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Cab driver gets human organs as pay
A 45-year-old taxi driver in Manilla received the strangest payment for ferrying a passenger early Friday in Quezon City: two jars containing human organs. Wilfredo Trandillo found the chemical-filled containers with a heart and intestines floating in them on the floor of the rear passenger seat of his car.
Trandillo said that his passenger, described to be in his early 20s and medium-built, asked him to stop at an automated teller machine so he could withdraw money. However, as soon as the passenger had gotten off, he reportedly disappeared. Leaving behind his two jars.
Ewwww. A 45-year-old taxi driver in Manilla received the strangest payment for ferrying a passenger early Friday in Quezon City: two jars con... more -
Restoring a Coral-Reef Fishery in the Philippines
In a remote fishing village in the Philippine archipelago, coastal fishers responded to falling fish stocks by working harder to catch them. The combination of dynamite, longer workdays, and more advanced gear caused stocks to fall faster. On the edge of crisis, this small community decided to create a no-take marine sanctuary on 10% of its coral-reef fishing grounds. This initiative sparked a renaissance of not only their fishery, but also their cherished way of life.
Apo Island provides a relatively simple but very real case study for exploring how EcoTipping Points work in practice. Apo is a small island (78 hectares), 9 kilometers from the coast of Negros in the Philippine archipelago. The island has 145 households and a resident population of 710 people. Almost all the men on the island are fishermen. The main fishing grounds are in the area surrounding the island to a distance of roughly 500 meters, an area with extensive coral reefs and reaching a water depth of about 60 meters. Fishermen use small, paddle-driven outrigger canoes, though a few fishermen (particularly younger ones) have outboard motors on their canoes. The main fishing methods are hook and line, gill nets, and bamboo fish traps.
Apo Island’s “negative tip” started about forty years ago. Before then, there was a stable fishery with ample harvest to support fishermen and their families. During the years following World War II the growing human population and increasing fishing pressure made the fishery increasingly vulnerable to unsustainable fishing. The “negative tip” came with the introduction of four destructive fishing methods to the Philippines:
* Dynamite fishing, which started with explosives left over from World War II and gained momentum by the 1960s;
* Muro-ami (from Japan). Fish are chased into nets by pounding on coral with rocks.
* Cyanide, introduced during the 1970s for the aquarium fish trade. Aquarium fish are no longer collected in this region, but cyanide remained.
* Small-mesh nets. Worldwide marketing of newly developed nylon nets brought small-mesh beach seines and other small-mesh nets to the region in the 1970s.
Dynamite, cyanide, muro-ami, and small-mesh nets are more effective than traditional Filipino fishing methods, but they are seriously detrimental to the sustainability of the fishery. Not only do they make overfishing and immature fish harvesting easier, they also damage fishing habitat. These fishing methods have been illegal since regulations were imposed in the early 1980s. The Philippine Coast Guard and National Police are responsible for enforcing fishing regulations, but their vast areas of jurisdiction have made it virtually impossible for these agencies to stop destructive fishing. In a remote fishing village in the Philippine archipelago, coastal fishers responded to falling fish stocks by working harder to catch... more -
Civilian Militias Threaten Filipino Citizens
Tens of thousands of civilians who have already suffered from the renewal of violence in Mindanao could be at even greater risk, if the Philippine government supports the creation of untrained and unaccountable civilian militias, Amnesty International said on Thursday 21 August.
Armed conflict in Mindanao escalated after 4 August, when the Supreme Court suspended a peace agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
After 4 August, a number of MILF units occupied farmlands in North Cotabato province and burned houses, displacing more than 150,000 people. Two weeks later, MILF units in Lanao del Norte province engaged in attacks on civilians, hostage taking, bombings and arson, forcing another 50,000 people to flee their homes.
The MILF central leadership has denied ordering the attacks carried out by two of their commanders. The MILF has justified some of its recent attacks by claiming that it was targeting Civil Volunteer Organization (CVO) forces and other police auxiliaries, established by local government as emergency protection.
"MILF units that targeted villages have engaged in serious violations of international law and should be held to account," said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International's Asia-Pacific Director.
