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During the Tokyo Game Show 2008, one of the most popular games presented was Halo 3 Recon, an expansion pack for Halo 3. The setting occurs between Halo 2 and Halo 3 where a new hero emerges with a whole new story for gamers.

Details of the game were sketchy at best, but it is expected for release in Fall 2009. it will feature a single-player campaign and new multiplayer maps.

After more than a year of wall climbing in their school gym and several tournaments, my son has now decided to do the real adventure, actual mountain climbing. I am hesitant at first considering the many dangers I felt a 14-year old may not be ready for yet. But with a lot of coercion from his coach and team mates, I had to give in.

Here goes the hard part again, shopping for Mountain Climbing Gear for my son. I had to read up and search the internet on all the necessities my son would bring. Of course, the first advise was to travel light. I don’t want my son lagging behind during their hikes and getting left behind because I almost threw in the kitchen sink inside his packs.

I already got him the Petzl harness months ago and it proved to be really durable. I’m certain it will still hold well — a really worthwhile purchase considering the price. His coach told him, it was essential to get him a pack that was big enough but sturdy enough to hold the essentials. I didn’t have to search long because I knew I had to get the best and bought him a North Face pack bigger than the one he uses for school. After getting him decent clothes to protect him from the weather, his coach told me he would take care of the heavier things.

My son is set to go on his first adventure in a few weeks, this nagging fear in my stomach keeps increasing daily. He tells me stories about experiences of his friends who have made the climb, but I still don’t feel reassured. Well, they say a mother has to learn to let go at a certain point. I am learning.

The unemployed has now reached over 5 million and there seems to be no signs of let up. Even those who did not feel endangered because of their skills are part of the list. While welfare provides temporary relief, the need to find a replacement is necessary. But with so few jobs out there, people are scrambling to get any type of job to survive.

With the difficulty in finding jobs, many have resorted to unorthodox ways of landing one. Active pursuit includes attending networking events, blogging, and making television ads. Yes, many are now selling themselves through advertisements like commercial products. Many believe it is the only way to stand out among the millions currently in search of new employment.

Now, there are television shows that allow job seekers to record 30-second commercials to market themselves to prospective employers. The show likewise includes tips on landing that elusive job. The advantage of these ads is that employers need not actively seek out their prospects, they see it directly while watching the show.

Nevertheless, it does not guarantee that the right employer will luckily be watching the ad. As such, it is only another measure that many have included along with the traditional job search.

While the economic crisis seems to have brought out the ingenuity in so many people, the big question still remains. How much longer can we weather the storm?

I have lived in the Philippines since the day my mother and father got the urge to conceive me. And I have never been to any other country except while watching the National Geographic and CSI or reading The Da Vinci Code. Most of my college friends have left the country years ago to seek the American Dream. Not for lack of trying, but they failed miserably in convincing me to follow their pursuit. They couldn’t understand, but I couldn’t explain well either. Even when I was young, it had never been an aspiration to live elsewhere.

Of course, there can be a number of reasons for my hesitation. I may be the type of person who fear abrupt changes in her environment or a psychologist may diagnose it as low self-esteem and a feeling of inferiority to reside in progressive countries. Really? I speak perfect English and I have always been able to talk to foreigners at work without any problems. It was something I pondered on for sometime. While it may be true that I sometimes fear leaving my comfort zone, I had been able to introduce changes in my life whenever necessary. But what was it that keeps me rooted in this country that very few foreigners understand?
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How would coffee connoisseurs distinguish the best in the world? Which would fare better? Price or taste? While coffee enthusiasts have various criteria when it comes to taste, price would be an easier measure since the most expensive coffee cost about US$300-US$600 per pound. If you watched the 2007 film “The Bucket List,” you know what coffee beans I am talking about – it’s the coffee beans that Jack Nicholson’s character was munching on.

