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march madness schedule 2010

2010-03-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

march madness schedule 2010

March Madness Schedule 2010: NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament 2010 Results Schedule, Get to see the latest March madness schedule as we have it right here, its goin

g to be another follow through with the NCAA basketball tournament, as we get to see the live res ults. We will be having the match ups for this March Madness Schedule 2010: NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament 2010 below, The Start of the tournament will be this Thursday,

For the Today’s March madness Schedule 2010, We will be having the South Regional No. 7: Richmond vs. No. 10 Saint Mary’s, Midwest Regional No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 16 Lehigh and the West Regional No. 7 BYU vs. No. 10 Florida, that is going to be it for today, We will find out soon later on the next day on who will be facing off for this NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament 2010 schedule, watch out for the results as well as the March Madness Schedule 2010 bracket updates, The online source list below will be showing those updates. Cheers! Have you also seen President Obama’s Prediction bracket? for those who havent check it out on the recent post as we share March Madness Schedule 2010 below.

graco high chair recall

2010-03-18T09:42:00.001-07:00

graco high chair recall

Graco High Chair Recall - 1.2 million Graco Harmony high chairs are being recalled due a problem with the chair legs, which can become dislodged or break. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued the Graco Harmony high chair safety recall after receiving 464 reports of screws falling out and plastic brackets cracking causing the chair to tip over. Twenty-four children have been injured falling out of the Graco Harmony High Chairs.

If you have one of the Graco Harmony High Chairs, discontinue using it immediately. The chairs were manufactured from 2003 to 2009. The Graco "Harmony" chairs are no longer being produced.

sandra bullock marriage trouble

2010-03-18T09:40:00.000-07:00

sandra bullock marriage trouble

A Sandra Bullock-Jesse James split looked crazy two weeks ago. However, Sandra Bullock-Jesse James split and marriage trouble rumors have exploded, after a new bombshell was revealed. More specifically, it was Michelle Bombshell McGee who was revealed as James' possible mistress on Wednesday. This marriage trouble comes after months of heartwarming stories about the couple, and how grounded it made the future Best Actress winner. Yet just two weeks later, Sandra Bullock-Jesse James split rumors have produced an unlikely twist to this story.

In Touch Weekly first alleged the marriage trouble, as Michelle Bombshell McGee claimed that she had had an affair with Jesse James. While Bullock was filming her Oscar winning role in "The Blind Side" James allegedly carried on an 11-month affair with McGee - including a five-week sexual affair.

According to McGee, she was led to believe that the couple was no longer together. If they weren't then, the Sandra Bullock-Jesse James split rumors are alleging that they are now. Since Bullock did not attend the London premiere of "The Blind Side" speculation is that In Touch Weekly is on to something.

Tabloids are becoming more and more accurate at reporting marriage trouble, like with John Edwards and Tiger Woods. But if Sandra Bullock's marriage is in jeopardy, it puts an ugly asterisk on what was a heartwarming, made-for-Oscar story.

During her big comeback last year, Bullock wasn't shy about discussing how much her marriage helped her. The two have been together for five years and have largely lived outside the Hollywood spotlight until the Oscars. However, she did not thank James in her Oscar speech, and with this new context, there is suspicion that she knew about McGee for a while.

The Sandra Bullock-Jesse James split reports are still just speculation, however. But People Magazine is now alleging that Bullock has moved out, and did so days before the In Touch Weekly interview.

erin andrews peephole video

2010-03-16T09:48:00.000-07:00

erin andrews peephole video

Erin Andrews will be dancing with Maksim Chmerkovskiy on this season of Dancing with the Stars. And after a court ruling yesterday, Michael Barrett will be dancing with Bubba, Big Rey and other jail inmates for 30 months.

Barrett, a 48-year-old insurance executive from Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison. The sentence follows his guilty admission of following ESPN reporter Erin Andrews for 18 months and filming her in hotel rooms, exercising and curling her hair, through peepholes.

In total, eight videos were made. Andrews previously paid Barrett for the rights to the videos, and pledged to go after anyone who attempted to release them.

Barrett was also ordered to pay Andrews $7,366 in restitution fees.

earthquake los angeles

2010-03-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

earthquake los angeles

A 4.4 magnitude earthquake shook California early this morning just east of downtown Los Angeles. There have been no reports of damage or injuries.

"It was a shake, but not bad. Our inmates slept through it and we had a few calls, but not as many as you would think," (Pico Rivera sheriff's station Sgt. Jacqueline Sanchez to AP).

Though the quake was considered small, especially compared to the ones that hit Haiti and Chili, it was felt over a large area - even people from San Bernandino felt the rumbles.

There is a chance that this "small" quake could trigger something bigger in the coming hours or next few days.

Tiger Woods Returns To The Masters Because Of Miracle Therapy Sessions...

2010-03-16T09:41:00.000-07:00

Tiger Woods Returns To The Masters Because Of Miracle Therapy Sessions...Tiger Woods is coming back!!

All together now...

"Hooray For The PGA!!"

Not even one month after admitting to the world that he was selfish and felt the rules of life did not apply to him, Tiger is returning to the safest place possible for his probable

return....Augusta, GA. It's interesting to me that Tiger chooses the same golf course that did not admit a African American golfer till 1990 as the "safe home" for his return. The same golf course which still refuses to admit female golfers as members is the place where golf's greatest professional is to make his return from his recent personal asylum.

Nothing against Augusta, but the timing of today's announcement of Tiger's return proves his "statement" to the world was nothing more than a big fat lie.

You remember the ending of his 13 minute statement as he addressed a hand selected crowd of family and friends with no media available for questioning. When talking about his return to golf, Tiger said:

"In therapy I've learned the importance of looking at my spiritual life and keeping in balance with my professional life. I need to regain my balance and be centered so I can save the things that are most important to me, my marriage and my children."

"I do plan to return to golf one day, I just do not know when that day will be."

This therapy Tiger must have gone through must have been the best therapy in the world. I do not know about you but if I cheated on my wife with over 20 women, would not it take longer than five to six months to fix truly what is "most important" to you? During the 13 minutes of garbage I heard that February morning, very little of it I believed.

I believed Tiger when he stated that he felt the rules of life did not apply to him. I believed Tiger we he stated that he owes families across the nation (including ones who sought help with his foundation) an apology. By announcing today that his return would be the Masters in Augusta, GA not six months after the crash heard round the world.....he truly was not sorry for anything.

He says the most important things in his life is his kids and his marriage, then why concentrate on your career when for most families it takes years of therapy to fix harsh wounds. He says he had a lot of work to do and said he would dedicate himself to do it.

Was this the Cliffsnotes version of "therapy?"

By returning to golf so soon only makes Tiger look shameful at best. Most people who are in therapy NEED to work for a living. He is the first athlete to gross over a BILLION DOLLARS but he feels he needs to get back on the golf course which for many would be considered an escape.

"I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy and I am continuing my treatment. Although I am returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life."

He cheated on his wife with more than a baker's dozen of women and yet two months of therapy.....CURED???

If Tiger Woods thinks he can play all of us for fools then I hope the American public is not buying the crap he is serving us. Not one month ago he told us that he and Elin had begun the process of discussing the damage caused by his actions, now after two months of therapy he feels Augusta is where he needs to be because it's a special focus in his career?

Tiger Woods is simply being the old Tiger Woods. Handpicking the tournaments he wants to play based on how much of the spotlight he can get. Tiger is simply picking The Masters because it's the crown jewel of the sport and it's where he can once again dominate the attention of the tournament no matter how he fairs on the scorecard. Tiger may think in two months he has fixed some of the damage in his personal life, but the reality of the fact is he is still is an addict of his own celebrity.

Senator Durbin Expects House to Take Up Health Care Bill This Week

2010-03-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

Senator Durbin Expects House to Take Up Health Care Bill This Week

Illinois U-S Senator Dick Durbin says he expects the House of Representatives to take up a health care bill this week. The measure was previously passed in the Senate and Durbin says there are enough votes in the House to pass it there.

Some Congressional Democrats, however, say they won't support the bill because it doesn't include a public option. Durbin says it's too late to start over now.

DURBIN: There are a lot of good ideas that I won't give up on. We may not be able to get them in this bill, but this bill has so many good things that we cannot lose it in a debate over another issue.

Durbin says the bill also has enough support in the Senate to win final approval, but he says he's not sure how many Democrats are on board.

St Patrick's Day Parade: Slideshow and video

2010-03-15T11:08:00.000-07:00

St Patrick's Day Parade: Slideshow and video

Irish eyes were certainly smiling in Leeds when hundreds of people lined the streets for the annual Leeds St Patrick's Day parade.

Marching bands, majorettes, local schools and organisations all brought a touch of green to the city centre yesterday when Leeds' Irish community held their popular event to say 'we're Irish and proud!'

An old fire engine, a tractor, dancers, Leeds Lord Mayor Judith Elliott and representatives from Leeds Irish schools all made up the parade, with youngsters on the roadside waving Irish flags as the parade wound through the city centre.

After the parade, there was live music, bands , stalls and beer as Millennium Square was taken over by a riot of green 'leprechaun' hats and pints of Guinness for an afternoon-long celebration of all that's Irish in the city.

Dad Kevin said: "It's been a lovely day, the parade was terrific. It's one day a year when the whole community in Leeds comes together and celebrates being Irish."

His son, Peter, eight, said he enjoyed the parade and all the people waving the Irish flag.

Beckham's injury will have international impact

2010-03-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

Beckham's injury will have international impact

David Beckham, who was set to become the first England player to compete in four straight World Cups, will not participate in South Africa 2010 after rupturing his left Achilles tendon in a game with AC Milan on Sunday night.

It's a crushing blow for Beckham, who put himself through a punishing schedule over the past 15 months, shuttling between three teams (Milan, England and the Los Angeles Galaxy) in an attempt to satisfy his paymasters while fulfilling the mandate of England coach Fabio Capello that he play at the highest club level in order to be considered for the World Cup team.

Now that's gone, which is sad if you care about this sport. If you strip away the glitz of the Beckham Brand, Beckham himself is a player's player, and his dream of taking the field in South Africa was always genuine, so much so that he was willing to subject himself to weeks away from his family in Milan, to dip into his own pocket for his loan deal, to throw his 34-year-old body headlong into demands that, ultimately, it could not withstand.

Beckham probably would not have started for England at this World Cup. But he almost certainly would have been a regular late-game substitute, a wily veteran who could still change a game with a few well-placed crosses into the box or a swerving free kick still considered among the world's best. By all accounts, Beckham was also a useful presence in the England locker room, no small attribute on a team wracked of late by leadership issues. (If anything, the abortive captaincy of John Terry, stripped after his affair with a teammate's ex-partner, has made Beckham's five-year captaincy look even better.)

As sports scandals go, Tiger Woods is tops

2009-12-15T21:19:00.000-08:00

As sports scandals go, Tiger Woods is tops

The biggest news as the Tiger Woods scandal played out for the third week on gossip sites and chat boards everywhere wasn't really news.

It might not have even been his wife, Elin, not that it matters much anymore.

A 2-day-old photo of a blonde woman in sunglasses pumping gas into an SUV outside Orlando went viral — which is about all that seems to matter anymore — because, gasp, the woman was not wearing a wedding ring.

Perhaps you've heard that Woods and his wife, Elin, are having marital problems.

There's really not a lot more to the whole thing except for the scale of what happened and the size of the stage it has been playing out on. The greatest golfer ever is exposed as perhaps one of the greatest philanderers ever and, of course, we want to know all the sordid details.

Transgressions. Infidelity. Sins. Woods has used all three words himself in postings on his Web site owning up to some of his actions.

If only he had cheated on the golf course instead of off it. Marked down a 4 when it should have been a 5, or maybe kicked a ball from behind a tree when no one was looking.

He might have recovered from that. A lot of baseball players who cheated with steroids certainly have.

But he'll never really recover from this.

"In a lot of ways Tiger Woods has broken the hearts of a lot of people who looked at him as a role model who was above all those things," said Richard Lapchick, director of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports at the University of Central Florida. "It was just so far out of bounds with what anyone considers normal behavior."

Indeed, this scandal is more about celebrity than sport. This wasn't Pete Rose betting on baseball, Bill Belichick spying on his opponents or Marion Jones bulking up to win Olympic gold.

But it is Tiger Woods. And that's all that matters.

"I don't know if there was anybody ever like Tiger Woods," Lapchick said. "We had an African-American athlete who totally transcended race and dominated a sport maybe like no one else who seemed to have this perfect life. It turned out not to be true."

Count Lapchick among those who initially thought Woods would largely escape much fallout from the accident and early reports of infidelity. Those in a graduate class he teaches in sports management thought so, too, predicting Woods would be welcomed back warmly when he returned to the course.

That was before every day brought another revelation, and more and more women were linked with Woods. Now his students have changed their minds, and Lapchick has, too.

Woods' sponsors are apparently coming to the same conclusion. No matter that few people know what Accenture does, the consulting company knows it doesn't want to be associated with Woods anymore.

And although AT&T doesn't mind spending millions to be a part of the 2012 U.S. Olympic effort, does the company really want Woods to make his return — whenever that might be — with its logo still on his golf bag?

What astounds Lapchick — who is not only a distinguished academic but a pioneer for racial equality in sports — is how the Woods scandal has morphed into something never before seen in sports. Even the sexual assault charges against Kobe Bryant — while arguably more serious — didn't create nearly this kind of frenzy.

Bryant has rebounded to a large degree, helped by the passing of time and his dominance on the basketball court. He has his endorsements back, and no one asks him any more what happened that night in a Colorado hotel.

There are, however, still some who remember the repulsive details of the allegations who will never cheer for Bryant again.

Like Bryant, what Woods did had nothing to do with sports. Still, it might end up being the biggest scandal ever in sports.

Nothing else comes close.

"It's so far the opposite of what we thought that it makes it so much more dramatic," Lapchick said. "I think it will always be with him."

For Tiger, games are over

2009-12-15T21:18:00.000-08:00

For Tiger, games are over

A few weeks shy of his 34th birthday, golf's Peter Pan has finally grown up.

By announcing that he's taking an extended leave of absence from that which has meant so much and provided him with even more, Woods is acknowledging, maybe for the first time, that golf's just a game.

A wondrous and alluring one, to be sure, but in the end, coaxing a little white ball into a hole is far from the most important thing in life.

It's a lesson most of us learn in disappointment when the time comes to apply for a job and finally let go of those childhood dreams. Tiger's had to learn it in a much uglier way and I'm not sure which of us, in the end, has been luckier.

He's a proud man and I'm sure he'd be willing to trade many, many of his dollars in order to erase the ridicule and humiliation he's suffered through over the past fortnight.

Golf's going to miss him only in days ending in 'y' but he will be back, whether it be at Torrey Pines for the San Diego Open in six weeks or for the Masters in April. In the meantime, with the star on hiatus, we're going to have to content ourselves with the understudies as they try to keep the show going.

Not a particularly heartening scenario, I know — especially given the disaster that was the Tiger-less second half of 2008 — but Woods has a marriage to save, a family to try to keep together and a soul that needs healing.

In other words, his priorities are no longer those of an adolescent.

Friday's mea culpa statement on his Web site — I don't know about you but I'd still prefer to watch him speak those words, which would only amplify the humanity in them — gives great hope that the salvaging of the Woods family has begun.

It's heartening, for me, to learn that it's even possible.

I was far from convinced that Elin would be even willing to take him back. As hard as this has been on him, I can't imagine what it's been like to listen to women with very little going for them tell of not just sex but sharing intimacies with her husband.

The sex, in a sense, could be excused as a physical need, but what a betrayal it is to learn that your husband was cuddling with another woman in your matrimonial bed while watching a movie.

It's heartening, too, that Woods is no longer hiding behind cold, lawyerly words like "transgressions" but for the first time admits to "my infidelity."

Personally, I would have gone with the plural given the procession of women crawling out from beneath the sheets, but that's splitting hairs.

The overarching point is that Tiger Woods is finally taking full responsibility for his own actions, which is all any of us could ask of another human being.

And, really, it's the only way to forgiveness, which I think is what Woods ultimately seeks.

"I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father and person," Woods wrote.

That last part is for us, his public.

The Tiger Woods we've all known for the past 13 years, ever since he introduced himself with that mesmerizing, Hello, world, commercial has gone.

If he ever existed.

In that sense, the upheaval of the past two weeks may prove to be a blessing.

Woods will no longer need to project himself as perfect because we all know now in far too much detail that he's not.

And the paranoid handlers around him won't need to act like there's a Machiavellian cabal lurking around every corner to expose his imperfections.

Of course, it's not all going to be a bed of roses because at some point, Woods will make his return to competitive golf and, for the first time, we'll be watching him more than his golf ball. He'll have to deal with questions and they'll be difficult. He's also going to have to deal with the fact that he may no longer be the crowd favorite. Not everyone will be willing to forgive him his sins.

Be sure, it's going to be a long journey back for Tiger Woods, not just back to golf but back as a husband and a father.

A long road but shorter now that he's taken the first step.

More Women in the Tiger Woods Scandal

2009-12-15T21:08:00.000-08:00

More Women in the Tiger Woods Scandal

As the Tiger Woods story continues to evolve and escalate, more and more and more (and more) women who aren't named Mrs. Woods have come into the fray claiming they've had affairs with the golf great. Last week there were three. But now, at least four (and maybe more) women have been thrown into the mix, some by their own admission and others by tabloid sources. It can be quite confusing -- so many mistresses, so little time -- so PopEater took the time to break down each alleged Tiger poacher and the stories swirling around them. Let's start with the newest name after the jump.

Who: Jamie Jungers
Occupation: Waitress and Aspiring Model
Age: 26
Alleged Length of Affair: 18 Months
How She 'Knew' Tiger: According to the Daily Mirror, Jungers allegedly met Woods at a party in Las Vegas, where he apparently sent a message to her that he wanted to meet. Naturally, romping ensued. The report states that the golfer and Jungers would meet up at his California home for trysts over the next year and a half.

Credible? Going on her looks and occupation (waitress), it seems to add up.

Who: Mindy Lawton
Occupation: Waitress or Manager at Perkins Restaurant
Age: 36
Alleged Length of Affair: 1 Year
How She 'Knew' Tiger: The cougar of the Tiger family, Lawton is also the most descriptive. The chain restaurant employee told the News of the World that she "sometimes looked like a rag doll after we'd made love." She also uses the term "well-endowed" to describe the golf icon, whom she claims would frequent her eatery near his Orlando estate. Shockingly, she says the Tiger affair occurred during his wife Elin's first pregnancy and that they would have wild sex at his mansion.

Credible? We're gonna go out on a limb here and say not so much. For starters, would gazillionaire Tiger really frequent a Perkins (no offense)?

Who: Holly Sampson
Occupation: Soft Porn Actress
Age: 36
How She 'Knew' Tiger: The details are hazy (ie, non-existent), but the Daily Mail referenced the star of 'OMG, Stop Tickling Me' as yet another Tiger mistress. Her lawyer exclaimed, "She has no comment on the matter," which is not a denial. Due to a lack of other info on this one, we'll just rattle off some more of her film credits: 'Flying Solo 2,' 'Diary of a Horny Housewife,' 'Descent Into Bondage' ...

Credible? No naughty tales from unnamed sources? No details on when they met or how long they may have flung? We'll wait on this one.

Who: Jaimee Grubbs
Occupation: Cocktail Waitress / Reality Star
Age: 24
Alleged Length of Affair: 31 months
How She 'Knew' Tiger: In a massive Us Weekly exclusive, Grubbs -- who was recently on VH1's 'Tool Academy' -- claims that she and Tiger had at least 20 sexual encounters, though she didn't divulge exactly what that means. Even worse for the golf great, she claims to have voicemails and text messages that will only bolster her claims of an affair. Us even has one of the voicemails, in which Tiger tells Grubbs: ""I need you to do me a huge favor. Can you please take your name off your phone? My wife went through my phone and may be calling you."

Credible? Oh, the voicemails. Yes, her claims are believable.

Edward Kennedy, Senate Stalwart, Dies

2009-08-25T23:16:00.000-07:00

Edward Kennedy, Senate Stalwart, Dies

Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, a son of one of the most storied families in American politics, a man who knew triumph and tragedy in near-equal measure and who will be remembered as one of the most effective lawmakers in the history of the Senate, died Tuesday night. He was 77 .

he death was announced Wednesday morning in a statement by the Kennedy family.“Edward M. Kennedy – the husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle we loved so deeply – died late Tuesday night at home in Hyannis Port,” the statement said. “We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever. We thank everyone who gave him care and support over this last year, and everyone who stood with him for so many years in his tireless march for progress toward justice, fairness and opportunity for all. He loved this country and devoted his life to serving it. He always believed that our best days were still ahead, but it’s hard to imagine any of them without him.”

Mr. Kennedy had been in precarious health since he suffered a seizure in May 2008 at his home in Hyannis Port, Mass. His doctors determined the cause had been a malignant glioma, a brain tumor that often carries a grim prognosis.

As he underwent cancer treatment, Mr. Kennedy was little seen in Washington, appearing most recently at the White House in April as Mr. Obama signed a national service bill that bears the Kennedy name.

While he had been physically absent from the capital, his presence had been deeply felt as Congress weighed the most sweeping revisions to America’s health care system in decades, an effort Mr. Kennedy called “the cause of my life.”

On July 15, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee, which Mr. Kennedy heads, passed health care legislation that he had helped write and that may one day be regarded as the capstone to Mr. Kennedy’s government career.

Mr. Kennedy was the last surviving brother of a generation of Kennedys that dominated American politics in the 1960s and that came to embody glamour, political idealism and untimely death. The Kennedy mystique — some call it the Kennedy myth — has held the imagination of the world for decades and came to rest on the sometimes too-narrow shoulders of the brother known as Teddy.