"But experience from around the world shows that the deployment of civilian militias can set off a chain of reprisals and only increases the danger facing civilians."
"All sides to this conflict should step back from the brink and demonstrate their commitment to avoid harming civilians. The MILF must control its forces, and the Philippine government should take responsibility for the security of all peoples in the Philippines, regardless of religion or ethnicity," said Sam Zarifi.
Amnesty International has verified that local political leaders in Mindanao's Iligan City and North Cotabato province led efforts to form civilian militias after the MILF attacks. In Iligan City, the site of two bomb attacks on 17 August blamed on MILF elements, a group of 300 licensed gun owners, politicians and local government officials have set up a civilian militia called "God Save Iligan City".
In North Cotabato province, armed civilians have already formed village militias, also known locally as CVOs. Local security officials reportedly rejected a request from North Cotabato's vice governor to provide ammunition for the CVO. However, Amnesty International has confirmed that local patrons have already supplied guns and ammunition to CVOs and police auxiliaries.
In Western Mindanao, the Provincial Peace and Order Council composed of civil society, military and local authorities in Zamboanga del Norte province decided to arm CVOs on 19 August. Zamboanga del Norte's governor justified this move by stating: "We have to protect ourselves... the military could not warrant our safety. They come late."
The following day in the nation's capital, the Director General of Philippine National Police (PNP) announced to the media that 1,000 shotguns will be shipped to Mindanao and given to "selected, screened and trained police auxiliaries" and deputised village watchmen and selected CVOs, all of whom are civilians. The PNP has pledged to provide an additional 12,000 more if this effort is successful.
In at least one instance verified by Amnesty International, armed members of a CVO prevented representatives of the Joint Monitoring and Assistance Team from reaching an affected community, claiming direct orders from the town's mayor.
"The recent violent attacks by MILF elements have of course shaken many of Mindanao's residents, who have every right to demand greater protection," said Sam Zarifi. "Many people in Mindanao are terrified of a return to a period when armed Muslim insurgents and Christian vigilante 'Ilaga' groups attacked civilians with impunity." **continues** Tens of thousands of civilians who have already suffered from the renewal of violence in Mindanao could be at even greater risk, if th... more -
PHILIPPINES: "Worrying humanitarian situation" in Mindanao after fightin...
President Gloria Arroyo has called for major humanitarian relief assistance on the southern Philippines island of Mindanao and ordered government troops to crush Muslim separatist rebels after a rampage in recent days left 38 people dead, most of them defenceless civilians.
Arroyo’s spokesman, Jesus Dureza, told IRIN the president has "ordered massive operations to provide assistance and other social intervention measures to assist thousands of citizens affected" by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) attacks.
Dureza said Arroyo also ordered the defence and social welfare departments to "trigger the release of emergency funds" to the affected areas, mainly Christian towns and villages.
Hundreds of MILF rebels, led by Islamist hardliner Commander Bravo, laid siege to the towns of Kolambugan, Kauswagan, Maigo and Linamon in Lanao del Norte Province, as well as to the town of Maasim in Sarangani Province. The rebels burned houses, took over the local municipal halls and police stations, looted businesses and engaged police and military forces in intense gun battles.
The rebels also seized hostages as they retreated, using them as "human shields" to keep pursuing troops at bay. In the aftermath, 38 bodies have been recovered, including those of three soldiers. Nearly all the dead were civilians who were either shot at close range or hacked to death using machetes, military and police authorities stated.
On 17 August, MILF rebels ambushed a military convoy also in Lanao, killing seven soldiers, while last week, another MILF unit led by Commander Umbra Kato took over 20 villages in Northern Cotabato Province, triggering heavy gun battles. They were subsequently chased out by heavy artillery and air bombardment.
*continues* President Gloria Arroyo has called for major humanitarian relief assistance on the southern Philippines island of Mindanao and ordered... more -
Milk on Tap - First Human Milk Bank Opens in Philippines
200 hundred mothers donated at least 5 ounces of milk each at the Guadalupe Nuevo Barangay Hall in Makati City Philippines during the opening ceremony of the very first community milk bank, the commencement of which was scheduled with the World Breastfeeding Month this August.
