Paris Hilton in Halloween Customs

Lauren Booth Sister of Britain Prime Minister Wife Journey to Islam

Lauren Booth embraces Islam
The New York Times


TEHRAN (Press TV) -- Tony Blair's sister-in-law Lauren Booth has embraced Islam, saying she was inspired by a visit to the Holy Shrine of Fatima Masoumeh (SA) in Qom, Iran.


“It was a Tuesday evening, and I sat down and felt this shot of spiritual morphine, just absolute bliss and joy,” Booth told the British daily The Mail.

The 43-year-old half sister of Cherie Blair now wears hijab whenever she leaves her home, prays five times a day, and visits her local mosque.

“Now I don't eat pork, and I read the Quran every day. I'm on page 60. I also haven't had a drink in 45 days, the longest period in 25 years,” she added.

“The strange thing is that since I decided to convert I haven't wanted to touch alcohol, and I was someone who craved a glass of wine or two at the end of a day.”

Booth, who works for Iran's English-language Press TV news network, decided to embrace Islam six weeks ago and converted immediately after she returned to Britain.

Booth did not refuse the possibility of wearing a burqa and said, “Who knows where my spiritual journey will take me?”

Before her spiritual experience in Iran, Booth had spent considerable time working in Palestine and was “always impressed with the strength and comfort it (Islam) gave.”

She travelled to Gaza in August 2008 along with 46 other activists to highlight Israel's blockade of the territory and was subsequently refused entry into both Israel and Egypt.

In a public letter she wrote to Tony Blair during her visit to Iran last month, Booth expressed hope that the former Labour Party politician would change his presumptions about Islam.

“Your world view is that Muslims are mad, bad, dangerous to know,” she wrote in her letter, and asked Blair to acknowledge International Quds Day, an annual event on the last Friday of the holy month of Ramadan when Muslims express solidarity with the Palestinian people and protest Israel's occupation of Beit-ul-Moqaddas (Jerusalem).

“Here in Iran they feel proud to suffer in order to express solidarity with the people of Palestine,” she said.

“It's kind of like the way you express solidarity with America only without illegal chemical weapons and a million civilian deaths,” she wrote in the letter to Blair.

Booth moved to France with her husband and two daughters in 2004 but returned to Britain after her husband suffered a sever brain injury following a motorcycle accident in April 2009.

Egypt Visa

http://www.timaticweb.com/cgi-bin/tim_website_client.cgi?SpecData=1&VISA=&HEALTH=&page=both&NA=SG&AR=00&DE=EG&VT=SG&EM=SG&PASSTYPES=PASS&user=SKYWEB&subuser=SKYWEB1
http://travel.state.gov/visa/bulletin/bulletin_3236.html
http://www.smtegypttours.com/

Barack Obama Cabinet

In order of succession to the Presidency:

Vice President of the United States
Joseph R. Biden

Department of State
Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton
http://www.state.gov

Department of the Treasury
Secretary Timothy F. Geithner
http://www.treasury.gov

Department of Defense
Secretary Robert M. Gates
http://www.defenselink.mil

Department of Justice
Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr.
http://www.usdoj.gov

Department of the Interior
Secretary Kenneth L. Salazar
http://www.doi.gov

Department of Agriculture
Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack
http://www.usda.gov

Department of Commerce
Secretary Gary F. Locke
http://www.commerce.gov

Department of Labor
Secretary Hilda L. Solis
http://www.dol.gov

Department of Health and Human Services
Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
http://www.hhs.gov

Department of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary Shaun L.S. Donovan
http://www.hud.gov

Department of Transportation
Secretary Ray LaHood
http://www.dot.gov

Department of Energy
Secretary Steven Chu
http://www.energy.gov

Department of Education
Secretary Arne Duncan
http://www.ed.gov

Department of Veterans Affairs
Secretary Eric K. Shinseki
http://www.va.gov

Department of Homeland Security
Secretary Janet A. Napolitano
http://www.dhs.gov

The following positions have the status of Cabinet-rank:

White House Chief of Staff
Rahm I. Emanuel

Environmental Protection Agency
Administrator Lisa P. Jackson
http://www.epa.gov

Office of Management & Budget
Jeffrey Zients, Acting Director
http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb

United States Trade Representative
Ambassador Ronald Kirk
http://www.ustr.gov

United States Ambassador to the United Nations
Ambassador Susan Rice
http://www.usunnewyork.usmission.gov/

