Trend Hunter

Hillary Clinton gets task to solve the matter of WikiLeaks

2010-11-28T11:26:00.000-08:00

Hillary Clinton gets task to solve the matter of WikiLeaks

America is very upset with the latest WikiLeaks updates. Hilary Clinton gets task to solve the matter of WikiLeaks and stop them to publish more leaks. Lets see will she be successful in her task or.......................

Twitter Scoops WikiLeaks’ Newest “Cablegate” Leak; WikiLeaks Website Down

2010-11-28T11:24:00.000-08:00

Twitter Scoops WikiLeaks’ Newest “Cablegate” Leak; WikiLeaks Website Down

Gawker is reporting that Twitter users have obtained and spread details of WikiLeaks’ latest leak online before its scheduled release later today — and the details are at times juicy, but contain “no earth-shattering revelations.”

Twitter has out-leaked the leakers. About 12 hours before Wikileaks latest enormous leak was scheduled to be released, a Twitter user bought a copy of a German news magazine outlining the leak after it was placed on newstands too early.
According to tweets from German-speaking Twitter users who snagged an embargoed copy of this week’s Der Spiegel (cover above), the cache of over 250,000 confidential diplomatic cables may be a bit of a let-down. At least from the German point of view there are no earth-shattering revelations, just a lot of candid talk about world leaders. Angela Merkel is praised as “teflon,” though she “avoids risk and is rarely creative,” and German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle is repeatedly bashed. There is talk of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi’s “wild parties,” (duh) and Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is likened to Hitler. French President Nicolas Sarkozy is called an “emperor with no clothes.” The cables also show Obama has “no emotional relationship with Europe,” focusing instead on Asian countries, according to Der Spiegel.
The full tranche of cables is apparently scheduled to be released by Wikileaks this afternoon at around 4:30 pm EST in concert with The New York Times, the Guardian and Der Spiegel. But this morning, a sharp-eyed Twitter user spotted a copy of Der Spiegel at a a rest area on the Germany-Switzerland border. “Der Spiegel too early in the Badische Bahnhof Basel!” wrote Freelancer_09. “We’ll see what it says…… :)” He and another user, sa7yr, have been tweeting excerpts for a few hours now.

Shortly after the leak, however, WikiLeaks tweeted that their website appears to be under attack and has crashed — just a few hours before the new leak was scheduled to go public. Although they appear to be scrambling to get the site back in order, they seem relatively unfazed, since the cables will still be published in major media outlets later this afternoon.

'WikiLeaks shows U.S. dismissed Israel's warnings about Iran bomb'

2010-11-28T11:22:00.000-08:00

'WikiLeaks shows U.S. dismissed Israel's warnings about Iran bomb'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's 2009 claims that Iran was months away from achieving military nuclear capability were dismissed by the Americans, according to a German weekly, quoting classified U.S. documents set to be released by the WikiLeaks website on Sunday. Tension has been building around the world ahead of the massive leak of a reported 250,000 diplomatic cables by the whistle-blowing website, which have media sources around the world speculating as to the content and potential gravity of the information.

According to Der Spiegel, which is running excerpts of the WikiLeaks expose in its Monday edition, a State Department official states in a classified cable that Netanyahu informed the United States of Iran's nuclear advancement in November 2009, but that the prime minister's estimate was likely unfounded and intended to pressure Washington into action against the Islamic Republic

The Monday edition of the German weekly has already gone on sale in Basel, Switzerland, apparently by accident.

The classified communiques are expected to reveal the inner workings of American and international diplomacy, and are likely to cause major embarrassment to the United States. American embassies in more than a dozen nations have informed their host countries that their secret cables could be revealed.

In one cable dated June 2009 quoted Defense Minister Ehud Barak, a U.S. diplomat says Barak told visiting officials that a strike on Iran's nuclear facilities was viable until the end of 2010, saying that after :any military solution would result in unacceptable collateral damage"

"He also expressed concern that should Iran develop nuclear capabilities, other rogue states and/or terrorist groups would not be far behind," the U.S. diplomat said.

The cable also quoted Barak as describing the Iranian leadership "chess, not backgammon players," with the U.S. diplomat quoting the defense minister saying would "attempt to avoid any hook to hang accusations on, and look to Pakistan and North Korea as models to emulate in terms of acquiring nuclear weapons while defying the international community."

Another cable, from later 2009, the U.S.-Israel Joint Political Military Group, Mossad representatives said Iran was using repeated attempts to resolve the nuclear issue through diplomacy to "play for time" and evade sanctions, "while pursuing its strategic objective to obtain a military nuclear capability."

"From Mossad's perspective, there is no reason to believe Iran will do anything but use negotiations to stall for time so that by 2010-2011, Iran will have the technological capability to build a nuclear weapon -- essentially reducing the question of weaponizing to a political decision," the cable said.

pogo

2009-12-21T05:46:00.000-08:00

pogo

Monopoly Slots Pocket Pogo Game

Your favorite games are now available in a pocket-sized package! Hasbro has teamed up with Pogo.com to offer our most popular Family and Kid Brands in hand-held games. Plus, you get 30 days of play online at Pogo.com with each purchase! Enjoy Monopoly Slots!

survivor season 20

2009-12-21T05:42:00.000-08:00

survivor season 20

Survivor season 20 is being called Heroes vs. Villains. Calling Survivor season 20 Heroes vs. Villains should lead Survivor fans to believe that it is definitely going to be an interesting cast. While the Survivor season 20 cast has not been officially released, there are already a ton of rumors out there about who might make it on to that cast. A Heroes vs. Villains season sounds like a good vs. bad interpretation, and could lead to some really great challenges.

By deciding to have the 20th season of Survivor be something special like this, CBS and the Survivor producers have made a really smart decision. Not only will this bring back some of the biggest fan favorites from over the years, but now it will present some very interesting wrinkles that could draw in more viewers. Those additional viewers should really help to increase the ratings for Survivor season 20, and now fans can sit back and guess about who will make the Survivor season 20 cast.

It was already announced that Survivor season one winner Richard Hatch won't be back because he couldn't get out of his probation (he went to jail for tax evasion) and that rules him out from season 20. It has also been rumored that Russell will return from Survivor Samoa to once again compete for the million dollars, but none of these rumors should really be believed until we get the official release from CBS telling us who will star in the Survivor season 20 Heroes vs. Villains.

The 20th season of Survivor was filmed back-to-back with Survivor Samoa in order to save some money on the production end of things, so it is probably ready to be shown already. They also filmed Survivor season 20 in Samoa, so it will be interesting if they use some of the same locations, or if they have a completely different set for some of the all-time greats from Survivor.

So as we head towards Survivor season 20: Heroes vs. Villains; who are some of the contestants that fans would like to see competing in the 20th season of the show? Do you want some of the really evil players? Was there a really nice guy you want to see back for another chance to win? Please feel free to leave your comments and thoughts about Survivor season 20.

We will also make sure to update Survivor fans as soon as the cast list is released for the Heroes vs. Villains season of Survivor.

feckless definition

2009-12-21T05:29:00.000-08:00

feckless definition

The final winner of Survivor Samoa was chosen on Sunday night. Natalie White a 26 year old pharmaceutical saleswoman, won the sole survivor crown along with a million dollar prize.

In a season that saw 2 contestants go home for medical reasons, it was one which had the contestants face very difficult conditions.

But what has got the Internet buzzing today was the word used to describe Mick, and there has been a lot of interest in the word and it’s meaning.

According to the Websters dictionary feckless means weak and ineffective.

It was also said that Natalie rode on Russell’s coat tails, and that Russell also played an unethical game, leading to a lot of tension in the finale.

But after the final votes were counted Natalie was the one that outwitted and outlasted the rest. Which is probably a good thing since she had left her job to come onto the show.

She explained the reason saying, “It was about having no regrets, and you have to take a big risk to get a big return.”

Although Russell was not at all happy about not winning he said, “I feel like I played the best strategic game in history. And I’m not the only one that thinks that. I can guarantee you millions of people probably think the same thing.” He griped about winner Natalie saying, “Her best move was to jump on my back.”

Although he didn’t leave empty handed he did win the Sprint’s Player of the game chosen by the viewers and walked away with $100,000.

Watch the full videos of Feckless Definition at the URL below, just copy and paste the URL below to your address bar now:

to be posted...

Join Christian Singles during Christmas Special - 10% OFF & 1 Month FREE!

Visit the link now: doiop.com/ChristianSingles

tropical storm danny

2009-08-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

tropical storm danny

That tropical disturbance in the Atlantic north of Puerto Rico has strengthened to tropical storm force and earned the name Danny. Forecasters say it will likely become a hurricane by this weekend, brush the Carolina coast and be off the Delmarva peninsula by Saturday morning.

Here's AccuWeather.com's take on the new storm.

The fourth named storm of the season was packing top sustained winds of 45 mph, with some slow strengthening expected in the next few days. At 73 mph it would become a Category 1 hurricane, the second of the season.

At 11 a.m. Wednesday the storm's center was reported to be 775 miles south southeast of Cape Hatteras, moving toward the west northwest at 18 mph. The National Hurricane Center's forecast track map takes the storm to a position just off the Outer Banks by early Saturday, where it is expected to be at hurricane strength.

Here's the Ocean City forecast, calling for wet and breezy weather for the weekend.

Here is the current advisory on Danny. The 11 a.m. Weds. forecast map is above. And here is the view from orbit.

chappaquiddick

2009-08-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

chappaquiddick

Chappaquiddick Incident History-The “Chappaquiddick incident” refers to circumstances surrounding the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, a former campaign worker for the assassinated U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy of New York.

On July 18, 1969, Ted Kennedy attended a party on Chappaquiddick, a small island connected via ferry to the town of Edgartown on the adjoining larger island of Martha’s Vineyard.

The party was a reunion for a group of six women, including Kopechne, known as the “boiler-room girls”,who had served in his brother Robert’s 1968 presidential campaign. Also present were Joseph Gargan (Ted Kennedy’s cousin), Paul Markham (a school friend of Gargan’s who would become United States Attorney for Massachusetts under the patronage of the Kennedys), Charles Tretter (an attorney), Raymond La Rosa and John Crimmins (Ted Kennedy’s part-time driver). Kennedy was also competing in the Edgartown Yacht Club Regatta, a sailing competition which was taking place over several days.

Kopechne’s dead body was discovered inside an overturned car belonging to Senator Edward “Ted” Kennedy of Massachusetts under water in a tidal channel on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts.

After the body was found, Kennedy gave a statement to police saying that on the previous night he had taken a wrong turn and accidentally driven his car off a bridge into the water. He pled guilty to a charge of leaving the scene of an accident after causing injury, and received a suspended sentence.

The incident became a national scandal, and may have affected the Senator’s decision not to run for President in 1972.

mike barnicle

2009-08-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

mike barnicle

Michael Barnicle (born October 13, 1943 in Worcester, Massachusetts[1]) is an American newspaper writer and has been a newspaper columnist for more than 30 years for The Boston Globe (1974–1998), the New York Daily News (1999–2005) and the Boston Herald (2004–present). He has also written for Esquire, George, ESPN Magazine, and most recently Newsweek.com and The Huffington Post.

Barnicle also provides commentary on MSNBC and is guest host of Morning Joe, where he has been under contract for the last 10 years, and frequently is seen on NBC's Today Show with news/feature segments. He has been a regular contributor to the country's longest-running, award-winning local television news magazine, "Chronicle" on WCVB-TV. Barnicle has also appeared on PBS's NewsHour, CBS's 60 Minutes, ESPN and HBO sports programming.

He has won local and national awards for both his print and broadcast work over the last three decades, including from the Associated Press, United Press International, National Headliners and duPont-Columbia University. He holds honorary degrees from the University of Massachusetts and Colby College.

A complete review of all of Barnicle's thousands of Globe columns revealed an alleged fabrication in a column from three years earlier, dated October 8, 1995. The column recounted the story of two sets of parents with cancer-stricken children. When one of the boys, a black child, died, the parents of the other boy, a white child who had begun to recover, sent the dead child's parents a check for $10,000 USD. When the Globe could not locate the people in the story, who had not been publicly identified, Barnicle insisted that the story was true. He said he did not obtain the story from the parents, but from a nurse.

mary jo kopechne

2009-08-26T09:03:00.001-07:00

mary jo kopechne

Every person’s life is like a kaleidoscope. Some pick up another’s life, hold it to the light and all the glass chips fall this way or that. And the person sighting through the cylinder puts it down and turns away, saying they’ve seen it all, when in fact, they’ve only seen one facet, one pattern in another’s life. Thus some remember only one thing or two about the life of another long lived.

But there are other ways to see most of a life in depth, that is, to keep turning the kaleidoscope, letting the glass shards open and reveal, shade and hide, depending on the turn of the scope. Adding up all the patterns, keeping the sum of the brilliant and the dark turns: that’s a view in depth of the life of another.

I’d just lay out a few turns of the kaleidoscope of Ted Kennedy’s life here, a lost story:

Some of the glass shards part, and we see in paradoxically jeweled light that Ted Kennedy was born to a brutally ambitious father, Joe Kennedy, and his mother Rose, was a good Catholic girl, demure and subservient to her wealthy, bellowing husband.

Joe Kennedy true to his obsessive nature, kept his wife pregnant for most of sixteen years, she giving birth, not including miscarriages, to nine children in that time. Ted was the youngest born in 1932.

Ted would be eventually groomed and glossed, and also pressed to follow his father’s example… the ill and clearcut way the older Kennedy conducted himself politically and personally: teaching his male children that Kennedys’ get what they want when they want it how they want it for no other reason that they want it… and it is alright to use most any means to get it.

Another father, with different values, might have pressed an entire set of young Kennedy male offspring, to grow far more seated in heart and soul and clearcut ethics, far sooner.

As a young man, Ted, sent to the top school, Harvard, got kicked out for cheating. He was readmitted, but though some might say he cheated because of laziness, it may also be that his lack of studying and rousting about was his finger flapping in the face of his immensely overbearing father… yet Ted may have tried to fake the grade still fearing his old man.

Ted had reason to fear his father. Being the youngest child in the family, Ted was close to his sisters, and was doted on by Rosemary who was 14 years old when he was born. They laughed together and delighted in each other, and yet when Rosemary began displaying too wild a behavior by her father’s lights… showing interest in sex and sensuality… being too wild for her father’s hyper hypocritical tastes– he himself rumored to have many affairs–

Ted at age 9 witnessed his father dispose of his sister Rosemary as though she were a block of cordwood.

Joe Kennedy secretly arranged that his daughter Rosemary, age 22, to be forced bodily from their home, and incarcerated in a mental institution where Joe signed papers that were not his to sign, as his daughter was of legal age…

the papers the pater familias of the Kennedy clan signed were to ok a surgeon to slice into his daughter Rosemary’s brain through her eyelids, performing a lobotomy. This selfsame so-called “surgeon” would later be hounded from the medical profession for his butchery of human beings. But the good doctor at that time (1941), met Joe Kennedy’s needs.

Afterward, Rosemary no longer had sexual being. She also could not speak and could not hold her urine or her bowels for the rest of her life. She suddenly had the IQ of a child under seven. She had previously been, by all accounts, a bright, normal, willful, beautiful young woman, not retarded, not mentally ill. But to cover his egregious sin, Joe Kennedy spread the rumor over and over that Rosemary had always been ‘retarded.’

Women were a dime a dozen in his world, and Rosemary was shut away in diapers and babbling and out of sight, out of mind.

Joe Kennedy allowed no one to defy him without using all power at his disposal to destroy individuals. He was a bully and a boor. What he couldn’t get through power, he took by underhanded force… and then tried to cover his tracks, buying silence, or eliminating talkers.

To Joe, women were seen as Catholic scapulars, or as servants, or as good time girls. He carried and taught to his sons the old madonna/ whore split. A whore was to be used. A madonna was to be perpetually impregnated within marriage.

But a daughter, a woman, threatening his carefully built image, that was another story. For Joe, is was within his purview as a male to utterly harm a girl and leave her as good as dead.

Thus Joe Kennedy set hideous, puerile and murderous examples for his boys. And I believe, imprinted them, as well as intimidated and horrified them, when they were young… and yet evilly offered them riches and position as they became older… if they would just cover for and remain loyal to their corrupt father. He would be their Boston Machiavelli.

Thus he burnished and protected the family image at all costs. Except, in all his slit-eyed plans, all his prancing and smokers and under the table deals, all his pretense and vulgar displays of wealth and power, he never set in place examples of heart for others… Joe’s hope for his boys centered on eliciting in them and from them, chips off the old block, that is, greed and lust for power.

In time, as we witnessed, one of Joe’s sons, Ted, at age 37 would drive off the Dike Bridge late one night. A young woman, Mary Jo Kopechne, age 28, one of several “Boiler Room Girls” (girls who worked on Robert Kennedy’s presidential campaign the year before) who’d held a party that night, was in Ted’s car. Ted Kennedy made it to shore. Miss Kopechne did not. Ted Kennedy did not report the accident until the next day.

Some say he had a concussion and wasn’t thinking clearly. Others say he was drunk and out of his mind. Others say the unthinkable: that he did not value a human life. That he tried to cover up.

