The World Today

Bristol Palin Dancing With The Stars

2010-11-17T15:37:00.000+05:00

Bristol Palin Dancing With The Stars: Despite landing at the bottom of the leader board four times this season, Alaska’s abstinence-loving former First Daughter (and Mark Ballas, her dance partner) has managed to waltz her way into the finale of Dancing With the Stars. Tonight, it was revealed that Bristol and Mark beat out third-place finishers Brandy and Maksim Chmerkovskiy— even though one of the singer’s dances was awarded a perfect score on Monday. Palin, by comparison, has never garnered a perfect 30.

This relatively shocking development—well, for Dancing fans, at least—might be evidence that some viewers have been voting for Palin because of who her mother is, rather than because of her ballroom skills. For weeks now, conspiracy theorists have been accusing Tea Party supporters of gaming DWTS’s voting system to ensure that Palin doesn’t get eliminated. The craziest thing about this accusation? It might not be off-base.

Earlier today, Tracie Egan Morrissey of Jezebel took a closer look at conservative message boards, where posters reveal that they’ve been exploiting a glitch on ABC’s website that allows Dancing viewers to cast unlimited votes via email. Here’s some of what Egan Morrissey found:

    Here’s a hint: They don’t have to be VALID email addresses to register them with ABC.com, there is apparently no validation process. The just have to be formatted like a valid email address, and you must use a valid zip code and a birthdate that makes you old enough to vote. I’m voting like a democrat, all night long…

    No, it doesn’t have to be a valid email address – I had one of my anonymous ones XXX@yahoo.com that I used, and then just did the sign-up process all over again with XXX1@yahoo.com and it worked.

    Got my 80 votes in online…took 2 hours. I am beat

    I only got 42 in, I have some catching up to do!

    Lord have mercy, I voted for 3 hours online! I got 300 in.

If Palin somehow comes out on top next week, when she’ll be dancing against season MVP Jennifer Grey—the recipient of numerous perfect scores—then we might know for sure that something fishy is going on. Then again, considering all that’s at stake in this competition is a tacky mirror-ball trophy, it doesn’t exactly matter who wins. Right? Right?

See a clip from tonight’s results show below.

Eva Longoria Divorce

2010-11-17T06:24:00.000+05:00

TMZ reported that Tony had filed for divorce. Two clerks at the Bexar County Courthouse in Texas had told us the case was filed and sealed by a family law judge.

But Eva's rep tells us Tony did not file and does not even have a divorce lawyer.

Another clerk at the courthouse now tells us she's in charge of sealed cases and says no such case has crossed her desk.

New York Marathon

2010-11-07T17:21:00.000+05:00

Running 26.2 miles is tough. Running it minus a few toenails is tougher.
I will be in the pack of 43,000 runners in the New York City Marathon Sunday, and here’s what I’ve learned in five months of training: Building endurance for the distance is only one slice of the preparation needed to finish.
Marathon runners battle bizarre physical problems and hurdles in training and on race day – things I’d never imagined until I started doing it myself..

For Datails click here................

Zab Judah

2010-11-07T11:14:00.000+05:00

Bill Emes was on hand in Newark for BoxingScene.com, and reports that everyone made weight for Saturday's HBO Boxing After Dark event.

In the junior welterweight main event, Zab Judah came in at 139 pounds and Lucas Matthysse was on the division limit at 140.

In the televised lightweight co-feature, both competitors were under the limit. Robert Guerrero came in two pounds light at 133, with Vicente Escobedo a pound over that at 134.

Our quick previews of both fights, and others from this weekend, are just one post below this one (or here's a direct link). Unless someone else takes the card on Saturday night, we will not have live coverage of the Boxing After Dark double-header, as we'll be focused on the superior Showtime event. The Showtime card starts at 10pm EDT, with the HBO card starting at 11:15, so there is a chance we'll be able to get the Judah-Matthysse fight covered. Full Story..............

Mutiny On The Bounty

2010-11-07T10:40:00.000+05:00

Mutiny on the Bounty is a 1935 film starring Charles Laughton and Clark Gable, and directed by Frank Lloyd based on the Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall novel Mutiny on the Bounty.

The film was one of the biggest hits of its time. Although its historical accuracy has been questioned (inevitable as it is based on a novel about the facts, not the facts themselves), film critics consider this adaptation to be the best cinematic work inspired by the mutiny.
Full Story..............

Denise BorinoQuinn

2010-10-31T13:32:00.000+05:00

Actress Denise Borino-Quinn of "The Sopranos" fame is dead at the age of 46. She died on Wednesday after suffering for quite some time from liver disease. She had recently lost her husband, Luke Quinn, Jr. when he passed away in March.

According to MSN, Denise Borino-Quinn had no acting experience whatsoever, but attended an open casting call for "The Sopranos," and impressed producers and directors of the show. She had attended the casting call to lend support to an actress friend who was trying out as well; never imagining she had the tiniest chance of even getting a call back.

Borino-Quinn initially thought someone was playing a joke on her when she received a phone call saying she had been chosen for a role on the TV show that would be featured on HBO.

This kind of positive experience rarely takes place when inexperienced actors try out for major roles. It simply worked out perfectly that Denise Borino-Quinn, who worked in a law office when she wasn't on "The Sopranos," had exactly what the directors and producers were looking for.

Denise Borino-Quinn played the role of Ginny Sacrimoni, who was a mafia wife with a serious weight problem. She became a favorite with fans of "The Soprano."

It is especially sad for family members that both Denise Borino-Quinn and her husband Luke Quinn, Jr. have both passed away within such a short span of time. To lose two loved ones in less than a year's time has got to be a serious emotional blow.

Time Change Fall 2010

2010-10-31T12:50:00.001+05:00

What is DST? It is a practice of temporarily adavancing clocks for the miximum use of day light.Near the start of spring clocks are adjusted forward on hour are backward in fall.This is being done primarily to save the energy and maximum use of sunlight.

Now as the fall is approaching, when is Daylight saving time? For all residents of USA and Canada sunday, November 7, 2010 is the day when clocks fall back to standard time. The official change will occur at 7.30 PM IST (6 AM EST). During Standard Time, clocks are turned backward an hour, effectively moving an hour of daylight from evening to morning. Daylight Saving Time will return on March 14, 2011 in the US and Canada.

It is important to note however that some US states and territories, including Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas, do not observe Daylight Saving Time.

In the UK, the clocks fall back to Standard Time effective Sunday, October 31, 2010. The official change will occur at 6.30 AM IST (1.00 AM GMT). Daylight Saving Time will return on March 28, 2011 in the UK.

Vivek Oberoi and Priyanka Alva marriage pictures

2010-10-30T14:59:00.000+05:00

Vivek Oberoi and Priyanka Alva were married on Friday at the Alva farmhouse in Bangalore. We present some wedding photos from the Vivek - Priyanka marriage.

Vivek's baarat arrived with a band-baaja complete with dhols and firecrackers. The 34-year-old actor was dressed in a heavily embellished maroon sherwani and a turban. He then mounted a mare and rode around the venue like a true-blue dulha.

The wedding was solemnized according to Hindu rites amid the chanting of verses from Holy Scriptures.

Priyanka is the daughter of former Karnataka minister late Jeevaraj Alva and reputed dancer Nandini. At the wedding she gifted Vivek a sword with a jewel-studded sheath.

PETN

2010-10-30T14:42:00.000+05:00

DUBAI, Oct 30 (Reuters) - A parcel intercepted in Dubai and bound for the United States contained a bomb hidden in a printer cartridge and bore the hallmarks of al Qaeda, Dubai police said on Saturday.

The parcel contained explosive pentaerythritol trinitrate ( PETN) in a printer cartridge, police said. PETN was the material used in a failed plot to bomb an airline over the U.S. in December 2009.

"The parcel was prepared in a professional way where a closed electrical circuit was connected to a mobile phone SIM card hidden inside the printer," the statement said.

"This tactic carries the hallmarks of methods used previously by terrorist organisations such as al Qaeda."

The bomb also contained lead azide, which is used in detonators. Dubai police experts defused the device, the statement said.

Police were tipped off "via international communication channels" on the possibility that a package coming from Yemen through FedEx (FDX.N) contained hidden explosive materials.

Along with the statement, Dubai police also released pictures showing the contents of the parcel including a book on management and an English novel, as well as Yemeni souvenirs.

U.S. President Barack Obama said on Friday that two parcels with explosives that were sent from Yemen and intercepted in Britain and Dubai had been bound for "two places of Jewish worship in Chicago".

Suspicion has fallen on al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which operates out of Yemen and claimed responsibility for the December 2009 plot to blow up a U.S. plane headed for Detroit on Christmas Day.

Canon s95

2010-10-30T14:30:00.000+05:00

The Canon s95 is a very good camera and it is ideal for those people who can afford it and love taking good pictures and making videos. The Canon s95 will be replacing the old PowerShot s90. The s90 was a very good release by the Canon Company and the people just loved it as the PC Pro camera. The S90 came with many new features
. Many changes are included in the Canon S95, so now people will start buying the new model.

The changes that include in this new model are that the new one is a bit heavier than the s90 and it is slimmer than it also. The S95 looks better than the previous one because it’s a bit slim and slim cameras do look good and the others. The new Canon S95 is also having a tactile coating on it this will help the person holding the camera feel safer when it’s in his hands. This tactile coating is a good addition and it will prevent the camera from slipping from the hands of the user while holding it.

The controls of the camera are almost all the same as the previous S90; there is also a selection ring now available that is present on the lens barrel. The video mode is now proved; the new camera is now having an option for the 720p HD video recording. This is a very good addition to the series; the users will no be available to record good quality video with their S95.

Free Halloween Music

2010-10-29T19:09:00.000+05:00

Trick Or Treat! Free Halloween Music Available Online.

If you’re throwing your own Monster Mash this weekend, you’ll need a soundtrack. But let’s be real: Who wants to pay for songs you’ll enjoy only this year? Amazon has got you covered—they’re offering 16 free, Halloween-themed mp3 downloads. You can preview them, download them for free, and have some wildly appropriate background music to your sugar coma.

Happy Halloween!

Check out the Amazon downloads HERE

Halloween Quotes And Sayings

2010-10-29T18:56:00.000+05:00

Need a laugh this morning? We’ve gathered some funny celebrity Halloween quotes and sayings to get you into the Halloween spirit! Celebs love Halloween too, as you can see from the Halloween quotes and sayings below.

Here are some of our favorites:

Rodney Dangerfield – “On Halloween, the parents sent their kids out looking like me!”

Erma Bombeck – “A grandmother pretends she doesn’t know who you are on Halloween”

George Carlin – “There are nights when the wolves are silent and only the moon howls.”

Conan O’Brien – “This Halloween the most popular mask is the Arnold Schwarzenegger mask. And the best part? With a mouth full of candy you will sound just like him.”

Loretta Lynn – “We used to go around tipping outhouses over, or turning over corn shocks on Halloween.”

Henry David Thoreau - “I would rather sit on a pumpkin and have it all to myself than sit on a crowded velvet cushion.”

Mark Twain - “Everyone is a moon and has a dark side, which he never shows to anybody.”

Linus Van Pelt – “There are three things I’ve learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and The Great Pumpkin.

River Phoenix – “Acting is like a Halloween mask that you put on.”

We’d love to hear any funny Halloween quotes and sayings that you know of!

Halloween Math Worksheets

2010-10-29T18:48:00.000+05:00

Halloween Math Worksheets I just created an impression of the board game called subscribers.It my Halloween haunted house. Halloween In this game, players must move the paddle in the haunted house and spend the last player to bat in the winner.It is a strategy game, besides being fun, it’s actually educational too! Not the best type of game for your children This new application allows you to remember deceased relatives on your iPhone and iPod Touch with photos, tombstones and virtual memories.

You can create memorials for dead loved ones or someone you want to celebrate, including family, friends, pets and celebrities. You can put flowers on their graves and send virtual personal prayers and messages. Cemetery pocket is a positive way to treat pain and keep the memory of their loved ones near death. Colorful icons that pumpkins, ghosts, witch’s hat and other images. You can see samples of these available as Halloween Math Worksheets for free download.

Monster Mash Song

2010-10-29T18:38:00.000+05:00

The Monster Mash Song is one of my absolute favorite things about Halloween (followed closely by nonstop playings of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and of course the candy). The song by Bobby “Boris” Pickett was released in 1962 (listen closely, and you hear him say at one point, “Tell them Bobby sent you”), and it has become one of the world’s most beloved Halloween songs for kids.

Pickett was actually an aspiring actor who improvised the “Mash” bit at a performance while doing a Boris Karloff impression. It was such a hit that he developed it into its own song.

Read on for links to the song plus three fun “Monster Mash” videos.

Listen to a preview of the song on Last.fm, where you can also buy an MP3, and check out the lyrics here – but for the best Halloween fun, check out these three videos. The first one is great for little kids. The second one is a bit scarier, perhaps for tweens. And the third is probably best for teens.

Halliburton,

2010-10-29T18:02:00.000+05:00

Next Tuesday Americans will be deciding whether to hand over even more of our government to corporations that have been plundering America -- such as Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, Citibank, Wellpoint insurance, Massey Energy, and Halliburton, the giant oil services company.

Not every large corporation is irresponsible, of course, but plunderers that get away with it gain a competitive advantage over the more responsible, and thereby lead a race to the bottom.

Case in point: The staff of the presidential commission investigating the BP oil spill has just revealed that Halliburton executives knew the cement it was using to seal BP's Deepwater Horizon oil well was likely to be unstable but didn't tell BP or act on the information.

In a letter to the commission's seven members, the staff found that the failure of the cement was a key factor in the blowout that caused millions of barrels of crude oil to escape into the Gulf of Mexico. (Not the sole factor, of course; most of the blame for the disaster, says the staff, still rests with BP and Transocean, the company BP hired to drill the well.)

Halliburton has not exactly sat out this election. Last May, as Congress began investigating its role in the disaster, its political action committee made 14 contributions -- 13 to Republicans and one to a Democrat. Many were involved in the investigation; others had responsibility for overseeing oil drilling in the Gulf. It was the biggest donation month for Halliburton's PAC since September 2008.

Halliburton, in case you've forgotten, is not exactly a model citizen. It has evaded U.S. taxes and export bans through foreign subsidiaries; admitted to bribing foreign officials (a subsidiary paid $2.4 million to a Nigerian government official in exchange for favorable tax treatment); conceded in an internal memo (leaked to the Wall Street Journal) its cost controls for government contracts in Iraq were "antiquated" and its procurement "disorganized; was found by Pentagon auditors to have overcharged estimated at $27.4 million for meals served to American troops at five military bases in Iraq and Kuwait (in one camp billing for an average 42,000 meals a day but serving only 14,000).

The list of Halliburton's crimes goes on and on. And yet, somehow, Halliburton goes on piling up profits. How? Because of its deep connections to Washington.

Dick Cheney hadn't had any experience in the oil business when he became Halliburton's CEO in 1995. But he did have experience in government -- as George H.W. Bush's Secretary of Defense. And those military ties were invaluable to the company. Under his reign, Halliburton rose from 73rd to 18th on the Pentagon's list of top contractors, and the money garnered from government-sponsored agencies (such as the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and the Export-Import Bank) soared from $100 million in the five years prior to Cheney's arrival to $1.5 billion a few years after.

As vice president to George W. Bush, Cheney made sure Halliburton's stunning performance would continue (Cheney continued to receive checks from the company). According to congressional inquiries, Cheney's vice presidential office was instrumental in forcing the Environmental Protection Agency to remove sections on climate change from reports in 2002 and 2003 (a process Christine Todd Whitman, then the E.P.A. administrator, subsequently described as "brutal.") The Bush-Cheney administration also sought to control or censor congressional testimony about climate change by federal employees, and tampered with other reports in order to inject uncertainty into the climate debate.

Which brings us back to the Deepwater Horizon blowout. Halliburton's executives knew the cement it used to seal the well was filled with mud -- but Halliburton said nothing presumably because doing the job correctly would have cost too much. And, hell, Halliburton is in business to make money.

Halliburton isn't on the ballot next Tuesday, but it might as well be.

Gigantic pile of Gold

2010-10-29T16:00:00.000+05:00

In an earlier posting in October, I looked at China's massive foreign reserves totalling over $2.45 trillion and their rather small level of government debt. In this posting, I will examine their investment in gold.

As it stood at the end of 2009, the People's Bank of China held $371 billion in "monetary gold" as shown on this chart:

China currently owns 1054 tonnes of gold (3389 million Troy ounces), up from 600 tonnes in 2003. By comparison to its foreign currency reserves, China's gold holdings are relatively small making up only about 1.6 percent of their total reserves. This ownership places China in fifth place among gold-owing countries in the world. Here's a list showing the reserve holdings of the top 5 countries and the European area along with some other countries of interest and their placement effective Q1 2010 (data from the World Gold Council website):

1.) Europe - 10793 tonnes
2.) United States - 8133 tonnes
3.) Germany - 3409 tonnes
4.) IMF - 2981 tonnes
5.) Italy - 2452 tonnes
6.) China - 1054 tonnes
8.) Japan - 765 tonnes
9.) Russia - 664 tonnes
11.) India - 558 tonnes
17.) United Kingdom - 310 tonnes
78.) Canada - 3.4 tonnes

In the case of China, an additional 3000 tonnes of gold are held privately by individual investors.

As a Canadian, the rather insignificant amount of gold reserves held by the Bank of Canada shocked me, especially in light of the fact that Canadian gold mining companies are particularly well known to investors around the world, specifically, Agnico Eagle, Barrick and Goldcorp.

Let's take a look at which countries mine the most gold. China is the largest gold producing country in the world, producing 300 tonnes of gold in 2009, up over 62 percent since 2001. Here's a list showing the top gold producing countries and their 2009 gold production volumes:

1.) China - 300 tonnes
2.) Australia - 215 tonnes (peak production in 1998)
3.) United States - 215 tonnes (peak production in 1998)
4.) South Africa - 210 tonnes (down from 402 tonnes in 2001)
5.) Russia - 185 tonnes
6.) Peru - 180 tonnes (15.5 percent lower than the peak in 2005)
7.) Indonesia - 100 tonnes (down 23 percent from 2001)
8.) Canada - 95 tonnes (down 43 percent since 1991 despite having half of the world's gold mines)

Both Russia and China are now producing at their peak rate; many other countries are experiencing dramatic declines in production rates as noted above.

