cardiac arrest

cardiac arrest

June 25, 2009 -- Pop star Michael Jackson has died at age 50 after suffering a cardiac arrest, according to media reports.

Los Angeles TV station KTLA reports that Los Angeles fire officials said they responded to a 911 call at Jackson's home and that Jackson wasn't breathing when they arrived; paramedics performed CPR and rushed him to UCLA Medical Center, although the hospital, due to privacy rules, could not confirm that.

In a cardiac arrest, the heart stops working properly. A cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack, but it can happen because of a heart attack, notes Douglas Zipes, MD, MACC, distinguished professor at Indiana University School of Medicine and past president of the American College of Cardiology.

Zipes explains that "cardiac arrest is a heart rhythm disturbance when the bottom chamber of the heart, the ventricles, beat an at extremely rapid rate -- 4 to 600 times a minute."

Zipes says that heart rhythm "prevents that bottom chamber from effective contraction and pumping blood to the brain and to the rest of the body, and death results if it's not reversed within four or five minutes, generally."

According to Zipes, when that heart rhythm disturbance, which is called ventricular fibrillation, happens, the bottom chambers of the heart are "like a bag of squiggly worms without an effective squeeze, and no blood gets pumped to the rest of the body, and without the necessary oxygen in the blood vessels going to the brain, and so on, the brain then begins to die."

CPR can help keep blood flowing, but it would take an electrical shock to the heart -- either from electrical paddles called defibrillators or from an internal heart device -- to shock the heart back to a normal rhythm.

"Some sort of blood flow has to be initiated, whether it's with CPR or with the shock that terminates the fibrillation and restores an effective contraction," says Zipes.

Zipes notes that in 30% to 50% of cardiac arrests, "that event is the first manifestation of underlying heart disease. So you may not have chest pain, you may not have shortness of breath, you may not have anything" as a warning sign.

Just over a year ago, NBC journalist Tim Russert died after a cardiac arrest. Russert was being treated for his heart disease risk factors; Jackson's previous heart health hasn't been made public.

nebraska wrestler scandal

nebraska wrestler scandal

ESPN revealed the upcoming week's programming.
OTL will examine the dismissal of two Nebraska wrestlers who accepted money to pose on a pornographic Web site frequented by gay men.
According to ESPN, their OTL report found a pattern of disciplinary leniency in the wrestling program. When wrestlers Paul Donahoe and Kenny Jordan accepted money to promote their images on the porn site, they violated NCAA regulations.
Coach Mark Manning tells OTL the two wrestlers were released for a multitude of reasons, including a previous NCAA violation and academic and behavioral issues.
Jordan and Donahoe contend the coach's inability to cover up the Internet appearances was the main reason for the dismissals.
David Amber reports. "I threatened them, and said 'I'll be on the 6 o'clock (news). Turn the TV on. I'll talk about the illegal (expletive) you guys do.'" -- Paul Donahoe, former Nebraska wrestler, on what he told his coach after being dismissed from the team “We didn’t kill anybody. We didn’t put anybody in the hospital. We’re not selling drugs. We’re not bad kids. We did some porn, get over it.” – Kenny Jordan, former Nebraska wrestler, now attending Purdue “Oh, there’s people that walked out with eight, nine-hundred, a grand, easy.” – Jordan, on alleged gambling among Nebraska wrestlers and coaches
ESPN.com’s Paula Lavigne writes: “If the scenarios presented by Donahoe's coaches, teammates and others are true, his isn't necessarily a story of a student-athlete denied a second chance. It's a story about a chronic troublemaker given multiple chances to change his ways."





SportsCenter will air “Were Are They Now?” Danny Almonte on Sunday, 10 a.m., 11 p.m. ESPN.
SportsCenter (Sunday, 11 p.m., ESPN Deportes)
In 2001 Danny Almonte amazed all by throwing a perfect game in the Little League World Series. The wonder kid then found himself in the middle of a scandal when it was revealed that he was 2 years older than the League age limit. Now 22, Almonte plays for the Alaska Baseball League and still dreams of a career in the pros.

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1482994.php/ESPN_programming_reveals_Nebraska_wrestling_scandal_and_Danny_Almonte#ixzz0IQ1n4fVp

johnny benson

johnny benson

MARNE, Mich. (WZZM)- NASCAR driver and West Michigan

native Johnny Benson Jr. crashed his ISMA super modified car during a race at Berlin Raceway Saturday night.

A spokesperson for Spectrum Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids confirms that Benson is in serious but stable condition. She also says she wouldn't be surprised if his condition was upgraded sometime Sunday morning.

On the first lap of the featured race, Benson and another driver touched entering turn four sending Benson around where he crashed drivers' side into the outside wall. Benson's car came to rest in the middle of the track where it was engulfed in flames before safety crews arrived.

He was unable to leave under his own power and was transported to Spectrum Butterworth Hospital.

Benson is the defending NASCAR Truck series champion but lost his ride earlier this week when Red Horse Racing

annette funicello

annette funicello

PITTSBURG : The 25 members of Phi Kappa Chapter, Phi Tau Omega sorority, will host a rummage sale Friday and Saturday at the home of Julie Story, 1011 Cedar Lane. No sales will be made before 8 a.m.
All proceeds from the sale will go toward the sorority’s philanthropic activities.