We may not know which one it was, or which two, or all four– or more. What we do know is that the ill trajectory for harming an innocent was laid down in spades in Ted’s young life by an exemplar father who was supposed to instill life-sparing and life-endorsing in his boys …instead of a careless regard for life… especially the lives of women, be they wives, mistresses, girlfriends, daughters, women one found attractive. For some observors and historians, the life’s end of Marilyn Monroe rings a similar bell.

Are the sins of the father the sins of the sons? I dont think we know for sure. It seems that sometimes hell is on earth for some— and I think of Ted Kennedy’s ‘cant face myself in the mirror’ for a long time after Miss Kopechne’s death… but also the prior hellacious loss of Rosemary… and the loss of a dear older brother in war… and also the harrowing of Ted’s soul after his two brothers were murdered. The lessons, the opportunities to become human and humane at last, came one after the other, relentlessly.

… and even more so of how ancient Ted Kennedy suddenly became on the small boat, his face collapsed into itself, his shoulders gone all ‘old man’… as he grimly sailed out to recover John-John’s body and the bodies of two others of the young from the tragic small plane crash in the ocean at niight… his nephew John, son of Jackie and JFK, who so promised in good looks and youth, in vitality and smarts… to maybe bring back the Kennedy political sheen… now the last charismatic male Kennedy of that generation was dead too. Also, literally, dead in the water. Like Mary Jo.

We who are religious are taught that all will be judged not with fury but with fairness when they die. Whatever was not learned on earth, some say, will be learned in heaven, or in a stopping and resting place on the way there. It’s said too that one receives credit for learning on earth from one’s abject suffering, no matter what crassness or separation from the God of Life and Love, preceded it.

So may it be for Ted Kennedy, having now left this world at age 77. So may rest continue for Mary Jo Kopechne who would be, had she lived, 68 years old this day.

heather podesta

2009-08-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

heather podesta
is the striking DC lobbyist who has made a name for herself as one of the toughest sharks in Washington waters. Sometimes with and sometimes against husband and fellow lobbyist Tony Podesta, Heather is having the summer of her life, according to a Washington Post profile.The article paints Heather as the ultimate insider, constantly trading in the currencies of power, influence and good old cash. Heather Podesta is high-profile for a lobbyist and earlier this year, she and her husband donated Shepard Fairey's "Hope" portrait of Barack Obama to the National Portrait Gallery. She's also donated more than $48,000 so far this year to various political candidates and groups, and her life consists of nearly non-stop fundraisers.

But Heather Podesta is enjoying the heavy workload, with the intersection of health care, economic reform, and environmental reform creating a perfect storm for Washington lobbyists."This is a very good time to be a Democratic lobbyist ... it's incredibly exciting to be able to engage with Democrats and really see things happen," Podesta told the Post. "It's always a good time to be Heather Podesta."

When President Obama began vilifying lobbyists during his campaign, Heather took offense and commissioned a Gothic-style scarlet L, which she wore as a mark of pride. She says the L soon became a hot item and she gave away more than 100 of them.

Time blogger Karen Tumulty has already pointed out that it's risky for lobbyists to flaunt their influence in huge feature stories, and ponders what the fallout might be for Podesta. "Commonsense rule #1 for influence peddlers: Don't flaunt it," Tumulty writes.

clio axelrod

2009-08-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

clio axelrod
At least 13 people in one location, about 350 feet south of Thunder Hole, were hit by the unusually large wave, according to park officials.

Seven people reportedly were pulled into the surf by the large wave that struck park visitors just before noon Sunday. Four of those individuals were able to make it back to shore on their own, while the other three, including the girl who died, were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Among the injured identified by park officials Monday was 12-year-old Simone Pelletier of Belfast, who was one of the three rescued from the surf by the Coast Guard. The other two included the girl who died, Clio Axlerod, and her father, Peter Axelrod, 55, who was taken Sunday afternoon by a LifeFlight of Maine helicopter to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.

The following Waldo County individuals injured by the wave were transported by ambulance or personal vehicle to Mount Desert Island Hospital:

Kailey Walko, 16, of Belfast

Anthony Allen, 17, of Belmont

Greg Clark, 14, of Belfast

The remaining individuals transported to MDI Hospital included:

Sandra Kuhatch-Axlerod, 51, of New York, N.Y. (later transferred to EMMC)

Nancy N. Smith, 55, of Richland, Miss. (later transferred to EMMC)

Marget Phillips, 55, of Richland, Miss.

Ellen W. Yenawine, 62, of New London, N.H.

Gardner D. Yenawine, 70, of New London, N.H.

John Brinker, 59, of Baltimore

Mary Brinker, 67, of Baltimore

According to park officials, ranger Richard Rechholtz transported a father and son to MDI Hospital after they were hit by a wave 20 minutes before the large wave hit near Thunder Hole. They were identified as Mark Picking, 51, of Indianwells, Calif., and his son, Luke Picking, 16. The son was treated and released, while the father was admitted for a severe dislocated right shoulder and broken collarbone.

Park officials said that an MDI Hospital emergency room spokesman confirmed in addition to the above listed individuals, one 54-year-old female was admitted to the hospital with non-critical injuries after she was driven there in a private vehicle.

"There were additional reports of more people being swept into the ocean and being recovered and additional injuries from being knocked over by waves," said Acadia National Park Ranger Stuart West in a press release Monday afternoon.

"Not all incidents were reported to the park, and the ones that were reported were resolved before rangers arrived to assist the people and take a report."

West said that a total of 16 people were confirmed in the final injury count admitted to MDI Hospital.

ashleigh kenny

2009-08-22T09:28:00.000-07:00

ashleigh kenny

Ashleigh Kenny poses with Congressman Jack Kingston and the RIP the US Constitution t- shirt that is causing such angst in progressively liberal circles. Like those inhabited by Oliver Willis.

As you can see the front of the t-shirt reads "RIP The US Constitution" while the back of it has a quote from Ronald Reagan:

"In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem"

Now it's certainly true that national health care (which is the cause of the current anxiety which led to the shirt being made) is not in fact a constitutional matter. It isn't mentioned there as something which the Federal Government can do nor is it mentioned as something it cannot. Given the powers that it has taken to itself over the decades it's certainly not something that the Supreme Court (which is the final arbiter of such matters) is going to say is unconstitutional.

The quote from Reagan though, well, you certainly can argue either way on that: the health care system is at least 50% run by government so it would be fair to say that government has caused at least 50% of the problems with it.

However, the t-shirt is not purely and solely about national health care. As Ashleigh Kenny explains it hereself:

Perhaps one’s perception of the shirt depends on his or her perception of our Constitution. Personally, I believe it is a fundamental document that was written to insure that the government never became greater than the people. When I look at today’s society, the government’s control seems to increasingly outweigh the people’s. I cannot help but feel that the Constitution has been theoretically buried. This design isn’t meant to point fingers, it’s meant to stir an awareness of what we are losing. It’s about the power of the government increasing, while the power of the people decreases.

Very difficult indeed to say that she's wrong there, whichever side of the political aisle you lean towards.

wilson county fair

2009-08-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

wilson county fair
The 30th Wilson County Fair opened up to great weather and a lot of visitors on Friday. Inspectors were at the fair early to make sure everything was safe from the rides to the food.

The Tennessee Department of Health inspectors checked each vendor and gave random checks throughout the fair.

A rides inspector on site will check each one of the rides everyday before the fair opens.

The Wilson County fair saw some of their highest attendance numbers last year with more than 466,000 people attending. They said they expect even more this year.

ryan jenkins arrested

2009-08-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

ryan jenkins arrested
Reports claimed that Ryan Jenkins was arrested at a Toronto airport last night. We now know that police boarded an airplane and arrested a man they believed to be Ryan Jenkins. The man was taken into police custody and has been released, according to TMZ.

Ryan Jenkins is still on the run and is believed to be somewhere in Canada.

Canada will not extradite a person charged in a death penalty case. In order for Canada to extradite Ryan Jenkins, he would have to be charged with a non-capital crime. We are fairly certain that there are many members of the public who would be happy to smuggle Jenkins back into the US so he can face the death penalty.

According to TMZ , Ryan Jenkins may be headed to a small island off of Honduras called Roatan. Jenkins father, Dan, has connections to the island. Dan Jenkins just so happens to own a private jet.

Jasmine Fiore identified by her breast implants
Ryan Jenkins is accused of strangling Jasmine Fiore. Jenkins allegedly removed all of her teeth and fingers after he murdered her. Police were able to identify Jasmine Fiore because of the serial numbers on her breast implants.

A $25,000 reward is being offered bu the US Marshals service for any information regarding the whereabouts of Ryan Jenkins.

marriott hawaii

2009-08-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

marriott hawaii

The Marriott Hawaii is celebrating their 50th Anniversary with a great contest called “Tweet Yourself to Hawaii” which uses social media to give away vacations on Hawaii.

The contest website is marriotthawaiitweets.com. The contest is predicted to gain interest and popularity via social media sites such as twitter, facebook, blogs etc. Join in and maybe you can win a trip to Hawaii!

richard hatch arrested

2009-08-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

richard hatch arrested

Survivor winner Richard Hatch was re-arrested Tuesday by authorities only hours after he appeared on NBC's Today Show.

Hatch was taken into custody at his sister's home in Newport, Rhode Island where he is under house arrest for tax evasion.

Roy Lyons, Public Information Officer of the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office in Bourne, Mass., told RadarOnline.com on Wednesday that Hatch was taken back into custody because he violated terms of his house arrest by doing the interview.

But Wednesday on Today, Hatch's sister Kristin said that Hatch had received permission to do the interview, and Matt Lauer raised the question if possibly Hatch was re-arrested not for doing the interview, but for what he said during it.

In the interview, Hatch told Lauer that he believes he was sent to prison because of his sexual preference.

Hatch had been serving a four year sentence for neglecting to pay the taxes on his $1 million Survivor winnings back in 2006. He feels as though he was discriminated against.

"I know, without question, that there are personal issues involved for the prosecutor," Hatch said during the interview.

barney frank town hall

2009-08-19T10:14:00.000-07:00

barney frank town hall
Most Congress members conducting town hall meetings this month have chosen a noncombative posture to deal with angry participants who disrupt the proceedings. Not Rep. Barney Frank.

At a lively two-hour meeting Tuesday night in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, Frank gave as good as he got in confronting opponents of overhauling the nation's health care system.

The crowded hall had both supporters and detractors, but the opposing side was much louder and more raucous, booing the Massachusetts Democrat from the moment he was introduced and shouting questions and challenges at him throughout.

"You want me to talk about it or do you want to yell?" he asked over and over when interrupted while trying to answer. Continued shouting brought a sterner rebuke.

"Disruption never helps your cause," he said more than once. "It just looks like you're afraid to have rational discussion." While Frank attempted to respond to all questions, he gave up when one woman compared health care proposals favored by Frank and President Obama to policies of Nazi Germany.

"When you ask me that question, I'm going to revert to my ethnic heritage and ask you a question: On what planet do you spend most of your time?" Frank asked. "You stand there with a picture of the president defaced to look like Hitler and compare the effort to increase health care to the Nazis," he said, adding such behavior demonstrated the strength of First Amendment guarantees of what he called "contemptible" free speech.

"Trying to have a conversation with you would be like trying to argue with a dining room table," Frank said to the woman. "I have no interest in doing it."

Despite the disruptions, the meeting covered many of the issues of the health care debate, with Frank shooting down rumors that a House health care bill would mandate free insurance coverage for illegal immigrants.

He read from the section of the bill that excludes payments for that purpose, and when another questioner referred to a different section guaranteeing nondiscrimination, Frank pointed out that the first section he read superseded that language.
advertisement

Some in the crowd applauded, but others booed and shouted. Frank asked why the detractors shouted for him to answer, and when he did, they shouted more.

"What's the matter with you all?" he said. "I don't know if you get angrier when I answer the questions, or when you don't think I do."

michelle obama shorts

2009-08-19T10:10:00.000-07:00

michelle obama shorts

Seems some people are actually outraged that First Lady Michelle Obama dared to bare so much leg by wearing shorts on a recent trip to the sweltering Grand Canyon.

OMG. First she wears a sleeveless dress, now this?

But think about this for a minute. What should she have worn to the Grand Canyon? A tweed pantsuit? A ballgown? What do you wear on your summer vacation?

Anyway, it's not like these shorts are hot pants. They are discreet, classic shorts.

Grow up, people. And get real. Michelle obviously has.

And her daughter Malia looks adorable in her khaki shorts too.

Take our poll and then see what other people think of Michelle's vacation style.

infinite quest

2009-08-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

infinite quest
In Quentin Tarantino's "Inglourious Basterds" (out Friday) -- a simultaneous tribute to and deconstruction of war movies and '40s noir -- a special unit of Jewish-American soldiers is sent behind enemy lines to spread shock and awe among German troops in Nazi-occupied France.
Brad Pitt leads the cast of Quentin Tarantino's new film, "Inglourious Basterds."

Brad Pitt leads the cast of Quentin Tarantino's new film, "Inglourious Basterds."

Think "The Dirty Daven."

"It's a revenge fantasy. That's the big hook that would put me in the theater -- and I'm not even Jewish," director Tarantino told EW earlier this year of his latest, which sends the regiment of cocky malcontents on a quest for Nazi scalps (brain splatter included).

Chief among the players is Brad Pitt, who delved so deeply into the part of Lt. Aldo Raine, leader of the Semitic squad, that he stayed in character on the set virtually all the time, Tarantino said.

B.J. Novak ("The Office"), who plays one of Raine's soldiers, Pfc. Utivich, summed up the experience: "There was one night of filming in Potsdam on this beautiful old street in the middle of winter. Brad Pitt was there in a tuxedo. Quentin Tarantino was framing a shot. And I thought, I still don't know what it's like to make a movie. Because this is the movie version of making a movie. This is what making a movie is like in movies about making movies." See more on EW's Movie Critics blog

Here are more EW Picks for the week of August 16:

"Shorts" (out Friday). The title of Robert Rodriguez's latest film doesn't refer to summer clothes or diminutive tykes, but to a series of intersecting vignettes (featuring Jon Cryer, Leslie Mann and William H. Macy) narrated by an 11-year-old boy (Jimmy Bennett). "You're at the mercy of how he remembers things, out of order and skipping around," writer-director Rodriguez told EW. "It's like 'Pulp Fiction' for kids." But relax, parents. There are no loquacious hitmen -- just a magic rock that drops into a Texas neighborhood after a storm, wreaking havoc when the kids' most inane wishes come true.
Don't Miss

* 'Mad Men' is a Hollywood influence on fashion
* 'Basterds' pro-Nazi short made by a Jewish director

"Post Grad" (out Friday). Alexis Bledel ("Gilmore Girls") plays a determined but naive college grad who ends up back home with her dysfunctional family. Zach Gilford ("Friday Night Lights") plays the long-suffering best friend with a secret crush on her. Call it "When Rory Gilmore Met Matt Saracen." "People still see me as Rory," Bledel says, "and this kind of picks up where 'Gilmore Girls' left off." As for Gilford, he admits that he -- gasp! -- never followed Bledel's show, but sensed a kindred soul: "She's such a dork, and that's why I love her."

TV

"Mad Men" (10 p.m. Sunday, AMC). How we've missed the slickest show on television, anchored by Don Draper's moody crisis of the soul and Joan's blessed hips. The wait to get back into the '60s advertising world has been a long and fraught one, with rumors that series creator Matthew Weiner and AMC might part ways just as they had hooked a loyal audience, but the dawn of season 3 is finally upon us. In the premiere, Betty's pregnant belly has bloomed, the Brits have invaded the Sterling Cooper office and -- help us all -- Joan is still engaged to her brute of a fiance. Plus, Pete Campbell's worminess remains intact, and poor Salvatore struggles to maintain the image of a happily married man.

"Shaq Vs." (9 p.m. Tuesday, ABC) See LeBron James' new NBA running mate go head-to-head with the world's top athletes -- in their own sports -- in this new reality series. The premiere is scheduled to pit Shaq vs. Super Bowl winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger for a football challenge, including a training session at the Pittsburgh Steelers practice facility and a 7-on-7 game.

"Project Runway" (10 p.m. Thursday, Lifetime). Even the most stitch-and-bitch-starved addicts should be satisfied by this evening's all-"Runway"-related action. First up at 8 p.m. is "Project Runway: All-Star Challenge," a two-hour special that reunites some of our faves from years past. Then comes the blessed main event: the debut of "Runway's" delayed season 6 on a new network. We'll finally meet the 16 designers aiming for catwalk glory in L.A. under the ... uh, discerning eye of guest judge Lindsay Lohan. Finally, there's the premiere of "Models of the Runway" at 11 p.m., a half-hour spinoff about the show's glamazons. Make it work, Lifetime! Get all the latest TV scoop from EW's Michael Ausiello

Music

Reba McEntire, "Keep On Loving You" (out Tuesday). Reba McEntire leads off her 31st album with "Strange," an addictively sinister kiss-off that the next 12 tracks struggle to match, writes EW's Whitney Pastorek. Though McEntire's voice has aged well, few of these tunes provide it enough of a challenge, and the ones that do often sound like something she's already done better.

Sean Paul, "Infinite Blaze" (out Tuesday). How can a vocalist with an unchanging monotone be this charismatic? Sean Paul's limitless energy carries him through 20 tracks, helping him tap-dance over every flashy dancehall riddim that comes his way.

