wave

Surf's up Wednesday: Google Wave update
Starting Wednesday, September 30 we'll be sending out more than 100,000 invitations to preview Google Wave to:

• Developers who have been active in the developer preview we started back in June
• The first users who signed up and offered to give feedback
  
• Select customers of Google Apps
  

We'll ask some of these early users to nominate people they know also to receive early invitations — Google Wave is a lot more useful if your friends, family and colleagues have it too. This, of course, will just be the beginning. If all goes well we will soon be inviting many more to try out Google Wave.

Some of you have asked what we mean by preview. This just means that Google Wave isn't quite ready for prime time. Not yet, anyway. Since first unveiling the project back in May, we've focused almost exclusively on scalability, stability, speed and usability. Yet, you will still experience the occasional downtime, a crash every now and then, part of the system being a bit sluggish and some of the user interface being, well, quirky.

There are also still key features of Google Wave that we have yet to fully implement. For example, you can't yet remove a participant from a wave or define groups of users, draft mode is still missing and you can't configure the permissions of users on a wave. We'll be rolling out these and other features as soon as they are ready — over the next few months.

Despite all this, we believe you will find that Google Wave has the potential for making you more productive when communicating and collaborating. Even when you're just having fun! We use it ourselves everyday for everything from planning pub crawls to sharing photos, managing release processes and debating features to writing design documents. In fact, we collaborated on this very blog post with several colleagues in Google Wave.

Speaking of ways you could potentially use Google Wave, we're intrigued by the many detailed ones people have taken the time to describe. To mention just a few: journalist Andy Ihnatko on producing his Chicago Sun-Times column, filmmaker Jonathan Poritsky on streamlining the movie-making process, scientist Cameron Neylon on academic papers and lab work, Alexander Dreiling and his SAP research team on collaborative business process modelling, and ZDNet's Dion Hincliffe on a host of enterprise use cases.

The Wave team's most fun day since May? We invited a group of students to come spend a day with us at Google's Sydney office. Among other things, we asked them to collaboratively write stories in Google Wave about an imaginary trip around the world. They had a ball! As did we...
Finally, a big shoutout to the thousands of developers who have patiently taken part in our ongoing developer preview. It has been great fun to see the cool extensions already built or being planned and incredibly instructive to get their help planning the future of our APIs. To get a taste for what some of these creative developers have been working on, and to learn more about the ways we hope to make it even easier for developers to build new extensions, check out this post on our developer blog.

wave

Surf's up Wednesday: Google Wave update
Starting Wednesday, September 30 we'll be sending out more than 100,000 invitations to preview Google Wave to:

• Developers who have been active in the developer preview we started back in June
• The first users who signed up and offered to give feedback
  
• Select customers of Google Apps
  

We'll ask some of these early users to nominate people they know also to receive early invitations — Google Wave is a lot more useful if your friends, family and colleagues have it too. This, of course, will just be the beginning. If all goes well we will soon be inviting many more to try out Google Wave.

Some of you have asked what we mean by preview. This just means that Google Wave isn't quite ready for prime time. Not yet, anyway. Since first unveiling the project back in May, we've focused almost exclusively on scalability, stability, speed and usability. Yet, you will still experience the occasional downtime, a crash every now and then, part of the system being a bit sluggish and some of the user interface being, well, quirky.

There are also still key features of Google Wave that we have yet to fully implement. For example, you can't yet remove a participant from a wave or define groups of users, draft mode is still missing and you can't configure the permissions of users on a wave. We'll be rolling out these and other features as soon as they are ready — over the next few months.

Despite all this, we believe you will find that Google Wave has the potential for making you more productive when communicating and collaborating. Even when you're just having fun! We use it ourselves everyday for everything from planning pub crawls to sharing photos, managing release processes and debating features to writing design documents. In fact, we collaborated on this very blog post with several colleagues in Google Wave.

Speaking of ways you could potentially use Google Wave, we're intrigued by the many detailed ones people have taken the time to describe. To mention just a few: journalist Andy Ihnatko on producing his Chicago Sun-Times column, filmmaker Jonathan Poritsky on streamlining the movie-making process, scientist Cameron Neylon on academic papers and lab work, Alexander Dreiling and his SAP research team on collaborative business process modelling, and ZDNet's Dion Hincliffe on a host of enterprise use cases.

The Wave team's most fun day since May? We invited a group of students to come spend a day with us at Google's Sydney office. Among other things, we asked them to collaboratively write stories in Google Wave about an imaginary trip around the world. They had a ball! As did we...
Finally, a big shoutout to the thousands of developers who have patiently taken part in our ongoing developer preview. It has been great fun to see the cool extensions already built or being planned and incredibly instructive to get their help planning the future of our APIs. To get a taste for what some of these creative developers have been working on, and to learn more about the ways we hope to make it even easier for developers to build new extensions, check out this post on our developer blog.

wave

Surf's up Wednesday: Google Wave update
Starting Wednesday, September 30 we'll be sending out more than 100,000 invitations to preview Google Wave to:

• Developers who have been active in the developer preview we started back in June
• The first users who signed up and offered to give feedback
  
• Select customers of Google Apps
  

We'll ask some of these early users to nominate people they know also to receive early invitations — Google Wave is a lot more useful if your friends, family and colleagues have it too. This, of course, will just be the beginning. If all goes well we will soon be inviting many more to try out Google Wave.

Some of you have asked what we mean by preview. This just means that Google Wave isn't quite ready for prime time. Not yet, anyway. Since first unveiling the project back in May, we've focused almost exclusively on scalability, stability, speed and usability. Yet, you will still experience the occasional downtime, a crash every now and then, part of the system being a bit sluggish and some of the user interface being, well, quirky.

There are also still key features of Google Wave that we have yet to fully implement. For example, you can't yet remove a participant from a wave or define groups of users, draft mode is still missing and you can't configure the permissions of users on a wave. We'll be rolling out these and other features as soon as they are ready — over the next few months.

Despite all this, we believe you will find that Google Wave has the potential for making you more productive when communicating and collaborating. Even when you're just having fun! We use it ourselves everyday for everything from planning pub crawls to sharing photos, managing release processes and debating features to writing design documents. In fact, we collaborated on this very blog post with several colleagues in Google Wave.

Speaking of ways you could potentially use Google Wave, we're intrigued by the many detailed ones people have taken the time to describe. To mention just a few: journalist Andy Ihnatko on producing his Chicago Sun-Times column, filmmaker Jonathan Poritsky on streamlining the movie-making process, scientist Cameron Neylon on academic papers and lab work, Alexander Dreiling and his SAP research team on collaborative business process modelling, and ZDNet's Dion Hincliffe on a host of enterprise use cases.

