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Takipsilim, Philippine Adaptation of Twilight: A Hoax

2010-12-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

A gossip spreads so fast on the internet. It brings excitement to the Rayver Cruz and Shaina Magdayao’s fans.

I was watching a talk show last Saturday January 3, 2008. They tackled about the gossip spreading on the internet network that ABS-CBN and Star Cinema will be producing a show or a movie based on the adaptation of the famous foreign film Twilight. Twilight is a novelization of Stephenie Meyer, which includes New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn.

Famous Filipino director Cathy Garcia-Molina was said to be the director. However, she denied it because it is just a hoax. She will be directing the sequel of the box office film A Very Special Love, and could not do the two projects at the same time.

Rayver Cruz was said to be the leading character of Takipsilim. But, he stressed out that the coordinator never discussed it with him. Therefore, he never received any statement from the management that he will do this project because there is no project such as Takipsilim. On the other hand, Shaina Magdayao stated that her debut photo was taken to be edited by the blogger for this fake poster of Takipsilim. And, she also knew that there is no such project as that.

ABS-CBN Corporate Communication head Bong Osorio once stated, “There is no truth about the website reports, particularly in Perez Hilton blogsite, that ABS-CBN is doing a local adaptation of Twilight. ABS-CBN will be the first to announce if it is, in fact, doing so.” Therefore, ABS-CBN and Star Cinema are known to be the producer of original soap operas and films. They are competitive enough to copy some ideas from foreign films or shows. Lobo, Dyosa, Pieta, Margarita, Susan Roces Collections, and others are found to be original created by the creative team of ABS-CBN and Star Cinema.

Beware the Mars Hoax

2010-12-20T03:57:00.000-08:00

There's a rumor about Mars going around the internet. Here are some snippets from a widely-circulated email message:

"The Red Planet is about to be spectacular."

"Earth is catching up with Mars [for] the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history."

"On August 27th … Mars will look as large as the full moon."

And finally, "NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN."

Only the first sentence is true. The Red Planet is about to be spectacular. The rest is a hoax.

Here are the facts: Earth and Mars are converging for a close encounter this year on October 30th at 0319 Universal Time. Distance: 69 million kilometers. To the unaided eye, Mars will look like a bright red star, a pinprick of light, certainly not as wide as the full Moon.

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Disappointed? Don't be. If Mars did come close enough to rival the Moon, its gravity would alter Earth's orbit and raise terrible tides.

Sixty-nine million km is good. At that distance, Mars shines brighter than anything else in the sky except the Sun, the Moon and Venus. The visual magnitude of Mars on Oct. 30, 2005, will be -2.3. Even inattentive sky watchers will notice it, rising at sundown and soaring overhead at midnight.

You might remember another encounter with Mars, about two years ago, on August 27, 2003. That was the closest in recorded history, by a whisker, and millions of people watched as the distance between Mars and Earth shrunk to 56 million km. This October's encounter, at 69 million km, is similar. To casual observers, Mars will seem about as bright and beautiful in 2005 as it was in 2003.

Although closest approach is still months away, Mars is already conspicuous in the early morning. Before the sun comes up, it's the brightest object in the eastern sky, really eye-catching. If you have a telescope, even a small one, point it at Mars. You can see the bright icy South Polar Cap and strange dark markings on the planet's surface.

5 Easy Ways to Avoid Government Grant Scams

2010-12-11T08:58:00.000-08:00

Are you interested in free money?Of course, most of us do. For some individuals, that money is available in the form of government grants. Although government grants can even be reserved for non-profit organization and business expansions, you can find grants available to everyday Americans, exactly like yourself. Unfortunately, they're just limited, nearly impossible to find, and even more difficult to win. But, as previously stated, we all want free money. In fact, who wouldn’t. That leaves a number of us susceptible to government grant ripoffs. So, just how do you avoid becoming a victim?

1 – Don't Give Money

Many websites and infomercial products advertise they will help you get tons of dollars in government grant money. These web sites and infomercials do sound convincing. Once more, the phrase “free money” attracts us. As previously stated, you will find government grants intended for Americans. These grants may allow you to expand your personal business, go to college, get job training, rebuild your dream house hit by a natural disaster, and so forth. Since they do exist, you will be able to find them on your own. It'll take loads of efforts and homework, however it is free of charge.

An excellent sign that you're faced with a government grant hoax is when asked for settlement. You can find authentic government web pages online that enable you to look for grants, get additional information on these grants, and apply for them at no cost. Never waste your money. Quite often, these paid online resources and infomercial products are contains inaccurate and outdated information.

2 – Consider Recommended Grant Webpages Online

As previously stated, compensated government grant websites would be a sign of a scam. Yes, some reliable internet websites can charge a small charge, but why have a chance? Just remember, a lot of information on government grants is readily available for free on the net or by speaking to local government officials. The best option it's always to visit right to government internet sites. On those websites, perform a look for using the word “grants.” If details is definitely available, it'll appear during your search. Grants.gov is really a legitimate webpage for government grants, especially those targeted at non-profit organizations.

3 – Find out Web site and Product Reviews

As stated before, some legitimate grant websites request a little fee. Its your final decision as to whether or not you wish to give this fee. However, before doing so, start reading testimonials. You will very easily check blog as well as product reviews online. That you can do so by going to the internet website for the Better Business Bureau, the widely used consumer-reporting internet site Rip Off Review, or else you can perform a typical search on the internet. Lookup with the product or internet site name and add the key phrase “scam.”

Product and webpage reviews are usually no problem finding over the internet and they give you plenty of insight. Do Not waste your cash if multiple consumers say the webpage or government grant product in question is often a scam.

4 – Ask Questions

Among the reasons why you are recommended against obtaining a government grant product from an infomercial happens because of insufficient assistance. In these instances, you get the product and are on your own. You rarely get any support. In contrast, real web-sites must give you this specific help support. Before paying any kind of signup or regular membership charges, seek advice. If a person is not available to reply to your questions or can not provide suitable solutions, you should be on your way to being a government grant scam victim. Quit now.

5 – Utilize Your own Best Judgment

The same as getting a student loan, mortgage, and car loan, you need to prove yourself. You'll want to fill in an application, sell yourself, and investigate. Always utilize your own perfect judgment. It's possible to discover government grants for individuals like yourself, but they are difficult to get and much more hard to have. Do Not count on this money and you should not slip victim to get rich scams. Reliable government grants are made to assist Americans moderately. Grants that you can get are rarely huge in size.

Student's Wikipedia hoax dupes newspapers

2010-12-11T08:56:00.000-08:00

An Irish student's fake quote on the Wikipedia online encyclopaedia has been used in newspaper obituaries around the world, the Irish Times reported.

The quote was attributed to French composer Maurice Jarre who died in March.

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Shane Fitzgerald, 22, a final-year student studying sociology and economics at University College Dublin, told the newspaper he placed the quote in Wikipedia as an experiment when doing research on globalisation.

He quoted Oscar-winning composer Jarre as saying, "One could say my life itself has been one long soundtrack. Music was my life, music brought me to life, and music is how I will be remembered long after I leave this life.

"When I die there will be a final waltz playing in my head, that only I can hear."

The quote was posted on Wikipedia shortly after Jarre's death and later appeared in obituaries in major British, Indian and Australian newspapers.

Fitzgerald told the newspaper he picked Wikipedia because it was something a lot of journalists look at and it can be edited by anyone.

While he was wary about the ethical implications of using someone's death as a social experiment, he had carefully generated the quote so as not to distort or taint Jarre's life, he said.

Fitzgerald said he was shocked by the result of his experiment.

"I didn't expect it to go that far. I expected it to be in blogs and sites, but on mainstream quality papers? I was very surprised about," he said.

He said the hoax remained undiscovered for weeks until he e-mailed the newspapers that had been deceived to tell them that they had published an inaccurate quote.

The Irish Times said that despite some newspapers removing the quote from their websites or carrying a correction and the fact that it had been dropped by Wikipedia, it remained intact on dozens of blogs, websites and newspapers.

Report Claims Ashley Kirilow Cancer Hoax - $20K in Donations Disney Trip

2010-12-11T08:53:00.000-08:00

A report claims Ashley Kirilow has admitted that she faked cancer for cash and also a trip to Disneyland. NY Mag dubs her "The Hippie Grifter" and notes that after her "cancer admission" and charity set up, the money and gifts flowed in as sympathetic donors gave to the woman they believed had cancer.

Jessica Pressler muses: "Benefits ensued, donations rolled into her fake charity, "Change for a Cure," and she even got to go on several fab vacations, including one to Disney World with a "Newmarket skateboarding heartthrob," Rob Dyer. In short, cancer made Ashley incredibly popular."

***

Ashley says it all got out of hand. The Toronto Sun quotes the 23-year old woman as admitting: "What I did was wrong."

She explained: I was trying to be noticed. I was trying to get my family back together. I didn't want to feel like I'm nothing anymore. It went wrong, it spread like crazy, and then it seemed like the whole world knew."

Her father finally found out her alleged scheme and tattled on his daughter in an online blog.

From iPhone 5 to A5 iPad 2 to iOS 5, Apple’s upcoming “year of five”

2010-12-09T04:03:00.000-08:00

Any talk of updates to Apple’s fourth generation iOS operating system or carrier expansion for its fourth gen iPhone is mere sideshow speak as Apple prepares for what will ultimately become known as the “Year Of Five” in iCircles. While it won’t appear that way by the beginning of 2011, Apple’s mobile product line will have taken a sharp left turn in favor of the big five by year’s end. And that’ll come in the form of the iPhone 5, the iOS 5 operating system, and the A5 processor which could find its way into the iPad 2. Here’s what to expect…

iPhone 5: Apple usually likes to use the same body style twice in a row, with more cosmetic features like colors differentiating the second go-round (often used with the nano and shuffle), but has in some cases paired up generations in which there were no visible changes at all (iPhone 3G, 3GS). Ordinarily the iPhone 5 would be expected to look at least recognizably similar to the fourth gen iPhone, but that antenna nonsense (which has been proven to be a hoax yet still persists as an urban legend) may force Apple’s hand when it comes to making the iPhone 5 look different enough that those who fell for the antenna hoax will then be persuaded to believe that the imaginary antenna issue has magically been solved. As far as iPhone 5 features, the usual thinner, faster, lighter, higher capacity, better screen, longer battery stuff certainly applies, along with whatever at-this-point still unpredictable surprises Apple has up its sleeve.

A5 processor: You don’t hear its name much, but the processor that the current iPad and iPhone both use is called the A4. It’s a low power high octane little beast which Apple already hopes to put to bed in favor of the A5, which will merely continue on that path. Whether the A5 makes it into the iPad 2 or the iPhone 5 is yet to be seen, but if that does happen, look for the devices to run faster and go longer without a charge…

iOS 5: …and if the A5 does happen in time for the iPhone 5 and iPad 2, expect Apple’s next gen operating system iOS 5 (which according to tradition will accompany the iPhone 5 out the door mid-year) to take advantage of that extra processing power. Either way, expect iOS 5 to more fully incorporate the wireless features like AirPrint and AirPlay, which in their current form feel more like rough sketches than universal features.

iPod touch 5: Although it won’t happen until September 2011, expect the fifth gen iPod touch to more or less copycat the new features of the iPhone 5. At least that’s how Apple has generally played it up to now.

Cellphone Hoax Popped

2010-12-09T03:59:00.000-08:00

Americans have a love-hate relationship with their cellphones. Consumers have adopted wireless telephony with a passion — with over 250 million subscriptions at last count. Many would rather venture out without their pants than without their phones. Yet, at the same time, Americans seem deeply suspicious of the little devices, perhaps believing that anything this convenient must be harmful.

The latest case in point: a video circulating on the net purportedly showing how radiation from cellphones can pop popcorn. Posted on youtube and circulated endlessly by email, the video has been viewed millions of times. It appears to to be an amateur recording made in someone’s living room, with a group of friends to put three cellphones in a circle around some popcorn kernels, then call them – making the phones ring and the popcorn pop to much merriment.

The unspoken message: if these gizmos can explode a kernal of corn, what are they doing to your brain?

The problem though is that the whole thing is a hoax. A total fabrication. As it turns out, the radiation from even three cellphones isn’t even enough to warm up corn, never mind pop it. As one commenter on the video put it: “A 1 kilowatt microwave takes around one minute to pop its first kernel, and that’s in a closed environment. A cell phone transmitter operates from 0.1 to 1 watt, but this video shows these kernels popping almost immediately.”

And I’m not an electrical engineer, but I suspect that having the phones ring doesn’t change the equation much.

Of course, hoaxes are hardly unique on the Internet — they been around since Bill Gates first offered to give everyone a dollar for every e-mail they forwarded. This hoax, however, is particularly pernicious. As it turns out, it’s not just a random gag played by some pranksters. This particular video was produced by a company called Cardo Systems as part of a viral marketing campaign.

The company is now being straightforward about its role, even featuring the video on its website, and posting versions of the video with the tag “made by Cardo Systems.” The idea, presumably is that it was just a good-natured joke. Still, the hardly unpredictable effect is to stoke public fears about cellphone use, particularly fears about putting the devices up to their ears. Cardo conveniently enough, makes bluetooth earphone attachments.

They should be ashamed.

Student Loan Phishing email Scam - 10 September

2010-12-01T08:11:00.000-08:00

Beware of the latest hoax email attack aimed at students regarding Student Loans, the latest in a series of email phishing attacks aimed directly at University of Bath students.

The email claims to be from the Student Loans Company and asks you to update your account information via the link provided. This email is not genuine.

Details of the latest attack are as follows:

Message Header

* Subject: Important Security Information - Student Finance England
* From: "notifications@slc.co.uk" United Kingdom
* Return-Path:
* Date: Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:35:35 +0300 [06:35:35 BST]

Message Body :

This is a formal notification of an important account update. Due to a recent update in our database we require all student to update their account information to ensure you receive your scheduled payment, and avoid a missed payment. To update your account information, click on the link below created specially for this purpose if that does not work you can copy and paste the link to your browse.

http://studentfinance.direct.gov.uk.gracebaptistscottsboro.com/

Please fill the requested information exactly as you filled it when you were signing up for student finance. or your payment will be suspended because of failed account verification.

Yours sincerely

Student Finance England

Please do not reply to this email as it has been automatically produced from an address which cannot accept incoming mail.

Message Ends

Action:

* DELETE this email.
* DO NOT follow the link in the email.
* DO NOT reply to the email.

Information about Phishing Emails:

Phishing emails are sent to extract sensitive account details, encourage the sending of money or offer bogus jobs with very little effort but large rewards. Replying to such an email, even if you do not provide them with their requirements, will tell them that the account is active and a potential future hit.

These emails are designed to look like they originate from trustworthy sites and can be very hard to spot. We have listed some of the things that can be a sign that an email is not genuine:

* BUCS will NEVER ask you to reveal your password
* Do not trust anyone who is using a free online account such as Hotmail, Windows Live, Google Mail or Yahoo
* The ‘from’ address and logo can be easily faked and this is not a guarantee of a genuine email
* Do not trust anyone who is offering a job that doesn't require much work but offers good money in return. Always remember if an offer is too good to be true, it probably is
* If there are spelling mistakes or extra unnecessary words in the text, it is not likely to be genuine: e.g. ‘HSBC’s electronic banking’ instead of ‘HSBC online banking’
* If the ‘web site link’ directs you to a web site that does not have a name associated with the sender, it is not likely to be genuine. (This can be ascertained by hovering over a link and looking at the address that appears in the bottom left of the web browser)

Lost iPhone 4G return taken as a Hoax by Apple?

2010-12-01T08:08:00.000-08:00

Its easy to lay blame after the fact when something as important as the next generation iPhone gets leaked across the entire internet, but when it boils down to the bottom line who is really to blame? The guy who originally lost it, Gizmodo for paying $5000 for it and them reveals their findings to the masses, or Apple for thinking that someone wanting to return the iPhone was just a hoax?

By now you all probably know how everything played out once Gizmodo went public with the iPhone 4G, the net has been alive with the subject for the last few days.

However when it comes to apportioning blame for the security slip up with the iPhone 4G, Apple must take their fair share. Yes the guy who lost it shouldn’t have, but then Apple must have allowed him to have use of the device outside the Apple camp.

Gizmodo has to should a portion of the blame as they did go public with their knowledge, but then as I have previously said any good tech site in that position would have probably done the same.

But the guys over at Gizmodo have posted an article which explains what happened when a source tried to hand the missing iPhone over to Apple. And what follows is how it went down from the Apple reps perspective that got the call…

“I work for AppleCare as a tier 2 agent and before the whole thing about a leak hit the Internet the guy working next to me got the call from the guy looking to return the phone. From our point of view it seemed as a hoax or that the guy had a knockoff, internally apple doesn’t tell us anything and we haven’t gotten any notices or anything about a lost phone, much less anything stating we are making a new one. When the guy called us he gave us a vague description and couldn’t provide pics, so like I mentioned previously, we thought it was a china knockoff the guy found. We wouldn’t have any idea what to do with it and that’s what sucks about working for apple, we’re given just enough info to try and help people but not enough info to do anything if someone calls like this.”

So bottom line, you tell me who is to ultimately be considered as blameful in this fiasco, my view is that it is ultimately down to Apple, what do you think?

10 Most Infamous Celebrity Death Hoaxes

2010-11-27T01:29:00.000-08:00

The juicy gossip provided on the internet knows no bounds. Amid the speculation of breakups, temper tantrums and all-around bizarre behavior are the now oh-so-prevalent reports of celebrity deaths. It’s no coincidence that as the internet has expanded and become more commonplace in our lives, false rumors have become more prevalent, spreading like wildfire on social networking sites. These days, it seems that if you’re a celebrity and you haven’t been rumored to have died in a fall or car accident, then your star just isn’t that bright. Below are the 10 most infamous death hoaxes, ranging from teeny bopper Miley Cirus to veteran actor Abe Vigoda.

1. Paul McCartney – 1969
A longstanding rumor is that Paul McCartney perished in a car accident in 1966 and was replaced with an equally-talented lookalike. The reports of his demise first surfaced in an article in a Drake University paper and reappeared in a University of Michigan paper after a Detroit radio station DJ listened to “Revolution 9″ backwards, claiming he heard “Turn me on, dead man.” The two UM students who wrote the satirical piece fabricated clues that were taken seriously by established publications. Rumors proliferated after a radio broadcast from New York soon after, and Life Magazine eventually tracked down McCartney and interviewed him. The cover of that issue read “Paul is still with us.”
2. Abe Vigoda – 1982 and 1987
In 1982, People Magazine referred to the 61-year-old Hollywood legend as “the late Abe Vigoda” despite the fact that he was alive and well. Although he said that the error cost him jobs, he spoofed it by posing for a photograph in which he sat in a coffin while holding up the magazine. Five years later, a New Jersey anchorwoman made the same mistake, causing his supposed demise to become a running joke on late night television. As of 2010, Vigoda is still kickin’ it at the ripe age of 89.
3. Eminem – 2000
There has been more than one Eminem death hoax, but the most notable occurred in December of 2000 when reports appeared that he had died in an early-morning car accident while drunk and high on drugs. But the rumor was quickly refuted on the rapper’s website, though it reappeared in the same form in September of 2008 and December of 2009.
4. Britney Spears – 2001
A year after the first Eminem hoax, a Dallas radio station claimed that Britney Spears died in a car accident with her then-boyfriend Justin Timberlake, who was said to have been in a coma. Reports were seemingly legitimized when a fake story was circulated that looked like it had come from the BBC News website. Hundreds of her most devoted fans reacted by calling police and fire departments, but their worry was for naught – Spears’ publicist affirmed there was no truth to the rumor.
5. Johnny Knoxville – 2002
Given the perilous stunts performed by the crew of “Jackass,” it wasn’t a huge surprise when internet rumors surfaced that he had fallen to his death while filming. The accident was supposedly caused by parachute failure after he jumped from a biplane – while eating a jar of baked beans. The report came from a fake obituary from a website that resembled the layout of MTV’s website.
6. Will Ferrell – 2006
The tragic news of funnyman Will Ferrell’s fake death was written by a user on a free press release website. The anonymous rumormonger claimed that Ferrell had died in a paragliding accident after a gust of wind carried him and his instructor into a dense forest. The details of the story added to its realness, and even tricked some of the most skeptical rumor readers.
7. Tom Hanks – 2006
A story generated by a user of a prank website stated that Hanks had plummeted to his death from a cliff while filming a movie in New Zealand. As it turned out, he was actually in California at the time working on “Charlie Wilson’s War.” The story of Tom Hanks’ fake death was so good that it was reused for other celebrities.
8. Tom Cruise – 2008
Tom Cruise was another notable celeb who suffered the same fake fate as Hanks, falling from atop the Kauri Cliffs in the Land of the Kiwi. But the rumor was quickly killed by a Cruise spokesperson who said “This is completely not true. Tom is not in New Zealand nor has he been there recently. This is erroneous and unreliable Internet garbage.”
9. Miley Cyrus – 2008
A hacker who gained access to Miley’s YouTube account gave her fans quite the scare, leaving this message: “Hey, guys, this is Mandy and I have some very sad news :( …We’re very hurt to tell everyone this, but Miley died this morning after being hit by a drunk driver. Miley told us if anything ever happened to her, then we should let her fans know before the public…R.I.P. honey, we will miss you so much.” She was said to have been killed by a drunk driver on the way to the set of “Hannah Montana.”
10. Jeff Goldblum – 2009
During a string of celebrity deaths that included Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Ed McMahon, an internet rumor surfaced that Jeff Goldblum had also died. What’s more, it was claimed that he plunged to his death from the Kauri Cliffs in New Zealand – a story that apparently never gets old. Twitter was used in the spreading and quashing of the rumors. Even Kevin Spacey posted that Goldblum was in fact alive, and demanded that people “Stop these stupid rumors.”

Moon landing conspiracy theories

2010-11-25T08:27:00.000-08:00

Different Moon landing conspiracy theories claim that some or all elements of the Apollo Project and the associated Moon landings were falsifications staged by NASA and members of other organizations. Since the conclusion of the Apollo program, a number of related accounts espousing a belief that the landings were faked in some fashion have been advanced by various groups and individuals.

Some of the more notable of these various claims include allegations that the Apollo astronauts did not set foot on the Moon; instead NASA and others intentionally deceived the public into believing the landings did occur by manufacturing, destroying, or tampering with evidence, including photos, telemetry tapes, transmissions, rock samples, and even some key witnesses themselves. Such claims are common to most of the conspiracy theories.

There is abundant third-party evidence for Apollo Moon landings, and commentators have published detailed rebuttals to the hoax claims. Various polls have shown that 6% to 28% of the people surveyed in various locations do not think the Moon landing happened.