Third Eye Blind, "Ursa Major" (out Tuesday). Third Eye Blind's fourth album, its first since 2003, shows that frontman Stephan Jenkins' way with a hook has dimmed little since the band's mid-'90s heyday. The clunky lyrics are another thing, like in ska-rocker "Don't Believe a Word," when Jenkins sings "Rap stars brag about shooting each other?/ What ever happened to 'Brother, brother'??"

DVD

"Hannah Montana: The Movie" (out Tuesday). Miley Cyrus' big-screen hit finds our dual-life heroine in need of identity detox, which can happen only if she gets back to her simple country-girl roots by spending a few weeks in her small hometown of Crowley Meadow, Tennessee. In his review of the film, EW's Owen Gleiberman wrote that "Cyrus, as always, is a professional charmer, and the crusty folkiness of Billy Ray Cyrus as her real-life dad is as welcome as ever. But there's an awfully long stretch of country-living innocuousness before destiny beckons."

"Tyson" (out Tuesday). In this stylishly edited confessional, boxer Mike Tyson comes across as both villain and victim, pussycat and pitbull. With his soft lisp, he speaks directly to the camera about his childhood fears, triumphs and errors in judgment. Is the director in his corner? Absolutely. But that doesn't make "Tyson" any less of a knockout.

"The Simpsons: Season 12" (out Tuesday). C'mon, you remember which brilliant season this was! The one where Homer goes on a hunger strike when the Isotopes threaten to leave town, a crayon pulled out of Homer's brain transforms him into a genius, and The Who bring Springfield together after a new area code rips it apart. Plus, the discs serve up tons of commentary and Easter eggs that are actually worth the hunt.

Books

"The Law of Nines," Terry Goodkind (out Tuesday). On his 27th birthday, Alex Rahl, waiting at a crosswalk, notices a truck flying a pirate's flag barrelling straight at him and another pedestrian, an oddly dressed but striking blond woman. He quickly yanks her to safety. Jax, as she's called, turns out to be a human from another planet -- one that's embroiled in civil war. And she's come to find Alex because, unbeknownst to him, he's got powers that can help her. If it takes a while for Alex -- and the reader -- to understand what's going on, says EW's book editor Tina Jordan, it's because the writing is blocky and strained, especially during the high-octane scenes of carnage that occur every few pages.

"Born Round," Frank Bruni (out Tuesday). What should a former bulimic do when offered the position of restaurant critic for The New York Times? Frank Bruni, who has held that hugely influential job for five years, said, "Yes, thank you, yum, you bet." By then, as he chronicles in "Born Round," he had won the worst of the battles against his out-of-control appetites. It's mostly wonderful, but the downside of all this essential good cheer is that "Born Round" feels a little ... thin on crisis! The author was overweight, he stopped vomiting, he slimmed down, and he kept his girth under control even while he was paid to eat: What's the big fat deal? Pass the breadsticks. See more about books on EW's Shelf Life blog

dancing with the stars 2009 lineup

2009-08-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

dancing with the stars 2009 lineup
Dancing with the Stars 2009 has its new cast for Season 9 today. The Dancing with the Stars 2009 new cast announcement for Season 9 was heavily hyped on Good Morning America, as usual. This year's
Dancing with the Stars 2009 New Cast for Season 9 Introduced
Dancing with the Stars 2009 new cast has the usual demographics on board, as athletes, B-list actors, singers, and a few wild cards make up the Season 9 lineup. The Dancing with the Stars 2009 cast is sure to get many people talking, and ensure that Dancing with the Stars Season 9 won't miss a beat.

Today's Dancing with the Stars 2009 Season 9 announcement on Good Morning America introduced the country to its newest dancing icons. Some new cast members seem obvious, some are out of the blue - and one in particular is a bit of a shock.

The Dancing with the Stars 2009new cast became big news on the political front when Tom DeLay was picked for Season 9. Tom DeLay has now gone from former House majority leader, and one of the many Bush administration officials to face scandal, to a reality star.

By joining Dancing with the Stars, DeLay has gotten one up on Rod Blagojevich, who failed to join the reality TV circuit when he was rejected for I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! Aside from Tom DeLay, the Dancing with the Stars new cast has its usual mix of talent and B-list star power.

Musical icons like Donny Osmond, Macy Grey, Mya, Aaron Carter and Kelly Osborne will be on Dancing with the Stars Season 9. The sports demographic is represented by Michael Irvin, Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin, and boxer Chuck Liddell. The actors in the new cast are Melissa Joan Hart, Debi Mazer, and Ashley Hamilton - whose father George was a Season 2 contestant.

The rest of the Dancing with the Stars 2009 lineup has Iron Chef America's Mark Dacascos, models Kathy Ireland and Joanna Krupa, and snowboarder Louie Vito.

For Dancing with the Stars Season 9, things will be done a little different in mid-season, according to host Tom Bergeron. Three double eliminations will be held back-to-back at that time, while dances like the Charleston, the Lambada, the Two Step and the Bolero are worked into the rotation.

tom delay

2009-08-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

tom delay
Who knew that Tom DeLay was such a dancing machine? The former House Republican leader has been selected as a contestant on the upcoming season of "Dancing With the Stars," joining cultural celebrities such as Grammy award winning singer Macy Gray and '70s icon Donny Osmond.

One thing is clear: the entire DeLay family is ecstatic about the Hammer's transformation to Dancing Machine.

"He's been working hard all summer trying to get in shape, improve his flexibility, endurance, etc. He's lost 12 lbs already!" daughter Dani DeLay Ferro, Dad's former campaign manager, said in a message to the Sleuth via Facebook. "He's taking this very very seriously and we are all sooooo excited! People probably don't know that he's a really good dancer!"

Daughter Dani said she's most excited "for America to get to know the funny, caring man that I've grown up with and worked for. They won't know what hit 'em!"

As Washington Post TV columnist Lisa de Moraes has reported, DeLay's involvement with "Dancing With the Stars" goes back to 2007, when he heavily lobbied the show's viewers to vote for the seemingly wholesome country singer Sara Evans. That all backfired on the Hammer when Evans quit the show in the midst of a nasty divorce in which she accused her husband of verbal abuse, alcoholism, watching pornography in their home and keeping photos of himself having sex with other women.

DeLay Ferro said the slimmed down former congressman, whose ironclad style of rule over House Republicans earned him the nickname "The Hammer," begins rehearsal tomorrow in Sugar Land, Texas, his hometown.

In a few weeks, Dad will relocate to Los Angeles, where the show is filmed. The first show airs Sept. 21.

"He'll stay there until he is voted off which, I hope, isn't till the November finale!" DeLay Ferro told us.

mark dacascos

2009-08-17T10:10:00.000-07:00

mark dacascos
The Iceman, the Chairman, the Hammer and the Witch vs. the Puppy Lover?

This season of Dancing With the Stars could get intense.

After weeks of buzz and rumors, the ninth season's cast is no longer a mystery. Emmy-nominated host Tom Bergeron appeared on Good Morning America today to reveal the record number of stars who will face new restrictions, "ballroom bloodbath" double eliminations and still-inevitable injuries in the hopes of waltzing away with that mirrorball trophy.

Paula Abdul won't be there (she won't be on So You Think You Can Dance, either, if Mary Murphy gets her say), and neither will Hills hottie Audrina Patridge or grieving sister La Toya Jackson.

But who will be sashaying into prime time in a matter of weeks?

Donny Osmond appeared on GMA to assist Bergeron with reading the list of names and announce his own candidacy for ballroom glory. In addition to reminding fans of his sister Marie Osmond's run on the show, he attempted to instill fear in the minds of competitors Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell and Tom "The Hammer" DeLay and sap in the hearts of voters by declaring his move-and-shake moniker, the Puppy Lover.

A few other competitors are keeping the Dancing shoes in the family. Ashley Hamilton, ex-husband of Shannen Doherty and Angie Everhart, is preparing to do his father George Hamilton (and season two's 5th place finisher) proud. Michael Irvin, season three winner Emmitt Smith's Dallas Cowboys' "Triplets" brother, will also don a pair of shiny shoes.

Models Kathy Ireland and Joanna Krupa no doubt hope to bewitch the fans into voting for them over Melissa Joan Hart, Kelly Osbourne or Olympians Natalie Coughlin and Louie Vito. Likewise, we're sure Aaron Carter, Macy Gray and Mya hope to use all their tools to whiz past Iron Chef America's chairman, Mark Dacascos.

Here's the full list of "stars" you'll see during the three-day premiere of Dancing With the Stars, kicking off Sept. 21 at 8 p.m. on ABC...

* Kathy Ireland, 46, model
* Macy Gray, 41, singer
* Melissa Joan Hart, 33, actress
* Mya, 29, singer
* Ashley Hamilton, 34, actor-comedian
* Michael Irvin, 43, football player
* Mark Dacascos, 45, actor and martial artist
* Donny Osmond, 51, entertainer
* Kelly Osbourne, 24, singer
* Debi Mazar, 45, actress
* Chuck Liddell, 39, UFC fighter
* Natalie Coughlin, 26, swimmer
* Joanna Krupa, 30, model
* Louie Vito, 21, snowboarder
* Aaron Carter, 21, singer
* Tom DeLay, 62, former House majority leader

hurricane tracking

2009-08-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

hurricane tracking

Hurricane Gordon CC attribution Public Domain. NASA via pingnews on flickr. After all that Ike Badness last year I m not sure I am emotionally ready for this again. However we have really improved our processes at home and work due to Lessons Learned exercises and our business impact and business continuity plans are sharpened and more refined than ever before. With that in mind, I ve decided to go back and update my GSD Hurricane Tracking Links 2008 post Bookmark em all Or al least this post Gulf Coast Watch List So here are the hurricane links I am watching at home and work, to track the impending winds. Listed in order of my personal preference 2008-09-07_164059 Stormpulse Hurricane tracking, mapping - If you like dark-themed, special-op center techno-sites, this is the one for you. The site has a lot of information and can be customized in extra data inclusions on the chart. What really makes this one cool is that it has a Full-Screen mode that displays as much detail as you want for the storm-track on your monitor. It provides a standard storm-track model, but you can select to include a bevy of additional forecast models if you want to really psych yourself out. Loaded up in Google Chrome or Chromium coupled with a nice dark Google Chrome Theme it really stands out projected on the wall of the incident command center. SciGuy Blog Chon.com s Eric Berger - Eric has been providing outstanding details, commentary, live chat-sessions, and analysis of all science and prognostication tropical. Highly recommended as a filter of reason and temperance in a media-market filled with over-hype, smashing graphics, and fear-factor extremes. Besides that, you can count on Eric to provide great meteorological linkage to excellent source material like this GFS global model or this the European model. It s a must-follow must-RSS feed blog for all Texas Gulf Coast residents. Period. see also Jeff Masters Wunder Blog Weather Underground . IBISEYE.com -- Your Atlantic Hurricane Season Tracking Map Source An awesome site that mashes up tracking data on hurricanes and points of interest, along with Google Maps. Heavy on the JavaScript but makes up for it in pure visual delight. Easy enough even the old-folks can understand. Not only are hurricanes and projected paths displayed, but also counties are added as they fall under various storm watches and warnings. Zoom in out for more detail. Tropical Atlantic NHC Model Data for Tropical Storms TropicalAtlantic beta For folks who need to have more than one storm-track model presented, this is like going from riding a pony to driving cattle from North Dakota to the Fort Worth Stockyards. Look at the top of the page to select any current storms. Then when the Google Map mash-up launches, you can pick from 32 Early models and 38 Late model storm track models. Plot one or plot them all Awesome Additional NOAA summary of storm-track models. Also, Tropical Atlantic Information About Atlantic Hurricanes main-page. Hurricane and Storm Tracking - Terrapin's site remains a dear favorite. It is lean and simple and allows for quick location of information without lots of graphic overkill. The storm-track plots come in two flavors, a simple historical and future projection track that is static as well as a java-based animated one. Loads fast and updated as new forecasts are posted. National Hurricane Center - This website maintained by the National Weather Service is my number two choice. Lots more linkage on the sidebar for hurricane related topics and preparations. The main page has links to a number of graphics and advisories. NHC's Atlantic Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook - A beta sub-page of the site listed above. This is pretty cool. Any current tropical systems are overlayed on a satellite image with an icon. Hovering over the icon pulls up a quick update view. Clicking on the update popup then takes you to the system's detailed page. Moreweather.com -- Tropical Atlantic Weather Page - T-Storm Terry Faber has created a great hurricane system page here. Not only does it have lots of links to any active systems, but it also contains links to radar and satellite images, many in great details and high resolution. The hurricane tracking maps and projections are there, of course. T-Storm Terry also provides links to other sources of information as well as historical data on previous storm systems. Tropical Weather Weather Underground - This is a fantastic site that has the widest range of linkages, maps, images, models, and everything. Just about the only thing it doesn't provide is winds blown into your face through the monitor. Which is why I put this at the bottom and not the top there is just so much information it overwhelms. Oklahoma Weather Lab Hoot - Models GFS Model Upper-Level Wind 850mb provided us great forecast models of the high low pressure zones and ridges leading up to Ike s eventual landfall and really helped us understand the forces driving its path. Local Winds For local Houston area facts and updates, most of the local news stations have their web-sites powered up. Hurricane Central Chron.com - Houston Chronicle - I generally turn to the Houston Chronicle's website for the majority of my information locally. Harris County Homeland Security Emergency Management - Main page links to the new Evacuation maps, Contraflow routes, etc. Fox News 26 - Hurricane Toolbox - Lots of links and helpful tips abc13.com Gulf Coast Hurricane Guide - Again lots of links and preparedness tips. StormWatch, KPRC Local 2 Click2Houston - News channel 2's public information page. HURRICANE CENTRAL from 11 News KHOU.com - One more local news site's tropics page. Even More Weather I have found these additional links pretty cool e-WALL PSU ELECTRONIC MAP WALL Too Much Information But still cool. TROPICAL ATLANTIC e-WALL I m no meteorologist, but I can play one at work and home Real Time Tropical Cyclone Research Page University of Central Florida. Lots of additional links. Road Kill Houston TranStar Real-Time Traffic Map, Houston TranStar Cameras, and Houston TranStar Incidents and Road Closures. You just don t want to be caught off guard when one of these comes knocking at your door. Ike_Bad Ike radar image captured by Jim Thompson of jimthompson.org --Claus

cyborg vs carano video

2009-08-16T09:35:00.000-07:00

cyborg vs carano video

Cris "Cyborg" Santos scored a TKO of Carano at the end of the first round of the first-ever women's main event on a major on MMA card in front of 13,524 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose.
In the fight to crown the women's 145-pound champion, Santos, of Curitiba, Brazil, came out guns blazing and threatened Carano early with a flurry of strikes and a leg lock following a takedown. "Cyborg" ended the match after she was able to get on top of Carano and landed around 12 consecutive blows before referee Josh Rosenthal stepped in and waved his arms to signal the fight was over with one second left in the scheduled five-minute round.
Santos (8-1) was a slight favorite to win and now becoms the first Strikeforce female 145-pound champion.
Carano suffered her first loss and fell to 7-1. So is a Playboy magazine spread now an option for Carano? If she's going to do it, now may be the time as another beating like that and her pretty face won't be so pretty anymore. See below.

nyc half marathon 2009

2009-08-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

nyc half marathon 2009

Sunday morning was a very hot day to be running, even at 7 A.M.. Weather and all, nearly 10,000 runners showed up to compete in the 2009 New York City Half-Marathon. The course remained in the shade, for the majority of the beginning, in Central Park. But, once the runners took to the West Side Highway, it was a very warm stretch to the finish. The male winner of the race was Tadese Tola, of Ethiopia. For the women, as expected, Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain was the winner. Paula was a late entry, announced last week. She has been recovering from a foot problem. This was Radcliffe’s first race of 2009. Full results can be found at the NYRR website.
The NYRR did a great job of organizing the race. It was a complete success. Congratulations to all of the finishers of the 2009 NYC Half Marathon. WABC-7 , will be airing coverage of the race, beginning tonight at 11:30 PM.

blue hawaii

2009-08-16T09:31:00.001-07:00

blue hawaii

On August 16, 1977, music fans around the world mourned the loss of Elvis Presley. The “King of Rock and Roll” died at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee at the age of 42. While rumor and scandal surrounded Presley’s later life and untimely death, island music fans will always fondly remember him as the star who introduced Hawaii to the world.
Elvis Presley’s connection to the islands began with his 1961 film “Blue Hawaii.” The film was billed as “Ecstatic romance...exotic dances...exciting music in the world's lushest paradise of song!“ “Blue Hawaii” earned Presley a Grammy nomination in 1962 and brought the wonders of Hawaii to a widespread audience.
Presley made two other films in Hawaii. “Girls! Girls! Girls” (1962) earned a 1963 Golden Globe Nomination for Best Motion Picture – Musical. The same year, Presley’s performance in the film won a 2nd place finish at the Golden Laurel Awards. “Paradise Hawaiian Style” – the King’s last Hawaii-based motion picture -- was released in June of 1966
In 1973, made entertainment history and brought Hawaii into the international spotlight with his concert television special “Elvis, Aloha from Hawaii.” The concert was broadcast live via Globecam Satellite to Australia, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, The Philippines, South Vietnam and other countries. Seen in 40 countries by more than 1 billion people, the broadcast attracted 51% of the world television audience and was an international sensation. The program solidified Presley’s status as “the King of Rock & Roll” and introduced the beauty of the Hawaiian Islands to the entire globe.

