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Reviews: 'I Am Number Four,' 'Unknown'

2011-02-18T21:15:00.000-05:00

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- This rainy weekend makes it a good time to go to the movies. New at theaters are a sci-fi mixed with romance and a mystery mixed with action.

In "Unknown," Liam Neeson believes he's married to January Jones. But after being in an accident and then in a coma, his life is suddenly not making sense. Plus, someone would like to see him dead.

"Unknown" also features Diane Kruger, who teams up with Neeson to help solve the mystery before she becomes one of its casualties.

The action is done well and it keeps the movie moving at a fast pace. You will likely figure out the intentions of a couple of characters, but I don't think you'll be able to unravel the real mystery until it's unraveling on screen. It's a good surprise.

And that's what keeps you interested in watching, being able to guess along the way.
This is not a perfect movie. There is a formulaic feel to it, but Neeson's intensity as a man who wants answers and will stop at nothing to get them makes "Unknown" a better movie.

In "I Am Number Four," Alex Pettyfer plays a high school student who finally feels at home. But he's actually very far from home. He's here from another planet and some evil forces want him dead!

They've already killed three, and he is next on the list.

When I first saw a trailer for this movie weeks ago, I thought it looked awful. In this case, don't judge a book by its cover. The film really surprised me.

On one hand, it's a sci-fi flick, complete with monsters and mayhem. On another hand, it's a sweet romance between two teenagers falling in love. And on his hands, it's a mystery thriller.

The film's cast - Alex Pettyfer, Dianna Agron, Teresa Palmer and Timothy Olyphant -
are all engaging to watch.
On paper, the idea of this film seems silly. On the screen, it's pure popcorn.

"I Am Number Four" is aimed at the younger set, while "Unknown" is more for the adults in the household. But both should entertain you. Just don't expect either to be on your top 10 list at the end of the year.

Source: http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/hollywood_wrap&id=7967810

The Bassmaster Classic 2011 Gets Started

2011-02-18T21:12:00.000-05:00

The Bassmaster Classic 2011 starts today, giving us the opportunity to watch 50 of the best people in freshwater fishing competing during the three days of the event. For this year, the Bassmaster Classic moves to New Orleans, and the boats will be launching from Bayou Segnette State Park.

This angling competition will have the top prize of $500,000, so anglers will need to be prepared for some tough competition. The vent will be watched closely by thousands of spectators in site; people will also be able to attend the Classic Outdoor Expo held at Ernest Memorial Convention center.

Competitors in the Bassmaster Classic 2011 reach the event by qualifying to it. Each pro tournament they win will gather points that will dictate whether they qualify for this competition or not. You could spend many years trying to enter and never make it. Others, like Gary Klein, have years appearing in the tournament thanks to their skills. And well, winning is a whole other thing.

The Bass Master Classic was won last year by Kevin VanDam.

Source: http://toppayingideas.com/blog/2011/02/18/the-bassmaster-classic-2011-gets-started/

'Apollo 18' Trailer Hits Web

2011-02-18T21:10:00.002-05:00

Sci-Fi fans will be busy this weekend discussing the just-released trailer for Apollo 18. The anticipated teaser for the forthcoming film features lots of inferred alien action and has a horror film feel.

Directed by Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego, the movie centers on a secret 1973 NASA lunar mission funded by the U.S. Department of Defense. Apollo 18 was originally set for a March 4th, 2011 release. Now, The Weinstein Company's Dimension Films will debut the Timur Bekmambetov-produced film April 22nd, 2011. Bob Weinstein was sold on partially financing film after Bekmambetov showed Weinstein footage that supposedly was shot by the crew of Apollo 18. NASA has repeatedly said Apollo 18 never happened but some believe to this day the Department of Defense and NASA managed to launch a covert mission to the moon in the early 1970s (there is also this official page from NASA regarding Apollo 18, 19 and 20).

The moon-centric movie isn't the only tangentially dealing with the paranormal clip bowing today. Earlier Friday, a new teaser for Source Code (directed by Duncan Jones, who helmed Moon, ironically) dropped, augmenting a longer trailer that was released last year. The Jake Gyllenhaalvehicle explores a secret government project called "Source Code" that allows Gyllenhaal's character to project his consciousness into the body of a dead man during the last eight minutes of the person's life.

Source: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/heat-vision/apollo-18-trailer-hits-web-101599

Jump ball: Has NBA All-Star Weekend lost its luster?

2011-02-18T21:09:00.000-05:00

By Washington Post sports editors

As announced Thursday night, Wizards rookie John Wall will be participating in the NBA Skills Challenge as part of this weekend's all-star festivities. Fellow rookie Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers, will be taking part in Saturday night's dunk contest, along with the Wizards' Javale McGee.

The performance of both rookies will be widely anticipated, but does the NBA All-Star Weekend enjoy the same buzz it did when Michael Jordan was winning the dunk contest and Larry Bird was winning the three-point contest? Is the new generation of stars even more electrifying? Or has the saturation of highlight shows throughout the rest of the year made this just another sideshow?

Source: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/wizardsinsider/2011/02/jump-ball-has-nba-all-star-wee.html

Karen Sypher sentenced to 7 years for extorting Rick Pitino

2011-02-18T21:08:00.000-05:00

U.S. District Judge Charles R. Simpson III also ordered Sypher, 50, to serve two years of supervised release. He told Sypher to have no contact with Pitino or his family during her release.

Simpson called Sypher's crime a "serious offense."

"It was brazen," the judge said. "It was driven apparently by sheer greed."

Government prosecutors have asked that Sypher to be taken into custody immediately, arguing that she is a danger to witnesses because she has made allegations of child abuse against her ex-husband, Tim Sypher, who works with Pitino.

Over the objections of a Courier-Journal reporter, Simpson has closed the hearing so that prosecutors could put on witnesses to the child abuse claims.

After the sentence Sypher dabbed tears from her eyes and spoke only briefly, thanking her legal team for "at least allowing some of the evidence" to be heard Friday, including testimony from her son and an investigator.

Sypher's attorney, David Nolan Sr. of Washington, argued during sentencing that his client is the victim, not the victimizer. He argued for leniency, saying Sypher had no criminal record.

Sypher's son Jacob Wise said after the sentencing that he was "devastated."

"It's like a nightmare I can't wake up from," Wise said, calling the sentence "absolutely absurd. We never had a fair trial."

Sypher was convicted after an eight-day trial in August of lying to the FBI, retaliating against a witness and extortion for trying to force Pitino to give her money and other items in exchange for her silence on her allegations that he raped her twice in 2003, including once at a Louisville restaurant.

She didn't report the alleged rapes until six years later, after she was charged with extortion, and Commonwealth's Attorney Dave Stengel later ruled that her allegations were without merit. Pitino acknowledged he had sex once with Sypher, at the Porcini restaurant, but said it was consensual.

The maximum sentence on those charges was 26 years, but under federal sentencing guidelines, criminal defense lawyers predicted she would be sentenced to between five and 10 years. There is no parole for federal offenses.

Sypher's sentencing was delayed twice as her new defense team filed motions for a new trial, claiming that Simpson, the prosecution and Sypher's trial counsel, James Earhart, who she fired after her conviction, conspired against her to protect Pitino's reputation.

Simpson and a federal appeals court denied the motions, saying they could be raised when she appeals her conviction.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Kuhn Jr. and Marisa Ford denied her allegations, saying her trial was fair and that her motions were designed only to delay her incarceration.

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/mensbasketball/bigeast/2011-02-18-karen-sypher-sentencing_N.htm

2011 NBA Celebrity Game Roster:

2011-02-18T21:06:00.000-05:00

The 2011 BBVA Celebrity Game tips off at 7 PM Eastern Friday on ESPN, a precursor to the terrible basketball to follow all weekend. The NBA has mixed things up this season, allowing two general managers -- ESPN.com scribe and best-selling author Bill Simmons and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel -- to pick teams. Eric Freeman of Ball Don't Lie, a gentleman with an astute eye for what's important in basketball, listened to Simmons' Thursday podcast in order to jot down the GMs' respective rosters.

Simmons took the immortal Michael Rapaport, a Celebrity Game Hall-of-Famer if there ever was one, Joel McHale and either U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan or actor Armie Hammer. (Seriously, no one knows.) His NBA legends include Scottie Pippen, Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond, three excellent players who haven't hit 50. Kimmel fights back with Jalen Rose, Rick Fox and A.C. Green. Needless to say, this is not a fair fight.

But Kimmel has the almighty Justin Bieber, blockbuster performer who happens to be a 16-year-old Canadian. Other celebrities on Kimmel's roster include Rob Kardashian, Zach Levi and Lil' Romeo. Arguably, one could include Fox among the celebrities instead of the athletes. Such are the mindbenders involved with the NBA Celebrity Game!

Bill Walton will coach Simmons' team, while Magic Johnson will coach the Kimmels. Ty Burrell and Jason Alexander will serve as hecklers of some sort. Swin Cash and Tamika Catchings will be the actual best players on the court. Basketball!

Source: http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2011/2/18/2001396/2011-nba-celebrity-game-roster-justin-bieber

Tertiary pass rates unlikely to be manipulated - TEC

2011-02-17T23:15:00.000-05:00

Performance-linked tertiary education funding is unlikely to tempt universities and polytechnics to manipulate their pass rates by accepting lower quality work from students, says the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC).

"The whole idea is not to be punitive with this," TEC chief executive Roy Sharp told parliament's education select committee yesterday.

"We're not talking about pulling out large amounts of money".

The TEC was setting weighted thresholds - if an institution's pass rate was above the threshold set for it, no money would be taken away. If it was below a particularly low threshold, 5% of government funding would be removed.

But Sharp noted that the thresholds had been drawn up on the basis of results for 2009, and he expected that 2011 figures "will be somewhat improved".

Tertiary educators would be making their own evaluations.

The TEC did not expect 100% pass rates, but in some courses in some institutions, the pass rates were too low.

Universities and polytechnics were unlikely to lower their standards because they would lose credibility in the education market, and there would also be outside reviews to look at how standards were maintained.

"The combination of the reputational aspect and quality assurance aspects protect us," he said.

He said Maori and Pacific Island students had lower pass rates than the general student population.

The TEC's new chairman, Sir Wira Gardiner, said he was particularly concerned about Maori and Pacific Island students.

Qualification completion rates for the past five years showed women generally had much better completion rates than men, TEC director of policy advice Susan Shipley said.

Of the Maori women who started fulltime study in 2005, 62% had completed a qualification by 2009, and for Maori men the figure was 57%. The comparable rates for all domestic students were 76% for women and 69% for men.

On enrolment rates, Shipley said there was a trend for students to apply to several institutions at once.

"In the past couple of years although it has been tight, there haven't been a lot of people turned away from fulltime study," she said.

The complexity of enrolment processes made it impossible to say how many students missed out on places.

But there were some institutions still trying to fill courses even at this late stage, and others which had long waiting lists.

Source:

http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/tertiary-pass-rates-unlikely-manipulated-tec-4031687

I Hope You Dance Lyrics (Video)

2011-02-17T23:11:00.000-05:00

The “I Hope You Dance” lyrics definitely had a few American Idol contestants stumped tonight during Hollywood week. Leann Womack’s, “I Hope You Dance” has to be one of the most well known songs in country music, but the American Idol contestants on tonight’s show just could not seem to remember the lyrics to the hit song.

What are the “I Hope You Dance” lyrics? They are posted below…maybe someone should show these to the American Idol hopefuls. “I Hope You Dance” is an incredible song, and you can listen to it in the Leann Womack video clip below.

“I Hope You Dance” lyrics:

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder

You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger

May you never take one single breath for granted

God forbid love ever leave you empty-handed

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean

Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens

Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance

Never settle for the path of least resistance

Living might mean taking chances but they’re worth taking

Lovin’ might be a mistake but it’s worth making

Don’t let some hell-bent heart leave you bitter

When you come close to selling out reconsider

Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance

(Time is a wheel in constant motion always)

I hope you dance

(Rolling us along)

I hope you dance

(Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder)

I hope you dance

(Where those years have gone)

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean

Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens

Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

Dance

I hope you dance

(Dance)

I hope you dance

(Time is a wheel in constant motion always)

I hope you dance

(Rolling us along)

I hope you dance

(Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder)

I hope you dance

(Where those years have gone)

Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder

(Dance)

Where those years have gone

(Dance)

Source: http://blogs.babble.com/famecrawler/2011/02/17/i-hope-you-dance-lyrics-video/

LeVar Burton Back on TV! Where Has He Been Hiding?

2011-02-17T23:08:00.000-05:00

For a while, you just could not escape LeVar Burton. He was made famous for his legendary role in the TV movie series “Roots”, he was magnificent and mysterious with his shielded eyes in “Star Trek: Next Generation”, and if you had kids, or were one recently, then you totally know him from PSB’s “Reading Rainbow”. Yes, LeVar Burton got around.

But where has the dad of two been lately? He seemed to have all but dropped off the face of the earth (if the earth is getting significant roles booked). But he is making a return to TV in a cameo role on Thursday night’s episode of Community on NBC. He plays himself, tormenting a character on the show who has a total Star Trek obsession.

Hopefully we’ll see more of him and since both his big roles (on Star Trek: Next Generation and Reading Rainbow) are things of the past, LeVar Burton has been missed.

Source: http://blogs.babble.com/famecrawler/2011/02/17/levar-burton-back-on-tv-where-has-he-been-hiding/

Fedor Emelianenko's Legacy Remains Unchanged

2011-02-13T14:26:00.000-05:00

I will never forget crossing paths with the great Fedor Emelianenko, if only for a moment. Backstage in Chicago, waiting like the rest of the MMA world for the peerless champion to face Brett Rogers in the main event, he brushed my camera as he walked towards the cage. As he waited to make his entrance, I was shocked by what I saw. The stoic champion, so emotionless in front of the media, was pacing back and forth. As he marked his territory like a jungle cat, wearing a path in the cold Chicago cement, he periodically let out a yell.

M-1 personnel asked me to stop filming. This was not part of the public face of Fedor Emelianenko. It was the first sign I'd ever seen that the man was even human.

There were more signs that evening as the Fedor myth started to be put to bed. Rogers, who unless things change dramatically, will go down in history as an average fighter. And average fighters aren't supposed to give the greats such a struggle. Emelianenko was slowing down it seemed. He would be caught in his very next fight against Fabricio Werdum and again last night against Antonio Silva. If it wasn't clear against Rogers, it's crystal now: Fedor Emelianenko is no longer the world's best fighter.

Of course, that doesn't mean critics should dismiss a decade's worth of accomplishments. Last night UFC President Dana White took to Twitter to do just that. In a series of posts cursing at fans and mocking the Russian star, White attempted to recast Emelianenko as someone he never really though was any good.

"wtf has he done for the sport!? Ur f**kin nuts," White said in response to a fan asking him to show a little respect to the fallen fighter. "I honestly believe he has been done for a while but he would have at least gone out fighting the best."

I's funny to watch White try to rewrite history, pretending he and Lorenzo Fertitta weren't so desperate to sign Emelianenko in 2009 that he was willing to blow up the UFC's salary structure to do it. You don't tender the biggest offer in the history of your company to a fighter you think is washed up. People inside the UFC were just as excited as the fans to see how Emelianenko would match up with Randy Couture, Brock Lesnar, and others in the company. His decision to sign with Strikeforce was a bitter pill for White to swallow.

In the end, we didn't always get the matchups we wanted from the sport's all-time best heavyweight. The UFC stock contract was just too restrictive for the Russian's tastes. Sometimes money talks, but the UFC pay scale, one promising comparatively low pay to even the biggest stars, less than Sugar Ray Leonard commanded in the pre-pay per view 1980's, wasn't enough to convince the proud Emelianenko to sign with a promoter he didn't respect.

I would have loved to have seen Fedor in a dream bout with Couture or struggling to solve the mysteries of an enormous Lesnar laying on top of him. But I'm happy with what we got from him as well. The two men who beat the legend are both solid professionals who handled their rise to fame with class and respect. Last night Fedor Emelianenko passed the torch to whoever wins the Strikeforce tournament. I can't wait to see who it's going to be.