Mr. Kennedy, who served 46 years as the most well-known Democrat in the Senate, longer than all but two other senators, was the only one of those brothers to die after reaching old age. President John F. Kennedy and Senator Robert F. Kennedy were felled by assassins’ bullets in their 40s. The eldest brother, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr., died in 1944 at the age of 29 while on a risky World War II bombing mission.

Mr. Kennedy spent much of last year in treatment and recuperation, broken by occasional public appearances and a dramatic return to the Capitol last summer to cast a decisive vote on a Medicare bill.

He electrified the opening night of the Democratic National Convention in Denver in August with an unscheduled appearance and a speech that had delegates on their feet. Many were in tears.

His gait was halting, but his voice was strong. “My fellow Democrats, my fellow Americans, it is so wonderful to be here, and nothing is going to keep me away from this special gathering tonight,” Mr. Kennedy said. “I have come here tonight to stand with you to change America, to restore its future, to rise to our best ideals and to elect Barack Obama president of the United States.”

Senator Kennedy was at or near the center of much of American history in the latter part of the 20th century and the early years of the 21st. For much of his adult life, he veered from victory to catastrophe, winning every Senate election he entered but failing in his only try for the presidency; living through the sudden deaths of his brothers and three of his nephews; being responsible for the drowning death on Chappaquiddick Island of a young woman, Mary Jo Kopechne, a former aide to his brother Robert. One of the nephews, John F. Kennedy Jr., who the family hoped would one day seek political office and keep the Kennedy tradition alive, died in a plane crash in 1999 at age 38.

Mr. Kennedy himself was almost killed, in 1964, in a plane crash, which left him with permanent back and neck problems.

He was a Rabelaisian figure in the Senate and in life, instantly recognizable by his shock of white hair, his florid, oversize face, his booming Boston brogue, his powerful but pained stride. He was a celebrity, sometimes a self-parody, a hearty friend, an implacable foe, a man of large faith and large flaws, a melancholy character who persevered, drank deeply and sang loudly. He was a Kennedy.

Senator Robert C. Byrd, Democrat of West Virginia, one of the institution’s most devoted students, said of his longtime colleague, “Ted Kennedy would have been a leader, an outstanding senator, at any period in the nation’s history.”

Mr. Byrd is one of only two senators to have served longer in the chamber than Mr. Kennedy; the other was Strom Thurmond of South Carolina. In May 2008, on learning of Mr. Kennedy’s diagnosis of a lethal brain tumor, Mr. Byrd wept openly on the floor of the Senate.

Born to one of the wealthiest American families, Mr. Kennedy spoke for the downtrodden in his public life while living the heedless private life of a playboy and a rake for many of his years. Dismissed early in his career as a lightweight and an unworthy successor to his revered brothers, he grew in stature over time by sheer longevity and by hewing to liberal principles while often crossing the partisan aisle to enact legislation. A man of unbridled appetites at times, he nevertheless brought a discipline to his public work that resulted in an impressive catalog of legislative achievement across a broad landscape of social policy.

Mr. Kennedy left his mark on legislation concerning civil rights, health care, education, voting rights and labor. He was chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions at his death. But he was more than a legislator. He was a living legend whose presence insured a crowd and whose hovering figure haunted many a president.

Court Papers Show Jackson Died of Propofol

2009-08-24T20:19:00.000-07:00

Court Papers Show Jackson Died of Propofol

LOS ANGELES — Lethal levels of a powerful anesthetic caused Michael Jackson’s death, according to preliminary coroner findings cited in Texas court documents unsealed Monday.

The documents, a pair of search warrants and affidavits filed by the police in July to search the Houston office and storage unit of Dr. Conrad Murray, Mr. Jackson’s private doctor, provide the most detailed evidence against Dr. Murray by the Los Angeles Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.

The police told judges in Texas and Nevada that they suspected Dr. Murray of manslaughter, according to documents filed there.

According to the warrants, Dr. Murray told investigators that he had administered an intravenous drip of 50 milligrams of propofol, an anesthetic, to Mr. Jackson nightly for six weeks before the singer’s death at his Holmby Hills home to help him sleep. Dr. Murray also administered lorazepam, an anti-anxiety drug that can be addictive, and midazolam, a muscle relaxant, to treat Mr. Jackson’s insomnia.

The chief coroner for Los Angeles County, Dr. Lakshmanan Sathyavagiswaran, indicated that his preliminary assessment of the cause of death was due to a lethal dose of propofol, according to the court documents. They also describe how Dr. Murray administered propofol and other drugs, including Valium, on June 25, the day Mr. Jackson died.

“After approximately 10 minutes, Murray stated he left Jackson’s side to go to the restroom,” the documents show. “Murray stated he was out of the room for about two minutes maximum. Upon his return, Murray noticed that Jackson was no longer breathing.”

Dr. Murray said he tried to resuscitate Mr. Jackson and administered flumazenil, a drug to reverse the effects of the sedatives in his system, and then called Mr. Jackson’s personal assistant, Michael Amir Williams, for help. Mr. Williams called Mr. Jackson’s security detail while Dr. Murray asked the singer’s chef to send one of his sons upstairs to the bedroom as he continued cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Dr. Murray waited about 82 minutes before anyone called paramedics to the home, according to the court documents.

Investigators said Dr. Murray did not initially tell paramedics or doctors that he had given Mr. Jackson propofol.

Mr. Jackson was eventually taken to University of California Los Angeles Medical Center, where he died. Medical experts said Monday that the combination of drugs Mr. Jackson was given would have exacerbated the effect of the propofol.

Drugs like lorazepam and Valium have the effect of slowing a person’s breathing.

“If you are going to put on top of that some propofol, you are not only standing on thin ice, but starting to jump up and down on that ice,” said Dr. John F. Dombrowski, director of the Washington Pain Center. “If you don’t have someone who knows how to manage respiratory depression, you’re going to die.”

The documents indicate that Dr. Murray tried to revive Mr. Jackson with flumazenil, which reverses the effects of benzodiazepines like lorazepam. But “there’s no drug that reverses propofol per se,” said Dr. Robert R. Kirby, an anesthesiologist.

And waiting 82 minutes to call 911 was inexplicable to medical experts. “Lord, no; you’d call right away,” Dr. Kirby said.

Investigators said they found numerous bottles of medications prescribed by various doctors at Mr. Jackson’s bedside and throughout his living quarters.

Dr. Murray said that he was not the first doctor to administer propofol to Mr. Jackson, that he suspected Mr. Jackson was addicted to the drug and that he tried to wean him off of it, the documents state. Dr. Murray told the police that the singer referred to propofol as his “milk.” On the day he died, Mr. Jackson was unable to sleep and, after repeated demands, the doctor administered propofol in an IV drip.

Investigators also interviewed Cherilyn Lee, a nurse who described how Mr. Jackson asked her to obtain propofol for him.

“He stated he would pay her or another doctor whatever they wanted for it,” according to the affidavit. Ms. Lee told investigators that she refused.

On June 1, Mr. Jackson’s bodyguard called to tell her Mr. Jackson was ill.

“She heard Jackson in the background saying, ‘One side of my body is hot, and the other side is cold,’ ” according to the affidavits. Ms. Lee told investigators that she told the bodyguard he should go to the hospital.

Dr. Murray was a cardiologist in Houston, Las Vegas and Los Angeles for 20 years. Earlier this year, AEG, an event promoter and stadium operator, hired him to be Mr. Jackson’s personal physician during a planned series of 50 concerts in London, for a monthly salary of $150,000.

A special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration, which investigates prescription fraud, said records showed that despite the discovery of bottles of propofol at Mr. Jackson’s home, Dr. Murray “never ordered, purchased nor received any propofol.”

Dr. Murray told investigators that Mr. Jackson obtained propofol from various sources, including two unidentified doctors in Germany and an anesthesiologist in Las Vegas.

Mr. Jackson’s relatives and associates have said the singer used several aliases to obtain prescription drugs.

Public records show that Dr. Murray was in serious financial trouble before he became Mr. Jackson’s doctor, facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in debts and liens and a Las Vegas home in foreclosure proceedings.

Ed Chernoff, a lawyer for Dr. Murray, said in a statement Monday: “Much of what was in the search warrant affidavit is factual. However, unfortunately, much is police theory. Most egregiously, the timeline reported by law enforcement was not obtained through interviews with Dr. Murray.”

Lt. Fred Corral, an investigator at the Los Angeles County coroner’s office, said the toxicology tests and a final autopsy report had been completed but were being kept confidential at the request of the Los Angeles Police Department, which continues to investigate Dr. Murray.

A spokesman for the police department said he had no official statement regarding the case since the investigation was continuing.

heidi montag miss universe video

2009-08-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

heidi montag miss universe video

I'm pretty sure Heidi Montag said she wasn't going to lip-sync at the Miss Universe competition, but I not sure how she could even sing her new single "Body Language," there is nothing really to sing. It is like a cross between the Beverly Hills Cop theme and Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me” (I stole the "Rockwell" comment from EW.com, but they nailed it with that reference). It's just one of those songs that is all auto-tuner, backups, and studio tricks. Think photoshop, airbrushing and "star wipe" but for music (I swear there is a star wipe in that song somewhere). Plus TMZ said that production staffers did not want her to sing, because they were afraid she would not remember the words.

In short -- Of course she lip-synced!

The only way I can describe the dancing is, it was like watching one of those Van Halen videos, where David Lee Roth, made the rest of the band do those choreographed routines. Or like Reese Witherspoon's dance number at the end of Vanity Fair, where she just stood there while people danced around her. You know Heidi's backup dancers were rolling their eyes at that bitch the entire "performance."

The saddest thing about the whole mess is that I actually think I'm starting to like the song "Body Language." I'm afraid it may creep onto my Ipod some drunken night. I know it would be like listening to a dollar store Britney Spears, but sometimes I liked the dollar store toys I got as a kid. I was quite fond of a few of them to be honest... Anywhoo watch the video of Montag below, and let us know your thoughts.

jasmine fiore fotos

2009-08-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

jasmine fiore fotos

New Delhi, Aug 24, 2009: Jasmine Fiore fotos, Jasmine Fiore death photo, Ryan Jenkins Wikipedia. People are frantically searching for the photo of Jasmine Fiore on the cyberspace. A large number of people are searching for the photograph of her mutilated body when it was discovered in a dumpster.

The authorities or police have not released the photograph of the body of the former Playboy model.

The only photograph of Jasmine Fiore’s body ever published was the one that was published by gossip news website TMZ.com.

But it has been taken out from the site and now no other website worth its salt has published the photograph.

I think it is utterly unethical to put such a mutilated photograph of a person who was among more presentable people. Thank God they have removed the photograph from their website.

In the meantime the person who killed Jasmine Fiore, her ex husband Ryan Jenkins has apparently committed suicide in a remote motel in Canada.

michelle obama shorts

2009-08-19T08:07:00.000-07:00

michelle obama shorts

Our beautiful first lady Michelle Obama wore what some consider short shorts when she went to the Grand Canyon with her family. Her choice to wear shorts is being highly criticized by some members of the media and the public. Please have a look at the pictures of Michelle Obama and tell us if you think her clothing choice was inappropriate for a first lady.

Many people seem to believe that Michelle Obama should never wear shorts in public. She didn't exactly wear a pair of Daisy Dukes. If she chose to wear shorts that short we could understand the drama. In all fairness, Michelle Obama's shorts were mid-thigh length.

Michelle Obama is a younger more hip than the former First Lady Laura Bush was. In the past, Mrs. Obama seemed to always dress appropriately in public. Was it so wrong of her to wear shorts during a summer vacation stop? Apparently many Americans think so.

In the "scandalous" photos President Obama is dressed in long pants and a polo shirt, while the Michelle and the Obama girls wore shorts.

In June, Michelle Obama caused an uproar when she was seen walking the families dog, Bo, on the White House lawn wearing shorts. You can view those photos here on Huffington Post.

sandra shaw

2009-08-19T08:06:00.000-07:00

sandra shaw

WBAL-TV weathercaster Sandra Shaw will be joining Regis Philbin as co-host of "Live with Regis and Kelly" on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the syndicated show said Friday.

As reported on this blog, Shaw was one of 10 broadcasters who work for stations that carry the show to win a chance to co-host based on votes from viewers.

Guests on the show Wednesday will be Tim Gunn from "Project Runway" and Dr. Doris Day discussing skin cancer.

"Live with Regis and Kelly" airs at 10 a.m. weeekdays on WBAL-TV (Channel 11).

jasmine fiore pictures

2009-08-19T08:04:00.000-07:00

jasmine fiore pictures

Jasmine Fiore Pictures, 28-year-old swimsuit model, Jasmine Fiore found dead. Jasmine’s dead body was discovered by police on Tuesday, stuffed into a suitcase. Ryan Alexander Jenkins, a Reality TV Show contestant is among the most probable suspects according to police.

Buena Park police have issued a statement according to which, they are looking for a person with Canadian nationality, named Ryan Alexander Jenkins, 32-year-old engaged in real estate business, from Calgary. He has been reportedly seen with Jasmine Fiore at her house at Fairfax district (Edinburgh Avenue) last week.

However till Tuesday morning, the Buena Park Police was still unable to determine Ryan – Fiore relationship, may be due to insufficient evidence. Rumors are that they were married somewhere in Las Vegas to which, Lisa Lapore totally denied.

gina carano playboy

2009-08-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

gina carano playboy

Yes, Gina Carano Playboy pics are today’s hottest commodity on the internet however we must not forget Gina is up against Cristiane Santos in Strikeforce.

Yes folks... Gina Carano is set to fight Cristiane Santos for Strikeforce's inaugural woman's championship main event.

Let’s not forget that Gina Carano was ranked #16 in Maxim's Hot 100 list, a very promising start point for this young beautiful MMA fighter.

Bodog.com has Gina Carano as underdog in the Strikeforce fight against Cris Cyborg Santos. Gina’s odds are currently sitting at +155 while Cris Santos is priced at -185.

I don’t know you guys but Gina Carano is as hot as her odds. Forget Gina Carano’s playboy pics and go over to Bodog.com to bet on Gina now.

Bodog.com has been the pioneer in posting MMA odds, building brand awareness and a solid trust bond with MMA enthusiasts.

Visit Bodog.com for the latest Strikeforce betting odds and bet on Gina Carano’s hot odds. Click here to visit Bodog.com

tip jar

2009-08-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

tip jar

This morning I found Tip Jar community online, which is powered by Google and offers parents and individuals tips on how to save money on food, kids, family and shopping. It also provides money saving tips in other categories ranging from finance to travel. Some of the tips that I saw on Tip Jar related food were actually very healthy.

For example, one tip says drink water instead of buying soda drinks. Here we have an obvious healthy tip from Tip Jar that also saves money. Zen Habits writes. ""Drink water. Often we drink lots of calories through sodas, coffee, alcohol, juices, tea, etc. And that costs a lot too. Drink water, save money, save calories. Here are some tips for forming the water habit." Apparently if you drink a big glass of water before each meal, you won’t eat as much, saving on the food bill.

Here is another good tip from Tip Jar that not only saves money, but also may fight obesity. This tip is from choosetosave.org and says "don’t grocery shop on an empty stomach or you may end up buying more than you need."

I read several tips at Tip Jar about the health and financial benefits of eating breakfast. "Eat breakfast. Eating a healthy breakfast fills you up with energy for the day and also decreases your desire to eat a big lunch in the middle of the day. Not only that, breakfast can be very healthy, quick, and inexpensive."

Another good tip is about eating out less. "Eat out less. The average person spends well over $2,000 a year on eating out. Restaurants are expensive, including fast-food. It’s much cheaper to cook your own food," writes again Zen Habits. Indeed, instead of eating out, parents are encouraged to buy healthy food and make home cooking a fun event for children. I do involve my children in cooking and encourage them to participate in the process. Not only I save on restaurants (nothing wrong against healthy restaurants), but also develope healthy eating habits in them, teaching how to cook vegetables and follow good diet habits.

pga championship tv schedule

2009-08-13T08:34:00.000-07:00

pga championship tv schedule

The PGA Championship has started and you can watch it today beginning at 2 p.m.

Tiger Woods, with two straight PGA Tour wins heading into today, is the heavy favorite to win his first major of 2009. While he has not been able to capture his 15th major championship this year, he is on a serious roll after winning the Buick Open and Bridgestone Invitational in consecutive weeks.

TNT is first up with TV coverage beginning at 2 p.m. (EDT) and ending at 8 p.m.

Can’t wait for live TV? You can view the PGA Championship live at pga.com from 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 11 a.m-7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Live coverage of the 2009 PGA Championship schedule for Thursday, August 13:

TNT: 2 p.m.-8 p.m

pga.com: 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m.

PGA Championship TV schedule for this week’s 91st PGA Championship :

Thursday and Friday, 2 p.m.-8 p.m. (TNT)

Saturday: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (TNT), 2 p.m.-7 p.m. (CBS)

Sunday: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. (TNT), 2 p.m.-7 p.m. (CBS

rick pitino wife

2009-08-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

rick pitino wife

When did Rick Pitino’s wife Joanne Minardi first know of Pitino’s alleged one night affair with Karen Cunagin Sypher? Rick Pitino and wife Joanne Minardi have married been 33 years.

But as revealed last night on LALATE, Rick Pitino according to police recently told investigators that he had a one night affair with the future Karen Cunagin Sypher.

Karen Cunagin Sypher Pictures
Karen Cunagin Sypher Photo 1
Karen Cunagin Sypher Photo 2
Karen Cunagin Sypher Photo 3

The date of the encounter was allegedly August 1, 2003. Karen was single. She was not Mrs. Cunagin Sypher at the time; she hadn’t ever met Tim Sypher by that point.

Pitino according to press recently told police Sypher and him had a one night affair following a meal at Louisville restaurant Porcini?

But when did Rick Pitinio tell his wife.

According to police, Pitino in 2003 reportedly quietly arranged to meet Karen at Tim Sypher’s condo, pay her $3000 for an abortion. In the months that would follow, Tim Sypher would marry Karen, who would reportedly often be alongside Pitino at Louisville functions.

When the first limited details of a pending extortion case against Karen hit in spring 2009, Pitino had previously issued the following statement about his family:

My family and I were recently threatened as part of a criminal scheme to extort money. Upon receiving these threats, we reported this extortion attempt to the FBI. While I did not want to make this matter public, I recently learned that the individual behind this extortion

media with false, defamatory and outrageous allegations in an attempt to pressure me to cave in to this scheme.

I want to make it clear that I intend to vigorously defend my reputation and the character of my family against any criminal scheme to extort money. I am hopeful that the media and public will recognize the slanderous nature of this direct and malicious attack.

Today Pitino has five children, Karen has four.

anderson silva vs forrest griffin highlights

2009-08-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

anderson silva vs forrest griffin highlights

1. Silva dominating the ring. Silva controlled the ring, he made Griffin look off balance and awkward. Griffin was never able to get Silva into any position to deliver his famous leg kicks, like he used to destroy Rampage. Silva's head movement and body movements along with his great jabs and devastating punches caused Griffin to constantly lots of poor shots and take too many chances that wound up costing him dearly.

2 Silva's pounding Griffin on the ground. There was only one take down in the fight and Silva did it with a punch and followed it up with some devastating punches to Griffin's head. I think these shots definitely hurt Griffin and that allowed the Flicking punch to finish him off.

3. The deadly Flicking punch. Only used effectively one other time in a World Championship match, by Ali vs Liston. Just as ridiculous and just as controversial. 40 years later people are still talking about the Ali flick and there are 1,000's who believe Liston threw the fight. I am one of them. The same can almost be said about Griffin, I don't think for a minute he threw the fight, but I do think he wanted it over. He was getting killed and wanted out. If his jaw was broken, as some claim, but not any doctors who attended him, then he has a great reason to lie there and quit. Otherwise, I would like to have seen him do a little bit more, before the flick. Not after. He was in not condition to continue for whatever reason after he was flicked.'

4. The Griffin run away. If Griffin would have run as fast in the ring as he did out of the ring he might have stood a better chance of beating Silva. Can't wait until he finally tells everyone what was so important in the locker room that he could not't wait to even shake hands or hear the decision. Might have been a call from Brock Lesnar telling all you great commenter's how wrong you are in think that Silva is better than the Mighty Lesnar. Or perhaps it was a call from Fedor inviting Griffin to come to Strikeforce where there is no real competiton and no Brock.

falmouth road race results

2009-08-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

falmouth road race results

It is ever imperative to value every day, and Alyssa Amos will forever make a point to cherish what she has gained through loss. Amos is not a typical 16-year-old Nordic skier; she has attained the understanding of a mature adult and attempts to wring the most out of every adventure she tackles due to her summit of a chronic and debilitating disease.

The extensive trek began when she had just turned 10 and was diagnosed with ulcerative proctitis, which is an ongoing disease of the colon or large intestine that is marked by inflammation in the lowest part of the colon - the rectum. Tiny open sores and ulcerations form on the surface of the colon lining and bleed before producing mucus and pus, according to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America. The inflammation makes the colon empty frequently and Amos’s symptoms included diarrhea - sometimes bloody - and never-ending abdominal pain.

"At that point we believed that it was something we could get through with medication," said Alyssa’s mother, Becky Amos. "After two years Alyssa had began to taper off of the medication and we were not that worried or had even dismissed the possibility of her condition worsening."

Amos had just entered 7th grade when she encountered a major flare that was a cause for serious concern. A flare is the reappearance of the characteristic symptoms from ulcerative colitis generally including diarrhea, rectal bleeding, urgent bowel movements, constipation, abdominal cramps and pain or weight loss.

"I was going to the bathroom 20 times a day and ended up losing 15 pounds before being rediagnosed with ulcerative colitis," Amos said.