‘Friday Flick’
Pittsburg Public Library will present the first of four “Friday Flicks” at 1 p.m. This week’s movie will feature Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello in a 1965 beach party romp that also includes Linda Evans.
Popcorn and beverages ill be available at the movie, which will be open free to all adults aged 18 and older.
“Friday Flicks” is being held in conjunction with the adult reading program “Rock ‘n Read.” The program is made possible with support from the Friends of the Library.

Senior Citizens Club
Pittsburg Senior Citizens Club will meet at 1:30 p.m. in Lincoln Center for the annual talent show. Members will also play bingo. Snacks will be served.
Fee to attend will be 50 cents. Anyone needing additional information may call the Pittsburg Parks and Recreation Department at 231-8310.

xtu

xtu

XTU Show - June 13, 2009.
Yep, it's finally arrived, the unofficial kickoff to the summer concert season. In preparation, I am [*tear] skipping my line dance outing this evening. It will be worth it because I'll get some dancing in tomorrow at the show. Tonight, I will be hitting up the giant supermarket/everything-under-the-sun store to load up the truck.

My XTU SHOW TAILGATING CHECKLIST

• Booze, liquor stores aren't open at 7:30 AM [found that out the hard way]
• Tin foil, tongs, spatula
• Paper plates, napkins
• Toilet Paper, hand sanitizer
• Camping chairs
• ICE, Lotsa ice
• Grill, lighter fluid, charcoal
• Food, Veggie burgers (they don't make you sick if they're not cooked the whole way through)
• Crappy line dance boots (cement isn't ideal for your leather soles)
• Flip flops
• Sunscreen
• Blanket (for the lawn)
• cowboy hat (drinks + impulse cowboy hat purchase = no good)
• Jeans & sweatshirt (it gets cool when the sun goes down with sunburn & the suncreen you forgot to put on)
• Tickets!
• Ladderball, Washers, Magnetic dart board, any other game you "borrow" from your kids
• Cooler
• Bike lock (to lock up your chairs/cooler during the show)
• Charged camera
  
• Designated driver

yellow man

yellow man

It’s just too nice and I am too busy to comment yet on Obama’s speech today, which I haven’t seen or heard but only briefly read about. And apparently Cheney gave one too. Why? Isn’t he done? Well, I’ve been pondering a post here in which I complain about what President Obama has NOT done yet, but it is still too early for that, I think. But as Greenwald says in that link, “closing Guantanamo, banning torture tactics, (and) limiting the state secrets privilege” are all at the top of the list. The war in Iraq needs to end, and “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” needs to end. Obama needs to come out more forcefully (and he may have today, I don’t know) against the way it was under Cheney.

It would be nice if he supported gay marriage with some cool Obama enthusiasm. Snap his fingers and jazz up a little number.

But I am underinformed at the moment, and distracted by pleasant realities to argue about it, and the sun is shining on me and my baby. So it goes when summer comes to Chicago.

UPDATE:

Put it on his tombstone:

Cheney declared, without any equivocation or nuance, that “in the fight against terrorism, there is no middle ground.” It was less an argument than a declaration. It was a vivid reminder of where he stands, and how he thinks. If nothing else, it is a perfect epitaph for a philosophy, and an era of American history that has, at least for the moment, been thoroughly rejected by the sitting President of the United States.

beer bike

beer bike

Do you know about beer bar?? if not then just watch the video and read the whole article...its really a nice thing..

AMSTERDAM (Reuters Life!) - Although famous for a love of bicycles as the city's preferred transport, Amsterdam officials are starting to draw the line at a popular "beer bike."

The bike, which can seat at least 10 people around a central "bar" as they pedal through the city center, is a frequent sight in the Dutch capital and is said to be popular with stag and hen (bachelor and bachelorette) parties. A non-drinker steers the bike.

But two accidents involving the bikes since the start of April has prompted the city councilor responsible for transport, Hans Gerson, to investigate how many bikes there are and whether they pose a problem.

"This beer bike is completely legal, but he (Gerson) is not very enthusiastic about this idea of people drinking while being amongst traffic," a spokeswoman said.

But she downplayed the possibility of a ban, stressing the alderman is looking into various options.

Ard Karsten, owner of beerbike.co.uk which rents bikes to tourists, said he was open to talks with the council, adding his company only rents a beer bike out with a driver and has never been involved in an accident.

A compromise could involve the council obligating all firms to supply a driver with the bike, he said.

"We're not out on the street en masse and it's simply controllable. It is about fun and teambuilding," Karsten said. "We have a very beautiful route and people simply enjoy it, but some people ruin it for others."

A spokesman for the Amsterdam city center district, Ton Boon, said the bike was already banned in the red light district and welcomed Gerson's inquiry. "It causes a lot of nuisance."

Amsterdam newspaper Het Parool had reported earlier this week an accident last weekend resulted in various injures, while three women were injured two weeks ago.

"It is an uncontrolled projectile," motorcyclist Karin Wolfs, who was involved in an accident was quoted as saying.

statue cruises

statue cruises

In another smoke and

mirrors effort to divert our attention from important issues, our government, through Statue Cruises, is againallowing "we the people" into the crown of the Statue of Liberty. We own the Statue of Liberty, and it is supposed to represent our liberty . Yet, a bunch of white guys in Washington (some are women or people of color just acting like all the white guys who have gone before them) have restricted us from touring the crown.

Now, people are lining up to purchase coveted tickets to the top of Miss Liberty. I wonder what kind of search they will have to pass through to actually get in? Perhaps this picture is not far from the next government restrictions reality.

