NEW YEAR TRADITION

Other traditions of the season include the making of New Year's resolutions. That tradition also dates back to the early Babylonians. Popular modern resolutions might include the promise to lose weight or quit smoking. The early Babylonian's most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment.

The Tournament of Roses Parade dates back to 1886. In that year, members of the Valley Hunt Club decorated their carriages with flowers. It celebrated the ripening of the orange crop in California.

Although the Rose Bowl football game was first played as a part of the Tournament of Roses in 1902, it was replaced by Roman chariot races the following year. In 1916, the football game returned as the sports centerpiece of the festival.

The tradition of using a baby to signify the new year was begun in Greece around 600 BC. It was their tradition at that time to celebrate their god of wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a basket, representing the annual rebirth of that god as the spirit of fertility. Early Egyptians also used a baby as a symbol of rebirth.

Although the early Christians denounced the practice as pagan, the popularity of the baby as a symbol of rebirth forced the Church to reevaluate its position. The Church finally allowed its members to celebrate the new year with a baby, which was to symbolize the birth of the baby Jesus.

The use of an image of a baby with a New Years banner as a symbolic representation of the new year was brought to early America by the Germans. They had used the effigy since the fourteenth century.

Traditionally, it was thought that one could affect the luck they would have throughout the coming year by what they did or ate on the first day of the year. For that reason, it has become common for folks to celebrate the first few minutes of a brand new year in the company of family and friends. Parties often last into the middle of the night after the ringing in of a new year. It was once believed that the first visitor on New Year's Day would bring either good luck or bad luck the rest of the year. It was particularly lucky if that visitor happened to be a tall dark-haired man.

Traditional New Year foods are also thought to bring luck. Many cultures believe that anything in the shape of a ring is good luck, because it symbolizes "coming full circle," completing a year's cycle. For that reason, the Dutch believe that eating donuts on New Year's Day will bring good fortune.

Many parts of the U.S. celebrate the new year by consuming black-eyed peas. These legumes are typically accompanied by either hog jowls or ham. Black-eyed peas and other legumes have been considered good luck in many cultures. The hog, and thus its meat, is considered lucky because it symbolizes prosperity. Cabbage is another "good luck" vegetable that is consumed on New Year's Day by many. Cabbage leaves are also considered a sign of prosperity, being representative of paper currency. In some regions, rice is a lucky food that is eaten on New Year's Day.

22 wounded in GenSan blast

MANILA, Philippines--(UPDATE) An improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in General Santos City on New Year's Eve, wounding at least 22 people, an army spokesperson has said.

The IED exploded at Oval Plaza, General Santos City, South Cotabato at around 9:10 p.m. Thursday, said Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Romeo Brawner Jr. The victims were taken to different hospitals in General Santos City for medical treatment.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said that the explosion happened at around 9:20 p.m. and was caused by a hand grenade and not an IED.

Police also said that the explosion had injured 23 persons.

Both the PNP and military said that they have not identified any suspects behind the bombing as investigations are still ongoing.

Security forces have been on heightened alert for possible attacks by Muslim separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels who have been locked in intense battles with troops since August.

A grenade attack Tuesday on a police outpost in General Santos wounded a policeman and two other people.

The same day, a suspected militant transporting an improvised explosive device was killed when it went off at a police checkpoint near the town of Esperanza, also on Mindanao island.

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HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

I JUST WANT TO GREET EVERYONE MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Philippines rejoices at Pacquiao's victory over De La Hoya

Filipinos watching the fight all over the country erupted in celebration De La Hoya's corner threw in the towel before the start of the ninth round.De La Hoya's left eye was closed shut after the eighth round, prompting the ring doctor, referee and his cornermen to decide that he had enough."You're still my idol," Pacquiao told De La Hoya after the fight in Las Vegas.

"No, you're my idol," De La Hoya said.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo called Pacquiao to congratulate him immediately after the fight, according to deputy spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo.The president and the Filipino people would like to extend our profound congratulations to Manny Pacquiao," she said. "His boxing fit is testament to the spirit of the Filipino, our resiliency and strength to ace the challenges that come our way."

Press secretary Jesus Dureza added that while Pacquiao was the underdog in pre-match analysis, the local boxing icon showed "true Filipino grit and grace" in his triumph over De La Hoya.

"Manny indeed is making boxing history," he added. "We are all truly proud of him."

Cinemas and restaurants showing the fight live were packed with boxing fans despite the steep entrance fees, while thousands more jammed sports complexes and public gyms for free showings.

Even the military's main headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo showed the fight for free.

The streets of Manila were clear of traffic as most Filipinos were watching the fight, and police reported a decline in crime during the hours of the fight.

In Pacquiao's home city of General Santos in the southern Philippines, his mother led thousands in cheering for the boxing icon.

"I thank the Lord for he has been very kind to me and my son," Dionesia Pacquiao said. "I thank everyone who prayed for my son. Thank you all."

An exciting new development - what will they think of next?

Announcing the new Built-in Orderly Organized Knowledge device (BOOK).
It's a revolutionary breakthrough in technology: no wires, no electric
circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected or switched on. It's so
easy to use even a child can operate it. Just lift its cover. Compact and
portable, it can be used anywhere-even sitting in an armchair by the
fire-yet it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a CD-ROM
disk.

Here's how it works: Each BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered
sheets of paper (recyclable) , each capable of holding thousands of bits of
information. These pages are locked together with a custom-fit device
called a binder which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence. By using
both sides of each sheet, manufacturers are able to cut costs in half.
Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly into
your brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet. The BOOK
may be taken up at any time and used by merely opening it. The "browse"
feature allows you to move instantly to any sheet, and move forward or
backward as you wish. Most come with an "index" feature, which pinpoints
the exact location of any elected information for instant retrieval.

An optional "BOOKmark" accessory allows you to open the BOOK to the exact
place you left it in a previous session-even if the BOOK has been closed.
BOOKmarks fit universal design standards; thus a single BOOKmark can be
used in BOOKs by various manufacturers.

Portable, durable and affordable, the BOOK is the entertainment wave of
the future, and many new titles are expected soon, due to the surge in
popularity of its programming tool, the Portable Erasable-Nib Cryptic
Intercommunication Language Stylus...(PENCILS)