Ulcerative colitis is a more serious inflammatory bowel disease that affects the entire colon and the lower part of the large intestine. Amos was prescribed Remicade, which is a drug that reduces the effects of a substance in the body that can cause inflammation. Unfortunately, Remicade lowered her white blood cell count, which allowed more minor infections to conquer her weak immune system.

"The treatment at that point was truly almost worse than the disease," said Becky Amos. "And the medications never really put her into remission."

During 2007, the Amos family moved to a new doctor at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center named Dr. Corey Siegel, who is a leader in inflammatory bowel disease research.

In the summer after 8th grade, Amos decided to run with the CCFA New England Got Guts Team in the Falmouth Road Race in early August of 2007 to raise awareness for her debilitating disease.

Sadly, Amos went from fairly healthy to completely bedridden in June before the race and was sent for another colonoscopy.

"I had been on Prednisone since January of 2007 and it had affected me tremendously," Amos said. "I just wanted to get off of the drug because it was so bad for my bones and then in June I started to have more and more symptoms, but I didn’t want to believe that my problems were coming back; I just wanted to ignore everything that was going on."

The colonoscopy in early July started a horrific chain reaction and Dr. Siegel placed Amos on Humira, which was injected into her leg - but the gruesome symptoms did not subside.

"I lost 30 pounds, couldn’t walk up or down the stairs and didn’t even have the strength to brush my own teeth," Amos said. "And all of these problems were side effects due to the medication I was on, but it wasn’t doing anything to relieve my original symptoms and we were running out of options."

Dr. Siegel weighed the options after attempting to minimize Amos’s ulcerative colitis with numerous medications and then recommended the family visit with Dr. Richard A. Hodin, the chief of endocrine surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital.

"It’s difficult to put into words how great Dr. Siegel and Dr. Hodin were throughout the entire process," Becky Amos said. "Dr. Siegel was always willing to listen to exactly what [Alyssa] had to say and how she was feeling with a phenomenal interest."

The Amos family met with Dr. Hodin for a general colonoscopy, and he immediately recommended that Amos remain at Mass. General for an emergency total colectomy. She then went into surgery on July, 27, 2007 to have her colon and rectum removed.

"He came back after the colonoscopy and said ‘hope you have your bags packed, because you’ll be staying here for a couple of days,’" Amos explained.

Along with the initial surgery to remove the entire colon and rectum, an opening on the abdomen was made by the surgeon through which wastes are emptied into a pouch that is attached to the stomach with an adhesive. Amos had to carry an ileostomy or external stoma for approximately three months before it was removed during the second surgery.

That fall, Amos entered Stratton Mountain School as a freshman looking to make the most of the upcoming Nordic season despite missing the Falmouth Road Race due to her surgery in July.

"The surgery really weighed down on her physically for a couple of weeks, but she bounced back pretty quickly," Becky Amos said. "She still had the ostomy bag until October, but handled it very well and worked hard to train hard despite the few limitations that held her back."

During the month of her surgery, Amos decided to miss the Falmouth Road Race because of its proximity to her recovery, but her CCFA running-mates made a point to make her feel as comfortable as possible with everything she was going through.

"It was truly amazing to see what these people did for her and our family," said Ashley Amos, Alyssa’s sister. "The letters and e-mails poured in and some people even came and visited her in the hospital; these are people that we had never met before and it was just amazing how they helped out and gave her - and our family - encouragement."

Amos then received more heartening news in September, as she had won the CCFA Comeback Kid Award for ileostomy and traveled to New York City to accept the award at a banquet.

"I was very nervous about getting up on stage in front of all those people and giving a speech," Amos said. "But I started it off with a couple of jokes and it went smoothly after that.

"Going to New York was a great experience for me at that point because it was surprising to see how many people have gone through what I did and it felt great to talk about it because it was embarrassing in the beginning. That trip helped me realize that it really helps to just be open and honest about everything because some teenagers just don’t get it."

Amos returned to Mass. General for her second surgery on Oct. 18, just three weeks before SMS fall training camp in Quebec.

"It was really incredible how quickly she bounced back," Ashley Amos said. "But the most important thing was that she no longer had to battle with the disease and was now working to become a stronger athlete again."

All of the Nordic coaches at SMS had been informed by the Amos family of Alyssa’s condition and recovery during training, but Alyssa set herself up with goals to make the J2 championships in March of 2008.

"I headed into fall camp just a couple weeks removed from surgery, felt pretty tired throughout training and couldn’t participate in double sessions," Amos said. "But it felt great to be back; it felt great to have goals again and work toward something with no major problems. And most importantly, it was such a nice change to simply be out of the hospital."

Amos continued to work hard though her first season back, but couldn’t possibly be expected to compete at the high levels she imagined within her head and was constantly disappointed by finishing at the bottom of the results.

"Alyssa refuses to believe that she can’t do anything that she sets her mind to, and finds it hard to believe that this sickness would hold her back," SMS J2/J3 coach Poppet Boswell said. "And all of her experiences have given her the gift to push herself even harder to her goals because she understands exactly how precious life is.

"The only problem is that Nordic skiing is a tough sport and it takes time to make significant progress, so when a normal athlete is working hard to move up the ladder one step at a time, Alyssa is trying to skip three at a time and pushes herself almost too hard sometimes."

The freshman’s hard work and dedication completely paid off when she qualified for the J2 championships with a 16th-place finish at a meet in Lamoille in February.

"I had attained my initial goal; it was such a relief and a very emotional day for me and my family," Amos said. "I had been through so much, worked so hard, and it really hurt when I was finishing in last place at some of the first meets of the season; so qualifying for J2s was a great day."

Amos didn’t only want to make it to the J2 meet; she now wanted a Top 10 finish in one of the four races at the competition.

"Training is a real balancing act between pushing your body just far enough to get it into peak condition," Boswell said. "And with Alyssa, the hardest battle is to pull back on her reins a bit and get her to understand exactly how hard to push her body without going overboard."

All of the precise balancing paid off in March at the J2 Championships, where she finished seventh in the classic 1K sprint - which was her final race of the day after finishing 40th in the 5K classic race and 43rd in the 5K freestyle.

"I was utterly ecstatic, and I think I was even shaking on the podium," Amos said. "Getting my top ten was such a relief and it felt great to get my medal."

The seventh-place finish was an emotional release not only for Amos, but also her family, coaches and teammates who had been through so much with her crusade against colitis.

"Alyssa has been inspirational to all of us," Boswell said. "None of the kids on the team felt right complaining once they knew what she had gone through and the struggles she had to encounter on a daily basis even after her surgery.

"It was also moving to see her attain all of the lofty goals that she set for herself; we were all very happy, and tearful, that day at J2’s."

Amos’s meteoric rise continued with a 32nd-place finish at the Haywood Nationals Classic 7.5K at Whistler Olympic Park in Canada on March 28, 2008.

"I was still getting tired, but it was definitely getting better," Amos said. "Instead of simply surviving races, I was able to push myself and push my body a bit with out feeling any serious consequences."

Amos kept training hard through the summer of 2008 to make more of an impact in the upcoming Nordic season with a new goal of qualifying for the Junior Olympics as a sophomore.

The season jumped off to a positive start with a sixth-place finish at the TD Banknorth Eastern Cup Opener Weekend girls sprint race, but Amos struggled to finish higher in the remaining JO qualifiers.

"I went into the season much stronger, but again had difficulty with over-training and ended up with a common cold that held me back from attaining enough points to get to JO’s," Amos said. "That sixth-place finish was my best of the season and a definite improvement."

The sophomore still qualified for the J2 Championships in March of 2009 and turned in another rousing performance by finishing sixth in the 1K sprint, 16th in the 5K freestyle and 18th in the 5K classic.

The Amos family has now moved back to Bennington and Amos will transfer to Mount Anthony Union High School as a junior in the fall, but must first run in the race that her disease held her out of in the first place.

"I wanted to run in the Falmouth Road Race with the CCFA Got Guts Team to raise funds and awareness about colitis and everything that I had to go through," Amos said. "But more importantly, I want to run the race and thank all of those people who helped me through such a trying time in my life when I was scared and didn’t know what would happen.

"Before I had my surgeries, I talked with some people from the CCFA who said that they never wanted to forget this disease. At the time I didn’t understand what they meant, because I thought I’d want to move on and forget everything that I went through. Now I understand why I should remember and need to help out other people going through something similar."

Amos won’t be alone in Cape Cod for the race on Aug. 9, as her sister, Ashley, will be running along side her; sticking together, something the sisters have done since the beginning of the disease’s onset.

"I want to run the race with Alyssa because it has been an inspiration to see everything that she has gone through," Ashley said. "Not only was she trying to make it through school and life as a teenager, but she was trying to be an athlete at a high level in a very competitive sport.

"Also, I want to give back to all of the people from the CCFA who assisted our family through the past couple of years."

Amos is excited to participate in numerous sports at MAU and is even training to begin competing in the Biathlon, but her main focus continues to remain upon the upcoming Nordic season.

"Alyssa will be a great addition to our team," MAU head Nordic coach Bruce Smith said. "Our sport is very grueling and the fact that she has persevered through her sickness is a credit to her strength of character and determination."

But in the end, Amos is just happy to be a healthy teenager again.

"Everyone faces challenges in their lifetime, but it’s how you deal with those problems and overcome challenges to become a better or stronger person in the end," Amos said. "A bad ski race can seem like a horrible thing at the time, but I make a point to take a step back and say that I should just be happy to be out there, competing with my friends.

"Life could be so much worse, so I just try find the fun in things and get the most out of every new day."

spyder harrison

2009-08-10T08:13:00.000-07:00

spyder harrison

It all began last fall with a chance encounter between a rocker and an animal-rights advocate in their hometown, Louisville, Ky. Jim James — singer, songwriter and guitarist of the band My Morning Jacket — was dining out with relatives when the activist Jenny Brown, whom he had never met, approached him with a proposition.

How about holding a concert to benefit the farm animal sanctuary that she ran in Woodstock, N.Y., Ms. Brown asked him.

Mr. James gave her his e-mail address, told her to keep in touch and went his way, but the proposal intrigued him. Several months later he came up with what he figured was a better way to help.

A few days after George Harrison’s death in 2001 Mr. James locked himself in an old bathroom at a farm near Louisville and recorded six of Mr. Harrison’s songs: an intimate, modest tribute of voice and acoustic guitar. The recordings had been shelved since then, and Mr. James said he wasn’t sure they would ever be released, until he met Ms. Brown.

On Tuesday an EP with the six Harrison tracks hits stores, and part of the proceeds will go toward Ms. Brown’s Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary, a refuge for 150 or so abused, abandoned or sick farm animals, including a three-legged goat named Albie, a blind chicken named Coco and a 700-pound pig named Judy, after Ms. Brown’s mother.

To Mr. James there’s a clear connection between much that Mr. Harrison believed in and the work Ms. Brown does at the sanctuary.

“George was one of those people that always seemed to be a good inspiration for other humans, seemed like he was a very socially conscious person, a very responsible person,” Mr. James said. He didn’t know Mr. Harrison, he added, but described himself as an admirer of his music and character.

“George was always trying to put the good message out there,” Mr. James added. “And I think that’s what Jenny has been doing at the farm.”

Ms. Brown and her husband, Doug Abel, opened the sanctuary in 2004, leaving behind careers in film and television. (She was an associate producer of the ABC News special “Report from Ground Zero,” and he was an editor of the Oscar-winning documentary “Fog of War.”) Because they rely primarily on donations to keep the farm going, she said she couldn’t miss the opportunity to recruit Mr. James’s help.

While visiting her mother in Louisville she had bumped into him the day before at an outdoor cafe, and though she immediately recognized him, she left without saying a word.

That their paths would cross again the following night “must have been some kind of sign,” Ms. Brown said.

“Jim was leaving the restaurant and I could feel myself, like, ‘O.K., Jenny, you’ve got to do it,’ ” she recalled. “I told him I was sorry to bother him and that it was unusual how we sat next to each other two days in a row, and here’s what I do and, boy, wouldn’t it be a dream come true if he could lend his support to our mission.”

As it turned out, Mr. James and Ms. Brown found that they had more than just their hometown in common. She’s a vegan, and he’s a vegetarian, as Mr. Harrison was. And they both say they feel they are no better than, for example, a pig or a rooster — a belief that Mr. Harrison also shared, his widow, Olivia Harrison, said.

“He was the kind of guy who always put the bug outside,” Ms Harrison said in a telephone interview from England. “He never stomped on an ant or a spider.”

That a tribute to him will help support a home for abused farm animals is “an appropriate cause,” she continued.

The EP, which Mr. James is releasing under the moniker Yim Yames (“I just wanted to make my existing name funny sounding,” he said), was recorded at the Gallrein Farms in Shelbyville, in a plumbingless bathroom that is part of the same studio where My Morning Jacket recorded its first albums.

It includes four songs from Mr. Harrison’s critically acclaimed “All Things Must Pass,” which he released after the breakup of the Beatles, and two of the songs he wrote for the band, “Long, Long, Long” and “Love You To.” (Mr. James’s songs are also available for download purchase at yimyames.com.)

The Harrison recording is Mr. James’s first solo venture, but not his first charitable foray. He has donated time to the musicians’ outreach project Sweet Home New Orleans, helped raise money for the Center for Women and Families in Louisville and, in April, performed at Radio City Music Hall on a bill that included Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, among others, to benefit transcendental meditation, which Mr. Harrison helped popularize.

“I’m just lucky that I’m making a living with my music,” Mr. James said. “And if I can help.”

mosquito coast

2009-08-09T09:14:00.000-07:00

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 changed 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.”

The exhilaration of a “big win” was unbeatable, Mr Walters said. Gazing out to sea, where the light of outlying islands glowed on the horizon, he said wistfully: “Sometimes I sit here and think about everything that’s out there. Probably two boats have passed just now, in the time that we’ve been talking.”

Sometimes local residents are spared even the trouble of converting the cocaine into cash. If the drug boats are returning from a drop-off, they will be carrying the proceeds — which, if they are pursued, they will also be forced to dump. “One time some friends of mine found $4 million in a bucket — in effective money,” Charlie emphasised, slipping into the colourful Creole mix of English and Spanish that characterises this former British protectorate.

The key to Bluefields’ good fortune, and that of other coastal communities, is a combination of geography, currents and climate. Lying about halfway between Colombia and millions of US consumers, traffickers pass close to shore at this point, drawn by the necessity of fuel stops. When cargos are ditched because of storms or pursuit by the US Drug Enforcement Agency, currents carry the loot into the nets of waiting fisherman. Some drug runners have made deals with the locals, sending them messages with GPS co-ordinates to let them know where they should leave fuel.

Sometimes the locals become involved directly in the trafficking itself, picking up loads stashed in lobster pots and transporting them to the next drop-off point. There is talk of a web of corruption and violence in which both the police and local authorities are complicit.

One Bluefields resident, who asked that his identity be protected, said that he had sold cocaine for five years with the connivance of the police. “They’ve given me cocaine to sell. They take it off other people, and then they empty the packets and replace it with soap powder. I’ve seen them do it. Then they burn it, make a show — but they’re just burning soap.”

A local journalist who has investigated the drug industry said that he had been subjected to a campaign of harassment directed by the police. “I have been mugged by youths who have told me they were working for the police. My internet account has been hacked. I have to take a lot of precautions.”

The police declined to comment.

Most of the Bluefields drugs are bought by local traffickers who then sell them on the Pacific Coast at double the price, but some stay in the area — where the effect on the impoverished and underemployed youth is obvious. Cocaine is cheaper than marijuana and there is a high incidence of its abuse, with thin, nervy youths hanging about on street corners — one of whom offered to sell some to The Times within minutes of our arrival.

The mayor, Harold Bacón Brokamp, attempted to play down the problem. “What we have is really just some remnants of drugs that pass by,” he said. “Some people benefit from it but some people suffer.”

Others say that many residents could not survive without it. When the rain comes in Bluefields — and it does almost every day, for 11 months of the year — it is so dense that it forms clouds as it whips sideways down the town’s narrow streets, forcing inhabitants to race for cover and rendering work almost impossible.

“Sometimes there might not be any shrimp in the harbour for months, and the only other real work here is construction — and you can’t mix cement in rain like this,” said one businesswoman who did not wish to be named, gesturing to the wall of water cascading from the roof of her porch.

“These are poor people. It is so difficult to even scratch a living here. You can’t really blame them for taking what they can get.”

A global habit

6.9m estimated number of North Americans using cocaine each year

65% of US dollar bills are contaminated with cocaine

$14.1bn US Government’s 2009 budget for fighting the drugs trade

$50bn estimated value of global cocaine market 51% of the world’s cocaine is produced in Colombia

300,000 estimated number of people working in Colombia’s cocaine industry

ufc 101 video replay

2009-08-09T09:10:00.000-07:00

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 Play 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

shirley maclaine

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

shirley maclaine

Terms Of Endearment (1983) Sunday, 19:30, M-Net Stars

This is a classic tragi-comedy about a widow who disapproves of her daughter’s choice in men. Shirley MacLaine and Debra Winger star.

Pretty In Pink (1986) Tuesday, 19:30, M-Net Stars

In this teen delight, Andie (Molly Ringwald) earns pocket money by working in a record store. She has a crush on Blane (Andrew McCarthy below), one of the rich kids at school, so when he asks her to the prom, she’s over the moon.

Green Fire (1954) Wednesday, 19:20, TCM

Spectacular natural disasters, an infamous bandit and a beautiful woman (Grace Kelly, below) keep prospector Stewart Granger on his toes in this adventure.

Say it Isn’t So (2001) Thursday, 19:35, M-Net Stars

Sally Field and Heather Graham star in this twisty romance about Gilly, a nice guy living in a nice town, who meets pretty Jo and falls in love at first sight. This is the girl he wants to marry, he tells his shocked mom and dad. The reason for their consternation soon becomes clear: Jo, who was given away at birth, is Gilly’s sister.

My Best Friend’s Wedding (1997) Saturday, 19:30, M-Net StarsIn this excellent romcom, food critic Julianne’s life is thrown into disarray when her best friend, Michael, tells her he’s getting married to a bubbly young socialite. Starring Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz (below).

usa today coaches poll

2009-08-07T09:39:00.000-07:00

usa today coaches poll

Defending national champion Florida tops the USA Today preseason football coaches' poll, receiving 53 of 59 first-place votes.

Texas was second in the poll released Friday, followed by Oklahoma, Southern California, Alabama, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Penn State, LSU and Mississippi.

Texas had four first-place votes, and Oklahoma and Southern California each had one.

The Associated Press preseason Top 25 will be released Saturday, Aug. 22.

erin micklow

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

erin micklow

Last year, Erin Micklow, a 20-year-old aspiring model and actress, was hired to work at a dating seminar attended by George Sodini, the 48-year-old man who shot and killed three women and wounded nine others at the LA Fitness gym.

Erin Micklow is right. After the aforementioned self-help seminar, which was held in Los Angeles and reportedly attended by a number of lonely men from around the country, Sodini made a YouTube video which was essentially a tour of his house. According to Erin Micklow, Sodini was encouraged to make the video as a homework assignment; it was an attempt to make his home look more presentable to a woman. If you watch the video, you'll discover that George Sodini does indeed seem like a quiet, unassuming fellow; he seems rather gentle, in fact. So Erin Micklow is correct when she says that George Sodini didn't seem like a bad person.

But the truth of the matter is that George Sodini was a bad person. A very, very bad person. Anyone who cold-bloodedly murders innocent people is a bad person. Hello?

I have written two other articles on the LA Fitness shooter and am astonished that some people have posted comments under the articles that actually come to Sodini's defense.

These terribly misguided people are making excuses for Sodini. They argue that "society" shunted him aside for being too nice. One poster says that it's understandable that Sodini snapped. "After being alone for so long, you might snap too," writes the anonymous poster.

One poster named "Mary" writes that she read Sodini's diary and "felt his pain, his loneliness and wept."

I wonder if Mary would have felt Sodini's "pain and loneliness and wept" if one of her relatives had been savagely murdered by him?

It is disrespectful to the people whom Sodini murdered to start making excuses for his appalling act. It's hurtful to their families.

tower theater philadelphia

2009-08-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

tower theater philadelphia

'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia,'' 8 p.m. Sept. 17, Tower Theater, 69th and Ludlow streets, Upper Darby, 610-352-2887. Tickets on sale Friday at 10 a.m.

Leonard Cohen, Oct. 22, Wachovia Center, 3601 S. Broad St., Philadelphia, 800-298-4200, ComcastTIX.com. Tickets on sale Monday at 10 a.m.

Rusted Root with The Kin, 8:30 p.m. Sept. 18, Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St., Philadelphia, 215-336-2000, 215-627-1332. Tickets on sale Friday at 10 a.m.

Dethklok, Mastodon, Converge, and High on Fire, 6:30 p.m. Nov. 1, Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St., Philadelphia, 215-336-2000, 215-627-1332. Tickets on sale Friday at 10 a.m.

Mason Jennings, 8 p.m. Oct. 18, Theater of the Living Arts, 334 South St., Philadelphia. 215-336-2000, 215-922-1011. Tickets on sale Friday at noon.

The Mountain Goats with Final Fantasy, 8 p.m. Nov. 28, Theater of the Living Arts, 334 South St., Philadelphia. 215-336-2000, 215-922-1011. Tickets on sale Friday at noon.

Chelsea Handler, 11 p.m. Sept. 6, Borgata Music Box, One Borgata Way, Atlantic City, N.J., 866-900-4849, 609-677-1000. Tickets on sale Saturday at 10 a.m.

Sound Tribe Sector 9 with Eskmo, 8 p.m. Oct. 24, Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St., Philadelphia, 215-336-2000, 215-627-1332. Tickets on sale Saturday at 10 a.m.