The launch was led by Sen. Pia S. Cayetano, a very strong promoter of breastfeeding with the sole aim of stimulating the fading ritual of breastfeeding.
This community milk bank is the brain child of the Compañero Rene Cayetano Foundation in harmonization with the Makati City Health Department and Makati Rep. Abigail Binay and has been christened after Cayetano’s late father.
n an interview to the reporters, Cayetano, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography said, “The idea of this project is to tell moms who are breastfeeding to take it a step forward, to help other moms who cannot immediately breastfeed.”
The breast milk which was donated by various mothers was accumulated in an uncontaminated container and later relocated in a cooler. It was then sent to the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila.
This hospital sustains a milk bank with a pasteurizing apparatus. It also has three freezers which can preserve the milk for almost half a year.
This milk comes to the aid of weak and premature babies with an under developed sucking reflex or those suffering from congenital ailments. It is also given to those newborns whose mothers are unable to feed because of impediments such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
In fact now onwards it will be mandatory for hospitals bestowing maternity services to set up a human milk bank in their hospitals. This provision is in accordance with Cayetano's Senate Bill No. 1698, also known as the "Expanded Breastfeeding Act," which has already passed its third reading in the Senate.
The bill also calls for the setting up of lactation stations in public places and in all offices so as to allow mother’s to continue with breastfeeding once they return to work upon the completion of their maternity 200 hundred mothers donated at least 5 ounces of milk each at the Guadalupe Nuevo Barangay Hall in Makati City Philippines during the ... more -
Filipina Beauty Maja Salvador Sexy Photos
Maja Salvador is a one true Filipina beauty. Maja Salvador Sexy Photos
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Filipino Women Seek Japan's Apology for WWII Rapes
Two dozen elderly Filipino women and their supporters protested outside the Japanese Embassy in Manila on Friday demanding a clear-cut apology and compensation from Tokyo for wartime sexual slavery.
Japan has acknowledged its troops forced women into front-line brothels across Asia during World War II, and its leaders have apologized.
But last year, many surviving "comfort women" were outraged when then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said there was no proof the women were coerced.
"The Japanese government should publicly apologize and put in history how the women were abducted and forced to serve in the comfort women system," said Rechilda Extremadura, head of a group called Lila-Pilipina that has documented 174 cases of Filipino women who were forced into wartime brothels. About 100 women remain alive.
"This is a war crime," Extremadura said. "But the Japanese government continues to be deaf."
Virginia Villarma, 79, said she was victimized between 1943 and 1944. "We can never forget what they did to us. Until now, it's been a wound in our chest."
The Japanese Embassy in Manila refused to immediately answer a request for comment and asked that questions be e-mailed.
Tokyo has generally refused to pay damages to individuals for the war, saying the issue was settled between governments in postwar treaties. Japanese courts have rejected a number of lawsuits brought by former sex slaves. Two dozen elderly Filipino women and their supporters protested outside the Japanese Embassy in Manila on Friday demanding a clear-cut... more -
130,000 Filipinos displaced as fighting escalates
The number of Filipinos displaced from their homes since fighting began late last week between government forces and Islamic separatists in the southern Philippines reached 130,000 on Monday, officials said. The military and the police sent more troops to fight the rebels.
Social welfare officials warned of a potential humanitarian disaster as the fighting between troops and elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which had been confined to two provinces, threatened to spill over to other areas. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is a separatist group that has been fighting for an Islamic state in the southern region of Mindanao for several decades.
Thousands of refugees had been housed in more than 40 refugee centers, officials said, but most of them had chosen to leave their communities and seek shelter with relatives in other provinces.
As of Monday, officials said two soldiers and at least 15 rebels had been killed in the fighting, which erupted on Thursday after separatist forces refused to vacate nine villages in North Cotabato Province. The number of Filipinos displaced from their homes since fighting began late last week between government forces and Islamic separatis... more -
Filipinos are top victims of human trafficking
THE Philippines is among the top five countries in the world with the highest number of human trafficking victims, the National Bureau of Investigation revealed Monday.
