Sony reagiert auf Hacker-Angriff


Schon seit mehreren Tagen können Besitzer einer Playstation nicht mehr online spielen. Jetzt gibt der Konzern den Grund bekannt: Hacker hätten den Dienst attackiert.
Playstation-Spieler müssen derzeit auf den Onlinedienst der Konsole verzichten. Die Fehlermeldung "80710A06" taucht beim Versuch auf, sich einzuloggen. Online spielen ist derzeit nicht möglich. Zunächst war über Twitter lapidar von "Wartungsarbeiten" die Rede, jetzt hat Sony die Katze aus dem Sack gelassen. Offenbar haben Hacker das Playstation Network angegriffen. Es habe ein "Eindringen von Außen" gegeben, heißt es im Blog des Unternehmens. Dies habe die Funktionsfähigkeit beeinträchtigt. Ob Nutzerdaten betroffen sind, ist nicht bekannt. Auch wer hinter den Angriffen steckt, teilte Sony nicht mit. Der Konzern untersucht nach eigener Aussage den Fall genau und will das Playstation Network erst wieder verfügbar machen, wenn der "sichere Betrieb" gewährleistet ist. Einen Zeitpunkt nannte das Unternehmen nicht. Via http://mobil.n-tv.de/technik/Sony-reagiert-auf-Hacker-Angriff-article3170421.html

Royal Wedding Pizza By Papa John's (Photo) Prince William's Suit Of Salami


Papa John's is celebrating the royal wedding of Prince Williamand Kate Middleton with a royal pizza! A British food artist and famous pizza chain restaurant Papa John's teamed up for a pizza that you have to see to believe...however, we just want to eat it.
The pizza is in mosaic (I know itsounds strange but go with me here). The pizza features the image of Kate Middleton and Prince William made of various delicious toppings. Prince Williams suit is made outof salty salami and slightly spicygreen peppers. Kate Middleton has a veil made out of mushrooms and a dress made ofcheese.
Papa John's chief marketing officer Andrew Varga told reporters, "Royal Wedding feveris sweeping the world so we couldn't resist having some fun and creating our very own pizzaportrait of Kate and William to celebrate their forthcoming marriage. Like our original crustpizza, our royal portrait is madefrom 100 percent fresh dough and quality ingredients, so it tastes as good as it looks."
Via http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_212361058.shtml

Sony Makes it Official: PlayStation Network Hacked


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Sony has confirmed that it took its PlayStation Network and Qriocity service offline to recoverfrom a hack attack Posted on Saturday Apr 23, 2011 7:35 AM by Keir Thomas When Sony's PlayStation Network was taken offline three days ago , all eyes fell on the Anonymous group, who've takena dislike to Sony over its treatment of hardware hacker George Hotz . The network allowsonline play between PlayStation 3 consoles and boasts 70 million users, so this is no small inconvenience. Last night Sony confessed that an "external intrusion" caused the company to take-down the PlayStation Network and also Sony's Qriocity service in order"to verify the smooth and secure operation of our network services going forward". However, they're not saying anything more, or giving a time scale as to when gamers will be able to resume playing online. What makes it strange is that Anonymous has denied being involved, claiming " for once we didn't do it " and suggesting Sony was using rumors of an Anonymous attack as cover for an internal problem with their servers. As yet Anonymous hasn't responded to the latest update from Sony. However, the decentralized nature of Anonymous means thatindividuals act alone with no governance, and Anonymous admitted that "it could be the case that other Anons have actedby themselves. Via http://www.pcworld.com/article/226128/sony_makes_it_official_playstation_network_hacked.html

Ference will have to pay for gesture - Andrew Ference gave the one finger salute Thursday night to Montreal hockey fans.

Ference will have to pay for gesture Andrew Ference gave the one finger salute Thursday night to Montreal hockey fans. One way or another he'll have to pay. The Boston Bruins defenceman was taking it on the chin when he was caught by the Hockey Night in Canada cameras flipping the bird to the fans at the Bell Centre after scoring at 9:59 of the second period. It will go down in Montreal Canadiens' folklore as the"Ference Finger"and he'll join the long list of Boston players already hated in the city. Ference will likely still be in line behind villain Zdeno Chara, though. While Ference apologized for the incident and was being ripped on twitter, he'll certainly face the maximum fine of $2,500 US and there is a chance he'll get suspended because Gary Bettman doesn't take this lightly. "This is what really enrages me,"said CBC analyst Glenn Healy. Healy won't be alone on that front. Rea more http://m.torontosun.com/Sports/Hockey/1303350409812

Lindsay Lohan Sentenced to 120 Days in Jail For Probation Violation; Theft Charge Reduced

Lindsay Lohan caught a huge break yesterday when the felony grand theft charge against her was reduced to a misdemeanor by Judge Stephanie Sautner.
The judge felt that the nature of the alleged crime and the value of the necklace in question simply did not warrant a felony charge. PHEW, right?
Of course, LiLo is still on probation for her 2007 DUI arrest, and Sautner was far less lenient in that regard. She sentenced her to 120 days in county jail!
NEW Lindsay Lohan Mug Shot!
Lindsay has been remanded into custody and taken to the courthouse basement to be booked. She is allowed to post bail pending an appeal of the ruling.

