U.S. surfer dies in shark attack in Mexico

Just less than a week when we heard of a fatal shark attack in the coast near San Diego, CA. Now Here's another attack this time in Mexico. Could this be the same great white who severed the limb of a thriathlete man?The U.S. Embassy in Mexico could not immediately confirm the man's name, but local authorities identified him as a 24-year-old who was surfing with a fellow American. The other man was not injured.The attack occurred at the Troncones beach, about 45 minutes west by car from the beach resort of Ixtapa.The statement said the victim suffered wounds "that reached from the hip to the knee, exposing the femur."The victim was still alive when he was brought back to the beach. It took so long for the ambulance to reach the relatively isolated, undeveloped beach that a bystander took the victim to a local hospital in his car.The man died from loss of blood a few minutes after reaching the hospital, according to the statement.Shark attacks are relatively rare in Mexico. In 2006, the International Shark Attack File at the Florida Museum of Natural History reported only one attack in Mexico, which was not fatal.

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Triathlete Killed By Shark While Swimming Off Solana Beach

A group of nine swimmers entered the water near Fletcher Cove at about 6:30 a.m. for their daily ocean swim, according to witnesses. They swam northward. While they were swimming, a 66-year-old man was bitten on both thighs, the spokesman for the San Diego County Sheriff's Department said. Other swimmers looked back and saw the man flailing before he was pulled under the water, the spokesman said.Witnesses said the victim resurfaced screaming. Several other swimmers pulled the man to shore.Lifeguards arrived and a helicopter ambulance was called, but the victim bled to death on the beach.Helicopter video showed lifeguards, firefighters and police gathered at the main lifeguard station in Solana Beach. What appeared to be the victim's body covered by a yellow tarp was visible under a portable shade structure behind the headquarters.The victim's family was notified, but his identity was not immediately released.Lifeguards did not know what kind of shark attacked the man, but they speculated that it was a great white.
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Evil is the absence of God

A science professor begins his school year with A Lecture to thestudents, "Let me explain the problem science has with Religion." The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before hisclass And Then asks one of his new students to stand. "You're a Christian, aren't you, son?" "Yes sir," the student says. "So you believe in God?" "Absolutely. " "Is God good?" “Sure! God's good." "Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?" "Yes." "Are you good or evil?" "The Bible says I'm evil." The professor grins knowingly. "Aha! The Bible!" He Considers for amoment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick PersonOver here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him?Would You Try?" "Yes sir, I would." "So you're good...!" "I wouldn't say that." "But why not say that? You'd help a sick and Maimed Person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't." The student does not answer, so the professor Continues. "He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of Cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus Good?Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"The student remains silent. "No, you can't, can you?" the professor says. He Takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time To Relax. "Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?" "Er...yes," the student says. "Is Satan good?" The student doesn't hesitate on this one. "No." "Then where does Satan come from?" The student falters. "From God" "That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell Me, Son. Is there evil in this world?" "Yes, sir." "Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make Everything, correct?" "Yes." "So who created evil?" The professor continued, "If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and According to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is Evil."Again, the student has no answer. "Is there Sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do They Exist in this world?"The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."
"So who created them?" The student does not answer again, so the Professor Repeats his question. "Who created them?" There is still no answer. Suddenly The lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is Mesmerized. "Tell me," he continues onto another student. "Do you Believe in Jesus Christ, son?"The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, Professor, I do."The old man stops pacing. "Science says you have Five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have You Ever seen Jesus?"
"No sir. I've never seen Him." "Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?" "No, sir, I have not." "Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or Smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, Or God for that matter?" "No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't." "Yet you still believe in him?" "Yes." "According to the rules of empirical, testable, Demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you Say To that, son?""Nothing," the student replies. "I only have my Faith.""Yes, faith," the professor repeats. "And that Is The problem sciencehas with God. There is no evidence, only faith." The student stands quietly for a moment, before Asking a question of His own. "Professor, is there such thing as heat?" "Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat." "And is there such a thing as cold?" "Yes, son, there's cold too." "No sir, there isn't." The professor turns to face the student, Obviously Interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to Explain. "You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, Mega-heat, Unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have Anything called 'cold'. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which Is no Heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees."
"Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmitsenergy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it." Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom,sounding like a hammer. "What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?" "Yes," the professor replies without hesitation.
"What is night if it isn't darkness?" "You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word." "In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?"The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This willbe a good semester. "So what point are you making, young man?" "Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed tostart with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed." The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. "Flawed? Can you explain how?" "You are working on the premise of duality," the student explains. "You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as somethingfinite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought." "It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it." "Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your studentsthat they evolved from a monkey?" "If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man,yes, of course I do." "Have you ever observed evolution with your owneyes, sir?" The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizeswhere the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed. "Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?" The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided. "To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean." The student looks around the room. "Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the professor's brain?" The class breaks out into laughter. "Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No oneappears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir." "So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?"Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, hisface unreadable. Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. "I guessyou'll have to take them on faith." "Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists withlife," the student continues. "Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?" Now uncertain, the professor responds, "Of course, there is. We see it everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It isin the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. Thesemanifestations are nothing else but evil."
To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least itdoes not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It isjust like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."
The professor sat down.

