Venetian Casino Resort Macau

Venetian Aims to Make Macau Resort City

MACAU (AP) — American billionaire Sheldon Adelson opened what he says is the world's largest casino floor, housed in Asia's largest building Tuesday, adding credence to this coastal Chinese city's stature among major gambling centers.

Adelson and his wife Miriam inaugurated the $2.4 billion Venetian by smashing a bottle of champagne against the front of one of the casino and hotel complex's gondolas.

Casinos like the Wynn and Adelson's Sands have led this small city in southern China past the Las Vegas Strip as the world's most lucrative gambling center.

Las Vegas Corp. Chairman Adelson wants to take it a step further with the 10.5 million square foot Venetian.

He hopes the complex will transform Macau from a gambling pit stop for Chinese tourists to a vacation and business convention destination, where visitors shop, watch shows — and roll the dice.

Today is the beginning of what has been a dream of mine for some time — to reproduce the capital of entertainment in Asia for Asians," Adelson said Tuesday at a news conference.

Macau's casinos are currently scattered across the territory, a peninsula connected to mainland China and two outlying islands by a reclaimed strip of land called Cotai.

Adelson said his Venetian Macao Resort Hotel on Cotai is the cornerstone of what will become a concentrated resort area he calls the Cotai Strip.

Las Vegas Sands claims the 10.5 million square foot Venetian — twice the size of the Las Vegas original — is the largest building in Asia and the second largest in the world. Boeing Co. claims it has the world's largest building — a plant in Washington state.

The Venetian boasts what it claims to be the world's largest gaming space of 550,000 square feet, housing 3,400 slot machines — with room to expand to 6,000 — and more than 800 gambling tables.

It has 3,000 rooms, a 15,000-seat sports arena, retail space for 350 stores, 1.2 million square feet of convention space, fine dining and a Cirque du Soleil-produced show.

Its decor is Venice inspired — with a Chinese touch. Chinese-style sampans as well as gondolas will sail down canals. The resort also features a replica of Venice's St. Mark's Square.

Adelson also plans to open more hotels under brands such as Four Seasons, Sheraton and St. Regis. In all, his Las Vegas Sands Corp., which also runs the Sands Macao on the Macau peninsula, plans to invest up to $12 billion and build 20,000 hotel rooms on the Cotai Strip by 2010.

Some analysts say Adelson is smart in trying to lure new tourists to Macau. The convention business — a specialty of the Las Vegas Sands — is a lucrative one, they say.

"The Venetian will get new customers who are right now not going to Macau at all," analyst Billy Ng at JPMorgan Securities said.

Las Vegas Sands President William Weidner said 44 major conventions have already been scheduled at the Venetian over the next two years.

He also said he expects the Venetian Macao to lengthen the average guest stay to three to four days, from 1.2 days in other Macau hotels.

But it may take time to make Macau a major tourist destination.

It may take a little while, but, at least Macau is headed in the right direction. Hats off to Sheldon Adelson for having the foresight and stones to move forward and make things happen. Those are the elements needed to succeed in today's business/entertainment world. Too bad more "so called business people" do not possess this acumen. However, that is what separates the winners from the "wannabes".

"Free YOUR Mind, Go For It"

Bobby Sharpewww.myspace.com/akuasharpe Bobby Sharpe's "Indigo Spiritz"

Brain Boosters For Your Memory

Brain Boosters

Do you sometimes feel like you're losing your mind? Forgetting things? Having a senior moment?

It's no secret that there are foods and supplements that are good for the heart, but did you know that there are foods, supplements and activities that can go a long way toward protecting your brain as well?

Seeing as how I know that some of YOU are having a hard time remembering who YOU are, I thought this was a pretty timely subject that may help some of YOU restore some memory and brain power. I will give YOU the top 4 things to get YOU started, and, a link to the rest of the ten things YOU need.

Blueberries

Blueberries are the ultimate memory food. Research at the USDA showed that daily consumption of blueberries dramatically slows the impairment of memory that usually accompanies old age.
Compounds in blueberries called polyphenols actually help "turn on" the signals that let neurons (brain cells) communicate with each other more effectively.

Strawberries

Compounds in strawberries help protect your brain and preserve your memory. In a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, animals that consumed an extract of strawberries, spinach and blueberries every day had significant improvements in their short-term memory. Not only did they learn faster than the other animals, but their motor skills improved as well.

Spinach

Spinach is loaded with an array of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds that research has shown to slow brain aging and preserve memory. It's one of the few food sources of the powerful, brain-protecting antioxidant alpha lipoic acid.

Tumeric

Tumeric's reputation as a "super-spice" is due largely to its anti-cancer activity and powerful anti-inflammatory properties -- but it also helps to protect your brain.
This spice first attracted the interest of scientists investigating Alzheimer's disease because rates of the disease are so low in India, where curry is a staple. A compound in tumeric called curcumin helps to prevent mental decline in laboratory animals.

Here is the link to the rest of this report that will assist YOU in shoring up your brain power and memory.Improve Your Memory - AOL Body

Memory and rememberance shape Us,

Bobby SharpeBobby Sharpe's "Animalz" www.myspace.com/akuasharpe

More Gaming At Seminole Casinos

Let's see, "should Florida allow more gambling at Seminole Indian casinos if the state gets more tax money"? This is a NO BRAINER! However, there are a few points I would like to make.

The state budget right now is a nightmare. It needs all the help it can get.

As far as I know, "the state does not get anything from the Seminoles now, so, what do YOU mean "more tax money"?

If the state does not reach an agreement with the Seminole Tribe by a specific date, the Dept. of the Interior will let the tribe proceed with changes nonetheless.

Gambling is a "voluntary tax". Nobody says you have to participate. However, you still will reap the benefits of increased tax revenue generated by gaming.

If Orange County, specifically, wants to be this "major convention destination", then we need to be offering some adult enticements. Such as "real" casino action. Convention goers on average, are not here for Mickey Mouse. Grow up and realize that.

Getting paid for giving permission to something that will benefit you is a win win. Is that so hard to figure out?

