£ddie

Def. Grey Goose.

I lived with one and seriously considered marrying her. Not all are like that.

Anna Nicole Smith Named Worst Dressed of 2002 Tue January 7, 2003 04:49 PM ET By Arthur Spiegelman LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Now we know why she made her living as a stripper -- her clothes are just too ugly to wear. Hollywood's fast-talking fashion designer Mr. Blackwell named former Playboy Playmate Anna Nicole Smith on Tuesday as the worst dressed woman of 2002. But she was not alone. She was followed closely on the annual list that has become a Hollywood favorite by a bevy of pop singers including Christina Aguilera and Shakira, actresses Meg Ryan and Cameron Diaz, Britain's Princess Anne and Kelly Osbourne, the daughter of British rocker Ozzy Osbourne. Mr. Blackwell, a one-time designer for Jayne Mansfield, Jane Russell and Dorothy Lamour, said Smith topped his 43rd annual list because "Anna's fashion follies are the worst of the year ... don't bother with a new designer Anna, just hire a structural engineer!" Smith, a Texas native who worked as a stripper when she met her late millionaire octogenarian husband, has been starring in her own TV reality series that has been savaged by the critics for its inane content, poor fashion sense and embarrassing portrayal of its bumbling, overweight heroine. Smith joins a select list of fashion failures that in past years has included Judy Garland, Cher and Barbra Streisand, whom Mr. Blackwell compared to Ringo Starr in drag. SCARY BABY DOLL In second place on the latest Blackwell list was another star of a reality series, Kelly Osbourne. Mr. Blackwell described her as "A fright-wigged Baby Doll, stuck in a goth prom gown. Now we know what happened to Ozzy's hand-me-downs!" Named third was pop singer Shakira, whom Mr. Blackwell described as "overwrought and underdressed." Film star Cameron Diaz nabbed fourth place with Mr. Blackwell opining that she "looks like she was dressed by a color-blind circus clown." Britain's Princess Anne wound up in fifth place because: "Her Royal Dowager Drag is dreary, drab and dour." Her mother, Queen Elizabeth, and her aunt, Princess Margaret, have previously appeared on the list -- talk about "All in the Family." In sixth place was "Interview with A Vampire" author Anne Rice whom Mr. Blackwell said "looks like a cross between Queen Victoria and the Vampire Lestat." He was not much nicer to designer Donatella Versace whom he said "resembles a flash-fried Venus, stuck in a Miami Strip Mall." Actress Meg Ryan was eighth because Mr. Blackwell deemed her "a total fashion wreck" who "looks like a Swap-Meet Fashion Queen in Beverly Hills." A pair of pop stars, Christina Aguilera and Pink, finished ninth and 10th respectively, Aguilera because "her barely-there bimbo bombs wouldn't cover a gnat" and Pink because "out of the blue, pops Pink, and I'm seeing red." Summing it all up Mr. Blackwell said 2002 represented "not a pretty picture ... fashion flip-flopped all over the place."

Don't have it on the keyboard. You have to hold down the Alt key and type 0163 on the number pad.

