Apple’s iPhone 5 September 2012 Release: Fact or Fiction

No iPhone 5 has arrived since last year. This 2012, it is rumored that Apple will finally launch the new iPhone device. Are the rumors mere gossips or based on facts?

A report on iMore reveals that iPhone 5 will be presented on September 12, 2012 and will be released on the 21st of the same month.

Apple may have never given any statement to confirm the launching date of the new generation iPhone. However, iMore claims that their sources are believable and proven accurate.
iMore’s Rene Ritchie further wrote:

“The iPad mini will be announced at the same September 12 event, as will the new iPod nano. We haven't heard a release date for the iPad mini yet, but it could be the same as the iPhone 5. It seems likely the new iPod touch will make an appearance on September 12 as well, though we haven't heard any specific information about that yet either.”

App4Phone also backs the update regarding iPhone 5’s September launching, citing Chinese manufacturer sources.

Macotakara, a Japanese Apple blog, claims:
"According to Asian reliable source, next iPhone will be released in September or October, and this cycle seems to be kept for years.”

In March, it was learned that Apple is targeting October for the release of the new generation iPhone which has working names “iPhone 5, 1” and “iPhone 5, 2”.

Apple launched iPhone 4S on October 4 last year. Traditionally, Apple introduces one iPhone device every year.

Rumors have it that the iPhone 4S successor will feature a 4-inch screen, 4G LTE radio, A5X chipset and a new micro dock connector.

Josh Smith of Gotta Be Mobile wrote that the upcoming iPhone device will be thinner, use a water-proof dock connector and have better microphones.

The rumors continue gaining mixed reactions from consumers. Some are excited to upgrade their 4S phones, while others are not thrilled to spend their money on the new Apple product.
A notable comment on the CNN site asserts “Isn't the iPhone 5 supposed to be 4G capable, unlike every iPhone before it so far?”

Some are wondering if the new product will make it big, just like its predecessor. Last year iPhone 4S sold four million units during its first three days of release, making the Apple product the fastest-selling gadget of all time.

Despite media hype, experts are still unconvinced that Apple will dominate the market if iPhone 5 is released. A Digi Times analysis claims that Android will still grab 70% of the worldwide market share by the end of 2012.

Smith, in another analysis, wrote:
“Apple is counting on the iPhone 5 to take on the Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note 2 and the HTC One series. This year the competition has stepped it up, so we expect more than a fresh coat of paint on the iPhone 4S body.”

Apple may be enjoying top media coverage brought by the much anticipated iPhone 5. Regarding the rumors, everything will be confirmed at the press launching on September 9.

What do you think of iPhone 5? Will it impress McKayla Maroney? To join polls about iPhone 5, visit PollPursuit.

Impressive McKayla Maroney

To win gold in the 2012 Olympics, all McKayla Maroney had to do was to land on her feet. However she failed to do it, ending the game with a silver medal on vault. 

Her American team won gold and Maroney has the credit for qualifying the team to the Team Finals. After the competition, the 16-year old athlete stood on the media podium with a sour facial reaction. 

Maroney was photographed and later became an overnight internet sensation.

The Impressive Olympic Journey

Everyone was expecting Maroney, who stands 5’3”, to bring home a gold medal on vault.  She attended professional trainings and won big in international gymnastics contests like the World 

Championships, Visa Championships, Secret US Classic and the CoverGirl Classic events.

"My mother put me in gymnastics because I had so much energy and I was always running around, so she thought gymnastics might take away some of the insane amounts of energy, " recalled Maroney.

To prepare for the London Olympics, the athlete underwent an extensive training under the instruction of Arthur Akopyan and Galina Marinova. In June, she suffered a nasal fracture and a mild concussion.  She missed a landing while warming up during the Visa Championships.

Her training for the Olympics made her previous bone break in the toe of her right foot worse. She said her broken bone hurt but still managed to ignore the pain.

"Bad things happen, you just have to make the best of it," claimed Maroney.

In the Olympics, her team was qualified in first place and the team members were individually qualified in first place to the Final Vault. She won a silver medal with a score of 15.083, despite her fall on her second vault.

“You can't always be perfect. Sometimes things don't go as planned,” remarked the gymnast.

She admitted that her hands did not really touch the vaults. The gold medal was given to Russia’s Sandra Izbasa.

 “For every competition, I just went in there with confidence in myself and in my team, and each day it felt like I gained more and more experience,” shared Maroney.

The Unimpressive Meme

A picture of Maroney standing on the media podium with a sour facial expression went viral on the internet.