"The more YOU know, the more YOU grow,

The more YOU grow, the further YOU go,

Bobby Sharpe Bobby Sharpe's "Animalz" www.myspace.com/akuasharpe

Power Ball, MegaMillions Equal LOTS OF MONEY!

In todays world, lack of cash, credit problems and, "bad real estate market", equate to tough times for a number of folks. The problems that most people are stuck with, do NOT come with easy fixes. Switching jobs, borrowing more money, walking away from your debts or just disappearing, will not solve the issues. What YOU need is some "big" money!

Now, before we continue, "I know the odds of winning any lottery are overwhelming" to say the least. But, "people do it all the time". The couple of bucks YOU might spend to try to win, are virtually insignificant to your overall financial picture. Except needing the money for food, trying to parlay that small amount could be considered an investment.

At the writing of this blog post(August 25,2007)the Power Ball Lotto is worth $300 million dollars!Welcome to Powerball The MegaMillions Lotto is worth $250 million dollars for it's next drawing.Official Home of Mega Millions Both of these lotteries are multi state lotteries in the USA. If YOU do not live in one of the participating states, have someone YOU know that does, buy YOU a couple tickets. As the old saying goes, "nothing ventured, nothing gained"! Dream a little. Be a winner.

"The more YOU know, the more YOU grow,

The more YOU grow, the further YOU go"

Bobby SharpeBobby Sharpe's "Indigo Spiritz": A Birthday Wish, Description of Prayer www.myspace.com/akuasharpe

NAACP Misses The Vick Mark! Wake Up Losers!

Bobby Sharpe

Atlanta NAACP: After Sentence, Let Quarterback Michael Vick Return to NFL, Preferably Falcons

Initially, I made a decision that I was NOT going to get into the Vick saga. However, after reading this typical NAACP garbage, sympathy, give the brother another chance rant, I have changed my mind.

On behalf of the dogs and all of our misused and abused animal souls, I will respond to each paragraph put forth by this "out of touch, dinosaur organization".

ATLANTA (AP) - An NAACP leader said Michael Vick should be allowed to return to the NFL, preferably the Atlanta Falcons, after serving his sentence for his role in a dogfighting operation.

I seriously doubt that Arthur Blank would even consider taking him back. Are YOU people really that naive and ignorant?

"As a society, we should aid in his rehabilitation and welcome a new Michael Vick back into the community without a permanent loss of his career in football," said R.L. White, president of the NAACP's Atlanta chapter. "We further ask the NFL, Falcons, and the sponsors not to permanently ban Mr. Vick from his ability to bring hours of enjoyment to fans all over this country."

Should I throw up now or later? Rehabilitate? Like he didn't know what he was doing? Screw his career! He can have it all back as soon as he can bring those poor animals back to life that he totally ignored their right to a decent life.

White said the Falcons quarterback made a mistake and should be allowed to prove he has learned from that mistake.

Why should he get a second chance? He knew what he was doing! Wake up YOU moron!

On Monday, Vick said through a lawyer that he will plead guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiracy to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture.

Three Vick associates have pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge and say Vick provided nearly all the gambling and operating funds for the "Bad Newz Kennels" dogfighting enterprise. Two of them also said Vick participated in executing at least eight underperforming dogs, raising the possibility of the animal cruelty charges.

Last month, state and local leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People urged the public not to rush to judgment in the Vick case. The civil rights organization said animal rights groups, talk radio and the news media were vilifying the embattled athlete, and that his team and corporate sponsors were prematurely punishing Vick.

White said the Atlanta chapter supports Vick's decision to accept a plea bargain if it's in his best interest, but he questioned the credibility of Vick's co-defendants, saying an admission of guilt might be more about cutting losses than the truth.

Of course it's about cutting your losses. Especially when YOU know YOU are guilty and have NO chance of winning a trial. Give them credit for being smarter than YOU and, "figuring that out".

"At this point, you're not looking at guilt or innocence," White said, referring to the possible harsher sentence Vick could have received had he taken his case to trial and been found guilty. "You're thinking, 'What I better do is cut my losses and take a plea.' But if he saw this as the best thing to do at this point for his future, then I think he made the correct choice."

"The best thing to do", it was the ONLY thing an intelligent person could do!

White said he regretted that the plea deal will mean all the facts of the case might never be known.

"Some have said things to save their own necks," White said. "Michael Vick has received more negative press than if he had killed a human being."

That's right, he has "received more negative press than if he had killed a human". And rightly so! Those dogs were innocent souls that these idiots deprived of their lives, experiences and right to exist on this earth. All in the name of greed, ignorance and arrogance.

White said he does not support dogfighting and that he considers it as bad as hunting.

Well isn't that just wonderful for YOU!

"His crime is, it was a dog," White said.

Your crime is being naive and stupid. Wonder if the fact that Mike Vick is black has anything at all to do with your position? You think?

His crime is that he was/is naive, arrogant, greedy and, the way it looks, STUPID! If it were up to me, his punishment would be the same that he administered to those dogs!

Animalz Rule(even pitbulls)

Bobby SharpeBobby Sharpe's "Indigo Spiritz" www.myspace.com/akuasharpe

Are Humans Replaceable? Could Be

DNA

Artificial Life Likely in 3 to 10 Years
Aug 19, 8:40 PM (ET)By SETH BORENSTEIN

WASHINGTON (AP) - Around the world, a handful of scientists are trying to create life from scratch and they're getting closer.

Experts expect an announcement within three to 10 years from someone in the now little-known field of "wet artificial life."

"It's going to be a big deal and everybody's going to know about it," said Mark Bedau, chief operating officer of ProtoLife of Venice, Italy, one of those in the race. "We're talking about a technology that could change our world in pretty fundamental ways - in fact, in ways that are impossible to predict."

That first cell of synthetic life - made from the basic chemicals in DNA - may not seem like much to non-scientists. For one thing, you'll have to look in a microscope to see it.

"Creating protocells has the potential to shed new light on our place in the universe," Bedau said. "This will remove one of the few fundamental mysteries about creation in the universe and our role."