China and India are both large consumers of gold. Interestingly enough, according to the World Gold Council Gold Demand Trends August 2010 publication, gold bar hoarding by Chinese retail investment demand led to a 29 percent increase up to 96.3 tonnes during the second quarter of 2010. China noted an increase in retail gold investment of 121 percent year over year to 36.3 tonnes, with the demand for bars and bullion coins more than doubling despite the massive price increases. Total consumer demand for jewellery and retail investment for the 12 months ended Q2 2010 for Greater China (includes Hong Kong and Taiwan) was 532.1 tonnes, up 22 percent year on year. China's consumer demand for gold is second highest in the world with India having the highest level of consumer demand. In the same 12 month period as noted above, India's consumer demand reached 755 tonnes, also showing a 22 percent year on year increase. To put these numbers into perspective, United States consumer demand was 247 tonnes, down 13 percent year on year. Canada does not even make the list of consuming nations.

In conclusion, China is consuming all of its gold production and twice the level of Canada's annual production. In addition, China has asked the International Monetary Fund to sell its entire reserve of 3217 tonnes. In February 2010, China purchased 191.3 tonnes of IMF gold when the IMF announced its intention to sell 403.3 tonnes of gold in September 2009. Most of the balance, 200 tonnes, was purchased by India.

We can see that China and its citizens consider gold to be a relatively important part of their overall assets. Perhaps there is something that we can learn from the East as both individuals and as governments, especially in light of the massive sovereign debt levels being accrued by the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom.

Pumpkin Carving Designs

2010-10-29T15:21:00.000+05:00

Pumpkin Faces: Free Pumpkin Carving Design Ideas – There are a lot of ways to celebrate Halloween. Various trick or treat events for kids and Halloween parties for teenagers and adults are all over the place. Aside from those Halloween costumes which symbolizes the event, jack-o-lanterns are in demand during Halloween events.

We know that Halloween will not be complete without the traditional pumpkin which seems to be the icon and symbol of Halloween celebration specially in the United States. Here are some pumpkin carving patterns, stencils, design templates and ideas for everyone.

For those who are inspired by President Barack Obama, here is a pattern which you can use to carve your pumpkin.


Those who are thinking of various ways to style their Halloween pumpkin here are some ideas.


Here is another pumpkin idea for Halloween which is quite interesting.




The key to making your pumpkin is to really be creative and just do what you think will be acceptable and presentable. Advance Happy Halloween!

GWAR

2010-10-29T14:58:00.000+05:00

It’s that time of the week again when all Late Night with Jimmy Fallon fans will be sitting in front of their TV sets tuned in to NBC for a brand new episode of their favorite show. Once again, we’ve got the preview of the episode, including ways to legally watch Late Night with Jimmy Fallon season 3 episode October 28 2010 online, streaming download or on TV.

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon might be in season number 3 but it’s still in the discussion as one of the top Celebrity Talk shows on TV today and the latest episode ‘Jason Hawes & Grant Wilson / GWAR’ should build on that. Today on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon the host welcomes Jason Hawes & Grant Wilson / GWAR. The show will also have the usual comedy bits, stand up, and a variety of other interesting elements that are sure to keep viewers entertained. It certainly looks promising but will it look as good on TV as it sounds on paper.

Official site info to watch Late Night with Jimmy Fallon online video content

Some of you might be looking for ways to watch Late Night with Jimmy Fallon online if you won’t be able to catch the show on TV and we’ve outlined 3 legal alternatives below.The first is through popular online website Amazon. The second option to stream Late Night with Jimmy Fallon video online is through the official website http://www.latenightwithjimmyfallon.com.
Jimmy Fallon, Writes, and Celebrities will try to put on a good show today on NBC at 00:35 ET – so make sure to tune in if you want to watch Late Night with Jimmy Fallon season 3 episode October 28 2010.

Puma Punku

2010-10-29T14:38:00.000+05:00

Puma Punku was once a majestic structure that dotted the face of the Earth in Bolivia, South America but is now just a confounding set of ruins that cannot be explained by any rational attempt.

The ruins of Puma Punku are said to defy logic, and they pose questions that nobody is able to answer. The structure, itself, when it was still standing does not seem to have any historical records and so, there’s no one alive who can say who built the structure. And that’s not all. The purpose of the structure and the period that it took to construct it can not be easily known, too.

Soy Tu Duena Capitulo 139

2010-10-29T14:29:00.000+05:00

Soy tu dueña is a Mexican television show which, when translated to English, means I’m Your Lady. It follows the dramatically complicated story of Valentina (played by Lucero) who was born rich and beautiful but eventually finds out that it does not necessarily translate to a good, happy life. She goes through a lot of events in her life that would ultimately lead her to Los Cascabeles, a hacienda or a plantation owned and managed by her family. There, she finds love in the form of Jose Miguel (played by Fernando Colunga) but has to experience a lot of hardships first from her cousin, her former lover, and a host of other characters who are determined to stop her from realizing her happiness.

Soy tu dueña Chapter 139 is now available over the Internet and anybody who wishes to see Valentina and her dramatic life can watch, at their own pleasure.

Read more: Soy tu Dueña Capitulo 139 – Watch It Now On The Internet | JackTimes.com

Jessica Simpson Pregnant

2010-10-29T14:19:00.000+05:00

Jessica Simpson Pregnant: Lots of rumors are circulating that Jessica Simpson was pregnant with Eric Johnson. Now, pop sensation, Jessica Simpson Pregnant became the hot topic in the Hollywood.

Earlier, lots of news has spread regarding Jessica Simpson pregnancy. Recently, she has been dating with NFL player, Eric Johnson and both are spending much time together.

In the beginning of this month, Jessica Simpson vomited during her show in the U.S. and there is news that she is revealing the facts regarding her pregnancy with Eric Johnson.

Few days ago, Jessica Simpson states that she is looking to start family with Eric Johnson and trying to give birth for a baby with Eric Johnson.
Jessica Simpson Pregnant
“I’ve never really been in such a healthy relationship. I’m like, ‘Something’s going to go wrong. Is he going to trip me or something?’” Jessica said on Tuesday.

Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson have been dating since May and both are spending much time together. Recently, the pair has gone to Italy for Jessica Simpson 30th birthday celebrations.

Eric Johnson was divorced with his ex wife, Keri in this October. Jessica Simpson married Nick Lachey on October 26, 2002, at age 22 and on June 30, 2006, the couple got divorce.

Eu Yan Sang

2010-10-28T19:27:00.000+05:00

Eu Yan Sang is Asia's leading healthcare company with a core focus in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and integrative healthcare. We started out in 1879 with the mission of "Caring for Mankind".

Eu Yan Sang was founded in 1879 with the mission of "Caring for Mankind" (仁泽众生), and has been listed on the Singapore Exchange as Eu Yan Sang International Limited since 28 July 2000.

As a progressive, global healthcare company with a strong foundation in Traditional Chinese Medicine, we manufacture and retail traditional Chinese medicine and herbs in Hong Kong, Macau, China, Malaysia and Singapore. We also operate clinic services in Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Solitaires

2010-10-28T19:11:00.000+05:00

SolSuite 2010 is a high-quality collection of 504 solitaire games. All of the world's best solitaires are here including Spider, Klondike, FreeCell, Pyramid, Golf, Monte Carlo, Canfield, Gaps, Forty Thieves, Four Seasons, Napoleon, Diplomat, La Belle Lucie, Poker Solitaire, Flower Garden, Rouge et Noir; along with dozens of original solitaires that you cannot find elsewhere, such as King of Scotland, Baccarat Solitaire, and Mayflower!
SolSuite is a high-quality collection of 504 fun and easy solitaire card games with more than 9 trillion possible games for each solitaire!
All your favorite solitaires are implemented: Klondike, FreeCell, Pyramid, Golf, Busy Aces, Canfield, Forty Thieves, Four Seasons, Carpet, Flower Garden, Rouge et Noir, Monte Carlo, Spider solitaire… and more!

Games – How many
Total games – 506
Spider variations – 20
FreeCell variations – 16
Klondike variations – 26
Other games types – 259
Solitaire for Children – 15
Original solitaires – 165

eBay To Merge Buying And Selling iPhone Apps; RedLaser For Android On The Way

2010-10-25T14:32:00.000+05:00

It’s no secret that eBay’s mobile apps are growing by leaps and bounds. As of July, eBay had seen 11 million downloads of its primary iPhone app, which allows users to browse, bid and buy from eBay auctions. As of this week, the company has seen 13 million downloads of its primary iPhone app, and Steve Yankovich, eBay’s VP of mobile and platform; says he expects that number to climb to 14 million by November.

In a conversation with Yankovich, he told me that eBay will soon consolidate its buying and selling iPhone apps. Currently, eBay has a separate iPhone app for sellers, that allows users to quickly take photos of items and post them on eBay. This is all planning to take place ahead of the holiday shopping season, which for eBay (and most online retailers) is a extremely lucrative and trafficked time period. And Yankovitch says the company will be releasing a dedicated eBay Motors app, which he expects to be very popular with consumers based on the traffic the site sees.

Yankovich also said that RedLaser, the barcode scanning iPhone app that eBay acquired from Occipital in June, will soon be extended to Android phones. eBay has seen considerable success with RedLaser, adding 3 additional million downloads of the app since June. Last week, eBay announced that it would be populating the iPhone app with product results with eBay Marketplaces and Half.com listings, and also adding QR codes to the app.

While QR Codes aren’t as widely adopted as the standard bar code, says Yankovich, he believes the technology will one day be used much more frequently by consumers. One advantage of QR codes he explains, is that any store or brand can create their own unique code with varying information. And he wants eBay’s app to be the catalyst for making QR codes a more mainstream technology.

Regardless, barcode scanning is big. Amazon recently added barcode scanning to its main iPhone app. And eBay will soon be incorporating RedLaser’s technology into its main iPhone app as well, says Yankovich.

Whether through a QR Code or a barcode, online retailers are able to give consumers who are shopping in brick and mortar stores the ability to find the item online, at perhaps a more discounted price. It’s very much a traffic play, and way to take product interest offline back online. Moreover, QR Codes, can unlock rich, contextual information to products, including reviews, or even coupons for a particular product.

And as the holiday shopping season comes upon us, eBay is certainly ready to capitalize on the possible cash-cow that mobile could bring. One question is whether the number of downloads of its app can actually translate into sales. But currently, eBay is set on pace to reach a whopping $1.5 billion worth of goods sold via its mobile apps in 2010.

Over the past year, eBay has launched iPad, Android and Windows 7 apps for its auction business, a new Half.com app, and a Fashion-focused app. And PayPal’s mobile offerings should also help contribute to eBay’s potential holiday success, considering the million-plus downloads its iPhone app has seen.

Taylor and Selena: Sweet BFFs

2010-10-25T14:17:00.000+05:00

The friendship between teen queen Selena Gomez and country-crossover songstress Taylor Swift is still going strong. The two were spotted together Thursday as they took a break from promoting separate projects in London to dine at one of Jamie Oliver's restaurants. Later, the BFFs indulged in dessert at Ciao Italian Gelateria.

Taylor, 20, has been in the spotlight lately as fans and critics dissect the lyrics of her Speak Now album, which comes out Monday. Hanging out with a gal pal like Selena, 18, probably did her a lot of good! Meanwhile, the Disney cutie was in town for her Wednesday concert at the city's Hammersmith Apollo and to talk up her own new album A Year Without Rain.

In this month's issue of the U.K.'s Bliss magazine, Taylor dished about her relationship with the "Wizards of Waverly Place" star. When asked if she and Selena are as close as siblings, Taylor replied, "I'd definitely say we have a sister relationship. I've never had a sister, but I think if I did and I had this sweet, perfect younger sister, it would be Selena. I feel like she's my age, though. I forget she's 18."

Blizzcon

2010-10-22T17:45:00.000+05:00

BlizzCon 2010 is finally here and the schedule's pretty packed for opening day. If you lucked out on a BlizzCon ticket (and had the resources to make it out to Anaheim), you might be hard-pressed to choose which panel to attend, given that there are two stages where panels happen simultaneously. On top of that, the world's best StarCraft II and World of Warcraft arena players duke it out on separate areas, as well. After the opening ceremonies, there'll be a showcase of Diablo III gameplay concurrent with a showing of StarCraft II cinematics; these are followed by a World of Warcraft dungeons & raids panel and StarCraft II secrets of the masters; after those, there's a panel on WoW quests & lore, as well as a discussion on SC2 custom maps and editor; finally there's a live raid for WoW and a Q&A on the SC2 storyline. To close the first day, there are the costume, song, and dance contests which I'm fairly certain will be on everyone's itinerary.

One easy way to go about BlizzCon would be to just follow one game, such as World of Warcraft, and attend all the relevant panels. If you're like most folks who play Blizzard games, however, you're probably a big fan of everything they churn out (you're looking at BlizzCon, after all), which means picking the best panel to attend can be a bit of a dilemma. Happy problems aside, if you didn't have to choose which stage to sit in front of -- like those of us who picked up the DirectTV stream -- what part of today seems the most exciting? Personally, I think I'd have to go for WoW quests & lore. Now that we're already at Cataclysm, I can't wait to see what they've got in store for us, story-wise. Is there anything you're really looking forward to today? Or are the cooler events (e.g., the class panel) happening tomorrow? What do you think Blizzard's got up its sleeve?

Jasmine Waltz

2010-10-22T17:30:00.000+05:00

Hollywood power couple David Arquette and Courteney Cox have separated after being together for eleven years, a familiar name surfaces in the person of Jasmine Waltz as exclusively revealed by Life & Style. As confirmed by the source, Arquette and Waltz have been dating recently.

Cougar Town’s Cox and Arquette, through an issued statement last Monday have confirmed their amicable separation despite attending couple therapy. They have a six year old daughter named Coco.

As Life and Style further divulged, Waltz, a waitress and an aspiring actress is famously known for reportedly dating other celebrities like Ryan Seacrest, Jesse McCartney and even Paris Hilton’s former beau Doug Reinhardt. As a bartender, Waltz has also worked at nightclub Les Deux and an Italian restaurant called Bell.

The 28 year old Jasmine Waltz is also notoriously involved with the Las Vegas punching incident last summer concerning Lindsay Lohan during the celebration of LiLo’s birthday.

Rakta Charitra

2010-10-22T17:23:00.000+05:00

Raktacharitra, a film by Ram Gopal Varma, is totally based on the Andhra Pradesh political backdrop, which calls for a very revengeful flavor throughout the film.

As the story moves around the basic political turmoil, and how the protagonist, Vivek Oberoi, over comes each situation with a revengeful act. All this due to his bitter life experiences in the past.
As the film unfolds with a lot of bloodshed and the ultimate ugly path that politics can sometimes take one into, it becomes quite a gory experience for the viewer.

As is being said by many a reports, this film is certainly not for those who are interested in only dramatic family drama scenes in films, with almost all properties of a block buster full of the full time Bollywood theme, and the best of interiors, with the most expensive of interiors, and a great gorgeous looking heroine, this is a film with a completely tangent angle than this.

Thus, dirty politics, and absolute no frills for the protagonists clotheslines, and very meaningful dialogues, is quite an experience in itself!

So, the film is sort of a very realistic take on the political dealings, with some amazing performances actors, who all have the ultimate passion for acting it real.

The fact that the film revolves around the gory life of rural folks and the indirect area of political mileage does not make it a very staunch affair, rather, it is one of the most watchable films ever, by the RGV camp.

Phaedra Parks

2010-10-22T17:06:00.000+05:00

Soon-to-be reality starlet, Phaedra Parks, hasn’t even been on one episode of Bravo’s hit ‘Real Housewives Of Atlanta, and she’s already all over the entertainment wire with her business. Back in 2004, her husband was arrested of a white collar crime, despite that… or maybe BECAUSE of that, she still managed to get selected by RHOA producers. In a recent interview with entertainment blog, YBF, here’s what she had to say:

“I want to enjoy the ride and what comes with it,” Phaedra tells us.

If you are wondering if we will get a showdown with Phaedra and castmate Nene Leakes, or perhaps Phaedra vs. Sheree, she’s not revealing.

“Everyone has strong personalities, its explosive,” she says. “I got to know each of the ladies in a different way and in different perspectives. I formed a relationship with all of them.”

The self proclaimed southern belle’s personal business has already been dragged through the press. She fell in love with an ex-con and everybody seems to have an opinion about it.

“People always talk, but I know who he is and I know who I am. I have a wonderful marriage with him and we have a wonderful family.”

She says people love to talk but that doesn’t change or stop them from loving each other.

Former US security men deny Afghan civilian killings

2010-09-16T17:07:00.000+05:00

Two ex-employees of a US security company killed two Afghan nationals while fuelled by alcohol and rage, a US court has heard.

Prosecutors in the state of Virginia say that Justin Cannon and Christopher Drotleff opened fire at the scene of a road accident in Kabul.

They worked for a security company run by a firm formerly known as Blackwater.

Their lawyers deny murder charges, saying they opened fire because they believed they were under attack.

If convicted of murder, assault and weapons charges, Mr Cannon, from Texas, and Mr Drotleff from Virginia, could be imprisoned for life.

Their trial began on Wednesday in a US District Court and is expected to last two to three weeks.

They worked for Paravant, part of Xe - formerly Blackwater - which was blamed for killing civilians in Iraq in 2007.

The pair were in Afghanistan to provide weapons training to the Afghan National Army as contractors with Paravant.

Prosecutors said the pair were "a disaster waiting to happen" in May last year, as they had been drinking for several hours after two of their superiors were fired.

"They were drinking. They were driving. They were armed and they were out of control," said Robert McGovern, a Department of Justice lawyer.

Both sides agree that the men left their camp to drive two Afghan interpreters and another man to a taxi stand late at night on a road known for attacks on Americans.

When one of the vehicles in their convoy crashed, they allegedly shot at a car that sped from the crash scene.

Prosecutors say that the men fired about 30 rounds - Mr Cannon with an AK47 and Mr Drotleff with a 9mm pistol - hitting two men in the car and a man who was walking his dog with a friend.

One man in the car and the man on the street died from bullet wounds.

IMF releases $451million loan for Pakistan floods

2010-09-16T16:56:00.000+05:00

The International Monetary Fund says it is making a $451m emergency loan to Pakistan available immediately.

The IMF said the money would help Pakistan cope in the aftermath of the floods that have affected about 18 million people.

