Moment of Strange

New England Patriots

2011-07-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

Mike Westhoff, the Jets’ special-teams coach, has had his carefully researched list of free-agency targets ready to go for months. On Monday morning, he was staring at a roster on his office wall full of blank spots, and preparing to pick up the phone to start recruiting the players he wants the Jets to sign as soon as he is allowed. Across the country, some of the most prominent agents in the game were preparing to sleep in their offices, the better to manage the expected round-the-clock negotiations to come.

After nearly five months of inactivity by all but a handful of negotiators, the N.F.L. sprang to life again Monday when 32 player representatives voted unanimously to recommend approval of a 10-year labor deal that owners largely approved last Thursday. With an apology to the fans from the New England Patriots owner Robert K. Kraft, and the applause of a few spectators who had gathered on a sidewalk to witness the announcement, the process to lift the lockout was put in motion. The longest work stoppage in the game’s history thus ended with only the loss of the Hall of Fame exhibition game.

After the final details were worked out Monday morning, the lawyers who were the pre-eminent figures of the unusual off-season finally gave way to coaches and players desperate to get on the field and to an expected frenzy of player signings and trades the likes of which the N.F.L., normally a model of meticulously planned stasis, has never experienced. Rookies can start signing contracts and every other free agent can begin negotiating them Tuesday, when trades can also begin; teams will start opening training camps Wednesday; and Friday, about 400 free agents can begin joining new teams — five months of activity being funneled into just a few weeks.

Philadelphia Eagles

2011-07-25T18:49:00.000-07:00

The NFL is back in business and the Philadelphia Eagles are winging their way to Lehigh for training camp. NFL players agreed to a new 10-year contract on Monday after owners approved a deal last week. For now, the Eagles' players will show up on Wednesday in Bethlehem, Pa., and go through a walkthrough practice on Thursday. Fans will probably see some players on the field on Friday, but it certainly won't be the entire team.

One issue is that the Eagles can't start signing rookies and draft picks until Tuesday. The team can also start trading players, like Kevin Kolb, on Tuesday. But NFL teams won't be able to sign veteran free agents until Friday at 6 p.m., so it will be days before a full squad can be assembled at Lehigh.

Fresh off a season in which they won 10 games, captured the NFC East title, and found a new franchise quarterback in Michael Vick, the Eagles were more than pleased with Monday's news that football is back. "In the end, both sides gave enough to get the deal done, and we can all go back to work feeling good about what was accomplished," Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said. "A 10-year contract is unprecedented in professional sports. By the time this contract ends, the NFL and its players will have been able to play 33 uninterrupted seasons of football."

Philadelphia will hold training camp, as planned, at Lehigh University. The players will report on Wednesday. Camp will break at Lehigh on Aug. 17. "I'm happy that the NFL and its players can get back doing what they love to do," Eagles coach Andy Reid said. "The coaches can get back to coaching. Players can get back to playing and we're all pleased about that." Philadelphia will play host to Baltimore in the preseason opener on Aug. 11 at Lincoln Financial Field.

Chicago Bears

2011-07-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

The Bears had big issues on the offensive line last season, and even though Kreutz might not be quite the dominant force he once was, he remains one of the team's leaders. Heading into his 14th season, he's healthier than he was this time last year. And agent Mark Bartelstein made it clear he hopes to stay. Players put an end to the 4 {-month lockout when they OK'd the deal on Monday, days after the owners approved a tentative agreement, and turned the focus from the negotiating table to the field. The frenzy will start at 9 a.m. Central time Tuesday, when teams can start talking with free agents and sign draft picks and undrafted rookies. Veterans can't sign until 5 p.m. Central on Friday, the same day the Bears are scheduled to report to camp at Olivet Nazarene University.

Assuming that plan does not change, the first practice will be on Saturday. Between now and then, there's plenty of work to do. The Bears have apparently decided not to bring back Brad Maynard. The Chicago Tribune, citing a source close to the player, reported on its website Monday that the team informed the veteran punter that he would not be re-signed. His agent Chad Wiestling did not return calls seeking comment. The 37-year-old Maynard spent the past 10 seasons in Chicago after starting his career with the New York Giants. Even so, it's no shocker that the Bears would let him go, considering he ranked 32nd in punt average (40.1 yards) and 29th in net average (35.2).

Chicago signed Richmond McGee to a two-year contract in February and could also bring in a veteran punter. The Bears could use another defensive end to create havoc and complement Julius Peppers. They could also use some linebackers, considering they have only two Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs -- under contract. Pisa Tinoisamoa, Nick Roach, Brian Iwuh and Rod Wilson are all free agents, and rookie J.T. Thomas could fill a backup role. Re-signing defensive tackle Anthony Adams figures to be one of the top priorities, and on offense, many fans would like to see an upgrade at wide receiver. The bigger issue, though, is on the line.

Dallas Cowboys

2011-07-25T18:26:00.000-07:00

The Dallas Cowboys have some serious money issues. The team is $20 million over the salary cap limit, and they spend two times as much on their players than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who played better than the Cowboys last season. Something’s got to give. Jason Garrett is going to have the Dallas Cowboys on the practice field during training camp for nearly as much as the new rules allow. With a lost offseason to be made up for, and with the new coach still trying to implement a tougher work ethic than his predecessor, Garrett has tentatively scheduled the Cowboys to be on the turf of the Alamodome for four hours a day on 11 of the 14 days of camp.

Starting Thursday, the Cowboys are supposed to have a walkthrough from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., then a full practice from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day of camp. The only exceptions are both Sundays, when the walkthrough will be dropped, and the final day, Aug. 10, when there will only be a walkthrough because everyone will head back to Dallas for the preseason opener against Denver the next night. The schedule was released Monday afternoon hours after word that the NFL lockout was ending. Players will be allowed to report to team headquarters on Tuesday and must be in San Antonio on Wednesday. All NFL teams will be scrambling to get players in football shape, and to make sure guys know each other and the playbook, so it remains to be seen how extreme Garrett's schedule compares with others. Regardless, it'll be a big change from the way Wade Phillips ran things last year.

A lazy, cross-country training camp is among the reasons many believe the Cowboys started 1-7 last season, costing Phillips his job. Garrett took over as interim coach and demanded everyone work harder. Practices became more physical and the team went 5-3 over the second half, earning him the job for keeps. Things could still change, but the initial camp schedule clearly sends the message that Garrett means business.

Oklahoma City Bombing

2011-07-23T20:47:00.000-07:00

With at least 92 dead and a suspect in custody, Norwegians trying to make sense of the bombing and shooting attacks here turned repeatedly Saturday to the one example that seemed to fit: the Oklahoma City bombing. Here, as there, a quick assumption that Muslims were at fault proved to be erroneous. Norwegians now know that a 32-year-old Christian, who railed against multiculturalism, is the principal and perhaps only suspect in the killings that occurred Friday in Oslo and at an island nearby. His name is Anders Behring Breivik; police say he has admitted to the shootings. A Norwegian newspaper reported that he had recently bought a large quantity of fertilizer, which can be used to make bombs as the Oklahoma City bomber, Timothy McVeigh, showed in 1995.

Breivik has lived on the margins of Norway’s extreme right wing, a movement that has been in decline for at least a decade. The writings denounce politicians in general for betraying the nation — but offer no hint of violence. The country of 4.5 million was plunged into grief Saturday, especially because more than 80 of the victims were teenagers attending a Labor Party camp on the island of Utoya. Oslo was hushed, even though thousands came out on the streets, whether out of curiosity or in solidarity. As soft showers fell, the loudest sound was of workmen sweeping up broken glass.

Frances Bean Cobain

2011-07-23T20:34:00.000-07:00

Amy Winehouse’s passing, other celebrity parents who left us due to addiction are coming back into the light including Kurt Cobain and Heath Ledger. But it’s their children that we worry about. Frances Bean Cobain was not even 2-years-old when her father tragically took his own life. Cobain turned 18-years-old last summer and inherited a multi-million dollar inheritance. But Cobain has gained so much more than just a lump sum of money. The late rocker’s daughter interned for Rolling Stone magazine in 2008, and she debuted a collection of dark sketches at the La Luz de Jesus Gallery in July 2010. The artwork drew critical praise and sold out quickly. Since then, Cobain has pretty much gone into hiding and not much has been heard of Kurt Cobain’s only child.

Atlantis has landed, ending NASA's shuttle era

2011-07-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

Commander Chris Ferguson gently steered the 100-tonne spaceship high overhead, then nose-dived toward the swamp-surrounded landing strip at the Kennedy Space Center, a few miles (kilometers) from where Atlantis will go on display as a museum piece.

Double sonic booms shattered the predawn silence around the space center, the last time residents will hear the distinctive sound of a shuttle coming home.

Ferguson eased Atlantis onto the runway at 5:57 a.m. EDT, ending a 5.2 million-mile (8.4 million-km) journey and closing a key chapter in human space flight history.
"Mission complete, Houston," Ferguson radioed to Mission Control.

Astronaut Barry Wilmore from Mission Control answered back, "We'll take this opportunity to congratulate you Atlantis, as well as the thousands of passionate individuals across this great space-faring nation who truly empowered this incredible spacecraft, which for three decades has inspired millions around the globe."

Atlantis' return from the 135th shuttle mission capped a 30-year program that made spaceflight appear routine, despite two fatal accidents that killed 14 astronauts and destroyed two of NASA's five spaceships.

The last accident investigation board recommended the shuttles be retired after construction was finished on the space station, a $100 billion project of 16 nations. That milestone was reached this year, leaving the orbiting research station as the shuttle program's crowning legacy.
Details of a follow-on program are still pending, but the objective is to build new spaceships that can travel beyond the station's 250-mile (400-km) orbit and send astronauts to the moon, asteroids and other destinations in deep space.

Space Shuttle Atlantis touches down at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility in Cape Canaveral, Fla., completing its 13-day mission to the International Space Station and the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program, early Thursday morning, July 21, 2011. Atlantis, the fourth orbiter built, launched on its first mission on Oct. 3, 1985. (AP Photo/NASA - Bill Ingalls)

Yosemite National Park

2011-07-20T15:26:00.000-07:00

Several people in a hiking group at Yosemite that included three who were swept away and presumed dead had climbed over a barricade and were in the water about 25 feet from the edge of a waterfall, standing, playing and taking photographs, witnesses told Yosemite rangers.

One of the victims then slipped and fell, the second victim tried to rescue that person, and the third victim tried to save the other two, said Yosemite National Park spokesman Scott Gediman said.

The victims were not related, but were friends. About a dozen people were in the hiking group and had spent an hour at the top of Vernal Falls until tragedy struck. The presumed dead were identified Wednesday as Hormiz David, 22, of Modesto; Ninos Yacoub, 27, of Turlock; and Ramina Badal, 21, of Modesto. Vernal Falls is marked with warning signs and barricaded off with a metal-bar guardrail that “takes some effort” to climb over, Gediman said.

Rangers are collecting statements and photographs from witnesses to try and garner more information about what happened, Gediman said. He emphasized that more than 1,000 visitors hike to the top of the falls each day without incident, and that it is a safe sight-seeing spot.

The Amazing Spider Man Trailer

2011-07-20T15:10:00.000-07:00

Two days after Warner Bros. released the first teaser trailer for The Dark Knight Rises, the third installment of the rebooted Batman franchise, Sony Pictures has released its first teaser trailer for the first installment of the rebooted Spider-Man franchise.

Like The Dark Knight Rises, The Amazing Spider-Man won’t hit theaters until next summer, but fan interest in both are sky-high. In the latter case, the back story is also of interest: Sam Raimi, who directed the three most-recent Spider-Man films, featuring Tobey Maguire, was set to make a fourth installment, but decided he couldn’t do so and maintain artistic credibility. So, a mere nine years after the first Spider-Man in that series premiered, Sony decided to start over again with Spider-Man’s creation story.

The cast is different this time around, as is the director, Marc Webb. Andrew Garfield (who played Eduardo Saverin in The Social Network) plays Spider-Man, Emma Stone plays his love interest, Gwen Stacy, and Ryhs Ifans plays the villain, The Lizard.

Pittsburgh Pirates

2011-07-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

The Reds took advantage of a pair of miscues from Pittsburgh shortstop Chase d'Arnaud to beat the Pirates 3-1 on Wednesday and avoid a three-game sweep. Johnny Cueto (6-3) gave up one run over six innings to whittle his ERA to 1.98 as Cincinnati found a little punch following two nights of futility against the surprising NL Central-leading Pirates.

Though Baker has stressed it's not time to panic, Cueto knows the Reds are at a critical point in their season. The defending division champions haven't won consecutive games in over a month and have dropped off the pace in the crowded Central race.

The Reds didn't exactly bust out against Pittsburgh starter Jeff Karstens (8-5), but they didn't let a little charity go to waste. An error by d'Arnaud on a routine play to start the game helped Cincinnati plate its first run since Sunday, and a bobble in the fifth extended the inning and allowed the Reds to put together the final margin.

Chris Heisey and Jay Bruce had two hits apiece for the Reds, who beat Pittsburgh for just the second time in nine tries this year. D'Arnaud made a pair of huge plays in a 2-0 win Monday. His diving stop in the hole got Pittsburgh out of a bases-loaded situation in the first inning and his first-to-third sprint in the fourth opened the door for a pair of Pittsburgh runs.

The 24-year-old, who was injured sliding into third Monday, sat out Tuesday's 1-0 victory as a precaution. He didn't exactly look comfortable upon his return. Heisey led off the game with a routine grounder that d'Arnaud threw into the stands. Heisey would later score on a sacrifice fly from Joey Votto to end Cincinnati's longest scoreless streak in over a year.

Allen West

2011-07-20T14:56:00.000-07:00

The head of the Congressional Black Caucus told Fox News on Wednesday that members are "furious" about the incident, saying he's going to speak with the Florida Republican about the matter. Shortly afterward, several female lawmakers held a news conference, at which they called on West to apologize.

Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) reiterated his controversial descriptions of Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) on Wednesday in an email to supporters, and appealed for donations because "it's times like this that I need friends with me."

The fundraising email is titled "Vile, Despicable, and Unprofessional," and it echoes a letter West sent to Wasserman Schultz, copying congressional leaders, on Tuesday in which he called the DNC chair "vile, despicable and cowardly," and said she was "not a lady."

West has come under fire in the past 24 hours for the email, which some considered overly hostile. In fact, less than an hour after the email was sent, West told The Huffington Post's Jen Bendery that he had "just apologized" to Wasserman Schultz.

But Wasserman Schultz spokesman Jonathan Beeton said later that West still hasn't apologized. "He did not. Not in person, not via fax, not via phone," Beeton said.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz, on MSNBC just now, suggested she sympathized with Allen West because of the terrible "pressure" he's under for his position on budget cuts that could affect seniors and added insult to injury by addressing West who lives in her district, not his — as "a constituent of mine."

Gang Of Six

2011-07-19T19:43:00.000-07:00

Six stalwart U.S. senators delivered yesterday the outlines of an intelligent and ambitious deficit- reduction proposal. It is, as President Barack Obama succinctly said, “good news” at a time when some is needed. The bipartisan Gang of Six plan takes the sensible policy framework of the Bowles-Simpson fiscal-reform commission and turns it into a workable package for the Senate to consider. Although the plan’s details are not all clear, the senators say it would reduce deficits by $500 billion immediately and by $3.7 trillion over 10 years. It would overhaul entitlements, in part by switching to a so-called chained consumer price index to calculate benefits. It would tighten the budget process using triggers and enforcement mechanisms to protect against lawmakers with an itch to spend. And it would move toward a simplified and pro-growth tax code.

Enthusiasm expressed by senators not involved in the talks suggests that there may be enough votes in the Senate to pass the package. The House will be a problem, perhaps even an impossibility. To make the odds even longer, it’s unclear how the plan might overlap with various proposals to increase the debt limit -- and very little time remains. Part of the debt-reduction plan unveiled Tuesday by the Gang of Six would "reform, not eliminate tax expenditures" for charitable giving.

The plan says nothing more about charitable tax deductions, which it lumps in with reforms in health, home ownership and retirement.

Asked what "reform" meant, Senate Budget Committee spokesman Stu Nagurka emailed The Huffington Post, "I don’t have any information that I can share with you."

That being said, an executive summary of the proposal gives a hint at the approach to reform, saying it is "consistent with the recommendations of the Bowles-Simpson fiscal commission." The document called for simplifying the tax code while increasing or maintaining fairness.

Under the current system, taxpayers who donate to charities are eligible for a deduction based on their marginal tax rate. Those in the top bracket currently are allowed to deduct a maximum of 35 percent of their taxable income. Those with more modest incomes get more modest deductions.

Jersey Shore Season 4 Trailer Game Played Release

2011-07-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

From the looks of it, Snooki, The Situation, Pauly D, Vinny, Deena, Sammi, JWoww and Ronnie are in for the most dramatic season yet, as the roommates do what they do best: go clubbing, hook up and fight.

"I'm going back to the Motherland," The Situation declares.

Jersey Shore Season 4 Trailer Game Played Release

Get More: Jersey Shore, MTV Shows, Jersey Shore (Season 3), MTV Shows

Adds Pauly: "Every street sounds like my last name, DelVecchio."

Vinny has good intentions – "There's a lot of things I want to accomplish in Italy. I want to learn Italian. I want to master the language. I want to find a nice, real, traditional Italian girl," he says – but things go downhill fast.

Bottles will break, cars will crash and friendships will be tested. The stars will fall, feud and someone will go to the hospital. There may even be fresh romance somewhere between the bleeped-out tirades.

"It takes something really bad to happen in this house," JWoww says, "to realize how much we love each other."

Women World Cup Final Soccer

2011-07-17T17:33:00.000-07:00

The USA women's soccer team takes on Japan on Sunday in the Women's World Cup final. The game will begin at 2:45 p.m ET on ESPN. In the quarterfinals against Brazil, the U.S. came back in the 122nd minute after Abby Wambach scored on an incredible header to tie the match at two. They went on to win in a penalty shootout and then dominated France 3-1 in the semifinals. Despite getting shut out by England in the group stage, Japan managed to crush Germany and then take down Sweden in the semifinals. Women World Cup Final Soccer

Kondo rose in his seat on the patio at Hobnob Neighborhood Tavern in Midtown Atlanta. He beamed, took a sip of beer, liked it so much he took a second. Then he smiled at the TV. Its big screen flicked back the facts: Japan, where Kondo was born, had just tied the United States, 2-2, in the Women’s World Cup Soccer championship. Let the record show that Kondo, celebrating his 39th birthday Sunday afternoon, also had something else to cheer: Japan beat the United States, 3-1 on penalty kicks after a 2-2 draw . It was the sort of game fans of soccer – or football, for you purists – like: The outcome was never a sure thing until the last moment. More than two dozen fans gathered at the bar Sunday afternoon to cheer for the two teams. Some knew the game well; others just watched the ball bounce and cheered when others did. David Quintero, a physician and native of Colombia, offered the highest praise a longtime soccer fan could muster: “I’m impressed,” said Quintero. “They play like guys.” The teams impressed Tricia Wisner. She doesn’t know much about soccer it wasn’t big where she grew up in Phoenix but she knows athletic effort when she sees it.

Man builds his own million dollar Bugatti Veyron

2011-07-16T03:30:00.000-07:00

Starting with a complete 2002 Mercury Cougar coupe, Duff set to work transforming the vehicle's entire exterior into that of a world-class supercar. He used fiberglass and composite material to create the Veyron's iconic lines, and laid it all over a tubular steel frame. After a professional paint job and plenty of buffing, the car was ready for the showroom, but Duff wasn't done yet. He then took to the Cougar's interior, covering everything from the seats to the dashboard in genuine leather. When we spoke with him, he said the project took him a full 9 months from start to finish.

The detailed doppelgänger even sports usable back seats, which is something the real million-dollar ride completely lacks. Speaking of price, that's another area where this fantastic fake beats out its original counterpart. Duff currently has the vehicle up for sale with a price of $89,000 — less than 1/10th the price of a genuine Veyron.

Unfortunately, while that price will buy you the looks of a barely-legal race car, it doesn't buy you the performance. Under its gorgeous exterior, the "Cougatti" is still distinctly pedestrian, and remains equipped with its original 2.5-liter V6 engine that produces roughly 170 horsepower. This is in stark contrast to the 8-liter 16-cylinder powerplant of the real car, which produces a neck-snapping 1,000 horses.

The Bugatti Veyron is a modern automotive legend. The sleek speedster from Volkswagen boasts a top speed of over 260mph, making it the fastest road-legal car in the world, and it has a stunningly large $1.5 million price tag to match. Because of this astronomical cost of entry, only a few hundred of the vehicles have ever been built, meaning your chances of owning one are rather slim. That is, unless you're Mike Duff, an ambitious 25-year-old from Florida who decided to build his very own Bugatti with his bare hands.

MTV’s Top 10 Most Outrageous Sex Myths

2011-07-04T07:40:00.001-07:00

MTV’s Top 10 Most Outrageous Sex Myths sets the record straight on many of the most common myths about STDs and other sexual health issues. Part of the GYT: Get Yourself Tested campaign, this countdown features artists such as Ludacris Travie McCoy, Michael B. Jordan, and Tinsel Korey as well as talent from MTV shows, including Vinny from the “Jersey Shore,” Maci, Amber and Catelynn from “Teen Mom,” Kailyn from “Teen Mom 2,” Paul Iacono from “Hard Times with RJ Berger,” Liz Lee from “My Life as Liz,” Kevin Manno, host of the “The Seven,” “10 on Top” host Lenay Dunn, Holland Roden from “Teen Wolf” and more Additionally, sexual health and relationship expert Dr. Logan Levkoff will weigh in on the special.

Independence Day

2011-07-04T06:41:00.000-07:00

Frontier Days festival with a carnival, food and live music: Noon-midnight Sunday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday in Recreation Park, 500 E. Miner St. Parade: 10 a.m. Monday, Highland and Oakton to Recreation Park.

BARRINGTON

Festival with live entertainment, games, beer and food: 11 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday in the commuter train lot at 201 S. Spring St. Parade: 10 a.m. Monday along Main Street.

BUFFALO GROVE

Fireworks with symphonic band concert: 7 p.m. Monday at Rotary Village Green, north side of Old Checker Road. Free.

CRYSTAL LAKE

Lakeside Festival with carnival, music, Taste by the Lake, art shows, games, Dole Mansion tours and bike parade: Noon-10 p.m. Sunday and Monday at Lakeside Park, 401 Country Club Road. Admission $5, $2 for seniors 65 and older, free for active military and children younger than 12.

DEERFIELD

Family Days Festival Monday location: Jewett Park, 836 Jewett Park Drive. 7:30 a.m.-noon: pancake breakfast, dog show, rides, games, flower show, concert. Parade at noon Monday, Deerspring Pool to Jewett Park.

EVANSTON

Parade at 2 p.m. Monday, Central Street between Central Park Avenue East and Ashland Avenue. Concert from 7:30-9 p.m. Monday, followed by fireworks at 9:15 p.m., Clark Street Beach. Free.

GLENVIEW

Parade at 11:30 a.m. Monday, from Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church to Johns Park. Concert and fireworks 7:30 p.m. Monday, Glenview Park Golf Club, 800 Shermer Road.

GREAT LAKES

Naval Station Great Lakes Centennial. Noon-10 p.m. Monday. Fireworks Monday evening. Ross Field, Great Lakes Naval Base, Sheridan Road. Free.

MORTON GROVE

Parade at 2:30 p.m. Monday begins on Dempster Street between Central and Ferris avenues. Carnival with live music, food court and beer garden 3-11 p.m. Monday, Harrer Park, 6250 Dempster Ave. Fireworks 9:30 p.m. Monday, Harrer Park.

True Blood Season 4

2011-06-26T07:31:00.000-07:00

The fourth season of True Blood will contain 12 episodes: the first, titled “She’s Not There,” will air Sunday, June 26, 2011, on HBO. It will be loosely based on the fourth novel in The Southern Vampire Mysteries series, Dead to the World.

The good news about the fourth season is that, judging from the early episodes, Ball appears to have found a way to integrate many of these characters into one major arc, centering on new baddie Marnie (brilliant Irish actress Fiona Shaw), a Wiccan who runs the local coven and is interested in the stretching the limits of necromancy, which understandably gives the undead the heebie-jeebies.

At the end of the third season, our heroine Sookie (Anna Paquin), vampire boyfriend Bill (Stephen Moyer) and vamp bigwig Eric (Alexander Skarsgard) had dispatched, Hoffa-style, Russell Edgington, the Mississippi vampire regent who was proving to be a bit of a public relations nightmare for the pro-mainstreaming American Vampire League.

Gwyneth Paltrow

2011-06-25T17:38:00.000-07:00

Gwyneth Paltrow loves being a stay-at-home mother. The 38-year-old actress - who has children Apple, seven, and Moses, five, with husband Chris Martin - feels "fulfilled" now she has learned to work less and spend more time with her children and spouse.

Gwyneth said: "I enjoy being a mother and staying at home and looking after my kids. I like being able to take the children to school and to make their food and spend a lot of time with them. It's a much more fulfilling kind of life for me. It's a lot easier now. I'm happiest when I'm sitting down for dinner with my family."

The 'Country Strong' star admits she can be a "strict" mother but is always willing to compromise on issues the children feel particularly passionate about.

Gwyneth Paltrow has been a busy lady. Not only has she made surprise cameos for Glee's live show in New Jersey, the glamour goddess was honored at the Bent on Learning gala in NYC for her contributions to the yoga community and looked marvelous. The Iron Man beauty sported a lovely black-and-gray Alexander Wang draped dress to the benefit (where she raised an extra $10,000 for the cause). Each drape of the fabric seemed to flatter her fit bod as if it were made specifically with her shape in mind. She paired the frock with black strappy peep-toe sandals and minimal accessories finished off her evening attire. Her sun-kissed skin was glowing full-force, while her golden locks lightened her look up for a nice summer glam. Blondie has proven she really can do it all and look magnificent in the process.

Apollo 18 Trailer

2011-06-25T17:33:00.000-07:00

Peter Frampton

2011-06-25T09:34:00.000-07:00

Legendary rocker Peter Frampton has filed for divorce from his wife of 15 years, Christina Elfers. Frampton filed the divorce papers in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, citing irreconcilable differences. The 61-year-old singer is asking for joint legal custody and visitation rights of the couple's 15-year-old daughter, Mia. However, Frampton is asking that the primary physical custody of their daughter be awarded to Elfers. Frampton is also asking that the lawyer's fees be shared with Elfers. This is Frampton's third divorce, but what most people don't realize is that Frampton is most famous for winning a palimony suit with former live-in girlfriend Penny McCall. In fact, McCall vs. Frampton was such a strong victory for Frampton that most family law attorneys in New York state still won't take on palimony cases to this day, more than three decades later.

Back in the 1970s, "palimony" suits became popular on the West Coast. Celebrity attorney Marvin Mitchelson won substantial "rehabilitation" settlements for girlfriends of the rich and famous, including Michelle Marvin (from her live-in boyfriend Lee Marvin) and Britt Ekland (from her live-in boyfriend Rod Stewart). Gloria Allred has continued in this tradition, representing high profile girlfriends ranging from Amber Frey (Scott Peterson) to Rachel Uchitel (Tiger Woods). But, on the East Coast, you gotta put a ring on it, if you're planning on any settlement after you split from your lover. The couple got married in 1996 and split on New Year's Eve of 2010.

