Madam CJ Walker : Pioneer of Black Cosmetics  

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In honor of Black History Month, let us remember one of the first black businesswomen and the pioneer of black cosmetics.



Madam C.J. Walker was born on December 23,1867 on a Louisiana plantation. She was the daughter of former slaves. She became an orphan at seven-years-old and at 14 was married to Moses McWilliams. And after McWilliams died, She and her daughter moved to St.Louis.
Walker began suffering from a scalp ailment and after experimenting with homemade remedies she moved to Denver and started to sell Madam Walker’s Wonderful Hair Grower.
She traveled throughout the South and Southeast selling her products. She eventually moved again, this time to Indianapolis where she built a factory and training school for her beauty products.
the savvy businesswoman traveled throughout the world to Central America and the Caribbean promoting and expanding her line. When she returned to the United States she would move once again- to New York. As her business expanded, she became known around the country, even organizing a convention called Madam C.J. Walker Hair Culturists Union of America in Philadelphia in 1917. The convention became one of the first national meetings of businesswomen in the country.
By the time she died at her estate, in New York, she was known as a 20th Century, self-made American Businesswoman and a pioneer of the black cosmetics industry!

Zuckerberg: I'm being stalked on Facebook  

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Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg says he is being stalked by a man through the social networking site.
The celebrity news website TMZ reported that Zuckerberg received a temporary restraining order against the 31-year-old, pending a hearing.
TMZ reported that the man had sent Facebook messages to Zuckerberg, including one that said, "please help me, then I am ready to die for you ... Please understand my pain."
TMZ also said it was alleged in legal papers that the man had tried to "follow, surveil and contact Mr. Zuckerberg using language threatening his personal safety."
Barry Schnitt, a director at Facebook, told NBC News the report was accurate.
"We're confirming that the restraining order was granted, but not providing any additional details," he said.
NBC News reported that a hearing about the matter was due to take place on Feb. 22 at Santa Clara County court, according to the court's website.
The TMZ report said Zuckerberg also feared for his girlfriend's and sister's safety.
Citing law enforcement sources, the website said the man had tried to ask Zuckerberg for money to help his family by going to Facebook offices in Palo Alto.
According to TMZ, the legal papers said that on Jan. 24 the man was about to go up the front steps of Zuckerberg's house when he was stopped by Facebook security.