“A new Tumblr called 'McKayla Is Not Impressed' places the scowling teen wearing her silver medal next to some iconic moments in history, though none appear significant enough to break a smile onto McKayla's face,” reported in the Daily Mail Reporter.

Among the events showed in the pictures included the capture of Osama Bin Laden and the landing of NASA’s Team Curiosity on Mars. A Twitter parody account was also created by anonymous individuals to make fun of her “unimpressed” expression.

She uploaded a picture on Twitter showing her and two teammates in an “unimpressed” reaction after their attempt to take a dip in the Olympic village swimming pool was turned down.

Mike Blake of Reuters wrote:

“Maroney is talented, funny, charismatic, and is the owner of one of the all-time greatest bitch faces in history. I want to see what her high school is like: Is she the queen bee? Is she a dork? I don't know, and it's reality TV's job to tell me.”

Do you agree that Maroney should be offered a reality show? Impress Maroney with your thoughts, and get a chance to win an impressive 250 USD-worth voucher from PollPursuit. Log in to your Facebook account and visit Pollpursuit now.

Snoop Dogg’s Transformation to Snoop Lion

Say goodbye to Snoop Dogg and give Snoop Lion a warm welcome. According to the American singer, he changed his name while undergoing a spiritual and artistic rebirth in Jamaica.

Snoop narrated how he acquired his new name: 

"I went to the temple, where the high priest asked me what my name was, and I said, 'Snoop Dogg'. And he looked me in my eyes and said: 'No more. You are the light. You are the lion.' From that moment on, it's like I had started to understand why I was there."

Upon returning from Jamaica, he did not just introduce a new name. He also announced that he was shifting his music genre from rap to reggae which he considers “fresh air”.

“As a 40-year-old man ... I've got to give them something, said he. That's what you do when you're wise.”

Before Snoop Doggy and Snoop Lion Were Born

Snoop was born Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr. in California. His mother started calling him “Snoopy” because of his physical appearance. Singers Brandy and Ray J are his cousins.

At age 5, he was already playing the piano. After graduating from high school, Snoop was arrested for procession of cocaine.

He was frequently in trouble with drugs and the law as a young man. Even when he was rising to fame, Snoop was arrested several times. He was charged for the murder of a man who was believed to be a member of Snoop’s gang’s rival, and was later acquitted. Later, he was sued for assaulting a fan on stage during his concert in 2005.

Recently Snoop has been banned from entering Norway for two years, after he tried entering the country with eight grams of cannabis. He was also found to be carrying an amount of money more than what was legally allowed. Snoop’s lawyer noted that they will not appeal the ban and that Snoop could “live with the decision”.

What is Behind the Name “Snoop Lion”?

News about Snoop Dogg changing his name broke with mixed reactions from the public.

“Say hello to well known ganja merchant and highly-paid singing whisperer Snoop Dogg, wrote Chris Starr of Heckler Spray. Or Snoop Lion, because the man has become leonine incarnate (or something).”

Author and fashion critic Derek Blasberg took to Twitter reacting "I just don't understand. When I got on the plane he was called Snoop Dogg, and when I got off the plane he was called Snoop Lion”.

Others were not shocked with the news report believing it was normal for people to change their name. One of the earlier celebrities who did the same was British singer Cat Stevens who is now Yusuf Islam.

According to Snoop, his transformation was inspired by reggae legend Bob Marley. Before recording his new reggae album “Reincarnated”, he even first got a blessing from Marley’s son Rohan.

"You can hear the message in some of the songs, Snoop told MTV News. You can hear the positivity and the strength and the struggle."

He concluded by saying he is the reincarnation of Bob Marley.

Do you believe he is really the reincarnation of Bob Marley? Join the online poll about Snoop Dogg or  Snoop Lion on Facebook. Visit Pollpursuit now.

James Holmes and the Nightmare

James Holmes finished an undergraduate degree in Neuroscience with the highest honors. He never had a criminal record and was never involved in a serious trouble. However he became a dreadful subject when he allegedly opened fire on a Colorado theater audience, killing 12 and wounding 58. Holmes is now facing 24 counts of first degree murder, 116 counts of attempted murder, possession of explosive devices, and inciting violence.

The Once Brilliant Student

Twenty-four years old Holmes was a big fan of superheroes. He decorated his apartment with Batman collectibles. He dyed his hair red believing he can be The Joker, Batman's nemesis.

Holmes enrolled as a Ph. D. student in Neuroscience at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Colorado. He won a government scholarship due to his outstanding academic achievements.

The son of a nurse and a mathematician was raised Lutheran. He played soccer, just like any other normal kid. It was reported that Holmes was a shy boy. His seniors said he was a stubborn kid.

