resistor was good for, even through highschool! No one to help me, no one to explain anything, no guidance from teachers, no SoR either! I bought robot like toys, dabbled with electronics, but didn't have a clue on where to start. Nature, failed by nurture.

The same team is developing another, more advanced robot scientist called Eve, which is designed to screen new drugs.

Several People Injured After Tree Falls On House

FOREST HILL, Md. (WJZ)

A tree fell on a house in Forest Hill Tuesday morning.

Harford County family narrowly escapes death when a huge tree destroyed their home.

Kai Jackson reports it happened in the 1900-block of Cosner Road off of High Point Road.

When firefighters arrived at the scene they found a 80-foot tree on a house. A contractor was attempting to cut down the tree when it fell in the opposite direction.

Two adults and two children were inside when the tree landed. The children, a one-year-old and a three-year-old boy, were taken to Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

One adult, the boys' grandmother, was transported to Upper Chesapeake Hospital. The two children who were inside were taken to Johns Hopkins' pediatric intensive care unit. The injuries are not considered life threatening. The other adult refused treatment.

"The injuries were mainly received by flying debris," said Deputy Chief Dave Williams.

They were lucky on two counts: the house was sturdy and when firemen arrived, they didn't have to wait for a special rescue team, because one of the firefighters was actually a part of that team.

Although the roof collapsed, the house's structure held up the roof.

BGE was called to the scene to disconnect all electric and gas lines. The house has been condemned.

Harford County Social Services is assisting the family.
So, be careful for every family who have home souround by a big tree and stay on guard if storm. And keep care with your children. It's true.

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Overland Park Marriott to Unveil New "Marriott International Great Room" Concept

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Mar 31, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) ----The Overland Park Marriott, which recently completed a $20 million renovation to modernize the hotel's exterior and guest environment, plans to unveil Marriott's new "Marriott International Great Room" concept - a revolutionary transformation of the traditional lobby space. The hotel will become the first in the area to offer this innovative concept, designed to meet the 24/7 needs of business travelers and vacationers alike.

Scheduled for completion in early June, the interior renovation will reinvent the traditional lobby space. The completed M.I. Great Room will consist of three sophisticated zones designed to best serve the wide-ranging needs of Marriott guests.

-- The "Social Business Zone" will provide a chic lounge area for groups of guests to gather and socialize. Depending on the mood, guests can meet and discuss the business of the day or unwind in one of the comfortable sofas and order a cocktail in the new lounge or an appetizer from the new sushi bar. Plentiful big screen televisions ensure that guests won't miss a beat, whether it's the game-winning home run or the national news. There's something for everybody.

-- The "Individual Zone" is designed for guests who are looking for a quiet place to enjoy personal time and unwind in a more private setting. Guests can relax, read or order food from the Overland Park Marriott staff without ever leaving their cozy oversized chairs. State-of-the-art entertainment also gives guests the option of taking in a movie or surfing the Internet, while enjoying other personalized amenities.

-- The "At Your Service Zone" is an information center which caters to guests as they arrive and depart the hotel. In addition to personalized guest check-in, this zone will provide access to local entertainment information and expanded concierge services.

In addition to the M.I. Great Room, the completed renovation will also feature the grand opening of a new sushi bar and redesign of the hotel's existing restaurants.

"Like all Marriott hotels, we take great pride in our service to customers," said Mark Ravenscraft, General Manager of the Overland Park Marriott. "By transforming our lobby into the M.I. Great Room, we can ensure we are best able to meet the individual needs of our guests. We are confident all of our renovated food and beverage areas will be a welcoming place for members of the community and local events."

To make reservations or to inquire about an Overland Park hotel package, call (800) 228-9290 or visit www.overlandparkmarriott.com.

About the Overland Park Marriott:

Situated in the heart of the Metcalf Corridor, The Overland Park Marriott features 398 guest rooms with Exclusive Marriott Revive(R: 28.37, 0, 0%) bedding and high-speed Internet access, making it an ideal destination for business travelers, while the Kansas City KS hotel is also located just minutes from attractions such as the Kansas City Zoo and Arrowhead Stadium. Legends of the game design and play Marriott golf courses, creating memorable golf vacations at nearly 80 golf resorts worldwide. Marriott has great golf package deals at prices that will make you want to tee it up. More courses. More places. Marriott has four restaurants, including the popular Overland Park KS restaurant Nikko Japanese Steakhouse, as well as an indoor/outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, whirlpool, and business center are all available on-site. For a Kansas City wedding reception or meeting, 14,000 square feet of event space accommodates up to 1200 guests. The Overland Park Marriott is just 35 minutes from the Kansas City International Airport. The Overland Park Marriott is owned by Integrated Capital, LLC. The Los Angeles-based, minority-owned hotel group is a shining example of Marriott's Diversity Ownership Initiative, which set a goal in 2005 to have 500 hotels owned, managed or in the pipeline by women and minorities by 2010. Today, Marriott is well on track to meet its goal. For more information on Marriott's Diversity Ownership Initiative, visit www.marriott.com/diversity.