Germans to swim without high-tech suits

BERLIN (AP)-German swimmers are concerned about a disastrous performance at the Beijing Olympics because they will be wearing the wrong swimsuits.The country’s Olympic trials have been overshadowed by the swimmers’ demands to be allowed to compete in the Speedo LZR Racer. Twenty-two world records have been shattered in the high-tech suit since its February introduction.The Germans say their medal chances are bleak at the Aug. 8-24 games unless they can wear Speedo instead of Adidas.“The German swim federation has to seriously consider it, otherwise we will sink completely into mediocrity,” Thomas Rupprath, one of Germany’s top swimmers, said Saturday.Rupprath lost his 50-meter backstroke world record two weeks ago to Liam Tancock, who swam in a Speedo. If you listen to U.S. head coach Mark Schubert, an outspoken supporter, that just shows every record could fall at the Beijing Games because of the suit.But many swimmers, some contractually bound to other sportswear companies, argue that the Speedo is unfair and gives athletes added buoyancy in the pool. World governing swimming body FINA says no scientific evidence supports the claims and has refused to ban the LZR Racer.Whether the German swimmers are disadvantaged against Speedo-clad rivals is real or not, coach Orjan Madsen thinks the belief is now firmly stuck in their heads and won’t be easily dislodged.“I don’t believe the best psychologists in the world can accomplish that,” Madsen said.The swimming federation won’t end a four-year contract with Adidas worth $6.2 million. It runs until 2009, with an option for the sportswear company to extend two more years.“We won’t break the contract. It’s also a question of principles,” federation general secretary Juergen Fornoff said.Massimiliano Rosolino, an Italian who has won 17 medals in Olympics and world championships, is among those calling the suit unfair and a distortion of competition.“It’s not a matter of technology,” said Rosolino, whose team wears Arena. “The matter is one suit has much more flotation. If I were to go out there in a scuba suit it wouldn’t be fair either. There’s something not right about it.”Despite the swimsuit debate, Germany set a pair of European records two days into its Olympic trials. Sarah Poewe swam 1 minute, 7.10 seconds in the 100 breaststroke and Helge Meeuw finished the men’s 100 backstroke in 53.10.Some Germans refuse to believe that the LZR Racer will bust every record and win every medal.“I swim in Adidas and set my world record in the 100-meter freestyle in it two years ago,” Britta Steffen said. “With all this discussion, people shouldn’t forget the suit doesn’t swim alone. Inside is a person that has a good or bad day, and trained well or badly.”