Snow White

2011-06-25T09:30:00.000-07:00

The film Snow White revolves around the story of how CIA and Canadian government officials joined forces to rescue six Americans who’d been taken hostage in Iran (circa 1979) – by convincing the country’s officials that the captives were actually members of a production crew working on a new Hollywood film, titled “Argo.”

Oscar-winner Alan Arkin signed onto Argo a couple weeks back – and now Variety says that Golden Globe-winner John Goodman is negotiating to join the film’s cast. The former Roseanne star is up to play the role of John Chambers, the real-life Oscar-winning makeup artist who worked on the original Planet of the Apes movie – and played a pivotal role in the “Argo” operation.

With stars like Arkin and Goodman onboard to star, a fascinating real-life rescue operation plot, and Affleck calling the shots, Argo definitely has potential to be a memorable film. Look for more noteworthy actors to join the cast over the upcoming months.

News for New York

2011-06-25T09:27:00.000-07:00

CC Sabathia will try to become the first 10-game winner in the majors when he takes the hill for the New York Yankees in the second contest of a three-game set against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium. A few players have had a chance at 10 wins this season, but thus far they have all failed, and now it will be Sabathia's turn along with three other hurlers today. The lefty has won six of his last seven starts, but the veteran hurler has struggled over his past three outings. Even though the strong hurler is 2-1 in those starts, he has allowed 14 runs on 24 hits in 20 2/3 innings. The last time Sabathia was on the hill he allowed four runs against the Cubs, but thanks to 10 runs scored by the offense, he landed in the win column.

Surprisingly the lefty has been a tad inconsistent in the Bronx, posting a 3-2 mark with a 4.20 earned run average in eight home starts. Not many teams have gotten the better of Sabathia, but the Rockies are one of them. In five starts against Colorado, the southpaw is just 1-1 with a horrendous 7.84 earned run average. The Rockies will counter with Aaron Cook, who will be making his fourth start on the season. The right-hander is 0-2 in his previous three starts this year and is coming off a loss to the Tigers in which he allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings of work.

Hughes hit 93 mph on the radar gun and was consistently in the low 90s, but he needed 72 pitches to get through just 3.1 innings. His overall line didn't look too bad, but he struggled with the command of his fastball.

It was recently reported that Hughes would need just two more rehab starts, but the Yankees may now want to see more from Hughes before calling him up. Brian Cashman said his next start will come at Trenton with a pitch count around 90, and he will then make another start before a call up.

Team Fortress 2

2011-06-24T04:14:00.000-07:00

Team Fortress 2 developer Robin Walker in which he says that the company has decided to make the popular class-based shooter completely free-to-play, supported only by microtransactions. Walker says the game has experimented with multiple price points over its long history (including allowing players to play for free during temporary periods) and that making this transition now "feels like a fairly straightforward next step along the 'Games as Services' path we've been walking down for a while now."

Walker also says that this is a model that specifically fits the multiplayer game at this moment in the product's life, when Valve is trying to reach as many players as it possibly can. The permanent price drop won't affect development on the game at all, but monetization will only go through the game's item shop. You can read more in the interview, live now over at Develop.

There's no official word on any of this from Valve yet, on either the Steam blog or the official Team Fortress 2 site. We are scheduled to hear about the next update today (and even see a "Meet the Medic" video) and the game was set to go free for just a week, but this is obviously a more permanent direction.

NBA Draft Trades 2011

2011-06-24T04:08:00.000-07:00

The 2011 NBA draft served up a fair share of trades Thursday night:

The Dallas Mavericks reached a trade agreement with the Portland Trail Blazers in which Dallas acquires swingman Rudy Fernandez, according to sources with knowledge of the deal. The trade includes picks and Denver's involvement as well. "Marc Stein story"

• Blazers receive: Raymond Felton (from Denver); rights to No. 57 overall pick (from Dallas)

• Nuggets receive: Andre Miller (from Portland); rights to Jordan Hamilton (26th overall pick); future second-round pick (2013 or 2014) from Portland

• Mavs receive: Rudy Fernandez (from Portland); rights to 2007 draftee Petteri Koponen

Charlotte traded top scorer Stephen Jackson to Milwaukee in a three-way deal involving the Sacramento Kings that gave the Bobcats two picks in the top nine. "Chad Ford story"

• Bobcats receive: No. 7 overall pick Bismack Biyombo (from Sacramento); Corey Maggette (from Milwaukee)

• Bucks receive: No. 19 overall pick Tobias Harris (from Charlotte); Stephen Jackson (from Charlotte); Shaun Livingston (from Charlotte); Beno Udrih (from Sacramento)

• Kings receive: No. 10 overall pick Jimmer Fredette and guard John Salmons (from Milwaukee).

The Houston Rockets reached an agreement on a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves to acquire guard Jonny Flynn and the rights to No. 20 overall pick Donatas Motiejunas, according to sources with knowledge of the trade. "Marc Stein story"

• Rockets get: Jonny Flynn, rights to Donatas Motiejunas (No. 20 overall pick); Chandler Parsons (reacquisition via the No. 38 overall pick)

• Timberwolves receive: Brad Miller; rights to Nikola Mirotic (No. 23 overall pick), 2013 first-round pick; rights to Norris Cole (No. 28 overall pick)

• Bulls receive: Rights to Nikola Mirotic (from Minnesota)

The Indiana Pacers have traded the draft rights to Kawhi Leonard to the San Antonio Spurs for point guard George Hill.

• Pacers get: George Hill; 2005 second-round pick Erazem Lorbek

• Spurs get: Rights to Kawhi Leonard (No. 15 overall pick); rights to Davis Bertans (No. 42 overall pick)

The Boston Celtics worked a draft-day trade, netting a future second-round pick from New Jersey before landing Purdue power forward JaJuan Johnson with the Nets' No. 27 pick overall.

• Nets receive: Rights to Marshon Brooks (No. 25 overall pick)

• Celtics receive: Rights to JaJuan Johnson (No. 27 overall pick); 2014 second-round pick

The Knicks purchased the 45th overall pick from the Hornets and selected Kentucky center Josh Harrellson, adding some depth to a position where they have their greatest need. A league source said the Knicks paid between $700,000 and $750,000 for the pick. Chris Sheridan blog

• Knicks receive: Rights to Josh Harrellson (No. 45 overall pick)

• Hornets receive: Financial considerations

• Heat receive: Rights to Norris Cole (No. 28 overall pick)

• Timberwolves receive: Rights to Bojan Bogdanovic (No. 31 pick overall); future second-round pick; cash considerations

• Warriors receive: Rights to Jeremy Tyler (No. 39 overall pick)

• Bobcats receive: Cash considerations

• Magic receive: Rights to Justin Harper (No. 32 overall pick)

• Cavaliers receive: Two future second-round picks

• Nuggets receive: Rights to Chukwudiebere Maduabum (No. 56 overall pick)

• Lakers receive: Future second-round pick

Anna Nicole Smith

2011-06-23T17:07:00.000-07:00

Anna Nicole Smith has lost its legal battle to claim a portion of the $1.6 billion estate left behind by her late Texas husband, Texas billionaire husband, the Associated Press reported. The Supreme Court on Thursday invalidated a bankruptcy court's decision to give the now-deceased Smith $475 million from the estate of oil tycoon J. Howard Marshall.

Smith and Marshall were wed in 1994, and he died the next year. Marshall's will left his estate to his son, E. Pierce Marshall, and nothing to Smith.

The move sparked a long-running and contentious legal battle between Smith and Marshall's son. After the California bankruptcy court awarded Smith part of the estate, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal later ruled that a bankruptcy court could not make a decision on an issue outside of bankruptcy law.

The Supreme Court upheld that ruling Thursday.

Smith died in 2007 from an overdose of prescription drugs. After her death, the legal battle continued in the name of her daughter, Dannielynn, who is now 4 years old.

Glen Campbell

2011-06-23T01:03:00.000-07:00

Singer Glen Campbell has revealed that he is battling Alzheimer's disease. In an interview with People, the 'Rhinestone Cowboy' hitmaker broke the news about his condition and his plans for a farewell tour. The 75-year-old and his wife Kim decided to go public with the news now in order to keep fans from speculating about his behavior during the upcoming performances.

Campbell was diagnosed with Alzheimer's six months ago after years of short-term memory loss. Dates of the farewell tour have yet to be revealed, but it looks likely that they will be scheduled this fall.

Campbell's announcement comes a few weeks after the iconic songwriter and performer received poor reviews for a concert in Carmel Indiana in which the singer reportedly "came across as unprepared at best and disoriented at worst. He mangled lyrics (despite unabashed use of video prompts on three onstage monitors), clanged countless off-key guitar notes and generated zero rapport with the crowd."

Earthquake in Japan

2011-06-23T00:53:00.000-07:00

The same epicenter of Japan as the deadly March 11, 2011 earthquake. The US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the earthquake at 6.7 magnitude on Wednesday, June 22, 2011 at 9:50 PM UTC (actual time in Japan was at 6:50 AM on Thursday, June 23). Three minutes after the 6.7 magnitude earthquake, the Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a tsunami warning for Iwate Prefecture located in the Tōhoku region of Honshū island in Japan. The height of the tsunami was expected to be about 0.5 meters and arrival was expected between 7:00 and 7:20AM. The tsunami warning was later cancelled at 7:45 AM. The June 23, 2011 earthquake is already the 3rd strongest since the March 11, 2011 earthquake which registered at 9.1 magnitude. The other two strong quakes occurred last April 7 and 11, both at 7.1 magnitude.

On March 21, 2011, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake rattled Japan's northeast region. The quake, the epicenter of which was about 43 miles east of the Oshika Peninsula of Tōhoku, generated tsunami waves of up to 38.9 meters. As of June 22, 15,477 people were killed and 7,464 persons were missing after the earthquake and the resultant tsunami, according to Japan's National Police Agency.

John Galliano

2011-06-22T05:57:00.000-07:00

Flamboyant fashion designer John Galliano goes on trial Wednesday, accused of making anti-Semitic comments against at least three people. Fashion giant Christian Dior fired Galliano in March after video surfaced that showed him praising Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler and making anti-Semitic remarks. He faces a six-month jail term and a fine of 22,500 euros ($32,410), if he is convicted, according to prosecutors.

Wednesday's proceedings are expected to last several hours. No verdict is expected on Wednesday.

He'll be judged in one trial over two different incidents, one in October 2010 and one in February of this year. Galliano was taken to a police station after the second incident, and a test revealed he had a high level of alcohol in his blood, authorities said at the time. He was later released. The video is from yet another incident, over which he is not being tried because the couple involved chose not to press charges.

2011-06-22T05:53:00.000-07:00

Severe thunderstorms are on the way following a steamy first day of summer in the Chicago area, and they could stick around throughout the week. The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for several Illinois countries. Weather Chicago. Wednesday was a specific of the hottest days of June recorded in new york city, with 100 degree heat index crossing areas in the field of the tri-state and insert effective in the early 1990s on the five Tornado warnings the Chicago area have expired, and a severe thunderstorm watch scheduled to last until 1 am was allowed to expire early.

For updates on the severe weather, check the Chicago Weather Center. As of 10 pm, more than 271000 Commonwealth. Severe weather in Chicago on Tuesday evening, including tornado warnings, have prompted a stoppage in train operation and thousands of households were cut off from electricity. The National Weather Service issued the warnings for several countries. More than 300,000 electric customers were without power early Wednesday morning in Chicago and its suburbs.

College World Series Bracket 2011

2011-06-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

The 2011 College World Series game between the Florida Gators and Vanderbilt Commodore's seemed like it was destined to never end. The game that began Monday afternoon finally ended just minutes ago as the Gators pulled off the 3-1 win.

The hero for this game has to be Florida's Steven Rodriguez.

Rodriguez pitched 4 1/3 innings of relief over two days without giving up a hit! The Gators sophomore lefty retired three batters Monday night before storms came rolling into Omaha and delayed the game until today. Rodriguez was summoned back into today's game and did even better! He pitches 3 1/3 innings without giving up a hit, striking out 6 of the 11 batters he faced today! What a great performance.

The only scoring in the game for the Florida Gators came with one swing of the bat, when Preston Tucker homered to right in the 4th inning scoring Fontana and Zunino ahead of him. One thing to remember about the 2011 College World Series is that if you are working or can't get out to see the action, you can catch it online on ESPN3. Odds makers have Virginia as the favorite to win this years CWS, but these Gators may be a good play at 4/1.

Walgreens

2011-06-21T10:34:00.000-07:00

When Walgreens said Tuesday that it plans to stop filling prescriptions for customers covered by St. Louis-based drug benefits manager Express Scripts on Jan. 1, 2012, after the two companies failed to reach an agreement in contract renewal negotiations.

Express Scripts, which has an office in Irving, processes approximately 90 million prescriptions that are expected to be filled by Walgreens in fiscal 2011, representing approximately $5.3 billion in annual sales. Beginning next year, Express Scripts’ (NASDAQ:ESRX) network will no longer include Walgreens (NYSE:WAG) (NASDAQ:WAG) 7,700 pharmacies nationwide.

While we have sought to negotiate a contract renewal agreement over the past several months, those talks have been unsuccessful,” Walgreens President and CEO Greg Wasson said in a statement. “Under the terms proposed by Express Scripts, it would not make good business sense for the strategic direction of our company to continue our relationship with them. Walgreens is committed to providing quality, convenient and cost-effective pharmacy services to our patients, but we cannot continue to deliver these services under the terms and rates Express Scripts offered. As the largest retail provider in their pharmacy network, we were surprised by Express Scripts’ ultimate stance during our talks, which made it clear to us that they no longer had an interest in continuing a meaningful relationship.