Council of Economic Advisers
Chairman Austan Goolsbee
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/cea/
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/cabinet/

Istiqlal Mosque Indonesia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istiqlal_Mosque

Hayrunnisa Gul The Turkish President Wife with Queen of Britain

Hayrunnisa Gul was once denied enrolment at a university because she wore a headscarf.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11652750

sherifview Greater Los Angeles Map

Interesting Entertaining Video

http://yanswersblog.com/index.php/archives/2010/10/28/yahoo-answers-hits-the-streets-episode-9/

Classic Arabic Video Songs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkzaywDAvWo&feature=related
ناظم الغزالي -عيرتني بالشيب
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CJ5H_uepjk
music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv3v0A8hMn8&feature=related
Fareed El Atrash Ahwak ...
ليلى مراد احنا الاتنين
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRjotSZzitU&feature=related
شيماء هلالي هناء الادريسي - نسم علينا الهوا
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1KDuhxvHpE&feature=related

Harrar Ethiopia

http://mapcarta.com/Harar

http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Harar&country=ET

http://search.yahoo.com/search?fr=mcafee&type=A211US0&p=HARAR+MAP

Harar is one of the principal tourist destinations along the famous historical route through Ethiopia. It is located in South Eastern Ethiopia about 526 km from Addis Abeba and is among those cities in Africa that enjoy a mild climate throughout the year, which makes it immediately attractive to the contemporary tourist. The well-known 19 th century traveller, Sir Richard Burton, who was the first European visitor to enter what he called the “forbidden city”, left us a vivid picture of his memorable ten days:
“The ancient metropolis of a once mighty race, the only permanent settlement in Eastern Africa, the reported seat of Muslim learning, a walled city of stone houses possessing its independent chief, its peculiar population, its unknown language and its own coinage; the emporium of the coffee trade and the head quarters of the slave trade and the great manufacture of cotton cloths, amply it appeared deserved the trouble of exploration.”
Perched on a gentle hill, drained by a network of rivers, still Harar is, to all appearances, an ancient walled city. It was founded a millennium ago, between the 7 th and 9 th century, by Semitic-speaking people. At least seven settlements are mentioned as the precursors of Harar according to a popular legend. These were Esshkani gey, Fereka gey, Hararwe gey, Hassen gey, Ruhuk gey, Sammit gey and Tuhkun gey. All these sites are now awaiting archaeological excavation, exept Hassen gey, which still keeps the name north of Harar. These settlements resolved their enmity and agreed to establish their centre in Harar.
Despite this legend related to the foundation of Harar, however, Sheikh Abadir, the “patron of the city”, comes first when the name Harar is mentioned. He is said to come with his entourage in the 10 th century from Arabia. It is believed that he was the one who organized the administrative system of the city and also gave Harar its name. With its 82 Mosques and uncountable shrines, the walled city of Harar is considered the “4 th holiest city of Islam”, after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. Moreover, it is referred to as “madinat al-awliya”, the city of saints, due to its density of saintly places, which protect the city from unknown evils.
Harar had fertile soil with abundant water to establish a sustainable effective and efficient agriculture system. Using terracing and irrigation as well as intercropping, which are useful for tropical soil and a symbiotically correct practice, the Harari farmers were able to produce grain and cash crops in adequate supplies for local consumption and export. It is considered as the original domestic centre of the world famous “Coffee Arabica” and the mild stimulant leaf called chat (catha adulis). Both are lucrative export items, which provide the Ethiopian economy with substantial financial resources. Both are also consumed socially and are a binding force for social peace and coherence. Due to its altitude Harar was being free from the common tropical diseases, such as malaria, which are rampant in the surrounding lowland, and still, Harar is safe from mosquito attacks.
Harar was not dependent exclusively on agriculture, but also benefited from caravan trade, since it was geographically an entrepot of extensive trade between the Red Sea and the vast Ethiopian hinterland. To facilitate the international trade of those days, Harar had to mint its own coinage. In the whole of the Ethiopian region, it was the second centre after Axum to produce coins.
This broad and stable economic base helped Harar to become one of the leading centres of learning in the Horn of Africa and to develop a unique urban culture which was uninterrupted through centuries. The shift of the capital city of Adal state from Dakar to the city of Harar in 1520 brought about the heyday of Harar. The new capital became the springboard for Imam Ahmed, commonly known as Gragn, the left-handed, to incorporate the Horn of Africa. However, the leading role of Harar did not last long. After the wars of Gragn, Harar was exposed to frequent attacks from different sides.
Emir Nur built the remarkable defensive wall popularly known as jugal. This wall warmly engulfs the city which is confined within 48 hectares and 362 narrow lanes. The wall encircles the city with five traditional gates, which are named according to vicinities of the surrounding tribes. These gates are Asmadin Beri, Asum Beri, Argob Beri, Bedro Beri and Suqutat Beri and they demarcate the administrative as well as the socio-zones of the old city. The attentive observer will find many holes, penetrating the wall. They are called waraba nudule, holes of the hyena, since their purpose is not only to let the rainwater getting out of the city, but they are used by the hyenas to enter Harar by night and clean it from any litter. The wall gives a sense of direction and belonging to the Harari. It defines the major cultural texture of the holistic fabric of the Harari. The wall continues to be of great significance to the city dwellers, since without it the link with the social and cultural environment would be missing.
After its heyday as the centre of the mighty Adal state, Harar gradually declined and became a small city-state ruled by the Ibn Dawd dynasty from 1647-1875. The occupying force of Egypt interrupted the rule of the dynasty between 1875 and 1885. The gates that had been closed to European travellers were wide open during the Egyptian occupation. The last Amir Abdullahi took over the mantle of power for less than two years, but was defeated by Menelik at the battle of Chellenqo in 1887.