leadville 100

2009-08-15T08:09:00.000-07:00

leadville 100

Dave Wiens, the six-time defending champion of the grueling Leadville 100 mountain bike endurance test, takes little solace in having held off Lance Armstrong at least year's "Race Across the Sky."
Armstrong wasn't in top shape last year but he is now, having taken third place in his return to the Tour de France, which he won a record seven times, and smoking the field in a pro cross-country race near his home in Aspen this month.
"I felt like last year it was at least a fair fight," Wiens said. "This year he's so much more fit it's scary because he's coming off the Tour de France, where he was amazing, and he's been riding his mountain bike a ton. He's coming into Leadville with his best fitness. He's got one of the best physiologies on the planet and then he's highly trained. He's had time to recover from the Tour. I expect him to be in amazing condition."
Last year, Armstrong pushed Wiens to a record time in Leadville's lung-searing 100-mile mountain bike race through the Rockies but faded toward the end and finished about two minutes behind Wiens' winning time of 6 hours, 45 minutes, 45 seconds.
That was an astounding 13 minutes faster than the year before, when Wiens held off another big name, Floyd Landis.
Armstrong and Wiens raced together for 90 miles in the grueling test of lung-burning climbs and tough technical descents, the latter half of that by themselves, taking turns leading the way.
With 10 miles left, however, Armstrong told Wiens to go on ahead because he was cooked.
Wiens begged him to keep up so they could have an all-bets-off sprint to the finish line, but Armstrong, who wasn't quite ready to win a seven-hour ride after three years away from competitive cycling, just couldn't keep up.
"Lance could have killed me if it came down to a sprint," said Wiens, who had nonetheless hoped the two could battle it out to the end in the old tiny mining town of Leadville, where race co-founder Ken Chlouber had said Armstrong's entry in the race was the biggest news in these parts since the gold boom of 1860.
Armstrong pushed Wiens like nobody ever had. After the race, Wiens acknowledged that Armstrong wasn't the same competitor he had been back when he was coasting down the Champs-Elysees and tipping back a victory flask of champagne.
But it's a much different Armstrong that's favored Saturday.
"I'd be so happy if I'm still with him at the 90-mile mark this year," Wiens said. "I'll throw my hands up like I just won the race."
Wiens said it would be presumptuous of him to even think he'd still be alongside Armstrong at that point.
"I expect he could try to drop me on the Power Line (climb). He could what we call 'ride me off his wheel' if he wanted to," Wiens said. "That's when you realize that if you keep trying to keep up, you're going to just die. He could do that early in the race.
"Or there could be a larger group that breaks away, and that makes it harder, too."
Mountain bike races are a bit more unpredictable than road races because if an elite rider is having a tough time, he can't hide in the pack and get through it.
Wiens, 44, of Gunnison, said he could have called it quits after beating Armstrong last year, "but when Lance talked about coming back again in 2009, I didn't feel it was right to bail. I could have gone out on top but that's not what drives me. It's the journey all year to get to this race."
The country's highest-altitude bicycle race, which is sponsored by Lifetime Fitness, begins at Leadville at 6:30 a.m. with 1,400 riders making the 50-mile out-and-back trek in one of the country's toughest single-day races. It starts at 10,500 feet and climbs to more than 14,000 feet.
Armstrong, and before him, Landis, have raised the race's profile. Their attendance has attracted other professional mountain bikers, including Tinker Juarez and Travis Brown this year, although most of the field is amateur.
For the first time in its 27-year history, the 12-hour race will be streamed live on a Webcast.

leeward islands

2009-08-15T08:07:00.000-07:00

leeward islands

The first tropical storm of the season has developed in the Atlantic Ocean, near the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean. The Cape Verde season is under way as a series of waves have been spinning off the African coast. Ana will continue on its westerly course for the next few days gradually getting stronger. Another larger wave behind Ana is likely going to become a depression, and eventually turn unto tropical storm Bill. Ana is moving towards the west, nearly 16 MPH. Maximum sustained winds are near 40 MPH. This storm should continue to develop over the next 48 hours.
Weather Underground / AP Photo - This NOAA satellite image taken Friday, August 14, 2009 at 1:45 PM EDT shows a swirl of clouds east of the Lesser Antilles associated with a dying tropical disturbance. No other tropical development is noticed in the region.

oregon ducks

2009-08-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

oregon ducks

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - 2008 SEASON IN REVIEW: Last year the Ducks were built to make a run at double- digit wins and a Pac-10 title. While the team finished with 10 victories, the chances of claiming a conference championship were dashed by mid-season.
Oregon's season did begin with some promise after the team dominated Washington (44-10), followed by an amazing 66-24 rout of Utah State. In the victory over the Aggies the Ducks set a school record with 688 total yards of offense. The team's third matchup was a bit tougher as Oregon needed double- overtime to defeat Purdue, 32-26. Unfortunately, the magic did not continue, as the Ducks went into their contest against Boise State with a fifth-string quarterback under center, and although the team put up a valiant effort, Oregon fell to the Broncos 37-32. After an easy victory over Washington State, the Ducks fell right back into the loss column thanks to a 44-10 drubbing at the hands of the USC Trojans. Oregon rebounded nicely however, defeating UCLA and then clobbering Arizona State, but once again the team could not push through in a tough conference road matchup, falling to California, 26-16. At 6-3 the Ducks' hopes of a conference title were slim, but that did not stop the team from closing out the campaign strong. Oregon slipped passed Stanford by seven (35-28), then won a shootout against Arizona (55-45) and pounded Oregon State(65-38), scoring a combined 120 points in the last two contests.
Oregon finished the regular season with nine wins and earned a spot in the Holiday Bowl where they faced Oklahoma State. The team trailed 17-7 at halftime, but fought back to claim a 42-31 victory.
Overall, it was a solid season for Oregon despite a few bumps along the way and with four straight wins to close out the season, the Ducks showed a lot of heart.
2009 ANALYSIS:
OFFENSE: The Ducks were a dangerous group offensively this past season, but with only four starters returning there could be a few bumps in the road in 2009. New head coach Chip Kelly should have an easy transition into the lead role since he was the offensive coordinator for the Ducks over the past two seasons. Coach Kelly does have an advantage with an experienced quarterback in Jeremiah Masoli under center.
"Jeremiah Masoli will be back for his second year," said coach Kelly. "He did not go through pre-season camp last year because of a wrist injury, and wasn't with us in the spring before that and it really was an on the job training with him because of our quarterback injuries. If you watched him play in the last four games of last year really starting with the drive that won the Stanford game for us, how he played against Arizona and Oregon State in the Civil War and the performance he put on in the Holiday Bowl where he ended up being the MVP. He is just going to grow from there."
Masoli did improve as the year progressed and add the fact that he also rushed for 718 yards and 10 scores, and he could be one of the most dangerous players in the country in 2009.
Unfortunately the only true target returning for Masoli is tight end Ed Dickson, who hauled in 35 receptions for 508 yards and three touchdowns. Other than Dickson and Jeff Maehl (five touchdown receptions in 2008), the signal caller will have to rely heavily on sophomore Chris Harper and Jamere Holland.
The ground game should be able to take some pressure of Masoli thanks to the return of TD-maker LeGarrette Blount. Blount was the second best back on the team last year, but still managed 1,002 yards and a school-record 17 touchdowns.
However, what could hamper Blount, as well as Masoli, is an inexperienced front line that will return just one starter in right tackle Ce Kaiser (6-4, 290).
DEFENSE: Last year the Ducks were exposed defensively at times and with only five starters back in the fold, it is unlikely that this unit will improve much on last season's performance.
One of the returning starters, and leaders on this defense is cornerback Walter Thurmond III. In 2008 Thurmond III finished with 66 tackles and a team- best five interceptions, and coach Kelly is hoping his leadership on and off the field will help this young bunch.
"He is the most competitive kid we have on the practice field," said coach Kelly. "He has tremendous work ethic. He's a great leader. I think our defense is going to surprise people this year really because of the leadership really provided by Walter."
T.J. Ward (team-high 101 tackles last season) also returns in the defensive backfield, but with only him and Thurmond III back in the mix the Ducks will likely have trouble improving on the 270 ypg allowed through the air.
The front line is also filled with question marks, as the lone returning starter up front is Will Tukuafu. An every down end, the 6-4, 275-pound Tukuafu racked up 59 tackles last year, with 10 TFLs and 7.5 sacks. Nick Reed and his 13 sacks from a year ago are gone, but coach Kelly is hoping junior college transfer Terrance Montgomery can step in and make an immediate impact, tanking some of the pressure off of Tukuafu.
The only area that has experience mixed with talent is in the linebacking group, as the team returns Spencer Paysinger (95 tackles) and Casey Matthews (67 tackles, 11 TFLs). Joining the two will be juco transfer Bryson Littlejohn, who has turned some heads in spring workouts and could fill in nicely, giving the Ducks a dangerous trio at linebacker.
SPECIAL TEAMS: This season should be interesting for the Ducks on special teams, as Oregon will have to replace a kicker, punter and punt returner. However, special teams coach Tom Osborne is one of the best in the nation and should have the Ducks ready for the upcoming season. Morgan Flint has some experience at kicker, connecting on all 28 of his extra point attempts this past season and 7-of-9 field goals. Flint did not connect on a kick over 39 yards, but now that he has the starting job, he should have plenty of chances to change that. The kick return duties will once again be handled by Thurmond III, while the punt return job will likely end up in the hands of Aaron Pflugrad.
OUTLOOK: With longtime coach Mike Bellotti moved upstairs to athletic director, a new head coach in Chip Kelly and only nine starters returning, a daunting schedule could pose problems for the Duck. Matching last year's win total is not realistic at all.
Oregon kicks off the year with a tough road matchup against a dangerous Boise State team and follows that with back-to-back home games against Purdue and Utah. Despite a rough out of conference schedule the Ducks do luck out with getting the top teams from the conference in Eugene. California, USC and Oregon State will all have to travel to Autzen Stadium. However, even with that advantage coach Kelly's squad is far too inexperienced to compete with the elite in the Pac-10 and will likely take a few steps back in 2009.

tropical storm ana

2009-08-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

tropical storm ana

MIAMI — Forecasters say Tropical Storm Ana has formed over the Atlantic and could strengthen as it heads toward the Leeward Islands.
The National Hurricane Center says Ana could trigger a tropical storm watch for parts of the Leeward Islands later Saturday. It could be approaching the islands by Monday.
Ana, the first named storm of the Atlantic season, could slowly strengthen in the next couple of days as it moves to the west at 16 mph. Maximum sustained winds are near 40 mph.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Guillermo was swirling in the Pacific as a Category 3 storm. Winds were near 115 mph as the hurricane moved to the west-northwest at 16 mph. It was about 1,385 miles west of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula early Saturday morning.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
MIAMI (AP) — Forecasters say Hurricane Guillermo has quickly strengthened into a Category 3 storm far off Mexico's Pacific coast.
The National Hurricane Center says Guillermo's maximum sustained winds are near 115 mph. The hurricane rapidly intensified early Saturday morning, but it is expected to weaken later in the day as it moves over cooler water.
Guillermo was centered about 1,385 miles west of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula.
It is moving west-northwest at 16 mph.
Meanwhile, forecasters say a tropical depression has regenerated over the Atlantic Ocean. The depression could become a tropical storm this weekend.

michael vick press conference

2009-08-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

michael vick press conference

Seven random thoughts on No.7 before the Michael Vick press conference starts, which I’ll be monitoring . . .
♦ 1.) Does this mean the United Football League is going to fold — and what to do now with all of those No. 7 Florida Tuskers jerseys? (Did anybody really believe that ever was going to happen? Suckers.)
♦ 2.) Here’s an idea: Sell the jerseys to Arthur Blank! The Falcons’ owner is trying to make up for some of the cash he lost after the Vick-fueled franchise collapse. But how happy is he today? He now knows he’ll have at least one sellout this season (Dec. 6 vs. Eagles), and if he’s smart he’ll break out all of those Falcons’ No. 7 jerseys that he has in storage and sell them outside the Georgia Dome game week. What do you suppose complete MV7 set of Falcon-Leavenworth-Tusker-Eagle jerseys would go for?
♦ 3.) This just in: football coaches lie. Yes, shocking but true, the Eagles were one of over 20 teams that publicly shot down any thoughts of Vick signing with their team. This from coach Andy Reid just over two weeks ago: “Number one, I think he’s a good kid Right now we have a good situation at quarterback so that’s not the direction I’m looking. I’m glad Tony Dungy is involved, no finer person around than Tony Dungy. And Michael, the times I’ve talked to him, he’s a good kid, so I think that combination there will help Michael and probably increase his marketability there.”
♦ 4.) It’s a testament to how well great NFL franchises can keep a secret that word of Philadelphia’s interest in Vick never leaked out, especially in the days of message boards, blogs, blind reader commenting and every third cousin of the equipment manager Twittering. And how must ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, a former AJC comrade, feel? He actually had the Eagles listed as a possible destination for Vick early in the week but removed them after speaking to Reid.
♦ 5.) There has been a loud reaction from the significant number of remaining Vick supporters in Atlanta since the signing. But can you imagine what the response would have been if the Falcons hadn’t turned things around with Matt Ryan last season? And given this is a franchise that never has had consecutive winning seasons, the last thing Blank needs is for his team to be 4-7 going into the Eagles game.
♦ 6.) Had to laugh at the response from former Falcons coach Dan Reeves, who, when asked on 680 The Fan Friday morning whether Vick could ever play wide receiver: “No chance. He can’t catch. We tried to [practice] some plays out of the shotgun.”
♦ 7) Just got off the phone after my second radio interview of the morning. The guy on the other end was astounded by how divided the Eagles’ fan base was over the signing and couldn’t seem to get over that people were saying such mean and nasty things about Vick and each other. Dude, you have no idea.
Oh look! It’s Sal Paolantonio! I’ll be commenting during the press conference. Jump in at any time.

huntington bank

2009-08-14T09:07:00.000-07:00

huntington bank

Huntington Bank in Port Clinton donated 100 bookbags to the Salvation Army’s Tools for Schools program Tuesday. The bags, each stuffed with paper, folders and a Marco’s pizza gift certificate, are now among items Saponari said are overflowing her office.
Collection for the program, designed to assist local families in financial need with school supplies, has been going on for the past month. Theresa Kirkpatrick, general manager of Huntington, said her staff helped gather the items with enthusiasm. “The employees had such a good time with it,” she said.
Applications for the program are being accepted through Aug. 24 at the Salvation Army in the Sutton Center at 1854 E. Perry St., Suite 800, Port Clinton. Distribution of school supplies begins Monday. For information on the program,

district 9 movie trailer

2009-08-14T09:01:00.000-07:00

district 9 movie trailer
I love moments like this. Moments where you know something pretty amazing is about to happen… That things might actually change for the better. I am giddy for the rest of the world, and for you. At 12:00 a.m., on August 135h, District 9 a new film directed by Neill Blomkamp (watch interview part 1, part 2) produced by Peter Jackson, and starring Sharlto Copley (watch interview) is going to be unleashed upon unsuspecting moviegoers. And if you’re smart, you’ll have your ass in one of those seats and your shoes stuck to the ground from spilled Cherry Pepsi.

So here is goes…

A Word:
This is the first movie in years which I walked into almost completely oblivious to what I was about to see. Aside from a tiny portion of the first teaser for it, I stayed away from anything District 9. No trailers, sneak peaks, magazine articles, early reviews. Nada. Only a few bits od their viral marketing campaign in Los Angeles. Moments ago, I watched the trailers for the first time. While they don’t reveal a whole lot, they do reveal a couple moments that are spoiler-esque. Even with that, this film will blow your mind. Hopefully, Hollywood will watch and take a lesson from this film.

The Plot:
I don’t want to tell you anything about this movie or the plot. This is one of those times where you just have to go see the film ASAP. If you ignore my advice, I promise you that you will be hearing it from every person around you whether you want to or not. Am I hyping it up too much? Maybe. I don’t care. It will still rock your world. There are aliens. There are humans. It is not what you think it is. The less you know, the better. You really shouldn’t be reading this at all. You should be ordering your midnight tickets right now. Seriously. Hit command-T right now and start ordering.

The Good:
Neill Blomkamp: The visual effects master jumped into the director’s chair and has created something wonderfully fresh in District 9… I hope Hollywood is watching.
The Script: Terri Tatchell and Blomkamp’s screenplay is so masterfully crafted, it is hard to point out one thing that makes it remarkable. The characters they create and the journey they take you on will leave you begging for more by the end of the film.
The Acting: The lead, played by Sharlto Copley, is an unknown actor who arrives on the scene and takes the film to an entirely new level. I don’t know how any other actor could have done what he did in this film. It seems like I’m cheating on him when I try to imagine another actor in his role. Must… be… loyal…
Cinematography: A good portion of the film is shot in a documentary style. But not the annoying kind. The fluid kind that does not take away from the flow of the film. We weave in and out of “doc mode” and “film mode” so seamlessly, it could sneak out and take your car right in front of your eyes.
Action/Visual Effects: The film will test your patience. But that makes the nectar all the more tasty when you taste it.
The Bad:
Nothing: A bold statement, I know. I have let the film sink in for almost 24 hours, and I am still in awe of it. I honestly cannot think of something that did not work for me. Maybe in a week or so I will change my mind. But as of this writing, I can not find one thing that was bad.
Overall:
This seems unnecessary at this point, but here I go. This is the best Sci-Fi movie to come out in years. What they have done with $30 million is mind-boggling. I am not missing a zero there. They were able to create what, in my opinion, is the best movie of the year at 1/6 of the price of the crappiest film of the year (Hi, Transformers 2!). Hollywood, please, look at what can be done. Look at the possibilities. We could have six great movies for the price of one.