The Wave team's most fun day since May? We invited a group of students to come spend a day with us at Google's Sydney office. Among other things, we asked them to collaboratively write stories in Google Wave about an imaginary trip around the world. They had a ball! As did we...
Finally, a big shoutout to the thousands of developers who have patiently taken part in our ongoing developer preview. It has been great fun to see the cool extensions already built or being planned and incredibly instructive to get their help planning the future of our APIs. To get a taste for what some of these creative developers have been working on, and to learn more about the ways we hope to make it even easier for developers to build new extensions, check out this post on our developer blog.

earthquake

Earthquake rocks western Indonesia

A powerful underwater earthquake has struck off the the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island.

The 7.9 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday damaged hundreds of houses, destroyed bridges and started fires in the costal city of Padang, witnesses told local television.

It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.

"Hundreds of houses have been damaged along the road," the Reuters news agency quoted a witness in Padang as saying.

"There are some fires, bridges are cut and there is extreme panic here maybe because water pipes are broken and there is flooding in the streets."

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued regional tsunami warning following the earthquake, but the warning was cancelled soon afterwards.

The Indonesian earthquake comes just hours after a series of tsunamis caused death and devastation on the Pacific island nations of American and Western Samoa.

Padang, the capital of Indonesia's West Sumatra province, sits on one of the world's most active fault lines along the "Ring of Fire", where the Indo-Australia plate grinds against the Eurasia plate, creating regular tremors and sometimes earthquakes.

In 2004, a 9.15 magnitude earthquake, with its epicentre roughly 600km northwest of Padang, caused a tsunami that killed 232,000 people in Indonesia's Aceh province, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, and other countries across the Indian Ocean.

earthquake

Earthquake rocks western Indonesia

A powerful underwater earthquake has struck off the the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island.

The 7.9 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday damaged hundreds of houses, destroyed bridges and started fires in the costal city of Padang, witnesses told local television.

It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.

"Hundreds of houses have been damaged along the road," the Reuters news agency quoted a witness in Padang as saying.

"There are some fires, bridges are cut and there is extreme panic here maybe because water pipes are broken and there is flooding in the streets."

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued regional tsunami warning following the earthquake, but the warning was cancelled soon afterwards.

The Indonesian earthquake comes just hours after a series of tsunamis caused death and devastation on the Pacific island nations of American and Western Samoa.

Padang, the capital of Indonesia's West Sumatra province, sits on one of the world's most active fault lines along the "Ring of Fire", where the Indo-Australia plate grinds against the Eurasia plate, creating regular tremors and sometimes earthquakes.

In 2004, a 9.15 magnitude earthquake, with its epicentre roughly 600km northwest of Padang, caused a tsunami that killed 232,000 people in Indonesia's Aceh province, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, and other countries across the Indian Ocean.

earthquake

Earthquake rocks western Indonesia

A powerful underwater earthquake has struck off the the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island.

The 7.9 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday damaged hundreds of houses, destroyed bridges and started fires in the costal city of Padang, witnesses told local television.

It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.

"Hundreds of houses have been damaged along the road," the Reuters news agency quoted a witness in Padang as saying.

"There are some fires, bridges are cut and there is extreme panic here maybe because water pipes are broken and there is flooding in the streets."

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued regional tsunami warning following the earthquake, but the warning was cancelled soon afterwards.

The Indonesian earthquake comes just hours after a series of tsunamis caused death and devastation on the Pacific island nations of American and Western Samoa.

Padang, the capital of Indonesia's West Sumatra province, sits on one of the world's most active fault lines along the "Ring of Fire", where the Indo-Australia plate grinds against the Eurasia plate, creating regular tremors and sometimes earthquakes.

In 2004, a 9.15 magnitude earthquake, with its epicentre roughly 600km northwest of Padang, caused a tsunami that killed 232,000 people in Indonesia's Aceh province, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, and other countries across the Indian Ocean.

red fox labrador

Fox red is not a separate color of the Labrador but only a shade of yellow. In the early years of the breed development, fox red or dark yellow was the original yellow shade of the Labrador Retriever. The original yellows were in fact called Golden until the British Kennel Club came to register them.

They argued that gold was not a colour, so yellow they became. One has to only look at the first yellow Labrador over recorded, Ben of Hyde in 1899 sired by Major Redclyffe's Neptune out of lord Wimborne's Duchess both blacks to see this original shade. These early Labradors were either dark golden or butterscotch tinged with red. Until and even to some point after World War 11, dark yellow was the norm.

Registered AKC Labrador Retriever puppies, Fox red Color

AKC registered labrador retriever puppies, all fox red color. Mother is Rose and father is Baron who are both fox red labs.

Males and Females available. Black nosed and lived nosed. Championship bloodline, Hall of famers in the pedigree. Health guaranteed, parents on site. Will be ready for new homes on September 12, 2009.

Come pick out your puppy now and with deposit will hold until ready. Health contract and guarantees provided to new owners. $650 each. Call 704-982-9726. New pictures added on 8-30-2009. These puppies are beautiful!!

red fox labrador

Fox red is not a separate color of the Labrador but only a shade of yellow. In the early years of the breed development, fox red or dark yellow was the original yellow shade of the Labrador Retriever. The original yellows were in fact called Golden until the British Kennel Club came to register them.

They argued that gold was not a colour, so yellow they became. One has to only look at the first yellow Labrador over recorded, Ben of Hyde in 1899 sired by Major Redclyffe's Neptune out of lord Wimborne's Duchess both blacks to see this original shade. These early Labradors were either dark golden or butterscotch tinged with red. Until and even to some point after World War 11, dark yellow was the norm.

Registered AKC Labrador Retriever puppies, Fox red Color

AKC registered labrador retriever puppies, all fox red color. Mother is Rose and father is Baron who are both fox red labs.

Males and Females available. Black nosed and lived nosed. Championship bloodline, Hall of famers in the pedigree. Health guaranteed, parents on site. Will be ready for new homes on September 12, 2009.

Come pick out your puppy now and with deposit will hold until ready. Health contract and guarantees provided to new owners. $650 each. Call 704-982-9726. New pictures added on 8-30-2009. These puppies are beautiful!!

red fox labrador

Fox red is not a separate color of the Labrador but only a shade of yellow. In the early years of the breed development, fox red or dark yellow was the original yellow shade of the Labrador Retriever. The original yellows were in fact called Golden until the British Kennel Club came to register them.