In a weekly news forum, Lawyer Ferdinand Lavin, the chief of the bureaus anti-human trafficking division, said there are more than 15 million human trafficking victims worldwide and the country has a good share from the number.
Philippines is one of the source country of human trafficking victims and most of out countrymen are brought in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and even as far as Cyprus, Lavin disclosed.
He added his bureau together with the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration and other concerned agencies have come up with various programs to address the problem.
However, he admitted that tracing human trafficking victims is a difficult task because most of them are willing victims, and only seek the governments help when they cannot stand the exploitation anymore.
At present, the bureau along with the Bureau of Immigration have strengthened its profiling of air and sea passengers to stop potential human trafficking victims from leaving the country.
Lavin said 80 percent of victims are females and below 18 years old. They are usually forced by syndicates to work as house help, entertainers and even sex workers, particularly in the Southeast Asian region.
Based on the records of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, out of the 7.5 million estimated Filipinos working abroad, only 3.5 million are registered overseas Filipino workers.
Acting overseas welfare chief Albert Valenciano clarified that the four million who are not registered overseas workers are not necessarily victims of human trafficking, because there are many Filipinos who have migrated to other countries with their families.
China and Malaysia are also among the top sources of human trafficking victims. -- Jefferson Antiporda THE Philippines is among the top five countries in the world with the highest number of human trafficking victims, the National Bureau... more -
Disaster Feared as 130,000 Flee Fighting in Southern Philippines
Violence flared last week after the country's Supreme Court decided to suspend plans for an extended Muslim homeland in the south, prompting some Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels to take control of mainly Christian villages in North Cotabato province, a poor farming region in Mindanao, Agence France-Presse reported. . .
The 12,000-strong MILF has waged a 30-year guerrilla campaign for a separate Islamic state in the south of the largely Christian Philippines.
The National Disaster Coordinating Council said 129,819 people have been displaced from 42 villages in North Cotabato. The refugees are being housed in 43 government evacuation centers in the province in the southern island of Mindanao, said Glenn Raboza, an NDCC executive officer, according to AFP. The government was providing water, sanitation and food. Violence flared last week after the country's Supreme Court decided to suspend plans for an extended Muslim homeland in the south... more -
Thousands flee Philippine fighting
Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes in southern Philippines after fierce clashes between Muslim separatists and government troops broke out.
But officials vowed to press on with a contentious local election on Monday.
The separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) had called for elections in the six-province Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao to be cancelled because they want a new Muslim homeland with more political powers established as part of a comprehensive peace deal.
The Philippine military pounded rebel Muslim positions on Sunday, shooting off a barrage of artillery and mortar fire and firing rockets from helicopters at suspected MILF positions in North Cotabato province after hundreds of separatists refused to leave Catholic farmlands they have occupied since last month.
Lieutenant-General Cardozo Luna, the military vice-chief of staff, said the separatists entrenched themselves in the remote villages despite a government ultimatum to leave.
Breakaway group
Luna said the military operation, involving more than 2,000 troops, was not directed against MILF in general, but a group headed by MILF commander Umbra Kato, who is no longer following the orders of the group's main leadership.
"The MILF rebels have defied their own leadership and have refused to leave the area," he said.
He said they were supposed to have complied with a government deal with the MILF leadership to move out of the disputed areas, but "they just re-positioned and occupied other villages".
Nearly 130,000 people fled their homes and more than half were staying in temporary shelters while dozens of houses were destroyed, a disaster official said.
But the military said the escalating violence would not halt voting in local elections in Muslim areas elsewhere on the resource-rich southern island of Mindanao on Monday.
Brigadier-General Jorge Segovia, an army spokesman, said "fighting has not spilled over to the Muslim areas".
The violence is the worst seen since the Supreme Court halted plans to establish an extended Muslim homeland in the southern Philippines last week.
The agreement on the size of a Muslim homeland and a future government's powers, including rights over exploring and developing mineral reserves, oil and gas, was halted amid protests by Catholic politicians.