In order to get the most publicity from this new government stunt and help us to forget we are a warmongering country waging two wars abroad and not able to feed, house, educate or provide health care for our own people, the Statue of Liberty's crown opens to the public on July 4. So, step right up and get in line to worship at the head of the hottest babe in New York harbor.

May we all experience true liberty and freedom, free from government restrictions, and may that genuine liberty pervade our entire Spaceship Earth soon.

norman brinker

norman brinker

Norman Brinker, the man who changed America’s definition of casual dining out, died on vacation Tuesday. The chairman emeritus of Brinker International Inc. and its retired chief executive was 78.

Brinker was with his wife, Toni, in Colorado Springs celebrating his birthday last Wednesday when he aspirated food. He succumbed to aspirated pneumonia early Tuesday morning.

“Through his teachings and guidance, and leadership, Norman changed the whole restaurant industry,” said retired Dean Foods Inc. vice chairman Pete Schenkel, one of Brinker’s closest friends. “He was a real entrepreneur, a very caring person and someone you were always glad to see because he had a smile on his face.”

At one time or another, virtually every major food chain in the country has been led by a former employee of Brinker, said Doug Brooks, chief executive of Brinker International. Just two examples: Outback Steakhouse and Houston’s were founded by Brinker protégés.

Brinker, who started out as a busboy in Southern California, moved to Dallas in the early 1960s with his first wife, tennis great Maureen Connolly Brinker, who died in 1969.

david carradine death photo thairath

david carradine death photo thairath

Thairath David Carradine Death Photo - Bankok Thai Tabloid Forensic Photo

A Bankok Thai tabloid “ThaiRath“ has released a photo of David Carradine’s dead body. Apparently, this incident outraged Carradine’s relatives. I’ve read somewhere the the members of David Carradine’s family have threatened legal action to the Thai newspaper (Thai Rath) , and a certain website that showed David Carradine’s Forensic Photo.

Thai police said that it was a picture of Carradine’s dead body taken by the thai forensic team.

I guess the question is who is that person in the Thai forensic team who gave the media a copy of those photos?

Like you, I’ve search the web for those David Carradine death photos. A lot of website owners and bloggers are not willing to show any of the photos because it may not be the right thing to do. Besides, the family of David Carradine is already outraged by this and some bloggers might be in deep trouble if they post a copy of the Thai Rath forensic photo of David Carradine.

Let’s respect the request of David’s relatives. If you can, pls have a moment of silence and pray for the soul of David Carradine. I guess that would be a good thing to do for the moment.

jon voight

jon voight

(ChattahBox)–There wasn’t a Democrat to be found at the Washington Convention Center last night, as Republican leaders and conservative pundits, such as Sean Hannity and Newt Gingrich attended the major fundraising dinner for the Republican House and Senate campaign committees. Master of ceremonies, actor and rabid conservative Jon Voight, provided plenty of red-meat right wing rhetoric, to the delight of the 2,000 attendees, some of which was outright bizarre.

Jon Voight repeated a speech he had given earlier that day before the congressional committee, setting the paranoid tone for the evening. Voight provided a dire doomsday message throughout his speech, calling for fellow Republicans to “free this nation from this Obama oppression,”

He blamed Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, the Republican’s bogeyman, George Soros and Chris Dodd and “their ilk,” for what he called the “downfall of our country. Conveniently forgetting the disastrous policies of the Bush administration of the past eight years.

He laced his speech with negative references to President Obama’s huge popularity and high approval ratings, demonizing Obama by such depictions, as “…Obama’s false Halo-istic presence,” and his anointing as the “One” by Oprah Winfrey.

Voight went on to call Obama’s policies “wildly radical.” “Obama thinks he is a soft spoken Julius Caesar,” said Voight who plans to conquer the world with his “…sweet talk.”

Voight ended his exercise in demagoguery by shouting out to his right wing FOX heroes, including Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reilly, Glen Beck and Michelle Malkin, praising them for keeping up the fight to defeat the “…false prophet Obama.”

Disgraced former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, as the keynote speaker, continued Voight’s bashing of President Obama claiming Obama’s policies to fix the economy have “already failed.”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell referred to President Obama’s policies as a “radical agenda.”

McConnell, Senator Orrin Hatch and Senator John Cornyn praised Voight’s speech as “refreshing.”

When Voight was introduced, he was praised for his inspiring movie roles, such as his portrayal of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the film Pearl Harbor.

However, last night he more resembled his villainous character on the FOX show 24, Jonas Hodges, a deranged right-wing industrialist, turned domestic terrorist, who seeks to overtake the U.S. government.

nevaeh buchanan body found

nevaeh buchanan body found

The body found in River Raisin in southeast Michigan is likely that of Neveah Buchanan, a 5-year-old who went missing almost 2 weeks ago.

A news conference will be held this morning at 10:30 AM in Monroe (This article will be updated with the details of that broadcast).
A fisherman is said to have found the body and called the police in the small town just 35 miles outside of Detroit.

Naveah Buchanan’s grandmother who had legal custody of her confirmed that the girl’s clothing matched what Neveah was wearing when she disappeared.

Investigators are still waiting for DNA results from the lab to confirm whether or not the body is Neveah.

The cause of death is not set in stone, but authorities suspect it may have been a murder: George Kennedy and Roy Smith are both being held in relation to the death – Kennedy is a convicted sex offender.

david carradine murdered

david carradine murdered

Questions about David Carradine's death have led many to assume that he was murdered.

What initally looked like a suicide, the death of David Carradine is now believed to have been accidental. When asked, a representative told the media that David Carradine was hung accidentally by his neck and other body parts- the natural assumption from this statement is that he was engaged in some sort of auto-erotic asphyxiation.