"It was really hard for him to say anything, Jerry Borgie, senior pastor at Penasquitos Lutheran Church in San Diego, where the Holmes family worshipped, told the CS Monitor. You had to ask yes or no questions."

Weeks before the shooting, the once brilliant student failed tests and decided to quit schooling. Records have it that Holmes purchased guns and other weapons legally. He even applied to join a gun club, but never appeared for an orientation.

America's Nightmare

On July 20, 2012, movie-goers flocked inside a movie theater in Colorado to watch the midnight screening of the Batman film The Dark Knight Rises.

Police reports confirm that the perpetrator bought a ticket and went inside the theater, just like other viewers. After 20 minutes, the perpetrator moved out of the theater house using the emergency exit.

When the perpetrator returned through the exit door, he was already dressed in black. He was wearing a gas musk, a load-bearing vest, a ballistic helmet, bullet-resistant leggings, a throat protector, a groin protector and tactical gloves. Only a few in the audience thought the well-costumed man was dangerous.

The perpetrator then threw a canister emitting a smoke irritating the eyes of the moviegoers, then fired guns continuously. The worst gun-shooting incident in America took place.

The first 911 call was recorded at 12:39AM. Some people in the audience tweeted the ongoing incident, rather than calling the police. Police arrived within 90 seconds. The perpetrator was seized behind the movie house next to his car. He did not resist and allegedly introduced himself as The Joker. He was jailed and now facing multiple criminal cases.

The Shooting Aftermath

The Dark Knight Rises made it to the box office, gaining more than $30 M in midnight showings. It gained extensive international news coverage after the shooting.

Christian Bale, who played Batman in the movie, visited survivors in the hospital without announcing. He also joined a memorial service for the victims of the shooting. Meanwhile, Warner Brothers suspended TV ads and marketing campaigns of the movie in some countries.

Some critics put the blame on the effect of the movie. After the attack, cops arrested another armed man in Washington. The man was also saying he was The Joker.

The incident also sparked political debates regarding gun regulation in the United States. With critics calling for a gun ban, Senate majority leader Harry Reid told the press that it was too soon following the tragedy to have a discussion.

"I think we should just wait for a reasonable period of time before people are off making statements about what they should do and what they shouldn't do," said Reid.

When is the proper time to hold a new gun regulation discussion? Join the survey now and grab a chance to win a 250 USD -worth iTunes/Amazon voucher. Visit Pollpursuit - A Facebook Application now.

2012 Teen Choice AwardsBuzz

Taylor Swift’s home must be running out of space for her trophies and medals. After her big wins during the American Music Awards, Grammy Awards, BMI Awards and Country Music Association Awards, the 22-year old country singer just brought home five surfboards from the recent Teen Choice Awards.

Other Teen Choices

Behind Swift was Canadian singer Justin Bieber who received four awards, then X Factor UK group One Direction with three. Former Canadian Idol finalist Carly Rae Jepsen also celebrated during the event in Los Angeles after her song “Call Me Maybe” got the Song of the Summer nod.

Among the most applauded people in the winners’ list were Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner who all star in the upcoming Twilight saga finale. “This award especially is an extreme honour”, expressed Lautner when he received his surfboard.

Among the other winners included Selena Gomez, Zac Efron, Jonah Hill, Rihanna, Glee and Maroon 5. Demi Lovato, who just joined Simon Cowell in the panel of judges on the second season of the X Factor US, was the evening’s host, together with Glee’s Kevin McHale.

The awards were voted on by teenagers worldwide. During the ceremony, Lovato announced that there were over 134 million votes in all.

Battle of Outfits

Actress-singer Gomez was celebrating her birthday during the awards night. She just turned 20. She wore a simple pink dress.  She was spotted hugging her best friend Swift who admitted that they do not see each other more frequently due to busy schedules.

Gomez’s boyfriend Bieber was in a Michael Jackson-inspired dancewear.

Kristen Stewart climbed up the stage in a pair of sexy leather pants and a blazer to get her surfboard, while summer breakthrough singer Jepsen appeared before the audience in a silky purple romper.

One of the most-dressed attendees was Lovato. She sparkled in a feathered mini-dress by Falguni and Shane Peacock. In the later part of the show, the host changed into another sexy ensemble, which boasted a revealing neckline. Among the celebrities who were present during ceremony, it was only Lovato who gained not-so-good publicity for her earlier attire. Mothers watching the coverage on Fox were wondering if the host was wearing bra or not.