"We really wanted the elections postponed because it could delay the implementation of any agreement that would be reached if the two sides conclude a deal by November 2009," Mohaqher Iqbal, the MILF's chief peace negotiator, told Reuters.**continues, click link to read** Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes in southern Philippines after fierce clashes between Muslim separatists and governme... more -
MILF Sends 130,000 Fleeing
No perv... the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. On the small Philippine island of Mindanao, the MILF have been fighting for almost thirty years to achieve independence for the 6 million Muslim minority in the Philippines. Tensions held strong but peace talks were under going until the Supreme Court issued a stay on an agreement to expand the Muslim autonomous region last week sparking violence. Now almost 130,000 people have fled their homes while rebels battle the Philippine Army. No perv... the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. On the small Philippine island of Mindanao, the MILF have been fighting for almost thir... more
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Somaya Reece, the No 1 Latina on MySpace, Finds a New Home
Born and raised in South Central in a freezing garage with her family, working 3
jobs and getting no sleep, she comments, "I went through years of financial and
emotional struggle to get here. No managers helped me. I did it on my own! All to
help feed my family. I was once living "la vida loca." The "thug life" almost killed
me a grip of times. I changed for the better of my family and to motivate and
inspire you… You gotta respect that."
Somaya Reece, hailed as "The Next Sophia Loren", is a voluptuous vixen with
38D-28-46 dimensions. It's easy to see why this Salvadorean beauty from South
Central was recently named the Hottest Latina in Music by “Maxim” en Español, UK and
Philippines. The ultimate triple treat, Somaya has already proven herself as an
actress, a model and a musician.
As an actress, she has participated in “American Psycho” (2002), “The Scorpion King” (2002), “Ride or Die” (2003), “Miss Cast Away” (2004) and in the hit television shows “Girlfriends” and “Entourage”. In 2008, Somaya was nominated "Internet Hottie" By Spike TV’s Guys Choice Awards; Telemundo called her "The Latina Jessica Rabbit”; and she was voted "Hottest Woman on the Web"
by E! Born and raised in South Central in a freezing garage with her family, working 3 ... more -
In a hospital bed far from home
DUBAI—Thousands of miles from home and no one to keep her company except for a yellow teddy bear that lies beside her hospital bed, Baikan Musa can only communicate by blinking her eyes.
The 29-year-old Filipina maid was paralysed after a hit-and-run accident last New Year’s Eve and has since been confined to a bed in Rashid Hospital, Dubai since then.
However the penniless expatriate is unable to pay for her own spiralling medical bills and the fact that she was jaywalking when she was hit by the car means that insurance companies are refusing to pay out.
Rashid Hospital says that Baikan Musa’s medical expenses should be covered by her visa sponsor or the agency which recruited her to work in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
However her sponsor cancelled her contract a few days before the accident and her agency claim they are not liable because she was crossing the road illegally at the time, rather than using a pedestrian crossing.
According to reports, her family have been traced but are said to be made destitute by a cyclone which recently struck the Philippines. Her brother is said to have finally saved enough to obtain a passport and will visit the UAE on August 22nd.
However with her family unable to provide the full-time professional care that she requires and no official confirmation from hospitals in Manila that she will be looked after upon her return, it is unclear what will become of Baikan Musa.
Dubai is a magnet for expatriates from the Indian subcontinent and the Philippines and many of whom work for higher wages in Dubai and send the money home to their partners and children.
However many suffer a lack of labour rights and discriminatory salary rates. A Filipina maid working in Dubai can expect to earn around US$270 a month for a job that requires living in the house of a wealthier family. Many complain of sexual harassment and some are forced to work as prostitutes.
“We have a maid at home who is employed by my uncle,” one British expatriate, who did not wish to be named, told this newspaper. “He took her in and gave her a decent wage. Prior to that she was forced to work as a prostitute and suffered appalling treatment.”