Administration fact sheet from the Wall Street Journal: Today’s Presidential Action Ø President Bush today announced a growth and jobs plan to strengthen the American economy, and called on Congress to act swiftly to pass it. Ø The President’s economic agenda has three main goals: o Encourage consumer spending that will continue to boost the economic recovery. o Promote investment by individuals and businesses that will lead to economic growth and job creation. o Deliver critical help to unemployed citizens. Ø The President’s new proposal would: o Speed up the 2001 tax cuts to increase the pace of the recovery and job creation. o Encourage job-creating investment in America’s businesses by ending the double taxation of dividends and giving small businesses incentives to grow. o Provide help for unemployed Americans, including extending unemployment benefits and creating new re-employment accounts to help displaced workers get back on the job. Ø Who benefits under the President’s plan? o Everyone who pays taxes—especially middle-income Americans—as tax rate reductions passed by Congress in 2001 are made effective immediately. Middle-income families will receive additional relief from accelerated reduction of the marriage penalty, a faster increase in the child tax credit, and immediate implementation of the new, lower 10 percent tax bracket. o Everyone who invests in the stock market and receives dividend income—especially seniors—will benefit from elimination of the double taxation on dividends. About half of all dividend income goes to America’s seniors, who often rely on those checks for a steady source of retirement income. o Every small business owner who purchases equipment to grow and expand will get assistance through an increase in the expensing limits from $25,000 to $75,000. o Every worker who has lost his or her job and qualifies for unemployment benefits will get more help, and many will qualify for new, more flexible Personal Re-employment Accounts, which provide a bonus if they find work quickly. Ø Under the President’s proposal to speed up tax relief, 92 million taxpayers would receive, on average, a tax cut of $1,083 in 2003. o 46 million married couples would receive an average tax cut of $1,716. o 34 million families with children would benefit from an average tax cut of $1,473. o 6 million single women with children would receive an average tax cut of $541. o 13 million elderly taxpayers would receive an average tax cut of $1,384. o 23 million small business owners would receive tax cuts averaging $2,042. Example: A typical family of four with two earners making a combined $39,000 in income will receive a total of $1,100 in tax relief under the President’s plan. Ø According to a projection by the Council of Economic Advisers, the President’s plan will help the economy to create 2.1 million jobs over the next three years. Making Progress: From Recession to Recovery Ø Since the beginning of his Administration, the President has acted decisively to promote economic growth and job creation. o In 2001, he fulfilled his promise to reduce the tax burden on the American people. This tax relief gave the economy a boost at just the right time—ensuring that the recession was one of the shortest and shallowest in modern American history. These tax cuts worked, and the President will continue to press the Congress to make the cuts—including the end of the death tax—permanent. o In 2002, he proposed and signed into law an economic stimulus bill, tough new corporate accountability standards, terrorism insurance legislation to put construction projects back on track, and an historic trade act. All these measures will help our economy as it recovers from the shocks of recession, the attacks of September 11th, and serious abuses of trust by some corporate officials. Ø Today, America’s economy is recovering and showing signs of growth. o The country is now in its second year of economic growth. o Nationwide, incomes are rising faster than inflation. o Interest rates are the lowest in 37 years, and low interest rates have allowed Americans to refinance their homes, adding more than $100 billion to their pocketbooks and to the economy. o The homeownership rate—a central part of the American dream—is 68 percent, close to the highest ever. o Productivity of American workers—the most important indicator of our economic strength—went up 5.6 percent over the last four measured quarters, the best since 1973. o Our trade with other nations is expanding—bringing the lower prices that come from imports, and the better jobs that come from exports. More to Do: The President’s Agenda to Strengthen America’s Economy Ø America has the strongest, most resilient economy in the world, yet this economy is not creating enough jobs. We have made great progress, but there is still more work to do. Ø The President today proposed a specific agenda to increase the momentum of our economic recovery. The President’s proposal would: Speed up Tax Relief to Speed up the Recovery: The President’s proposal builds on the success of the 2001 tax cut. As a result of this law, Americans are due to receive additional tax relief in 2004, and again in 2006. Republicans and Democrats in Congress have already enacted these cuts. The President believes the time to deliver