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A small square of dark chocolate daily protects the heart from inflammation and subsequent heart disease, a new study of Italians suggests. Milk chocolate might not do the job.

However, this guilty pleasure has a limit.

Specifically, only 6.7 grams of chocolate per day (or 0.23 ounces) represents the ideal amount, according to results from the Moli-sani Project, one of the largest health studies ever conducted in Europe. For comparison, a standard-sized Hershey’s kiss is about 4.5 grams (though they are not made of dark chocolate) and one Hershey’s dark chocolate bar is about 41 grams (so a recommendation might be one of those weekly).

Chronic inflammation of tissues in the circulatory system is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, such as myocardial infarction or stroke. So doctors strive to keep patients’ inflammation under control. One marker for inflammation in the blood is called C-reactive protein.

The researchers found a relationship between dark chocolate intake and levels of this protein in the blood of 4,849 subjects in good health and free of risk factors (such as high cholesterol or blood pressure, and other parameters). The findings are detailed in the latest issue of the Journal of Nutrition.

“We started from the hypothesis that high amounts of antioxidants contained in the cocoa seeds, in particular flavonoids and other kinds of polyphenols, might have beneficial effects on the inflammatory state,” said Romina di Giuseppe, lead author of the study. “Our results have been absolutely encouraging: People having moderate amounts of dark chocolate regularly have significantly lower levels of C-reactive protein in their blood. In other words, their inflammatory state is considerably reduced.”
The inflammation reduction that the researchers observed controlled for other confounding variables such as wine or produce intake.

Previous studies have found that chocolate might be good for you, though doctors usually warn that it is more important to focus on one’s overall diet when it comes to health. One health study found that blood platelets among chocolate-lovers were less likely to clot together in dangerous clumps.

Other studies have found a host of diet and exercise changes that can help a person beat the odds of death. Clearly, no single change is a guarantee of long life.

With chocolate, moderation is key, the new study found.

“The best effect is obtained by consuming an average amount of 6.7 grams of chocolate per day, corresponding to a small square of chocolate twice or three times a week. Beyond these amounts the beneficial effect tends to disappear,” di Giuseppe said.

The milk in milk chocolate interferes with polyphenols, so the team kept that out of the study.

“We consider this outcome as the beginning of a large series of data which will give us an innovative view on how [to achieve] prevention in everyday life, both against cardiovascular disease and tumors,” said Licia Iacoviello, head of the Laboratory of Genetic and Environmental Epidemiology at the Catholic University of Campobasso and responsible for the Moli-sani Project.

Mermaids exist in the twilight place between land and sea, in the psychological intertidal zone between life-giver and life-taker. Wanton, seductive and alluring, these amphibious goddesses of classical myth toy unabashedly with a man’s affections, offering him sweetness yet bringing only death. The paintings of the pre-Raphaelites portray mermaids as lovely maidens with a silvery aquatic tail, who comb their luxurious tresses in serene repose along a placid shore, but the mermaids of old were neither so innocent nor demure. With the sultry curve of their breasts and the dulcet darkness of their dreamy eyes, those half-forgotten ocean deities promised to reveal the secrets of the unattainable fathoms, only to drown men with their savage affection.

We are fascinated by mermaids because they represent the unknown, the mystical, and the dangerous predator behind a graceful face. Mermaids have captured our interest in the same way in which they snared the hearts of sailors, dizzying us and disorienting us, pulling us under the turquoise waves. Many of the oldest stories claim that the merfolk have no tongues, yet this doesn’t keep them from casting their spell over the poor unfortunate who falls in love with them; one tale tells of a fisherman’s daughter who becomes infatuated with a merman but, when she discovers that he can never proclaim his love for her, she follows him into the ocean, only to perish.

Some claim that mermaids still sing their wordless melodies, playing amongst the waters and the waves. Juan Cabana, wandering the lonely shores of secluded beaches, has often found the mortal remains of these creatures. In life, they swim below the surface and rarely rise from the crushing deep, but upon death, the merciless storms cast their bodies up from the dark waters to deposit them on the white sand. Juan knows the distant coves where the currents bring them, and he gathers their remains with the hope of preserving them, honoring them, and showing humanity that we are not the only intelligent species on this beautiful planet. These teratisms of terrible beauty, wild and exotic, lie beyond the taint of human civilisation. They live in harmony with their aquatic environment, and Juan’s respect for them has resulted in a never-ending search for mermaids and sea monsters around the world.

Some mermaids are no gentle pre-Raphaelite maidens. These mermaids seduce us, not with their siren beauty, but with parchment skin and haunted eyes. Their allure lies in their hypnotic honesty. theese mermaids have been dredged from the stygian depths, where the pressure and endless darkness breed spine-toothed monsters and grotesque simian scavengers. These creatures are the sisters and brothers of Barnum’s Mermaid, some crawling from the banks of a lagoon, others laid out like wizened specimens in a laboratory. They seethe with life, they call to us with shrill tongues and crooked fingers, they beg to drag us down into the abyss. From the mid-ocean trenches and the bottomless channels they come.

Now you’ve seen the pictures

here is the reality check

I saw this in a ripleys book that I read a couple days ago. the book was “the remarkable… Revealed”. I am looking at the book right now. it’s on page 160-161, it talks about the artist who made two of these “merman”. the name of this artist is Juan Cabanaand it says he lives in florida. it also says that he makes other sea monsters along with merman with fish and animal remains.

Restaurants have one major purpose: to stuff you with as much food as they possibly can. If they do that, they achieve their primary business goal, which is to lighten your wallet.

