tuberaider video

A battle of pop & rock divas is in full swing, as Courtney Love and Lilly Allen are going head-to-head in a bitter feud.

The rift apparently stems from Courtney Love being mad at Lily Allen for preventing other people from wearing Chanel designs at the BRIT Awards. (Really? That's what Courtney Love is up in arms about? Sounds more like something Lauren Conrad or Heidi Montag would feud over, but maybe Courtney is more like them than we want to admit.)

Courtney Blasted Lily Allen for this last week, and Allen, who has an exclusive deal with Chanel to represent them, was reportedly stung by the twitter blasts.

Then at the NME awards they reportedly butted heads in person, and Lily Allen walked away crying.

Then the next day Courtney hit twitter again with more barbs for Lily: "Pretty darn rich coming from someone who starts nonsensical fights with people out of insecure jealousy on a weekly basis. At least when I've started fights with people its because they [bleep] w (with) my kid or [bleep] w my $ (money). No further comment, hatred is not my drink, I don't like jealousy, vindictiveness, stalkers, selfishness and dishonesty, that's just me!"

Lily Allen vs. Courtney Love! (VIDEO)

Courtney Love continued her feud with Lily Allen at an awards show in London on Wednesday, when the British pop star reportedly left the ceremony in tears after a vicious bust-up with the rocker. The Hole front woman recently blasted Allen in a series of posts on her Twitter.com page, accusing the singer of blocking all other stars from wearing Chanel designs to the BRIT Awards because of her exclusive deal with the brand. And the ill feeling continued when the pair met at the NME Awards in London on Wednesday night, with Allen fleeing in tears after a ferocious war of words with Love, according to NME.com.

Lily Allen vs. Courtney Love! (VIDEO)

Guess who's back in the news: Clay Aiken, beloved runner-up on American Idol (how the heck did he come in second anyway? that other guy has never been heard from since).

This week Clay Aiken is making news with his plans to speak at a Gay Rights event in his home state of North Carolina.

Clay, who was always widely rumored and assumed to be gay, finally came out some time after his American Idol appearance, and has been outspoken about his identity and his right to be proud of it.

Clay will speak at a Human Rights Gala in Raleigh, his hometown.

Since his American Idol run Aiken has been on eight tours, and wrote a best-selling book named "Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life."

Clay Aiken Gay Rights (NEWS)
advocate

American Idol star Clay Aiken, who came out in 2008, will use his celebrity to speak for gay rights in North Carolina, his native state, this weekend. According to the Associated Press, Aiken will deliver a speech at the Human Rights Campaign gala in Raleigh, his hometown, this Saturday. Still, some aspects of the appearance proved too controversial for Aiken."The 31-year-old Raleigh native, pop singer and 2003 American Idol runner-up says he wrote his own speech after remarks provided for him proved too political, including a slam aimed at former President George W. Bush," reports the AP.

Clay Aiken Gay Rights (NEWS)

New photos reveal that Angelina and Brad just took Shiloh to get super-cute a new haircut!

As seen in the photos linked below, the daughter of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt got a new shape-up just recently, perhaps to coincide with meeting her grandfather Jon Voight, who recently reunited with Angelina and her family after a long-running feud.

According to one celebrity haircutter, "A short, cropped little shag like that is great for a little kid. It's gonna grow out well. She can go roll around the dirt and still look really cute."

One other top stylist that works with kids said: "I would give it an A-plus, Shiloh has fine hair; by cutting it short, it makes it look thicker and healthier,"

Experts are predicting that parents may be coming in droves to get this style of short cut for their own kids, much like many parents ask for a "Suri cut" to match the look sported by Suri Cruise. See below for a link with photos and more info.

Shiloh: New Haircut! (NEWS, PHOTOS)

Everybody's got an opinion on three-year-old Shiloh Jolie-Pitt's new 'do -- including the professionals. "It's very Princess Charming," ...The new 'do "embrace[s] femininity in a [style] that's not superlong," says Fugate, who works out of Manhattan's Sam Brocato Salon. Celeb kids haircuts -- see the slideshow Fugate -- who also makes "house calls" for clients' young kids -- compares the "soft, dainty" cut to styles once worn by Natalie Portman and Michelle Williams. "Not all little girls have to look like beauty queens with pageant hair," he explains to Us...

Shiloh: New Haircut! (NEWS, PHOTOS)

Dr. W.G. Watson, legendary as one of the oldest practicing doctors of all time, this week celebrated his 100th birthday, and his colleagues in Augusta Georgia say he has delivered over 15,000 babies in that time!

He has worked at University Hospital since 1947, and delivered several generations of babies for the same family in many cases. As a veteran health care provider he is a legend in the world of medicine, and hero to physicians and practitioners nationwide.

Watson will be the beneficiary of a gala celebration, and tribute on the front lawn of his hospital, and it is well deserved!

Happy birthday Dr. Watson, your service has been far more than elementary.

Dr. W.G. Watson: 99! (NEWS)
wrdw

University Hospital's legendary Dr. W.G. Watson is celebrating his 100th birthday, and a lifetime of service to Augusta. Hospital leaders estimate he has delivered between 16,000 to 18,000 babies over his near 60 year career. He entered medicine in 1947, and has worked at University Hospital ever since. Some of his patients, Dr. Watson says, have been coming to him for 55 years. There are many families in out area that have several generations of babies delivered by the doctor. We spoke with one Aiken family who has 16 children, all delivered by Watson.

Dr. W.G. Watson: 99! (NEWS)

A major recall has been announced of several "Pull-A-Long" toys that may pose a risk to young children who play with them.

Parents are strongly advised to take these toys away from any kids that currently have them.

There are wooden parts on the toys that have been discovered to break off too easily, and thus pose a choking hazard for young children.

These are the specific toys that are being recalled for safety reasons: the Pull-A-Long Friends Toucan™ with lot code 210720GB, Pull-A-Long Friends Alligator™ with lot code 210750GB, and the Pull-A-Long Friends Sharky™ with lot code 210530GB.

For more information see the link below. Anyone who has one of these Pull-A-Long toys can take them back to the store for a replacement or refund.

Pull Toys Recalled Pull-A-Long Friends Toucan™, Pull-A-Long Friends Alligator™, and Pull-A-Long Friends Sharky™
consumeraffairs

Manhattan Group LLC is recalling about 2,800 pull toys because they have wooden components that can break or come loose, posing a choking and aspiration hazard to young children... The toys were sold at gift and specialty stores nationwide, online and through catalogs from September 2009 through January 2010 for about $22. They were made in Thailand. Consumers should take the toys away from young children immediately and return them to the store where purchased for a refund or a replacement toy.

Alex Rodriguez risked damaging his highly valued body and his highly valued car, as he got into a car accident last thursday in Tampa Florida.

A-Rod was in a minor crash in his Maybach, an elite luxury car that costs almost half a million dollars.

The accident was apparently only a fender-bender in Tampa near the spring training stadium, and made few waves outside of A-Rod and his car insurance overseers.

Yankee spokesmen downplayed news of the accident, indicating it was barely worth commenting on.

The Maybach is a German luxury car, revived in recent years by Mercedes-Benz, that is one of the most expensive on the market, and recently made even more famous as it became a favorite for rappers to name-drop.

Tampa Florida car dealers were likely hoping Alex Rodriguez might be in the market for a replacement, but it looks like they'll have no such luck.

Alex Rodriguez Car Accident News
dailynews

Alex Rodriguez and his car are A-OK. Asked about the minor car accident he was involved in on Thursday, A-Rod delivered a quick laugh yesterday, amused that the incident was drawing any attention at all. "I wouldn't even call it (an accident)," Rodriguez told the Daily News yesterday. "I was going about two miles per hour. It was a fender-bender. "You couldn't even tell on my car. There wasn't even a scratch." Rodriguez said the incident involving his $400,000 Maybach occurred "early" Thursday morning..

Alex Rodriguez Car Accident News

As natural disasters, political strife home and abroad, and the future of health care all hang in the balance, only one story could be even more important: What color is Britney Spears hair this week?

Well here's the answer that will let you rest easy tonight: Britney Spears is officially blond again.

The news came in with photos taken in West Hollywood, where Britney was photographed with newly restored blond hair flowing.

Britney has had more than her share of ups and downs in her already long career, but seems to have settled into a more stable run recently, with no major drama going on beyond the usual showbiz "issues" of weight gain/weight loss and alleged fashion mistakes.

Here's hoping her hair color is the most scandalous thing we have to judge about Britney from now on!

Britney Spears: Blonde Again (NEWS, PHOTOS)
ontheflix

Britney Spears gets spotted sporting blonde hair again in West Hollywood. According to TMZ , mega popstar, Britney Spears got spotted re-sporting her signature blonde hairlocks again out in West Hollywood two days ago. They say Britney Spears went into a salon this past Friday out in West Hollywood, California,and emerged with her re-blonded hair. She had recently dyed it brunette. I personally think she looks better with blond hair,and she looked really cute in this photo (above). And it's definitely a long way from when she shaved it off completely a couple of years back.That was not a good moment...

Britney Spears: Blonde Again (NEWS, PHOTOS)

The cast of Glee, the smash hit musical TV show, is getting ready to go on a concert tour!

The show has won hearts of theater geeks and lovers of pop music across the country, with its lovable high school characters, and is now set to travel across the country, with fans eagerly awaiting the chance to get concert tickets and see their favorite Glee stars in person.

According to Glee's creator, Murphy, "Glee's music is not only driving the show, making it the freshest program on broadcast television, but it's also driving revenues. This is a new sort of model. It used to be with TV that you would have the show, then foreign sales, then DVD sales and then syndication sales, but DVD sales have really taken a cut out of syndication. This is a whole new way for Fox to earn revenue on a show."

'Glee' Going On Tour
EW

Attention Gleeks: you may be able to catch all your favorite Glee songs performed live next year. EW has learned that a Glee music tour is in the early discussion stage. It's not surprising given that the series' music has been exploding on iTunes and the first Glee soundtrack drops on Nov. 3. Back in July, Fox Broadcasting president Kevin Reilly hinted at the development to EW. "We've had a tremendous amount of enthusiasm from our music partners," said Reilly. "Certainly if these kids become stars in their own right, who knows? Live appearances. Albums. There's lots of things that could happen..."

'Glee' Going On Tour

A strange scandal is coming out of the Jackson family camp this week, with reports that Jermaine Jackson's son, Jaafar, was walking around the home of Michael Jackson's children brandishing a stun gun.

It has been confirmed that a social worker was sent to the home to investigate, but according to Jackson family representatives: "Two weeks ago, Jermaine Jackson's 13-year old son, Jaafar, who lives with his mother Alejandra at the home of Mrs. Katherine Jackson, received a package with a stun gun he ordered online. Jaafar opened the package alone in his bathroom and tested it on a piece of paper."

The statement said Jaafar never used the stun gun on anyone, and adults confiscated it as soon as it was discovered. ""Blanket Jackson never saw or heard the stun gun," the spokesperson Streisand said. "Neither did Paris Jackson. Prince saw the stun gun in the possession of security."

A gossip site had reported that Jaafar was aiming the stun gun at Blanket and perhaps the other Michael Jackson children, but there has been no corroboration of this and I have to assume it was an unfounded rumor at this point.

Jackson Stun Gun? Jermaine's Son vs. Blanket!
CNN

Jermaine Jackson's son caused a stir with a stun gun in the home where Michael Jackson's children live, but the family lawyer said nobody got hurt. Adam Streisand, who represents Katherine Jackson, issued a statement Tuesday to respond to what he said were "erroneous media stories" about the incident. The statement did confirm reports that a social worker from the Los Angeles County Department of Child Services was sent to the Jackson's Encino, California, home to investigate...

Jackson Stun Gun? Jermaine's Son vs. Blanket!

Valerie Bertinelli is back on TV, with a hot new sitcom named "Hot in Cleveland"!

Valerie co-stars on the show with two other TV veterans, Wendie Malick from "Just Shoot Me", and Jane Leeves who was of course Daphne on "Frasier."

The show will air on TV Land, the Nickelodeon spinoff known for showing classic sitcoms in syndication form, a perfect spot for these three actresses known for their previous roles on classic TV sitcoms.

Bertinelli "Hot in Cleveland"
cleveland.com

Baby, it's cold outside, yet TVLand just turned up the heat on a proposed series called "Hot in Cleveland." Valerie Bertinelli (Barbara Cooper on "One Day at a Time") and two other stars of long-running network sitcoms will be featured in the pilot episode for this comedy being developed by the cable channel. Also in the cast are Jane Leeves (Daphne Moon on "Frasier") and Wendie Malick (Nina Van Horn on "Just Shoot Me"). Filming on the pilot episode begins in February...

Bertinelli "Hot in Cleveland"

Jeffrey Skilling, the man held responsible for the huge accounting fraud scandal that ruined Enron and left them bankrupt, is taking his case before the Supreme Court this week, seeking to have that landmark conviction overturned.

Skillings attorneys claim that after the calamitous financial collapse of Enron, and the loss of thousands of jobs and a billion dollars of employee retirement funds, that it was impossible to get a fair trial in Houston where it all took place.

Skillings lawyers are arguing that in this financial scandal, "The degree of hostility and animus that existed in Houston against the defendants - Mr. Skilling in particular -was far more intense than other venues..."

Jeffrey Skilling: New Trial
bloomberg

Four years after a Houston jury found Jeffrey Skilling guilty of leading the accounting fraud that drove Enron Corp. into bankruptcy, that signature prosecution victory may be in jeopardy. The U.S. Supreme Court today will consider the former Enron chief executive officer's appeal, having already hinted that it will throw out at least one count of his conviction for so- called honest services fraud. Skilling's lawyers are seeking to overturn the entire 19- count conviction on the grounds that the trial should have been moved to another city.

Jeffrey Skilling: New Trial

Jeffrey Skilling was convicted of "honest services fraud" in a huge landmark case involving financial dealings with Enron, that brought the company to bankrupcy and essentially stole a billion dollars from innocent people. But now Skilling and Conrad Black have both been seeing new hope of having their convictions overturned,

Jeffrey Skilling, the man convicted and considered responsible for the huge accounting fraud scandal that ruined Enron and left them bankrupt, is taking his case before the Supreme Court this week, seeking to have that landmark conviction overturned.

Skillings attorneys claim that after the financial collapse of Enron, and the loss of thousands of jobs and a billion dollars of employee retirement funds, that it was impossible to get a fair trial in Houston where it all took place.

Conrad Black, Honest Services & Jeffrey Skilling
bloomberg

Disgraced press baron Conrad Black received a boost in his quest for a release from prison today as US supreme court judges peppered prosecutors with sceptical questions over the controversial fraud law at the centre of his conviction. Several of Black's family members including his daughter, Alana and his elder son, James, were in a packed public gallery at the highest court in America for a last-ditch appeal by the 65-year-old peer to overturn his six-and-a-half-year prison sentence for fraud and obstruction of justice. Black, who is incarcerated in Florida, was not allowed to attend...

Conrad Black, Honest Services & Jeffrey Skilling

Jeffrey Skilling, who oversaw a reign of theft and fraud at Enron, was convicted of insider trading, found and conspiracy in the biggest corporate fraud in the history of the financial sector, leaving countless investors as victims.

Skilling lef the one mighty Enron bankrupt, and left their clients having lost over a billion dollars.

Jeffrey Skilling was convicted of counts including insider trading and "honest services fraud" in a huge landmark case involving financial dealings with Enron.

That funny money business brought the company to bankruptcy and essentially stole a billion dollars from innocent people. But now Skillings' case is before the Supreme Court and could be overturned.

Jeffrey Skilling Convicted of Fraud, Conspiracy, Insider Trading
cnn

Former Enron Chief Executive Jeffrey Skilling, who gained infamy as the man who orchestrated the largest corporate fraud in history, was sentenced to more than 24 years in jail Monday. The 52-year-old Skilling stood stoically, his hands clasped before him, as presiding Judge Sim Lake handed down his sentence. His wife Rebecca, however, sobbed quietly in her seat as victims of Enron's collapse watched the proceedings stone-faced.