Thereafter Harar was incorporated into greater Ethiopia, which was then in the process of formation. Although it lost its independence, Harar remained one of the most important economic centres of the new state under Emperor Menelik. During the Italian Fascist invasion and occupation in 1935, Harar expanded greatly and is now quite often referred as “the greater Harar”. The Italians destroyed the western farmland and established their administrative headquarters, called Botega, without affecting the old city. Today Harar is the administrative centre of the smallest regional state, the Harari Peoples National Regional State and home to many different nationalities.
Harar evolved its own, unique social organisation based on Ahlil (kinship), marignat/ ghelnat (male/ female friendship) and afocha (community association). This social organisation of Harar is governed by gey ada, the culture of Harar, and communicated through a unique language known as gey sinan, the language of the city. The hala mahal, or etiquette of the city, is a binding force which enhances the urban culture.
Most of all Harari women play an indispensable role in the survival of Harari identity. Their socio-economic dynamics are immeasurable. They dominate the market scene. They give a lively atmosphere to major social occasions such as weddings and mourning and many other ritual practices. They also shoulder the responsibility of the preservation of the colourful traditional costume and the making of the city’s renowned basketry. There can be few places better known for the quality of baskets. Basketry plays a major role in Harari society. Basket making is taught in their early years so that girls will know basic city etiquette while learning, at the same time, how to stitch a coil of grass to produce a very intricate basket for different social functions. Generally there are about 20 types and different sizes for different purposes: they have social functions as well serve as wall decoration, where every type has its own specific place. There are several production centres recently established by women associations. Tourists can visit some of these centres and observe the production techniques of these world famous Harari baskets.
Within easy walking distance one can transcend both space and time, to travel into a medieval reality of winding narrow lanes with an abundance of mosques and shrines which perpetually enchant its visitor as well its residents. In contrast, wide asphalt roads and concrete buildings characterize the modern quarter. To start with, the walled city is a talking mirror that reflects the images of the past as well of the contemporary city. Within easy distance many attracting sites could be discovered to quench the thirst of the curious tourists.
Within the wall you may be first arrive at faraz megala, the old horse market, where you face the imposing octagonal Cathedral of Mehane Alem, which contains a gallery of traditional religious works. From the central place in Harar you can reach the central market, through mäkina girgir, a busy historical street, which got its name from the sirring sound of numerous sewing machines. On your way you pass by gey hamburti, the navel of the city, where according to the legend Amir Nur got his inspiration to build the wall. Reaching the market in the centre of the city, gidir megala, you are confronted with its colourful customers mainly from the rural surroundings during the afternoon. From this central place you have all choices to continue your stroll in every direction of the five gates.
Going back mäkina girgir, and turning a right alley you will find the house of Ras Tafari, the later Emperor Haile Selassie who was raised in Harar and build this house during his reign. Nearby the Rimbeau Museum is situated, a house dedicated to the famous French poet Arthur Rimbeau, who lived in Harar, for 10 years between 1881 to 1891. The museum serves as a centre of documentation, craft work, for exhibitions and for teaching the French language. It displays a collection of old photographs and has a huge collection of research papers about Harar.
Following a lane to the north you will face the central Jugla Hospital. From here you may take the road down to Assumberi where the shrine of Amir Nur is located, a Harari leader who reigned between 1551 and 1567 A.D. and is well known for the building of the wall. Going back in the direction to faraz megala is the Regional Museum inside the main building of the Regional Bureau of Culture. Here we encounter general items from the older and larger administrative region of Harar.
From the Regional Museum take a walk to the gate of Argob Beri, where are you encountering the two white washed minarets of the Friday Mosque. Just behind to the left a coffee factory is to be found, where you could purchase fresh coffee. Close by you find the Catholic Church of the French Capuchin Mission. Going back to the main road further down, you come across the Ada Gar or cultural house, a Harari Community Museum dealing with a typical Harari household lifestyle. The main building, especially the living room with the five raised platforms and basket work and wooden bowls has a lot to tell. Each and every corner, including the different niches, can be associated with social and symbolic functions.
Passing further down, on the left side another mosque is located named Din Agobani, after a big stone, which was formerly known as a strategically observation place for the surrounding of Harar. Similarly, you will be astonished by the picturesque panorama of the countryside.
Coming to the gate of Argob Beri, you will face one of the biggest markets for chat in Harar. Following the road outside the wall you pass by a shrine, where a spectacular performance takes place, a special particularity of Harar, the feeding of the hyenas. These wild animals, which are known as scavengers of the city but could easily be taken as domesticated animals, are subjects of many legends concerning the old relationship between humankind and the animal. The feeding is performed every evening outside the wall. To attend it is an experience that binds the attendance with Harar forever.
Continuing your walk around the wall you will soon face Suqutat Beri, which historical gate is still existent besides the main entrance. Climbing up the asphalt road, on the left you will find the house of Abdallah Sharif, who runs a private museum, rich in many archaeological, historical and anthropological items, carrying the heritage of the city and it’s surrounding. His major treasure is his collection of old handwritten books, which he also repairs by traditional methods of Harari bookbinding. Continuing ascending to the central market you may take the left lane to loose yourself in the labyrinth of valley of Suqutat Beri and Bedro Beri. Reaching the wall again you may discover the shrine of Abadir, the founder, patron and 2 nd Amir of Harar.