this relief is now – when it can do the most good for families, businesses, and the economy – not years from now. The President’s plan would: o Make all the tax rate reductions from the 2001 tax law effective this year—and retroactive to January 1, 2003. o Upon passage, the President will order the Treasury Department to immediately adjust the amount of money withheld for income taxes, so that Americans will keep more of their paychecks right away. o For income earned after January 1, 2003, the following tax rates would be in effect: 10% 15% 25% 28% 33% 35% The President’s plan would also bring middle-income families additional relief by speeding up three other tax reductions promised in 2001. It would: o Reduce the marriage penalty this year, instead of waiting until 2009. An estimated 46 million married couples would benefit under the President’s plan. o Raise the child tax credit from $600 to $1,000 per child this year, instead of in 2010. That would amount to a $400 increase per child, and checks would be issued in that amount this year to help parents across America. An estimated 34 million families with children would benefit under the President’s plan. o Move several million working Americans into the lowest tax bracket of 10 percent now instead of waiting until 2008. [Note: The plan will hold harmless any taxpayer that may be affected by the Alternative Minimum Tax]. Encourage Job-Creating Investment in America’s Economy – The President proposed two new steps to encourage individuals and businesses to invest in America’s economy. End the double taxation of dividends o Roughly 35 million American households receive dividend income that is taxable and will directly benefit under the President’s plan. More than half of these dividends go to America’s seniors, many of whom rely on these checks for a steady source of income in their retirement. o Yet seniors and other investors are not getting the full benefit of their investments because those investments are taxed twice. The IRS taxes a company on its profits, then it taxes the investors who receive the profits as dividends. The result is that for every dollar of profit a company could pay out in dividends, as little as 40 cents can actually reach shareholders. o In practice, double taxation of dividends means that even an investor of modest means is paying a higher tax rate on dividends than wealthy taxpayers pay on their income. o It is fair to tax a company’s profits, and under the President’s plan, company profits will still be taxed – but only once. It is not fair to tax this income twice by taxing the shareholder on those same profits. Double taxation is wrong—and it falls hardest on seniors. o Almost half of all savings from the dividend exclusion under the President’s plan would go to taxpayers 65 and older. The average tax savings for the 9.8 million seniors receiving dividends would be $936. o The President’s plan would eliminate the double taxation of dividends for millions of stockholders – allowing taxpayers to exclude dividend payments from their taxable income – and returning about $20 billion this year to the economy. Increase incentives for small businesses to grow o Small businesses create the majority of new jobs and account for half the output of the economy. o Current tax laws permit them to write off as expenses up to $25,000 worth of equipment purchases. The President’s plan would increase that limit to $75,000 and index it to inflation – encouraging them to buy technology, machinery, and other equipment they need to expand. Help Unemployed Americans Find Work –As we work to encourage long-term growth in the economy, we must not forget men and women struggling today. The President’s plan would help the unemployed on two fronts, providing both short-term benefits and long-term opportunity: Extend unemployment benefits o Close to 70,000 workers exhaust their unemployment benefits each week and need our help. o The President’s plan calls on Congress to extend unemployment benefits that expired on December 28th and make them retroactive so people who lost benefits in December will receive them in full. The President is calling upon Congress to make helping unemployed Americans a first order of business this year. Create new Personal Re-employment Accounts o The President’s plan would create Personal Re-employment Accounts, a new, innovative approach to help unemployed Americans find a job. o These accounts would provide unemployed workers with up to $3,000 to use for job training, child care, transportation, moving costs, or other expenses associated with finding a new job. A person who gets a job within 13 weeks will be able to keep the leftover funds from their account as a re-employment bonus. This will help them when they are looking for work and give them an incentive to find work faster. o President Bush proposes giving states $3.6 billion to fund these accounts. The program would be administered through the One Stop Career Center system and would work through existing state unemployment systems to ensure speedy delivery of benefits. o Under the President’s plan, these accounts would be available to at least 1.2 million Americans. o Workers would receive these Personal Re-employment Accounts in addition to their regular unemployment benefits.

