Hottest Trends and News of the Day

Paris Hilton: 'Cocaine-Filled Purse Wasn't Mine'

2010-08-30T11:23:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS -- A lawyer for Paris Hilton is reportedly expected to argue that police performed an illegal search when the celebutante was arrested on felony cocaine possession charges.

Hilton, 29, and her 34-year-old boyfriend Cy Waits were arrested Friday in Las Vegas.

According to RadarOnline, the ordeal was captured on surveillance video, which sources say could help Hilton.

Her lawyer, David Chesnoff, plans to claim the search was illegal because she was taken away from the scene to another location, the site reported.

Hilton also repeatedly claimed the purse wasn't hers during the arrest, according to a police report.

Authorities are defending their actions.

Hilton was treated "like everyone else," Deputy Chief Jim Dixon told the Las Vegas Review Journal.

Dixon said that the actress was not placed with other inmates at the county jail in order to avoid a disruption. "We're under obligation to make sure that everybody is kept safe."

Police say they saw what appeared to be a cloud of marijuana smoke coming out of the windows of a black Cadillac Escalade being driven by Waits around 11:30 p.m. Friday.

A motorcycle officer stopped the SUV on Las Vegas Boulevard near the Wynn Las Vegas resort.

The officer "followed the vapor trail and the odor of marijuana to the Escalade," police Sgt. John Sheahan said.

A crowd quickly gathered in the area, and Hilton was taken into the Wynn hotel to "keep her safe" during the initial investigation, according to Officer Marcus Martin.

According to Sheahan, Hilton pulled a tube of lip balm out of her purse, and with it fell a bindle of cocaine in a plastic bag right into plain view of officers.

Both Hilton and Waits were booked at the Clark County Jail.

Hilton was released early Saturday morning, according to Watch Commander Lt. Wayne Holman.

She was on Twitter shortly after her release.

Hilton tweeted: "In bed watching Family Guy. Love this show.! So hilarious! Stewie is my favorite :) love his accent." She followed that with", Going to bed. Sweet dreams everyone. Xoxo Paris :)"

She later followed up with another tweet: "I'm so thankful to all my fans for all the love and support you are giving me. Thank you all. Love you so much. Love Paris."

Waits posted $2,000 bail and was expected to be released Saturday.

He's facing misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to his attorney Richard Schonfeld.

Schonfeld said he was "troubled by the circumstances" leading to the arrest, but declined to elaborate.

"I am gathering facts, but I caution people not to rush to judgment," Chesnoff, told The Associated Press Saturday morning.

Court dates for Hilton and Waits were not immediately available.

Neither Hilton's manager nor her publicist have commented.

If convicted of a low-grade felony, Hilton would receive probation. Any violation of that probation would be punishable by one to four years in jail.

The arrest came just days after a knife-wielding man tried to break into Hilton's Sherman Oaks home.

Nathan Lee Parada, 31, is facing felony burglary charges in the Tuesday incident.

Hilton was arrested this summer after the Brazil-Netherlands World Cup match in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, on suspicion of possession of marijuana. The case was then dropped at a midnight court hearing.

She pleaded no contest in 2007 to alcohol-related reckless driving and was sentenced to 45 days in jail. She served just 23 of those days.

Hilton is most famous for her tabloid exploits and reality TV series "The Simple Life." She has appeared in the films "Bottoms Up," "The Hottie & the Nottie" and "House of Wax."

Waits and his twin brother, Jesse, are managing partners of the Tryst Nightclub inside Wynn Las Vegas, Drai's after hours club at Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon, and XS The Nightclub at Wynn's Encore resort.

Randy Couture Biography

2010-08-29T12:16:00.001-07:00

Randy Duane Couture was born June 22, 1963, in Everett, Washington. A phenomenal athlete with an enormous physique, he captured a state wrestling championship during his senior year of high school before spending the next six years of his life in the U.S. Army. Upon being discharged, Randy Couture enrolled at Oklahoma State University where he became a three-time All-American. His remarkable collegiate career caught the attention of USA Wrestling, and he was named an Olympic team alternate in 1988, 1992 and 1996.
randy couture makes his ufc debut
Although Randy Couture never had the opportunity to participate in the Olympics, his enthusiasm for wrestling remained strong, and he decided to turn pro by joining the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in 1997. His first mixed martial arts match came later that year on May 30th, when he defeated heavily favored Brazilian fighter Vitor Belfort as part of UFC 13. “He was the phenom that was tearing everybody up, and nobody really gave me much of a chance at beating him,” Randy Couture recalls. “I managed to come out of that fight victoriously, and kind of shocked everybody, and that kind of set the stage and tone for the rest of my career.”
randy couture joins rings
Randy Couture won his first heavyweight title several months later in a bloody match against Maurice Smith. Unfortunately, he didn’t keep the belt for long due to a contractual dispute with UFC that prevented him from making a proper title defense. The disagreement left Randy Couture with a bad taste in his mouth, and he briefly left UFC to join the Japanese-based RINGS organization.
randy couture returns to ufc
Randy Couture finally returned to UFC in 2000, and he wasted little time making his presence felt by recapturing the heavyweight title on November 17th in a memorable fight with Kevin Randleman. Randy Couture successfully defended his title twice more before relinquishing his belt in an epic match against Josh Barnett at UFC 36 in 2002.