Tonight at 12:oo a.m. Tomorrow. This weekend. Whenever. Sit in a room full of people and watch this movie with them. Groan and cheer together with strangers. Let this bad boy make a ton of money. Get your feet sticky with spilt Cherry Coke. I’ll probably be the guy next to you who knocked my cup over in excitement.

vj day

2009-08-14T08:56:00.000-07:00

vj day

(MYFOX NATIONAL) - Today is V-J Day, or Victory over Japan Day, marking the day Japan surrendered in World War II, effectively ending the war.
In recent years the day has not been celebrated like other holidays, as other holidays have been used to mark America's wars and honor those who fought for our country. Memorial Day, which started as a day to remember the soldiers in the Civil War, is now set aside to remember all those lost in battle. Veteran's Day, likewise started as a day to remember the end of WWI, but now honors all that serve in the armed forces.
One of the last parades celebrating the day took place Sunday in Moosup, Conn. Parade organizers say the event honors America's war heroes, though some acknowledge that it can be offensive to Japanese Americans and to a country that now is one of the United States' closest allies .
Rhode Island is the last state that still keeps the day as a holiday. "Victory Day" is marked on the second Monday of August, though many feel the day is in effect used to maintain a summer holiday rather than to recognize events from sixty years ago.
But some veterans want the nation to remember V-J Day, including Albert Perdeck who wrote a letter to The New York Times in 2008 after the newspaper failed to have any mention of the day. He also recently sent letters to other newspapers and TV station about the date.
In Japan on Aug. 15, 1945 (Aug. 14 in America) the emperor announced that Japan would accept the terms of the Postdam Declaration . The emperor sent a cable to U.S. President Harry S Truman saying that the country had surrender. The formal signing of the surrender terms took place on board the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945.
After the Battle of Okinawa , which had thousands of casualties and last for months, on Aug. 6, 1945 the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. That was followed on Aug. 9 with another bomb dropped on Nagasaki. The war in Europe had ended three months earlier on May 8 1945 with the surrender of Nazi Germany.
The news of the Japanese surrender sent the country into a jubilant frenzy. The famous photo of a sailor impromptu kiss of a girl in New York City's Times Square has become iconic for the end of the war.

mark lester photos

2009-08-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

mark lester photos

Mark Lester photos are highly sought after by millions of curious people. The Mark Lester photos are not popular because of Mark Lester's lead role in the 1968 movie Oliver! Mark Lester photos are raising curiosity as Mark Lester claims he is the natural father of Michael Jackson's
daughter, Paris. Paris Jackson's father may be Mark Lester.

Interest in Mark Lester photos and his claim that he's Paris Jackson's father come after Debbie Rowe and Katherine Jackson agreed on a custody arrangement for Michael Jackson's three youngest children Prince, Paris, and Blanket. After looking at all the controversy surrounding Michael Jackson's children, you can't help but wonder how they feel about all the stir in the media. How will Paris Jackson feel if she finds out that Paris Jackson's father is really Mark Lester?

Those who look at Mark Lester photos probably realize that there is some legitimate questions as to whether or not Michael Jackson's kids are really biologically his. People beat around the bush at times because all three of the children are fair skinned and blond. Mark Lester photos show a light skinned man, and if you look at Mark Lester photos and Debbie Rowe photos you can see where Mark Lester may think he's Paris Jackson's father.

If the Mark Lester photos stir up some sort of custody issues, what are Mark Lester's rights as a sperm donor? Could he legally be Paris Jackson's father? California sperm donor law according to LegalMatch.com: " If you go through a licensed medical professional (even if the insemination is done at home), then the sperm donor automatically loses all claim to the child, and if the mother is married, the husband is automatically becomes the legal father (assuming he and the mother sign a consent form to that end). "

At the time Paris Jackson was born, Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe were married, therefore Michael Jackson is the "legal" father. The Mark Lester photos frenzy is just a symbol of how people are coming out of the woodwork trying to gain something from the tragic death of Michael Jackson.

mosquito coast

2009-08-09T09:30:00.000-07:00

mosquito coast

For centuries the people of the Mosquito Coast in Nicaragua were plagued by arrivals from the sea. Successive waves of British traders, Dutch pirates and Spanish conquistadors brought little but misery. Their luck cha
nged in the 1980s, though, when Colombia became the world’s cocaine capital — and some of the illicit produce started washing up on this monsoon-battered coast.
The locals call it “white lobster”: sacks of cocaine weighing as much as 25kg (55lb) that drift on to beaches near the port of Bluefields almost every day. More bob on the waves waiting to be scooped up. The bags, thrown overboard by Colombian smugglers as US patrols close in, have created a class of “lottery winners”; common parlance for a lucrative day’s fishing.
In a town still beset by grinding poverty, palatial villas with luxury cars in the driveways have sprung up like candy-coloured mushrooms, built on the profits of a drug that sells locally for more than $4,000 (£2,350) a kilogram. One resident, Charlie Walters, said that he had collected about 40kg in 1kg packets over the years. On one occasion he and a few friends found six 25kg sacks in a single day. “We went crazy,” he told The Times. “We built houses, we bought cars, we went on holiday to Costa Rica and partied for months without working.”
Sadly, it is all gone, Mr Walters lamented — blown on women, drugs and in the town’s several casinos — and there are real dangers associated with dabbling in the cocaine trade. “I couldn’t sleep when I had some in the house. If people hear you have found something ... I’ve seen people robbed and shot in the leg as a warning. That’s why I don’t do it anymore,” he said. He paused. “Well, not often, anyway.”

ufc 101 video replay

2009-08-09T09:25:00.000-07:00

ufc 101 video replay

The UFC 101 has just finished and here now are the UFC 101 Results for both the Preliminary Fight Cards and the Main Fight Cards. Also below is the UFC 101 Pla
y By Play of BJ Penn vs Kenny Florian.
Thank you once again to everyone who stayed with us during our UFC 101 coverage. I hope you all enjoyed watching UFC 101. Call your local cable operators for the schedule of the UFC 101 fight video replay. See you all in UFC 102. UFC 101 Results: Preliminary Fight Cards
Welterweight: Jesse Lennox wins by TKO vs Danillo Villefort R3 Lightweight: George Sotiropoulos wins by submission (Kimura) vs George Roop R2 Welterweight: Matt Riddle wins by Unanimous Decision (29-27, 30-26, 30-27) vs Dan Cramer Middleweight: Alessio Sakara wins by Split Decision (29-28, 27-30, 29-28) vs Thales Leites Welterweight: John Howard wins by Split Decision (29-28, 28-29,29-28) vs Tamdan McCrory Lightweight: Aaron Riley wins Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) vs Shane Nelson
UFC 101 Results: Main Fight Cards Lightweight: Kurt Pellegrino wins by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) vs Josh Neer Middleweight: Ricardo Almeida wins by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) vs Kendall Grove Welterweight: Johny Hendricks wins by TKO vs Amir Sadollah R1 Light Heavyweight: Anderson Silva wins by TKO vs Forrest Griffin R1 Lightweight Championship: BJ Penn wins by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) vs Kenny Florian R4

mercy me accident

2009-08-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

mercy me accident

Maggie Lee Henson didn't live long enough to realize her dream of becoming a star on Broadway, but she took center stage in a memorial service celebrating her life Aug.6 at First Baptist Church in Shreveport, La.
"My passion is acting and singing," the 12-year-old victim of a deadly accident involving youth and adults from the church said in an audition video played at her funeral. "My goals are to become a better Christian, a better actress and a better performer and a better daughter."
Senior Pastor Greg Hunt introduced the daughter of a member of his ministerial staff as "the flashing comet that was Maggie Lee Henson."
Henson and another member of the church youth group died from injuries they received when a church bus carrying 17 youth and six adults blew a tire and overturned while en route to a church camp in Georgia.
Brandon Ugarte, 14, died shortly after the accident July 12, but Henson clung to life three weeks in a hospital in Mississippi before losing her battle Aug. 2. After her death doctors were able to save two of her organs to be used by other children on a donor waiting list.
Hunt described the girl as "outgoing, friendly, kind-hearted, joyful, faith-filled with a generosity of spirit to go along with her charm" who had dreams of claiming the stage and being a star.
"It's just like her that her final chapter on this side of time and eternity would end with a worldwide audience of strangers made friends and a graceful bow and then she would exit stage right with the generosity of spirit with which she lived, providing gifts of life from her own body for two other children," he said.
Henson's cousin Madeline Richardson fought back tears to tell the congregation and an Internet audience viewing a live webcast the story of how she and Maggie Lee decided they looked so much alike they must be twins. The problem was that twins had to be sisters. The solution: they would be "twin cousins."
"I remember you telling me you wanted to be famous, to be a star one day," Richardson said in her tribute to Maggie Lee. "A real star is someone who touches people's hearts and accomplishes great things. You did exactly that. You have touched the hearts of people you met. You also have accomplished more in the last few weeks than most people accomplish in a lifetime. You have brought families closer together and closer to God. On top of that you have also saved two lives."
"You provided miracles for two other children through organ donation," she said. "Maggie Lee, you truly are a star."
Henson's younger brother, Jack, read one of thousands of tributes to his sister posted on a website called CaringBridge.org.
"Anyone who got to know Maggie knew that she wanted to be a singer and actress when she grew up," he said. "But instead God used her to show thousands of people his love and mercy."
In words of remembrance and thanksgiving, Hunt described a congregation "gathered in grief and hope."
"For moments like this God doesn't give us bumper-sticker bromides," Hunt said, "the easy answers, quick, question-evading certitudes."
"But what he does do is line the margins between time and eternity with fabulous promises, declarations of reassurance and hope," he said.
Hunt said God is not the author of tragedy: He permits, but does not propel, other forces that are to blame.
"We live in a world in which winds batter boats and tires blow and buses roll and mothers and fathers and brothers weep," Hunt said. "These are the culprits, not God."
Jason Matlack, the church's youth minister, led a prayer for the family. He was wearing a neck brace for a fractured C7 vertebra that he suffered when the bus rolled several times on a Mississippi interstate while carrying the youth group to a Passport camp on the campus of Mercer University.
After the service, webcast with technical aid from staff members at nearby Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport, Maggie Lee's body was taken to Tyler, Texas, for private burial.

mike seeger

2009-08-08T09:40:00.000-07:00

mike seeger

Mike Seeger, whose love for traditional songs and tunes inspired many other musicians — including Bob Dylan — to look for the rural roots of American music, died of cancer
Friday night at his home in Lexington, Va. He was 75.
Seeger was a highly respected performer and collector of traditional music and a major force in giving rural southern musicians a wider audience. He became a spark plug for the revival of interest in American music traditions in the second half of the 20th century.
He was born into a prominent musical family. His half-brother Pete and sister Peggy are renowned musicians and social activists. His father Charles was a folklorist. His mother, Ruth Crawford Seeger, was a music scholar, teacher and classical composer.
Mike Seeger quickly came to love traditional music, and began playing in earnest in his late teens. He developed major talent on banjo, guitar, fiddle, autoharp dulcimer, harmonica and several other instruments large and small. He sought out, learned from and recorded traditional musicians, starting in the Washington, D.C., area where he was raised, and ultimately traveling all over the south to find artists long forgotten or undiscovered.
He co-founded the New Lost City Ramblers with John Cohen and Tom Paley in the late 1950's. This trailblazing three-person string band combined the urban roots of its own members with a deep regard for music of the countryside and small towns.
The Ramblers mined old 78 RPM recordings and visited with senior players, bringing largely forgotten music to life with new, yet traditional arrangements altogether more gutsy and respectful than those of most of the pop-folk groups active at the time.
The Ramblers also pioneered the practice of bringing many older rural musicians onstage with them for collaborative concerts, bridging gaps of culture and time for new audiences. Tracy Schwarz replaced Paley and continued with the group until its final concert, minus Seeger, in West Virginia on August 30, 2009.
In addition to his work with the Ramblers, Seeger pursued an active solo performing career around the world. He collected and documented music and dance, appeared at countless educational events and produced teaching videos on numerous instruments and styles.
Mike Seeger produced dozens of albums solo, with the New Lost City Ramblers, and with a broad array of other musicians. One album, titled Close to Home, features performances culled from his massive collection of field recordings.
As the end of his life drew near, Seeger was also working on a video documentary project focusing on current southern banjo players.

heidi montag playboy pictures

2009-08-08T09:33:00.000-07:00

Heidi Montag Playboy pictures
Heidi Montag Playboy pictures will be available for sale eventually through the popular men's magazine. The Heidi Montag Playboy pictures are to be published in the September 2009 issue, with Heidi Montag on the cover. Nude Vanessa Hudgens

Heidi Montag and her husband, Spencer Pratt, reportedly leaked the Heidi Montag Playboy pictures in a scheme to earn a contract that will yield Heidi Montag an additional $500,000. This is a good chunk of change for anyone, even someone like Heidi Montag who is a reality TV star.

The Heidi Montag Playboy pictures are not the only nude photographs in the news. Vanessa Hudgens leaked photos made news yesterday, and there is some say that Vanessa Hudgens leaked photos herself. If Heidi Montag Playboy pictures and Vanessa Hudgens leaked photos were all a ploy by these beautiful women to gain popularity, it's a 180 degree change from what has been hot in the news the past couple of weeks.

Why would Vanessa Hudgens leak photos? Some think she wants to distance herself from her popular role in teen-sensation High School Musical. While many starlets wish that Hollywood would just take them seriously, it is possible that Vanessa Hudgens leaked photos to look more "exciting" and "fun".

The Heidi Montag Playboy Pictures and the Vanessa Hudgens leaked photos would differ from the Erin Andrews peephole tape. The Erin Andrews peephole tape went viral when someone else leaked the video of her undressing while at a hotel. No sinister actions were behind the Heidi Montag Playboy pictures. There could be a legal battle over the Vanessa Hudgens leaked photos if someone else made them public. As stated before, the Vanessa Hudgens leaked photos were taken when Vanessa Hudgens was 17, which makes them illegal child pornography.

sotomayor swearing in

2009-08-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

sotomayor swearing in

Sonia Sotomayor was sworn in as the 111th U.S. Supreme Court justice and the first Hispanic, taking the oath of office at the high court two days after winning Senate confirmation.

Sotomayor, 55, vowed to “do equal right to the poor and to the rich,” as she took the second of two required oaths from Chief Justice John Roberts today. She rested her hand on a Bible held by her mother, Celina Sotomayor.

The televised swearing-in marked a break from the tradition in recent years of holding oath ceremonies at the White House. Starting with Sandra Day O’Connor in 1981, every new justice had taken an oath at the White House.

President Barack Obama wanted Sotomayor’s swearing-in to take place at the court as a symbol of the judiciary’s independence, an administration official said on condition of anonymity yesterday. Obama will host a reception for Sotomayor at the White House next week.

Justice John Paul Stevens, who was sworn in 1975, was the last justice not to take an oath at the White House. Earlier this year he called that practice “incorrect symbolism.”

Sotomayor replaces the retired David Souter, whose positions she is likely to closely track based on her 17-year record as a trial and appellate judge.

Roberts said a more formal courtroom ceremony, known as an “investiture,” will take place Sept. 8. Sotomayor took the oaths today “so that she can begin work as an associate justice without delay,” Roberts said.

First Test

Her first test will come Sept. 9, when the justices hear an unusual second round of arguments in a campaign finance case to consider overturning the century-old ban on corporate political giving. The case concerns a documentary film critical of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, then a candidate for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.

Later in its 2009-10 term, which formally starts in October, the court will consider the ability of private citizens to sue over religious monuments on public property, determine the constitutionality of a government agency that oversees the accounting industry and consider whether youths can be sentenced to life in prison for crimes other than murder.

ryan o neal hit on tatum at farrah funeral

2009-08-04T09:50:00.000-07:00

ryan o neal hit on tatum at farrah funeral
Someone should tell Ryan O'Neal that hitting on your daughter is not one of the steps included in the five stages of grief.

But that didn't stop the 68-year-old daddy dearest—who we'll give the benefit of the doubt and dub extremely grief-stricken at the time—from apparently failing to recognize 45-year-old daughter Tatum when she approached him at Farrah Fawcett's funeral last month.

So he did what any Father of the Year abhorrent lothario would do and propositioned her. And then he did what any publicity-starved actor would do and told Vanity Fair all about it.

Yeah, looks like that father-daughter estrangement isn't going anywhere soon.

"I had just put the casket in the hearse and was watching it drive away, when a beautiful blonde woman comes up and embraces me," he told the magazine's September issue in a lengthy interview, the creepiest portions of which are excerpted online.