It said it hoped its decision would encourage more lending by international donors.

Meanwhile, new flooding has been reported from around the town of Dadu, near the Indus river in Sindh province.

The army is continuing relief efforts, rescuing hundreds of people trapped or isolated by floodwaters, in the area.

"The [IMF] board's approval enables the immediate disbursement of the full amount of this emergency assistance," the IMF said in a statement.

"Pakistan's economic outlook has deteriorated sharply as a result of the floods. The agriculture sector, which accounts for 21% of Gross Domestic Product and 45% of employment, has been hit particularly hard," it added.

The floods which hit the country at the end of July have killed at least 1,500 people and devastated large areas.

The United Nations has said that billions of dollars would be needed in the long term.

But charities say the response to the UN's appeal has been sluggish.

The US has made the biggest contribution so far, followed by the UK.

UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has called the international response "lamentable".

Pakistan needs civilian rule, says US envoy

2010-09-16T16:42:00.000+05:00

The US has dismissed suggestions that the Pakistani military could form a viable alternative to the civilian government, widely criticised for its handling of the country's flood crisis.

Special envoy Richard Holbrooke praised civilian politicians and said the US would support only an elected civilian government in Pakistan.

The army has been widely praised for its response to the floods.

Pakistan has a history of coups and only returned to civilian rule in 2007.

But some observers have suggested that the floods, combined with a widespread Islamist insurgency, are making it impossible for civilian politicians to govern.

We intend to see this wonderful country and its people through these troubled times”

Richard Holbrooke US special representative said.

Indus flood diary

Mr Holbrooke, who is in Pakistan visiting flood-affected areas, told reporters: "We will only support a civilian, democratically elected government.

"I think the Pakistan government has done a fantastic job [handling the floods] so far - and we are here to help in any way we can."

However, he added that the US was happy to work with the Pakistani army, "which is a part of this government".

The US has been the biggest aid donor to Pakistan since the floods hit, devastating large parts of the country and affecting about 18 million people.

US officials say the country has donated more than $260m (£166m) for flood relief, and has provided 18 military helicopters to evacuate people and deliver food and supplies.

The US has also provided water-purification kits and deployed medical teams to help prevent the spread of disease.

In a boost to the aid effort, Mr Holbrooke said the US would begin diverting cash from US-funded infrastructure projects into flood relief.

And he denied that the US was helping Pakistan in a bid to bolster the fight against Islamist militancy in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

"This is a humanitarian effort and we intend to see this wonderful country and its people through these troubled times," he said.

BP's Gulf of Mexico oil well to be sealed 'by Sunday'

2010-09-16T16:25:00.000+05:00

BP's ruptured oil well in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to be permanently sealed by Sunday.

Adm Thad Allen, in charge of cleaning up the oil spill, has said a relief well, which has taken more than four months to drill, should intersect the damaged well later on Thursday.

A mixture of mud and cement will then be pumped in, permanently sealing it.

On Wednesday, the US said it would require oil firms to plug 3,500 non-producing Gulf of Mexico oil wells.

"We are within a 96-hour window of killing the well," former Coast Guard chief Adm Allen told reporters.

No oil has spilled into the Gulf since a temporary cap was placed on the well in mid-July. Mud and cement were later pushed down through the top of the well, and the cap removed.

The relief well is being drilled 2.5 miles (4km) through dirt and rock beneath the sea floor so that the ruptured well can also be sealed from the bottom, ensuring it never causes a problem again.

On Wednesday, the US government said it also wanted energy firms to dismantle hundreds of unused platforms to prevent potential leaks; some installations have been sitting idle for decades without inspection for leaks.

The new requirements are due to take effect in October.

BP's Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in April, killing 11 people and causing one of the worst ecological disasters in US history, with nearly five million barrels of oil spilling into the Gulf.
'Devastating'

In London on Wednesday, BP's departing boss Tony Hayward told MPs that the oil spill was "devastating" to him.

"I understand why people feel the way they do, and there is little doubt that the inability of BP, and the industry, to intervene to seal the leak... was unacceptable."

But he said it would be wrong to blame only BP.

"No single factor caused the accident, and multiple parties including BP, Halliburton and Transocean, were involved," he told MPs on the Commons Energy Committee.

Michael Jackson's mother sues concert promoter

2010-09-16T16:16:00.000+05:00

The mother of pop star Michael Jackson has begun legal proceedings against concert promoter AEG, claiming it did not give her son proper medical care.

Katherine Jackson contends it failed to provide life-saving equipment and oversee a doctor who was hired to look out for the pop star's well-being.

Her legal action claims the singer was put under great pressure to complete the London concerts for which he was rehearsing at the time of his death.

AEG has yet to comment on the action.

Ms Jackson's civil action, which seeks unspecified damages, was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday.

Kenny Ortega, director of the planned This is It series of concerts, was also named as a defendant.

Katherine Jackson contends that AEG and its agents told her son it would provide the equipment and hire Dr Conrad Murray to care for him so he could perform at the concerts in London.

Her action alleges its representations were false "because in reality AEG was merely doing whatever it took to make sure that Michael Jackson could make it to rehearsals and shows".

"At the time of his death, Michael Jackson was under the immediate care of a doctor selected by, hired by, and controlled by AEG," the complaint continues.

It claims the company "demanded and required" the singer be treated by Dr Murray, who is alleged to have administered a lethal dose of Propofol and other drugs which resulted in the pop star's death on 25 June 2009.
Katherine and Joe Jackson Michael Jackson's parents have both filed wrongful death lawsuits

Dr Murray has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter and is expected to stand trial next year.

Katherine Jackson is the guardian of the singer's three children and is suing AEG on their behalf.

Her action claims Jackson's eldest son, Prince, suffered great trauma and severe emotional distress because he witnessed his father's final moments.

"The purpose of this lawsuit is to prove to the world the truth about what happened to Michael Jackson, once and for all," Katherine Jackson's lawyer said in a statement.

Earlier this year Jackson's father, Joe, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Dr Murray, accusing him of professional negligence.

Mr Murray's attorneys filed a motion on Wednesday seeking a dismissal of that action, which did not name AEG.

Oil tanker freed in Northwest Passage off Canada

2010-09-16T16:05:00.000+05:00

A ship carrying 9m litres (2m gallons) of oil has been freed after running aground two weeks ago off the coast of northern Canada.

A Department of Transportation spokeswoman told AFP news agency the ship's owner had lightened the vessel's load by pumping out some of the oil.

The oil tanker was dislodged without leaking any oil into Arctic waters, the Canadian Coast Guard said.

The MV Nanny became stuck when it hit a sandbar in the Northwest Passage.

The operation to free the ship, which is owned by Newfoundland-based Woodward's Oil, took place over a period of two days near the village of Gjoa Haven in the Nunavut federal territory.

The Department of Transportation is conducting an investigation into how the oil tanker became stuck on the sandbar.

Gjoa Haven, or Uqsuqtuuq in the Inuktitut language, is the only settlement on King William Island.

The Northwest Passage is one of the most fabled sea routes in the world - the most direct shipping route from Europe to Asia through the Canadian Arctic. Historically, it has been ice-bound throughout the year.

Pope arrives for UK visit

2010-09-16T15:52:00.000+05:00

The Queen has welcomed Pope Benedict to Edinburgh at the start of the first papal visit to the UK for 28 years.

He was officially welcomed at Holyrood House ahead of a parade through the city and an open-air Mass in Glasgow.

Tens of thousands of people are lining the streets of Edinburgh to greet him, although protests are also planned.

One of the Pope's aides has pulled out of the trip after reportedly saying arriving at Heathrow airport was like landing in a "Third World country".

The trip is the first to the UK by a Pontiff since John Paul II in 1982. It is also the first to be designated a state visit because the Pope has been invited by the Queen rather than the church.

The papal plane left Rome's Ciampino airport at about 0720 local time. On board with the Pope were about 30 senior Vatican officials and dozens of journalists.

The pilot raised the union jack and the papal standard from the cockpit as the plane taxied along the runway.

Child abuse

During the flight, in response to a question from the BBC, the Pope said the scandal surrounding the abuse of children by Catholic priests had come as a great personal shock to him.

He said he wanted to offer the victims "material, psychological and spiritual" help and to protect other children from dangerous priests in the future.

The Pope was greeted on the tarmac by the Duke of Edinburgh, Catholic leaders and a 30-strong honour guard from the Royal Regiment of Scotland. Lord Patten also welcomed him on behalf of the government.

Once at Holyrood House, the Queen and the Pope exchanged gifts before holding a private audience.

Vatican officials say Pope Benedict plans to use his visit to highlight the importance of the role of faith for everyone in contemporary Britain, not just Catholics and Anglicans.

Even before his arrival the Pope faced questions from journalists aboard the papal plane.

The Pope said the revelations about sex abuse by priests had caused him great sadness. How was it possible, the Pope asked himself, that priests who had been trained for years to be good pastors could fall into this state? The Church must show penance and humility. He congratulated the English bishops on the strong measures they have taken to deal with the problem.

Was he apprehensive about some opposition expressed in Britain to his state visit? No, he said. During his pastoral visits to France and to the Czech Republic, the Pope said there had been strong anti-clerical feelings expressed. But nonetheless, he had received a warm welcome in France from agnostics and in Italy, too, there was a long history of anti-clericism.

On how to create a more credible church, the Pope said the Church did not work for itself but for others in order to make the gospel message more accessible. Anglicans and Catholics have essentially the same task - to work together, he said.

Monsignor Michael Regan, who has been in charge of planning the first leg of the trip, said: "He's a Pontiff, he's the bridge-builder, and hopefully his visit to Edinburgh today, and to the United Kingdom, will be building bridges in a whole variety of different ways."

Prime Minister David Cameron has said it will be "a very special four days, not just for our six million Catholics, but for many people of faith right across Britain".

But in Edinburgh, Presbyterians, secularists, and other groups are planning to protest against Vatican policies on birth control, gay rights and abortion, as well as the abuse scandal, but police have said they do not expect large-scale demonstrations.

Asked about the protests, the Pope told journalists on his flight that the UK had a "great history of anti-Catholicism", but also "a great history of tolerance".

Meanwhile, one of the Pope's senior advisers - Cardinal Walter Kasper - will not make the trip after he made remarks about England to a German magazine, including claiming it was gripped with a "new and aggressive atheism".

The Vatican said the cardinal had not intended "any kind of slight" and had simply pulled out due to illness. Officials also said his "Third World" comment referred to the UK's multicultural society.

The leader of the Catholic Church in Scotland Keith O'Brien said he was "sure Cardinal Kasper will apologise for any intemperate remarks which he made".

Jimmy Smits

2010-09-16T15:31:00.000+05:00

Outlaw TV Show NBC Pilot – New Jimmy Smits TV Series – Outlaw pilot episode 1 which was directed by Terry George and directed by John Eisendrath aired last night on NBC. It’s hard to imagine Jimmy Smits in a role where he isn’t lovable especially when he plays a public servant, which provided us with the old serious yet playboy Jimmy Smits that we all know and love.

Unfortunately for him, despite his gritty performance in the show, “Outlaw” suffers from a terrible script and plot that can, at times, leave the audience very confused about what it going on. Smits does a great job with what he’s given but the series is just too out of order and unrealistic for a normal audience to follow.
A supreme who dumps everything to become a lawyer in less than 24 hour ? Really?

Smits plays a conservative who decides to renounce his ways to become more liberal, resigns from the Supreme Court and sets out to change the system. It sounds like something that was made for a television show pilot, but the way that the plot is executed makes the story seem lesser.

The cast that surrounds Smits is not all that great either. Some of the names and faces may be recognizable, but it is hard to tell where the bad writing stops and the bad acting begins. At times, the dialogue is boring, and it comes off as an unintentional comedy.

After Smits appearance on “Dexter,” which was excellent, one would hope that he would receive an offer to appear on something of “West Wing” caliber. Unfortunately, “Outlaw” falls short in just about every category and likely will not make it through its first season.

Not many Republicans/conservatives will like this series but it could capture the attention of few liberals who believe in fighting for equal rights and justice for those wrongfully accused.

What are your thoughts on the episode?

That’s all we have for now on Outlaw season 1 episode 1.

Mediatakeout

2010-09-16T15:24:00.000+05:00

Mediatakeout was the first news resource to make dating of NBA star Shaquille O’Neal and his girlfriend Nikki “Hoopz” Alexander. Now here they are again with the report that the start is engaged to the bride and on way to make one happy family.

Shaquille and Nikki Hoopz have been dating for only a few months and according to MediaTakeOut.com, the superstar athlete came with the merry proposal for wedding the reality show star recently.

Nikki Hoopz is reported in all smiles declaring that she won show Flavor of Love but found true love in Shaquille O’Neal.

According to reports, Shaq was having a troublesome life when his wife and her lover Shaunie Vanessa Lopez have been set for divorce, amidst allegations of cheating.

Big Brother 12 Winner

2010-09-16T15:17:00.000+05:00

After a couple of months of drama, challenges, nominations, numerous Head of Household/Power of Veto competitions and evictions, the “Big Brother 12” winner was finally chosen. If you don’t already know who was voted as the 2010 winner, it was college student Hayden Moss.

According to a recent article at seattlepi.com, 24-year old Hayden managed to win the final HoH competition, which of course meant that he got to chose who to evict out of Lane and Enzo. Moss evicted Enzo off, leaving just him and Lane in line for the $500,000 prize money.

Lane and Hayden then faced a grilling from a jury of seven evicted houseguests, about the secret Brigade alliance and on their social gameplay. When the final voting results were announced, it was Hayden who had won with a total of four votes against Lane’s three.

However, Lane – a 24-year old oil rig salesman – didn’t go away empty-handed, as he received $50,000 for becoming the season 12 runner-up. 22-year old Britney Haynes also walked away with a prize of $25,000, after she was voted as the favorite houseguest of season twelve.

Gates Death Panels

2010-09-16T15:09:00.000+05:00

Gates Death Panels – Bill Gates On Health Care Savings – Bill Gates is a known advocate for what has been described as “death panels.” His stance on the issue has been a source of controversy among conservative commentators, but most actually overlook the fact that Gates is known as a hardcore eugenicist who has claimed that the global population is too high. His Bill Gates fund is known for donating millions of dollars every year toward vaccines.

He made his comments about the “death panels,” which would allow individuals who are suffering from the worst and most painful diseases to end their lives on their own terms, at the Aspen Ideas Festival which is held in Aspen Colorado every year. The comments did not garner all that much attention, until a video clip of his speech appeared on a number of conservative blogging sites on Sunday.

Jimmy Johnson

2010-09-16T15:02:00.000+05:00

Some of you may well remember, that back in July we brought you an article on the rumors surrounding possible cast members for the popular reality TV series “Survivor: Nicaragua.” One of the names mentioned back then, was former NFL head coach Jimmy Johnson.

Well it looks like those rumors turned out to be true!! According to a recent article over at latimes.com by Maria Elena Fernandez, the former Miami Dolphins/Dallas Cowboys coach was in fact one of the cast members of the new series, which kicked off on Wednesday, September 15th.

Johnson – who has been a fan of the popular reality TV survival series since it began in 2000 – did actually apply to be on the show three years ago, but doctors revealed that he had two blocked arteries which of course prevented him from competing on the show.

However, Johnson then underwent heart surgery, lost a total of 30 pounds and cut his cholesterol level in half, and re-applied. The network then decided to give the 67-year old Fox NFL sports analyst a try, and offered him a spot on “Survivor: Nicaragua,” which was filmed earlier this year.

Johnson told his fellow Espada tribe members that he wasn’t in it for the money, but just for the adventure. Although he could not reveal the results of the show for obvious reasons, Johnson said last week that he was happy with adventure he did have while appearing on “Survivor.”

Edwin Newman

2010-09-16T14:57:00.000+05:00

Edwin Newman, who spent decades as a newsman at NBC, has died. The veteran TV journalist, who was 91, passed away Aug. 13 in Oxford, England, though his death was only just announced by outlets including the New York Times so his family could have time to grieve privately.

Newman first joined NBC's ranks in the early 1950s and served as a correspondent, anchor, commentator, documentary host and theater critic over his three-decade tenure. He was known for his dry wit, stark eyebrows and love of plainspoken English.

In a statement, former NBC anchor Tom Brokaw said, "Ed Newman was an early role model for my generation of NBC News correspondents. Worldly, erudite and droll, qualities that were enriched by his pitch perfect use of the English language."

Newman's many notable career moments included announcing President Kennedy's death on the air, moderating two Presidential debates and being the only Western journalist to interview Japanese Emperor Hirohito.

He was born in 1919 in New York City, graduated from George Washington High School, went on to earn a degree at the University of Wisconsin and served in the Navy during World War II, before pursuing journalism professionally.

Newman was regarded as a champion of proper grammar and usage. In 1970, he wrote two bestselling books, 'Strictly Speaking: Will America Be the Death of English?' and 'A Civil Tongue,' which warned against linguistic excesses.

Yet the newsman didn't take himself seriously, even appearing as a host on 'Saturday Night Live' in 1984, the year he retired from NBC.

Newman is survived by his wife, the former Rigel Grell, and a daughter, Nancy Drucker.

America' s Got Talent Winner

2010-09-16T14:51:00.000+05:00

America’s Got Talent Winner – Michael Grim – 2010 AGT Finale – The winner of America’s Got Talent has been announced, after a showdown between soul crooner Michael Grim and 10 year singing sensation Jackie Evancho.

Evancho received high praise all round for her mature singing talents, as well as her mature attitude towards life and performing, unlike some other performers twice her age. After losing, Evancho showed her respect and maturity, saying “This experience has been amazing,” she said, without showing any sign of disappointment. “I have loved every single moment that I’ve been doing it, and I just really hope that I’ll be able to sing for you guys again.”

Grimm, the winner, was in disbelief and shock at the announcement, saying “Is this really happening, is this real?”

There were two other performers on the night, opera singer Prince Poppycock, who judge Piers Morgan told “You are a star and you will be star” after his elimination, and Blacklight performers Fighting Gravity, who got a glowing recommendation from Sharon Osbourne, who told the group that she’d want a front row seat for their shows.

There were some high quality guests appearing on the final night, such as Cirque Du Soleil’s Love performer, Usher, David Copperfield and Lionel Richie, offering the audience some quality entertainment.