Randy Couture’s loss convinced him to go down to UFC’s light heavyweight class, where he thought he would achieve more success. “The guys were just getting too big in the heavyweight division,” he explains. “And they [weren’t] just big guys like the first guys I fought, they knew how to fight and weight [became] a huge advantage.” Randy Couture’s hunch paid off, and he immediately beat Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell to capture the interim light heavyweight championship. He won the title outright later that year when he downed five-time champion Tito Ortiz in an unforgettable match.
randy couture and chuck liddell get their fight on
Randy Couture faced Chuck Liddell again on April 16, 2005, but this time around “The Iceman” had the last laugh as he handed Randy Couture the first knockout loss of his career. The pair faced off again for a heavily hyped match on February 4, 2006, with Chuck Liddell coming out on top again. “I was prepared, as prepared as I've ever been, but he just caught me,” he says. “Chuck's a great champion and it was an honor for me to fight him.”
randy couture retires
Randy Couture retired shortly after his final match with Chuck Liddell, and he spent the next two years working as an MMA commentator and making a seamless transition into acting with roles in Invincible (2006) starring Mark Wahlberg, The Unit (2007) featuring Dennis Haybert and Big Stan with Rob Schneider. He was also inducted into the UFC’s Hall of Fame during a moving ceremony on June 24, 2006.
randy couture comes out of retirement
Although Randy Couture had plenty of projects to keep himself busy, he missed the physicality of fighting and eventually returned to the Octagon on March 3, 2007, fighting Tim Sylvia at UFC 68. Despite being 43 years old at the time, Randy Couture controlled the pace of the fight from the opening bell, and he easily defeated his opponent to become the UFC’s first three-time champion. He successfully defended his belt several months later on August 25, 2007, by downing Gabriel Gonzaga.
randy couture resigns
Just as it appeared his career was back in high gear, Randy Couture surprised many observers by sending a letter of resignation to the UFC on October 11, 2007. "The motivation for the decision is two-fold," he explained at the time. "I know Fedor (Emelianenko) just signed with another organization and that's the only real fight that makes sense for me at 44 years old as the heavyweight champion of the UFC. … And, two, I'm tired of being taken advantage of, played as the nice guy and basically swimming against the current with the management of the UFC. I have a lot of other things going on in my life that I'm doing just fine with. I don't need the problems.”
randy couture returns to the ufc
Despite his hasty exit, Randy Couture remained in close contact with the UFC, and on September 2, 2008, the organization announced that he had signed a three-fight deal to return to the Octagon. His first fight will be against former WWE champion Brock Lesnar on November 15, 2008, at UFC 91.

Glenn Beck Rally Attendance Another Controversial Topic

2010-08-29T12:09:00.001-07:00

Glenn Beck's rally attendance is yet another controversy tied to the TV personality. Glenn Beck's "non-political" rally, held at the National Mall, garnered a lot of controversy from the get-go.

First, some civil rights leaders question Beck's motives for choosing the very same date and venue as the MLK "I have a dream" speech.

CBS news reported yesterday that the attendance at the rally was 87,000. That is the figure that we reported, as it came from a credible agency.

However, through several comments and several other blog posts on line it became apparent that there could be some disconnect in the true attendance at the "restoring honor" rally.

The Restoring Honor rally attendance could have really reached into the hundreds of thousands. Given the photos of the event, news coverage, and more - that estimate sounds a lot more palatable.

To put things in perspective, 87,000 people is about the same as a crowd for an Ohio State football game. It's a lot of people, but hardly the crowd viewed at the nation's capital yesterday.

So what do you think? Do you think CBS's estimate of 87,000 was accurate, or do you think Glenn Beck's rally attendance was well over

New York State Fair

2010-08-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

Randy Couture vs James Toney Video

2010-08-29T04:33:00.000-07:00

lance cpl. joshua m. bernard

2009-09-04T11:43:00.000-07:00

21, of New Portland, Maine; assigned to 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay; died Aug. 14 while supporting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

2/3 Marine dies in Afghanistan

Staff report

OCEANSIDE, Calif. — Defense Department officials Aug. 17 identified a Marine killed Aug. 14 in Afghanistan as Lance Cpl. Joshua M. Bernard.

Bernard, 21, a rifleman from New Portland, Maine, died while he was supporting operations in Helmand province, military officials said.

The combat deployment was the second for Bernard, who enlisted in November 2006 and joined Hawaii-based 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, in May 2007 and deployed with the battalion to Iraq in 2008, Marine Corps Base-Hawaii officials said in a news release. The battalion is operating as part of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade in Afghanistan.

Bernard had received the Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, officials said.

Akshata Murthy and Rishi Sunak Wedding

2009-08-31T02:51:00.000-07:00

Akshata Murthy, daughter of Infosys founder Narayana Murthy, on Sunday married her Stanford classmate Rishi Sunak, in a simple ceremony at Hotel Leela Palace , Bangalore.

The MArraige began with a traditional Indian wedding, followed by a typical vegetarian Karnataka lunch and receptio

This will be followed by a reception in New York in September.

Akshata, dressed in a resplendent orange ghagra-choli, and her husband Sunak, in a dapper suit, welcomed the guests at the Grand Ballroom. Attendees at the wedding were touched by the warmth and personal attention of the Murthy family.