Freed young leader energizes Egyptian protests  

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 A young leader of Egypt's anti-government protesters, newly released from detention, joined a massive crowd in Cairo's Tahrir Square for the first time Tuesday and was greeted with cheers, whistling and thunderous applause when he declared: "We will not abandon our demand and that is the departure of the regime."
Many in the crowd said they were inspired by Wael Ghonim, the 30-year-old Google Inc. marketing manager who was a key organizer of the online campaign that sparked the first protest on Jan. 25 to demand the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. Straight from his release from 12 days of detention, Ghonim gave an emotionally charged television interview Monday night where he sobbed over those who have been killed in two weeks of clashes and insisted, "We love Egypt ... and we have rights."
Ghonim arrived in the square when it was packed shoulder-to-shoulder, a crowd comparable in size to the biggest demonstration so far that drew a quarter-million people. He spoke softly and briefly to the huge crowd from a stage and began by offering his condolences to the families of those killed.
"I'm not a hero but those who were martyred are the heroes," he said and then broke into a chant of "Mubarak, leave, leave." When he finished, the crowd erupted in cheering, whistling and deafening applause.
Ghonim has emerged as a rallying point for protesters, who reject a group of traditional Egyptian opposition groups that have met with the government amid the most sweeping concessions the regime has made in its three decades in power. Vice President Omar Suleiman on Tuesday made a new gesture, declaring a panel of judges and scholars to recommend constitutional changes within a month.
No concessions will do The mostly youthful protesters insist that no concessions will do unless Mubarak steps down. But the protests, which began when Ghonim and other activists used the Internet to mobilize people to the streets, have lacked a representative voice. That has raised worries the regime could try to fragment the movement or traditional parties try to hijack it.
In his first television interview Monday night on Egypt's private Dream satellite station, Ghonim said the protests turned from "the revolution of the Internet youth ... to the revolution of all Egypt."
Meanwhile, Egypt's Vice President Omar Suleiman said the government has a plan and timetable for the peaceful transfer of power and that that the government will not pursue protesters who have been demanding Mubarak's ouster.
"The president welcomed the national consensus, confirming that we are putting our feet on the right path to getting out of the current crisis," Suleiman said after a briefing with the president on the national dialogue meeting.
"A clear road map has been put in place with a set timetable to realize the peaceful and organized transfer of power," he said in comments broadcast on state television.
'National appreciation' Mubarak also ordered a probe into clashes last week between the protesters and supporters of the president. The committee would refer its findings to the attorney-general, Suleiman said.
"The youth of Egypt deserve national appreciation," he quoted the president as saying. "They should not be detained, harassed or denied their freedom of expression."
Suleiman promised there would be no reprisals against protesters for their two-week campaign to eject Mubarak from office.
He was speaking as protesters called for a renewed push Tuesday to eject Mubarak from power after the government appeared to concede little ground in talks with the opposition and sought to squeeze demonstrators out of central Cairo.
The protesters barricaded in a tent camp in Tahrir Square have vowed to stay until Mubarak quits and hope to take their two-week campaign to the streets with more mass demonstrations.
Hundreds of thousands of people took part in previous demonstrations and the United Nations says 300 people may have died so far.
Egyptian opposition figures have reported little progress in talks with the government.
The fundamentalist Islamic group issued a statement earlier Tuesday calling the reforms proposed so far as "partial" and insisting that Mubarak must go to ease what it called the anger felt by Egyptians who face widespread poverty and government repression.
The Brotherhood also accused pro-Mubarak thugs of detaining protesters, including Brotherhood supporters, and handing them over to the army's military police who torture them.
"We call on the military, which we love and respect, to refrain from these malicious acts," said the statement.
The Brotherhood's criticism of the military is an ominous development.
The military is Egypt's most powerful and secretive organization, but it had never before been accused of practicing torture against civilians, a charge that has consistently been directed at the hated security agencies.
The military is also known to be an enemy of the Brotherhood and is opposed to giving it a prominent role in Egyptian politics. The military, which gave Egypt its four presidents since the toppling of the monarchy in 1952, is tightening its grip on power with the country's three top jobs now in their hands — Mubarak and his prime minister Ahmed Shafiq are former air force officers, while Suleiman is a retired army general and intelligence chief.
The army also has thousands of troops deployed across Cairo and other major cities, backed by tanks and armored personnel carriers.
The president tried to project business-as-usual Tuesday, receiving the foreign minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
'They're making progress' The Obama administration is not calling for Mubarak's immediate departure, saying a precipitous exit could set back the country's democratic transition. Under Egypt's constitution, Mubarak's resignation would trigger an election in 60 days. U.S. officials said that is not enough time to prepare.
"Obviously, Egypt has to negotiate a path and they're making progress," President Barack Obama he told reporters in Washington.
The United States, adopting a cautious approach to the crisis, has urged all sides to allow time for an "orderly transition" to a new political order in Egypt, for decades a strategic ally.
But protesters worry that when Mubarak does leave, he will be replaced not with the democracy they seek but with another authoritarian ruler.
Israel 'comfortable' with Suleiman According to secret U.S. diplomatic cables published Monday, Suleiman has long been seen by Israel as the preferred candidate to succeed Mubarak.
According to an August 2008 cable released by WikiLeaks and published by The Daily Telegraph newspaper on its website, a senior adviser from the Israeli Ministry of Defense told U.S. diplomats in Tel Aviv that the Israelis believe Suleiman would likely serve as "at least an interim president if Mubarak dies or is incapacitated."
A U.S. diplomat who classified the cable, Luis Moreno, wrote that although he deferred to the Embassy in Cairo for Egyptian succession scenario analysis, "there is no question that Israel is most comfortable with the prospect of" Suleiman.
The cable quoted the adviser to Israel's defense ministry, David Hacham, as saying an Israeli delegation led by Defense Minister Ehud Barak was "shocked by Mubarak's aged appearance and slurred speech," when it met him in Egypt.
"Hacham was full of praise for Soliman, however," it said. Suleiman was spelled Soliman in some of the leaked cables.
Hacham added that he sometimes spoke to Suleiman's deputy several times a day via a "hotline," according to the cable.