Jeffrey Skilling Convicted of Fraud, Conspiracy, Insider Trading

Police authorities have made a big bust in Spain, tracking down a group responsible for widespread malicious malware online.

The Spanish officers made the arrests in Madrid of a ring of computer criminals using a "botnet" attack to invade 13 million computers, including PCs in many major companies.

Speaking of one of the masterminds of this Mariposa botnet, a police representative said "I don't think there's anything about this guy that makes him smarter than any of the other botnet guys, but the (Mariposa) software, it's very professional, it's very effective. It came alive and started spreading and it got bigger than him."

And now the three men are in something bigger than all of them, but hopefully computer security will be a bit easier to maintain for a little while.

Malware Group Bust

Authorities have smashed one of the world's biggest networks of virus-infected computers, a data vacuum that stole credit cards and online banking credentials from as many as 12.7 million poisoned PCs. The "botnet" of infected computers included PCs inside more than half of the Fortune 1,000 companies and more than 40 major banks, according to investigators. Spanish investigators, working with private computer-security firms, have arrested the three alleged ringleaders of the so-called Mariposa botnet,..

Malware Group Bust

Tiger Woods' caddie is speaking out for the first time about his boss's infidelity scandal and how he's been affected by it.

And even though he says he's standing by Tiger and will rejoin him on the golf course, he doesn't hold back from making news by expressing his anger!

Williams said: "It's been the most difficult time of my life, no two ways about it, because every single person believed that I should know or did know or had something to do with it, I knew nothing, that's my answer. I don't have to clarify or extend that answer, I knew nothing."

And he said straight up: "Of course I'm mad at him, why would you not be? He's obviously let his family down. ... I'm close with his wife and he's got two lovely children and he's let them down."

But as Tiger Woods gets family counseling and rehab for his sex addiction, the caddie hopes they will avoid bringing in the divorce lawyers and seek a family future instead of family court. And Williams says at the end of the day he continues to stand by his golf partner, and will keep satnding by to hand over the golf clubs.

Tiger's Caddie (NEWS)
cbsnews

Tiger's Caddie (NEWS)

Lee Boyd Malvo, the younger of the two D.C. Snipers that terrorized the country with their killing spree, has offered an apology to one of his victims, sent in the mail.

The letter came as a surprise to John Gaeta, who was shot in the neck by Malvo and his partner.

The letter stated: "I am truly sorry for the pain I caused you and your loved ones. I was relieved to hear that you suffered no paralyzing injuries and that you are alive. Sincerely, Lee Boyd Malvo."

Up until now Gaeta had not been confirmed as a victim of the DC Snipers, and didn't know for sure who shot him, so though he is not ready to forgive Malvo he is glad to know once and for all who did it to him, and that that person will be behind bars for the rest of his life.

D.C. Sniper Apologizes

Lee Boyd Malvo may be trying to atone for his sins, committed as the younger half of the so-called D.C. sniper team that terrorized the Southeast and the nation's capital in 2002. John Gaeta, who was shot in the neck at a shopping mall in Louisiana, recently received a succinct letter of apology from Malvo, confirming what police have suspected since 2006, according to CNN. Gaeta read the note over the phone to CNN Wednesday, saying that Malvo both printed and signed his name to the letter.

D.C. Sniper Apologizes

A Dwarf theme park in China is drawing both admiration and scorn, as people question whether it is a great opportunity for these people, or a demeaning exploitation.

The theme park employs about 100 dwarfs, who otherwise would have a very hard time finding regular employment.

But the job, getting to work in a theme park where they are put on display as dwarfs to perform for visitors, is seen as degrading by some advocates for little people.

Said one advocate "I think it is horrible," speaking on behalf of a dwarfism support group based in California. "What is the difference between it and a zoo?"

But it is pointed out that the theme park is constantly flooded with applications, showing there are very few opportunities for disabled or handicapped people, including dwarfs, to support themselves in China.

Dwarf Theme Park
nytimes

Is any employment, no matter how low-paying and potentially degrading, better than no job at all? This question often comes up with regard to sweatshop labor in poor countries. But it also applies to an odd new theme park in Kunming, China, where tourists "watch dozens of dwarfs in pink tutus perform a slapstick version of 'Swan Lake' along with other skits." From a New York Times article: "One hundred permanently employed dwarfs, they contend, is better than 100 dwarfs scrounging for odd jobs. They insist that the audiences who see the dwarfs sing, dance and perform comic routines leave impressed by their skills and courage."

Dwarf Theme Park (VIDEO)

A vegetable protein used in various foods is causing recalls of numerous products to avoid an outbreak of salmonella.

The additive is known as hydrolyzed vegetable protein, and it is used in thousands of foods, but it has not yet been linked to any illness or sickness, and FDA experts say there is no immediate health risk.

But products are being recalled as a precaution, ll of which got the additive form a company named Basic Food Flavors Inc. of Las Vegas.

The FDA medical and disease experts were able to identify the DNBA fingerprint that makes this particular strain of salmonella unique, and thus were able to establish that nobody has contracted an illness from these products, because that same fingerprint would have been visible.

Vegetable Protein Recall
latimes

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday announced a potentially massive recall of salad dressing, chip dip, soup mixes and other foods made with a commonly used food additive that may be contaminated with salmonella. Among the products being taken off store shelves is a potato salad from an Oregon supplier, according to the Oregonian newspaper, that makes products distributed under the Safeway and Wal-Mart brands. Safeway Inc. said Thursday that it was removing its Red Potato Salad with Dill products from its Vons and Pavilions stores, as well as its self-named markets.

Vegetable Protein Recall

A job fair in Houston Texas drew thousands of people this week, as it offered job opportunities specifically for the many convicted felons seeking employment.

In these tough economic times the job search can be doubly heard for a convicted felon, who will have trouble with the hob-hunting process even in the best of times.

Said a Houston City Council member about the employment opportunity event: "These were not individuals trying to get concert tickets or a free dinner, they were individuals who were waiting in line because they want to be productive members of society."

Said one attendee hoping to find a job: "I'm an ex-con, and that's the main thing that's holding me back, It's a very, very, very hard thing that people still look at what you did in the past and not what you can do in the future." See below for full details.

Job Fair for Felons
cnn

More than 3,000 people turned out in downtown Houston, Texas, Wednesday for a job fair designed for convicted felons. Organizers of the Road to Re-entry Employment Fair, created to help those with criminal records find work and reintegrate into society, had expected a few hundred job people. The line of job seekers, which ran for a few blocks and tied up traffic, as reported by CNN affiliate KHOU, took the planners by surprise...

Job Fair for Felons

A fierce legal battle is underway in Rhode Island, where 88 teachers have been fired in an ongoing feud over their job expectations and pay.

The employment dispute is making many attorneys rich but is based on how much pay the teachers receive compared to the amount of work expected of them on the job.

The teachers resisted having extra duties added to their workday, despite being among the highest paid teachers in the country compared to others in similar schools in other states.

The Central Falls school board voted to remove 88 of the teachers who were protesting these additional duties for the same salary.

One teacher said "This has to be the saddest thing I've encountered in my 30-some years of education."

88 Teachers in Rhode Island Fired
cbsnews

Central Falls, Rhode Island has long been among the state's most troubled school districts - one in five students live in poverty, reports CBS News correspondent Jim Axelrod. Many struggle with English in this immigrant community - and that's just for starters. "We lose 52 percent of our students between 9th grade and the 12th grade," Central Falls Superintendent Fran Gallo told Axelrod. "They don't graduate." Eighty-eight teachers at Central Falls High School could be terminated. Teachers are rallying for their jobs, anticipating a battle for their own employment after these first terminations...

88 Teachers in Rhode Island Fired

Rhode Island is currently in the middle of a controversy involving its treatment of school teachers, but traditionally the state is actually known as one of the best places to be a teacher!

Out of all the states, Rhode Island ranks 5th in the nation for teaching salaries, making it a sought after destination for making teaching your vocation.

young teachers also can tap into University of Rhode Island for support and additional study, as they start out in their teaching career.

There is currently trouble in the world of Rhode Island teachers, as they have been protesting new job requirements and their protests led to 88 teachers being fired.

But this nerw scandal should not deter people from seeking the opportunities this state has to offer, after the legaql battle dies down.

Rhode Island Teaching Salaries, Rank in Nation?
teaching tips

Rhode Island may be a small state, but the teaching salaries it offers are quite large. Rhode Island ranks 5th in the nation for average teaching salaries when compared to other states. Even teachers new to the job can expect to get paid above the national average for new teacher salaries. Technology is important in Rhode Island schools and teachers in the state will find that both students and teachers are expected to know about and use a variety of computer programs and devices. Educational programs through University of Rhode Island also help bolster opportunity...

Rhode Island Teaching Salaries, Rank in Nation?

Frances Gallo, who runs a school district in Rhode Island, has set off a firestorm by trying to enforce new expectations on teachers and staff in her district, and firing almost 100 teachers who refused to abide by her new rules.

Frances had set in place six conditions for the teachers to agree to, and the teachers felt these new expectations were unfair.

Critics remind teachers that they are among the highest paid in the country, by their state's salaries, and should buck it up and work harder for the kids.

But others say it;s not that simnple, and teachers shouldn't let themselves get pushed aro9und by the bureaucracy when they already give their all for the students.

Even Obama himself has issued a statement on the firings, seeming to defend it as justified even if painful.

Frances Gallo: Six Conditions Too Many?

Inside the front door to Central Falls High School, across the street from a boarded-up building, an archway is adorned with an unambiguous boast: "Through these halls pass the world's best faculty and students.'' It is a motto that rings false for the local school board, which recently voted to fire all of the school's staff in a stunning move that made Central Falls a lightning rod in the polarizing debate over improving the country's education system. Even President Obama weighed in, holding up the Feb. 23 vote to fire all 93 teachers, administrators, and support staff as a painful but potentially necessary move.

Frances Gallo: Six Conditions Too Many?

A fierce battle is raging in Rhode Island, where almost 100 teachers have been fired after refusing to take on new job duties enforced by the district.

The teachers in Rhode Island are actively protesting what they call egregiously unfair treatment., after they were canned and kicked out the schools many of them had worked at for years

But the district felt it was necessary since they refused to to abide by the six conditions newly put in place by the district.

Defenders of the decision include President Obama himself, and many point out that the teachers are among the highest paid in the country for their positions, and perhaps ought to be willing to go thne extra mile.

Rhode Island Teachers Fired (VIDEO)
wsbtv

When all the teachers were fired from Central Falls High School last week in a sweeping effort at school reform, their superintendent gave them a taste of the accountability President Barack Obama says is necessary. It is a strategy that has been used elsewhere, such as in Chicago and Los Angeles. But while there have been some improvements in test scores, schools where most teachers have been replaced still grapple with problems of poverty and discipline. Even advocates of the approach say firing a teaching staff is just one of several crucial steps that must be taken to turn around a school.

Rhode Island Teachers Fired (VIDEO)

School Superintendent Frances Gallo is calling for talks instead of firings, as the 88 teachers threatened with firing maby still have an opportunity to negotiate with the district in this major battle going on for Rhode Island teachers and administrators. '

Test scores and performance are very low at the school, while teachers earn more money than their colleagues in almost every other state.

So the state decided they needed to add more duties to the teachers' job description, but the teachers protested and refused to go along, leading to the threat of firing.

Many including even President Obama have bqacked this possibility, but the boss is still gving teachers a chance to work something out. See below for details:

Rhode Island Superintendent Calls for Talks
foxnews

A district superintendent who fired all the teachers from one of the state's most troubled schools said Wednesday she's willing to negotiate with its teachers' union after it publicly pledged to support reforms. Central Falls Superintendent Frances Gallo said an offer made late Tuesday by the Central Falls Teachers' Union gives her hope the issue could be resolved without mass firings. The offer includes support for a longer school day and providing before- and after-school tutoring for students...

Rhode Island Superintendent Calls for Talks

Rhode Island school teachers are protesting a move to fire almost 100 of them, for refusing to take on additional work duty.

But when you look at the results they are getting, it might be hard to have a lot of sympathy fort the school staff.

According to stats in the latest news reports, only 7 percent of 11th graders taught by these teachers are at their grade level in math!

The superintendent Frances Gallo stepped up to fire the 93 teachers underperforming and refusing to accept additional work, but is now offering to try and talk out a compromise.

Many observers including Presidet Obama himself have weighed in supporting the state's right to fire these teachers.

What do you think, is this fair and in the best interests of the kids, or should these teachers be bringing in their attorneys?

central falls high school: 7 percent of 11th graders doing well!
boston

...The teachers union offered a counterproposal Tuesday that moves toward Gallo's conditions, including a longer workday. In response, Gallo has agreed to resume negotiations. However, the superintendent said last night, the decision to fire teachers will not change unless an agreement is reached. In Central Falls, a largely Hispanic city north of Providence where 19,000 people are squeezed into 1.3 square miles, the mill work vanished long ago, only 48 percent of high schoolers graduate in four years, and more than a quarter of its families live below the poverty level. Only 7 percent of 11th graders reached proficiency in math...

central falls high school: 7 percent of 11th graders doing well!

Rumors are fyling about Johnny Depp getting ready to quit his latest film, for reasons that might not be what you expect!

Johnny Depp as been filming The Tourist for a while now, but now reports are surfacing that he may be quitting the film because his girlfriend doesn't want him doing love scenes with a certain actress.

Depp's girlfriend Vanessa Paradis reportedly is unhappy with Depp filming love scenes that co-star Angelina Jolie, which is what the script calls for.

There has been no confirmation of this yet that I can find though, so I am going to asume it's just tabloid gossip for now.

Johnny Depp Quit Film (NEWS)
thaindian

It seems like Captain Jack Sparrow is giving in to the words of his lady love. That's right. Johnny Deep's long time girlfriend French supermodel Vanessa Paradis wants his man to take himself off his upcoming flick "The Tourist," which stars Angelina Jolie too. When Vanessa Paradis figured out that Johnny Deep is filming an intimate scene with Angelina Jolie, she at once asked her boyfriend to take his name off the cast list. The movie which stars Angelina Jolie, who plays the role of an Interpol Agent, will be seducing Johnny Deep- essaying the role of the protagonist...

Johnny Depp Quit Film (NEWS)

Officers swooped in on the Jackson family estate, after reports came in of a burglary.

The call came that a burglary was taking place at the home of the Jackson clan, but no details are yet available on whether the Jackson folks were home at the time.

There are also no reports on whether anything was damaged or missing.

THis comes soon after authorities came to the Jackson home to investigate reports of taser being used by one family member, the son of Jermaine, possibly brandishing it in the presense of Blanket, Michael;s son.

Jackson Estate Burglary Call (NEWS)
contactmusic

Armed cops swooped on the JACKSON family estate in Encino, California estate on Friday (05Mar10), after responding to a burglary-in-progress call. Los Angeles Police Department officers with shotguns swarmed the family home of Katherine Jackson following a 911 call. The five cops searched the home for a suspected burglar while a police helicopter circled overhead. However, the call was a false alarm, reports TMZ.com. It is not known if any of the musical clan were at home during the raid...

Jackson Estate Burglary Call (NEWS)

Blackwater, the private security company that has caused much controversy with it's involvement in Americna military operations, will now be fully investigated by the State Department, as allegations mount of misconduct in Afghanistan.

Blackwater was just recently fired by the Baghdad government from their cntract in Iraq.

The "private army" has been accused of all manner of dirty deeds, including in a bestselling book by Jeremy Schahill.

Blackwater has usually provided security for American diplomats and similar duties but have also gone quitre a bit further at times.