They argued that gold was not a colour, so yellow they became. One has to only look at the first yellow Labrador over recorded, Ben of Hyde in 1899 sired by Major Redclyffe's Neptune out of lord Wimborne's Duchess both blacks to see this original shade. These early Labradors were either dark golden or butterscotch tinged with red. Until and even to some point after World War 11, dark yellow was the norm.

Registered AKC Labrador Retriever puppies, Fox red Color

AKC registered labrador retriever puppies, all fox red color. Mother is Rose and father is Baron who are both fox red labs.

Males and Females available. Black nosed and lived nosed. Championship bloodline, Hall of famers in the pedigree. Health guaranteed, parents on site. Will be ready for new homes on September 12, 2009.

Come pick out your puppy now and with deposit will hold until ready. Health contract and guarantees provided to new owners. $650 each. Call 704-982-9726. New pictures added on 8-30-2009. These puppies are beautiful!!

colonial period

Simply the best - by the river Banks of Southern Laos

The rainy season, or otherwise referred to as the green season, is often considered a boring period for many people. Conversely, personally this period of time brings me a feeling of cheerfulness, as all the things surrounding me are starting their new lives. Trees change from a dreary brown to a glowing green, while the rice fields are carpeted with green hopes.

As soon as I had the opportunity of a short break due to a long public-holiday weekend in July, I wasn’t going to miss the chance to recharge my batteries by visiting one of my favourite places, Southern Laos. What’s more, to make my trip even more special, I spent most of my time lazing during the Vat Phou Cruise, observing and really appreciating the close look I had into the colourful lives by the river banks of Mekong River.

colonial period

Simply the best - by the river Banks of Southern Laos

The rainy season, or otherwise referred to as the green season, is often considered a boring period for many people. Conversely, personally this period of time brings me a feeling of cheerfulness, as all the things surrounding me are starting their new lives. Trees change from a dreary brown to a glowing green, while the rice fields are carpeted with green hopes.

As soon as I had the opportunity of a short break due to a long public-holiday weekend in July, I wasn’t going to miss the chance to recharge my batteries by visiting one of my favourite places, Southern Laos. What’s more, to make my trip even more special, I spent most of my time lazing during the Vat Phou Cruise, observing and really appreciating the close look I had into the colourful lives by the river banks of Mekong River.

colonial period

Simply the best - by the river Banks of Southern Laos

The rainy season, or otherwise referred to as the green season, is often considered a boring period for many people. Conversely, personally this period of time brings me a feeling of cheerfulness, as all the things surrounding me are starting their new lives. Trees change from a dreary brown to a glowing green, while the rice fields are carpeted with green hopes.

As soon as I had the opportunity of a short break due to a long public-holiday weekend in July, I wasn’t going to miss the chance to recharge my batteries by visiting one of my favourite places, Southern Laos. What’s more, to make my trip even more special, I spent most of my time lazing during the Vat Phou Cruise, observing and really appreciating the close look I had into the colourful lives by the river banks of Mekong River.

tropic of cancer

City Banker to cycle the tropic of cancer in AID of Cancer awareness

City banker Jon Wright has given up his job with Barclays Wealth to cycle 11,000 miles along the Tropic of Cancer this October in aid of cancer awareness and the importance of early detection of the disease. Having been given the all clear from two unrelated cases of testicular cancer the 27 year old will raise funds for Macmillan, Orchid, Starlight and Willow Foundation.

Starting at the Bank of England, London, Jon and his brother Dom (32) will cycle 50 miles a day, for nine months, until they reach Havana, Cuba in time for the summer solstice 2010 to symbolise the long life which can be lived after cancer. The TCC Challenge (Tropic of Cancer for Cancer Challenge) will start on October 9^th 2009 and will finish on June 21^st 2010.

Jon and Dom are hoping to raise over £100,000 for their chosen cancer related charities. “I wanted to plan a huge physical and mental challenge to match the effect that cancer had on my life. The first time was not easy but I confronted it and got on with it. The second time was a rare occurrence as it was unrelated, that hit me extremely hard and prompted me to create something positive from my experience. I was determined to use my natural energy to travel a long distance to show that cancer hadn’t beaten me; one day I was looking at a world map for inspiration and came across the idea of travelling along the Tropic of Cancer and had a bit of a eureka moment, I totalled up the distance over land which, at 11,000 miles, ruled out walking (I’m not sure my fiancée would wait that long) so I thought about how feasible it would be to cycle. I had begun cycling short distances to regain my fitness following radiotherapy treatment and my passion for the sport was growing, cycling along the Tropic of Cancer seemed to tick all the boxes of what I hoped to achieve. Further research indicated that it’s not something which has been done before and the TCC (Tropic of Cancer for Cancer) Challenge was born.” Jon said.

He continues, “The key objective of this challenge is to raise awareness over the importance of early detection. If diagnosed early testicular cancer is easily treatable with a 99% cure rate, I want to reach out to those people who fear something may be wrong to go and get it checked out. Many men don’t feel comfortable talking about their testicles but if something as serious as testicular cancer is left untreated it will spread and eventually kill you, for me it was a no brainer- I’ve got a lot of living left to do.”

Jon’s story is even more remarkable given the fact that he was only a novice cyclist before he started training a year ago. “I think the furthest I’d cycled before I started training was around 10-15 miles. I started training for the TCC Challenge on my Ridgeback mountain bike that I did my paper round on at 12 years old!” Ironically the boys are now sponsored by Ridgeback and will embarking on their journey on Ridgeback Voyage and Panorama touring bikes.

The TCC Challenge will take the brothers through the continents of Europe, Africa, Asia and Central America, putting their bikes through their paces by enduring some of the world’s most challenging terrain. They will be cycling unsupported but joined on various legs by some friends including Jon’s fiancée.

“It’s great to have my brother joining me” Jon says, “I’m sure they’ll be moments when we can’t stand each other but on the whole it will be a great morale booster and we do get on well, furthermore his sense of direction is far better than mine- I tend to get lost in a phone box so it’s a definite plus having him on board!”

Macmillan are currently running their ‘We’re Here’ campaign where they are aiming to reach the 2million people who are currently living with cancer. Orchid exists to save men’s lives from testicular, prostate and penile cancers through pioneering research and promoting awareness. Willow Foundation provides special days for seriously ill 16-40 year olds and similarly Starlight Children’s Foundation brightens the lives of seriously and terminally ill children by granting their wishes and providing hospital entertainment to help take their minds off the pain, fear and isolation of their illness.

tropic of cancer

City Banker to cycle the tropic of cancer in AID of Cancer awareness

City banker Jon Wright has given up his job with Barclays Wealth to cycle 11,000 miles along the Tropic of Cancer this October in aid of cancer awareness and the importance of early detection of the disease. Having been given the all clear from two unrelated cases of testicular cancer the 27 year old will raise funds for Macmillan, Orchid, Starlight and Willow Foundation.