What is a hoax?

2010-11-25T08:21:00.000-08:00

Question: What is a hoax?
Answer: A hoax is an act, document or artifact intended to deceive or defraud the public. Examples range from relatively benign instances of trickery, such as April Fools pranks, to scientific fraud on a grand scale, such as the Piltdown Man hoax of the early 20th century.

The word hoax dates from the 1700s and is believed to be a contraction of hocus — as in hocus pocus, the centuries-old nonsense phrase used by stage magicians (along with abracadabra) to invoke "magic spells."

The advent of the Internet has provided an unprecedented platform for the perpetrators of hoaxes by placing inexpensive, easy-to-use self-publishing tools at everyone's disposal. Email hoaxes in particular spread false information from person to person with astonishing rapidity by encouraging recipients to forward ersatz documents, chain letter-style, to everyone they know. Web hoaxes consist of bogus Websites designed to fool users into believing they are visiting legitimate home pages which in fact present false or misleading information.

Regardless of the specific form it may take, what distinguishes any hoax from mere error or folklore is that it is deliberately deceptive.

Latest Twist in Abortion Hoax

2010-11-25T08:16:00.000-08:00

The constant media inquiry into his site Birth Or Not has finally worn Pete Arnold down. After he was exposed as a right wing hack and an anti-choice nut, the public dropped its willingness to accept his insistence that he and his wife were actually putting the termination of his wife's pregnancy up to a vote. But CNN managed to get Arnold to admit that it was a hoax without his coming out and directly saying it. He said that he nicknamed the fetus "Baby Wiggles" to give people something to think about--let's face it, only anti-choice nuts actually think others are unaware ther are fetuses inside pregnant ladies--and more damningly, CNN reported this:

Arnold said the couple intended to end the vote December 7, two days before the last day Alisha Arnold could legally get an abortion, their blog says. But on Tuesday, Pete Arnold said, "We're talking about ending it early. I think people are getting it."

It's the site they're ending, not the pregnancy, of course. This comment cinches that it was a hoax all along, because the original site claimed it was a matter of letting the public decide. Now Arnold, weary and beaten, is admitting that he wanted people to get "it." What's "it," if not his ideas about whether or not abortion should be criminal behavior? On Birth Or Not itself, the facade that the couple is pro-choice has been abandoned, and Pete Arnold has admitted he's opposed to legal abortion, despite claiming to be a "libertarian." Of course, Arnold is saying that he was never actually suggesting Alisha would have an abortion if the public voted yes, but that has as much credibility as Tea Partiers saying they were opposed to Bush's encroachments on liberties; they just happened to be saying so in a pitch no one else could hear.

I predicted, and do believe I was the first online to predict, that this was a hoax that was aiming for the couple deciding that they loved "Baby Wiggles" too much to kill him, no matter what the public said. And that, in turn, would become anti-choice propaganda to reinforce their myth that no one who really knew that there was a fetus in there would ever want an abortion. As I predicted, Alisha has decided she can't do it, now that she's been looking at weekly (!) ultrasounds. I remain skeptical of the idea that she ever intended to take abortion under consideration. Or, at least I hope that's the case, because the other possibility that's looming is, if anything, even uglier than the possibility that this was an anti-choice hoax from the get-go.

Alisha is now saying that the site started because she and her husband disagreed on whether or not she should have a baby right now, and that she's pro-choice while he's anti-choice. Which means, and she states rather plainly, that this Web site was put there to settle the dispute. That, on top of Irin Cameron's interview with the couple, where Pete Arnold comes across as a domineering loudmouth and Alisha Arnold as quiet and kind of sad, means there's another possibility: Pete Arnold pushed his wife into putting up a Web site where people could vote on her extremely private choices. He can't have been unaware of exactly what was going to happen, which is that a bunch of anti-choice nuts would swarm the place trying to shame anyone who thinks abortion is a legitimate choice. He's one of those guys who joins those swarms! That's like assembling an army to browbeat a single woman. And of course it's mostly going to be one-sided, since the pro-choice stance is, "Whatever you think is best, dear." To make it worse for her, Alisha Arnold has now lost her job because of this.

If Pete Arnold claims he was trying to make a point, and I think he did, though it wasn't the point he was trying to make, he failed to make anyone change their mind to the anti-choice side, but I do think he managed to wake up a few more pro-choicers to how misogynist anti-choice activists really can be.

Another Hoax: Lady Gaga Amputated Leg

2010-11-21T18:14:00.000-08:00

Please don't believe everything you read. There is a story going around the internet claiming that Lady Gaga had her own leg amputated. And for no reason! Some have speculated she did it as a fashion statement. Really? Is any sane young woman really going to follow in the footsteps of Lady Gaga and cut off their leg in order to be fashionable? Perhaps she is hoping to give hope to existing amputees and help them with their self confidence. Considering that amputees are a very small minority, that is not very plausible.

What amazes me about the situation is that the rumor is getting attention in the first place. Sure, seeing those words together will create interest in the topic, especially when involving a figure as immensely popular as Lady Gaga is, but the people who are writing about the rumor and confirming it, blow my mind. There is no logic in doing that whatsoever. They quote sources saying that they have confirmed the rumor to be true, not realizing that the sources they look at are not reputable, and then the next writer looks at the site that quoted a false source and something like this begins to spiral out of control.

What I did was go to Lady Gaga's website and looked at the news section. In none of her tweets or recent posts does it mention that she had her leg amputated. Furthermore, she is in the middle of a tour and would not be able to perform. She would be in the hospital for quite a while with a surgery like that. And, no doctor would perform that operation.

Please I hope, you all realize that this is not true. When you see something like this, or rumors about a celebrity death, look at a reputable site, even MTV.com and confirm the information, before fanning the flame.

Michael Jackson Death Hoax

2010-11-21T18:04:00.000-08:00

Summary:
Email claims that Michael Jackson actually died many years ago and that the star's decayed body has recently been discovered buried at the Neverland Ranch. It suggests that an "other worldly" impostor has been playing the role of Michael Jackson for a number of years (Full commentary below.)

Status:
False - This is part of a fake "news report" that began circulating in 2005. The report was originally published by the satirical website "The Onion".

Example:(Submitted, July 2009)
Subject: SHOCKING NEWS

SANTA BARBARA, CA -During a search for evidence at the Neverland Valley Ranch, investigators discovered a corpse that has been identified as that of Michael Jackson, Santa Barbara police officials announced Tuesday.

"Coroners have officially pronounced Michael Jackson dead. From what we can tell, he died between 18 and 20 years ago," forensic investigator Tim Holbrooke said. "We are not certain, at this time, who-or what-has been standing trial in that Santa Maria courthouse."

According to Holbrooke, Jackson 's corpse was buried just inches below a stretch of the miniature-train tracks that run throughout Neverland. The largely desiccated corpse wore the remains of a red, zipper-covered leather jacket and a single glove. "We positively identified the body as Jackson by his dental records and DNA," Holbrooke said. "But even before we conducted a single forensic test, we began to suspect that that we'd uncovered the real Michael, and that the disturbing figure claiming to be Jackson was a fake." Holbrooke said that, although the corpse was in an advanced stage of decomposition, when investigators compared the body to early-career publicity photos of Jackson , they saw a striking resemblance in bone structure and facial features. But when they compared the body to photos taken after 1987, the resemblance was negligible. "This discovery raises a lot of questions, but it also sheds light on a number of disturbing incidents," Holbrooke said. "Frankly, Jackson had been acting pretty strange."

Forensic experts and music critics are postulating that Jackson was dead before the release of the multi-platinum album Bad. Detectives are currently analyzing the lyrics to "Man In The Mirror" for any clues relating to a look-alike entity that many suspect murdered the youngest member of the Jackson 5 and assumed his identity. "We believe that Neverland served as some sort of freakishly whimsical tomb constructed by Jackson 's killer," Holbrooke said. "We also suspect that all of the iniquities that occurred on that ranch were the work of the imposter. I wouldn't have ever thought it possible, but we are looking at a situation where the sexual abuse of a 13-year-old cancer patient is the tip of the iceberg."

Holbrooke said that, while the living Jackson is the leading suspect in the murder investigation, he "could be another victim of some sort."

"Basically, we have no idea what type of creature we are dealing with," Holbrooke said. A member of the investigative team that discovered Jackson 's body described the experience as "otherworldly." "As we neared the perimeter of Neverland, the dogs started whining and howling like crazy," Santa Barbara County detective Frank Poeller said. "We had to pull them into the house. When we got to Jackson 's bedroom, one of them almost choked himself to death on his leash trying to get out through the window. Minutes later, the same dog led us to the corpse." A representative from Jackson 's self-created label, MJJ Productions, said he was not surprised to find out that the current Jackson is an imposter.

"When we were recording 'Heal The World' for Dangerous, I could tell something was terribly, terribly wrong," MJJ manager Luke Allard said. "Michael didn't seem like himself anymore. He'd demand bizarre food and sit for hours in a hyperbaric chamber. His appearance began to become more and more peculiar. Soon afterwards, he started wearing a mask and confiding in a chimpanzee."

"I remember thinking, 'This man has become a monster,'" Allard said. "If only I'd known how right I was."

Commentary:
Back in 2005, an email began circulating that claimed that the real Michael Jackson was dead and that an impostor, possibly of supernatural origin, had taken his place. Of course, these claims are untrue. Soon after Michael Jackson really did pass away in June 2009, this old satirical piece once again gained momentum and began circulating rapidly around the world.

The message is disguised to resemble a genuine news report and includes images of the supposed discovery of Jackson's body and "the creature that claims to be Michael Jackson". According to this "news report" the corpse of the real Michael Jackson was found buried under miniature-train tracks at Jackson's Neverland Ranch. Supposedly, forensic tests indicated that the body has been there for many years. The story implies that the entity later claiming to be Michael Jackson was in fact an otherworldly figure - perhaps a demon.

It hardly needs to be stated that there is not even a shred of truth in this ridiculous and far-fetched tale. The story is satire, and was presumably intended to amuse and entertain. This tale originated from a feature published on the satirical news site, The Onion.

When viewed in it's original context on The Onion website, it was quite clear that the story was satirical and not intended to report a real incident. In fact, all stories featured on the Onion website are satirical in nature. Unfortunately, because the story began circulating in the form of a sourceless email forward, some credulous recipients actually believe the story to be true in spite of its fantastic claims. And the June 2009 demise of Michael Jackson has apparently breathed new life into this tired and tasteless old hoax. Hopefully, a closer examination of the information in the message should reveal its satirical nature to even the most gullible of readers.

Although some might still find the piece amusing, Jackson's family and his legions of fans around the world are unlikely to share that amusement.

10 Best UFO Hoax Videos on YouTube

2010-11-21T17:55:00.000-08:00

While Unidentified Flying Objects have been reported since man first looked up at the sky, the modern phenomenon of the “flying saucer” has only been in the public’s consciousness since 1947, the year of both the Kenneth Arnold sightings and the Roswell incident.

Interest ever since has always been fairly strong, enhanced at times by world events or popular media. But it wasn’t until the advent of the Internet, and more specifically YouTube, that thousands of clips of UFO footage have been available to view on demand.

For entertainment purposes (rather than any deeper conspiracy theories), we’ve trawled YouTube for UFO clips, and have pulled together a list of ten of the very best hoaxes, “unexplained” footage, fakes, and “mysterious” home movies. So, put on your tin foil hat and press play now. As always, be sure to let us know your favorites in the comments below.

Kardashian Prepaid Debit Card? Don't Bother to 'Keep Up'

2010-11-12T08:39:00.000-08:00

Last time I wrote about the Kardashians was when sister Khloe had reportedly fallen behind on paying her taxes. Now the family is back in the financial headlines with the launch of the Kardashian Prepaid Debit MasterCard, a partnership with Mobile Resource Card. Oh, and it's being marketed to teens.

I'll be the first to admit that I occasionally tune in to the family's reality show on E! — but their latest attempt to promote their brand and celebrity is unwatchable. Mixing pop celebrities with financial management is hardly ever a winning formula — particularly when celebs with zero financial credibility attach themselves to financial products. Selling perfume? OK. But pushing plastic?

"There are no other better people to represent this card because of their significant fan base, especially to reach the younger audience," says spokeswoman Eve Sarkisyan.

But that's mainly why I find the Kardashian Prepaid MasterCard so menacing. It targets teenagers, a highly impressionable group. (It's not the only celebrity card: Russell Simmons has lent his name to the Rush Card from Visa. Meanwhile, teen-focused MyPlash cards feature characters from "Twilight," Emily the Strange and more.)

Sarkisyan goes on to say that the new card can "teach younger adults how to better manage their money." I doubt it. They're not likely to see the card as an educational tool, but rather as something to flash around and swipe, swipe — in the spirit of "Keeping Up" with the Kardashians. (Interestingly, I do recall one early episode of the show where Kim was battling a "shopping addiction"; the family later staged a "shopping intervention.")

The card's marketers boast that parents can track their kids' spending activity with the card. But that's nothing new. Parents can do that with most debit and credit cards these days, as long as they have access to the accounts. You can also transfer money from a mobile account to the Kardashian card using your phone. You can also view spending and card balances instantly on your cell phone with a text message. I'm sure that's also just what parents want — more text messages showing up on their kids' cell phone bills.

Of course, this card won't be free to use. According to the card's fine print, the card will run you $99.95 for a year or $59.95 for six months. After that it's $7.95 per month. There are also the typical ATM withdrawal fees. By contrast, a recent Consumers Union survey that looked at 19 prepaid cards found that activation fees tended to start at $3 and reach as high as $40. My fellow MoneyWatch blogger Dan Kadlec recommends the Upside Edge from Visa — a teen card that costs just $29.95 a year, allows for free reloads from a parent checking account and gives cash-back rewards equal to 1% of funds loaded.

"A waste of hard-earned money," says my friend and financial literacy expert Susan Beacham, CEO of Money Savvy Generation. "The real deal is a free traditional debit card that is linked to a checking account. And when you link a debit card to a checking account you also help your child keep their spending 'in check' — as they can only spend today what they have in their own bank account today."

Bottom line: Skip the designer plastic. Account balances are a much more sensible thing for your kids to "keep up" with.

Angelina Jolie's taxidermy tale

2010-11-12T08:33:00.000-08:00

Angelina Jolie’s daughter seems to have inherited a bit of her mom’s sense of the macabre.

The actress, who famously wore a bit of Billy Bob Thornton’s blood in a pendant when they were married, tells Vogue about the day the 4-year-old found a dead bird.

“She came in and said, ‘Can I have a dead pet?’ And I’m ... ‘Uh-uh, I don’t think it’s healthy, honey.’ ”

Instead, Jolie bought a stuffed bird from a taxidermist. “I swayed her toward one that had been cleaned, at least,” she said, adding Shiloh is “hysterical.”

Jolie and Brad Pitt have six children.

Angelina Jolie and Shiloh (right), shown in July, may share a macabre outlook. Also pictured are (from left) Maddox, Zahara and Pax. (Getty Images)

Brittany Murphy's Mother Writing Memoir About Her Deceased Daughter

2010-11-12T08:30:00.000-08:00

rittany Murphy's Mother, Sharon has signed a deal a write a tell-all book about her daughter. According to reports, "Sharon says she wants to honor Brittany Murphy and her husband Simon Monjack – who died five months later also from pneumonia – by writing her memoirs."

Sharon told RadarOnline, “This book will be my way of celebrating and honoring her extraordinary life and career." One has to wonder how Brittany Murphy might have felt about her mom writing a tell-all book about her life. Brittany Murphy died last December from pneumonia at age 32.

Paper plane takes photos from space

2010-11-12T08:24:00.000-08:00

Three British space buffs attached a paper airplane and a camera to a helium balloon that soared 23 miles above ground, and captured amazing images.

"We did it because we wanted to see if we could — and we could!" IT expert Steve Davies told Sky News Online. The plane, which had a three-foot wingspan, was made of straws and covered in paper. At about 90,000 feet, the helium balloon burst.

Viloria worried about Manny

2010-11-08T08:01:00.000-08:00

Former two-time world lightflyweight champion Brian Viloria said the other day Antonio Margarito won’t be easy prey for Manny Pacquiao
in their 12-round bout for the vacant WBC superwelterweight title at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, this weekend.

“I’m worried,” said Viloria, fresh from a seventh round demolition of Thai roughhouser Liempetch Sor Veerapol at the Ynares Sports Center in Pasig last Friday. “I’ve trained and jogged with Margarito. We used to work out together with trainer Robert Garcia. He’s like Manny in the gym. He punishes himself to the limit.”

What makes Margarito doubly dangerous is he’s hungry for vindication, redemption and recognition.

“Margarito is determined, possessed and obsessed,” said Viloria. “He knows a win over Manny will turn his life around. Manny shouldn’t think this fight will be like his fight against Oscar de la Hoya. Margarito may be as tall as Oscar but he’ll be a lot more competitive.”

Viloria’s cornerman Ruben Gomez, who was in Pacquiao’s corner as cutman for five fights from 2001 to 2003, said it won’t be cakewalk battling Margarito.

“If Manny doesn’t take Margarito seriously, he’s in big trouble,” said Gomez. “I see this as the toughest fight in Manny’s career. I recently saw Margarito training in Los Angeles and he looked good. He was running up and down the hills to build his stamina. I don’t think he’ll have a problem making the weight limit of 150 pounds. He’ll be in good shape.”

Gomez said Margarito has learned his lesson from putting on about 40 pounds after stopping Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas in July 2008.

“When Margarito beat Cotto, I think the win got to his head,” said Gomez. “He became an overnight sensation. He partied a lot and forgot about holding his weight down. He gained about 40 pounds so had to shed quite a bit of weight for his fight against Sugar Shane Mosley six months later. I don’t know how much it took out from Margarito.”

The Mexican’s hand-wraps were found to contain red stains or traces of calcium and sulphur in the dressing room before the Mosley bout in Los Angeles. California State Athletic Association authorities ordered new bandages for Margarito who went on to lose to Mosley by a ninth round stoppage. It was later reported that while his hand-wraps were not changed, they also had red stains in his fight against Cotto. Calcium and sulphur harden into a substance like plaster of paris when chemically reacting with oxygen and water.

“Margarito’s a physical fighter,” continued Gomez. “This is a 50-50 fight and I think it’ll end in a knockout, either way. If Manny’s in shape, there’s no way he’ll lose. But if he’s not in condition and his speed isn’t there, he could get overpowered because Margarito is so much bigger. Margarito is no (Joshua) Clottey – he’ll come in to fight, he’ll fight back. He won’t just stand there and take it.”

Viloria’s Mexican trainer Mario Morales, who was Julio Cesar Chavez’ long-time sparmate, said Margarito’s come-forward style is tailor-fit for Pacquiao.

“Margarito won’t change his style, no matter what Garcia tries to do,” said Morales who was the late Edwin Valero’s trainer. “He’s dangerous in the early rounds. He’s an aggressive fighter. He’ll come charging in. But his problem is poor footwork and you know where his punches are coming from. He has a wide wind-up and he’s slow. He’ll try to push Manny to the ropes and use his bulk to pressure Manny.”

Margarito’s size could be an advantage or disadvantage. It will be an advantage if he is able to use his body to lean on Pacquiao, tire him out and pin him to the ropes or corners. It will be a disadvantage if the bulk slows him down and makes him a flat-footed target.

Margarito’s poor fundamentals are evident in his lack of footwork. His inability to cut the ring off will be a problem. Margarito doesn’t anticipate and instead, walks towards his opponent, following him around the ring. If Pacquiao moves side-to-side, Margarito will have difficulty locating his target. He will lunge and be thrown off-balance by Pacquiao’s lateral movement. He will stalk but won’t find his prey.

Viloria said he would’ve liked to be in Arlington to cheer for Pacquiao but he’ll be busy preparing for his Dec. 3 wedding in Hawaii. Viloria will exchange vows with long-time girlfriend Erica Navarro. Their honeymoon, however, will wait until after Viloria takes on WBO flyweight champion Julio Cesar Miranda of Mexico in late February or early March.

Lady Gaga wins big at MTV Europe Music Awards

2010-11-08T07:58:00.000-08:00

Lady Gaga won three prizes at this year's MTV Europe Music Awards on Sunday, claiming Best Female, Song, and Pop honors, just a year after taking the plaudits for best new act.

The ceremony converted two of the Spanish capital's most iconic landmarks into glittering venues from which to present its 2010 honors.

Tens of thousands of music fans crowded downtown Puerta de Alcala and Caja Magica to hear 14 separate performers, including acts by Jared Leto and Shakira.

Lady Gaga beamed her acceptance speech from Budapest, Hungary, where she was on tour. She interrupted a live act in the Hungarian capital to convey by video link her delight at the crop of awards which just kept on coming and spotlighted her song "Bad Romance" as the year's best.

Best New Act went to KE$HA, while the 16-year-old Justin Bieber won the Best Male Artist award, Paramore the Best Alternative act, and Eminem got the Best Hip Hop award.

The new MTV Global Icon award went to Jon Bon Jovi, who thrilled fans with a live performance of "Shot through the heart" and "You're to blame" at the spectacularly decorated, year-old Caja Magica venue, sometimes used for sports events.

At the center of the Caja Magica hall a brilliantly illuminated hollow cube acted as a focal point for indoor acts while the Puerta de Alcala - once the location of the eastern entrance in the long disappeared city wall - provided an outdoor flavor to the show.

Katy Perry got Best Video for "California Gurls" and raised a cheer when she collected the award wearing an ornate, dark outfit.

Presenter Eva Longoria also regaled viewers with a dazzling array of elegant dresses and at one point had the audience in fits of laughter by saying she had discovered her long-lost Spanish relatives in Madrid. She then introduced four statuesque and muscular young men dressed only in underpants bearing the letters "Longoria" at the back. "That's my family, which I'm going to introduce to the girls backstage," she said.

5 tips for reviving your relationship

2010-11-08T07:52:00.001-08:00

It happens to the best of couples: One night you’re happily cozying up on the couch with a pizza and Netflix…then, six Saturday nights later, you’re sick of pepperoni and your sweetie’s sick of your sci-fi obsession. No matter how much you care about someone, falling into predictable patterns is inevitable when you’re constantly spending time together. And while a little familiarity is nice, too much can make once-happy couples feel bored with each other — and possibly itching to get out of the relationship entirely. Most of the time, however, all these couples need is a small change in routine to keep things interesting. “There’s an old saying along the lines of, ‘If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got,’” says Lisa Daily, author of Stop Getting Dumped! “If you can’t stand the thought of another 36-hour ESPN marathon or another weekend of antiquing, come up with a plan B.” For inspiration, take a tip or two from these couples below who got over the hump and are still happily together.