Halo Reach Reviews

2010-09-15T06:31:00.000+05:00

Superhero and cartoon characters are integral parts of the electronic entertainment industry. With this in mind, I salute the meld of pop-culture character and video game with a look at Halo Reach: Limited Edition (from Microsoft Game Studios, developed by Bungie Studios, reviewed for Xbox 360, rated M for mature, $79.99).

One of the year's most anticipated first-person shooters continues the saga of humanity's fight for survival against the multispecies war machine known as the Covenant. This package not only offers players the full game, but also includes a fantastic history lesson about the creation of the United Nations Space Command's most famous weapon.

What's the story? From the package: It is the year 2552. Welcome to the planet Reach, the heart of the UNSC's military power and home to the iconic Spartan supersoldiers. For decades, humanity has fled from the relentless Covenant threat, and now the largest Covenant fleet ever witnessed looms in the darkened skies over Reach. Noble Team, equipped with a deadly arsenal of high-tech weaponry and abilities and bolstered by the full might of the UNSC, must stand and face a full-scale planetary invasion.

Play the role: During the solo campaign, the player assumes the role of Noble 6, a newly trained Spartan ready to defend Reach.

With help from five more team members, including silent killer Emile (his helmet is to die for) and heavy-weapons specialist Jorge, he will go on missions to help fellow Spartans, rescue citizens of Reach, and engage and destroy the Covenant on the ground and in the air.
Action from Halo Reach for Xbox 360Action from Halo Reach for Xbox 360

Noble 6 gets a fully customizable helmet and body armor (down to individual pieces) and successful players earn credits to create the most stylish and ferocious-looking Spartan in the galaxy.

Get to the action: Noble 6 can carry two arms and will have access to about two dozen types of weapons from the Spartans and Covenant forces as he battles Grunts, Brutes, Elites, Jackals, Hunters and Drones.

New weapons include the needle rifle, fuel rod gun (it blasts green-hued projectiles) and plasma launcher (hold the trigger down and shoot four tracking plasma grenades).

An assortment of temporary power-ups (one can be carried at a time) is available to the Spartan (look for the florescent glowing stations) and range from holographic decoys to jet packs to an impenetrable shield.

Additionally, Spartan eventually will find vehicles he can drive or whose weapons he can control, including the Warthog, Scorpion, Wraith and Falcon gunship.

Chase Bank

2010-09-15T06:23:00.000+05:00

Chase Bank at 4580 W. 121st Ave. in Broomfield was robbed Tuesday, and the suspect, dubbed the “Flat Bill Bandit” by law enforcement, is believed to have robbed two other banks on Monday.

Broomfield police and the FBI's Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force responded to reports of the robbery at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday. The robber, who was believed to be armed with a handgun, demanded money and fled, according to a news release from the FBI's Denver office.

The robber is described as a white man in his mid 20s, standing approximately 5 feet, 5 inches to 5 feet, 8 inches tall. He has a thin build, dark hair and a scruffy beard. Law enforcement has dubbed him the “Flat Bill Bandit” because of the style of baseball cap worn during the robberies.

The FBI believes the same man robbed a Wells Fargo Bank in Littleton and a Chase Bank in Fort Collins on Monday.

Anyone with information about the Broomfield robbery or any bank robbery, is asked call the FBI Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force at 303-629-7171.

Tips also can be made anonymously by calling Crimestoppers at 720-913-STOP(7867). Information could be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000.

Ernest Withers

2010-09-15T06:16:00.000+05:00

Ernest Withers is known as the official photographer of the Civil Rights movement, but a new investigation by the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper reveals he was also a spy for the FBI -- informing on the thoughts and movements of Martin Luther King Jr. and others. Earl Caldwell,who knew Withers, offers his insight. Caldwell is a professor at the Hampton University's Scripps Howard School of Journalism and Communications in Hampton, Va.

Lisa Olson

2010-09-15T06:08:00.000+05:00

Lisa Olson’s case was similar to Ines Sainz case today

There has been a recent event that took place in the New York Jets Locker room with one of the Mexican TV reporter Ines Sainz.

She was reported to have harassed by the Jets coaches and players while she was doing a regular interview of Mark Sanchez.

Jets owner reached out the lady and apologized for the inconvenience and promised that he is going to go deep into the issue making sure that those responsible for the event repent for their actions.

Similar event occurred with Lisa Olson back 20 years back when she was aimed at her gender in the locker room of the Patriots while no one even tried to apologize.

On the contrary, the Patriots owner dismissed the complaint and the league had to take interest to see what happened.

Read more: Lisa Olson’s case was similar to Ines Sainz case today | JackTimes.com

Naomi Judd

2010-09-15T05:55:00.000+05:00

Oprah Winfrey had two very special guests on her show today, September 14. Both Wynonna and Naomi Judd were interviewed on the Oprah show, and Wynonna Judd was proud to be 60 pounds lighter.

The Judd's On Oprah

According to Oprah.com, the Judd's were a duo Oprah really wanted to appear during her final season. Wynonna and Naomi Judd have experienced a lot in their years as performers and as mother and daughter. Naomi battles hepatitis C and Wynonna divulged on a previous Oprah show that her former husband had sexually assaulted a young woman.

Today on Oprah, both of the Judd women are in much better places. Naomi's health is doing well, and Wynonna is dating....although she wouldn't share too many secrets with Oprah. The pair plans to embark on a final concert tour, called "The Last Encore" starting in November of this year.

In addition, Oprah Winfrey's guests were treated to a video tour of the Judd's farm in Tennessee, which spans 1000 acres.

Wynonna Lucky to Be Alive

Abilene Reporter News says that Wynonna talked about her two near death experiences within the past couple of months. A surgical procedure ended with a blood clot passing through her heart, and she was involved in a car crash some weeks later when a man fell asleep at the wheel and his car careened into Judd's, going about 55 miles per hour.

Wynonna Judd feels very fortunate to be alive, and she shared that sentiment, along with her strong belief in God, with Oprah today. She also shared how her relationship with her mother has improved, and that the two now tour using separate trailers.

One of the biggest surprises on Oprah today was for everyone to witness that Wynonna Judd has lost 60 pounds....and she did it without the help of a diet aid she once touted called Alli. She credits her weight loss to her belief in God and how He wants her to love herself.

It sounds like today's episode of Oprah was inspirational and informative, and that both Wynonna and Naomi Judd were remarkable guests. It will be fun to see who else Oprah has on her show during this, her very last season.

US Open Mens Final

2010-09-14T20:44:00.000+05:00

The US Open mens final 2010 finally ended major tennis for the year. Of course, the US Open mens final 2010 didn't end on time, as the schedule had a
Monday final again. In fact, the match was subject to another rain delay at a key point, and did not end until after 10 p.m. est on ESPN 2. But by the time it did end, it was clear that Novak Djokovic did not have another comeback in him. As such, the US Open mens final 2010 made tennis history, and made Rafael Nadal the undisputed No. 1 in the land.

Flushing Meadows was the last major location to get the best of Nadal, at least until this year. He had not lost a set going into the final, and looked safe to get a career Grand Slam. Novak Djokovic seemed to make the task easier when he upset Roger Federer, but that was not the case for a while.

Before the US Open mens final 2010 had another rain delay, Nadal and Djokovic were practically even. Nadal won the first set, but Djokovic jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the second. However, Nadal evened things at 4-all and looked set to retake control -- yet the rain delay gave Djokovic time to regroup and seize the set after all.

With the US Open mens final 2010 now even at a set, it appeared that the tennis action would not end soon. However, Nadal overcame the first chink in his armor, and broke Djokovic early in the third set. From then on, he was back in command, eventually taking a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 triumph.

The Open tennis schedule had been very conventional this year, with Nadal's dominance and Kim Clijsters' latest repeat. Of course, Nadal had never dominated Flushing Meadows like this, but he had made it commonplace at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Djokovic provided more drama than expected, yet the US Open mens final 2010 finally became a coronation.

Now that Nadal has won all four majors, and pulled away over Federer -- despite not having to beat him in this year's majors -- there doesn't seem to be much left for him. However, his three consecutive major titles have made next year's Australian Open a massive event. If he wins that, he will have the "Rafa Slam" and hold all four majors at once, which no man has done in decades.

Jay z Eminem Yankee Stadium

2010-09-14T20:31:00.000+05:00

NEW YORK — A year ago, Jay-Z showed why he's music's Emperor of the Empire State with a historic charity concert at Madison Square Garden, which Jay called "the house that Hovie built." On Monday night, "the God MC" took his mastery of performance to the front stoop of Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, Yankee Stadium. And because that's no setting in which to go small, he brought out special guests like Kanye West, Drake, Chris Martin, Swizz Beatz, Nicki Minaj and, of course, Beyoncé.

After kicking off in Detroit two weeks ago, Jay and Eminem's Home and Home concerts landed on the Jiggaman's soil for shows on Monday and Tuesday (September 14). This time, after J. Cole opened, Slim Shady shook the stadium in the second slot, with special guests the G-Unit and Dr. Dre. Then Jay took over with a bevy of surprises and a catalog of hard-line hits.

"Before I start this piece, let me say, rest in peace to the boss, George [Steinbrenner]," Hov began, freestyling a reference to the late Yankees owner after commencing his program with the "Dynasty Intro."

"By the time we sliding home/ I hope we playing in the dome," he continued rapping.

During "Run This Town," Jay asked, "Where you at, boy?" And out came 2010 VMA closer Kanye West in a red suit. The roar was thunderous for the Louis Vuitton Don, who also rocked a huge gold link chain.

They followed up with the first live performance of the "Power" remix — where all 50,000-plus people did the soulful "power clap" — and "Monster." There was no Rick Ross on the latter, but 'Ye and Hov brought out Nicki Minaj, who was showered with love from her hometown.

Hov said that since they were in New York, he couldn't let Kanye off the hook that easy. West told the audience he was going to "take them back." The Chicago-born icon then crushed the concert with "Can't Tell Me Nothing" and a follow-up haymaker of the stadium-friendly "Good Life."

"It's one of the most unbelievable feelings in the world, being from New York and being in Yankee stadium," Jay said about the night.

"That's how you feel, New York City?" Hov continued, in response to the crowd's overwhelming cheers. "New York City, is that how you feel tonight? I can't believe this sh--!"

Jay's next guest was Bronx native Swizz Beatz, who was also celebrating his birthday. What a present!

Further along in his set list, Jay rolled out his jaw-dropping verse from "Free Mason." Like in most of his shows, the Jiggaman constantly spoke to the crowd. "Just because you question religion doesn't mean you don't believe in God," he said after his rumor-admonishing verse. "Don't let anybody scare you into having their beliefs. Be a muthaf---in' renegade."

Out came Eminem for their classic colossal meeting of the minds. No matter how many times they perform "Renegade," it's still surreal to see the two biggest names in rap stand unified, side by side.

Memphis Bleek then came out for a parade of familiar Jay knockers, including "U Don't Know," "99 Problems" and "Big Pimpin'."

There was a tribute to hip-hop's gone-but-not-forgotten greats that included B.I.G., D12's Proof, Pimp C and Tupac Shakur. Monday was the 14th anniversary of Pac's tragic death.

Chris Martin from Coldplay came out to sing the hook on "Heart of the City." Martin was crisp and soulful on the mic. Jay kicked the graceful lines to "Most Kingz," and then Martin took the energy up a few levels with "Viva la Vida."

"I used to rule the world," the crowd sang. "Seas would rise/ When I gave the word/ Now in the morning I sleep alone/ Sweep the streets I used to own/ I used to roll the dice/ Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes."

Hov then told his DJ to throw on any song, and out came Drake for "Miss Me."

"Tellllllll me/ What's really going / Drizzy back up in this bitch/ What's happenin!!!" Drake came on rapping. The approval for the 23-year-old was vibrant.

"Say, 'Free Weezy!' " Drake commanded during Lil Wayne's verse. Jay and Drizzy then let the mics explode with "Light Up."

Not letting the audience catch their breath, Beyoncé came out for "Forever Young."

"One word, Beyoncé, make some noise," Jay said about his wife. "That girl baaad! That girl tough!"

After "Already Home" came "Empire State of Mind." No Alicia Keys, but Roc Nation artist Bridget Kelly was on her A-game with the vocals. Not that it mattered, because the NYC crowd drowned the song out.

"This is better than any Grammy. Better than any MTV award," Jay said about being able to rock his city.

He then went into overtime with a barrage of classics such as "Jigga My N---a" and "Izzo."

He told the fans he wasn't going anywhere and continued to keep the energy high with "Where I'm From" and "Dirt Off Your Shoulder." Most of the sold-out crowd stayed until the very end, which featured Jay doing the Linkin Park mash-up version of "Encore."

"This night was like a gift for me," said the man who seemingly has everything. "I hope I returned it tenfold."

Karissa Gilham

2010-09-14T20:25:00.000+05:00

Karissa Gilham, the WOW effect sex bomb of the Australian fashion industry. She is the most famous sex goddess Australian model on the block today. With designed curves on body, rounded pair of assets, curvilinear buttocks, narrow wait, creamy complexion and heart-arresting beauty – Karissa Gilham is a BIG danger for her contemporaries. Yes, she is and this the other models on trade know pretty well.

Karissa is from Perth and has lately been featured on Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks. Gilham is the one model whose popularity is increasing with every passing day. Karissa Gilham was also the winner of Maxim UK’s award for Bottom of the Year.

This shows that she is receiving huge attention and is laced with the mammoth potential to go viral. A 22 years old, Karrisa Gilham has reached the place where others approach after a huge struggle.

Now the sexy siren is on way to bag offers from top brands for modeling, acting in films and hosting TV shows.

STI

2010-09-14T20:15:00.000+05:00

SunTrust Banks (NYSE: STI) closed yesterday at $25.31. So far the stock has hit a 52-week low of $18.45 and 52-week high of $32.02. SunTrust Banks stock has been showing support around 24.70 and resistance in the 25.88 range. Technical indicators for the stock are Bullish and S&P gives STI a neutral 3 STAR (out of 5) hold rating. STI appears on the Investors Observer Hedged Dividend Income list. For a hedged play on this stock, look at an Apr '11 25 covered call for a net debit in the $21.81 area. That is also the break even stock price for this trade. This covered call has a 214 day duration, provides 13.83% downside protection and a 14.63% assigned return rate for a 24.95% annualized return rate (comparison purposes only). A lower cost hedged play for this stock would use a longer term call option in place of the covered call stock purchase. To use this strategy look at going long the STI Jan '12 15 Call and selling the Apr '11 25 call for an $8.30 debit. The trade has a 214 day life and would provide 7.94% downside protection and a 20.48% assigned return rate for a 35.00% annualized return rate (for comparison purposes only). SunTrust Banks has a current annual dividend yield of 0.16%.

KC Chiefs

2010-09-14T20:06:00.000+05:00

The match held between two furious teams of football in the New Arrowhead Stadium for the opening of this preseason by the National Football League
. This preseason of the National Football League was started on Monday at night after the first match was played between these two teams. The KC chiefs defeated the San Diego Chargers with a significant lead of goals. The main players of the Kansas Dexter McCluster and Jamaal Charles got some goals for their team and led it towards victory with the skills. The highly talented players of this team were able to counter the attack of the Chargers as well. The touchdowns of Dexter McCluster and Jamaal Charles were great which led to a victory with 21 goals at the end for the KC chiefs and 14 for the chargers.

The players of both the teams had big clashes between them and many of them struggled a lot to win the match but the Chargers were unfortunate in this matter and lost the match. The KC Chiefs were very happy on their victory as they had defeated their four time winners of the AFC championships. Along with this fact the KC Chiefs has broken the consecutively four times winning streak of the San Diego Chargers against the Kansas City chiefs. The Chargers made their final efforts during the last minutes of the match when Philip Rivers moved forward with the football. Unfortunately the chargers could not even tie the match with equal scores. The fans were also happy to see a different and new winner of this match after a long time.

NBA 2k11 Demo

2010-09-14T19:06:00.000+05:00

A demo for the upcoming basketball game NBA 2K11, featuring the one and only Michael Jordan, will be available on Tuesday September 14th for both the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, developer/publisher 2K Games announced today. It will feature one quarter of the Boston Celtics vs Los Angeles Lakers (rematch of last year's NBA Finals), with no further details on the other elements of the demo, at least not yet. Previously it has been rumored that the demo would include something unique (maybe a Michael Jordan “moment” or match-up) but the announcement made no mention of such a feature. Only time will tell exactly what the actual NBA 2K11 demo will feature, it will hit the Xbox LIVE Marketplace in only six days.

About: Basketball legend Michael Jordan will help develop the upcoming "NBA 2K11" game from Take-Two Interactive and will be on the game's cover. Jason Argent, vice-president of marketing at Take-Two's 2K Sports, said that's a departure from a typical cover deal with athletes. Usually, the game maker simply hands over a cheque. Players will be able to play Jordan's character to vicariously slam-dunk their way to victory from the comfort of their couch.

Christine O Donnell

2010-09-14T18:58:00.000+05:00

A Tea Party-backed candidate in today's Delaware Republican primary for Senate said today that ads attacking her personal financial history are an insult to voters, and said recent polling showing her running strong against the candidate backed by GOP leaders suggests voters are "fighting back."
Christine O'Donnell, a former marketing consultant who has never held elected office, sprinted to prominence in the Delaware race after receiving support from the Tea Party Express and an endorsement from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.
But there's been increased scrutiny of O'Donnell's personal financial history, which her opponents say preclude her from effectively overseeing public finances, and complaints about alleged illegal campaign fundraising.
O'Donnell has returned fire, saying on CBS' The Early Show" that her opponent, nine-term Congressman Mike Castle, has received the majority of his campaign funds from an "out-of-state corporate special-interest tax."

Attack ads claim O'Donnell didn't receive her college degree for 12 years because of what she owed in student loans, and question unpaid campaign debts from her previous runs for office.
A complaint was also lodged with the Federal Election Commission against O'Donnell, her campaign organization and the Tea Party Express over alleged illegal fundraising activities.

Ines Sainz Pictures

2010-09-14T18:47:00.000+05:00

Ines Sainz pictures and an update on the reporter who was allegedly harassed by the New York Jets are in hot demand.

Ines Sainz made headlines yesterday when news broke that the female TV Azteca reporter was harassed by the New York Jets at their training facility during an onsite interview with quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Ines Sainz reportedly had footballs thrown in her direction outside, then inside the locker room, was subjected to cat calls by the players.