"I said to her, 'You have a drink on you? You have a car?' She said, 'Daddy, it's me—Tatum!' I was just trying to be funny with a strange Swedish woman, and it's my daughter. It's so sick."

And lest anyone think O'Neal is, for whatever reason, exaggerating the circumstances of the anecdote, Tatum herself confirmed the incident to the magazine.

"That's our relationship in a nutshell," Tatum said. "You make of it what you will."

Oh, don't worry…

"It had been a few years since we'd seen each other," she went on, "and he was always a ladies' man, a bon vivant."

Funny, that's not the term we would have used.

so you think you can dance results

2009-07-31T09:58:00.000-07:00

so you think you can dance results

Thursday night's "So You Think You Can Dance" results show opened with the top six dancing to "Send In The Clowns," but the song proved to be most meaningful to 29-year-old ballerina Melissa Sandvig and contemporary dancer Ade Obayomi, who the ones eliminated from the competition by the end of the tense hour.

Here's where I rant.

As adorable and likeable as the guy is, Broadway-loving Evan does not deserve to advance to the finals. Sorry, Evan fans! He has failed to live up to his promise week to week, even when dancing in his genre. The fact that the judges have started to inexplicably pimp him (after bashing him throughout the first half of the season) makes me resent his presence even more. Evan's got a massive number of fans who think he can do no wrong (how else to explain his staying power?), which scares me. To think that he could beat out a well-rounded, spectacular dancer like Brandon or Kayla? Hell to the no!

As far as the ladies go, I'm still not over Janette's elimination from last week. (I know, I need therapy.) I was almost as sad to see Melissa go this week. She was this season's real underdog, and her arc on the show proved that you can teach an old dog new tricks. (She also has a sparkling personality and drop-dead gorgeous looks, which didn't hurt.)

When I look at the two eliminated contestants, I think about all the memorable routines they've danced this season: "Romeo and Juliet," "The Age of Aquarius," "Breast Cancer" and Ade's gravity-defying flips. Now compare that track record with Evan, whose highlights can be whittled down to maybe one or two solos and a killer story about his brother from the audition episodes. Gah!

Okay, enough ranting. Let's dish about the rest of the hour...

Aside from the results, Thursday night's "So You Think You Can Dance" brought back last season's dancers to perform the four Emmy-nominated routines. What a treat to see last year's faves return! Will now has dreads, Joshua shaved his head, Katee is smokin' hot and Jessica was better than I remembered. For me, the biggest disappointment was watching Chelsea and Mark reprise one of my fave SYTYCD routines, "Bleeding Love." Having committed the dance to memory by watching it online about 5,000 times since last summer, I was distracted by any and every miniscule alteration. To me, the two dancers just weren't "down in the floor" enough. When they performed in competition last year, they glided from move to move. Thursday night, it looked more like they were bopping around.

The highlight of the show, however, was from "America's Best Dance Crew" superstars the Jabbawockeez! Their razor-sharp "Freak A Zoid" routine was a stellar example of why "So You Think You Can Dance" needs to do a better job casting hip-hop dancers next season.

What did you think? Did the correct two go home? And do you think Ade's leaked nude photos (which were not mentioned during the broadcast) were a factor in his elimination this week? And who do you think is the one to beat going into next week's finals?

varalakshmi vratham pooja audio

2009-07-31T09:57:00.000-07:00

varalakshmi vratham pooja audio
Today is Varlakshmi Vratham a popular festival of married ladies in the Southern States of India –Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and also Maharashtra.

Married females are doing this fast because the name Varalakshmi itself can be interpreted in two ways. In one sense Varalakshmi is one who grant boons. In another,she is the Goddess who is invited into the home and honoured. Different types of benefits that will accrue thanks to performing the Varalakshmi puja are “dhan” (money), “dhanyam” (grains or food), “arogyam” (health), “sampath” (property), “sathsanthanam” (virtuous offspring) and “dheerga saumangalyam” (longevity of the husband).
How to do the pooja:

The day of the Vratham, make the house very clean and set rangoli on the floors, set up an area about 1 feet in distance across and height and one that place a plate spread the rice in it. On the rice, place a small Silver small pot (or) any other good pot. Decorate the pot applying it with Sandalwood, Kumkum, Flowers and a Coconut smeared with Turmeric powder. Chant the Sri Lakshmi Prayer and finally dedicate sweets towards Sri Lakshmi. Before that, tie a small thread that is smeared with Turmeric with 9 knots in it and keep this towards the pot. After the offerings are made, tie the knotted thread around the neck.After the puja is over, give the Turmeric and Kumkum to everyone and tie the thread around the right hand.

omer bhatti pics

2009-07-31T09:49:00.000-07:00

omer bhatti pics
Is Omer Bhatti Michael Jackson's biological son? According to the Huffington Post and other media outlets, the young man spotted at Michael Jackson's funeral in dark shades - and sitting near several Jackson family members - just might be the late King of Pop's biological son. Thus,when Omer Bhatti, 25, is a rapper who hails from Norway and, according to the Huffington Post, Michael Jackson told close friends that Omer Bhatti is the result of a one-night stand he had with a Norwegian woman by the name of Pia Bhatti back in 1984 (at the height of his popularity).

The news that Omer Bhatti may be Michael Jackson's love child is certainly not the fist time a celebrity has been involved in such a controversy. Indeed, love child scandals involving celebrities have been going on since the dawn of the modern entertainment industry.

Here is a brief overview of some recent celebrity love child controversies:

In 2006, a 29-year-old Australian woman claimed that actorMel Gibson was her father. She claims that in 1976, before he was an international star, Mel Gibson picked her mother up hitchhiking and proceeded to seduce her. Gibson denies the allegations.

The late actor Heath Ledger is also rumored to have fathered a love child. When he was 17, he allegedly got his 25-year-old girlfriend pregnant. The woman's current husband, however, vigorously denies the veracity of the story and, reportedly, the woman has offered a sample of her DNA in an effort to put the rumors to rest.

Comedian Eddie Murphy has a love child and, in his case, the rumors have been confirmed. The child is the result of Murphy's stormy relationship with former Spice Girl Mel B. The girl's name is Angel and, interestingly, Eddie Murphy claims that he was tricked into having her.

Meanwhile, could it be true that Omer Bhatti is Michael Jackson's love child?

It will interesting to see how the story plays out.

oral b vitality sonic rechargeable toothbrush

2009-07-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

oral b vitality sonic rechargeable toothbrush

With the technological evolution touching new heights, everyday usage products like a toothbrush have also become more of a gadget. Take for instance the Oral-B Vitality Sonic Rechargeable Toothbrush which does everything a toothbrush can but, automatically.You will soon forget your dentist once you start using a toothbrush that removes plaque and stains leaving your teeth white and glistening.

Now before I feel I’ve overpraised this toothbrush without revealing a facet, the Vitality Sonic comes with advanced sonic technology that drives CrissCross bristles nearly 20,000 times a minute.

Two minutes of brushing is ample given the speed with which it brushes your teeth. The Vitality handle of the brush lasts up to five days on a single charge-where a couple of minutes everyday is a standard parameter. Therefore, it has a two-minute timer that pulsates to signal the brushing time. The entire package of course comes with a charging base.

The Sonic Brush Head is also capable of stimulating gums. Pretty much like the other Oral-B brushes, this one too has indicator bristles

that fade to let you know that it is time for a replacement. The entire package with the charging dock and replacement heads costs $30

liz claman

2009-07-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

liz claman

It makes TVNewser tired just thinking about it, but FBN's Liz Claman and Cheryl Casone are scheduled to compete in this Sunday's NYC Triathlon. It'll be the first triathlon for both women. Claman reports she's been training five days a week (often at 5 a.m.), and Casone spends "six days a week in a pool, on a bike, or running..."

> Political analyst and author Richard Wolffe will fill in for Keith Olbermann tonight on Countdown. It'll be the first time guest hosting for Wolffe, formerly with Newsweek, now with the D.C. office of Public Strategies.

> Former CNN producer-turned-filmmaker Brian Kosisky will make his feature directorial debut on a movie called Call of the Shadow Wolves, which is set to begin shooting in Arizona. Kosisky won a Gracie Award last year for Breaking the Curse with Daryn Kagan, a film that aired on PBS stations nationwide.

jillian harris and ed swiderski

2009-07-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

jillian harris and ed swiderski

"Ed is the person I'm meant to be with," the 29-year-old interior designer from Vancouver, BC said moments before Ed arrived at the final Rose Ceremony location and proposed to her.

"I can see him in my life long-term -- forever, 50 years down the road. There's something about my relationship with Ed that just makes me smile from ear to ear. We are best friends, we have that laughter. And we have that spark and that chemistry. Our relationship is complete, we're ready to take the plunge. It's everything that I was looking for I am 100% madly in love with Ed."

Jillian selected Ed, a 29-year-old interior designer from Vancouver, BC, over Kiptyn Locke, a 31-year-old business developer from Encinitas, CA, during the finale, which also featured the unexpected return of Reid Rosenthal, the bachelor Jillian had previously eliminated at the season's penultimate Rose Ceremony.

The Bachelorette's fifth-season finale began with Jillian individually introducing Ed and Kiptyn to some of her family, who had traveled from Canada to the Big Island of Hawaii, the finale's filming location. Ed was the first bachelor to meet the family members, which consisted of Jillian's mother Peggy and father Glen as well as her grandmother Marjorie and her cousin Tori.

thunder over the valley

2009-07-27T09:05:00.000-07:00

thunder over the valley

New Delhi, July 27, 2009: There is some good news for people who wanted to attend Thunder Over the Valley air show. There will be more tickets available for people desirous to attend spectacular air show that would have some greatest flying machines.
The two day Air show would include performance by Thunderbirds. The Thunderbirds are the air demonstration squadron of the U.S. Air Force (USAF), based at Nellis AFB in Las Vegas, Nevada. The squadron tours the United States and much of the world, performing aerobatic formation and solo flying in specially-marked USAF jet aircraft.

Officers serve a two-year assignment with the squadron, while enlisted personnel serve three to four. Replacements must be trained for about half of the team each year, providing a constant mix of experience. The squadron performs no more than 88 air demonstrations each year and has never canceled a demonstration due to maintenance difficulty.

In addition to their air demonstration responsibilities, the Thunderbirds are part of the USAF combat force and if required, can be rapidly integrated into an operational fighter unit. Since 15 February 1974 the Thunderbirds have been a component of the 57th Wing at Nellis AFB.

With tens of millions of spectators attenging air shows each year, the air show industry represents one of the very largest, if not the largest, outdoor professional sports in North America. And it’s no wonder, as the shows themselves deliver entertainment value at a modest cost for families the likes of which can’t be found anywhere else, at any price. From supersonic-speed military jets to gravity-defying aerobatic acts to rocket-propelled trucks, parachutists, and a host of on-the-ground displays and activities, a day at an air show yields memories that truly last a lifetime. Indeed, air shows have become anchor events within the calendars of local communities coast to coast.

mars real chocolate relief act

2009-07-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

mars real chocolate relief act

Now this is a law we can get behind. And savor and devour and get all over our fingers

Beginning this week, Mars Candy is offering a quarter million people per week a free piece of chocolate just by going to the website www.realchocolate.com. You go to that Web site
every Friday through October, beginning July 31, and put in your e-mail address. Then, 250,00 people will be sent a certificate to get some free M&M’S, SNICKERS, TWIX, 3 MUSKETEERS, MILKY WAY or DOVE.

Why are they doing this? Well, everyone loves chocolate, of course. Also, the site says, simply, “Times are tough and we at Mars want to help.”

pete rose

2009-07-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

pete rose

MLB commissioner Bud Selig appears to be "seriously considering" reinstatement for Pete Rose nearly 20 years after the hit king was banned from baseball for gambling on the sport, according to a report in the New York Daily News.Hank Aaron's support for Rose's Hall of Fame inclusion, which he mentioned at this weekend's ceremonies in Cooperstown, N.Y., is a strong indication of Selig's possible action, the Daily News reported.

"I would like to see Pete in," Aaron said. "He belongs there."

Lobbying for the move began five years ago but died when Selig became convinced Rose was not "reconfiguring" his life, the newspaper report said, part of the late commissioner Bart Giamatti's demands on Rose when he was ruled ineligible.

"I think a lot of the guys feel that it's been 20 years now for Pete, and would lean toward leniency and time served," an unnamed Hall of Famer said, according to the Daily News. "If he had admitted it in the first place and apologized way back then, he'd probably be in the Hall by now."

If Rose were to become eligible, it stands to reason he would have to be voted into the Hall of Fame by the 65 living members that make up the Veterans Committee.

Inclusion on the writers' ballot expires after 15 years, though Rose has never appeared on their ballot except by write-in.

"I know there are still guys who feel strongly against him," said another Hall of Famer, according to the report. "And I don't know if that would change even if Selig clears him."

chartis

2009-07-27T08:57:00.000-07:00

chartis

American International Group Inc., the insurer bailed out by the U.S., named Kristian Moor as chief executive officer of a rebranded property-casualty business.

AIG has chosen “Chartis” as the new name for AIU Holdings LLC, which was placed into a special purpose vehicle to prepare for a possible public offering of the business. Moor will continue to serve as president, AIG said today in a statement distributed by Business Wire.

CEO Edward Liddy is seeking to distinguish the firm’s businesses from the AIG name that he said in March was “thoroughly wounded and disgraced” by four U.S. bailouts valued at a combined $182.5 billion. The company previously said it would change the name of a unit selling annuities in the U.S. to Western National Life and has removed the AIG logo from a building in New York.

Assigning Moor to run the renamed unit will “advance the organization toward its goal of operating independence,” AIG said in the statement. The company has also said it would place two non-U.S. life insurers into special purpose vehicles.

Chartis is derived from the Greek word for map, the company said, and sells protection against worker injuries, storm damage and lawsuits. The company competes against carriers including Chubb Corp. and Travelers Cos., which remained profitable in the recession by sidestepping the investments in subprime home loans that hobbled AIG.

Sales Slump

Policy sales for property and casualty insurers have fallen as consumers reduce purchases amid the recession and prices have dropped as insurers compete for market position. U.S. commercial insurance rates dropped 4.9 percent in the three months ended June 30 and have fallen in every quarter since 2004, the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers said last week.

AIG is the subject of an examination by New York and Pennsylvania into claims it is distorting the market by charging too little for coverage. Competitors including Chubb and Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. have said that U.S. backing gives AIG the ability to write unprofitable business.

State regulators, brokers and buyers of business coverage “have seen no indications that AIG’s commercial property- casualty insurers are selling coverage at prices inadequate to cover the risk involved,” the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of the U.S. Congress, said in March. AIG has said it is pricing its coverage responsibly.

Moor, 50, joined AIG in 1981. He previously served as executive vice president and oversaw the insurer’s property- casualty unit in the U.S. and Canada. Moor has a bachelor’s degree in finance from Bryant University in Rhode Island and a master’s of business administration from Pace University in New York, according to the statement.

national tequila day

2009-07-24T09:41:00.000-07:00

national tequila day

uly 24th is National Tequila Day, so get some friends together and go out and celebrate! Below are some tasty and unique bar and restaurant ideas gathered from some of Examiner.com’s local restaurant and bar experts.
Austin – Freddies Place
If the mercury climbs above 100 degrees, the margaritas are only a dollar. Summers in Austin can be pretty warm!
Denver - Benny's Restaurant and Tequila Bar
Denver Nightlife Examiner Colin Roybal praises Benny’s for their “killer margaritas.”
Houston - Best Tequila Selections
Houston Cheap Eats Examiner Mike Riccetti provides seven recommendations for restaurants with well stocked tequila bars.
Los Angeles – Hacienda del Rey
“The best margaritas on the Westside,” according to Culver City Restaurant Examiner Mary McGrath.
New York – Dos Caminos
Manhattan Restaurant Examiner Slavica Milosevska raves about the guacamole and the margaritas at Dos Caminos. They also have a “variety of over 100 tequilas and liquors [that] make this posh Mexican restaurant a popular happy hour, dinner and weekend spot.”
Orlando – San Angel Inn at Disney’s Epcot
Stuck with the kids at Disney World? Plan for part of the afternoon or evening at Epcot, where you can get your fix over at San Angel’s Inn, located inside Mexico. According to Florida Travel Examiner Larraine Stacey, they’ve got a new tequila bar adjacent to the restaurant.
Pittsburgh – Mad Mex
According to Pittsburgh College Bars Examiner Kerri Gatti, Mad Mex serves “hands down, the best margarita in Oakland, possibly the entire city” of Pittsburgh. They also have a big azz margarita that weighs in at 22 ounces!
San Francisco - Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant
SF Bars Examiner Samantha Cooper claims Tommy’s serves “the best margarita in San Francisco.”
Tacoma – Margaritas in Tacoma
Tacoma Happy Hours Examiner, Krys Bush, recommends a few places to get a great margarita.
Washington, DC – Rosa Mexicano
If you want to sip premium tequila in our nation's capital, Rosa Mexicano has a full tequila bar and is “arguably the top Mexican restaurant in the entire D.C. metro area,” according to DC Fine Dining Examiner Robert Bouknight.
Enjoying a summer cruise to Mexico or the Carribean? You can still celebrate! Charlotte Cruise Ships Examiner Keith Cooke has several recommendations for National Tequila Day.
Want to avoid the crowds? Celebrate at home with cocktails, some great food, and tasty tequila desserts.

physique 57

2009-07-24T09:40:00.000-07:00

physique 57

Two Dallas sisters with a love of baking and fitness have turned their passion into an online business. Meghann and Erin O'Leary, both Southern Methodist University graduates, created O'Cookies Wholesome Bites, organic cookies that start with a whole-wheat flour blend, trim the fat and load up on good-for-you ingredients such as dried fruit and nuts.
But if you think these are tasteless "health" cookies, think again. The two-bite, 60-calorie mounds have a wonderful, dense, cookie-dough texture, and the chocolate makes them taste decadent.
"Erin and I have always loved baking," says Meghann, a 2005 grad who lives in Dallas. "And we love sweets." Erin, who graduated in 2004, is pursuing a dance career, so she lives in New York, where she's also an instructor at Physique 57.
The sisters started baking on her New York visits, Meghann says, and realized they spent a lot of time adapting cookie recipes to be more healthful. They talked about turning their pastime into a business, and O'Cookies was born.
Erin handles all of New York, where family and friends helped spread the word – and the cookies. "I'm doing Dallas and most of the shipping," says Meghann, who's now in the cookie business full time. In fact, if you live close to her, or your location is convenient, Meghann may even hand-deliver your cookies.
"It's really incredible to work together," she says of her sister partnership, "and it's great to have a job we're so passionate about."
Kim Pierce is a Dallas freelance writer.

mara rosaria carfagna

2009-07-24T09:36:00.000-07:00

mara rosaria carfagna

Maria Rosaria Carfagna (Mara Carfagna) is considered to be the most beautiful minister in the world. Carfagna is a lawyer and is currently the Minister for Equal Opportunity in the Italian cabinet. She used to be a model and anchor on Italian television shows before she entered politics.