1. Introduce your mate to your interests
One couple’s case history: “When Aaron and I moved in together after a year of dating, we quickly fell into a routine — I’d come home from work and cook my heart out while he lounged on the couch, mesmerized by baseball. Though I’m a foodie and he’s a sports nut, I felt separated by more than just the kitchen/living room wall. Why couldn’t he learn to appreciate an apple tarte tatin? Shouldn’t I see what was so exciting about watching a Martinez-Smoltz match-up?” says Abby Phillips of Chicago. “So we came up with a plan: Every so often, he’d buy a ticket for me to accompany him to a ball game. In return, I’d take him out to the restaurant of my choice. Now he’s eating pappardelle bolognese, and, though I can’t tell the difference between a breaking ball and a slider, I can name most of the players in the Mets lineup.”

Love lesson learned: Mutual interests, whether it’s a love of dogs or shooting pool, are often what bring a couple together in the first place. But taking interest in your partner’s entire life — including facets you don’t initially take a shine to — is what will keep you together in the long run, says dating coach Liz Kelly, author of SMART Man Hunting. The reason: Whether your partner’s passion is baseball, gourmet food, or some other activity, it’s an opportunity to learn tons about a new topic and, for that matter, what makes your sweetie tick. There’s no way you’ll feel bored with this double-dose of new info and experiences!

2. Daydream about the future together
One couple’s case history: “My partner Dan and I have a lot of shared interests, but there are always times when we find ourselves sitting on the sofa, staring at each other out of sheer boredom,” explains Matt Levinson of New York City. “Lately, when we hit a slump, we grab the newspaper or go online to look for open houses because we both dream of owning a big house upstate, out in the country. And even though we’re not prepared to buy yet, sometimes when we find a listing we like, we’ll take a little road trip for the day to check it out and explore the surrounding towns. House-hunting gives us something new to talk about — how we’d fix up the house, how else we can save up money to buy a place in the future. It might take awhile for our plans to pan out, but it’s fun to dream big together in the meantime.”

Love lesson learned: A relationship that’s static can definitely feel stagnant, but that’s easily fixed by setting some goals together. Just ask yourself (and your partner), “In your wildest dreams, what would the two of us be doing three months/six months/a year down the line?” Then do something small — say, window-shopping for a home, or playing with puppies in a pet store even though you’re not prepared to take one home yet — that keeps you in touch with that dream. Even new couples can adopt a sense of direction. Maybe you both fantasize about flying to Cancun for a long weekend on the beach. Try browsing guidebooks together or set up a “Cancun fund” where you each contribute $20 per paycheck. “Even if your big plan is very far away, taking baby steps together can bring you closer to your goal,” says Daily. “And to each other.”

3. Break some rules
One couple’s case history: “When my long-distance girlfriend and I moved in together, we thought we’d have tons of fun, but it didn’t take long before we got caught up in our work schedules,” says Brenden Smith of Orlando, FL. “One Wednesday night we were both lying around, exhausted, when my girlfriend jumped up, grabbed her bag and announced, ‘Come on, we’re going out!’ We went to a club down the street, and had such a great time that we stayed out until two in the morning! Sure, we were even more exhausted the next day, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how great it felt to ‘break the rules’ and stay out late on a weeknight. Now, whenever we’re feeling trapped by our schedules, we do something spontaneous that we know we shouldn’t really do — say, going out for ice cream sundaes instead of making dinner. It never fails to keep things fun and interesting.”

Love lesson learned: There’s something about rebelling a little that can instantly alleviate tedium — plus it can be a bonding experience for couples, instilling an us-versus-them attitude. So if you think your relationship has been weighed down by what you’re supposed to do lately, ask yourself, “What do I really want to do?” and follow your impulses with your beloved in tow. Go ahead and stick your feet out the window on a road trip, duck out of the office party for a makeout session in the coat room, or stay up until sunrise even when you know you two have a family event the very next day. As long as your actions aren’t illegal or harming anyone, these moments will remind you that your love life can take some interesting twists and turns once you stop caring so much about doing things the “right” way.

4. Plan the unpredictable
One couple’s case history: “Because of our busy schedules, my boyfriend and I usually only see each other on weekends. And while absence (until Friday) makes the heart grow fonder, we often found ourselves going to the same restaurants, watching our favorite TV shows or just having dinner at home,” recalls Renee Edwards of Emmaus, PA. “To spice things up, I suggested that we try planning ‘surprise dates’ for each other. Not only was my boyfriend a good sport about my idea, he totally charmed me by taking me apple-picking last fall. It was exactly the kind of outdoorsy thing I love to do, but would have never thought we’d do together. In return, I surprised him with reservations at a BBQ restaurant I knew he wanted to try. Keeping each other on our toes date-wise reminds us that it’s always important to keep trying, even when you’re in love and comfortable with each other.”

Love lesson learned: Surprises are the cornerstone of keeping a relationship interesting because they show your sweetie that you don’t take anything for granted — and that there’s more to you than meets the eye! So keep an eye out for any opportunity: If your sweetie mentions a play he or she wants to see, buy tickets on the sly and slip them in a pocket or purse with a note saying “You, me, and Shakespeare on Saturday?” Or, just tell your sweetie to keep a certain date clear for you — then don’t explain what you’re doing. The anticipation will keep your honey wondering all week what it could be and add extra zing to your plans, whether it’s reservations at a new restaurant, a night camping in your back yard, or going back to the place where you shared your first kiss. What you’ve planned doesn’t really matter — when it comes to surprises, it’s truly the thought that counts.

5. Escape the ordinary
One couple’s case history: “After starting a new office job, I didn’t have as much time to spend with my husband. Every day seemed to run into the next at warp speed. We were definitely falling into a rut, so he suggested taking a weekend off to go camping. I wasn’t sure what to expect; we hadn’t spent that much time together in months,” says Lisa Price of Traverse City, MI. “As we made the campfire the first night I thought, what are we going to talk about for the next five hours? But it didn’t take long before we found ourselves talking about lots of amazing things (even some big-picture issues). Over that weekend, time finally slowed down and if felt like we were the only people left in the universe. There were no distractions and the conversation flowed like it was a first date that was going really well. We returned home energized and ready to deal with our hectic schedules again — and reminded of the fact that we never have to stop getting to know each other.”

Love lesson learned: “Sometimes it feels like the world will stop spinning if we stop what we’re doing for one minute,” says Daily. “The truth is, it won’t. Life will go on, even if you take a few hours off.” Even if you don’t have an entire weekend for uninterrupted “us” time, take little time-outs to recharge your romance on a regular basis. Daily suggests setting an unbreakable lunch or dinner date every week — mark your calendar, if necessary. Or substitute separate workouts at the gym to take a long walk or hike together — you may be surprised where your conversation leads or what new tidbit you find out about your partner!

The Star of the 2010 Country Music Awards

2010-11-08T07:46:00.000-08:00

Reba McEntire could become the major headline of this year's Country Music Association Awards. Country music's most recognizable woman is up for just one award, but she inspired and led the way for the new generation of female talent that swept through nominations this year. Young singers like Miranda Lambert, Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum, Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood admit they owe a debt to stars like Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton - as do all female country performers. But it was Reba who was front and center during their childhood, pointing the way.

She won the CMA's entertainer of the year in 1986 - around the time Lambert turned 3 and Scott was a few months old - and a quarter of a century later at 55, she's still as vibrant and active as ever. She's up for female vocalist of the year Wednesday night and is poised to release her 34th album, "All The Women I Am," the day before.

"I think Reba has really shown what a woman's career should look like," said Lambert, who leads all nominees with nine. "She's just a mogul. She works so hard and she looks better than she ever has and her music's great still, it fits in no matter what."

Mogul might just be the perfect word to describe McEntire. There's been nothing one-dimensional about her career. Her albums come out like clockwork and each is peppered with hit songs she's worked tirelessly to find, listening to thousands of submissions. She is among country music's top touring draws. She's the longtime host of the Academy of Country Music Awards and her surprise hit TV show remains in heavy rotation in syndication. She's even done Broadway. And don't forget her clothing and product lines.

She's created the ideal country music career that everyone is striving for, and it's been that way for as long as Scott remembers. The 26-year-old singer's mother, Linda Davis, was a member of McEntire's band and Scott grew up watching McEntire up close.

"Her presence and what she represents has never wavered for me," said Scott, whose group is up for five awards. "It's still like: She is Reba. She's accomplished so much and she's succeeded in every endeavor she's went for. I think what I've learned from her, when she wants to do something and she wants to go for it, she goes for it. She puts her whole heart and soul and effort into it."

One of the highlights of Scott's young career was watching McEntire's reaction to Lady A's performance on the CMA Awards last year.

"I say this a lot, but one thing that's really important to me is making her proud," Scott said. "And whenever we were watching the CMAs after our performance and it shot straight to her and she had tears in her eyes, it was just the most overwhelming feeling in the entire world to see that because what she thinks is really important to me."

McEntire relishes the role she plays for young performers. She's pulling for all the women nominated and believes the genre needs more women both in front of the microphone and behind the scenes to truly thrive. She says she pays close attention to the genre's women, and has had her eye on Lambert.

"I watch it," she said. "I watch the charts. I watch the videos. I see what the younger acts are doing. They're my competition but they're also my friends and my peers that I'm working with, and I'm very proud of Miranda. She has struck gold this year with the songs she's selected ... I am very anxious to see how she maintains this, what she comes out with next and how she handles it."

Just as the kids of today remember Reba at important times, Lynn, Parton, Barbara Mandrell, Kitty Wells and Anne Murray are never far from her thoughts.

"They broke down a lot of doors and barriers and were not going to sit over on the stool and be patted on the head and told when to sing and when not to sing," she said. "They were the ones who opened the doors and kicked down the doors for me. I said when I won my first female vocalist of year award: 'My boot's in the door ... and I'm going to do everything I can for country music and carry the

Kendra Wilkinson Divulge Secret For A Successful Marriage- Sex Life & Quickies

2010-11-08T07:42:00.000-08:00

Kendra Wilkinson recently revealed one of her secrets to a successful marriage with her husband, professional football player Hank Baskett. This is something that most men already know: An active sex life filled with quickies. Kendra Wilkinson told People magazine: "I'm all about those quickies. Sometimes it’s good to have some foreplay and all that, but quickies – I'm all about those."

Ladies please pay attention to Kendra Wilkinson's insights, it might change your life.

Everyday habits of happy moms

2010-11-07T06:01:00.000-08:00

Here are 10 things happy moms do--so remember these tips in your day-to-day life!

1. Find time for yourself
Happy moms know they deserve a little time to themselves. When you know you're going to have a little room to breathe later on in the day, it's easier to take on everything that's in front of you. Our formula? Take 2 hours out for yourself every 3 days.

2. Don't make a happy baby, happier!

We all do it...you see your baby's head at what you're sure is an unnatural angle snoozing in their car seat. You just know they'll be happier if their head was straight. So you move them. And they wake up. Then they scream. Or, you see them playing happily in the sand. You just know they'll be happier if they played on the slide. So you interrupt them and move them to the slide. And they're angry. And they let you know they're REALLY angry. Here's the thing, they were happy. It can be hard to do, but if your kid's not complaining, leave them be! Happy baby = Happy Mommy.

3. Embrace the mess
So your house doesn’t look like something out of a magazine. That just means it’s cozy! Your children have hands coated in dirt from the playground and faces coated in spaghetti from dinner. It’s not gross—it’s an adorable photo op! Life is about how you look at things. Next time that pile of laundry that’s been sitting on the chair for three days starts to get you down, just remember… it’s probably feng shui.

4. Make time for your friends
Your family can survive without you while you make time to see friends. You are a woman with your own identity and its imperative that you and that identity go out for some margaritas once in awhile!

5. Stop blowing yourself off
While you may be the one taking care of everyone, it doesn't mean you can't also get what you want. Help your family realize your needs are as important as theirs and when mom is happy, everyone is happy, but when mom is not....

6. Get in the zone
Take 10 minutes to do absolutely nothing but rest. Take a break from your day, close your eyes, breath in slowly and deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Repeat several times. Think about a place you love that is relaxing, spend 10 minutes there in your mind.

7. Remember your dreams and goals
Everyday we are encouraging our children to reach their full potential. But sometimes in the midst of being a parent we forget about our own dreams and goals. The best thing you can do to encourage a child is to lead by example –happy moms hold on to their dreams and goals and don’t let go.

8. Be lighthearted
Don't be the uptight mom. Be silly and dance with your kids to their music or tv show tunes. Be romantic and pull your partner into a waltz. Dance in slippery socks in your kitchen while making dinner.

9. Bend the Rules
One of the best parts of making the rules is occasionally breaking them. Maybe it’s taking your child out of school for half a day on their birthday, or waking them up in the middle of the night to see a sky of shooting stars. Happy moms know how to turn the mundane into fun.

10. Mind your own business
Concentrate on creating your life the way you want it. Take care of you and your family. Don’t get overly concerned with what other people are doing or saying. Don’t get caught up with gossip or name calling. Stop seeking the validation of others and be confident in yourself.

Giant Jesus statue completed in Polish town

2010-11-07T05:51:00.000-08:00

A gigantic statue of Jesus that Poles claim is the world's largest rose majestically above a small town on Saturday, as the grandiose dream of a local priest finally came to pass.

The white statue with outstretched arms and golden crown rising above the western Polish plains in Swiebodzin provides competition to Rio de Janiero's iconic Christ the Redeemer.

The mayor of the western Polish town, Dariusz Bekisz, claims it is now the world's tallest.

Rev. Sylwester Zawadzki, the 78-year-old priest who created the statue said it rises 108 feet, or 33 meters — one meter for every year that Jesus lived. Other members of the construction team, however, gave differing figures. One said it rises 167 feet (51 meters) if you include a mound it sits on and the crown on the head.

By comparison, the statue in Brazil's Rio is 125 feet (38 meters) tall.

While it wasn't possible to verify the exact height of the new statue, there was no doubt that "Christ the King," as the golden-crowned Polish statue is called, cut an imposing sight as it was finally completed.

It has divided Poles and underlined the deep cultural divide between a deeply Catholic population and an increasingly confident secular society — with many mocking the statue project as tacky.

But many residents in Swiebodzin welcome it. They believe it will put their town of 22,000 on the map for tourists and Roman Catholic pilgrims and bring in needed money to renovate the historic buildings in the tiny town center.

"I am extremely proud," said Danuta Gordzelewska, a 60-year-old who watched as the statue's head was lowered into place.

Gordzelewska has donated money to the statue, which was funded by contributions from as far away as Canada. "It's special to watch something being built that later generations will have."

After many delays, a crane on Saturday morning lifted the arms and shoulders and slowly placed them onto the figure's lower body. Hours later, workers hoisted on the head, which is crowned with a golden king's crown — rather than the crown of thorns favored in Christian iconography.

Hundreds of onlookers then broke into applause, and some prayed, grasping rosaries. Workers in safety helmets and neon vests gathered at the base of the statue for a group photo, and Rev. Sylwester Zawadzki, the 78-year-old priest who created the statue, waded into an adoring crowd.

"I have never been as happy as I am today," he said, beaming but clearly exhausted after seeing through the project that experienced setbacks and delays.

Zawadzki, known in town as "the builder priest" after also erecting two churches and other buildings, said he felt that he was called by Jesus to build the statue.

"This is the culmination of my life's work as a priest," he told onlookers and reporters who pressed around him.

"I felt inspired to fulfill Jesus' will, and today I give thanks to him for allowing me to fulfill his will."

The priest, wearing a dark coat over his black robe, turned to walk away and local people flocked after him, some shaking his hand. "We thank you! We thank you!" they chanted.

The project faced numerous problems along the way. A skeptical bishop put the brakes on it at one point and state officials also suspended the project for some time, fearing the size made it unsafe. The priest had a heart attack but recovered.

More recently, an attempt to finally mount the figure had to be aborted because it turned out that the crane at hand was not powerful enough to lift the arms and shoulders — weighing 30 tons (27 metric tons) — onto the standing body. A more powerful crane was obtained but further delays were caused this week by heavy winds.

Zawadzki said he kept the faith all along.

"I never had any doubts, not even for a minute," he said.

Is It Michael Or Is It Memorex?

2010-11-07T05:47:00.000-08:00

Nearly a year and a half after Michael Jackson's shocking death, the public's appetite for all things Thrilling remains voracious. So to feed that need, this week it was announced that a Jackson-themed Cirque Du Soleil show directed by MJ's Dangerous Tour choreographer Jamie King is in the works, and, even more thrillingly, that an album of all-new unreleased Michael material, no-brainingly titled Michael, will be in stores in time for the holidays. But perhaps the more suitable title for that album should be This Is It?, because according to Michael's own children and mother, some of the songs on the album are fakes.

Three to five of the 10-12 tracks on Michael, out December 14 on Sony, were allegedly recorded at the New Jersey home of producer Eddie Cascio in 2007, when Michael and his children stayed there for four months working on remixes for the 25th-anniversary reissue of Thriller. Michael's son, Prince Michael, said this week that none of what he heard recorded then matches what he hears now on Michael, and that he believes the Cascio cuts were recorded posthumously by a Michael soundalike. Prince's sister, Paris, corroborated these claims--as did Michael's mother, Katherine, during an Oprah interview. Joe Jackson, Michael's dad, also protested the songs via a statement by his attorney.

Sony reps, of course, claim they have performed voice-authentication tests with "sound experts" who concluded that the vocals on the album indeed belong to none other than the King Of Pop. The label also issued a teaser preview of one of the Cascio-produced songs, "Breaking News," so that fans could listen to it and judge for themselves. However, since the teaser was almost entirely instrumental, except for a couple yelps in the final seconds, it didn't really do much to dispel the Jackson clan's claims. Listen to it below...does that "ow!" sound like Michael Jackson to you, or an impostor?

Perhaps this issue will be resolved when the full version of "Breaking News" starts streaming Monday, November 8, on Michael Jackson's official website.

In other big album news, Taylor Swift experienced quite a thriller of her own this week, when her hugely anticipated third album, Speak Now, sold a whopping 1,047,000 copies in its first week, a feat almost unheard-of in the struggling music biz these days. It was the biggest one-week sales tally since the first-week sales of 1,141,000 for 50 Cent's The Massacre in March 2005; the second-biggest one-week tally for an album by a female solo artist; the second-biggest one-week tally for a country album; and the biggest one-week sales ever for an album by a female country artist. And Taylor must be psyched to know that at least 1,047,000 people have now heard her diss song about John Mayer. FYI, John's most recent studio album, 2009's Battle Studies, has only sold 880,000 copies U.S. to date.

Meanwhile, Taylor's other nemesis, Kanye West, continued his promotional-blitz countdown to his fifth album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, which comes out just in time for Black Friday and is also expected to be one of the biggest releases of the year. 'Ye conducted a live Ustream chat with fans, revealed his "censored" album artwork, had naked pictures of himself leak online, signed on to perform in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade...but perhaps the best promotion he received all week surprisingly came from ex-President George W. Bush. In an interview for NBC's "Matt Lauer Reports" to promote his forthcoming memoir Decision Points, Bush bizarrely cited Kanye's infamous "George Bush doesn't care about black people" comment on a live Hurricane Katrina telethon as the lowest moment of his presidency. This was actually the second time a U.S. president had criticized Kanye--Barack Obama called him a "jackass" last year after that Taylor Swift VMAs incident--and really, most rappers just can't buy that kind of publicity, not even in their most beautiful dark twisted fantasies.

Finally,however you're planning to buy any of the above-mentioned albums, be warned: Do NOT download them illegally. Otherwise, you might end up like Minnesota mother Jammie Thomas-Rasset, who in her third jury trial this week was ordered to pay Capitol Records $1.5 million for illegally downloading 24 songs. That breaks down to about $62,500 per track, and that's a pretty hefty price to pay for any tune...even if Michael Jackson really is singing on it.

The simple secret to great sleep

2010-11-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

You already know that pregnancy pains and hot flashes can keep you tossing and turning at night. But there's a host of other, less-heralded health concerns that may be silently interfering with your shut-eye. Here's how to deal with these stealth sleep stealers, decade by decade.

YOUR 20s and 30s

Check your thyroid. New moms usually blame sluggishness or insomnia on the demands of parenthood, says Dr. Laura Corio, an OB-GYN in private practice in New York City and attending physician at Mt. Sinai Medical Center. But the true culprit may be postpartum thyroiditis, which 5 to 10 percent of women develop in the year following delivery.

Typically, it starts with mild hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid), which can rev you up and set off insomnia. After a couple of months, the condition may swing to hypothyroidism, in which a lack of thyroid hormone slows your body's functions, leaving you feeling constantly tired. If you're too jumpy to sleep or have extreme fatigue postpartum, see your doctor.

Say goodbye to sadness. Feeling blue can pack a double whammy when it comes to sleep: Not only can depression (which women are most likely to suffer from during their childbearing years) cause sleep problems such as insomnia, but some antidepressant medications may have sleep-related side effects.

Donna Arand, Ph.D., clinical director of the Kettering Sleep Disorders Center in Dayton, Ohio, and an American Academy of Sleep Medicine spokeswoman, recommends a two-fold treatment for insomnia with depression: cognitive behavioral therapy, a therapeutic approach which can be used specifically to target insomnia and bad sleep habits, plus talk therapy aimed at alleviating depression, adding or adjusting medication as appropriate. (The antidepressant trazodone may help with both insomnia and depression.)

YOUR 40s

Notice when you go at night. If you're waking up to pee a lot more lately, don't assume it's a sign of aging -- you might actually have a urinary tract infection (UTI).

"Decreasing estrogen levels in the mid-40s leads to a thinning of the lining of the vagina and bladder, which makes perimenopausal women more prone to infection," says Corio, author of "The Change Before The Change."

Corio adds that women in their early 40s are often very sexually active, which can also lead to more UTIs. Talk to your doc if you notice a change in your bathroom habits.

Deepen zzz's with exercise. Deep, restorative sleep (called delta or slow-wave sleep) decreases in your late 40s, making nighttime awakenings more frequent.

Working out more may help. Your muscles and tissues are repaired during slow-wave sleep, Arand explains. When you give your body more repair work to do thanks to increased physical exertion, it responds by stepping up the amount of slow-wave sleep you'll get.