You can make money in any kind of market, just have to allocate your funds properly. Gold is still attractive, but may be oversold at this point. I had a large chunk of my funds in gold last year and earned a 50% return. Inflation-protected bonds are also still popular. Also if you had your money last year parked in funds that shorted stocks, you probably made about a 25% return last year. Key is to adjust your portfolio in response to macroeconomic changes.

Bob Barker vs Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore. lolzzzzzzzzzzzz

Anyone remember the old Club NYC days? http://bbs.clubplanet.com/TheLounge/98archives.html

Interview is actually fake, here is the whole article as it appeared in Asia Times, discussing al Qaeda plans to nuke multiple US cities. According to Al-Jazeera, the interview never happened and Usuquf doesn't exist: Apocalypse Now, or Alottanukes Soon November 15, 2002 By Pepe Escobar, THE ROVING EYE At a time when a tape handed over to the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television station has received widespread expose for its purported comments by Osama bin Laden in praise of recent terror events around the world, another al-Qaeda message released to the same station has received little coverage. Al-Jazeera was granted an interview with one Mohammed al-Usuquf, allegedly al-Qaeda's number three. Al-Usuquf is said to be a doctor in physics and to hold a masters degree in international economics. A copy of the interview was sent to the prestigious Arab-language daily Al Quds Al Arabi, edited in London, but it was not printed. Asia Times Online has obtained a copy of the interview, and reproduces excerpts here, with the caveat that the identity of the man has not yet been confirmed, nor has his membership within al-Qaeda. Al-Usuquf says that al-Qaeda's Kuwaiti spokesman, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, and bin Laden himself, suggested that he grant the interview. Bin Laden, he says, is "alive and healthy, along with his commanders Mohammed Atef, Khalid Shaik Mohammed and Mullah Omar". Al-Usuquf starts by criticizing Washington's disrespect of the Kyoto Protocol on climatic change, the International Criminal Court and the Palestinian cause, as well as the "financial greed" engendering speculative gains over Third World countries. He also criticizes the manner in which America wastes wealth, like US$80 billion a year on gambling. "They [have] lost the notion of spirituality and only live in sin." For this reason, America must be destroyed, and al-Usuquf insists that "aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines and spy satellites will be worthless in the next war". Al-Qaeda, according to him, has 5,000 first rank operatives and around 20,000 all over the world. Of all the prisoners in the US, only "20 or 30" are al-Qaeda, and all of them "second-rank". Confirming Asia Times Online information, he swears that there are no first-rank prisoners in Guantanamo in Cuba. Al-Usuquf says, "We have more than 500 first-rank and 800 second-rank [operatives] inside the US." "First rank" are considered ones that have lived in the US for more than 10 years, most of them married with children. "They have an idea about the plans, and they are just waiting for a call." "Second-rank" operatives arrived in the past five years and "have no idea about the plans". They are all willing to die. Al-Usuquf insists that September 11 "was just the beginning. It was a way to call the world's attention to what's going to happen." He then details a plan to destroy the US by "attacking the heart of what they consider the most important thing in the world: money". "The American economy is an economy of false appearances," says al-Usuquf. "There's no real economic weight. American GNP is something around $10 trillion, but only 1 percent comes from agriculture, and only 24 percent from industry. So 75 percent of its GNP comes from services, and most of it is financial speculation. For someone who understands economics, and apparently America's Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill does not, or cannot, the US as a whole behaves like an immense dot.com, and dollars are its stocks. The value of stocks from a given company is directly proportional to its profitability. When a company only provides services, but does not produce goods, the value of its stocks depends on its credibility. What I'm saying is if US credibility is affected, its stocks - the US dollar - will fall at tremendous speed, and the whole American economy will collapse." Al-Usuquf is absolutely positive, "because, in a smaller scale, this is exactly what big financial conglomerates do with Third World countries to collect profits in one month that no Swiss bank would guarantee in four to five years". Al-Usuquf says that al-Qaeda could do the same by "provoking