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Toddler Forced To Smoke Pot

In a video that has recently surfaced, cops say that a pot pipe is being forced on a reluctant toddler. A woman in the room laughs as the little girl coughs. Then a man can be heard saying, "This is some good stuff!"The squirming child being subjected to the ordeal is only 18-months-old, according to cops. Even hardened drug-abuse expert, Dr. Harris Straitner, is horrified at the awful images. "That's got to be one of the sickest things I've seen in a 30-year career," says Straitneruthorities say the man forcing the pipe on the child as a camera rolls is Melvin Blevins, an alleged drug dealer from outside Columbus, Ohio. Incredibly, they say Blevins later sold the camera to a pawn shop, forgetting that the damning video was still in it. The staff played the tape."I wish I hadn’t seen it. You just couldn't believe somebody could do that," said Shannon Sprouse, assistant manager of the pawn shop where the camera was sold. "The next thing we did was contact the local authorities, the Columbus Police Department...they couldn't believe it either," said Sprouse. Police traced the camera to Blevins, who is reportedly the toddler's uncle. He and a female teenager were apparently babysitting the child when the incident occurred. Blevins was charged with providing marijuana to a minor; the young woman was also charged. Dr. Straitner, a New York psychologist, struggled to maintain his professional detachment. "The thugs and creeps who did this should, as far as I'm concerned...I can't even say, I'm just disgusted."As for the baby...police know who the child is, but they've released no information about the toddler's current condition.
video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLdOy2mMWbI

Connect your Computer to your TV and stereo

Now I know that many of you would like to connect your computer to your TV and stereo system.You may want to watch a movie or video on your TV instead of staying in a chair in front of your PC.
You also may want to play your music with real surround sound speakers instead of tiny PC speakers.It is quite easy to set up and may require only a little expenses. RequirmentsA Computer with an extra output from your video card A TV with some kind of AUX input. A Stereo with some kind of AUX input. Connecting your VideoWe are going to deal with video first because it is much more challenging than audio.The quality depends mostly on your actual television set.It may be difficult to see the icons and text appearing on the TV.
Regardless whether your TV is old or new you still can watch videos and movies on it. Find your connection. First we must figure out what kind of inputs you have on your TV. Certain connections perform better than others. We will make the list starting with the best...

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rey boom boom bautista vs camargo (world invasion @ araneta)

boom boom is back!

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Aj Banal vs caril Herrera ROUND 4 TKO

php vs the world from uruguay

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Aj Banal vs caril Herrera ROUND 3

battle between BANAL and HERRERA declaring AJ as a winner by KO. INVASION! Philippines vs the World from Uruguay. held in Araneta Colesium MLA. PHILIPPINES ( APRIL 06 2008 ). It was 4-0 in favor of philippines...great pinoy boxers.

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Aj Banal vs CARIL Herrera ROUND 2

BAZOOKA winner by ko. boxing tko ko pinoy filipino sports golden boy promotion ala gym manny pacquiao boxer invasion philippines vs. world.uruguay boxer

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AJ Banal vs Caril Herrera

Spectacular knockout of AJ to Caril Herrera who is never been beaten yet till he Invades Manila. Pls watch it and enjoy!

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Getting rid of spyware and viruses, 2008 guide