And several scientists believe man-made life forms will one day offer the potential for solving a variety of problems, from fighting diseases to locking up greenhouse gases to eating toxic waste.

Bedau figures there are three major hurdles to creating synthetic life:

- A container, or membrane, for the cell to keep bad molecules out, allow good ones, and the ability to multiply.

- A genetic system that controls the functions of the cell, enabling it to reproduce and mutate in response to environmental changes.

- A metabolism that extracts raw materials from the environment as food and then changes it into energy.

One of the leaders in the field, Jack Szostak at Harvard Medical School, predicts that within the next six months, scientists will report evidence that the first step - creating a cell membrane - is "not a big problem." Scientists are using fatty acids in that effort.

Szostak is also optimistic about the next step - getting nucleotides, the building blocks of DNA, to form a working genetic system.

His idea is that once the container is made, if scientists add nucleotides in the right proportions, then Darwinian evolution could simply take over.

"We aren't smart enough to design things, we just let evolution do the hard work and then we figure out what happened," Szostak said.

In Gainesville, Fla., Steve Benner, a biological chemist at the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution is attacking that problem by going outside of natural genetics. Normal DNA consists of four bases - adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine (known as A,C,G,T) - molecules that spell out the genetic code in pairs. Benner is trying to add eight new bases to the genetic alphabet.

Bedau said there are legitimate worries about creating life that could "run amok," but there are ways of addressing it, and it will be a very long time before that is a problem.

"When these things are created, they're going to be so weak, it'll be a huge achievement if you can keep them alive for an hour in the lab," he said. "But them getting out and taking over, never in our imagination could this happen."

In response to the last sentence in this story, "never say never"! That is the key to open the door to totally change everything YOU thought YOU had a grip on. How many times have we heard or seen that scenario in sci-fi movies and video games?

Anyway, getting back to the basic question, "are humans replaceable", well, at some point, based on this, "could possibly be". And, by the way things are now a days, there are actually MANY HUMANS that need replacing.

If nothing else, this will give YOU something to think about. That is, "those of YOU with "OPYN MINDZ".

"The more YOU know, the more YOU grow,

The more YOU grow, the further YOU go"

Bobby SharpeBobby Sharpe's "Indigo Spiritz" www.myspace.com/akuasharpe

Ancient Forest, 8 Million Year Old Trees

Ancient forest found in Hungary

An ancient forest of cypress trees, estimated to be eight million years old, has been discovered in Hungary.

Archaeologists found the 16 preserved trunks in an open cast coal mine in the north-eastern city of Bukkabrany.

The specimens were preserved intact while most of the forest turned to coal thanks to a casing of sand, which was perhaps the result of a sandstorm.

It is hoped the trees may offer experts a valuable insight into Earth's climate eight million years ago.

The massive trunks are of a species known as swamp cypresses, which grew for 200-300 years.

The BBC's Nick Thorpe in Budapest says the wood of the trees is still brown in photographs taken by the archaeologists, giving the impression that it has only just been split.

The stumps, 2-3m (10ft) in diameter and 6m (19ft) high, stand uncovered on the lowest level of the mine.

However, now that the protective material around them has been stripped there is a danger that the trunks could turn to dust before the scientists' eyes.

Urgent measures are being taken to preserve them after an attempt to move one of the trunks failed.

I posted this story because it reinforces some of the things I have been saying for awhile now. That is, "there are things on this planet that we do not even know exist yet"! Some of those things can and could, completely alter what YOU think YOU know. Here is a link to some cool video on this storyBBC News Player - Miners find pre-historic trees

"The more YOU know, the more YOU grow,

The more YOU grow, the further YOU go"

Bobby Sharpe Bobby Sharpe's "Animalz" www.myspace.com/akuasharpe

U.S. Is 42nd In Life Span: Earlier "Dirt Naps"

click the graph to enlargen

U.S. Lags Behind 41 Nations in Life Span
By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER

(Aug. 11) - Americans are living longer than ever, but not as long as people in 41 other countries.

For decades, the United States has been slipping in international rankings of life expectancy, as other countries improve health care, nutrition and lifestyles.

Countries that surpass the U.S. include Japan and most of Europe, as well as Jordan, Guam and the Cayman Islands.

"Something's wrong here when one of the richest countries in the world, the one that spends the most on health care, is not able to keep up with other countries," said Dr. Christopher Murray, head of the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

A baby born in the United States in 2004 will live an average of 77.9 years. That life expectancy ranks 42nd, down from 11th two decades earlier, according to international numbers provided by the Census Bureau and domestic numbers from the National Center for Health Statistics.

Andorra, a tiny country in the Pyrenees mountains between France and Spain, had the longest life expectancy, at 83.5 years, according to the Census Bureau. It was followed by Japan, Maucau, San Marino and Singapore.

The shortest life expectancies were clustered in Sub-Saharan Africa, a region that has been hit hard by an epidemic of HIV and AIDS, as well as famine and civil strife. Swaziland has the shortest, at 34.1 years, followed by Zambia, Angola, Liberia and Zimbabwe.

Researchers said several factors have contributed to the United States falling behind other industrialized nations. A major one is that 45 million Americans lack health insurance, while Canada and many European countries have universal health care, they say.

But "it's not as simple as saying we don't have national health insurance," said Sam Harper, an epidemiologist at McGill University in Montreal. "It's not that easy."

Among the other factors: _ Adults in the United States have one of the highest obesity rates in the world. Nearly a third of U.S. adults 20 years and older are obese, while about two-thirds are overweight, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

"The U.S. has the resources that allow people to get fat and lazy," said Paul Terry, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Emory University in Atlanta. "We have the luxury of choosing a bad lifestyle as opposed to having one imposed on us by hard times."

_ Racial disparities. Black Americans have an average life expectancy of 73.3 years, five years shorter than white Americans.

Black American males have a life expectancy of 69.8 years, slightly longer than the averages for Iran and Syria and slightly shorter than in Nicaragua and Morocco.

_ A relatively high percentage of babies born in the U.S. die before their first birthday, compared with other industrialized nations.