Battle over 11th century temple on Thailand-Cambodia border  

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Battle over 11th century temple on Thailand-Cambodia border

Damir Sagolj / Reuters
Cambodian soldiers carry ammunition to supply their positions at the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple at the border between Thailand and Cambodia on Feb. 8.
Damir Sagolj / Reuters
A Buddhist monk shows a piece of shrapnel found at the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple on the border between Thailand and Cambodia on Feb. 8, 2011.
Sukree Sukplang / Reuters
Part of a damaged Buddha statue is seen as a girl searches for belongings amongst the debris of her house which was damaged by shelling, in Si Sa Ket province, at the border of Thailand and Cambodia on Feb. 8.
Pornchai Kittiwongsakul / AFP - Getty Images
A Thai child walks between tents after being evacuated from the Cambodian border, in the Kathararak district of Thailand's Si Sa Ket province on Feb. 8.
Damir Sagolj / Reuters
Cambodian soldiers carry their weapons as they take up position near the 11th-century Preah Vihear temple on the border between Thailand and Cambodia on Feb. 8.
Cambodian and Thai troops remain on alert today following four days of fighting near an 11th century temple classified as a World Heritage Site.
The crumbling stone Preah Vihear temple, several hundred feet from Thailand's eastern border with Cambodia, has fueled nationalism on both sides of the disputed frontier for decades and conflict over it has sparked sporadic, brief battles in recent years.

Thai, Cambodian clashes resume at disputed border  

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An injured Thai soldier

Cambodia called for U.N. peacekeepers to help end the fighting along its tense border with Thailand, where artillery fire echoed for a fourth day Monday near an 11th century temple classified as a World Heritage Site.
The crumbling stone temple, several hundred feet (meters) from Thailand's eastern border with Cambodia, has fueled nationalism on both sides of the disputed frontier for decades and conflict over it has sparked sporadic, brief battles in recent years. However, sustained fighting has been rare.
A one-hour clash Monday morning stopped after both sides agreed to an unofficial cease-fire. Fighting has erupted daily since Friday, leaving at least five dead.
Cambodian officials say a Thai artillery barrage Sunday collapsed part of "a wing" at the Preah Vihear temple, a U.N. World Heritage site, but Thai officials have dismissed that account as propaganda. The extent of damage was unknown because it remained too dangerous to approach the temple, Cambodian authorities said.
Both sides blame the other for instigating each day's clashes, which have shattered a series of cease-fire agreements.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen has warned that the fighting poses a threat to regional stability. He said the latest clash was sparked after Thai soldiers crossed the border in search of a slain comrade, and Cambodians opened fire to repel them. He spoke Monday during a university graduation ceremony in the capital, Phnom Penh, reiterating calls from a day earlier for U.N. intervention to halt the fighting.
"We need the United Nations to send forces here and create a buffer zone to guarantee that there is no more fighting," Hun Sen said, adding that the situation kept deteriorating and the two sides were no longer listening to each other.
Hun Sen has sent a letter to the U.N. Security Council calling for an emergency meeting to help end the fighting.
Thailand's Foreign Ministry sent its own letter to the Security Council on Monday to formally protest the "repeated and unprovoked armed attacks by Cambodian troops." In the past Thailand has ruled out foreign involvement in its dispute with Cambodia.
Cambodian government spokesman Phay Siphan said skirmishes began again early Monday after halting around midnight. There was no immediate comment from Thai authorities, but an Associated Press reporter in the area said the sound of gunfire and artillery could be heard.
Late Sunday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was "deeply concerned" by the fighting and urged both sides "to exercise maximum restraint," his spokesperson said in a statement.
Singapore's Foreign Ministry voiced its concern in a statement Monday and called for the two neighbors to negotiate for their own sake and "the broader interests of ASEAN."
The 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations has long been a stable region, where the exchange of cross-border gunfire is highly unusual.
In 1962, the World Court determined that the Preah Vihear temple belongs to Cambodia. Thai nationalists dispute the ruling and have seized on it as a domestic political issue.
Built between the 9th and 11th centuries, Preah Vihear is dedicated to the Hindu diety Shiva and revered partly for having one of the most stunning locations of all the temples constructed during the Khmer empire — the most famous of which is Angkor Wat. It sits atop a 1,722-foot (525-meter) cliff in the Dangrek Mountains about 150 miles (240 kilometers) north of the Cambodian capital.
UNESCO calls the site "an outstanding masterpiece of Khmer architecture." The Khmer empire, which once encompassed parts of Thailand and Vietnam, shrank to the size of present-day Cambodia. The country was plunged into civil war, and the temple fell into disrepair.
Tensions have risen in recent days because of demonstrations in the Thai capital, Bangkok, demanding that the government oust Cambodians from the area near the temple.
At least five people have died in the border clashes that began Friday — one civilian and one soldier from Thailand and one civilian and two soldiers from Cambodia. On Sunday night, a Thai army spokesman said about 10 Thai soldiers were wounded.