Here's what to do if you suspect an infection on your Windows PC. (Please note these steps apply to both Windows XP and Vista.)
1) Are you sure it's spyware or a virus? Windows pop-ups and alerts can often seem invasive enough to be viruses, especially with Vista. Try searching the web for the exact text you see on the screen to make sure you aren't dealing with an aggressive Windows message. (Many of these can be turned off, so try whatever instructions you find.) On the other hand, some viruses masquerade as Windows alerts, so tread lightly.
2) Boot in safe mode. If you have a virus, first step is to try booting in safe mode. You can get to safe mode (a simplified version of Windows that disables a lot of extra gunk, possibly including some spyware apps) by restarting your PC and tapping F8 during boot. Soon you'll get a menu of options. Select "Safe Mode" (it's at the top of the menu) and wait for the machine to fully boot. The system will look funny (with a black background and larger icons, probably), but don't worry about it. This is only temporary. (Also note that many spyware applications can disable safe mode, so if you find this doesn't work, just boot normally.)
3) Run your antivirus application. This is of course assuming you have an antivirus application. (Need one? Check here.) You're in safe mode now, so run a full scan of your PC at maximum security levels (include the option to scan within compressed files, for example). This will probably take an hour or more, so be patient. Fix any problems the virus scan turns up. Then reboot into safe mode again using the procedure in step 2.
4) Run one or two anti-spyware applications. I used to recommend running multiple anti-spyware apps, but virtually all antivirus apps now do a pretty good job at getting rid of spyware too, so you don't need an army of additional applications just for spyware. Also, I now recommend starting with AdAware (which is free) and moving on to Spyware Doctor (free as part of the Google Pack) if you feel you need additional help. (Please note that recent versions of Spyware Doctor and Norton Antivirus have some trouble with each other.) You can try other apps too, but the once-recommended SpyBot Search & Destroy is no longer very effective, sadly. (Neither is Microsoft's own Windows Defender.) Of course, fix anything and everything these apps find.
5) Reboot normally. (Not in safe mode.) Now take stock. Still got spyware? It's time to move along to my more advanced techniques for removing the nasties.
6) Run HijackThis. HijackThis is a free software tool that scans your computer to find malware that other apps might miss. Scroll down to "Official downloads" to download the tool. Next, simply open the ZIP file you downloaded, extract the application, and run the tool (you don't need to install it). Click the "Do a system scan and save a logfile" button. You'll receive a large text file as well as a dialog box which gives you a list of active software processes, which you can then choose to delete. Unfortunately, this list includes both helpful and unhelpful software, so don't just start deleting items. Continue in step 7 to figure out how to fix your spyware infection.
7) Post your log file online. Visit this page, which offers a list of forums staffed by volunteers who can help you interpret your HijackThis log. The SWI Forums are especially busy, but most of the forums on the list are equally apt. Go to SWI and visit the "Malware Removal" forum which has over 50,000 topics listed: Those are all people like you who are seeking help getting rid of spyware. Register for an account, read the FAQ, then visit that Malware Removal forum, and post a new topic. Paste the content of the text file you created in step 5 into this topic and (politely) ask for help. You will get a response from a volunteer helper, typically within 3 days. You'll be given specific advice on what entries to remove with the HijackThis tool, and you might be pointed to additional software to run to help remove common spyware infections. Follow all the instructions and keep working with the forum helpers until either you or they give up. (And no, don't send your log file to me or post it here. I am not nearly the spyware removal expert that these guys are.)
7a) Alternately: Paste your log file into an automated tool. Don't have three days? Try simply pasting your HijackThis log file into this form. It does a pretty good job at auto-analyzing what's wrong with your machine, with no waiting. As well, if that doesn't work, you can search for the items you find in the HijackThis log by name to see what they are and how to remove them, if they're spyware. This can be quite time consuming, though.
8) Try System Restore. If that doesn't work, you might try running Windows System Restore to roll back your OS to a time before the infection happened. This isn't foolproof: You might not have System Restore turned on, or the spyware might have shut System Restore off, as well. But it's worth a shot. With either XP or Vista, System Restore can be found under Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > System Restore.
9) Give up and wipe your hard drive. At this point, you've exhausted all the options I know of. You might try again at steps 6/7 to make sure you've done everything you can to salvage the PC. Forum helpers will often work with you for weeks to help fight a spyware infection, but there are tens of thousands of possible variants out there, with new ones cropping up every day. It's just not possible to clean them all, every time. Sometimes the only thing you can do is call it quits, reformat your hard drive, and reinstall your OS. Again, make sure you have your backups ready and verified. Once you're up and running, reinstall your antivirus and anti-spyware applications, and stay vigilant against infection. Good luck.