The State Dept. said that "The fact that adverse action is taken against Blackwater in one country does not mean adverse action will be taken against them in another country," but concerns remain about whether their paramilitary operation maintains proper standards in their dealings in Afghanistan.

Blackwater Review (NEWS)
washtimes

The State Department's inspector general will review services provided by Blackwater Worldwide in Afghanistan, only weeks after the Baghdad government canceled the embattled security company's contract in Iraq. Inspector General Harold W. Geisel told the Commission on Wartime Contracting on Monday that his department will begin the performance review in March. "We are reviewing Blackwater," Mr. Geisel said.

Blackwater Review (NEWS)

A brand of hand sanitizer is being recalled after tests foind it has dangerous levels of bacteria.

The company is named Clarcon and has many products on shelves in various parts of the country.

Consumers are warned that if they have any of these products they should be thrown away immediately.

Some of the products to avoid are: Citrushield Lotion, Dermasentials DermaBarrier, Dermassentials by Clarcon Antimicrobial Hand Sanitizer, Iron Fist Barrier Hand Treatment, Skin Shield Restaurant, Skin Shield Industrial, Skin Shield Beauty Salon Lotion, Total Skin Care Beauty, Total Skin Care Work

For more info and a complete list see below:

Hand Sanitizer Warning: Dangerous!

examiner

On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning concerning hand sanitizers developed by Clarcon Biological Chemistry Laboratory Inc. of Utah - marketed under several brand names - which were recalled due to "high levels of disease-causing bacteria." As risks associated with all-natural and discount brand hand sanitizers have been found before, it is important for consumers to verify the ethanol content of their hand sanitation products as well as to heed the reletad FDA warnings and instructions.

Hand Sanitizer Warning: Dangerous!

Are you ready for plastic dollar bills. Canada's money is about to be replaced by plastic, to prevent counterfeiting.

The Bank of Canada will hopefully begin making the new plsatic dollars in the next year or two, replacing the cotton polymer blend bills that are now the standard but are considered too easy to fake.

The materials for the plastic currency will be provided to Canada by an Australian source.

The government did not say why such efforts to prevent fraud were needed, or detail what instanced of counterfeiting have taken place recently.

The bills are supposed to have a new revamped design, with a small window on the bill that supposedly prevents photocopying. One-and two-dollar coins will also undergo changes in their composition to reduce production costs for the Royal Canadian Mint.

Canadian Money Plastic (NEWS)
thaindian

Canadian currency is all set to get a makeover with the federal government declaring recently that the country's currency likely to be replaced by plasticized versions by late next year. It has also been revealed that the Bank of Canada is hoping to begin the printing of the new plastic bills within the next eighteen months. Presently, the bills are made from a cotton based polymer. The latest initiative of the federal government to modernize the Canadian currency as well as prevent counterfeiting was revealed by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty on Thursday, as a part of the federal budget in the Parliament....

Canadian Money Plastic (NEWS)

Are you ready for ANOTHER 80s movie remake? Word from Hollywood is the latest addition to the 80s movie remake avalanche will the a new version of Honey I Shrunk the Kids.

'the movie originally starred Rick Moranis as a mad scientist who acidentally shrunk his kids.

Disney Pictures is said to be considering a revamped version of the classic 1989 movie, but without its original lead actor Rick Moranis, sad to say.

According to one of the movie crew members though, the film is already in the pre-production stage.

We'll see if this actually comes to fruition, and if the movie comes to theaters, sounds like it might be a straight-to-video special.

honey i shrunk the kids remake! (news)
examiner

Honey I Shrunk The Kids! What a great family movie and the next possibly to be getting a remake. Honey I Shrunk The Kids according to the latest news on the Australian site Whatsplaying is rumored to be on the top of the list for a remake. The 1989 original family loved adventure starred actor Rick Moranis as the off beat scientist/ inventor father who is eagerly looking to create the next sensational invention.

honey i shrunk the kids remake! (news)

Pop star Katy Perry, known for her Jessica Rabbit-like curves, will soon be hitting the big screen in cartoon form according to reports.

Perry will be lending her voice to the Smurfette role in the upcoming Smurfs movie, according to the latest scoops.

The singer is also known for her engagement to British comic Russell Brand, will be following her beau's footsteps into acting for the first time.

The big screen adaptation of the Smurfs is also said to have George Lopez lined up as Grouchy smurf, with Alan Cumming as Gusty Smurf.

Veteran comic actor Jonathan winters will also return to play Papa Smurf, as he did in the original cartoon. Neil Patrick Harris will play a live-action character who interacts with the smurf world.

The Smurfs Movie: Perry is Smurfette?
inentertainment

According to a recent report at coventrytelegraph.net, the little blue people known as the Smurfs are making their way onto the big screen soon. Yes that's right folks; there is going to be a movie made that is all about those little blue lovable characters. And the word is that 25-year old American singer Katy Perry - who is now engaged to British comedian Russell Brand - is among a number of actors, who are currently in talks to appear in the movie, which will be a mixture of animation and live action....

The Smurfs Movie: Perry is Smurfette?

A gown worn by Michelle Obama will be given to the Smithsonian.

The lovely gown was worn by the new first lady at the inauguration of her husband President Barack Obama

It was a white chiffon gown with a one-shouldered design and a bead arrangement.

The designer was a new name in the fashion world, 27 year-old Jason Wu who is based in NY. He will also be on hand for the donation.

Michelle Obama also wore the gowb at 10 inaugural balls, and it was a high fashion hit all over town.

The Smithsonian is opening a First Ladies exhibit, with the evening gowns and other high-fashion clothing donated by various first ladies and their families.

Michelle Obama Gown Smithsonian
denverpost

The one-shouldered, white chiffon gown first lady Michelle Obama wore to the inaugural balls is going on display. Obama is donating the gown to the First Ladies Collection at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History on Tuesday. Dotted with beads and covered in fabric petals, the gown was a star attraction at 10 inaugural balls held in January 2009 to celebrate President Barack Obama's swearing-in. Designer Jason Wu, 27, of New York, planned to join Michelle Obama for the event.

Michelle Obama Gown Smithsonian

This week Liz Cheney and Bill Kristol shocked the political world by calling lawyers in the Justice Department the "Al Qaeda Seven" and working in the "Department of Jihad", basically calling our own government representatives terrorists.

Many have taken offense at these brash words, saying it goes against the principle of civil discourse in politics and is just not justified by the policy disagreements between the
Obama administration and conservatives like Cheney

Cheney's supportes though say she has evry right to use strong language in criticizing her government officials, and our national security needs to be taken seriously.

In their eues, there is no time to pull punches, and if you can't take the heat you should get out of the kitchen.

Eric Holder or President Obama have not yet responded to these attacks, but remained steadfast in promoting their policies as the best way to keep America safe.

Liz Cheney Accused (NEWS)
slate

It can be argued that when Liz Cheney and Bill Kristol accused nine lawyers in Attorney General Eric Holder's Justice Department of being the "al-Qaida Seven," working in the "Department of Jihad," they were simply exercising their First Amendment right to say anything that would get them on a talk show. This is, after all, America. The right to cynically accuse someone of being a terrorist is protected under the Constitution...

Liz Cheney Accused (NEWS)

Baby slings, a popular way for mothers to carry their babies, are now being questioned as the government suggests they may present a risk of smothering the babies the carry.

The safety warning being prepared by the government applies to a certain type of sling that puts the baby into a curved, "C-like" position, and it is said that this type of sling presents a risk of suffocation.

These slings, where the baby can fall into a chin-ti-chest position, are also considered risky by a nurse who teaches how to use slings properly, Tiffany Speck: "You wouldn't want to put a baby in there, The baby is curling, head toward toe, and what happens is the baby occludes its own airway."

Baby Slings Warning: Dangerous
nypost

The government is preparing a safety warning about baby slings -- those popular and fashionable infant-carrier pouches. The concern is that infants can suffocate -- and a few have done so. Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Inez Tenenbaum says her agency is getting ready to issue a general warning to the public, likely to go out this week, about the slings' dangers...

Baby Slings Warning: Dangerous

You've heard of a bank repossessing a home before, but a parrot??

A woman in a town near Pittsburgh is reporting that Bank of America not ony wrongfully repossessed her house, but the bank contractors wrecked that home and went on to take her pet parrot.

The woman's name is Angela Ianelli, and she says the Allegheny County Bank of America damaged her home and furniture and took the bird while repossessing the house even though she was actually on time with her payments.

Ianellli is now suing Bank of America, although she reports that she did eventually regain her parrot after numerous calls to the bank. A bizarre turn of events, to say the least.

Bank Took House, and Parrot!
msnbc

A Pittsburgh-area woman is suing Bank of America, claiming it wrongfully repossessed her home and saying that a bank contractor trashed the house and took her parrot. Angela Iannelli, 46, sued Bank of America in Allegheny County on Monday. She claims her mortgage payments were on time when the contractor damaged furniture, took her pet parrot and padlocked the door to her Allison Park home in October.

Bank Took House, and Parrot!

This week Simon Cowell did something he rarely does: talk about his fiance!

Cowell touched on that much-discussed part of his personal life while also lavishing praise on American Idol favorite Crystal Bowersox, saying she may be the one to beat in this year's contest.

The American Idol mastermind was bashful about broaching the subject oif hsi engagement to Mezhgan Hussainy, but he did acknowledge that he bought her an engagement ring, and that they will be married some time "in the next ten years."

Hussainy also came out briefly, during this interview on the Tonight Show, and sat with Cowell on stage as they talked to Jay Leno.

This new season of American Idol is still in the early stages but Crystal Bowersox is already considered by many the one to beat, and Simon Cowell seemed to echo those sentiments when he talked to Leno about the show.

Simon Cowell: Crystal Bowersox is Best!
ajc.com

On "The Tonight Show," Simon Cowell sidesteps the question engagement question but acknowledges he gave Mezhgan Hussainy a ring. He is clearly uncomfortable answering questions about it. It's interesting to see the usually unflappable Cowell flappable. He didn't say when they'd get married beyond "within the next ten years." Hussainy pops up for a minute below. He is also a fan of Crystal Bowersox. No surprise, there. And he said Adam Lambert should have won...

Simon Cowell: Crystal Bowersox is Best!

A missing business executive in Houston was found drowned in the Mississippi River this week, found by New Orleans police.

The Houston based execustive, Douglas Schantz, was 54.

He was an executive in a Texas oil company, Sequent Energy Management, based in Houston.

There is reportedly videotape of the oil executive on the night he went missing, where he has been drinking and seems disoriented, which lends credence to the theory that he accidentally drowned.

All of his money and credit cards were found on his person, making it less likely he was the victim of foul play. So police are saying it was most likely a tragic accident.

Houston Exec's Body Found?
chron.com

A body pulled from the Mississippi River near the French Quarter on Tuesday was that of a missing Texas oil company executive, police said. Police believe Douglas Schantz, 54, president of Houston-based Sequent Energy Management, drowned accidentally, said Bob Young of the New Orleans police department. "He had all his credit cards, his jewelry was on him," Young said. "At this time we feel it was accidental."

Houston Exec's Body Found?

In the Guinness Book of World Records you will find this cute couple on their very own page, as the world record holders for the longest marriage.

Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher have been married for a whopping 85 years and are still going strong!

In this era filled with prenups and divorce lawyers lurking around every corner, and so many controversies over who should and shouldn't get married, it's heartwarming to see one couple that gives us hope it can all work out.

In addition to their entry in the Guinness book the Fishers have been celebrated in their home state of North Carolina, and even lauded by the President himself.

Ever sincec Herbert Fisher gave the wedding ring to his new wife Zelmyra 85 years ago, they have lept a strong family bond that endured longer than anyone could have imagined. Congrats to the Fishers for making history in the best way.

World's Record Longest Marriage: Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher!
AARP

In a day when marriages begin and end with the greatest of ease, Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher are a rarity. The James City, N.C., husband and wife have been wed 85 years and hold the Guinness World Record for the longest marriage of a living couple. Banners and signs celebrating that record decorate the front lawn of their ranch-style home. They've captured the attention of newspapers, magazines and websites everywhere. And just recently, they received a signed commendation from President Obama with a promise of an official invitation to the White House to meet him.

World's Record Longest Marriage: Herbert and Zelmyra Fisher!

In the listings of the world's longest marriages, one name that stands out is Temulji Nariman who was married to his wife for 86 years. But even more amazing is how early the marriage got started.

Sir Temulji Nariman and his wife Lady Nariman were married for a 86 years, and he and his with were both aged just five when they got married!

The Narimans, who are also cousins, were married in India, where it was legal to get married at any age.

They are in the history books as one of the longest marriages in the history of the world, which goes to show you never know what will make a marriage work. Relationship experts may be studying this one to figure out the secrets of a marriage lasting that long after starting so early.

Longest Marriage: Nariman, 86 Years!
wedding trivia

The longest marriage on record is Sir Temulji Nariman and his wife Lady Nariman. They were married a total of 86 years. The two of them were only five years of age at the time of their wedding. The most expensive wedding on record had a bill for the reception of £22 million pounds. It was the wedding of a sheik's son. It was held in a stadium in Dubai and lasted for seven days The most expensive wedding dress was an outfit created by French designer Helene Gainville. It's estimated to be worth a cool £3.5 million. The dress was embroidered with diamonds mounted on platinum...

Longest Marriage: Nariman, 86 Years!

Looking for the longest marriage ever? You have to go back 250 years to find it.

Lazarus Rowe and Molly Weber, who were reportedly married in 1743, lived in Greenland New Hampshire.

Despite the tough times that many Americans saw in those days, and the lack of modern medical science much less relationship experts, therapists and self-help books, they were able to keep their marriage going for well over 85 years!

Rowe and Webber were married from 1743 all the way to 1829, when Molly finally passed away.

See below for an excerpt from the 1829 news article about them, published when he died a few months after her:

Longest Marriage: Rowe and Webber
genealogue

"At Limington, on the 14th inst. Mr. Lazarus Rowe, aged 104 years! Mr. Rowe was a native of Greenland, New Hampshire, and was one of the first settlers of Baldwin, in Maine, where he lived till within about two years since. His wife, Molly Rowe, who died last spring, was born the same year with her husband, viz. in 1725; they were married at the age of 18, and consequently lived together eighty-six years!"

Longest Marriage: Rowe and Webber

Reports keep coming in of the economy continuing to stabilize, so why are so many banks still under stress?

According to latest studies, the number of banks under stress, due to bad loans and other causes, is still higher than it should be.

Financial institutions like Citigroup, Bank of America and AIG have been getting most of the attention but many smaller banks in different parts of the country are also harshly affected by the aftereffects of the financial crisis.

Large amounts of defaults, past-due loans, and foreclosed properties are mounting up at lots of smaller and more local banks and placing heavy stress upon them.

Said one banker in Washington state, "There's no question we have our credit issues, as does almost everybody. But we have been very aggressive in provisioning for loan losses, identifying problem loans and putting them into the nonperforming category, and charging them off."

Banks Under Stress, Still (NEWS)
thaindian

The amount of banks with perilous levels of awful loans rose only somewhat in the last quarter of 2009. To a certain extent, it is because the FDIC stopped so many deteriorating banks, according to federal statistics investigated by the Investigative Reporting Workshop at the American University in Washington. But what is clear is that the list of banks under stress is intensifying. The FDIC shut down 140 botched banks in 2009, including 45 in the fourth quarter alone. Just about all had exceptionally lofty levels of bad loans. Uneasy assets include loans that are 90 days or more past due...

Banks Under Stress (NEWS)

If there's one thing you can count on in America, it's that some of our politicians are keeping secrets that will one day destroy them.

But out of all the politicians who resigned in disgrace, which one was the worst of all?

Was it one of the many politicians who was revealed to be cheating on his wife, whether with a prostitute like Eliot Spitzer, with a mistress, like Mark Sanford, or with another man, like Jim McGreevey?