There is evidence that David was not alone in the hotel room at the time of his death, but the other party has either not come forward or has not been named. Speculation that David Carradine was murdered is just that - speculation.

Auto-erotic asphyxiation is a sexual act that involves choking or otherwise cutting off the blood flow to one's head during sexual contact; it is considered very dangerous as these kinds of accidents are all too common.

In any case, I think we should be celebrating this man's life, not making light of his death; it has to be very embarassing for his family.

national donut day 2009

national donut day 2009

Need a sugar rush heading into the weekend? You're in luck -- today, June 5, is National Donut Day, and a few shops around the city are celebrating with some sweet donut deals:

Dunkin' Donuts: get a free donut with the purchase of a beverage all day. Click here for locations.

The Donut Pub: buy a dozen donuts, get one free (including munchkins). 203 W. 14th St., 212-929-0126

Krispy Kreme: get one free donut per customer - no strings attached! Try the Penn Station location in midtown: 2 Penn Plz., 212-947-7175

bishop george lucas

bishop george lucas

VATICAN CITY - The pope has named Springfield, Ill., Bishop George Lucas to be the new archbishop of Omaha, Neb. The Vatican on Wednesday said Lucas will replace 76-year-old Archbishop Elden Curtiss, who is retiring. Lucas turns 60 next week and has been Springfield bishop since 1999. He's a St. Louis native who studied philosophy at Cardinal Glennon College and theology at Kenrick Seminary before receiving his master's degree in history at St. Louis University.
Lucas was ordained as a priest in 1975.

tiananmen square

tiananmen square

BEIJING (AP) — Foreign journalists were barred from Beijing's Tiananmen Square on Wednesday as an Internet clampdown that blocked Twitter expanded to include more blogs on the eve of the 20th anniversary of a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
In a further sign of the government's unwavering hard-line stance toward the protests, the second most-wanted student leader from 1989 said he had been denied entry to the southern Chinese territory of Macau.
In exile since fleeing China after the crackdown, Wu'er Kaixi traveled to Macau on Wednesday to turn himself in to authorities in a bid to return home. Immigration officers at Macau's airport pulled him aside and demanded he fly back to Taiwan.
Authorities have also shut photo-sharing site Flickr and confined dissidents to their homes or forced them to leave Beijing, as they ramped up efforts to prevent online discussions about or commemorations of those who died in the military assault on demonstrators on the night of June 3-4, 1989.

m audio recording studio equipment

m audio recording studio equipment
A native of Houston Texas, guitarist Mike Moreno has been making waves. After graduating from the famed Houston High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Moreno received a scholarship to study jazz at the New School in New York.
Moreno first paid his dues playing gigs around New York, and has since been able to perform with some of the biggest names in jazz, including the Joshua Redman Elastic Band, Lizz Wright, Nicholas Payton, Greg Osby and Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
Though he spends a lot of his time playing and touring as a sideman, Moreno leads his own band and has recorded two albums under his own name, Between the Lines (World Culture Music, 2007) and Third Wish (Criss Cross, 2008), which have received strong praise from fans and critics alike. Fresh from a series of gigs in Europe, Moreno is hitting his stride as he prepares to head into the studio later this year to record his third album.
All About Jazz: On your debut album Between the Lines, the material consists of all original pieces, while for your latest recording Third Wish you have decided to include several jazz standards. What was behind your decision to include these particular pieces as opposed to recording a second album of original material?

gm plant closings

gm plant closings

DETROIT (AP) - General Motors Corp. says it will permanently close nine more plants and idle three others to trim production and labor costs under bankruptcy protection.Assembly plants in Pontiac, Mich., and Wilmington, Del., will close this year, while plants in Spring Hill, Tenn., and Orion, Mich., will shut down production but remain on standby.Powertrain plants in Livonia, Flint and Ypsilanti Township, Mich. will close next year, along with plants in Parma, Ohio, and Fredericksburg, Va.Stamping plants in Indianapolis and Mansfield, Ohio, also will close. A stamping plant in Pontiac, Mich., will be idled but remain in a standby capacity.GM says it will also close service and parts warehouses in Boston, Jacksonville, Fla., and Columbus, Ohio, by the end of this year.

black america web

black america web
How Green Is My Produce? Locally grown produce bought at the farmer's market may be delicious, nutritious, and good for the local economy, but it's probably not helping reduce the use of fossil fuels. Or so argues Brian Dunning over at Skeptic Blog "Locally grown produce is rarely efficient," he says. "Apply a little mathematics to the problem, and you’ll find that the ugly alternative of giant suburban distribution centers accomplishes the same thing - fresh produce into stores on the same day it’s picked - but with much less fuel burned." (Skeptic Blog)
Nadia's Big Adventure Mother of 14 Nadia Sulyman has signed a television deal to create a "quasi-reality" show about her life. The controversial mom, who gave birth to octuplets (a word spell check doesn't even recognize) after what one might describe as "overzealous" in-vitro fertilization treatments, has made a move to trademark the name "Octomom." She also thinks "Jon and Kate Plus 8" is boring. We now return to reporting real news. (People)

tabitha soren

tabitha soren

Somewhere along the line, the American male sat at the negotiating table with the American female and got fleeced, according to author Michael Lewis. The modern American father has new responsibilities that his dad never had to manage.
"I got sort of frustrated at my ineptitude right after I had my first child and I was just amazed at how tougher a deal I had than my father," Lewis, father of three, tells NPR's Steve Inskeep.
His wife, former MTV news reporter, Tabitha Soren, "somehow got a deal my mother would have killed for and I couldn't understand what happened," he says.
Lewis jokes that his father would see him changing diapers and he ask, "'What are you doing?' You're not supposed to do that. I didn't talk to you until you were 21.'"