The type of exercise that's best for triggering slow-wave sleep isn't clear, but aim for 30 minutes of moderate aerobic activity on most days, suggests Wilfred R. Pigeon, Ph.D., director of the Sleep and Neurophysiology Research Lab at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

YOUR 50s+

Mind your meds. Prescription drugs you may be taking for high blood pressure and cholesterol could affect your pillow time. Diuretics (used to treat hypertension) can necessitate nighttime visits to the bathroom, says Dr. Annabelle Volgman, a cardiologist and the medical director of the Heart Center for Women at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

If your doc says it's OK, try taking your pills in the morning instead of the evening. And statins for cholesterol-control can deplete your body's muscles of co-enzyme Q10, a natural protein required for normal functioning of muscle cells; the resulting muscle aches might make falling asleep a challenge.

If that sounds like you, Volgman suggests asking your doctor if you might benefit from taking a co-Q10 supplement.

Saw less wood. If you're a heavy snorer, your bedmate might not be the only one whose sleep is suffering. Chronic snoring is a major sign of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a disorder in which breathing briefly stops periodically while you sleep, interrupting and worsening the quality of your snooze time. OSA can have some heavy consequences, such as worsening or increasing the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, or stroke.

"The risk of developing sleep apnea increases after menopause when progesterone levels drop," Arand says -- possibly because progesterone may help the muscles of the upper airway stay open.

Being overweight is also a big risk factor for OSA (and weight gain is a common occurrence during menopause); in some cases, slimming down can actually cure the disorder. Talk to your doctor about your sleep issues; with treatment, you could be snoozing more peacefully in no time.

Kobe, not LeBron among NBA’s highest paid

2010-11-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

The formation of the Miami Heat super team has been the dominant NBA storyline for the past four months as fans weighed the merits of the game’s best players joining forces to win a title. Two-time MVP LeBron James(notes) took the most criticism as even Dan Gilbert, the owner of his former team, called James selfish among other names in his infamous letter to fans.

James might be guilty of a few things in his move to Miami, but being selfish isn’t one of them. James and new teammates Dwyane Wade(notes) and Chris Bosh(notes) all left money on the table this summer when they signed with the Heat thanks to the league’s salary cap. James and Bosh will make $14.5 million apiece in salary this season, while Dwyane Wade’s deal is worth $14 million. None of them are among the 20 top-paid players in the game.

The NBA’s highest-paid player is guard Kobe Bryant(notes), who last season led the Los Angeles Lakers to its fifth title since he entered the league in 1996. This season he is the NBA’s highest-paid player for the first time in his career with a salary of $24.8 million.

Bryant inherits the title from Tracy McGrady(notes) who last season still reaped the benefits of a $63 million, three-year contract extension he signed in 2004 before injuries forced him to miss 60 percent of his team’s games the past two years. Kevin Garnett(notes) held bragging rights as the NBA’s top earner in the three seasons before McGrady.

Bryant signed a three-year, $83.5 million extension in April with the Lakers that will make him the highest-paid player through the 2013-14 season in which he is set to earn $30.5 million. He will be the first NBA player to make more than $30 million since Michael Jordan during the 1997-98 season. The NBA is looking to enact a salary rollback as part of its next collective bargaining agreement with the players, which would knock Bryant under $30 million if successful. Bryant and Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki are the only NBA players with no-trade clauses in their contracts.

NBA owners are bracing for a battle with players over their collective bargaining agreement, which expires after this season, and a lockout is a strong possibility. Owners lament about losses that reached $380 million last year according to the NBA and want to cut salaries by $800 million, or 35 percent. Yet it is the owners who are guilty of handing out dozens of rich contracts to players where the production does not match the pay.

The NBA’s best players are not its highest-paid. Each year there are 10 players selected to the All-NBA first and second teams. Out of those 10 players chosen last year, Kobe Bryant is the only player that is also among the game’s 10 highest-paid this season.

Bryant deserves his role as the highest-paid player with his championship pedigree and individual accolades that include selections for: All-Star games (12 times), All-NBA teams (eight times), All-NBA defensive teams (eight times) and All-Star MVP (three times). Some of the other highest-paid players are head-scratchers though.

Take the second highest-paid player in the game: Orlando Magic forward Rashard Lewis(notes). Lewis signed a $118 million, six-year deal in 2007 that pays him $20.5 million this season. Lewis scored 14 points a game last year and averaged 4.5 rebounds. ESPN’s John Hollinger devised a player efficiency rating, which had Lewis ranked 48th out of 71 power forwards last season. Lewis has no right being in the league’s financial elite. He deserves closer to the NBA average salary of $5 million which would mean a 75 percent pay cut.

The No.3 and No. 4 highest-paid are veterans Garnett and Tim Duncan(notes) who will earn $18.8 million and $18.7 million respectively this season. The two are among the best power forwards to ever play the game (Duncan is arguably the best) and have earned 25 All-Star nods between them. They are still productive players (Hollinger ranked Duncan fifth and Garnett 30th among all players last season in his ratings). Yet both are on the back-ends of their career and their teams play them only 30 minutes a game to keep them fresh for the playoffs.

No. 5 Michael Redd(notes) ($18.3 million) and No. 9 Yao Ming(notes) ($17.7 million) played 12 games between them last year as both were hit with injuries. No. 8 Gilbert Arenas(notes) has played in only 19 percent of Washington Wizards games the past three years thanks to various injuries and a half-season suspension for bringing guns into the locker room last December. Other high-priced players like No. 6 Andrei Kirilenko(notes) and No. 10 Zach Randolph(notes) have not lived up to their lofty contracts.

LeBron James might not be among the NBA’s top-paid on the court, but James and Bryant are in a class by themselves when you factor in endorsement incomes. James will earn more than $40 million in salary and endorsements thanks to his deals with Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Nike, State Farm and Upper Deck. Bryant’s total take should hit $50 million when you factor in endorsements. No other NBA player will earn more than $30 million from salary and sponsors.

Seven Clunker Cars To Avoid

2010-11-06T08:28:00.000-07:00

Things have been looking up for troubled American automakers. In October General Motors saw sales across all four of its brands (Chevy, Buick, Cadillac and GMC) rise 22% year-over-year. Chrysler's sales were up 37% during the same period, and Ford Motor's sales climbed more than 20%.

But overall life is still giving Detroit lemons: All seven vehicles on our roundup of 2010's biggest clunkers come from GM and Chrysler.

Ford Motor alone among the Big Three escaped the list, thanks to improvements in product construction and reliability--changes that took years to plan and implement, but have slowly gained critical and consumer recognition. And while industry experts say American consumers can expect good things from Detroit within the next couple of years, they aren't as optimistic about what's in showrooms right now.

Behind the Numbers

To determine 2010's biggest clunkers, we revisited a series of worst-of-the-worst lists, starting with our own The Most Dangerous Cars On The Road, Most Dangerous Trucks on the Road and Cars that Lose Their Value the Fastest. (We included depreciation rates because depreciation is the biggest expense of owning a car, and gives insight into whether consumers like their cars, and if they perceive them as reliable.)

We also looked at the 34 least-reliable cars as rated by Consumer Reports, and all vehicles that received a score of two stars or less on JD Power and Associates' annual dependability ratings. Any 2010 model car that appeared on at least three of these five lists makes our final ranking of the year's biggest clunkers. We did not include clunkers from now-defunct brands like Pontiac and Saturn.

It's All Relative

The car models on our list may rank at the bottom when you compare them to other new vehicles in their class. But just because a car counts as a "clunker" doesn't mean it's inherently dangerous or unreliable. Automobiles released in 2010 are safer, more reliable and better-made than cars made just a decade ago, and they're vastly better than anything made in the 1940s and '50s.

"If you're going to [ask about] unsafe cars in the market, or unreliable cars the market ... you'd have to say there aren't any," says Karl Brauer, senior automotive analyst at automotive website Edmunds.com. "You're really just down to the least-good cars, the cars that are below average."

Brauer says improvement comes mostly as a result of increasingly strict federal standards, which will continue to require safer and more efficient vehicles in the future. Two brands that have jumped ahead of the pack in those terms, according to Brauer? Korea's Hyundai and Kia.

Bottom of the Barrel

Still, it's impossible to ignore when a new car simply doesn't perform. Take Chrysler's Jeep Wrangler SUV: While it enjoys a fiercely loyal following of off-road and vintage-loving drivers, it doesn't perform as well as its competitors on federal and private safety tests.

Consumer Reports gave the Wrangler only 17 out of 100 points overall (anything above 70 is considered a "good" score) and criticized its ride, handling, braking, noise, fuel economy, fit and finish, visibility, front-seat comfort and access. The SUV received a less-than-glowing assessment: "We expect reliability to be worse than average, according to our latest subscriber survey," the Yonkers, N.Y.-based agency said.

Another Chrysler-made vehicle, the Sebring sedan, also appears on the list of clunkers. It's notoriously below-average in agility and performance tests and a frequent recipient of well-below-average reliability scores.

"The Sebring is one of the least competitive family sedans on the market," says Consumer Reports. "We found the 2.4-liter engine noisy and unrefined, and four-speed automatic unresponsive. The ride is unsettled, and handling is ungainly but ultimately secure. The interior has cheap, hard plastics, poor panel fit and uncomfortable seats." It's no surprise that the Sebring will be discontinued after the 2010 model year, to be replaced with the Chrysler 200.

Silver Lining For Detroit

Even though General Motors cars account for nearly half of the models on this list, it's not all bad news for the manufacturer: The three brands that saw the biggest year-over-year increases in new U.S. registrations are also Buick, Cadillac and GMC.

Tom Libby, an automotive analyst for R.L. Polk, says the strong showing in sales of those GM brands supports the notion that the auto industry is still "all about product." Buick's 58% increase over last year is due mostly to the recent introduction of the all-new Regal sedan, as well as nearly doubled sales of the updated Buick Lacrosse. Cadillac's 44% rise has been driven by a tripling in deliveries of the redesigned SRX.

"There are some hard facts working in [GM's] favor," Libby wrote this week in his earnings report. Indeed. GM is eliminating clunker cars like the Chevy Aveo, which was listed as one of the most dangerous cars of the year on Forbes' annual roundup, and rated by Consumer Reports as one of the least reliable compact vehicles on the road. GM is said to be planning a name-change for the subcompact when its refreshed version hits showrooms next year.

Redesigned and rebranded 2011 models should create positive buzz for American automakers. "The domestics are designing exciting vehicles such as the Malibu or the Taurus or the Enclave," says Eric Ibara, director of residual value consulting for Kelley Blue Book. "They're finally coming up with vehicles customers want to buy."

As early as next year consumers will see significant improvements in several key models from Detroit, Ibara says. In short: Don't splurge on a new car until the new models hit the market. You'll be glad you waited.

Top Five Clunker Cars To Avoid
Chevrolet Aveo

Segment: Subcompact sedan
Worst-of lists: Most Dangerous Cars, Consumer Reports Least Reliable Cars, Two Stars or Lower on JD Power Dependability Ratings
MSRP: $11,965
Chevrolet Colorado

Segment: Pickup truck
Worst-of lists: Most Dangerous Trucks, Consumer Reports Least Reliable Cars, Two Stars or Lower on JD Power Dependability Ratings
MSRP: $16,985
Chrysler Sebring Convertible

Segment: Convertible
Worst-of lists: Worst Resale Value, Consumer Reports Least Reliable Cars, Two Stars or Lower on JD Power Dependability Ratings
MSRP: $27,850
Chrysler Sebring Sedan

Segment: Sedan
Worst-of lists: Worst Resale Value, Consumer Reports Least Reliable Cars, Two Stars or Lower on JD Power Dependability Ratings
MSRP: $20,120
GMC Canyon

Segment: Pickup truck
Worst-of lists: Most Dangerous Trucks, Consumer Reports Least Reliable Cars, Two Stars or Lower on JD Power Dependability Ratings
MSRP: $17,045

Kelly Osbourne credits 'Dancing With the Stars' for weight loss poses in bikini and praises Bristol Palin

2010-11-06T08:22:00.001-07:00

Kelly Osbourne says Dancing With the Stars, the ABC ballroom dancing show she participated in last year, is the main reason she slimmed down to a size 2.

The 26-year-old, who appeared heftier when she starred with her rocker-father Ozzy in the reality series The Osbournes several years ago, is set to soon showcase her weight loss by appearing on the cover of Shape magazine in a bikini.

"If it wasn't for you, I would be standing here, Mr. Van Amstel," Osbourne told OnTheRedCarpet.com earlier this week, looking at her former Dancing With the Stars partner, pro-dancer Louis Van Amstel. "He changed my life as well as the show did. He got me eating right. He got me working out. He's a huge part of the reason that I changed."

Osbourne, who placed third on Dancing With the Stars, said she was moved to tears when she saw the first photo from her Shape photoshoot.

"I did my first bikini shot that I’ve ever done in my life and it was one of the most fantastic experiences," she told the Access Hollywood program. "It was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster because I never thought that would be me or I’d ever look like that. I can't wait for you to see the magazine the shoot, it made me cry when I saw the first picture."

Kelly Osbourne poses in gold for Sky TV's Sky-HD campaign. (Photo courtesy of Sky UK) Osbourne posed nearly naked and covered in gold body paint for a photoshoot spoofing Shirley Eaton's role in the James Bond film Goldfinger to promote the UK television network Sky's new HD channel package.

Osbourne also praises current Dancing With the Stars contestant Bristol Palin, the daughter of former governor of Alaska Sarah Palin.

"Peopel better vote for her because she's what the show is all about," Osbourne said about Bristol Palin. "She's had no experience dancing before, let alone performing experience and she's just getting better and better every week and I applaud her."

Pacquiao earns good- bad ‘Rocky’ comparisons

2010-11-05T08:21:00.000-07:00

Every boxer thinks he’s Rocky Balboa, at least the Rocky who’s beating on a side of frozen beef, climbing a Siberian mountain or running after a grease-lightning-fast chicken. The one who makes primitive training seem wise and heroic.

On the most recent edition of HBO’s “24/7,” at least one member of Manny Pacquiao’s camp brought up a different kind of Balboa – the one who had grown rich and famous and distracted at the start of “Rocky III.” That Rocky joked with reporters at training camp, posed for pictures with celebrities and didn’t fully commit to his training.
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Is Manny Pacquiao fully committed to his training ahead of his Nov. 13 bout? Does it matter?

“Sylvester Stallone was training in a hotel and media was all around and cameras,” Alex Ariza, Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning trainer, said. “He was fighting Clubber Lang and he went in there and got destroyed.”

You don’t normally see a team joke about its own fighter, but then again, the parallels to Pacquiao’s training for his Nov. 13 fight against Antonio Margarito were obvious.

He skipped a training session to meet with the president of the Philippines, sang “Imagine” with Will Ferrell on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” (“Will Ferrell is a funny guy,” Pacquiao said) and even jetted to Nevada to campaign for Sen. Harry Reid.

Meanwhile, in humble Oxnard, Calif., playing the controversial and driven role of Mr. T’s Clubber Lang, was Margarito, who routinely has a trainer smack his abs with a stick in some sort of medieval toughening test.

Pacquiao is Pacquiao, world’s greatest pound-for-pound fighter and as much as a 6-to-1 favorite over Margarito. Just about everyone who has seen the two men fight thinks Pacquiao’s superior hand speed will carry the day when the two clash in Arlington, Texas.

Except what happens if Pacquiao isn’t fully prepared? Does Margarito then stand a chance? On HBO, Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, played the voice-of-caution Mickey Goldmill character perfectly, even declaring that the Philippine portion of fight prep “was probably our worst training camp ever.”

Wednesday, Roach was singing a different tune. Maybe he just wants to psych Margarito out. Or maybe once Pacquiao got to the Wild Card Boxing Club in California, he was able to settle down. Or maybe for a fighter who seems to thrive in chaos, no amount of distractions matter. After all, Pacquiao is the guy who once had so many friends crashing in his fight-week hotel room, he wound up sleeping on the floor.

“Believe me, we haven’t taken this fight lightly,” Roach said. “Manny is a professional. He’s always known how to get into shape. Manny is always a multitasker. There’s no way [Margarito has] trained harder than us, and it will show on the 13th.”

As for that “worst training camp ever” line and all of the general concern coming from Roach, the trainer said he would grade this camp as a B. It was the “worst” because all the other camps graded out as A’s.

“Nothing to worry about,” Pacquiao added. “Tell the fans there’s nothing to worry about.”

The mere suggestion that Pacquiao hasn’t trained at his typical relentless level isn’t a real good way to convince fans to plop down their pay-per-view money. Then again, a less-than-100 percent Pacman might be susceptible to an upset.

No one wants to see another complete domination like the one Joshua Clottey suffered at the hands of Pacquiao last March. Clottey was so outclassed he hardly bothered to fight, preferring to avoid punishment and go the distance.

Yahoo! Sports interviewed Pacquiao ahead of his Joshua Clottey bout earlier this year. Here are exclusive images from that session.

“It’ll be a lot better than the Clottey fight because everyone knows Margarito throws punches,” Roach said.

The trainer sounded supremely confident. He brushed off Margarito’s size advantage, saying speed would be the deciding factor. He dismissed Margarito’s punching power as a non-threat.

“I don’t see this as being a difficult fight at all,” Roach said.

Almost everyone else has heard the stories and watched the fighters’ concentration levels during the respective training camps and at least paused to wonder what was up. Even promoter Bob Arum thought Pacquiao looked like a big underdog, not the overwhelming favorite, the first time he saw him in the Philippines.

Around the game of boxing, Manny’s commitment level is the topic of discussion.

“I think Pacquiao will be slower and I think Margarito will be quicker because of the mitt work and the combination punching he’s been doing with [trainer] Robert Garcia,” veteran trainer Joe Goossen told Yahoo! Sports’ Kevin Iole. “The pendulum swings both ways. Margarito is hungry, motivated; he’s in great shape and he’s a big guy.

“On the other side, you have a guy who is now a congressman, whose trainer has been complaining that he hasn’t been putting the work in the way he has in the past. He’s got a lot of things on his mind other than Margarito – and with Margarito as hungry as he is, that’s not a good thing when you look at it from Manny’s standpoint.”

Perhaps. Or perhaps Pacquiao is playing coy and will be as indestructible as ever. Underestimate Manny at your own risk. He didn’t get to be the best by accident.

Wednesday, Team Pacquiao expressed an air of confidence and brushed aside all criticism and concern. That’s what favorites do; it’s straight out of the prefight handbook of trying to crush the confidence of the underdog.

It’s what Rocky did before fighting Clubber Lang, too.

Conan O’Brien Is Playboy’s December Interview

2010-11-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

He grew up in Boston and now is back in the spotlight… again. And for it Conan O’Brien is Playboy’s December Interview.

O’Brien, who was kicked off NBC’s Tonight Show in January, has a new show on TBS that debuts November 8.

Playboy Contributing Editor Rob Tannenbaum interviewed O’Brien for the piece and they talked about O’Brien’s time with NBC, his former co-worker Jay Leno, and what to expect on his new show.

O’Brien told Tannenbaum that although both his and Leno’s studios are in Burbank and NBC isn’t that far away, he doesn’t anticipate bumping into Leno. He also says that unless Leno is on his show as a musical guest he will not be invited to appear.

Tannenbaum also treaded into the realm of drug and alcohol use with O’Brien asking if he imbibes. O’Brien shared a story about how after being on television for a short time he went to a doctor. The doctor asked him if he used drugs and when O’Brien said no, the doctor asked ‘You don’t do cocaine?’ O’Brien went on to explain that the doctor told him he had seen the show and assumed O’Brien used cocaine.

O’Brien says the new show will be different than any show he’s done, and he will over think it.

“At the end of the day, it’s going to be me doing whatever is in my power to entertain people for an hour,” he told Tannenbaum. I’ll break any rule. I’ll use dangerous chemicals if I have to. I will meddle with the laws of God.”

Jobs That Let You Flex Your Freedom

2010-11-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

Check out these jobs that let you enjoy work-life balance and earn good money.
Feel like your 9-to-5 is putting a stranglehold on your life?
If you're suffocating in your current job, don't lose heart.
With the right training and education, you can qualify for a flexible job that pays.

If you're ready to flex your freedom, here are eight career options that are perfect for people who need more breathing room in their work schedules.
Career #1 - Medical Assistant

Medical assistants keep doctor's offices running smoothly by handling both administrative and clinical duties. As a medical assistant, you might update and file patients' medical records, answer phones, greet patients, and handle scheduling and billing. You might also record vital signs, perform basic laboratory tests, and draw blood.

Freedom Factor: Many medical assistants make a good living by working part time, evenings, or weekends. It's a win-win situation - you can benefit from the flexible schedules available at 24-hour health care facilities, and you will walk away with a feeling of satisfaction earned by helping others.

[Find schools offering Medical Assisting programs now]

Training: Prepare for a career as a medical assistant by completing a certificate or diploma program, or by earning your associate's degree. In these programs, you generally learn about career-relevant topics like medical terminology, lab techniques, transcription, and insurance processing.

Salary: Median annual wages for medical assistants are around $28,300, but earnings vary depending on experience, skill level, and location. The highest 10 percent averaged at more than $39,570 in May 2008.
Career #2 - Graphic Designer

Graphic designers create and communicate ideas visually, verbally, and in writing. As a graphic designer, you could find yourself developing and designing publications, creating brochures for products, or even designing logos for businesses.

Freedom Factor: Freelance graphic designers often work from home offices and can set their own hours. If you're a creative person, you may find many jobs repetitive and stifling... but not this one!

Training: Earning an associate's degree or certificate in graphic design from a two-year or three-year professional school should qualify you as an assistant to a graphic designer.

Salary: According to the American Institute of Graphic Arts, staff-level graphic designers had a median salary of $45,000 in 2008.

[Find Graphic Design schools near you]
Career #3 - Police Officer

Police officers work hard to protect lives and property. As a police officer, you might spend a lot of time writing reports, maintaining incident records, apprehending criminals, responding to calls, and investigating suspicious activity. Sound like fun? You're in luck...the job can also be quite flexible.

Freedom Factor: Some police departments are instituting programs like the LAPD's Compressed Work Schedule. You work a few longer shifts, but have more consecutive days off. That might mean working three 12-hour days a week, or four 10-hour days a week. If you're someone who can't stand being cooped up in an office all day, police work offers a definite change of pace.

Training: Applicants should have a high school education. Physical education and participation in sports are encouraged, as they develop competitiveness, stamina, and agility. For those seeking further education to prepare for this career, you can look into degree programs in criminal justice, police science, administration of justice, or public administration.

Salary: Police and sheriff's patrol officers have median annual wages of about $51,410. Many departments pay higher salaries to officers who earn one of the degrees mentioned above.

[Search for top Criminal Justice schools]
Career #4 - Medical Transcriptionist

Medical transcriptionists listen to and transcribe dictated recordings made by doctors and other health care professionals. As a medical transcriptionist, you would need to understand medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, diagnostic procedures, pharmacology, and treatment assessments.