But while they’re doing that, they’re also using their best marketing tricks, craftiest numerical switcheroos, and most dastardly dietary stratagems to swap unhealthy, cheap ingredients for more expensive, wholesome ones. The result: bloated bottom lines — for their budgets, and for their customers. But we don’t want to let that happen to you, which is why we’ve spent the last two years researching all the ways restaurants try to sabotage your food choices.

Below you’ll find a sampling of the fruits of our long labor: some of the new secrets the restaurant-chain gang doesn’t want you to know. They’re only a few of the many ways restaurants fatten up their customers for the sales slaughter. Heed the warnings and you (and your family) can make it through the drive-thru alive.

1. Baskin-Robbins doesn’t want you to know that…..

Sometimes a drink can have fruit in the title, but not in the cup. For instance, the top four ingredients in its Blue Raspberry Fruit Blast were Sierra Mist soda, water, sugar, and corn syrup. Since we first called the company out on this fruitless horror, Baskin-Robbins discontinued the Blue Raspberry Fruit Blast. The company also began listing all nutrition and ingredient information online. We call that progress.

If you’re looking for a real fruit smoothie, visit Jamba Juice. Just remember to check those calorie counts, so you don’t over-indulge.

2. Papa John’s doesn’t want you to know that…

Unlike rival chains such as Domino’s, it has made little effort to introduce healthier options. After we goaded them on their slow pace of innovation, Papa John’s did introduce whole grain wheat crust pizzas last May. Now, if only Papa would toss a thin-crust version into the mix and alter the recipe for sides like cheesesticks, which are loaded down with more than 2,900 milligrams of sodium!

3. Fuddruckers doesn’t want you to know…

The fat content of its 1-pound burgers. We contacted our local Fuddruckers restaurant and were told that the nutritional information was available on the chain’s Web site (it’s not). The corporate office later responded that providing such information would be “very extensive and timely.” We’re pretty sure he meant “very expensive and time-consuming.” How’s that for a Freudian slip?

4. Panera Bread doesn’t want you to know that…

The synthetic food colorings in its pastries have been linked to irritability, restlessness, and sleep disturbances in children. And British researchers found that artificial food colorings and preservatives in the diets of 3-year-olds caused an increase in hyperactive behavior. The same ingredients appear in fast-food items like mayonnaise, M&M Blizzards, and McDonald’s shakes.

On Panera’s Web site, you can track down calories, fat, sugar, and other nutritional numbers. If you look hard enough you’ll find ingredient lists, too — and note that a few items still contain artificial coloring. Disappointing. If you want to cut out the artificial stuff entirely, head over to Chipotle: The restaurant uses no artificial colorings or flavorings. Just make sure you saw their burritos, which can have more than 1,000 calories, in half.

5. Chevy’s Fresh Mex doesn’t want you to know …

How its tortillas stack up nutritionally. The chain says it provides “nutritional information regarding calories, fat, protein & carbohydrates for some of our most popular items” — the chicken, steak, and shrimp fajitas, for example — on its Web site. But the numbers provided don’t include the tortilla: an essential component typically bloated with fat and carbs. When we called a New York Chevy’s for more information, a server told us he couldn’t find that info on the in-house menu, either, which would seem to be a violation of New York city regulations. He did direct us to the same misleading nutritional information on the company’s Web site. Gee, thanks.

6. Applebee’s, IHOP, Olive Garden, Outback, Red Lobster, and T.G.I. Friday’s don’t want you to know …

The nutritional impact of their dishes. Despite the fact that we continued to pester each company, they all were mum about their nutritional information. So we had it nutritionally analyzed on our own. We may not be in this fix for long, however. New York City regulations that went into effect in July require all restaurants with 15 or more branches nationally to post calorie counts on their menus.

After tracking down every last dish, we can see what they were hiding: At Friday’s, no fewer than nine sandwiches and 10 appetizers topple the 1,000-calorie barrier; at IHOP, the “healthiest” entrée-size salad has a staggering 1,050 calories; and at Outback, even a simple order of salmon will wipe out 75% of your day’s caloric allotment.

And now that you’re aware of the danger, do us all a favor: if you notice other big fat restaurant lies, let us know. Likewise, if you’ve found ways to cut through the fast-food jungle without getting eaten, let us know that, too. When it comes to the battle of the restaurant bulge, we’re all in this together.

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It’s hard to overestimate the importance of eating breakfast. Studies show that people who take time for a morning meal consume fewer calories over the course of the day, have stronger cognitive skills, and are 30 percent less likely to be overweight or obese. Beyond that, people who skip breakfast are more likely to drink alcohol and smoke, and they’re less likely to exercise.

But just because breakfast is the most important meal of the day doesn’t grant you permission to go into a feeding frenzy. But that’s exactly what many of the country’s most popular breakfast joints are setting you up for, by peddling fatty scrambles, misguided muffins, and pancakes that look like manhole covers.

These foods are loaded with unhealthy fats, added sugars, and refined carbohydrates, which catapult your blood sugar, sap your energy levels, and tell your body to store fat.

To help you avoid the morning mishaps, we searched out the good, the bad, and the greasy, and uncovered some of the worst breakfast foods in America. We’ve presented a sampling of the worst offenders below. It’s like a lineup down at the local police station, except in this case, they’re all guilty as charged.

Worst Side Dish
Burger King Hash Browns (large)
620 calories
40 g fat (11 g saturated; 13 g trans)
1,200 mg sodium
60 g carbs

Yes, you’re ingesting more than a meal’s worth of calories from a side dish, but the real cause for concern here is that these little potato cakes pack seven times more trans fats than you’re supposed to eat all day! Until BK learns to cut out the partially hydrogenated oils, avoid encounters with potatoes of any kind at that fatty food joint.