Source: http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/2/13/1991503/as-dana-white-rewrites-history-fedor-emelianenkos-legacy-remains

Laura Bell Bundy at the Bud Shootout 2011Laura Bell Bundy at the Bud Shootout 2011

2011-02-13T14:23:00.000-05:00

re you a fan of Laura Bell Bundy? If you really are, then I really think that you shouldn’t have not missed the opening show ofBudweiser Shootout because she has made the pre-show concert on that show.

Are you a fan of Laura Bell Bundy? If you really are, then I really think that you shouldn’t have not missed the opening show of Budweiser Shootout because she has made the pre-show concert on that show. However, if you had missed that one, you surely don’t want to miss her next show at the post-race. That two shows were an additional one plus the National Anthem for the non-points star-studded NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event. Well, isn’t she really is busy at this time around?

At the show, Bundy performed three songs prior to the Budweiser Shootout on the Pre-Race Stage as well as the National Anthem, which had been carried live on FOX. After the checkered flag waves on the 75-lap race, Bundy will perform a 60-minute post-race concert from the Sprint FANZONE Entertainment Stage.

Laura Bell Bundy (born April 10, 1981) is an American actress and singer who has performed in a number of Broadway roles, both starring and supporting, as well as in television and film. Her best known Broadway roles are the original Amber Von Tussle in Hairspray and the original Elle Woods in the musical version of Legally Blonde. She signed to Mercury Records Nashville and released her first country music single, “Giddy On Up,” in early 2010. The album’s second single, “Drop on By”, was released to country radio on August 9, 2010.

She really is one interesting artist that has so many talent. No wonder that the Bud Shootout committee hired her to perform on the show.

Source: http://allaboutnews.net/laura-bell-bundy-at-the-bud-shootout-2011laura-bell-bundy-at-the-bud-shootout-2011/3898/

Andrei Arlovski: Fighting Tim Sylvia Again 'Is One of My Dreams'

2011-02-13T01:21:00.000-05:00

NEW YORK -- MMA Fighting caught up with Andrei Arlovski on Tuesday to talk about his upcoming fight against Sergei Kharitonov at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva. "The Pitbull" talked about his mental state going into the fight, what he has done to change up his game and why he wants to fight Tim Sylvia one more time so badly.

Fedor Emelianenko Vs. Antonio Silva Results

2011-02-13T01:17:00.000-05:00

UPDATE: Strikeforce: Fedor Vs. Silva Results: Fedor Emelianenko Hints At Retirement

While there is no confirmation, this appears to be the end. During the post-fight interview with commentator Gus Johnson at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Silva, Fedor Emelianenkosuggested that now might be time for him to retire. An unhappy and stunned crowd urged him to reconsider.

While fans may believe this to be too soon, we know Fedor already hinted at retirement before this fight even took place.

What does it all mean? This will slightly diminish the win by Fabricio Werdum earlier in 2010. While that may be unfair, criticisms that Fedor was competing past his prime and even his interest in the sport of mixed martial arts are certain to be aired.

Fedor is easily the greatest heavyweight fighter ever to have competed. While the streak was filled with some questionable opposition, his unbeaten streak and domination of the division in the early 2000s remain the most prestigious accomplishment in MMA history. It is unlikely the sport will witness that kind of control at heavyweight ever again.

Source: http://www.sbnation.com/mma/2011/2/12/1990510/strikeforce-fedor-vs-silva-results-play-by-play

Indicted Perdue donor to resign from college board

2011-02-10T10:56:00.000-05:00

Raleigh, N.C. — A Morganton man indicted Tuesday in a state investigation into Gov. Beverly Perdue's campaign finances was expected to resign Wednesday as a member of the Western Piedmont Community College board, officials said.

Robert Lee Caldwell was charged with one count of felony obstruction of justice.

Perdue spokeswoman Chris Mackey said Caldwell was expected to submit his resignation by the end of the day, but she couldn't say whether anyone in Perdue's administration asked him to step down.

Former Gov. Mike Easley appointed Caldwell to the Western Piedmont board in 2002 and again in 2006, and Perdue reappointed him last year.

An indictment handed up by a Wake County grand jury alleges that Caldwell obtained a campaign donation from a man named James Fleming and then reimbursed Fleming with money from an unidentified source. Caldwell then used Fleming's check to pay Profile Aviation to fly Perdue to a campaign stop, according to the indictment.

Caldwell told Perdue's campaign committee that the plane trip was an in-kind donation from Fleming, knowing that was false, the indictment states. The campaign then included that incorrect information in its campaign finance filings.

A campaign spokesman said Tuesday that Perdue and campaign officials knew nothing about the illegal contribution.

State and federal authorities continue to investigate Perdue's campaign finances for possible criminal charges in connection with dozens of unreported flights aboard donors' planes during the 2004 and 2008 campaigns.

Source: http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/9086699/

CFISD FOOTBALL PLAYERS NAMED TSWA ALL-STATE

2011-02-10T10:54:00.000-05:00

CYFAIR ISD — Five district football players were named to the 2011 Collin Street Bakery/Texas Sports Writers Association (TSWA) Class 5A All-State Football Team on Feb. 5:

* Cypress Woods High School senior Weston Card was selected to the Second Team as a defensive back and to the Honorable Mention team as a kick returner;
* Cypress Ridge High School senior Andy Wickman was selected to the Third Team as a punter;
* Cypress Ridge senior Collin Callahan was selected to the Honorable Mention Team as a linebacker;
* Cypress Woods senior Colton Huntsman was selected to the Honorable Mention team as a quarterback; and
* Cypress Creek senior Kelyon Hollis was selected to the Honorable Mention team as a defensive lineman.

TSWA members are sports writers and sports editors from daily and weekly newspapers from across the state of Texas as well as sports internet services. They are committed to promoting the accomplishments of teams at the high school level while also featuring individual feats of student athletes.

Source: http://www.thecypresstimes.com/article/Sports/High_School/CFISD_FOOTBALL_PLAYERS_NAMED_TSWA_ALLSTATE/40140

Wral School Closings

2011-02-10T10:52:00.000-05:00

Wral School Closings, Dozens of school systems delayed the opening, but the morning commute Thursday passed without major problems such as snow and light snow fell in central and eastern North Carolina.

You can check for details and information http://www.wral.com/weather/closings/
(AP) – Employees of North Carolina State and public school teachers often look up the legislators to consider significant cuts, as three quarters of the state 19 billion and the budget is allocated to salaries and benefits.

But the anxiety levels for more than 300,000 teachers, university workers and other employees of the state have skyrocketed to the top of the legislative session with the approach of the Republican leadership of the closure of and a projected 3.7 billion-budget deficit for the coming year. GOP leaders have promised not to extend two temporary taxes that would have reduced the deficit by $ 1.3 billion.

“Every year at this same time last dance budget … there is always immediately enter in this principle that we will cut services and we will do bad things to the public employees,” said Dana Cope, executive director Association of Government Employees of North Carolina. “This is the first time that the budget deficit that we are talking about is real.”

The GOP and Democratic Governor Beverly Perdue predicted layoffs, but not how. GOP leaders will not also reject the idea of wage cuts in the council, and could require workers to pay a monthly premium for health insurance for the first time.

“Ultimately we have to get to where we are now in terms of spending at a level that is 18 percent less,” said Senate Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, citing reductions wages, layoffs and employee health care as articles under discussion.

The conference was disappointing for the workers, since there has not had a pay increase since 2008, money for thousands of educators has been cut and health insurance benefits have deteriorated.

“Sometimes they say,” the cuts are coming, the cuts are coming, “but we say,” No, they will find a way to solve the problem, “and Kindel said Wanda, 43, a teacher of fifth year at Lake Rim Elementary School in Fayetteville, who earns about $ 50,000 per year. However, she says, “The heads are on the chopping block yet.”

The potential reductions in pay and health insurance premiums are the latest threats to the team of state government and local district teachers, who are also regarded as engaged by the State.

Workers are currently not paying their health insurance premiums, but premiums for spouses and dependents have increased by almost 9 percent per year in 2009 and 2010. And adding a premium of 50 per month, for example, about 321,000 active state employees enrolled in the National Health and could provide 193 million.

Perdue has ordered a pay cut of 0.5 percent for all employees to help fill a shortfall in an emergency budget in mid-2009, a decision that was expected to back and 65 million. Their wages back to previous levels the following year. General Assembly records dating back to 1970 does not show the Legislature approving permanent reductions in pay Consulting. The legislature has cut the salaries of employees during the Great Depression.

Lower wages is more likely to reduce employee morale and make them think twice about the remaining workers in dangerous jobs, “said Emily Jones, 39, a community corrections officer in Raleigh whose wages are low in the $ 30,000 s. It often works nights and weekends to ensure that offenders on probation are intensive meeting curfew and other requirements.

“We run the risk of losing employees,” said Jones, who has worked in state government for 19 years. “If you do not have people working, you can not keep your communities safe “.

Republican lawmakers are working on a plan that would rise and one billion in reserves and the cost savings and can reduce the need for some layoffs.

The North Carolina Association of Educators and State Workers Association are offering alternatives to legislators and Perdue on how to bridge the gap. Cope said the state employees association has collected hundreds of ideas of its members in total and would save 10 billion.

Public school teachers say they should not be the first to accept further reductions.

The goal of the work force overall state government has reduced by an amount equal to 10,100 full-time jobs between December 2008 and December 2009 to just under 317,000, according to a survey of agencies State by the office of the state budget and legislativeanlysts. Full-time equivalent positions in public schools have decreased by nearly 9,300 positions during the same period.

“When you talk about cutting teachers, you assign each county in the state,” said board member NCAE Kim Hargett, a professor of physical education in schools in Union County.

Source: http://usspost.com/wral-school-closings-28345/

Sat Scores

2011-02-10T10:47:00.000-05:00

Sat Scores, More than half a million public school students in the class of 2010 scored a 3 or higher on at least one AP ® exam during high school, nearly double the number of students in class 2001, and exceed the total number of students in the class of 2001 who took AP exams (see Figure 1). As research consistently shows that students who score 3 or higher on AP exams generally experience college outcomes stronger than its peers, otherwise comparable non-AP, the data show this year’s report how educators are to improve college readiness of students in our country and preparing them to take AP courses and succeed on AP exams.

Over the last decade we have seen a remarkable increase in the number of graduates who participate and succeed in the PA, said Council President Gaston Caperton.” The 7th Annual AP Report to the Nation is highlight the successes achieved by educators to help students from a wide variety of backgrounds gain access to and succeed in the work of college courses AP. AP can level the playing field for disadvantaged students, give them the confidence to succeed in college, and raise the level and performance in core subjects like science and mathematics. We are very pleased that more parents, students, educators and policymakers are recognizing these opportunities. ”

The 7th Annual AP Report to the Nation Highlights:

Nearly 17 percent of public school students in the class of 2010 graduated from high school with at least one successful experiment AP.
Although still under-represented in AP classrooms, more minority students had success in AP than ever.
More low-income students have participated and succeeded in AP than in previous years.
More students succeed in math and science AP exams today that these reviews have taken 10 years ago.
The top 10 states with the largest proportion of seniors in the class of 2010 with at least one successful experiment AP were: Maryland (26.4 percent), New York (24.6 percent), Virginia (23.7 percent), Connecticut (23.2 percent), Massachusetts (23.1 percent), California (22.3 percent), Florida (22.3 percent), Vermont (21.8 percent), Colorado (21.4 percent) and Utah (19.2 percent). (See Figure 2 in the AP’s Reach section entire report.)

The states with the largest increases in five years, the percentage of seniors scoring 3 or higher on an AP exam were: Vermont, Florida, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, Colorado, Georgia, in the Connecticut, Massachusetts and Washington. (See Figure 3.)

Maryland State Superintendent Nancy Grasmick schools, whose state leads the nation for the third consecutive year with the highest percentage of students pass the AP, said, “Maryland is very focused on the best-prepared graduates high school and Advanced Placement Program is a key element of this effort. AP provides students a high level, giving them a foundation for success in college and in their careers. ”

AP offers students traditionally underserved for Success

Over the last 10 years the number of minority students traditionally underserved graduates with a successful AP has more than doubled – Black / African American graduates with scores of 3 or more increased from 7,764 in 2001 to 19,675 in 2010, graduates Hispanic / Latino with scores of 3 or more increased from 33,479 in 2001 to 74,479 in 2010, and American Indian and Alaska Native graduates with scores of 3 or more rose from 988 in 2001 2195 to 2010. In addition, the number of graduates with low income with scores of 3 or more has increased from 53,662 in 2006 to 84,135 in 2010 (see Figures 7, 8 and 9 in the chances of students under-report section). Despite the increases, Hispanic / Latino Black / African American and American Indian and Alaska Native students remain underrepresented in AP classes at once and within this group of students into success to the PA.

Equity AP will not be achieved until the student diversity of our nation is proportionately represented in AP classes and in the group of students succeeds on AP exams. The report this year shows how the progress of each state is to achieve this goal. Fourteen states have managed to eliminate the equity gap and excellence for Hispanic students Latino /. Although 16 states have closed the gap for American Indian / Alaska Native students and two states have closed the gap for Blacks / African-American students, no state student populations substantial data population has eliminated these deficiencies. (See Figures 10a, 10b and 10c of the chances of underserved student’s section of the report.)

“Students and educators regularly show that exposure to a high standard AP helps prepare students to succeed in college. However, the likelihood of college success is much higher for students who score 3 or better AP, “said Trevor Packer, vice president of the Advanced Placement Program ® for the College Board.” Therefore, simply expand enrollment in AP courses is not enough – this year’s report provides additional data on test scores that can assist each State to look more closely at how they prepare all their students in middle school and high school years, for the rigors of working college students.

The College Board has recently completed ananlysis of trends AP all school districts in the United States. Generally, schools expand access to AP, the gross number of students who score 3 or more increases, but if the number of students obtaining first 1 and 2. Consequently, for some districts, the percentage of 3s, 4s, 5s and may decrease slightly. On 9 March, the College Board Announce an honor roll of districts that have successfully increased the number of students with a gross score of 3 or more while reducing the number and percentage of students scoring 1s and 2s. This honor roll is intended to serve as a repository of best practices from which other districts can learn.

“States with a high percentage of exams receiving scores of 3 or more, but serving a smaller percentage of their high school population, should implement policies to make available to AP teachers a greater proportion of population of high school. On the other hand, states with a high percentage of exams receiving scores of 1 or 2 should focus on the type of school and early school strategies that prepare a greater variety of students for possible entry and success in AP classes, “said Packer.

AP Help Increase American Student Achievement in Science and Mathematics

The 7th Annual AP Report to the Nation shows that the number of students in the class of 2010 who passed AP exams in math and science than there are students who have simply taken these exams nearly 10 years. While 134,957 students in the class of 2001 received after passing a science test AP, 143,651 students in the class of 2010 scored 3 or higher on an AP science exam. Similarly, 166,905 students in the class of 2001 received after passing AP math exam, compared to 179,193 students in the class of 2010 who scored 3 or higher on an AP math exam during high school. (See Figure 11.)

“Research shows that students who took AP exams in math or science were more likely than non-AP students to earn degrees in particular science, engineering, physics and life sciences disciplines – areas leading career peak that can help maintain American competitiveness, “Packer said.” This relationship is particularly strong among women, African American and Hispanic. Science and mathematics educators should be commended for the implementation of AP courses in these subjects as a means of expanding the student loan portfolio for the rigors of science, technology, engineering and course work mathematics in college. ”

The 7th Annual AP Report to the Nation the national report is available at http://apreport.collegeboard.org.
College Board Advanced Placement Program ® (AP ®) allows students to pursue college level while still in high school. Through college courses over 30, leads to a rigorous examination, AP provides loans and academically prepared students with the opportunity to earn college credit, advanced placement or both. Take AP courses also demonstrates to workers to college students have sought the most rigorous programs available to them. Each teacher AP program is evaluated and approved by the faculty of colleges of some of the main institutions of the nation, and AP exams are developed and scored by college professors and experienced AP teachers. More than 3,800 colleges and universities worldwide for college credit accept AP, advanced placement or both based on successful AP exam scores. This includes more than 90 percent of four-year institutions in the United States. In May 2010, 1.8 million students representing more than 17,000 schools worldwide, both public and non-public, took 3.2 million AP exams.