a deficit of $50 to 70 trillion, the equivalent to five to seven years of the GNP of the US". How? By "destroying America's seven largest cities and some other measures". The means? "Atomic bombs." Al-Usuquf's most startling revelation is that the bombs "won't be launched, they are already there". "Seven nuclear heads have already been positioned on American soil, before September 11, and they are ready to be detonated. Before September 11, American security was a fiasco, and even later, if we needed, we could position the bombs there. They arrived through seaports, as normal cargo. A nuclear head is not bigger than a fridge, so it can easily be camouflaged as one. Thousands of containers arrive at a seaport every day, and even with very efficient security, it's impossible to check and examine each one of them." Al-Usuquf says that the bombs were bought on the black market: five from the former USSR and two from Pakistan. The five Russian heads "are from T-3 missiles, also known as RD-107, and their power is around 100 kilotons each, that is five times the Hiroshima bomb. The Pakistani ones are less powerful, something around 10 kilotons each." Each of the Russian bombs would have cost around $200 million. Al-Qaeda was able to raise the money "because we have many sponsors. Many countries sponsor us, and also some very rich people." And not all of these are Arab countries. "Some European countries as well are also interested in the fall of the US." As to the "rich people", they are "people who are also tired of seeing the US bleeding the rest of the world." And Iraq's Saddam Hussein, says Al-Usuquf, is not one of these people, "but just a collaborator, represented by Abdul Tawab Hawaish, his vice prime minister and responsible for Iraq's arms program". Al-Usuquf says that the bombs cannot be detected by US authorities. "Even if they are old, they were modernized and are very well hidden. Even if they were located, they have autodetonation mechanisms in case something or someone gets close. Even an electromagnetic pulse is not capable of deactivating them." The bombs allegedly cannot be detected because "they are enveloped in thick layers of lead". They could be detonated "by various methods - cellphone call, radio frequency, seismic shock or by their regressive clock". Al-Usuquf details the whole plan. "First, one head would be detonated, which would cause the deaths of 800,000 to 1 million people and a chaos never seen before. During this chaos, two or three planes, which are now disassembled inside barns near empty roads in the US countryside, would take off in suicide missions to pulverize another two or three big American cities with chemicals. Once the disease was identified, all seaports and airports would be quarantined. Land borders would also be closed. No plane, boat or car would enter or leave the US. This would be total chaos." The first target would be the city "that would offer the best conditions, for example bright sky and winds of eight or more miles an hour blowing towards the center of the country, so radioactive dust can contaminate the largest possible area". This attack would not knock out the US, recognizes al-Usuquf, "But the process would be initiated. As with the World Trade Center, it would be just a question of time for the whole economic structure to be turned to dust. If the objectives are reached with one bomb and diseases, probably we will save the lives of other people, but it's risky, and probably six more bombs will be detonated, one a week, and more attacks with chemical weapons will be launched." According to estimates made by al-Usuquf "and Ayman al-Zawahiri", al-Qaeda's number 2, about 15 million people would die, victims of the bombs and the radiation. Among those contaminated by diseases, "25 percent will die, a figure around more than 5 million, plus many others due to the chaos and disorder". Al-Usuquf does not fear an American military response. "Even if five or 10 cities are chosen at random to be destroyed, it will still be a small price to pay. The problem is that the economic despair will be so great that even if it saves [money] by not using weapons, American liquidity will be near zero, and the US will make more money selling a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier to Turkey or Italy for $5 billion, because they will urgently need to recapitalize. But it will be too late. Moreover, what will remain of an American soldier's morale to fight knowing that his whole family died and his country ceased to exist? To fight for what?" The world economy would not collapse, says al-Usuquf, although "in the beginning, it will be very difficult. But without the US the world will soon rise in a more just and fraternal manner. Nothing can stop the plan." And whatever America does, "it's too late". When will the attack begin? "I can't tell."