Akshata holds 1.4 per cent stake in Infosys, at a net worth of Rs 1,600 crore

The reception was attended by over 1,000 guests from the corporate world, including Wipro Chairman Azim Premji, Biocon Chairman and Managing Director Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, founder of low-cost airline, Air Deccan, Captain G.R. Gopinath, former Infosys CEO Nandan Nilekani, Titan Industries MD Bhaskar Bhat, Narayana Hrudayalaya founder and Chairman Devi Shetty, MindTree Executive Chairman Ashok Soota. Politicians included Mallikarjun Kharge, Dharam Singh and Siddaramaiah. Others were former badminton ace Prakash Padukone and ex-cricketer Syed Kirmani and theatre personality Girish Karna

Lechuguilla Cave

2009-08-31T02:38:00.000-07:00

Location: Carlsbad, New Mexico. It is only about five miles from the Carlsbad Caverns in the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Go see a map of New Mexico, or check out the map of The Cave. Lechuguilla Cave holds the record for being the deepest cave in the United States.

The deepest cave in the world is in the western Caucasus mountains of the Georgian Republic. The cave has been named Voronja, or "Crow's Cave" and has officially been verified to be 2140 meters (7,021 feet) deep. You can visit the online resource that has photographs taken inside the cave by the Greek exploration team who plumbed the awesome depths!

Awesome Stats: The cave is a winding, twisting underground maze which has yet to be completely explored and mapped. Currently, 101 miles/156.5km of Lechuguilla have been explored and mapped, with no end in sight. So far, the deepest part of the cave measured goes down 1,632 feet (497 meters)!

Lechuguilla was first discovered in 1986 when some cavers decided to investigate the bottom of a 90 ft/27m deep pit called Misery Hole. They dug their way through the bottom and discovered what turned out to be the entrance to a cave. The fierce, howling winds blowing out of the ground from the newly opened hole hinted that there was an awesome cave system below.

Ever since it was discovered, Lechuguilla has been explored and mapped by teams of enthusiastic cavers thrilled by the prospect of discovering things never before seen by human eyes. But not just anybody can go in. The cave is strictly protected because of all the delicate, never-before-seen crystal formations that could be damaged by inexperienced and careless people. There's always the danger of careless humans polluting and destroying the pristine beauty of the caves. Special permits and authority are required for anyone to go in. Not only that, you have to be an experienced caver because just getting into the cave at the entrance can be treacherous. Extreme Science will now take you on a virtual tour, so put on your helmets and let's go down....

lechuguilla, planet earth, eastbound and down season 2, keeley lawrence, rachel evan wood

Kourtney and Khloe take Miami Season 1 Episode 3 "Hangover Helpers"

2009-08-31T01:14:00.000-07:00

The amazing American Reality TV series Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami Season 1 Episode 3 will be released on Sunday, August 30, 2009 at 10:00 PM only on E!. The title of Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami Episode 3 is 'Hangover Helpers'. I love this fantastic reality show and I can not wait more to watch this episode. I hope you will also like this amazing episode.

Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami Season 1 Episode 3 Details

TV series: Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami
Title: 'Hangover Helpers'
Genre: Reality Show
Network: E! (USA)
Air Date: August 30, 2009
Cast: Kourtney Kardashian and Khloe Kardashian
Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami S01E03 Synopsis

In this episode, Kourtney and her sister Khloe who previously decided to move into Miami, Florida to open a new D-A-S-H boutique. Kim gets pressured into getting drunk when she visits her sisters; Khloe auditions dates to hook up with Kourtney at the boutique.

Forrest Bird invented a fluid control device, respirator & pediatric ventilator

2009-08-31T00:58:00.000-07:00

Forrest Bird short biography: In 1921, Forrest Bird was born in Stoughton, Massachusetts. Forrest Bird is best known as the inventor of the first practical mass-produced medical respirator.

Forrest Bird Invents an Improved Respirator
During World War II, Forrest Bird served in the Army Air Corps and became an able airplane, jet, and helicopter pilot. At that time, new designs in airplanes allowed for flight at higher altitudes, however, gear was now needed that would allow pilots to breathe at a higher altitude. These experiences began Forrest Bird life-long research into respirators. He studied medicine and became a doctor. Over the years, Forrest Bird developed Aircrew Breathing Regulators and anti “g” devices.

In 1954, Forrest Bird founded the Bird Products Corporation to market and develop his respirator devices. By 1955, Forrest Bird had perfected the Bird Universal Medical Respirator for acute or chronic cardiopulmonary care. It was the first universal mass-produced medical respirator and was sold under the tradename of the Bird Mark 7 Respirator.

"Babybird" Respirator
Nicknamed the "Babybird" respirator, Forrest Bird invented a pediatric respirator in 1970 that greatly reduced infant mortality for babies with respiratory problems.

Intrapulmonary Percussive Ventilation
By the 1980s, Forrest Bird invented the Intrapulmonary Percussive Ventilation or IPV, a major advance in mechanical cardiopulmonary care.

In 1992, the V.I.P Bird Infant Pediatric System was introduced. The TBird Ventilator Series is the first and only ventilator that is truly mobile.