Sainz, however, says she never felt “attacked” in the locker room, nor was she offended by the Jets.

Ines tells DeporTV, “In my opinion, I never felt I was attacked. I went to the locker room and started to talk about commentary and sports. Another reporter approached me to say he was sorry these things were happening…and that evidently people were making fun of me.”

This morning, Ines Sainz was on the Today show to talk more about the incident. In the video clip below, Sainz comments that she “tries to focus on my job,” not paying attention to what’s going on in the locker room.

In the Today show interview, Meredith Vieira puts up Ines Sainz pictures on the screen while asking, “Do those kind of pictures get in the way of professionalism?”

The buzz is that Ines Sainz was dressed too provocatively to be in a men’s locker room, with Ines Sainz pictures showing what she would typically wear for sports reporting and other racy Sainz pictures making the rounds online.

Ines says she tries to be attractive, noting, “photos is a consequence of my job.” In Mexico, she says, she’s known for her image.
She also explains that wearing jeans is the most comfortable for covering sports.

As a parent, if you have a little girl with aspirations for sports reporting, do you want her subjected to the environment of a men’s locker room? Is it an acceptable interview location as long as the players conduct themselves professionally around the media?

The Jets released a statement saying they “will continue to work with the League to gather the facts and take any appropriate steps necessary to maintain a respectful environment for the media.”

Zimbabwe releases four US Aids workers on bail

2010-09-14T16:19:00.000+05:00

Zimbabwe has released on bail four US health workers suspected of running a clinic and dispensing Aids drugs without a licence.

The four, along with two other staff from New Zealand and Zimbabwe, were told by a magistrate to pay $200 (£130) and surrender their passports.

They will next appear in court on 27 September.

The medical team, which worked from two clinics in Mutoko and Harare, denies the charges.

The accused are Gloria Croxwell, 48, Anthony Jones, 39, Gregory Miller, 64, and David Greenberg, 62, all from the US, Andrew Cheyne, 48, from New Zealand and Tembinkosi Ncomanzi, 37, from Zimbabwe.

The penalties for the foreign workers could include a fine and deportation.

The Christian volunteer health team from California includes a doctor, two nurses and a community worker.

They mainly looked after Aids orphans and HIV-positive patients, the US embassy said.

A police spokesman told the state-controlled Herald newspaper that the six were arrested "for questioning in connection with practising without a premises licence and dispensing medicines without the supervision of a pharmacist".

The group's lawyer Jonathan Samkange criticised the conditions they had been kept in.

"This is excessive. They shouldn't have been arrested in the first place.

"You don't arrest people who are helping your own brothers who are suffering from Aids."

The health workers are members of a Baptist church in Oakland. The church said the volunteers from the congregation had worked in Zimbabwe for 10 years and that the arrested workers were part of a team that had brought a four-month supply of drugs to close to a thousand people with Aids, some of whom are orphaned children.

The church said this was the first time questions about a team's licensing had been raised.

Zimbabwe has one of the worst HIV infection rates in the world.

NBA star John Amaechi in bar access row

2010-09-14T16:10:00.000+05:00

Former basketball star John Amaechi is considering legal action against a bar in Manchester's gay village that refused to let him in.

The 39-year-old said a doorman at Crunch on Canal Street described him as "big, black and could be trouble".

Mr Amaechi, who was out with friends on Friday, has complained to the council and demanded an apology from the bar.

Crunch said entry was refused on safety grounds and called the allegations "outrageous and unfounded".

Mr Amaechi's office has written to the club to seek an explanation for why he was refused entry.
'Issues of bigotry'

"I want an explanation of what happened - a real true explanation - and an apology, and they have not in any way been forthcoming with that," he told the BBC.

Discovery shuttle is ready for its final voyage

2010-09-14T16:00:00.000+05:00

Nasa's shuttle Discovery is getting ready to blast off into space one last time, after technicians reattached a main separation nut that fell off on Friday.

The orbiter has now been bolted to its external fuel tank and is set to go on its 39th and final mission to the International Space Station on 1 November.

An internal nut on the left side of the shuttle slipped out of position and fell into the aft compartment during the preparations for the flight.

The Discovery lift-off is planned to be the penultimate launch before the shuttle fleet retires early next year.

The Endeavour orbiter is scheduled to head for the skies on 26 February. This is expected to be the programme's 140th and last voyage.

Nut problem

Discovery was towed from its hangar and into the Nasa's Kennedy Space Center's vehicle assembly building in Florida on Thursday.

But after technicians managed to attach a large separation system bolt on the lower right side of the shuttle's belly, an internal nut slipped out of position and fell off.

The bolts ensure that the fuel tank separates from the orbiter after the craft pierces the atmosphere.

The issue with the missing nut was successfully resolved on Saturday and the bolt had been re-positioned.

It was yet another delay after the orbiter was taken to the assembly building a day late because of a broken water main.
'Final' mission

If everything else goes well, Discovery should be moved to launch pad on 21 September and ready for lift-off on 1 November.

The STS-133 crew, headed by commander Steve Lindsey, will deliver spare parts, supplies and a new module to the ISS.

The astronauts plan to fly to the Kennedy Space Center on 12 October. They will then take part in a dress-rehearsal countdown a few days later.
Discovery shuttle The flight is expected to be Discovery's final voyage

Discovery is set to dock with the ISS at around 1pm on 3 November and head back to Earth on 10 November, landing at the Kennedy Space Center on 12 November.

After that the orbiter, the oldest in service, is likely to end up on public display, probably at the National Air & Space Museum in Washington DC.

Fanfiction

2010-09-14T15:42:00.000+05:00

HollywoodNews.com: Peaches Geldof has gone public with a “little known fact” about herself on Twitter, confessing, “I’ve been writing Harry Potter fan fiction under a pseudonym for quite a while now. I’m never revealing myself!!”

The 21-year-old socialite also posted a picture of herself seeming to kiss a magazine cut-out of Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley, saying, “Love you Ronster…” and even shared a self-written poem dedicated to the character entitled “Ron: The Ginger Hero.”

Ron, ron, your name – a song, your hair, a flame, your eyes of green…Ron, Ron, it won’t be long, til you and Hermione, can finally be happy. The whole world is ready, for you to go steady, so cast a spell.

She ended by requesting of her Twitter followers, “Please tweet me your Harry Potter inspired poems so I can read them & subsequently quench my bout of Potter fever that’s raging right now.”

Character actor Harold Gould of ‘The Sting’ dies at 86

2010-09-14T15:33:00.000+05:00

LOS ANGELES | Harold Gould, a veteran character actor who played con man Kid Twist in the 1973 movie “The Sting,” Valerie Harper’s father on TV’s “Rhoda” and Betty White’s boyfriend on “The Golden Girls,” has died at 86.

He died Saturday of prostate cancer.

He appeared in movies such as the 1974 remake of “The Front Page,” “Love and Death,” “Silent Movie,” “Freaky Friday” and “Patch Adams.”

Over five decades, he made scores of appearances on shows such as “Route 66” and “Perry Mason,” and, most recently, “Nip/Tuck.”

He played the father, Howard Cunningham, in a 1972 segment of “Love, American Style,” titled “Love and Happy Days,” which led to the series “Happy Days.” But before the series went into production, Gould went abroad to do a play, and Tom Bosley was cast for the series role.

Wife on trial for killing husband on Canada hunt trip

2010-09-14T06:22:00.000+05:00

The trial of an American who says she killed her husband on a hunting trip after mistaking him for a bear has begun in Canada.

Mary Beth Harshbarger fatally shot her husband Mark with a rifle during a 2006 Newfoundland hunting expedition.
Canadian prosecutors contend it was too dark for her to fire a gun safely and are trying her for criminal negligence.
Ms Harshbarger pleaded not guilty. The trial began with testimony from the couple's hunting guide.
Guide Lambert Greene testified in a Newfoundland courtroom that he and Mark Harshbarger, 42, were walking back toward his pickup truck when he heard a shot followed by a loud scream.
He said he found Mr Harshbarger lying dead on the ground, covered in blood.
"Mary Beth was hysterical," Mr Lambert testified. He said she screamed: "I shot my husband, I shot my love."
Mrs Harshbarger, 45, faces at least four years in prison if she is convicted. She was extradited to Canada from her native Pennsylvania to stand trial after losing a lengthy US court battle.

Imam Rauf 'exploring options' over NY Islamic centre

2010-09-14T06:08:00.000+05:00

The cleric behind plans to build an Islamic community centre near Ground Zero says he is still "exploring all options" over the project.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf said the plan would "bring honour to city of New York" and to Muslims around the world.

But speaking in New York he added that "everything is on the table" in a bid to "resolve this crisis".

Critics say building close to the site where almost 2,800 people were killed by al-Qaeda hijackers is offensive.

Thousands of people marched through New York on Saturday, on the ninth anniversary of the 11 September attacks, demonstrating both for and against the project.

The controversy over the cultural centre and mosque project was inflamed by a row over a Florida pastor's plans, later cancelled, to burn copies of the Koran on 9/11.

In remarks at the Council on Foreign Relations, Mr Rauf said he and the projects' other backers did not anticipate the outcry.

"We were surprised because when the news became public [in December 2009] nobody objected," he said.

He said if backers had known the level of protest it would provoke, they might have reconsidered.

On Sunday, Mr Rauf said the Koran-burning would have strengthened radical Islamic extremists and increased the danger of terrorist attacks against the US.

He also rejected claims by Terry Jones, the pastor behind the Koran-burning plans, that the bonfire was cancelled after Mr Rauf agreed to relocate the Islamic centre away from New York's Ground Zero.

"How can you equate the burning of any person's scripture with an attempt to build inter-faith dialogue?" Mr Rauf told ABC.

"This is a house with multi-faith partners, intended to work together towards building peace."

Pentagon to notify Congress of $60bn Saudi arms deal

2010-09-14T06:00:00.000+05:00

The deal to sell advanced military aircraft to the Saudi kingdom is aimed at shoring up an Arab ally against Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The arms deal, set to support 75,000 US jobs, would be among the largest yet.

The notification will set off a review where lawmakers could push for changes, impose conditions or block the trade.

Pentagon spokesman Col Dave Lapan said Congressional notification was expected within "the next week or so" but he declined to comment on details of the proposed package.

The United States would do nothing that would upset the current balance (of power) in the region” said Philip Crowley US state department

The BBC's Paul Adams in Washington says the administration is unlikely to encounter much opposition to the sale of weaponry to a traditional ally and will probably argue that it is all part of a strategy to bolster friendly Arab governments in the face of growing strategic threats from Iran.

Off the record, defence officials say the administration will authorise the sale of dozens of aircraft, including F-15 fighter jets and Apache, Black Hawk and Little Bird helicopters.

Saudi Arabia would reportedly initially purchase about $30bn worth of aircraft, but could buy more at a later date.
Balance of power

An unnamed defence official told Reuters news agency that the deal would give Saudi Arabia a "whole host of defensive capabilities to defend the kingdom".

He added that Israel, a firm ally of the US, was "fairly comfortable" with the arrangement.

Meanwhile state department spokesman Philip Crowley said that the US "would do nothing that would upset the current balance (of power) in the region".

The administration is required to notify the Congress in advance of arms sales. Lawmakers have 30 days from notification to object to the deal.

Congressional officials warned that lawmakers could try to block the deal, but analysts say the prospect of job growth in the US defence industry could be another encouragement for lawmakers to approve it.

The UK sold major combat aircraft to the Saudis in 1980s, when the US chose not to.

Saudi Arabia is one of the top buyers of weapons in the developing world, purchasing an estimated $36.7bn in arms between 2001 and 2008, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Bible Study Fellowship

2010-09-14T05:51:00.000+05:00

Bible Study Fellowship is an interdenominational Bible study with four classes in the area that meet weekly starting Sunday to study the book of Isaiah.

There’s an evening men’s group that meets on Monday nights in Elkhart, an evening women’s group that meets Monday nights in Granger, and two day-time women’s classes that meet in South Bend and Goshen.

Children programs are offered in the evenings for school-aged children and birth to pre-school ages during the day-time classes. For more information about Bible Study Fellowship, go to www.bsfinternational.org or call Ann Bartels at 574-231-9517.

Jay z Eminem Yankee Stadium

2010-09-14T05:43:00.000+05:00

More than 42,000 rap fans are filing into Yankee Stadium for the inaugural concert featuring hip-hop superstars, Jay-Z and Eminem.

The concert is expected to be one of the biggest nights for hip-hop, fans say.

"It's going to be historic. It's going to be a big one," said Onelio Rodriguez, 24.

And if early sales are any indication, it should also be a banner night for concert retailers. Concert t-shirts were flying off the shelves - at $35 each. Jay-Z penants were $20.

Rodriguez dropped $50 on a Yankees fitted cap, which also includes Jay-Z's logo, but the fan shrugeed off the expense.

"It's a collectors item. You can't go wrong with it," said the native of Bedford-Stuyvesant, where Jay-Z was raised.

For some fans, the night's splurges started long before the show.

Mike Cook, 27, and Nick Gildea, 20, drove and took the train from Philadelphia to be at the concert. They bought their two tickets for $600 from Craigslist. The face value of the tickets were $153 each.

But they didn't mind.

"For hip-hop, this is something. You can't ask for anything bigger than Jay-Z and Eminem, and then at Yankee Stadium to top it off!" Cook said.

"You're talking two of the biggest heavyweights in hip-hop. I don't even care about the special guests. It's worth it," said Cook, wearing a t-shirt with Jay-Z's first album cover on it.

"It's just the experience, just to see them live," he said. "This is Yankee Stadium. Jay is going to do it big."

Gildea was just excited to be in the building.

"This is my first concert ever," he said. "It's so surreal. It still hasn't set in that we're here. When Em and Jay come out it's going to be crazy."

Even with the triple digit outlay to attend the concert, Gildea couldn't resist an opportunity for memorabilia. He bought two concert t-shirts, which totaled $70.

"It's worth it, something to remind me of the experience," he said. "This is going to be the biggest experience of my life."

Jets Reporter

2010-09-14T05:37:00.000+05:00

Ines Sainz, the Jets reporter, says she was dressed in an appropriate fashion when she entered the Jets locker-room.

About Ines Sainz Wikipedia says she was Miss Spain in 1997 and Ines Sainz pictures will show you why.

Sainz tweeted in Spanish that the Jets players made catcalls and various suggestive remarks when they saw her, embarrassing her.

The Jets reporter faced some “interesting” reactions during practice. Rex Ryan and Dennis Thurman (the quarterbacks coach) intentionally threw passes next to her.

The incident was denounced to the NFL by the other reporters, as Sains said that she didn’t want to pay attention to it.

Sainz said that she was dressed properly during training and posted the picture above on her Twitter to prove it.

Oprah Tickets

2010-09-14T05:30:00.000+05:00

Oprah is going down under in December and she's taking her audience with her. She's already told her staff not to scalp tickets for the upcoming Australia trip. Audience members who do receive tickets to Oprah's final show are the chosen ones for the Sydney trip.

The Oprah Winfrey show has never broadcast outside of the US. But her show today revealed that she would take 300 audience members to Australia for a taping of the show which is said to take place at the Opera House.

MSNBC says that ticket holders to Oprah's final show were carefully selected by producers. Those who are going to Australia for eight days and seven nights with all expenses paid are some of Oprah's most loyal and dedicated viewers.

"This is really my last chance to do something really big," she teased viewers. "And if you want to do something big, you would want to take along your ultimate viewers."

When Oprah made the announcement, an announcement sure to peeve people who traded Oprah for Judge Judy, John Travolta was right beside her. Travolta was wearing a pilot's uniform.

Some of Oprah's previous gifts have been new cars for audience members. Her "O" magazine staff have received Apple ipads and $10,000 checks. She's also donated school scholarships, money for homes, and financed a girls' school in South Africa.

This is Oprah's 25th season and supposedly her last. In January of 2011, she'll launch her own network. OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network, is a joint venture between the Discovery Channel and Harpo Incorporated.

The network's first show will be a behind the scenes documentary of Oprah's last season. The network is said to be preparing a show on Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York.

Although all of the Oprah Winfrey shows have been aired in the US, the 25-year-old talk show airs in 145 countries by CBS Studios International.

Over the years, audience members have gotten tickets to the Oprah show by becoming a member of Oprah.com and placing reservations at the website.

Monday Night Football

2010-09-14T05:24:00.000+05:00

Football players are hearty folks, and play in almost any weather. Almost. With the exception of a tropical system, the only other weather event that will force players off of the field is lightning. Monday Night Football was delayed until 7:25pm due to the dangerous weather in metro New York and the New Meadowlands Stadium.

As rare as it is for a weather related football game delay, this makes two games in two days impacted the NFL. On Sunday afternoon, a vicious thunderstorm delayed the Denver Broncos in Jacksonville for . It was the third time in five games (including preseason) that Jacksonville had a lightning related delay.

Irvingia Gabonensis

2010-09-14T05:17:00.000+05:00

Dr. Oz explored alternative medicine on his TV show Monday, and one of the things he mentioned was Irvingia Gabonensis as a weight-loss supplement. Irvingia Gabonensis is made from the African mango tree, and has been shown to reduce appetite by increasing the amount of leptin in your bloodstream. Leptin is the chemical that is used to signal your brain that you are or are not hungry. Increased Leptin tells your brain that you’re not hungry, so if you can increase the Leptin without ingesting any calories, that could help you lose weight.

Dr. Oz is all about losing weight, especially with his current program encourage people to lose just 10 pounds. I’m not surprised that he mentioned a weight loss supplement on his show. I wouldn’t be surprised either if somehow it suddenly shows up for sale on his website.

US Open Live Streaming

2010-09-14T05:08:00.000+05:00

US Open live streaming has been interrupted by another rain delay. Those watching US Open live streaming are staring at a blank screen, during the second
US Open final rain delay. Yesterday, the final between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic never got off the ground, due to steady rain. Today, Nadal and Djokovic got started, and were about to head for a turning point in their match, until bad weather struck again. Now, the US Open live streaming won't resume until the rain delay ends, which may be no earlier than 7:30 pm.

Starting at 4:30 pm est, CBS finally showed the start of the men's final, while CBS Sportsline and the official Open website broadcast it online. It took a day, but Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic finally took the court for the last match of the tournament.

However, a rain delay sent them off again, meaning that the US Open live streaming has been halted as well. What's more, for those who are watching the match on TV, it will be moved over to ESPN 2 when it does resume. The rain and lightning also delayed the start of the Jets-Ravens kickoff by 25 minutes.