Starting at the Bank of England, London, Jon and his brother Dom (32) will cycle 50 miles a day, for nine months, until they reach Havana, Cuba in time for the summer solstice 2010 to symbolise the long life which can be lived after cancer. The TCC Challenge (Tropic of Cancer for Cancer Challenge) will start on October 9^th 2009 and will finish on June 21^st 2010.

Jon and Dom are hoping to raise over £100,000 for their chosen cancer related charities. “I wanted to plan a huge physical and mental challenge to match the effect that cancer had on my life. The first time was not easy but I confronted it and got on with it. The second time was a rare occurrence as it was unrelated, that hit me extremely hard and prompted me to create something positive from my experience. I was determined to use my natural energy to travel a long distance to show that cancer hadn’t beaten me; one day I was looking at a world map for inspiration and came across the idea of travelling along the Tropic of Cancer and had a bit of a eureka moment, I totalled up the distance over land which, at 11,000 miles, ruled out walking (I’m not sure my fiancée would wait that long) so I thought about how feasible it would be to cycle. I had begun cycling short distances to regain my fitness following radiotherapy treatment and my passion for the sport was growing, cycling along the Tropic of Cancer seemed to tick all the boxes of what I hoped to achieve. Further research indicated that it’s not something which has been done before and the TCC (Tropic of Cancer for Cancer) Challenge was born.” Jon said.

He continues, “The key objective of this challenge is to raise awareness over the importance of early detection. If diagnosed early testicular cancer is easily treatable with a 99% cure rate, I want to reach out to those people who fear something may be wrong to go and get it checked out. Many men don’t feel comfortable talking about their testicles but if something as serious as testicular cancer is left untreated it will spread and eventually kill you, for me it was a no brainer- I’ve got a lot of living left to do.”

Jon’s story is even more remarkable given the fact that he was only a novice cyclist before he started training a year ago. “I think the furthest I’d cycled before I started training was around 10-15 miles. I started training for the TCC Challenge on my Ridgeback mountain bike that I did my paper round on at 12 years old!” Ironically the boys are now sponsored by Ridgeback and will embarking on their journey on Ridgeback Voyage and Panorama touring bikes.

The TCC Challenge will take the brothers through the continents of Europe, Africa, Asia and Central America, putting their bikes through their paces by enduring some of the world’s most challenging terrain. They will be cycling unsupported but joined on various legs by some friends including Jon’s fiancée.

“It’s great to have my brother joining me” Jon says, “I’m sure they’ll be moments when we can’t stand each other but on the whole it will be a great morale booster and we do get on well, furthermore his sense of direction is far better than mine- I tend to get lost in a phone box so it’s a definite plus having him on board!”

Macmillan are currently running their ‘We’re Here’ campaign where they are aiming to reach the 2million people who are currently living with cancer. Orchid exists to save men’s lives from testicular, prostate and penile cancers through pioneering research and promoting awareness. Willow Foundation provides special days for seriously ill 16-40 year olds and similarly Starlight Children’s Foundation brightens the lives of seriously and terminally ill children by granting their wishes and providing hospital entertainment to help take their minds off the pain, fear and isolation of their illness.

tropic of cancer

City Banker to cycle the tropic of cancer in AID of Cancer awareness

City banker Jon Wright has given up his job with Barclays Wealth to cycle 11,000 miles along the Tropic of Cancer this October in aid of cancer awareness and the importance of early detection of the disease. Having been given the all clear from two unrelated cases of testicular cancer the 27 year old will raise funds for Macmillan, Orchid, Starlight and Willow Foundation.

Starting at the Bank of England, London, Jon and his brother Dom (32) will cycle 50 miles a day, for nine months, until they reach Havana, Cuba in time for the summer solstice 2010 to symbolise the long life which can be lived after cancer. The TCC Challenge (Tropic of Cancer for Cancer Challenge) will start on October 9^th 2009 and will finish on June 21^st 2010.

Jon and Dom are hoping to raise over £100,000 for their chosen cancer related charities. “I wanted to plan a huge physical and mental challenge to match the effect that cancer had on my life. The first time was not easy but I confronted it and got on with it. The second time was a rare occurrence as it was unrelated, that hit me extremely hard and prompted me to create something positive from my experience. I was determined to use my natural energy to travel a long distance to show that cancer hadn’t beaten me; one day I was looking at a world map for inspiration and came across the idea of travelling along the Tropic of Cancer and had a bit of a eureka moment, I totalled up the distance over land which, at 11,000 miles, ruled out walking (I’m not sure my fiancée would wait that long) so I thought about how feasible it would be to cycle. I had begun cycling short distances to regain my fitness following radiotherapy treatment and my passion for the sport was growing, cycling along the Tropic of Cancer seemed to tick all the boxes of what I hoped to achieve. Further research indicated that it’s not something which has been done before and the TCC (Tropic of Cancer for Cancer) Challenge was born.” Jon said.

He continues, “The key objective of this challenge is to raise awareness over the importance of early detection. If diagnosed early testicular cancer is easily treatable with a 99% cure rate, I want to reach out to those people who fear something may be wrong to go and get it checked out. Many men don’t feel comfortable talking about their testicles but if something as serious as testicular cancer is left untreated it will spread and eventually kill you, for me it was a no brainer- I’ve got a lot of living left to do.”

Jon’s story is even more remarkable given the fact that he was only a novice cyclist before he started training a year ago. “I think the furthest I’d cycled before I started training was around 10-15 miles. I started training for the TCC Challenge on my Ridgeback mountain bike that I did my paper round on at 12 years old!” Ironically the boys are now sponsored by Ridgeback and will embarking on their journey on Ridgeback Voyage and Panorama touring bikes.

The TCC Challenge will take the brothers through the continents of Europe, Africa, Asia and Central America, putting their bikes through their paces by enduring some of the world’s most challenging terrain. They will be cycling unsupported but joined on various legs by some friends including Jon’s fiancée.

“It’s great to have my brother joining me” Jon says, “I’m sure they’ll be moments when we can’t stand each other but on the whole it will be a great morale booster and we do get on well, furthermore his sense of direction is far better than mine- I tend to get lost in a phone box so it’s a definite plus having him on board!”