Online Polls

Not all the winners during the Teen Choice Awards received a 100% approval rating from online polling sites. However, some sites agree with the results. Example, a Guardian poll shows that 68% says Swift is their favorite while only 32% prefers Bieber (as of 07/24/2012).

On the other hand, The Hollywood Gossip is comparing gowns worn by the attendees. One poll allows visitors to pick between the gown of Lea Michele from Glee and that of Lucy Hale from Pretty Little Liars. Michele’s gown has been chosen by 51.5% while Hale’s has the other 48.6% (as of 07/24/2012).

Lovato’s fashion that night is also a trending topic now. An AOL Music poll has it that 73.1% thinks that her earlier outfitis a “hit”, while only 9% says it is a “miss”. Currently, she is the leading choice in a Pop Crush poll on best-dressed people during the Teen Choice Awards.

Answer online polls about the winners of Teen Choice Awards 2012. Judge if Swift deserved all the five awards or not. Predict also who is going to win big in the upcoming Emmy Awards. Visit PollPursuit on Facebook now.

Kim Jong-un’s North Korea

“Powerful and prosperous nation” is North Korea’s motto when translated in English. With guiding principles from its legendary founders, NoKor closed its door to foreign influences as part of its self-prescribed process of becoming a well-built nation in the Korean peninsula. NoKorhas become a “private” country in Asia, with essential information kept secret from the rest of the world.

Until today, no good number of pictures or videos is available to give a glimpse of what is happening inside the country. News media bodies, the leading sources of facts about a country, are not given full access to cover stories in Pyongyang, the country’s capital city. Foreign volunteers, who bring donations from international organizations, are required to surrender their recording devices as to control the disclosure of information about the current situation of North Koreans.

 Kim Jong-un: the New Face of NoKor After the death of former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in December last year, the young Kim Jong-un took the highest position in their government. The moment he was installed as the new head of NoKor, everyone started asking “who is he?” Kim Jong-un’s exact age is unknown. News reports, with sources from China and South Korea, say that the leader was born on January 8, 1983. Others claim he was born in 1984. The new leader was educated in Switzerland. He was described as a shy student, and a huge fan of basketball. He was not even the first choice of his father to succeed in the throne.

The first choice was his eldest half-brother Kim Jong-namwho was caught attempting to enter Japan using a fake passport. Kim Jong-nam’s plan was to visit Tokyo Disneyland. Speculations about Kim Jong-un continue trending, with North Korea state media not giving any confirmations or clarifications about the hearsays. The “Disneyfication” of North Korea In early July, pictures showing Kim Jong-unand other military leaders being entertained by Disney characters during a concert called “Moranbong” surfaced on the internet. As seen in the pictures, members of a North Korean band were dressed up as Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Minnie Mouse and other Disney characters. According to news reports, state-run Korean Central News Agency never mentioned about the Disney characters during its coverage of the concert. As everyone knows, Disney is an American brand.

Everyone was then wondering what the American characters were doing in a country that once closed its door to western culture.According to the Disney management, North Korea has not obtained any right to use the characters. Moreover, it was not just the use of Disney characters that was put on hot seat. The world was also wondering about the lady who was beside the young leader in the pictures. The woman might be Kim Jong-un’s Mrs. Right, sister or simply a workmate. Later on, it was said that the lady is a divorcee and an admirer of Kim Jong-un. In the past few years, news about North Korea revolved around its nuclear power plants.

In fact, NoKor is the latest country to join the nuclear club in 2006. The tension between the North and South Korea became an international headline when NoKor released statements saying it can use its nuclear resources to turn South Korea into ashes. One of the latest nuclear-related news reports about NoKor was its failed missile test that gained international opposition.As long as North Korea has its doors closed; the rest of the world keeps on digging for more information about the country. The unexpected reports are a sign that the once private country is starting to welcome changes.

Kicking Euro 2012 Football Polls

With every successful goal, the applause from the audience gets louder and louder. Sixteen football teams in the 2012 European Football Championship or more popularly called Euro 2012 are competing with each other to grab a slot in the upcoming Federation Internationale de Football Association or FIFA.

 This year’s Euro Cup is hosted by both Poland and Ukraine. It will run through July 1. The competition started on June 8, with millions of people wondering who among their idols will shine the brightest. Will it be Alan Dzagoev, Mario Gomez, Mario Mandzukic or Cristiano Ronaldo?

 Some football fanatics intentionally flew to the two countries to personally see their idols and visit the edifices that were made purposely for the international event. Among the most visited venues of the Euro 2012 include the Donbass Arena in Ukraine and the Municipal Stadium in Poland.