Or is it one of the many politicians who got caught up in corruption scandals, like Blagojevich, or now Governor Davod Paterson?

It seems like every President comes in promising a new standard of ethics, and then a new set of scandals comes through. Maybe it's time to admit to ourselves that this system is just not set up to give us honest politicians.

Politicians Who Resigned

Politicians Who Resigned

The strange tale of Eric Massa continues to unravel in the press, as what started out as a resignation due to a cancer diagnosis has degenerated into accusations that he allegedly groped male staffers, and increasingly bizarre interviews and public statements from the suddenly disgraced congressman.

Eric Massa has been all over the media, telling stranger and stranger stories of getting into "tickle fights" with other men, confrontations in the shower with Rahm Emmanuel, and other stories about peculiar and off-color behavior between Massa and his co-workers and colleagues.

Massa resigned from his position effective Monday, and his sudden explosion of embarrassment has brought new scrutiny to the Democrats, especially Nancy Pelosi who allegedly may have known about these issues for some time.

Defenders of Pelosi and the Democrats, though, say there was no way to know this guy was just plain crazy, which is a difficult conclusion to avoid at this point.

Here's hoping Massa will now just go away quietly so we can focus on real political issues and policy questions that matter, but chances are we'll be seeing him on the tabloid news and reality TV circuits for some time to come. Yuck.

Eric Massa Allegedly Groped Male Staffers
wash post

Not long after Eric Massa joined Congress in January 2009, several male staff members began to feel uncomfortable with the sexually loaded language their boss routinely used, according to accounts relayed to the House ethics committee, and then came reports of him allegedly groping and harassing male staff. As the months passed, rumors began to circulate in the office that the married New York Democrat had sexually propositioned young male staffers and interns -- allegations, according to two sources with knowledge of the inquiry, that included Massa groping at least two aides,,,

Eric Massa Allegedly Groped Male Staffers

What can you say about Sarah Palin? She is many things, but never boring, as her many classic quotes attest to.

And perhaps her most famous moment of all was her speech in Alaska announcing her resignation from the Governor's office. Or was it a resignation?

According to Palin, she actually wasn't quitting at all, but only moving forward, except in reverse, or something like that?

The full quote from Sarah Palin: "We are not retreating; we are advancing in another direction." A line she credited to Gen. Macarthur.

After her resignation there was much speculation of her running for President in 2012.

But after her smash hit with a book deal, and recent signings to contribute to Fox News and possibly star in a reality show produced by Mark Burnett, it looks like she may aim to become the next Oprah instead?

Sarah Palin Said "We Are Not Retreating, We Are Advancing in Another Direction."
politico

Palin has been dogged by a series of ethical complaints, many of which her allies consider as frivolous and has had to set up a legal defense fund to pay her bills. Just this week, the Anchorage Daily News reported that these complaints against her administration had reached almost $300,000, much of that sum owing to the so-called Troopergate probe of Palin. Beyond ethical questions, Palin has continued to face other difficulties since her return to Alaska...

Sarah Palin Said "We Are Not Retreating, We Are Advancing in Another Direction."

According to the latest word from Hollywood is Clint Eastwood may soon be the new director of the FBI!

Or at least, the new director of the FBI movie.

Reports indicate that the lagendary actor and director will soon be helming a feature film about the FBI and its mastermind J Edgar Hoover.

J Edgar Hoover was a legend for his efforts to pursue law and order through the organization he built, but also infamous for his eccentricities and what some consider to be his widespread abuse of power and irrational decisions.

Clint Eastwood has done a great job with his historical films up until now, and I expect this Hoover biopic o be smart and balanced as his other films were, hopefully not glossing over the dark side of J Edgar's legacy while showing the positive impact of the FBI as well.

Clint Eastwood: FBI Director?
monstersandcritics

Clint Eastwood is in talks to direct a biopic about FBI director J. Edgar Hoover... Universal put the project into turnaround after Imagine initially set it up at its parent studio. With Eastwood's involvement, it's possible that the film could end up at Warner Bros., where Eastwood has produced 35 films through his Malpaso production company. Hoover was appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation in 1924 and was named head of the FBI when it was founded 11 years later. He remained director until his death in 1972 and was notorious for using the FBI to harass political activists and keeping secret files on leaders.

Clint Eastwood: FBI Director?

Charlie Sheen is getting set to return to his hit TV show Two and a Half Men, after an extended stint in rehab.

Sheen checked into a rehab clinic for undisclosed reasons, after a troubling incident with his wife, where he was accused of violent domestic assault.

Sheen has been away from his show for some time as he stayed in rehab, and his wife has also been doing some time in a rehab clinic as well.

Sheen's wife Brooke Mueller, who called the police on him in the incident that led to his time away, check in herself to "get her heath in order" again not specifying what the rehab was for.

She reportedly had to switch clinics after there were security issues at the first one.

Sheen's Return After Rehab

Charlie Sheen is set to return to the set of his sitcom "Two and a Half Men," his publicist said. Production of the the CBS hit show was suspended two weeks ago after Sheen checked into a rehab clinic as what Stan Rosenfield then called "a preventive measure. He returns to the show for the March 19 taping," Rosenfield said Tuesday. Rosenfield never revealed what issue Sheen needed to address with rehabilitation or the kind of facility he entered...Sheen's wife, Brooke Mueller, also entered rehab in February "to get her health in order," said her lawyer, Yale Galanter...

Sheen's Return After Rehab

A guilty verdict came in this week in the tragic murder of NFL player Darrent Williams of the Denver Broncos.

The case was a shock to the sports world, as well as to the friends and family to Darrent who had seen rise to the top of the sports world only to have his life taken far too soon,

The owner of the Broncos released a statement, saying "Nothing can ever bring Darrent Williams back or ease the suffering for Rosalind and her grandchildren. But after three long years, it is very gratifying to see closure brought to this case. This process has been extremely difficult for the Williams family, his friends and teammates, this community, and the entire Denver Broncos organization....I would like to praise the long and hard work of the Denver Police Department and the Denver District Attorney's Office. I also want to thank the Denver community for the overwhelming support that both the Williams family and the Broncos have received during this unimaginable tragedy.

For his complete statement and more on the tragic case, see below.

Denver Broncos Case: Verdict
espn

Denver Broncos owner Pat Bowlen released a statement after Denver-area gang member Willie Clark was convicted on Friday of shooting and killing Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams on Jan. 1, 2007. I will have some thoughts on the verdict shortly. Here is Bowlen's statement...

Denver Broncos Case: Verdict

Bob Barker, legendary game show host and lover of animals, is telling PETA to come on down and collect millions of dollars in charity, as he voices his support for the animal rights efforts.

The huge sum of money donated by Barker will go towards building a new Los Angeles headquarters for PETA.

PETA has long been a leader in spreading the word about animal abuse, but also has drawn constant controversy for its tactics, that many people find extreme and offensive even if they support animal rights.

Particularly offending is their consistent objectification of women, in the name of defending other species.

But many including Bob Barker still believe PETA is a force for good, and they are still gonig strong in their effort to defend all the other species that we lie with on this planet.

Bob Barker & PETA: Price is Right!
huffpo

Bob Barker has donated $2.5 million to help the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals open a new location in Los Angeles. The retired game show host and spay and neuter champion will cut the ribbon Wednesday at the Bob Barker Building on Sunset Boulevard. PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk says Barker paid for an entire building to be renovated. The building will be home to the group's media, marketing, youth outreach and campaign departments.

Bob Barker & PETA: Price is Right!

Charlie Sheen who co-starred in the film Lucas, is trying to recover from his own trouble just as his costar Corey Haim passed away this week from an apparent drug overdose.

Corey Haim was known to be troubled for a long time, as documented in the tabloid media and on reality TV.

Charlie Sheen has also had a checkered history and was recently in legal trouble after an incident with his wife.

But now Sheen has gone through rehab for undisclosed issues and is now returning to his hit TV show just as the news breaks that his once costar has passed away.

Here's hoping Sheen finds a better path and continues getting treatment for his addiction issues, whether form a rehab clinic, therapy or other forms of help.

Charlie Sheen Arrest and Lucas
seattlpi

Charlie Sheen is preparing to leave rehab and get back to work. He's slated to resume filming on his "Two And A Half Men" TV show at the end of next week Production on the series was suspended last month when Sheen, who has a history of drug abuse, was admitted to a recovery facility as a "preventative measure." Sheen's wife, Brooke Mueller, also received treatment in rehab following a turbulent few weeks for the couple, which began with a Christmas Day bust-up between the pair, which saw Sheen arrested and charged with a string of felonies...

Charlie Sheen Arrest and Lucas

As celebrity and former child star Corey Haim passed away this week, many of his fellow stars paid tribute on Twitter. Below is a collection of some of those reaction, including the touching tweet from Alyssa Milano:

Alyssa Milano Tweet: "Sweet Boy" Corey Haim
dailynews

Among the stars who are grieving his loss is actress Alyssa Milano, who dated the actor from 1987 to 1990 "Just woke up to the sad, sad news that Corey Haim passed away," she tweeted. "RIP sweet boy." Haim, who had battled an addiction to prescription drugs for years, died Wednesday morning of an apparent drug overdose, according to Los Angeles police. Fellow '80s teen idol Ralph Macchio also expressed his condolences, writing, "Always so sad and disturbing when the addiction and demons prevail. RIP Corey Haim..."

Alyssa Milano Tweet: "Sweet Boy" Corey Haim

The Motorola Android is getting ready to tackle a huge new market, as it prepares to invade China.

But the device will have one important and surprising difference.

The Android phone, even though it is known as a Google phone, will debut in China with Microsoft's Bing as its featured search engine.

This comes after an ongoing controversy about human rights and privacy boundaries has soured relations between Google and China.

Motorola Android Bing
seattle pi

Motorola has decided that a search provider on its Google Android phones in China will be ... Microsoft Bing? Yep, on Google phones. Motorola announced Thursday morning a partnership with Microsoft that will put a Bing widget on people's phones and put a Bing bookmark on people's mobile browsers.

Motorola Android Bing

The years-old battle over the Pledge of Allegiance rages on.

The 9th US Circuit Cort of Appeals has reversed an earlier decision and now ruled that "Under God" does not render the Pledge unconstitutional.

It was a divided vote, with some still insisting this tradition violates the separation of Church and State.

Michael Newdow, an athiest who is opposed to this enforcement of religion in public schools, has been fighting for years to get "under God" removed from the pledge.

Pledge of Allegiance: Appeals Court Reversed!
seattlepi

A divided federal appeals court Thursday reversed itself, ruling that the Pledge of Allegiance doesn't violate the constitutional prohibition against state-mandated religious exercise even though it contains the phrase "one nation under God." The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in 2002, which deemed that requiring students to recite the pledge violated their rights to be free of religious indoctrination by the government was very controversial...

Pledge of Allegiance: Appeals Court Reversed!

Model and former Playboy playmate-cum-reality TV star Kendra Wilkinson is back!

For the first time since she had her first baby, Kendra is showing off her post-pregnancy body in a new photo shoot.

Kendra is showing off her already healthy body on the cover of OK magazine, with more photos inside.

On the cover photo Kendra is holding her newbord baby, who looks awfully cute.

I'm sure people will be eager to know Kendra's exercise and diet tips for shedding those post-pregnancy pounds!

Kendra Wilkinson Post-Pregnancy Photos!
blemish blog

Kendra Wilkinson gave birth two months ago to her baby Hank on December 11. Now she looks like this. Unless Hank teleported out of her womb leaving no trace of his 7 or 8 or whatever month stay, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say these have been digitally altered. Either that or Hank has something seriously wrong with his pituitary gland...

Kendra Wilkinson Post-Pregnancy Photos!

Johnny Weir, the always controversial ice-skater, just found out he was rejected from Stars on Ice!

Johnny is one of the world's top skaters, and by far among the most entertaining personalities, but as a gay man (he does not openly discuss his sexuality but this is universally assumed) who some consider too "flamboyant" whatever that means, he is at times controversial.

This apparently has led to Stars on Ice being conservative and refusing to let him onto the tour.

This seems to be like unfair discrimination, without a doubt. Let the man skate!

Honestly, when will we just admit to ourselves that America loves gay guys? Look at American Idol we always vote for them. Let's stop pretending we don't like Gay people. They're awesome.

Johnny Weir Rejected for Stars on Ice!
cnn

American figure skater Johnny Weir says he doesn't understand why the only ice skating tour in the United States doesn't want him. "I'm not going to get on the ice and strip down naked and roll around," said Wier, a three-time U.S. ice skating champion. Weir keeps his sexuality private, but his flamboyant costumes and routines at the Winter Olympics in February drew comments about his lack of masculinity...

Johnny Weir Rejected for Stars on Ice!

Is Avatar coming back, even bigger and better? And more expensive?

Rumor has it the biggest movie ever is indeed about to get bigger, as Fox considers a re-release in the summer, that will possibly have extra footage.

There is no word yet on what sort of extras will be added in.

The studio feels there is more money to be made in Imax and other 3D theaters, since Avatar was pushed out last week by Alice in Wonderland, but was still doing well in many theaters.

Imax CEO Richard Gelfond said during an investor conference that directir James Cameron has 40 minutes of additional material that didn't make the original cut.

Avatar Summer Release
abc

Get ready for "Avatar"-plus.

James Cameron and Fox are in discussions about rereleasing "Avatar," primarily in 3D theaters, in late summer -- and, tantalizingly, with additional scenes that had been left on the cutting-room floor in the rush to ready the epic for its December 18 release. The impetus for a rerelease is the feeling that, even though "Avatar" is the highest-grossing movie of all time, producers could have raked in even more money had they been able to hold on to the digital and Imax 3D screens that were lost when Disney opened "Alice in Wonderland" in 3D on March 5...

Avatar Summer Release

Scientists who have been studying the catastrophic Chile earthquake say it is classified as the worst type of earthquake possible: a megathrust.

There are different classifications for earthquakes, depending on the type of seismic activity involved.

A megathrust involves a particular type of collision and grinding between various parts of the earth's crust.

Experts said this megathrust earthquake in Chile was similar to the quake that caused the horrible Tsunami 5 years ago.

Chile Earthquake: Megathrust
latimes

Scientists say the major earthquake that struck off the coast of Chile was a "megathrust" -- similar to the 2004 Indian Ocean temblor that triggered a catastrophic tsunami. Megathrust earthquakes occur in subduction zones where plates of the earth's crust grind and dive. Saturday's magnitude 8.8 jolt occurred when the Nazca plate dived beneath the South American plate, releasing tremendous energy. The U.S. Geological Survey says 13 temblors of magnitude 7 or more have hit coastal Chile since 1973...

Chile Earthquake: Megathrust

Is Apple finally ready to let us have official solar powered iPhones?

Looks like the answer is yes.

A company named Novothink has been producing a gadget called the Solar Surge, a case for the iPhone and iPod Touch that allows it to charge with a built in solar panel.

Up until now the solar power hookup for the iPhone was not an approved product.

But now apparently Apple is getting ready to give it their official seal of approval.

The iPod Touch case sells for $70 and the iPhone version costs $80, but you can find some sales if you hunt a little.

Solar power iPhone (VIDEO)
wired

Solar power combined with fancy-looking cases? The perfect storm for getting an end-of-the-week mention on the Gadget Lab. Today its the turn of the Novothink Solar Surge, an iPhone and iPad Touch case with a solar panel and a lithium-ion polymer battery. Instead of just gluing some photo-sensitive panels to the back of a case, Novothink has, well, actually thought about the design...

Solar power iPhone (VIDEO)

In the years after the tragic 9/11 attack, thousands of New Yorkers who were around ground zero, including many people who were there helping in the aftermath, have had serious health problems believed to be from the air they had to breathe there.

But up until now government authorities have failed to properly recognize this.

But after years of court battles it looks like a settlement is coming that will answer the ground zero health claims, and deliver over $600 million to the over ten thousand people affected.