Macmillan are currently running their ‘We’re Here’ campaign where they are aiming to reach the 2million people who are currently living with cancer. Orchid exists to save men’s lives from testicular, prostate and penile cancers through pioneering research and promoting awareness. Willow Foundation provides special days for seriously ill 16-40 year olds and similarly Starlight Children’s Foundation brightens the lives of seriously and terminally ill children by granting their wishes and providing hospital entertainment to help take their minds off the pain, fear and isolation of their illness.

Tawny Kitaen

Tawny Kitaen Arrested on Suspicion of DUI

Better get Dr. Drew on the phone.

Celebrity Rehab alum Tawny Kitaen was taken into custody Saturday afternoon near John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, Calif., on suspicion of driving under the influence. 

The 48-year-old former actress and reality star allegedly, "made contact with officers after operating a vehicle while under the influence," according to Sgt. Shontel Sherwood of the Newport Beach Police Department.

Kitaen, who has also appeared on VH1's The Surreal Life, was busted in 2006 on drug possession charges, after police found 15 grams of cocaine in her San Juan Capistrano apartment. 

The Whitesnake music video babe struck a plea deal with prosecutors in which they agreed to drop the felony drug charges after she completed a drug treatment program.

Tawny Kitaen

Tawny Kitaen Arrested on Suspicion of DUI

Better get Dr. Drew on the phone.

Celebrity Rehab alum Tawny Kitaen was taken into custody Saturday afternoon near John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, Calif., on suspicion of driving under the influence. 

The 48-year-old former actress and reality star allegedly, "made contact with officers after operating a vehicle while under the influence," according to Sgt. Shontel Sherwood of the Newport Beach Police Department.

Kitaen, who has also appeared on VH1's The Surreal Life, was busted in 2006 on drug possession charges, after police found 15 grams of cocaine in her San Juan Capistrano apartment. 

The Whitesnake music video babe struck a plea deal with prosecutors in which they agreed to drop the felony drug charges after she completed a drug treatment program.

Tawny Kitaen

Tawny Kitaen Arrested on Suspicion of DUI

Better get Dr. Drew on the phone.

Celebrity Rehab alum Tawny Kitaen was taken into custody Saturday afternoon near John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, Calif., on suspicion of driving under the influence. 

The 48-year-old former actress and reality star allegedly, "made contact with officers after operating a vehicle while under the influence," according to Sgt. Shontel Sherwood of the Newport Beach Police Department.

Kitaen, who has also appeared on VH1's The Surreal Life, was busted in 2006 on drug possession charges, after police found 15 grams of cocaine in her San Juan Capistrano apartment. 

The Whitesnake music video babe struck a plea deal with prosecutors in which they agreed to drop the felony drug charges after she completed a drug treatment program.

philippines weather

'10 dead, missing' as storm hits Philippines

At least 10 people were reported dead or missing and more than 1,800 were forced to evacuate as tropical storm Ketsana lashed the Philippines Saturday, officials and radio reports said.

The government declared Manila and 25 other provinces to be in a "state of calamity," Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said, as heavy rains brought by the storm caused the worst flooding seen in the capital in some 20 years.

A wall, weakened by floodwaters, collapsed in a suburb of Manila, killing a father and child while five children drowned in flooding elsewhere in the city, radio station DZMM said.

Three other people were swept away by a swollen river outside the capital, it said.

Over 1,800 people were forced to flee their homes and take refuge in evacuation centres due to rising waters, the civil defence office said.

Flooding was reported in many districts with waters in some areas reaching as high as the rooftops of one-storey buildings, the civil defence office said.

Power was cut in many parts of the city, partly due to flooding but also as a protective measure in some districts to prevent people attempting to escape the floodwaters from being electrocuted by fallen lines.

Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, who is also in charge of civil defence operations, said all the efforts of the police and the military were being concentrated on rescuing people trapped on rooftops.

But he said the flooding in the streets and the large numbers of stalled vehicles were giving rescue units "a hard time" in reaching those affected.

In a radio broadcast, he advised that "if you are on the roof, don't try to leave. Just remain there on the roof and we will do everything to rescue you."

He remarked that even he had to swim through chest-deep waters to reach his office.

The storm, bearing winds of 85 kilometres (53 miles) per hour with gusts of 100 kph, hit the main island of Luzon near the town of Infanta at about 0200 GMT Saturday, moving west at 19 kilometres per hour, the weather station said.

Government weather forecaster Gener Quitlong said the equivalent of one month's worth of rain fell on the city in less than a day.

"We knew there would be rain but not like this," Quitlong told reporters.

One of the three airport terminals in Manila was forced to cancel and divert flights after the flooding hampered its electrical system.

Local officials interviewed on radio said they were moving to evacuate more of their residents.

At least four hospitals in the capital had to move their patients to higher floors after water began seeping into lower levels.

The highways leading to metropolitan Manila were rendered impassable due to the huge number of vehicles stalled in the floodwaters.

Local officials made radio appeals asking rescue agencies to send rubber boats to rescue stranded people, some of whom had been on their rooftops all day and were panicking because of rising waters.

In a suburb of Manila, residents in a flooded area were seen rescuing children from rooftops by placing them in inflated inner tubes before dragging them to higher ground.

The second level of a three-step storm alert was raised over the eastern provinces of Luzon while the first level alert was hoisted over metropolitan Manila and surrounding areas, the government said.

The storm is expected to move west, across the main island of Luzon, before exiting the country early Sunday. The government weather station said it is weakening and that rains are likely to ease up after sundown.

An average of 20 typhoons and storms enter the Philippines from the Pacific Ocean over the eastern seaboard every year.

philippines weather

'10 dead, missing' as storm hits Philippines

At least 10 people were reported dead or missing and more than 1,800 were forced to evacuate as tropical storm Ketsana lashed the Philippines Saturday, officials and radio reports said.

The government declared Manila and 25 other provinces to be in a "state of calamity," Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said, as heavy rains brought by the storm caused the worst flooding seen in the capital in some 20 years.

A wall, weakened by floodwaters, collapsed in a suburb of Manila, killing a father and child while five children drowned in flooding elsewhere in the city, radio station DZMM said.

Three other people were swept away by a swollen river outside the capital, it said.

Over 1,800 people were forced to flee their homes and take refuge in evacuation centres due to rising waters, the civil defence office said.

Flooding was reported in many districts with waters in some areas reaching as high as the rooftops of one-storey buildings, the civil defence office said.