The College Board is a mission without motor-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, members of the association consists of more than 5,900 leading educational institutions worldwide and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education. Each year the College Board allows more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to university through programs and services in college preparation and success of colleges – including the SAT ® and Advanced Placement Program ®. The organization is also the education community through research and advocacy on behalf of students, educators and schools.

Source: http://usspost.com/sat-scores-2-28341/

New Gawker Layout. Redesign Fail?

2011-02-09T21:18:00.000-05:00

Gawker unveiled its redesigned site on Monday, moving away from its traditional blog format, but so far it hasn't been very well received.

The most notable feature of the revamped site is that one main story with a big photo dominates the homepage. Other stories are listed in a scrollable column on the right hand side of the window. It's a much different feel from Gawker's old site, which published a feed of stories as they were added.

As it can often go with the redesign of a popular site, the response has been less than favorable. According to a tweet from former Gawker editor-in-chief and current editor of The Atlantic Wire, page views are already down 25-33 percent on io9 and Jalopnik, two Gawker Media sites.

"Stay cool: we've been through worse backlashes," founder Nick Denton said in an internal memo obtained by Poynter's Jim Romenesko.

Apparently Denton has a lot of confidence in the new Gawker. So much that he made a bet with New York-based digital media consultant Rex Sorgatz after Sorgatz blogged that the redesign would fall flat.

Sorgatz posted the terms of his bet with Denton on his Tumblr. "We will check Quantcast on October 1, 2011. The goal is 510M pageviews/month. It's $10 for every million over/under," he wrote. "If the design reverts to the old format, he forfeits and pays out $1000."

But has Denton already relented? He's been chatting on Twitter with unsatisfied readers, saying repeatedly that they can click a button on the top of the page to "revert to a more traditional blog layout."

Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2379949,00.asp

Univision Deportes

2011-02-09T21:16:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my blog, today I want to post interesting news about Univision Deportes, I found some sites especially entertainment sites and news discuss about this, here the short summary and picture of Univision Deportes.

Univision Deportes – : univision deportes futbol mexicano.

Univision Deportes Futbol Mexicano: June 9, 2010 Deportes 183 Imprimir este articulo 183 Enviar a un amigo No hay Opiniónes. Por CARLOS RODRIGUEZ JOHANNESBURGO. Giovani Dos Santos, Carlos Vela, Efraín Juárez, Héctor Moreno y Pablo Barrera fueron llamados niños héroes cuando
Mundial: México Pone A Prueba Su Generación Dorada KNVO Noticias: UNIVISION MUESTRA A CAÑETE. ..Deportes : Se juegan la vida – CORREO HUANCAYO *CESA Y ‘MUNI’ EN LA COPA PERÚ* El último clasificado a los cuartos de final de la etapa provincial de la Copa Perú de Huancayo, se conoceHace 15 horas

Source: http://www.yousaytoo.com/univision-deportes/300158

GOP Rep. Chris Lee resigns over shirtless photo on Web

2011-02-09T21:14:00.000-05:00

WASHINGTON — Rep. Chris Lee, R-N.Y., abruptly resigned Wednesday after the gossip website Gawker disclosed that the married congressman had e-mailed a shirtless picture of himself to a woman he met through Craigslist.

"I regret the harm that my actions have caused my family, my staff and my constituents," the two-term congressman said in a statement posted on his site Wednesday evening. He said he made "profound mistakes."

"The challenges we face in Western New York and across the country are too serious for me to allow this distraction to continue, and so I am announcing that I have resigned my seat in Congress effective immediately."

Michael Steel, an aide to House Speaker John Boehner, declined comment.

One media expert said Lee should have remained in office.

"There are all kinds of ways senators and congressmen do things that are wrong," said Paul Levinson, a communications and media studies professor at Fordham University. "If he's married and sent this image, that's not the business of the public, that's the business of his wife. We're living in an increasingly puritanical society. If they public is upset about this, the congressman's election isn't that far away. Voters can voice their displeasure at the ballot box."

Lee, 46, is married with a young son. Gawker reported that Lee had portrayed himself as a 39-year-old divorced lobbyist in e-mails he exchanged with the woman, whom the gossip site did not identify. Gawker said the two met through the personals section of Craigslist.

Lee, a former executive in his family's manufacturing business in western New York, has struck a conservative stance in the House.

Shortly after arriving in Washington in 2009, he supported legislation that would have barred members of Congress from receiving a scheduled pay raise, according to The Almanac of American Politics. He recently joined dozens of GOP lawmakers in pushing legislation that sought to restrict abortions by eliminating tax breaks to employers if the health coverage they provide covers abortions.

His sudden departure is likely to result in a special election in his district, which supported Republican John McCain in 2008. Lee was a political novice when he won the congressional seat for the first time by a 14-point margin over his Democratic opponent. He easily won re-election last year.

Paul Lindsay, a spokesman for the campaign committee charged with electing Republicans to the House, declined comment Wednesday night about Lee's resignation.

Independent analyst Stuart Rothenberg, editor of The Rothenberg Political Report, said Lee was an up-and-comer among New York Republicans, who had seen their political powers wane in recent years.

"It is additionally disappointing to Republicans who thought, 'This was the kind of candidate who we can build a party around,'" he said.

Even so, "I don't see this as a …problem for Republicans" nationally, Rothenberg said, "unless you get two or three other Republican members who are hiding things."

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2011-02-09-lee-resigns-amid-scandal_N.htm

International Friendly Preview: Mexico vs Bosnia

2011-02-09T21:10:00.000-05:00

Debut Match For De La Torre

Jose Manuel De La Torre has been one of the most successful Mexican league managers in the last five years. He won titles with Chivas (Apertura 2006) and Toluca (Apertura 2008, Bicentenario 2010) and consistently fielded strong teams during his tenure with both clubs.

Fittingly, he was considered for the national team job and won it as he was the best league candidate available. Now, though, he will face his toughest challenge as national team coach. Guiding Mexico at the early stages of this World Cup cycle is important. Not only does he face the task of helping guide along young talents such as Javier Hernandez and Giovani Dos Santos but De La Torre has a major tournament to prepare for as Mexico will try and defend their Gold Cup 2009 title this summer.

The last time the Gold Cup had a tie-in to the Confederations Cup, then-Mexico manager Hugo Sanchez could not lead El Tri to glory and it was ultimately part of what led to his firing. De La Torre can ill-afford to get off to such a start, failing to win in his first tournament, particularly after Mexico thrashed the United States in the 2009 Gold Cup final.

Source: http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/114/mexico/2011/02/09/2344357/international-friendly-preview-mexico-vs-bosnia

Johnny McEntee football trick video.

2011-02-09T21:09:00.000-05:00

UConn backup quarterback Johnny McEntee has football trick video.

College sophomore and UConn football backup quarterback Johnny McEntee has been all over the internet Wednesday when a video of him performing football tricks on YouTube reached thousands of viewers.

Having only been on the field once in the past two seasons, not many people had ever heard of Johnny McEntee. But the video of him performing multiple awe-inducing tricks with a footbal titled “Johnny Mac Trick Shot Quarterback” was posted Tuesday February 8 and has already gained nearly 26,000 clicks.

As posted in USA Today, Johnny McEntee throws a football off a flight of stairs into a basket, knocks a water bottle of a dummies head from 40 yards away, breaks plates thrown into the air and passes to his teammate blindfolded. He even hits a water bottle clean off someone’s head from 20 yards away.

McEntee then moves to Gampel Pavilion to make several perfect, all-net baskets from the court and stands. With such accuracy and obvious enthusiasm, why is he the backup quarterback?

02/09/11

Source: http://www.collegenews.com/index.php?/article/johnny_mcentee_11705/

ic 3 Justin Bieber Fails At Not Only Rapping, But At Life In "Won't Stop"

2011-02-09T21:06:00.000-05:00

Well, now we know what happens when puberty strikes and a baby-bopper star is desperate to mutate and salvage a childhood career to keep from sinking into the dregs of after-fame. Here's the blueprint: add a soft touch of candy-gangsta, plenty of kiss-the-girlies thug emphasis on your syllables, and try to replicate what hip-hop music is despite the fact that you are not only talentless in the artform, but at least five years behind what's going on in the genre. In doing such, you will be Justin Bieber, and your place will be in the song "Won't Stop."

I suppose it was only a matter of time until Baby Bieber hiked up his sh*t riddled diapers and attempted to climb over the cradle bars into my favorite genre of music in order to ruin it, and, as is demonstrated below, you will see that he is doing his damndest to have such a grim picture come to fruition.

To point a finger, the person most responsible for this is failure-hop artist Sean Kingston, for, in his irresponsible stretch for cash and fame, he invited Justin Bieber to spit some pint-sized bars over his trash-track "Won't Stop," thus making it infinitely worse, and further disgracing his public image in the process. I have also lost all respect for DJ Ill Will, though I didn't hold much before.

Giving Justin Bieber the opportunity to flow rhymes is like throwing a fat ass glutton into the produce aisle and letting him have a shopping spree. I am filled with the greatest hatred towards all persons associated with the production, composition, and release of this song, and now loath Bieber to the greatest degree that my mental gauge can grade before the needle tips past the red line into nowhere.

Source:

American Idol Tom Bergeron Wife

2011-02-09T00:52:00.000-05:00

Latest News Updates Mark Recchi and Patrice Bergeron were among the players embracing Kennedy as he walked into the TD Garden. The annual award shows have begun and this week, the People’s Choice Awards 2011 celebrated its 35th anniversarywith a strong representation from reality TV. Not only were American Idol alumi chosen by the public, but Dancing with the Stars and Deal or No Deal also took home awards this year.

American Idol’s Carrie Underwood took home three awards for favorite female singer, favorite country song Last name and favorite star under 35.

“God has blessed me with a wonderful life and a wonderful career and the most amazing fans I could ever dream for,” Carrie Underwood said from the podium. “People being fans and people voting for me are what gave me a career in the first place, and its so amazing that they continue to support [me].”

American Idol season six winner, Jordin Sparks’ collaboration with Chris Brown No Air, won in the favorite combined forces category.

“I actually think this is the first award show I’ve been at where they’ve actually aired my award, so I’m very excited about that,” Jordin Sparks said excitedly during her acceptance speech before thanking the fans for their support. “I feel like I’m on Idol again, so thank you.”

And last but not least of the American Idol winners, Secret Life of Bees, which featured Jennifer Hudson in a supporting role, won favorite independent movie.

ABC’s Dancing with the Stars took home the award for favorite competition/reality show for the second year in a row and Dancing with the Stars host Tom Bergeron, co-host Samantha Harris, judge Carrie Ann Inaba and this season’s winner Brooke Booke, took the stage to accept the award.

“On behalf of everybody connected with Dancing with the Stars, and the American Association of Spray Tanners, we happily accept this award because it comes from you, the people,” Tom Bergeron said. “I am reminded of something I heard Cloris Leachman yell from her trailer last season,” he quipped with a smile. “I can’t quote it exactly because we’re on network television, but the gist of it was ‘this is deeply satisfying… and I hope we can do it again, and again, and again.’”

Source: http://www.subnews.us/american-idol-tom-bergeron-wife/

Jana Kramer Moves From 'One Tree Hill' to Nashville

2011-02-09T00:48:00.000-05:00

Actress Jana Kramer, who plays Alex Dupre on 'One Tree Hill,' has signed a record deal with Warner Music Nashville. The actress will debut her first single, 'I Won't Give Up,' which she co-wrote, on tonight's (February 8) episode of the CW television drama.

"'I Won't Give Up' is about never giving up on the ones you love," Jana tells the Examiner. "I wrote this song because I know what it's like to be dependent on someone, then have to learn to stand on my own again."

The 28-year-old singer-songwriter is hoping to inspire others through her songwriting."It's a great, different way to express myself," she says. "I love it. If I can do that with my music, touch people the way that it's touched me, than I've done my job."

Jana splits her time between Nashville and Wilmington, N.C., where she shoots 'One Tree Hill.' Filming for the show, which airs on the CW Tuesdays at 8:00 PM ET, will wrap in mid-March.

Source: http://www.theboot.com/2011/02/08/jana-kramer-i-wont-give-up-one-tree-hill/

Shari s Berries: The Best Chocolate Covered Strawberries

2011-02-05T23:56:00.000-05:00

Are you looking for the most delicious chocolate covered strawberries, but don’t want to go to the hassle of making them yourself? Shari’s Berries has you covered. They have the most gorgeous chocolate covered strawberries anywhere, and they deliver!

They also have a 100% satisfaction guarantee. They have giant, fresh hand-dipped strawberries all covered beautifully in chocolate. They have sold over 20 million berries and they also have guaranteed delivery – you just pick the day. They also have more than just strawberries, you can add flowers, a teddy bear, and even cookies to your strawberry gift order.

But it’s getting down to the wire if you want your gift delivered on or before valentine’s day, so go and check out their site now, they have many beautiful gift boxes not only for Valentine’s day, but any other occasion too.

Source: http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/02/05/shari-s-berries-the-best-chocolate-covered-strawberries/

What Time Does The Superbowl Start?

2011-02-05T23:52:00.000-05:00

Are you wondering, "what time does the Superbowl start?"

It's a common search query, as is "what time is the super bowl 2011," "superbowl time" and "superbowl kickoff time 2011," according to Google Trends the evening before the Super Bowl.

It's easily answered too. Super Bowl 2011 will take place on Sunday, Feb. 6, 2011, at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time and 3:30 p.m. Pacific Time.

The NFC Champion Green Bay Packers will take on the AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Early odds had the Packers as the favorites and both sides have several standout players.

Usher, Slash and the Black-Eyed Peas are scheduled to provide the Half Time Show entertainment.
You can watch the game live on television (FOX) or follow along live online via Twitter or the numerous live blogs on the Web, including one right here on The Huffington Post.

In the meantime, be sure to preview some of the Super Bowl commercials here and share your prediction for the game below.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/05/what-time-superbowl-start_n_819173.html

UFC 126 Fight Card Odds | Gambling Preview

2011-02-05T23:49:00.000-05:00

The UFC presents their February 2011 card live from Las Vegas Nevada. The main event for UFC 126 features Anderson Silva (27-4) vs Vitor Belfort (19-8). Check out the latest UFC fight lines in our betting sportsbooks…

Event: UFC 126: Silva vs. Belfort
Date/Time: February 5, 2011, 10PM ET/7PM PT
Location: Mandalay Bay Events Center, Las Vegas, Nevada
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
Betting: Bet on UFC 126 at Sportsbook.com

Main bouts:

Anderson Silva (27-4): -240
Vitor Belfort (19-8): +190
A fight that has been over a years in the making headlines UFC 126. Anderson Silva takes a 13 fight win streak into the bout against Vitor Belfort who has reeled off five straight victories. Belfort is a pure striker that has some skills on the ground. Silva has dominated everyone but Chael Sonnen in recent memory.
The combination of Ring Rust (Belfort hasn’t fought in a year and a half) and Silva’s need for an impressive victory should propel him to a win. Many want to see Silva lose, myself included, but I just don’t see it happening on Saturday night. Pick: Anderson Silva -240

Forrest Griffin (17-6): +140
Rich Franklin (28-5): -170
Two of the most popular fighters in the UFC battle to get back on the Championship radar in the UFC. Both Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin have held belts before but have been underwhelming of last – Griffin has lost two of his last three fights and Franklin is just 4-3 in his last seven.
Griffin has a lot of heart and that is what will keep him in this fight. However, it will be the well rounded nature of Franklin and his overall experience that will prevail in this fight. Griffin is simply a poor man’s Franklin. Pick: Rich Franklin -170

Jake Ellenberger (22-5): -350
Carlos Eduardo Rocha (9-0): +250
Highly touted Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner, Carlos Rocha will attempt to make a name for himself when he takes on a very underrated Jake Ellenberger. Rocha has only been out of the first round one time in his career – stopping all of his combatants. Ellenberger however is a very experienced fighter who is very well rounded.
Look for Ellenberger’s experience to allow him to stay away from the dangerous ground practitioner Rocha and for this fight to be a stand up war that ends in a decision win for the veteran. Pick: Jake Ellenberger -350

Jon Jones (11-1): -350
Ryan Bader (12-0): +250
In what promises to be potentially the Fight of the Night, two of the most hyped Light Heavyweight prospects do battle to determine who the real contender is. Jon Jones is a threat anywhere this fight goes and holds a slight edge in the standup and jiu-jitsu game. However, stud wrestler Ryan Bader takes a Division I All American wrestling pedigree into the Octagon. Bader has relatively good stand up as well.
People love Jon Jones right now and Ryan Bader isn’t getting all that much respect. I like the upset in this fight – Bader’s endurance and his ability to take this fight to the mat at should be the difference. Bader will frustrate Jones on the way to a decision victory. Pick: Ryan Bader +250

Miguel Torres (38-3): -400
Antonio Banuelos (18-6): +300
Two WEC veterans meet in Bantamweight action on the Main Card of UFC 126. Former Champion Miguel Torres takes on Antonio Banuelos with the winner lining themselves up for a possible title shot down the line. Torres was once considered one of the pound for pound best fighters in the world before losing two of his last three fights. He should have his way with Banuelos who is just 3-3 in his last six fights.