It's true, it's damn true!

Every time was for Spring Break. Just like most Spring Break spots, it's nonstop partying. I loved it otherwise I wouldn't have gone three times. Slammin women all over the place. Book your hotel EARLY.

Been there 3 times. Weather is amazing. Clubs are ok. Club La Vela and Spinnaker Beach Club are MASSIVE clubs--two of the biggest in the country. Occasionally they'll bring in house/breaks DJs, but not often. Mostly they cater to a commercial music interested crowd. Overall good time.

Sorry to hear about your loss. I found a little while ago that one of my best friends from college died on New Year's Eve too. He was a big drinker and thought he was able to handle his liquor. He got behind the steering wheel while totally smashed and ran a red light and was struck by a landcruiser. The driver of the landcruiser is in critical condition with a poor outlook. As much as you hear it over and over, it seems to go in one ear and out the other for some people, DO NOT drink and drive. No one should have to die at age 23. No one.

Yeah it's all averages. It's numbers I got from a personal training manual. Of course, calories per minute will vary depending on the person and how intensely the activity is performed and their body composition etc.

Me? I still do, maybe once a day. I can't really surf the web much at work.

Calories burned per minute Activity Weight in pounds 105 - 115, 127 - 137, 160 - 170, 180 - 200 Aerobic Dancing 5.8 6.6 7.8 8.6 Basketball full court 9.8 11.2 13.2 14.5 Bicycling -Stationary 10 mph 5.5 6.3 7.8 8.3 Bicycling -Stationary 20 mph 11.7 13.3 15.6 17.8 Bicycling - 10 mph 5.5 6.3 7.8 14.5 Dancing - Rock & Roll 3.3 3.8 4.4 4.9 Golf - using handcart 3.3 3.8 4.4 4.9 Hiking (with backpack) 5.9 6.7 7.9 8.8 Jogging - 5 mph 8.6 9.2 11.5 12.7 Lawn Mowing (power motor) 3.5 4.0 4.8 5.2 Running - 8 mph 10.4 11.9 14.2 17.3 Sex - active 3.9 4.3 5.6 5.9 Skating - fast 8.1 9.3 10.9 12 Skiing - down hill 7.8 10.4 12.3 13.3 Skiing - cross country 13.1 15 17.8 19.4 Snow shoveling - light 7.9 9.1 10.8 12.5 Snow shoveling - heavy 13.8 15.7 18.5 20.5 Stair Climbing - normal speed 5.9 6.7 7.9 8.8 Swimming - 20 yds. a min. 3.9 4.5 5.3 6.8 Swimming - 60 yds. a min. 11 12.5 14.8 17.9 Tennis (singles) 7.8 8.9 10.5 11.6 Volleyball 7.8 8.9 10.5 11.6 Walking, 2 mph 2.4 2.8 3.3 3.6 Walking 4 mph 4.5 5.2 6.1 6.8 Watching TV not avail. 145 per hour not avail not available

New York Passes Tough Anti-Smoking Law Wed December 18, 2002 06:15 PM ET By Martha Graybow NEW YORK (Reuters) - New Yorkers, say goodbye to the smoke-filled saloon. The City Council on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed one of the country's toughest anti-smoking bills, outlawing smoking in virtually all workplaces, including bars, nightclubs and restaurants. The most populous U.S. city would join California and Delaware in adopting sweeping curbs on smoking in public. "This is an important protection for employees and a quality of life improvement for all New Yorkers," City Council Speaker Gifford Miller said. The bill will become law 90 days after it is signed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, an ex-smoker who over the summer proposed tightening the city's smoking ban. The measure will expand a 1995 city law that banned lighting up in restaurants with more than 35 seats. It offers only a few concessions to businesses, despite complaints that the new restrictions will drive away customers. "It's a disgrace that they voted against our businesses and against our families," said Ciaran Staunton, owner of O'Neill's, a midtown Manhattan restaurant and bar. Passage was widely expected after Bloomberg and the council leadership reached a compromise last week. Exceptions include allowing smoking in portions of outdoor cafes, rooftop restaurants and some private clubs without employees. A handful of existing cigar bars will be allowed to continue to permit smoking. Existing bars may also build ventilated "smoking" rooms. "It would have been better to pass a total ban than what they wound up with," said Chuck Hunt, executive vice president of the New York State Restaurant Association, which represents about 2,500 city restaurants. "Any exception creates an unlevel playing field." The council said the bill was aimed at protecting employees in every workplace from being exposed to cigarette smoke on the job. A spokesman for Philip Morris USA, the domestic tobacco division of Philip Morris Cos. Inc., said the company opposed the measure and would have to study how it would affect smoking policies at its Manhattan offices. The company's offices have designated smoking and non-smoking areas. "We'll take a look at our own office situation and determine what changes need to be made to bring our particular building into compliance," spokesman Brendan McCormick said. In another move to improve "quality of life," the council passed a bill to curb cellular phone use during movies, plays and other public performances, excluding sporting events. The legislation is believed to be the first in the country to ban talking on mobile phones or using the audible ringer on the devices while a performance is under way. The mayor's office has said the bill appears unenforceable, and that there is a chance Bloomberg will veto it.

Nah it applies to clubs too. Basically any workplace.

Nothing, or at most a thong and T-shirt.

March 30th 2003. It's official.

Now how the fuck did I not see you.

lol

I may stop by.

I don't think it would happen either, but I think it'd be great for giving some direction to some of the 17 and 18 year olds who are complete fuckups and headed to toward a life of dependency on government handouts and such.