Freedom Factor: A great many medical transcriptionists work at home, thanks to the growing practice of receiving dictation over the Internet. If you're one of these home-based medical transcriptionists, you get to decide your own hours. It's up to you whether you work full time, part time, evenings, or weekends.

[Find great Medical Transcriptionist training programs now]

Training: Completion of a two-year associate's degree or one-year certificate program is highly recommended, but not always required. Many programs include supervised on-the-job experience.

Salary: Medical transcriptionists had a median hourly wage of $15.41 in May 2008, with the top 10 percent of transcriptionists earning more than $21.81 per hour.
Career #5 - Sales Representative

Sales representatives can make their sales calls in person or over the phone. As a sales rep, you might work for a single organization or several companies. Your job could include a lot of travel, or you could work mostly by phone.

Freedom Factor: While most sales calls take place during regular business hours, a lot of the paperwork and strategy involved with sales can be completed at any time of day. That means you can determine your own work schedule and arrange meetings around it.

Training: If you're dealing with scientific and technical products, a bachelor's degree may be required. For other jobs, a high school diploma is enough. If you'd like more preparation for this career, courses in marketing, economics, and communications, may give you the edge you need to make your sales.

Salary: Median annual wages for technical and scientific products sales representatives are around $70,200, including commissions. For sales representatives who don't deal with technical and scientific products, median annual wages are around $51,330, including commissions.

[Look into Marketing/Communications degree programs now]
Career #6 - Web Developer/Designer

Web developers and designers use their skills to design and create interactive media. As a web developer or designer, you might design projects for web sites, mobile phones, and other interactive media using a variety of graphic design and animation software.

Freedom Factor: Web developers or designers might work in an office or in their own home. If you're a freelance developer or designer, you can work at any hour of the day or night...as long as you keep your client's deadlines in mind.

Training: The coursework for an associate's degree or certificate in graphic design will teach you the technical requirements necessary for this job. If you want to work for a design firm, a bachelor's degree may be required.

Salary: According to national salary data from PayScale.com, the average salary for web designers in October 2010 was $33,859-$50,213.

[Explore your creativity with the right Web Design program]
Career #7 - Teacher

Teachers play a critical role in fostering the intellectual and social development of children. As a teacher, you will plan and assign lessons, prepare and grade tests, and meet with parents and school staff to talk about students' academic progress and personal situations. You might also act as a coach or even assist students in choosing colleges and careers.

Freedom Factor: Just like students, teachers get winter breaks, spring breaks, and summers off. Many teachers use their summers to pursue master's degrees or additional certifications, which in turn raise their salaries.

Training: Most teachers have either a bachelor's or master's degree. All teachers in public schools must have a teaching certificate and a license to teach.

Salary: Median annual wages of kindergarten, elementary, middle, and secondary school teachers range from $47,100 to $51,180.

[Find schools offering Teaching programs now]
Career #8 - Registered Nurse

Registered nurses (RNs) can work in hospitals, schools, community centers, or patient's homes. As a registered nurse, you might treat patients, perform diagnostic tests, administer medications, and help with patient follow-up and rehabilitation.

Freedom Factor: Because hospitals and nursing care facilities are open 24-hours a day, nurses are needed to work all hours of the day, night - and even on weekends. As a nurse, you can arrange a shift that works best for your personal schedule. This could include longer shifts for fewer days a week, leaving you free to spend your time as you want for the rest of your week.

Training: To prepare for a nursing career, consider a bachelor's of science degree in nursing (BSN), an associate's degree in nursing (ADN), or a diploma from an approved nursing program.

Salary: Registered nurses earn an average annual salary of $62,450.

Gasp Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl" Wasn't Christie Brinkley After All

2010-11-05T08:11:00.000-07:00

Pop music's catalog is teeming with songs inspired by real-life women, and a new bombshell book, The Girl In The Song, details 50 female muses behind some of modern music's most iconic recordings, including the Kinks' "Lola," Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline," George Harrison's "Something," Leonard Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel No. 2," the Knack's "My Sharona," Pink Floyd's "See Emily Play," and Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe."

Some of the book's findings are surprising (Neil's ditty was about Caroline Kennedy; the Kinks' Ray Davies wrote about Warhol-affiliated drag queen Candy Darling; Leonard sang about Janis Joplin). But perhaps the book's biggest shocker is that Billy Joel's smash "Uptown Girl" wasn't written about his then-wife Christie Brinkley, who famously played the titular character in that song's video...but by another '80s supermodel, Elle Macpherson.

According to The Girl In The Song authors Michael Heatley and Frank Hopkinson, Billy was vacationing in the Caribbean when something happened to that only occurs during rock-star vacations or maybe in Penthouse Forum letters: He ran into Elle, his future missus Christie, and a then-unknown model/singer named Whitney Houston, all of whom were staying at the same hotel. Billy actually first dated the Australian Elle, not all-American beauty Christie, after that encounter, and Elle was in fact the model who inspired Billy's doo-woppy hit (which was then titled "Uptown Girls," plural). Later, Billy moved on to Christie, switched the song title to be singular, cast Christie in the "Uptown Girl" video, and made her his wife for the next nine years.

You know, we wonder if Christie knew at the time that she wasn't really the uptown girl her downtown-man husband had in mind all long. Well, if she didn't know it then, she certainly does now.

Space shuttle launch delayed by new technical glitch

2010-11-05T08:08:00.000-07:00

A hydrogen leak forced NASA on Friday to delay the launch of the space shuttle Discovery for a fourth time this week, pushing back the blast-off at least until Monday.

The postponement of Discovery's 39th and final flight was announced about six hours before the scheduled 3:04 p.m. EDT launch on a cargo mission to the International Space Station.

As liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen were flowing into the orbiter's fuel tank, a hydrogen leak developed in a venting system between the shuttle and the launch pad.

"We are not going to be able to launch shuttle Discovery on its final mission today," said NASA commentator Allard Beutel.

He said the flight would be delayed at least until Monday.

The shuttle is carrying a storage pod, spare parts and supplies for the space station, as well as a prototype humanoid robot flying as a technology demonstration project.

Managers called off Thursday's launch attempt because of bad weather around the Kennedy Space Center in central Florida. The launch had originally been set for Monday but was delayed twice by other technical glitches.

Discovery's flight is among the last planned for the space shuttle program, which is ending next year to free up money to develop new spaceships and rockets that can travel to asteroids and eventually Mars, places beyond the shuttles' range.

NASA hopes to bolster commercial options for flying astronauts to the space station. Once the shuttles are retired, only Russia will have spaceships that can fly people to the space station.

China, the only other country that has flown humans in space, is not a member of the 16-nation International Space Station partnership.

The station, which cost about $100 billion, has been under construction 220 miles above Earth since 1998.

After Discovery's flight, NASA plans to fly a $2 billion particle detector, known as the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer, to be installed outside the station. The agency also hopes to run a final load of cargo to the outpost next summer.

The U.S. Congress approved the extra flight, estimated to cost about $600 million, but did not appropriate the funds before adjourning for Tuesday's midterm elections.

10-Year-Old Gives Birth in Southern Spain

2010-11-03T06:27:00.000-07:00

A 10-year-old girl has given birth in southern Spain and authorities are evaluating whether to let her and her family retain custody of the baby, an official said Tuesday.

The baby was born last week in the city of Jerez de la Frontera, said Micaela Navarro, the Andalusia region's social affairs minister.

Navarro told reporters the father of the baby is also a minor, and both the mother and the baby were in good health. Her department declined to give details, including the sex of the baby, but said authorities do not consider this a case of rape and that no criminal investigation is under way.

Demi Lovato Leaves Jonas Bros. Tour to Get Treatment for 'Emotional and Physical Issues'

2010-11-03T06:23:00.000-07:00

Demi Lovato stunned fans and the entertainment community with news that she cut short her international tour with Jonas Brothers to enter treatment for what her camp called "emotional and physical issues that she has dealt with for some time."
Demi Lovato's rep say she's seeking help for "emotional and physical issues."

"Demi has decided to take personal responsibility for her actions and seek help," a statement added. "She is doing just that. Demi and her family ask that the media please respect their privacy during this difficult time. She regrets not being able to finish her tour, but is looking forward to getting back to work in the near future."

Choose Your Own Adventure

2010-11-03T06:16:00.000-07:00

It's time to take control of your vacation: to tackle the world at your own pace, without arguments over where to go or how much to spend, with no one to object if you decide to stay out until 3 am (or turn in at 8 pm). By going it alone, you can choose your own adventure and see where the day takes you. We've scoured the globe for amazing escapes—such as scuba diving in Belize, tracking snow leopards in central Asia, and motorcycling through the Dolomites—that are perfect for the solo traveler and for impressing your friends with your adventurousness. Of course, you could bring someone along on any of these vacations, but they'd just cramp your style.

Practicing Yoga in India

On your quest to achieve the perfect tree pose, the last thing you need to see is your partner looking more like a weeping willow (or, worse, executing it perfectly while you're still wobbly). That's why the path to enlightenment is one that's best traveled alone. SwaSwara, a yoga resort with 24 villas in Karnataka (south of Goa, on the Arabian Sea), is happy to take novices, but you'll be better off if you already know the difference between downward dog and warrior pose. On arrival, you'll meet with a resident yoga guru to design a personalized holistic regimen, so be ready to open up. Three hours of yoga and four hours of meditation classes are scheduled each day, ranging from quiet contemplation to laughing yoga, which is said to reduce stress hormones. Meals are strictly meat-free and are prepared with produce picked from the resort's farm and seafood plucked from the surrounding waters. Unlike at many health retreats, wine is available (Indian vintages only), although you might find that settling down on Om Beach to meditate on the pleasures of balancing your inner self—without worrying about anyone else's—to be equally relaxing.

SwaSwara Om Beach, Gokarna, Karnataka, India

Tel: 91 484 266 8221

$1,900 for a seven-night stay, including meals.

Turneffe Island Resort, Turneffe Island, Belize
Turneffe Island Resort, Turneffe Island, Belize
Photo: Courtesy Turneffe Island Resort
Scuba Diving in Belize

Of course you can't chitchat when you're 100 feet under the sea off the coast of Belize, but even if you could, you'd probably still be rendered speechless by one of the most amazing displays on earth. Turneffe Island Resort, a 14-acre private island about an hour-long boat ride from Belize City, has a spa, a white-sand beach, and 21 rooms, the most basic of which have canopy beds and screened patios overlooking the Caribbean Sea. But most importantly, it's near 70 dive sites that teem with green moray eels, angelfish, nurse sharks, and other intriguing aquatic residents. After a day in the water, you'll join fellow guests in the wood-paneled dining room for a family-style meal, and to trade fish tales. With 15 dives in seven days—including a night dive as well as a day trip to the spectacular Blue Hole, a 400-foot-deep limestone sinkhole surrounded by Lighthouse Reef—you'll have lots to talk about.

Turneffe Island Resort, Turneffe Island, Belize

Tel: 800 874 0118
Seven-night dive packages from $2,500 (including single supplement), including meals and dives.

Exploring Egypt Journey for Women
Exploring Egypt Journey for Women
Photo: Courtesy Abercrombie & Kent
Exploring Egypt

We're sorry to say it, but there are some destinations that are more challenging for female travelers. But don't let that stop you: On Abercrombie & Kent's Journeys for Women (to destinations like Egypt, Jordan, and Morocco), you can satisfy your adventurous spirit and skip the stress. Join the 11-day Egypt Unveiled trip, for example, and you'll get plenty of photo ops at the pyramids and tours of pharaoh tombs before setting off on a four-day Nile cruise to comparatively less-trafficked spots such as Dendera (home to one of the country's best-preserved temples), Edfu, and Kom Ombo. The itinerary is a little heavy on "girly" stuff, such as perfume making, henna painting, and a visit to a patisserie, but makes up for it with a lecture by (female) Egyptologist Manal Saad. Factor in stays at luxe hotels like the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo and the Mena House Oberoi, and it's the perfect way to celebrate the sisterhood, without having to actually travel with your own sister.

Abercrombie & Kent

Tel: 800 554 7016

From $7,000 (including single supplement).

Biosphere Expeditions
Biosphere Expeditions
Photo: Courtesy Biosphere Expeditions
Tracking Wildlife Worldwide

If your love of earth's creatures outweighs your passion for creature comforts, book a trip with Biosphere Expeditions: You'll get up close and personal with the world's wildlife while collecting data to aid conservation efforts. You don't need a degree in biology—or any particular skills at all, in fact—but it is work to be taken seriously. Each day, you'll head out into the field with scientists to conduct research. If your loved ones can spare you for two weeks, you can track snow leopards in the mountains of Central Asia's Altai Republic, or cheetahs, leopards, and caracals on the central Namibian savanna. Even if you have only a week, you can still get really hands-on—measuring and tagging flatback turtles on the western coast of Australia, for example. Accommodations are on the basic side (tent camps, eco resorts, or small guest lodges); a post-dinner lecture sums up each day's findings.

Biosphere Expeditions

Tel: 800 407 5761
One-week expeditions from $1,590.

Motorcycling in Europe
Motorcycling in Europe
Photo: Courtesy Adriatic Moto Tours
Motorcycling in Europe

Road trips are great, but making small talk for hours on end, and arguing over who missed the turnoff 20 miles back, can tax any relationship. That's where motorcycles come in. Adriatic Mototours, based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, will set you up with a bike, a GPS, and an amazing route through the wide-open roads and tricky mountain passes of eastern and central Europe (this is not a trip for first-time riders). There are 13 customizable itineraries: The Slovenia Dolomite tour, for example, suggests three days in the Italian mountains with a trip through Slovenia's Julian Alps. But if you want to add some time on the Croatian coast, no problem. The company takes care of all your hotel reservations and provides 24-hour emergency support. Guided group tours are also available (and perhaps best for the directionally challenged); the 11-day Czech Austria circuit makes two daylong pit stops in Prague and Vienna and will test your turning radius on the hairpin-riddled Grossglockner Pass, one of the highest roads in the Alps.

Adriatic Mototours

Tel: 386 41 332 418

Nine-day Slovenia Dolomite self-guided tour from $2,330; eleven-day Czech Austria group tour from $3,750 (including single supplement).

Cooking Class at Mapuyampay
Cooking Class at Mapuyampay
Photo: Courtesy Mapuyampay
Cooking Class in Chile

Had enough of your kin? Why not make an escape and become part of the family at Mapuyampay. Belgian-born chef Ruth Van Waerebeek cooked all over the world before falling in love with Latin cuisine—as well as a Chilean man who's now her husband. Together, they opened this six-room guesthouse in a remote village in the Andean foothills, two hours from Santiago. In addition to whipping up five-course dinners—using fruits, veggies, and herbs from the hotel's organic garden and ingredients sourced from local producers—Van Waerebeek invites guests into her kitchen and shares her skills in four-hour cooking classes focused on traditional Latin favorites. (Note that this isn't just home cooking—Mapuyampay is one of the top schools for Latin cuisine in South America.) So, why go alone? If you burn your first batch of meat-and-onion empañadas, no one back home will be the wiser. And when you put the perfect crust on a crème brûlée made with lúcuma (a pumpkinlike Andean fruit with a sweet maple taste), you won't have to share.

Mapuyampay

Curicó, Chile

Tel: 56 9 9327 2589

Single room, $75 per night; cooking classes, $55.

America's Happiest Companies

2010-11-03T06:13:00.000-07:00

Do you work for one of America's happiest companies?

Studies show that positive employees outperform negative employees in terms of productivity, sales, energy levels, turnover rates and healthcare costs. According to Shawn Achor, Harvard researcher and author of "The Happiness Advantage," optimistic sales people outperform their pessimistic counterparts by up to 37%. In fact, the benefits can be seen across industries and job functions. Doctors with a positive mindset are 50% more accurate when making diagnoses than those that are negative.

Today, a few forward-thinking companies are investing in the happiness of their employees to drive innovation and boost productivity.

"If you infuse fun into the work environment, you will have more engaged employees, greater job satisfaction, increased productivity and a brighter place to be," says Stacy Sullivan, the chief culture officer of Google, who has a telling and rare title at a company often celebrated for its campus and perks.

The tech giant offers its 23,000 employees perks like onsite daycare, dry-cleaning, oil changes and free breakfast, lunch and dinner. Google also hosts "TGIF" weekly staff meetings in which staffers can ask questions of the CEO. Perhaps most creative, Google's encouragement of the "20% project" -- employees use 20% of their work time on a project outside the scope of their jobs -- led to the creation of Gmail and Google Talk.

Other companies are also finding creative ways to increase workplace happiness. Financial firm UBS offers employees a nap room and a Friday beer cart. Beverage company PepsiCo encourages associates to get outside by offering them plots of land to start organic gardens.

Here's a look at some of the happiest companies in the U.S.:

Adobe

Offers employees positive psychology training; onsite cafeterias, fitness facilities and bocce courts; and 80 associations like knitting and book clubs bring employees together based on personal interests.

American Express

Encourages flexible schedules like telecommuting, job-sharing and compressed workweeks; employees are offered paid sabbaticals; gay partners receive health benefits.

Google

Offers onsite childcare and encourages employees to visit children during the day; famously provides free meals and snacks; supplies ping pong tables and videogame stations where employees can break from work.

IBM

According to happiness expert Shawn Achor, MIT researchers studied thousands of IBM employees for a year and found the more social they were the better they performed. Each additional e-mail contact added $948 in revenue. IBM since launched a program to facilitate employee introductions to increase overall happiness.

KPMG

Invests in happiness training; allows employees to take partially paid leaves for up to 12 weeks; encourages flexible scheduling and formal mentoring programs.

Films tell story of WWII elephant rescue in Burma

2010-11-03T06:09:00.000-07:00

British tea planter Gyles Mackrell organized one of the most remarkable rescue missions during World War II — by using elephants when nothing else would do.

Now researchers have released new information that tells, for the first time, the full story of Mackrell's successful effort to use the animals to evacuate hundreds of desperate Burmese refugees stranded by a rain-swollen river. On Monday, Britain's Cambridge University put online a video shot by Mackrell, which together with his diaries and other documents brings to life a feat that with time had faded from public memory.

The material explains how Mackrell, who spent most of his life working as a planter for a tea company in British India, came to the aid of masses of people desperate to escape Burma as the Japanese army advanced. Through his work, he had access to elephants — the only safe way to cross the roiling Dapha river at the Indian border.

Tens of thousands of the refugees â€” many sick and starving â€” had trekked for hundreds of miles through dense jungle in the hope of reaching the Indian border. But by May 1942, those who made it to the border were trapped by monsoons that had turned the Dapha into a torrent.

Mackrell's diaries show that he collected some elephants to travel to the river soon after receiving a call for help from a group of refugees on June 4, 1942. His party rode the elephants for about 100 miles (160 kilometers) before finally reaching the river bank — only to find themselves helpless as they saw that fierce flood waters had trapping Burmese soldiers on river islands.

"On reaching the bank on a big tusker I discovered a number of men on an island surrounded by high and very fierce water," Mackrell, aged 53 at the time, wrote in his diary. "They signaled wildly and made signs to show us they were starving. I made several attempts to get over but it was utterly impossible."

The video shows Mackrell's elephants flailing against the power of the river, up to their eyes in water and struggling to move forward.

Mackrell and his men were about to give up when, the next morning, the waters retreated briefly and he saw an opportunity for his elephants to transport the men to safety.

"Rungdot, a Kampti elephant was the first to be ready and ... by 7 a.m. he was back in camp with the first three refugees," he wrote on June 10, 1942. "The others came in a few at a time and by midday we had the whole 68."

[Video: Sri Lanka’s dwindling elephant herd]

In the weeks that followed, Mackrell and his colleagues set up camp by the Dapha and helped 200 people cross the river.

His exploits were reported in the British press at the time — Mackrell was dubbed "The Elephant Man" — but it wasn't until his family donated the video, his diaries and other accounts by some of those rescued to Cambridge University that the story could be told in full.

"Without the help of Mackrell and others like him, hundreds of people fleeing the Japanese advance would quite simply never have made it," said Kevin Greenbank, an archivist at Cambridge's Center of South Asian Studies.

The donated collection of material will give researchers a new opportunity to study the rescue efforts organized by Mackrell and others like him who helped saved many people during the summer of 1942, Greenbank said.

Annamaria Motrescu, a research associate at the center, said Mackrell was embarrassed by the attention at the time but his story deserves new prominence now.

"It's a remarkable story of courage, spirit and ingenuity that took place at a time when no one was sure what the consequences of the war in the Far East would be. It deserves to be remembered."

Apply now for program scholarship

2010-10-31T08:00:00.000-07:00

Newton - Scholarship funding is available for NORWESCAP Child and Family Resource Services’ accelerated child development associate (CDA) program, which begins in January.

CDA is a credential recognized by the New Jersey Office of Licensing for group teacher qualification. Eligible candidates must be 18- years- old, hold a high school diploma or a GED, and plan to or currently working with children.

Scholarship funding is available for those interested in this accelerated course. The CDA course work, application and assessment fee typical costs $1,255. However, through a special grant NORWESCAP CFRS is able to provide $880 scholarships, bringing the cost for course work and fees to $375.

Call 973-383-3461 to register and apply for the scholarship funding.

Taylor Swift Musician

2010-10-31T07:49:00.000-07:00

Taylor Swift was on hand to unveil her wax doppelganger at Madame Tussauds in New York City Wednesday. The country star, who wore a sparkling Jenny Packham mini to match her wax figure, posted a twitpic of herself eye-to-eye with her double, with the quote, "Bring on all the pretenders..."

Halloween on the Web: Buzz Week in Review

2010-10-31T07:42:00.000-07:00

Few things inspire Web searches like Halloween. The ghostly holiday lit up the Search box this past week with queries on everything from the predictable ("halloween costume ideas") to the bizarre ("fake halloween noodle brains") to the disturbing ("snooki halloween costume"). But that wasn't all — we also noticed a huge number of Web searches on the "Monster Mash." Beware — it's back to infest your ears.

Looking good on Halloween

Halloween is a time for kids to dress up, look creepy, and shake down complete strangers for candy. This week, searches on just about every Halloween theme you can imagine shot up like a zombie rising from the grave. Some of the week's biggest gainers included "history of halloween," which surged over 200%, and "DIY halloween costumes," which more than tripled. Clearly, people are just as eager to save money as they are to look good this Halloween. Among the various costumes searches, a few stood out. "lady gaga costumes" were incredibly popular in the Search box, as were lookups for "jersey shore snooki costume." A bunch of Snooki clones running around, begging for candy? Halloween just got a lot more frightening.