New Speedo Suit: LZR Racer

A space-aged swimsuit is causing a wave of controversy!
Designed with help from NASA scientists, the underwater spacesuit is changing the way Olympic swimmers glide through the water...and with big results. Swimmers wearing the Speedo™ LZR Racer, a super-slick suit made of ultra-thin lycra and spandex, have broken 18 world swimming records!
Now some in the sport are wondering if the super swimsuit, which took four years to design, is giving athletes an unfair advantage, saying it keeps swimmers buoyant in the water and makes them faster.
INSIDE EDITION's Megan Alexander had the opportunity to try the swim suit on and take it for a test lap. After 25 minutes, Alexander was finally able to tug it on because it fits so tight to the body.
The ultra sleek and super tight suit makes our INSIDE EDITION correspondent almost look like a seal slicing through the water.
INSIDE EDITION spoke with Olympic swimmer and SwimNews.com writer Nikki Dryden about the new suit. "I think this suit is definitely going to give people a slight advantage."
Now the International Governing Body (FINA) for the sport of swimming says they're reviewing the suit. "There are buoyancy issues. Any device that makes the body more buoyant is banned."
Speedo says their goal is to make swimmers faster and that the suit meets all competitive swimming guidelines.

The suit costs starting from $200 - 550

SPEEDO LZR RACER WORLD RECORDS
16th Feb 08
200m Backstroke Kirsty Coventry (ZIM) 2.06.39
17th Feb 08 50m Freestyle Eamon Sullivan (AUS) 21.56
17th Feb 08 100m Backstroke Natalie Coughlin (USA) 59.2
17th Mar 08 50m Backstroke Hayley McGregory (USA) 28.00
18th Mar 08 Wm 4 x 100m Freestyle Netherlands 3.33.62
21st Mar 08 100m Freestyle Alain Bernard (FRA) 47.60
22nd Mar 08 400m Ind.Medley Stephanie Rice (AUS) 4.31.46
22nd Mar 08 50m Backstroke Emily Seebohm (AUS) 27.95
22nd Mar 08 100m Freestyle Alain Bernard (FRA) 47.50
23rd Mar 08 50m Backstroke Sophie Edington (AUS) 27.67
23rd Mar 08 50m Freestyle Alain Bernard (FRA) 21.5024th Mar 08 50m Freestyle Marleen Veldhuis (NED) 24.09
25th Mar 08 200m Ind.Medley Stephanie Rice (AUS) 2.08.92

source: Inside Edition and Speedo.com
http://www.insideedition.com/news.aspx?storyId=1513
http://www.speedo80.com/lzr-racer/results/13%20World%20Records%20Smashed%20by%20Speedo%20Stars/2008-3-26/

What GPS to buy

If you often travel to new places, have trouble reading maps, or simply hate to ask for directions, you might want to consider a portable GPS navigation system. Once you give it a destination, the system can plot out a route, deliver spoken directions, and display each turn as you drive, or in some cases, walk. Most units let you choose guidance options that include plotting the shortest, fastest, and even a toll-free route. An internal database also includes common points of interest such as gas stations and ATMs, and the nav system can route you to the nearest one. You can even choose a nearby restaurant by the type of food.

Although not always as easy to use as the in-dash systems available on many new vehicles, portable systems are catching up. Features like internal, rechargeable batteries and pre-loaded North America map databases are now commonly included on budget systems. More premium features such as real-time traffic reporting are becoming available on more affordable units, although those often require additional hardware.

Portables have the distinct advantage of being easy to move from car to car, enabling a family to share a unit or lend it to others. Their low weight and small size are well suited to long-distance business travel and vacations by plane (for use in a rental car when you arrive), or for walking and biking tours (for use as a handheld device).

And with prices from about $200 to $650, portable units are much less expensive than the typical price tag of up to $2,000 for an integrated, in-dash factory system.

WHAT'S AVAILABLE
As sales of portable GPS navigation devices continue to skyrocket, more manufacturers are entering the market, giving shoppers many products from which to choose. With our latest ratings update, we have added new units from Garmin, Hewlett-Packard, LG, Magellan, Mio, Navigon, Pioneer, and TomTom. For our next update, we plan to post ratings on devices from Garmin, Harman-Kardon, Panasonic, Sony, and Uniden.
Units have decreased in size since the first portables came on the market, but that is not always good. If a device is too small, it can be hard to read or operate. We find that the common 3.5-inch screen, measured diagonally, is a good compromise between portability and usability. If you plan to use the device frequently, consider a compact unit with a wide screen, giving a larger map view, easier-to-read information, and bigger touch-screen buttons.
Special features like photo viewing, a video player, hands-free calling, and traffic information are available in an increasing number of units.