 Euro Cup Matches

The first semi-final game of the Euro 2012 featured Iberian rivals Portugal and Spain. The score was 4-2 in penalty, in favor of Spain. The winner of the upcoming Italy-Germany match will play against Spain on the first of July.

Last July 24, Italy won over England, 4-2 on penalties. According to football experts, Italy appeared superior to England during the fight. German football manager Jurgen Klinsman admitted that he was impressed with how Italy controlled the entire game

Another memorable match was the Germany-Greece game. Germany won the match, 4-2. All matches since the first day of the event are well-covered by news groups that broadcast results to millions of viewers worldwide.

The next and last semi-final match is expected to gather more crowds at Poland’s National Stadium where Italy will fight against Germany. In the tournament’s history, Germany never defeated Italy. Thus, this year’s Euro Cup will be historical if Germany will defeat Italy.

 The much-anticipated final match will take place at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine.

 Euro Cup 2012 Football Polls

 After updating their readers about the results of the latest Euro Cup games, news sites and sports blogs solicit for opinions regarding anything concerning the latest games. One of theissues that Guardian tackled is the banning of the England band which was allowed to play into the remaining games.

Results have it that 82.9% believes that the band should be banned, while the remaining 17.1% says otherwise. SkySports is conducting an online survey about the recent England-Italy game. The question goes “Who was England’s man of the match against Italy”. The initial results show that 41% of respondents say it was John Terry, 33.1% sayit was Glen Johanson, 15.7% say it was Joe Hart, 6.8% say it was Joleon Lescott, and only 3.4% say it was Ashley Cole. Team Talk also ran the same poll. Still, Johanson led with 40.99%. Then comes Terry with 21.62%, Hart with 20.27%, Cole with 4.95%, and Lescott with 2.7%. Between Portugal and Spain, a Castrol Football survey shows that Spain (68%) will win over Portugal (32%). Meanwhile, aFootball.cofootball survey predicts that Germany will win the entire competition. Fifty-two percent (15%) of respondents foresee Germany as the overall winner while 15%see Spain winning the trophy.

Spain also received the highest number of clicks in the Indiana Express online poll that requests readers to vote for the country that they like to win in the competition. Coming behind are Italy and Germany. Who do you think will win in the Euro 2012? Vote for your team now! Join PollPursuit and watch out if your answer is correct on July 1.

The Mobile OS War Poll

The world’s largest tech companies are part of the genius race to control the mobile operating system market. Google, Apple, Microsoft and Blackberry are among the companies that spend millions of dollars to develop or improve operating systems that become either a hit or a flop when released to the curiously eager market. Experts compare the user interface, application availability, performance and device support features of every mobile OS in an attempt to help users choose a smart phone to suit their needs.

Where to Go: Apple Store or Google Play?

Apple is a well-established company that currently has a firm foothold in the mobile industry, while Google is a widely-known competitor traces its roots in the search engine service industry. Both companies are racing head-to-head to develop exclusive OS treats for their customers. Unquestionably, the two brands are the major players in the mobile OS market.
In 2007, Apple Store released the very first iPhone OS, which was eventually branded as “iOS”. The user interface of iOS is based on the idea of direct manipulation using multi-touch gestures. The four abstraction layers of the Apple Store product are called the Core OS, the Core Services, the Media and the Cocoa Touch.

Android was originally developed by a number of companies before Google purchased it in 2006. Android, a Linux-based OS, can be downloaded through the company’s online store Google Play. Among the most popular features of the OS are tethering, screen capture, multi-touch and java support.


The two may be the most popular operating systems due mainly to media hypes and massive promotional activities by their respective marketing and advertising teams. However, there are other alternatives to the two, like RIM’s BlackBerry OS, Samsung’s bada and Nokia’s Symbian OS.
Mobile Operating System Surveys Android and iOS are the two hottest names in the mobile OS industry. These two are always placed as options in online polls, especially when the poll seeks to the name the best mobile OS.


What are online surveys recognizing the leader in mobile OS? A Zero Expiry survey says that Android is ahead of the Apple OS, as of 06-20-2012. Android gets 53.33% while iOS gets 40%. The remaining respondents like other operating systems.


The same pro-Android results are shown in a survey by “Make Use Of”, a site for techies. The survey question goes “which mobile OS is your current phone running?” Besides the iOS and Android, the survey included Windows Phone, Blackberry OS, Nokia Symbian and Samsung bada as choices. The leading answer is still Android (53.13%) and iOS comes second (23.6%), as of 06-20-12.