Balthazar Getty's Father, J. Paul Getty III, Dies at 54  

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Actor Balthazar Getty 
NEW YORK (CBS) J. Paul Getty III, the grandson of American oil magnate J. Paul Getty, is dead at age 54.
He died on Saturday in Buckinghamshire, England, after a long illness, according to a statement from his son, actor Balthazar Getty, obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
Getty was well known for his public misfortunes. The most sensational event in the family's history occurred in July 1973, when he was kidnapped from a piazza in Rome at the age of 16. When his billionaire grandfather refused to pay the requested ransom, the kidnappers severed Getty's right ear. He was released after five months in captivity.
According to reports, the elder Getty contributed $2.2 million toward the more than $3 million demanded in ransom, and charged his son - J. Paul Getty II - interest on the rest.
A decade after the incident, Getty fell into drugs and alcohol addiction, and was left nearly blind and a quadriplegic after suffering a stroke in 1981. He had two children and six grandchildren.
Balthazar Getty said his father "taught us how to live our lives and overcome obstacles and extreme adversity and we shall miss him dearly."

Redwall author Brian Jacques dies aged 71  

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Brian Jacques was a merchant seaman
A former merchant sailor whose children's books sold millions worldwide has died aged 71.
Brian Jacques' Redwall series of books were translated into 29 languages and sold 20m globally.
He first wrote the series, set in an abbey populated by animals, for children at the Royal Wavertree School for the Blind in Liverpool.
The Liverpool-born writer's weekly show, Jakestown, ran on BBC Radio Merseyside for more than 20 years.
He died after a heart attack at the weekend and leaves a wife and two grown up sons.
Literary talent
Mr Jacques grew up near to the docks in Liverpool and when he left school at 15, travelled the world as a merchant seaman.
In the sixties, with his two brothers, he formed a folk group called The Liverpool Fishermen.
He wrote 21 novels in the Redwall series, which were also turned into a TV series and an opera.
Some critics compared them to JRR Tolkien's Lord Of The Rings and Watership Down by Richard Adams.
Even as a child he showed literary talent.
He was caned by a teacher who could not believe that a 10-year-old could write so well when he penned a short story about a bird who cleaned a crocodile's teeth.

Cannabis Linked To Early Onset of Psychotic Illness  

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Cannabis use can trigger psychotic illness in sufferers almost three years earlier than in those who do not use the drug, Australian research found.
Analysis of data on 22,000 patients with psychosis showed a link between the age at which sufferers developed symptoms and their cannabis usage, researchers from the University of New South Wales said Monday.
The study, comprising more than 8,000 patients who were cannabis users and more than 14,000 who did not use the drug, found that those who used cannabis developed psychosis, such as schizophrenia, around 2.7 years earlier than those who did not.
"The results of this study provide strong evidence that reducing cannabis use could delay or even prevent some cases of psychosis," said Dr. Matthew Large, who led the study. "Reducing the use of cannabis could be one of the few ways of altering the outcome of the illness because earlier onset of schizophrenia is associated with a worse prognosis and because other factors associated with age at onset, such as family history and sex, cannot be changed."
The study, which will be published in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry, concluded that "the results of this study confirm the need for a renewed public health warning about the potential for cannabis use to bring on psychotic illness."