Torres is the more experienced, more well rounded fighter who is motivated to get back to the top of the Bantamweight division. Consider Banuelos a stepping stone for Torres in this fight! Pick: Miguel Torres -400

Preliminary bouts:

Donald Cerrone (13-3, 1 NC): -300
Paul Kelly (11-3): +220
Former WEC Lightweight contender Donald Cerrone makes his UFC debut this weekend against exciting English striker Paul Kelly. Cerrone has all the tools to succeed in this bout against a very game Paul Kelly. Look for the all around game of Cerrone to prevail in this one – he holds a slight striking advantage and a wide grappling advantage. Pick: Donald Cerrone -300

Chad Mendes (9-0): -350
Michihiro Omigawa (12-8-1): +250
Former college wrestling standout Chad Mendez takes on a hot Michihiro Omigawa in Featherweight action on Saturday night. Omigawa has won eight of his last nine fights and is currently riding a five fight win streak into Saturday’s tilt against undefeated prospect Mendez. Word is that a victory on Saturday will line Mendez up with a possible title shot in his next fight – he won’t be denied! Pick: Chad Mendez -350

Paul Taylor (10-6-1): -210
Gabe Ruediger (17-6): +165
Paul Taylor will try to get his first win at Lightweight after a less than scintillating stay at Welterweight. In his way is Gabe Reudiger, a former WEC champion, TUF alum and Brazilian jiu-jitsu Black Belt. Both fighters need the win to stay relevant in the organization and both have had troubles getting into the win column recently. Look for Paul Taylor to come out and induce one of his patented brawls and for him to keep his UFC dream alive (assuming that Reudiger can make weight!!). Pick: Paul Taylor -210

Norifumi “Kid” Yamamoto (18-3): -140
Demetrious Johnson (7-1): +110
Highly touted Japanese fighter Norifumi Yamamoto makes his UFC debut against former WEC standout Demetrious Johnson. Yamamoto has yet to live up to the enormous hype that surrounds him and although he once enjoyed a 14 fight win streak, he has lost two of his last three bouts. Johnson is currently on a two fight win streak and should be able to overwhelm the underwhelming Yamamoto. Pick: Demetrious Johnson +110

Mike Pierce (11-3): -300
Kenny Robertson (10-0): +220
In a Welterweight Strikers battle, Mike Pierce will look to build on a two fight win streak against undefeated UFC virgin Kenny Robertson. Pierce has fought some tough opponents and has fared well in all while Robertson’s success has come in lesser organizations. Mike Pierce will be a less than welcoming opponent on Saturday! Pick: Mike Pierce -300

Kyle Kingsbury (9-2): -140
Ricardo Romero (11-1): +110
Light Heavyweights Kyle Kingsbury and Ricardo Romero will be looking to make a name for themselves in Light Heavyweight action at UFC 126. Kingsbury, a TUF 8 alum has won two straight fights in impressive fashion while Romero is coming off a submission win in his UFC debut. Look for Romero, a former King of Combat Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight champion to come out on top by submission early in this one. Pick: Ricardo Romero +110

Source: http://www.capperspicks.com/blog/fight-club/free-ufc-126-picks-card-odds-3211/

NFL Hall of Fame 2011: Jerome Bettis Snubbed By the Hall of Fame Voters

2011-02-05T23:44:00.000-05:00

NFL Hall of Fame 2011: Jerome Bettis Doesn't Get In on His First Try, Will He Get the the Nod in 2012?

Jerome Bettis was a unique combination of power, size and agility. His NFL career featured three seasons of over 1,400 yards rushing and one Super Bowl ring.

It's difficult to believe he wasn't good enough to be one of the seven men elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday.

Perhaps the voters were dwelling on his final two years with the Steelers, when he was a fantasy football asset despite almost never rushing for more than three yards at a time.

Yards didn't matter to the Steelers during the twilight of Bettis' career.

The 22 touchdowns he scored during his final two seasons in the Steel City did.

Although he didn't find paydirt in his first season of Hall of Fame eligibility, the Bus figures to roll in next year or in 2013.

Critics will argue his yards per carry average, which exceed four yards per carry just four times in his 13-year career, wasn't good invite for him to earn a bust in Canton on his first try.

Bettis' professionalism and relationship with teammates and the media should only serve to help his Hall of Fame Cause.

Don't expect him to be snubbed for long.

Will the Steelers' be able to run the ball against the Packers in Super Bowl 2011? Find out what holds the key to Pittsburgh's Super Bowl chances.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/598473-nfl-hall-of-fame-2011-deion-sanders-marshall-faulk-and-the-class-of-2011/entry/46729-nfl-hall-of-fame-2011-jerome-bettis-snubbed-by-the-hall-of-fame-voters

YLDP Students Meets with Hon. Judge Emmett at Houston TranStar

2011-02-04T12:09:00.000-05:00

HOUSTON: The Youth Leadership Development Program (YLDP) class 2010-11 visited the Houston TranStar, an organization that single-handedly supports the massive transport system and emergency services for the Greater Houston area, on January 15 for a three hour session on “Government/Politics” theme. After a preliminary introduction, students, parents and few community leaders were given a tour of the facility. We were shown the specialized emergency control center and the main operations center. The tour guides were very informative, and helpful, and answered any question we had.

The emergency control center is usually manned by a few firemen, Red Cross representatives, policemen and traffic control workers. Some of the walls were covered with video screens that are connected with live camera feeds of Houston freeways, while multiple televisions lined the other walls, all tuned to various news channels. In the NASA-esque main operations center at TranStar keeps track of their 700+ cameras along the multiple Houston freeways they control. Each camera is capable of zooming in on a license plate, while maintaining clarity.

There were specific areas allotted for the representatives from Houston, Harris County, METRO, the Texas Department of Transportation, and several other law enforcement representatives. We learned several things about TranStar, such as the process by which TranStar determines its color coded traffic speed map of the Houston freeways – by tracking the last four numbers of an EZ tag between two EZ tag scanners, and calculating the speed of the car. We also learned that the building is a veritable fortress, built to withstand hurricane strength winds and debris. A new wing that was added recently is a dormitory like area with multiple showers, to accommodate for lockdowns during hurricanes. While all of this was interesting, it was actually impressive to see how from just one room, it is possible to access closed-circuit freeway cameras, electronic signs, traffic maps, the current weather and wind patterns, Metro dispatch information and current emergencies. The advancement and use of technology aids the organization in its efforts, but it is also supported with great leadership from the esteemed Harris County Judge Ed Emmet, who was the keynote speaker for the day.

Source: http://www.indoamerican-news.com/?p=1046

Super bowl xlv predictions and Wing Bowl 2011

2011-02-04T12:06:00.000-05:00

Super bowl xlv predictions and Wing Bowl 2011. Super Bowl heroes Steelers and Packers followed near the same chemistry to be the masters of college football. Both teams have been in deep home work to meet a great target set for the first Sunday of February. Despite a number of adversities in the last season the finalists could march ahead with perfect game plan.

Steelers sharpened their edge with draft-first models, stockpiling young and cost-effective talent. Packers on the other hand dipped into the basics of match winning grammar. General manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy led the Packers from the front. Steelers’ game plan was sketched by Kevin Colbert and coach Mike Tomlin.

13-6 Packers and 14-4 Steelers had a lot to gain on the Super Bowl Sunday than to lose at the end. NFL experts were cock sure that both team will test their mettle on a nearly freezing night to be the champions of Bowl. Once the Bowl night came, fans cheered for the top two teams of the season probably of last few seaspons.

Showering praise on the finalists, David Maraniss noted that "Lombardi's teams were always adaptable, able to overcome adversity, and never used injuries as an excuse." "These Packers resemble the old Packers more than any Green Bay team since the 1960s.

While the three-time champion Packers came for their fifth Super Bowl, Steelers hunted their fortune with six Lombardis for third title in six years. Absence of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the first four games never affected the team spirit of Steelers. Despite of the challenges the team could be the superstars of the 2011 Super Bowl.

Source: http://www.khabrein.info/news/Super_bowl_xlv_predictions_and_Wing_Bowl_2011_1296827857/

Brad Meltzer attempts to decode the Georgia Guidestones

2011-02-04T00:34:00.000-05:00

Once again, Brad Meltzer and his team of Scooby-Doo-esque, roving reporters from the TV show Decoded are set to ‘unveil’ another great mystery. This coming Thursday Scooby Meltzer will be tickling the underbellies of all the bedroom conspiracy theorists out there as he tackles the mystery of the Georgia Guidestones.

The show is entitled, “Apocalypse in Georgia.” No fear mongering or sensationalizing there then.
Standing on a hill just outside Atlanta, the stones have been described as America’s Stonehenge, although England’s iconic stone formation can, for now at least, claim genuine mystery.

The “American Stonehenge” was commissioned in 1979 by a man claiming the name R. C. Christian, who told people at the Elberton Granite Finishing Company that he wanted to send a message to mankind – so rumour has it.

So what is Scooby-Doo Meltzer going to do about it?

Before second guessing what Decoded are aiming for, let’s take a look at what the stones say. There are four standing stones with a capstone on top, and a central pillar. They carry ten ideologies which are written in eight different languages – that in itself shows equality.

There is also a slot on the central plinth which looks like a mailbox, so maybe that’s what they’re all about; just a fancy mailbox for the local farmers to post their letters and cheques to Monsanto.

You’re not buying that? Okay, well how about we just read the ‘commandments’ as some are calling them:

1. Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.
2. Guide reproduction wisely – improving fitness and diversity.
3. Unite humanity with a living new language.
4. Rule passion – faith – tradition – and all things with tempered reason.
5. Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts.
6. Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court.
7. Avoid petty laws and useless officials.
8. Balance personal rights with social duties.
9. Prize truth – beauty – love – seeking harmony with the infinite.
10. Be not a cancer on the earth – Leave room for nature – Leave room for nature.

Sinister stuff huh? Well, no, not really. It actually seems fairly common sense, but most people get stuck on the first ideology and then start believing there’s a massive government conspiracy to wipe 6.4 billion people off the face of the earth.

That may be so, but let’s face it, the first ideology “Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature” is really saying is that in order to remain in balance with nature, an ideal population would be half a billion worldwide – not, “let’s kill everyone.”

The second one “Guide reproduction wisely – improving fitness and diversity” often leads people to look up eugenics, a program initiated by the Nazis in the 2^nd World War, in which Hitler used IBM computers to monitor concentration camps and determine the fittest of the species by subjecting them to heinous ordeals.

Again, if you read carefully and look objectively, the stones merely look to offer an improvement in society, cut back on needless reproduction (you only have to visit your nearest McDonalds to see the result of that) while maintaining cultural diversity. Be fitter, be stronger, be better people. What’s wrong with that?

The third ideology “Unite humanity with a living new language” is where it gets interesting. I can only speculate, but to me it suggests being more in tune with the natural environment; understanding the seasons, the subtle shifts in nature, animal kinship and the like. Again, I see no problem with that.

Number four “Rule passion – faith – tradition – and all things with tempered reason” again just seems like plain old common sense. Don’t be foolhardy by letting your emotions run away with you. Be calm, rational and objective.

Numbers five, six and seven all seem interlinked; Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts – human rights issues in their simplest form, a rally call for equality and respect among people.

Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court is the one that makes the conspiracy theorists frenzied about a New World Order, the idea that the planet is heading for dictatorship rule by an elite few. To me it says, let nations continue to be nations and run by their own government, but if any dispute arises between nations, don’t go to war over it – find a middle ground through talking about it.

Avoid petty laws and useless officials – a leaning towards a more balanced ruling system run by people who care, not bumbling, self-interested politicians who serve only their own needs and not those of the people they represent.

Number eight, Balance personal rights with social duties seems to address balance in personal life. We all have to work to survive but we also need time for ourselves, to enjoy life and recreation. We also have to live by the laws set out before us, but we still have the right to live freely.

Prize truth – beauty – love – seeking harmony with the infinite. The infinite could be referencing nature and the universe, you only have to look at fractal geometry to understand that everything is infinite, and you only have to look at a Romanesco cauliflower to see that evidenced in nature.

And finally…
Be not a cancer on the earth – Leave room for nature – Leave room for nature.
That’s pretty self explanatory really – be good to yourself, your neighbour and the world around you. Don’t go dropping your crap all over the sidewalk, or litter and pollute the water and lands; be respectful of the environment, live in harmony with your world, not abuse it like some sort of second rate slave. It provides for you, so look after it.

So yeah, what are the Scooby Decoded Doo team looking for?

If anything they’ll try to show both sides of the story. They’ll investigate R. C. Christian and link him to Thomas Paine (one of the founding fathers). They will then tell you that Paine was an occultist (not true) and that the stones are a pointer to a sinister plot to eradicate the majority of people from the planet, leaving in its wake a harmonious green thinking race of hippies, led by a New World Order who will keep the unruly tree-huggers under control through mind altering drugs.

Pretty much the same as watching TV then.

And then they’ll backtrack and say, “What the hell? They’re just a mailbox for local farmers to send cheques to Monsanto for more exorbitant GM seeds.”

Will Brad Meltzer and his Decoded team unearth the truth about the Georgia Guidestones? They might.

If it wasn’t for those meddlesome kids…

Please share your thoughts on the controversial Georgia Guidestones, or feel free to pick this article part by leaving a comment.

St Tammany Parish School Board First Meeting This Year

2011-02-04T00:27:00.002-05:00

St Tammany Parish School Board First Meeting This Year:st tammany parish school board first meeting in this year arrange a business affair in thursday night,On the agenda to be discussed includes updates on the monthly construction projects, the biggest of which is the nearing of completion of mold remediation work at Pontchartrain Elementary School in Mandeville. The job is expected to be finished in about two weeks, according to the school system.
Also, the monthly purchasing report will be offered before the board goes into executive session to address an unspecified matter.

Source: http://www.entertainmentpk.com/st-tammany-parish-school-board-first-meeting-this-year.html

0 0 0 0 Glenn Beck Has Some Americans Fearing Islamic Socialism and a Muslim Caliphate

2011-02-04T00:26:00.000-05:00

Glenn Beck has been ranting a lot about the Middle East this week, suggesting that the revolution in Egypt is the seed of a “Muslim caliphate.” He went on to say on his radio show, “We are talking about the end of the Western way of life if we don’t pay attention.” Watchdog group Media Matters quoted him as saying:

I believe that I can make a case in the end that there are three powers that you will see really emerge. One, a Muslim caliphate that controls the Mideast and parts of Europe. Two, China, that will control Asia, the southern half of Africa, part of the Middle East, Australia, maybe New Zealand, and God only knows what else. And Russia, which will control all of the old former Soviet Union bloc, plus maybe the Netherlands. I’m not really sure. But their strong arm is coming. That leaves us and South America. What happens to us?

As I said on my personal blog, “I love that The Netherlands winds up as Russia’s afterthought.” My daughter’s father is Dutch, and their language is difficult enough. I can’t imagine my child having to learn the Cyrillic alphabet just so she can visit her Oma.
As for me, I’m not scared of Glenn Beck, and my mother isn’t, either. In fact, she used a perfect analogy the other night to describe Beck’s particular brand of infotainment.