The Academy Is... and Mayday Parade with Set Your Goals, The Secret Handshake and You Me At Six, 6:30 p.m. Nov. 3, Theater of the Living Arts, 334 South St., Philadelphia. 215-336-2000, 215-922-1011. Tickets on sale Saturday at 10 a.m.

Ray Lamontagne, 8 p.m. Nov. 5, Tower Theater, 69th and Ludlow streets, Upper Darby, 610-352-2887. Tickets on sale Saturday at 10 a.m.

Billy Talent, 8 p.m. Oct. 7, Theater of the Living Arts, 334 South St., Philadelphia. 215-336-2000, 215-922-1011. Tickets on sale Saturday at noon.

Brand New with Thrice, 8:30 p.m. Nov. 14, Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St., Philadelphia, 215-336-2000, 215-627-1332. Tickets on sale Monday at 1 p.m.

Brand New with Glassjaw, 8:30 p.m. Nov. 15, Electric Factory, 421 N. Seventh St., Philadelphia, 215-336-2000, 215-627-1332. Tickets on sale Monday at 1 p.m.

RECENTLY ON SALE

Tesla, 8 p.m. Oct. 30, Penn's Peak, 325 Maury Road, Penn Forest Township, 866-605-7325. Tickets: $25, $30.

Polkafest with John Stanky and the Coalminers and the PA Villagers, 2 p.m. Nov. 1, Penn's Peak, 325 Maury Road, Penn Forest Township, 866-605-7325. Tickets: $13.

Solas, 8 p.m. Dec. 3, Sellersville Theater 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville, 215-257-5808. Tickets: $25, $39.50.

Alesana, 6 p.m. Sept. 26, Crocodile Rock, 520 W. Hamilton St., Allentown, 610-434-4600. Tickets: $12, $14.

Danny Paisley with Southern Grass and Darren Beachley and Legends of the Potomac, Sellersville Theater 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville, 215-257-5808. Tickets: $25.

Get the Led Out, 8 p.m. Nov. 14, Penn's Peak, 325 Maury Road, Penn Forest Township, 866-605-7325. Tickets: $23, $28, $33.

Tim O'Brien, 8 p.m. Dec. 4, Sellersville Theater 1894, 24 W. Temple Ave. 215-257-5808. Tickets: $25.

Asher Roth, 7 p.m. Oct. 4, Crocodile Rock, 520 W. Hamilton St., Allentown, 610-434-4600. Tickets: $20, $22.

RESCHEDULED

Dick Fox's Golden Boys with Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell and Fabian, Nov. 13, Penn's Peak, 325 Maury Road, Penn Forest Township, 866-605-7325. rescheduled October 8, 2010. Tickets honored at new date. Refunds available.

chris parente

2009-08-05T09:13:00.000-07:00

chris parente

The Deuce's fun spirited morning reporter, Chris Parente, was chosen to co-host Regis & Kelly Live on Wednesday as part of a nationwide contest for the popular daytime talk show.

Parente is also on the cover of this month's OutFront Colorado as "Out and on TV" and says he is the first openly gay TV personality in Colorado. Read the full story by Matt Kailey.

Parente's co-hosts razzed him a bit this morning giving him advice on things not to say when co-hosting Regis & Kelly - one of them being that he shouldn't admit he dated Live's producer, "Gelman," and that he shouldn't tell them he's the head of the "bring Kathie Lee back" fan club.

laura ling wikipedia

2009-08-05T09:09:00.000-07:00

laura ling wikipedia

Laura Ling/Laura Ling Wikipedia–Do you know about Laura Ling Wikipedia? If not ,Here is a little more to know about Laura Ling.Laura Ling born in December 1, 1976,she is a Chinese-American journalist working as Current TV’s managing editor of Vanguard. Laura Ling is the younger sister of ‘Lisa Ling’ who is also an American journalist working as ‘Channel One News’ reporter and is CNN special correspondent.

Laura Ling studied at Del Campo High School in Fair Oaks and graduated with a communications degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1998. Her career as a journalist began when she became a producer at Channel One News, then a documentary series for MTV. Afterwards, Ling joined Current TV, where she reported on issues about Cuba, Indonesia, the Philippines, Turkey, the West Bank, and the Amazon River, as well as about shantytowns in Sao Paulo, Brazil, gangs and homeless teens in Los Angeles, and underground churches in China. Prior to her detention, she had been reporting about the Mexican Drug War.

The Government of United States is trying to oppose this sentence with a lot of diplomatic efforts. While, Lisa Ling has also stated in the support of her sister that Laura Ling never intended to enter into North Korea. She also mentioned that Laura Ling needs medical treatment as she is suffering from ulcer.

lee ann valdiserri

2009-08-05T09:06:00.000-07:00

lee ann valdiserri

Lee Ann Valdiserri is referenced by George Sodini in his website GeorgeSodini.com. A Lee Ann Valdiserri is listed as dead in online obituaries printed years back, as early as potentially 2006.

As broke earlier on LALATE, George Sodini’s online diary website preparing for LA Fitness Shooting was GeorgeSodini.com. On it, he writes the following claims about Lee Ann Valdiserri:

“Miscellaneous:

1. Probably 99% of the people who know me well don’t even think I was this crazy. Told by at least 100 girls/women over the years I was a “nice guy”. Not kidding.

2. Lee Ann Valdiserri had my baby in early 1991. Haven’t seen her since she was about four months into it. I knew her sister, Chris, from high school.

3. Net worth slightly more than $250K, (after all debt) as of end of 2008.

4. Death Lives!”
Before that he writes:
“I will try not to add anymore entries because this computer clicking distracts me.

“Also, any of the “Practice Papers” left on my coffee table I used or the notes in my gym bag can be published freely. I will not be embarased, because, well, I will be dead. Some people like to study that stuff. Maybe all this will shed insight on why some people just cannot make things happen in their life, which can potentially benefit others.”

tiger woods farts

2009-08-04T09:53:00.000-07:00

tiger woods farts

• Stop the presses! We have urgent, breaking news! Tiger Woods has farted on camera and the Interwebs are having a field day!

• The Texas Library Association has released a calendar featuring Librarians' tattoos, which, we might add, is the hottest thing ever.

• A new study finds that big words make you seem stupider.

• The number of Americans using antidepressants doubled in only a decade, while the number seeing psychiatrists continued to fall, a study shows.

About 10 percent of Americans — or 27 million people — were taking antidepressants in 2005, the last year for which data were available at the time the study was written. That's about twice the number in 1996, according to the study of nearly 50,000 children and adults in today's Archives of General Psychiatry. Yet the majority weren't being treated for depression. Half of those taking antidepressants used them for back pain, nerve pain, fatigue, sleep difficulties or other problems, the study says.

• The demise of America seems to be a new favorite meme of many and so Slate begins a thought experiment (their words, not ours) this week to look at the ways our country could meet its Maker. There's also a pretty cool Choose Your Own Adventure element, which lets you, yup, choose which way you think America will crumble.

• Pitchfork has a review up of Modest Mouse's new EP.

• And Stereogum has a premature evaluation of Arctic Monkeys' new album, which is apparently heavily inspired by Cream and Black Sabbath, two bands we never thought to have heard in the same sentence with Arcic Monkeys.

ryan o neal hit on tatum at farrah funeral

2009-08-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

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.

wave 3

2009-08-04T09:51:00.000-07:00

wave 3

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Two days after a man was struck on his bike by a hit-and-run driver as he participated in a triathlon, officials at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park are reviewing their procedures.

Planning for the event began in February, about six months in advance of the E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park Triathlon.

As has been done for nearly three decades, off-duty officers were posted at intersections for the 14-mile bike portion of the race, and a park employee served as a bike course director, traveling along the route in a vehicle with cyclists.

It's something organizers say they've been doing for years without any problems. Until the morning of August 1.

Park Manager Chris Head told us officials there have handled this annual event for 28 years, even changing the course 10 years ago to deal with changes to traffic patterns and working around the Kentucky Truck Plant schedule on Chamberlain Lane.

"We scheduled around third shift letting out, so we started a little later in the morning to make sure all that traffic was out," Head said.

That's not all they did to prepare. The security detail included the help of off-duty police officers.

"We hire a company that deals specifically with crowd and traffic control," Head said. "We give them the intersections we want them to be, the intersections we know will have the most traffic value."

Despite planning, Head said nothing could have prepared organizers for what happened Saturday morning.

"Our bike course director was about a quarter of a mile away, she was actually at the intersection when the car came through," he said. "She called and said that there had been an accident and that the police were handling the driver and that I needed to get out there to check on the person injured."

Around 8 a.m., police say 25-year-old Kenneth Yates was speeding on Chamberlain Lane when he hit cyclist John Carr from behind. Police say Yates kept going and was stopped by an off-duty officer working the event.

A commenter on WAVE 3's website who said he took part in Saturday's triathlon had this to say about road conditions before the accident:

"I was a participant in the Sawyer triathlon. I can tell you that the way the event is organized there were not cyclists riding along side each other. There was occasional passing, but for the most part the riders were pretty well strung out along the course and staying to the right-hand side of the roads. Chamberlain Lane (two lanes each direction)itself had very light traffic during the race. I would estimate that I did not see more than 20 cars in 3 to 4 miles of riding. This was all about some one disregarding dui laws (as well as other laws) at 8 am in the morning."

LMPD spokesperson Alicia Smiley says Louisville Metro Police were not responsible for the security detail for this event, and didn't get involved until Carr was struck. That's when officers were dispatched to handle the hit-and-run ultimately shutting down part of Chamberlain Lane for their investigation and ultimately the race, according to Head.

michael jackson's mother given custody of children

2009-08-03T19:29:00.000-07:00

michael jackson's mother given custody of children

Michael Jackson's mother was granted permanent custody of the singer's three children Monday, ending one of the court battles that had been brewing since the pop star's death.

Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff approved the agreement reached last week by attorneys for Katherine Jackson and Debbie Rowe, mother of the two older children, in which the children will be raised by their grandmother and Rowe keeps visitation and legal parental rights.

The late pop icon had said in his 2002 will that his mother should care for Prince Michael Jr., 12, and Paris Michael Katherine, 11, and his youngest child, Prince Michael II, 7, known as Blanket, who was carried by a surrogate.

Beckloff made the appointment over a last-minute bid by Jackson's dermatologist to get involved in the case. The judge ruled that Dr. Arnold Klein, who treated Jackson for nearly 25 years, had no legal standing. An attorney for the doctor said his client had concerns about the children's welfare, but did not specify. Rowe met Jackson while working in Klein's office.

Moving through a long list of issues before him at the day's hearing, Beckloff also approved undisclosed monthly allowances for the singer's mother and children. Katherine Jackson's attorneys filed papers last month asking for the payments, saying their client had no source of income other than Social Security, and that her son had provided for her when he was alive.

Beckloff granted Katherine Jackson the full amount she requested for herself, but reduced the sum that attorneys requested for the children, saying some of it appeared unnecessary.

The matter of Jackson's estate, on the other hand, still seemed contentious. Attorneys for Katherine Jackson and the special administrators named in Jackson's will met for 90 minutes during the morning hearing to discuss a settlement, but came back and told the judge they were unable to reach one.

Katherine Jackson, in papers filed last week, accused the temporary administrators -- music executive John McClain and entertainment attorney John Branca -- of keeping her in the dark about the estate's affairs.

Beckloff on Monday extended the temporary powers of the administrators for another 60 days.

lloyd doggett

2009-08-03T09:15:00.000-07:00

lloyd doggett

Today, House members are back home to begin their month-long recess. The far right has indicated that they plan to welcome many of their representatives with large, angry throngs (“town halls gone wild”). The corporate lobbyists engineering these “grassroots” efforts have indicated their harassment strategy is to “yell,” “stand up and shout,” and “rattle” the members. Politico reported that Democratic members of Congress are increasingly being confronted by “angry, sign-carrying mobs and disruptive behavior” at local town halls. This past weekend, Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) was the latest victim of the right’s strategy, where protesters followed him and chanted “just say no” to health care. Watch it:

Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the nation and stands to be among the most to gain from Obama’s health care plan. “[N]early 6 million Texans, including the one in six U.S. uninsured children who live there, could get health insurance for the first time if the plan is enacted.”

hurn

2009-08-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

hurn

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--Shares of Huron Consulting Group Inc. (HURN) plummeted to an all-time low Monday after the company late Friday made a myriad of negative announcements, including that its chairman and chief executive has stepped down as the company will be restating the last three years of financial results.

At least four firms have cut their stock-investment ratings on the provider of financial and legal consulting services, which said its chief financial officer and accounting chief also are departing the company.

Also, Huron withdrew its 2009 earnings guidance and lowered its outlook for 2009 revenue.

Shares of Huron were recently down more than 74% at $11.30, a price the stock hasn't traded below since the company went public in 2004.

The restatement will cover 2006, 2007 and 2008, as well as the first quarter of 2009, and will cut $57 million from Huron's income over that time period.

The restatement appears to be related to how employee compensation was accounted for in connection with four acquisitions Huron made between 2005 and 2007.

Several analysts expressed frustration with Huron's lack of clarity since its announcement on Friday.

Analysts at William Blair, who cut their rating on Huron to market perform from outperform, said management isn't responding to questions from shareholders or analysts.

"Management's lack of communication with the Street surrounding this news makes it impossible for us to fully understand what has happened with the accounting or with recent business trends," the analysts wrote.

The analysts said that given Huron's relatively high amount of debt, it isn't implausible the company will languish for an extended period of time, "or eventually unravel."

Baird cut its rating on Huron to underperform from neutral, as the firm said it no longer has confidence in its 2010 estimates on Huron.

"We believe there are legitimate worries about HURN being a going concern, but cannot reasonably quantify the risk," the analysts wrote.

A representative from the company couldn't be immediately reached for comment.

rob newbiggin

2009-08-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

rob newbiggin

Rob Newbiggin is an English boxer with a 20 year career behind him. Rob Newbiggin has also been creating something of a stir and a story as he's just announced that after his next fight he's going to have a sex change operation. This led The Sun, a British tabloid newspaper, to dub Rob Newbiggin as "Frocky".

Yes, yes, we know, tabloids are indeed at the heart and soul of wit, aren't they? Combine Sly Stallone's "Rocky" with Newbiggin who wants a sex change and get "Frocky". Ho bleedin' ho as they would say in Newbiggin's native Southport (actually, he was born in Pennsylvania but adopted while young and grew up in England)

The story of the sex change intentions first popped up in his local newspaper: then a week or so later it ran in the national tabloid. The reactions to the national story have not been good:

SOUTHPORT boxer Rob Newbiggin says he has been driven out of the town he loves after admitting he will undergo a sex change operation.

The father-of-three has forged a 20-year career as a boxer in America and has even sparred with Ricky Hatton, but will soon begin a new life as a woman, known as Mercedes, after the operation.

Rob, 44, said that as soon as the news broke in a daily tabloid newspaper, he lost all his friends.

Newbiggin has known that he wanted to be a woman since he was three he says, and he's always known that he had high oestrogen levels. He has been and is married and has fathered three children so he's clearly, as he's fertile, of the XY haplotype (or possibly the very rare indeed XYY) but still defines himself as intersexual. In these modern times of course, gender is something assumed by the individual, not determined by simple genes or chromosomes.

Perhaps the most bizarre part of Rob Newbiggin's story though is what he intends to do after his sex change. Have a look at this video first to get a taste of the man:

Seems like a nice man, what would be in the local language described as a "cheeky chappie".

But here's the bizarre part: Rob Newbiggin's next intended career is as a glamour model (to translate from the English, a "glamour" model is one that poses nude or semi-nude, cheesecake shots, not porn). This reporter's not entirely sure about that career move but wishes Mercedes all the luck in the world in pursuing it.

anderson cooper bachelorette

2009-07-30T08:39:00.000-07:00

anderson cooper bachelorette

First, Anderson Cooper forgot this is the candy-apple daytime show, Regis and Kelly, where soft questions are asked, not the zinger “So hows your sex life!”

Second, Cooper’s question about the Bachelorette’s life in the bedroom proves Anderson is exactly in tune with what America would have asked also. Bravo for asking!

Finally, Cooper (CNN) clearly wanted to ask what really goes on during those Disney ABC Shows - “How many guys did you sleep with on the show”.

Bachelorette: “I kissed 10 guys, but only 4 with tongue”.
Cooper: “I think I just threw up in my mouth.”

sporting news top 50 coaches

2009-07-30T08:36:00.000-07:00

sporting news top 50 coaches

Scotty Bowman

Chicago Blackhawks Senior Advisor, Hockey Operations Scotty Bowman has been listed at number seven in The Sporting News Magazine’s Top 50 Greatest Coaches of All-Time list, which was released on Wednesday. Bowman is the highest ranked National Hockey League coach on the list, as selected by a panel of 118 Hall of Famers, championships coaches and other experts.

“I feel honored and privileged to be considered in such elite company,” Bowman said. “It is a reflection on the many great Hall of Fame players that I had the good fortune to coach.

Bowman, who joined the Blackhawks Hockey Operations Department on July 31, 2008, has been a member of 11 Stanley Cup winning teams since 1973, which includes an NHL record nine as a head coach. The Montreal native is also the NHL’s all-time leader with 1,224 regular-season wins and 223 postseason victories. Prior to joining the Blackhawks, Bowman has held a position in professional hockey since 1967.

Inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 1991, Bowman is the only man in the history of the sport to lead three different teams to the Stanley Cup and has reached the league Finals 13 times as a bench boss. As a head coach, he has captured the Cup with the Montreal Canadiens (1973, 1976, 1977, 1978 and 1979), Pittsburgh Penguins (1992) and Red Wings (1997, 1998 and 2002). He served as the director of player development on Pittsburgh’s 1991 Stanley Cup winning club and most recently celebrated his 11th league title with the Red Wings in 2008.

Bowman has coached an NHL record 2,141 contests and has captured the Jack Adams Award as the league’s best coach twice (1977 and 1996). He also spent time behind the St. Louis Blues’ bench (1967-71) and the Buffalo Sabres’ bench (1979-87), while guiding his squads to the postseason in 29 of his 30 years as a head coach. He has coached in an NHL-best 13 All-Star games, which includes his final season in 2002, when he led the Red Wings to the Stanley Cup after posting 51 wins and 116 points during the regular-season. Statistically, Bowman registered his best season in 1995-96 when his Detroit team racked up an NHL record 62 wins.

Bowman broke into coaching after a head injury ended his playing career in juniors and accepted his first NHL head coaching gig with the St. Louis Blues during their expansion season in 1967-68 at the age of 34.

He is also a member of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame since his induction in 2004. Other major awards include the Lester Patrick Trophy in 2001, presented by the NHL and USA Hockey for outstanding service to hockey in the United States and the Wayne Gretzky Award of Excellence, presented to him in 2002 by the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.

Bowman’s son Stan was recently named the Blackhawks’ General Manager on July 14, 2009.

rev ike

2009-07-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

rev ike

The Rev. Frederick Eikerenkoetter, known as Rev. Ike to a legion of followers here and across the nation to whom he preached the blessings of prosperity while making millions from their donations, has died. He was 74.

A family spokesman said he died Tuesday in a Los Angeles hospital, two years after he suffered astroke from which he never recovered.

Rev. Ike's ministry reached its peak in the mid-1970s, when his sermons were carried on 1,770 radio stations to an audience estimated at 2.5 million.

He also preached his philosophy of self-empowerment on television and the Internet, in books and magazines, and on audiotapes and videotapes.

From the stage of the former Loews movie theater on 175th St. in Washington Heights, which he restored and transformed into his United Church Science of Living Institute, Rev. Ike would tell thousands of parishioners "this is the do-it-yourself church. The only savior in this philosophy is God in you."

He then would exhort the believers to "close your eyes and see green ... money up to your armpits, a roomful of money, and there you are, just tossing around in it like a swimming pool."

As payback for spiritual inspiration, Rev. Ike asked for cash donations from the faithful - preferably in bills not coins. "Change makes your minister nervous in the service," he would say.

Critics called Rev. Ike a con man, saying the only point of his ministry was getting rich from the donations.

They noted that he made a show of sumptuous clothes, jewelry, posh residences and exotic cars. "My garages runneth over," he would boast.

But his supporters said Rev. Ike's love of luxury had roots both in the traditions of African-American evangelism and the philosophies of mind over matter.

Rev. Ike was born in Ridgeland, S.C., to a father who was a Baptist minister and a mother who taught elementary school. They divorced when he was 5.

At 14, he became an assistant pastor for his father's congregation. He briefly preached in Boston before coming to New York.

He leaves his wife, Eula, and son, Xavier Frederick.

greg fitzsimmons

2009-07-29T08:16:00.000-07:00

greg fitzsimmons

Comedian Greg Fitzsimmons, he of Howard Stern Show and his own Sirius XM gig The Greg Fitzsimmons Show fame – will write a memoir for Simon & Schuster. The book, Dear, Mrs. Fitzsimmons will not be presented as a traditional biography; rather the many “disciplinary letters, incident reports, and in worst cases, newspaper clippings, that his parents received from teachers and school officials” about Greg throughout his youth will build the story of his life.

“I am beyond flattered that a company as distinguished as Simon & Schuster would get behind me writing this book,” Fitzsimmons said. ‘I apologize to them in advance for the difficulty they now face in working with me.”

Dear, Mrs. Fitzsimmons will be published next year.

todd genger

2009-07-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

todd genger

A lawyer for Wall Street powerhouse Goldman Sachs was caught in a sting operation aimed at perverts who solicit young girls for sex, officials said Tuesday.

Todd Genger, 33, is accused of trying to lure an underage teen with explicit chat on the Internet and then traveling to Westchester to consummate the cyber-affair.

In reality, the "girl" Genger was chasing was an undercover investigator posing as a teen in the chat room, the Westchester County district attorney's office said.