Other online polls favor Apple iOS as the leading OS in the market. Moreover, a survey conducted by PC Mag for its Reader’s Choice Awards showed big revelations. The survey results that were released last March declared both Windows Phone 7 and Apple iOS as kings of mobile operating systems with a rate of 8.7 (out of 10). Android comes second with 7.9 points. Behind are Palm WebOS (7.7), Symbian (7.4), Windows Mobile (7.0) and Blackberry OS (6.8). The survey based its results on the satisfaction ratings give by OS users.

In the ongoing battle for supremacy, Google Play and Apple Store continue to develop new features that fit the lifestyle of a modern man. From time to time, new adds-on are introduced to the market.
Minor OS companies execute promotional activities and quality upgrades to attempt crashing into the race.

Join the talk on mobile operating systems. PollPursuit, a Facebook app, tracks the latest buzz in the mobile OS war. Visit and like PollPursuit’s facebook page at or try the facebook application at Pollpursuit now.

Cooking Show Polls: Which Show is More Delicious?

Cooking shows on TV are both educational and entertaining. Current kitchen managers and future culinary artists learn techniques on how to make sumptuous dishes from cooking shows; at the same time, learning funny and dramatic stories behind each recipe.

Mothers and chef wannabes love to spend hours watching cooking shows on TV or online. The shows test the creativity of cooks to prepare new appetizers, dishes and desserts that a cook can serve during special occasions and even normal family mealtimes.

The Next Food Network Star, Chopped, Dinner: Impossible, Iron Chef, Top Chef, Hell’s Kitchen and Masterchef are among the most popular cooking shows of the time and are responsible for showcasing food preparation as a new genre in TV entertainment.

Celebrity Chefs

One of the proven ingredients to a successful TV show is the “celebrity touch”. Producers pick famous personalities to appear in segments, to infuse some Hollywood flavors into the show in an attempt to increase viewership and fan base. This strategy attempts to portray the realistic lives of famous celebrities who also cook and dine like regular people.

Cooking shows capture how celebrities chop onions, mix beverages, create new enticing flavors, make personalized dishes and decorate salads.

One show which featured celebrities is “Rachel VS. Guy: Celebrity Cook –Off”. In the show, Rachael Ray and Guy Fieri compete as mentors to their teams which were composed of famous personalities like Aaron Carter, Taylor Dayne, Coolio and Cheech Marin. Actor Lou Diamond Phillips of Team Rachel was declared winner, after six episodes of the show.

The Iron Chef Saga

In 1992, the very first Iron Chef episode was broadcast in Japan. Episodes of the show were dubbed in English and were eventually brought to the United States and Australia. The format of the program was then franchised to make international editions of the show.

Iron Chef America started in 2004 and gained massive publicity especially to homemakers. It featured American chefs like Bobby Flay, Marion Batali and Wolfgang Puck. Iron Chef UK debuted in 2010 and was hosted by Olly Smith and Nick Nairn.

Other successful local versions of the internationally famed Iron Chef show include Iron Chef Australia, Iron Chef Thailand and Iron Chef Vietnam.

The King and Queen of the Kitchen

The Food Network is currently conducting a survey to identify the “favorite World Series sandwich?” Choices are “Texas Steak Sandwich with a smoky salsa verde” and “St. Louis Steak Sandwich with

St. Louis-style BBQ sauce and cheddar cheese”. As of the second week of June, the second recipe entry is the leading choice of viewers/voters/respondents.

The survey is in relation to the network’s cooking show “Chopped All-Stars”. Contestants of the show are Marcela Valladolid, Keegan Gerhard, Jeffrey Saad, Arti Sequeira and other notable cooks.

During the 17th season of MasterChef New Zealand, Chelsea Winter won a survey on Stuff.co.nz which tried to foresee the winner of the show. However, Winter’s rival Ana Schwarz won the title during the finale aired in June. In the survey, Chelsea gained 1309 votes while Schwarz was voted by 785 fans only.

Surveys help in predicting winners of cooking shows, which are mostly participated in by cooking stars to win money for their favorite charity institutions. However, some survey results do not reflect the score sheet of the actual competition.

Participate in polls that cover top-rated cooking shows. Try out the PollPursuit application on Facebook at Pollpursuit or “Like” our page and enjoy sharing opinions regarding your favorite cooking masters and their recipes.

The Euro Zone Crisis and Economic Polls

Some European countries are being haunted by an ongoing economic crisis that started in 2007.  The main challenge for these countries is to raise the amount of money they needed to pay their debt, without involving a bailout from third-party groups like the European Union.