Forty countries, including Cuba, Taiwan and most of Europe had lower infant mortality rates than the U.S. in 2004. The U.S. rate was 6.8 deaths for every 1,000 live births. It was 13.7 for Black Americans, the same as Saudi Arabia.

"It really reflects the social conditions in which African American women grow up and have children," said Dr. Marie C. McCormick, professor of maternal and child health at the Harvard School of Public Health. "We haven't done anything to eliminate those disparities."

Another reason for the U.S. drop in the ranking is that the Census Bureau now tracks life expectancy for a lot more countries - 222 in 2004 - than it did in the 1980s. However, that does not explain why so many countries entered the rankings with longer life expectancies than the United States.

Murray, from the University of Washington, said improved access to health insurance could increase life expectancy. But, he predicted, the U.S. won't move up in the world rankings as long as the health care debate is limited to insurance.

Policymakers also should focus on ways to reduce cancer, heart disease and lung disease, said Murray. He advocates stepped-up efforts to reduce tobacco use, control blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and regulate blood sugar.

"Even if we focused only on those four things, we would go along way toward improving health care in the United States," Murray said. "The starting point is the recognition that the U.S. does not have the best health care system. There are still an awful lot of people who think it does."

I keep trying to tell everyone, "the good ole USA is not all that", regardless of how the politicians and media geeks try to spin it. This country has more holes in our "infrastructure" than YOU can imagine. However, based on recent government decisions etc, "it is more important to meddle in other countries crap, than to fix our own stuff"!

Regardless of what this article says, or, who it tries to lay the blame on, "YOU/WE are responsible for our own lives and decisions". Insurance and health care have nothing to do with YOU guzzling sodas and stuffing your face with greasy fries and pizza and super burgers. And then, "sitting around all day and night watching tv, playing video games, and surfing on the computer". Hey, ever hear of "EXERCISE"?

One thing YOU can lay on the government, is the fact that there is NO MORE REGULAR GYM CLASSES AT MOST SCHOOLS"! As the old saying goes, "YOU reap what YOU sow".

Wake up America, before YOU can't! Start making some better choices in your life before "the eternal dirt nap" slips on YOU!

"The more YOU know, the more YOU grow,

The more YOU grow, the further YOU go"

Bobby SharpeBobby Sharpe's "Indigo Spiritz" www.myspace.com/akuasharpe

"Rage", "Doom" Creators Follow Up

"Doom" creator unveils its new video game, "Rage"

The creator of classic computer game "Doom," id Software, unveiled on Friday its eagerly anticipated next game, "Rage," in which players fight an oppressive government in a post-apocalyptic world.

The new game will be released for computers running either Microsoft Corp's (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) Windows or Apple Inc's (AAPL.O: Quote, Profile, Research) Macintosh operating system, as well as Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony Corp's (6758.T: Quote, Profile, Research) PlayStation 3 video game consoles.

"It's a bit of a classic story and you are the outsider who comes in and tries to turn the tide in favor of good," id Chief Executive Todd Hollenshead said in an interview.

"Rage" is being built with all-new graphics technology designed by id co-founder John Carmack, who showed off the game at id's annual "QuakeCon" event in Dallas, Texas.

Privately held id did not give a release date for "Rage" or the name of the publisher. Activision Inc (ATVI.O: Quote, Profile, Research), the second-biggest U.S. video game publisher, handles other id games such as "Doom 3" and the upcoming "Enemy Territories: Quake Wars."

Since the breakaway success of "Doom" in 1993 established the "first-person shooter" as a major gaming genre, id's games have been characterized by fast-and-furious gunplay and claustrophobic environments.

"Rage" will represent somewhat of a stylistic break by letting players roam expansive outdoor areas.

"In addition to the shooting elements and killing bad guys with cool guns -- everyone knows we can do that well -- we wanted to show off some stuff that would surprise people," Hollenshead said.

The graphics technology, or engine, underpinning "Rage" is also important since id makes one of a handful of such software packages that are licensed by other game makers.

Hollenshead said the new "tech5" engine would make it easier for developers to design games that are better looking and can be easily modified to run on different gaming systems, a process that normally takes months and pushes up costs.

"It allows a single studio team to make four versions of our game without outside help," Hollenshead said. "You can have massive outdoor environments and make them look glorious down to pixel level without any performance issues."

Well. this ought to give YOU gamers something to get excited about. Even though there is no "release date" yet. Sounds like the next step in first person shooters with advanced technology. I'm ready!

Peace and Soulz,

Bobby SharpeBobby Sharpe's "Animalz" www.myspace.com/akuasharpe

Publix v Disney: Good Neighbor vs Greedy Neighbor

Publix to Offer Seven Antibiotics for Free
By DAVID ROYSE

CAPE CORAL, Fla. (Aug. 6) - Seven antibiotics, among the most widely prescribed, will be available at no cost from Publix supermarkets for people with prescriptions, the company said.

Fourteen-day supplies of the seven drugs will be available at all 684 of the chain's pharmacies in five southern states. Publix said there is no limit on the number of prescriptions that customers may fill for free.

The prescription antibiotics available under the program include amoxicillin, cephalexin, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, ciprofloxacin, penicillin VK, ampicillin and, erythromycin.

Other companies have begun discounted drug programs, including K-Mart and Wal-Mart Stores Inc., but Publix Super Markets Inc. officials say the company is the first large regional chain to offer certain drugs at no cost.

Wal-Mart Stores is selling a number of generic prescription drugs for $4 in hopes that it can draw more shoppers into its stores who may come for prescriptions and then stay to buy in other departments.

Most Publix stores are based in Florida.

"Health and wellness is crucial to every Floridian's quality of life and paramount to the vitality of our state," Gov. Charlie Crist said. "We appreciate great partners like Publix Super Markets working to further provide affordability and accessibility to quality prescription drugs for working families and seniors."

Publix also has stores in Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee.

"With health care and prescription costs on the rise, our free prescription drug program will reinforce our commitment to the total health and wellness of our customers and their families," said Publix spokesman Dwaine Stevens.