NYC's Mayor Bloomberg said "The resolution of the World Trade Center litigation will allow the first responders and workers to be compensated for injuries suffered following their work at Ground Zero,"

Medical treatment and medication will now be more easily available for the many people who suffer from chronic health problems after 9/11, hopefully.

Ground Zero Health Claim: FInally, Justice?
msnbc

After years of fighting in court, lawyers representing the city, construction companies and more than 10,000 ground zero rescue and recovery workers have agreed to a settlement that could pay up to $657.5 million to responders sickened by dust from the destroyed World Trade Center. The settlement was announced Thursday evening by the WTC Captive Insurance Co., a special entity established to indemnify the city and its contractors against potential legal action as they moved to clean up the site after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks...

Ground Zero Health Claim: FInally, Justice?

According to Reese Witherspoon, Michelle Obama is the top fashion maven in Washington DC!

The always stylish actress, known for great acting as well as fashion, cited the first lady as a diva of style and fashion when asked who is the greatest fashionista in DC.

Reese was speaking at an event that featured both Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton,

She was joking that her character from Legally Blonde, Elle Woods, used to be the biggest fashionista ever in DC, but now Obama had taken her spot.

Reese Witherspoon: Michelle Obama is Hot!
azcentral

Actress Reese Witherspoon says her "Legally Blonde" character Elle Woods has been ousted as the most stylish woman to come to the nation's capital by first lady Michelle Obama. Speaking Wednesday at a ceremony where Mrs. Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton presented the annual International Women of Courage awards, Witherspoon jokingly complained that Woods, the bubbly blonde from Los Angeles who discovers her inner strength at Harvard Law School and then takes on Washington politics, no longer held that title.

Reese Witherspoon: Michelle Obama is Hot!

Up until now there had been widespread reports that John Krascisnki (or however you spell it) from the Office was going to play Captain America.

But now the latest scoop on the upcoming movie adaptation of the Marvel Comics hero indicates that he may not get the role, and somewhat more impressive actor may take the role of Red Skull, Hugo Weaving.

Weaving is already an action movie veteran having starred in both Lord of the Rings and the Matrix, ad as Agent Smith he was quite devilish.

It would be a bit of an adjustment to play this sort of villain, but Weaving seems more than up to it. I hope they take the movie this way.

Weaving as Captain America?
access hollywood

Hugh Weaving is in talks to terrorize "Captain America," according to The Hollywood Reporter's Heat Vision blog. The actor, who previously showcased his evildoer chops as Agent Smith in "The Matrix" franchise, is reportedly in negotiations for the role of the Red Skull - a Nazi agent who first appeared in "Captain America Comics" No. 1 back in 1941. Like Captain America's Steve Rogers, the World War II character was put into suspended animation and revived in modern day during Marvel's 1960s comics While its villain may be close to final casting, the Joe Johnston-directed film has yet to announce who will play its titular hero...

Weaving as Captain America?

Jessica Simpson this week revealed in a new interview who she now believes is the right man for her. See below for an excerpt.

Simpson is known as something of a wild one, and for having been in numerous high profile relationships.

And most recently singer John Mayer gave a very colorful description of her.

But this interview paints a picture of a pretty normal down to earth girl qho just wants what every girl wants.

Jessica Simpson 'right man'?
imnotobsessed

Jessica Simpson gave Extra some insight into what her perfect man's qualities are. "I definitely love a spiritual man -- somebody that is going to always inspire me." "I don't want to get bored. I can bore out pretty easily, so I love intellectual men ... people that will always keep me intrigued And, you know, I love artistic men -- somebody that really understands their art," Sounds pretty reasonable, right? I think she deserves some happiness in her life....

Jessica Simpson 'right man'?

In the aftermath of the loss of his fellow child star Corey Haim, Corey Feldman says he is angry at Hollywood for turning their back on Haim.

Said Feldman: "In this entertainment industry, in Hollywood, we build people up as children, we put them on pedestals, and then, when we decide they're not marketable anymore, we walk away from them. Then we taunt them and we tease them ... It's okay for society as a whole to poke fun at, to point fingers at, us as human beings. Why is it okay to kick somebody when they're down? I don't think it should be tolerated anymore."

Corey Haim suffered for years from the effects of substance abuse and drug addiction, and repeated stints in drug rehab, but we don't know the cause of death yet. Corey Feldman said we should not jump to conclusions.on this, and be fair to Haim as this last chapter of his life is written.

Corey Feldman Angry
dailynews

Though Corey Feldman is deeply appreciative of the outpouring of condolences from his Hollywood peers following the death of his longtime friend, Corey Haim, he is also "angry, hurt and sad." Feldman made an appearance on "Larry King Live" Wednesday night to express his animosity against the industry that made him and Haim famous for classic '80s films such as "Lost Boys" and "License to Drive." Haim was 38 when he died Wednesday of an apparent accidental overdose.

Corey Feldman Angry

Is Obama in over his head, or does he still have the master plan?

We all know Obama is pushing hard to get his health care reform finally passed.

But three are also many other issues he is trying to tackle at the same time, and some experts wonder if it'll be possible to work on som many fronts in such a short mount of time.

Climate change, energy policy and immigration policy are just some of the other issues the Obama administration is pressing to make change on in the next year or so.

For a detailed look at all the issues Obama is trying to cover this year, see below:

Obama: Big Agenda Small Window
sfgate

President Barack Obama's intense juggling of domestic issues reflects all the realities he faces at once: a vast agenda, a smaller window for results this year and a need to keep promises to constituencies that will have a huge say in the fall congressional elections. Promising to put jobs first this year, Obama is also consumed with trying to get a health care overhaul through a deeply divided Congress. This time-consuming blitz, he hopes, will end in a final vote in Congress this month, and House and Senate Democratic leaders drew closer Friday to a deal...

Obama: Big Agenda Small Window

Dutch patients who get medical care from nurses apparently expect a bit more than the basics nowadays.

But nurses are looking to put a stop to that.

A new campaign launched by the union representing nurses is aiming to stop the trend of Dutch patients demanding sexual services from the nurses that care for them.

The campaign comes after a well-publicized case of a man who demanded sexual gratification from the health care aide who was treating him at his home, as he was disabled and unable to care for himself. He apparently thought home health aide meant a bit more than it is supposed to, which was demeaning and quite unfunny for the nurse. Here's hoping that all gets cleaned up.

Dutch Patients: Sexual Services?
msnbc

A union representing Dutch nurses will launch a national campaign Friday against demands for sexual services by patients who claim it should be part of their standard care. The union, NU'91, is calling the campaign "I Draw The Line Here," with an advert that features a young woman covering her face with crossed hands. The union said in a statement Thursday that the campaign follows a complaint it had received in the last week from a 24-year-old woman who said a 42-year-old disabled man asked her to provide sexual services as part of his care at home.

Dutch Patients: Sexual Services?

A 43 year old mother, who is already extremely overweight, says she is purposely trying to double her weight so she can become the fattest woman in the world.

Donna Simpson already weighs over 400 pounds, but far from worrying about losing weight, she is determined to gain as much as possible, until she breaks the world record.

Simpson already holds the record for fattest woman to give birth, but hopes to break the 1,000 pound park and claim the all-around record.

She is reportedly eating over 12,000 calories a day, and moving as little as possible, in order to gain as much as she can.

Simpson says her husband actually supports this activity, ahd she expressed no concern about sending the wrong message to the world, or to her daughter, about health, proper diet or obesity.

Obese Mother: Fattest Woman Ever, By Choice?
dailymail

already weighs 43st, but she is determined to nearly double her size to become the world's fattest woman. The 42-year-old from New Jersey, U.S, is set on reaching the 1,000lb mark (71st) in just two years. Remarkably she insists she is healthy, despite now needing a mobility scooter when she goes shopping...

Obese Mother: Fattest W

A major recall of food products just keeps getting bigger, with the list not containing 10,000 products that are being recalled.

The products in the recall are all food items containing HVP, aka hydrolized vegetable protein, a substance added to many many different foods and snacks.

Certain kinds of Pringles potato chips, Quaker Baked Cheddar Snack Mix, various dips and gravy, taquitos, quesadillas and many other products are on the list that should be thrown away if you have them, as a health precaution.

The HVP substance is suspected to have a chance of spreading salmonella, according to health experts who study the disease.

Medical experts say no cases of salmonella have been traced back to any of these products, but they must be recalled as a precaution anyway.

For more info, and the complete list, see below:

"10,000 products" Containing HVP Recalled
businessweek

Salmonella contamination at a Nevada food-flavoring plant may trigger the recall of as many as 10,000 products, according to a Consumers Union scientist. PepsiCo Inc. joined Procter & Gamble Co., Nestle SA and McCormick & Co. yesterday in recalling food containing hydrolyzed vegetable protein, or HVP. The widespread use of the flavoring means more companies will follow, said Michael Hansen, senior scientist at Consumers Union, the Yonkers, New York-based advocacy group that publishes Consumer Reports magazine....

"10,000 products" Containing HVP Recalled

Vending machines used to be reserved for soda and candy.

But now there are some new vending machines that offer much more high class items, including Proactiv and even the high-end cosmetics from Sephora!

Says Sephora in their press release:

"Did you cross off every fashion item on your vacation checklist, but totally forgot to make one for your beauty products? Don't worry your pretty little head. Sephora's got your back (that's if you are traveling through one of the following airports: BNA in Nashville, TN; LAS in Las Vegas, NV; IND in Indianapolis, IN; DFW in Dallas, TX; JFK in Queens, NY; or IAH in Houston, TX)."

These new fancy vending machines will soon be popping up all over America! Now if only we could get some fancy new jobs from one.

Sephora Vending Machines, With Proactiv?
sephora blog

Stop in the name of beauty at the Sephora vending machine that you'll see past security. You'll find your favorite skincare, fragrance and makeup products to complement any trip. They're super simple to use with a touchscreen menu that offers product information and pricing. You might also find the Sephora vending machines pop up at your local mall or JCPenney, so keep an eye out and let us know what you think.

Sephora Vending Machines, With Proactiv?

Up until now word around Hollywood was that John Krasinski was in line to play Captain America.

But now another actor already a proven movie actor, says he is aiming for the part too: Ryan Phillippe!

Many have suggested John Krasinski, who is best known for playing the shaggy haired lovable goofball on The Office, might not really be the best actor for this action hero role.

Would Ryan Phillippe do better with it? He seems to think so, and says he is a longtime fan of the Marvel comic. I didn't know that comic had any fans.

I like Krasinski But i agree this part doesnt seeem ideal for him. I'd like to see Matt Damon, or maybe Will Smith? In this new age maybe it's time to switch things up a bit.. maybe even make it a woman! A captain doesn't have to be a man , after all. Angelina, you out there?

Captain America: Krasinski? Phillippe?
mtv

The pool of leading Hollywood men reportedly up for the role of Captain America -- a crew so diverse it has at one time included funnyman John Krasinski and action-flick vet Chris Evans -- has grown by one. MTV News has exclusively confirmed that Ryan Phillippe will audition for the part. During a conversation at the South by Southwest music and film festival on Monday (March 15), the 35-year-old Phillippe himself revealed that he's set to audition for what would be the lead role in "The First Avenger: Captain America..."

Captain America: Krasinski? Phillippe?

Fans in Brazil reportedly did not take it so well when the news broke that Guns N' Roses were cancelling shows there.

In fact they took so badly, they reportedly started a riot!

In Sao Paolo concertgoers began rioting when it was announced that the Guns N Roses show would not go on as planned, and similar incidents have been reported in other places as well.

This sign was posted in Riop, where a show had to be cancelled for safety reasons after a stat collapsed, leaving people who bought Gun N Roses Concert tickets in the lurch.\:

"ATTENTION: The March 14th GUNS N' ROSES show in Rio De Janeiro at Apoteose Stadium has been officially canceled for this evening due to the stage collapsing because of heavy rains"

Guns N' Roses Riot
antimusic

Guns N' Roses had the weekend for hell down in South America. First on Friday they were linked to a riot after they failed to show up for a "secret" show they previously denied was even happening. Then they were forced to cancel Saturday's show due to a stage collapse. When reports of several Latin American "secret" Guns N' Roses shows hit the news wires, the GNR camp were quick to deny that these shows were happening...

Guns N' Roses Riot

The popular Proactiv skin care products are now being made available in the mall direct from a vending machine!

If you have problems with your complexion, you no longer have to call up the number on the TV commercials, you can simply put your money right into the vending machine and start clearing up your acne and getting fresh clean skin.

At least if the product works the way P Diddy says it does, I've never tried it myself. For more info, see below.

Proactiv Vending Machines! icompact.com

Some local malls around the country now have a Proactiv stand, with sales people there to sell you their skin care product. And other malls have an actual Proactiv vending machine. You put your money or credit card in and get Proactiv skin products from it... If the machine broke down without you knowing it you could be out of a lot of money...

Proactiv Vending Machines!

Did the Subway secretly experiment with LSD in the NY subway?

For decades people have speculated about the CIA dosing people on the subway with LSD, without their knowledge.

But most dismissed it as a conspiracy theory, not believe the government would use citizens for this type of medical experiment, giving them drugs without them knowing.

Now though, new documents suggest the theory might actually be true.

An FBI documented recently uncovered, from 1950, says "The BW [biological weapon] experiments to be conducted by representatives of the Department of the Army in the New York Subway System in September 1950, have been indefinitely postponed,"

CIA: Subway LSD?
nypost.com

On Nov. 28, 1953, Frank Olson, a bland, seemingly innocuous 42-year-old government scientist, plunged to his death, written off as an unremarkable suicide of a depressed government bureaucrat who came to New York City seeking psychiatric treatment, so it attracted scant attention at the time. But 22 years later, the Rockefeller Commission report was released, detailing a litany of domestic abuses committed by the CIA. The ugly truth emerged: Olson's death was the result of his having been surreptitiously dosed with LSD days earlier by his colleagues...

CIA: Subway LSD?

A major recall of food products just keeps getting bigger, with the list not containing 10,000 products that are being recalled.

The products in the recall are all food items containing HVP, aka hydrolized vegetable protein, a substance added to many many different foods and snacks.

"10,000 products" Containing HVP Recalled
businessweek

Salmonella contamination at a Nevada food-flavoring plant may trigger the recall of as many as 10,000 products, according to a Consumers Union scientist. PepsiCo Inc. joined Procter & Gamble Co., Nestle SA and McCormick & Co. yesterday in recalling food containing hydrolyzed vegetable protein, or HVP.

"10,000 products" Containing HVP Recalled

An 11 year old boy named Marcelas Owens has become a leader in the fight for health care reform, as he speaks out on behalf of his mother who passed away.

Marcelas lost his mom to pulmonary hypertension, a chronic health condition that led her to lose her job.

After losing the job she no longer had health insurance, leaving her unable to get the care she needed for this condition.

Now Owens is speaking out and letting the world know about his story, before the historic health care reform vote this week.

Marcelas said: "I don't want any other kids to go through the pain that our family has gone through. My grandma and I want Barack Obama and Congress and everybody to come together and to help get the health care bill passed." For more see below:

Marcelas Owens: Mother
huffpo

Marcelas Owens, an 11-year-old from Seattle, headlined a press conference with Senate Democratic leadership on Thursday, telling a packed room of reporters that he wanted the president and Congress to come together and pass health insurance reform. "I am here because of my mom," said Owens. "My mom was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension in 2006. She missed so much work she lost her job. And when my mom lost her job, she lost her health care. And losing her health care ended up costing her her life..."

Marcelas Owens: Mother

Kirstie Alley is making big media push to promote her new diet plan, but some have questions about her diet and where it really comes from,

Critics are questioning whether Kirstie Alley's diet company, Organic Liaison, is actually a front for the Church of Scientology, of which she is a member.