Jon Huntsman

2011-06-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

It was no accident that Jon Huntsman chose the Statue of Liberty as the backdrop to announce his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Sure, the scene had echoes of Ronald Reagan, who used the same spot to launch his 1980 White House run. But it was also far from the cornfields of Iowa. The former two-term Utah governor plans to keep his distance from those cornfields in his quest to go from a largely unknown politician to his party's pick to take on President Barack Obama in 2012.

Huntsman, 51, barely registers in presidential preference polls. That could be, in part, because he just returned from a two-year stint as the US ambassador to China in the Obama administration. But rather than using the living rooms of Iowa as a launching pad to introduce himself to the nation, Huntsman, the scion of a wealthy Mormon family, has said he will skip the Hawkeye State's first-in-the-nation presidential nominating contest.

Southwest Airlines

2011-06-21T10:25:00.000-07:00

Southwest is one of the youngest large airlines in the U.S., founded in 1971. The company's original CEO, Herb Kelleher, was a stickler for customer service. He encourage pilots to help load luggage and stewardesses to help clean planes. Kelleher, who was active in the airline's management until 2008, would ride Southwest flights routinely to ask customers what they thought of the airline's service.

Southwest has probably done well with passengers because it was never involved in a huge merger. It has also remained something of a regional airline. It offers few overseas flights and generally avoids expensive routes into cities like New York. This has allowed it to limit exposure to airports which may have large and complex operations.

Delta's lower numbers probably reflect travelers' dissatisfaction with the results of its merger with Northwest, which was announced in 2008, and Continental's similar large drop likely stems from its marriage with United last year. Airlines often benefit from the cost savings brought about mergers. However, the layoffs that usually come with mergers, along with the issues of integrating two reservation systems and other complex business structures, can lead to the sort of snafus that give customers fits.

Weight Loss Tips

2011-06-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

Weight Loss Tip #1: Get Real!

Setting unrealistic goals in your weight loss program is the most common error that deters a lot of people from really sticking with it. While it’s good to have an ultimate goal, you want to set smaller goals for you to meet along the way. Setting smaller goals allows you to achieve them and get ever closer to your ultimate goal. Baby steps is the key to any weight loss program. You have to learn to crawl before you can walk right?

Weight Loss Tip #2: Preparation! Preparation! Preparation!

It’s time to get rid of your potato chips, your Coke, your hidden treasure trove of chocolate, and anything else you might have stashed away. Having this stuff around makes it way too easy for you to cheat while on your weight loss program, and unless you are a self-control machine then there’s no way you’re going to meet the goals you’ve set for yourself unless you take the precautionary steps to remove temptation. Make a list of the healthy foods you need and stock them in mass quantities. If you’re worried about healthy food not tasting as good, look up some health food recipes because there is good stuff out there.

Weight Loss Tip #3: A Rewarding Weight Loss Program is a Successful Weight Loss Program

It’s something you’ll learn in any first year psychology class, human beings naturally excel at tasks when there is tangible or periodic reward. You want to buy that new CD that just came out? Well if you meet your next goal then treat yourself to your favourite music. Beware with rewards though, don’t reward yourself with junk food, you’ve gotta stick to that weight loss program.

Weight Loss TIp #4: The Most Important Meal Of The Day!

Your breakfast provides you with the energy to keep going through the day, and eating a healthy breakfast will actually help you with your weight loss. When you don’t eat breakfast it actually tricks your body in to believing that it could be starving and so it goes in to a mode which not only will hinder your self control around junk food, but it will also try and guard against the burning of precious fats and calories in your body "because you need that stuff to survive if you happen to be starving" Always make sure to eat a complete breakfast! It really IS the most important meal of the day.

Weight Loss Tip #5: Don’t Just Eat Healthy, ACT Healthy!

Hopefully your weight loss program already includes something about getting plenty of exercise. It’s important to complement your weight loss program with a healthy dose of exercise. In fact, it’s one of the big factors that can make or break your weight loss program. The fact is that if you can stick to a weight loss program which involves a proper diet and exercise, no matter what program it is, you WILL lose weight! It’s what your body needs.

Weight Loss Tip # 6: So You Like To Sleep? That’s Good!

7-8 Hours of Sleep per night. That’s what the average adult needs each and every day. It keeps your body working in perfect order, it repairs all parts of your body and mind in tact and you need to keep both of those at your best in any weight loss program.

Simple Tips but big difference to your body!!

Takashi Murakami

2011-06-21T03:47:00.000-07:00

June 21 is the first day of summer "in the Northern Hemisphere", and Google is commemorating it with a bright logo by contemporary Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, who is celebrated for his so-called Superflat style that echoes Japanese animation and blends whimsical colors with--at times--dark themes.

But while half the globe enjoys the longest day of the year, June 21 also marks the shortest day of the year for the half located south of the equator. Thus, Googlers in the north will see Murakami's handiwork transforming the Google logo in to a festival of whimsy befitting the summer solstice. And for those in the south, Murakami has designed an alternative logo that reflects the frosty months ahead.

Morgan Freeman

2011-06-20T10:50:00.000-07:00

The Wormhole With Morgan Freeman recently began its second season on the Science Channel. Scientific programming is one of my secret vices and it's nearly impossible to dislike Morgan Freeman, so a "big question" series featuring tons of scientific all-stars seems like perfect fodder for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Or, in my case, a busy Friday or Saturday night.

When you reflect on all the classic films that Morgan Freeman has starred in during his career, it becomes even more impressive once you realize that he’s compiled all his most brilliant work after the age of 50. Though he broke through as a terrifying pimp in 1987′s Street Smart, for which he earned his first Oscar nomination, Freeman has become legendary for instilling scores of characters with his trademark sense of quiet dignity. His voice alone is the comforting sound of gentle authority, allowing him to portray Nelson Mandela, an embattled U.S. president, Batman’s confidante, and even God.

Megan Fox

2011-06-20T10:34:00.000-07:00

Michael Bay broke his silence for the first time about why Fox was replaced after two films as Shia LaBeouf's lady co-star, saying that it was her unfortunate dictatorial comparison that did her in.

Megan developed this Spice Girl strength, this woman-empowerment "stuff" that made her feel awkward about her involvement with Michael, who some people think is a very lascivious filmmaker, the way he films women," LaBeouf told the Los Angeles Times. "Mike films women in a way that appeals to a 16-year-old sexuality. It's summer. It's Michael's style. And I think Fox never got comfortable with it. This is a girl who was taken from complete obscurity and placed in a sex-driven role in front of the whole world and told she was the sexiest woman in America. And she had a hard time accepting it. When Mike would ask her to do specific things, there was no time for fluffy talk. We're on the run. And the one thing Mike lacks is tact. There's no time for "LaBeouf assumes a gentle voice: I would like you to just arch your back 70 degrees.

Miss USA 2011

2011-06-20T10:28:00.000-07:00

Miss USA Pageant was won by Alyssa Campanella of California. While Campanella took home the title of Miss America. While these beautiful ladies obviously have good genetics on their sides, they still have to work out to get those swimsuit ready physiques for the Miss USA pageant.

Five exercises that can help you look more like the Miss America 2011 contestants you saw last night.

1. Plank. When you're time crunched like the Miss USA 2011 contestants are, you need an exercise that works the whole body at once. And the plank is perfect for that! Great for the core and the upper body, it also works your balance and even your lower body! Try it on the ball for even more of a challenge.

2. Double-Leg Stretch. Miss USA 2011 contestants have to be graceful, long and lean at the Miss America pageant. This Pilates move is perfect for that in that it builds deep core strength, which can help improve posture.

3. Plies. Work out your legs like Miss America contestants by doing plies that are fabulous for working your inner thighs. For a balance and core challenge, you can even try plies on instability discs.

4. Bob Harper's Scorpion Push-Ups. It doesn't get much more full-body than this. The Scorpion Push-Up challenges your coordination and balance, all while working your lower- and upper-body at the same time.

5. Bikram Yoga. Because there is a lot of pressure on Miss America contestants, many of them like to relax and workout with a little yoga. Bikram yoga is particularly challenging and helps to detoxify the body, while also focusing the mind.

Mariah Carey Twins

2011-06-17T18:56:00.000-07:00

Mariah Carey is a 42-year-old wife and mother of twins but looking at her latest perfume ad it seems she is laboring under the delusion she is a 13-year-old Lolita. The ad, for the singer's latest Elizabeth Arden perfume line Lollipop Splash: The Remix, features Mariah Carey in a twee lace-trimmed top, sucking on a pink lollipop with her hair pulled back in a baby barrette.

Mariah Carey for acting a little immature and younger than she actually is, but after giving birth to twins, Roc and Roe, it’s time to leave the sexy teenage shtick behind and take on the role of a classy mother instead. Carey has been quoted as saying she is “a 12-year-old inside my body.” But it’s no longer cute. Especially after seeing Carey’s latest Elizabeth Arden perfume ad where she is provocatively licking a lollipop and posing like a teenage girl.

Hugh Hefner

2011-06-14T14:58:00.000-07:00

The third time was anything but a charm for Hugh Hefner, whose wedding to Crystal Harris has been called off. "The wedding is off," Hefner glumly told his Twitter followers Tuesday. "Crystal has had a change of heart." According to TMZ, the 25-year-old model left the Playboy Mansion over the weekend after having a fight with the publishing mogul, 60 years her senior.

Hefner, 85, and Harris, 25, began dating in January 2009 and became engaged around Christmas. The blond bombshell was slated to wear a pink wedding gown when she walked down the aisle in the backyard of the Playboy Mansion and, according to the couple, the nuptials were to be a colorful affair not unlike a "garden party." About 300 people were invited.

Sex and the City 3

2011-06-14T04:23:00.000-07:00

Samantha Jones is joining the chorus of voices saying that a third installment in the 'Sex and the City' franchise looks unlikely, following poor critical reception of the second film. "I don't know if it will happen. I really, really have no idea," Cattrall told PopEater at the second annual Aruba Film Festival red carpet gala for her independent film 'Meet Monica Velour. "I love playing Samantha Jones. I would love playing Samantha Jones again, but I don't know if I will." Last week Mr. Big himself, Chris Noth, similarly said that the future is not looking good for another 'Sex' flick. Cattrall did explain her original reluctance to turn the hit HBO show into a film franchise for which she has continually been branded the "difficult" member of the cast when it comes to getting the movies made. Sex and the City 3

Lunar Eclipse

2011-06-14T04:15:00.000-07:00

The year's first Total Lunar Eclipse of the moon will last an unusually long time, a rare celestial treat for a wide swath of the globe. Except if you're in the United States and Canada. North America will be left out of Wednesday's lunar spectacle, which will be visible from start to finish from eastern Africa, central Asia, the Middle East and western Australia weather permitting. The period when Earth's shadow completely blocks the moon known as totality –will last a whopping 1 hour and 40 minutes. The last time the moon was covered for this long was in July 2000, when it lasted 7 minutes longer than that.

The Full Moon normally glows from reflected sunlight. A total lunar eclipse occurs when the moon glides through the long shadow cast by the Earth and is blocked from the sunlight that illuminates it. During the eclipse, if the sky is clear and dark,people can see brick red Moon in the southwest, about 30 degrees from the horizon. The Moon will appear brick-red because of ther sunlight rays, refreacted by the atmosphere of the Eart, can reach the Moon.

2011 Guinness World's Shortest Man is a Filipino (22 inches tall)

2011-06-14T04:08:00.000-07:00

2011 Guinness World's Shortest Man has a "22 inches tall", A Filipino teenager whose tiny stature has made him a celebrity in his homeland in Zamboanga del Norte will soon enter the record books as the world's shortest man in June 2011 as he will celebrate his 18th birthday. His name is Junrey Balawing who is standing at a mere 22 inches or who might only be slightly taller than a glass bottle. According to Balawing's family, Junrey stopped growing in his first year of life. Balawing has difficulty walking and is unable to go to school. He spends much of his time in the house and needs his family to tend to him.

Dallas Morning news

2011-06-13T17:04:00.000-07:00

The Mavericks were an 18-1 afterthought prior to the start of the NBA Finals, the red carpet over which the Miami Heat would step to accept their crown. The assumption was that a team comprised of mostly 30 year olds didn't have the flash or fury to overcome the superstar triumvirate assembled in Miami 10 months ago when LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade on South Beach.

Keeping Up With The Kardashians

2011-06-12T17:52:00.000-07:00

Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Dynasties come and go, but the Kardashians reign supreme. Throughout five seasons and multiple spin-offs, the family has wielded power over the airwaves, and challenged fans to keep up with their relationships, business ventures, squabbles, travels and triumphs. Now, as they prepare for even more drama, they realize even the most storied rulers need support from their loved ones. In season six, the Kardashians put family first in order to spend more quality time together, igniting a whole new adventure when secrets they've been keeping from each other are revealed.

With Kim in love and constantly on the road; Kourtney and Khloé managing their own households in addition to their three DASH boutiques; and Kris managing everyone's careers, the whole family has to make concerted efforts to stay connected. The season kicks off with Kourtney being upset that Kris seems to have forgotten the real meaning of family and has turned the Kardashians into a business. Taking matters into her own hands, Kourtney plans a gathering for the family where the only item on the agenda is having fun. Unfortunately, not everyone got the memo and things quickly go awry.

Michael Schumacher

2011-06-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

Michael Schumacher admitted he didn't know whether to laugh or cry after finishing fourth in the Canadian Grand Prix. Schumacher was running in second place late in the race having climbed through the field on intermediate tyres, but was unable to resist the pace of Jenson Button and eventually lost out in a battle with Mark Webber for third, finishing just 0.3s behind the Red Bull. Schumacher said he was disappointed not to finish on the podium for the first time since returning to the sport, but that he was pleased to be so competitive.

When seven time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher made the announcement that he would return to race in F1 trumpets blared, fans danced in the street and even Bernie Ecclestone cracked a smile. After all here was one of the most popular figures in the sporting world returning to a motorsport that seemed to lack a visible hero, making a return to a team guided by Ross Brawn who had recently dominated the sport fielding a world champion of his own and who now enjoyed the factory backing necessary for success in Formula 1. With the addition of Nico Rosberg the German super team appeared ready for supremacy.