sea world san antonio tx

sea world san antonio tx

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) - This is the last weekend to see Beethoventhe beluga whale at the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma. He'll be flown next week to his new home at Sea World in SanAntonio. Curator John Rupp told The News Tribune of Tacoma on Thursdaythat the 16-year-old male beluga is in good health and will have anopportunity to breed. The move will leave the Tacoma aquarium without a beluga.Beethoven's companion Qannik (kah-NIK') died in March of a bloodinfection. The zoo plans to use the beluga pool for harbor seals.

coastal federal credit union

coastal federal credit union
All through history, especially under constitutional democracy, the judiciary has always been seen as the last hope of the common man. That this all-important arm of government has contributed immensely to the consolidation of democracy in the last 10 years is no longer news. Since the enthronement of democracy in the country in 1999, a lot of landmark cases which had hitherto set the country back have been determined. Even cases that would have thrown the country into cataclysm have been resolved with ease. Before 1999, the judiciary was viewed as lagging far behind the other two arms of government, the executive and the legislature. One reason for this was its perceived snail speed approach to matters of urgent national importance. Second, there was the allegation that it was colluding with the executive or the powers-that-be to stall justice. However, the last 10 years have seen the all-important arm of government waking up to its constitutional responsibilities. A revolution has taken place in this vital institution or organ of government.

susan boyle final performance

susan boyle final performance

Now, for the moment the entire universe has been waiting for - - tonight's finals of Britain's Got Talent and the chance to see if a global superstar can triumph over a wee lad from Wales singing Michael Jackson, and a podgy Cypriot bloke and his son doing comic Riverdance.
My money's on Stavros Flatley.
For Susan Boyle, on the other hand, this could be the evening when the bubble bursts. If it hasn't already. The Hairy Angel has had a few hairy moments this week. She's made headlines after what was described as a foul-mouthed rant at a TV set. And later there was an exchange with a couple of onlookers where again strong language was said to have been used. Not quite the image of the church-going spinster with a cat, then.
But who could blame poor Susan if she wasn't feeling the pressure?
Millions all over the world will watch tonight's performance. They will be expecting magic. But sadly for Susan the surprise factor of frumpy looking woman who can actually sing is now old news. What can she possibly do to top that?
For once the description 'overnight sensation' truly does apply. Few people in the history of entertainment have been catapulted so swiftly and so spectacularly to international stardom as shy Susan who is coyly described as having been 'deprived of oxygen at birth'.

french open tennis 2009

french open tennis 2009

French Open heading into deeper rounds, favored tennis players in the 2009 French Open are now more in danger of being upset. For 2009 French Open Tennis Has First Upset with Venus Williams Loss the top male tennis stars in the 2009 French Open, primarily Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, that is far less likely to happen. But on the women's side, the first big upset of the 2009 French Open has already occurred, with Venus Williams out earlier than expected.In the last three tennis Grand Slams, a Williams sister has won on the women's bracket. But it will be up to Serena Williams to keep that up, after Venus Williams lost 6-0, 6-4 to Agnes Szavay in the third round of the 2009 French Open.The third-seeded Venus had been struggling already in the French Open, having gone the full three sets in the first and second round. With Venus Williams having failed to reach the French Open finals since 2002, and having lost in the third round the last two years, her loss at the 2009 French Open may have not been that surprising.

spelling bee 2009 winner

spelling bee 2009 winner

Congratulations to Kayva Shivashankar, the National Spelling Bee 2009 Winner.. She is 13 and a budding neurosurgeon (I don't even think I was budding at 13) and won a huge trophy and a $40,000 cash prize. This is not Kayva's first appearance in the bee. She wins after her fourth attempt - finishing 10th, 8th and 4th in the prior years. This is a young woman with a mission.
I remember that mission well. In 1969, I too was 13. The picture above is the best I could do on short notice to represent age 13. Probably my Confirmation. I too was a first rate speller. On the fast track to the Washington DC National Bee. But something went horribly wrong.
My school, St. Martin of Tours in Amityville, Long Island (yes, THAT Amityville. as in "horror") made such a big deal of my participation in the Long Island finals. During morning announcements the day of the bee, the entire school was asked to say a prayer on my behalf.

canon powershot a480

canon powershot a480

This no-fuss, easy-to-use camera delivers good image quality; but if you want to take action shots, you should invest a few more dollars in a camera that has image stabilization and other features not included here.
Roman Loyola, Macworld

PC World Thursday, May 28, 2009; 12:19 AM
Canon's PowerShot A480 ($130, as of May 19, 2009) is designed for people who want to shoot pictures without fussing over camera settings. It's a dead-simple, reasonably stylish point-and-shoot camera to have on hand when you're hanging out with friends and family.
The boxy PowerShot A480 measures 3.6 by 2.4 by 1.2 inches and weighs just under 5 ounces. Its lens, whose focal length ranges from 37mm to 122mm (35mm equivalent), retracts into the body when you turn off the camera. The A480 slips easily in and out of a pocket. Its plastic body feels solid, and the raised metal plate emblazoned with "10.0 MEGA PIXELS" acts as a grip for securing your hold on the camera.

