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Sam is such a car slut.. =x

Valentine's Day

Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine's Day -- and its patron saint -- is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.

One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.

According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of
the most popular saints in England and France.

Poor Ayu-chan!

TOKYO (AFP) — Japanese pop princess Ayumi Hamasaki has revealed she has gone deaf in her left ear, but has vowed to continue her career and go ahead with an upcoming tour of Asia.

The 29-year old, who is Japan's top-selling singer with 28 number-one hits and nearly 50 million albums sold, wrote on her blog that her left ear "doesn't work anymore" and that it was inoperable.

She has known of her condition since going in for an ear check last year, according to her website.

Hamasaki, better known as "Ayu" with a large fanbase in Asia, is believed to be suffering tinnitus, which involves a ringing in the ear that can be caused by constant exposure to sound.

Tinnitus is the same condition that afflicted Ludwig van Beethoven, the famously deaf German composer.

"Nevertheless, I would like to continue as a singer. That's why I would like to continue singing until I reach the limit with my remaining right ear," she said on the members-only fansite, as quoted by Japanese media.

"I won't stop. I won't make excuses. As a professional, I would like to deliver the best performance for everyone," she wrote over the weekend.

Her agency declined comment on her hearing, other than to say that she would go ahead with her second tour of Asia starting in April.

"She will continue her activity as scheduled," said a spokesman for the agency, Avex.
Hamasaki released her ninth album, "Guilty," on January 1. She is due to launch a tour on April 5 to mark her 10th anniversary as a performer.



"It makes me cry to think that even if she's the only one who knows that she can't hear with her left ear, she has continued to sing and showed us her smiling face. That's what I love about Ayumi Hamasaki," wrote a fan on a webpage.



Hamasaki performed last month on the widely watched annual New Year's Eve television song contest broadcast by public network NHK.