As of now, it appears the earliest that things can get under way is 7:30 pm, according to Fanhouse. Once play resumes, US Open live streaming will resume on CBS Sportline and the Open site. However, if the rain continues, those watching online will have to go back on tomorrow for the end.

The men's final has been held on a Monday for the last two years, but they had been able to get done on a Monday. But this new rain delay could push things, since Nadal and Djokovic are near the end of the second set.

Those who logged onto the US Open live streaming sites saw Nadal jump out early to a 6-4 opening set win. Yet Djokovic rallied back, much like he did against Roger Federer, for a 4-1 second set lead. However, Nadal was making a rally himself, and evened the set at 4 with a chance to break Djokovic again and take control.

Chelsea Handler VMA

2010-09-13T21:43:00.000+05:00

Lindsay Lohan showed up in a taped Chelsea Hanlder skit at the VMAs. Her first public appearance since she got out of jail/rehab. The gist of the skit was Lindsay made self-referencing jokes to Handler and slapped her ass. One of them was, “Really, then why is your ankle bracelet going off?” Handler answered, “Oh that just means that my table’s ready at the Cheesecake Factory.”

The skit kind of sucked and wasn’t too funny but what was funny is the fact that everyone thinks Lindsay is a screw-up. The only way MTV let Lindsay be at the VMAs was if she taped the skit instead of doing one live.

I wouldn’t even trust Lindsay with a pet rock. If I were the producers at MTV, I’d have attached strings to her hands and feet and mouth like a marionette to make sure she did everything right.

Peoples Bank

2010-09-13T21:34:00.000+05:00

China's currency, the yuan, hit a post-revaluation high against the U.S. dollar Monday after the People's Bank of China set the yuan's reference rate for trading against the dollar at its highest level since the central bank began publishing the daily fix in 1994, The Wall Street Journal reports. The yuan can rise or fall 0.5% each day from the reference or mid-point.

Meanwhile, the U.S. stepped up pressure on China to let the yuan rise further, with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner saying in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that while China signaled in June it was going to let the exchange rate better reflect market forces, "they've done very, very little, they've let it move very, very little in the interim."

The People's Bank set the mid-point at 6.7509 on Monday, Reuters reported, up from Friday's 6.7625, guiding spot yuan to trade at 6.7616 at midday on Monday after touching a post-revaluation high of 6.7568, up from Friday's close of 6.7692. The yuan, also called the renminbi, is now up 0.96% since China eliminated the two-year peg to the dollar.

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Some traders see the People's Bank of China's move as a gesture of goodwill, coming as it does days before U.S. lawmakers meet to address the issue of China's currency policy and consider a more punitive response to what many see as its unfair currency manipulation. Others see it as a precursor for a new period of yuan appreciation, although without other supports such as export strength and rising inflation, the trend may not be sustainable.

However, such supports may already be in place: China's industrial production rose 13.9% in August from a year before, Bloomberg reported, the most in three months, and retail sales and lending figures topped economists' estimates. Imports also accelerated, another sign that Chinese growth is picking up after a second-quarter moderation.

Such evidence of strengthening domestic spending in China undermines the case for Beijing to resist a faster pace of currency appreciation days, economists say.

See full article from DailyFinance: http://srph.it/9qm4Eo

Calvin Johnson Catch

2010-09-13T21:28:00.000+05:00

The Detrioit Lions were on a game winning drive against the Chicago Bears yesterday, and that drive was capped off with a beautiful completion to wide receiver Calvin Johnson in the end zone.

Johnson dropped the ball and proceeded to celebrate, the Lions' sidelines were jumping with joy.

But not so fast, Detroit.

The officials overruled the call and claimed that Johnson didn't have full control of the ball when he hit the ground, despite the fact that he had already touched the ground with both feet and had fallen before he let go of the pigskin.

The Lions' game winning drive was no more, they lost.

This questionable call has sent the football world into controversial debates, and many believe it's time for a tweaking of the current rule regarding touchdown catches.

Johnson's Catch: Good or Ball Call?

Taking a look back at Johnson's catch, it's easy to see the officials were dead wrong in taking away Johnson's first touchdown catch of the year, as well as a Lions' victory.

How could it not be a catch?

When watching the replay, Johnson clearly has possession of the ball and takes two steps before he falls. Once he falls he lets go of the football to run and celebrate.

It makes no sense that this would not be a catch, because if this happened anywhere else but the end zone it would have been ruled a fumble since Johnson had possession, and then let go. Therefore it should be a touchdown, because after a scoring catch play stops of course.

Detroit Lions fans, you got robbed. There's no denying that.

Time For a New Rule?

As many know, this isn't the first time a player has missed out on a touchdown due to this controversial rule.

Another one of those times was last year when Jamarcus Russell connected with Louis Murphy for a touchdown pass. Murphy had clear possession of the ball when both of his feet hit the ground, only proceeding to lose possession when he hit the ground.
Should the rule be changed?
Yes, it's about time. No, leave it as it is. Submit Vote vote to see results

The touchdown was revoked.

After the Louis Murphy debacle last year and now the Calvin Johnson robbery, it's evident it's time for the NFL to take a look at changing the rule.

The rule is in a way a double standard when it comes to the end zone as I previously stated regarding fumbles. If Johnson and Murphy had caught these passes in any other part of the field, they would have been ruled fumbles because they had control of the ball when their feet hit the ground.

Therefore, if they have possession, how are these not touchdown catches?

The league needs to add clarity to this rule, and changing it would not be complicated or difficult.

For one option, they can implement the simple rule that if a receiver catches the ball and lands on both feet with full control of the ball, it's a touchdown and the play is over. The standards need to be consistent for the entire field, including the end zones. Period.

Play is supposed to cease once a player enters the end zone and scores, but this rule is an exception which is exactly why it needs to be changed.

Rachel Maddow

2010-09-13T21:16:00.000+05:00

Wednesday night, during The Colbert Report’s salute to our troops returning from Iraq, Stephen Colbert asked his guest, Vice President Joe Biden, to comment on the previous administration. Biden looked into the camera and gave a sincere thanks to George W. Bush for consistently honoring our armed forces. Last night on her show, Rachel Maddow called the moment “inexplicable,” “whitewash,” and “weird.”

Maddow wasn’t just referring to the Biden comments but also to sections of President Obama’s Iraw War speech (which she’s already gone on record about her displeasure with) and that’s fine. However, I’m going to have to completely disagree with her on Biden’s Report interview. No matter what he felt, had Biden gone off and criticized Bush at that moment, it would have been entirely inappropriate.

Last night’s Colbert Report was basically a homefront USO show, and a great one at that. It was entirely about respecting, honoring, and entertaining the troops (whom Colbert invited to fill the audience and drink beer, eat hot dogs, and feel nice tracts of American green grass). Despite a few jokes about the distinction between combat and non-combat forces and the beginnings of the war, there were no politics involved. It was just a solid half hour of fun.

Biden understood that. Colbert and his staff understood that. It’s a shame Maddow apparently couldn’t.

Chevy Chase Bank

2010-09-13T21:08:00.000+05:00

MCLEAN, Va., Sep 13, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Capital One Financial Corporation /quotes/comstock/13*!cof/quotes/nls/cof (COF 39.94, +1.05, +2.70%) today announced the rebranding of Chevy Chase Bank to Capital One Bank. The McLean-based company is the ninth-largest bank in the country based on deposits. Locally, the bank is the fifth-largest by deposits, offering the largest network of branches and ATMs of any bank in the Washington, D.C. area. Capital One employs more than 4,000 people in the region.

"We are very excited to introduce the Capital One Bank name to the Washington, D.C. region, especially because this area has been our company's headquarters for many years," said Capital One Bank Mid-Atlantic Regional President James Jackson. "A great deal of work has been done to ensure that the transition is a seamless and positive change for our customers. Everything that made Chevy Chase Bank a great bank and a great business partner will remain the same, but leveraging Capital One's national platform enables us to enhance and expand our product offerings and makes us an even better company."

Customer Enhancements

In addition to changing the name on the signs at all Chevy Chase Bank branches, ATMs, corporate offices and customer touch points across the Mid-Atlantic region, Capital One Bank has added several servicing enhancements for Bank customers:

-- Bank customers can expect to reach a customer service representative 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Customers can also take advantage of new products and services, including rewards checking, mobile banking, and the ability to open accounts online. Capital One Bank also offers broader geographic coverage, with locations in New York, New Jersey, Louisiana and Texas in addition to those in the Mid-Atlantic region.

-- Former Chevy Chase Bank customers now have greater access to financial services products with Capital One Bank. Products offered by Capital One, including credit cards and auto loans, are now available at local branches. In addition, current Capital One customers now can service existing accounts at Capital One Bank branches.

-- Business customers will continue to enjoy the same level of service and commitment. In addition, service enhancements designed to help meet the specific needs of each business include small-business specialists at some branch locations, expanded treasury and cash management capabilities.

Investing for Good in Our Home Town

"As a local business, Capital One is already deeply involved in this community, and the acquisition of Chevy Chase Bank made this connection even stronger. While the signs on the door are changing, one thing that certainly won't change is our commitment to the local community," added Jackson. "Capital One Bank has 1,000 branches across the Mid-Atlantic, New York, New Jersey, Louisiana and Texas, with talented teams that are incredibly connected to the needs of their communities. We are proud of our associates, who last year volunteered more than 35,000 hours of service in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. We are equally proud to make the communities in our hometown a better place to live and work."

Capital One invests in efforts to advance economic development, affordable housing, financial literacy and education with the goal of helping individuals, families, and small business owners achieve their financial goals and realize their dreams.

Last year, Capital One provided more than $95 million in specialized financing for high-quality, affordable rental housing for families and individuals in Maryland, Virginia and Washington D.C. This year, the company has already closed an additional $142 million in new affordable housing investments and loans in the area.

In October, Capital One, in partnership with Junior Achievement and Fairfax County Public Schools, will open a new state-of-the-art financial literacy center on the campus of Frost Middle School in Fairfax. The facility will provide thousands of middle school students from Fairfax County and the greater Washington, D.C. region hands-on experience in budgeting, saving and smart spending.

About Capital One

Capital One Financial Corporation (http://www.capitalone.com/) is a financial holding company whose subsidiaries, which include Capital One, N.A. and Capital One Bank (USA), N. A., had $117.3 billion in deposits and $197.5 billion in total assets outstanding as of June 30, 2010. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Capital One offers a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients. Capital One, N.A. has approximately 1,000 branch locations primarily in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. A Fortune 500 company, Capital One trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "COF" and is included in the S&P 100 index.

Kevin Mccarthy

2010-09-13T20:54:00.000+05:00

Golden Globe-winning actor Kevin McCarthy, who played the doctor trying to save his neighbors in the sci-fi film Invasion of the Body Snatchers, has died. He was 96.

McCarthy died Saturday, a Cape Cod Hospital spokesman told The Associated Press. The cause of death or any other details were not released.

See other celebrities who have died this year

McCarthy's career began on the stage. His 1938 Broadway debut in Abe Lincoln in Illinois earned him membership in the Actors Studio. McCarthy was chosen to play Willy Loman's son, Biff, in the London production of Death of a Salesman, a role which McCarthy also played in the 1951 film, earning a best supporting actor Oscar nomination. He was named New Star of the Year by the Golden Globes in 1952.

McCarthy's best-known role, however, was that of the frantic doctor who tried in vain to warn his neighbors that pod people from space were taking over the people of Earth. The film was a box-office flop, but it has earned cult status since. It has been remade several times, most notably in 1978 starring Donald Sutherland and again in 2007 as The Invasion starring Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig.

McCarthy's other film roles included Gathering of Eagles, The Best Man, Mirage, Hotel, The Howling, and Twilight Zone: The Movie, He also appeared as Marilyn Monroe's estranged husband in the 1961 classic The Misfits, Monroe's last film.

McCarthy also appeared on such TV shows as ABC medical drama Breaking Point, The Survivors, The Fugitive, and The A-Team. In 1978, he played Harry Truman in the touring one-man show "Give 'em Hell, Harry," He performed the role in more than 350 venues, according to the AP.

McCarthy was born in Seattle on Feb. 15, 1914. He, his sister, author Mary McCarthy, and their two brothers were orphaned when their parents died in the 1918 influenza epidemic. They were raised by relatives.

He is survived by his second wife, Kate Crane, with whom he had two children. He also had three children from his first marriage to Augusta Dabney.

Arcsight

2010-09-13T20:48:00.000+05:00

Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) agreed to buy security-software maker ArcSight Inc. (ARST) for about $1.5 billion, continuing the company's spending spree that began after Chief Executive Mark Hurd resigned last month.

The deal also represents the latest purchase of a smaller security firm by a huge technology company, a trend some see continuing as big tech considers the importance of adding security to their product portfolio. ArSight makes software that monitors corporate networks for unusual activity, such as a hacker's attempt to break into a system.

ArcSight shares recently traded at $44.35 premarket, above H-P's offer price of $43.50 a share, suggesting some traders may be expecting or hoping for a higher bid, similar to what happened with storage maker 3PAR Inc. (PAR). The agreed-upon deal already provides a 24% premium to ArcSight's closing price Friday and a 70% premium to where it was trading a month ago.

H-P expects the acquisition to close by the end of the calendar year and doesn't see any material earnings dilution in its next fiscal year. The company is in the fourth quarter of its fiscal 2010 year. H-P shares, down 26% so far this year, added 28 cents to $38.48.

"The combination of H-P and ArcSight will provide clients with the ability to fortify their applications, proactively monitor events and respond to threats," said Bill Veghte, H-P's executive vice president of software and solutions.

ArcSight, of Cupertino, Calif., had been quietly shopping itself to a handful of big technology companies. ArcSight attracted interest from a number of companies, and bidding quickly surpassed $40 a share, people familiar with the matter said.

ArcSight, which went public in 2008, reported revenue of $181.4 million in the fiscal year ended April 30, up 33% from a year earlier. Profit for the fiscal year grew to $28.4 million from $9.9 million a year before.

The ArcSight deal continues H-P's push into software and other areas outside of its core computer-hardware businesses that began under Hurd. Software, networking, storage and services--all areas in which H-P has expanded recently--have higher margins than the company's core personal-computer and server-system businesses. H-P executives have said repeatedly that the company will continue the expansion strategy.

The deal for ArcSight is the latest episode in a month-long drama starring H-P. Last month, Hurd resigned following violations of the Palo Alto, Calif., company's code of business conduct, including failure to disclose a personal relationship with a contractor and filing inaccurate expense reports.

Then H-P launched its public bidding war with Dell for 3PAR, eventually winning it with a bid of $2.35 billion, or $33 a share, almost double the $18 a share that Dell had initially agreed to pay. Amid criticism from analysts that it was overspending on 3PAR, H-P's board announced that it had authorized the company to buy back $10 billion of its stock.

Before things had a chance to quiet down, Hurd joined H-P rival Oracle Corp. (ORCL) as co-president, a move that triggered a lawsuit from H-P arguing that the former CEO was breaking the confidentiality agreement he signed as part of his exit package.

"While such an acquisition would fit into the company's overall enterprise strategy, we believe Street sentiment would likely rather see the company get a new CEO announcement behind them and look to digest some of the acquisitions it has recently or will be completing (i.e., 3Com, Palm, 3PAR)," Stifel Nicolaus analyst Aaron C. Rakers said in a research note Monday.

Dallas Morning News

2010-09-13T20:40:00.000+05:00

Two men were killed this morning when a drunken driving suspect plowed through a bus shelter across from Parkland Memorial Hospital.

The men were apparently sleeping in the Dallas Area Rapid Transit stop shortly after 2 a.m. when the suspect's northbound pickup jumped a curb and leveled the structure, on Harry Hines Boulevard just south of Inwood Road.

A DART bus drives past a bus stop where two men were killed early Monday morning when the shelter was leveled by a suspected drunk driver.
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Both victims, described only as homeless men in their 30s, died at the scene. They were not identified pending notification of family members.

The suspect was arrested after stumbling through a field sobriety test, witnesses said. A Dallas police report identified him as 50-year-old Julian Cadena Cerda.

He faces two counts of intoxication manslaughter and is being held at the Dallas County Jail.

Reginald Meriweather, a youth minister who volunteers at the nearby Salvation Army shelter, said he rushed in when he heard about the crash. He said he may have known one of the victims but couldn't explain why the men chose to spend the night at the bus stop.
Julian Cadena Cerda

"It's sad to have people right outside two shelters to be sleeping outside and hungry," he said.

Two passers-by, who identified themselves as homeless, were shocked to learn the news, though neither apparently knew the victims.

"Dang, we used to sit there and wait for the bus," Mingo Cruz said.

He and Debra Carter surveyed the crumpled awning and metal posts jutting out of the ground that were all that was left of the bus stop.

"That's just sad," Carter said.

nate berkus show

2010-09-13T20:33:00.000+05:00

“The Nate Berkus Show” premieres today in syndication. Will Berkus be the next Oprah Winfrey? She is, after all, his mentor and the producer of his show. But honestly, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from the show based on Berkus’ background as a designer. Will it be more Martha Stewart? Dr. Phil? Jerry Srpinger?

Based on the clips promoting today’s show, it seems like it will be a mix of everything that’s out there right now: Part lifestyle show, part cooking show, part celebrity style. But it’s clearly aimed at moms. Read on to see video of what one mom has to say about how Nate helped her with a problem many of us suffer from – the dreaded mom jeans.

Now what’s unclear to me from this clip is exactly how Nate worked his mom jean magic – but I guess that will be revealed on the show.

Ines Sainz

2010-09-13T20:26:00.000+05:00

Mexico's TV Azteca reporter Ines Sainz was reportedly harassed while at the New York Jets facility a few days ago.

The NFL is investigating, and several other organizations are also getting involved.

Leave it to the Jets to steal headlines before even starting their season.

Sainz, a former pageant queen contestant turned sports reporter for the Mexican TV network Azteca, is known for stealing the show at media day events.

BP spreads blame over oil spill

2010-09-13T13:45:00.000+05:00

A "sequence of failures involving a number of different parties" was to blame for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, BP says.

An investigation carried out by BP said it was responsible in part for the disaster, but it also blamed two other companies working on the well.

However both firms criticised the report.

BP faces billions of dollars worth of legal claims for compensation over the spill, the worst in recent US history.