Eat This Instead!
Burger King Egg & Cheese Croissan’wich
300 calories
17 g fat (6 g saturated; 2 g trans)
740 mg sodium
26 g carbs

Worst Breakfast Sandwich
Hardee’s Monster Biscuit
710 calories
51 g fat (17 g saturated)
2,250 mg sodium
37 g carbohydrates

When they say “Monster,” they mean it. This 700-calorie behemoth should be enough to scare anyone: It contains nearly a full day’s worth of sodium and saturated fat. Instead try the Sunrise Croissant with Bacon. It’s not exactly diet-friendly, but if you’re stuck at Hardee’s, it’s a way to escape without too much damage.

Eat This Instead!
Hardee’s Sunrise Croissant with Bacon
450 calories
29 g fat (12 g saturated)
900 mg sodium
28 g carbs

Worst Kids Meal
Denny’s Big Dipper French Toastix with margarine and syrup
770 calories
71 g fat (13 g saturated)
107 g carbs

As important as it is for mom and dad to eat a good breakfast each morning, it’s even more critical that their kids do. After all, breakfast affects their energy levels, metabolism, and performance in school. Better think twice before feeding them these dubious little sticks. For more healthy kids’ choices.

Eat This Instead!
Kid’s D-Zone Smiley Alien Hotcakes
340 calories
12 g fat (5 g saturated)
49 g carbs

Worst Pastry
Cinnabon Classic Cinnamon Roll
813 calories
32 g fat (5 g trans fat)
117 g carbs

You wouldn’t start your day with three brownies, would you? As far as your body knows, that’s exactly what you’ll be doing if you wake up with this cinnamon-swirled disaster area. In fact, because Cinnabon offers no healthy alternatives, you’ll have to invite friends (or enemies?) to share the risky roll, or steer clear of Cinnabon altogether.

Worst Smoothie
Smoothie King Grape Expectations II (40 oz.)
1,102 calories
256 g sugars
740 mg sodium

Why Smoothie King would even offer a 40 oz. serving size is beyond us. With more than half the calories you need in a day and the sugar equivalent of 12 Haagen Dasz ice cream bars, this “drink” should be renamed “diabetes in a glass.” Just goes to show you the importance of drinking responsibly.

Drink This Instead!
Smoothie King Low Carb Strawberry Smoothie (20 oz.)
268 calories
3 g sugars
176 mg sodium

Worst Combo Meal
McDonald’s Deluxe Breakfast
1,360 calories
64 g fat (22 g saturated)
2,325 mg sodium
160 g carbs
49 g sugars

With four vehicles for refined carbohydrates (biscuit, hash browns, hotcakes, syrup), this “deluxe” disaster will send your blood sugar soaring. Why blow nearly an entire day’s calories under the arches, when a perfectly satisfying Egg McMuffin will save you more than 1,000 calories?

Eat This Instead!
McDonald’s Egg McMuffin with coffee
310 calories
12 g fat (5 g saturated)
820 mg sodium
30 g carbs
3 g sugars

Worst Omelet
IHOP Big Steak Omelet
1,490 calories
(No additional nutrition information available)

IHOP doesn’t provide nutritional information aside from calorie counts, but with a boatload of steak, a bucket of cheese, and handfuls of hash browns, this omelet’s fat and sodium numbers are surely just as appalling.

Eat This Instead!
IHOP For Me Garden Scramble
440 calories

The Worst Breakfast in America
Bob Evans Stacked and Stuffed Caramel Banana Pecan Hotcakes
1,543 calories
77 g fat (26 g saturated; 9 g trans)
2,259 mg sodium
198 g carbs
109 g sugars

It’s not a good sign when it takes you nearly five seconds to spit out the name of your breakfast. This bad boy packs in more than 75 percent of your calories for the day, along with more sugar and fat than nine glazed Dunkin’ Donuts, and nearly as much sodium as five Bloody Marys.

Eat This Instead!
3 Scrambled Egg Beaters with 2 slices of bacon and fresh fruit
314 calories
19.5 g fat (5 g saturated)
700 mg sodium
21 g carbs
18 g sugars

To steer clear of the quickest way to pack on pounds — by sipping them through a straw

Have your own big offenders — and secrets for protecting your waistline? Share them with the rest of us here.

First  produced by Phil Wilde and Jean-Paul De Coster as an instrumental
in Spring1991, Get ReadyFor This reached n°2 in the UK charts. Ray Slijngaard was contacted to write lyrics and add the rap to the track. He also suggests bringing in a female vocalise who turns to be Anita Doth (Dels),  a singer he knows from the club scene in Amsterdam. The 
new version is released in September the same year, and is an immediate hit in Europe, Australia and Japan. In autumn 1995 it will unexpectedly hit the US Billboard Charts for  the second time, peaking at n°38.

After some debate, No Limit is chosen to announce  the second album and is released on January 18th 1993. It  goes to be the biggest hit to date, n°1 in 35 countries  (inculding a six-week run in the UK) and is still the most
played 2 Unlimited track. It picks up an incredible string of Gold and Platinum awards, eventually selling over 2,5  million copies worldwide.

