Friday, February 15, 2008

Zenni Optical


Zenni Optical give you the best products when it comes to assurance quality. With Zenni Optical $8 Rx Glasses, you will surely have a bright eyesight. It is becasue nowadays, many people are suffering from eye problems. Some are near sighted and some are far sighted. Some of them have astigmatism. That’s why they need the best optical glasses that will help them see clearly. All of the eyeglasses they offer have high quality stylish frame, thin and light 1.57 index lens, Anti Scratch Coating, Full UV Protection, Lens edge polishing and beveling, Quality Hard Eyeglass case, Microfiber Lens Cleaning Cloth, and Full Guarantee. Where can you find any of this? Only here in Zenni Optical. So try to see their products and have a bright eyesight.

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Wednesday, February 13, 2008

TrustSource Cash Advance




Are you fond of buying online products? Are you afraid of not getting satisfied with what you will order? At TrustSource, we give you the best. TrustSource is an online organization that helps consumer choose what’s the best product they can buy online. They give you reviews about different products and give you background about it. Every now and then, they focus on one kind of product and then post different brands of that product. Then people who have tried using those products posted will then write a review about the product that you can view. As of now, they have product guides about how can smokers stop their addiction. You can see in their website the lists of the products and the reviews that came from other people who have really tried using those products. With those reviews, it will surely help you decide what product best fit you and what products to buy. You don’t have to worry about being fooled they surely read all the reviews and accept only those reviews they know is true and trusted.

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Friday, February 8, 2008

Hollywood's Most Influential Couples

For a culture of star gazers, the only thing more intriguing than Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie is the star couple "Brangelina."

The public need only flip open a tabloid or surf the blogs for the up-to-the-minute happenings of the duo, better known by their one-word media moniker. That widespread fascination with the minutia of their lives earned the couple a spot atop Forbes' first-ever list of Hollywood's Most Influential Couples, a look at which celebrity pairings have the greatest impact on popular culture.

To determine which couples landed on the list, we looked at both Web presence and press clippings for more than 50 A-list couples -- some still together, some not -- over the course of the last year. Then, with a whittled-down list, we reached out to both Encino, Calif.-based E-Poll Market Research's E-Score Celebrity for appeal data, and celebrity weeklies -- People, Life & Style and In Touch -- for a tabloid cover count.

Pitt and Jolie score high across the board, thanks to their humanitarian lifestyle, ever-expanding brood, and general likeability as a couple. And according to People magazine Deputy Managing Editor Peter Castro, the duo, like so many star couplings, are far more appealing as an entity than they are on their own.

"[Pitt] is pretty to look at, and he's a fabulous actor, but he's not the most scintillating person on his own," Castro says. "But hook him up with, arguably, the world's most beautiful woman, and then you have the makings of a really interesting tableau."

But while the public's access to couples like Pitt and Jolie has grown, thanks to the proliferation of celebrity weeklies and blogs, the fascination with Hollywood romance is nothing new. In fact, it was once the workings of the movie studios to publicize -- if not manufacture -- such scandal-prone courtships.

The relationships offer a real-life soap opera with daily, if not hourly, twists for the public to feast on. And it's that drama that keeps the public interested, explains Castro, who likens the ups and downs of A-list couplings to a modern-day version of the 1980s TV drama "Dynasty."

Consider supermodel Kate Moss's on-again, off-again romance with rocker Pete Doherty. Though the second-place couple finally called in quits in July 2007, the duo was long known for serving up dish-worthy news. Whether it was their celebrity looks, rocky relationship, or hard-partying ways, they quickly became a tabloid staple.

What's more, the particulars of a star's relationship give the public a window into that celebrity's life, adds Jill Stempel, the New York bureau chief of photo agency World Entertainment News Network.

For Nicole Kidman, that window has served up a host of highs and lows in recent months. Thanks to the buzz surrounding her country-singer hubby Keith Urban's stint in rehab and her "is she or isn't she" pregnancy (for the record, she is), the pair ranked third on the list.

But it isn't simply the details of getting -- and staying -- together that garner big buzz. In fact, many times it's the breakup that sends the tabloids swooning.

Case in point: longtime lovers Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake, who famously split in early 2007. The end for the ninth-place couple didn't happen happily or quickly: Upon seeing her ex flirting with "Seventh Heaven" star (and Timberlake's current squeeze) Jessica Biel at a Golden Globes party shortly after their split, Diaz reportedly snapped at both stars, garnering plenty of media mentions in the process.