Whatever was the story behind Baikan Musa’s contract being terminated a few days before the accident eight months ago, it is clear that now it will never be told. DUBAI—Thousands of miles from home and no one to keep her company except for a yellow teddy bear that lies beside her hospital bed, Ba... more -
Muri di piuma
Piume di pollo e cemento, questa è la combinazione studiata da uno scienziato filippino, una combinazione destinata a rivoluzionare le costruzioni asiatiche. Leggeri, ottimi isolanti e non infiammabili, i pannelli di nuova generazione hanno anche altre qualità: non sono commestibili e quindi poco graditi dalle termiti locali e permetterebbero un riciclo di 2.4 milioni di piume normalmente destinate ad occupare infiniti metri quadri di immondizia.
Il progetto di ricerca è finanziato dalla Ford Motor Company Conservation and Environmental Grants della Ford Group Philippines. Piume di pollo e cemento, questa è la combinazione studiata da uno scienziato filippino, una combinazione destinata a rivoluzionare le... more -
Scientist says feathers are future of Asia construction
A Filipino scientist says he has created a new composite building board made of chicken feathers that could be a major breakthrough for the construction industry in Asia.
The new material would be resistant to the region's armies of termites, and could also solve a major environment problem in the Philippines by providing a way to dispose of millions of kilos of waste feathers each year.
The research done by University of the Philippines Los Banos professor Menandro Acda, which is funded by the Ford Conservation and Environmental Grants programme, is being heralded as economically and environmentally sound.
In an interview with reporters, Prof Acda said the material, made of compressed cement and chicken feathers, could be widely used for housing, replacing boards now made with wood chips, which are easily ruined by hungry insects.
The composite boards are 'resistant to insect infestation such as termites because the feathers are inedible,' Prof Acda said.
'They are also not as flammable or combustible as conventional cement and wood-fibre composite boards,' he added.
Although more research needs to be done, he said the feather boards could be used for paneling, ceilings and as insulation but not for weight-bearing building components like walls or pillars.
The researcher said his work would also solve the significant problem of disposing of the 2.4 million tonnes of feathers produced each year by the Philippines poultry industry, while doing less damage to the environment.
'Conventional waste disposal methods, when applied to chicken feathers, are problematic,' he said, referring to burning, burial or recycling the feathers for use in low-quality animal feeds.
'Incineration releases greenhouse gases and the feathers take up a lot of space in landfills and take a long time to decay because of the keratin protein that make up the feathers,' Prof Acda noted.
'There is also the fear of bird flu, which makes converting chicken feathers into animal feeds undesirable.'
Prof Acda is hoping to perfect his feather board by year's end, at which point he will publish his findings. A Filipino scientist says he has created a new composite building board made of chicken feathers that could be a major breakthrough fo... more -
Airliner Makes Emergency Landing with Hole in It
A hole the size of a small car in the underside of a Qantas jumbo jet carrying 346 passengers over the South China Sea forced the pilot to make an emergency landing Friday after a rapid descent. A hole the size of a small car in the underside of a Qantas jumbo jet carrying 346 passengers over the South China Sea forced the pilo... more
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Body Heat Philippines
(See Photos/Pics)It featured a bikini for girls and swimming trunks portion for the guys. Basically a model search, the winners were chosen through a casual wear and swimwear portion and a Q&A. (See Photos/Pics)It featured a bikini for girls and swimming trunks portion for the guys. Basically a model search, the winners were c... more
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Miss USA Falls in Miss Universe 2008
Miss USA Crystle Stewart fell down in the Miss Universe 2008 Pageant in the Evening Gown Competition. It happened the second time in a row for Miss USA. Miss USA 2007 Rachel Smith also fell down in the Evening Gown Competition in the Miss Universe 2007 Pageant. Watch Miss USA 2008 Crystle Stewart and Miss USA 2007 Rachel Smith, slip and fall down during their respective evening gown competitions below. Miss USA Crystle Stewart fell down in the Miss Universe 2008 Pageant in the Evening Gown Competition. It happened the second time in a... more
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American Idol Season 8 Auditions
American Idol is gearing up for Season 8 in 2009! American Idol Season 8 auditions will begin on July 17, 2008 in San Francisco, CA at Cow Palace. Other dates are on American Idol is gearing up for Season 8 in 2009! American Idol Season 8 auditions will begin on July 17, 2008 in San Francisco, CA at... more
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