Coming back to the central market, you may come across the reconciliation lane, margarraw wiger, which got its name, because it is so narrow, that two passers-by have to touch each other. Otherwise you may visit the manufacturing centre of traditional silverware within the market, which produces necklaces, earrings and other items of interest.
Moreover, fascinating spots could be visited outside the wall. You may visit the traditional stone villages of the Argobba people, Kurumi and Umardin, which are located 25 km away from Harar. On your way you pass by the shrine of Aw Sofi, where under a tree the first Coranic School was established, as well as further.



http://harartur.harardigital.com/index.html

Hoda Kotb Star of NBC Morning Program

Kathie Lee and Hoda

Hoda Kotb is a correspondent on Dateline NBC. She is host of Your Total Health. She appears on NBC News.

She grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia, where being Egyptian–American, she says, had its ups and downs. It started on the first day at school each year, she recalls, when the teacher would come to her name and say, “And this next name is, well—a typo, I think!” But she also remembers kids asking her, “‘Have you ever seen the pyramids?’ And of course we had, every summer.”

COURTESY OF NBC

Each evening, her father, who taught at West Virginia University, would grill the family on the day’s news at the dinner table. “‘What’s happening with the Egyptians and Israelis today?’” he would ask. “We had to learn.”

At Virginia Tech University, Hoda studied political science and, drawn to the immediacy of television, broadcast journalism.

In 1986, she started anchoring, moving from Greenville, Mississippi to Moline, Illinois to Ft. Myers, Florida, then up to WWL-TV, the CBS affiliate in New Orleans. There, reporters helped decide what they covered, and for Kotb, that meant a story in Egypt. “I have a great aunt, Mufida Abdulrahman, one of the first women lawyers in Egypt. I interviewed her on the steps of the courthouse, bouncing down the stairs in her beret, people calling out to her. She was like a rock star, yet so well respected,” she recalls of her series. “Suddenly, I knew where I came from.”