Embarrassing? Sure. But Diaz's visible vulnerability had an upside: It made the Hollywood beauty more real to her fan base. The way Castro sees it, the emotions she exhibited were those the average person can relate to.

But there's another reason for the public's fascination: "Let's face it, these are fabulously wealthy, gorgeous people, and I think there is a certain amount of, 'Oh goody, something bad is happening to them,'" he says of the perverse delight the public takes.

According to E-Poll President and Chief Executive Gerry Philpott, it comes down to this: Marital bliss alone doesn't sell tabloids. Rather, a couple has to offer constant relationship developments (think: getting together, getting pregnant, or getting divorced) to maintain the public's interest.

"If a couple is just happily married, it gets boring for the average person," he says. "It's probably wonderful for the couple, but it's not too exciting for the press or [its] readers."

Clemens again lobbying, a day after McNamee's lawyers show photos of needles, steroids

WASHINGTON (AP) -- His face-to-face lobbying efforts not quite complete, Roger Clemens was back on Capitol Hill on Friday with two lawyers and a PR person in tow.

The seven-time Cy Young Award winner began a second day of informal sit-downs with members of the congressional committee looking into the Mitchell Report on drug use in baseball -- and, more specifically, looking into Clemens' denials of allegations by his former personal trainer, Brian McNamee, about injections of steroids and human growth hormone.

After meeting with about a dozen representatives Thursday, Clemens was slated to meet with another six Friday. He arrived at the office of Rep. Danny Davis, an Illinois Democrat, shortly after 9:30 a.m.

"It's highly unusual, and that's why I think one would try to determine the rationale for it. What is he trying to accomplish?" Davis said in an interview with The Associated Press before Clemens arrived. "I am willing to hear him out and hear what he has to say."

The world gets a chance to hear what Clemens will say under oath Wednesday, when he, McNamee and New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte are to testify at a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing. Until then, the committee is investigating.

Clemens gave a sworn deposition Tuesday. McNamee's turn came Thursday, when he met for seven hours with congressional lawyers.

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During McNamee's deposition, his lawyers showed the committee photographs of syringes and vials and even a crumpled beer can. McNamee's lawyers say the items, when tested, will link Clemens to the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

In the Mitchell Report, McNamee said he injected Clemens more than a dozen times with steroids and HGH in 1998, 2000 and 2001. Clemens has repeatedly denied those allegations.

"Roger Clemens has put himself in a position where his legacy as the greatest pitcher in baseball will depend less on his ERA and more on his DNA," one of McNamee's lawyers, Earl Ward, said Thursday.

Less than an hour later, not far away in the Rayburn House Office Building, Clemens and his attorneys held their own news conference. Clemens said little, but his lawyers repeatedly attacked McNamee's character and scoffed at the newly presented evidence.

"This man has a total history of lying," Clemens' attorney Rusty Hardin said.

McNamee's lawyers called on Clemens to provide a DNA sample. Asked about that, Hardin said the pitcher would comply with any request of that type from a federal authority.

"But they're going to have to come to us," Hardin said.

McNamee's attorneys did not know when the items would be tested, or when the results might be known.

"We look forward to the results of these tests," said another McNamee lawyer, Richard Emery, "and we look forward to just definitively finishing this whole controversy and ending this circus."

Former New York Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens, right, listens while his attorney Rusty Hardin speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill Thursday Feb. 7, 2008, in Washington.

McNamee's attorneys said he turned over physical evidence to federal prosecutors, shortly after Clemens held a Jan. 7 nationally televised news conference at which he played a taped conversation between the two men.

"At that point," Ward said, "(McNamee) decided there was no holds barred."

One photo shows a beer can that Emery said was taken out of a trash can in Clemens' New York apartment in 2001. Emery said the beer can contained needles used to inject Clemens. That picture also shows what Emery said was gauze used to wipe blood off Clemens after a shot.

The other photo shows vials of what Emery said were testosterone and unused needles, items the attorney said Clemens gave to McNamee.

While Clemens' camp called it "manufactured" evidence, Emery said the items were "just a collection of stuff" thrown in a box and "kept in a basement for seven years."

Emery said McNamee kept the items because he "had this inkling and gut feeling that he couldn't trust Roger and better keep something to protect himself in the future."

Clemens met Thursday with committee chairman Henry Waxman and ranking Republican Tom Davis for about 20 minutes, then signed an autograph for a bystander upon exiting. That was one of many times Clemens was asked to stop to affix his name to something or pose for a snapshot.

Clemens' deposition Tuesday was the first time he addressed McNamee's allegations under oath, and therefore the first time he put himself at legal risk if he were to make false statements.