The Rosicrucian Manifestos: Fama Fraternitatis and Confessio Fraternitatis

2011-02-04T00:23:00.000-05:00

The Rosicrucian Manifestos were two documents of unknown authorship written in the early 17th century in Europe. They purported to announce the existence of a hitherto unknown esoteric order, the Brotherhood of the Rose Cross, to the world. The Fama Fraternitatis and the Confessio Fraternitatis as they were known, caused an immense furore across Europe with their esoteric imagery and call for a universal spiritual and cultural reformation across the continent. To this day controversy continues whether they were a hoax, whether the Order of the Rose Cross really existed as described in the Manifestos, or whether the whole thing was a metaphor or ludibrium disguising a movement that really existed, but in a different form. Since their publication and translation into several different languages the idea of the Rosicrucian movement and the image of the Rose Cross itself have never gone away with many modern Rosicrucian organizations claiming spiritual filiation with the original Order, such as the Rosicrucian Fellowship and the Lectorium Rosicrucianum, or claiming an historical heritage, such as AMORC.

Source: http://knowledgefiles.com/categories/rosicrucianism/the-rosicrucian-manifestos-fama-fraternitatis-and-confessio-fraternitatis/

Obama calls world leaders about Egypt

2011-01-30T15:24:00.000-05:00

President Obama has called other world leaders about unrest in Egypt, telling them that he backs "an orderly transition to a government that is responsive to the aspirations of the Egyptian people," the White House said in a statement.

The White House also said that national security aides briefed Obama today about developments in Egypt.

The White House statement on Obama's phone calls:

On Saturday, January 29th, the President spoke to Prime Minister (Recep Tayyip) Erdogan of Turkey, Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu of Israel, and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. Today, he spoke to Prime Minister (David) Cameron of the United Kingdom.

During his calls, the President reiterated his focus on opposing violence and calling for restraint; supporting universal rights, including the right to peaceful assembly, association, and speech; and supporting an orderly transition to a government that is responsive to the aspirations of the Egyptian people.

The President asked each of the leaders that he spoke to for their assessment of the situation, and agreed to stay in close contact going forward.

Spotlight On: The Varsity Blues Nordic Ski Team

2011-01-30T15:21:00.000-05:00

With the first race in their competitive season just two weeks away, the Varsity Blues Nordic Ski team is gearing up for a snowy ride.

The team, which is comprised of seven women and ten men, trains all year round and is coached by Hans Fischer, who has been a team member since 1999.

Nordic Skiing encompasses all skiing events in which the heel of the boot is not attached to the ski. This contrasts with Alpine Skiing where the boot is attached to the ski at all times. The Varsity Blues Nordic Skiing team only focuses on competing in cross-country skiing events, however, and avoids other Nordic Ski events such as biathlon, ski jumping, and Nordic Combined.

Team tryouts, which take place in September, last for one week and include fitness testing, interval training, and weight training. Although team members are chosen based on their results, Blues skier Patrick Monette also remarks that participation on the team is “more [commitment-based] than performance-based.”

The team members are very committed to their sport, training six days a week.

“In the fall we’ll be on dry land and we’ll roller ski twice a week and run twice a week and go to the weight room twice a week,” says team member Hilary Mallinger. “Tuesdays and Thursdays we’re in the weight room and Mondays and Fridays we run intervals, so that could be a long distance run with hill-repeats in the middle. Wednesdays we roller ski in High Park. Sundays we roller ski by the lakeshore for two hours, slow and steady.”

The team attends a roller-skiing competition in Guelph every November. Roller-skiing was invented so that skiers could train on pavement; it’s meant to emulate cross-country skiing.

“It’s easier to perfect your technique on regular skis,” adds Mallinger.

While some of the athletes have been skiing for many years as members of private clubs, others have much less experience, only skiing on their high school teams. In fact, no formal ski experience is required to join the team, only a strong commitment to attending practices and competitions is necessary.

A few athletes on the team, however, show talent in other sports as well. Sisters Kate and Jennifer Sauks are Varsity Blues rowers, Melanie Belore played on the Waterloo Warriors Varsity Basketball team for five seasons before coming to U of T, and Mallinger is a Blues mountain biker.

January is the time for the athletes to start focusing on upcoming competitions and the team is ready to participate in a variety this year, including three major competitions as part of the University Cup, and four as part of the Ontario Cup. Each competition consists of a few races of different lengths: men’s races are typically 10 to 20 kilometres long while women’s races are five to 15 kilometres long.

There are two different styles of cross country skiing: classic and skate. For “skate” the skis move side to side, similar to the way a hockey player skates, while for “classic” the athletes are only allowed to move vertically.

“Classic is more technical [than skate]; there is always something to work on. You never get perfect at it,” says Monette.

“Skate is a much faster race,” adds Mallinger.

Races usually consist of 40 skiers but some races can reach around 150.

Instead of focusing on getting a better time than athletes from other universities, Mallinger says that she tries to focus on doing better than one of her teammates.

“You don’t know how well someone on another team has trained that year, but when it’s someone on your team you know where you stand with them so it’s easier to compare yourself [to] someone else on your team.”

Monette, however, has other aspirations, “Carleton can take spots one through eight easily. A bunch of guys from Whitehorse decided to go to Carleton together and they’re all [excellent] skiers. This one guy’s pretty quick but [I’ve placed better] than them before. My goal is to win a medal.”

Guiding the team through competition season is Head Coach Hans Fischer. Mallinger describes Fischer as very supportive; in fact he is responsible for the team’s very existence.

“[Hans] is the reason we still have a team; he’s great,” says Monette.

This season the women’s team hopes to improve on last year’s results, while Monette says that “for the men’s team, [our goal] is to show that U of T can actually ski.”

Source: http://thevarsity.ca/articles/40791

DDO Unlimited rolls out second major update

2011-01-30T15:15:00.000-05:00

Turbine is rolling out its second large update for Dungeons and Dragons Online: Eberron Unlimited, which includes a substantial new Adventure Pack entitled Dreaming Dark. If you're interested in finding out more about the new questing content, we have some hands-on experience with Dreaming Dark and the plot surrounding the Plane of Dreams and its many dangers.

There's plenty more in this new update, however, including many new DDO Store items and improvements. Turbine is even adding special holiday items like snowballs. In addition to that, players can celebrate Festivult, where every treasure chest has the potential to drop festival coins. Free dungeons and adventure packs are all potential Festival coin carries, so nobody gets left out. Coins are turned in to the Festivult Jester, who'll exchange them for gifts crafted specially for the season from House Ghallanda and House Cannith.

Sounds like good times in DDO Unlimited. Who doesn't enjoy finding extra loot in their treasure chest? Well, assuming it isn't junk loot, of course!

Source: http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/18/ddo-unlimited-rolls-out-second-major-update/

Pro Bowl 2011 Start Time Convenient For Sports Gamblers

2011-01-30T15:13:00.000-05:00

The NFL has spent decades ignoring the impact that gambling has on its sport. While the NFL has turned a blind public eye towards gambling, their actions often reflect that they have a complete understanding of how much betting really means to the league.

The Pro Bowl start time for today is another example of how the NFL has a finger on the pulse of their gamblers. The game will begin at 7pm, a perfect time for bettors to finish up their family responsibilities for the day and settle in front of the television for the game.

"They used to play the Pro Bowl in the afternoon, and I never was able to place any bets on the game because I always had family events to attend, and I didn't have time to watch the game," said Las Vegas resident Gaby Huerta. "Today, I will be watching the game and I have already placed my bets last night at the sports book."

Thousands of gamblers will be watching the game tonight live from Las Vegas sports books. With not much else going on in the world of sports on this Sunday evening, the Pro Bowl will be the premiere betting attraction of the evening. Even with some of the top players out of the game due to injury, bettors will be tuned in thanks to the start time.

helping out the sports books with the Pro Bowl has also been the NBA this afternoon. Two attractive games, Miami at Oklahoma City, and Boston at Los Angeles, will be played during the afternoon hours leading up to the Pro Bowl. The NBA games have brought gamblers to the sports books, and the Pro Bowl will likely keep them there through the night.

Odds makers have created an easy line for bettors, a pick 'em. The total for the game is up over sixty, indicating that sports books do not expect much defense to be played in the game. The Pro Bowl is back in Honolulu, Hawaii after a one year hiatus. The game last year was played in Miami, the site of the Super Bowl.

Source: http://www.casinogamblingweb.com/gambling-news/sports-gambling/pro_bowl_2011_start_time_convenient_for_sports_gamblers_56397.html

Coastal Contacts

2011-01-28T12:43:00.000-05:00

Coastal Contacts, Coastal Contacts Inc. (TSX: COA) (Stockholm: COA) announced today that the Company generated record orders for glasses more than 1.6 million in one week, from January 18-24, 2011. Total number of units ordered for the period was about 23,000 pairs of glasses.

“We are very encouraged by the sale request of coastline known in our class of glasses growing,” said Steve Wallace, Coastal Contacts, vice president of sales in North America. “Coastal is ideally positioned to take advantage of this opportunity as we continue to build our infrastructure leading industry that combines quality, timely delivery and value. The customer response is very strong, and we are determined to ensure the best service experience to customers in the glasses online channel. ”
The executives sold the most during the week were:

Kam Dhillon 3017 purple

Derek Black Cardigan 7002

Joseph Marc 4037 Black

Nike 7008 Pilgrim

Guess 1598 Black

Three of the top five executives of the sale during the week were the coastal areas in private label home, reflecting its ability to develop and sunglasses with brands of a wide clientele.

Orders is a non-GAAP measure defined as orders placed by customers in the period through our website or our call centers. The closest GAAP measure, sales, orders differ depending on the sales orders that have shipped, net of cancellations, returns and exchanges. Coastal Command is said that the Company believes that investors can use this figure to make more informed investment decisions about the Company. Orders is a non-GAAP measure has no standardized meaning prescribed by Canadian GAAP, is unlikely to be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies and should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute, sales and other measures of financial performance presented in accordance with GAAP.

About Coastal Contacts:

Coastal Contacts Inc. is the world leader in direct to consumer vision products company which designs, produces and distributes a diversified offering of eyeglasses and contact lenses. Unique combination of coastal areas of private label products represent quality, value and above all, service. Coastal sells into more than 150 countries through proprietary web properties, which reflect consumer preferences and growing, target market. As new markets for eyeglasses and contact lenses evolve, the coastline is well positioned to become the distributor of consumer products vision of choice because of its compelling value proposition combining value and service. A leader in many of its markets, coastal areas is progressing rapidly towards its goal of becoming the “World’s Optical Store”.

Forward Looking Statements

All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. The words “may,” “should,” “may,” “will,” “intend,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “goal, “” target, “” should, “” likely, “” potential, “” continue, “” project, “” anticipate “,” outlook “and similar expressions are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements are based on then current expectations, beliefs, assumptions, estimates and projections about our business and industry and markets in which we operate. The forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict.

Persons reading this news release are cautioned that forward-looking statements or information are only predictions and that our actual future results or performance may differ materially due to a number of factors. It should also be made to the section entitled “Risk Factors” contained in our latest annual report on Form Information Statement dated January 29, 2010 and the NASDAQ OMX Stockholm listing prospectus dated October 14, 2009, as filed on SEDAR and with the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority, for a detailed description of risks and uncertainties associated with our company. These risks, as well as others, could cause actual results and events to vary significantly. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information, which are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. These statements are made as of the date of this news release and we expressly disclaim any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements, unless we expressly state otherwise and except as required by applicable law.

Source: http://usspost.com/coastal-contacts-27440/

The Challenger disaster's teachable moment

2011-01-28T12:38:00.000-05:00

(CNN) -- Twenty-five years ago today, Concord, New Hampshire, was abuzz with excitement as teacher Christa McAuliffe was about to make history.

Thousands of educators had applied to be the first teacher in space, but NASA chose McAuliffe, a 10th-grade social studies teacher at Concord High School.

Micaela Pond, who was 17 and McAuliffe's neighbor at the time, remembers getting a ride home one day from the teacher turned astronaut.

She still recalls giggling when McAuliffe first told her she wanted to fly into space. "How is that possible?" she asked at the time. She remembers thinking, "Women don't go up into space, [and] teachers for sure don't go up into space."

McAuliffe was more than just a neighbor to Pond. She also taught Sunday school at her church, and Pond often baby-sat McAuliffe's two children.

McAuliffe "made teaching fun, and all the students that had her loved her," she said.

On January 28, 1986, the day of the Challenger shuttle launch, Pond remembers the Concord High School auditorium filled with students and media, watching the launch on TV.

"We were all wearing party hats and whistles, and we were thrilled for our teacher," Pond said.

But the party didn't last long. Challenger exploded 73 seconds into flight. McAuliffe and the six astronauts aboard died.

"There wasn't a dry eye in the house, and I think the realization hit us quite quickly, 'this isn't good.' " Pond recalled in a quiet voice.

Shortly afterward, Pond knew what she wanted to do with her life: become a teacher.
She credits McAuliffe for the inspiration.

"I feel very lucky to have known her, and I try very much to inspire my students: Whatever your dream may be, it's possible," Pond explained. "Here's an ordinary person -- she was just like me -- an ordinary person who did an extraordinary thing."

McAuliffe's legacy

Pond is about to read a book to her students at Francis Scott Elementary in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C.

"What genre of writing have we been focusing on?" Pond asks her fifth-graders.

Nearby, a picture of McAuliffe in her astronaut uniform sits next to her desk. Her students are well aware of why the picture means so much to their teacher.

"She knew her pretty well, so she feels that she is kind of part of her life," Kayla says.
John, another student, quickly chimes in: "She was going to be the first teacher in space."
Pond says she has copied a lot from her neighbor.

"I live across the street from my school, I'm a neighborhood teacher, I walk to school just like Christa did," she said. "I try very hard to let my students know I'm not just a 9-to-5 teacher."

Pond isn't sure what she would have done with her life if that cold Florida day a quarter of a century ago had ended differently. But one thing she does know is that this country is better because of it.

"I don't think we lost as much as we gained, and I feel strongly about that," she said. "Twenty-five years later, we have schools named after her and Challenger centers where kids are getting to do hands-on science, and these are wonderful things that wouldn't have happened if that tragedy didn't occur."

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/US/01/28/challenger.anniversary.teacher/

Tracy Morgan Causes Uproar With Lewd Sarah Palin Comments

2011-01-28T12:34:00.000-05:00

In a true "Did he just say that?" moment, '30 Rock' star Tracy Morgan set the Twitterverse on fire Thursday night with lewd on-air comments about Sarah Palin, and broadcaster TNT is not happy about it.

According to USA Today, TNT issued an apology within minutes of being contacted by incredulous reporters. In a statement, Turner spokesman Jeff Pomeroy said, "It's unfortunate Mr. Morgan showed a lack of judgment on our air with his inappropriate comments. We apologize for any embarrassment or offense it may have caused."
The comments came during Morgan's appearance on 'Inside the NBA,' before the New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat game at Madison Square Garden. Kenny Smith asked Morgan to settle an argument he said he and co-host Charles Barkley "have all the time. ... Tina Fey or Sarah Palin?"

What Smith thought Morgan was going to say after that is anyone's guess, but as Morgan was mulling it over, Barkley quipped, "Sarah Palin, she's a good-looking woman, isn't she?" (Hey, who knew Barkley had a thing for the former Alaska governor?)

And that's when Morgan dropped the M-bomb: "Let me tell you about Sarah Palin. She's good masturbation material."

As he talked about fantasizing about Palin, Smith and Barkley laughed nervously and an uncomfortable-looking Ernie Johnson tried to change the subject. There's been no word from Palin yet, but it seems likely that Morgan won't be asked to appear on another live broadcast any time soon.

Source: http://www.popeater.com/2011/01/28/tracy-morgan-sarah-palin-comments/

Ted Mcginley

2011-01-28T12:31:00.000-05:00

Ted Mcginley, Theodore Martin “Ted” McGinley (born May 30, 1958) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Jefferson D’Arcy on the television series Married … with children and Charley Shanowski on ABC sitcom Hope & Faith old. He was also a regular on Happy Days and The Love Boat.

McGinley began her career in modeling. After a casting director spotted a photo of him in GQ, he was thrown into comedy Happy days as Roger Phillips (nephew of Cunningham), a role he played from 1980 to 1984. During the run of Happy Days, he landed a role in the 1982 comedy Young Doctors in Love. After Happy Days ended in 1984, McGinley appeared in Revenge of the Nerds where he played Stanley Gable, head of the Alpha Beta fraternity jock-term and the main antagonist of Lambda Lambda Lambda fraternity nerd, he resumed the role in the third and fourth films “Nerds” franchise, the two made for television.