An estimated 4.9m barrels of oil leaked into the Gulf after the blast.

The well was capped on 15 July, and an operation to permanently seal it is due to take place in the next few weeks.

In the 193-page internal report released on its website, BP said that decisions made by "multiple companies and work teams" contributed to the accident, which it said arose from "a complex and interlinked series of mechanical failures, human judgements, engineering design, operational implementation and team interfaces".

BP was leasing the Deepwater Horizon rig from Transocean, and its cement contractor was Halliburton. The BP report was critical of the processes and actions of teams from both firms.

However, in a statement issued after the report, Transocean dismissed BP's criticism, calling the company's own well design "fatally flawed".

"In both its design and construction, BP made a series of cost-saving decisions that increased risk - in some cases, severely," the Associated Press reported Transocean as saying.

Halliburton also criticised the BP report, saying that it had "a number of substantial omissions and inaccuracies".

"Halliburton remains confident that all the work it performed with respect to the Macondo well was completed in accordance with BP's specifications," Cathy Mann, Halliburn's director of corporate affairs, said in a statement.

'Bad cement'

The report, conducted by BP's head of safety, Mark Bly, highlighted eight key failures that, in combination, led to the explosion.

BP said that both BP and Transocean staff incorrectly interpreted a safety test which should have flagged up risks of a blowout.

"Over a 40-minute period, the Transocean rig crew failed to recognise and act on the influx of hydrocarbons into the well" which eventually caused the explosion.

BP criticised the cementing of the well - carried out by Halliburton - and repeated previous criticism of the blowout preventer.

Among the other findings, the report said:

* There were "no indications" that Transocean had tested intervention systems at the surface, "as was

required by Transocean policy", before they were deployed on the well
    * "Improved engineering rigour, cement testing and communication of risk" by Halliburton could have identified flaws in cement design and testing, quality assurance and risk assessment
    * A Transocean rig crew and a team described as "mudloggers" working for Halliburton Sperry Sun may have been distracted by what are described as "end-of-well activities" and, as a result, important monitoring was not carried out for more than seven hours
    * Crew may have had more time to respond before the explosion if they had diverted escaping fluids overboard.

"To put it simply, there was a bad cement job and a failure of the shoe track barrier at the bottom of the well, which let hydrocarbons from the reservoir into the production casing," said outgoing chief executive Tony Hayward.

The Deepwater Horizon explosion according to BP

    *   19 April - 'Bad' cement pumped down casing to stop gas and oil leaking into welbore
    * 20 April - Gas and oil leak through shoe track barrier and float collar
    * 20 April - Tests carried out on the rig incorrectly suggest pressure is at a safe level
    * The crew do not recognise there is a major problem or act to control it until the hydrocarbons are flowing
   rapidly up the riser
    * The crew close the blowout preventer and diverter, routing oil and gas to the mud gas separator (MGS) system rather than diverting it overboard
    * The MGS is overwhelmed by the force of oil and gas which leaks into the rig's ventilation system
    * The heating, ventilation and air conditioning system is thought to have sent a gas-rich mixture into the engine rooms
    * 2149 local time There are two explosions, killing 11 men
    * April 21 - 22 - The BOP designed to work automatically failed to seal the well as control pods and cutter (blind sheer ram) were not working

Iran Agree to release US hiker on bail

2010-09-13T13:18:00.000+05:00

Tehran chief prosecutor Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi said Sarah Shourd, 32, would be freed when $500,000 (£325,000) bail was paid, and could leave the country.

A senior White House official described the Iranian statement as "hopeful".

Ms Shourd and two men, Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal, were detained near Iran's border with Iraq on 31 July 2009.

Their families say they crossed the poorly-demarcated border by mistake while hiking in the mountainous northern Iraqi region of Khormal.
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Officials in Tehran said they had "suspicious aims" and that they intended to put them on trial for espionage. But they are still being held without charge more than a year later at Evin prison in Tehran.

US officials have said the three - all graduates of the University of California, Berkeley - are completely innocent.

After seeing her in May, Ms Shourd's mother said she was being denied treatment for serious health problems, including a lump in her breast and precancerous cervical cells.

The three friends were all said to be undernourished and depressed after more than a year in virtual solitary confinement.
Indictment 'ready'

At a news conference in the Iranian capital on Sunday, Mr Jafari-Dolatabadi announced that he was prepared to release Ms Shourd. He had earlier blocked a plan backed by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to release her as a goodwill gesture.

"Based on reports and the approval of the relevant judge about the sickness of Ms Shourd, her detention was converted to $500,000, and if the bail is deposited she can be released," he told reporters.
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“Start Quote

The equipment and supplies they were carrying are only used for spying”

End Quote Abbas Jafari-Dolatabadi Tehran chief prosecutor

"She is not barred from leaving Iran," he added. "The other two detained American hikers will remain in jail."

The chief prosecutor said Ms Shourd's lawyer had been informed.

President Barack Obama's senior adviser, David Axelrod, voiced cautious optimism after the Iranian statement.

"Obviously we are hopeful and encouraged by this news but there have been starts and stops in this before and until that actually happens, we are on a wait-and-see basis," he told NBC.

The BBC's Middle East correspondent, Jon Leyne, says a number of people facing trial in Iran have taken the option of leaving the country and forfeiting their bail, rather than risk facing a long prison term.

Mr Jafari-Dolatabadi said an indictment against the three Americans had been issued and that their cases were ready to be submitted to a court.

There were "enough reasons to accuse the three of espionage", he said. Under Iranian law, it is an offence that can be punishable by death.

"It has been proven that they illegally entered through the border of Kordestan [province]. Also the equipment and supplies they were carrying are only used for spying," Mr Jafari-Dolatabadi was quoted by the Mehr news agency as saying.

The announcement came a day after Mr Jafari-Dolatabadi said he had objected to a plan announced by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to release Ms Shourd at the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan because legal procedures had "not been completed".

Reporters had been invited to a hotel in Tehran to witness her release on Saturday before it was announced that it had been postponed.

Our correspondent says that with all the recent twists and turns in this case, and the unpredictable mood of the Iranian authorities, Ms Shourd's family will be wary of getting excited about this latest offer.

US win World Basketball Championship

2010-09-13T13:04:00.000+05:00

The United States captured their first world championship basketball title since 1994 with a 81-64 victory over Turkey in Istanbul.

It was the Americans' fourth world crown and comes two years after they won the Olympic title in Beijing.

Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant shone once again with 28 points while Lamar Odom added 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Phoenix Suns forward Hedo Turkoglu led Turkey with 16 points, despite being hampered by a knee injury.

Turkoglu gave the fanatical home support something to cheer about with eight early points but after he departed, the home side found the going difficult and were 22-17 down at the end of the opening quarter.

The forward returned to the court in the second quarter with a knee brace on his right leg and with his movement affected and Durant lighting up the game, they were soon 42-32 down by the break.

Durant was on fire at the beginning of the second half with two three-pointers to see the US team's lead go out to 16 but Turkey, playing in their first final, attempted to work their way back into the game.

However, the US remained calm and continued picking their shots with a 61-48 margin going into the final quarter and they maintained their advantage to win back the gold.

"It was a great challenge for us," said US captain Chauncey Billups.

"We are a very young team and inexperienced, but we have been really close since the start of the tournament. Kevin Durant was huge. He was the best player of the tournament."

In the bronze medal match, Lithuania defeated Serbia 99-88.

US breakfast killing spree in Kentucky

2010-09-13T12:53:00.000+05:00

Stanley Neace, 47, went on the killing spree in a trailer park in Jackson, rural Breathitt County, Kentucky.

He chased his wife into a neighbouring trailer where he shot her, her daughter and three witnesses, reports say.

Police say they are looking into why Neace flew into such a wild rage; there are reports he was facing eviction.

State troopers found him dead at the porch of his trailer, slumped over his own gun.

The shooting happened during an argument with his wife Sandra, 54, after she brought him some eggs for breakfast, a relative of the neighbours he killed said.

Mrs Neace's daughter Sandra Strong, 28, was also killed.

The other victims were named as neighbours Dennis Turner, 31, Teresa Fugate, 30, and Tammy Kilborn, 40.

" Over eggs? I thought that was crazy. I mean just because his eggs weren't hot?”

Sherri Anne Robinson Victim's relative

Ms Fugate was shot in front of her seven-year-old daughter, whom Neace spared.

"Her daughter said, 'Please, please don't shoot me,' and he said, 'All right, you can leave,' and she ran out," Ms Fugate's sister Sherri Anne Robinson told the Associated Press.

Mrs Kiborn was another neighbour who stepped out onto her porch during the commotion, reports said.

Neace apparently waited an hour for the police to arrive before turning the gun on himself, police heard the shot as they drove up to the trailer.

Other neighbours had fled in terror during the rampage.

Breathitt County is Kentucky's rural eastern region, where gun ownership is widespread.

"Over eggs? I thought that was crazy. I mean just because his eggs weren't hot?" Ms Robinson said.

But Jackson police say there may be other factors that led to the shooting and they are still investigating.

The landlord of the Mount Carmel trailer park where Neace lived told reporters he had begun the process of evicting him because he had become hostile to neighbours in recent months.

"He was unpredictable, little things would set him off," Ray Rastegar told the Associated Press.

But County Sheriff Ray Clemons said he had known Neace for some years, and he did not have a bad record.

"He was a little hot sometimes, but we never had any major problems. Nothing like this."

Kanye West Runaway Lyrics

2010-09-13T12:13:00.000+05:00

Although the big story of the 2010 MTV VMA show seems to be Taylor Swift‘s new song, “Innocent,” Kanye West closed the show with a new song of his own. In the video below, you can see Kanye showing off his keyboard skills and performing “Runaway” with Pusha T.

The new Kanye West VMA 2010 song seemed to come out of Kanye‘s reflection on his own flaws, given the opening lyrics -”I always find something wrong, you’ve been putting up with my sh*t just way too long; I’m so gifted at finding what I don’t like the most, so I think it’s time for us to have a toast – let’s have a toast for the d****ebags, let’s have a toast for the a**holes…”

Lady Gaga Meat Dress

2010-09-13T12:04:00.000+05:00

Lady Gaga looked almost conservative when she accepted the "Video of the Year" award for "Bad Romance" at the MTV Video Music Awards Sunday night. But when she remarked "I never thought I'd be asking Cher to hold my meat purse," we realized what her get-up (dress, hat, shoes, and purse) was actually made of. Earlier this month, Gaga wore a meat bikini for the cover of Vogue Hommes Japan. @GagaDaily reports the dress was made by Franc Fernandez.

Taylor Swift Innocent Lyrics

2010-09-13T11:55:00.000+05:00

NEW YORK (CBS/AP) Taylor Swift took to the stage at Sunday's Video Music Awards with something to say - and this time, no one interrupted her.

The 20-year-old delivered a poignant ode that referenced her run-in with Kanye West at last year's show.

Her performance began with a video montage of the debacle and then she went on to sing about last year's incident, when he hijacked her VMA acceptance speech to announce that fellow nominee Beyonce should have won.

The song's lyrics included the line: "Who you are is not what you did." She also said: "32 is still growing up now ... you're still an innocent."

"Everyone of us has messed up, too," she sang. "I hope you remember today is never too late to be brand new."

The song, titled "Innocent," will appear on her upcoming album, "Speak," due in October.

West also performed on Sunday night. While he didn't address the trophy-gate incident directly, he rapped and sang a song that mocked the boorish behavior that has upstaged his music.

"I always find something wrong; you've been putting up with my (expletive) for too long," he said, before launching into the unprintable chorus, which included the line, "Let's have a toast to scumbags."

Who Did Maino Kidnap

2010-09-13T11:46:00.000+05:00

Your love for the quasi-documentary series “World of Jenks” will depend on your ability to tolerate its star.

Filmmaker Andrew Jenks, 24, staked a claim to minor fame when he moved into an assisted living residence for the 2006 documentary “Andrew Jenks, Room 335.”

Now MTV has given him a series in which he bunks with somebody new for a week to see how they live.

“That’s how I learn and develop as a person,” he says.

In last night’s “sneak peek” after the MTV Video Music Awards, he took an explosive ride with rapper Maino, who served 10 years in jail for kidnapping and bears a scar across his face from a razor attack. (MTV re-airs the episode tonight at 10:30.)

“I wanna wake up almost dead. That’s how I party.”

He wasn’t kidding. At one point, irritated, Maino slapped Jenks repeatedly and choked him.

The drawback to the half-hour format is that it compresses too much story. MTV’s superior, hourlong “True Life” has been revealing compelling portraits of the odd or disenfranchised for years.

In tonight’s episode, “Can’t Make Me Be,” Jenks rooms with a 20-year-old with autism. MTV did not make that episode available for review, but an upcoming episode illustrates the show’s flaws.

In “Street Queen,” he trails a 20-something San Francisco woman named Danielle who has been homeless - she prefers the term “houseless” - since she was 13.

You think Maino is tough, watch how Danielle’s fellow street denizens react to Jenks’ cameras.

Atop the Golden Gate Bridge, Jenks asks, “What is the meaning of life?”

“Sheesh. To live,” Danielle responds.

To further understand her, Jenks accompanies her to Oregon, where her parents live with Danielle’s younger siblings. Danielle believes that by retrieving her social security card, she’ll be able to get a job.

“I want to give back for taking so much,” she says.

Just who might hire someone without apparently even a junior high school education is unclear.

And there’s only so much street life Jenks is willing to endure.

Tired of trying to hitchhike, he calls in the MTV production van to drive the two.

“I think she does better by herself,” Danielle’s mother tells Jenks, oblivious to the damage she’s caused. Suddenly Danielle’s choices seem the most life-affirming.

As Maino says, “Sometimes you gotta go through hell to get heaven.”

In this show, sometimes you have to sit through blather to learn some heart-rending insights.

How Old Is Cher

2010-09-13T11:39:00.000+05:00

Her outfit may have left mouths agape on the red carpet but serial pop shocker Lady Gaga was in for a surprise of her own at the MTV Video Music Awards in Los Angeles today when she came face-to-face with mega-diva Cher.

Gaga went a bit ga-ga when the 64-year-old Grammy winner walked on stage - dressed in her infamous If I Could Turn Back Time see-through bodysuit - to present her with an award for Bad Romance.

"I never thought I'd be asking Cher to hold my meat purse," Gaga said as she handed Cher her handbag.
In all, the 24-year-old singer, real-name Sefani Germanotta, bagged eight Video Music Awards from a record 13 nominations.

She overshadowed country starlet Taylor Swift to claim the first prize, barely managing to get across the stage in her elaborate costume: a flowing multi-layered dress and towering animal skin heels. She later changed into a short, bottom-baring number that looked like layers of flesh. She also appeared to have a raw steak balancing on her head.

Her single Bad Romance won best female video, beating a field that included Swift's Fifteen.

"Tonight, little monsters, we are the cool kids at the party," Lady Gaga said, using her term of affection for her fans.

But Swift did manage to steal back the spotlight when she took to the stage to sing a song about her 2009 awards run-in with microphone-grabbing rapper Kanye West.

The country starlet had promised a get-square with West and delivered in the form of a ballad including the none-too-subtle lyrics: "Thirty-two and still growing up/Lost your balance on the tightrope/It's never too late to get back."

The song has been interpreted as a peace offering to West, who also took to the stage to perform. Rihanna and Eminem, who was up for eight awards, opened the show with a medley of songs.

----------------
Grudge match: Taylor Swift to take on Kanye
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Gaga also won best dance music video for Bad Romance, and best collaboration for Telephone, featuring Beyonce.

The ceremony's second award, best rock video, went to actor Jared Leto's rock band 30 Seconds to Mars and its clip for Kings and Queens.

Award presentations at the MTV awards are often little more than distractions from the performances. Canadian teen pop idol Justin Bieber raised the decibel level to ear-splitting as he performed on an outdoor stage for legions of screaming female fans.

Beforehand, host Chelsea Handler got in a few jabs at the 16-year-old's expense. "Imagine how good his music will be when he sees a vagina," she said.

Handler, who also implored winners to be on their worst behaviour, wasted little time reminding the audience of last year's big controversy, when West interrupted Swift's acceptance speech.

She described the issue as "the big black elephant in the room".

MTV, owned by Viacom, will probably be the night's big winner. Last year's ceremony drew 9 million viewers, a 6 per cent increase over 2008 and the largest turnout since 2004.

US Open Final Time

2010-09-12T21:21:00.000+05:00

Kim Clijsters is the Queen of the U.S. Open.

Clijsters crushed seventh-seeded Vera Zvonareva, 6-2, 6-1, in last night's final at Arthur Ashe Stadium to take home her second straight Open title. The mauling took just 59 minutes, as the second-seeded Clijsters played solidly while Zvonareva was an inaccurate mess of mistakes.

The Belgian has won the title in her past three appearances. She won the Open in 2005 and then did not play from 2006-2008 as she took off 28 months to have a baby and get away from the sport. She has won her last 21 Open matches and became the first woman to win the Open in three straight appearances since Chris Evert from 1975-78.

Clijsters' victory made it 15 straight years in which the women's final in Flushing Meadows has been a straight-set affair. The last time the women played three sets for the championship was 1995, when Steffi Graf battled past Monica Seles.

The triumph ended Zvonareva's two-match winning streak against Clijsters. Zvonareva had toppled Clijsters in the Wimbledon quarters this summer, a loss that last night Clijsters ranked among her most crushing, and beaten her on a hardcourt at the recent tournament in Montreal.

"In a way, I was excited to play her in the final here just to try and get that revenge, but I also learned lot of things," Clijsters said. "My coach, by watching me lose against her, we picked up a few little things that kind of helped me out [last night] as well, which was kind of mixing up my game a little more."

Clijsters, whose three U.S. Open crowns are her only Grand Slam titles, talked last night about this year was the first time she had the opportunity to defend her title. She succeeded.

"She didn't really give me chances to get into the match," Zvonareva said. "I was ready to play. I knew what I had to do. I just couldn't produce anything."

The sixth game of the second set was evidence. Clijsters drilled a crosscourt forehand passing shot for a winner and a forehand passing shot down the line for another. Zvonareva also double-faulted twice, handing Clijsters a break.

Overall, Zvonareva committed 24 unforced errors and double-faulted four times.