Thursday's bizarre events served as something of a dress rehearsal for Wednesday's session, which will be held in the same wood-paneled hearing room that housed the committee's 2005 hearing with Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro.

That hearing was part of Congress' push to get baseball to toughen its drug program, increasing tests and penalties. It also led to former Senate majority leader George Mitchell's report on doping in baseball.

The 45-year-old Clemens, who pitched for the Yankees last season, requested Thursday's meetings with the committee members. He carried a white three-ring binder as he headed from one House office building to another, going through a garage and taking a freight elevator at one point.

"Because the perception out there was so strong originally that he did it and was lying, he's going to extra steps to try and persuade and make people comfortable with the fact that he didn't do it. He's having to take extraordinary measures because the allegations are extraordinary," Hardin said.

Hardin said Clemens was meeting with individual representatives "to assure them privately the same thing he's saying publicly -- that he didn't take steroids, and he didn't take human growth hormone, and he's here to talk to anybody about it who wants to."

Best Under-$50K Luxury Cars



Those that believe you have to spend big for a luxury car may turn up their noses at the autos on this list.


That's their loss.


Pay $37,175 for the BMW Z4 Roadster, and you can cruise around town in a two-seater roadster that allows you to automatically control the drop top while listening to your favorite tunes through a 10-speaker audio system.

The $35,605 Lincoln MKX crossover utility vehicle is loaded with standard features like heated, dual power mirrors with memory, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with genuine wood accents, and four-wheel disc brakes with an anti-lock braking system. Options include 20-inch chrome-clad wheels, a panoramic roof and a voice-activated DVD-based navigation system. The Volvo XC70, a $36,755 midsize wagon, is loaded with advanced safety features like hill descent control and full-length side curtain airbags.

To find others like them, we used data from Strategic Vision's 2007 Total Value Awards. The market research firm measures classes of cars (including reliability, warranty, strong anticipated resale value, durability, innovation, and dealership and ownership experience. Only cars that got a score of 700 out of a possible 1,000 were counted.

Vincentric, an automotive research firm, provided maintenance costs calculated over a five-year period. Vehicles with the lowest costs, which include oil changes, wheel alignments and replacement wiper blades, made the list. Finally, we capped our list at cars costing $50,000; this allowed us to measure a wide range of vehicles, from coupes to large cars.
Behind The Numbers

The under-$50,000 segment is diverse. You can find an Audi A3 wagon with a starting price of $25,930 and a Saab 9-3 convertible beginning at $26,000. At the top end is the Land Rover SUV starting at $44,933 and the Merced es SLK roadster with a base price of $46,000. Add in a few select options, and you can easily meet the $50,000 threshold.
Volvo XC70
Volvo XC70

There's good reason the list is long. When Nissan (through Infiniti), Honda (through Acura) and Toyota (through Lexus) in the mid -'90s introduced models for the entry-level luxury buyer, they forced other carmakers to compete. Mercedes Benz and BMW followed suit with the C Class and 3 Series, respectively. Audi, Saab, Cadillac and Lincoln also increased their offerings.

Their targets? Young professionals with high-paying jobs, those in high- income households, and empty nesters who are transitioning into a luxury vehicle. They found that these buyers were making their first or second luxury vehicle purchase. Upgrading to a luxury auto means sliding into leather or plush seats, or enjoying enhanced power features like a push- button engine start, memory seating for two drivers and rolling along on larger wheels.

"You are treating yourself with these vehicles," says Stephanie Brinley, senior manager of product analysis at AutoPacific, a market research firm covering the auto industry. "It is reaching a level of maturity. You've reached a stage in your life where you want a little more luxury, and you can afford to purchase a vehicle with more amenities."

Still, there's a big difference between a $45,000 luxury car and an ultra -luxury car twice its price. Take the $86,000 Cadillac XLR convertible roadster. Its standard features include 15-spoke wheels, a V8 engine, a heated steering wheel, a high-tech navigation system and a retractable hard top. Many of these are options in the under-$50,000 group.

Instead, these cars' treats include standard features like electronic stability control or anti-lock brakes; stellar sound systems with multiple speakers; leather seats or high-quality upholstery; and a wider choice of options, like premium paint colors and electronic connections, like iPod and MP3 connectivity.

The Infiniti M35 unique African rosewood on key touch points and ultra-soft leather seats wraps you in luxury, and the Lexus IS 250 surround sound system with 14 speakers placed strategically throughout the cabin create a premium sound system that will blow you away.

But let the buyer beware. Once you cross over into the luxury segment, you may never want to drive anything else.
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