Blog List: The Newly-Born Blogger Page Element

Yesterday, June 5, 2008, Blogger announces the release of "Blog List", the newest page element for Layouts blogs. Blog List is similar to the Links List page element in such a way that it is also made so you can put links to particular blogs and websites. However, the former is more interactive and improved because it uses blogs' RSS and Atom feeds to show update times, post titles and snippets.

Here are the summary provided by Blogger Buzz about the Blog List:

• Link to blogs, web pages, and feeds from your blog’s sidebar, with an optional favicon
  
• For pages with RSS and Atom feeds, Blog List can show last updated time, post title, and a snippet of the latest post
  
• Sort links alphabetically or by last update time
• Show all links, or hide some behind a “show all” link
  
• Import subscriptions from Google Reader
  
• Blog List links are visible to search engine crawlers, so your blog’s PageRank and reputation flow to those you link to

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Disappointing Note: Earlier today, I tried using the Blog List page element to improve my blog's "Must Reads" section. The results were pretty impressive. BUT, I got disappointed and decided to remove it shortly when I encountered these annoying things:

• It doesn't show the REAL icons of certain Blogger blogs. Instead, it displays the typical one (comparable to the image on the right).
• Some URLs of blogs cannot be added. - This one really annoyed me!
  

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Kemp's Ridley

June 1, 2008-June 7, 2008

Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) is a species of sea turtle categorized by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) as critically endangered. Its name was taken from Richard Kemp, the first to send in a specimen of the species to Samuel Garman of Harvard University. It is also known as heartbreak turtle

Being the smallest sea turtle species in the world, Kemp’s ridley grows at a length of only less than a meter and an average weight of 45 kilograms. It has a triangular-shaped head with a somewhat hooked beak used to grab and break up crabs which are its common diet.

Kemp’s ridleys were once commonly found in Louisiana, New Jersey, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico. But due to habitat loss, pollution and entanglement in fishing, they are now common in conservation areas. So far, countries such as Mexico and the United States are on their move to increase the number of Kemp’s ridleys once again. One of their preservation mechanisms is the introduction of TED (Turtle Excluder Device).

Top 3 Kemp’s Ridley Snapshots

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Nose Pickers...Diggers...Name Them!

June 1, 2008-June 7, 2008

WILMER VALDERRAMA

“The Gold Digger”

NICKY HILTON

“Call Me Later, I’m Quite Busy Digging”

ETHAN HAWKE

“Ethan’s Sexiest Shot”

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Škocjan Caves, Slovenia

June 1, 2008-June 7, 2008

Škocjan Caves is a system of limestone caves found in the southwestern Slovenian region of Kras. Containing collapsed dolines, approximately 5 kilometers of underground passages, caves with a depth of more than 200 meters and several waterfalls, it is one of the infamous sites for studying the so-called karstic or limestone phenomena.

The Škocjan Caves region is of great archeological significance as well. It is said to have been inhabited by humans as early as more than ten thousand years ago (the end of the Bronze Age and the beginning of the Iron Age). It was also one of the most significant pilgrimage sites in Europe three thousand years ago, especially in the Mediterranean wherein, it was of important cult significance in connection with the afterlife and communication with the spirits of the ancestors.

Škocjan Caves is so far Slovenia’s only tourist destination that was inscribed in the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites list. It was included in 1986.

Top 3 Škocjan Caves Snapshots

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Britney Spears: Touch Of My Hand

June 1, 2008-June 7, 2008

Genre: Pop

Mood: Horny, Craving for sex

May be dedicated to: The horny you (more suitable if you’re a girl)

“Touch Of My Hand” is VJ Czar World’s newest Song of the Week. It is the eighth track of Britney Spears’ fourth studio album entitled “In The Zone”.

Written by Jimmy Harry, Balewa Muhammad (co-composer of Christina Aguilera’s “Dirrty”), Shep Soloman and Britney Spears herself, this song highly contains sexually suggestive lyrics. It became Spears’ way of telling her fans she’s already grown up and can now legally experience the sexual thing.

Together with the album’s fourth track “Breathe On Me”, “Touch Of My hand” became the target of music critics. One critic characterized it as an “ode to masturbation”.

Although it created a big impact on both critics and fans, it was never released as a single. Had it been that Britney didn’t suffer a knee injury, it might have been done so.