Tribal Dance was originally released April 26th 1994. Worries  that the band can not survive the mega-hit syndrome are dispelled when it nearly eulas the success of No Limits. It also heightens the expectation about the upcoming album. During their second visit to the World Music Awards, they pick up an award as the World’s Bestselling Dutch Recording Artist. May 10th 1993, after being recorded, re-recorded,  mixed, and re-mixed, No Limits is finally released. Part  of the delay were the endless interrutpions for gigs, promo visits and video shoots which cause recordings to be endlessly rescheduled. After the release, the whole world gets on the phone, requesting Anita and Ray for shows, TV appearances, interviews, special events etc. While the entire planet seems to have gone 2 Unlimited crazy, Anita and Ray keep their head cool. As well as returning to virtually every  European country, they also undertake an extensive Asian  tour, which brings them to India, Hong Kong, China, Korea,  Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and  Thailand, giving new meaning to the expression ‘around the world in a day’. Thinking of the level of poverty that they  see beyond the walls of luxury hotels during their various
tours, Anita and Ray write Faces, an unusual choice for a dance act but an indication of their awareness of what is happening elsewhere. It is released on August 20th 1993.

The the fourth hit of the album, entitled Maximum Overdrive, was released in November 8th 1993. When a concert is cancelled due to illness in Denmark, a riot breaks out. A short trip brings therm to Russia for the first time, with 2 shows  in Moscow. An East European tour is rounded off at the Mega Dance festival in Budapest, where they play in front of 80 000 people. A last highlight of the year is where they are voted Best Dance Act at the Smash Hits Poll Winners Party. A complete newly recorded version of the album track  Let The Beat Control Your Body is released on January 21st 1994, the first single of the year and the last from No Limits. After being renames Let The Bass Control Your Body to avoid possible misundestanding in French (never heard  of that NdLR), it goes to n°1 in France. Anita and Ray  kick off the year with a tour in Japan and a visit to the Winter Music Conference in Miami.

Realeased on September 19th 1994, No One was one of the singles to get the most airplay on key radiostations all over Europe. At their biggest show so far, 450 000 peaople catch them at Holland’s Parkpop Festival. The next day hey leave for Australia to shoot the video for No One on Low  Island, part of the exotic Great Barrier Reef. 2 Unlimited goes interactive with the release of Beyond Limits, a CD-i  which features videos, music, pictures and background information.   At the first-ever European MTV-awards in Berlin, the band is nominated in the category ‘Best dance act’. On January 7, 1995, in The Netherlands, they got the B.V. Popprijs  1994 award, with 10.000 guilders, which was donated to the United Nation’s fund for UNICEF. They have also appeared on the popular British sitcom ‘Absolutely Fabulous’ March  6th 1995 sees the release of the 3rd single from Real Things  : Here I Go. With this release they equal a record of twelve consecutive top ten singles. Other members of this select  club include Abba, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The
Kinks, Madonna and The Bee Gees. At Monaco’s annual World  Music Awards they pick up their 3rd trophy. The last release from Real Things was Nothing Like The Rain on June 6th 1995.  It is also their first ballad as a single. They surprise friend and foe but everyone is impressed by the result. During this perios, Phil, Jean-Paul, Ray and Anita are working on demos for some new tracks which open the door for the future change in style.Yet another step in the continuing success story of 2 Unlimited…  October 30th 1995 sees the release of 2 Unlimited’s ‘best  of’ album. Entitled Hits Unlimited, it gathers the 13 previous hits and 3 new tracks that will be released as singles between the end of 1995 and 1996 : Do What’s Good For Me, Jump For Joy, and Spread Your Love. The album includes a booklet,   which tells the group’s history. Nobody knows it at this time, but these are Anita’s and Ray’s last appearances with 2 Unlimited. Indeed, Anita and Ray thought they had too little input in 2Unlimited so they finally left the group  to begin a solo carreer. An interview with Anita Doth in the magazine Nieuwe Revu published many years after (in 2001) gives more details. In the beginning Anita and Ray where friends. But Ray couldn’t handle his succes. He had sex with a lot of female fans and sometimes he got agressive  against Anita and others. But Anita does not blame it to
him, she explains it was psychically too hard for him. Anita  is more angry about Jean-Paul deCoster, she describes him as a really egoistic money-grubber. When their contract ended in 1996 Ray and Anita had some bad argues with Jean-Paul and Phil Wilde. In the group, Ray and Anita where responsible for the style, the show, the lyrics and the clothes. They
asked for more Money and Influence. Jean-Paul (who did the  finances) refused tot give that. After that Ray and Anita quited with 2 Unlimited. After the break a courtcase followed,   once again about Money : J.P. deCoster sued Anita for destroying his band. But he lost the case and he had to pay Anita the same amount of the money that he demanded because the statetement  considered he paid her too little when she was a part of 2 Unlimited.

At first it looked like Sylvia Samson (who had already done backing vocals for several 2 Unlimited songs) was going  to be 2 Unlimited all by herself, but when the time came for her to sign the contract she refused on her lawyer’s
advice. She didn’t want to be tied up for 5 years. So the producers had to continue their search. At this time Romy van Ooijen found out that Sylvia refused the contract… So she went to Jean-Paul and said that she was interested.  After many talks, auditions and try-outs they came to an agreement and she joined 2 Unlimited. Marion van Iwaarden   is completing the duo (Marion was initially written with  a ‘J’, but that was changed into an ‘I’ because it’s easier to pronounce in foreign countries). The new 2 Unlimited  is becoming a female duo. At the time that Romy and Marion joined 2 Unlimited, most tracks for the new album were already  finished. Romy and Marion just had to sing in the vocal parts and it was ready for release. At first all the new  tracks were sung in by Sylvia Samson. But because she refused to sign the contract, her voice was erased out of all the new songs and Romy and Marion re-recorded them with theirown vocals.