Real World Cancun Episode 10

2009-08-27T02:27:00.000-07:00

Real world Cancun season 22, episode 10, was another amazing and sensational episode. The name of this episode was “Three’s A Crowd”. As the time passes and sensational between participants is increasing and viewers interest is also boosting. Three’s A Crowd, was Premiered on August 26, 2009. The summary of the, “Three’s A Crowd” is

"Jonna is left confused about her future after her breakup with Matt. When Ayiiia begins to miss her unsteady boyfriend Ryan, she sets her sights on Jonna, leading to a threesome between Pat, Jonna, and Ayiiia. Tension rises between Jonna and Emilee over Jonna keeping the threesome a secret from her best roomie, while Ayiiia worries about the repercussions the threesome will have on her loved ones. Meanwhile, Jonna and Jasmine reconcile."

The next episode will be broadcast on 2nd September. Don’t forget to watch it. The summary of the previous episode, “The Love Square” Is,

"As Jasmine hooks up with a new interest, JR, to make Pat jealous, she inadvertently drives Jonna and Pat closer together. Ultimately, Jonna breaks up with her boyfriend, Matt, and brings Pat into her bed. After an incident with a fire extinguisher, Bronne is banished from the ME Hotel."

EPUB Format

2009-08-27T02:08:00.000-07:00

The EPUB format is a standard eBook format recommended by The International Digital Publishing Forum. It is essentially a ZIP format. If you change its extension ".epub" to ".zip", the EPUB file becomes a true ZIP file which can be unzipped.

The unzipped EPUB files may be divided into three categories: XHTML documents, packaging files and container files.

XHTML Documents. XHTML is a strict version of HTML. The stricter syntax enables web browsers or eBook viewers to render the document more easily. This is important for reading eBooks on devices with limited computing power such as cell phones. In an EPUB book, the main content is placed in these XHTML documents.

Packaging Files. They include two files: one with the .opf extension and another with the .ncx extension. The .opf file contains book information (author, publisher, etc.) and a list of all files in the book package. The .ncx file tells the sequence and organization (parts, chapters or sections) of XHTML documents in a book.

Container Files. They must be placed in a folder named "META-INF". These files are used for encryption and digital rights management (DRM). For an eBook without DRM, the container file has only a few standard lines.

Currently, the EPUB format can be viewed by Calibre, Adobe Digital Editions (ADE), FBReader and Stanza. In addition to notebooks and desktops, ADE supports Sony Readers, Stanza targets Apple's iPhone, and FBReader applies to Google's Android.

Calibre renders CSS and table of contents very well, but it cannot highlight or annotate.

ADE has the highlighting and annotation features. However, scrolling is not smooth when there are images or tables. Another problem is that the table cannot be centered, which is important for displaying poems (see Mike Cane's blog).

Both ADE and Calibre do not run on any smartphone yet. ADE requires Flash Player which will be available on most smartphones next year (News). Perhaps we can see ADE on smartphones in 2010.

FBReader is still in the early stage of development, but it seems to be in the right direction.

The XHTML documents can have .html, .xhtml or .xml extension. We prefer the .html extension because it can be viewed by most web browsers on various computing devices. Our WEB books use exactly the same XHTML documents as in our EPUB books.

Karen Cunagin Sypher Video Tape

2009-08-27T01:49:00.000-07:00

HOT News! Karen Cunagin Sypher interview about video tape of Louisville police was released. The Karen Cunagin Sypher tapes was all about her accusation (sex scandal) to coach Rick Pitino of Louisville University which apparently denied by Pitino.

Everything that’s been printed, everything that’s been reported, everything that’s been breaking in the news on the day Ted Kennedy died is 100 percent a lie, a big lie. All of this has been a lie, a total fabrication of the truth.

Karen Cunagin Sypher said that she was forced by Rick Pitino to have s-ex with him. And after the audio and video tape release, Rick Pitino immediately called for a press news conference admitting that he made mistake and he will suffer for that mistake. Rick Pitino also said that he had s-ex with Karen Cunagin Syphe six years ago.

Watch Karen Cunagin Sypher Video Tape

Karen Cunagin Sypher Video Tape

Watch Rick Pitino News Press Conference Video

Rick Pitino Press News Conference Video

Criss Angel Mass Levitation

2009-08-27T01:34:00.000-07:00

Criss Angel is out to prove that he is the best magician ever. He has many magic tricks that are really amazing but levitation is one of the most awesome trick in his back. But he has taken mere levitation trick to a higher level, and it is mass Levitation. the video below shows Criss Angel sharing the surprising origin of his Mass Levitation trick. these videos are from PopEater.com.

Azusa Fire or Angeles Fire, the Morris Dam Fire

2009-08-26T12:21:00.000-07:00

The fire prompted evacuation of a 18-member Boy Scout troop Tuesday afternoon by helicopter. The fire has yet to really be named - often called the Angeles Fire, the Morris Dam Fire, or Azusa Fire.

As broke last night, the fire started in the Azusa and Glendora neighboring stretch of the Angeles National Forest at roughly 4:30 PM PST, just off Highway 39 above the San Gabriel Valley.

From 35 acres burned by 5:30 pm, and 250 acres by 10:30 pm, the fire is now at 750 acres burned by 9:40 AM. Total structural damage is believed to still only be 15 structures used by U.S. Forest Service near the Morris Dam Reservoir.

No injuries are reported.

Southern California, pursuant to the National Weather Service, is under a four day fire warning alert ending 9 pm Friday. The concern is excessive temps, far above the 100 degree mark, and humidity levels as low as 10%, forecasted for certain regions. Areas of escalated concern are the Santa Clarita and the Antelope Valley.

