MAGUINDANAO MASSACRE

Volkswagen Steals Toyota's Crown as World's Largest Automaker

The people want an empire, apparently, with that unassuming little black VW bug at the head of it.

The U.K.’s Guardian explains, "Volkswagen-Porsche has overtaken Toyota to become the world's largest car manufacturer as the German group benefits from state-backed stimulus packages around the globe." VW has "produced 4.4 million vehicles so far this year, outstripping its Japanese rival which has seen four million cars roll off production lines since January."

Ironically, VW reached the milestone in part by taking over Porsche – which it was forced to do after Porsche failed in an attempt to take over VW earlier this year.

"Of course," Autoblog notes, there is "some number play involved" in the Guardian’s numbers. "We're talking about the combined entity VW-Porsche, which has built 4.4 million cars to date, which is roughly 400,000 beyond Toyota's mark. However, Toyota halved its production earlier this year and shut down all its plants in February." VW also "benefited much more than Toyota from the European cash-for-clunkers programs," though Toyota saw more sales than VW spurred by the U.S. version of the car-swap program.

The news doesn’t just push Toyota down a notch. Jalopnik notes that VW has "passed Toyota and GM at the top of the heap." America’s largest automaker – the world’s largest just three years ago – now sits in third globally.

The change may not be permanent. The Guardian notes that Toyota "has the capacity to make 10 million vehicles a year but it expects to make seven million vehicles in 2009" as production picks back up. VW, however, may see its production increase long-term enough to stay ahead, or at least to take the title again even if it loses it later this year.

After all, Autoblog notes, "VW's also got the edge on Toyota" in the huge Chinese market, "where it has spent years introducing models."

Mcdonalds monopoly online game is rigged

A Halo Over Moscow

76 US Kids died from H1N1

By MIKE STOBBE, AP Medical Writer - Fri Oct 9, 5:24 PM PDT

ATLANTA - Health officials said Friday that 76 U.S. children have died of swine flu, including 19 new reports in the past week — more evidence the new virus is unusually dangerous for the young.

The regular flu kills between 46 and 88 children a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That suggests deaths from the new H1N1 virus could dramatically outpace children's deaths from seasonal flu, if swine flu continues to spread as it has.

CDC officials say 10 more states, a total of 37, now have widespread swine flu. A week ago, reports suggested that cases might be leveling off and even falling in some areas of the country, but that did not turn out to be an enduring national trend.

"We are seeing more illness, more hospitalizations, and more deaths," the CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat said at a press conference Friday.

The new virus, first identified in April, is a global epidemic. The CDC doesn't have an exact count of all swine flu deaths and hospitalizations, but existing reports suggest more than 600 have died and more than 9,000 have been hospitalized. Health officials believe millions of Americans have caught the virus.

The virus is hitting young people harder. Experts believe older people are suffering from it less, perhaps because they have a bit of immunity from exposure over the years to somewhat similar viruses.

Most healthy children recover and often suffer only mild symptoms. But some have died from it, often from a second infection that moves in while the body is weakened from the flu.

Kids with asthma or chronic heart or respiratory conditions also are at greater risk for serious complications.

Experts say it's important for parents to watch their children's symptoms carefully. If a child appears to get better, but fever and a cough return, there may be a second infection. Other trouble signs are rapid or difficult breathing or bluish skin color.

Vaccinations against swine flu began this week and so far, states have ordered 3.7 million doses. Demand is exceeding supply, and people seeking the vaccination should ask their state or local health department where to go, said Schuchat, who heads the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.

Health officials also said more data is trickling in from several clinical trials of the new vaccine, and so far no serious side effects have been reported.

Preliminary results from one study indicate that both a seasonal flu shot and a swine flu shot are effective when given during the same doctor's office visit. However, the government is not recommending that people get the nasal spray versions of the seasonal and swine flu vaccines at the same time.

The nasal sprays contain weakened, live virus, and the government doesn't have data on how a person's immune system would react to exposure to both at once, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Monday night Football

Monday Night Football, for years, has always been the place for stars to shine. Not everyone gets a chance to play in the Super Bowl or the Pro Bowl, but when your team gets that one game on Monday where everyone and every team in the league is watching, it’s your moment to put a target on your back, get some off and claim a title that you feel you deserve.

Not by talking about it, but laying it all out on the field when the game begins.

The Dolphins should understand that their defense has a lot to handle tonight. It comes in a shape of form of a quarterback who lost his head coach and one-time wide receiver all after last season.

ndianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is no stranger to big moments; he has been to the Super Bowl before and won against the Chicago Bears. So tonight during his Colts Monday Night Football game against the Miami Dolphins, he has to prove to the NFL and fans that he is the number quarterback, not Tom Brady or Drew Brees.

Joe Dado found dead

Penn State freshman Joe (Joseph) Dado, reported missing and last seen leaving a Phi Gamma Delta frat party at 3 am on Sunday, was found dead by a repairman.

Following his disappearance, a police helicopter search had been started while the family and the police have been searching the campus.

Unfortunately, Joseph Dado’s body was found around 7 am in a stairwell placed between two campus buildings. The news broke out on several news sites where fellow students posted the unfortunate result before an official statement was made.