lance mcgrew

lance mcgrew

Whenever you hear someone in NASCAR described as "laid-back," there are two things you need to know: 1) It's a high compliment. 2) It's part baloney. Those who work for Busch Series crew chief Lance McGrew say he's laid-back. And he is -- most of the time.
"He's got a tone," says Kyle Busch, McGrew's driver. At a race in March at Bristol, Busch was racing too aggressively too early, so McGrew put his foot down to force Busch to lift his.
"It's like you just took the family car out around the block when you're 8 years old, and you're getting your butt reamed," Busch says. "He's letting you know that ain't the time to be doing that stuff. But later in the race, he'll be like, 'OK, now you can go do that stuff.'
"He can have his problem, kind of bust on you, but five minutes later it's forgotten about."

sotomayor racist comments

sotomayor racist comments
Isn't it just amazing how so many conservative columnists and talk radio hosts are suddenly outraged by racism? Editorial writers and politicians who have never before joined the battle against racism are suddenly speaking out! And why?
...Is it because they are sick and tired of the fact that white women and people of color get paid significantly less money for the exact same work and educational levels as white men?
... Is it because they are sick and tired of Latina women earning only 72 percent of what white women earn, and only 57.8 percent of white men?
...Is it because the poverty rate for Black and Hispanic children is triple that of white children?
....Is it because the current recession is disproportionately effecting Black and Hispanic families and sharply increasing the unemployment gap?
No! No! No! and No! While these problems and many more have continued for decades, without nary a peep from these fine gentlemen, what is it that has finally shaken them to their core and made them realize racism is a serious moral problem worth speaking out and fighting against? It is a single comment made by Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor explaining that she "would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."

the new goodnight kiss

the new goodnight kiss

OTTAWA - It's a cute little house on a cute little country corner. Ryan and Michelle Ellerbrock and their son, Ethan, 3, had made a cozy home there, just right for a young family just getting started and making it their own.
And then came the triplets.
Suddenly, the 1,000-square-foot house seemed very, very small.
When Michelle Ellerbrock was in the hospital, the Similac formula representative who calls there passed word to her about a contest the company was offering. The Similac Custom Nursery Design Contest, sponsored by Abbott Nutrition, was accepting submissions. The formula company had launched a campaign promoting its new packaging with Ty Pennington.

susan boyle site youtube.com memories

susan boyle site youtube.com memories

Šťastná hvězda miláčka britské soutěže Britain´s Got Talent Susan Boyle stále stoupá. Zpěvačka si o víkendu se svým pojetím písně Memory z muzikálu Cats vysloužila nejen postup do semifinále soutěže, ale také veřejnou omluvu od člena poroty Simona Cowella. "Jste velmi speciální dáma, musím říct, že opravdu jste," zalichotil porotce Simon Cowell zpěvačce po jejím vystoupení. "Víte, chci se vám omluvit za to, jak jsme s vámi jednali, než jste zpívala poprvé. Udělala jste ze mě i z ostatních blbce a já jsem za vás velmi šťastný a jsem na vás opravdu hrdý," přiznal Cowell veřejně.
Chválou nešetřila ani další z členů poroty Amanda Holdenová.
"Vaše vystoupení bylo fantastické, ukousala jsem si všechny své umělé nehty," vtipkovala Holdenová. "Jsem na vás hrdá a jsem hrdá, že takhle brilantně reprezentujete Británii. Svět vás sleduje. Skvělá práce," dodala ještě porotkyně.

wesley eure

wesley eure

On a routine expedition, Ranger Rick Marshall (Spencer Milligan) and his kids Will and Holly (Wesley Eure and Kathy Coleman) met the greatest earthquake ever known. High on the rapids, it struck their raft and plunged them down a thousand feet below to the “Land of the Lost.”
Take a journey back in time with the Marshall family through this incredible world of breathtaking wonder. Only in the “Land of the Lost” will you battle dinosaurs one day and encounter beings from other dimensions the next. The Pylons, the Pakuni, evil energy storms … all are part of the awesome television adventure created by legendary producers Sid and Marty Krofft.
Relive your favorite Saturday morning thrills as you rediscover all 43 action-packed original episodes of Land of the Lost: The Complete Series and get $7.50 in Hollywood Movie Money(TM) to see the all-new Land of the Lost movie starring Will Ferrell in theaters June 5.

kathy coleman

kathy coleman
Kathy Coleman will play a cameo role in ‘Land of the Lost’ movie slated to release on June 5th. Kathy is a child actress who is known for playing Holly Marshall in the original 1974 TV series on which this movie is based. The film is directed by Brad Silberling and stars Will Ferrell.
The ‘Land of the Lost’ film follows "a disgraced paleontologist, his assistant, and a macho tour guide who find themselves in a strange, alternate world inhabited by dinosaurs, monkey people and reptilian Sleestaks."
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Land of the Lost TV series was created and produced by Sid and Marty Krofft. During its original run, it was broadcast on the NBC television network. It was not, however, a prime-time series. It has since become a cult classic and is now available on DVD. It was shot in Los Angeles, California.