HOW TO CHOOSE
None of the navigation systems we've tested is perfect. They don't substitute for local knowledge, and all databases had minor errors. But a portable system will usually get you there, guiding you on the way and providing you with peace of mind when you are traveling to unfamiliar areas. The highest-rated models make it especially easy to enter destinations and they give the most helpful directions.

Navigation is the priority. We recommend focusing first on how well the system works for navigation, using the ratings to prioritize nav features and map database coverage, over entertaining, nonessential extras.

Built-in battery convenience. Look for a unit with good battery life, especially if you want to use it for walking. While all systems include a plug for your car's 12-volt outlet, a built-in battery leaves you the option to use the power port for another device, such as a cell phone, and it eliminates cord clutter. A battery also enables you to preload a route before you enter the vehicle. Some models are also packaged with a traditional AC plug for in-home use and recharging.

Text-to-speech capability. A system that speaks street names rather than says simply "turn left" can help you negotiate an unfamiliar area and is especially useful in urban driving, where streets can be close together. It is a handy feature that reduces the need to take your eyes off the road to scan the on-screen map.

Avoiding traffic. A system with traffic-information capability can be helpful if you travel a lot in cities that have good traffic-monitoring coverage. Between the map and detour functions, the system can help you route around traffic congestion and alert you to accidents and road construction. But as with traditional radio traffic reports, there are some weaknesses in the nav-system-based services, specifically related to available data and the timeliness of the report.

Unless specifically stated that a unit has an internal receiver, many devices need an external receiver or a cell phone to obtain traffic data and most will require a subscription fee for the information. (Typically, only the premium-priced units have a built-in receiver and that is noted on the product pages, accessed through the Ratings chart.)
Modern features. A full-featured model can effectively upgrade an older car with features like Bluetooth hands-free telephone capability, MP3 player, an iPod connection, and an FM transmitter.

Travel gear. If you travel outside the United States, look for a unit that offers maps for navigating overseas. Most will function in the U.S. and Canada, but some models, such as the Garmin 770 and TomTom GO 920t, will also work in Europe and other countries.
Size matters. The more portable the unit, the better-especially if you frequently pack it in a suitcase. Some are no bigger than a wallet and weigh less than 7 ounces, while others are as large as a paperback book and weigh considerably more-two pounds or more.

Mounting. Most models mount to your windshield using a suction cup attached to either a ball-in-socket, rigid, or gooseneck-type arm. We find the rigid arms are better at holding the units in place, especially over bumps. (Note: Windshield mounting is prohibited in California and Minnesota.)

Revise CPR

With no pulse, no heartbeat and no vital signs, he lay slumped in the front seat of his Saturn, foot wedged against the accelerator with the car stuck between a tree and a stucco wall in Mertz's townhome complex in Glendale, Arizona.
He never saw his life flash before his eyes. In fact, he doesn't remember a thing -- only what people told him later. A UPS driver, Corey Ash, was making deliveries that Wednesday afternoon, when he heard the engine noise.
Sprinting across the street, Ash reached across Mertz's slumped body, turned off the car and pulled the 59-year-old from his vehicle. He hit 911 on his cell phone and started CPR, the way he had learned it in a National Guard training exercise two months earlier.
The American Heart Association says that sudden cardiac arrest kills more than 400,000 people in the United States every year.
This is the worst-case scenario. If a person's heart stops pumping blood through the body, and they aren't in a hospital, they have only about a 2 percent chance of surviving without serious disability. But Arizona cities including Glendale are starting to find that a few simple steps can radically improve the odds.
Less than a minute after his 911 call, Ash could hear the ambulance siren racing from Fire Station 154, barely a mile from the complex. When the truck arrived, a burly medic firefighter named Ruben Florez thumped an urgent rhythm on Mertz's chest, 200 times in the next two minutes, before another medic stepped in and delivered an electric shock from the paddles of a defibrillator. After 600 chest compressions and three electric shocks, a weak pulse returned.