The World Bank has already warned the Euro Zone. With the controversial crisis, Andrew Burns of the international financial institution believes that the world is at a “very difficult juncture”. In the past few months, there were calls to create a new set of strategies that would help replenish the ailing economy of the involved European countries. Last week, Christine Lagarde of the International Monetary Fund, advised for a very accommodating monetary policy, direct supports to banks and growth-friendly fiscal policies.

Europe Crisis Countries

The question is simple: should the European Union bailout its members that are in crisis or not? According to Debate Wise, if the EU will provide a bailout, a domino effect will take place. On the other hand, these countries will be forced to leave the Euro zone if they are left alone.

Last October 2011, a meeting in Paris tackled about a list of solutions to the debt crisis. Days after, finance ministers approved a bailout for Greece (second assistance for the once wealthy country). Banks were urged to raise more capital to protect them from losses resulting from any future government defaults.

In January 2012, France lost its top AAA credit rating from Standard and Poor’s.  The failure of Euro Zone leaders to deal with the debt crisis was blamed. Italy, Austria, Spain, Cyprus and Portugal were cut two notches.

Some experts were already claiming the Euro Zone crisis is triggering another global recession.  Unemployment in 17 EU countries rose to 10.7% in January 2012, from 10.6% in December.  In 27 EU countries, 24.3 million people are now unemployed. The European Central Bank provided further 530B Euros of low-interest loans to 800 banks across Europe to help in the crisis.

Last April, the Italian government cut its growth forecast for the economy in 2012. Spain found a new relief on the result of its recent bond auction. France also held a bond auction and was able to sell 10.5B Euros in medium-term debt.

Economic Surveys

Pew Global Attitudes Project released survey results in the last week of May 2012 on how favorable is the EU. Involved respondents are people from Britain, Germany, Spain, Italy, Greece, Poland and the Czech Republic. The “EU favorable” average rating turns out to be 60%. The “EU integration strengthened economy” average rating is 34%, and the “EC Bank favorable rating” is 39%.

The survey also tackled about some stereotyping issues in Europe. It was revealed that the known Most Hardworking is Germany, while most countries picked Greece to be the Least Hardworking. The most corrupt is Italy, while the least corrupt is Germany (unanimously).

Moreover, a Gallup Economy survey shows that 49% of Americans admitted of tracking news about the European financial situation. Only 29% said they are not following reports on the crisis in Europe.

The Guardian has been consistent in providing online economic polls to measure public opinion regarding the 4-year old crisis. Its recent poll discovers that 73.1% of respondents believe that Spain needs a bailout, while the remaining 26.9% insists that Spain does not need one. Another poll deals with the issue on whether the exit of Greece from the Euro Zone is inevitable or not. Fifty-nine point one percent chose “yes” while 40.9% picked “no”.

The world is worried about the future of the Euro Zone. The crisis has been causing massive unemployment, inflation, public debt and negative projections of Europe. PollPursuit a Facebook application, likes to know what the public thinks about the crisis.

The 2012 London Olympics Countdown Polls

London is hosting this year's Summer Olympic Games. The capital city of England is gathering a very big crowd from July 27 to September 9 this year. While waiting for the games to start, online polling sites has already been conducting sport polls to learn about the viewpoints of people about issues concerning the upcoming international occasion.

Sport Polls Left and Right
One hundred days before the London Olympics, BBC released a new poll showing that 67% of the British people think the Olympics costs too much. In fact, London is spending 24 Billion Euros to back the event. The cost was originally estimated at 2B Euros only.

The BBC survey involved more than 2000 adults and was carried out by ComRes. Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport secretary of Britain Jeremy Hunt thinks that the results would be different if the poll was done after the Olympic Games. He said "it's like asking someone if they've spend too much on their Christmas dinner after the big Christmas shop, but before Christmas Day".

In another sport poll by YouGov, it is claiming that British people think that the Olympic Games will be generally good for London. Further results of the sports poll show that 48 % of Londoners admit they are interested in the Games (49% say they are not).

The Telegraph conducted an online sports poll to know if people are excited by the prospect of the Olympics. The leading answer was "I'll never be excited by the Games in London…" which was chosen by 48% of the respondents. News reports have it that athletes like Andy Najar, Heather Fell and Maria Sharapova are thrilled by the prospect of the event.

In January, Crunchy Roll released a sports poll that seeks to name singers who should perform during the opening ceremony of the Olympics. The top choices include Hatsune Miku, Super Junior, Big Bang, Shinee, One Direction, Girls' Generation, Lady Gaga, McFly, Justine Bieber and Rammstein. Another site Gok Pop also threw the same question and Super Junior and Big Bang were identified as the top choices of their respondents.