With no Serena Williams in the tournament, Clijsters did not have to beat the world's top player. But did beat No. 3 Venus Williams in the semifinals, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4, and she won a quarterfinal battle with No. 5 Samantha Stosur, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3.

In the first set last night, Clijsters broke Zvonareva to go up 4-2 and broke again two games later to capture the set.

The fans exhorted Zvonareva, clearly wanting to see a more competitive final. But facing a break point at 3-1 in the second, Clijsters delivered a 97-mph ace and held to go up 4-1. The championship clincher came on a forehand winner.

For Clijsters, it was part repeat and part revenge.

XDA

2010-09-12T21:10:00.000+05:00

XDA dev team explains root method 150x150 XDA dev team explains root methodOnly two weeks after the launch of smartphone, the XDA Dev team managed to root the Droid 2 of Motorola.

The root method in the device needs a fair amount of familiarity with ADB in order to run (future) custom ROMs.

“This is needed to install custom ROMs, which as of now, there are none. That means you won’t be able to install any third-party Android ROMs on your rooted Droid 2… [Yes], they will be on their way at some point, but right now, the main appeal to rooting the Droid 2 right now is to use root-only applications, and remove the bloatware that Verizon has thrown on the device.”

Well, the XDA Dev team recommended that rooters refrain from removing the bloatware of Verizon till a working custom recovery is achieved or the SBF file is coded and is available.

Rooting information and instructions can be accessed from the Internet, but rooting voids the handset’s terms like warranty and the service contract. So, one should proceed at their own risk.

Chicago Half Marathon

2010-09-12T20:52:00.000+05:00

CHICAGO, IL - On Sunday, September 12, 2010 20,500 runners hit the streets for the sold out 14th Annual Chicago Half Marathon & 5K, Chicago's original half marathon and one of the largest half marathons in the country, beginning and ending in Jackson Park.

MALE WINNERS - Boston native Nathan Krah, age 24, won the race with a time of 1 hour, 7 minutes, 11 seconds. The male runner up was David Jankowski, 25, from Blowing Rock, North Carolina with a time of 1 hour, 7 minutes, 48 seconds. Cicero native Emisael Favela, 33, came in third place with a time of 1 hour, 8 minutes and 16 seconds.

"This was my first time running the Chicago Half Marathon and my personal best for a half-marathon," said winner Krah. "I ran the Boston Marathon in April and am training for the Chicago Marathon. This was a good opportunity to get to know the city and terrain. The course was great and we couldn't have asked for better weather."

FEMALE WINNERS - The female winner was Andrea Pomaranski from Farmington Hills, Michigan at 1 hour, 13 minutes, 15 seconds and the female runner up was Renee High from Virginia Beach, Virginia at 1 hour, 17 minutes, 48 seconds. Chicago native Erin Moffett came in third with a time of 1 hour, 19 minutes, 9 seconds.

"This is the first big half marathon I have run and my best half marathon time," said Pomaranski, female winner. It's a beautiful course, nice and flat, with the lake and skyline in the background."

Runners of the race enjoyed a beautiful half-marathon course along Lake Shore Drive, with views of the iconic Chicago skyline, entertainment from more than 15 different groups and the benefit of Gatorade Endurance aide stations.

US Road Sports & Entertainment Group US Road Sports & Entertainment Group is a health and wellness company dedicated to the production of world-class endurance events. The mission of US Road Sports is to offer an unparalleled participant sports experience that showcases host communities and endures as a deeply valued local asset through events that are a part of the city's culture, identity and brand. For each participant, US Road Sports strives to offer events that allow participants of all skill levels the opportunity to improve their physical and mental health and accomplish life-altering goals while having fun. US Road Sports provides sponsors and municipalities highly effective exposure to help maximize their presence and message in the community.

Unemployment Ohio

2010-09-12T20:40:00.000+05:00

For every positive sign on Ohio’s job front, there’s another equally discouraging indicator showing that the state’s labor market remains mired in a 10-year recession.

Take data released Thursday regarding new unemployment claims. The latest four-week moving average, during the first week of September, showed that the number of first-time claims in Ohio was 11,157, a drop of 29 percent from a year earlier.

The decline continues a pattern that began at the end of last year, said George Zeller, an economist who has done work for local governments in the Cleveland area.

But looking back further, claims are running at nearly twice the rate of 1999, when the state last achieved significant job growth. And the rate is about a third higher than the reading in August 2000 on the eve of a recession, he said.

“The fact is that we’re better than last year,” he said. “But, on the other hand, (last year) was the worst year in decades. Does it mean the economy is growing again? Definitely not.”

Zeller said that when the state is achieving solid job growth, new unemployment claims should total about 6,000 a week.

Bill LaFayette, the Columbus Chamber’s vice president for economic analysis, agrees with Zeller that job growth has been weak coming out of the recession.

“We are recovering,” he said. “We are not recovered.”

Nationally, economic growth slowed during the summer. Projections foresee the economy picking up in 2011, but not by much.

“It will generate jobs,” LaFayette said. “It won’t generate a lot of jobs.”

Zeller figures that even the estimates that Ohio has created 48,400 jobs in the first seven months of this year will be revised lower.

“I’m not sure Ohio has gained any jobs this year,” he said.

Ohio’s jobs picture has been bleak for a decade. Even when the economy was stronger, job creation in the state was mostly flat.

The number of workers in Ohio topped 5.6 million in 2001. Today, it is barely 5 million.

Since the recession began in December 2007, Ohio has lost 376,500 jobs, or 6.9 percent of its total.

July was the first month in 14 years in which job creation in Ohio topped the national average on a percentage basis, a preliminary figure that Zeller fears will be revised lower.

Nearly every part of the state has been hurt by job losses, even Ohio’s most-rapidly growing counties.

Zeller said 82 of Ohio’s 88 counties have levels of unemployment claims exceeding their 1999 job-growth levels.

The six exceptions are rural counties in northwestern and southeastern Ohio.

The six counties with the worst elevated levels are Delaware and Union counties in central Ohio, Warren and Butler counties near Cincinnati, Medina County near Cleveland and Paulding County in northwestern Ohio. All except Paulding are growing suburban counties that have been hurt by job losses in nearby urban areas, Zeller said.

Columbus has been the hardest-hit city in terms of elevated new unemployment claims, followed by Cincinnati.

LaFayette has said that manufacturing employment in central Ohio has been weak compared with other parts of the state. Areas such as Cleveland, Akron and Toledo have reported growth in manufacturing employment exceeding the national average.

Zeller compared the overall decline in new unemployment claims to a college football team that kicks a field goal to cut the other team’s lead from 42-0 to 42-3.

Yes, the score is an improvement, he said. “But we’re still losing.”

Hurricane Igor

2010-09-12T20:30:00.000+05:00

MIAMI, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Hurricane Igor strengthened over the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday but posed no immediate threat to land or energy interests.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Igor, located about 1,145 miles (1,840 km) east of the Caribbean's northern Leeward Islands, was now a Category 2 storm on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity.

It was churning toward the west with top sustained winds of 105 miles (165 km) per hour, the Miami-based hurricane center said.

Ironman Wisconsin

2010-09-12T20:23:00.000+05:00

Ask Hillary Biscay why she loves to compete in Ironman Wisconsin and she’ll provide a litany of answers.

Biscay loves the people she stays with each year. She enjoys the unique support competitors receive from the thousands of area citizens who ring the bike and run courses. And she loves the challenges that make this event one of the most difficult of all the Ironman venues.

No wonder Biscay has a victory, two second-place finishes and a third-place finish in four trips to the Ironman Wisconsin.

“I’ve had four years in a row of good days here in Madison so I kind of expect to have a good day when I come here,” said the 32-year-old professional triathlete from Tucson, Ariz., who is a favorite to win the women’s race again Sunday. “I love this race. I really look forward to it.”

It’s hard to overlook all the challenges Wisconsin’s swim, bike and run courses present to the 2,500 competitors during this Ironman competition that is in its ninth year.

A recent analysis in runtri.com ranked the layout the second-toughest of the 25 Ironman courses worldwide. Based on average finish times of the competitors, only the Ironman St. George, Utah, had a higher time than Wisconsin’s average of 13 hours, 16 minutes.

Remarkably, the analysis showed Wisconsin’s bike course ranked the least toughest of its three courses. The 26.2-mile run course was third-toughest overall in the world, the 2.4-mile swim course was sixth overall and the 112-mile bike course was seventh overall.

Competitors such as Biscay said those numbers don’t tell the real story.

“This bike course is the most challenging of the three disciplines here and it is uniquely challenging compared to other courses on the circuit,” said Biscay, who has competed in more than 45 Ironman competitions around the world. “The hills are just relentless. There’s hardly a flat section to this course. You hit the hills five miles into the course and you’re not finished with them until Mile 107 or 108. The continuous rolling hills make this bike course especially challenging. That, to me, is what stands out.”

Eric Bean, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Wisconsin who competes professionally in Ironmans, said the bike course is what defines the Wisconsin event. “The good thing is that the most challenging parts of the course — there are some major climbs — they resemble the Tour de France because of the crowd support there,” he said. “So you feel the crowd power you up the hills.”

The run course offers some unique challenges because of all the turns, which are brutal on tired legs. “There are two loops and there are four 180-degree turns per loop,” Bean said.

But just because its average time is impressively high doesn’t mean it’s a difficult route.

“It’s a slow run, which is different than a hard run,” Biscay said. “It’s a slow run because they have taken the time to route us in front of the spectators so many times — you go up and down State Street twice per loop, you do a lap in the football stadium. That’s all very cool and makes for an awesome running experience but it makes the course slow.”

Despite the greenish tint of Lake Monona, many Ironman competitors give it high marks for cleanliness. But Gina Crawford, a 29-year-old pro from New Zealand who won here in 2007, missed last year’s event because she got sick just prior to the start. She hasn’t ruled out swimming through blue-green algae during a practice swim as a cause for making her sick.

But race director Ryan Richards said there were no blue-green algae counts from the five water-quality tests taken three days prior to the race and the day of the race. And the bacteria counts in the lake taken Friday were extremely low, he added.

Bean and Biscay said they compete in much worse swimming environments. “Coming from Louisville a couple weeks ago, we swam in the river right there and there were some very interesting smells during that swim,” Bean said. “I would say that’s a grosser swim. I feel very comfortable swimming in Lake Monona.”

Professor Layton And The Unwound Future Rom

2010-09-12T20:11:00.000+05:00

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future is a unique puzzle adventure for Nintendo DS and DSi in which the player reveals the game’s story and unravels its mystery little by little with each puzzle successfully solved. The third US release in the popular Professor Layton game franchise, Unwound Future contains the same addictive gameplay, hand-painted art style graphics and invocative music as its two predecessors, making it a must-have title for both new puzzle players and longtime fans of the series. Additional features include: 165 built-in puzzles, easy to use hint and game save systems and additional puzzles available for download on a weekly basis for a limited time following game launch.

Story

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future places the professor and his trusted apprentice Luke at the center of a spellbinding adventure after they receive a strange letter – sent by Luke 10 years in the future. According to this message something is askew in the days to come. The London of the future is in chaos and disarray, and according to Luke, the only person who can help set things right is Professor Layton.
Luke and the Professor discovering that time travel has something to do with this adventure in Professor Layton and the Unwound Future
An all-new Professor Layton puzzle adventure that mixes in the prospect of time travel.

Gameplay

Like all games in the Professor Layton series Professor Layton and the Unwound Future is a single player puzzle adventure. Puzzles are essentially brainteasers touching on a large variety of puzzle types, including spatial orientation, logic, riddles and many more. The game’s story reveals itself as the player successfully solves a minimum number of puzzles that she/he faces using the DS stylus to move throughout the game’s hand-drawn style game environments. Success at puzzle solving earns the player in-game coins. A certain number of coins can also found by simply exploring the game environment. Players are given multiple chances to solve puzzles and when stuck can choose to spend coins in order to buy hints. The game keeps track of puzzles found, puzzles solved, the player’s score and playing time, and features easy-to-use save functionality, a journal for note keeping and an area to save items found for later use. In addition to the game’s 165 built-in puzzles, additional puzzles will be available for download on a weekly basis for a limited time after game launch.
Key Game Features

    * More than 165 new puzzles weave seamlessly into the storyline, challenging player with fun, brain-teasing logic puzzles and riddles, and even new types of puzzles
    * This game features significantly more hand-drawn animated sequences and voice acting than the previous installment of the series
    * Players who are still stumped with a puzzle after three subtle hints can select the new “superhint” option to point them toward a solution
    * As with previous incarnations in the franchise, weekly downloadable puzzles will be available after launch for a limited time
    * A large cast of eccentric non-player characters, as well as an invocative soundtrack designed to match the varied game environments and gameplay

Grandparents Day 2010

2010-09-12T19:49:00.000+05:00

Grandparents Day 2010: Happy Grandparents Day 2010 Greetings and Wishes – Today, September 12, 2010 is the National Grandparents Day in the United States. It is celebrated in the first Sunday after Labor Day.

In the United States, Marian McQuade of Oak Hill, West, Virginia has been recognized by the US Senate as the founder of National Grandparents Day. McQuade made it her goal to educate the youth in the community about the important contributions seniors have made throughout history. She also urged the youth to “adopt” a grandparent, not just for one day a year, but rather for a lifetime.

The history of Grandparents Day as a national holiday in the US dates back in 1973 when Senator Jennings Randolph of West Virginia introduced a resolution to the Senate. Upon the urging of Marian McQuade, West Virginia’s Governor Arch Moore proclaimed an annual Grandparents Day for the state. However, Senator Randolph’s proposed resolution in the Senate died. Since McQuade was very eager about his proposal to make Grandparents Day as a national holiday, she organized supporters and began contacting governors, senators, and congressmen in all fifty states urging them to proclaim their own Grandparents Day in their respective states. Within three years, she had received Grandparents Day proclamations from forty-three states of which she sent copies to Senator Randolph.

With the concurrence of many other senators, Senator Randolph introduced a Joint Resolution to the Senate requesting the President to “issue annually a proclamation designating the first Sunday of September after Labor Day of each year as ‘National Grandparents Day’.” Congress passed it and on August 3, 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed the proclamation declaring the first Sunday of September after Labor Day of each year as ‘National Grandparents Day’ to honor grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children’s children, and to help children become aware of strength, information, and guidance older people can offer.

As we celebrate Grandparents Day 2010 today, we should greet our grandparents and thank them for bringing our parents into this world for without them we’ll not be here today. You can give them flowers coupled with a kiss as a sign of love and respect. You may bring your grandparents to a ballroom party or to a beach or anywhere that your family loves to be. The important thing is, you let them feel your love and care to them so that when time came that they will be resting in peace, they’ll be resting along with your love.

Since today is Grandparents Day 2010 celebration, here are some of the best Grandparents Day quotes and greetings that we gathered to greet your grandparents a Happy Grandparents Day!

“Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.” ~Alex Haley

“It’s such a grand thing to be a mother of a mother – that’s why the world calls her grandmother. :

“To become a grandparent is to enjoy one of the few pleasures in life for which the consequences have already been paid.” ~Robert Brault

“A grandfather is someone with silver in his hair and gold in his heart.”

“A mother becomes a true grandmother the day she stops noticing the terrible things her children do because she is so enchanted with the wonderful things her grandchildren do.” ~Lois Wyse

“Becoming a grandmother is wonderful. One moment you’re just a mother. The next you are all-wise and prehistoric.” ~Pam Brown

In addition to the above Grandparents Day quotes, here is a Grandparents Day video from Youtube in celebration of today’s Grandparents Day 2010:

Sex movie worm spreads worldwide

2010-09-12T16:27:00.000+05:00

Some variants of the Windows worm contain a link to PDF that a recipient has been told to expect.

Those clicking on the link get neither movies nor documents but give the malware access to their entire Outlook address book.

When installed, the worm sends copies of itself to every e-mail address it can find.

The malicious e-mail messages have a subject line saying "Here you have" and contain a weblink that looks like it connects to a PDF document. Instead it actually links to a website hosting the malware.

Once it is installed, the worm tries to delete security software so it remains undetected.

As well as spreading via e-mail, the worm also tries to find victims by looking for open net links from infected PCs and exploiting the Windows Autorun feature on USB drives and other attached media.

Although not widespread, reports suggest that some corporations were hit hard by it. Nasa, AIG, Disney, Procter & Gamble and Wells Fargo were all reported as struggling to contain an outbreak of the worm.

At these firms, e-mail inboxes were flooded with hundreds of copies of the e-mail messages bearing the malicious link.

Efforts to contain the virus were aided late on 9 September when the website hosting the worm was shut down. However, security firms expect new variants of the worm to turn up.

Security firm Kaspersky said the worm had some similarities to viruses such as the ILoveYou bug by exploiting Outlook address books.

"The difference with those earlier attacks is that the e-mails typically carried the malicious file itself and didn't rely on a link to a downloading site," wrote Dennis Fisher in an analysis on the Kaspersky Threat Post blog.

"But the technique used to entice users to click on the attachment or malicious link is the same: offer the user something he wants to see," he wrote.

Cyrus Cylinder (Artifact) Reached Iran

2010-09-12T16:10:00.000+05:00

The British Museum has settled a dispute with Iran's national museum over the loan of ancient Persian treasure the Cyrus Cylinder.

In February, the museum in Tehran said it would cut all ties with its British counterpart in protest at a decision to delay an agreed loan of the artefact.

But officials in Tehran now say the 2,500-year-old cylinder has arrived "under special security".

The piece, discovered in Iraq in 1879, will be displayed for four months.

Persian king Cyrus ordered the cylinder to be made following the conquest of Babylon.
Historians regard it as the world's first declaration of human rights and it is valued by people around the world as a symbol of tolerance and respect for different peoples and faiths.

Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum, said: "You could almost say that the Cyrus Cylinder is a history of the Middle East in one object.

"It is a link to a past which we all share and to a key moment in history that has shaped the world around us."

The artefact was last displayed in Iran 40 years ago.

In September, the British Museum said it would have to delay handing over of the cylinder due to unspecified "practicalities".

Iran's cultural heritage spokesman Hamid Baghai told Reuters news agency at the time that the organisation had cut all its relations with the British Museum and would no longer co-operate with British officials.

Baroness Helen Kennedy QC, a human rights lawyer and trustee of the British Museum, said: "It is absolutely right that the British Museum fulfils its promise to loan it to the museum in Tehran.

"Art and culture can sustain relationships between the people of nations even when diplomacy is strained."