Searching on the 'Mash'

Valentine's Day has a bunch of songs, and so does Christmas. But Halloween? Well, Halloween really only has one. You know which one we're talking about: the "Monster Mash." Yup, the old-school ditty made a huge return to the Search box this week, as folks looking to get into the haunting mood pushed lookups on the tune up over 400%. People also thought to search on "monster mash lyrics" and "monster mash videos." We noticed more than a few searches on "who sings monster mash song." According to Fox News, the original (and most well-known) version of the song was performed and co-written by Bobby "Boris" Pickett. He never had another hit, but unlike most one-hit wonders, his big success keeps coming back every year.

Pumpkin carving 101

If you want to have a successful Halloween, you need not only a pumpkin, but also how-tos on carving it good and scary. Over the past seven days, Web lookups on "pumpkin carving tips" and "pumpkin patterns" surged into breakout status. There were also a slew of searches on specific pumpkin faces. Some of the more popular ones included "darth vader pumpkin pattern," "freddie krueger pumpkin," and "barack obama pumpkin pattern." Less ambitious folks spent their time researching "scary pumpkin faces," while others looked for ways to use up all the scooped-out innards: "how to cook pumpkin seeds" spiked almost 400%.

Rihanna Worried About Recording Eminem Duet Sequel

2010-10-31T07:33:00.000-07:00

RIHANNA is scouring London for the perfect bachelorette pad - she wants to be a U.K. resident.

The Barbados-born Umbrella singer plans to set up home in the British capital and has recruited her assistants to help her find the perfect apartment.

She tells Britain's News of the World, "I spend more time over there (in London) than I spend in L.A., and that's where I live. London is more like my home."

----------------

Rihanna was concerned about recording the sequel to her smash hit with Eminem, "Love The Way You Lie. " Rihanna told MTV, "When I first heard the idea about doing a part two, I was just completely against it. I just felt like you couldn't beat the original. There's no way you can outdo that, so why compete with it?"

Rihanna apparently had a change of heart after hearing what Eminem came up with in the studio.

"We heard a broken-down version that was stripped down, just piano...I fell in love with it. We recorded it, then we did another version to the stripped-down version with drums, then we did another version with drums and Eminem. And then that was the one that just felt really good. I love both: I love the broken-down version, as well as the new one with Eminem."

Rihanna also appeared on SNL last night. She did a music video piece with Andy Samberg as bank robbers “Ronnie and Clyde”; the music was a sleek piece of hip-hop sung by Rihanna.

Debt Busters

2010-10-31T07:29:00.000-07:00

From putting spare change to work to going on a spending fast, these folks found creative ways to chop their debt.

Courtesy: Anna Newell Jones

Jones, 31, dyed her bag blue and her jeans black to extend the color -- instead of buying new clothes.

Anna Newell Jones

Strategy: Go on a spending fast for a year
Advice: Get creative. There are endless ways to save.

I had been spending over my means for a while. Every month I was spending at least $300, overdrafting my account and feeling horrible about it.

I realized I had all these wants and it was an insatiable thing. I would say, "Oh, I love this top from Anthropologie," and then as soon as I got it everything would be great... until I wanted something else. So I knew I needed to do something drastic. And one day, it clicked.

I decided to start a spending fast for the new year, which meant no spending on anything except absolute necessities -- like my mortgage, utilities, car payments -- oh, and hair dyeing. That was one "want" that I turned into a necessity as I started to see my roots grow in.

I can't buy clothes, no coffee out, no eating out. To save money, I've done the normal budgeting things like buying generic brands of groceries. But I've also started wearing all black and dyeing my clothes to extend the color. I've been re-gifting, growing my hair long to avoid haircuts, stuffing two loads of laundry into one and eating a lot of old canned food I've found in my cupboard. I also make random stuff to sell in my spare time. I have a store at Etsy.com where I sell zombie portraits of people, super cute baby onesies and banners, tags and shipping labels.

My year-long spending fast began on January 1, and so far, I have saved $5,772.25. $4,800 of that went to credit cards and the rest will go to paying my parents back the $3,247.97 I owe them and my $10,000 in student loans.

Courtesy: Lance Pickett

Lance Pickett, 32, and his wife put their "wants" on a Dream Board while they pay off their debt, and they track how close they are to paying off their mortgage.

Lance Pickett

Strategy: Live without the little things
Advice: Don't go too far -- like trying cloth diapers to save $60

My wife and I owed $18,000 in student loans, $6,000 in car loans, $2,000 in credit cards and $152,000 in my mortgage.

We were living paycheck to paycheck and I was tired of seeing my bank account zero out every month. So we wanted to get out of as much debt as possible as soon as possible. We started by saving an extra 1/12th of our total required expenses -- like mortgage, utilities and Internet -- each month, in order to have one month worth of bills saved up at the end of the year. Then we got excited and doubled that. In three years we had six months of living expenses and threw that into a high interest CD at 5%. That really got us going, seeing the money grow -- and we became obsessed with eliminating debt.

We just really took a look at what we need and only spending money on those things. I used to eat out a lot and that cost me $200 a month. Now we invite friends to "eat-in" at our house. We have a garden and purchase produce from co-op programs. Before we became debt-obsessed we would also get nice Christmas gifts for each other, but now we limit each other to $50.

Now, if there's something we want we put it on our "Dream Board," a cork board by our bedroom door that we see everyday. And it will stay there until we're debt free. It also has the loan schedule for our house, and each month we scratch off a month. Next to the schedule, we post our ultimate "want" that we agree to purchase -- with cash of course -- once our house is paid off. I have a 2010 Camaro waiting for me.

Cutting back so much has been hard, but we've learned a lot along the way. My wife learned some things are worth paying more for after trying to use cloth diapers -- which most people use as burp rags -- pinned inside training pants with plastic pants over them for our two kids, all so that she could reuse the diapers and not spend $60 a month on Pull-ups. As a result they both got horrible rashes, so we switched to a cheaper brand of regular diapers.

Altogether, we've paid off around $90,000 since 2005.

Courtesy: Jowharah McNeil

McNeil, 32, and her husband collect loose change in a jar to help make monthly payments on their credit card.

Jowharah McNeil

Strategy: Put spare change to work.
Advice: Cut back, use cash.

I was laid off for 18 months and had two credit cards to pay off, so I had to learn to be creative. My husband and I have been trying out a cash-only spending system and we're only allowed to spend $40 a week per person on non-necessities. That means once the cash is gone, it's gone -- no more spending.

While doing this strict new budget, we noticed we had a lot of loose change everywhere -- in our cars, leftover from doing laundry -- so we started collecting all the change we could find and putting it in a jar by the door. Every month, we would use whatever money is in the jar to make payments on one of the credit cards. The minimum payment is only $39, but we usually paid an extra $50 or $60 using the coins we collected so that we can get it totally paid off as soon as possible.

Since we started collecting the coins about six months ago, we've already paid more than $560 of the $1,000 balance on the card, so this is really working for us.

Courtesy: Brian Leigh

Leigh, 29, learned how to cook -- and ate broccoli every day of the week -- to save money and work his way out of debt.

Brian Leigh

Strategy: Track your expenses
Advice: Don't limit yourself too much, or you will give up.

I was able to pay off $22,000 of my $35,000 in credit card debt over the past 24 months just by looking really closely at where I was spending my money.

Being young, I made foolish mistakes with my credit cards, so when I started really wanting to knock out my debt, the biggest thing for me was tracking my expenses. I started by adding up how much I had been spending on meals and found out I was spending almost $55 a week just on lunch at work.

After that, I sat down, got a little notebook and started tracking every single thing I spent money on. I did that for a couple months, and then I came up with a payment plan. After overestimating how little I could live on the first month, I decided to take small steps.

I readjusted my allowance until it worked with my lifestyle. I started to bring my lunch to work four days a week, I shopped for groceries for one week and would then eat only leftovers during the weekend. I learned how to cook and found foods -- like broccoli -- that I can use in multiple meals so I don't have to waste anything.

To make sure my money goes where I need it to go, I set up two checking accounts and two savings accounts. I deposit $250 into the first checking account every two weeks --when I get my paycheck -- to use for everyday expenses. When it runs out, I don't go out.

I put another $250 into the first savings account as an emergency fund. Every five paychecks, I remove $1,000 from this account and apply it toward my credit card debt. I deposit $100 into the second savings account every paycheck. This account is used for long term goals, like a down payment on a house or a big vacation I want to take. Everything else gets deposited into my second checking account, and my bills and rent are automatically paid out of this account. Those automatic payments include an extra $1,000 toward my non-credit card debt -- like my student loans and car loans -- every month.

Courtesy: Jaime Tardy

Tardy, 28, whittled down $70,000 of debt in less than two years by getting on a strict budget.

Jaime Tardy

Strategy: Budget!
Advice: Save, save, save before you quit your day job.

A couple years ago, I decided I wanted to have a baby and quit my job. But there was a problem. My husband and I were in debt, and I made two-thirds of our household income. So I couldn't just quit.

I started out by sitting down and adding up all our debt -- which ended up being around $70,000. The first thing I thought was, 'Wow, we really need to start getting rid of this. We should sell our car right away.'

After some prodding, my husband got on board too. We sold his car and were able to immediately get rid of $19,000 of our total debt. After that, we knew we were totally doing this.

Craigslist and eBay became our best friends, and we sold everything from a kayak to a weight bench and a computer monitor.

My husband did some website design jobs on the side to make some extra money, and we printed out a budget each month so we knew exactly how much we could spend and what we would be spending it on.

We saved on gas costs by limiting the amount of driving we did, and we put ourselves on a grocery budget of $300 a month. On top of that, we cut out cable, lowered our phone bill as much as humanly possible and switched our car insurance twice in one year to find lower rates.

By the time I quit my job for good -- which was less than two years after I started the budget -- we had paid off $70,000 in debt and put $23,000 in the bank as an emergency fund.

Health minister vows to pull dangerous cadmium jewelry

2010-10-30T07:42:00.000-07:00

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq vowed Friday to move quickly to get a number of children's jewelry pieces known to be packed with cadmium off shelves as soon as Parliament passes a new consumer product safety bill giving her the power to recall products.

The legislation, which for the first time gives the minister the power to recall any product deemed to be dangerous to human health and safety, passed the House of Commons Friday with unanimous support from MPs. Unless the bill is delayed in the Senate, it will likely be law by year's end.

And Aglukkaq is ready to use the law's general prohibition clause against dangerous products to recall jewelry found by Health Canada to contain high levels of cadmium if companies balk at doing the right thing.

"One of the first orders of business once (the bill) is passed will be to investigate products that contain high levels of cadmium and taking action if needed -- including recalling the products off shelves," Aglukkaq said.

Until now, Health Canada investigators, backed by a law without mandatory recall powers or a general prohibition against dangerous products, have made little headway.

Since the beginning of 2009, Health Canada has tested dozens of cheap jewelry and found many items made with what Aglukkaq calls "dangerous" levels of the toxic metal, ranging from nine per cent to 93 per cent. Many of the pieces remain in stores and homes.

That's because in some cases, companies declined to recall the jewelry pieces voluntarily unless another dangerous metal -- lead -- was present in high enough levels.

GE to buy 'tens of thousands' of electric cars

2010-10-30T07:35:00.000-07:00

General Electric will order "tens of thousands" of electric cars in about a week, the conglomerate's chief executive said Friday.

In a speech in London, CEO Jeffrey Immelt said the purchase would be the largest of its kind in history. But he did not specify exactly how many vehicles GE would buy, nor what brand of electric cars would be included in the order.

GE spokeswoman Leigh Farris said the company will release more details on the order at a later date.

General Motors' Volt and Nissan's Leaf electric vehicles are due to hit the market late this year. Ford, Toyota, Honda and Mitsubishi are also expected to roll out battery-powered cars in the coming years.

Immelt disclosed the plan in a speech on business and sustainability at the University of Cambridge, Bloomberg first reported on Friday. He said half of GE's sales force will eventually drive electric vehicles.

"We've got to really inspire in business a clean energy future," Immelt said in his speech. "Now is exactly the time, because it's less popular and we're going to have to go for a while without the government at out back."

A big order from a global conglomerate like GE that makes products ranging from jet engines to light bulbs could provide a significant endorsement for electronic vehicles. But it remains to be seen how quickly they will become part of the mainstream car culture.
0:00 /1:37Daimler CEO on electric cars

Analysts at J.D. Power Associates predicted Wednesday that just 7.3% of passenger vehicles sold globally will be hybrids or plug-in cars of some kind over the next decade.

Sales will be higher in the United States, but the vast majority will be "conventional" non-plug-in hybrids like the Toyota Prius or Ford Fusion Hybrid, according to the study.

Michael Omotoso, an analysts at J.D. Power, said the GE order probably would be the largest of its kind in the relatively short-history of electric cars.

"There aren't more then a hand full of EVs on the road right now," he said, adding that the Nissan Leaf is the only electric car currently being mass produced.

Given the relatively small number of EVs expected to roll off the assembly line in the coming years, GE will probably have to space out its purchases over time, or order from multiple manufacturers.

Omotoso said analysts had been expecting fleet orders from big companies and government agencies to give a short-term boost to sales of electronic vehicles. "But over the long run, for the industry to survive, they're going to have to rely more on retail sales," he said.

To get more consumers interested in electronic cars, he said there would have to be a significant increase in gasoline prices, a big reduction in the cost of lithium batteries or additional government tax breaks.

Hole in American Airlines plane caused emergency landing

2010-10-30T07:19:00.000-07:00

It's harrowing enough when a commercial airliner mistakenly announces an emergency landing over water -- or, for that matter, when air passengers capture footage of an actual emergency landing on their cell phones. But passengers on a recent American Airlines flight from Miami to Boston experienced a much more vivid sense of airborne peril when a 2-foot hole opened up in the plane's fuselage about 30 minutes after takeoff.

The Boeing 757 was cruising at 31,000 feet Tuesday when the cabin began to decompress rapidly -- a "super-terrifying" experience, a passenger told WSVN-TV in Miami. The flight was carrying 154 passengers and six crew members.

But soon enough, the crew established emergency procedures: The passengers donned the oxygen masks that drop down when cabin pressure decreases, and the pilots were able to reverse the flight and land the damaged plane safely at Miami International Airport.

"The crew declared an emergency and made a normal landing. There were no injuries," American Airlines said in a rather terse statement. "The aircraft has been taken out of service."

[List: Unfriendliest airlines in the U.S.]

Once the plane was on the ground, inspectors discovered the problem -- not that it was exactly easy to miss. A 2-foot-by-1-foot hole had opened just above the "A" of the logo near the plane's front left cabin door. Initial reports indicate that the plane probably took off with a smaller crack in the fuselage -- and that wind pressure caused it to expand after the jet's takeoff. However, investigators say that they have yet to isolate the precise cause of the hole. Both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating.

According to the Wall Street Journal, "industry officials said the incident ... bears some similarity to cracks found last month in the fuselage" of a United Airlines Boeing 757. A 1-foot hole also opened up on Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 when it was 30,000 feet in the air last year, causing pressure to drop and oxygen masks to be deployed, the Journal says.

Boeing has yet to provide a statement on the matter and did not immediately respond to The Upshot's request for comment.

KRISTEN Stewart Moans...about being a celebrity

2010-10-30T07:10:00.000-07:00

KRISTEN Stewart is on her soap box again.

The actress — who shot to fame playing Bella Swan in the Twilight movie franchise — has bemoaned her superstar status — because she doesn’t see herself as a celebrity.

“Nothing about being a celebrity is desirable,” she said. “I’m an actor. It’s bizarre to me that everybody’s so obsessive.

“I don’t want to be a movie star like Angelina Jolie.”

Kristen — who’s believed to be dating her Twilight costar Robert Pattinson — recently admitted her grandparents believed the rumors she was pregnant with the British actor’s baby.

“I had my grandparents call my mom when people thought I was pregnant for a while,” she said.

“I don’t really know why but my grandparents believed it. They were convinced. My mom was like ‘You guys, you have to stop reading all this stuff, because that’s not the case. You should stop reading magazines in the grocery store’.”

Recent reports claimed Rob and Kristen are hoping to a achieve a “Johnny Depp level of fame”.

“After Twilight they are aiming for a Johnny Depp level of fame — to work when they want but to get peace and quiet when they don’t,” a source said.

“Right now, neither has accepted a role after Twilight so they may even take a whole year off.

“They think it’ll do them good to disappear for a while as they’re both in danger of being overexposed.

“Kristen knows Keira Knightley, who went on a Himalayan trek a few years ago to get some perspective on the madness of Hollywood. She’s convinced she and Rob should do the same. She wants them to just be a boy and a girl hanging out together.”
Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart

JYJ: The Biggest Boy Band In The World You've Never Heard Of

2010-10-30T07:01:00.000-07:00

Trivia question: Who's the biggest boy band in the world? Backstreet Boys? *NSYNC? New Kids? Hanson? Take That? Menudo? Nope. According to reliable source Guinness World Records, it's JYJ.

Never heard of JYJ? Well, obviously you haven't been to Korea lately, where the group's singers, Kim Jaejoong, Park Yoochun, and Kim Junsu, are bigger than Justin Timberlake. Their popularity in their homeland landed them in Guinness in 2008 and 2009 for having the world's largest official fanclub (more than 800,000 members in Seoul alone) and for being the most photographed celebrities on the planet (they've been snapped professionally approximately 500 million times).

And now JYJ are going global, as they release their first English-language album, The Beginning, on Atlantic Records. The disc features production on two tracks, "Empty" and "Be My Girl," by superstar studio guru Rodney Jerkins (Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Mary J. Blige), and the album's lead single, "Ayyy Girl," actually boasts vocals and production by a little American artist named Kanye West.

While the members of JYJ started performing together in 2003 in the Korean boy band TVXQ (who released four successful albums in Korea and four in Japan), the new album title The Beginning is apt here, since JYJ is a rebirth for them--and not just because they're finally launching their careers in America. It took a long and arduous journey for JYJ to reach this point. Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu, while still in TVXQ, had to sue their record label, SM Entertainment, in order to get out of what was basically a ludicrously unfair 13-year "slave" contract. Despite having sold millions of units and breaking world records in Asia, until they successfully extricated themselves from SM Entertainment, Jaejoong, Yoochun, and Junsu were literally broke.

But things are looking up for JYJ now. A recent issue of Billboard with JYJ on the cover sold out in 24 hours, for instance, and their record label actually had to halt all pre-orders for the limited luxury edition of The Beginning due to too much demand. And obviously, JYJ's Western-friendly R&B sound has already earned them some very high-profile U.S. supporters.

"I'm really glad to work with JYJ on their debut album," says Jerkins. "It's all about the East meeting the West these days, and the world is becoming a melting pot of various cultures. To have Kanye and myself champion the cause of unifying the world through the international language of music and introducing top artists from one end of the globe to this end in America makes this a very special project to us." And JYJ add: "It was a great new experience that we are really privileged to have. We felt the pressure of working with such superstars initially, but our anxieties were allayed when Kanye/Rodney showed us great support. We were able to have a really good time working with them and exchanging ideas about music with one another."

Prepare to witness JYJ set a whole bunch of other Guinness records in the near future.

SANDRA Bullock is set to start dating again

2010-10-29T07:51:00.000-07:00

Sources say the actress — who divorced husband Jesse James earlier this year — is keen to find herself a new boyfriend.

It’s also claimed that Sandra — who adopted son Louis before finalizing her divorce — wants another baby.

“She’s ready to move on,” a pal told American tabloid the National Enquirer.

“Her son Louis is 8 months old now. She’s adjusted to motherhood and to being single again. She wants to fall in love.

“But after Jesse, no ‘bad boys’ need apply.

“She’s also talking to the adoption agency that hooked her up with baby Louis about another child.”

Michelle Obama on bullying: set a good example

2010-10-29T07:47:00.000-07:00

Michelle Obama says adults can address the problem of bullying if they lead by example.

"Kids will follow our lead. They will follow our example, but we've got to set it," she said in a television interview broadcast Thursday.

Her comments came days after President Barack Obama addressed the topic in a video posted on the White House website.

In the message posted last week, Obama said he was shocked and saddened by the recent suicides of several young people who were bullied because they were gay. He also said it's time for society to dispel the myth that bullying is "a normal rite of passage."

Mrs. Obama said young people need to know that they shouldn't let the challenges they face in high school or college "eat them up."

"All of these young people regardless of their race, their sexual orientation, they are gifts to us," she said. "They have so much to offer and it's just terrible to find out that kids are letting this part of their life define everything about who they are going to be."

The first lady said she tells daughters Malia and Sasha that they have a responsibility to speak up when they see someone being bullied.

Mrs. Obama was interviewed on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

The Biggest, Richest Party Ever

2010-10-29T07:42:00.000-07:00

The developed world is struggling to emerge from recession and high unemployment. Inequality is soaring around the globe. Many countries are grappling with record deficits and spending cuts.

What better time for the wealthy to throw a party? And not just any party. The biggest, richest party ever!

A London-based group of hedge-fund managers is planning The Global Party, a 24-hour blow-out for 80,000 of their closest friends on Sept. 15, 2011. Their aim is to make it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest party ever.

It's inspired by Phileas Fogg, the protagonist in Jules Verne's "Around the World in Eighty Days." As such, the Global Party will be held at more than 80 venues around the world, from Amsterdam to Rio to New York and Dubai and Shanghai. Or as the party's website puts it:

Among those expected to attend are Liz Hurley, Uma Thurman and Simon Cowell. A table is reported to cost 100,000 pounds ($159,000 dollars). (Click here for a list of venues, sponsors and flashy pre-party pics). The invitation includes a special edition Key-2 Luxury silver key ring, which gives the holder "access to thousands of personal contacts and exclusive VIP privileges for life, and is not available to purchase by the general public."

Before we get all judgmental, let's be clear that this is all for charity. The money -- an expected 5 million to 10 million pounds ($7.96 million to $15.9 million dollars) -- will go to the charity ARK (Absolute Return for Kids), founded by hedge-fund manager Arpad "Arki" Busson (aka "Mr. Uma Thurman").

The hosts include Mr. Busson, entrepreneur Tom Singh, a Pakistani prince, and Stanley Fink, the hedge funder and Tory Party treasurer.

Mr. Fink told the Times of London that such parties are ultimately altruistic.

"Yes, to the average man in the street they do look obscene but they do an incredible amount of good."

He said that when he threw a big bash last year for his wife's birthday, "Somebody said to me, 'Are you sure you should be throwing a party in the middle of a recession?' And I said, 'This party will give employment to several dozen people and if people like me who have been prudent during the good times don't start spending now in the bad times, what hope has the country got?'"

Mr. Fink is right, to a point. The money raised and the employment the party generates will no doubt provide help to those who need it. But is the Global Party the most efficient or best way to raise money for charity? The Red Cross last year raised $32 million through online giving, without the black-ties and caviar boats and pop stars.