Power was cut in many parts of the city, partly due to flooding but also as a protective measure in some districts to prevent people attempting to escape the floodwaters from being electrocuted by fallen lines.

Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, who is also in charge of civil defence operations, said all the efforts of the police and the military were being concentrated on rescuing people trapped on rooftops.

But he said the flooding in the streets and the large numbers of stalled vehicles were giving rescue units "a hard time" in reaching those affected.

In a radio broadcast, he advised that "if you are on the roof, don't try to leave. Just remain there on the roof and we will do everything to rescue you."

He remarked that even he had to swim through chest-deep waters to reach his office.

The storm, bearing winds of 85 kilometres (53 miles) per hour with gusts of 100 kph, hit the main island of Luzon near the town of Infanta at about 0200 GMT Saturday, moving west at 19 kilometres per hour, the weather station said.

Government weather forecaster Gener Quitlong said the equivalent of one month's worth of rain fell on the city in less than a day.

"We knew there would be rain but not like this," Quitlong told reporters.

One of the three airport terminals in Manila was forced to cancel and divert flights after the flooding hampered its electrical system.

Local officials interviewed on radio said they were moving to evacuate more of their residents.

At least four hospitals in the capital had to move their patients to higher floors after water began seeping into lower levels.

The highways leading to metropolitan Manila were rendered impassable due to the huge number of vehicles stalled in the floodwaters.

Local officials made radio appeals asking rescue agencies to send rubber boats to rescue stranded people, some of whom had been on their rooftops all day and were panicking because of rising waters.

In a suburb of Manila, residents in a flooded area were seen rescuing children from rooftops by placing them in inflated inner tubes before dragging them to higher ground.

The second level of a three-step storm alert was raised over the eastern provinces of Luzon while the first level alert was hoisted over metropolitan Manila and surrounding areas, the government said.

The storm is expected to move west, across the main island of Luzon, before exiting the country early Sunday. The government weather station said it is weakening and that rains are likely to ease up after sundown.

An average of 20 typhoons and storms enter the Philippines from the Pacific Ocean over the eastern seaboard every year.

philippines weather

'10 dead, missing' as storm hits Philippines

At least 10 people were reported dead or missing and more than 1,800 were forced to evacuate as tropical storm Ketsana lashed the Philippines Saturday, officials and radio reports said.

The government declared Manila and 25 other provinces to be in a "state of calamity," Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said, as heavy rains brought by the storm caused the worst flooding seen in the capital in some 20 years.

A wall, weakened by floodwaters, collapsed in a suburb of Manila, killing a father and child while five children drowned in flooding elsewhere in the city, radio station DZMM said.

Three other people were swept away by a swollen river outside the capital, it said.

Over 1,800 people were forced to flee their homes and take refuge in evacuation centres due to rising waters, the civil defence office said.

Flooding was reported in many districts with waters in some areas reaching as high as the rooftops of one-storey buildings, the civil defence office said.

Power was cut in many parts of the city, partly due to flooding but also as a protective measure in some districts to prevent people attempting to escape the floodwaters from being electrocuted by fallen lines.

Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, who is also in charge of civil defence operations, said all the efforts of the police and the military were being concentrated on rescuing people trapped on rooftops.

But he said the flooding in the streets and the large numbers of stalled vehicles were giving rescue units "a hard time" in reaching those affected.

In a radio broadcast, he advised that "if you are on the roof, don't try to leave. Just remain there on the roof and we will do everything to rescue you."

He remarked that even he had to swim through chest-deep waters to reach his office.

The storm, bearing winds of 85 kilometres (53 miles) per hour with gusts of 100 kph, hit the main island of Luzon near the town of Infanta at about 0200 GMT Saturday, moving west at 19 kilometres per hour, the weather station said.

Government weather forecaster Gener Quitlong said the equivalent of one month's worth of rain fell on the city in less than a day.

"We knew there would be rain but not like this," Quitlong told reporters.

One of the three airport terminals in Manila was forced to cancel and divert flights after the flooding hampered its electrical system.

Local officials interviewed on radio said they were moving to evacuate more of their residents.

At least four hospitals in the capital had to move their patients to higher floors after water began seeping into lower levels.

The highways leading to metropolitan Manila were rendered impassable due to the huge number of vehicles stalled in the floodwaters.

Local officials made radio appeals asking rescue agencies to send rubber boats to rescue stranded people, some of whom had been on their rooftops all day and were panicking because of rising waters.

In a suburb of Manila, residents in a flooded area were seen rescuing children from rooftops by placing them in inflated inner tubes before dragging them to higher ground.

The second level of a three-step storm alert was raised over the eastern provinces of Luzon while the first level alert was hoisted over metropolitan Manila and surrounding areas, the government said.

The storm is expected to move west, across the main island of Luzon, before exiting the country early Sunday. The government weather station said it is weakening and that rains are likely to ease up after sundown.

An average of 20 typhoons and storms enter the Philippines from the Pacific Ocean over the eastern seaboard every year.

Australian Rules Football

Australian rules: Cats back on top

Paul Chapman kicked a match-high three goals and was named the game's most valuable player as the Geelong Cats won their second Australian Rules football title in three years, beating the St. Kilda Saints 12.8 (80) to 9. 14 (68) tonight.

Playing before 99,251 fans in rainy conditions and on a soggy pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Cats, from an industrial port city about an hour southwest of Melbourne, overcame a seven-point deficit after three quarters and prevented the Saints from scoring a goal in the final quarter.

St. Kilda, which had the best regular-season record in the Australian Football League this year, was attempting to win its second league title in its 113-year history, having won its only grand final in 1966.

Geelong won the AFL title in 2007 before losing last year's championship match to Hawthorn. The team has eight titles overall.

Cats forward Max Rooke clinched the victory with a goal after the final siren, with the end margin of 12 points the biggest that had separated the two teams all day.

"We were very, very lucky and we're very proud of what we've done," Geelong coach Mark Thompson said after his side kicked the only three goals of the final quarter.

Australian Rules Football

Australian rules: Cats back on top

Paul Chapman kicked a match-high three goals and was named the game's most valuable player as the Geelong Cats won their second Australian Rules football title in three years, beating the St. Kilda Saints 12.8 (80) to 9. 14 (68) tonight.

Playing before 99,251 fans in rainy conditions and on a soggy pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Cats, from an industrial port city about an hour southwest of Melbourne, overcame a seven-point deficit after three quarters and prevented the Saints from scoring a goal in the final quarter.

St. Kilda, which had the best regular-season record in the Australian Football League this year, was attempting to win its second league title in its 113-year history, having won its only grand final in 1966.