75 1/2 Bedford st. in Greenwich Village

2009-08-26T12:06:00.000-07:00

The oldest house in Greenwich Village, at the corner of 77 Bedford Street and Commerce Street. It was built in 1873 and it's less than ten feet wide!

This picturesque three-story red-brick structure owns a history a lot wider than its walls, though. It was built in 1873 during a small pox epidemic, for Horatio Homez, trustee of the Hettie Hendricks-Gomez Estate, on what was a former carriage entranceway, with stables to the rear, between 75 and 77 Bedford Street. However, the assessed value of the plot of land did not change, suggesting that it’s possible the house had built prior to that, but never recorded.

It originally served as a cobbler’s shop, and then a candy factory (and home to candy marker Martha Banta in 1880). Thomas Newett, a shopper, lived here in the 1890’s. By the 1920's, the neighborhood became largely working class Italian and Victor Ponchoine, an immigrant vineyard cooper, resided here wit his family. In 1923, as the Village was reinvented as an artist enclave, Spalding Hall and fellow artists and actors leased 73-77 Bedford Street, converted them into apartments and established the Cherry Lane Theatre around the corner. Shortly thereafter the openly bisexual poet Edna St. Vincent Millay and her new husband, Eugen Jan Boissevain, a coffee importer, took up residence at 75 1/2 Bedford. They hired Ferdinand Savignano to renovate the house. He put in a skylight and transformed the top floor into a studio, installed casement windows at each level and topped the front with a tiny Dutch stepped gable, most likely to reflect Boissevain’s Dutch heritage. Before that the house had a typical Italianate look common to the 1850s.

According to the plaque on the front of the building, Millay lived there from 1923-1924 and wrote “The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver,” for which she won the Pulitzer Prize. Elizabeth Barnett, literary executor of the Millay Society contests this, saying she wrote the poem while still living in Europe. Writer Ann McGovern (who lived herein the late 1980s) asserted in a newspaper interview that Millay wrote part of “The King’s Henchmen” there.

In the 1930s, the cartoonist William Steig, his wife and her sister, anthropologist Margaret Mead, lived in the house. Actors John Barrymore and Cary Grant also had a brief run in the building. In 1952, the entire corner was slated for redevelopment when Kenneth Carroad, a lawyer and Village resident, purchased the house to preserve it. His family lived here for many years. In 1982, Jeffrey Carroad, a family member, put the house up for sale for $350,000. Cedric Wilson and Christopher Dubs, an architect, purchased it in 1996 for a reported $270,000 and spent another $200,000 on renovations—exposing and oiling the wooden beams on all the ceilings, redoing the floors, staircase, wooden railing, and putting down gray carpeting and air conditioners,

A centrally placed spiral staircase dominates all three floors and bisects the space into two distinct living areas. The narrow steps call for expert sideways navigational skills. Under the stairwell on the first floor is a tiny utility closet, the only closed storage space in the house. All three floors have fireplaces. An overloaded metal coat rack is next to the two-seater sofa in the front parlor. In the rear kitchen, there is a wooden counter with a compact sink, some stools, four mini burners lined up flush against a wall, a refrigerator and cupboards. The kitchen enjoys abundant natural sunlight that radiates through a wall of windows. A Dutch door gives access to a leafy garden. To the right is an arched black iron gate, which exits onto Commerce St.

Both the second- and third-floor rear rooms (office and bedroom, respectively) feature glass and wooden doors that open wide onto a sturdy U-shaped iron balcony that overlooks the garden. The third-floor front constitutes the storage area: one wall of shelves and a hanging bar along another wall. In the kitchen a heavy trapdoor is propped open to reveal a steep staircase that leads down to the basement boiler/laundry room at the back and a recording studio and a small bed at the front. A dollhouse-sized kitchenette and a bathroom are nestled between the two mini spaces.

Church's anti-Islam sign stirs protest in front of the Dove World Outreach Center

2009-08-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

About 125 people of diverse religions, ages and races gathered in front of the Dove World Outreach Center Wednesday evening for a prayer vigil in response to a sign recently posted by the center.

The sign reads “Islam is of the Devil” and was placed Sunday in the church’s front lawn. It was vandalized and torn down that evening but was re-erected on Monday, said Terry Jones, the pastor at the church.

Nicolette Guerrero, a UF sophomore who was present at the vigil, said she came to send a message to the church that posted the sign.

“If we keep going on with this, maybe they won’t post another one,” Guerrero said.

Jones said that the church, located at 5805 NW 37th St., does not plan on taking down the sign, and that more messages will be displayed in the future.

“We think we are losing our heritage as a Christian nation,” Jones said as one of the reasons the church put up the sign.

Jones said Islam’s growing popularity in the United States needs to be addressed because Christians are not standing up for what they believe in.

“To be a Christian, you would have to agree with that sign,” Jones said.

He said the sign is not meant to attack individuals but to attack the religion of Islam because it is oppressive and violent.

Leila Aamir is one of several Muslims who attended the vigil. She said she came to the United States two months ago from Pakistan to give her children a better life.

She attended the vigil because she wanted to show that Muslims are not hateful, but peaceful and loving, she said.

“Like Christians we also hate the devil,” she said. “We are not of the devil.”