He went on to appear in recurring roles in television series such as The Love Boat and Dynasty. He then went into the role of Jefferson D’Arcy on Married … with children from 1991 to 1997. He had recurring roles on Aaron Sorkin TV show Sports Night, as the boyfriend of Dana Gordon and The West Wing as a television news anchor. From 2003-2006, he played Charley Shanowski on Hope & Faith.

McGinley has been called the patron saint of shark jumping “by founder Jon Hein jumptheshark. com. This is a reference to the popular and enduring shows that have featured in their last years. Shows include Happy Days, The Love Boat and Dynasty. Hein writes that this is not a comment “on Ted’s fine acting skills” and that “he has a great sense of humor about it, too.” In an episode of Women Married … with Children (a show that stayed on the air for six seasons after the addition McGinley to the cast iron) McGinley himself usurped result in an instant break the fourth wall by asking Al “Another photo, captain? I mean, Fonzie? …. Al? “.

A number of 2003 people that focused on molding McGinley on hope and faith was titled” Ted McGinley is not a killer, “referring to its reputation for causing shows to skip shark, although its long-Married … with children seem to indicate otherwise, its contribution may have enabled the series to have a longer stroke and more successful.

In 2008, McGinley has become a contestant on the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars and was paired with pro dancer Inna Brayer. Ted was the second to be eliminated from the competition.

Born in Newport Beach, California, McGinley attended the University of Southern California thanks to a grant of water polo where he played for the junior national team the United States, and was a member of the fraternity Sigma Chi. McGinley is married to actress Gigi Rice, with whom he has two children. One of his children is the son Beau was born in 1994.

“Revenge of the Nerds” (1984): OK, so it seems very dated, especially when the Tri-Lams give their synth-heavy concert in the great brotherhood of competition at the end. But it is clumsy, hot, sweet and ultimately ridiculous – and much better than having S-EX- many arose in the early 80s. Anthony Edwards and Robert Carradine lead nerd home underdog against the jocks of Alpha Beta idiot, led by Ted McGinley.

(A much thinner John Goodman is hilarious as football coach at the school.) A timeless David against Goliath battle, a story inspired by the tolerance and inclusion, only with big hair and booger jokes. It’s bad enough that there were suites – please, Hollywood, please, do not remake the original.

Source: http://usspost.com/ted-mcginley-27462/

Challenger explosion -- required reading

2011-01-28T12:27:00.000-05:00

Today is the 25th anniversary of the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, one of those tragedies that brings back a "where were you" rush of memory. I was in Richmond, a reporter covering the Virginia General Assembly, when I heard the news on television. Like the rest of the world, I was riveted by the tragedy, which occurred a mere 73 seconds into the the flight, and claimed seven lives, including a young teacher, Christa McAuliffe. To read more about the disaster, check out this NASA website, or these books:

"Truth, Lies, and O-Rings: Inside the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster" by Allan J McDonald and James R. Hansen. A whistle-blowing account of the failed O-ring, by McDonald, an executive with one of the shuttle's contractors, and Hansen, a history professor.

"Comm Check...: The Final Flight of Shuttle Columbia" by Michael Cabbage and William Harwood, journalists who covered the shuttle.

"Challenger Revealed" by Richard C. Cook, a memoir and insider's account from a NASA budget analyst who leaked documents to the media about problems with the Challenger's construction.

Source: http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/books/blog/2011/01/challenger_explosion_required.html

Ray Drew Commits To Georgia Football, Is Serious This Time

2011-01-28T12:24:00.000-05:00

Ray Drew, a five-star defensive end prospect from Thomasville, Georgia, has committed to play football for the Georgia Bulldogs. Drew made his announcement at Thomas County Central High School, where he played for the Yellow Jackets, a coincidence that does not appear to have pushed him to sign with Georgia Tech despite receiving an official offer.

Drew's recruitment has been a hair-pulling ride for hardcore recruitniks, with red herrings dropped willy-nilly on his Facebook and Twitter accounts. Georgia OC Mike Bobo showed up at the school for the announcement, however, so we suppose it's best Drew didn't pull any more tricks.

To the video! Here are some of the fun things Ray Drew can do for you, Bulldog Nation.

Drew is currently the highest-ranked player in Georgia's 2011 recruiting class. For more on Drew and other Georgia commits, join the discussions at Dawg Sports and SB Nation Atlanta.

Source: http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/2011/1/28/1961239/ray-drew-commits-to-georgia-football-is-serious-this-time

Tasting Menu: Mas Malo

2011-01-26T23:33:00.000-05:00

A sequel to the Silver Lake eatery offers bright salsas and straightforward Mexican fare in a noisy setting.

January 21, 2011|S. Irene Virbila, Los Angeles Times Restaurant Critic

When friends and I walked into the new Mas Malo last weekend, we weren't prepared for the gorgeousness — or the sheer size — of the space. The marble floor and ornate cream-colored ceiling with its curlicues in relief seemed to stretch the length of a football field, with a staircase and a mezzanine at the far end (with its own bar). Burnished hardwood lined the walls.
"Is this, was this...," one of my guests searched for the word, "Rex?" — referring to the late great Rex, which was set in a glamorous old haberdashery on Olive Street. No, it isn't. But it turns out the address was once a fancy jewelry store in the '20s.

PS3 gets firmware update 3.56

2011-01-26T23:30:00.000-05:00

Today Sony has released a new firmware update for their PS3 console. It is firmware update 3.56 and according to the details given by Sony this update adds a security patch and also a minor update. That's it, no more details.

As if your are a PSN user then it will be compulsory for you to install this new firmware update, otherwise you can ignore it until you login in your PSN account.

Source: http://www.gamepur.com/news/2604-ps3-gets-firmware-update-356.html

Sons of Guns

2011-01-26T23:27:00.000-05:00

WHAT: New reality series about local business Red Jacket Firearms.
New reality series about local business Red Jacket Firearms.
WHEN: 8 p.m. Wednesday
8 p.m. Wednesday
CHANNEL: Discovery Channel (cable Channel 46)
Discovery Channel (cable Channel 46)
FIRST EPISODE: "Civil War Cannon/Shotgun Silencer": A customer sees a silenced shotgun in a movie and wants to know if Will Hayden, owner of Red Jacket, can create one. Meanwhile, Hayden’s friend shows up with a rare Civil War cannon worth $250,000.
If publicity is what gun maker Will Hayden was shooting for, he’s hit his target.
Starting Wednesday, Hayden’s Baton Rouge business, Red Jacket Firearms, will have national television exposure with the new Discovery Channel series, "Sons of Guns." The series will follow Hayden, his daughter/office manager, Stephanie, and his eclectic crew in their daily work of manufacturing custom weapons for law enforcement, the military and collectors. The business ships quantities of firearms all over the country.

"All of this is just a beautiful cherry on top of the cake of what we actually set out to do," Hayden said recently at his shop, while juggling his regular business, a Jupiter Entertainment film crew (shooting for Discovery) and media interviews.

Contrast that with the earlier days of Red Jacket, when the small business that was formerly a retail store and shooting range first started building rifles. With little or no money for marketing, Hayden and a friend took to making wacky gun demonstration videos and uploading them to the Internet.

"It just caught people’s eye," Hayden said. "About every six months, we got to make headlines in the industry, something that’s completely new, just something that shows thinking outside the box … that’s been my marketing strategy."

It was through the Internet that Jupiter Entertainment found Red Jacket Firearms and Will Hayden. Hayden’s name is well-known among weapons enthusiasts, and he often participates in online gun forums, where the average gun owner goes to for advice.

"They have problems with their guns. Most of the time it’s something simple," he said.

Source: http://www.2theadvocate.com/features/people/114461339.html

Oprah Winfrey Reveals A BIG FAMILY SECRET

2011-01-24T13:57:00.000-05:00

On Saturday we learned that Oprah Winfrey would be revealing a SHOCKING family secret on today’s episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show and right now we learn what that secret is. There was much speculation over the weekend as to what Oprah‘s secret could be and now the cat is out of the bag. The reveal was/will be made on today’s ep of The Oprah Winfrey Show (which may not yet have aired in your part of the country) so avert your eyes if you’d like to be surprised while watching the show itself.

Ta Da! It turns out that Oprah discovered that she has a half-sister that she never knew she had! And, in celebration of her finding a new sister, Oprah decided to give away sisters to EVERYONE IN HER AUDIENCE TODAY!

Oprah Winfrey says she’s learned she has a half-sister she never knew about. Winfrey announced on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” that aired on Monday that a Milwaukee woman named Patricia discovered that the two were half-sisters. The woman says she had been searching for years for the identity of the mother who gave her up for adoption in 1963. She says she learned in 2007 that Winfrey was her half-sister. On her program, Winfrey says she learned about Patricia last November. Winfrey says she was 9 years old and living with her father when her mother had the daughter and gave her up for adoption. She says she never even knew her mother was pregnant. Winfrey says the two met on Thanksgiving day.

OK … so Oprah didn’t really give away sisters on her show today … but she did find a new sister for herself and I couldn’t be happier. I bet it’s strange to meet a person after so many years and discover that you are family. Finding a sister isn’t as significant as finding a new cousin, siblings share a bond that is unmatched among family members. I suspect it’s been quite a happy couple of months for Oprah‘s sister as well … especially since she learned that her sister is one of the richest people in the world. It’s a Happy Day for the Oprah Winfrey family … this is really great news, yeah?

Source: http://www.pinkisthenewblog.com/2011/01/oprah-winfrey-reveals-a-big-family-secret/

AdTech Ad Featured video Play Video Play Video Moscow blast Airport attack kills at least 35. Play Video Play Video Jack LaLanne dies TV fitness guru inspired millions. Play Video Play Video Rehab advice Gunshot victim offers tips to Giffords. More: Video Ads by Google Is Jesus Really God? Scholars examine the facts about Jesus' claims to be God www.Y-Jesus.com/JesusFacts Fitness guru Jack LaLanne dies at 96

2011-01-24T13:52:00.000-05:00

Leaders of the fitness world are remembering Jack LaLanne, who died Sunday at age 96, as a pioneer who set an example all his life that inspired people of all ages.

LaLanne, widely considered the founding father of the fitness movement in this country, preached strength training and healthy eating long before it was fashionable.

He had a fine singing voice and would often burst into song around Elaine, his wife of 51 years, singing an old standard from World War I.

On Sunday, it was Elaine who sang to him: "If I were the only girl in the world and you were the only boy. Nothing else would matter in the world today. We could go on loving in the same old way."

"I sang it to him," Elaine told USA TODAY on Monday, "and he smiled, and it wasn't that much longer before he passed away."

LaLanne's syndicated exercise show aired on television from 1951 to 1984. For many Americans, it was their introduction to the idea of eating right and staying fit.

Jane Fonda recalls the ?iconic? show well. "His two white German shepherds wandering in and out, the one-piece signature jump suit that hugged his to-the-end muscular, perfectly proportioned body and viewer-friendly, sweet persona, made American people — mostly men at that time — view fitness as something attainable for anyone willing to put in the time with Jack. I liked and admired him very much."

Russell Pate, an exercise researcher at the University of South Carolina-Columbia, says: "In the course of his very long career, Jack LaLanne motivated millions of Americans to increase their physical activity and fitness. He was a remarkable role model, and he personally demonstrated that it is possible to maintain a very high level of fitness well into advanced age.

"As boomers begin turning 65, I hope that many have learned from Jack LaLanne's inspiring example."

Fitness expert Donna Richardson Joyner, a member of The President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, says, "He was the pioneer of fitness and health. Because of his vision, love, passion and commitment to fitness and health, he inspired myself and people around the world to take care of our bodies and live better lives.

"Jack paved the way for those of us following in his footsteps by bringing the importance of personal health and physical fitness to the foreground of pop culture. His legacy will live forever. "

LaLanne, appearing on his show in his trademark tight-fitting jumpsuit, was groundbreaking. He was honest about weight and health, always telling viewers that you had to use up as many calories as you took in. His patter as he counted out each leg lift, curl and tuck was part old-time preacher and part carnival barker.

"You've got to work at living. Ninety-nine and nine-tenths of Americans work at dying!" he told viewers. "You've got to eat right, exercise and have goals and challenges. Exercise is king; nutrition is queen. Put 'em together and you've got a kingdom!"

LaLanne was "a weak, sickly child" who gorged on cakes, cookies and pies, he told USA TODAY in 2004 when he turned 90. In 1929, he said, at the age of 15, he had the experience that changed his life. A resident of Berkeley, Calif., he went to hear a lecture about nutrition by Paul Bragg, who "pounded up and down the stage. He had all this energy I wanted," LaLanne said.

Bragg urged his audience to eat only natural, unprocessed foods, something LaLanne took up with a vengeance. "I actually got on my knees and I said, 'Dear God, give me the willpower to refrain from eating these foods that are killing me!' " he said.

At the end of two weeks, he said, he felt "like an entirely different human being."

He went from being the butt of jokes to captain of his high school football team and took up bodybuilding, entering competitions. He started his own gym in 1936 in Oakland A precursor of the modern health club, it included a health-food store and a juice bar.

He was "way ahead of his time on multiple fronts — the value of exercise for health, keeping it simple, the importance of exercise in maintaining quality of life, and he appreciated the importance of weight-lifting in maintaining muscle and health as we age," says exercise researcher Tim Church, director of preventive medicine research at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge.

"He was the perfect example of what we call squaring the curve — leading an active and fulfilling life to the very end."

Miriam Nelson, director of the John Hancock Center for Physical Activity and Nutrition at Tufts University, agrees. She was the vice chair of the committee that wrote the government's current guidelines on physical activity.

"He was a wonderful renegade," she says. "I love that he pushed boundaries. He made people believe in themselves and realize that they underestimate their potential. He made people feel strong.

"He was the pioneer of fitness and health. Because of his vision, love, passion and commitment to fitness and health, he inspired myself and people around the world to take care of our bodies and live better lives. Jack paved the way for those of us following in his footsteps by bringing the importance of personal health and physical fitness to the foreground of pop culture. His legacy will live forever. "

When he was 81, LaLanne told USA TODAY, "I feel no different now than I did when I was 21. I'm so into what I'm doing, helping people. I'm in as good shape as I was back then. It's amazing how long one can keep going if one wants to.

"Fitness starts between your ears," he said. "You have to figure out what you want and then go ahead and do it. Your body is your slave. So many people retire when they get to 55, 60. They send a message to 70 trillion cells, 'Hey, we're going to take it easy.' They don't burn the calories they used to. And they're going to get fat.

Even at that age, LaLanne kept up a challenging exercise schedule. "I spend two hours a day exercising. But the average person can do half an hour three or four times a week.. .. I lift weights for at least an hour. And I spend another hour swimming or doing other exercises in the water. It's all very vigorous."

He said he changed his program every three or four weeks. "You have 640 muscles, and they all need their share of work," he said. "If you don't exercise on a regular basis, it's like going to bed with a rattlesnake: It's going to get you."

The LaLannes were involved in various business pursuits ranging from vitamins to an exercise program for seniors called Better Balance for Life to the Jack LaLanne Power Juicer.

While older Americans remember him from his exercise show, for many younger Americans the couple's infomercials are their connection to LaLanne.

Elaine says she and the couple's children, Dan, Jon and Yvonne, plan to keep the business going. "We've got a lot of irons in the fire, and just because he's gone doesn't mean he's going to stop."

Their son Dan also is has a cartoon about Jack LaLanne's story in the works. It's in pilot production now, Elaine says.

LaLanne died at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday at his home in Morro Bay, Calif., with his family around him, she says.

"On Friday he felt that something was wrong with his breathing," and tests at the hospital showed he had pneumonia, she says. "So we brought him home and they tried everything, but it didn't work."

The family is planning a funeral in Los Angeles for the first or second week in February. "I'm kind of waiting for Arnold's schedule, he wants to do one of the eulogies," Elaine says of California's former governor and body builder, Arnold Schwarzenegger. "Arnold loved Jack. He called and talked to me a long, long time" Sunday night.