1998 was the year that the new formation was presented to the world. They released their first single Wanna Get Up on the 16th of March 1998 in Holland and Belgium. The rest   of Europe followed in May and the UK followed in June. The  US still have to wait for the first release… After several try-out concerts in Russia and England they’re finally ready to conquer the world as their predecessors, Anita and Ray,  did in the 5 years that they were fronting 2 Unlimited.  A few weeks after the release of Wanna Get Up, which got heavy airplay in Holland on TV and radio, the new album II was released world-wide…. The 20th of April 1998 is  the day that the new album got it’s press release with more than 60 press bureaux from over the world attending it’s  presentation. One week later it hit the stores. The album  was not released in all countries though… the US still  have to wait and some countries are simply waiting to see how people will react to the new singles, before deciding  whether or not to release the new album. Marion stated in  an interview that 2 Unlimited would be heading in a pop       direction. In fact one of the trademarks of the new 2 Unlimited   will be that (unfortunately) their will be no more technobeats,   no more raps (cause Marion and Romy both can’t rap), but   fresh pop/dance songs with future trance influences. 2 Unlimited  has moved on to newer sounds, just like they did in the  past. In the album you can find some eurodisco tracks (booming   euro bassdrums combined with disco sounds and the typical  2 Unlimited melodies). Jean-Paul de Coster stated that in shows the current sound of the European clubs. It also contains several powerful eurodance tracks too, so the fans will   finally not be disappointed. Songs like Never Surrender,  I Am Ready and Be Free Tonight are stomping dance tracks…  I Am Ready sounds a lot like Sash!’s Ecuador. Closer 2U is rather a jungle/Drum & Bass track. The producers
say it’s the best 2 Unlimited album until now… anna Get Up is still storming the international charts while the second single is already out in the Netherlands and Belgium.  About The Edge Of Heaven expectations are even higher than  they were with Wanna Get Up. The reason is simple… The  Edge Of Heaven sees the return of the 2 Unlimited techno sound trademark. It is a Future Trance song with an amazing  main hook played by a trumpetist. Some describe it as a  mixture between Infinity from Guru Josh and the Mas Mix  of RAF’s Ocean Whispers. The video that comes with the new single was shot in Sri Lanka.

2000: 2 Unlimited is back with a new remake of their hugest hit : No Limits 2000 with remixes of the New Yorkers Razor & Guido and Yves De Ruyter-co-producer Dirk ‘Mike’ Diericks. Unfortunately it is not the comeback of Ray and Anita, and the video is just an animated clip.  The single will be released in all countries where 2 Unlimited were successful. This release will be shortly followed by a new album The Millenium Mixes : Byte Records asked several
remixers and guest producers (among them Jaydee) to remix 2 Unlimited’s best_tracks. After thesummer the next single will be released, a remix of Twilight  Zone

2002: 2 Unlimited released an album entitled Trance Remixes  

2003 : Release a new remake of No limit 2.3 with mixes from Master

Blaster, DJ Sputnik, DJ Digress. With „No Limit 2.3“, 2
Unlimited is back. A milestone of the european music-history

do it again in the German Dance- Charts (ODC #16, GDP #16) and they are back in the German Single Sales Charts of Media
Control. The Video of the Remix was already produced with
Dйbora and James, the new faces behind 2 Unlimited. The
Maxi-CD was released by ZYX Music on July, 21st 2003.
                    
                   

2004: the follow-up single was entitled Tribal Dance 2.4. It
entered Austrian charts in February and reached #41 in German DJ Playlist. A DVD & best of album called The       Complete History were also released under the German label  ZYX.

His name was Bartholomew Roberts. The most successful raider in the history of piracy, he took prisoner an astounding 470 vessels, and so renowned was his ferocity that many of those ships were surrendered to him without a fight.

Black Bart was the nickname he was given - and not only because of his black locks and dark eyes. When this swashbuckling Welsh buccaneer had to fight for his prizes, he was merciless.

In 1720, the crew of a 42-gun Dutch vessel anchored off Dominica in the Caribbean dared to resist. In the close-quarters cannonade which followed, several of his crew were cut down. Even more were slaughtered in the hand-to-hand fighting as Black Bart?s pirates swarmed over the vessel.

Roberts ordered an exemplary revenge. Those Dutchmen who had not been killed in the fighting were hung from the yardarm, or stripped of their shirts and lashed at the masthead until they lost consciousness in the blistering sun, then mutilated.

The Dutch captain?s ears were cut off and presented to him as a reminder to listen harder when Roberts told him what to do. The torture and butchery did not end until the last Dutchman had been dragged out and carved up in similar fashion.

Roberts renamed the ship the Royal Fortune, and sailed it with his great black flag at the helm, which showed Black Bart standing, with cutlass uplifted, on two skulls, representing his dominance over the islands of Barbados and Martinique.

He was one of the many sailors who took to freebooting after his own ship had been captured by pirates.

Born in Wales, 325 years ago this month, he went to sea in 1695 at the age of 13. He served on British merchant vessels before fighting in the 1702-1713 War of the Spanish Succession.

Apart from a brief mention of him as mate of a Barbados sloop, he is not heard of again until 1719, when he sailed as third mate aboard the slave ship Princess.

The Princess was anchored at a small, semi-derelict fort on the Gold Coast of West Africa (present day Ghana) when she was captured by two pirate ships, the Royal James and the Royal Rover, led by another Welshman, Captain Howell Davis.

Roberts was said to have been reluctant to be forced into piracy - but he soon saw the point of it.

A contemporary quotes Roberts as saying: “In an honest service, there is thin victuals, low wages and hard labour. In this, plenty and satiety, pleasure and ease, liberty and power…

“No, a merry life and a short one shall be my motto.”

Black Bart, the real pirate of the Caribbean and inspiration for Jack Sparrow’s character

And he kept to it. His quick mind was appreciated by Davis, who took to consulting him over navigation and the rig of the sails.