Ismail ibn Ali, president of Islam on Campus at UF, said in an e-mail that he hopes non-Muslims who read the sign will Google “Islam” and see what the religion is about before making judgments.

“Even though they are allowed to post a sign based on our beloved First Amendment, this is not an action which brings understanding and only misinforms people about the religion of Islam,” Ali said.

He said he hopes everyone who is offended by the sign will peacefully ask the Dove World Outreach Center to remove it.

“I am glad to see that people from other religious backgrounds are also deeply disturbed,” he said.

Eve MacMaster, pastor at Emmanuel Mennonite Church who organized the prayer vigil, said she wants people in the community to know most Christians do not agree with the message that the Dove World Outreach Center is sending by posting the sign.

“It troubles me that my faith is represented by such a negative message,” MacMaster said.

She said she sent an e-mail about the vigil to her congregation, members of Campus Ministry Cooperative, pastors from local churches as well as personal Jewish and Muslim friends.

“We decided that the most appropriate response was to meet in prayer,” she said.

She is concerned for the people in the Gainesville community as well as the congregation and pastors of the Dove World Outreach Center, she said.

“It’s not a good thing for our community to have a sign that shows that much hatred,” she said.

The sign was brought to MacMaster’s attention by a fellow member of United Voices for Peace, Scott Camil, who received a call from a woman in tears after seeing the sign, Camil said.

She called after the police had told her that it was a matter of free speech and nothing could be done about the sign, he said.

“When she told me what the sign said, I couldn’t even believe it,” he said.

He said he believes there should be tolerance for different types of people and religions and doesn’t understand why a church would post that type of sign.

Like MacMaster, Camil said he is concerned about the sign’s effect on the community and said he believes it is below the community’s standard for decency.

“I really thought the sign represented hate speech, bigotry and racism,” he said.

KFC New Sandwich

2009-08-26T11:36:00.000-07:00

New KFC “Double Down” dumps the bun

Sometimes a sandwich is so big, so tasty and so thick that those carb-loaded bookends we call buns just aren’t necessary.

That’s the premise behind Kentucky Fried Chicken’s latest calorie-laden creation: the Double Down Chicken Sandwich, two chicken fillets hugging cheeses, bacon and sauce, sans the bun.

KFC hasn’t released actual caloric counts, but has told media outlets such as the Huffington Post that it estimates the sandwich to weigh in at roughly 600 calories. The Vancouver Sun, however, estimates the Double Down at nearly double that number, with 1,228 calories.

KFC has made more than one headline this year with new products. Untold numbers of consumers flocked to the chain earlier this year hoping to get a free taste of KFC’s new grilled chicken. But Georgians shouldn’t rush to a nearby KFC for this bird, however, as it’s only being tested in parts of Nebraska and Rhode Island.

No word on whether the Double Down will be offered with two grilled fillets, instead.

Tropical Storm DANNY Public Advisory

2009-08-26T08:20:00.001-07:00

000
WTNT35 KNHC 261443
TCPAT5
BULLETIN
TROPICAL STORM DANNY ADVISORY NUMBER 1
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL052009
1100 AM EDT WED AUG 26 2009

...THE AREA OF DISTURBED WEATHER EAST OF THE BAHAMAS BECOMES
TROPICAL STORM DANNY...

INTERESTS IN THE BAHAMAS AND THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES SHOULD
MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF DANNY.

FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA IN THE UNITED
STATES...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE
MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
FORECAST OFFICE. FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA
OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED
BY YOUR NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE.

AT 1100 AM EDT...1500 UTC...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM DANNY WAS
LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 24.9 NORTH...LONGITUDE 70.3 WEST OR ABOUT
445 MILES...715 KM...EAST OF NASSAU AND ABOUT 775 MILES...1250 KM...
SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF CAPE HATTERAS NORTH CAROLINA.

DANNY IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST-NORTHWEST NEAR 18 MPH...30 KM/HR.
A GENERAL NORTHWESTWARD MOTION WITH A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED IS
EXPECTED TODAY AND THURSDAY...WITH A TURN TOWARD THE
NORTH-NORTHWEST EXPECTED ON FRIDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH...75 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. SLOW STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF
DAYS.

TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 140 MILES...220 KM
MAINLY TO THE NORTH OF THE CENTER.

THE MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE ESTIMATED FROM NOAA HURRICANE HUNTER
AIRCRAFT DATA IS 1009 MB...29.80 INCHES.

DANNY IS EXPECTED TO CAUSE STORM TOTAL RAINFALL OF 2 TO 3 INCHES...
WITH MAXIMUM AMOUNTS OF 4 INCHES...OVER THE CENTRAL AND
NORTHWESTERN BAHAMAS. STORM TOTAL RAINFALL OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE
EXPECTED OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN BAHAMAS AND THE TURKS AND CAICOS
ISLANDS.

...SUMMARY OF 1100 AM EDT INFORMATION...
LOCATION...24.9N 70.3W
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...45 MPH
PRESENT MOVEMENT...WEST-NORTHWEST OR 295 DEGREES AT 18 MPH
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1009 MB

THE NEXT ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT
500 PM EDT.

$$
FORECASTER BEVEN

Mike Barnicle

2009-08-26T07:57:00.000-07:00

Michael Barnicle is 56 y.o and he is an famous American newspaper writer and has been a newspaper columnist for more than 30 years for The Boston Globe (1974–1998), the New York Daily News (1999–2005) and the Boston Herald (2004–present). He has been also columnist for Esquire, George, ESPN Magazine, and most recently Newsweek.com and The Huffington Post.