naval academy

naval academy

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – There will be a familiar face in the audience Friday morning when President Obama delivers the graduation speech at the United States Naval Academy here: John McCain of Arizona, the Republican senator, former presidential candidate and – more importantly in this case – father of a graduating midshipman, Jack McCain.
The speech will be Mr. Obama’s first military academy graduation address as president – a rite of passage for any commander in chief. A senior administration official, previewing the address, said Mr. Obama would use it to “discuss our shared commitment to uphold our fundamental principles and values because they help keep us safe’’ – in effect, a recap of the argument he made Thursday at the National Archives in Washington.
The president also intends to praise the graduates, the official said, for “embracing the virtues we need most right now – self-discipline over self-interest; work over comfort; country over self.’’ If that last phrase – country over self – sounds familiar, perhaps it is because it evokes memories of Senator McCain’s 2008 campaign slogan, “Country First.’’

william cunningham

william cunningham

A state appeals court has upheld the sentence of an Erie woman convicted of swinging her infant son during a fight, and now the woman, Chytoria Graham, must return to the state prison system.She had been out of prison after Erie County Judge William R. Cunningham on May 5 granted a defense request that he set bond for her pending the appeal of her sentence before the state Superior Court. Her family posted $20,000 cash to get her out.The Superior Court on Thursday affirmed the five- to 10-year sentence that Cunningham imposed on Graham in December 2007. In light of that decision, Cunningham today ordered Graham, 29, to return to the Erie County Prison by 9 a.m. Wednesday so she can be transferred to state prison to resume serving the sentence.Graham was convicted of swinging her 4-week-old son, fracturing his skull, during a fight with her boyfriend in 2006. The boy has recovered.

macdella cooper

macdella cooper

MacDella Cooper PHOTOS!
Posted on May 22nd, 2009 in Banking by lalate
PHOTOS! Here are pictures of MacDella Cooper who one paper claims has a child by Citigroup’s Richard Parsons. MacDella Cooper is described as a model-philanthropist by the New York Daily News today that reports Citigroup board Chairman Richard Parsons, who is married with three children, has another alleged surprise:
“Parsons and model-philanthropist MacDella Cooper are the parents of a baby girl named Ella.”
Parson’s response mirrors that of Cooper.
Parsons: “This is a private matter, and I prefer not to talk about it at this time.”Cooper: “My private life is private. I’m sure you can draw your own conclusions.”
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The report says Ella was born in 2008, while Parsons was the keynote speaker for Cooper’s foundation event in 2007.

wayman tisdale

wayman tisdale

Wayman Tisdale has spent the past several years fighting bone cancer. He broke his leg twice within one year after a 20-year college and pro basketball career in which he'd never suffered worse than a sprained ankle. When doctors discovered cancerous cells in his leg and a mass program of chemotherapy didn't work, Tisdale's leg was amputated.

But the battle continued, and according to Tisdale's friend Spencer Tillman of CBS Sports, the Sooner legend succumbed this morning. He was 44.

At Oklahoma, he was an absolute beast, making three All-American teams in three collegiate seasons before being drafted by the Indiana Pacers No. 2 overall in 1985. In an 11-year pro career with the Pacers, Kings and Suns, he averaged 15 points and 6 rebounds.

oz tv

oz tv
Even as Karuna Waghela, widow of 26/11 victim Thakur Waghela, was finding it tough to adjust to her single-working-mother status, she faced the additional burden last week of having to pay school fees of her three children. But help came from unexpected quarters – three Australians, who saw her featured on their news channel, pitched in with Rs 25,000.

On November 26, 2008, Mohammad Ajmal Qasab rushed into the lane behind G T Hospital, and gunned down 33-year-old sweeper Waghela, in the hospital quarters. Waghela’s family was compensated with Rs 5 lakh by the government. But due to differences, her in-laws retained the entire money, while she opted to leave home and fend for herself and her children.

popcorn park zoo

popcorn park zoo

In the popcorn park zoo, there is a huge range of animals for kids like pythons and puppies, cats and camels — the Associated Humane Societies of New Jersey’s Forked River location has them all.

Home to Popcorn Park Zoo, the facility is one of three Humane Society shelters in the state. Hundreds of rescued animals call it home, and many more have been adopted thanks to the shelter’s efforts.

But rescuing animals is an expensive business, and the facility doesn’t get any government support beyond what they need to run animal-control services for local towns.

But the zoo and shelter do have a vast resource in the surrounding community: a host of area businesses that pitch in for the animals.

gm dealer closing list

gm dealer closing list

Yesterday, one of the United States’ largest automakers released the Chrysler dealerships closing list. Today, the largest U.S. auto maker will release the GM dealer closing list.

Chrysler is shutting down 789 dealerships. Check out the Chrysler dealerships closing list. General Motors, sometime today, will release the GM dealer closing list. That list will include names of 1,100 to 1,200 dealerships in the U.S. Unfortunately, for people working at of those dealers, it means they are out of jobs.

Jump on low interest loans

The GM dealers closing and the Chrysler dealerships closing means people in the market for a car may be able to get easy loans and low interest loans as the GM dealers and Chrysler dealerships closing try to liquidate their remaining inventory.

However, that’s where the good news ends. Everyone who works at a franchise on the GM dealer closing list or the Chrysler dealerships closing list will soon be collecting unemployment.

good morning america jon and kate

good morning america jon and kate

Confession time: I have absolutely no idea who these Jon and Kate people are or what plus eight they have. Is it eight spider monkeys? Eight chimneys? Eight copies of The Secret? All right, I’m exaggerating — I realize they have eight children. But all of a sudden Jon and Kate are everywhere and I feel like I have missed out on some kind of pop culture phenomenon. The only hitch? I honestly don’t care. First of all, I stopped watching TLC the first time they got rid of Paige Davis on Trading Spaces; it just felt like a betrayal. Second, watching a show with this many children stresses me out and makes me feel like I’m babysitting.