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas  

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Top 5 Valentine’s day gift ideas 2011

If you’re still searching for the perfect Valentine’s day gift, you’ve come to the right place. Finding the perfect gift is all about the combination of thoughtfulness and practicality. Some couples like to go all out for this holiday and splurge on luxurious, romantic gifts for their significant other. Some couples would rather have a low-key celebration that involves an intimate dinner and a small gift. Whatever kind of couple you are, here are some classic and some unconventional gift ideas to pick from.

1. Instead of the conventional chocolate box, why not try something a little more decadent? A heart-shaped cheesecake from 1-800 Flowers offers Junior’s cheesecake, named N.Y.’s best cheesecake by New York Magazine, baked into the shape of a heart and covered with chocolate ganache. The double layer of chocolate mousse and cheesecake is so decadent, your significant other will be grateful for the rest of the month. ( Read Valentine's Day Gift Ideas more... )

Frugal Valentine's Day Gifts

Valentine’s Day is a wonderful holiday to show your partner how much you love and care for him or her. The one thing you can give that doesn’t cost anything all year ‘round, including this holiday, is love. Valentine’s Day gifts and meals do not have to cost a lot to show you truly care. Listed below are some ideas on how to have a frugal Valentine’s Day, as well as some gift ideas.

Instead of going out to dinner for Valentine’s Day, stay in and make a delicious home cooked meal. Some ideas for a nice homemade Valentine’s dinner include entrees like chicken parmesan, steak, stuffed chicken or pork, pork or beef roast, lasagna or some other type of pasta with cheese and sauce. You could easily add a salad with any of those entrees as an appetizer or side dish to the entrĂ©e. ( Read Valentine's Day Gift Ideas more... )

Think Outside Box for Valentine's Day Chocolates

Valentine's Day is a week away, and if you're thinking of getting your special someone some chocolate - who isn't?! - why not get a little creative and think outside the proverbial - and actual box?

On "The Early Show" Monday, Kimberly Kennedy, author of "The Art and Craft of Entertaining," pointed to a variety of ways you can make your gift special and outside the norm:

Of course, a box of chocolates is nice, but there are so many new/fun options out there today. Why limit yourself ? ( Read Valentine's Day Gift Ideas more... )

Rose Day Marks The Beginning Of The Valentines Week

The magical feeling of love is in the air. Valentines Day, the wonderful day of romance and joy is a bliss in the heart of those who are in love.

With the beginning of the love month, February, Valentines Day always begins with the mark of the Rose Day which is celebrated today all over the world. Roses are given to a special one and to those who are near and dear to you to express the wonderful feeling of love. ( Read Valentine's Day Gift Ideas more... )

9 [Frugal] Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

Ah, Valentine’s Day. Some of us loathe the candy-coated day, others of us thrill at the thought of a day devoted to romance, and I suspect most of us fall somewhere right in the middle. The day’s a bit cheesy, but a good excuse to eat chocolate and love on each other? Sounds good to me.

If you go to the usual stores to pick up some V-day goods, you’ll be sugar shocked with more pink and red than your swoony heart can stand. What to get, then, that’s not a total waste ? ( Read Valentine's Day Gift Ideas more... )

Gift ideas for Valentines day

Valentine’s Day is one of the most romantic days in a year. So it is natural that each one of us wish to celebrate this day uniquely. But the question arises as to how to celebrate this wonderful day in a special way. Your Valentine’s Day must be remarkable and should leave an unforgettable impression in the mind of your beloved. Use your own romantic and thoughtful ideas for creating a unique Valentine’s day celebration.

There are ample valentine ideas and tips but the first and foremost thing to be kept in mind is to create the love ambience around you and your beloved. Your valentine dafy gift to your beloved need not be expensive but it should be straight from the heart. ( Read Valentine's Day Gift Ideas more... )

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