Now this is what I call a "really GREAT neighbor"! Even after I have read this story over and over, it still seems unbelievable in this day and age. Maybe there is still some hope for humanity in this country. Then again, after YOU read the next story, well, hope is still a little suspect.

Disney World Raises Prices

Let's see, the housing market and credit are in the toilet, foreclosures are at unprecedented rates, which means, people are losing their homes and having families ripped apart, gasoline is still not far from $3 a gallon and, depending on who YOU listen to, a recession is either here or, right around the corner. YET, the almighty Disney company just raised it's park ticket price by 6%. AFTER, just reporting that their profit increased something like 20%. Their movies, television and theme parks are doing gang buster! So, let's stick it to the populace and get even more money. Doesn't matter whether YOU can make your mortgage payment or not, just come and spend the day in fantasy land.

Some people will tell YOU, "if YOU search around and look for deals, YOU can actually get a great price on Disney tix". Why do I have to search to get a deal on their stuff? Why can't I just get a decent price walking up to the gate? Besides, "how much NEW has Disney added to warrant their cash grab"?

Of course, they will spin this to look like it was a major need for their continued success. However, if YOU take off the blinders, YOU will see that this is nothing else except "GREEDY CORPORATE AMERICA" at it's worse. Yeah, I know, "nobody is making YOU go there". That sentiment, I'm sure, is shared by many of YOU with narrow "closed mindz". One of the factors in why crap like this happens!

"The more YOU know, the more YOU grow,

The more YOU grow, the further YOU go"

Bobby SharpeBobby Sharpe's "Indigo Spiritz" www.myspace.com/akuasharpe

"8" Super Foods For YOUR Well Being

The last post we did on this blog, dealt with "crap and calories" from mostly fast food joints. This post, hopefully, will help YOU reduce and correct some of the bad effects from over indulging in the "fat zone". Some of the "8" items listed here may take some getting used too, but, they will be good for your well being.

If these "super foods" don't do the trick for YOU, or, if YOU really don't care about yourself, NO PROBLEM. There is always a fast food place relatively close where YOU can hit up a "baconator super cheeseburger and a "large frosty or shake with those lg. fries"!

1)Blueberries

These amazing berries are on anyone's list of super foods. Recent research shows that they're brain food -- feeding blueberries to rats actually slows their age-related mental decline. Blueberries contain pterostilbene, a plant compound recently shown to have cholesterol-lowering properties. Their ORAC value (antioxidant rating) is the highest of any fruit. And blueberries are rich in fiber. Tip: Try them frozen. They taste like sherbet!

2)Guava

Among the super foods of the world, guava is a sleeper. With a taste that's been described as "part strawberry and part pear," one low-calorie cup of this vitamin-rich fruit contains a whopping eight grams of fiber. And in one widely used test of antioxidant power, guava scored second only to blueberries, right behind kale. Guava also contains cancer-fighting lycopene.

3)Kale

Kale is a member of the brassica family -- vegetable royalty that boasts cabbage and broccoli among its relatives. It's rich in potent cancer-fighting substances called indoles, and loaded with bone-building vitamin K. Kale has the highest antioxidant rating of any vegetable and is ridiculously low in calories. Try it tossed with olive oil, a few dried cranberries and some pine nuts.

4)Sardines

These little fish are the best kept secret in the world when it comes to health foods and the secret weapon of travelers looking for a cheap, portable, easily available source of protein. Sardines are rich in omega-3 fats, and one of the least contaminated of any seafood since they rank so low on the food chain. Eat them out of the can or throw them on some salad.

5)Apples

The juicy red or green apple's reputation for keeping you out of the doctor's office is well deserved. Loaded with pectin (an important fiber), apples are one of the best sources of boron, a little-known nutrient that helps support strong and healthy bones. An apple with a glass of water is a great natural appetite suppressant. Highest antioxidant value: Red Delicious

6)Coconut Oil

This superb oil has been long neglected as a healthy oil because it contains saturated fat. But not to worry: The saturated fat in coconut is a very healthy kind called MCT (medium chain triglyecerides) which is easily burned by the body for energy. Coconut oil also contains lauric acid, a natural anti-viral and anti-microbal. And today's excellent virgin coconut oil -- unlike the inferior products of a few decades ago -- doesn't contain trans fats

7)Green Tea, Oolong and White Tea

A superstar beverage if there ever was one, green tea helps with weight loss and helps fight against cancer. It contains EGCG, a catechin (plant compound) which stimulates metabolism and has anti-cancer properties to boot. Green tea also contains theanine, a natural relaxant which helps explain why the caffeine in green tea doesn't make you nearly as jittery as coffee. Oolong tea and White tea are pretty much in the same category based on recent studies.

8)Flaxseeds

Flaxseed oil is one of the only plant sources of omega-3 fats, but the flaxseeds themselves provide the added benefit of fiber along with omega-3. Flaxseeds can be thrown on salads, tossed into smoothies, or sprinkled on vegetables. They also contain lignans, a group of plant nutrients that have been studied by the National Cancer Institute for their cancer preventive properties.

Hey people, there YOU have it. Start getting your eating in order and everything else just might fall in line.

"The more YOU know, the more YOU grow,

The more YOU grow, the further YOU go"

Bobby SharpeBobby Sharpe's "Indigo Spiritz" www.myspace.com/akuasharpe

Fast Food, Fat YOU, Grilling Tips

Here are a couple of things that YOU might not have known that will make your grilling experience alot more pleasing. Remember, "opyn mindz", that's how YOU learn stuff!

1. Prevent burger bulge by pressing your thumb into the center of patties while they're still raw. They'll fill out again as the meat cooks.

2. Hands off! While constantly flipping the burgers might make you feel like you're really playing with fire, it doesn't do much good for your meat's moisture. For killer grill marks and a juicy patty, let the meat sit on the hot grill for at least a few minutes, and then flip just once.

3. Meat should be blotted dry with paper towels before it meets the heat. Otherwise it's boiling, steaming and braising -- not grilling.