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/fitness/exercise/2011-01-25-lalanneobit24_ST_N.htm

Chicago Tribune

2011-01-24T13:48:00.000-05:00

Tribune and literary events to reach audiences seeking enlightenment, education and entertainment. The intimate Author new round of talks increases well established Printers Row Lit Fest in June and the Chicago Tribune Literary Prize in November. Chicago who like writing will surely be sated this year “said Taylor.

Author interviews offer the public a rare opportunity to interact with favorite authors – or discover new ones – as part of an intimate lounge run by the Chicago Tribune Literary Editor Elizabeth Taylor. A session to answer the question & part of each author speaks with a “meet & mingle” reception where audience members are encouraged to continue the dialogue. The author will be on hand to sell and sign books.

The author talks initial lineup includes:

Bestselling author Amy Chua, discussing his recent release, Battle Hymn of the Mother Tiger (Penguin). His spiritual memory, provocative, and utterly absorbing experience of parenthood far reveals the rewards and costs of raising her children in China. Liz Taylor’s interviews with Amy Chua event space Tribune Tower, 435 N. Michigan Avenue, Thursday, February 17, at 19 hours.

The universally acclaimed Joyce Carol Oates returns to Chicago in the wake of a fairy widow (Harper Collins, publication date: 15 February). Author’s poignant, intimate memories on the unexpected death of Raymond Smith, her husband of 46 years, the details of the wrenching, after surprising. A recent recipient of the National Book Critics Circle Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award, novels Oates (Blonde, the gravedigger’s daughter, Little Bird of Heaven, etc.) among the very best in contemporary American fiction. Oates will appear at the Harold Washington Library, 400 S. State Street, Thursday, March 31 at 06:30 pm the entry for this author talks is free. Admission to the “meet & mingle” reception with the author and 10.
Alexander McCall Smith, author of the bestselling series The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, has written over 60 books, including academic titles, short story collections, and a number of immensely popular children’s books. McCall Smith sits down to review his long career and answer questions about his most popular character, detective Precious Ramotswe, Elmhurst College, 190 Prospect Avenue, Sunday, April 3rd at 4:00 p.m. /usspost.com/
Kathryn Stockett ‘s Aid (Putnam) tells the story of three extraordinary women whose determination to create a movement of their own changes and a town forever changed the way women – mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends – See each other. The aid is the first novel Stockett and is transformed into a major film studio Dreamworks. Stockett take the stage for a location to be determined Friday, May 6, at 7 pm Tickets for this event will include a copy of Aid in paperback and are priced at $ 20.

Author interviews are planned for September 21 and October 19, with the authors to be announced.

Unless otherwise noted, tickets for most programs and Author Talks 10 each and can be purchased by calling (312) 222-3348 or visit www.chicagotribune.com / tribnation.

The Chicago Tribune purchased printers Row Lit Fest, founded as Printers Row Book Fair in 1985 by the Near South Planning Board, in 2001 as part of its ongoing commitment to writing and to support the literacy and creative writing. It is considered the largest free outdoor event in the Midwest Literary attracted more than 125,000 book lovers to the two-day exhibition, with more than 200 booksellers from across the country and over 100 free programs on seven stages literary. The 2011 Printers Row Bed Fest will be held on 4 and 5 June

The Chicago Tribune has an annual series of literary awards, including its signature Chicago Tribune Literary Prize, awarded each fall since 2002 in a “prominent person in American letters”, in collaboration with the Chicago Humanities Festival. The Chicago Tribune Literary Prize was awarded to novelist-playwright-actor Sam Shepard in 2010, before an audience of nearly 2,000 at Orchestra Hall. Heartland prices are presented each fall, and since 1988, paid tribute to the author of a remarkable book published in June from the year before June this year. 2010 winners were Heartland EO Wilson and Rebecca Skloot Anthill to immortal life Lack of Henrietta. Other awards include The Tribune’s young adults literary prize, awarded in recognition of a lifetime of achievement reaching readers young adults, and the Nelson Algren Short Story Award, named after one of the most famous writers of the city and attract entries from across the country. A special event at Printers Row Lit Fest in June celebrates the winners of these competitions.

! The Chicago Tribune literary series is only part of Trib Nation, a new community outreach initiative by the Chicago Tribune, which also includes Chicago Live, the weekly live radio show recording showcasing who and what is done to Chicago news each week, before Chicago: Conversations on the Future, a series of live meetings of policy makers to explore issues of great importance for the Chicago area, programs for the Chicago Tribune columnists and personalities, and Tribe A series multi-platform focusing on enrichment and professional staff, including courses and seminars run by journalists of the Chicago Tribune. For 163 years, the Chicago Tribune has been published in a newspaper market leader of the Tribune Company.

Achieving three million readers each week in the greater Chicago area, the publication is known for its award-winning journalism. Tribune news focus is centered on the Chicago experience, community issues and government, the local economy and business, as well as entertainment, culture and sports.

Source: http://usspost.com/chicago-tribune-27111/

Steve Harvey's ex-wife slams him on YouTube

2011-01-24T13:45:00.000-05:00

Hot on the web today: Mary Harvey, Steve Harvey's ex-wife, posted several videos on YouTube this weekend in which she talks about their marriage, specifically saying that the comedian and author was a chronic cheater who took their son and left her with nothing after they split.

In three videos totaling more than 25 minutes, Mary Harvey discusses their entire relationship, from the mid-1990s, when they lived in their car, to now. She includes a detailed description of the birth of her son, Wynton.

Mary claims Steve was unfaithful. "When I think about how quickly he moved from me to Marjorie, that was disturbing," she says. "He just left. He walked out the door.'

And she says, "He manipulated everything. ... He turned my son against me, had me evicted from our house. I woke up, and everything was gone."

The couple divorced in 2005. Two years later, Steve Harvey, who has written several best-selling books offering relationship advice, married Marjorie Bridges – who was seeing Steve when they were still married, according to Mary. "I did confront her on the phone" says Mary.

Mary Harvey claims Steve is currently suing her in Texas, which is why she is speaking up now. "In Steve's opinion, I was responsible when Oprah did not give him a TV show," she says in the YouTube video. "I'm being sued for that as I sit here on the sofa today. ... That is why I'm saying what I have to say."

Meanwhile, where's Steve? He's aboard the new Disney Dream cruise ship, where, according to his Twitter page, he sounds like he's having a great time.

Source: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2011/01/steve-harveys-ex-wife-slams-him-on-youtube-/1

Nicki Minaj Dresses as a Dominatrix

2011-01-22T17:22:00.000-05:00

Bust out the whips and chains. Nicki Minaj channeled her inner dominatrix last night while hosting a Pink Friday party at London nightclub Studio Valbonne, dressed like Barbie’s freaky cousin. The rap vixen was killin’ ‘em in a blonde wig and pink lipstick that offset her black leather corset, a swinging chain chest piece, and flowing tulle skirt, while holding roses given to her by a fan. This is one Barb who knows how to take control.

Source: http://www.rap-up.com/2011/01/22/nicki-minaj-dresses-as-a-dominatrix/

'UFC: Fight For The Troops 2' Fight Card Preview: Mark Hominick Vs George Roop

2011-01-22T17:19:00.001-05:00

Mark Hominick vs George Roop
This is the fight to keep an eye on tonight. A win for Hominick makes him the No. 1 UFC featherweight contender while a win for Roop leaves the UFC with some decisions to make. Depending on how the fight goes, Roop has all the potential to make the Zuffa brass give him a shot at Jose Aldo if he can score a decisive victory tonight over his team Tompkins teammate.
Roop told me last week:

"Nothing is for sure but who else are they going to give it to? I'm going to beat the No.1 contender. I feel like it's kind of a kick in the balls when Dana White came out and made that announcement a week and a half before the fight. Hominick gets it if he wins, but if he loses it's back to the drawing board? They're not going to have any other choice but to give it to me after the performance I plan on putting on. I plan on changing their minds; it wouldn't be the first time any fighter did."

All the pressure is on Hominick to perform in this fight. On top of the title implications, Hominick is fighting his training partner and teammate. Roop now has his own trainers game planning against him, something that should give quite an edge to Hominick. Roop temporarily switched camps for this fight, allowing Hominick to plot and scheme with Tompkins in peace. I believe this will be a deciding factor in this fight.

I just see too many factors working against Roop. He'll be able to handle himself perfectly well against Hominick but I worry about his time spent away from his regular training camp, from his normality. I think Hominick takes this one and takes his spot next in line to face Aldo in April.

Source: http://www.sbnation.com/mma/2011/1/22/1950475/ufc-fight-for-the-troops-2-fight-card-preview-mark-hominick-vs-george-roop

East West Shrine Game 2011: Time, Rosters And More

2011-01-22T17:17:00.000-05:00

College football's first all star game of 2011 kicks off with the East West Shrine Game at 4 p.m. (ET). The game will be shown on the NFL Network.

The game features a number of college football's best players playing against each other at the Citrus Bowl in Orland, Florida. Check out the full rosters for the East West Shrine Bowl here. Stampede Blue has a good rundown of some of the top players at their site as well.

I myself will be watching to catch up on some of the NFL draft prospects the Chiefs should be checking out. After this game, I think we'll be ready for a full on Chiefs' draft needs post.

Who's watching today?

Source: http://www.arrowheadpride.com/2011/1/22/1950442/east-west-shrine-game-2011-time-rosters-and-more

Stay Tuned 'Spartacus: Gods of the Arena' Prequel Season, Episode 1 Recap

2011-01-22T11:54:00.000-05:00

We are back, ladies and gentlemen. The first few minutes of 'Spartacus: Gods of the Arena' gave us heaping helpings of things we've come to expect from this Starz series: spurting blood, naked bodies, violence, profanity, and, just for grins, Batiatus using a public toilet.

Remind me again, why isn't this airing on ABC Family?

OK, I kid, but it almost felt as though with this first episode back, 'Spartacus' felt a particular need to get in our faces with its most outrageous or provocative content. There couldn't just be sex, there had to be lots and lots of sex of many different varieties; there couldn't just be violence, there had to be unusual beheadings and an extra helping of insanity when it came to the creative use of spurting blood.

All right, all right, we get it -- this is a show about people who use each other for any number of purposes, and the results aren't always pretty. And iff we didn't get the point that bodies are merely so much flesh to be sold by the pound, a couple of scenes were set in a butcher shop.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about the show's in-your-face tendencies; after a year without 'Spartacus' I would have beheaded someone myself if this show hadn't returned when it did. I just hope that, in the six episodes of this prequel season, the show can both hold on to its signature sauciness and dig into the characters in the ways that made 'Spartacus: Blood and Sand' much more than the sum of its blood-spattered parts.

'Gods of the Arena,' this new prequel season, is only six episodes long, and it makes me wonder -- in that relatively short time span, can we come to care about Gannicus' plight as much as we did about the lives of Spartacus, Crixus, Doctore or even Barca in 'Spartacus: Blood and Sand'? That remains to be seen.

But the first episode of the prequel season covered a lot of ground quite fluidly and set up several new conflicts with efficient energy, and it was intriguing to see the characters in such different places. How different things were five years ago! Let's take a brief look at then and now, for each of the show's main characters:

Batiatus (John Hannah): It's poignant to see a Batiatus who is, in a way, quite innocent. He's been around, sure, but he's so certain that all it takes to succeed as a ludus owner is persistence and an ability to cross the right palms with silver. How naive! At the end of the episode, his energetic ambition collides with a cold, stark reality: The people who occupy the higher reaches of society don't want the upstarts below them to succeed. Tullius, the man Batiatus had wanted to emulate, ended up pissing in his face. That's one thing I love about the show -- not the abuse via urine, but the way it constantly leaves its characters in unwinnable situations. On a character level and a story level, things are about to get interesting: We know that Batiatus is going to fight and scratch and claw his way out of this hole, but we also know events like these are going to make him every bit as ruthless as the heartless Tullius in a few years. Clearly something will go wrong between the good friends Batiatus and fellow ludus owner Solonius, and no doubt other relationships will suffer as well.

Lucretia (Lucy Lawless): It's also poignant to see Batiatus and Lucretia so deeply in love. In a few years' time, they'll still love each other, but as we saw in 'Blood and Sand,' they'll be both be much more scarred and cynical. There might as well have been an "irony alert" sign flashing when Lucretia talked about not wanting to bed a dirty, gross gladiator. As we saw in 'Blood and Sand,' she not only slept with Crixus but had deep feelings for him -- feelings she couldn't quite admit. In any event, once we saw Lucretia as such a loving, supportive wife, that was our clue that things are bound to go at least partly wrong between them. These young marrieds are about to find out just what it will cost them to rise in Capuan society.

Oenomaus (Peter Mensah): Fans of 'Blood and Sand' are probably saying to themselves, "Hey, why is Doctore not being called by his rightful name? What's going on here?" In this prequel season, which is set five years before 'Blood and Sand,' Oenomaus is using the slave name he carried before he took over instruction at Batiatus' ludus. And given that Oenomaus is relatively content as 'Gods of the Arena' begins, my guess is that he's the character who will suffer the most this season. He's got a wife, and even if they are both slaves, they're both being treated relatively well and they get to spend time together. Oenomaus even smiles now and then! Clearly things are about to go very wrong in his life. It's interesting to note, however, that though his circumstances are different, Oenomaus/Doctore is essentially the same guy he was before -- ethical, honest, strong, reliable. I love this character and relish the idea that we'll get to explore his life more fully. Also, I must add that there's no doubt in my mind that Oenomaus' wife will come to a brutal end this season. That's not based on inside knowledge, that's just a guess. Since when do the people in this world ever get to keep what they want? If they do, they generally have to pay a very high price.

Crixus, Ashur and Barca: We see the burly gladiator Crixus when he first arrives at Batiatus' ludus, when his hair was still long and he was mocked for being a "little" guy. Ashur is among the trainees who survived the house's brutal training regimen but has yet to get the brand of the brotherhood. It should be interesting to see how Ashur got the injury that ended his career in the arena. As for Barca, he appears to be the same tough guy, and that's to the good; not everything in life changes all that much in a five-year span.

As far as the show's new characters, Gaia is ringing a few alarm bells for me, though it's too early too tell if she'll end up being a good or bad addition to the cast. If Gaia (who's played by Jaime Murray) ends up being a standard-issue vixen, there to cause soap-opera-style troubles between the lead couple, that might be problematic; so far she's seeming like an overly predictable type. It's too soon to tell, though; we'll have to see what her game is, and if the feelings she apparently has for Lucretia are real or merely part of some secret agenda.

Vettius and Tullius are, so far, relatively one-dimensional villains, but the characters are well played (though Vettius' sneering could get quite old if he doesn't moderate it a bit). In any event, 'Gods of the Arena' is really the story of how Lucretia and Batiatus lost their innocence, so to speak, and John Hannah and Lucy Lawless are so good at playing earlier versions of themselves that it doesn't really matter that not all the show's characters are fully fleshed out (no pun intended).

Of course, the season is also the story of Gannicus, and I think it was wise of the show's writers to make him the opposite of the Spartacus who arrived at Batiatus' ludus five years later. That taciturn man burned with an interior fire and quietly came up with an increasingly canny plan for revenge; he was the unshowy opposite of Gannicus, a heedless bad boy who never thinks about the consequences of his actions.

Will we find out that Gannicus nurses some secret pain that makes him take refuge in wine, women and spectacular feats in the arena? Possibly. That might be an interesting way to go with the prequel season, but the truth is, the character may end up being just one more supporting player in the saga of Lucretia and Batiatus. That might be the wisest course for the 'Spartacus' franchise. I don't know about you, but I still have the memory of Andy Whitfield's performance as Spartacus fresh in my mind, and I don't know that I'm quite ready to emotionally invest in another gladiator's personal saga.

But to see Lucretia and Batiatus fight their way from street brawls to the sands of Capua's shiny new arena? I'm definitely interested in that tale. As I said, I don't know if six episodes will be enough time to tell that story with depth and complexity, but the previous season frequently shocked and surprised me in good ways, so I'm giving 'Gods of the Arena' the benefit of the doubt. And given how energetic the first episode of 'Gods of the Arena' was, our return to Capua is off to a good start.