Mara Carfagna also posed topless on for fashion magazines in the past. Now look at the photo/picture below and tell me how hot she is.

cars.gov/dealersupport

2009-07-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

cars.gov/dealersupport

cars.gov/dealersupport explains CARS.gov program. cars.gov/dealersupport explains many of the qualification limitations for the Cash for Clunkers Stimulus program.

LALATE has been covering the program since it was a bill and most news reports haven’t address some of these limitations that you should be aware.
1. Don’t go out and buy a user car and think the next morning you can get CAR money.

2. Don’t pull out that 30 year old car from the driveway because it doesn’t qualify either.
3. And don’t try applying your used Honda or Toyota for this program. It’s for domestic cars only.

cars.gov/dealersupport explains all the details and limitations including the following:

May I receive or use more than one credit under the CARS program?

No, the CARS Act specifies that not more than one credit may be issued to a single person, not more than one credit may be issued for joint registered owners of a single eligible trade-in vehicle, and that only one credit under this program may be applied toward the purchase or lease of any single new vehicle.

What is the amount of the credit?

The amount of the credit is $3,500 or $4,500, and generally depends on the type of vehicle you purchase and the difference in fuel economy between the purchased vehicle and the trade-in vehicle. Different requirements apply for work trucks.

What is the value of the credit for the purchase or lease of a new passenger car?

The value of the credit for the purchase or lease of a new passenger car depends upon the difference between the combined fuel economy of the vehicle that is traded in and that of the new vehicle that is purchased or leased. If the new vehicle has a combined fuel economy that is at least 4, but less than 10, miles per gallon higher than the traded-in vehicle, the credit is $3,500. If the new vehicle has a combined fuel economy value that is at least 10 miles per gallon higher than the traded-in vehicle, the credit is $4,500.

What is the value of the credit for the purchase or lease of a new van, pickup truck or SUV?
The value of the credit given for the purchase or lease of a category 1 or 2 truck also generally depends on the difference between the combined fuel economy of the vehicle that is traded in and that of the new vehicle that is purchased or leased. If the new vehicle is a category 1 truck that has a combined fuel economy value that is at least 2, but less than 5, miles per gallon higher than the traded-in vehicle, the credit is $3,500. If the new category 1 truck has a combined fuel economy value that is at least 5 miles per gallon higher than the traded-in vehicle, the credit is $4,500.

Do I have to pay State or local sales tax on the amount of the CARS program credit?

The question of whether a consumer must pay State

baja fresh

2009-07-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

baja fresh
The restaurant is owned and operated by Vincent and Winnie Yee

Suppliers to this Sector

*
Sopheon
Sopheon is an international provider of product li ...
*
Ciba Expert Services
Expert Services delivers a diverse range of techni ...
*
International Food Information Service
The International Food Information Service (IFIS) ...
*
GRACO
GRACO is a world leader in fluid handling systems ...

Suppliers Products

*
Food Manufacturing Efficiency
Bringing to an international audience, the latest ...
*
Food Science and Technology Bulletin: Functional Foods
Designed to meet the current-awareness needs of bu ...
*
Food Science Central®
Food Science Central is the website home of IFIS P ...
*
FSTA Custom Alerts™
Get the latest food information without having to ...

Suppliers Free White Papers

*
Generate Higher Returns from Innovation
b2b2b2a3-e296-4598-83ad-1874c336e5a9Generate Higher Returns from Innovation
During an economic downturn, many companies slow t ...
*
Generate Higher Returns from Innovation
b2b2b2a3-e296-4598-83ad-1874c336e5a9Generate Higher Returns from Innovation
During an economic downturn, many companies slow t ...
*
GRACO's New Hydra-Clean
c985c365-ade7-4a0e-8d48-9a68b5838630GRACO's New Hydra-Clean
High sanitation cleaning packages ...
*
GRACO's New 1590 & 3150 Pumps
c985c365-ade7-4a0e-8d48-9a68b5838630GRACO's New 1590 & 3150 Pumps
Style your process. Let the pump do the job! ...

Suppliers Product News

*
Lawson Signs Contract with Snack Manufacturer Estrella Maarud
Lawson Software (Nasdaq: LWSN) today announced tha ...
*
Nunhems, the Global Vegetable Seed Business of Bayer CropScience, Goes Live with Lawson M3 System in Europe
Following pilot in U.S., Lawson system to help int ...
*
General Milling Corporation Selects Lawson Software
Leading Philippine-based food company upgrades lar ...

Califronia based, Baja Fresh Mexican Grill has announced the opening of the restaurant’s sixth franchise location of the year on July 16, 2009. The company’s new Baja Fresh Express location, inside the Hilton Anaheim, offers flavorful and fresh Mexican food.

Reportedly, the planned 750 square-foot restaurant is owned and operated by Vincent and Winnie Yee. The two also own and operate a number of additional restaurant and retail businesses.

Charles Rink, president of Baja Fresh, said: “We are happy to welcome Vincent and Winnie to the Baja Fresh family. We value our partnerships and look forward to many successful years to come.”

Vincent and Winnie Yee, Baja Fresh's frenchise partner, said: “Baja Fresh stays true to their name, FRESH!. There has always been a demand for a fast casual concept at the hotel and convention center and the Baja Fresh Express is exactly what we were looking for. Coupled with delicious, healthy and reasonably priced entrees, we have a winner.”

Founded in 1990 and headquartered in Cypress, California, Baja Fresh operates or franchises 259 restaurants in 28 states, all featuring its fresh Mexican-inspired food.

alex donnelley

2009-07-22T10:30:00.000-07:00

alex donnelley

Alex Donnelley is dating Billy Joel. According to Page Six, Donnelley met Joel backstage at a concert and "The two hit it off immediately,". They have been seen together at Joel's home riding motorcycles and going boating.

Alex Donnelley was on the soap opera "The Young and the Restless" from 1986-2001. She played Diane Jenkins on the show.

Billy Joel is not the first musician Alex Donnelley has been with. She was previously married to Robert Lamm from the band Chicago.

Donnelley is 49 and much older than Joel's soon to be ex-wife Katie Lee Joel. Katie is only 27 years old. Perhaps an older woman is just what Billy Joel needs.

Billy Joel and Katie Lee's divorce
Last month it was announced thatBilly and Katie Lee Joel were getting divorced. Unconfirmed reports claim that Katie Lee was spending too much time with a designer named Yigal Azrouel. Billy's reps said the "decision to separate was absolutely unrelated to Yigal,"

Billy's daughter, Alexa Ray Joel was not surprised when her dad told her he was getting divorced. She told Ok! Magazine "I have a pretty good women’s intuition so I could tell," adding "I know my dad very well. So I’m behind him, you know."

Elton John and Billy Joel are touring together in the in the "Face 2 Face" tour.

valerie jarrett

2009-07-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

valerie jarrett

WASHINGTON--The profile of Valerie Jarrett, Senior White House adviser is high and gets bumped up this weekend when she is the cover of the Sunday New York Times Magazine. Hat Tip to Mike Allen of Politico for what he calls the "West Wing Must-Read" about Jarrett:

From Allen: The cover of The New York Times Magazine -- striking image here -- is: "OBAMA'S BFF / VALERIE JARRETT IS ONE OF THE PRESIDENT'S MOST INFLUENTIAL ADVISERS. SO WHAT DOES SHE DO, EXACTLY? BY ROBERT DRAPER ... Obama's long time aide-de-camp is a woman with chameleonlike ability to move fluidly between high-level policy meetings and outreach efforts involving business groups and African-American leaders. And, from her West Wing office, she can also press the president on any issue. But what does Jarrett really do and what do other top insiders like David Axelrod and Rahm Emanuel think about her sizable influence over their boss?"

From Robert's piece: "Valerie Jarrett was born of African-American parents in Shiraz, Iran, where her physician father was running a hospital as part of an American aid program. Obama's fabled 'exoticism' was therefore comprehensible to her, the president told me. 'I think we both share an appreciation of the world outside our borders that ironically probably makes us appreciate more the values of America,' he said. 'It also allows us to maybe travel between worlds and cultures in ways that have proven to be not only professionally important but emotionally satisfying. I guess another way of putting it is, she and I both are constantly looking for links and bridges between cultures and peoples. That's central to who we are. And that probably has contributed to forging an even closer relationship than we might've otherwise had.' ''

THAT'S ALL WE HAVE FROM THE PIECE SO FAR, BUT WE CAN TELL YOU THE CORRECT ANSWER TO WHAT VALERIE DOES. Hilary Rosen has the best description we've ever heard, and she shared it with Playbook: "Valerie is the keeper of the flame. She doesn't just track what campaign promises the President needs to keep -- she remembers why he made them. And she knows which ones matter to Michelle. It is the uber-powerful combination."

walgreens

2009-07-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

walgreens

LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas police are investigating how a 5-year-old boy apparently found a gun inside a car and accidentally shot himself in the head.

Police say the boy and his father were going through a drive-through window at a Walgreens on Monday night when the boy found a gun.

They say he fired it once, hitting himself in the head, and that his father then rushed him to a hospital.

The boy is at the University Medical Center's trauma unit in stable condition

comcast tix

2009-07-17T08:58:00.000-07:00

comcast tix

As a concert venue, the Spectrum will not live to see Halloween. The Pearl Jam shows Oct. 28 and 30 announced last week will be the Spectrum's last.
Comcast-Spectacor said yesterday that the dates by Eddie Vedder and crew (on sale tomorrow on ComcastTIX.com and LiveNation.com) will be the final shows at the venue, which is being replaced by an entertainment complex.
Since the plan to destroy the Spectrum was announced last year, a number of big names have returned to play it rather than the spiffier, more cavernous Wachovia Center. They include Alan Jackson, Neil Young, the Dead, and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, who did two shows in April and will return to play the South Philadelphia building Oct. 13-14. (Tickets go on sale July 27.) Green Day plays a sold-out show there Tuesday.
Other big names are expected to be announced. Phish is one rumor; Bon Jovi wouldn't be a big surprise. When Pearl Jam last played the Spectrum in 2003, Vedder said: "It's really great to play a place with so much history and so much integration of culture. To be able to play the Spectrum is very memorable for us."

jeff locker

2009-07-17T08:54:00.000-07:00

jeff locker

A motivational speaker from Long Island was found strangled and stabbed in his car in East Harlem Thursday, hours after he was seen buying condoms.
Jeffrey Locker, 52, had his hands tied behind his back and a cord wrapped around his neck and tied to the headrest. He had been stabbed in the chest and robbed, police sources said.
Investigators suspect there were two killers in his 2007 Dodg
e Magnum in the Wagner Houses - one in the backseat with the cord and one in the front passenger seat with the knife.
Teens on the block said they saw Locker park the car on Second Ave. and walk into the nearby Wagner Deli about 3 a.m.
"He got out of the car and bought a bottle of water and a pack of Trojan condoms. He seemed cool, relaxed," said Whitney Young, 19. "The next time we see him, he's here dead."
Cops said they are checking to see if Locker had regularly visited a prostitute in the Wagner Houses on Wednesday nights.
Locker's wife, Lois, reported him missing Wednesday night when he did not return to his Valley Stream home.
It's unclear why he was in East Harlem.
"He was going into the city and coming home. He was supposed to be coming home," she said, without elaborating. "He was supposed to come home. He wasn't there by choice."
The victim was a father of three and a motivational speaker who ran "life-fulfillment" workshops and published self-help books, his Web sites said.
"He probably trusted someone," said his mother-in-law, Annette Serota. "He was a very trusting person. That's probably how it happened. You could sell him the Brooklyn Bridge."
Neighbor Robert Levine, 52, often took bike rides with Locker. "He was a nice, really great guy," he said. "He was a really wonderful father."
Locker was sued in April as an investor who profited from a $300 million, decade-old Ponzi scheme run by Lou Pearlman, former manager of boy bands including the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync.
Pearlman pleaded guilty in March 2008 to conspiracy, money laundering and presenting a false claim in bankruptcy court.
A bankruptcy trustee sued Locker to recoup roughly $371,000 he received from Pearlman's investment company, according to court papers filed in Orlando.
"I am mortified to be accused ... of participating knowingly in a Ponzi scheme," Locker wrote the court in May.

gina salamino

2009-07-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

gina salamino

PHOTO! Here is a picture of Gina Salamino whose Joshua Walter has been arrested. Gina Salamino and Joshua Walter made news years back when Walter, then 12, had relations with the Salamino, a second grade teacher.
Salamino would loose her job even though she asserted Walter was not a student that school year. Gina had been a teacher at PS 121 in Jamaica.
Walter now 20 is a Hugo Boss model walking the runways of Milan. But police say he also part of a robbery gang walking the streets of New York striking city businesses. Members of the gang have been charged with robbery and firearm possession.
“In addition to gas stations, Walter and his pals hit 7-11 stores, bodegas and fruit and vegetable markets in Rego Park, Jackson Heights, Forest Hills, and Jamaica, Queens, and in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, the sources said.”

2009 british open leaderboard

2009-07-16T09:17:00.000-07:00

2009 british open leaderboard

he 2009 British Open championship leaderboard is a flash from the past on day 1. Originally, the 2009 British Open championship leaderboard was supposed to be led by Tiger Woods and his younger cohorts. But the 2009 Open championship has some unlikely

2009 British Open Championship Leaderboard Filled with Old Favorites

older champions on top of the leaderboard instead. It is Tom Watson, one of the old golfing legends, who leads the 2009 British Open championship after 18 holes.

The Open championship is mostly finished for round 1, with Tom Watson ahead at -5 under par. In fact, this is the best opening round score Tom Watson has ever had at the Open championship. The 2009 British Open was hardly expected to be the place for Watson to reach that record.

Six players trail Watson in the 2009 British Open leaderboard by one shot, and none of them are Tiger Woods. For the third consecutive major, Woods struggled in the opening round, as a few closing bogeys left him at +1.

Woods is only six shots back of Watson, which is relatively low compared to his other deficits in majors this year. Unless Woods rebounds in round 2, the 2009 Open championship will leave him in another big hole by the weekend.

Whether Tom Watson keeps up the pace at the British Open or not is a brand new subplot that can rival the likes of Woods. Watson has already won a British Open championship in Turnberry in 1977, and a Senior British Open championship in 2003.

Tom Watson isn't the only former big name to contend in the opening round of the Open championship. The leaderboard also has Mark O'Meara and Vijay Singh at two shots back, both among those at -3 under par. Ernie Els is also -2 under through 12 holes.

Traditional British Open crowd favorite Colin Montgomerie is at -1 under through 10, with two time defending champion Padraig Harrington at -1 under through six, and Sergio Garcia at even par after his first round.