Genger, a Manhattan resident who is married and has three children, was snared after a series of Internet conversations that began April 13 and ended Monday, officials said.

The investigator was posing as a 15-year-old and made it clear "she" was underage, said Lucien Chalfen, a spokesman for the district attorney.

Genger did not respond to telephone calls.

He admitted to participating in the online conversations about the intended tryst, which included "specific explicit sexual acts," Chalfen said.

At his arraignment on charges of trying to disseminate indecent material to a minor, Genger was released on his own recognizance pending an Aug.11 court date.

He faces 1-1/3 to 4 years in prison, if convicted.

madonna pictures

2009-07-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

madonna pictures

HEALTH and fitness experts in Burton have given mixed reactions to shocking photographs showing pop icon Madonna with veins bulging out of her arms.

Pictures published in the national Press yesterday revealed a rather thin-looking Madonna arriving home from a restaurant.

The protrusive veins in her arms were visible for all to see and are likely to cause concern for many fans. However, health experts in Burton believe this bizarre body formation is merely caused by a good diet and exercise.

Adam ‘AJ’ John, fitness manager at DW Sports, formerly JJB Sports, in Middleway Park, Burton, said that there was no reason why the amount of exercise a 50-year-old woman did would affect her arms.

He said: "I think she does a lot of heavy resistance training either using resistance machines or by using weights. I think it’s much more likely that she uses heavy weight lifts.

"She seems to work extremely hard which warms the body up and this causes the veins to be more noticeable on the surface.

"If she has been training all her life then there is no reason that that amount of exercise for a woman of 50 should be unhealthy. If she has a good regime and possibly includes splits — exercise in morning and evening — then it will be fine.

"As she is doing six days a week of exercise, I would imagine that one of those days would maybe be something fun such a tennis or swimming.

"Her arms could be down to her diet as well which is extremely important. She eats properly and has at least four or five meals a day, so I don’t believe that her arms are anything to worry about."

However, Andy Elliott, health and fitness manager at Fitness First, in Wetmore Road, Burton, said that while Madonna may be exercising a lot he would not recommend her diet to any of his clients.

He said: "It looks like she is on a really low diet of high protein but low carbohydrate. She seems to do a lot of weight training on her upper arms but seems really malnourished. She needs some fats and to increase her diet and also relax on the upper arm training.

"She needs to increase her carbohydrate intake as well and I would not recommend this diet to anyone."

alexis cohen season 8

2009-07-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

alexis cohen season 8

"Even after her death," said Kitty Caparella in The Philadelphia Inquirer, "fans are still arguing about Alexis Cohen," who was rejected by American Idol judges in season 7 and again in season 8. Some remember Cohen for her "expletive-deleted" rant against the Idol judges who rejected her during Idol's season 7 in 2007. But some bloggers said Cohen -- a 25-year-old known as "Glitter Girl" because of her sparkling makeup -- was "kind" and "fun" -- despite the bad impression she made in her infamous tirade. (watch Alexis Cohen's American Idol rant)

Alexis Cohen was definitely one of those memorable American Idol contestants, said Radar Online. Who can forget "her liberal use of glittery-eye makeup, and comparing herself to Pat Benatar, Janis Joplin, and Grace Slick." And the video of her season 7 rant against judge Simon Cowell was one of those viral Internet videos no one forgets.

"The glittery makeup, the bellowing voice, and the nationally televised harangue may have garnered Alexis Cohen a brief, idiosyncratic stint in the spotlight," said Brian Callaway in Cohen's hometown newspaper, the Allentown, Penn., Morning Call, but Cohen's mother wants people to remember her daughter as more than comic relief in American Idol's season 7 and season 8. "She was a great kid,'' Mindy Cohen said Sunday, the day after Alexis Cohen's death in Seaside Heights, N.J. "Nobody gave her the chance to show them the nature she had."

ironman lake placid

2009-07-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

ironman lake placid

The 11th annual Ironnman Lake Placid is now underway.

According to Ironman.com:

"More than 2,200 athletes from around the world are expected to compete in the 2009 event. Athletes participating in the 2009 Ford Ironman Lake Placid will compete for a total professional prize purse of $50,000 and 72 qualifying spots for the 2009 Ford Ironman World Championship to be held in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii in October."

stephen murray crash video

2009-07-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

stephen murray crash video

The legendary Isle of Man TT is one of the fastest, most demanding and most spectacular sporting events in the world, and in 2009 speeds hit an all-time high.

Now you can experience all the excitement and drama for yourself with the Official DVD Review, an action-packed and comprehensive look back at the fastest TT ever.

The TT, first run in 1907, remains one of the most challenging and iconic motorsport events on Earth. Every year the finest motorcycle racers descend on the Island in the middle of the Irish Sea to test their skills around the 37.73-miles of closed public highways, where speeds top 190mph just inches from houses, walls and hedges.

Over almost four hours of comprehensive coverage, the Official Review brings you breathtaking action footage as records tumble over the legendary TT Mountain course in every single class.

Produced for the first time by North One Television, the TT 2009 review offers unrivalled coverage of this unique event.

There’s more on-board cameras with leading riders than ever, letting viewers experience the incredible 37.73-mile circuit from the rider’s point-of-view. Plus, the Hi-Motion camera captures spellbinding ultra-slow motion sequences which demonstrate exactly how much skill and courage it takes to control 240bhp Superbikes at speeds in excess of
190mph.

The Official Review rounds up all the practice week action, including Australian Cameron Donald’s stunning unofficial lap record and his TT-ending practice crash – complete with post smash interview.

There’s complete coverage of every race over the Mountain course, including an incredible 15th TT win and new outright lap record of 131.578mph AVERAGE lap speed for John McGuinness. There’s also a popular double for Yorkshire’s Ian Hutchinson, an emotional return to the top step of the podium for the Dunlop name and an unexpected, but thoroughly deserved, victory for Steve Plater in the blue riband Senior TT.

The review also records a stunning 14th TT victory for sidecar legend Dave Molyneux during a TT packed with emotional highs and lows for the three-wheel crews.

Incredible camera angles, aerial footage and on-bike action are skilfully combined to bring you the full story, with informed commentary from ex-racers Steve Parrish and James Whitham keeping you fully up to speed.

In 2009 the TT attracted one of its biggest US entries, with six leading racers lining up to take on the ultimate challenge. The Official Review includes a fascinating interview with five of these stars - Mark Miller, Jimmy Moore, Scott Jensen, James Vanderhaar and C.R. Gittere – about why they have travelled thousands of miles to ride.

Plus, the Official Review takes you on-board at the Lightweight and Ultra Lightweight TT races – held on the 4.25-mile Billown Circuit – and takes a look at the inaugural TTXGP. This was the first-ever race for clean emission motorcycles, putting the Isle of Man TT back at the cutting edge of racing technology and making headlines around the world – the
Official Review’s special feature explains why TTXGP was such an important and groundbreaking achievement.

As ever, the TT attracted some famous fans and the Official Review features two of the biggest. There’s an interview with legendary ‘Voice of Motorsport’ Murray Walker O.B.E. and the historic lap by MotoGP great Valentino Rossi, the reigning World Champion taking a break from his busy schedule to achieve an ambition held since childhood – lapping the TT course.

vernon forrest dead

2009-07-26T08:02:00.000-07:00

vernon forrest dead

Former boxing champion and U.S. Olympian Vernon Forrest, aka “The Viper,” was shot and killed at age 38 last night in northwest Atlanta where he lived. WSB Radio news has reported early this morning that Forrest was working on his Jaguar at about 11 pm Saturday night when two males attempted to carjack him.

Lt. Keith Meadows, Atlanta police spokesman, told WSB Radio that the boxer had a gun and a brief foot chase ensued, ultimately exchanging gunfire which left the boxing champion shot in the head.

The suspects are described as “two black males driving a red [Chevrolet] Monte Carlo.” Investigators are interviewing witnesses, and no suspect(s) is/are in custody at this time.

Forrest’s girlfriend’s son is said to have been in the car at the time, but is apparently unhurt. The child’s family is coming up from Texas to retrieve him.

It’s suspected that Forrest was shot at least 7 or 8 times with a semi-automatic pistol.

Best known for his two fights with Shane Mosley, Forrest was a welterweight and light middleweight champion, compiling a 41-3-1 record along the way -- with 29 knockouts -- and was a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team.

three men and a little lady

2009-07-25T08:03:00.000-07:00

three men and a little lady

HARRAH -- In search of closure, Connie Rocha on Monday stood near where her cousin Daniel Simmons was beaten to death the night before by three men.

"I just came out here just to see if I could find something," she said standing along Harrah Road. "He was my family. When you lose something you always want to find something -- maybe just some way to release."

Deputies on Monday arrested three men they believe responsible.

Simmons, a 42-year old Quinault tribal member, was the latest victim in a recent spike of violent crimes on the Yakama reservation that has both residents and authorities concerned.

On Monday, Simmons' girlfriend, Colleen Jaramillo, stood outside a mobile home on a dusty lot near where she lives and where the incident occurred in the 5500 block of Harrah Road.

She said Simmons would often stay days at a time and do yard work.

On Sunday evening, three men who had past run-ins with Simmons came to the property, said Simmons' friend, Angelo Weston.

Simmons, who had been drinking, grabbed a baseball bat and went after them, said Weston.

There was a brief struggle before the men took the bat from him and began hitting him with it, he said.

One of the three men had a shovel and struck Simmons with it as well, said Weston, whose eyes moistened as he described the beating and how he helped pull his bloodied friend from the street.

Describing the incident as gang-related, Jaramillo said she was taking a shower when it began.

"I got out; they said he was getting beat up," she said. "He was just laying there. They hit him with a shovel in the head."

Weston said the same group of men sent Simmons to the hospital with broken ribs just a few week ago.

"Yesterday they took it too far and killed my friend," he said somberly. "I've known him for a long time -- that's messed up."

Rocha said her parents raised Simmons in Harrah, and that they were more like brother and sister. She said he has several children, but wasn't sure of the exact number.

"Daniel, you know, lived a hard life, but I think the Lord had a better plan for him," she said.

The death was the latest in a string of violent crimes on the reservation this year.

On June 7, three men were hospitalized in a shooting at a house party on Brownstown Road just west of Harrah.

Two other men were hospitalized in a March 18 shooting in a yard on Osbourne Road just west of Wapato.

And just days prior to that, a man was found killed at the basketball court of the tribal housing project at Larena Lane in Wapato.

Three of the four cases are being investigated by the FBI, which has jurisdiction over serious crimes on Indian land. But little information about the status of the investigations or nature of the cases has been released, including the names of the victims in most cases.

FBI agent Frank Harrill in Spokane said Monday that progress is being made in those cases.

"What I don't want to do is comment on the individual cases because they are ongoing," he said. "If we need assistance from the public, we'll be the first to ask."

He disputed long-standing skepticism of some tribal members who question whether federal authorities are fully committed to solving crimes on Indian land.

"They are a priority, especially violent ones like that one," said Harrill, who agreed there's been an uptick in crime of the Yakama reservation.

Simmons' case, however, is being investigated by the Yakima County Sheriff's Office because it occurred in the middle of the road and off tribal land.

An autopsy scheduled on Wednesday.

jud suss

2009-07-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

jud suss

Gov. Charlie Crist is as cordial as they come in the political world. But his office may have went a bit too far with a “thank you” letter sent to a Pasco County man who had mailed Crist a copy of a Nazi-era anti-Semitic video.

The movie is “Jud Suss” and John Ubele sent Crist a DVD copy earlier this year. The movie, according to www.holocaustresearchproject.org, was made in 1940 in Nazi Germany and tells a convoluted tale that ends with Jewish residents of a region being expelled.

Ubele is running for the state House in Pasco County. His website decries accusations that he is a white separatist, but he is endorsed on David Duke’s website as “unmistakeably a pro-white candidate.” A visit to Ubele’s websites, including one for the “Nationalist Coalition,” show links to anti-Semitic books and leaflets.

In the letter mailed from Crist’s office on June 30 and posted online by Ubele, the governor says “Thank you for sending me the DVD ‘Jud Suss.’ It is my pleasure to accept this on behalf of myself and the people of Florida. I appreciate your thoughtfulness in sharing this DVD … Thank you again for your generosity.”

“Of course we appreciate him helping us with our efforts to awaken our people with the video,” Ubele wrote on a blog at a Nationalist Coalition site.

Crist, like many statewide officials, receives hundreds of items and letters from people every year and the formality of a generic “thank you” is protocol. A separate office of “Citizens Services” handles the governor’s mail and generates responses as well as courtesy letters for things like birthdays and military service.

The letter is signed by Crist and the initials at the bottom of the page indicating who wrote and reviewed the letter include the initials “CC.”

UPDATE: Crist sent out a stern letter late Friday night, asking Ubele to pull a copy of Crist's original form letter from the website.

"This letter is written to correct an inexcusable mistake made by staff in my office. reflected in a letter of June 30, 2009 regarding the DVD Jud Suss. Unfortunately, that letter was sent by staff prior to any review of the content of the DVD. Subsequently, my staff has reviewed the DVD and advised me of the content.

"I am now writing to unequivocally advise you that neither I, not anyone in this administration agree with or condone the anti-Semitic content of this DVD. This DVD contains anti-Semitic propaganda filmed in Nazi Germany. It is laden with crude, anti-Semitic stereotypes and was unfortunately used by the Nazi regime to facilitate the Holocaust. The murder of over six million Jews in World War II is an abhorrent but real episode of man's inhumanity to man.

"I am advised that you have posted by June 30, 2009 letter on your Web site. Since that letter was sent in error and does not reflect my view, I request that you immediately remove it from your Web site, and any other representation therein that I or anyone in my administration agree with or condone the anti-Semitic content of this DVD."

lowell folk festival

2009-07-25T08:00:00.000-07:00

lowell folk festival

LOWELL — Looking for a way to hear music and taste foods from around the world without leaving the Bay State? You'll have your chance this weekend as the Lowell Folk Festival kicks off in downtown Lowell, with 22 artists performing on six stages, playing everything from polka to jazz and beyond.

The three-day music extravaganza is set to begin tomorrow and run through Sunday. Those who attend will be treated to traditional music, food, dancing and crafts from all corners of the globe.

"It is all about taking ethnic traditions and bringing it to the big stage," said John Marciano, who is in charge of programming music for the festival. "You just can't access this music any other day of the year."

Though it's called a folk festival, this event features many genres of music, from bluegrass, to Celtic and gospel, to blues. The main concept is to present traditional music from regions throughout the world in its original context.

"It is as close to the real deal as possible," Marciano said. "This is music that is handed down from one generation to the next. It's not whitewashed at all. That is the difference with the Lowell Folk Festival."

Since its 1987 debut as the National Folk Festival, what has since become the Lowell Folk Festival continues to draw artists from all around the world. Highlighting this year's group is Sierra Hull and her touring group Highway 111, Dr. Michael White and the Original Liberty Jazz Band, Yomo Toro and Niamh Ni Charra, as well as a host of other artists.

"A lot of these artists most people don't know," Marciano said. "But this is not a pop festival. It is a traditional music festival. You may not know their names but this festival turns people on to music they have never heard before and cultures they have never seen before."

Music aside, the festival also will feature sample foods from around the globe, with more than a dozen types of ethnic food sold throughout downtown and around the JFK Plaza, Boarding House Park and Dutton Street Dance Pavilion.

Also, for the second consecutive year, the "Keepers of the Tradition: Folk Art and Heritage in Massachusetts" theme continues, as crafters who preserve and revitalize deeply rooted art traditions display their work. In addition, there is Art in the Courtyard, where visitors can view and purchase some of the finest art around.

A Family Fun activity area will be located on Shattuck Street for the kids, where children can enjoy hands-on games such as box-hockey, bean bag toss and several other activities.

"It is truly an unbelievable value and an amazing opportunity," said Marciano. "Honestly you only have to go once and you'll be hooked. I guarantee it."

If You Go

What: Lowell Folk Festival.

When: Friday, July 24, through Sunday, July 26. Hours are Friday from 7 to 10 p.m., Saturday from noon to 10 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

Where: Six stages throughout downtown Lowell.

How: The festival is free. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.lowellfolkfest.org.

2009 Lowell Folk Festival Performance Schedule

FRIDAY, JULY 24

Boarding House Park

6:40-7 p.m.: Parade with Glen David Andrews Band (New Orleans R&B and brass band).

7-7:15 p.m.: Festival kickoff

7:15-8 p.m.: Frank London's Klezmer Brass AllStars

8:15-9 p.m.: Sierra Hull & Highway 111 (bluegrass)

9:15-10:15 p.m.: Yomo Toro (Puerto Rican cuatro master)

Dutton St. Dance Pavilion

7:15- 8:30 p.m.: Trudy Lynn (blues and soul)

8:45-10 p.m.: Rosie Ledet & the Zydeco Playboys (zydeco)

SATURDAY, JULY July 25

Boarding House Park

12-12:45 p.m.: Niamh NÃ Charra (Irish)

1-1:45 p.m.: Yomo Toro (Puerto Rican cuatro master)

2-2:45 p.m.: Genticorum (Quebecois)

3-3:45 p.m.: Sierra Hull & Highway 111 (bluegrass)

4-4:45 p.m.: Dr. Michael White & the Original Liberty Jazz Band (Traditional New Orleans jazz)

5-6 p.m.: Rosie Ledet & the Zydeco Playboys (zydeco)

7:10-7:30 p.m.: Parade with Glen David Andrews Band (New Orleans R&B and brass band)

7:30-8:15 p.m.: Niamh NÃ Charra (Irish)

8:30-9:15 p.m.: Dr. Michael White & the Original Liberty Jazz Band (Traditional New Orleans

jazz)

9:30-10:15 p.m.: Trudy Lynn (blues and soul)

JFK Plaza

12:15-10 p.m.: The Lucky Stars (western swing & honky tonk)

1:15-2 p.m.: Sierra Hull & Highway 111 (bluegrass)

2:15-3 p.m.: Eddie Forman Orchestra (Polish polka)

3:15-4 p.m.: Yomo Toro (Puerto Rican cuatro master)

4:15-5:15 p.m.: The Brotherhood Singers (African American a cappella gospel)

5:30-6:15 p.m.: Frank London's Klezmer Brass AllStars

Market Street Stage

12-12:30 p.m.: Capoeira Luanda (Brazilian capoeira)

12:45-1:30 p.m.: The Brotherhood Singers (African American a cappella gospel)

1:45-2:15 p.m.: Capoeira Luanda (Brazilian capoeira)

2:30-3:30 p.m.: Frank London's Klezmer Brass AllStars

3:45-4:30 p.m.: Maeandros Ensemble (Greek)

4:45-5:45 p.m.: Picked Strings Traditions with Yomo Toro, Mavrothi Kontanis (Maeandros Ensemble), Sierra Hull & Clay Hess (Sierra Hull & Highway 111), Jeremy "JW"

Wakefield (The Lucky Stars)

Lee Street Stage

12-12:45 p.m.: Genticorum (Quebecois)

1-1:45 p.m.: Maeandros Ensemble (Greek)

2-2:45 p.m.: Sana Ndiaye (Senegalese ekonting)

3-3:45 p.m.: Two Fiddles & The Sugar River String Band (Oldtime New England barn dances)

4-4:45 P.m. Accordion Traditions with Niamh NÃ Charra, Eddie Forman, and Patrick Farrell (Klezmer Brass AllStars)

5-5:45 p.m. Alash (Tuvan throat singing)

St. Anne's Churchyard

12:15-1 p.m.: Sana Ndiaye (Senegalese ekonting)

1:15-2 p.m.: Alash (Tuvan throat singing)

2:15-3:15 p.m.: Singing and Song Styles with Trudy Lynn, Alash, The Brotherhood Singers, and

Sage Guyton (The Lucky Stars)

3:30-4 p.m.: Capoeira Luanda (Brazilian capoeira)

4:15-5:15 p.m.: Oldtime

New England Barn Dance with Two Fiddles & The Sugar River String Band

Dutton Street Dance Pavilion

12:15-1:15 p.m.: Eddie Forman Orchestra (Polish polka)

1:30-2:30 p.m.: Glen David Andrews Band (New Orleans R&B and brass band)

2:45-3:45 p.m.: Rosie Ledet & the Zydeco Playboys (zydeco)

4-4:45 p.m.: Samba Ngo (Congolese)

5-6 p.m.: Trudy Lynn (blues and soul)

7:15-8:30 p.m.: The Lucky Stars (western swing & honky tonk)

8:45-10 p.m.: Samba Ngo (Congolese)

Street Performances (John St. & Merrimack St.)