Kirstie says these claims are bogus though, and insists her diet plans are very real and legitimate.

The former cheers star has battled publicly with her weifght for years, and used to represent Weight Watchers, but gained back the over 75 pounds she had lost while on that program.

She has also starred on reality TV documenting her weight loss efforts. How anyone can consistently keep weight off after a diet is a much-discussed topic, that still has no easy answers or solutions.

Kirstie Alley & Diet
seattlepi

Kirstie Alley has hit back at reports her new weight loss program will fund Scientology teachings, insisting the accusations are "not true." The former Weight Watchers spokeswoman recently launched Organic Liaison LLC after years of battling her size under the glare of the spotlight. Members pay between $10 and $149 per month to follow the regimen, which combines an organic food diet with vitamins and supplements.
Kirstie Alley & Diet

Is General Petraeus running for President in 2012?

Rumors have been flying about the esteemed General running for the White House, after a report surfaced that he was making a commencement address at the University of Iowa in 2010.

Iowa of course is a state candidates always court early on, as it is a key early bellwether in all presidential primary campaigns.

But representatives of the General say these rumors are purely fiction.

A statement from CENTCOM said: "Contrary to several recent blogs, General David Petraeus, the Commander of the US Central Command, has not been asked to speak at a university commencement in Iowa in 2010 and has no plans to do so. It us unclear where this rumor started, but it is not accurate".

Petraeus 2012? (VIDEO)
politico.com

Michael Goldfarb joked Friday that Gen. David Petraeus was giving a commencement address at the University of Iowa in 2010, igniting a storm of pickups over the weekend, a lot of e-mail from hopeful Republicans, and finally a very direct disavowal from CENTCOM...

Petraeus 2012? (VIDEO)

A principal in Wisconsin has angered many parents by positing the names of his students that were failing, on his office door.

The Principal says he was trying to inspire them to work harder and step it up, and he says this was a success.

But parents say this was unfair embarrassment and shame to their children

According to some parents who spoke out publicly posting these grades violated federal law, as well as humiliating the kids.

The principal says that of the hundred students on the list, half of them turned in homework that had been due, because of the list he posted.

Principal posts 'F' List
wkowtv.com

A middle school principal in Wisconsin is under investigation after he posted the names of students with failing grades on his door. Marshfield Middle School Principal Dave Schoepke posted a list with student's name, their class, teacher and their F grade for all to see. Principal Schoepke says his goal was to get his students to turn in their assignment or projects in order to attend tonight's school dance.

Principal posts 'F' List

As we battle to bring health care to all American people, one patient is making news for trying to expand health care even further, as he walked into the ER on four legs, seeking health care for dogs!

A dog in New Mexico limped in to the local hospital after getting injured in the neighborhood, somehow knowing the hospital was the place to go.

The dog was taken to a local animal shelter, and eventually reclaimed by its owner.

The veterinarian stitched him up, and said he was probably attacked by another dog.

Hospital staff say the dog was calm and friendly, and very smart to come there for help even though they couldn't really treat him there.

Hurt Dog & New Mexico ER
msnbc

The patient was only slightly injured when he limped into a hospital in the northwest New Mexico city of Farmington. The only problem was, he was a dog. When the automatic doors at San Juan Regional Medical Center's emergency room slid open Saturday night, the pooch walked in, blood on his nose and paw, and a puncture hole in one leg.

Hurt Dog & New Mexico ER

Leanne Salt is in the Guinness Book of World Records, but not for a reason most people would be proud of.

Ms. Salt is the current record holder for the world's fattest mother, after giving birth to triplets despite her extreme obesity.

May in her home country of England have issues with her situation, because of the huge expenditure of resources required to let her give birth successfully.

But Leanne Salt is sure she did the right thing.

She says "I knew it was a risk to myself and the babies because of my weight, but I had faith in the doctors. It's amazing that all four of us have come through."

World's Fattest Mother Leanne Salt
newsofthworld

JUMBO mum Leanne Salt has become the fattest woman in the world to give birth to triplets. A enormous 68-strong team of medics weighed in to deliver 40-stone Leanne's three healthy babies. And the total bill to the NHS added up to a hefty £200,000-four times the normal cost of a triplets pregnancy...FOUR anaesthetists were needed to administer an epidural to numb the lower half of her body because a general anaesthetic could have killed her...

World's Fattest Mother Leanne Salt

Donna Simpson has been in the news lately, for all the wrong reasons.

Donna is very overweight, at at over 400 pounds and possibly as much as 600, but she is not satisfied with this level of obesity.

She is hoping to break the 1,000 mark, and officially become the World's Fattest Woman.

Simpson says she is happier being overweight, and enjoys the attention she gets from men, and from people who "enjoy watching her eat."

She apparently is being urged on in this dangerous endeavor by her boyfriend, who thinks it is a cool idea?

But many others are concerned for her health, as well as for the expense of state money and resources that will go into keeping her alive while she goes for the fattest woman record. Not to mention the issues around her raising a young child while going on this escapade of morbid obesity.

Donna Simpson: World Fattest Woman (To Be)?
ninemsn

An obese mother in the US is trying to put on weight in order to become the world's fattest woman. Donna Simpson, from New Jersey, weighs 273kg but told the Daily Mail newspaper she had her heart set on reaching her goal weight of 1000lb (450kg) in two years. The 42-year-old already holds the title of the world's fattest mother after giving birth to her daughter in 2007 when she weighed 241kg. "I'd love to be 1000lb ... it might be hard though, running after my daughter keeps my weight down," Ms Simpson told the Daily Mail...

Donna Simpson: World Fattest Woman (To Be)?

How is Donna Simpson paying for her quest to become the world's fattest woman?

She's paying for it with a website, where men pay to see her in all her morbidly obese glory!

In one of the stranger twists in this strange story, Simpson is apparently popular among men who find extremely overweight women attractive.

Her boyfriend seems to be supporting this unhealthy pursit, but others are deeply concerned for her health, and for the expense of state money and resources that will go into keeping her alive while she goes for the fattest woman record. Not to mention the issues around her raising a young child while going on this escapade of morbid obesity.

Donna Simpson Fattest Woman Website Men Pay
ninemsn

An obese mother in the US is trying to put on weight in order to become the world's fattest woman. Donna Simpson, from New Jersey, weighs 273kg but told the Daily Mail newspaper she had her heart set on reaching her goal weight of 1000lb (450kg) in two years. The 42-year-old already holds the title of the world's fattest mother after giving birth to her daughter in 2007 when she weighed 241kg. "I'd love to be 1000lb ... it might be hard though, running after my daughter keeps my weight down," Ms Simpson told the Daily Mail...

Donna Simpson Fattest Woman Website Men Pay

As Donna Simpson goes on her unfortunate mission to become the world's fattest woman, she is eating many different kinds of food, and many many servings of each one.

But her favorite food of all may come as a surprise. Not burgers, not pizza, but sushi!

Sure she eats lots of junk food too, but she says her favorite is the high-class raw fish.

Her boyfriend seems to be supporting this unhealthy pursit, but others are deeply concerned for her health, and for the expense of state money and resources that will go into keeping her alive while she goes for the fattest woman record. Not to mention the issues around her raising a young child while going on this escapade of morbid obesity.

Donna Simpson: Favorite Food Sushi
ninemsn

"I do love cakes and sweet things, doughnuts are my favourite," she said. Ms Simpson said she also loved eating sushi and would often eat 70 big pieces in one go. Her 49-year-old partner Philippe -- who she met on a dating site for plus-size people -- was encouraging her to reach her goal, she said...

Donna Simpson: Favorite Food Sushi

Emma Watson is one of the most famous young actresses in the movie business.

But according to interviews she was quite nervous this month, about appearing in a free play at her school, Brown University.

Watson is the star of the Harry Potter movies, seen by hundreds of millions of people around the world, but performing for a small audience of her fellow college students felt like a special responsibility to her.

Luckily she was a big hit, and got a huge ovation from the audience. Perhaps she has a future on in Broadway shows, i'm sure she'd sell lots of theater tickets if she were on the big stage.

Emma Watson 'Nervous' About Kissing
monstersandcritics

Harry Potter star Emma Watson was 'nervous' about performing in a free play for students at her university. The 19-year-old actress may have been paid a massive £20million for the last two Potter movies but got the jitters before performing in the play Three Sisters for students at Brown University However, Watson's fellow students were so impressed with her performance, they gave her a standing ovation...

Emma Watson 'Nervous' About Kissing

Buzz Aldrin has done what many people consider history's rarest and most heroic act: walkting on the moon.

But as the legendary astronaut prepares to enter the world of reality tv game shows, he says that moon landing was nothing compared to his latest adventure.

The new steps Buzz Aldrin is about to take may not be on as rare a surface, but the steps themselves will be a lot more complicated, as he prepares to dance on Dancing With The Stars.

Speaking of his mental preparation for this TV dance adventure, Buzz Aldrin said "Walking on the moon was a piece of cake, this is a challenge!"

Aldrin: 'Moon-walking easier than DWTS'
digitalspy

Buzz Aldrin has joked that being an astronaut is easier than appearing on Dancing With The Stars. The 80-year-old, who is paired with Ashley Costa for the competition, told People that he is nervous about performing on the show. "Walking on the moon was a piece of cake," he said. "This is a challenge!" However, Aldrin added that he is hoping his previous dancing lessons will stand him in good stead for the competition.

A dog in New Mexico is being recognized as one smart canine, he limped in to the local hospital after getting injured in the neighborhood. somehow knowing the hospital was the place to go.

The dog was taken to a local animal shelter, and eventually reclaimed by its owner.

The veterinarian stitched him up, and said he was probably attacked by another dog.

Hospital staff say the dog was calm and friendly, and very smart to come there for help even though they couldn't really treat him there.

So as the battle to bring health care to all American people, all praise is due to this brave dog for expandingf heakth care even further!

Hurt Dog & New Mexico ER
msnbc

The patient was only slightly injured when he limped into a hospital in the northwest New Mexico city of Farmington. The only problem was, he was a dog. When the automatic doors at San Juan Regional Medical Center's emergency room slid open Saturday night, the pooch walked in, blood on his nose and paw, and a puncture hole in one leg.

Hurt Dog & New Mexico ER

Every beauty pageant winner is supposed to display a talent, but not many can bring the talent and experience of Katrina Hodge!

The British beauty queen who recent;y became Miss Englanf has a rare claim for a pageant winner: she is also a full-fledged solider who represents her nation in combat in Afghanistan.

The soldier who is also now a highly paid lingerie model and online dating spokesperson, has been given time off from active duty to represent in this other capacity.

Katrina Hodge, now known as Combat Barbie, was originally the first runner up until the first winner had to step down after a "nightclub brawl.

Combat Barbie Katrina Hodge
lads lounge

SEXY soldier Katrina Hodge - dubbed Combat Barbie - has been crowned Miss England. And, from these saucy snaps, it's kinda easy to see why. The 22-year-old soldier, wearing a sparkly red dress, was the first runner-up in the Miss England 2009 final in London last July...However L/Cpl Hodge has been now handed the full crown after Rachel Christie relinquished her title following her arrest over an alleged nightclub brawl....

Combat Barbie Katrina Hodge

Many viewers favorite part of any beauty pageant is the swimsuit competitition.

But in England, their new pageant queen Katrina Hodge has convinced the Miss England pageant to drop the sexy segment from the show.

Hodge who is also known as Combat Barbie, is a soldier as well as a beauty queen, and convinced the Miss England pageant to to switch from the segment based on sexiness to something that shows more of a woman's talent and ability.

The show will now feature a sports competition, instead of the swimsuit portion.

No word yet on whether the contestants will wear swimsuits while they show their athletic skills in the sporting portion.

Kudos to Katrina Hodge though for expanding the pageant world's representation of women.

Miss England Swimsuit Competition
huffpo

Miss England 2009 Katrina Hodge has convinced judges to cut the swimsuit competition to add in a sports challenge, the Telegraph UK reports. Hodge, known as "Combat Barbie," joined the army when she was 16 and served in Iraq. But Hodge thinks the bikini battlefield might be scarier for some....

Miss England Swimsuit Competition

Are you ready for less swimsuits and more sports?

In England, the latest pageant queen Katrina Hodge has convinced the Miss England pageant to drop the sexy segment from the show.

Hodge, who is also known as Combat Barbie, is a soldier as well as a beauty queen, and convinced the Miss England pageant to to switch from the segment based on sexiness to something that shows more of a woman's talent and ability.

The show will now feature a sports competition, instead of the swimsuit portion, which many have said for years objectifies women and sens the wrong message, though the sexy bikinis have always been a favorite of viewers.

No word yet on whether the contestants will wear swimsuits while they show their athletic skills in the sporting portion.

Kudos to Katrina Hodge though for expanding the pageant world's representation of women.

Miss England to Add Sports Challenge
huffpo

The newly crowned Miss England for 2009 Katrina Hodge has convinced judges to cut the swimsuit competition to add in a sports challenge, the Telegraph UK reports. Hodge, known as "Combat Barbie," joined the army when she was 16 and served in Iraq. But Hodge thinks the bikini battlefield might be scarier for some....

Miss England Swimsuit Competition

The latest word on the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean sequel indicates that Johnny Depp will have a new co-star: Penelope Cruz!

The new and 4th installment in the Pirates series is called "On Stranger Tides."

It is reportedly centered around a story that finds our heroes (or whatever you call these folks) searching for the fountain of youth.

Disney is planning a huge Pirates movie release in May 2011 for this film, and expects huge profits from opening week tickets.

Penelope Cruz will play a new character, but there is not much detail yet on what she will be like.

Undoubtedly there will be treasure chests full of gold coming to these actors and filmmakers though! In fact maybe they should ask to be paid in gold if the economy doesn't keep improving.

Penelope Cruz & Depp
mtv

There's plenty of mystery surrounding "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides." We know that Johnny Depp will reprise his Jack Sparrow role. Also, that director Rob Marshall intends to take a fresh approach with the series. And we know that the plot will in some way involve the fabled Fountain of Youth. Beyond that, there's not been much else to say. As Disney's planned May 2011 release draws closer however, more info is emerging about Penelope Cruz as co-star...

Penelope Cruz Depp

No not the movie, the actual list!

The legendary historical document, that saved so many lives during World War 2, is now being sold off for an asking price of $2.2 million.

This one true authentic copy of the list compiled by Oskar Schindler is "a true treasure, and one of the most important World War II manuscripts that has ever been for sale," according to its current owner who is selling now.

The list was a list of Jews whose lives were to be spared thanks to the efforts of Schindler.

The seller says he got the list when it was personally given to him by the Stern family, whose ancestor was Schindler's right hand man, portrayed by Ben Kingsley in the Spielberg movie.

Schindler's List for Sale
nypost

The only original copy of the List of Jews to be spared from Nazi concentration camps compiled by Oskar Schindler and his right-hand man Itzhak Stern can now be yours -- for $2.2 million says Gary Zimet, who's selling the document on his Web site, MomentsInTime.com. Zimet says he got the manuscript from the family of Stern, who was played by Ben Kingsley in the movie...

Schindler's List for Sale

Richard Branson's Virgin empire is about to beak a barrier never before broken, as it gets ready to offer commercial flights into space!

The Virgin spacecraft, which will cater to very privileged and affluent travelers, has now been successfully tested.

The ship owned and developed privately by Branson and his partners is calle SpaceShipOne.

It was proven to be able to crack the space barrier in a 90 minute flight last june, going 400 feet past what is considered the boundary of outer space.

Branson said: "Virgin has been in talks with Paul Allen and Burt throughout this year and in the early hours of Saturday signed a historical deal to license SpaceShipOne's technology to build the world's first private spaceship to go into commercial operating service."

The flights won't be cheap, clocking in initially at over $200,000, but Branson also says "Virgin Galactic will be run as a business, but a business with the sole purpose of making space travel more and more affordable."