In 1998, NBC hired her and moved her to New York. From there, she has covered many global stories. Arriving in Baghdad, she says, “I did not see 10,000 Saddam Husseins: I saw people who looked like my uncles and aunts. Others saw Iraqis as possible enemies: I saw them as family.”

Covering the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami, she recalls: “What blew me away about the tsunami was its magnitude. I remember being in the Thai countryside, sitting on a pile of, well, stuff. An old woman saw me and handed me an orange. She had nothing, and she handed me an orange.”

She won a 2002 Edward R. Murrow Award, a 2003 Gracie Award and a 2004 Headliner Award, but much of her success she credits to her heritage. “When you have a connection with a place, you see it through different eyes. The Arab world is a second home for me. Sometimes, when you have lived in a place, you talk about it much more knowledgeably.”

Hoda Kotb had no idea when she and Kathie Lee Gifford joined forces on the fourth hour of the "Today" show that they would become "Saturday Night Live" fodder. But Hoda, who notes she's happier than ever, says bring it on.

"Kath and I, when we started having cocktails on the air, knew it was fun, but we didn't know it was gong to explode into something," Hoda tells me on the set of my HDNet talk show, "Naughty But Nice With Rob." "With her, you never know. I don't know what she is going to say or do, and I live most of the show in terror, in fear that she will ask me about my divorce yet again."



But it's not just Hoda's work life that's skyrocketing. She has found a great guy, Jay, who despite being called her "imaginary boyfriend" on "SNL," is very real and maybe the one.



"He is a sweet guy," Hoda beams. "By the way, when 'SNL' was spoofing the fact that I have a pretend boyfriend, they can scratch my ass. He's a great guy. ... You know that, Rob."



And although Hoda thinks the folks on the 8th floor at the real 30 Rock have their parodies down pat, Kathie Lee has her own opinion of the spoof spots.



"One day they are spoofing the 'Today' show, and you look up and see someone that looks exactly like Kathie Lee, and Kathie goes, 'That's nothing like our show,' and I go, 'That's exactly like watching our show,'" Hoda laughs. "It's our show without changing the script. I always get a kick out of it. I laugh every time they do it."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/12/hoda-kotb-boyfriend-jay-snl-spoofs-today_n_1202947.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl2%7Csec3_lnk1%26pLid%3D127454

Video

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/12/hoda-kotb-boyfriend-jay-snl-spoofs-today_n_1202947.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl2%7Csec3_lnk1%26pLid%3D127454

http://thestir.cafemom.com/entertainment/2896/kathie_lee_and_hoda_kotbhttp://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200602/calling.helen.thomas.htm

Calgary’s Naheed Nenshi becomes Canada’s first Muslim

If you don't know the name Naheed Nenshi, take note.
A grassroots campaign driven by volunteers has delivered Canada its first Muslim mayor – Mr. Nenshi, who scored a staggering win in Calgary’s mayor’s race Monday.
He defeated two better-funded candidates, including one backed by Stephen Harper’s campaign team, and saw his support surge in the final few weeks. To say Mr. Nenshi's campaign was austere is understatement – he delivered his speech in a basement that was donated by a supporter at the last second.
The 38-year-old Mr. Nenshi survived a smear campaign and a telephone failure in the crucial final days and hours, before running away with what was to be a close vote. His candidacy was branded the “Purple Revolution,” named for his campaign colour and driven by a broad demographic that included strong youth support. He achieved what many observers thought impossible – a wonkish, even dorky, academic and visible minority elected to the helm of what is often called Canada's most conservative city after a campaign driven by charisma and sheer determination.
Nenshi was born in Toronto, Ontario, and raised in Calgary. His parents, Noorjah and Kurban, were immigrants to Canada from Tanzania, and he has a sister.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/prairies/naheed-nenshi-poised-to-take-calgarys-top-job/article1762765/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyZ0_6iF4kg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWaewA2Rgis&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uVHsfjeOCk&feature=related

Germany Population Density Map

The American Constitution

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/

Christian Wilhelm Walter Wulff President of Germany

Christian Wilhelm Walter Wulff (German pronunciation: [ˈkʁɪstjan ˈvɪlhɛlm ˈvaltɐ vʊlf]; born 19 June 1959) is the President of Germany and a politician of the Christian Democratic Union. He was elected President on 30 June 2010 and publicly swore the oath of office on 2 July. A lawyer by profession, he served as Prime Minister of the state of Lower Saxony from 2003 to 2010.