1-1:30 p.m.: Alex the Jester

3-3:30 p.m.: Alex the Jester

SUNDAY, JULY 26

Boarding House Park

12-1 p.m.: The Brotherhood Singers (African American a cappella gospel)

1:15-1:45 p.m.: Capoeira Luanda (Brazilian capoeira)

2-3 p.m.: Niamh NÃ Charra (Irish)

3:15-3:45 p.m.: Alash (Tuvan throat singing)

4-4:45 p.m.: Genticorum (Quebecois)

5-6 p.m. Dr. Michael White & the Original Liberty Jazz Band (Traditional New Orleans jazz)

JFK Plaza

12:15-:15 p.m.: Dr. Michael White & the Original Liberty Jazz Band (Traditional New Orleans jazz)

1:30-2:15 p.m.: Samba Ngo (Congolese)

2:30-3:15 p.m.: The Brotherhood Singers (African American a cappella gospel)

3:30-4:15 p.m.: Maeandros Ensemble (Greek)

4:30-5:30 p.m.: Glen David Andrews Band (New Orleans R&B and brass band)

5:45 - 6:30 p.m.: The Lucky Stars (western swing & honky tonk)

Market Street Stage

12-12:45 p.m.: Sana Ndiaye (Senegalese ekonting)

1-2- p.m.: Frank London's Klezmer Brass AllStars

2:15-3:15 p.m.: Big Apple/Big Easy with Frank London, Glen David Andrews, and Dr. Michael White

3:30-4 p.m.: Boston Bhangra (South Asian Punjabi dance)

4:15-5 p.m.: Niamh NÃ Charra (Irish)

5:15-5:45 p.m.: Boston Bhangra (South Asian Punjabi dance)

Lee Street Stage

12:15-2:45 p.m.: Grupo Canela (Puerto Rican jÃbaro)

1:15-2:15 p.m.: Sierra Hull & Highway 111 (bluegrass)

2:30-3:15 p.m.: Banjo Traditions with Detroit Brooks (Original Liberty Jazz Band), Sana Ndiaye, and Cory Walker (Sierra Hull & Highway 111)

3:45-4:30 p.m.: Sana Ndiaye (Senegalese ekonting)

4:45-5:30 p.m.: Alash (Tuvan throat singing)

St. Anne's Churchyard

12-1 p.m.: Fiddle Traditions with Niamh NÃ Charra, Megan Weeder (Maeandros Ensemble), Pascal Gemme (Genticorum), and Alash

1:15-2 p.m.: Maeandros Ensemble (Greek)

2:15-3 p.m.: Genticorum (Quebecois)

3:15-4 p.m.: Grupo Canela (Puerto Rican jÃbaro)

4:15-5:15 p.m.: Oldtime New England Barn Dance with Two Fiddles & The Sugar River String Band

Dutton Street Dance Pavilion

12:15-1:15 p.m.: Oldtime New England Barn Dance with Two Fiddles & The Sugar River String Band

1:30-2:30 p.m.: Trudy Lynn (blues and soul)

2:45-3:45 p.m.: The Lucky Stars (western swing & honky tonk)

4-5 p.m.: Rosie Ledet & the Zydeco Playboys (zydeco)

5:15-6:15 p.m.: Samba Ngo (Congolese)

Street Performances (John st. & Merrimack St.)

12:45-1:15 p.m.: Branches Steel Orchestra (steel pan orchestra)

3:15-3:45 p.m.: Branches Steel Orchestra (steel pan orchestra)

youtube wedding dance

2009-07-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

youtube wedding dance

The latest YouTube sensation is a video of a wedding party literally partying down the aisle of a church in St. Paul, Minn.

Starting with ushers tossing programs into the air like confetti, the seven bridesmaids and five groomsmen groove down the aisle, then part as the groom, 28-year-old Kevin Heinz, somersaults toward the altar. Finally, bride Jill Peterson struts in to Chris Brown's "Forever," shaking her hips and pumping her bridal bouquet into the air.

Heinz posted a video of the June 20 ceremony on YouTube and it quickly became a hit -- about 700,000 people have already watched the couple's rocking nuptials.

Peterson told the "Today Show" it was her idea.

"I danced growing up and was a dancer through college and loved dance as a way to express yourself and share joy," she said. "So it was something I always thought about doing."

physique 57

2009-07-24T08:09:00.000-07:00

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."

erin andrews video peep pictures rapidshare

2009-07-24T08:07:00.000-07:00

erin andrews video peep pictures rapidshare

Will voyeurs ever stop searching the Web for Erin Andrews video peep pictures? One who follows the news would have to be excused for believing that the desperate search for Erin Andrews video peep pictures will stretch out into eternity.

For almost a week now, Erin Andrews video peep pictures (and all the various iterations the search phrase has morphed into - including, but not limited to, "Erin Andrews peephole video," "Erin Andrews peephole pictures" and "Erin Andrews peephole megaupload") has been the hottest search topic on the web.

Unless you're an alien living on a planet far, far away from Earth, you would know that the story started when some miscreant (or miscreants) surreptitiously filmed Erin Andrews through a peephole in a hotel room while she was undressing.

Once the now-infamous Erin Andrews peephole video hit the Internet, Andrews' lawyers demanded that the videos be taken down and promised to vigorously prosecute those involved in perpetuating the crime.

But that did not stop people from searching for the video and their enablers from posting it.

And then hackers got into the act and started posting links containing malware; others have posted links that lead prospective voyeurs to nothing more than a sales pitch for some product (clever, uh?)

Some conspiracy-theory types believe that Erin Andrews staged the whole thing as a giant publicity stunt (come on, now - why would she take such a huge risk? Besides, her career is already going gangbusters).

The latest Erin Andrews peephole video news is that it may have been shot by an ESPN coworker (or coworkers) without her knowledge or consent.

Plenty of people are understandably outraged over the Erin Andrews peephole video controversy.

But others are equally angry at the media for covering the story so thoroughly.

But, you see, the Erin Andrews peephole video controversy is a huge, huge, story. It speaks to many issues, including the role the Internet plays in perpetuating prurient new stories, the emergence of female sports reporters, sexism in pro sports, voyeurism, betrayal, publicity, the public's fascination with celebrities, etc.

Erin Andrews Peephole Video Prompts Stern Warning from ESPN Lawyer, Hartley Engel, Associated Content

Erin Andrews Hotel Tape being used to spread computer virus, Reid Cherner and Tom Weir, USA Today

anabela mota janke

2009-07-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

anabela mota janke

Scott Janke, a south Florida town manager who is married to a porn star, Anabela Mota Janke, has been reportedly fired from his post after the mayor and council members learned about the marriage.

Fort Myers Beach town council voted 5-0 to fire Scott Janke “without cause” after Mayor Larry Kiker summoned an emergency meeting on Tuesday night.

According to the sources Kiker has reportedly told the media that he came to know that afternoon that Scott’s wife is an adult star, and the elected officials took the action on Scott a few hours later. “We did everything we could not to judge. It was not about him or her, it was about the town,” Kiker reportedly told the media.

Recently Adult Industry News had reported that Scott Janke’s wife Anabela Mota Janke goes on to the stage with the name Jazella Moore. Kiker stated that a clause in Janke’s contract have allowed them to terminate him from his post.

Reacting to his sudden termination from his office Sott Janke said, “Our heads are held high. We have nothing to be embarrassed about. We have done nothing wrong.” Scott Janke said that the mayor had called him before the meeting but did not let him to attend it. He said that Kiker had called him post meeting to inform him about the outcome. According to the reports Scott will supposedly get a severance package worth of his six month’s salary, which comes to about $50,000, plus health benefits.

Janke said that he and his wife had been married since October, and were taking care of their three teenage children. He didn’t comment about any possible legal action against the town.

vibram fivefingers

2009-07-23T08:30:00.000-07:00

vibram fivefingers

Classic women's shoes have non-marking Vibram TC1 performance rubber soles. A thin, abrasion-resistant stretch polyamide fabric fits low on the footfor comfort and quick drying. Classic is best for: Running, Fitness Training, Martial Arts, Yoga, Pilates, and Travel Materials. amazon.com

Vibram FiveFingers shoes have been around for a couple of years but the word is spreading that they are good. You will find them on Amazon.com in many styles and colors for around $75.00.

Right here in Concord, Massachusetts the company, Vibram, teamed up with Dr. Daniel Leiberman of Harvard University for scientific research of barefoot and/or running without too much on the foot. They came up with FiveFingers. They remind me in a way of Crocs. People said they were ugly. They now come in many styles and so many colors! They are the most comfortable shoe I've worn and I think they're cute. I will have to let you tell me about your experiences with FiveFingers.

The idea behind them is that they mimick walking in your bare feet. Some doctors will tell you that walking/running in barefeet is not good; some will say it's great. If you have foot problems and are going to be running with FiveFingers please check with your doctor.

Some wearers say that they don't protect the foot but they do cushion them and are like gloves. Some wearers swear by them even when running on rocky gravel; some say that they can feel every pebble wearing them. I would recommend that you be able to return them unless you can find them for a great deal.

Even if FiveFingers aren't the perfect running shoe it seems they would be great for bike riding, weight training, and kayaking just to name a few fitness activities. Each style has suggested sports that the shoes would be suitable for.

"Motion studies demonstrate that when running barefoot, one naturally lands on the forefoot, directly below your center of gravity. This results in optimum balance, increased stability, less impact, and greater propulsion. According to Dr. Ivo Waerlop of the Vibram Biomechanics Advisory Board, “Running in FiveFingers improves agility, strength, and equilibrium, plus it delivers sensory feedback that allows runners to make immediate corrections in their form. This greatly improves running efficiency.” www.vibramfivefingers.com

erin andrews peephole tape

2009-07-23T08:28:00.000-07:00

erin andrews peephole tape

Obviously folks have noticed that the "mainstream media" (as always, an outdated term, but necessary for this purpose) is showing the Erin Andrews peephole video. CBS did it a few days ago -- which we discussed with Newsday's Neil Best today -- in poor fashion. And then last night, Bill O'Reilly, ~~conservative~~ independent gentleman of leisure, decided to air the tape on his show so he could talk about people using the video to spread a computer virus. Of course he did.

The best part about this video, of course, is that it's the second example in the past week of a MAJOR NETWORK airing the video in order to "generate a buzz." A.k.a. "exactly what the blogosphere DIDN'T do with this video."

Look, it's tough enough to stomach the idea that creepjobs are walking around America filming people through peepholes in hotel rooms without having to see it exploited by people in the media; can't we all just stop talking about it altogether?

jim breuer

2009-07-22T08:23:00.000-07:00

jim breuer

When “Saturday Night Live” veteran Jim Breuer first came to Bay Street Theatre two years ago, he “crushed the place,” he said in a recent interview.

Now Mr. Breuer is coming back to Sag Harbor for a second go on Monday, July 27, and he says this is also the month when he ventures back into the national spotlight, starting with the premiere on Saturday night of his Comedy Central special “Let’s Clear the Air.”

He said he has played it low-key since his last one-hour special, “Jim Breuer: Hardcore,” but now that his three daughters are getting older and wondering what their daddy does to make his money, he is ready to be front and center again and is even developing a family sitcom based on his own life.

Though he has toured steadily since he left “SNL” in 1998 and has made occasional appearances in film and television, much of his working life has been limited to the radio since 2004, when he first hit the satellite waves with “Jim Breuer Unleashed” on Sirius Radio. Before that, he regularly appeared on the “Opie and Anthony” radio show, which he said really put him on the map.

He made his first foray into radio, he said, so he could spend more time with his three daughters, Gabrielle, 10, Kelsey, 7, and Dorianne, 4.

The comedian, who turned 42 last month, is originally from Valley Stream, in Nassau County, where as a young man—too young to get into comedy clubs, let alone perform there—he opened for his friends’ bands. When his parents retired to Florida in the late 1980s, he moved to the Sunshine State and performed across the Southeast. After just a few years he returned to New York to put all his effort into turning comedy into his career. It turned out to be the right move, because in 1995 he was cast in “Saturday Night Live,” and stayed with the show for three seasons.

When he left the grind of “SNL,” Mr. Breuer set out to start a family with his wife, Dee, and they settled in Chester, New Jersey. He compared Chester to Mayberry, the fictional town in “The Andy Griffith Show,” saying, “The whole place shuts down at 9.”

On his radio show, “Fridays with Breuer,” which now airs just once a week, Mr. Breuer often talks about his neighborhood. It’s the kind of place where the cops know everyone—and what car everyone drives, he said. In fact, when his niece came to visit she was pulled over just for having an unfamiliar car.

Mr. Breuer said that radio enabled him to find a different side of himself. Rather than the rapid-fire pace of standup comedy, the radio allowed for him to take his time and tell stories.

He has also embraced the internet, cutting together home videos starring him and his daughters and posting them on jimbreuer.com. The site also features some of his “Saturday Night Live” sketches and other television appearances.

“It’s all about the internet now,” Mr. Breuer said. “Because of YouTube, I’ll be touring Europe next year.”

He recently learned that an old standup bit of his became a YouTube hit in Holland, Sweden and other European countries. “I had no clue,” he said.

The bit is about the “party in the stomach” on a night out drinking, with beer starting the festivities before being joined by scotch and saki. Eventually tequila shows up and ruins it for everyone—and the bouncer tells everyone to get out, through “the way you came in.”

Mr. Breuer also has a movie in the works. He’ll be playing the voice of a crow in Kevin James’s upcoming film, “The Zookeeper.” Mr. Breuer said he has only done minor voice acting parts in the past, but Mr. James personally asked him to take a major role in “The Zookeeper.”

His sitcom is in early development at this point, but he said it will be based on his own life: being married for 18 years, raising kids and having elderly parents. He said he wants to make the kind of show he could laugh at and enjoy alongside his young children.

His “Let’s Clear the Air” special, which was filmed back in September, is aimed at doing just what the name suggests, Mr. Breuer said. He’ll talk about what went on behind the scenes of the 1998 hit he co-starred in with Dave Chapelle, “Half Baked,” what he’s been up to since then, and who he really is—just a Long Island guy with a blue-collar upbringing.

When he returns to Sag Harbor, he’ll have a lot to say about Long Island, he promised. And though he grew up in the “up-island” community of Valley Stream, he said that East End residents will still be able to relate.

Though many of the seats at Bay Street on Monday may be occupied by fans who enjoyed his visit two years ago, he said others who don’t know what to expect can be reassured: “It’s better than any therapy, a lot cheaper, and it will blow away any film you’ll see.”

tour de france stage 16 crash

2009-07-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

tour de france stage 16 crash

The stage 16 of Tour de France was marked by a severe crash. Jens Voigt of Germany suffered a serious crash which led to a broken cheekbone and the rider crashing out of the race. The 37 year old renowned cyclist faced this almost towards the end of the stage. Things are not going well for the Saxo Bank team as Voigt would be their second team member (in the last seven days) to pull out of the race after previous crashes forced Andy Schleck and Kurt-Asle Arvesen to do the same.

Bjarne Riis, the team’s director spoke about this to the media, he said, “I only saw him after the crash and he looked very very bad. It’s not nice to loose a rider like this, but these are things which happen in a race and you have to accept them. It is too early to say how bad his injuries are, I didn’t see the crash, I only saw the aftermath and it wasn’t good. I am just concerned with Jen’s health right now.”

Recent updates though have pointed out that matters could have been worse than they actually are right now for Voigt. Even Voigt himself has said in a statement to his fans and teammates, “I think I was very lucky not getting severely hurt from today’s crash.”

Voigt is very popular with his team mates for is amiable nature and positive perspective towards racing. Though a talented and veteran rider, he had been criticized for his skills on mountainous terrains. He came to the forefront when in 1994 he won the Peace Race and got the lead ranking in the UCI “Challenge Mondial Amateurs” rankings.

harvey mudd college

2009-07-22T08:19:00.000-07:00

harvey mudd college

A report this morning on Yahoo! Finance finds that college students at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute who complete just a bachelor's degree do quite well in terms of earnings.

The school ranked 11th among the nation's colleges and universities in terms of mid-career median pay. Dartmouth was first, followed by MIT, Harvard, Harvey Mudd, and Princeton.

The data were collected over the past year by PayScale, a web site that collects salary information from different professions. The survey isn't random; 1.2 million users of the site self-reported their salaries.

The results also consider only those whose education went no further than the bachelor's level. Physicians, lawyers and others with advanced degrees weren't included.

RPI's mid-career median salary was $116,000, putting it in a three-way tie for 11th place with Duke University and Bucknell University. The starting median salary was $62,500, placing it eighth in the rankings.

starbucks free pastry

2009-07-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

starbucks free pastry

Starbucks is giving away free pastries today, but only until 10:30 a.m.

You will have to buy a coffee, but the pastry is free with a coupon ( available here ) and is good until pastries run out. The coupon can be printed out or you can show the clerk this Web site page on your mobile phone .

In August 2006 a free coffee offer from Starbucks was emailed to employees in the Atlanta region. That email was quickly circulated around the country, leading Starbucks to discontinue that promotion.

Companies have often run into problems when they attempt to give away items . In May KFC and Oprah teamed-up to give away coupons for the fast food chain's new grilled chicken. The promotion did not go well as stores ran out of chicken and people had to be turned away.

ben roethlisberger

2009-07-21T08:26:00.000-07:00

ben roethlisberger

A civil lawsuit alleging sexual assault against Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger was filed in Nevada last week by a worker at Harrah's, according to Profootballtalk at NBC Sports.

Lawyer David Cornwell acknowledged the suit but defended Big Ben to PFT, releasing this statement: "Ben has never sexually assaulted anyone."

He also underscored that no criminal charges were pending. "The timing of the lawsuit and the absence of a criminal complaint and a criminal investigation are the most compelling evidence of the absence of any criminal conduct," Cornwell said. "If an investigation is commenced, Ben will cooperate fully and Ben will be fully exonerated."

Roethlisberger is potentially staring at one civil count of assault, one civil count of sexual assault and battery, one civil count of false imprisonment, one civil count of false pretenses, one civil count of fraud, and one civil count of intentonal infliction of emtional distress.

erin andrews peephole video link rapidshare

2009-07-21T08:20:00.000-07:00

erin andrews peephole video link rapidshare

The Erin Andrews peephole video link has been sought after for days now. Finding the Erin Andrews peephole video link was even more difficult after Erin Andrews herself took the original peephole video offline. However, other sites have gotten a new Erin Andrews peephole video link, and tried to direct people to the peephole video of Erin Andrews changing in a hotel. However, those people who click onto the Erin Andrews peephole video link could find themselves vulnerable to a computer virus.

Sophos.com first reported yesterday that clicking on Erin Andrews peephole video links could spread malware. Hackers have already fooled many people into clicking on a false link to the Erin Andrews video, causing computers viruses to infect their system.Yesterday, reports had the Erin Andrews peephole video link being discovered on Rapidshare, a legitimate file-hosting website. But it now appears that clicking on any links promising to show a naked Erin Andrews are not safe.

The hackers may have accidentally made things a little easier for Erin Andrews herself with these scams. When the original peephole video link came up, showing Erin Andrews getting undressed in a hotel, the ESPN sideline reporter had the ESPN legal team take the illegal video down.Legal action will be taken against those who originally put the peephole video up, as soon as they find out who filmed it. But while they look, people around the Internet are still looking to see Erin Andrews naked, as it continues to be a hot search on Google.Since Andrews took the original video down, it only made it more in demand. But this has backfired on those who want to see it, since hackers now have a golden opportunity to tempt them onto their sites, and give them computer viruses.

It appears that more than a few have fallen for it already.This may not make a lot of people think twice about clicking onto an Erin Andrews peephole video link. But if it makes only a few think twice and reconsider looking for it, it may be a small but crucial step into making the search die down a bit. Then again, "Nigerian princes" have still been trolling for money long after they were discovered as frauds.Perhaps the prospect of a computer virus would do as a more fitting punishment than any legal action Erin Andrews could bring about. Nevertheless, Erin Andrews peephole video links are still being sought after more than ever, consequences in the real and Internet world be dammned.

hgsi

2009-07-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

hgsi

U.S. stocks were rising Monday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 0.6% to 8798, the S&P 500 rose 0.6% to 946 and the Nasdaq Composite gained 0.8% to 1901. Among the companies whose shares are actively trading in the session are Human Genome Sciences Inc. (HGSI), CIT Group Inc. (CIT) and Orexigen Threapeutics Inc. (OREX)

CIT Group ($1.26, +$0.56, +80.00%) was close to securing $3 billion in last-minute rescue financing from its bondholders Sunday in a deal that should keep the struggling lender out of bankruptcy court, people familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal.

Human Genome Sciences ($10.26, +$6.94, +209.04%) said its experimental drug Benlysta met the goals of a late-stage study in treating lupus, a notoriously hard-to-treat autoimmune disease that hasn't seen a new therapy in decades. The success surprised many analysts and investors who were expecting the drug to fail, as it did in an earlier mid-stage study. Citigroup believes the trial's success makes the company a takeover target of partner GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK, $37.57, +$1.21, +3.33%). The companies split Benlysta, which the firm sees having $1.3 billion in 2013 U.S. sales, and Human Genome has potential for royalties on two other Phase III drugs from Glaxo

Orexigen Therapeutics ($6.75, +$1.06, +18.63%) said its Contrave drug showed strong results in three large late-stage studies in treating obesity, a potential multibillion-dollar market.

BMO Capital markets downgraded its investment rating on Tyson Foods Inc. (TSN, $11.44, -$1.20, -9.41%) to market perform from outperform. The firm said the company's "near-term stock upside has become somewhat limited as its stock price reflects improved chicken margins, the company's internal improvements, and lower feed prices." Meanwhile, Sanderson Farms Inc. (SAFM, $41.42, -$4.28, -9.37%) was cut to market perform from outperform by BMO Capital Markets. The firm said in a note to clients that it's cautious on further chicken margin expansion as chicken demand has weakened and the effects from hot weather in the South were more muted than expected.

Wabash National Corp. (WNC, $0.72, +$0.18, +33.31%) announced it was getting a $35 million investment from a division of private-equity firm Lincolnshire Management Inc., which created a new entity Trailer Investments LLC, to buy a series of preferred stocks and warrants for new common stock. Trailer Investments will also get to put five board members on Wabash's 12-person board. "This capital infusion will fortify our balance sheet, allowing us to put in place a capital structure that meets the needs of the Company during this economic downturn, including to obtain needed accommodations under our existing credit agreement," Chief Executive Dick Giromini said in a statement.

Other Stocks In Focus:

California-based East West Bancorp Inc. (EWBC, $6.84, -$0.15, -2.15%) announced plans to sell at least 11 million shares as the company said it has completed a capital-raising effort that so far has generated $168.9 million.

Construction machinery reached a cyclical bottom during the second quarter, Bank of America-Merrill Lynch said while upgrading Caterpillar Inc. (CAT, $36.42, +$2.43, +7.15%) to buy. Caterpillar's results Tuesday are likely to be weak and potentially come with lower guidance for future quarters, "but we don't think that matters," BofA-Merrill said, as there's limited downside to the stock given low expectations. BofA-Merrill's dealer channel checks show reduced machinery inventories setting the stage for restocking going into 2010, and the firm predicts Caterpillar's multiple will expand to historical levels after its operations stabilize in the second half of this year.