Things YOU Need To Know About "Fast Food" Joints

1)A Big Mac has fewer calories than a "grilled chicken club", "large fries", or, "20 McNuggets". (540 calories)

2)Corn muffins have more calories than a glazed doughnut, Egg McMuffin, or, French Toaststix. (500 calories)

3)Wendy's "honey mustard topping" has 280 calories.

4)A Subway ham sub has only 290 calories(6 inch)

5)Medium Burger King Fries have 360 calories. Small fries has only 130.

6)Sausage adds the most calories of pizza toppings.

7)The Taco Bell item with the most calories is the Taco Salad(860 calories)

Alright, that should start YOU on your way to a fitter YOU. Maybe! As the old saying goes, "YOU are what YOU eat"! lol

"The more YOU know, the more YOU grow,

The more YOU grow, the further YOU go"

Bobby Sharpewww.myspace.com/akuasharpe Bobby Sharpe's "Indigo Spiritz"

Bobby's Rants, Raves, Questions and Statements

Before we get down to the nitty gritty stuff, I would like to give a BIG rave to a little hero. Another reason why we should place our fellow creatures on a higher level than we do. At least, most of them.

Hero Chihuahua Saves Toddler From Rattlesnake
Sunday, July 22, 2007

MASONVILLE, Colo. — Zoey is a Chihuahua, but when a rattlesnake lunged at her owners' 1-year-old grandson, she was a real bulldog.

Booker West was splashing his hands in a birdbath in his grandparents' northern Colorado back yard when the snake slithered up to the toddler, rattled and struck. Five-pound Zoey jumped in the way and took the bites.

"She got in between Booker and the snake, and that's when I heard her yipe," said Monty Long, the boy's grandfather.

The dog required treatment and for a time it appeared she might not survive. Now she prances about.

"These little bitty dogs, they just don't really get credit," Booker's grandma Denise Long told the Loveland Daily Reporter-Herald.

Now that, is a hero. Can't think of many humans that would have done that! One thing that puzzles me though, "as far as I know, rattle snakes don't just come up to people and strike". What was up with this snake and/or scenario?

Questions And Statements

(1) Last week, I spent quite a bit of time with a variety of MicroSoft people here in Orlando. Most of them from out of country. During the many conversations I had with these people, it is fair to say that "the rest of the world pretty much thinks that most Americans are arrogant, lazy, ignorant to the rest of the world, and, flat out stupid". Hmm..don't think I could have said that any better. Actually, it's pretty sad. Unfortunately, it's pretty accurate.

(2) Aside from "serial killers" and "child abuse/pornography" and corruption, which the "caucasian" race pretty much has a lock on, how come every morning when I get up and turn on the news and see about the previous nights "murders, robberies, car jackings, bad drug deals, shootings etc", the participants are almost ALWAYS minorities? Namely, hispanic and black. Is there that much space between their brains and the brains of other humans? These people need to WAKE UP and get real!

(3) I don't know about YOU, but, "I am sick to death of our supposed professional athletes(jerks)". You have Mike Vick commiting or, at least sanctioning dog fighting and the abuse perpetrated upon the dogs. Alledgedley! Then YOU have this NBA ref, Tim Donaghy supposedly betting and cheating on games he reffed. Actually, all of US shouls stop supporting all these sports and their over paid participants. Another "black" mark on American society. Hey, listen, nobody needs to "nuke" us, we will do it to ourselves from the inside out!

Rants And Raves

(1) Big rant for people that never answer their emails. "Hey, rude humans, why do YOU even have an email address that YOU freely give out and, don't have the courtesy to respond to your mail"? "Are YOU that callous or, that ignorant"?

(2) Big rave for the government of The Netherlands. They actually have an "animal rights" political party in the Parliament/Government. BRAVO!

(3) Big rave also for the German government who was the first European country to give animals equal rights just like people. BRAVO!

Well, that's enough for right now. Give YOU something to think about though. If YOU need some nice music to chill YOU out while reading and thinking on some of this stuff, go to Welcome to Arkensounds.com

"The more YOU know, the more YOU grow,
The more YOU grow, the further YOU go"

Bobby Sharpewww.myspace.com/akuasharpe Bobby Sharpe's "Animalz"

World's Fastest Residential High Speed Uplink?

Swedish Woman, 75, Gets Superfast Net

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) - She is a latecomer to the information superhighway, but 75-year-old Sigbritt Lothberg is now cruising the Internet with a dizzying speed.

Lothberg's 40 gigabits-per-second fiber-optic connection in Karlstad is believed to be the fastest residential uplink in the world, Karlstad city officials said.

In less than 2 seconds, Lothberg can download a full-length movie on her home computer - many thousand times faster than most residential connections, said Hafsteinn Jonsson, head of the Karlstad city network unit.

Jonsson and Lothberg's son, Peter, worked together to install the connection.

The speed is reached using a new modulation technique that allows the sending of data between two routers placed up to 1,240 miles apart, without any transponders in between, Jonsson said.

"We wanted to show that that there are no limitations to Internet speed," he said.
Peter Lothberg, who is a networking expert, said he wanted to demonstrate the new technology while providing a computer link for his mother.

"She's a brand new Internet user," Lothberg said by phone from California, where he lives. "She didn't even have a computer before."

His mother isn't exactly making the most of her high-speed connection. She only uses it to read Web-based newspapers.

Now doesn't this make your computer seem like a dinosaur? However, just think, "if your computer were this fast, would YOU ever leave the house"? Just think of the movies you could watch? Just think of the internet gaming and gambling YOU could do? In other words, "for some, this would be a boon". For others, "the beginning of the end".

However, it is coming. Just a matter of time. What YOU do with it, "is on YOU".

"The more YOU know, the more YOU grow,

The more YOU grow, the further YOU go"

Bobby SharpeBobby Sharpe's "Animalz" www.myspace.com/akuasharpe

J.J.Abrams "Cloverfield" or, Cthulhu?