Kopi Luwak is not only considered the most expensive coffee in the world, but also the strangest. These are coffee berries defecated by the Asian Palm Civet, a jungle cat native to countries such as Indonesia (known as Luwak), the Philippines (known as Alamid or Musang), and East Timor (known as Laku). The luwak’s normal diet consists of insects, small mammals and reptiles, nestling of birds, fruits, and coffee berries. However, the luwak only ingests the ripe coffee berries in the forest. This is the premise that surrounds the reputation of Kopi Luwak. The luwak only chooses superior beans which cannot be surpassed by the normal harvest of coffee where some are not quite ripe or some are overripe. The outer flesh is digested while the inner bean remains intact and defecated. These are collected and washed before being roasted lightly. According to experts, the enzymes in the luwak’s digestive tract somehow penetrate the beans and add flavor as it breaks down the proteins that give coffee its bitter taste.

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Nestle Prepared Foods Company recalled 3 different Lean Cuisine frozen chicken entrees after several consumers found pieces of hard blue
plastic in the package. The recalled frozen meals are Lean Cuisine Chicken Mediterranean, Pesto Chicken with Bow Tie Pasta and Chicken Tuscan.

These Lean Cuisines were manufactured from August 18 through October 27 of 2008 year and distributed nationwide. The recall covers more than 879,000 pounds of food. It was discovered when several people called to complain and one person injured due to the plastic in the food. This is classified as a Class 1 Recall or one the USDA considers a high health risk.

Each of those recalled packages has the establishment number “EST P-9018.” Other details are as follows:

LEAN CUISINE PESTO CHICKEN WITH BOW TIE PASTA

Printed on each side of each package is a production code of “8280595912” as well as a use-by date of “Best Before MAY 2010.”

LEAN CUISINE CHICKEN MEDITERRANEAN

Printed on the side of each package is a production code of “8231595912” or “8241595912” as well as a use-by date of “Best before SEP 2010”; a production code of “8263595912,” “8269595911” or “8274595912,” as well as a use-by date of “Best before OCT 2010”; or, a production code of “8291595912” or “8301595912” as well as a use-by date of “Best before NOV 2010.”

LEAN CUISINE CHICKEN TUSCAN

Printed on the side of each package is a production code of “8234595911” and a use-by date of “Best before SEP 2009”; a production code of “8253595911” or “8269595912” as well as a use-by date of “Best before OCT 2009”; or, a production code of “8292595911” or “8296595911” as well as a use-by date of “Best before NOV 2009.

Anyone with questions can call Nestle’s Consumer Services Center at 800-993-8625 or visit the USDA website.

Rebecca Wilis, 64 years old, gets a settlement from Marshall, NC after suing the town for banning her from the Community Center for dirty dancing.  The incident happened 8 years ago when Willis, then 56 years old, was banned from the community center after she showed up in a very short skirt and danced obscenely with her partner.  Townsfolk claimed that her skirt was so short that it showed her underwear.  Willis claims she was exuberant and flamboyant while dancing, but patrons claimed she was gyrating and simulating sexual intercourse with her partner.

Following the ban, Willis sued the town for violating her Constitutional Right to equal protection under the 14th Amendment.  After the case was tossed around for 8 years, the town finally decided to settle and pay her $275,000 with the condition that she never return to the community center.

Would they ban a woman 30 years younger than her who would dance and dress the same way?  She may have been right about people violating her right to free expression.  However, I believe there are some things that are totally unacceptable and offensive that rights violation is inevitable.  I don’t have a picture of Willis in her mini skirt dancing.  But something tells me that the sight may actually be difficult to swallow.  Can you picture your grandmother wearing what she had on and dirty dancing? OMG!

It is surprising that at this day and age, there is still evidence that humans are still the most vicious of all animal species. While predators such as lions or great white sharks kill other animals, these are done instinctively for the purpose of survival. They do not choose specific animals to feed on, nor do they do it for rituals or cultural traditions. And they do not kill for sport, only humans do.

In the Faroe Islands (Denmark), a tradition that has caused controversy is their traditional whale hunts or the “grindadráp” in Faroese. It has been a tradition by their ancestors since the tenth century to hunt and kill long-finned pilot whales. It is a non-commercial activity where most of the community participate. Hunters surround the pilot whales with a semi-circle of boats and drive them into a bay where they are slaughtered. According to Faroese, the hunt is an important part of their culture and history. However, pictures and videos of the hunt paint a different picture of this tradition.