Virgin Spacecraft Test Flight
mdsnbc

British entrepreneur Richard Branson said Monday that his company plans to launch commercial space flights over the next few years. Branson's Virgin transport, entertainment and communications group has signed an agreement with pioneering aviation designer Burt Rutan to build an aircraft based on Rutan's SpaceShipOne vessel, Branson said...

Virgin Spacecraft Test Flight

As America's heart goes out to Sandra Bullock, both fans and fellow celebrities are saying how bad they feel for the newly Oscar winning actress.

Bullock had a terrible situation pop up right after her win, as her husband Jesse James was revealed to be cheating on her with a tattoo-infested strumpet named "Bombshell" McGee.

Most notably Betty White, who has become America's elder darling herself recently, voiced her deep sympathy for Sandra.

Betty White co-starred with Bullock in The Proposal, and said she was "deeply saddened" by the news of her marital strife, as the divorce lawyers start to swoop in and the tabloids go crazy.

Betti White said ""At such a high point in her life, it's tough, but I think the less other people have to say about it and let her work it out ... the better."

Betty White Bullock
CNN

Sandra Bullock was there for one of Betty White's golden moments, presenting her costar from "The Proposal" with the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in January. Now, White's heart goes out to Bullock following claims that Bullock's husband Jesse James had an affair. "We're all deeply, deeply saddened," White, 88, told "Entertainment Tonight" in an interview airing Tuesday...

Betty White Bullock

As Sandra Bullock figures out what to do about her no-good cheating husband Jesse James, everyone has been wondering whether they have a prenup and what the arrangement is.

Well details are starting to emerge about the pre-nuptial agreement signed by Bullock and Jesse James.

According to inside sources they did indeed have their lawyers draft up a prenup in 2005, and it "keeps everything separate"

A prenuptial agreement is a legal document that hleps married couples sort out the financial consequences of ending their marriage.

All married couples by definition enter an agreement under divorce law, but signing a prenup overrides the default divorce law in your state.

This way theoretically you and your family and your lawyers are spared a painful legal battle in the courts over your money, finances, and belongings, plus real estate.

In reality of course, a fight can always break out anyway. Best of luck to Sandra though in making this right!

Sandra Bullock Prenup Details
justjared

If Sandra Bullock and Jesse James wind up getting a divorce, don't worry, the couple entered into a prenuptial agreement prior to their 2005 marriage! "They keep everything separate," an insider tells E!. "She has her money and he has his. They both wanted it that way."

Sandra Bullock Prenup Details

In the new movie Hot Tub Time Machine, John Cusack and others go back in time with a, umm, hot tub time machine.

And in the comedy they pay tribute to many other classic movies that feature time travel.

The gold standard of course is Back to the Future, with the flux capacitos sending Michael J Fox back in time.

And one of the stars of that movie, Crispin Glover, is actually in Hot Tub Time Machine as well.

And of course The Terminator series features lots of time travel, and this new movie pays homage to that one as well. Thankfully not with more naked Arnold.

hot tub time machine references: back to the future, terminator
tampabay.com

hard-core '80s fans will still savor a few hidden "Easter eggs" to Cusack's earlier movies ("I want my two dollars!"), a Poison concert cleverly digitally re-created so band members appear in their mid-'80s glory and hilarious bit roles for Crispin Glover (Back to the Future) and William Zabka (The Karate Kid). Along the way, a few of life's little cliches are squeezed in between the toilet humor, thanks largely to April (Lizzy Caplan), a Spin magazine reporter...

hot tub time machine references: back to the future, terminator

A guy named Merton is winning lots of fans with this viral video of him performing on Chatroulette.

Sure lots of guys, umm, "perform" on chatroulette, and put their, um, hands on things, but Merton only puts his hands on a piano and does live improvised songs for everyone that comes up.

Merton, who resembles Ben Folds, even got a tribute from the real Ben Folds for his comedy musical stylings.

Chatroulette is a chat system that sets up random video chats, that most people scroll through very quickly from one person to the next.

This sets up a dynamic where people are drawn towards looking for ways to make an immediate impression, in the split second most people spend before hitting the next button.

For many users this means doing things that most of us umm never want to see.

But as the site gets more popular there seem to be more "regular" people as well, and even more people like Merton who actually provides cool entertainment!

Merton Chatroulette Piano Improv
buzzfeed

Merton Chatroulette Piano Improv

George W. Bush is causing some controversy this week after video showed him wiping his hand on fellow former President Bill Clinton's shirt.

Which would be odd in and of itself, but what really made it look funny is that Bush did this right after shaking hands with Haitian residents.

Bush and Clinton are on a humanitarian trip to Haiti, helping with the relief and construction work going on to repair that nation crushed by a horrific earthquake.

So for Bush to wipe his hand right after greeting the Haitian people gave the appearance that he found the people dirty.

But the junior Bush is actually well known as a germophobe, and obsessed with cleanliness and hygeine.

He is known to often wipe his hands this way, and has various unusual habits around it.

So though it may not have looked so great chances are he was not making a judgment of those Haitian people specifically, but is just weirded out by shaking hands in general.

Bush: Hand Wipe Scandal? (VIDEO)
thinkp

After the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti in January, President Obama asked former presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to lead the U.S. relief effort in that country. The two men viewed one of Haiti's "massive tent cities" yesterday, in a trip -- their first one to the country together -- to "remind donors of the immense needs facing the recovery effort."

Bush: Hand Wipe Scandal? (VIDEO)

As Obama starts his second year in office with a historic victory, those who were freaked out by him being there at all are getting EXTREMELY freaked out now, it would appear.

As the Democrats celebrate their landmark passage ofthe healthcare bill, there is an increasing pattern of violent threats and even vandalism from people who seem to be associated with the right wing "tea party" supporters.

The offices of several Democratic congresspeople have been vandalized, and many violent threats have been received by mail and phone. One New York Democrat even received a white substance in the mail, though it turned out not to be toxic.

Conservatives insist these incidents to not represent their true constituency, but many critics say they should be stronger in their condemnation of the behavior, and stop using rhetoric that could be seen as inciting aggressive anger.

The health care bill that was passed really isn't even all that extreme, though it provides affordable medical services to many more Americans and alters the insurance and health benefits to be fairer, it is far from revolutionary and really could and should have been more radical than it was. These right wingers should be happy that it's as watered down as it is. Speaking as a *real* left winger I'd have wanted the bill to go much further than this.

Tea party Threats: Dangerous?
foxnews

"We the leaders of the Tea Party movement of Florida stand in stark opposition to any person using derogatory characterizations, threats of violence or disparaging terms towards members of Congress or the President," wrote Tea Party leaders. Reports of new threats continue to emerge, after House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced Wednesday that more than 10 lawmakers have been harassed in some wa

Tea party Threats: Dangerous?

A billionaire in the last stages of his life has made a huge donation that he hopes "fulfills his pact with God."

The billionaire, Albert Gubay of England, made a vow way back during World War 2.

Even though he was impoverished and destitute at the time, he still envisioned himself being rich, and made a promise to God.

He said if he ever did get money, he would be sure to give over half his fortune to the Catholic church.

And now that he is an 82 year old retail mogul, he is being true to his word!

Billionaire Fulfills Pact with God
msnbc

The billionaire founder of a British supermarket chain is donating most of his fortune to charity to fulfill a "pact with God." Albert Gubay, a penniless candy seller in Wales after World War II, says he made a vow with God at the time to hand over half his fortune to the Catholic Church if he ever became rich. Gubay went on to found the Kwik Save grocery chain and later accumulated development properties in Liverpool and Manchester.

Billionaire Fulfills Pact with God

Country singer Leann Rimes used to go out with Tiger Woods?

That's the story making the rounds in the tabloids right now, based on anonymous sources that are supposedly close enough to have inside info.

The source says Rimes and Wood went out several times, and "sealed the deal" as it were, but that Leann's father was not happy with this choice of man, and she chose to respect her father's wishes in the end.

Tiger Woods has of course been in the news for his relationship problems and infidelity, winding up in a rehab clinic to get help and therapy for his addiction to sex and self-destructive behavior.

LeAnn Rimes also had a high profile run-in with the tabloids when she was suspected of cheating on her husband with a fellow Hollyood industry insider.

Really though, it doesn't seem tremendously newsworthy that Rimes and Woods dated..it was before either of them were married, so why not!

Tiger Woods Dated LeAnn Rimes

Woods, now 34, and Rimes, 27, 'went out a few times' before she wed soon-to-be ex-husband Dean Sheremet in 2002. 'They hooked up and everything,' the source [says]. 'Tiger was really into her. He likes those blondes!' Alas, Rimes' dad protested. 'Her dad almost had a heart attack,' the source adds. 'And he made her stop seeing Tiger.' Interestingly, both Woods and Rimes went on to have affairs during their marriages. Rimes had an on-set tryst with Eddie Cibrian while shooting the 2009 Lifetime movie Northern Lights...

Tiger Woods Dated LeAnn Rimes

Ah the perils of Hollywood romance.

As Sandra Bullock figures out what to do about her no-good cheating husband Jesse James, everyone has been wondering whether they have a prenup and what the arrangement is. Well details are starting to emerge about the pre-nuptial agreement signed by Bullock and Jesse James.

Bullock has moved out of their family home and is now probably transitioning to family court, as she lives with her other relatives in the meantime. Her husband has been busted for cheating with a tattoo model and generally suspicious character named Bombshell McGee, and also is rumored to have been overly familiar with his ex-wife, since marrying Sandra Bullock.

Now it seems likely they will need to revisit the prenup they signed five years agom, as they figure out how to end this marriage as painlessly as possible. But who knows, maybe they will try to stick it out! Whatever happens I hope Sandra comes out of it okay. Maybe Jesse will get some therapy and they will get family counseling together.

A prenuptial agreement is a legal document that hleps married couples sort out the financial consequences of ending their marriage. According to sources Sandra and Jesse did indeed have their lawyers draft up a prenup in 2005, and the agreement "keeps everything separate."

All married couples by definition enter an agreement under divorce law, but signing a prenup overrides the default divorce law in your state.

This way theoretically you and your family and your lawyers are spared a painful legal battle in the courts over your money, finances, and belongings, plus real estate.

In reality of course, a fight can always break out anyway. Best of luck to Sandra though in making this right!

Sandra Bullock Prenup Details
doc funkenberry

If Sandra Bullock and Jesse James wind up getting a divorce, don't worry, the couple entered into a prenuptial agreement prior to their 2005 marriage! "They keep everything separate," an insider tells E!. "She has her money and he has his. They both wanted it that way."

Sandra Bullock Prenup Details

Are big changes coming for the Twilight movie franchise?

That's the latest word from Hollywood, with reports that the movie series is seeking a new director.

The series is based on one of the best selling book series of all time, focusing on an angsty young vampire and his mopey young human love interest.

For this latest installment Breaking Dawn, the producers are reportedly considering, Gus Vant Sant, Marie Antoinette's Sofia Coppola and Bill Condon in their search, all top hollywood directors that would take the series to another level.

I'm not so sure about Bill Condon but I'd love to see either Van Sant or Coppola helming the franchise. I don't know if it would be as big a box-office hit, but they'd be sure to do something smart and creative with it.

Other than them, it would be cool to see the great Korean director, Chan Wook Park, take a crack at it.

'Twilight: Breaking Dawn' Director Search? (NEWS)

The decision on whether or not to split the final book of the Twilight series in half is still up in the air, as is the decision on who will direct the movie. Breaking Dawn is the fourth and final installment which could well piggy-back on Harry Potter's idea to split the last book in half. Summit Entertainment have been putting in a few calls to some Oscar winning directors in the hopes of bringing the films critical credibility.

'Twilight: Breaking Dawn' Director Search? (NEWS)

Among the many celebrities weighing in on Sandra Bullock and Jesse James now is Donald Trump, who got to know the now infamous cheater on his reality show Celebrity Apprentice.

Trump often made fun of Jesse on the show, asking what Billock ever saw in him, and he says in retrospect he saw signs that James might not be trustworthy.

According to Trump, although he grew to like Jesse James and thought he was very smart, " "Jesse did something very foolish -- obviously. I think it's very unfortunate. He was a quiet guy, but as the show progressed, you realized that he was very smart and very cunning...Don't underestimate Jesse, he is very deceptive, and what you see is not really what you get."

Bullock and James are n the rocks now after details of his affair broke right after her tremendous Oscar win. She is currently staying with family while he hopes for forgiveness and the public waits for the next chapter of the tabloid drama.

Donald Trump: Jesse James? Foolish
nypost

During last season's "Celebrity Apprentice," Donald Trump constantly asked Jesse James, "What the hell does Sandra Bullock see in you? How did you ever get Sandra? You must have something going, but I sure can't figure it out. Maybe you're just good in bed." Ultimately James got fired and it was a nasty scene...

Donald Trump: Jesse James? Foolish

If you are at the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, don't ask "What is Slime?" while you are on stage, or you are sure to find out!

In fact don't say "what" at all if you want to avoid getting a bucket of green slime on your head, as various celebrities found out this weekend at the latest awards show.

The festivities were hosted by Kevin James, and featured Miley Cyrus Adam Sandler and Katy Perry, who got a healthy dose of the slime while at the podium.

Katy was looking hot in a tight flower-patterned dress and blue wig, which matched well with the green slime that rained down upon her.

Katy complained "I can't see anything. Why does it taste like boogers?"

The slime tradition traces back to You Can't Do That on Television, the classic 80s kids show that spawned such stars as Alanis Morissette.

Kids Choice Awards Asks:What is Slime?
boston.com

The fan-favorite ceremony's host, "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" actor-comedian Kevin James, kicked off the show by performing a hip-hop dance routine as Adam Sandler serenaded him from above while dressed as an angel and fountains of green slime spontaneously gushed on the first few rows of the audience. James said more than 115 million votes were received this year.

Kids Choice Awards Asks:What is Slime?

Is American Idol gone for good after this year??

so goes the latest Hollywood whispering, as the show goes through its last season with founder and evil mastermind Simon Cowell up there on the judge's panel.

Starting next year Simon will be leaving to run his new show the X Factor (which seems like practically the same show with a different name.)

And with Paula Abdul already gone, many have wondered whether Idol would survive for long. Now it appears they may not even try to sustain it without the demonic life force of Cowell.

The source of this rumor sees to be Star Magazine, and I suppose you can decide for yourself how trustworthy that makes it.

Another quote though says the show will continue until 2012 and then end: " the show will have been on the air for more than a decade, and the producers figure that's long enough...FOX is planning to conclude the show in three years, and why they've signed host Ryan Seacrest to a new contract for three years."

American Idol Ending?
hollyscoop

We saw this coming! Rumor has it American Idol is going to be over after next season! The show is pretty much falling apart at the seems--first with Paula Abdul leaving due to contractual reasons, and now Simon Cowell is leaving Idol in the dust for his new show The X Factor. Star magazine claims next season will be the show's last. "Producers know Simon really makes the show, and they feel like they could go only one season without him and the quality will suffer after that," says a show source.

American Idol Ending?

Are you eligible to get help on your mortgage from President Obama? Read below to find out.

Obama is planning to put $50 billion into programs that will help homeowners who are behind on payments and facing foreclosure.

The administration hopes to help thousands of struggling families stay in their homes during these tough economic times.

The money for homeowners will come from the TARP funds, that famously or infamously were used to bail out big business at the peak of the financial crisis.

According to a spokesperson, this program "will expand flexibility for mortgage servicers and originators to assist more unemployed homeowners and to help more people who owe more on their mortgage than their home is worth because their local markets saw large declines in home values." For more information see below.

Obama Mortgage Help: For You?
allheadline

The Obama administration announced a plan on Friday to offer more ways to help struggling homeowners remain in their homes. The federal funding is slated at $50 billion for anti-foreclosure housing programs and is coming from the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). The administration statement said that "responsible homeowners," would benefit if they "have been affected by the economic crisis through no fault of their own."