Cthulhu
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Cthulu)

Cthulhu is a fictional monster created by horror author H. P. Lovecraft, and is one of Lovecraft's Great Old Ones.[1] It is often cited for the extreme descriptions given of its appearance, size, and the abject terror that it invokes. Because of this reputation, Cthulhu is often referred to in sci-fi and fantasy circles as a tongue-in-cheek shorthand for extreme horror or evil.

Cthulhu has also been spelled Kutulu, Q'thulu, Ktulu, Cthulu, Kthulhut, Kulhu, Thu Thu, Tulu,[2] and in many other ways. It is often preceded by the epithet Great, Dead, or Dread.

Lovecraft transcribed the pronunciation of Cthulhu as "Khlûl'hloo" or "Kathooloo"[3] S. T. Joshi points out, however, that Lovecraft gave several differing pronunciations on different occasions.[4] According to Lovecraft, however, this is merely the closest that the human vocal apparatus can come to reproducing the syllables of an alien language.[5]

Cthulhu first appeared in the short story "The Call of Cthulhu" (1928) — though it makes minor appearances in a few other of Lovecraft's works.[6] August Derleth used the creature's name to describe the system of lore employed by Lovecraft and his literary successors, the Cthulhu Mythos.

Alright, yeah, I'm caught up in the whole phenom of the "trailer" that was run before the "Transformers" movie. Tentatively called "Cloverfield", this J.J. Abrams/Paramount Pictures movie has everyone guessing what it "really" is. Well, someone on the net that I converse with, suggested that the "monster" just may be the H.P. Lovecraft monster Cthulhu. My thoughts are, "if this is NOT the monster and story, then someone needs to do a movie based on this monster"!

Post your thoughts under comments!

Bobby SharpeBobby Sharpe's "Animalz" www.myspace.com/akuasharpe

Sony PS 3 Price Drop/Spielberg And Ea Video Games

New PlayStation to Go on Sale in August

Sony Corp. (SNE) (SNE) slashed the price of its current PlayStation 3 by $100, or 16.7 percent, and introduced a high-capacity model in an effort to spur sales of the struggling video game console. Starting Monday, the current 60 gigabyte model will cost $499, down from $599.

The Japanese electronics maker also said it is introducing a new version of the PlayStation 3 with a bigger hard drive for storing downloaded content such as video games and high-definition movies.

The new PS3 increases the system's storage capacity to 80 gigabytes from 60 gigabytes and also includes a retail copy of the online racing title "MotorStorm," a company spokesman said. It will be priced at $599.

The larger capacity machine won't be available in the United States and Canada until August.

Sony should be releasing 100 new video games during the current fiscal year, including 15 titles that are exclusive to the PS3 such as the hack-and-slash action title "Heavenly Sword."

Video Games by Spielberg, EA Detailed
By MATT SLAGLE

Filmmaker Steven Spielberg and video game publisher Electronic Arts Inc. (ERTS) (ERTS) are releasing a few tidbits about their ongoing collaboration to make three video games, but most details - including the game's titles - remain a secret.

Code-named "LMNO" and "PQRS," the first two games to come from the exclusive relationship will be previewed at this week's E3 Media & Business Summit, which starts Wednesday in Santa Monica, Calif.

The "LMNO" game is being created for the Sony Corp. (SNE)'s PlayStation 3, Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)'s Xbox 360 and PCs. It will be a "contemporary action adventure" where the player partners with a female character who evolves over time depending on how she interacts with others in the game, said Neil Young, general manager of EA's Los Angeles studio.

"PQRS," which is being developed for Nintendo Co.'s Wii, will have gamers wielding the wireless remote to manipulate blocks in various ways.

Young said to expect much more than a computerized version of Jenga when it's released, sometime in the current fiscal year.

"Of course just playing with blocks does not a game make," he said Monday. "Now imagine there are up to 50 different properties that can be associated with them. They can explode or form a chemical reaction."

Young said Spielberg, known for his roster of films such as "Saving Private Ryan,""Schindler's List,""Raiders of the Lost Ark," and "E.T.," got the idea for the block game after a round of Wii tennis with Nintendo game legend Shigeru Miyamoto during last year's E3.

"He came away just kind of blown away by the visceral nature of the machine," Young said.
Spielberg wasn't available for an interview, but in a prepared statement said he was "a gamer" and has always been intrigued by game development.

"I am truly enjoying the creative collaboration and we hope that gamers will be as excited as we are about what we can bring to the medium through our shared vision," Spielberg said.

There were no details on a third title under Spielberg's long-term exclusive arrangement to develop the games for EA.

Financial terms of the deal announced in 2005 haven't been disclosed. Redwood City, Calif.-based EA, the world's largest game maker with blockbusters such as "Madden NFL" and "The Sims," said it will own the intellectual property behind the Spielberg games and publish them.

Well, here is the latest tech news for all of YOU gamers out there. I am glad Sony dropped the price on the PS 3, however, I am going to wait a bit until they get more games I am interested in. Plus, some more blu-ray dvd's.

If Spielbergs games are as good as some of his movies, they should be a hit.

Peace And Good Gaming,

Bobby Sharpe www.myspace.com/akuasharpe Bobby Sharpe's "Animalz"

"Transformers" Movie Is The Bomb!

Listen, forget "Spiderman"(wuss) and the "Fantastic Four", The "Transformers" movie is the ticket.

The action is non stop. It is NOT done kiddie style. There is some nice intensity and adult oriented language and references. And MUCH violence. It all plays fantastic! Would pay to see this movie again in a minute!

Oh, one more plus for the movie, it showcased the supposed, new 2009 Chevy Camaro. It is nasty awesome! If it comes to fruition, I will HAVE ONE!

In the mean time, movie lovers of action, horror and sci-fi, here is a list of new movie official web sites of upcoming films YOU may be interested in:

The Invasion

The Kingdom - The Official Movie Site. In Theaters September 28th

Skin Walkers Official Movie Site

Resident Evil: Extinction - Sept. 21,2007

30 Days Of Night - Official Site

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep - Official Site

Check the links out and get the trailers. Have fun! Oh, go see "Transformers" this weekend or week or summer! lol

Have fun,

Bobby SharpeBobby Sharpe's "Animalz" www.myspace.com/akuasharpe

Live Earth Global Concerts

Live Earth Aims to Cause Lasting Change

NEW YORK (AP) - Live Earth is ambitious by any standard: eight concerts featuring the biggest names in music, playing for a 24-hour period across the globe, all for the cause of global warming.