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Lindsay Lohan’s controversial relationship with celebrity DJ Samantha Ronson has been the subject of gossip for the past few months after the young singer/actress spilled the beans. There had been very few details about the relationship, but Lohan finally opened up in the new cover story for the December issue of Haper’s Bazaar.
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While everyone listened intently to President Elect Barack Obama last night at Chicago Grant Park, there is no denying that another person the audience eagerly awaits is First Lady Elect Michelle Obama.  During the campaign period, she has caught the eyes of the nation, particularly due to her strong character, and of course, her eye-catching clothes. When she joined her husband on the stage to greet the audience, she wore a red and black Narciso Rodriguez original.  They say a good dress is one that some either hate while some absolutely love.  There were fashion analysts who did not approve of her choice, while some do agree that it has character.  Personally, I like its simple elegance.  It suits a woman of strength and character like the future First Lady.

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Could it be true that Angelina Jolie is jealous of the gorgeous Diane Kruger, Brad Pitt’s co-star in Inglorious Bastards? Gossip has been brewing that Jolie is uncomfortable with Pitt’s co-star who openly gushes about her attraction to the matinee idol. Pitt already has a close connection with Kruger after they worked together in Troy where the latter played the role of the world’s most beautiful women, Helen. Even then, Kruger already admitted having a crush on Pitt. She was still married at that time but now that she is single, it may be a whole new ballgame.

Kruger is currently dating Joshua Jackson of Fringe. But considering the notorious reputation of Jackson, Brad would definitely be a better alternative. During one of the cast’s night out, Kruger was reportedly all over Pitt, repeatedly putting her arms around his neck to whisper something in his ear because it was too loud in the area.

There are also malicious gossip moving around that Jennifer Aniston was pleased with this new controversy. While Pitt was filming Troy, she was equally jealous of Kruger’s attentions toward her husband at that time. Now, she gets vindication as Jolie gets a taste of her own medicine.

Looks like Quentin Tarantino’s new film, Inglorious Bastards, is getting hot publicity quite early. Hollywood never ceases to amuse me, especially those stories happening backstage.

After denying rumors months ago that Madonna and hubby Guy Ritchie are having marital problems, their spokeswoman finally announced that the couple are getting a divorce. According to other sources, the couple want everything settled and over with by Christmas. It seems that the 50-year old pop icon wanted to wrap up her world tour before announcing the split.

Madonna and Guy have 2 children, Rocco, 8, and David Banda, 3 (adopted from Malawi in 2006). Madonna also has a 12-year old daughter, Lourdes, from her former trainer Carlos Leon. The couple are estimated to be worth $525 million, bulk of which belongs to Madonna. Hope this one will not become as messy as the others. When money is a big issue in a dispute, all hell breaks loose.

Word just got out that Angelina Jolie will be W Magazine’s November cover girl which will show a picture taken by Brad Pitt while breastfeeding one of her twins. She will wear a sleeveless top, opened to reveal only a part of her left breast and the baby’s hand. It is a black and white photo showing Angelina smiling with her brown hair cascading over her shoulder. The headline promises more exclusive photos taken by the proud dad.

Two years ago, Jolie caused a stir when she wore a white nursing bra underneath her tank top on the cover of another magazine after she and Pitt had daughter Shiloh, now 2 years old. Apparently, many people find it inappropriate to publicly present a photo of a woman breastfeeding her child. It really is a wonder how some people’s mind work. They make a big thing out of this, yet adult magazines proliferate with women baring their breasts to please men’s hungry eyes.

Just in case many have forgotten, breasts were naturally made for breastfeeding. Since many find it inappropriate, it may seem like there are more people who were neglected by their mothers and were not breastfed. As long as the picture was done in good taste, a breastfeeding mother represents the love and trust between a mother and her offspring. Most of us see this in other mammals. But the love and trust is never conveyed as well as humans — a mother tenderly holding her infant, caressing the baby’s hair, and smiling softly as she performs one of her greatest accomplishments.

Is it more acceptable to see a woman baring her breasts in adult magazines? These women posing nude usually take care of their breasts to keep it attractive to men — meaning that most of them refused to breastfeed their child if they had any or will refuse to breastfeed when they do have a child. It has been a common misconception that breastfeeding children will disfigure a firm and supple breast. To deem these women more acceptable is an outrage.