Born 19 June 1959 (1959-06-19) (age 51)
Osnabrück, Lower Saxony, Germany
Political party Christian Democratic Union
Spouse(s) Bettina Körner
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Wulff

Cooper Union College New York City

The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, commonly referred to simply as Cooper Union, is a privately funded college in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, United States, located at Cooper Square and Astor Place (Third Avenue and 6th–9th Streets). Founded in 1859, the school established a radical new model of American higher education: its mission reflects founder Peter Cooper's fundamental belief that education of the highest quality should be "free as air and water" and therefore available to all who qualify–independent of race, religion, sex, or social status. For 150 years, the College has admitted students based on merit alone and provided each with a full-tuition scholarship.

Cooper Union may be a small college--its campus spans just a few city blocks in New York's East Village and serves only 920 undergraduates--but its list of accolades is not. This highly selective arts college is No. 7 on Newsweek's list of most desirable schools, the fifth most desirable urban college and tops the list of most desirable small schools.

This coveted institution of higher learning for students pursuing architecture, art or engineering not only offers a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio, but grants every student a full-tuition scholarship, as it has done since its founding in 1859.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooper_Union
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooper_Union
http://cooper.edu/

Map of Morocco

http://www.morocco-travel.com/morocco/MapOfMorocco/index.html

Barack You Naughty Boy

The New Jersey and Manhattan under Hudson River is Urgent

Typical need for government intervention.
Chris Christie's decision to kill the costly project, started a year ago, sets off a scramble to change his mind.
Every two minutes during rush hour, a commuter train bound for Manhattan squeezes through a 100-year-old tunnel under the Hudson River. The trains are almost always packed as they head into Penn Station, the busiest hub in America.
Chris Christie terminated the ARC tunnel project, designed to double commuter rail capacity between the Big Apple and the Garden State, citing excessive costs
Paul Krugman rightly gives Chris Christie hell for dropping out of the Hudson River rail tunnel project, the largest infrastructure project in the country. He explains that this is probably the worst possible time to cancel

Sexy French Women in Burqa

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Switzerland World's Longest Tunnel Under the Alps

Removal: A conveyor belt can be seen which removes the rock from the tunnel, with enough to fill 13 Empire State Buildings.
the world's longest tunnel: Drill at the Gotthard Base under the Swiss Alps breaks through after 14 years of digging
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1320747/Swiss-tunnel-breakthrough-imminent-14-years-drilling-Alps.html#ixzz12Wrhro3i
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1320747/Swiss-tunnel-breakthrough-imminent-14-years-drilling-Alps.html#ixzz12Wrhro3i

Shortest and Tallest Men in the World

Healthy Food Restaurants

Who hasn’t unwrapped a sandwich while driving down the highway or pulled a hard U-turn into a fast-food joint on the way home from a late meeting or soccer game? We practically live in our cars, so we need quick food, and please, we’d like it to be healthy.

Well, guess what: We surveyed the nation’s 100 largest fast-food chains, as defined by the number of locations, and found many are creating menus that look more and more like what we’d cook ourselves (if we had the time)—from nutritious soups and healthy salads to fresh whole grains and sensible desserts. Even better: They’re offering good-news Mexican, Asian, and Mediterranean fare.

Using criteria that was created with the help of our expert panel, we scored the chains on such factors as the use of healthy fats and preparations, healthy sodium counts in entrees, availability of nutritional information, and the use of organic produce to determine the 10 highest-ranking restaurants.

One big surprise: A traditional fast-food chain, McDonald’s, cracked our top 10. Sure, it’s the home of the Big Mac, but did you know it also serves a mean yogurt-and-granola parfait? Here, the standouts that are making grabbed food healthy food.