Pentecost

2011-06-12T04:31:00.000-07:00

Well this is the day of the mighty winds of spirit to come upon us. This Sunday is the Christian celebration of Pentecost. This is the day when the Holy Spirit appeared before the disciples of Jesus in the form of tongues of fire over their heads. They were each given gifts of knowledge and insight to not only heal themselves but to help heal others. This included the ability to speak different languages. It is a powerful story found in the book of Acts of the Bible.

The Holy Spirit or a Divine Wind or Breath is a concept found in many traditions. The name may be different but the concept is the same. The Divine comes into the lives of those who make themselves available to it. We all have the ability to access the power of God in a very tangible way. James, today is Pentecost. James, today is Pentecost. Below is probably a new painter to you but he is persona non grata in the NewYork artyfarty crowd which is why he is not as well known as he should be:

Luke 3:16
John answered them all, “I baptize you with water, but one more powerful than I am is coming – I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and

Napoleon Dynamite

2011-06-11T18:36:00.001-07:00

While I can’t say that I’ve been crossing my fingers in the hopes that someone will make an animated series out of the film Napoleon Dynamite, learning that the original cast is returning to lend their voices to this new Fox comedy, added to the trailer we have to show you, I'm more curious about this show than I expected to be.

It’s time to brush up on your Rex Kwon Do and knowledge of Ligers and other mythical creatures because Napoleon’s back! As I mentioned, the original cast is signed on to voice their respective roles, including Jon Heder, Aaron Ruell, Tina Majorino and Sandy Martin. Fox also promises guest voices by Jennifer Coolidge, Sam Rockwell, and Flight of the Conchords Jermaine Clement.

24 Hours Of Le Mans

2011-06-11T18:03:00.000-07:00

The 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans "there's a little over 12 hours to go at this time", but we have a new batch of photos from Drew Phillips ready for your perusal. Taken as the sun began its descent, the gallery below features a nice mix of cars from all the classes.

As you've probably seen by now, Audi has lost two of its three cars. Allan McNish's #3 Audi R18 TDI crashed out in spectacular fashion during the the first hour of the race. Though his car was totally destroyed, he walked away from the shunt unscathed. Then, #1 Audi R18 driver Mike Rockenfeller followed suit with an equally terrible nighttime crash of his own after making contact with the #71 Ferrari on the Mulsanne straight. Rockenfeller also climbed out of his car afterward. Other than a cut sustained on one arm, he's okay, but is being kept in the hospital overnight for observation. That's good news all around for the Audi drivers involved in a couple of scary crashes.

As of 8:20 PM Eastern, despite its bad luck so far, Audi currently leads Le Mans, with the #2 R18 TDI ahead of the #9 and #7 Peugeot 908s in LMP1. The highest-running gasoline-powered LMP1 car is the #16 Pescarolo Judd of Pescarolo Team. The leader in GTE Pro is the #74 Corvette Racing C6.R. In LMP2, the #41 Greaves Motorsport Zytek Nissan is up front. Finally, the GTE Amateur class is currently led by the #81 Flying Lizard Motorsports Porsche 911 RSR.

Sugar Ray Leonard

2011-06-09T16:26:00.000-07:00

In a new interview Sugar Ray Leonard talks about his new book “The Big Fight” that sees him opening up about |hurting inside big time for 30 years|, dealing with substance abuse problems and being sexually abused by a coach. Leonard writes that when the coach accompanied him as a 15-year-old and another young fighter to a boxing event in Utica, N.Y., in 1971, he had the teenagers take a bath in a tub of hot water and Epsom salts while he sat on the other side of the bathroom. They suspected |something a bit inappropriate| was occurring but did not want to question a strong male authority figure.

11 Foods for Faster, Easier Weight Loss

2011-06-01T00:04:00.000-07:00

Rice with Veggies

2011-05-31T23:45:00.000-07:00

Rice with Veggies
Adding some high-fiber vegetables like broccoli, carrots, and kale to your rice will obviously help lower the calorie count. But not only that. Adding veggies to rice at lunchtime appears to slow stomach emptying, according to research. The end result? You feel full longer. In fact, people in a study ate much less at dinner when they added veggies to their rice at lunch.

Red Pepper

2011-05-31T23:44:00.000-07:00

Red Pepper
Add some heat to your meals and you'll boost not only the taste but also the effectiveness of your weight loss diet. A dash of cayenne pepper or some diced jalapeno or red peppers will do the trick. They all contain capsaicin the heat-inducing compound in red peppers that, according to research, tamps down appetite and curbs food intake later in the day.

Fava Beans

2011-05-31T23:43:00.000-07:00

Fava Beans
Creamy and hearty, fava beans are a lean protein source bursting with flavonoids. And in a 14-year study, these special antioxidants were shown to help hinder the accumulation of extra belly fat.

Whole Grains

2011-05-31T23:40:00.001-07:00

Whole Grains
Ready to trade your belly bulge for a flat tummy? Then toss your refined grains into the garbage, and eat more whole grains instead. Research shows this one move can help whittle your middle. We're talking brown rice, quinoa, steel-cut oats, whole-grain cereal, and 100% whole-wheat bread and pasta.

Olive Oil

2011-05-31T23:40:00.000-07:00

Olive Oil
This rich-tasting oil found in salad dressings and marinades contains a hunger-busting monounsaturated fat called oleic acid -- which triggers a complicated process in the gut that ultimately tells your brain you're full and makes you want to stop eating.

Mushrooms

2011-05-31T23:37:00.000-07:00

Mushrooms
If you want to try an easy and tasty calorie-cutting trick, then replace the meat in your favorite recipes with mushrooms. You'll automatically cut about 420 calories out of a meal, partly because you'll skip all the belly-padding saturated fat contained in meat.

Avocado

2011-05-31T23:33:00.001-07:00

Avocado
This green goddess of heavenly, creamy taste can help you whittle your waist. It's true! Researchers suspect that the unsaturated fat in avocados may ratchet up body levels of the hunger-halting hormone called leptin a hormone that lets your brain know that you're full, so you stop eating.

Grapefruit

2011-05-31T23:33:00.000-07:00

Grapefruit
Of all the foods rumored to boost weight loss, grapefruit is likely the most famous. And research confirms that this fruit's get-slim celebrity status is for real. One study in particular revealed that eating half a grapefruit before each meal helped dieters shed more pounds than people who skipped the tart appetizer.

Yogurt

2011-05-31T23:29:00.000-07:00

Yogurt
This creamy, tangy snack is loaded with calcium and studies show that calcium may curtail weight gain by hindering the absorption of fat in the small intestine.

Pistachios

2011-05-31T23:27:00.000-07:00

Pistachios
Nuts may be high in fat, but it's the healthful unsaturated kind of fat found in pistachios. And like all nuts, pistachios offer lots of hunger-curbing protein and fiber. All of these qualities together explain why adding pistachios to the diet helped dieters in a study curb their appetites and lose more weight.

Evelyn Lozada

2011-05-30T19:15:00.000-07:00

“Basketball Wives” star, Evelyn Lozada, is currently engaged to Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco. However, the woman, who is of Puerto Rican ancestry, is faced with a very intriguing issue, her seemingly unfitted presence on the VH1 reality television series. The said series is supposed to be following the lives of a group of woman who have all been somehow romantically linked to professional basketball players. Season three of the hit show Basketball Wives is slated to kick-off Monday night and one of it's stars really doesn't fit the title anymore.

Evelyn Lozada was originally on the show because she was the ex-wife of former Boston Celtics star Antonie Walker. He went bankrupt, and now she decided to switch sports. Evelyn has been dating Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocino for almost a year and now they are engaged.

Sports Illustrated

2011-05-30T19:13:00.000-07:00

A Sports Illustrated investigation released on Monday night alleged that since 2002, at least 28 Ohio State football players traded or sold their memorabilia. Sources told the magazine that players have been trading memorabilia, including items bearing former coach Jim Tressel's signature, since at least his second season at Ohio State. Tressel resigned on Monday morning amid an NCAA investigation into the coach's conduct.

The magazine reported that Tressel violated NCAA bylaw 10.1, unethical conduct, three times. The first when he failed to act when he was tipped off in April 2010 about six of his players selling their memorabilia for tattoos. The second was when he signed his standard form of compliance that declared that he knew of no violations. The third violation was in December when he was not forthcoming with school officials about his knowledge in the investigation.

Jim Tressel's resignation was likely triggered by the impending publication of a Sports Illustrated article on Ohio State and violations of NCAA rules taking place under Jim Tressel's supervision. While no one outside of SI has gotten a look at the article, one thing is certain: George Dohrmann is the writer, and that means nothing good for Ohio State even with Tressel's resignation this morning.

Midway

2011-05-30T19:02:00.000-07:00

A preservation group says the state's picturesque small towns are in danger of fading away. Preservation Kentucky's Most Endangered Historic Places for 2011 highlights the history being lost in small hamlets across the state. Part of the state's charm is towns such as Sadieville, Midway, Millersburg, Lynch, Marion and Perryville, said Rachel Kennedy, executive director of Preservation Kentucky, part of the Kentucky Heritage Council. Kennedy told The Lexington Herald-Leader that disinvestment in small towns is "a serious problem" in the state. The group noted that many historic places in small towns have ignored and allowed to deteriorate.

Using Sadieville as a case study, we recognize that disinvestment in these small towns is a serious problem," Kennedy said. "For example, when a historic school closes in small-town Kentucky that makes it more difficult to attract new residents and their investment in the town. It also makes it difficult to retain middle-class families and residents. The town treasury suffers these effects through a declining tax base and a lack of community spirit. Without positive change, a town like Sadieville could fade away.

Basketball Wives

2011-05-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

Basketball Wives With Jim Tressel's sudden resignation from Ohio State, the list of potential coaching candidates in the rumor mill is certain to be swirling feverishly. There have already been some indications that Urban Meyer will attempt to be coaxed out of retirement and back into the game of football, which makes some sense considering that it's been repeatedly reported that the Ohio State head coaching position is his dream job.

Basketball Wives VideoHere!!!:

VH1 viewers connected strongly with these three new series this year, and we're so happy that we can continue to share these real-life stories from the worlds of music and celebrity," said VH1 Executive Vice President, Original Programming & Production, Jeff Olde. Basketball Wives

Above Ground Pools

2011-05-30T18:38:00.000-07:00

Cindy Anthony, who was emotional throughout her testimony, said she last saw her granddaughter alive on June 16, 2008.The day before, on Father's Day, she had taken Caylee to visit the toddler’s great grandfather at a nursing home. Later that day, the grandmother swam with Caylee in the family pool.

You can avail the benefits of above ground pool by simply getting it installed and the best part about it is that it is quite economical and costs less as compared to the in ground pools. Installation of these pools is quite easy and you can have so much fun right away at your home. Another important feature about the above ground pools is that these are quite stylish and also manufactured from fresh and corrosion resistant coatings. As such they have a longer life and give you the best value of your money. Above ground pools are easy to maintain and you do not have to waste your time cleaning the pool. Bringing home good pumping and filtration system will ease your task and keep the pool clean.

Rockefeller Center

2011-05-30T18:35:00.000-07:00

One phone book, a newspaper, 20 shopping bags, 15 paper grocery bags and three thrift-store dresses brought UCF student Erin Gordon to the attention of NBC. Gordon, having graduated only weeks ago with a degree in photography, never imagined a class assignment would end up in the NBC window display at the famous Rockefeller Center in New York City.

Gordon explains that she made and photographed dresses for an assignment on being socially conscious for her Image, Culture and Society class. Her goal was to make something people would actually want to wear, yet be entirely "green" in the process.

Time for more early holiday offerings with the annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center tree and the 2010 debuts of 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' and 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas.' And for all of you Scrooges out there, CBS offers up its yearly running of the 'Victoria Secret Fashion Show.'

Philadelphia Phillies

2011-05-26T18:33:00.000-07:00

The Philadelphia Phillies have not been overly blessed with an abundance of great arms in their rotation over the years. Currently, Phillies ace Roy Halladay(notes) is considered by many to be the best starting pitcher in baseball. In the 1990s, fellow right-hander Curt Schilling led the Phillies starting staff and was among game's elite hurlers.

Wilson Valdez shifted over from second base and wound up as the winning pitcher early Thursday when the Philadelphia Phillies needed 19 innings to outlast Cincinnati 5-4.

A dwindling crowd at Citizens Bank Park saw Raul Ibanez hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to decide the longest major league game of the season. It ended at 1:19 a.m. after 6 hours, 11 minutes.Not much time for rest, either. The teams were set to play again Thursday at 1:05 p.m.

Heading a staff of numerous lightly talented Phillies teams, Schilling won 101 games over the course of nine seasons. One of his best seasons was 1993, when he went 16-7 in the regular season and threw a masterful 2-0 complete game shutout in Game 5 of the World Series against the Toronto Blue Jays with the team facing elimination. He went 17-11 and had 319 strikeouts in the 1997 season when the Phillies only won 68 games and finished last in the National League East.

Indianapolis 500

2011-05-22T17:23:00.000-07:00

The rain held off Sunday to give Danica Patrick a second chance, and James Jakes waved off his qualifying attempt, giving Marco Andretti one more shot to make the Indianapolis 500. Patrick and Marco Andretti took advantage of the good fortune and qualified for the centennial anniversary race at the Brickyard. Patrick posted a four-lap average of 224.861 mph after it looked like she might not even get to qualify on Bump Day. Andretti delivered an even more clutch performance in the final run of the day, going 224.628 to bump his way back onto the 33-car grid.