Geelong won the AFL title in 2007 before losing last year's championship match to Hawthorn. The team has eight titles overall.

Cats forward Max Rooke clinched the victory with a goal after the final siren, with the end margin of 12 points the biggest that had separated the two teams all day.

"We were very, very lucky and we're very proud of what we've done," Geelong coach Mark Thompson said after his side kicked the only three goals of the final quarter.

Australian Rules Football

Australian rules: Cats back on top

Paul Chapman kicked a match-high three goals and was named the game's most valuable player as the Geelong Cats won their second Australian Rules football title in three years, beating the St. Kilda Saints 12.8 (80) to 9. 14 (68) tonight.

Playing before 99,251 fans in rainy conditions and on a soggy pitch at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the Cats, from an industrial port city about an hour southwest of Melbourne, overcame a seven-point deficit after three quarters and prevented the Saints from scoring a goal in the final quarter.

St. Kilda, which had the best regular-season record in the Australian Football League this year, was attempting to win its second league title in its 113-year history, having won its only grand final in 1966.

Geelong won the AFL title in 2007 before losing last year's championship match to Hawthorn. The team has eight titles overall.

Cats forward Max Rooke clinched the victory with a goal after the final siren, with the end margin of 12 points the biggest that had separated the two teams all day.

"We were very, very lucky and we're very proud of what we've done," Geelong coach Mark Thompson said after his side kicked the only three goals of the final quarter.

soldier boy

Soulja Boy Fiance Photos - Meet Sexy Rosa Acosta!

Popular rapper, Soulja Boy, is sparking media attention this week with news of an engagement to his model girlfriend Rosa Acosta.

According to reports, Soulja Boy (not Soldier Boy) proposed to the dark-haired beauty sometime last week and the two are thrilled about planning the wedding.

So who is Rosa Acosta and what’s her story?

Well the Dominican Republic native is a model and an accomplished ballerina. She came to the US in 2006 to try and boost her modeling career. If she looks a little familiar to you, it’s probably because she’s appeared in music videos for P. Diddy, Drake, Mario and 50 Cent.

Soulja Boy and Rosa hardly have a high profile relationship, so why is the engagement sparking so much interest from mainstream media?

It appears that the couple is trying to keep the news under wraps, which only fuels media interest in the entertainment business.

Soulja Boy is known for sharing every intimate detail of his life with his friends on twitter but has failed to mention anything about an engagement to his loyal followers. Why so hush, hush?

News of the engagement has been confirmed by sources close to the couple but neither party have confirmed the news themselves. Do you think Soulja Boy is getting married – and what do you think of his fiancé?

soldier boy

Soulja Boy Fiance Photos - Meet Sexy Rosa Acosta!

Popular rapper, Soulja Boy, is sparking media attention this week with news of an engagement to his model girlfriend Rosa Acosta.

According to reports, Soulja Boy (not Soldier Boy) proposed to the dark-haired beauty sometime last week and the two are thrilled about planning the wedding.

So who is Rosa Acosta and what’s her story?

Well the Dominican Republic native is a model and an accomplished ballerina. She came to the US in 2006 to try and boost her modeling career. If she looks a little familiar to you, it’s probably because she’s appeared in music videos for P. Diddy, Drake, Mario and 50 Cent.

Soulja Boy and Rosa hardly have a high profile relationship, so why is the engagement sparking so much interest from mainstream media?

It appears that the couple is trying to keep the news under wraps, which only fuels media interest in the entertainment business.

Soulja Boy is known for sharing every intimate detail of his life with his friends on twitter but has failed to mention anything about an engagement to his loyal followers. Why so hush, hush?

News of the engagement has been confirmed by sources close to the couple but neither party have confirmed the news themselves. Do you think Soulja Boy is getting married – and what do you think of his fiancé?

soldier boy

Soulja Boy Fiance Photos - Meet Sexy Rosa Acosta!

Popular rapper, Soulja Boy, is sparking media attention this week with news of an engagement to his model girlfriend Rosa Acosta.

According to reports, Soulja Boy (not Soldier Boy) proposed to the dark-haired beauty sometime last week and the two are thrilled about planning the wedding.

So who is Rosa Acosta and what’s her story?

Well the Dominican Republic native is a model and an accomplished ballerina. She came to the US in 2006 to try and boost her modeling career. If she looks a little familiar to you, it’s probably because she’s appeared in music videos for P. Diddy, Drake, Mario and 50 Cent.

Soulja Boy and Rosa hardly have a high profile relationship, so why is the engagement sparking so much interest from mainstream media?

It appears that the couple is trying to keep the news under wraps, which only fuels media interest in the entertainment business.

Soulja Boy is known for sharing every intimate detail of his life with his friends on twitter but has failed to mention anything about an engagement to his loyal followers. Why so hush, hush?

News of the engagement has been confirmed by sources close to the couple but neither party have confirmed the news themselves. Do you think Soulja Boy is getting married – and what do you think of his fiancé?

Hiv Vaccine

HIV vaccine: five damaging Aids myths

The HIV vaccine has been hailed as a "milestone" in the fight against Aids, after decades during which scientists have struggled to counter false information about the virus.

Here we present five of the myths – rejected by almost all the medical community – that have deflected attention from mainstream opinion about how to save lives. 

Showering after sex prevents Aids
During his 2006 rape trial the current South African President Jacob Zuma revealed that he showered after having sex with an HIV-positive woman to reduce the risk of infection. The politician's views were condemned as ignorant and irresponsible in a country where more than five million people have Aids. 

HIV does not cause Aids

The overwhelming majority of scientists accept the link between HIV and Aids but a small band of sceptics continues to insist that the virus is either harmless or non-existent, and does not cause the syndrome. Their theory was picked up by Thabo Mbeki, the former South African president, who argued that poverty was the real cause of the Aids epidemic. Health activists accuse "Aids deniers – whose most prominent advocate is the US biologist Professor Peter Duesberg – of costing lives by convincing people not to take antiretroviral drugs. 

Aids is a CIA conspiracy
In the late 1980s rumours began to circulate claiming that Aids had been created by the US government as a biological weapon. There were various conflicting theories about who the CIA wished to target – Russians, homosexuals or Russians – and whether the disease was deliberately released or slipped out by mistake. No convincing evidence has been presented to support any of the claims. 

Anti-retroviral drugs actually cause Aids
The side-effects experienced by some people on HIV medication have led to questions about whether they do more harm than good. It has even been suggested that they are "toxic" and damage the human immune system, making patients more susceptible to contracting full-blown Aids. But large-scale statistical studies have shown that antiretroviral drugs substantially lower death rates. 