1. Panera Bread
Over 1,230 locations nationwide (and in Canada)

This bakery-cafe-based eatery wowed our judges with a comprehensive menu of healthy choices for every meal. “Variety makes it easy for everyone to choose healthy,” praises registered dietitian and panelist Marisa Moore. What does that mean for you? For starters, you can pick from two whole-grain breads for your sandwich and have an apple with it instead of chips (though the chips are fine, too—they can be baked!). Half-size soups, salads, and sandwiches make it a cinch to control portion size. Also, most of the chicken is antibiotic- and hormone-free, a rarity for large chains.

Panera also won top honors for kid fare, dishing out RD-approved crowd-pleasers like squeezable organic yogurt, PB&J (with all-natural peanut butter), and grilled organic cheese on white whole-grain bread.

We love: Delicious, nutrient-packed combos like a half–Turkey Artichoke on focaccia bread with a bowl of black bean or garden vegetable soup.
Danger zone: Sticky buns and cheese danishes are on display at the counter.

Health.com: The 50 fattiest foods in the states

2. Jason’s Deli
206 locations in the West, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, South

How did this up-and-comer snag second place? Largely because of its devotion to organic food: About one-fifth of all its ingredients are organic, from blue-corn tortilla chips and whole-wheat wraps to field greens and spinach. Plus, its creative salads—like the Nutty Mixed-Up Salad with organic field greens, grapes, chicken breast, feta cheese, walnuts, dried cranberries, pumpkinseeds, raisins, and organic apples—make you actually want to order the greens.

Our judges applauded the portion-control option: Reduced sizes of, say, a stuffed baked potato, are $1 less. Jason’s menu also highlights ultrahealthy sandwiches and provides the nutitional info.

We love: Being able to build any sandwich on an organic whole-wheat wrap.
Danger zone: High-sodium counts on some sandwiches; if sodium is a concern, stick to the ultrahealthy choices.

3. Au Bon Pain
280 locations nationwide

A pioneer in healthy fast food, Au Bon Pain serves up sandwiches, soups, salads, and hot entrees made with whole grains, veggies, and hormone-free chicken.

New this year: Portions, a 14-item menu of nutritious small plates—from appetizers like apples, blue cheese, and cranberries to salads like chickpea and tomato—all of which are less than 200 calories. Another impressive feature: Au Bon Pain provides on-site nutritional information via computer kiosks, so before you even order you know each option’s calories, fat, and sodium. “It’s a great way to empower customers,” praises judge Amy Jamieson-Petonic.

We love: Yummy low-cal soups, from Jamaican Black Bean to Fire Roasted Exotic Grains and Vegetables.
Danger zone: The sodium counts can get high if you don’t pay attention.

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4. Noodles and Company
204 locations in West, Midwest, South

Noodles and Company isn’t your typical greasy Asian food-court joint. In fact, it goes beyond Asian fare and cuts out the grease (only healthy soybean oil is used in sauteing). Here, you choose from three food types: Asian, Mediterranean, or American, then within each style, pick from four noodle bowl options. Lean proteins—hormone- and antibiotic-free chicken, beef, shrimp, and organic tofu—can be added, too.

The result? Tasty combos like Japanese Pan Noodles with broccoli, carrots, shiitake mushrooms, Asian sprouts, and sauteed beef. Also key: “You don’t have to chow down on a giant bowl of noodles. You can opt for a small portion,” says judge Frances Largeman-Roth, RD, Health’s Senior Food and Nutrition Editor. The small Bangkok Curry bowl has just 250 calories.

We love: The whole-grain linguine—usually hard to find when eating out.
Danger zone: The desserts. The only options are two kinds of cookies and a Rice Krispy Treat bar that checks in at 530 calories and 19 grams of fat!

5. Corner Bakery Cafe
111 locations in West, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, South

What sets Corner Bakery apart? A fantastic breakfast menu, which is rare in the quick-serve world. We love the Farmer’s Scrambler: eggs scrambled with red and green bell peppers, red onion, mushrooms, potatoes, and Cheddar cheese. (It’s only 260 calories when ordered with egg whites.) There’s also Swiss oatmeal, a chilled European breakfast cereal made with rolled oats, green apples, bananas, currants, dried cranberries, low-fat yogurt, and skim milk.

But Corner Bakery also has healthy salads, sandwiches, and soups made with whole grains, fresh, lean meats, and vegetables, as well as great portion-controlled combinations that make limiting calories a no-brainer.

We love: Healthy oven-roasted chicken that comes on most pastas and salads.
Danger zone: You have to go to their Web site to get nutritional info.

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