Roberts was older than most of the conscripts on the pirate vessels. Before this gold-plated opportunity, he would have been sailing the triangular route from Britain to Africa to the West Indies and North America for many years, before returning with rich cargoes for his ship-owners. His own wages would have been about £3 a month, with little chance of promotion.

When the Royal James had to be abandoned as unseaworthy off the Gold Coast, the Royal Rover made for the nearby fort of Principe, falsely hoisting the flags of a British man-of-war.

These flags, which Davis always kept stowed in his locker, meant any ship he sailed could approach merchant ships without them realising what treachery was abroad.

Once again, his ruse worked. The Portuguese governor let the Royal Rover enter the harbour, and entertained the pirates - smartly dressed as officers. After a relaxing fortnight, Davis invited the Governor to lunch on board his ship, intending to hold him hostage for ransom.

Meanwhile, however, the Governor had discovered that Davis had been making advances to his wife. He was most displeased and hatched a plan of his own, inviting the pirate captain to call at the fort before lunch for a glass of wine.

On the way, the party were ambushed. Davis, shot through the stomach, fell back, firing his pistols, and died.

A new captain had to be found. Roberts was elected. He had been a pirate for only six weeks, but his shipmates had already recognised his seamanship. One of them said later: “He was chosen not so much for his strength and courage, as for his cunning and knowledge of the seas.

“He could make a quick guess of the bulk and force of any ship that came nigh.”

Roberts’ first decision - to bombard the fort, set fire to the town, slaughter all the men they could find and steal everything they could carry away - displayed the ruthlessness which was to become his byword.

A contemporary historian wrote: “He accepted of the honour [being elected captain], saying that since he had dipped his hands in muddy water, and must be a pirate, it was better being a commander than a common man.”

The first black flag he raised was of himself and Death holding up an hour-glass.

This is the side of Black Bart which Johnny Depp picks up for his captain Jack Sparrow. As cool and brave as he was ruthless, Roberts dressed like a Georgian dandy in ruffs and jewels, velvet breeches, pleated shirts, buckled shoes and silk jackets - all of them looted.

While Jack - and nearly every other pirate we know of - was very partial to a shot of rum, Roberts was teetotal. He disliked drunkenness. Instead of rum, he drank cups of tea.

The secret of Black Bart?s success was patience and tactical flair. He took the Royal Rover to Brazil, where, after a fruitless nine weeks merely looting and burning a couple of slave ships, he encountered 42 Portuguese trading vessels under the escort of two 70-gun warships, at anchor off Bahia.

It was the Lisbon Fleet, an annual armada of incalculable riches. In the darkness, Roberts sailed between the merchant vessels, established which one had the richest cargo and towed it out to sea.

As one of the huge Portuguese warships gained on the Royal Rover, Roberts fired a broadside. Astonishingly, the 70-gunner panicked and heaved to, waiting for the other men-of-war to sail out in support. Roberts escaped with £40,000 in gold coins and jewellery.

But while Roberts was chasing prey off the coast of Guyana, his deputy, left in charge of the Royal Rover, sailed away in an act of treachery, leaving Roberts with one small, poorly armed sloop.

Black Bart?s resources were badly depleted: he had a crew of tough and experienced mercenaries, but his supplies were low and his chances of capturing a prize with this second-best sloop were slim.

Roberts? response was to ensure the loyalty of his men by making them sign a code of conduct.

This was democracy with iron gloves. Each man would have an equal vote in the big decisions and an equal right to food, liquor and prize money. If any man robbed or defrauded another, he would have his nose and ears slit and be marooned.

No gaming was allowed. Lights went out at eight, and any drinking after that had to be done on deck, in the dark. Quarrels would have to be be resolved by duelling. Any man carrying a mistress to sea in disguise would be executed. The musicians (all conscripted) would be on call every day except Sunday.

These rules the pirates swore on the Bible to uphold.

That done, Roberts renamed his sloop the Fortune, later Royal Fortune. He joined forces with a small-time French buccaneer, and together they harassed shipping around Barbados and Martinique, until the local inhabitants financed a well-armed ship which saw off both sloops.

The Fortune limped to Dominica for repairs, with 20 of her crew dying on the journey.

Then, when he set sail for Newfoundland, Black Bart?s luck began to change. He plundered up and down the Atlantic coast, capturing or destroying 27 sloops. Among his bounty was an 18-gun galley in which he proceeded to cause serious havoc.

Pirates trilogy has sunk to the Depps

Roberts despised cowardice. Twenty-two captains of the seized Newfoundland vessels, who had tried to flee at the sight of the black pirate flags and the sound of drums and trumpeters, were summoned to appear before him every morning, at peril of having their ships burned. Some of them he lashed for impertinence.

Meanwhile, his crew made full use of the local brothels, while respectable women kept their doors locked.

By late 1720, Roberts was back terrorising shipping in the West Indies, this time with unassailable firepower - as that 42-gun Dutch vessel found to its cost.

News of the bloody havoc he wreaked aboard travelled far and wide. Roberts then exacted sweet revenge on the locals for their previous defiance.

From Martinique, Roberts used the captured Dutchman and ran up flags to signal that cheap slaves were on offer in St Lucia. He proceeded to ambush the 14 French ships who brought gold dust - the common currency of the slave trade - to pay for them.

Around this time, he captured a 52-gun warship, and finding the Governor of Martinique on board, he hanged him from the yardarm.

The latest of his flagships to be renamed the Royal Fortune was a floating arsenal, including four 12-pound cannons capable of sinking a small vessel with a single shot.