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

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

Daily Hot Trends: Batman Arkham Asylum Riddler Challenges

2009-08-26T04:23:00.000-07:00

Daily Hot Trends: Batman Arkham Asylum Riddler Challenges

Batman Arkham Asylum Riddler Challenges

2009-08-26T03:51:00.000-07:00

A new presentation of a comic book hero, Batman, has released on August 25, 2009. It’s a new version of the Batman series. Batman is a super hero who does not need much power. He is given some simple but use able power for his defense like Gadget, a face to punch, Cape. With iron fists, he is a regular Einstein. The difference between Batman and other comic heroes is the two typical powers (ass-kicking and Gadgetry) which make him unique. These two powers are like miracle for him and also play a big role in his succession.

Batman fights very easily with the help of his varieties. In comparison with others he uses them very rapidly. While other wastes their time in waxing philosophical or yelling incoherently about emotional issues, Batman uses his tricks immediately.

The Riddler challenger provides strength to the game. It provides Arkham Asylum an excuse to players to wander the grounds, cranny for interviews tapes and scouring every nook. It also scans Riddler trophies, Maps of Riddler, and obscure pieces of scenery in Detective Mode. A completely out of monotony version attracts very much to its fans. It rewards its fans to experience points to spend on upgrades. The purpose of Riddler challenger is made the game most interesting and authentic.

IHC 2012 or there comes the end of the world?

2009-08-26T02:32:00.000-07:00

Comment from people:

"We are suffering from a plague of corruption. Our newspapers lie to us, slanting their stories depending on which way their advertisers are leaning. Our politicians lie to us, depending on who is paying them for their next election run (or Library). TV lies to us, The History Channel sold all their credibility to the 2012 Doom-tards and Moon Landing Hoaxers. Is it really any kind of surprise that a movie production company would lie to us, too?

Taking advantage of the juvenile belief in doomsday, merely to make a few more bucks at the ticket booth, is unconscionable. Pushing panic on the young and feeble-minded should be an actionable offense, but any kind of liability won't likely be noted until after a tragedy.

Shame on you, Sony!"

"The planets aligning might create some strange tides but that's about it! this is simply an atrocity that Sony would attempt to do this in an effort to make a few more dollars. I just saw it on the Television and my daughter about had a heart attack!!! I cant believe this that they would put it on television and try and frighten and at the end when the said "this film is not yet rated" it lasted about 1 second! this is an outrage and this should give news agencies something worth denouncing!!!"

Chappaquiddick incident Ted Kennedy

2009-08-26T02:20:00.000-07:00

In the 1969 Chappaquiddick incident, the car Kennedy was driving ran off a bridge and plunged into water, resulting in the death of passenger Mary Jo Kopechne. Kennedy pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident and was given a suspended sentence; however, doubts about his account of the accident significantly damaged his chances of ever becoming President of the United States. Kennedy's one run for the office, in the 1980 presidential election, ended in a primary campaign loss to incumbent Democratic President Jimmy Carter. Kennedy was known for his oratorical power, with his 1968 eulogy for his brother Robert and his 1980 Democratic National Convention rallying cry for American liberalism being his best-known moments. Kennedy's heated rhetoric helped lead to the defeat of the 1987 Robert Bork Supreme Court nomination and usher in an era of intense political battles over federal judicial nominations. Kennedy's personal behavior became the subject of public ridicule in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but his 1992 marriage to Victoria Anne Reggie stabilized his life.

Michael Beasley Tattoos

2009-08-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

Beasley Tattoo:New Michael Beasley Twitter Photo – Michael Beasley Twitter photo can seen above.Heat player Michael Beasley has landed in some huge trouble after posting a picture of his “Super Cool Beas” tattoo on Twitter,Friday.Beasley was forced to enter rehab today after few people saw bags filled with what is believed to be marijuana or another illegal drug.The athlete was recently fined by the NBA for the usage of marijuana.

ALLIE CASTNER MARBLEHEAD

2009-08-25T11:53:00.000-07:00

Allie Castner Marblehead, allie castner, marblehead reporter.
I don't have information about this woman, but I only know that she is famous in Internet.

JOSH LINK WILLIAMSBURG BRIDGE

2009-08-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday around 4 p.m. word came in on the newswire that there was a "motorcycle down" on, or just before, the Williamsburg Bridge—towards the Manhattan side. Shortly after an update came in saying the accident was fatal. There aren't many details beyond those available yet, but eyewitnesses say the motorcycle was actually a Vespa, and it was hit (and totaled) by a black car. The Vespa driver is the one who died, and URB Magazine reports it was deejay Josh Link (friends are confirming on Twitter). Many witnessed the scene, which has been described as bloody, and one even posted their thoughts on Craigslist, noting that late last night there were burning candles where the crash happened.

RIP Josh

CLIO AXELROD

2009-08-25T10:19:00.000-07:00

clio axilrod, peter axelrod, peter axilrod, naro space center, kslv 1
Maine spectators ignored warnings Clio Axelrod was declared dead about two hours after being pulled out.