Marco Andretti's grandfather, Mario, won the 1969 Indy 500 but never reached Victory Lane again. Michael, led more laps at Indy than any other non-winner, and Marco wound up as the 500 runner-up when Sam Hornish Jr. passed him in the closing yards of the 2006 race. But as much consternation as the Andrettis have endured at this 2.5-mile oval, this might have been their worst month ever at Indy. Andretti Autosport's five-car stable struggled to reach the top of the speed charts all week, then wound up in deep trouble Saturday. It took 10 qualifying attempts to get a single car, John Andretti's No. 43, into the May 29 race.

Iceland Volcano Eruption

2011-05-22T17:20:00.000-07:00

Iceland closed its main international airport and canceled all domestic flights Sunday as a powerful volcanic eruption sent a plume of ash, smoke and steam high into the sky. Iceland's most active volcano once again erupted on Saturday, closing the international airport that was closed for days last year upon the last eruption. The eruption sent ash 12 miles into the air, closing the Keflavik airport at 4:30am on Yesterday.

May 21st is End Of The world

2011-05-20T17:56:00.000-07:00

Ed Hindson, president of the World Prophetic Ministry, a distinguished professor of religion at Liberty University and host of “The King is Coming” on Trinity Network, says so flat out.
Hindson says Harold Camping “doesn’t have the right date.” And it’s not the first time. Camping earlier predicted Rapture for September 1994 and has a backup date of Oct 21 in case he is wrong this time.

Hindson is quite confident that the world will go on past Saturday. In fact, he is giving a speech to 10,000 people in California on Sunday, the day after Camping’s doomsday. Presumably those who are planning to come also do not believe that Saturday will be their last day on Earth.
How does Hindson know for sure? “There’s no solid biblical basis” he says. “God doesn’t give us a specific date. Jesus said, nobody knows the day and the hour. The Bible also tells you not to set the date for the second coming.”

Another Situation: Mose Macdonald works the impound yard of Stealth Recovery and Towing in Eugene, Ore. on May 19, under the shadow of a billboard proclaiming this Saturday as 'The Judgement Day.' An organization run by a California minister has purchased billboards all over the country proclaiming May 21st will mark the end of the world.

Pacquiao vs Mosley

2011-04-29T23:40:00.000-07:00

Veteran boxing referee Kenny Bayless was chosen to officiate the welterweight title fight between Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao and former world champion Shane Mosley on May 7. Bayless said that he was informed by Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) executive director Keith Kizer that he will be the third man in the ring in the Pacquiao versus Mosley bout.

Bayless is a familiar face to loyal Pacquiao fans, having officiated some of the Filipino’s superfights. He was involved in Pacquiao’s fights against Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton and Miguel Cotto.

Bayless, known as one of the most impartial referees in Las Vegas, also officiated the Mosley versus Floyd Mayweather fight and the Mayweather versus Oscar de la Hoya superbout.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 Trailer

2011-04-27T23:35:00.000-07:00

Harry Potter is on the final leg of his quest to vanquish Voldemort.

And in the brand-new trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, the last—and grittiest—installment of the eight-film saga, it looks like Daniel Radcliffe's Harry is going to have a hell of a time.

With the weight of the wizarding world on his shoulders, the Hogwarts drop-out will need all the help he can get from Rupert Grint's Ron, Emma Watson's Hermione, Michael Gambon's Dumbledore—wait, isn't he dead?!—and all the magic that CGI can produce.

"I never wanted any of you to die for me," Harry tells his friends as they head into battle. Oops, he probably should have thought of that beforehand.

The Royal Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton

2011-04-24T03:09:00.000-07:00

According to St James’s Palace, Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton have taken a great deal of interest and care in choosing the music for their wedding service. Two choirs, one orchestra and two fanfare teams will be performing at the ceremony:

• The Choir of Westminster Abbey

• The Choir of Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace

• The London Chamber Orchestra

• The Fanfare Team from the Central Band of the Royal Air Force

• The State Trumpeters of The Household Cavalry

Their chosen music will include well-known hymns, choral works and some specially-commissioned pieces.

Image: On their last official engagement before their wedding, Prince William and Catherine Middleton visit Witton Country Park Lancashire and view the activities that take place at the park to demonstrate the importance of outdoor recreational space.

St James's Palace

2011-04-24T02:50:00.000-07:00

St James's Palace is one of London's oldest palaces. It is situated in Pall Mall, just north of St James's Park. Although no sovereign has resided there for almost two centuries, it has remained the official residence of the Sovereign, and the most senior royal palace in the UK. For this reason it gives its name to the Royal Court the "Court of St James's".

NBA Playoff Schedule 2011

2011-04-11T21:13:00.000-07:00

The 2011 NBA Playoff Schedule and the 2011 Printable Playoff Bracket are already posted here. According to the reports that the 2011 NBA Playoff will be scheduled after the current final season of the games that will be held on April 13. The 2011 NBA Playoffs are fast approaching, and the same question is being asked that was posed in each of the past two postseasons.

NBA Playoffs Schedule will be finalized within two days of more action, by then NBA Playoff picture would look something you might imagine. LA Lakers surprising skid is a hot topic in the Western Conference NBA playoff bracket. The Phoenix Suns and Oklahoma City gave them a run out west. The Boston Celtics had been fortunate enough to have the services of Kendrick Perkins in the NBA Finals last year.

Long Island Serial Killer

2011-04-11T20:57:00.000-07:00

OAK BEACH, N.Y. — Investigators scouring dense undergrowth for victims of a suspected serial killer along a remote New York beach area found three more sets of remains Monday, authorities said, bringing the total number of bodies to eight.

The new remains are in addition to a set found last week along a highway leading to popular Jones Beach, about 45 miles east of New York City. That victim has not been identified, and police have not positively connected it to the bodies of four prostitutes found nearby in December.

Police searching on foot and from above in helicopters and fire truck buckets found the latest three sets of remains as they scoured tick-infested underbrush and evergreens on the barrier island south of Long Island, Suffolk County Police Commissioner Richard Dormer said.

They also used cadaver dogs, police academy cadets, detectives and volunteer firefighters. A search was expected to resume Tuesday.

The four dead prostitutes were found in December in the area, a 4-foot-tall tangle of sea grass punctuated by scrubby pine trees.

Authorities have identified those four as Amber Lynn Costello, 27, originally of Wilmington, N.C.; Megan Waterman, 22, of Scarborough, Maine; Maureen Brainard-Barnes, 28, of Norwich, Conn.; and Melissa Barthelemy, 24, of Buffalo, N.Y.

Police suspect a serial killer but so far have no suspects.

It took more than a month to identify the four women found in December. The New York City medical examiner's office is helping Suffolk County officials investigate the latest discovery.

Investigators have searched the area, roughly 7.5 miles, several times since December. Dormer said the discovery of the latest remains gives investigators new possible leads into the killings of all the victims.

Government Shutdown 2011

2011-04-09T01:22:00.000-07:00

Government Shutdown 2011 With a midnight deadline looming for a government closure, the compromise between the Democrats and Republicans requires lawmakers to approve stopgap funding to keep federal agencies running into next week until the budget agreement can be formally enacted.

The plan calls for $39 billion in spending cuts. There was no immediate comment from the White House or congressional Democrats. A shutdown would have idled hundreds of thousands of workers and carry political risks for Obama and his fellow Democrats as well as opposition Republicans, who would be seen by voters as failing to make compromises.

House Speaker John Boener (R-Ohio) announces a budget deal at the U.S. Capitol on April 8, 2011.When Boehner said

I’m pleased that Senator Reid and I and the White House have been able to come to an agreement that will, in fact, cut spending and keep our government open

.

After narrowing their differences, the House was set to vote later on Friday night on a short-term funding bill to keep the government running until the longer budget plan can be enacted into law. Without an agreement, money to operate the federal government for the next six months would run out at midnight on Friday and agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service would begin a partial shutdown.

Glenn Beck Leaving Fox

2011-04-07T00:08:00.000-07:00

The news that Glenn Beck is leaving FOX for—for other projects at FOX, I guess—is one of those things I simply will not make a comment on in either direction, as someone who does not want to incite political violence on a sports website. But I can say this: The less Beck is in the public eye, the less I have to hear about Albert Pujols and Tony La Russa's stint at Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally last summer. This—this is unalloyed good news.

Like Luke Scott's recent birther-flavored comments and, further back, Carlos Delgado's anti-war stance and the subsequent media hubbub, what bothered me most about the Beck/La Russa connection wasn't that baseball players have opinions, it's that baseball fans do. Sports communities like this one are themselves a social world, with positions and arguments and heated debates, but at their best there's always the underlying truism that, say, the people at Game Time are Blues hockey fans, and the people at Viva El Birdos, no matter what else they do in life, fans of Cardinals baseball.

Alternate, and equally vague, versions of Glenn Beck's departure from FOX came out tonight in the aftermath of today's surprising announcement.

Beck spoke about it at the end of his show tonight, noting that leaving Fox was "something I've been thinking about doing for a long time" before going on to reassure viewers "we will find each other...I will continue to tell the story and I'm going to be showing you."

And then, in typical Beck fashion: "Paul Revere did not get up on the horse and say 'I'm going to be doing this the rest of my life, he got off the horse at some point."

Birth Certificate Obama

2011-03-28T20:44:00.000-07:00

Birth Certificate Obama looks as though here in Northeastern Indiana it is going to be a cool but pretty day. Regarding Soetoro, until such time that he produces a CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH which looks exactly like the Hawaiian BCs issued to the Nordyke twins, and such time that Kapiolani Hospital produces the records of his birth at their facility in August of 1961, I will continue to look upon the POTUS as NOT A LEGAL POTUS,AND AN ILLEGAL CINC, as well. Further when Congress is finally forced to deal with his presence, GOD willing,I will be among the millions of people SCREAMING for his PROSECUTION,and IMPRISONMENT.

Trump's demand to see President Obama's birth certificate has been garnering a lot of attention. But he doesn't want to be called a "birther". He says he just wants to know the truth, one way or the other.

Film legend Elizabeth Taylor dies at 79

2011-03-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

Legend Elizabeth Taylor has died in Los Angeles. She was 79. Publicist Sally Morrison says the actress died Wednesday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from congestive heart failure. Morrison says her children were at her side.

She'd been hospitalized for about six weeks. Taylor first gained stardom as a child and appeared in more than 50 films. She won Oscars for her performances in "Butterfield 8" and "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" She was equally famous for extraordinary beauty and her stormy personal life, including eight marriages and a series of physical ailments. In later years, she was a spokeswoman for humanitarian causes, notably AIDS research. That work gained her a special Oscar in 1993.

Hyundai Accent 2011 New Launced

2011-03-23T06:07:00.000-07:00

Hyundai Accent 2011 New Launched has issued that release on the new model and this is updated the Accent 2011 official webpage. Hyundai doesn’t have a modern Etios, Manza or Dzire competitor. It has to make do with the Accent by giving it mild makeovers until something is ready. Hyundai Accent 2011 has no interest in discontinuing the Accent, and we predict this model will run for another three years until a replacement arrives.

The Hyundai Accent 2011 edition comes with elegant styling which makes it more sophisticated and desirable. It is our continuous effort to gauge changing customer preferences and keep introducing new features in our products.We are confident that with the new styling the Hyundai Accent 2011 edition will become even more popular", Hyundai Motor India Director Sales and Marketing Arvind Saxena said. The exteriors of the new edition Accent Executive comes with a chrome finish front grille. The body coloured sideline molding is equipped with chrome inserts. Besides the car also has a new chrome garnish over license plate.

Steve Nash on NBA

2011-03-23T05:51:00.000-07:00

Steve Nash had a big night, but it wasn't big enough to give the Suns a win. The Suns guard scored 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting (including five 3-pointers) to go with five rebounds and 20 assists in the Suns' 139-137, triple-overtime loss to the Lakers Yesterday. Steve Nash logged 49 minutes in the loss while Kobe Bryant scored 42 points and Ron Artest got five of his 18 points in the final two minutes of the third overtime.

There has been a lot of talk this NBA season about point guards. It's with good reason, too, since this year has seen more top-level point guard play than any year in recent memory. Derrick Rose of the Bulls is probably going to win the MVP award. Chris Paul and Deron Williams are young studs at the position. Rajon Rondo leads the Boston Celtics offense every night. Then there is the Spurs Tony Parker and the Thunder's Russell Westbrook.

However, there is still that Steve Nash fella in Phoenix, who has to remind us of how great he still is. Last night, he did just that, dropping 19 points, 20 assists and grabbing five rebounds in the Suns 139-137 triple-overtime loss to the Lakers. We probably forget how great Nash is at times because he plays out in Phoenix, and they aren't going to go to the playoffs this year, and the fact that he is 37 playing a young man's position doesn't really help matters.

For the season, Steve Nash is averaging 16 points, 12 assists and four rebounds per game. He is a member of the very exclusive 50-40-90 club this year: shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and 90 percent from the free-throw line. ESPN's John Hollinger has a ranking system based on individual player performance. Among point guards, he has Nash ranked fourth with a player efficiency ranking (PER) of 21.75. Ahead of him is Chris Paul (24.55), Russell Westbrook (23.60) and Derrick Rose (23.34).

Gadhafi vows 'long war' as strikes hit his forces

2011-03-20T21:03:00.000-07:00

Moammar Gadhafi vowed a "long war" as allied forces launched a second night of strikes on Libya on Sunday, and jubilant rebels who only a day before were in danger of being crushed by his forces now boasted they would bring him down. The U.S. military said the international assault would hit any Gadhafi forces on the ground that are attacking the opposition.

In an attack that carried as much symbolism as military effect, late Sunday a cruise missile blasted a building in Gadhafi's residential compound, near his iconic tent. It was not known where Gadhafi was at the time, but it seemed to show that while the allies trade nuances over whether his fall is a goal of their campaign he is not safe.