Roberts had virtually forced a standstill in shipping on the Spanish Main, outmanoeuvring the navies hunting him. He now judged it wise to head for West Africa for fresh opportunities.

Off Senegal and Sierra Leone, he continued to destroy or commandeer everything in his path, including two French gunships and the Onslow, a British frigate taking soldiers to Ghana?s Cape Coast Castle, the leading slave bazaar.

Several Onslow soldiers were eager to join the pirates. A few were accepted, but, as landlubbers, they were allowed only a quarter share of any loot.

Roberts had heard that two Royal Navy ships were due to revisit Sierra Leone at the end of 1721, but he was used to such tales.

In any case, he was already getting on for 40 and was planning to hang up his cutlass for good - once he had spent the summer of 1722 unburdening Portuguese vessels of their cargoes of Brazilian gold.

By January 1722, his flagship was in convoy with three other commandeered French warships off the Ivory Coast. As he entered Ouidah, the wealthiest harbour on the coast, all 11 slave ships at anchor there immediately struck their colours, signalling surrender.

Roberts captured the ships and ransomed them back to their captains for 8lb of gold dust each. When one Captain refused him, Roberts burned the ship to ashes, including the 80 slaves in its hold.

He left Ouidah shortly before Challoner Ogle, captain of the 50-gun warship HMS Swallow, came looking for this dastardly pirate who was seriously impeding Britain?s trade with Africa and the West Indies.

It took Ogle three weeks sailing up and down the coast before a tip-off from a captured pirate sent the Swallow to her destination.

On February 5, 1722, Ogle came upon Roberts and his favourites eating lunch by the shore near Cape Lopez in present-day Gabon, while his crews worked on their ships? hulls. Ogle could have taken them then, but his steersman were forced to veer out to sea to avoid a sandbank.

Sniffing booty, Roberts sent out one of the captured French gunships, the 16-gun Ranger, in pursuit of this unknown vessel.

He was out of sight and earshot when the Swallow opened its gunports and blasted the Ranger with a broadside of 32-pounders. By the time the Ranger surrendered, ten men had been killed and 20 more wounded.

The mate of the Ranger went below and fired a pistol into the ship?s gunpowder - but the powder was damp and only succeeded in blowing a hole through the side of the ship, taking the mate with it.

Boarding the stricken sloop, the Swallows? surgeon, John Atkins, was confronted by dead and dying crewmen on a deck awash with blood. He noted dryly that they were “dressed with white shirts, watches and a deal of silk vests”.

Some of Ogle?s men coaxed the captured pirate vessel back to harbour, careful of the fortune in plunder in its hold. The Swallow returned to Cape Lopez for a second foray five days later.

Black Bart?s pirates, befuddled from capturing a ship loaded with liquor the day before, were slow to recognise her. When they did, Roberts alerted his crews and prepared for battle.

He dressed in crimson from head to foot, a gold chain round his neck, a curling red feather in his hat, and four pistols roped over his shoulder in a silk sling.

His plan was to sail past the Swallow, risking a single broadside before catching the wind to escape. Instead, the helmsman, panicking, exposed the vessel to a second broadside.

A spray of grapeshot tore out Black Bart?s throat and he slumped dying over a cannon.

While the battle still raged, Black Bart?s body was weighted down and thrown overboard, fulfilling the pirate captain?s wish to be buried at sea.

The Royal Fortune was forced to surrender and 54 of the pirates were later hanged.

Some historians argue that the death of Bartholomew Roberts marked the end of the Golden Age of piracy.

Roberts? own life, for all its flamboyance, demonstrates that there was no “golden age”: only the base metal of greed, ruthlessness, debauchery and vicious cruelty, which for 60 years or more bedevilled the Western seas.

Motorola KRZR forsale (5,000php)
In really good condition (w/ box, Manual)
6 month old

2 megapixcel Camera
MP3 & 3GP (Video)
Blootooth
Expandable up to - 1GB
Phone Memory (19,846 MB)
USB
Installation Disk
Original Earphone
Original Battery
Original Charger
(plus) back-up Charger

JAVA Games (43 installed Games)
—–>
Bubble Bash
Crazy Campus
Desperate House Wives ( official Mobile Game)
Diamond Rush
Die Hard 4 ( official Mobile Game)
Dogs
Eragon ( official Mobile Game)
Gameloft Catalogue
Gangstar - Crime City
Heroes ( official Mobile Game)
Horse Riding Academy
Ibiza Beach Party
King Kong ( official Mobile Game)
King Kong Pinball ( official Mobile Game)
Medieval Combat
Miaminights
Might & Magic 1
Might & Magic 2
Mission Impossible 3 ( official Mobile Game)
Newyork Nights 2
Paris Hilton Diamond Quest ( official Mobile Game)
Petz
Pirates of the Seven Seas ( official Mobile Game)
Platinum Solitaire
Platinum Sudoku
Pop Superstar
Prince of Persia - two thrones
Kobe Bryant - Pro Basketball 2008 ( official Mobile Game)
Ragnarok (mage)
Ragnarok (thief)
Ragnarok (Archer)
Ragnarok (Swordsman)
Rayman Kart
Rayman Raving Rabbids
Rise of the lost Empires ( official Mobile Game)
Rock n Blocks
Shrek the Third ( official Mobile Game)
Special Crime Unit ( official Mobile Game)
Splinter Cell bouble Agent
Splinter Cell CT
Surf’s Up ( official Mobile Game)
TombRaider 3
Transformers ( official Mobile Game)
<—————
plus:
Memory Card (256MB)
Cellphone Bling By: M.kai - Philippines
G-Mask worth 1024php
14 swarovski crytals

