Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Mississippi has highest teen pregnancy rate
ATLANTA – Mississippi now has the nation's highest teen pregnancy rate, displacing Texas and New Mexico for that lamentable title, according to a new federal report released Wednesday.
Mississippi's rate was more than 60 percent higher than the national average in 2006, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventionsaid. The teen pregnancy rate in Texas and New Mexico was more than 50 percent higher.
The three states have large proportions of black and Hispanic teenagers — groups that traditionally have higher birth rates, experts noted.
The lowest teen birth rates continue to be in New England, where three states have teen birth rates at just half the national average.
It's not clear why Mississippi surged into first place. The state's one-year increase of nearly 1,000 teen births could be a statistical blip, said Ron Cossman, a Mississippi State University researcher who focuses on children's health statistics.
More than a year ago, a preliminary report on the 2006 data revealed that the U.S. teen birth rate had risen for the first time in about 15 years. But the new numbers provide the first state-by-state information on the increase.
The new report is based on a review of all the birth certificates in 2006. Significant increases in teen birth rates were noted in 26 states.
"It's pretty much across the board" nationally, said Brady Hamilton, a CDC statistician who worked on the report.
About 435,000 of the nation's 4.3 million births in 2006 were to mothers ages 15 through 19. That was about 21,000 more teen births than in 2005.
Numerically, the largest increases were in the states with the largest populations. California, Texas andFlorida together generated almost 30 percent of the nation's extra teen births in 2006.
Some experts have blamed the national increase on increased federal funding for abstinence-only health education that does not teach teens how to use condoms and other contraception. They said that would explain why teen birth rate increases have been detected across much of the country and not just in a few spots.
There is debate about that, however. Some conservative organizations have argued that contraceptive-focused sex education is still common, and that the new teen birth numbers reflect it is failing.
Other factors include the escalating cost of some types of birth control and their unavailability in some communities, said Stephanie Birch, who directs maternal and child health programs for the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.
Glowing media portrayals of celebrity pregnancies don't help, either, she said. "They make it out to be very glamorous," said Birch, who cited a calculation by Alaska officials that teen pregnancies were up 6 percent in that state in 2006.
In Mississippi, there were about 68 births for every 1,000 women, ages 15 through 19 in 2006. The New Mexico rate was 64 per 1,000; Texas was 63.
The national birth rate for females in that age group was about 42 per 1,000. New Hampshire, with a rate of 19 per 1,000, was the nation's lowest.
A variety of factors influence teen pregnancy rates, including culture, poverty and racial demographics. For those and other reasons, kids in mostly white New England likely would delay child birth, said David Landry, a researcher at the Guttmacher Institute, a New York-based organization which supports abortion rights and gathers research on sexual and reproductive health.
"It's more costly for youth in the Northeast to have a teen birth than for youth in the South, in terms of opportunities they'll miss," he said.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
World's Most Expensive Things
In the last week of 2008, worldmustbecrazy wanna give a present for you, this is a gift for a fans of worldmustbecrazy, here is the world's most expensive things.. just imagine, what is the most expensive things in the world?? do you believe if the world's most expensive things are a chocolate box?? hehehe that's really crazy and sounds weird isn't it?? Ok here is the Gift for you.. it's better for you to give one of these things for your lovely ones.. here is World's Most Expensive Things
1. 1 Chocolate Box for $ 1,500,000
La Chocolat serve a selected chocolate along with a diamond collection from Simon's Jewelry, This Diamond Collection are packed along with the chocolate box including a Natural Yellow and Blue Diamond Collection, Jewel, and Sapphire, the price of those chocolate box along with those diamond are worth $1.500.000
2. Cellphone for $1.300.000
This cellphone was designed by Peter Aloisson, Diamond Crypto, this smart phone are made from platinum and gold, and have 80 diamonds on it's cover, and about 50 diamonds on it's side (10 of them was a blue diamond), The cellphone navigation button are made with a half carat diamond which are formed by 28 diamonds, this thing is worth for $1.300.000
3.hello kitty for $163.000
This Hello Kitty miniature was made by Platinum. with width 3.8cm and height 5.6cm, with weight 590gr. this miniature was decorated with a ribbon which was made from a precious stone including, diamond, ruby, pink sapphire and amethysts and also blue topaz, this miniature are worth for $163.000, this thing are sold on Mitsukoshi departement store in tokyo. but it only one in this world. so do you wanna buy it??