But like its template - 2006's Live 8, the global concert devoted to poverty in Africa - the mission of Live Earth is somewhat amorphous. Its aim is to "trigger a global movement to solve the climate crisis."

Whatever Live Earth's accomplishment on Saturday, it will be difficult to measure. Former Vice President Al Gore, who partnered with Kevin Wall in founding Live Earth, believes the world needs to rise up as one giant vox populi to influence "a new political reality."

"The tipping point in the political system will come when the majority of the people are armed with enough knowledge about the crisis and its solutions that they make this cause their own," Gore said in an interview with The Associated Press. "Then, you will see the entire political system shift dramatically."

Kevin Wall, an Emmy-winning concert producer who produced Live 8 and founded Live Earth, hopes Live Earth will change attitudes about global warming and jettison a larger movement.
"This concert is not the solution," says Wall. "This concert is providing, hopefully, that global tipping point to start to get us into empowering people, get them into the tent."

"Maybe we can make the noise, maybe we can be the town crier, maybe we can say like Paul Revere, 'The British are coming,'" he adds.

Live Earth will send proceeds to the Alliance for Climate Protection, a nonprofit organization chaired by Gore (tickets for the U.S. concert range from $83-$348). Wall was originally inspired to put on Live Earth after seeing "An Inconvenient Truth," the Academy Award-winning documentary on Gore's global warming slideshow.

"The question I kept asking myself is, 'What can I do?'" says Wall.

Concerts are scheduled for Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.; London; Johannesburg, South Africa; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Shanghai, China; Tokyo; Sydney, Australia; and Hamburg, Germany. A band of scientists will also perform in Antarctica, stretching Live Earth across seven continents.

More than 150 artists will perform, including Madonna, the Police, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Alicia Keys. Sixty short films and 30 public service announcements have been produced, which will be broadcast between performances.

Also planned are more than 6,000 parties in 119 countries - ranging from home viewings to museum festivals. The concerts will be broadcast in the U.S. on NBC, Telemundo, the Sundance Channel, Bravo, MSNBC and Universal HD. They will also be broadcast online at LiveEarth.MSN.com and on XM satellite radio.

Live Earth has been organized mindful of lessons learned from Live 8, which was planned just weeks in advance by Bob Geldof to rally support for Africa. Envisioned as a sequel to 1985's Live Aid (which benefited famine in Ethiopia), Live 8 didn't charge for tickets and generally kept to a vague message urging help for Africa.

The underlying point of Live 8 was to pressure world leaders who days later met for that year's G8 Summit in Gleneagles, Scotland. Some success could be claimed: the G8 nations committed to increasing aid to Africa from $25 billion annually to $50 billion by 2010. The leaders also endorsed a deal to cancel the debt of 18 of the world's poorest nations.

Since then, Geldof has created the Web site to audit how faithfully the G8 nations keep to their Gleneagles promises.http://www.thedatareport.org

Though Africa has now largely ceded ground to global warming as the dominant cause celebre, many of those involved with Live 8 still grind away. Bono, U2 frontman and outspoken advocate of aid for Africa, recently guest edited an issue of Vanity Fair devoted to Africa.

On the largely dormant Live 8 Web site, Bono is quoted: "Live 8 was and remains a brilliant moment but what is more important is the brilliant movement of which it was a part."

This time around, Gore says they are making particular effort to sustain any momentum gained by Live Earth.

"We've listened to the advice of Bob Geldof and others who have been such great pioneers, and we've taken their advice in designing this event as not the end in itself, but the beginning of a three to five year campaign," says Gore.

But Geldof has been critical of Live Earth. In May, he told a Dutch newspaper: "Live Earth doesn't have a final goal."

"I would only organize this if I could go on stage and announce concrete environmental measures from the American presidential candidates, Congress or major corporations," said Geldof.

At a news conference last week, Gore and Wall mapped out some of their goals for Live Earth. They unveiled a "7 Point Pledge" that concertgoers will be asked to sign. Those who sign it promise to pressure their country to sign treaties to cut global warming pollution, personally reduce carbon dioxide pollution, and plant trees, among other things.

Part of the thrust of Live Earth is to communicate what consumers can do to minimize their impact on the environment.

"The problem with it, is that it's a very complicated issue," says Wall. "When you think about yourself recycling a piece of paper, how does that connect to an iceberg in the North Pole?"

Wall and Gore have also taken measures to maintain the concert's green integrity by enlisting the support of the U.S. Green Building Council and John Picard, a former member of President Clinton's Green White House task force. Live Earth is intended to be an eco-friendly event with power supplied from renewable energy sources and ground travel from hybrid or high-efficiency vehicles where possible.

"This is going to be the greenest event of its kind, ever," says Gore. "The carbon offsets and the innovative practices that are being used to make this a green event, I think will set the standard for years to come."

While the former vice president has repeatedly said he will not run for president next year, he says it's a "main goal" of Live Earth to make climate change an important factor in the election next November and beyond.

"We're prepared to carry this on for three to five years," Gore says. "I'm optimistic that we'll reach the goal before then."

This is going to be an incredible event and, should shed some light on our planets situation. Yes, most people will check this event out for the music and entertainment value. However, if it just moves YOU to switch light bulbs, or, any of the other things YOU can do to cut green house gases and help the planet, then, it will be a success and all well worth it.

Live Earth will be broadcast on a variety of tv stations etc. Starting times vary from one station/website to another. I am including a couple of links that will help YOU get more info. Enjoy, have fun, AND, learn something that may better all of our lives!

SOS Live Earth 7.7.07 Live Earth on MSN: The Concerts For A Climate In Crisis

"The more YOU know, the more YOU grow,

The more YOU grow, the further YOU go"

Bobby Sharpewww.myspace.com/akuasharpe Bobby Sharpe's "Animalz"