An Associated Press photographer escorted to the scene by the Libyan government said half of the round, three-story administration building was knocked down, smoke was rising from it and pieces of the missile were scattered around the scene. About 300 Gadhafi supporters were in the compound at the time. It was not known if any were hurt.

The U.S. military said the bombardment so far a rain of Tomahawk cruise missiles and precision bombs from American and European aircraft, including long-range stealth B-2 bombers had succeeded in heavily degrading Gadhafi's air defenses.

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Metro PCS

2011-03-20T20:37:00.000-07:00

MetroPCS Communications (PCS) raked up a new 52-week high because it traded at $15.21. Metro PCS is altering hands at $15.20 with 2.6 million shares traded as, with an regular volume of 5.5 million shares around the past 30 days. MetroPCS includes a market place cap of $5.2 billion and is part of the technological innovation sector and telecommunications sector. Shares are up 17.3% yr to date as in the shut of trading on Thursday.

MetroPCS Communications, Inc., a wireless telecommunications carrier, delivers wireless broadband mobile services inside the Usa. The company has a P/E ratio of 26.9, equal for the average telecommunications industry P/E ratio (AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile) and above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 15.6.

The market cap for MetroPCS at the moment is $5.2 billion, with shares up 17.3% year to date as of the close of trading on Thursday. The company has a P/E ratio of 26.9, which is equivalent to the average telecommunications industry P/E ratio (AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile) and above the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 15.6.

Another Related in MetroPCS Communications (NYSE:PCS) hit a new 52-week high Friday as it traded at $15.21 compared with its previous 52-Week high of $15.20. MetroPCS is changing hands at $15.20 with 2.6 million shares traded as of 12:07 p.m. ET. Average volume has been 5.5 million shares over the past 30 days.

TheStreet Ratings rates MetroPCS as a buy. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth, good cash flow from operations, expanding profit margins and solid stock price performance. We feel these strengths outweigh the fact that the company has had sub par growth in net income. You can view the full MetroPCS Ratings Report.

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Marquette University

2011-03-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

Marquette University's team celebrates on the court as time expired and the Golden Eagles defeated Syracuse University's Orangemen during their third round NCAA basketball game in Cleveland yesterday in March 20, 2011.

Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Darius Johnson-Odom made the go-ahead three- pointer with 25.1 seconds remaining, as Marquette took down Big East foe Syracuse, 66-62, in the third round of the NCAA Tournament. Johnson-Odom ended with 17 points for the Golden Eagles (22-14), who are off to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003. Jae Crowder added 16 points off the bench for Marquette, which beat sixth- seeded Xavier, 66-55, on Friday.

The No. 11 seed in the East Region, Marquette will next take on second-seeded North Carolina. The Golden Eagles have one national title (1977) in their history. Dion Waiters finished with 18 points for the third-seeded Orange (27-8), who were trying to reach the Sweet 16 for a third consecutive season. Waiters played most of the second half due to Brandon Triche sitting with a bruised tailbone. Kris Joseph tallied 12 points and nine rebounds for Syracuse, which rolled to a 77-60 decision over 14th-seeded Indiana State on Friday. Triche had eight points before getting injured early in the second half.

Marquette played Syracuse once in the regular season, beating the Orange, 76-70, on January 29th. Layups from Waiters and Rick Jackson gave Syracuse a 59-56 edge with under three minutes to play. But Crowder made a three-pointer at the other end to tie things up. Jimmy Butler then stole the ball from James Southerland to give Marquette the ball again. Junior Cadougan failed to make a jumper, though, and Waiters grabbed the rebound for the Orange. Following a timeout, Syracuse was called for an over-and-back violation on the inbound pass with 51.6 seconds to go.

Johnson-Odom then put the Golden Eagles in front for good with a shot from beyond the arc. Scoop Jardine, who was limited to six points on 2-of-8 shooting, missed a three-pointer at the other end. Cadougan and Crowder each made two free throws down the stretch to seal the victory. Syracuse held a 19-9 lead midway through the first half, but the Golden Eagles used a 12-2 run to tie the game. Johnson-Odom tallied eight points during the burst, including a three-pointer with less than 5 1/2 minutes left to make it 21-21. Johnson-Odom's layup and a Butler jumper prior to the half gave Marquette a 34-31 edge at the break. The Orange surged ahead early in the second half, but Marquette fought right back, and it remained close until the final buzzer.

Game Notes

Despite the loss, the Orange still own a 7-4 advantage in the all-time series with Marquette...The Golden Eagles are 36-29 in the NCAA Tournament, while the Orange are 53-34...Syracuse has one national title to its name (2003)...The Orange shot 55.3 percent from the field...Syracuse turned the ball over 18 times, leading to 23 Marquette points.

Mike Anderson

2011-03-20T20:15:00.000-07:00

Mike Anderson's agent, Jimmy Sexton, who is based on Memphis, is leaking to media to try to leverage MU AD Alden to up Anderson's deal past $2M per season. A source has told me repeatedly that Sexton's scheme will not work.

That sources close to the Arkansas program" have been telling reporters (mostly from Oklahoma, strangely enough) that Anderson is a done deal for days seems to stand in contrast with the one semi-fact we have in our hands from the time period after Thursday night. But we don't have records of incoming and outgoing calls to Anderson's cell phone, and nobody's logged on to FlightAware.com (somehow) to try to find out if some plane from Fayetteville flew to Hutchinson, KC, for a late-night meeting last night. So anything anybody thinks they know at this point stems from the reliability of "sources close to the Arkansas program.

During the term of this Restated Contract for Employment, or any extension thereof, the Employee agrees that he will not actively seek, negotiate for, or accept other full-time employment of any nature ... without the prior written permission of the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and the Chancellor of the University of Missouri-Columbia, which permission shall not be unreasonably withheld.

In other words, if Anderson indeed is in negotiations with Arkansas, he must have written permission or be in violation of his contract. Repeated attempts since Friday to reach Alden via e-mail and phone message have been unsuccessful.

Real World Las Vegas

2011-03-10T02:59:00.000-08:00

The Real World Las Vegas has chosen to mark its 25th season in the sinningest of cities -- Las Vegas. Nearly a decade after the first go-round in Sin City, though, the latest 'Real World' installment doesn't really seem all that scandalous. Sure, the cast is young, tan, beautiful, reality-TV savvy and, most of all, drunk. But in a post-'Jersey Shore' world, is that enough anymore? The cast is predictably diverse, chock full of small-town girls, country bumpkins and street-smart PYTs. Honestly, this first episode seems specifically designed to air clips of the castmates making bold statements like "I will not go to a strip club" and " I don't want to hook up with my roommates" simply to foreshadow the fact that those things will inevitably happen at some point during the season.

The house, as always, looks like the most glorious Ikea showroom ever, only with working fixtures and a puzzlingly large amount of aquariums.

First impressions-wise, the roommates don't seem terribly interesting.

• Naomi was introduced as the requisite hardened city girl, but she seems relatively sweet and quiet during this episode and in the scenes from the rest of the season. At the very least, she seems like a good ally for Nany (or, conversely, an enabler rooting for Nany to cheat on her boyfriend).

• Speaking of Nany, the drop-dead gorgeous community college student is pretty much the spitting image of Daniella Alonso, amIrite? She has a boyfriend of six years, so the logical question is how long until she cheats with Adam?

• Adam was shot and spent three years in juvy. He is a bad boy, yet insists on telling girls that he's shy and has no game while slyly admitting in the confessional that he usually has seven girlfriends at a time.

After the first roommate night out, Adam told Nany that it was the first time he picked up a girl from a bar. Coincidentally, last night was the first night I wasted three hours watching meaningless reality television instead of doing something intellectually stimulating like reading a book. Oh wait, NEITHER OF THOSE THINGS ARE EVEN REMOTELY TRUE.

• Dustin seems like the aw shucks country boy of the group, yet is hiding a secret from his roommates -- he is straight, but has done gay porn. Ronnie-style, he insisted he didn't want to date a roommate yet ended up hooking up with Heather in what appears to be a by-the-books showmance. Of course this happened.

• Heather is from a town near my hometown in South Jersey, so I can't tell if I am predisposed to love or hate her. She seems nice, so I'm going to go with "love" until further notice.

• Leroy is kind of intimidating. He has a really deep voice, and personally I find it really difficult to look into the eyes of a person with abs that chiseled. He appears to love the ladies, and the ladies appear to love him back. They at least seem pleased with the opportunity to do laundry on his stomach.

Side note: He is a trash man in real life! That is the best, most un-glamorous job ever.

• Finally, we have Michael. Michael, Michael, Michael. He's the innocent Christian of the season, who only lost his virginity a few months ago and tries to woo trashy chicks he brings back from the club with prayer. I can't decide whether he's adorable or creepily naieve. I'm leaning toward adorable, but I can't help but feel a little secondhand embarrassment watching him try to keep up with the cool kids he's rooming with.

The premiere episode antics might've been shocking at one point in time, but seeing attractive people party and bring randoms home to their sweet-ass suite is old hat by now. Plus, you really know what you're getting into when you realize that these are the types of people who wear their sunglasses at night. Also, Leroy and Adam both participated in (separate) three-way kisses. Is that still a thing? I guess only on MTV reality shows.

However, Dustin's "I want you to make mistakes so you can learn from them" speech to Michael was the most oddly convincing argument for sin that I've ever heard. Sign me up!

But, really, I already watch one show about twentysomethings hooking up in nightclubs and then hooking up later in hot tubs. Do I really need another? 'Real World Las Vegas' round two is at least better than the snooze-fest of 'DC,' but they've got to throw some sort of plot device in the mix to keep me tuning in.

Chris Brown Leaked Photos

2011-03-07T19:46:00.000-08:00

Chris Brown leaked photos are nothing new. But in this case, the Chris Brown leaked photos are in a far different context. The last time he was connected to Internet pictures, it involved the aftermath of his domestic dispute with Rihanna. This time, he is the star of these new pictures, which thankfully have nothing to do with domestic violence. However, these photos do reveal quite a bit more of Brown than he would have liked.

Brown apparently snapped the intimate photo of himself with a cell phone and sent it to an ex-girlfriend of his. There's no confirmation on whether the former flame he reportedly sent it to is in fact Rihanna. The image showcases the 'Look At Me Now' singer standing in a bathroom in front of a mirror nude. A full frontal view is exposed.

Once again, a celebrity has taken a nude picture of himself and wrongfully thought that it would stay private. In this case, an ex-girlfriend found the image and posted it on the Internet. It was posted as part of a video, hosted by World Star Uncut. The photos are recent since they show him with his new dyed blonde hair. He is posing naked in the bathroom, likely as part of a "sexting" session. However, one of his ex-girlfriends took the image and exposed him to the online world.

Justin Bieber kisses Selena Gomez

2011-03-07T19:36:00.000-08:00

Justin Bieber kisses Selena Gomez have sort of gone public with their romantic relationship. After spotted coming hand-in-hand to the Vanity Fair Oscar after-party on Sunday, the couple further showed off their affection to each other outside Sunset Tower in West Hollywood, California.

PopCandies TV managed to capture the sweet moment on camera when the lovebirds left the star-studded bash and presumably waited for their ride. With a lot of people surrounding them, the Canadian pop star is seen planting a quick kiss on Selena.

A day later, Justin and Selena were spotted together at the St. Regis Hotel in Orange County, California. While there is no confirmation if they checked in together, a video taped by a fan showed they checked out together.

Justin and Selena wore matching Dolce Gabbana attires to the Oscar after-party which took place few hours after the February 27 ceremony. The twosome reportedly stayed close to each other the entire evening.

Here's the Video:

Lindsay Lohan Surveillance Video Stealling in Jewelry

2011-03-07T19:15:00.000-08:00

Lindsay Lohan Surveillance Video. Lindsay Lohan of stealing a $2,500 necklace. And on Monday night (March 7), "Entertainment Tonight" aired the first snippets from the four security cameras, showing the actress trying on jewelry and texting. Lohan was charged with felony grand theft last month after allegedly taking the necklace from the store on January 22. The actress faces up to three years in prison if convicted. During another hearing last month, Judge Keith Schwartz told Lohan that she would definitely go to jail for probation violation if she accepts a plea deal of any kind.

ET has obtained exclusive photos of Lindsay Lohan taken from actual surveillance camera footage at the California jewelry store where she allegedly stole a $2,500 necklace. The Hollywood star is clearly visible in the photos, which show her shopping around the store and trying on jewelry pieces. Lohan was charged earlier this month with one count of felony grand theft in connection with the alleged theft. Lohan and her lawyer have maintained the actress is innocent. The day after Lohan was charged in court, she spoke out on her Twitter page, saying: ” fyi- i would never steal, in case people are wondering. I was not raised to lie, cheat, or steal.” The movie star pleaded not guilty to the felony grand theft charge, but Judge Keith Schwartz let Lohan know point blank that if she accepts a plea deal she would be serving jail time.

American Idol Top 24 Season 10

2011-02-25T11:59:00.000-08:00

American Idol Top 24 Season 10 With five spots already taken in the Top 24, American Idol starts collecting the other 19 contestants who will make up their Top 24.

Karen Rodriguez was the first tonight to be informed she was to perform next week. Robbie Rosen was told by the judges that he is "One of the best singers we have" and was told to be ready to be performing next week live. Also joining those two is Tatynisa Wilson.

Brittany and Jimmy were not as lucky as the others. They were told that this is the end of the road for them on Idol.

More contestants were told that they were coming back next week. Tim Halperin, Julie Zorrilla and Scotty McCreery all made the long walk and came back happy.

Jovany Barreto was number 12 in the Top 24. The judges particularly like his "crazy upper register". Lauren, Rachel, Kendra and Jordan Dorsey will also be joining the others in the stiff competition next week.

Sadly we had to say goodbye to contestant John Wayne Shulz. Seems like there is only room for one cowboy on this show. Jackie Wilson also said goodbye. Her last performance was a bit of a mess because she messed up the words. Not the best thing to do on the redemption performance.