Obama Mortgage Help: For You?

They say strange people like to stick together, and two of the most famous entities for pulling crazy stunts have now come together, as Joaquin Phoenix is teaming up with PETA for a new animal rights campaign.

Phoenix has filmed a PSA encouraging his fellow celebrities (is he still one?) not to wear animal skins.

Rather than the usual focus on wearing fur, Joaquin;s ad takes aim at the wearing of exotic skins from alligators, snakes and other such reptiles that often provide the skin for hollywood's duds.

Says Phoenix: ""Exotic animals are mostly unknown to us, and so is what they suffer before being turned into belts and bags. Every year millions of reptiles are slaughtered so handbags, belts and shoes can be made from their skin....."

I have a lot of issues with PETA, but I certainly support the humane treatment of animals, and choosing clothing and fashion that is made ethically, and hope this does some good. But I'm not sure PETA ever does more good than harm.

Joaquin Phoenix & PETA
seattlepi

Joaquin Phoenix resurfaces for PETA video. Actor-turned-rapper Joaquin Phoenix has stepped in front of the camera one more time in the name of animal rights -- he's recorded a PETA campaign clip to urge stars against wearing exotic animal skins. The "Walk The Line" star has recorded a short film for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) calling on celebrities to stop wearing clothes and accessories made from creatures such as alligators, lizards and snakes...

Joaquin Phoenix & PETA

Is the end near for American Idol?

Starting next year Simon Cowell will be leaving to run his new show the X Factor (which seems like practically the same show with a different name.) And with Paula Abdul already gone, many have wondered whether Idol would survive for long. Now it appears they may not even try to sustain it without the demonic life force of Cowell.

The source of this rumor sees to be Star Magazine, and I suppose you can decide for yourself how trustworthy that makes it. Another quote though says the show will continue until 2012 and then end: " the show will have been on the air for more than a decade, and the producers figure that's long enough...FOX is planning to conclude the show in three years, and why they've signed host Ryan Seacrest to a new contract for three years."

It's all rumors and speculation at this point, but with Fox shelling out so much money for both X Factor and Idol, and Idol missing so much of its original formula, it would only make sense for Fox to have at least a tentative plan for ending American Idol in the next couple of years.

American Idol Ending?
hollyscoop

We saw this coming! Rumor has it American Idol is going to be over after next season! The show is pretty much falling apart at the seems--first with Paula Abdul leaving due to contractual reasons, and now Simon Cowell is leaving Idol in the dust for his new show The X Factor. Star magazine claims next season will be the show's last...

American Idol Ending?

According to the latest rumblings form the Hollywood hype machine, superstar Angelina Jolie is set to play the evil witch Maleficent in a new live-action version of Sleeping Beauty.

The new version will be directed by Tim Burton, reportedly, and will be named Maleficent because it's a "post-modern" retelling of the Sleeping Beauty story from the witch's perspective.

TIm Burton has been revisiting many classic stories, with his new and eccentric takes on Willy Wonka, Sleepy Hollow, and most recently Alice in Wonderland. This time he'd be taking on one of the most beloved Walt Disney classics, and some are surprised that the sometimes conservative Disney company would let this master of weirdness re-envision their cartoon classic.

I'd love to see this happen though, and the team of Burton and Angelina Jolie on Maleficent sounds like a natural fit. With the huge success of Alice in Wonderland Burton should be able to pick whatever project he wants right now.

Angelina Jolie: "Maleficent"!
screenrant

Is Angelina Jolie Maleficent? Well, if some of the pro-Jennifer Aniston tabloids are to be believed - yes. However, the wonderfully charitable Oscar-winning actress (and fantastic wife and mother) may well be portraying one on the big screen as her name has now been mentioned in conjunction with Walt Disney Pictures' Maleficent, which Tim Burton is rumored to direct...

Angelina Jolie: "Maleficent"!

Kate Winslet is making big news this week by going out in public for the first time without her wedding ring!

Winslet separated from her husband, famed director Sam Mendes, a little while ago, but had still been wearing her wedding ring up until now. This week though, when she stepped out a taxi can in New York City, she was photographed out on the town with no ring whatsoever.

She was also seen out with her daughter stepping into a car without the ring. Kate Winslet is a top actress for many years, best known for Titanic of course, but also for many other movies including Revolutionary Road, which co-starred Leonardo Dicaprio as her husband, and was directed by her real life husband Sam Mendes.

Mendes is a top hollywood name in his own right ever since he directed American Beauty. So they seemed likea great match, but just recently somehow things went astray. There haven't been any dramatic revelations like with Sandra Bullock and Jesse James, and they are said to still be on good terms, but still sad to see them possibly headed for divorce, and putting the wedding rings away.

Winslet Wedding Ring Gone
justjared,net

Kate Winslet has reportedly stopped wearing her wedding ring The actress, who was seen with her wedding band at the Academy Awards earlier this month, was photographed exiting a New York City cab without her ring, Radar Online reports. Kate Winslet and her daughter, Mia, step out in New York City and head to a waiting car on Saturday (March 27) in New York City.

Winslet Wedding Ring Gone

Sarah Palin is now officially a reality TV star-to-be, as her contract with TLC is officially signed, and she will be doing her own show on the same network that made Kate Gosselin famous.

Palin, the former governor and Vice Presidential candidate, will be starring in a new show produced by Mark Burnett, creator of the smash hit Survivor. The show will feature Palin and her family in Alaska, and will showcase the natural splendor of Alaska and the environment there, as well as her charm of Palin herself.

But other than that details are sparse about what will happen in the Sarah Palin reality series, and nobody kpnows whether there will be political content involved, or any influence from the Tea Party movement that has be come Palin's biggest constituency.

Either way, love her or hate you know you are going to tune in!

Kate Gosselin, Sarah Palin: TLC All-Stars!

Maybe there will be a crossover episode with Kate Gosselin. Discovery Communications' TLC cable network -- home to Kate Gosselin and her brood as well as "Cake Boss" -- has just added former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin to its roster. TLC is the new home for a reality show featuring Palin and her family. Details about the show, which will be produced by Mark Burnett, whose credits include the CBS hit "Survivor," are sketchy...

Kate Gosselin, Sarah Palin: TLC All-Stars!

As the release of the Apple iPad approaches, people are wondering how the deals will work for buying books to read on it, and now we are seeing the first glimpses of how it will work.

A screenshot has somehow leaked out, showing what the pricing will be for bestselling books, and giving some clues as to how the partnerships will work between Apple and publishers, that will let us buy books from them on the Kindle.

Another screenshot showed that the iPad's iBookstore that Apple is setting up to offer books from tProject Gutenberg, a volunteer effort to digitize thousands of classic books that will be offered for free.

According to a recent report, "The iPad rated highest in terms of consumers seriously considering purchase over the next three months at 15 percent of Internet users, with the Kindle at 14 percent."

Apple iBookstore Details Leaked
eweek

As the release date for the Apple iPad draws near, information regarding e-book pricing from Apple's iBookstore leaks online, suggesting the company may have reached an agreement with publishers that Amazon failed to do with its e-reader, the Kindle...a photo showing the alleged pricing structure for Apple's online iBookstore surfaced. The screenshot, by way of Apple blog App Advice, shows four current fiction bestsellers listed for $9.99.

Apple iBookstore Details Leaked

Carrie Underwood is a great singer, and looks like she'd make a creative wedding planner too.

Carrie is getting ready to marry her hockey player fiance, but the two of them are both so busy with their careers they don't have time to plan all the usual pomp and cirucmstance of a big traditional wedding. So instead they are planning a more playful event that will feature one of Carrie's favorite foods, cupcakes!

Underwood said if her casual wedding plans: "We're kind of doing cupcakes, I consider myself a very traditional person. More than anything, we're going to get married, that's the important part. And we want everyone to have a good time, so we're doing some things like that, that are a little bit different."

More power to you, Carrie!

This would fit in nicely with the recommended tips for saving money on wedding planning, along with tricks like offering appetizers instead of a full main course, having beer wine and one signature cocktail instead of spending on a full bar, or having nice comfort foods for the wedding reception main course if you do have it, instead of fancy dishes from a wedding catering service or party planner.

Carrie Underwood: Cupcakes Wedding?
az central

Carrie Underwood is too busy to plan her wedding
....The blond beauty has some ideas for her big day and revealed she is trying to keep to a traditional theme, but with a few modern twists, including no wedding cake... Despite sporting a stunning diamond engagement ring, Carrie - who has been dating Mike for two years - insists she would have been happy without the jewelery...

Carrie Underwood: Cupcakes Wedding?

A man in Philadelphia was arrested yesterday for making violent threats against the Virginia congressman Eric Cantor.

The man made a video threatening the politician, that he tried to post on Youtube. He is also investigated for an earlier threat involving another public figure.

Eric Cantor has been in the news for previously claiming that a political opponent had fired a bullet into his headquarters, and cited this as evidence that it's not only right wingers who are increasingly violent towards the government, but it turned out that the bullet was just a stray that had been shot up in the air from somewhere else and hit his office randomly.

There has been a great deal of attention given to the recent trend of threats and vandalism against Democrats after the health care bill passed, and many suggest the extreme right wing, as represented by some, not all, of the tea partiers, is becoming volatile and irrational (and quite possibly racist) in their hatred of the Obama administration. But this case goes to show there's always at least one crazy on every team. (though it's certainly not clear what team, if any, this man considered himself a part of.)

Cantor Death Threat Arrest
source

A Philadelphia man charged with threatening a Virginia congressman is being held without bail pending a psychiatric evaluation. Authorities say 38-year-old Norman Leboon tried to post a YouTube video in which he threatened to kill Rep. Eric Cantor, Virginia Republican, who is House minority whip. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Reed said Mr. Leboon is wanted by city authorities in another threat case.

Cantor Death Threat Arrest

Many have complained that the TARP bailout was just a huge series of bad investments, mad with our tax dollars, but in one area it looks like we may actually turn a profit.

The bailout money that went to Citigroup is soon to be sold by the Treasury Department in stocks of the Citi company, and the government said they will get back more than they put in on this investment.

The TARP money overall is still adding up to a loss, to be clear, mostly because of the major auto company bailots, for automakers like General Motors and Chrysler, are still big money losers, as is AIG. But in the other banking sector expenditures, perhaps there is hope we will see more turnarounds like this one with the U.S. making a profit of Citi.

U.S. Profit on Citi Stocks!
source

Bank bailouts are turning out to be great business for the government. Unfortunately for taxpayers, other federal rescues will almost certainly wind up in the red. The Treasury Department said Monday that it will begin selling its stake in Citigroup Inc. at a potential profit of about $7.5 billion -- not a bad haul for an 18-month investment. The move is a major step in the government's effort to unravel investments it made in banks under the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program at the height of the financial crisis.
U.S. Profit on Citi Stocks!

As if Glenn Beck were not controversial enough already, Beck's guest host on Fox News this week has made big news with hsi accusation that a proposed tanning tax should be considered racist.

Glenn Beck's guest host this week on his hugely popular TV show was a man named Doc Thompson, a fellow conservative commentator. Thompson took issue with a proposed tax on tanning salons, claiming this measure would be racist against white and light skinned people.

Said Thompson: "I now know the pain of racism. Why would the president of the United States of America - a man who says he understands racism, a man who has been confronted by racism - why would he sign such a racist law? Why would he agree to do that. Now I feel the pain of racism."

To say that this was a bit of a stretch would be putting it kindly, in my opinion, but I suppose it all depends on your perspective. I'd be curious to hear what Glenn Beck's usual audience thought of this perspective from his fill in.

Tanning Tax Racist
primebuzz

While filling in on Glenn Beck's radio show today, Doc Thompson said (joked?) that the health care bill's 10 percent tax on tanning beds is racist because "dark skinned people" don't use tanning beds. Movie critic Roger Ebert took the opportunity to tag House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-West Chester. Here's Ebert's tweet: "He feels the pain of racism as Obama taxes white folks' tanning salons. Paging John Boehner!"

Tanning Tax Racist

It's official: 'Lost' star Yunjin Kim weds in two months!

Yunjin Kim, who plays Sun on the smash hit show, will finally be marrying her long time boyfriend and manager, Jeong Hyeok Park.

The couple has known each other for eight years, dating back to when he first became her manager. A source close to the star says that the wedding is perfect timing with what, Yunjin Kim wanted. "She always said she wanted to get married when Lost ended."

Kim is currently in Hawaii filming some of her last scenes for the show. As far as the rest of the season I am sure there are some big things in store for fans. Tonight's episode will focus on her character Sun and her husband Jin, with a big surprise ending! I just love this show!

There are not many details on Yunjin Kim's wedding, although I am sure it will be beautiful given its glamorous location. They must have expert wedding planners to set up suchn a nice day. What a perfect way to end something amazing - start it with something even more incredible. We certainly wish Kim and Park the best in their wedding plans.

Yunjin Kim Weds
popcrunch

Yunjin Kim -- best known for playing Sun Kwon on ABC's Lost -- tied the knot with her boyfriend and manager, Jeong Hyeok Park, in Hawai on Sunday, E! News has confirmed. The pair met in 2002. "Yes, it's true. She did get married this weekend," a rep for the 36-year-old actress told the site on Monday evening. Kim had always planned to wed after the disaster-themed series wrapped its final season, but decided to take the plunge a bit early, according to sources...

Yunjin Kim Weds

Facebook is set to announce a new set of changes to their site, and one of the biggest appears to be a change in how fan pages work.

Up until now on Facebookl's supreme social networking site, you had the option to "become a fan of" people or things that you liked. But now word has it Facebook is changing this to a different system where you will be able to say you "like" something instead.

This change, which was foreshadowed in changes Facebook made to their privacy policy and user agreement, will allow facebook to setup other websites with a "like" button, thus encouraging the rest of the internet to incorporate Facebook into their sites, so they can register their popularity.

Facebook gives other reasons for the change, as listed below, but expert analysis says it is that increased influence, and ability to get themselves embedded on many other sites as the "digg thiss" buttons once became ubiquitous, that is their real primary motive. Imagine how many sites will be setting up Facebook connect relationships so they can be listed as "liked" on Facebook and validated by having a following? It will easily become a competitive standard many sites try to fulfill.

Facebook: 'become a fan of' No More?
huffpo

Facebook is about to change the way it asks its users to connect to brands and celebrities on the site. Rather than ask people to "become a fan" of say, Starbucks or Lady Gaga, Facebook will instead let users click that they like the subject. Facebook already lets people show that they like comments or pictures posted on the site, and it says users click that term almost twice as much as they click "become a fan." Facebook says changing the button will make users more comfortable with linking up with a brand and will streamline the site...

Facebook: 'become a fan of' No More?

Madonna was never exactly known for her conservative views on fashion, or anything else. But now that she's a mother of a teenage girl, she is showing a different side of herself, as she says she wishes her own daughter dressed more conservatively!

Madonna in a recent interview said she doesn't try to tell her daughter how to dress or what style to adopt as her own, and said that fashion independence runs in the family. But she did admit that if she had her wish, she would love to see her daughter dress more conservatively!

The proud mo said of her daughter Lola that she has the sense of freedom Madonna herself used to have when she was younger: "That is how I used to be, but after years and years of everybody commenting on the way I look and dress and being photographed, one starts to become self-conscious and starts to plan things more. You end up judging yourself more, what looks good and what doesn''t."

Madonna: Dress More Conservatively, Lola! newkerala

"You could say it''s in the DNA. I could never tell her how to dress," the Telegraph quoted Madonna, as telling Us weekly. The singer, 51 and her girl, 13, have paired up for a teen clothing line, Material Girl, which will hit stores later in the year. Madonna said: "If anything, I wish she''d dress more conservatively. How''s that for irony?" Madonna also believes her daughter, nickname Lola, is more stylish than her...