Source: http://www.tvsquad.com/2011/01/21/spartacus-gods-of-the-arena/

Qwiki Snags $8 Million In Venture Funding

2011-01-22T11:50:00.000-05:00

Qwiki, which is currently in its alpha phase by invitation only, uses a variety of sources to answer user queries, taking pictures of sites such as Flickr and Wikipedia data, for example, to generate video storyboards. Content is mechanized, as the promoter. To date, the site has over 3 million terms of reference to deliver results in a combination of video, audio, text and images.

“Our new financial partners will help provide the resources, independence and strategic know-how to grow Qwik the next level and to continuously improve the way the world consumes information,” said Imbruce, in a statement.

Saverin, who now lives in Paris, declined to disclose the amount invested in Qwik. He was director of Facebook first company and owns 5% of social media giant, valued at about 2.5 billion.

“Qwik is a revolutionary platform that will define the future of information consumption in the world. I am particularly pleased to support the team Qwik that their product is the initial momentum. It is always fascinating to be involved in the early stages of disruptive technology, “Saverin said in a statement.
The company, which began in September 2010, plans to use the financial infusion to fund technology development and launch across multiple platforms, according Qwik. This year, people will be able to use and create Qwik on almost any subject, on any device, the company said. In addition, Qwik considering adding more scientists and artists to its staff, he said.

“Whether you are planning a trip on the Web, the evaluation of restaurants in your phone, or help with homework in front of family AppleTV, Qwik dedicated to providing information in a format that is the quintessence of the man – the story instead of research, “the company’s Web site said.” We believe that because the machine stores the data does not mean it should be presented as a machine-readable list. Try harder. ”

Qwik, a startup pioneer “experience information” via a processing broadcast data in the accounts of rich media, announced today that it closed and 8 million in Series A funding. To date, the company raised a total of 9.5 million and including turn angel.

The round was led by several high-profile investors, including investors Eduardo Saverin primary (co-founder, Facebook), Jawed Karim (Co-founder, YouTube) and Pradeep Sindhu (Co-Founder, Juniper Networks). Institutional investors included Lerer Media Ventures, Ventures and Contour Venture Partners tug. Pejman Nozad Saverin and will join the Board of Directors Qwik as observers. The union of the individual investor has been organized by the New York City-based investment Felix.

“The public’s enthusiasm for Qwik after our debut TechCrunch Disrupt demonstrates the incredible opportunity that awaits us,” says CEO Doug Imbruce. “Our new financial partners will help provide the resources, independence and strategic know-how to grow Qwik the next level and to continuously improve the way the world consumes information.”

Eduardo Saverin said, “Qwik is a revolutionary platform that will define the future of information consumption in the world. I am particularly pleased to support the team Qwik that their product is the initial momentum. It is always exciting to be involved in the early stages of disruptive technology. ”

“Qwik is a game changer,” said Jawed Karim. “The team has managed to create a new media format that will greatly enhance the Web experience.”

Funding follows the release of private invitation-only Alpha Qwik of its reference product, for which the company has received hundreds of thousands of user registrations. Qwik use the $ 8 million to fund technology development and launch publicly on multiple platforms.

About Qwik, Inc.
Qwik was co-founded by the entrepreneur and Doug Imbruce Internet industry pioneer Dr. Louis Monier (AltaVista founder). Company’s technology transforms the data into rich-media stories, offering an “experience of information.” Qwik began in September 2010 at the TechCrunch Conference Disrupt, where he won the Cup Disrupt TechCrunch. The Company released its private alpha and plans to launch publicly on multiple platforms soon. For more information, please visit www.qwiki.com.

Source: http://www.informationweek.com/news/smb/ebusiness/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=229100031&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All

TV Show "Medium": Final, Series Finale, Tonight

2011-01-21T23:44:00.000-05:00

Yes, it looks like long-suffering Joe might actually get a good night's sleep after tonight, without Allison waking him up every night with some new scream, jump, crisis, night terror, whatever.

The show was canceled, but according to reports, this final show is a "real" series finale, and not just the last show taped. In other words, there might be some kind of wrap up to the series.

While never a favorite, it was always on our DVR list and we have watched most of the episodes over the years. Thought not consistent, many of the episodes were pretty good but there were quite a few that were not so great.

At any rate, even if you are/were a casual viewer, you might want to tune in tonight to see how they wrap this series up.

Will they let us see what happens in the future? Or will they simply end their day by going to bed and sleeping through the night? Will they all get eaten by wolves? Tune in to find out...

Source: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=594028

Keith Olbermann Leaves MSNBC

2011-01-21T23:41:00.000-05:00

Keith Olbermann has left MSNBC, anchoring his last 'Countdown With Keith Olbermann' on the news network Friday evening. Watch video of Olbermann's announcement below.

Following his exit, MSNBC released the following statement:

"MSNBC and Keith Olbermann have ended their contract. The last broadcast of Countdown with Keith Olbermann will be this evening. MSNBC thanks Keith for his integral role in MSNBC's success and we wish him well in his future endeavors."

In November Olbermann was suspended by the network for making political campaign donations. Olbermann made donations to Democratic House Representatives Raul Grijalva and Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, and to then Kentucky Senate contender Jack Conway. All three politicians previously appeared on 'Countdown.' His donations violated MSNBC policy because they were not cleared by the network.

Juggling their schedule, MSNBC further announced that "Starting Monday, January 24, 'The Last Word With Lawrence O'Donnell' will move to 8PM ET and 'The Ed Show,' hosted by Ed Schultz, will move to 10PM ET. 'The Rachel Maddow Show' will continue to air live at 9PM ET."

Source: http://www.tvsquad.com/2011/01/21/keith-olbermann-leaves-msnbc/

Oregon Basketball Court: Painful Eyesore, or Work of Art?

2011-01-14T16:40:00.000-05:00

Oregon Basketball Court is a hot internet topic today, and for good reason.
The Ducks christened their new home, Matthew Knight Arena, with a 68-62 win over the USC Trojans on Thursday night, but spectators both in the arena and at home can be forgiven if they weren't focused on what was happening on the court.
Indeed, the court itself is quite the spectacle.
With the court's silhouette of a Northwestern forest, one might say that one can get lost in the woods watching an Oregon home game. And not everyone is thrilled about this.
In fact, reactions to the court have been decidedly mixed. Some think it's an eyesore, and that it's appearance is actually quite dizzying, causing an effect not unlike that of a bad 3-D movie.
Others will tell you that the court represents the pinnacle of sports creativity. And if I may add my own two cents to the mix, I think it's magnificent.
One way or the other, this is very much an 'eye of the beholder' situation.
That being said, it did get us to thinking, and we came up with The 10 Coolest Sports Fields.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/573014-brandi-favre-lebron-james-wes-welker-and-fridays-late-sports-news/entry/42053-oregon-basketball-court-painful-eyesore-or-work-of-art

Wes Welker Puts His Best Foot Forward

2011-01-14T16:36:00.000-05:00

Wes Welker Foot, New York Jets coach Rex Ryan made the cover of Metro Boston on Friday … with a collage of the man’s feet around his smiling face. The paper mocked the Jets coach with a headline that reads: “Why the Pats Will De-Feet the Jets. Jets visit New England for AFC division playoff on Sunday.
The feet are in reference to the controversy that raged last month when a woman who looked like Ryan’s wife appeared in several ftish videos feet on the web. Ryan said he was “personal” and would not discuss the issue of videos.

Source: http://usspost.com/wes-welker-foot-26071/

TreasuryHunt.gov - Are You Missing Out On Some Money?

2011-01-14T16:27:00.000-05:00

Wouldn't it be wonderful if all the sudden you came into money for no apparent reason? You might want to check Treasuryhunt.gov. The website is run by the government, and lists thousands of unclaimed bonds that they are trying to get to the proper owners.
According to their website, and the Long Island Press --

Each year, 25,000 payments are returned to the Department of the Treasury as undeliverable.
Billions of dollars in savings bonds have stopped earning interest, but haven’t been cashed.
Treasury Hunt tells you about savings bonds no longer earning interest. If you still have these savings bonds, cash or reinvest them so your money can start working for you again.

Some thing you need to keep in mind when contacting TreasuryHunt.gov is that they do not contain a record of all savings bonds. This system only provides information on Series E bonds issued in 1974 and after, so they wouldn't be helpful for anyone before 1974.
They also may not completely identify any or all savings bonds you may have lost over the course of time, only those that have reached final maturity and were issued in 1974 and after. It may be worth a shot going onto TreasuryHunt.gov, who knows you may have some extra cash waiting for you! You might be able to pay some holiday bills off, and wouldn't that be a relief for many of us.

Source: http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978923910

Bank of America website suffers outage

2011-01-14T16:23:00.000-05:00

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Some Bank of America customers trying to access their online and mobile accounts were unable to get through on Friday -- an issue the bank says it is aware of and working to resolve.
"We are experiencing some sporadic issues for a small population of customers," spokeswoman Tara Burke said Friday afternoon. "The majority of our customers can bank online."

The outage was widespread enough to prompt a torrent of complaints on Twitter. It also kept Bank of America's official Twitter account, @BofA_Help, busy tweeting out a steady stream of replies.
"We are aware of the problem and are working to get things sorted as swiftly as possible," the company tweeted.
An IT glitch triggered the problem.
"This was the result of a routine system change made last night," Burke said. "This is not a form of malware, or any attack or anything related to WikiLeaks."
Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500) is widely rumored to be in WikiLeaks' crosshairs, and WikiLeaks defenders have knocked offline several other sites, like Visa.com, that provoked their ire.
But Friday's slowness and intermittent inaccessibility was simply a technical malfunction, Bank of America says. Chase.com suffered a similar outage in September -- but that one lasted three days and affected more than 16 million customers.
Bank of America's ATM network is unaffected, the company said.

Source: http://money.cnn.com/2011/01/14/technology/bank_of_america_website_outage/

FBI Witch Hunt Taking Place?

2011-01-14T16:20:00.000-05:00

FBI Witch Hunt: The FBI is compiling lists of Americans that they deem as a potential threat, due to the fact that they have criticized their representative and starting to target them with home visits, according to the InfoWars Website.
The site reported today that An Ozark man, Clay Bowler, who ran a blog last year critical of Republican Congressman Billy Long, was visited by an FBI agent. The FBI agent wanted to know if Bowler was a threat to Long.
The FBI agent’s reason for inquiry was because Bowler had used a “blog to highlight claims of cronyism and corruption involving the Congressman before the southwest Missouri election in November, in which Long defeated Democrat Scott Eckersley to replace outgoing Rep. Roy Blunt.”
According to the site, Bowler discontinued the blog after the election last year. It is reported that the FBI agent agreed that Bowler represented no threat to Long. Bowler said “I find the whole thought very funny, because I’m such an advocate for constitutional rights that I would never do anything that would put in jeopardy those constitutional rights like the Second Amendment.”

Source: http://www.worldnewsinsight.com/is-there-an-fbi-witch-hunt-taking-place/4118/

China’s New Stealth Jet Takes to the Air

2011-01-11T19:31:00.000-05:00

Two weeks after grainy photos proved the existence of China’s first stealth fighter, the Chengdu J-20 has flown for the first time — just when U.S. Defense Secretary Bob Gates happens to be visiting the country. The debut flight over southwest China marks the beginning of a likely long and difficult testing phase for the large, angular airplane. It could be a decade or more before J-20s begin to roll out of Chinese factories in meaningful numbers.

But that doesn’t mean pundits, analysts and hawkish politicians aren’t already wringing their hands andwarning of impending doom. That’s the same doom, it should be noted, that some observers predicted when Russia’s T-50 stealth prototype made its first flight a year ago.

In truth, any alarm over the J-20 is premature — note the Pentagon’s cool indifference. Right now, no one outside of the Chinese government knows what the J-20 is for, or what it’s capable of. The best anyone can do is guess, based on assumptions derived from a handful of digital snapshots.

Based on the J-20’s apparent size — around 70 feet from nose to tail, compared to just 60 feet for the F-22 Raptor — Defense Technology International editor Bill Sweetman proposed that the J-20 is “a bomberas much as, if not more than, a fighter.” The Chinese jet has “perhaps lower super-cruise performance and agility than an F-22, but with larger weapon bays and more fuel,” Sweetman added. “Super-cruise” is the ability to travel long distances at supersonic speed, something only the F-22 can really do, at the moment.

“Why would China need or want a short-range stealth aircraft?” Sweetman continued. “Any targets with defenses that call for that [stealth and speed] capability are a long way from the mainland.” Realistically, those targets could include Indian air defenses, Taiwanese airfields and U.S. Navy warships cruising the South China Sea.

It would make sense for Beijing to invest in a new, stealthy fighter-bomber. The People’s Liberation Army Air Force is already reasonably well-equipped with fresh new J-10 and J-11 fighters, rough equivalents of the F-16 and F-15, respectively. But the PLAAF’s main fighter-bomber is the older JH-7, a mediocre performer mostly incapable of launching modern guided weapons — and certainly doomed in the face of modern air defenses.

Taking the opposing view, Carlo Kopp and Peter Goon, partners in the Air Power Australia think-tank, argue that the J-20 is a fighter more than a bomber. Since they do not dispute the J-20’s apparent large size, they assume the Chinese plane is optimized for fast, high-altitude interception using long-range missiles, as opposed to close-range dogfighting. Kopp and Goon see waves of J-20s pounding through U.S., Taiwanese and allied defenses to target the vital support planes — E-3 AWACS, Rivet Joint spy planes, EC-130 radar jammers, etc. — that orbit behind the battle-lines.

By taking down these support forces, the J-20 could “significantly complicate if not close down air operations” for the United States in the Pacific. And forget using Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornets or Air Force F-35A Joint Strike Fighters to stop the J-20s. Both American jets are “aerodynamically and kinematically quite inferior” to the Chinese stealth fighter, Kopp and Goon wrote.

Kopp and Goon have long advocated more F-22s as the only way to counter new Russian and Chinese fighters. Taking up this line, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney advocated Congress “insert funding for 12 F-22s into the 2011 budget” and keep buying the $150-million-a-copy jet indefinitely.

The Pentagon has ignored this advice, sticking with the planned total of just 187 Raptors and planning for an eventual purchase of more than 2,000 smaller, hopefully cheaper F-35s.

In doing so, the U.S. military brass seems to recognize several important truths. First, for all its apparent design strengths as a bomber or a fighter, the J-20 seems to rely on imported Russian engines — just as many other Chinese jets do. That gives Russia effective veto power over the J-20’s use in combat. All Moscow has to do is shut down the supply and support of engines to ground the J-20 and indeed most of the PLAAF.

Secondly, there are lots of ways to shoot down or otherwise disable Chinese fighters. Counting just American forces, there are: Air Force F-15s, F-16s, F-22s and (soon) F-35s; Navy and Marine F/A-18s and F-35s; Navy Aegis destroyers and cruisers; and Army surface-to-air missiles. But in a major shooting war, the Navy and Air Force wouldn’t wait for J-20s or other Chinese fighters to even take off. Cruise-missile-armed submarines and bombers would pound Chinese airfields; the Air Forces would take down Chinese satellites and thus blind PLAAF planners; American cyberattackers could disable Beijing’s command networks.

Of course, China could reverse any of these tactics and use them against the United States and its allies. But the point stands: Any Pacific shooting war would be a much more complex (and awful) affair than a simple showdown between jet fighters. The J-20 alone could not win that war any more than the F-22 could. Arguably, even fighting the war in the first place would represent a major defeat for the United States, China and the whole world.

A little context helps explain why the Pentagon remains calm over the whole J-20 issue — and everyone else should, too. We still don’t know what the J-20 really is, and how it might eventually, subtly shape the Pacific balance of power. All we can do now is wait, watch and keep working on our own fighters — all without panicking or spending ourselves into oblivion.

Source: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/01/dont-panic-chinas-new-stealth-jet-takes-to-the-air/

Britney Spears - Latest Release Leaked!

2011-01-11T00:48:00.001-05:00

New single by 'Britney Spears‘ called “Hold It Against Me” has leaked and in fact hours ahead of its original scheduled release that was at midnight.

It’s produced by longtime Spears collaborators Max Martin and Dr. Luke.

The pop superstar’s new studio album is set to debut in March.

What do you think?

Source: http://www.gossipcop.com/britney-spears-hold-it-against-me-listen/