I’m not ashamed of the things that I dream

I find myself flirting with the verge of obscene

Into the unknown, I will be bold

I’m going to places I can be out of control

And I don’t want to explain tonight

All the things I’ve tried to hide

I shut myself out from the world so I

Can draw the blinds and I’ll teach myself to fly

I love myself, it’s not a sin

I can’t control what’s happenin’

‘Cause I just discovered

Imagination’s taking over

Another day without a lover

The more I come to understand the touch of my hand

The small of my back, the arch of my feet

Lately I’ve been noticin’ the beautiful on me

I’m all in my skin and I’m not gonna wait

I’m into myself in the most precious way

And I don’t want to explain tonight

All the things I’ve tried to hide

I shut myself out from the world so I

Can draw the blinds and I’ll teach myself to fly

‘Cause I just discovered

Imagination’s taking over

Another day without a lover

The more I come to understand the touch of my hand

There’s a world undefined

In my body and mind

I won’t be left behind

I’m already here

‘Cause I just discovered

Imagination’s taking over

Another day without a lover

The more I come to understand the touch of my hand

‘Cause I just discovered

Imagination’s taking over

Another day without a lover

The more I come to understand the touch of my hand

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野菜 (yasai) ＝ Vegetable

June 1, 2008- June 7, 2008

This post is a day late...

Japanese Word: 野菜

Hiragana Equivalent: やさい

Pronunciation: yasai

Meaning/s: vegetable

More information about 野菜: The two Kanji characters that comprise 野菜 can be used independently. 野 (pronounced as no) means “field” while 菜 (pronounced as na) refers to “greens” or “vegetables”.

Here are the correct stroke sequences in writing the Kanji form of やさい.

Here are some of the sentences that use 野菜.

• あなたはもっと野菜を食べた方が良いですよ。　＝　You better eat more vegetables.
• あなた　＝　anata　＝　you
• は　＝　wa (topic indicator particle)
• もっと　＝　motto　＝　more
• 野菜 （やさい）　＝　yasai　＝　vegetables
• を　＝　wo (object indicator particle)
• 食べた方が良い （たべたほうがいい）　＝　tabeta hō ga ī　＝　better eat
• です　＝　des　＝　am
• よ　＝　yo (request, certainty or contempt indicator particle)

• その店は野菜を売っている。　＝　That store is selling vegetables.
• その店 （そのみせ）　＝　sono mise　＝　that store
• は　＝　wa (topic indicator particle)
• 野菜 （やさい）　＝　yasai　＝　vegetables
• を　＝　wo (object indicator particle)
• 売っている （うっている）　＝　utte iru　＝　is selling

• トマトは果物ですか、それとも野菜ですか。　＝　Is tomato a fruit or a vegetable?
• トマト　＝　tomato　＝　tomato
• は　＝　wa (topic indicator particle)
• 果物 （くだもの）　＝　kudamono　＝　fruit
• ですか　＝　deska　＝　is it?
• それとも　＝　soretomo　＝　or
• 野菜 （やさい）　＝　yasai　＝　vegetables
• ですか　＝　deska　＝　is it?

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Cities: The Most Polluted, The Cleanest, The Greenest

May 25, 2008-May 31, 2008

This post is 2 days delayed...:)

Linfen (临汾), a prefecture-level city in Shanxi province, China is asserted as the most polluted city in the world. This assertion was based on a study conducted by the Blacksmith Institute, an NYC based organization supporting pollution-related environmental projects. The said study states that Linfen’s atmosphere contains very large accumulations of coal dust and other particulates coming from automobile and industrial emissions. About 3,000,000 people are potentially affected by this pollution.

The world’s cleanest city, according to Mercer Human Resource Consulting, is Calgary. Found in the province of Alberta in Canada, Calgary was ranked #1 (among the other 215 candidate cities) based on the following criteria:

• Quality and availability of hospital and medical supplies
• Levels of air pollution and infectious diseases
• Efficiency of waste removal and sewage systems
• Water potability
• Presence of harmful animals and insects

Reykjavík, the capital and largest city in Iceland is deemed as the world’s greenest city. It was chosen as such based on the impressive strides it has undertaken towards eco-friendliness and the aid it extended to millions of its residents to live better and have greener lives. Reykjavík was followed by the city of Portland in Oregon and the Brazilian city of Curitiba.

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