The 2009 Open championship leaderboard went back in time a bit for the first day, with Tom Watson recapturing some magic. Whether it is just a novelty act before the expected leaders take over, or whether this can go on for a few more days, will be the new biggest question facing the 2009 British Open.

madison keys

2009-07-16T09:13:00.000-07:00

madison keys

With her powerful groundstrokes and rocket serves, Madison Keys looks like a seasoned veteran when she's on the tennis court. It's when she stops playing and you can get a look at her face that you realize she's the youngest woman out there.
The nearly-invisible braces, the remaining hint of a baby face; I guessed she was about to become a freshman when I saw her at the Washington Kastles-Philadelphia Freedoms World TeamTennis match last week.
Then I opened the media guide to check:
Birthdate: 2/17/1995
I was sort of correct. Keys will be a freshman alright, albeit in high school, not college.
She's 14-years old and playing in a professional tennis league. Fourteen! The T-shirt I'm wearing right now is older than Madison Keys. "The Simpsons" had peaked by the time she was born. Yet, on Monday night, Keys bested Wimbledon champion Serena Williams in the singles event at their World TeamTennis match.
Now, before we make too big a deal about this, World TeamTennis singles matches are glorified exhibitions. The different scoring, fan interaction and coaches challenges make the five-game sets vastly different than a standard women's tennis match (although that's entirely the point). And, though Serena was surely trying to win, a loss doesn't carry nearly the same weight that it would in a WTA tournament.
But enough about that. Even though the match didn't mean much, for Keys to best Serena by a 5-1 margin is impressive. I don't care if she did it on Nintendo Wii, when you get the best of Serena Williams it's time to take notice.
Keys is the youngest player in World TeamTennis history (she was 17 days younger than Maria Sharapova when she made her debut). She's coached by John Evert (brother of Chris) and has moved with her family to train under him in Florida. Interestingly, she got her start in tennis at age 4 when she was watching Venus Williams on television and asked her dad for the same outfit. Her father told her that she could have it, but only if she got a racket too.
Keys won her debut WTA match in March and advanced to the Orange Bowl semis in the under-16 tournament as a 13-year old.
Because of WTA rules that limit the amount of tournements played by girls under the age of 18, Keys wouldn't be eligible to be a tour regular until 2013. Serena Williams, for one, might be happy to hear that.

michael jackson pepsi commercial hair on fire

2009-07-16T09:11:00.000-07:00

michael jackson pepsi commercial hair on fire

Michael Jackson’s amazing hair-on-fire video, unearthed by US Weekly today, was not only a watershed moment in Michael Jackson’s personal story—it is said to have started his addiction to prescription pills and his facial transformation—it was also a famous part of advertising history.
Phil Dusenberry, the legendary ad executive and “Mad Men” prototype who died early last year, wrote a 2005 memoir which originally appeared as “Then We Set His Hair on Fire.” ( The name was later changed to the more prosaic “One Great Insight Is Worth a Thousand Good Ideas: An Advertising Hall-of-Famer Reveals the Most Powerful Secret in Business.”

Dusenberry’s agency BBDO, part of Omnicom Group now, had as perhaps its most valued client Pepsi, and he oversaw the famous 1984 commercial. Dusenberry writes that Jackson had insisted that he wear sunglasses in the video. That was a non-starter for the ad man, and he threatened to shut down production if Jackson didn’t lose the shades. Jackson caved.

But in another confrontation with Dusenberry, Jackson turned out to be right. A Wall Street Journal book review described Dusenberry’s account of the incident:

“Although Mr. Dusenberry was paid handsomely to deliver big ideas to BBDO clients until he retired in 2002, he admits that the agency’s best suggestions sometimes came from outside the shop. In 1985, Pepsi-Cola execs suggested that the ad agency cast Michael Jackson in a commercial for its signature soda. The singer was signed, but he insisted that the agency show only lightning-quick glimpses of his face in the spot. The request infuriated Mr. Dusenberry at the time. But when the commercial ran he realized that it was a good idea. “The more you hold back,” Mr. Dusenberry writes, “the more people will clamor.” Of course the ad got a lot of extra publicity because, on the studio set, Mr. Jackson’s hair caught fire from an exploding special-effects fireworks tower.”

richard jefferson wife

2009-07-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

richard jefferson wife

NBA star Richard Jefferson's leg tattoo "til death us do part" refers not to his sweetheart, but to basketball, "the most important thing to me," he said a while back. (see Remembering his draft).
Jefferson's decision to call off his wedding to former Nets dancer Kesha Ni'cole Nichols was sudden, but it may also have been the right thing to do. Marriage is not a relationship one enters into lightly, or with misgivings. And Jefferson reportedly had some. Needless to say, the timing could have been much better.
"If you aren't 100% certain about something, you shouldn't do it," Jefferson said in a NY Post story about the cancelled nuptials. According to the Post, Jefferson gave the decision some thought, talking with his now ex-fiancee for two hours after e-mailing her about his misgivings. Among his considerations: already existing tension in the relationship and the prevalence of divorce. This from the Post :
'There was a lot of stress and tension in the relationship. We've been through a lot -- but we just couldn't continue,' said Jefferson, sounding upset during a telephone interview."
E-mail is convenient, but not the kindest way to communicate bad news to anyone, least of all the person with whom you had planned to spend the rest of your life. Putting words down on a screen can help clarify your thoughts, but it doesn't allow for the other person to respond, and e-mails, unless printed in upper case letters, tend to filter out emotions that come through in the voice. There's a difference between reading "I'm sorry," and hearing the catch in the voice, the pause, the pain. The details of the Jefferson-Nichols e-mail and their subsequent conversation are, rightfully, private. Jefferson and Nichols get points, though, for talking together at length after the internet message. How that conversation was phrased could have had a lot to do with the outcome.
A good resource for learning how to communicate with your partner (or anyone) is John Sanford's Between People. "The miracle of relationship is that it can connect people together in a positive, meaningful way who are different and so have a different view about things," Sanford writes (p. 2). "Eros (personal warmth and caring) can bind people together who see things quite differently, but this connection is only possible when communication between them takes place."
Sanford advises thinking of conversation as playing a game of catch. You want your partner to receive what you're sending them, and you want the partner to send something back to you. What you don't want is to get hit in a way that causes pain. Here are three basic tips:
Avoid making sweeping generalizations, such as "you always say...." or statements that just make the other person feel guilty (even if the person has in fact done whatever it is that upsets you.) Sanford suggests talking about how you feel when the person says or does whatever hurts you. "An opening statement that expresses a person's feeling is more likely to receive a positive and helpful response than an opening statement that engenders guilt." (p.8) Guilt builds barriers between people.
"Communication is not a matter of being right, but of starting a flow of energy between two people that can result in mutual understanding. ...It is helpful if we say things so they will be able to receive them." (p.9)
Here's a hypothetical. Suppose the husband is spending money freely while the wife, trying to save, has been going without certain items for some time. The wife explodes one day saying, "You must be crazy, spending all that money while here I am, going without, trying to keep this family afloat!" What can the husband say to that? "I'm sorry, I didn't know" might be truthful, but it's lame. He's indicted, convicted, and has no where to go. But if she says, "Honey, I've been trying to save money by going without things and I feel upset when I see money being spent on [X]." The husband might respond, "I'm sorry, I didn't know," but this time it isn't lame, it's a genuine expression of regret. He didn't mean to make his wife upset. He may well have had no idea his spending affected her in that way. The subject of the conversation then becomes, "how can we handle our spending so no one feels put upon." They are working toward a solution together.
"It is essential for all persons who want to communicate to listen..." (p.11) Take time to really hear what your partner tells you. Many times, we only half-listen to the other person, devoting the other half to thinking about what we should say next. You will have plenty of time to offer your response. Make sure you understand where your partner is coming from first; repeat back what he or she has said. Remember, this is the person who wants to spend a lifetime with you. Take a deep breath, relax in the love you share, and hear what your beloved is saying to you.
One last item (not from the Sanford book): know the difference between venting and discussing. Venting is releasing emotional tension, frustrations. The goal is to feel relief from emotional pressure, not find a solution. Discussing is talking with the goal of reaching a better understanding or developing a strategy for handling a situation. Discussion isn't about the emotions. If you want to vent, you can do that -- but you might want to let your partner know that you're mostly "blowing of steam" beforehand. And don't say something you don't mean. Hurtful words, once said, may be forgiven but are almost never forgotten.
Any breakup is sad, but the Jefferson-Nichols split, one that reportedly had a six figure settlement attached to it (not to mention the two-million dollar price tag for the wedding the Post lists) is particularly lamentable, given the economy. But if it saved two young people from making the mistake of their lives -- perhaps it is worth it. The trappings of the wedding don't make a marriage. The commitment two people are willing to make to each other, and are willing to see through until they are parted by death -- that's the marriage.
May God bless and comfort Richard and Kesha, bring them both hope -- and, when the time is right -- send them both lasting love.

swine flu symptoms checker

2009-07-15T09:32:00.000-07:00

swine flu symptoms checker

Swine flu news is abundant in the media. As health authorities are asking the families and individuals to prepare for the upcoming flu season let's take a quick looks at a swine flu symptoms checker to see what signs and symptoms to watch for.

Great Britain's NHS, which is one of the largest publicly funded health services agency in the world has published a Swine Flu Symptoms Checker writes that good hygiene is the "single most effective way to slow the spread of diseases such as swine flu." Washing hands, cleaning surfaces, using tissues to cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze and putting the tissue in the bin as soon as you use it are the key factors of preventing swine flu.

Below are the swine flu symptoms checker published by NSH, however, according to BBC "those with children under five are specifically advised not to use the symptom checker on the NHS Direct website and contact the service directly."

While the sine flu (H1N1) symptoms are the same as the regular symptoms they may or may not cause more severe complications, according to NHS. Swine flu is different from seasonal flu in that most serious illnesses have been in younger age groups, as happened in all three 20th-century influenza pandemics.

sibylle szaggars photo

2009-07-15T09:24:00.000-07:00

sibylle szaggars photo

Robert Redford married Sibylle Szaggars in Germany over the weekend. [Dlisted]—This gives me hope. If he can find love at age 71, I should eventually fall in love again.
Vanessa Hudgens says she too busy to think a
bout marrying Zac Efron. [Starpulse]—Yeah, playing a nude hooker is very time consuming.
Tony Romo spent what was supposed to be Jessica Simpson’s birthday weekend with the boys. [People]—I feel kind of sorry for Jessica, but maybe she’ll get the ultimate revenge like she did with Nick Lachey.
Michael Jackson’s children reportedly want to stay with their aunt Janet Jackson. [OK! Magazine]—Although I doubt OK! had any real contact with the children, after watching Paris’ tearful tribute to her father I’m convinced Janet is the only other Jackson they’re close to.
Jon Gosselin returned to NYC without his 22-year-old girlfriend. [Us Weekly]—I know you haven’t seen the photo, but they just shouldn’t let tacky people like Jon shop at Gucci. It’s so wrong.

tu 154m

2009-07-15T09:22:00.000-07:00

tu 154m

A Russian-made Iranian passenger plane carrying 168 people crashed shortly after takeoff Wednesday, smashing into a field northwest of the capital and shattering into flaming pieces. All on board were killed in Iran's worst air disaster in six years, officials said.
Before crashing, the plane's tail was on fire as it circled in the air, one witness told The Associated Press.
"Then, I saw the plane crashing nose-down. It hit the ground causing a big explosion. The impact shook the ground like an earthquake. Then, plane pieces were scattered all over the agricultural fields," Ali Akbar Hashemi, a 23-year-old who was laying gas pipes in a nearby home, told AP by phone.
The impact blasted a deep trench in the dirt field, which was littered with smoking wreckage, body parts and personal items from the Tupolev jet, according to photos from the scene. Firefighters put out the flaming wreckage, which officials said was strewn over a 200 yard (meter) area. A large chunk of a wing was visible in footage of the scene, but much of the wreckage appeared to be in small shreds.
Iran has seen numerous crashes in recent years, usually blamed on poor maintenance. Iranian officials often blame U.S. sanctions that prevent it from updating American aircraft bought before the 1979 Islamic revolution and make it difficult to get European spare parts or planes as well.
Iranian airlines and the military have turned increasingly to Russian aircraft, which are not affected by sanctions, but have seen a string of accidents. Two other Tupolev crashes in Iran this decade have killed nearly 140 people.
The Caspian Airlines Tu-154M jet had taken off from Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport on Wednesday morning and was headed to the Armenian capital Yerevan. It crashed at 11:30 am about 16 minutes after takeoff near the village of Jannat Abad outside the city of Qazvin, around 75 miles northwest of Tehran, civil aviation spokesman Reza Jafarzadeh told state media.
At Yerevan's airport, Tina Karapetian, 45, said she had been waiting for her sister and the sister's 6- and 11-year-old sons, who were due on the flight. "What will I do without them?" she said, weeping, before she collapsed to the floor.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known. Hossein Ayaznia, an aviation police official, said emergency workers were searching for the plane's data recorders to get evidence of the cause.
Iran's Jafarzadeh and the deputy chairman of Armenia's civil aviation authority Arsen Pogosian said there were 153 passengers and 15 crewmembers on board the plane. "In all likelihood, all on board were killed," Pogosian told reporters at Yerevan airport.
Most of the passengers were Iranians, many of them from Iran's large ethnic Armenian community, along with six Armenian citizens and two Georgian citizens, Pogosian said. The two Georgians included a staffer from the Caucasus nation's embassy in Yerevan, Georgia's military attache in the Armenian capital said.
Serob Karapetian, the chief of Yerevan airport's aviation security service, said the plane may have attempted an emergency landing, but reports that it caught fire in the air were "only one version." He did not elaborate. A police official told Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency that several witnesses reported seeing the plane's tail on fire in the air as it circled to find a place to land.
The plane was completely destroyed in the crash and shattered to pieces, Qazvin emergency services director Hossein Behzadpour told the state news agency IRNA.
"The force of the crash was so serious that pieces of the aircraft were thrown over a 200 meter area. Unfortunately, all the bodies were totally destroyed," Behzadpour said.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad issued a statement expressing condolences "to the supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei and the families of the dead" over what he called a "heart-wrenching tragedy" and ordered an investigation into the cause. Armenia's president, Serge Sarkisian, also expressed his condolences and declared Thursday a day of mourning.
Also among the passengers were eight members of Iran's national youth judo team, along with two trainers and a delegation chief, who were scheduled to train with the Armenian judo team before attending competitions in Hungary on Aug. 6, state TV said.
The crash is the worst since February 2003, when a Russian-made Ilyushin 76 carrying members of the elite Revolutionary Guards crashed in the mountains of southeastern Iran, killing 302 people aboard.
Caspian Airlines is an Iranian-Russian joint venture founded in 1993 whose fleet is made up of Tupolevs.
Soviet-built Tupolev and Antonov planes have long been the mainstays of the civil air fleets in Russia and former Soviet republics. Once considered reliable aircraft, the most widely used models — like the Tu-154 — have in recent years gone largely unmodified or updated by aircraft designers.
The Soviet collapse resulted in the sharp decline in government funding for aircraft spare parts manufacturers and for the aircraft manufactures themselves, and many airlines fell behind in maintenance programs for the planes.
Iran has about a dozen Soviet-built Tu-154 airliners. In 2006, Russia negotiated the sale of five Tu-204s to Iran.
In February 2006, a Russian-made Tu-154 operated by Iran Airtour, which is affiliated with Iran's national carrier, crashed during landing in Tehran, killing 29 of the 148 people on board. Another Airtour Tupolev crashed in 2002 in the mountains of western Iran, killing all 199 on board.
The crashes have also affected Iran's military. In December 2005, 115 people were killed when a pre-1979 U.S.-made C-130 plane, crashed into a 10-story building near Tehran's Mehrabad airport. In Nov. 2007, a Russian-made Iranian military plane crashed shortly after takeoff killing 36 Revolutionary Guards members.

mtlqq

2009-07-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

mtlqq

Investors in the old General Motors stock will need to pay attention to yet another new ticker symbol. If you want to unload GM stock, you need to know that the stock is now Motors Liquidation Co. common stock. The security will resume trading today under the symbol MTLQQ. Last Friday, the Financial Regulatory Authority, known as FINRA, halted over-the-counter trading of GM stock. When trading resumes, the former common stock symbol, GMGMQ, will be deleted, FINRA said, and should be used only for the limited purpose of reporting as-of reports, corrections or cancellations of trades effected on or prior to July 10.

Chrysler Financial repays U.S. cash for loans

Chrysler Financial has repaid all of the $1.5 billion it borrowed from the U.S. Treasury last January under the Troubled Asset Relief Program. The money was used to finance more than 85,000 car loans for customers of Chrysler LLC in the months prior to its Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

The original TARP loan contained provisions that increased Chrysler Financial's costs over time, giving the company incentive to pay off the loan as quickly as possible.

SCAMS: Madoff's high living comes to an end in prison

Bernard Madoff's life of luxury is a thing of the past.

The disgraced financier blamed for what is believed to be the largest Ponzi scheme in history arrived Tuesday at a federal prison in North Carolina to begin a 150-year sentence in a cell with two bunk beds, a toilet and a sink.

BANKING: Bailed-out Goldman Sachs has record earnings

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. posted record earnings as revenue from trading and stock underwriting reached all-time highs less than a year after the firm took $10 billion in U.S. rescue funds.

Second-quarter net income was $3.44 billion, or $4.93 a share, the New York-based bank said Tuesday in a statement.

archie drury

2009-07-14T09:12:00.000-07:00

archie drury

Karolina Kurkova, the Czech supermodel often seen in the front row at Knicks games, is six months pregnant.

The father is her fiancé, Archie Drury, a former

Marine and Scientologist who made the

documentary "Voices of Iraq."

A rep at DNA Models said, "The couple have been together for a little over a year. This is the first child for both."

Kurkova, 25, who's famous for her missing navel, plays Courtney A. Kreiger (a k a Cover Girl) in "G.I. Joe: The Rise of the Cobra," coming out Aug. 7.