That's not to mention the negative press that's sure to follow such a grand and global display of wealth in the midst of economic hardship.

But perhaps some people need a bit of glamor and ego-stroking to separate them from their wallets.

Do you think the Global Party is a good way to raise charity money?

The Most Expensive Luxury Cars To Own

2010-10-29T07:34:00.000-07:00

If you're in the market for a luxury vehicle, don't just consider a car's sticker price or monthly lease rate. You should also compare the total cost of ownership for various cars over the long-term, such as fuel, insurance and repair bills, says David Wurster, head of product development and industry analysis for Vincentric, which measures ownership costs over time.

All things being equal, for instance, you might choose the Mercedes GLK over the Lexus RX 350, because the former is the lowest-priced midsize luxury crossover. The Mercedes has an average market price of $33,709, while the Lexus sells for an average $35,542. But when you factor in the five-year cost of ownership for both vehicles, the Lexus turns out to be the better bargain. It will cost $52,381 to own over five years, compared with $53,361 for the Mercedes. Or you might consider the Infiniti EX 35, which sells for an average of $33,854, just a bit more than the Mercedes, but has the lowest cost of ownership in the segment at $50,704.

Of course, buying a car, especially a luxury model, isn't always just about dollars and cents. Cars are fashion statements, and the brand you choose says a lot about you. Nonetheless, even the wealthy like to get a good deal, and that's why it's important to weigh the total cost of ownership. "Vehicles may cost less out the door, but cost you more over the long term," says Wurster.

The Land Rover LR4 is the lowest-priced midsize luxury SUV at $51,008. But its total cost of ownership, at $73,472, is higher than Toyota's Land Cruiser, which sells for about $10,500 more. The Land Cruiser's five-year ownership cost is $71,507.

The Audi A6 and Mercedes E-class cost about the same--$49,577 for the Audi vs. $50,019 for the Mercedes--but the A6 will cost you $3,779 less to operate over time ($70,808 vs. $74,587 for the E-class).

The best luxury car value, if you compare the five-year cost of ownership to the average transaction price, belongs to the BMW X6. The X6 crossover sells for $84,867 and will cost $91,396 over time, for a ratio of 1.08. (The hybrid version of the X6 sells for about $4,500 more, and has the same cost of ownership ratio.)

The costliest luxury car, compared with its purchase price, is the Lincoln MKZ, which sells for an average $31,322 but costs $52,811, to own over five years, for a ratio of 1.69. As with all the cars in this story, the figures apply to 2010 models. Ford Motor says the upcoming hybrid version of the 2011 MKZ will cost the same as the gasoline version, which could make it an enticing value.

Vincentric calculates five-year total cost of ownership by adding nine factors: depreciation, interest, taxes and fees, fuel, insurance, maintenance, repairs and even opportunity cost--what you had to give up in order to buy the car. The company assumes you'll drive 15,000 miles per year. Depreciation is the biggest single item affecting cost of ownership, but maintenance and repairs can start to add up, especially in the fourth or fifth year, after a warranty expires, for instance.

Forbes compared the average transaction price for 117 vehicles in various premium market segments defined by Vincentric and compared them to the cost of ownership to see which vehicles cost the most in the long run.

China boasts world's fastest supercomputer

2010-10-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

China is set to trump the US to take the number one spot for the fastest supercomputer ever made in a survey of the world's zippiest machines, it was reported Thursday.

Tianhe-1, meaning Milky Way, has a sustained computing speed of 2,507 trillion calculations per second, making it the fastest computer in China on a list published Thursday.

But it is also 1.4 times faster that the world's current fastest ranked supercomputer in the US, housed at a national laboratory in Tennessee, according to the New York Times.

[Related: Fast train, big dam show China's engineering might]

Tianhe-1 does its warp-speed "thinking" at the National Center for Supercomputing in the northern port city of Tianjin -- using mostly chips designed by US companies.

The Tianjin Meteorological Bureau and the National Offshore Oil Corporation data centre have both started trials using the computer.

"It can also serve the animation industry and bio-medical research," Liu Guangming, the supercomputing centre's director, told state news agency Xinhua.

According to Jack Dongarra, a University of Tennessee computer scientist who maintains the official supercomputer rankings which are due to be released next week, the Chinese beast "blows away the existing number one machine".

"We don't close the books until November 1, but I would say it is unlikely we will see a system that is faster," he told the New York Times.

It is not the first time, however, that the US has had its digital crown stolen by an Asian upstart. In 2002, Japan made a machine with more power than the top 20 American computers put together.

[Related: China, U.S. closer to G20 deal on trade imbalances]

Japan is also working on a new machine called "K Computer" in a bid to take the supercomputing crown.

Computer designer Steven J. Wallach is not overly worried by China's rise to computing superpower.

"It's interesting, but it's like getting to the four-minute mile," he told the New York Times. "The world didn't stop. This is just a snapshot in time.

"They want to show they are number one in the world, no matter what it is."

'Time traveler' caught on film

2010-10-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

A woman appears to be talking on a cell phone in this black and white footage from the 1920s.

Sony Google TV: Specs and Price Released

2010-10-27T08:51:00.000-07:00

The hype around the Google TV is increasing and Sony is adding fuel to the fire by leaking the details about the device every now and then. The official site unveiling for the Google TV and Logitech’s announcement of the accessories for the Google TV has really got the things heated up, and now hear is another leak from a Sony insider about some of the specs of the device although the speculations about price of the device has also started but there is no leak in that matter. For those who are unaware, a Google TV is a software and hardware platform for set-top boxes and HDTVs based on the Android operating system and co-developed by Google, Intel, Sony and Logitech. The project was officially announced by Google and its partners on May 20, 2010.

The leaks include the official specs of the devices but do not cover the official details of the device. According to the site, four models will initially be introduced: NSX-24GT1, NSX-32GT1, NSX-40GT1, and NSX-46GT1 – which, as you may have surmised, correspond to 24-, 32-, 40-, and 46-inch sets. The Google TV system will also include an open-source platform that will enable developers to create widgets for the system. Upon launching the service, Google stated that it would be updating the Android operating system to facilitate the development of web applications specifically for Google TV. As of today, most TVs that offer web access only offer web-based apps to access online content (for example Panasonic has Viera Cast).

There is usually only limited Internet usage such as playing a video from YouTube or viewing photos from Picasa. However, since Google TV will use the Google Chrome web-browser—along with Adobe Flash, users will not only be able to search through the Web, but also through online video content in a similar way to what currently exists on desktop computers and some mobile devices. It is anticipated that Google TV will have fewer user restrictions than current systems. The Google TV platform is expected to allow users to access any website from their television, with particular support for services such as YouTube, Twitter, Netflix, and Hulu.

“As far as pricing of these Sony Google TV, get ready to shell out $1299.99 for the 32″ (NSX-32GT1), $1499.99 for 40″ (NSX-40GT1) and $1899.99 for 46″ (NSX-46GT1). Unfortunately, pricing info was unavailable for 24GT1 model, however we assume it should be under one grand. In related news, the widely discussed Sony Internet TV Box, NSZ-GT1, was listed on an internal website and mentions an eject button, WLAN module, and an included HDMI cable. Considering this information, its logical to assume that the eject button is an appropriate mechanism for what we believe is an included Blu-ray player in the device.” as reported by the website that leaked the info.

Google also confirmed that it intends for Google TV to be launched this fall. According to Gizmodo, Google TV will be launched October 17th, 2010. SO, gear up guys here comes the Google TV to add a new dimension to watching television.

Indonesia struggles as tsunami volcano tolls rise

2010-10-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

Helicopters with emergency supplies finally landed Wednesday on the remote Indonesian islands slammed by a tsunami that killed at least 272 people, while elsewhere in the archipelago the toll from a volcanic eruption rose to 30, including the mountain's spiritual caretaker.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono cut short a state visit to Vietnam to rush home to deal with the dual disasters that struck Indonesia within 24 hours, straining the country's ability to respond.

The first aerial surveys of the region hit by the 10-foot (three-meter) tsunami revealed huge swaths of land underwater and the crumbled rubble of homes torn apart by the wave. One house lay tilted, resting on the edge of its red roof, with tires and slabs of concrete piled up on the surrounding sand.

Two days after an undersea earthquake spawned the killer wave, the casualty count was still rising as rescuers landed for the first time on the Mentawai island chain, which was closest to the epicenter and the worst hit. Bad weather had kept them away previously.

The first cargo plane loaded with 16 tons of tents, medicine, food and clothes arrived Wednesday afternoon, said disaster official Ade Edward. Four helicopters also landed in Sikakap, a town on North Pagai island, which will be the center of relief operations.

"Finally we have a break in the weather," Edwards said, adding that he hoped search and rescue operations would finally pick up pace. "We have a chance now to look for the missing from the sky and also to survey the extent of the damage."

About 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) to the east in central Java, disaster officials were scouring the slopes of Indonesia's most volatile volcano for survivors after it was rocked by an eruption that killed at least 30 people, including an old man who refused to abandon his ceremonial post as caretaker of the mountain's spirits.

Mount Merapi erupted at dusk Tuesday, sending up searing ash clouds and killing more than two dozen people.

Authorities warned the thousands who fled Merapi's wrath not to return during Wednesday's lull in volcanic activity, but some villagers were desperate to check on crops and possessions left behind. In several areas, everything — from the thinnest tree branches to chairs and tables inside homes — was caked with ash that looked like powdery snow.

Among the dead was Maridjan, an 83-year-old man who had been entrusted by a highly respected late king to watch over the volcano's spirits. Maridjan, who for years led ceremonies in which rice and flowers were thrown into the crater to appease the mountain, has angered officials in the past by refusing to leave during eruptions.

"We found his body," said Suseno, a rescue worker, amid reports that the old man was found kneeling face-down on the floor, a typical Islamic prayer position.

Authorities had accused him of setting a wrong example and stopping other villagers from leaving, but Maridjan always said he would only go if he got a sign from the long-dead king who appointed him.

The latest blast Tuesday night eased pressure that had been building up behind a lava dome perched on the crater. But experts warned the dome could still collapse, causing an avalanche of the blistering gas and debris trapped beneath it.

"It's a little calmer today," said Surono, the chief of Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation. "No hot clouds, no rumbling. But a lot of energy is pent up back there. There's no telling what's next."

Even as rescue officials contended with the volcano — one of 129 under watch in Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago — officials hundreds of miles (kilometers) away were trying to assess the damage from the earthquake and tsunami.

Both the quake and the volcanic eruption fell along Indonesia's portion of the Pacific Ring of Fire, a series of fault lines that are prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity stretching from the Western Hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia.

On Wednesday evening, disaster official Ade Edward nearly doubled the earthquake and tsunami casualty estimates to 272 dead with 412 still missing. He said the rescuers who landed Wednesday received new casualty reports from village chiefs.

With not enough people to dig graves, corpses littered beaches and roads, according to district chief Edison Salelo Baja. Fisherman were scouring waters in search of survivors.

Disaster officials were still trying to reach more than a dozen villages on the Mentawais — a popular surfer's destination that is usually reachable only by a 12-hour boat ride.

But they were preparing for the worst Wednesday, with hundreds of body bags being sent to the area, said Mujiharto, who heads the Health Ministry's crisis center.

The 7.7-magnitude quake that struck late Monday just 13 miles (20 kilometers) beneath the ocean floor was followed by at least 14 aftershocks, the largest measuring 6.2. The fault line on Sumatra island's coast is the same one that caused the 2004 quake and monster Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries.

Officials say hundreds of wooden and bamboo homes were washed away on the island of Pagai, with water flooding crops and roads up to 600 yards (meters) inland. In Muntei Baru, a village on Silabu island, 80 percent of the houses were badly damaged.

Those and other islets hit were part of the Mentawai island chain, 175 miles (280 kilometers) from Sumatra.

Miami's 'atrocious' debut

2010-10-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

In Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, and Jerry West's debut as teammates, their Los Angeles Lakers lost to the defending champion Philadelphia 76ers by a 114-96 score.

In Michael Jordan, Dennis Rodman, and Scottie Pippen's debut with the Chicago Bulls, Pippen was forced to leave the game after 10 scoreless minutes with a back injury, but the Bulls still prevailed by a 105-91 score.

In Kevin Garnett(notes), Ray Allen(notes), and Paul Pierce's(notes) debut as teammates with the Boston Celtics, the eventual champs demolished the Washington Wizards, 103-83.

So how did LeBron James(notes), Dwyane Wade(notes), and Chris Bosh(notes) fare in their debut with the Miami Heat? Well, to hear Miami coach Erik Spoelstra tell it, the Heat were "atrocious" in a 88-80 defeat to the Boston Celtics.

He wouldn't be wrong in that description, at least to start the game. Miami scored just nine points in the first quarter, and 30 overall in the first half, fewer points than they scored in any quarter or half during all of 2009-10. And that team was filled with spare parts and expiring contracts.

Dwyane Wade (who played only three minutes during Miami's preseason due to a hamstring injury) managed to miss 12 of 16 shots, along with six turnovers and several missed defensive cues. Bosh wasn't much better, shooting 3-11. James managed 31 points, and helped spark a second half comeback that made this a one-possession game with under a minute to go, but he coughed the ball up eight times himself.

Boston wasn't much better, turning the ball over consistently and letting Miami back in the game during the fourth quarter, but the Heat had dug themselves too deep a hole, as the first game of the NBA season ended in defeat.

Kim Kardashian's boyfriend trouble

2010-10-26T19:37:00.000-07:00

The celeb gets an angry call from ex Reggie Bush, then splits with her new NFL beau. Drama on her reality show...

After spending the afternoon out to lunch with gal pal Ciara, Kim Kardashian joined up with ex bodyguard pal Shengo Deane for a night out in Midtown Manhattan on Monday (October 25).

The E! reality star showed Shengo - whom she shared a kiss with on the past season of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" - the sights around the city with security extra-tight for the "Kim and Kourtney Take Miami" filming efforts.

During the course of the evening, the pair made their way over to the Empire State Building, with Mr Deane being ever-the-gentleman as he opened the door for Miss Kardashian as they arrived.

Once finished up with the sightseeing trip, Shengo tried to stay behind Kim as they were photographed heading out for the rest of the evening's agenda.

On a side note, Kim made an announcement about an upcoming appearance on her Twitter account today, excitedly writing, "GUESS WHAT?! I'll be a special guest host at Z100's Jingle Ball at Madison Square Garden on Dec 10th in NYC!"

An Italian city buried in trash

2010-10-26T03:28:00.000-07:00

Did you ever want to know what 2,400 tons of trash looks like? Well, wonder no more! A garbage strike in Italy has led to public protests, intense finger-pointing, and a whole heckuva lot of trash piling up in the streets of Naples.

So, what's the problem? City trash wasn't being collected because of public outrage over a proposed city dump. The trash piled up, and then protesters just started adding to it, dumping their refuse in the streets. Now the European Union is threatening to slap sanctions on Italy if it doesn't clean up the mess.

You can check out a series of unsightly photos below; read more on the story here. Hold your breath ...

Click image to see photos of the Naples garbage strike

UFC 121 aftermath

2010-10-26T03:07:00.000-07:00

An Octagon’s worth of observations after a memorable UFC 121 at the Honda Center:

What's next for Brock Lesnar after his ugly stunning loss to Cain Velasquez?

1. Branching out: Cain Velasquez’s victory over Brock Lesnar could be a watershed moment in the UFC’s attempt to grow mixed martial arts fan base. The company heavily marketed Velasquez’s Mexican heritage in the run-up to the fight. The fruits of this push were evident in the Honda Center crowd’s vociferous reaction to Velasquez’s victory. For sheer volume, the intensity level was matched only by Georges St. Pierre’s 2008 title victory over Matt Serra in his hometown of Montreal. With Oscar De La Hoya retired from boxing, the Marquez brothers heading to the back end of their magnificent careers and no obvious successor on the horizon, there is an opportunity for the UFC to make Velasquez the marquee player among Latino combat sports figures. What Velasquez lacks in charisma he makes up for with his heart and his courage as a heavyweight who is smaller that most of his foes – a trait that cuts across all ethnicities and creeds.
More From Dave Doyle

2. Brock’s next step: Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Lesnar’s career is how the MMA world has watched him develop under an intense spotlight. Each fight leads to a new set of questions about how the former champion, who only has seven fights under his belt, will respond. The question this time: What will be his reaction to getting his tail kicked for the first time? Lesnar marches to the beat of his own drummer and for all we know, he could end up deciding he’s made enough money and it is time to move on. But here’s guessing that a trilogy fight with Frank Mir, who Lesnar legitimately despises, is enough to get the former champ’s competitive juices flowing again.

3. Title worthy? So Jake Shields comes into the UFC, looks listless in claiming a split-decision victory over Martin Kampmann that many felt Kampmann won … and UFC president Dana White says he’s going ahead with his plan to give Shields a UFC welterweight title shot. Good luck selling that one, Dana.

4. Where does Diego go? Diego Sanchez appears to have made the right career move in returning to his roots with Greg Jackson’s camp, as his exciting win over Paulo Thiago at UFC 121 attests. Now, hopefully Jackson will get Sanchez to focus on committing to a single weight class. Sanchez has spoken of fighting at both 170 pounds and 155, but jumping between weight classes is more suited for a veteran who doesn’t figure into championship plans. Sanchez is still young enough to make another run at a championship, and the sooner he picks a path, the faster he’ll move forward.

5. The Tito show: Here’s the UFC’s dilemma with Tito Ortiz: Do you give the former UFC light heavyweight champion another fight or two to try to find his rhythm, or do you cut ties now, before his performance drops off a cliff? Ortiz has remained competitive in each of his past five fights, going to a decision in four of them. But he’s 0-4-1 in that stretch after his loss to Matt Hamill on Saturday, and his level of opposition has decreased with each successive fight. Ortiz has been valiant in battling through a series of injuries, but time is not on his side. The UFC may be better off releasing the former champ before his performances turn embarrassing.
Are former UFC champion Tito Ortiz's days as a top-notch fighter over?

6. Going, going, Gonzaga: Brendan Schaub notched the biggest win of his career Saturday night with his decision victory over Gabriel Gonzaga. But the match underscored how Gonzaga has become one of MMA’s biggest cases of squandered potential. Gonzaga possessed all the tools to become a great one, and he appeared well on his way after his legendary head-kick knockout of Mirko Cro Cop in 2007. But Gonzaga never left his small Western Massachusetts camp, never was pushed in the gym by elite heavyweights and never quite made it to the top. With three losses in his last four fights, Gonzaga is walking on thin ice.

7. Losing a step: Longtime fans consider it heresy to critique referee John McCarthy, ever, for any reason. But the icon of the sport had a bad night at UFC 121. In Tom Lawlor’s victory over Patrick Cote, McCarthy was the only person in the building who missed an egregious foul, as Cote blatantly grabbed the fence and used it to gain the leverage to get out of a Lawlor submission attempt. Then, in the Ortiz-Hamill fight, McCarthy was too slow in getting between Hamill and Ortiz at the end of Round 1. Hamill is deaf and can’t hear the horn to signal the end of the round; because McCarthy was late, Ortiz ate a punch to the head after the round ended. McCarthy’s place as a pivotal figure in MMA history is secure, but just like fighters, referees pass their peaks as well. Saturday night may have shown that McCarthy is losing a step.

8. Stout-hearted: If you buy a ticket to a UFC event and Sam Stout is on the card, it is a fair bet that you’ll get 15 minutes of good-to-great standup action. All seven of his UFC bouts in the past three years have gone the distance. Most of those fights have been back-and-forth standup slugfests, and he’s come away with Fight of the Night honors five times. His latest win came Saturday night, when was slightly better than Paul Taylor in a split-decision victory. The UFC seems content to keep Stout in an entertaining lower-card slot, but with three wins in his past four fights, it’s time to give the London, Ontario, native a crack at a high-level lightweight.

Study This- Earn That

2010-10-25T19:50:00.000-07:00

Learn why your salary is a matter of degrees.

The college diplomas of an engineering and music major look nearly identical.

Their bank accounts at the mid-career mark... not so much.

Not long after the ink dries on their degrees, a petroleum engineer will make $100,000 more per year than a music major, according to mid-career salary statistics from Payscale's 2010-2011 College Salary Report.

For those curious about the average pay that comes with different bachelor's degrees, we count down some of the most popular degrees from highest to lowest. The results may surprise you...
Study Finance, Earn $91,500

While it may pale in comparison to petroleum engineers, who earn a whopping $157,000, finance graduates with a bachelor's degree still do quite well, earning an average mid-career salary of $91,500. Typical finance careers include financial planners, bankers, and stockbrokers.

Study Information Technology (IT), Earn $79,300

Information technology gave birth to today's paperless business world, making an IT bachelor's degree valuable in every profession imaginable, from the computer industry to health care and beyond. According to Payscale's 2010-2011 report, IT grads make nearly $80,000 mid-career.

Study Accounting, Earn $77,500

Forget about Mandarin, Spanish, or even English. The most important language in the business world is accounting. According to Payscale, those with a bachelor's degree in accounting have an average salary of $77,500 mid-career. It's also a smart choice for those seeking an associate's degree since many accountants enter the workforce with only two years of training.

Study Marketing, Earn $77,300

Knowing how to market a product to the masses is a skill that will always be in demand. Grads with a bachelor's degree in marketing get paid handsomely for their efforts, averaging at $77,300 per year mid-career. For even quicker training, you can earn a marketing associate's degree.

Study Business, Earn $70,600

While business administration remains one of the most popular bachelor's degrees, Payscale broke down undergraduate business degrees into two categories: international business and business. Today's global economy gives a slight edge to international business majors, who average at $73,700 mid-career, just ahead of the $70,600 in average salary for business majors.

Study Literature, Earn $65,700

Sure, you will strengthen your reading and writing skills by studying literature. But reading great books can also deepen your ability to understand the human condition. Literature majors often move on to study law or work in communications or marketing as writers and editors.

Study Human Resources (HR), Earn $61,900

Recruiting and retaining the best and brightest employees is an HR professional's goal. By gaining a bachelor's in human resources, you can position yourself for a mid-career salary of nearly $62,000 by learning how to best use your people skills in all kinds of workplace environments.

Study Criminal Justice, Earn $58,000

Lawyers and paralegals aren't the only ones who study laws and how to apply them. Everyone from federal agents and police officers to private investigators can benefit from studying criminal justice. A mid-career salary of $58,000 is the norm for those with a bachelor's degree.