Danyl Johnson video: X-Factor audition

2009-08-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

Danyl Johnson a 27-year-old teacher who most casually with cargo shorts and sneakers came for the audition of X Factor, and with a fantastic performance not only wins the heart of the audience but also achieve a rare standing ovation from the celebrity judge Simon.

The X Factor is a British television music talent show contested by aspiring pop singers drawn from public auditions. It is said to be the British counterpart for American Idol.

X Factor broadcast on Saturday evenings on the ITV Network in the UK and on TV3 in the Republic of Ireland, with spin-off “behind-the-scenes” shows The Xtra Factor and The X Factor 24/7 screened on ITV2 and TV3.

Presently X-Factor newcomer Danyl Johnson is the hot topic of the ‘net, due to his exceptional performance in the X-Factor audition, he performed the famous Beatles’ classic “With a Little Help From My Friends”.

The judges were highly impressed and virtually blown away with his superb performance.

Reaction of judges:

Cheryl Cole: “You are a natural performer and I would take you in my category any day.”

Louis Walsh : “Thank God you came in.”

Simon Cowell: a standing ovation given.

See Danyl Johnson’s viedo of X-Factor performence

X Factor: S06E01 - Danyl Johnson Audition

Martha Raye

2009-08-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

Born Margaret Teresa Yvonne Reed in Butte, Montana, in 1916, Martha began as a singer and comedy performer early in her life. She was born backstage at a local vaudeville theatre in Butte, Montana where her Irish immigrant parents, Peter Reed and Maybelle Hooper, were performing as "Reed and Hooper". Two days after Martha was born, her mother was back doing the act, and Martha began performing in the act when she was three years old. She performed with her brother, Bud, and soon the two children became such a highlight that the act was renamed "Margie and Bud". She continued performing from that point on and once attended the Professional Children's School in New York City. Her formal schooling, however, was so minimal and only got as far as the fifth grade. Often she had to have scripts and other written documents read to her by others.

Martha Raye was best known for the size of her mouth, which appeared enormous in proportion to the rest of her face. It relegated her motion picture work to largely supporting comic parts. She became known as "The Big Mouth" and apparently she was often made up in a way which tended to cause it to appear as even larger than it actually already was. For example, she appears in the picture "The Big Broadcast" of 1938 where Bob Hope first sings what became his theme song, "Thanks for the Memories;" however, it is not sung to Ms. Raye, but rather to the female leading actress that she supports. Her title as "The Big Mouth" made her a natural to be the spokesperson for Polident denture cleanser in the 1970s and 1980s.

Martha Raye was an early television star and briefly had her own program, "The Martha Raye Show." The show lasted only two seasons from 1954-1956. In the 1960's and 70's, she did a series of guest appearances on television shows, and it was during this time she landed the part of Mel's mother, Carrie, on "Alice."

Raye's personal life was unsteady as she married seven times throughout her life, with most of her marriages lasting less than two years and her first marriage lasting only three months. Her fourth marriage produced her only child, a daughter Melodye. Overcome with depression and health problems, she attempted suicide in 1956 but was unsuccessful and gradually made a full recovery.

Martha on "Abbott and Costello"

She died at age 78 in Los Angeles, California, of pneumonia after a long history of cardiovascular disease. She also suffered from Alzheimer's disease and had lost both legs the year before her death due to circulatory problems. Due to her work with the USO during World War II and subsequent wars, Martha was given a burial with full military honors at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Avi Ben Stella Car Crash

2009-08-25T09:45:00.000-07:00

The Avi Ben Stella car crash story appears to have finally gone properly viral.

Essentially, people are getting an email, or a Facebook request (and any other of the various forms of social media request) to simply change their status for one hour in order to ask for prayers for Avi Ben Stella, a 12 year old child who is now in a coma after being seriously injured in a car crash.
No one is as yet quite sure: is there an Avi Ben Stella, was someone of that name in a car crash? Or is it simply a joke of some kind, although as yet the punchline is undelivered?

My supposition is that this is a joke, a game, of some sort. For one of the terms that has been replicating across the internet is "Avi Ben Stella Snopes".....and where would you go to try and find out the truth of an online rumor? Yes, Snopes.

But if the search engines are thoroughly polluted with that serach term, you're most unlikely to find the Snopes entry, are you? You can only get there by using the engine on Snopes' own site.

So I would write this off as a joke, a game: if anyone knows differently please do contact me in the comments.

KAU SAI CHAU

2009-08-25T09:36:00.000-07:00

KAU SAI CHAU, the only public golf course in Hong Kong, was created with funds donated by The Hong Kong Jockey Club to meet the growing demand for golf in the region.

Located along the rugged coastline of Kau Sai Chau within the scenic port shelter area, the three 18-hole golf courses; the North and South Courses designed by the legendary Gary Player, and Nelson and Haworth designed East Course offer challenging golf in a spectacular setting with sweeping views of Sai Kung and the South China Sea.

Set in the Sai Kung Peninsula, Kau Sai Chau has become an environmental sanctuary. Golfers share its 250 hectares with eagles, egrets, and pond herons, as well as the occasional barking deer. The Golf Course has been recognized for its efforts in environmental stewardship through certification as a ‘Certified Audubon Co-operative Sanctuary for Wildlife’.

In addition to the three golf courses Kau Sai Chau offers superb golf instruction and facilities including a 60-bay floodlit driving range and shortgame practice area, a golf shop, and picturesque catering facilities making it an ideal place for organizing corporate or society events.