Aids can be transmitted by mosquitoes
Potentially fatal diseases such as malaria and yellow fever can be contracted through mosquito bites, so why not Aids? The crucial difference is how the diseases are transmitted. The insects inject saliva but not blood into their victims, and unlike malaria and yellow fever, Aids does not exist in saliva.

Hiv Vaccine

HIV vaccine: five damaging Aids myths

The HIV vaccine has been hailed as a "milestone" in the fight against Aids, after decades during which scientists have struggled to counter false information about the virus.

Here we present five of the myths – rejected by almost all the medical community – that have deflected attention from mainstream opinion about how to save lives. 

Showering after sex prevents Aids
During his 2006 rape trial the current South African President Jacob Zuma revealed that he showered after having sex with an HIV-positive woman to reduce the risk of infection. The politician's views were condemned as ignorant and irresponsible in a country where more than five million people have Aids. 

HIV does not cause Aids

The overwhelming majority of scientists accept the link between HIV and Aids but a small band of sceptics continues to insist that the virus is either harmless or non-existent, and does not cause the syndrome. Their theory was picked up by Thabo Mbeki, the former South African president, who argued that poverty was the real cause of the Aids epidemic. Health activists accuse "Aids deniers – whose most prominent advocate is the US biologist Professor Peter Duesberg – of costing lives by convincing people not to take antiretroviral drugs. 

Aids is a CIA conspiracy
In the late 1980s rumours began to circulate claiming that Aids had been created by the US government as a biological weapon. There were various conflicting theories about who the CIA wished to target – Russians, homosexuals or Russians – and whether the disease was deliberately released or slipped out by mistake. No convincing evidence has been presented to support any of the claims. 

Anti-retroviral drugs actually cause Aids
The side-effects experienced by some people on HIV medication have led to questions about whether they do more harm than good. It has even been suggested that they are "toxic" and damage the human immune system, making patients more susceptible to contracting full-blown Aids. But large-scale statistical studies have shown that antiretroviral drugs substantially lower death rates. 

Aids can be transmitted by mosquitoes
Potentially fatal diseases such as malaria and yellow fever can be contracted through mosquito bites, so why not Aids? The crucial difference is how the diseases are transmitted. The insects inject saliva but not blood into their victims, and unlike malaria and yellow fever, Aids does not exist in saliva.

Hiv Vaccine

HIV vaccine: five damaging Aids myths

The HIV vaccine has been hailed as a "milestone" in the fight against Aids, after decades during which scientists have struggled to counter false information about the virus.

Here we present five of the myths – rejected by almost all the medical community – that have deflected attention from mainstream opinion about how to save lives. 

Showering after sex prevents Aids
During his 2006 rape trial the current South African President Jacob Zuma revealed that he showered after having sex with an HIV-positive woman to reduce the risk of infection. The politician's views were condemned as ignorant and irresponsible in a country where more than five million people have Aids. 

HIV does not cause Aids

The overwhelming majority of scientists accept the link between HIV and Aids but a small band of sceptics continues to insist that the virus is either harmless or non-existent, and does not cause the syndrome. Their theory was picked up by Thabo Mbeki, the former South African president, who argued that poverty was the real cause of the Aids epidemic. Health activists accuse "Aids deniers – whose most prominent advocate is the US biologist Professor Peter Duesberg – of costing lives by convincing people not to take antiretroviral drugs. 

Aids is a CIA conspiracy
In the late 1980s rumours began to circulate claiming that Aids had been created by the US government as a biological weapon. There were various conflicting theories about who the CIA wished to target – Russians, homosexuals or Russians – and whether the disease was deliberately released or slipped out by mistake. No convincing evidence has been presented to support any of the claims. 

Anti-retroviral drugs actually cause Aids
The side-effects experienced by some people on HIV medication have led to questions about whether they do more harm than good. It has even been suggested that they are "toxic" and damage the human immune system, making patients more susceptible to contracting full-blown Aids. But large-scale statistical studies have shown that antiretroviral drugs substantially lower death rates. 

Aids can be transmitted by mosquitoes
Potentially fatal diseases such as malaria and yellow fever can be contracted through mosquito bites, so why not Aids? The crucial difference is how the diseases are transmitted. The insects inject saliva but not blood into their victims, and unlike malaria and yellow fever, Aids does not exist in saliva.

Houston Weather

Heavy rush-hour rains snarling Houston roads

Early morning rain showers have swamped some roads and made others slick, contributing to fender benders and other mishaps that are snarling traffic. 

But emergency crews are working quickly to clear the wrecks and so far, few remain in traffic lanes for long.

Houston TranStar officials report water on the ramps at West Sam Houston Tollway north and sound bound at Clay Road. 

Traffic also is backed up because of a single-car crash on the west tollway northbound at W. Gulf Bank. 

A two-car collision is snarling northbound traffic on U.S. 59 near Texas 288. The wreck occurred about 8:20 a.m. 

Traffic is stacking up after a two-car collision on the North Sam Houston Tollway westbound a T.C. Jester about 8:30 a.m. 

Heavy downpours are expected throughout the day as a mild cold front approaches the Houston area.

As much as 3 inches of rain is expected in some spots today, making street flooding possible, according to the National Weather Service.

The front is expected to hit the region later today or early Wednesday and forecasters said the rainfall will continue through at least Friday as the weather system moves toward the coastline. Then it will shift north, taking the showers with it.

The area should dry out for the weekend.

Temperatures are expected to drop slightly behind the front. 

Today, the high temperature will be in the mid 80s and the low will be about 70 degrees. An 80 percent chance of rain is forecast.

Some high winds are possible during the rainfall, but forecasters said few severe thunderstorms are likely.

More rain is on tap for Wednesday, when a 70-percent chance of thunderstorms and showers is forecast. 

The high will struggle to reach about 80 degrees as the front passes through. The low will be near 70.

The front is expected to reach the coastline and move off shore by Thursday, but rain will continue to rake the area while the weather system moves north, said Kent Prochazka, a weather service meteorologist.

Temperatures begin to climb Thursday, when the high will be in the mid 80s and the low will be in the low 70s.

The high temperature Friday will be in the upper 80s and the low will be near 70.

Late Saturday, the area begins to dry out. Rain chances drop to 20 percent, and by Sunday only a slight chance of showers is predicted.

The high temperature each day will be near 88 degrees and the low will be in the low 70s under mostly cloudy skies.

Sunny skies and no rain are expected early next week with high temperatures near 90 degrees.