Third (and this one makes me a bad person, I know), I like watching TV shows with younger, attractive people, and judging from the photos of Kate, with her odd wedge cut, female-softball-player-esque hairdo, I think this show falls out of my comfort zone. I liken my avoidance of this show to that of people who stay away from The Hills, one of my personal faves. But I get that it’s not for everyone.

lost theories

lost theories

Every time the Lost season finale comes along, the die hard fans freak out a little, knowing that executive producers Damn Lindelof and Carlton Cuse are bound to throw us some kind of curveball-- sending us into the future, killing Charlie, making the island disappear, etc.

But this year the hints about the finale have been out of control, with Michael Emerson, a.k.a. the diabolical Ben Linus, promising "We have two kinds of huge shocks at the end of this one. Each one alone would be enough to keep an audience eating its own soul for the whole hiatus, but with two, I don't know what you can do with that."
So what's going to happen? We all have our own theories, so here are 10 of mine, along with what percentage chance I think there is of any of these things actually happening. Yes, some of them are a little contradictory, but this is Lost-- literally anything can happen at any moment. And that's why we love it, right?

susan reinert

susan reinert

The goings-on at Upper Merion High School in the late '70s were just not what one would expect from an academically superior school catering to the scions of the upper middle class. The principal was acting dangerously weird and eventually was arrested on robbery charges, and the English teacher, a bearded, charismatic hunk who was so fascinating to female teachers that he was called a "Svengali," was leading a cult-like following of teachers, both male and female.

Out of this smoldering mix would come murder and mystery, the implications of which linger to this day. On Tuesday, the strange high-school principal, Jay C. Smith, who spent six years on death row in the killing of an Upper Merion teacher and, probably, her two children before being freed on a technicality, died of heart disease at the age of 80.

Smith never ceased trying to persuade the world that he had nothing to do with the murders of Susan Reinert, 37 - whose chained, naked and battered body was found in her car in a motel parking lot near Harrisburg on June 25, 1979 - or her two children.

racing the planet

racing the planet

Let's just say it. The whole thing sounds insane.

For six days, people from across the world -- accountants, school teachers, farmers, CEOs -- will run 150 miles, the equivalent of five consecutive marathons, across one of southern Africa's most remote landscapes.

Without showers, toilets or beds, the racers must fend for themselves by carrying in their backpacks all the food they will need for the week. Water is rationed, despite 120-degree heat. And the racers will wear whistles to summon help should they encounter a wild animal that seems inclined to make them into dinner.

montauk monster

montauk monster

An odd creature has apparently washed up on New York's coast, sparking claims that it may be another so-called "Montauk Monster."

A similar carcass sparked an online and media frenzy last July after appearing at a popular surfing spot near Montauk, N.Y.

Nicky Papers, who runs a Web site dedicated to the mystery, says he was contacted by a couple on May 5 who "think they’ve found what appears to be the Montauk Monster" on the North Fork of Long Island.

louisville water company

louisville water company

The Louisville Water Co. is expected to receive $4 million in federal stimulus dollars, money that the utility plans to use to cover part of the cost of a $20.5 million project to build a 36-inch water line along Interstate 64 from the Gene Snyder Freeway to the Jefferson County/Shelby County line.

The pipeline will provide more water to eastern Jefferson County, which has experienced rapid residential and commercial growth over the past 15 years.

The project also includes a pump station and storage tank to improve water pressure for Copperfield, Lake Forest, Eastwood and Long Run.

The total project is expected to create 164 jobs.

mike missanelli

mike missanelli

I've never been a fan of the talking heads shows on ESPN and ESPN2. Fortunately, I'm at work when they're on, and I don't get home until well after the PTI/Around the Horn nonsense is over. Usually the shows strike me as a bunch of guys I don't know loudly disagreeing about the minor points of a minor story, making the discussion a little more about themselves with each parry.

Usually the combatants are current or former columnists at major papers around the country, so they often know their topics fairly well, but the format just brings out their dumbassedness (in my opinion—obviously somebody likes this stuff or they wouldn't keep rolling it out). The only context in which I know Skip Bayless is this argument-based sports coverage.

corie blount

corie blount

Former NBA player and University of Cincinnati star Corie Blount was sentenced to one year in prison on Wednesday in a plea arrangement resulting from drug charges.

Judge rejects Blount’s claim. HAMILTON, Ohio — Former NBA player and University of Cincinnati star Corie Blount was sentenced to one year in prison on Wednesday in a plea arrangement resulting from drug charges.

“Cheech and Chong would have had a hard time smoking that much.”

Blount, 40, had pleaded guilty in Butler County Common Pleas Court last month to two felony counts of marijuana possession after prosecutors dropped two trafficking charges.

shane fitzgerald

shane fitzgerald
DUBLIN (AP) -- It was a Wiki-challenge that some journalists failed.

An Irish university student decided to test how easily news can be fabricated in the 24-hour cycle. He posted a fake quote on Wikipedia, attributed to Maurice Jarre , hours after the French composer's death March 28. The quote read, in part: "When I die there will be a final waltz playing in my head that only I can hear."

Dozens of U.S. blogs and newspaper Web sites snapped up the lyrical phrase and included it in their obituaries for the composer. Administrators for the online reference source, meanwhile, twice caught the quote's lack of attribution and removed it.

Shane Fitzgerald says he's convinced if he hadn't come forward "that quote would have gone down in history as something Maurice Jarre said."