to those interested please contact Bea at 09154200109

My first encounter with people like this was in Tacloban City. A gay, won’t mention His name. He was a friend of my bestbod in Tacloban. He was Nice enough for me to trust him. He was selling a certain well known product. Since I pity him coz he kept on telling me on how his parents been treating him because on his so called being “GAY” I always get huge quantity of products from Him for the purpose of helping him. Last year Feb. 20, 2007 I ordered one set of Hypoallergenic Jewelry and a Perfume with a free watch. I gave the Jewelry to my eldest Daughter and the Perfume to my Husband. The next day my family and I went to church. My daughter kept on complaining that the necklace hurts. So I removed it and tried to see why it hurts. To my shock I noticed that the chain was already broken and a thin wire was used to mend it back. Then I called My Gay friend and asked him if he could return it to the distributor and have it changed. To my dismay he told me it can never be done. The bad part here was I realized that item was purchased by him and damaged it then mend it back then sold it to me.I spent 1,400php for the Jewelry set alone and never got my money back.

The Second one was just recently, I met this person a couple of months ago March 5th 2008. I got to know her thru a Friend of mine a former neighbor way back 5 years ago. I had this business, a handmade fashion jewelry made by “yours truly” at fist it went well. I released about 500php worth of jewelry and she sold worth 380php and gave me the whole amount and returned the undisposed items. Since she was really nice to me sharing almost all her secrets, from her separation with her husband due to being a drug addict and being in and out the rehab and being the sole breadwinner of her family due to her in-laws never provide financial help to both of them. So I gave in and lent her 1,210php worth of items on March 16th, 2007. Then on March 23rd 2007 I lent her again 965php worth of items. That same day she paid me 310php. It was ok at least she paid instead of receiving nothing at all. Then on May 2nd, 2008 an emergency happened. My son got a fever and there was a slight amount of blood flowing thru my son’s nose. I was panicking, the first thing I had in mind was text this friend whom I lent the items if she already reached 500php. She gladly replied me “YES” but we’ll meet at around 2pm due to that time she’s still at work. I left the house at around 1:00pm because I was never the “tardy person”. I went to Netopia and checked my e-mail and Friendster since it was too early. I texted her if where will meet. She never replied. Then 4pm passed and I was too tiered waiting for her reply. So I text her if we’ll still meet that day. She did not reply. So I planned to go home since it was getting dark and my son was sick. At around 6pm she texted me that she was too busy due to that they got a crash meeting. So I told her can we meet at Ayala because I really needed the money. She arrived passed 8:00pm I was sooo tired and hungry. She gave me the money and gave me all possible explanation why she was late. Just a couple of weeks ago since our deal was, every week we check on how our business was going. So last April 7th 2008 I texted her if how were the items doing and if we could meet because I was not able to record the disposed items last May 2nd, 2008. She did not answer. I tried calling her number, her phone was ringing but she never answered my call. Then tried again calling her on the 11th to check on her she replied that she can’t meet me because she’s to busy and she’ll meet up with me on the 13th. On the 13th I texted her if what time well meet, she never replied. Then I thought she’s just to busy since my old friend who introduced us together text me she was to busy. So I let another week pass. Then texted her again on the 20th, with no prevail. She did not answer. Then just a few days ago May 24th, 2008 I texted her again. She answered if we could meet Saturday May 26th instead of that day the 24th. So I said “ok”. Then the 26th came I text her around 9am if we’ll met and where. She did not reply. Time passed by again it was around passed 5pm. I planned to go home since I was so tiered of waiting for her. But I was a little worried. So I text her if when is the real date we’ll really meet since it’s a lot of instance she stood up with me. And plead her to answer me and don’t make this situation as a reason to distrust her. She replied in many anguish ways. Then saying things no normal and educated person would do. She’s looking for a fight. Since I was not the “Gerera” type and my mother would always advice me never to put up with people like “these”. So I text my friend “the one who introduce me to her” if can she just ask for my undisposed items and return it to me. And gladly my friend agreed.

1,365php is just a small amount to me. I treasure my friends better than money. But if you try to put down a person as your escape goat is a different situation. God above is watching our every move. I even lit a candle for her to lighten up and act like a real person. There is no reason for her to get mad or hysterical about it. I just want to know if my business is doing good or not. And not making your work as another escape for you for not having time to give me updates. You have day offs I too worked you know. And saying you can’t reply to my text “ka nga ngtitipid” and can’t update weekly because I am not her priority” My friend one peso per week is enough it’s just one peso”. That’s the reason why I text her “you don’t know me” it’s just mare 1,365 or less if you haven’t continued selling. Money fights are for “palengkeras” are you one? I don’t think so. I just thought just seconds ago maybe she had a sad experience before and she’s thinking in general that business persons are really “makulit” in pertaining to claiming money. My friend if you’re reading this blog. I know you know this is you. Don’t make too many excuses. Say straight to the point if what ever is happening. I am your friend and what ever happen just tell me the truth if you can’t sell the items. I’ll understand. “kahit na hold-up k and all the items where lost”. Just tell me. I had worse instances than you. It was a wooping 24,000php but since that person was considered family I forgave her. You see….. money is nothing to me.. I treasure friends more. That’s why I have a lots of friends in Tacloban. I am not the hungry for money person. I only look for money if I am broke but if the person can’t help me. I wont make kulit..

The lesson? Be true to your friends. If you got a problem, friends will always be there to help you, even if “kaw nakakadehado n” stay true and tell the truth. You’ll both come-up an idea on how to solve it aside from fighting and exchanging bad and hurting words. I did cry for that person. My former neighbor knows that. I was crying at the phone pouring to her how hurt I was.