Bank of America Corp.'s (BAC, $12.62, -$0.27, -2.09%) "normalized" earnings picture got cloudier after its second-quarter earnings, Fox-Pitt said, downgrading Bank of America to in line from outperform and sharply cutting earnings estimates. The firm had forecast normalized earnings per share of $2.80, or about 1% return on assets, but now says BofA will continue to struggle to generate positive EPS due to credit and revenue headwinds. Fox-Pitt swings its 2009 EPS view to loss of 46 cents a share from previous view of a 48-cent profit, and cut its 2010 view to 55 cents a share from $1.32 a share. Bank of America is unlikely to repay its Troubled Asset Relief Program loans soon, Fox-Pitt also added.

Eaton Corp.'s (ETN, $49.00, +$4.05, +9.01%) second-quarter profit plunged 91% on slumping sales and margins as results missed expectations.

Extreme Networks Inc. (EXTR, $2.07, +$0.07, +3.50%) signed an alliance with Internet-security giant McAfee Inc. (MFE, $43.06, +$0.07, +0.16%) to work on network security for customers for both McAfee and Extreme Networks, which works in Ethernet based networks.

Halliburton Co.'s (HAL, $21.98, +$0.60, +2.81%) second-quarter earnings fell 48% on weak demand and lower prices, but results were better than feared.

Hasbro Inc.'s (HAS, $26.28, +$0.90, +3.55%) second-quarter earnings rose 4.8% amid strong sales of most of its toy brands, including those related to the Transformers movie sequel, but revenue fell just short of Wall Street's expectations while profit topped estimates.

Johnson Controls Inc. (JCI, $23.42, +$1.90, +8.83%) posted its first profitable quarter since last autumn as the auto-parts and heating-systems maker saw cost cuts partially take the sting out of tumbling demand, which fell more than expected.

M&T Bank Corp.'s (MTB, $56.48, +$2.04, +3.75%) second-quarter profit plunged 75%, reflecting charges from its acquisition of Provident Bankshares and special payment toward the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s deposit-insurance fund.

Investors should buy Peabody Energy Corp. (BTU, $34.99, +$1.83, +5.52%) ahead of earnings Tuesday, FBR analysts said in a note, as Peabody will be supported by long-term steel and energy demand in China and India. China continues to import coking coal to improve its steel quality and conserve its domestic resources, and demand will be sustained by strong real estate construction, the firm says. Meanwhile, India's power generation has been growing every month this year and aggressive economic expansion efforts by India could increase coking coal imports by 75% by 2012.

PetMed Express Inc. (PETS, $17.36, +$0.71, +4.26%) recorded a 23% increase in second-quarter profit as sales jumped 13% and both figures exceeded expectations. The animal pharmacy and operator of the 1-800-petmeds number and Web site said that it added 297,000 new customers and saw online and reorder sales both rise.

Ruby Tuesday Inc. (RT, $7.35, -$0.15, -2.00%) will offer at least 10 million shares as the restaurant operator joins a wave of companies in recent months looking to take advantage of investor appetite for new shares to raise cash. The offering would dilute shares outstanding by about 19%.

Spectrum Pharmaceuticals Inc. (SPPI, $5.81, +$0.26, +4.68%) shares gained Monday following news the U.S. Food and Drug Administration accepted for review the company's resubmission of its application for its cancer drug, Zevalin. The agency accepted the drug as a Class 1 submission and established Sept. 7 as a decision date, the oncology-focused biotechnology company said.

Weatherford International Ltd.'s (WFT, $18.80, -$1.14, -5.69%) second-quarter earnings fell 89%, with results missing analysts' expectations, as international growth failed to offset a steep drop in North American demand.

106.7 the fan

2009-07-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

106.7 the fan

Washington returned to having two sports talk radio stations as of midnight. WJFK-FM is now known as “106.7 The Fan” and they seem ready to challenge longtime sports force ESPN 980 in what should become a very interesting battle for metro-area sports fans.

Chris Kinard, the program director of 106.7 The Fan, is very confident that listeners are ready to hear their sports from different voices.

What is the philosophy of 106.7 The Fan when it comes to sports talk?

Kinard » “We are all local, all day. Washington sports fans want to hear their sports from people who are knowledgeable, passionate, and most of all, are well versed in all local sports. We know that this is a Redskins town and we will give fans the best Skins coverage. But we also feel that Nationals, Caps, Wiz, D.C. United and many college teams fans are underserved. Washington is a very sophisticated and diverse sports town and we feel we can do a great job of reaching all the fans in the region.”

What else do you have planed?

Kinard » “We have Liz Drabick as our lead update anchor. We plan on adding a local primetime night show in the not too distant future. The Junkies will be doing a Redskins pregame show prior to all the games this season. We plan on launching more local weekend shows as we continue to grow.”

You are the new flagship for the Wizards. What about adding more teams?

Kinard » “We are proud to be the new radio home of the Wizards. We have great plans for them and we can’t wait to get started. We have added the NFL on Westwood One package so we will have plenty of football. Of course, we are the home of University of Maryland sports which has been great for us. But we really will go all out in adding the Nationals, Capitals or any local team. We feel that with our clear FM signal and our ability to offer quality support programming that we would be high on any teams list as a flagship station.”

espy winners 2009

2009-07-20T08:05:00.000-07:00

espy winners 2009

Last night saw the ESPY Awards ceremony aired, which took place at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles last Wednesday 15th July, with veteran Hollywood actor Samuel L. Jackson as the evening’s host. And there were definitely some deserving winners.

According to Daily Contributor, there appeared to be one individual that was the biggest winner of the night. And that individual was multiple Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, who walked away with not one or two, but four awards of the night.

Not only did he take home the award for Best Male Athlete, which golfer Tiger Woods has won for five years in a row, but he also took home awards for Best Male Olympian, Best Championship Performance and one for Best Record-Breaking Performance.

jeff locker

2009-07-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

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 Dodge 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

2009-07-17T08:15:00.000-07:00

gina salamino

The NY Post reports that the 20-year-old Hugo Boss model who first stepped into the spotlight for shacking up at age 17 with 37-year-old second grade teacher Gina Salamino, was arrested Thursday morning for his involvement in a New York City crime spree. Joshua Walter and his three cronies have confessed to the robbery of 15 gas stations and delis and the theft of $12,000-$15,000.

The spree began June 14 and ended on Sunday at a Dunkin' Donuts on Horace Harding Expressway, where Walter allegedly pistol-whipped one of the victims, sources said.

The crime spree include gas stations, a 7-11, bodegas, and fruit and vegetable stands around Queens and Brooklyn. The four were charged with robbery and criminal possession of a firearm.

Walter took up with Salamino when he was a 17-year-old high school student. She subsequently lost her job because he was a minor.

When Department of Education investigators questioned Walter about Salamino, he said, "I'm tapping that ass and there's nothing you can do about it."
He said he considered the older woman "my shorty."

tour de france stage 13

2009-07-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

tour de france stage 13

VITTEL, France — Levi Leipheimer, an American rider on the Astana team, withdrew from the Tour de France on Friday morning with a broken right wrist.

On his Twitter page, Leipheimer, who is Lance Armstrong’s teammate, wrote that he was about to have surgery, so doctors could insert a screw into the wrist to stabilize it.

“I can’t describe how disappointed I am,” he wrote on his page before Stage 13, a 124-mile, or 200-kilometer stage, that ended in the town of Colmar, not far from the Germany border. “Good luck to all my friends in the race and most of all my brothers on Team Astana.”

Leipheimer, from Santa Rosa., Calif., had been in fourth place over all, just 39 seconds back from the race leader Rinaldo Nocentini of Italy, when he crashed late in Thursday’s stage. He had had been one of Astana’s four riders in the top six over all, and had been one of the strongest riders pegged to help either Armstrong or his teammate Alberto Contador win.

In the closing moments of Stage 12, though, Leipheimer said he was surprised by a sudden turn and lost control of his bike. He ended the day with bruises on his right wrist and back and road rashes on his shoulder and back.

“I couldn’t quite save my bike from sliding out, so I slid out and hit the curb,” he said Thursday. “Surprisingly, I’m O.K. It could have been much worse.”

On Friday morning, X-rays showed that he had broken his wrist in the fall.

On his Twitter page, the team manager Johan Bruyneel called Leipheimer’s injury “not good.”

terrell suggs

2009-07-15T10:21:00.002-07:00

terrell suggs

The Baltimore Ravens have agreed to a six-year contract with Terrell Suggs, their standout defensive end and outside linebacker, the team has announced.

The deal is worth approximately $63 million, according to several reports.

The agreement comes just before today's deadline for NFL teams to sign their franchise players to longterm contracts.

The 26-year-old Suggs is one of the sport's top pass-rushers. He had 12 sacks last season and has 53 sacks in his six seasons with the Ravens.

"Getting a deal done with Terrell is consistent with our history of retaining our best Pro Bowl players, like Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Jonathan Ogden, Todd Heap and Jamal Lewis," General Manager Ozzie Newsome said in a written statement released by the Ravens. "Securing Terrell for six seasons gives us a premier pass-rusher whose ability to stop the run does not get enough credit."

The agreement was completed late Tuesday night, according to the team.
The Ravens placed their franchise player tag on Suggs in February, entitling him to a salary of $10.17 million this season if he'd signed his one-year franchise player deal.

"I am glad it is over, and now we can get back to football," Suggs said, according to a written announcement by the Ravens. "Getting this done took compromises on both ends. I wanted to stay in purple and black, the Ravens wanted to keep me in purple in black, and they stepped up and showed me that. This means a lot to me and my family. Now I can be a Raven for the better part of my career."

Said Ravens Coach John Harbaugh, according to the team's written release: "This is such good news. I was already excited to start training camp, and now having Terrell there makes it that much better. He is a great player, a tremendous person and an outstanding young leader. You guys know that he energizes our practices. He brings that vitality to the game, and he makes the locker room fun. He's a foundation for our defense to stay at the highest level. Having him in training camp will take him to higher levels."

Suggs is a three-time Pro Bowl selection and a former NFL defensive rookie of the year. He's never missed a game in his six NFL seasons.

swine flu symptoms checker

2009-07-15T10:21:00.001-07:00

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.

The typical symptoms are:

* sudden fever, and
* sudden cough.

Other symptoms may include:

* headache,
* tiredness,
* chills,
* aching muscles,
* limb or joint pain,
* diarrhoea or stomach upset,
* sore throat,
* runny nose,
* sneezing, and
* loss of appetite.

NHS Swine Flu Symptoms Checker

If you have flu-like symptoms and are concerned that you may have swine flu:

* Read up on swine flu symptoms then use the NHS Direct swine flu symptom checker.

* If you are then still concerned, stay at home and call your GP.

* If the GP confirms swine flu by telephone, they will give you a voucher reference number entitling you to antiviral medication.

* Give this number to a healthy friend or relative and ask them to pick up the antivirals for you from a designated local collection center.

Go to the Treatment page for information on the treatment of swine flu.

In the United States an information fact sheet about swine flu, published by Mass.gov (pdf) informs that parents should call a doctor or seek medical care if your child has trouble breathing, has behavior changes like increased restlessness, anxiety and irritability, or isn’t drinking enough fluids. Be alert for skin rashes, dehydration or any other signs that your child is more uncomfortable than you would expect with the flu.

maria del carmen bousada

2009-07-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

maria del carmen bousada

A Spanish woman, Maria del Carmen Bousada, deceived a U.S. fertility clinic about her age, then became the oldest woman to give birth. She has died at 69 leaving her 2-year-old twins behind. They were born in December 2006. And I thought I was an old dad at 53!

Maria del Carmen Bousada is not, however, the oldest woman to give birth.

I think that honor would go to Sarah, wife of Abraham. See Genesis 17.

Sarah was 90 years old when she bore Isaac.

No doubt, some of the more ancient folks, pre-flood wives were even older. Back then they lived in a perfect world and could do that sort of thing.

With Sarah, it was a miracle.

With Maria, it was a lie and a miracle that modern science performs...sorta.

reid from the bachelorette

2009-07-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

reid from the bachelorette

So yeah, there's no other way to say it: Tonight, my favorite bachelor couldn't get it up. Don't worry, I won't reveal which guy is the softie for those of you who haven't seen it, but wow -- Jillian really has not had much luck with this crew, has she? Either way, we're down to the final two. Both guys are in it to win it, but who do you want to see take home the trophy wife? Post your comments below, and enjoy the latest episode of EW.com's highly disturbing and entertaining series, The Doll Bachelorette. Then, click over for my full Bachelorette TV Watch recap and Chris Harrison's exclusive EW blog.

http://link.brightcove.com/services/player/bcpid29155241001?bclid=29107116001&bctid=29365351001

brock lesnar vs frank mir full fight

2009-07-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

brock lesnar vs frank mir full fight

The UFC 100 was a truly amazing night and produced some great fighting. One fight that is proving very popular is the Brock Lesnar vs Frank Mir. For those of you who did not get a chance to catch the fight on July 11, 2009, then view the full fight video here.

We know that Lesnar won the fight against Mir and when Lesnar won, he thought that he would flip the crowd. He thought that he would do this as they had been booing him since the referee decision. Did you agree with that decision?

The UFC 100 title fight looked as if it was going to go Frank Mir’s way as he landed some superb hits, but Brock Lesnar managed to pull the win off, by doing so took his title back from Lesnar who had beaten him in a precious fight.

bastille day 2009

2009-07-14T08:13:00.000-07:00

bastille day 2009

July 14 is Bastille Day, a big holiday celebrated in France. Of course, France isn't the only country that has fun and celebrates on Bastille Day. Read on for some history, crafts, books, and movie ideas to share with your kids.

History
A simple history of Bastille Day is this: Bastille Day is considered the first day of the French Revolution in 1789. On the morning of July 14, French citizens armed themselves and stormed the Bastille Fortress, which mainly housed political opponents to the French government. The citizens viewed it as their first victory against the government, which they felt was corrupt, and the revolution began. Bastille Day was proclaimed a French national holiday in 1880 and its motto is "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity."

Crafts
Stick Eiffel Tower: This craft is for older children as it's a little difficult. Adults will need to be on hand as some of the materials include a hot glue gun and a sharp knife (really, it's a cute craft!). The end result is a an Eiffel Tower complete with fireworks.

Make a French Flag: Get a piece of white construction paper and using a rule make two lines that will divide the paper into thirds. With blue, white, and red paint, crayons, or markers, color in the vertical stripes appropriately (look at the flag here to be sure). Kids can get creative and make it sparkly with glitter, too!

Printable coloring pages
The Color has some great pages that you can print out, including one of the Eiffel Tower.

Fete-enfants has loads of pages to color for Bastille Day!

Crayola has a printable of the French flag and US flag.

Movies
Ratatouille: Pixar's movie about a rat who wants to cook is set in Paris. While the idea of a rat making your dinner may make you squeamish, it's a lovely film that has Paris as the backdrop and kids will get a kick out of it!

The Tale of Despereaux: This might be too scary for young children, but older kids will like the story and antics the mouse finds himself in.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Beauty and the Beast: These are put together because they are classics by Disney, however, they may scare very young children with some of the action. Older kids who haven't seen them before (or may just want to see them again) will enjoy the stories of the films as well as the songs!

Books
Madeline: Who can forget the story of a house covered in vines with twelve little girls in two straight lines? Madeline will take kids through the streets of Paris so they can see the sights while they are enchanted by the little girl herself, not to mention all of her friends and Miss Clavel.

Gigi & Jacques Adventures in Paris and Gigi & Jacques Starry Night in Paris tells the story of two French dogs who meet and roam the city of Paris, seeing the sights, and getting into all sorts of trouble. very cute but may be hard to find. Check your local library.

peachtree city ga

2009-07-13T08:09:00.000-07:00

peachtree city ga

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga. (MyFOX ATLANTA) - Peachtree City police said they were searching for a hit-and-run driver Sunday who left a family in shambles. Johnnie Moore and her two daughters had just relocated to the Atlanta area from California for a new job when Moore was hit.

"My knee busted open and they put metal here, they put metal in my leg here and then I have stitches from here to here," described Moore after her ordeal.

Moore said doctors told her she will have a long road back to health. Moore broke her leg and arm, hurt her back and suffered internal injuries when she was struck by a hit-and-run driver on Highway 74 in Peachtree City last April.

Moore said she left a hotel to get food at a nearby restaurant across the highway.

"They basically left me for dead," said Moore.

Moore said she remembered coming back from the restaurant with food. Moore said she stopped in the middle of the road when she was struck by a vehicle.

"I woke up and police were around me and a helicopter was around me and they said someone had been hit and I said who and they said me," recalled Moore.

Moore's two daughters are now helping her with her medicine, cooking and other chores at the Atlanta hotel where they have been staying.

Peachtree City police said they didn't have many clues in the case, but based on eyewitness accounts they suspect an SUV or similar vehicle struck Moore.

Now Moore is working with social service agencies for medical and financial help to get back on her feet.

"I don't know how somebody can be so cold to hit somebody and leave," said Moore.

Moore said the accident happened before she got to start her new job as a caterer.

Police said they asked workers at area auto repair shops to be on the lookout for a car with damage that may be from the hit-and-run.

arturo gatti wife picture

2009-07-13T08:07:00.000-07:00

arturo gatti wife picture

Arturo Gatti’s wife is in custody while police suggest they have the murder weapon and location.

But if they do proceed in a case against Gatti’s wife, as of Sunday, one thing police have yet to indicate is motive.

Is there a motive? Why would Arturo Gatti’s wife murder the former boxer, on the couple’s second honeymoon, in her native country of Brazil?

LALATE was the first to break you the shocking death of Arturo Gatti on Saturday. Less than 12 hours later, police had a suspect - his wife - in custody. But why?

Police have indicated Gatti may have died from strangulation. The weapon? A purse strap, says police reports Sunday. Yet, other reports suggest Gatti also died of a blow to the head. Officials say no bullet or knife wounds were found. But they are reportedly allegedly that Amanda Rodrigues was inconsistent in her statements during an interrogation. How (and why) so many alleged details of an investigation were released to press less than 24 hours after the announced death is unknown.

Police claim Gatti’s wife had no explanation how she was inside the same room 10 hours with Arturo and never noticed he was dead. Police found Gatti with blood on his body, laying on the floor in his underwear.

Yet still no motive.

But indications of marital problems exist. Saturday news of a reported statement by family friend Acelino “Popo” Freitas describing the couple’s marriage crumbling. Freitas tells Globo TV that he recently “knew they were having some sort of problem and were about to separate.”

Freitas’ statement is coupled with reported witness statements the same day that the Gattis were jealous of each other, and allegedly fought Friday night before the murder.

money magazine best places to live

2009-07-13T08:06:00.000-07:00

money magazine best places to live

Chanhassen, Minn. was named #2 on the list of Best Places To Live according to Money Magazine.

The announcement was made on NBC's Today Show Monday morning. The magazine used schools, good jobs and affordable housing along with a low crime rate to base its decision.

Boasting a population of 23,700, Chanhassen was beat out by Louisville, CO.

Money Magazine says Chanhassen's low unemployment rate and its genuine small-town feel contributed to the #2 ranking of American's best small towns.

Money also took into consideration the many lakes, parks and Minnesota's Landscape Arboretum in its rankings.

Last year Plymouth, Minn. was named the best place to live by Money Magazine.

throgs neck bridge fire

2009-07-10T08:22:00.002-07:00

throgs neck bridge fire

The Throgs Neck Bridge was closed Friday morning - and is expected to be closed for hours - as firefighters fought a blaze on a construction platform under the bridge connecting Queens to the Bronx, officials said.

The incident has morning rush-hour traffic backed up for miles with delays on the Cross Island Parkway causing snarls as far back as the Long Island Expressway.

The fire broke out under the Queens side of the bridge sometime around 5 a.m., FDNY officials said. Officials first closed some lanes, but the New York State Department of Transportation said the entire bridge was closed by 6:30 a.m.

The bridge was expected to be closed at least four hours, according to the NYSDOT.

It is unclear if the fire has caused any structural damage to the bridge or if it will need repairs before it can be reopened to traffic.

The NYSDOT is recommending motorists plan on using alternate crossings Friday.

However, a scan of traffic maps shows that traffic is already at a crawl on the nearby Whitestone Bridge Friday.

The NYSDOT said traffic on the Bruckner Expressway is being diverted to the Whitestone while access to the westbound Cross Bronx Expressway remains open.

However, traffic on the eastbound Cross Bronx is being diverted to Whitestone Bridge.

In addition to the Cross Island Parkway exit ramp to the Throgs Neck Bridge being closed, the northbound Clearview Expressway is closed at Northern Boulevard - with traffic being diverted off the roadway.

Entrance ramps at 26th Avenue, 35th Avenue, Northern Boulevard and all ramps connecting the northbound Clearview to the Long Island Expressway also were closed.

mayara tavares

2009-07-10T08:22:00.001-07:00

mayara tavares

"I'm a little disappointed that our president is a bit of a pig," said Michele McGinty in BeliefNet. The photo currently making the rounds on the Internet and on TV clearly shows President Obama checking out a girl—Mayara Tavares, 16, of Brazil—at the G8 conference. After close scrutiny of the "Obama looking at a girl" photo, the only thing that can be said in the president's defense is that he wasn't leering as badly as French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

The "Obama looking at girl" photo certainly looks bad, said Lynn Sweet in the Chicago Sun-Times. But if you look at ABC News' video, you can see what President Obama was really doing as Mayara Tavares—whose name some outlets spelled Mayora Tavares—walked by. "Conclusion: Obama was not looking; Sarkozy maybe."