4.pizza for $1.000
This most expensive pizza are made by Nino's Bellissima Pizza in New York USA. This Pizza contained of creme fraiche, chives, 8 ons 4 kind of Petrossian caviar, 4 ons Maine Lobster tails which slice thin, salmon roe,and a little wasabi with diameter size 12 inch. this pizza consist of 8 slices so you have to pay $125 per slice.
5.Handbag for $1.630.000
On 14 june 2007, Ginza tanaka introduce this platinum diamond hand bag on a exhibition in tokyo. this handbag are made from 100% pure platinum, which also decorated by 2.182 Diamond with total 208 carat. this handbag are worth for $1.630.000
6. tequila for $225.000
Can you imagine to spent $225.000 only for buy a drink?? in july 2006, Tequila ley 925 buy a bottle of Platimum and White Gold tequilla for $225.000 from a collector in Mexico city, this drink are made from 100% 6 years old Blue Agave Liquid. this corporation won the Guinness Book of World Record for "World's Most Expensive drink" This company also sell the Golden series for $150.000 and $25.000 for Silver Series
7. Cricket Ball for $68,000
This Diamond Crowned Cricket ball are given as a gift for the Best Indian and Best International Players at 2007 Cricket World Cup Tournament on Cricket World Tournament. this cricket ball are made by Gitanjali Gems Ltd, each ball are covered by 5.728 diamonds, with the total value for about $60.500
8. TV Plasma for $130,000
Yalos Diamonds LCD TV spend $130.000 but it's really worth it because this LCD TV are Covered with a Gold and 20 carat Diamonds
9. tea bag for $14,000
PG tips are a tea maker company from England, Boodles Jewelers(which is the leading jewelry company in england) make a tea bag covered with a diamond in 75 Years celebration of PG Tips this tea bag are home made with 280 diamonds with value of $14,000
10. Gundam character for $41,000
Ginza Tanaka Jewelers Japan, and the Bandai Toy's Company utter that the Miniature from Famous Japan Anime Character "Gundam" (Gundam are the japanesse longest animation series) this miniature are have a weight of 1,400gr with 13cm height, made by pure platinum which made the based name of this toy "Gundam Fixed Platinum" this thing is worth for $41.468
11. Car Park for $225,000
Maybe you need this car park if you live in Manhattan USA, but with the price of $225,000 it's better to buy a Ferrari or live in another place outside Manhattan, in Manhattan a land is really limited so the car park are treated as a real estate, the people also have to wait and queue in a waiting list to get this car park, and also the people who doesn't has a car also buy this spot... OMG the worldmustbecrazy
Monday, December 29, 2008
Crude Oil Rises as Israeli Attacks on Gaza Roil Middle East
Dec. 29 (Bloomberg) -- Crude oil rose for a second day after Israeli air strikes in the Gaza strip raised concerns that supply from the Middle East, the world’s largest producing region, may be disrupted.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Israel is fighting a “war to the death” with Hamas, the group that controls Gaza. Prices also advanced as China, the world’s second-biggest energy consumer, said it will supplement its emergency oil stockpiles while prices are low, and the United Arab Emirates announced compliance with OPEC production cuts agreed on this month.
“The instability in the Middle East may well push oil prices higher,” said Rob Laughlin, a senior broker with MF Global Ltd. in London. “China’s plans to stockpile crude may take up some slack from the demand destruction from the economic slowdown.”
Crude oil for February delivery rose as much as $4.49, or 12 percent, to $42.20 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It was at $40.11 at 10:16 a.m. in London. Today’s gain pares oil’s plunge from its $147.27 a barrel record on July 11 to 72 percent.
Futures prices fell 11 percent last week, reaching a four- year low of $32.40 on Dec. 19.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Co., the United Arab Emirates state- owned producer, will reduce crude-oil exports in January and February after OPEC agreed to lower output as of Jan. 1. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, supplier of more than 40 percent of the world’s oil, agreed on Dec. 17 to trim daily production targets by 2.46 million barrels next month.
China’s Stockpiles
Chinese companies will be encouraged to utilize spare oil- storage capacity while state and commercial reserves of other “strategic resources” will be set up, Zhang Guobao, also the vice chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, wrote in an article in the official People’s Daily today.
Brent crude oil for February settlement climbed as much as $4.81, or 13 percent, to $43.18 a barrel on London’s ICE Futures Europe exchange.