Costumes reign at gaming convention

2010-10-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

Another year, another BlizzCon. Blizzard Entertainment's annual convention isn't just a platform for the latest news about upcoming titles like World of Warcraft: Cataclysm and Diablo III. It's also a chance for diehard devotees to show off painstakingly-crafted costumes and let their fan flags fly.

Without further ado, we present some of the most eye-catching outfits to grace the festivities this year.

Brand- Perry wed at tiger reserve in India

2010-10-24T07:19:00.000-07:00

RANTHAMBHORE NATIONAL PARK, India - British comedian Russell Brand and American pop singer Katy Perry were married Saturday at a luxury resort in a tiger reserve in northwestern India, a hotel official said.

A Hindu priest conducted the ceremony, which was attended by family and close friends of the couple, the hotel official said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Security has been stringent with private security guards stationed at the resort and other nearby hotels where guests and the couple are staying for the six-day wedding celebration.

Photographers and media reporters were not allowed into the Aman-e-Khas wildlife retreat. The couple have given the exclusive coverage rights to a London magazine, and no other photographers or journalists will be allowed into the resort.

The wedding venue was lit with lamps, colorful lights illuminated the trees and flower garlands festooned the luxury tents at the resort, the hotel official said.

Both Brand and Perry wore traditional Indian clothes to the wedding, the hotel official said. Perry donned a sari, as did a number of other female guests at the ceremony. On Friday, at a prenuptial celebration, Perry, like a typical Indian bride, had henna designs applied on her palms and hands.

Meanwhile, a four-member committee had been set up to check noise pollution from the wedding celebration and ensure that animals in the wildlife reserve in India's Rajasthan state are not disturbed, said Ravi Kumar, a district official.

The Ranthambhore National Park, where the resort is located, is home to a host of wildlife species including tigers, leopards, wild boars, hyenas and sloth bears.

Brand's wedding procession, accompanied by traditional Indian musicians, made its way from Sher Bagh, another nearby luxury resort, to the Aman-e-Khas retreat.

Brand proposed to Perry in the historic Indian city of Jaipur over New Year's Eve, and the couple decided to get married in India.

The 26-year-old Perry's second album, "Teenage Dream," was one of this year's best-sellers.

Brand, 35, is known for his drug-addled past and hedonistic tendencies. He is next set to star as Trinculo in "The Tempest" and the title character in a remake of "Arthur."

10 iconic beauties (and how to get their looks)

2010-10-23T07:13:00.000-07:00

If a century of Hollywood superstars has taught us anything, it's how to covet glamorous hair and makeup—celebrities have spent years testing out lip colors and hair styles which has translated to true beauty inspiration for the rest of us. And, though the stars have an army of professionals to get them ready for close-ups, with the right tools and a little persistence, the following iconic looks can be achieved at home with no assistance at all.

Liz Taylor’s mega-lashes
Tools: false eye-lashes, manicure scissors, black eye-liner pencil, smudge tip brush, mascara

For Liz’s "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" look, it's all about the eyes, and the secret weapon here? False eye-lashes. For this extra-feminine effect, pick up a pair of false lashes along with some manicure scissors. Trim the extensions to a quarter of the size in width, cutting at the lash band. Then set aside.

Now take eyeliner and draw a thin black line on your upper lids starting with the corners, thickening the line as you move outward. With the corner of a makeup sponge, lightly smudge the liner so it will blend with the band line of the fake lashes. Next, dot the band of your faux lashes with lash glue and grip by the lash with a tweezer. Using your liner as a guide, place the glue side as close to your lash line at the outer corners as possible, smoothing onto your lid with your pinky finger. Expert tip: The lashes should start at the outside corners of your eyes and only reach about a quarter of the way into your lid. Let dry a few seconds and then finish by sweeping dark, thick mascara to the upper lids to blend in your natural lashes. Finally, dust a neutral pink or taupe color over your lids, starting from the inside corners and sweeping up to your brow line. Voila! Instant movie star!

Audrey Hepburn’s upsweep
Tools: rubber band, bobby pins, thin-toothed comb or teasing brush

Poised, elegant and flawless are all words that come to mind when describing Hepburn’s classic high bun. But easy as well? "Absolutely," says hair guru Jackie Cascarano, Creative Director of Lock & Mane, an online haircare boutique. Here's her how-to: First pull the hair into a high pony and secure with a rubber band, pulling the ends of the tail in opposite directions, until the rubber band sits close to the crown of your head. Then eliminate fly-aways with a maximum hold, high-gloss hairspray to give the look a natural sheen that doesn’t appear too product-heavy. Next tease the pony with a teasing brush or comb, combing pieces of hair in upward, quick motions until your pony is voluminous. Then section the hair into three or four pieces (depending on hair's fineness) and pin one section underneath the other with bobby pins until all the pieces are tucked under. Give your bun one last spritz to hold it in place and head to Tiffany’s for breakfast.

Angelina Jolie's cat eye
Tools: liquid eyeliner, light brown shadow, darker brown or grayish shadow, thickening mascara, eyebrow pencil

Though she's better known for her lush pillow-y lips, Jolie regularly rocks this sexy, classic eyeliner effect. To get it, start by sweeping a light brown shadow on the soft part of your lids. Then apply a slightly darker brown or grayish shadow closer to the brow bone, sweeping outward along the line of your brow. Use liquid liner on your lids and make sure the line is thin. Start from the inner corners of your eyes and move outwards until you reach the outer corners. Finish with a slight sweep of the liner upwards towards your temples for a cat-eye effect. Next apply a layer of thickening mascara evenly over your lashes, and a second layer just on the outer corner lashes to enhance the up-swept liner.

Brooke Shields’ full brows
Tools: tweezers, clear mascara, eye-liner (optional)

Brooke’s unruly brows are back. In fact they never should have fallen out of favor in the first place if you ask Napoleon Perdis. “Thicker brows make you look younger,” writes the beauty maven on his Huffington Post blog. “A high arch adds a youthful, fresh look to any face."

For Brooke's thick line, you may need to grow your over-tweezed brows out first. When they're good and thick, start by plucking any unibrow traces on the bridge of your nose, working backwards until you reach the inner corners of your eyes. You may want to mark just above your brow with an eye-liner pencil (like a surgeon) so you know exactly where you should stop tweezing. As you pluck, use quick motions grabbing one hair at a time to avoid irritation and over-thinning. Don’t tweeze any hairs above your brow line. The top of your brow should always remain intact. Finish up with a clear mascara, sweeping brow hairs in an upward motion, giving extra attention to the hairs above the inner corners of your eyes.

Jennifer Lopez’s nude lips
Tools: pink-hued gloss or a natural shade lipstick, nude lip-liner, concealer, lip plumper

Just because your lip-color is barely there, doesn’t mean your lips have to be. Ask Jennifer Lopez, who has led the charge of nude-colored lips on the red carpet in the last few years. A lip plumper is the key to a full, natural pout. Apply it like a lip balm and let it sit for a few seconds before moving on to a concealer. Dot a makeup sponge with a lightweight concealer that closely matches your skin tone, and buff both top and bottom lips as if you were dotting your face with a powder. This will lock in the natural color you're about to apply.

Next, apply a nude lip-liner around the edges of your lips to create definition. Make sure the point is sharp so the line you draw is thin and exact. (You want to avoid a Kim Mathers thick liner look at all costs!) Finally, apply a nude or “natural” colored lipstick that matches the shade of your own lips. For a shinier look, choose use a clear gloss with a hint of pink.

Farrah Fawcett’s sun-kissed skin
Tools: powder bronzer and fluffy blush brush; or gel bronzer and makeup sponge, soft pink blush

The onetime Angel and iconic California girl always glistened like she’s just stepped off a beach in Malibu. The trick to getting her look is a good bronzer. Unlike self-tanners, bronzers shouldn't turn your skin orange or make your still-pale neck look like it belongs to another person. A good bronzer that's no more than two shades darker than your own skin tone should give your face a fresh glow and accentuate your bone structure. If you're fair, try a pink palette. If you're olive or dark-skinned, try copper or brown hues. Your complexion also plays a role in choosing the right product: a powder won't cause breakouts on oily skin, while a gel will add moisture to dry skin.

With a powder bronzer, dip your brush into the pot and blow away excess minerals. Then sweep lightly over your forehead, cheeks, nose and chin. The trick is to apply specifically to places where the sun does shine to enhance natural contours, suggests makeup artist Bobbi Brown in Prevention Magazine. If you’re using a gel bronzer, blend on a makeup sponge before applying to your face. Finish by brushing a pink, ruddy blush on the apples of your cheeks.

Halle Berry's cropped cut
Tools: leave-in conditioner, super-hold gel, shine serum

Halle’s locks may be cropped, but they’ve got a lot more structure than the average pixie cut. If your hair is naturally limp, a little volume can freshen the overall appearance of your face. The clumped tresses are also good for frizz-prone types who need their follicles tamed.

The recipe is simple: a dime-sized dollop (or quarter-sized depending on how dry the hair) of frizz-fighting leave-in conditioner and a dime-sized dollop of super-hold gel. Mix in your hands and then apply to towel-dried hair from roots to tip, lightly twisting clumps of locks in your fingers in different directions. This will give your hair effortless texture and lift. Finish up with a pump of shine-enhancing serum, blending in your hands and lightly running over the tips and sides of your hair to prevent fly-aways and add sheen.

Christina Hendricks' red-stained pout
Tools: red lip-stain, red lip-liner, lip brush

If you're looking to get as much attention from the office as Joan from "Mad Men," there’s nothing like a fade-resistant shock of red lips. The show's own makeup department head Lana Horchowski notes that Joan's chalky-textured pout is era-specific. "[We replaced] gloss and sheer or shimmer lipsticks with matte reds, bright pinks, and corals to help create a more retro look," revealed Horchowski.

Before you apply the lip stain on your own pout, start with a liner that matches your stain color. This will give you a longer-lasting look and help you color inside the lines. Next up, take your matte lipstick and dot it on the center of your upper and lower lips. Use a lip brush to spread the stain around, filling in your entire lip. Be sure to brush as close to your lip line as possible to blend the liner with the stain.

Julie Christie’s bangs
Tools: hair-cutting scissors

The "Shampoo" star has all three 'b's: Beauty, brains and killer bangs. The third, thankfully, takes the least amount of effort to acquire. “The secret is that even though they look like blunt bangs, they're actually subtly shaped and you can do it on any face shape,” says Lock & Mane's Cascarano. The trick to ensure flattering framing is all in the brow.

With your scissors, cut the bangs along the curve of your eye-brow, starting from the temples and working your way to the middle of your forehead. Be sure to cut just above the top of the brow line for a loose, but low-maintenance length. To complete the look, Cascarno suggests “adding some longer layers around the face so that the bangs don't seem so heavy.” For daily maintenance, use a little hairspray (cover your eyes and hold the spray a few inches from your face) to keep the perfectly loose bangs from becoming flyaways.

Beyonce’s stage-worthy legs

Tools: exfoliation scrub or sponge, body lotion with shimmer, or body lotion and shimmering loose eyeshadow

You don't need translucent nylons to get Beyonce's Grammy-grade gams. First slough off dead skin with a body polishing scrub or a loofah sponge, rubbing in circular motions up and down your leg. Once you're smooth and dry, it’s time to get your glow on. A thick moisturizer with a built-in body shimmer is all you need to sparkle. If you don't have that handy, tap a little shimmering, neutral eye-shadow or face powder into your palm and mix with body lotion. Rub the moisturizer in, from ankle to thigh, in round circles so it's evenly applied. Finally, rub a little extra on your middle and pointer fingertips and run them up either side of your calf bone to give your lower legs a sharpened contour.

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/fallbeauty/10-iconic-beauties-and-how-to-get-their-looks-2400902/

PIC: Katy Perry Wears Indian Bridal Nose Ring

2010-10-22T07:27:00.000-07:00

Katy Perry is really getting into Indian tradition as she gears up to wed Russell Brand on Saturday. She's been spotted wearing an Indian bridal nose ring.

The ring -- also known as a nath -- is worn by brides throughout the wedding day, with the groom removing it on the wedding night.

Britain's Daily Mail reports Perry (who turns 26 Monday) got it in London -- which could explain why husband-to-be Russell Brand tossed a coat over her head in the airport in Mumbai Wednesday to shield her from photographers.

Perry's "nerves are frayed," a source tells the new Us Weekly (out now). "But it doesn't have to do with Russell -- it's about her fears of wedding mishaps. Katy thinks they will be together forever."

The two met in 2008 when she shot a cameo for his comedy Get Him to the Greek.

They stepped as a couple in September 2009 at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Us broke the news that they got engaged in December 2009 when he popped the question while they were vacationing in India.

Ever since, Perry told MTV News Brand has become "a total bridezilla. He's like a freak, man. You should see - he's always, like, buying bride magazines. Every time we go out for breakfast he's like, 'Can we just stop and get a bride magazine?'"

Perry told Us she was less obsessive. Asked about saying "I do!" she said, "We just want it to mean something. It doesn't matter if it's just me and him or if it's a big, fat ordeal."=

- celebs:
- Katy Perry
- Russell Brand
- topics:
- Musicians
- Couples
- Weddings

Bad money habits kids learn from parents

2010-10-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

More than a third of parents say they've had to bail out their adult children.

KIM Kardashian has a weird habit when it comes to desserts!

2010-10-21T07:10:00.000-07:00

According to reports, the socialite soaks her puddings in champagne after just one bite — so she isn’t tempted to eat the whole thing.

“Kim’s well known for her weird habit of ruining desserts to stop herself from eating them,” a source told American tabloid the National Enquirer.

“She’s smart enough to always take just ONE bite.”

Recent reports claimed Kim — who turns 30 today, October 21 — has finally learned to love her body.

“She’s happy,” a source said.

“She’s about to turn 30 and has found the self-acceptance that comes with that age.

“Kim was killing herself trying to be a size 0.

“She was obsessively counting every calorie, doing insane amounts of cardio and taking diet supplements.

“Then she realized: ‘I’m not meant to be a size 0 and I look better if I’m not’.”

http://www.showbizspy.com/article/216059/kim-kardashian-ruins-her-desserts-so-she-cant-eat-them.html

How to Be a Millionaire by Age 25?

2010-10-21T07:03:00.000-07:00

Wish you were as wealthy as this guy?

He's Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook, and his super-geek-to-billionaire story is the basis of the hit movie The Social Network. "Young people are just smarter," he told a Stanford University audience in 2007. He started Facebook from his Harvard dorm in 2004 as a sophomore. Now he's a 26-year-old philanthropist, recently donating $100 million to the Newark, N.J., school district.

Zuckerberg's youthful fame and fortune makes for a riveting tale. But across America every year, plenty of entrepreneurs make their first million under the age of 25, some in high school. It takes vision, smarts, determination and a little luck. Here are five of them, along with their advice for achieving prosperity.

Michael Dell

Age now: 45
Title/Company: Founder and CEO, Dell Computers
Made his first million by age: 19

Dell launched his computer company in 1984, just before dropping out of the University of Texas. By selling direct, Dell lowered prices and won over customers. At 24, the company had revenues of $258 million. At last check, his estimated net worth was $13.5 billion.

His advice for young entrepreneurs: "You've got to be passionate about it," he said in an interview with the Academy of Achievement.

"I think people that look for great ideas to make money aren't nearly as successful as those who say, 'Okay, what do I really love to do? What am I excited about?' "

Catherine Cook

Age now: 20
Title/Company: Founder, myyearbook.com
Made her first million by age: 18

In 2005, Catherine and her brother founded the social-networking site, which functions like a digital yearbook with pictures, friends and virtual currency called "lunch money." Today, it boasts 20 million members and is one of the 25 most-trafficked Web sites in the U.S.

Her advice for young entrepreneurs: "Stop just thinking about it, and make it happen.

When you're young is the best time to start your own business, as you do not have the responsibilities you will have when you're older. The worst that can happen if you fail now is that you have firsthand experience to make your next venture a success."

Sean Belnick

Age now: 23
Title/Company: Founder, BizChair.com
Made his first million by age: 16

Belnick's been selling business furnishings online for nearly a decade now, but the recent B.A. graduate of Emory University's Goizueta School of Business still saw value in a college education.

His advice for young entrepreneurs: "It is never too early to start. I started when I was 14.There was a lot of great information on the Internet. Just do the research and find a way to do what you want to do."

Juliette Brindak

Age now: 21
Title/Company: Cofounder/CEO, MissOandFriends.com
Made her first million by age: 19 (Brindak won't divulge when she earned her first million, but says that her company was valued at $15 million when she was 19)

At 10, Brindak started drawing the "cool girls" cartoon figures who became stars in 2005 of her online community for tween girls. Today, she is seeking investors and preparing to take the site public as she attends Washington University in St. Louis.

Her advice for young entrepreneurs:: Find a solid support team who believe in your idea. "If someone starts to doubt your company and what you're doing, you need to get rid of them."

Matt Mickiewicz

Age now: 27
Title/Companies: Founder, Sitepoint, 99 Designs and Flippa
Made his first million by age: 22

Mickiewicz, who launched his first company in 1998, points out that the Internet enables immediate customer feedback, making it relatively inexpensive to test and launch new ideas.

His advice for young entrepreneurs: "People who say it takes money to make money are using the worst excuse ever. . . Create massive value for others by providing a solution where no other exists."

http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/111047/how-to-be-a-millionaire-by-age-25?mod=career-worklife_balance

End of the Earth Postponed

2010-10-21T06:10:00.000-07:00

It's a good news/bad news situation for believers in the 2012 Mayan apocalypse. The good news is that the Mayan "Long Count" calendar may not end on Dec. 21, 2012 (and, by extension, the world may not end along with it). The bad news for prophecy believers? If the calendar doesn't end in December 2012, no one knows when it actually will - or if it has already.

A new critique, published as a chapter in the new textbook "Calendars and Years II: Astronomy and Time in the Ancient and Medieval World" (Oxbow Books, 2010), argues that the accepted conversions of dates from Mayan to the modern calendar may be off by as much as 50 or 100 years. That would throw the supposed and overhyped 2012 apocalypse off by decades and cast into doubt the dates of historical Mayan events. (The doomsday worries are based on the fact that the Mayan calendar ends in 2012, much as our year ends on Dec. 31.)

The Mayan calendar was converted to today's Gregorian calendar using a calculation called the GMT constant, named for the last initials of three early Mayanist researchers. Much of the work emphasized dates recovered from colonial documents that were written in the Mayan language in the Latin alphabet, according to the chapter's author, Gerardo Aldana, University of California, Santa Barbara professor of Chicana and Chicano Studies.

Later, the GMT constant was bolstered by American linguist and anthropologist Floyd Lounsbury, who used data in the Dresden Codex Venus Table, a Mayan calendar and almanac that charts dates relative to the movements of Venus.

"He took the position that his work removed the last obstacle to fully accepting the GMT constant," Aldana said in a statement. "Others took his work even further, suggesting that he had proven the GMT constant to be correct."

But according to Aldana, Lounsbury's evidence is far from irrefutable.

"If the Venus Table cannot be used to prove the FMT as Lounsbury suggests, its acceptance depends on the reliability of the corroborating data," he said. That historical data, he said, is less reliable than the Table itself, causing the argument for the GMT constant to fall "like a stack of cards."

Aldana doesn't have any answers as to what the correct calendar conversion might be, preferring to focus on why the current interpretation may be wrong. Looks like end-of-the-world theorists may need to find another ancient calendar on which to pin their apocalyptic hopes.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20101019/sc_livescience/endoftheearthpostponed

Randy Quaid Arrest Warrant Issued After Actor & Wife Fail to Appear for Felony Vandalism Case

2010-10-20T06:33:00.000-07:00

Randy Quaid is a wanted man... A judge issued arrest warrants Monday for Randy Quaid and his wife after they failed to show up at a court hearing stemming from their arrests last month on suspicion of illegally squatting at a home, a prosecutor said. Santa Barbara Senior Deputy District Attorney Lee Carter said the $50,000 warrants were issued after the couple failed to appear for an arraignment Monday on a felony vandalism charge. Carter said the couple may turn themselves in sooner, but their case will be called again on Oct. 26.

Randy and Evi Quaid each face a felony vandalism charge. Deputies arrested the couple last month on suspicion that they were living in the guest house of a Montecito home they previously owned. Authorities said at the time the Quaids were suspected of causing more than $5,000 in damage.

Their attorney on a previous criminal case, Robert Sanger, did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment.
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The Quaids frequently missed court appearances in an earlier case involving charges they defrauded an innkeeper. That case was resolved in April with Evi Quaid pleading no contest to a misdemeanor count. The charges against her husband were dropped.

Randy Quaid, 60, is best-known for supporting roles in films such as "Independence Day" and "National Lampoon's Vacation." He is the older brother of Dennis Quaid.

http://www.thirdage.com/news/randy-quaid-arrest-warrant-issued-after-actor-wife-fail-appear-felony-vandalism-case_10-20-2010

Tylenol Recall: Consumers Complain Again of Musty Odor

2010-10-20T06:31:00.000-07:00

Another Tylenol recall was initiated by maker Johnson & Johnson after people complained about musty odors coming from Tylenol bottles, according to an announcement by the company on Tuesday.

The current recall is the ninth for Johnson & Johnson in 2010. Earlier this year, tens of millions of bottles of Tylenol were recalled over musty, odd odors.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, a division of the company, said that they are recalling a product lot of Tylenol 8 Hour caplets 50-count bottles. The pills, meant for minor aches and pains, are in retail stores.

“The uncharacteristic odor is thought to be caused by the presence of trace amounts of a chemical called 2,4,6-tribromoanisole,” a news statement read. “This voluntary action is being taken as a precaution, and the risk of adverse medical events is remote. To date, observed events reported to McNeil for this lot were temporary and nonserious.”

http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/content/view/44487/

Nadya Suleman Has More Eggs Left

2010-10-20T06:22:00.000-07:00

Nadya Suleman, or “Octomom” the serial mom addicted to having children might have yet more on the way. Suleman got famous for her reckless attachment to having children may have some more on the way.

According to court documents surrounding Suleman's fertility doctor, Michael Kamrava, Nadya Suleman was implanted with 12 embryos before she gave birth to 8 children in January 2009. The news of the procedure prompted the Medical Board of California to review Kamrava's license for suspension or possible revoking. According to one source:

Deputy Attorney General Judith Alvarado said Kamrava endangered Suleman and violated national standards of care, adding that the man "knew that a 12-embryo transfer was unsafe. Any transfer, on any given day, can result in full implantation of all those embryos."

While we don't have the medical knowledge on hand to agree or disagree, we do know that a woman who can't pay rent and faces a $450K balloon payment on her home isn't fit to have 8 kids at once.

fourteen children.
http://www.thirdage.com/news/nadya-suleman-has-more-eggs-left_10-20-2010