Until three years ago, Arizona's success rate in cases like this was no better than most of the country. This past month, however, physicians in the state reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association that a new regimen by paramedics has tripled the success rate, to more than 5 percent. Among patients whose collapse from cardiac arrest was observed, long-term survival went from 4.7 percent to 17.6 percent.
In a bold departure from standard practice, paramedics in most Arizona cities do not follow the guidance of the American Heart Association. Instead, they follow a protocol that was developed at the University of Arizona's Sarver Heart Center, largely by Dr. Gordon Ewy.
Even after cardiac arrest, Ewy said, there's enough oxygen in the body to feed the brain and keep a person alive for several minutes. But that air helps only if someone compresses the heart to circulate blood. In traditional CPR, rescuers alternate 30 chest compressions with two long "rescue breaths." Paramedics are trained to start by checking the airway, and insert a breathing tube at the start of resuscitation. These extra steps, said Ewy, waste precious time.
In Arizona, paramedics skip the breathing step. They simply alternate two minutes of pumping on the chest -- 200 compressions -- with a single shock from a defibrillator.

Epinephrine, a powerful stimulant that jump-starts the body's vital systems, is given as soon as possible. Ewy said the Arizona study, along with studies on bystander interventions in Japan and his own animal research, show that resuscitation without additional breathing is superior.
"In my mind, the evidence is overwhelming right now," he said.
On Monday, just weeks after the Arizona study was published, the AHA revised its official guidelines to promote breathless resuscitation as the preferred method for bystanders without CPR training -- even as it continues to recommend medical professionals such as EMTs continue to incorporate artificial breaths.
Dr. Vinay Nadkarni, past chairman of the American Heart Association's Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee, said it is too soon to say whether Arizona's EMT method is better than the AHA guidelines. He noted that while Arizona paramedics don't stop to give breaths, they do insert a device to keep the airway open. He said the AHA agrees that forceful, "minimally interrupted compressions" are the most important factor in resuscitation.
But Nadkarni said the AHA is committed to what works. "If there is a way to save lives, and a system can find a way to save a life, the Heart Association is for it."
Crystal Sorenson, a Glendale firefighter and medic for more than 20 years, experienced a vivid example last summer with the case of 48-year-old Daniel Lane. As she pounded his chest, Lane kept grabbing her wrist, struggling to look up. Each time she paused to deliver a defibrillator shock, "he'd let go and drop down, passing out."
A similar story inspired Ewy, who told CNN about a recording of a 911 call he heard several years ago, on which dispatchers guided a woman through CPR on her husband while she waited for paramedics to arrive.
"After a while, she came back to the phone and said, 'Why is it every time I press on his chest, he opens his eyes, and every time I stop and breathe for him, he goes back to sleep?' " Ewy paused and gave a rueful laugh. "This woman in 10 minutes learned more about cerebral perfusion [getting blood flow to the brain] than we had in 15 or 20 years of CPR research."
All that research, Ewy said, pointed to one thing: "You don't stop pressing on the chest for anything."
In Glendale, paramedics are convinced they have a good thing going. "I hate to say it, but before, you went in [to a cardiac arrest scene], almost expecting that it wouldn't work," paramedic Matt Juscius said. "Now... it's almost commonplace to have these guys come down to the station."

Mike Mertz had a big grin on his face last week, walking in to shake hands with Florez and the rest of the crew at station 154. Outside, he shook his head at what might have been.
"I was completely out. Gone." Now, aside from still-sore ribs and a new implanted defibrillator, he's fine. "If that UPS guy didn't come around the corner, I wouldn't be here today. It was that close."