Lauren Alaina, wearing a very Halloween-like dress, but the judges liked her anyways and compared her to Dolly Parton. Joining her in the top 24 is Stefano Langone and the always amazing Jacob Lusk. Jacob is always entertaining to watch, as his performances are phenomenal, but offstage he is just as fun to watch. Jacob danced off the stage, spun Ryan Seacrest around a bit, and continued running and dancing around.

Pia Toscano and James Durbin were quick verdicts with the judges since they took no time at all telling them they are in the top 24. Casey Abrams showed the judges in his last performance that "people like him can be sexy." Casey is in the top 24 and he was so excited that he knocked over his chair.

Thia Megia and Jessica Cunnigham were the last two girls left and were brought in to see the judges at the same time. Jessica went off telling the judges it was her birthday and this was her seventh time auditioning for American Idol. Sadly the judges told her she didn't make it again and that Thia would be moving on to the next round.

With one spot remaining, the judges bring in Jacee, Brett and Colton. Jacee became a quick fan favorite on the show while Colton crooned on the piano. But surprisingly the guy to get the last spot was Brett Loewenstern. All three guys were talented, but Brett was a bit of surprise over Colton.

Justin Tennison of 'Deadliest Catch' Found Dead in Hotel

2011-02-23T17:00:00.000-08:00

Law enforcement officials in Homer, AK tell us they got a call at 12:52 PM yesterday reporting a deceased male at the Best Western Bidarka Inn. Upon arrival they found 33-year-old Tennison lying on a bed unresponsive.

We're told a search of the room -- which was registered to Justin -- turned up a small amount of marijuana, as well as several bottles of alcohol in the refrigerator. Cops tell us they believe there had been a party in the room the night before.

Captain of the Cornelia fishing boat on "Deadliest Catch," died after suffering a stroke, the Discovery Channel show endured an another loss: Thirty-three-year-old crew member Justin Tennison was found dead Tuesday in an Alaska hotel room.

TMZ reports that law enforcement officials found marijuana and a bottle of alcohol in the room where Tennison's body was found.

"It is with great sadness that the Time Bandit family announces the death of crew member Justin Tennison. Justin died peacefully in his sleep the night of Feb. 21, 2011," "Deadliest Catch's"

Here's the Video below:

Washington Dot

2011-02-23T16:53:00.000-08:00

Washington - The Supreme Court will let Mazda be sued in California courts in case involving a woman who died while wearing a seat belt across her lap in her family’s minivan. The high court in a unanimous judgment Wednesday agreed to let the lawsuit go forward, despite complaints from the car company that federal regulators gave it an option on whether to install lap belts or lap-and-shoulder belts in the middle seats in the back of the van.

Thanh Williamson’s family wants to sue Mazda Motor of America Inc. because it made its 1993 Mazda MPV minivan with only lap seat belts in the middle seat of the van’s second row. Williamson, who was from Utah, died in a 2002 accident; her family says her body jackknifed around the lap belt causing fatal internal injuries.

Federal regulations require lap-and-shoulder belts for the front seats and the rear outer seats but give companies an option on the rear middle or aisle seats. The Williamsons want a court to say that Mazda was negligent for not putting the lap-and-shoulder belts on the inner seats on its own.

But Mazda said it is immune from lawsuits because the federal government in 1989 gave it a choice of installing either lap or lap-and-shoulder seat belts in the middle rear seat. A lawsuit forcing them to use lap-and-shoulder belts, the company said, would invalidate the choice being offered by the regulation.

Four decades ago, voters in Seattle narrowly turned down a rapid-transit plan in the 1970 election, prompting the federal government to shift $900 million in rail funds to Atlanta, to launch its MARTA network.

This time, it's Washington state that hankers to spend rail money earmarked for the South.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Wednesday decided to reject $2.4 billion in federal stimulus aid for an Orlando-to-Tampa rail route. He cited the "potential for significant capital and operating cost overruns." Scott went on to list several port and freeway improvements he believes would bring more benefit.

Weather King 5

2011-02-23T16:51:00.000-08:00

A Washington State snow storm is drawing a lot of interest to King 5 news and the National Weather Service. Snow from Seattle to Spokane is expected on Wednesday and Thursday, and this could be a pretty powerful storm when everything is said and done. 30 plows have been commissioned and put on standby to help out the Seattle Department of Transportation, and plans on how to deal with the snow and ice are about to get under way.

The plows are on 24-hour-hour shifts in Seattle right now, and it could become tough to get around the city. Snow up on Snoqualmie Pass is expected to be bad, and then there is the East side of the mountains to consider. The West side of the state doesn't often get heavy snowfall like what might be coming, and the community is struggling to prepare for it. Out in the Spokane area though, snow has been hitting the major cities all winter. Now 4 to 8 more inches of snow are expected on Wednesday night, with the possibility of even more arriving overnight.

The National Weather Service has now suggested that people leave work early on Wednesday, because it could get bad. A winter storm warning is in effect until 10 am PST on Thursday, with up to 6 inches of accumulation possible in the Seattle/Tacoma area. Severe winter weather is expected, making the evening commute a possible mess. The East side of the state could possibly see even more snow than that by Thursday morning.

Bassmaster Classic 2011

2011-02-18T15:05:00.000-08:00

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.

Although a lot of these competitors are veterans, 15 of the playoffs will be their first Bassmaster Classic with hopes of conquering the waters in New Orleans. One of the great things about how this event is handled it is the seemingly endless opportunity to meet alone with fishermen to provide sufficient insight for fans. There is no better way to understand what is the ideal day to day to hear the views of those who are actually fishing. Wednesday night, there was a Red Carpet event, by invitation only, for competitors and select members of the media offering additional opportunities to talk with the pros.

After several days of hard practice, the Elite Series pros converseed Media Prefish the period, offering predictions of what fans can expect on Day 1 of the tournament.
Each angler offered their views on how they feel conditions will affect their plans once the tournament starts.

Strong local favorite, Fishouflage Pro Greg Hackney believes that the big fish are. “Fishermen need to use a minimum of 16 to 18 pounds per day for a title shot. Ample numbers of large fish are available that this fishery is as good as it ever was. There are so many different places to fish there guys will travel up to two hours to reach their fish. You can also expect to see fishermen camping spots on fish producers hoping to load the boat each day. ”

Ubber Twitter TakeDown?

2011-02-18T14:58:00.000-08:00

Twitter has just posted a help document titled "I'm Having Problems Logging In to UberTwitter or twidroyd" that gives little hope for an immediate fix: turns out the company has outright suspended both apps -- among the most popular Twitter apps for the BlackBerry / iPhone and Android platforms, respectively -- for "violating [its] policies." They go on to say that they suspend "hundreds" of apps on a daily basis for policy violations, but decided to call out these two in particular because of the high number of users potentially affected. Considering the popularity factor, we imagine this'll be solved one way or another before too long -- but in the meantime, you might want to fall back to the official apps for all three platforms.

Twitter is now aggressively going after third-party sites and services that once helped it spread its name, message, and capabilities virally. What was once a beautiful, symbiotic relationship that appeared to raise the Twitter water level and float all Tweet-powered boats, is now a swirling mass of destruction, with Twitter at the vortex, seemingly eating its own offspring. Today, Twitter suspended UberTwitter and Twidroyd for "violating the company's API policies," and while much of the Twitter community expressed shock, I'm just waiting to see what else the whirlpool sweeps into its path.

I'm not shocked. In fact, this is pretty much what I predicted. Twitter is now doing whatever it can to shut down third-party and competing apps that tend to drag people away from Twitter's desktop and mobile clients. I had assumed that they would continue to do most of this quietly through technology (by tweaking the API). Have you noticed how poorly TweetDeck works on the iPad? The Twitter app, of course, works fine.

Turns out, though, there are other arrows in the Twitter's quiver. One of them is so obvious that I'm surprised I hadn't thought of it before. Twitter can bring out the lawyers.
According to a TechCrunch report, UberMedia's Bill Gross (UberMedia owns UberTwitter and TweetDeck), one of UberTwitter's offenses was its trademark-infringing name. Of course! This is the Apple strategy for brand-management control, and it is smart and extremely effective. In Apple's case, as soon as the iPod took off in the early part of this century, other companies started incorporating "iPod" into their names to try and drive interest to their iPod-related products. Apple quietly went around and reminded folks that while they were flattered, you can't simply use a trademarked name without permission. Go today and try to find something with the "iPod" name in it that isn't owned or explicitly sanctioned by Apple.
So Twitter is being smart, but that new laser-like focus on good business sure does sting. UberTwitter actually has to change its name to UberSocial. Not a big deal, right? Unless you consider that many of Twitter's third party apps got noticed by, well, using the Twitter name.

Daytona 500 Starting Lineup

2011-02-18T14:39:00.000-08:00

The 53rd Annual Daytona 500 is set to get underway this Sunday at the Daytona International Speedway.
NASCAR season is about to kick off with the 2011 Daytona 500 this Sunday. Fans eagerly await race day and want to know what the starting lineup looks like. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was supposed to lead the pack but got hit from behind during practice; he had to go to his backup car and got sent to the back! Right now Jeff Gordon will be starting at lead, followed by Jeff Burton and Kurt Busch who both won the Gatorade Duels yesterday.
It’s such a shame that Dale Earnhardt Jr. won’t be leading the starting lineup to this year’s 2011 Daytona 500. The NASCAR driver just can’t seem to get out of his own damn way. With his accident during practice, the freaking rainbow warrior (Jeff Gordon) got a free pass to the first position…boo! Rounding out the top 3 starters at the Daytona 500 are Jeff Burton and Kurt Busch who both won the Gatorade Duels yesterday.

Here is the (Top 10)of the official 2011 Daytona 500 Starting Lineup in order:

Jeff Gordon
Kurt Busch
Jeff Burton
Regan Smith
Clint Bowyer
Kevin Harvick
Michael Waltrip
Matt Kenseth
Kyle Busch
Kasey Kahne

Back at the 2001 Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt was killed in a final-lap crash at the venerable Florida speedway. Just three years before, Earnhardt, who won seven NASCAR championships, finally ended years of frustration at Daytona with his first and only win there.

This Sunday, his son, Dale Earnhardt, Jr, and 42 other NASCAR stars will race to the checkered flag in the 53rd version of 'The Great American Race.'

Dale, Jr. won the pole position for this year's Daytona during qualifying runs, but lost it when he crashed during practice on Wednesday. As a result, he'll have to start from the back of the field.

Also, on Sunday, Jimmie Johnson, who's won the past five NASCAR Sprint Cup championships, will begin his quest for a sixth consecutive title. Johnson won the 2006 Daytona 500.

2011 All Star Weekend

2011-02-18T14:29:00.000-08:00

The NBA All Star weekend 2011 is set to be a big affair, given the setting and the players. Tonight kicks things off with the celebrity game and rookie challenge, while Saturday has the long awaited debut of Blake Griffin in the Slam Dunk Contest. Sunday then brings the actual game, with the East and West likely to combine for at least 300 points. After the glitz and glamour of NBA All Star weekend 2011, however, the push for the playoffs can then take center stage.

With Chicago's win over San Antonio, and Dallas's road win at Phoenix, every team is now finished with their first half. Technically, they are well into the second half, since most teams are approaching the 60 game mark in their schedule.

But the NBA All Star weekend 2011 allows the contenders to rest, although their superstars are keeping busy in Los Angeles. It comes just in time for frustrated Lakers fans, as they need a distraction from the Lakers' last three horrific losses on the road.

Kobe Bryant qualifies as the host, but after that, he has to help Los Angeles get back on track in time for the playoffs. They have turned the switch on and off for two years, yet the likes of the Spurs, Mavericks and Thunder stand to make it harder this time. Although the Spurs fell to the Bulls last night, they still have a big lead for home court advantage in the postseason.

Rookie-Sophomore Game (Winner and MVP)

Blake Griffin, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Derrick Favors, Landry Fields, Eric Bledsoe, Wesley Johnson, Greg Monroe, Gary Neal, John Wall v. DeJuan Blair, DeMar DeRozan, Stephen Curry, James Harden, Taj Gibson, Jrue Holiday, Serge Ibaka, Brandon Jennings, Wesley Matthews

All-Star Game (Winner and MVP)

Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan, Kevin Love, Blake Griffin, Deron Williams, Pau Gasol, Russell Westbrook, Manu Ginobili, and Dirk Nowitzki v. Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Amar'e Stoudemire, Dwight Howard, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Al Horford, Joe Johnson, and Chris Bosh.

Slam Dunk Contest

Blake Griffin, Javale McGee, DeMar DeRozan, Serge Ibaka

3 Point Shootout

Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Dorell Wright, Daniel Gibson, Kevin Durant, James Jones

Skills Challenge

Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, Derrick Rose, John Wall, Russell Westbrook

Shooting Stars Competition

Team Atlanta: Al Horford, Coco Miller, Steve Smith

Team Chicago: Taj Gibson, Catherine Kraayveld, Steve Kerr

Team Los Angeles: Pau Gasol, Tina Thompson, R*ck F*x (Anyone who votes for Team Los Angeles automatically loses the contest and life).

Team Texas: Dirk Nowitzki, Roneeka Hodges, Kenny Smith

Meanwhile, NBA All Star weekend 2011 has the Heat and Celtics joining forces, for the moment. Their respective Big 3's are temporary teammates, before they fight it out for the Eastern Conference crown. Given the Heat's three losses to the Celtics this season, Boston stands to hover over LeBron James and company, until they can meet in May.

Other first half reviews center on the endless Carmelo Anthony trade talk, Blake Griffin and Kevin Love's emergence, the Bulls being carried by Derrick Rose, and the questions over the Magic's new lineup. This year has also seen the Knicks get back to .500, the Thunder rising up the West, the Jazz losing their iconic coach, and historic ineptitude by the Cavaliers and Wizards.