The Israeli air strikes, launched to halt rocket attacks by Islamic militants after a six-month truce with Hamas ended Dec. 19, killed more than 285 people, prompting protests across the region from Saudi Arabia to Syria.
Israeli tanks and armored personnel carriers began taking up positions outside the perimeter fence of the Gaza Strip, Israel Radio said. The army refused to comment on the report.
Oil prices soared to a then-record $78.40 a barrel in July 2006 after Israel attacked Iranian-backed Hezbollah forces in Lebanon. At the time, Iran, the fourth-largest oil producer, was facing international sanctions over its nuclear program, while pipeline attacks had also cut output in Nigeria.
Gold may also benefit if any escalation of the tension in the Middle East drives investors toward a “safe haven,” said Toby Hassall, a research analyst at Commodity Warrants Australia Pty in Sydney. Bullion for immediate delivery rose 1.7 percent to $884.42 an ounce, having gained as much as 3.1 percent on Dec. 26.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Singers Who Can't Sing
Everyone is still having a fit about Kanye West's SNL performance of "Heartless" the other week. Did he lip-synch? Didn't he? The debate misses the bigger issue: Kanye can't sing.
Truth be told, ability is not always the most important thing when it comes to singing. The proper amount of attitude, charm, and self-deprecation go a long way to replace actual vocal chops. Ask David Lee Roth and Bob Dylan, two dudes who can't sing a note but make up for it with sheer chutzpah (and in Dylan's case, an ungodly amount of lyrical prowess). Singers who know they can't sing are always forgiven.
Kanye, however, broke the cardinal rule of bad singing. He stepped outside of his preapproved vocal zone.
No one expects Kanye to sing. In fact, no one wants Kanye to sing, because we know he can't. Write an insanely catchy melody? Yes. Continue to be the biggest ego on the planet? Yes. These are the things we want from our Kanye. But when he begins to think he can pull off a ballad by actually singing it? That's when he's gone too far.
There are two kinds of bad singers in the world: the ones who kid themselves into thinking they're good (Kanye) and the ones who try too hard — all the time. These are the Mariahs, Beyonces, and Christinas (although Ms. Aguilera is learning; her Nina Simone tribute on the Grammy nomination show this month was remarkably restrained). These performers wring the last bit of life out of every note. Just because you can sing every octave perceptible to the human ear doesn't mean you have to. These singers don't know when to hold back. They are perpetual vocal grandstanders, sucking all of the oxygen out of the room.
Here are some other legendary bad singers. I'll avoid easy targets, like Yoko Ono and Michael Bolton. Yes, she inspired the B-52s. Who cares? And Bolton has received his punishment for butchering so many songs by being relegated to "Where are they now?" status. Time has passed him by, and we won't be hearing from him again.
These folks are ones who won't go away and, worse yet, won't learn to sing. Know your enemy, my friends. Protect yourselves. And check out the complete list here.
CELINE DION
She's the grande dame of song killers, insisting on suffocating every song with sincerity. Oh, Celine is so sincere. She demands that you love her and her songs. She forces herself on a song like a bad date.
MADONNA
The problem with Madonna (or, I should say, one of the many problems) is that she’s built a career on being a diva, and divas need to sing. No amount of line dancing, costume changes, or bodybuilding can hide the fact that she can't sing.
ANTHONY KIEDIS
The Red Hot Chili Peppers is one of the most musical bands around. Flea, Frusciante, and Chad are the some of the most talented dudes to ever groove together. If only they had a better singer. I could deal with Anthony until "Under the Bridge.” A great tune but way outside of his approved vocal zone. He’s much better when he's doing his "Give It Away" mumble-rap thing.
FRED DURST
Here's another one of these "I think I'll sing a ballad 'cause I can rap" dudes. And to add insult to injury, he tried out his vocal chops on the Who's epic "Behind Blue Eyes.” Aside from the fact that he has no inherent sensitivity to the song, HE CAN'T SING! It makes me mad to this day.
CHRIS BROWN
There was a time when a certain type of entertainer was called a "song-and-dance man.” The description assumed that the entertainer actually knew how to sing and how to dance. Michael Jackson, Cab Calloway, Jackie Wilson, James Brown? All song-and-dance men. I'll even give you Justin Timberlake. Chris Brown? Dance man. Definitely a dance man. Keep dancing, Chris.
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