A Survey of Gold Medal Winners
Every athlete flying to London for the Olympics is definitely targeting to bring home at least one medal. A grand "hero's welcome" in their home country awaits those who win during the Olympics.
According to the medal tally of the olympic.it website, the United States has the most gold medals and has the highest number of medals won. The powerhouse has 1,018 gold medals in all. Combined with silver and bronze medals, the US has a total of 2, 552 medals.
USSR, which is second with 1204 medals, has 473 gold medals, 376 silver medals, 355 bronze medals. Germany in the third spot, with 718 medals, has 232 gold medals, 235 silver medals and 251 bronze medals.
A game poll on the NBC Olympics site poses a question "which country will win the 2012 medal race?". The choices are "United States", "China" and "Russia". Actually, the correct answer to the poll will be known after the Olympics.

Out of the 204 participating countries, 80 have not yet won an Olympic medal. The Olympic Summer Games in London includes 302 medal events across 32 sport categories.
One of the most anticipated participants of the London Olympic Games is American swimmer Michael Phelps. The swimmer won 16 Olympic medals in all (eight during the Athens Olympics and another eight during the Beijing Olympics). PollPursuit , a fun polling app on Facebook, wonders if Phelps will win eight medals again this year.al

Oil: A Blessing or A Curse?

Oil enables firms to produce grocery goods, utensils, shoes and other needs of people. It allows the transport of people from the one place to another in a faster speed. Oil energy resources continue making countries wealthier. However, oil also caused environmental damages and unending conflicts in many parts of the world. These disasters make the world re-evaluate oil if it's a big blessing or a tank of curse.

Oil-producing Countries

According to Business Insider, Saudi Arabia is the top oil-producing country in the world. Saudi produces 10. 783M barrels of petroleum every year. Other top oil-producing countries are Russia, Unites States, Iran, China, Canada, Mexico United Arab Emirates, Brazil and Iraq.
In February this year, Thomson Reuters reported that crude oil price in Iran went as high as $120 per barrel. In the past months, crude oil price was steady at $110 per barrel.
Studies show that developing countries that discovered oil within their territory became two to three times richer in time. Singapore, one of the oil-exporting countries, for instance managed to grow its export revenue from $19B in 1980 to $110B in 1998. However, experts note that the growth is due to proper management of natural resources.

Since oil is considered a daily commodity for everyone, oil-producing and oil-exporting countries created organizations to supervise the trade, so no abuse is made. Once oil prices go up, prices of products and service also increase. The soaring retail prices of oil urged businesses to have their own oil refinery. According to Delta Air Lines which announced its purchase of an oil refinery, this move is to maximize jet fuel production.

The Curse of the Oil Industry

In an editorial published by the Tribune 242, it was noted that doing a cost-and-benefit analysis of the proposed oil exploration in the northwestern Bahamas should deal with the assessing of the exploration's environmental impacts and its impact to the relationship between the Bahamas and its neighboring regions.
The editorial also added that countries where oil is concentrated have corrupt officials and remain to be the poorest. Iran and Haiti, among the oil-producing and oil-exporting countries are among the world's most corrupt countries. In the case of South Sudan, wherein oil revenues constitute more than 98% of its budget, President Salva Kiir revealed this week that South Sudan corrupt officials have stolen an estimated $4B of public money.

Before the revelation by the president of the oil-producing country, South Sudan has been in deep terror due to its conflict with Sudan. Civil wars between the two countries killed about two million people. Oil fueled the first civil war. The United Nations have intervened to ease the tension between the two African countries, which are both exporting oil energy supplies to the world. South Sudan has now three-fourths of the old Sudan's oil resources.
Meanwhile in Bonga, Africa, crude oil has polluted the rivers, streams and ponds in finishing communities there. In 2010, an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico led to the filing of criminal charges against the people behind the horror. During oil spills, coral reefs are polluted, killing thousands of fishes, leaving fishermen jobless and created more families without food.

In India, an international conference called "Oil Spill 2012" will push through in September to discuss about the overall dimensions of oil spill problems. This May, India barred giant tanker Exxon Valdez, which was involved in one of the worst oil spills, from entering the country.
Meanwhile, University of California political science professor Michael L. Ross wrote a book on how come countries rich in petroleum have less democracy, less economic stability and have more wars. Ross made an analysis on how the blessing was turned into a curse.

Oil (for transportation) has aided in providing food for millions of people around the world, as well as unforgettable nightmares. PollPursuit, a Facebook application, requests for viewpoints on this controversial issue on whether oil is a blessing or a curse. Visit Pollpursuit official Facebook Page.