The video does appear to absolve the American president in "O-bum-a-gate," said Germany's Bild.com. The real cad caught in the "Obama looking at girl" photo is Nicolas Sarkozy. The video shows President Obama looking down not at the behind of Mayara Tavares, or Mayora Tavares, but at the hand of another young delegate he is helping down a step where the youth delegates posed with leaders for a group photo. Obama wasn't checking out a girl, but the video doesn't look good for the leering Sarkozy.

obama checking out girl

2009-07-10T08:21:00.000-07:00

obama checking out girl

There is a photo making the rounds of President Obama and French President Sarkozy at the G8 meeting that appears--for that frozen moment--to have the men checking out a young lady going past them. ABC's videotapeplays what was happening before and after the still photo was taken. Conclusion: Obama was not looking; Sarkozy maybe.

ethyl acrylate

2009-07-07T08:21:00.000-07:00

ethyl acrylate

Effects on Humans: Ethyl acrylate is a strong irritant of the eyes, skin, mucous membranes, respiratory system, and gastrointestinal tract in humans [Clayton and Clayton 1982; Hathaway et al. 1991]. At a concentration of 50 ppm, for a period of exposure described only as "prolonged," exposure to ethyl acrylate caused drowsiness, headache, and nausea [ACGIH 1991; Hathaway et al. 1991]. Ethyl acrylate causes sensitization in some exposed individuals; a 4 percent concentration in petroleum jelly caused skin sensitization in 10 of 24 volunteers [ACGIH 1991; Hathaway et al. 1991].

* Signs and symptoms of exposure

1. Acute exposure: Acute exposure to ethyl acrylate vapor may cause irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, with tearing, runny nose, and burning of the throat.

2. Chronic exposure: Chronic exposure to ethyl acrylate may cause skin sensitization, with redness, swelling, and itching of the affected areas.

tour de france 2009 standings

2009-07-07T08:20:00.000-07:00

tour de france 2009 standings

Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland continued to lead the Tour de France 2009 standings after stage 3 of the 21 stage "race". Race is not quite the right word for it...maybe trek, marathon or torture. Torture is probably the most fitting as the Tour de France winds 2,149 miles through the mountains of France finishing in Paris on July 26 after 21 stages over 23 days, with only two days of rest.

I don't know about you but about a 10 mile bike ride is just about the max for me. Then my legs start getting tired, my ass starts getting sore (even with my nice cushy seat), and I really start craving a nice cold beer. Okay, so maybe I'm soft, but I'd rather look at it as these guys doing the Tour de France being hardcore. Check out the first three stages of the Tour:

Stage 1 - Monaco - 9.63 miles (I'm hanging in at this point, dead last but still riding)

Stage 2 - Monaco to Brignoles - 116.2 miles (Okay, I'm done)

Stage 3 - Marseille to La Grande Motte - 121.8 miles (I'm back in America already, screw the Tour de France)

And then these riders still have 18 stages to go and about 1,900 more miles. Have fun.

The overall winner for stage 3 was Mark Cavendish, who had also won stage 2. Lance Armstrong, 37 years young, was able to close in on the yellow jersey by moving up seven places into third place. He is still 40 seconds behind the leader Cancellara, but only 7 seconds behind second place Tony Martin of Germany.

nicole bobek mugshot

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

nicole bobek mugshot

PHOTO! Here is Nicole Bobek’s MugShot Picturer! The mugshot for Nicole Bobek, the famed U.S. skater of the 1990s, comes as Bobek was charged for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Bobek was extradited from Florida to New Jersey.

The image comes via a closed circuit arrangement at which Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said the following:

“She played a significant role in this operation. She was actively involved.”

If found guilty, Bobek could spend 10 years in jail and a $150,000 fine. Bobke is being held in the jail on a $200,000 cash or bond bail.

Bobek was a former U.S. Champion and World Figure Skating Championship bronze medalist. Bobek has yet to comment about the charges.

peter king

2009-07-06T08:12:00.000-07:00

peter king

A New York congressman says Michael Jackson was a “pervert” and calls on society to stop “glorifying” the late entertainer in a YouTube video.

Rep. Peter King said Jackson — whom he called a “low-life” — is being glorified in the days after his death while society ignores the efforts, of teachers, police officers, firefighters and veterans. In the two-minute video, King claims the “day in and day out” coverage of Jackson’s death is “too politically correct.”

“Let’s knock out the psychobabble,” King said in the video taped outside an American Legion Hall on New York’s Long Island. “He was a pervert, a child molester; he was a pedophile. And to be giving this much coverage to him, day in and day out, what does it say about us as a country? I just think we’re too politically correct.” For more on this story, click here.

patrick cudahy fire

2009-07-06T08:11:00.000-07:00

patrick cudahy fire

CHICAGO, July 6 (Reuters) - Firefighters brought under control a fire on Monday at Smithfield Foods Inc's (SFD.N) Patrick Cudahy meat packing plant in Wisconsin, authorities said.

An official of the Cudahy fire department, who declined to be named, said he did not have details on whether anyone was injured in the fire that broke out on Sunday night.

Media reports said people living within a 1-mile (1.6 km) area of the plant south of Milwaukee were asked to evacuate their homes because of low levels of ammonia seeping into the air.

Patrick Cudahy specializes in branded packaged meats, including bacon, ham and sliced meats. One of its most popular brands is the Sweet Apple-Wood Smoke Flavor bacon.

steve mcnair and sahel kazemi

2009-07-06T08:09:00.000-07:00

steve mcnair and sahel kazemi

The wife of slain quarterback Steve McNair may have only learned about the gridiron star's affair with a gorgeous young woman after the clandestine couple's grisly deaths, sources close to the football player said Sunday.

"She's blindsided by this," one source said of Mechelle McNair, who was holed up in her family's home just 6 miles from the condo her husband used to bed his mistress. "She's crushed. Her whole world is shattered."

Nashville cops confirmed that Steve McNair, 36, was killed by four bullets fired at close range, two of which hit him in the head, and ruled his death a homicide.

His lover, Sahel Kazemi, 20, died of a single gunshot from the same semiautomatic found on the floor under her body, police also said.

They stopped short of calling the slayings a murder-suicide carried out by Kazemi, but said they are not looking for any suspects.

Cops ruled McNair's death a homicide and have not ruled on Kazemi's death, citing the need for more tests.

Kazemi and McNair, a dad of four boys, were dating for several months, friends told cops; McNair apparently kept the affair a secret from his wife.

Photos obtained by TMZ.com show a smiling McNair parasailing on a recent tropical vacation with the curvy Kazemi, whom he met as she waitressed at a Dave & Buster's sports bar.

"He started to talk to her a little," Kazemi's aunt Sepideh Salmani told The Tennessean newspaper. "They exchanged phone numbers, and started dating from there."

Salmani said her beautiful, raven-haired niece believed that McNair was in the process of getting a divorce.

Kazemi's sister told The Florida Times-Union of Jacksonville that Kazemi had expected to wed McNair.

"She said they were planning to get married," Soheyla Kazemi told the paper."

County records do not indicate that a divorce is pending, but the McNair family home is up for sale for $3 million.

Investigators said McNair had been drinking at a pair of Nashville bars - Blue Moon Lagoon Bar and Loser's Bar - into the early-morning hours of Saturday and then returned to the downtown condo he shared with a pal.

Although neighbors have not reported hearing gunshots, cops believe McNair and Kazemi died about 2 a.m., nearly 12 hours before their bodies were found.

There was no sign of forced entry at the condo, and investigators are checking whether the couple had been having a "lovers' quarrel," cops said.

It was not immediately known whom the pistol belonged to, although McNair did have a permit to carry a gun, police said.

Kazemi, who was raised by an aunt in Florida after her parents were killed in Iran, moved to Nashville with her ex-boyfriend, Keith Norfleet.

Norfleet, whom investigators want to interview, had a "volatile" relationship with Kazemi but was trying to win her back from McNair, Norfleet's stepmother said.

"They had a lot of jealousy in their relationship and they'd fight and break up a lot," said Trudie Norfleet. "He loved her. ... He's awful torn up about it."

The quarterback, renowned in Nashville for his extensive work in the community, rented the condo overlooking the Titans stadium with sporting goods dealer Wayne Neeley, who called McNair's best friend after seeing the bodies sprawled on a couch.

"It's a picture I'll never get out of my head," a weeping Robert Gaddy told the Daily News. "It's the most terrible sight I've ever seen."

"This was a great man, a man who'd do anything for you," said Gaddy, who had been friends with the Heisman finalist since meeting him at Alcorn State University.

declaration of independence text

2009-07-04T08:11:00.000-07:00

declaration of independence text

Each Fourth of July is celebrated in the time-honored way -- fireworks, parades, cookouts and, oh yes, recommitment to the fine principles laid out in the Declaration of Independence: those "self-evident" truths and "unalienable" rights.

It is curious, however, that so much of the inherited lore around the Fourth of July is based in misapprehension.

For starters, the day itself, July 4, isn't exactly America's Independence Day. John Adams believed that July 2 would become the significant day in the new republic's calendar of celebration. That's because it was on July 2, 1776, that delegates from the 13 Colonies at the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia in fact voted to proclaim independence from King George III and his ministers.

What happened two days later? A decision to make the July 2 decision public. The delegates gave the statement they'd agreed on to a printer, and the "broadsides" he published carried the July 4 date.

Not surprisingly perhaps, the physical document revered as the Declaration of Independence, a vellum scroll kept in the National Archives in Washington with 57 signatures proudly sitting at its foot, has no claim on being the unique founding document. It was hand-copied later. As to the signatures of those who pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor, they were added later still -- some were inscribed by new congressional delegates, men who hadn't even been in the room on July 2.

Moreover, although generations of American schoolchildren have learned that the declaration's author was Thomas Jefferson, this is also a slightly inaccurate portrayal of the facts. Jefferson did indeed draft the text, but others in the Continental Congress had their own views about the best form of words to use. The last paragraph, for example, containing the words "that these united colonies are and of right ought to be free independent states," was in fact penned by another Virginian, Richard Henry Lee.

In 1776, there was no public proclamation, no formal "declaration" read to the Colonists on either July 2 or July 4. And the news that resolutions against the king had been adopted could of course only travel at the speed of the fastest horse and rider. Therefore, the celebration of any selected day as the birth of the nation could only ever be a convenient fiction.

Nevertheless, in 1777, the members of the Continental Congress did decide to note July 4 by not meeting. A small and very low-key celebration was mounted, and everyone went to church. There was some talk of muskets being fired, but gunpowder was in short supply as the Colonies were at war.

Each subsequent year, celebrations were held in towns and cities, and each began to develop traditions for observing the day. The text of the declaration was read aloud. Dinners were held, often in the open air, with elaborate toasts, commonly 13 in number representing the original Colonies. Fireworks were from early on a feature of the day. Parades of the local great and good took place in town squares. By the time of the 50th anniversary in 1826, the traditions of the public celebration were fully established.

Perhaps it is best to see the Fourth of July as a story that, although not strictly speaking true, nevertheless conveys a belief: that the nation came into being on a particular day in 1776, signed, sealed and delivered. And each and every Fourth of July, as if for the first time, the story is both celebrated and instantiated, "America" -- by simple force of a declaration -- is founded again.

Today most of you will take the day off, put some hot dogs on the grill and open a few cans of beer. Some, like the astronauts aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 1992, will unfurl the Stars and Stripes and sing "Happy Birthday." But however one chooses to celebrate independence, may it also be remembered that the birthday of the nation, and the declaratory act that founded it, created and continues to create an architecture of belief. In 1776, it had the power to change the world. For good or ill, it still does.

Peter de Bolla, a professor of cultural history and a fellow of King's College at Cambridge University, is the author of the recently published "The Fourth of July and the Founding of America."

tour de france tv schedule

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

tour de france tv schedule

On its 3,500km (2,187-mile) odyssey from Monaco to Paris, the Tour de France passes through hundreds of towns and villages.

The race is divided into 21 stages, or "etapes", and being a town at the start or finish of an etape is a great honour and much sought after.

Tonnerre - a two-hour train ride south of Paris - is one such town.

It will become a "ville-etape" for the first time on 16 July, when the 211km (131-mile) 12th stage to Vittel begins there.

Tonnerre, sleepy but picturesque, will see its population of 6,500 more than double as the "caravan" - the travelling circus that accompanies the Tour de France - moves in.

The riders, technicians, support personnel, organisers, sponsors and journalists make up around 4,500 alone.

Add to that thousands of spectators arriving to cram up against the metal barriers lining the streets.

Meanwhile, millions more will watch on television as Tonnerre enjoys its five minutes of fame, with captivating aerial shots relayed round the world.

The benefits of being a ville-etape are - at first glance - easy to see, though the longer-term economic rewards are more difficult to calculate.

Aside from the income from visitors on the day, the hope is that tourism will grow in the days and months that follow.

Tonnerre does not lack attractions, such as the intriguing Fosse Dionne - a wide natural well more than 300m (900 ft) deep whose source remains a mystery despite numerous diving expeditions.

Economic downturn

Most of the costs of hosting the Tour, such as payments to the organisers, the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), and putting new tarmac on the local roads, are borne by the regional government of the Yonne Departement.

Tonnerre itself is paying 15,000 euros (£12,000) on decorations and giving the town a general spruce up.

The town's mayor, Andre Fourcade, thinks the money will more than repay itself.

"The head of the regional council tells me that for every one euro that is spent, four euros will come back," he says.

"After the Tour de France and in the coming months, I will get the reaction of various businesses, which I hope will have benefited."

There is no doubt that Tonnerre could use some more tourism revenue.

While attractive, the streets betray the signs of economic downturn. Several shops and a hotel have closed down.

Even before the current recession, Tonnerre was hit a few years ago by the closure of a factory belonging to a subsidiary of the giant Thomson group. Over time, 1,000 jobs were lost.

"It's true that the consequences for the town were terrible and that the centre has a rather worrying appearance," says Mr Fourcade.

"I hope the Tour de France will provide the opportunity to give a push in the right direction."

Young recruits

Regulars at Le Balto bar in Tonnerre see the arrival of the Tour as a good thing, although there are some grumblings about the extensive road closures involved.

"For us, if it's fine weather, it'll be a great opportunity," says Brigitte Cligny, the bar's manager. "I hope we will attract a lot of tourists because we have a town which is very pretty, with lots of things to see."

Local cyclists will be among those taking front-row seats when the Tour comes to town.

Among them will be Maurice Cornu, 59, a French champion in his category in Cyclosportives - mass participation events open to the amateur and serious aspiring racer alike.

Mr Cornu, vice-president of a local Cyclosportive club, is involved in several events staged by the town in the run-up to 16 July.

He is hoping the tour will attract young people to the sport of cycling.

"We're trying to train young people because we're in a club that's starting to get old," he says.

"Unfortunately, with the price of bikes, it's difficult for the parents to afford the latest models."

I spent the final minutes of my stay in Tonnerre cycling the first couple of kilometres of the route of what will be the 12th stage with another local enthusiast, Marc Calonne.

"I think it will bring a lot of life," he says.

We cycle along a stretch of minor road he knows well - now freshly resurfaced, the tarmac barely cooled down.

"It's something which will last after the passage of the Tour de France," he says.

One of several benefits brought by the Tour that Tonnerre hopes will remain long after the last spectators have left.

sarah palin federal indictment

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

sarah palin federal indictment

Sarah Palin Indictment - Alaska Governor Sarah Palin reportedly resigned because of a federal indictment pending in an embezzlement scandal that allegedly involves her receiving huge financial favors from Spenard Building Supplies.

If the news is true, the upcoming Sarah Palin indictment would have crippled her ability to govern effectively.

Her resignation was said to be so sudden that her own children were not aware she was resigning until they heard her speak the words. Prior to the announcement, Palin had given every indication that she intended to complete her tenure as governor, including 36 hours earlier during a meeting with Senator Mark Begich.

The embezzlement scandal revolves around the large, $12.5 million sports complex that Sarah Palin pushed through during her last term as Mayor in Wasilla.

Federal investigators believe the cost of the sports complex was inflated to provide free building materials and labor for the Palin home being constructed close by. Both structures, it is said, feature the “same windows, same wood, same products.”

The sports complex's architect and contractors reportedly have strong links and ties to Palin.

Spenard Building Supplies is the largest building supply company in Alaska - and they were also the supplier and contractor for ex-Senator Ted Stevens cabin.

Federal investigators have been looking into this since last October and now indictments on charges of public corruption and embezzlement appear to be imminent.

diana taurasi

2009-07-03T08:13:00.000-07:00

diana taurasi

PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix police say leading Phoenix Mercury scorer Diana Taurasi (tohr-AH'-see) was cited for drunken driving just a few hours after the club's win over the Seattle Storm.

Phoenix police spokesman Luis Samudio says an officer stopped Taurasi at about 2:30 Thursday morning for allegedly speeding. A police statement says the officer smelled alcohol and gave her several field sobriety tests.

Taurasi was then driven to a mobile DUI van where she gave a blood sample, then was cited and released. Authorities did not know her blood alcohol content.

Taurasi, a guard, scored 22 points and blocked four shots in Wednesday night's 93-81 win over the Storm. She is the WNBA's leading fan vote-getter ahead of the league's July 25 All-Star game.

little giant 15 foot ladder system

2009-07-03T08:11:00.000-07:00

little giant 15 foot ladder system

Little Giant 15 Foot Ladder System Once upon a time there were three bears. And a little girl named Goldilocks. Goldilocks hated her parents, because they named her Goldilocks. The other children teased her constantly, and Goldlilocks found that very upsetting. Soon Goldilocks began experimenting with drugs and alcohol, and also began making out with other women in public. She wasn’t actually attracted to women, she just did it to upset her parents. And then, one day, Goldilocks stole a Little Giant 15 Foot Ladder System and went into the forest.

Goldilocks knew that the police in three states were looking for her because of her actions, so she decided to take her Little Giant 15 Foot Ladder System to this little house she knew about. It was the house where the bears lived. Goldilocks had bought pills from there before so she knew the way.

When Goldilocks arrived, she knocked on the door. No one was at home. Goldilocks decided to set the Little Giant 15 Foot Ladder System to the extension ladder position and climbed up to the second story window. The u-shaped locking rods let her adjust the height of the Little Giant 15 Foot Ladder System so that she could reach the window and let herself inside.

Once there, Goldilocks hauled up the Little Giant 15 Foot Ladder System and looked around. Everywhere she looked, there were shelves full of money! One shelf was too low. And one shelf was too high. And one shelf was just right. But Goldilocks knew that the shelf which was just right was a trap and was wired with an explosive device.

So Goldilocks used the spring-loaded knobs to set the Little Giant 15 Foot Ladder System to the stepladder position. Still easily adjustable, Goldilocks found the correct height, then locked the rods in place. She quickly scrambled to the top and began helping herself to the money.

Just then, the door opened! It was Papa Bear! Goldilocks screamed and slid down the Little Giant 15 Foot Ladder System, quickly returning it to the closed position. She grabbed it, and since it was made from aircraft-grade aluminum, it was easy for her to lift. But who ever heard of a ladder that was easy to hold while running? Certainly not Goldilocks, because she was torn apart by Papa Bear’s mighty paws.

As Goldilocks died, she cursed the world, especially her parents, who had trapped her in this inescapable destiny. Her last thought was of the Little Giant 15 Foot Ladder System, and how much she would miss it. As Mama Bear and Baby Bear began to devour her torso, Goldilocks wondered if there were Little Giant 15 Foot Ladder Systems in Heaven. She was sure in her very last thoughts that there would be.

Warranty: Lifetime Manufacturer

Features:
Unique design allows ladder to be extended in both step ladder and extension ladder configurations
Unmatched feeling of stability in any configuration thanks to aircraft-grade aluminum, wide-flared legs, and high quality construction
Hinged middle connection has two permanent spring-loaded knobs that press in to adjust the ladder between the closed position, the step position and the extension position
U-shaped spring-loaded steel rods lock inside section of ladder to outside section
Unlock U-shaped spring-loaded steel rods to allow inside section of ladder to slide and lock every 12″
Multiple configurations, including A-frame, extension, 90-degree access and six different scaffolding positions—buy one ladder to do the job of five
The right ladder for the right job every time and avoid 95 percent of all ladder-related safety issues.
Access to the toughest areas such as the space above the staircase, vaulted ceilings; and use your ladder over and around obstacles
OSHA and ANSI compliance and is rated to hold up to 250 lbs.
Storage height is 4 Feet 7 Inches
Ladder weighs 29 lbs.

Stepladder Heights:
Lowest Height: 4 Feet
First Extended Height: 5 Feet
Second Extended Height: 6 Feet
Highest Extended Height: 7 Feet

Extension Ladder Heights:
Lowest Height: 9 Feet
First Extended Height: 10 Feet
Second Extended Height: 11 Feet
Third Extended Height: 12 Feet
Fourth Extended Height: 13 Feet
Fifth Extended Height: 14 Feet
Highest Extended Height: 15 Feet

crystal defanti video

2009-07-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

crystal defanti video

California teacher Crystal Defanti sent her students home with a video of class memories, but the DVD contained certain "memories" that were not appropriate for the students to see, Associated Content reports.

The class memories DVD contained six seconds of the teacher having sex on a couch spliced between shots of the children, students at Isabelle Jackson Elementary School in California, sharing their memories in class.

The teacher learned that the sex clip had been included in the DVD when a parent called to let her know. She then called parents to alert them of the sex clip and ask them to get rid of the DVDs, the Associated Press reports.

"Just destroy them," Elk Grove Unified School District spokeswoman Torrey Johnson said of the DVDs.

The students went to Isabelle Jackson Elementary, a school south of Sacramento, California.

CBS News reports that Defanti will probably not lose her job.