Via

DSDS-Teeniestar Sebastian Wurth will in fünf Jahren auf den Charts-Thron


Wipperfürth/Köln. Aus vor dem Halbfinale: Die Suche nach Deutschlands Superstar auf RTL geht heute Abend ohne Sebastian („Basti“) Wurth aus Wipperfürth weiter. Dabei galt der 16-jährige Sohn eines Musiklehrers für viele als Favorit bei DSDS. Zu einem der beliebtesten Boys in Deutschland hat ihn die Teilnahme an der Bohlen-Show in jedem Fall gemacht – wohl auch, weil er es als Titelbild auf die Seite 1 der Jugend-Zeitschrift „Bravo“ geschafft hat.
Bevor „Basti“, der Junge mit dem dunklen Wuschelkopf und dem gewinnenden Lächeln, sich in einen Kurzurlaub verabschiedet hat, stand er uns im Interview Rede und Antwort. Aufgeräumt, keinesfalls enttäuscht, eher noch ein bisschen euphorisiert und durchaus selbstbewusst präsentierte sich „Basti“ in dem Gespräch:

Wipperfürth/Köln. Aus vor dem Halbfinale: Die Suche nach Deutschlands Superstar auf RTL geht heute Abend ohne Sebastian („Basti“) Wurth aus Wipperfürth weiter. Dabei galt der 16-jährige Sohn eines Musiklehrers für viele als Favorit bei DSDS. Zu einem der beliebtesten Boys in Deutschland hat ihn die Teilnahme an der Bohlen-Show in jedem Fall gemacht – wohl auch, weil er es als Titelbild auf die Seite 1 der Jugend-Zeitschrift „Bravo“ geschafft hat.
Bevor „Basti“, der Junge mit dem dunklen Wuschelkopf und dem gewinnenden Lächeln, sich in einen Kurzurlaub verabschiedet hat, stand er uns im Interview Rede und Antwort. Aufgeräumt, keinesfalls enttäuscht, eher noch ein bisschen euphorisiert und durchaus selbstbewusst präsentierte sich „Basti“ in dem Gespräch:
Frage: Du galtest für viele als Favorit, jetzt bist Du ausgeschieden. Wie ist Deine aktuelle Gefühlslage?
Sebastian Wurth: Mir geht es wunderbar. Ich habe damit abgeschlossen und bin auch froh, dass ich jetzt nicht mehr diesen Stress habe. Ich genieße die Sonne und fahre erstmal für einige Tage mit ein paar Freunden nach Holland.



Via http://www.derwesten.de/wr/westfalen/DSDS-Teeniestar-Sebastian-Wurth-will-in-fuenf-Jahren-auf-den-Charts-Thron-id4571161.html

Links between Earthquake in Soloman Islands and Earthquake Prediction in Jim Berkland in California

An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale jolted Solomon Islands at 0423 GMT on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The epicenter, with a depth of 81.6 km, was initially determined to be at 10.4450 degrees south latitude and 161.4199 degrees east longitude. The quake was centered 76 km west of Kira Kira, San Cristobal, and 171 km southeast of the capital Honiara, Solomon Islands.

No tsunami warning was issued. And so far no casualty or damage has been reported.

This earthquake is in a series of earthquakes in this region.

Jim Berkland has already predicted an earthquake in California.

Read More at http://google-trends-2011.blogspot.com/2011/03/jim-berkland-predicts-earthquake-in.html

6.9-magnitude quake hits Soloman Islands

An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale jolted Solomon Islands at 0423 GMT on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The epicenter, with a depth of 81.6 km, was initially determined to be at 10.4450 degrees south latitude and 161.4199 degrees east longitude. The quake was centered 76 km west of Kira Kira, San Cristobal, and 171 km southeast of the capital Honiara, Solomon Islands.

No tsunami warning was issued. And so far no casualty or damage has been reported.

Crystal Liu Yi Fei’s ‘A Chinese Fairy Tale’ trailer published by Tinchung.

Crystal Liu Yi Fei’s ‘A
Chinese Fairy Tale’
trailer published
by Tinchung.
Crystal Liu Yi Fei’s film is a re-make of “A Chinese Ghost Story”, a standard Chinese ghost. Trailers of the next film Crystal Liu Yi Fei “A Chinese Fairy Tale”, published by tinchung.


A sex scene between the Chinese of the beauty of Crystal Liu Yi Fei and Louis Koo in ‘A Chinese Ghost Story’ has actually lost the suppression room for theatrical release in 18 rated version of the novel in the series Louis Cha Malaysia.

TV most famous wuxia ‘The Return of the Condor Heroes’ and she was supported still by the novelist, who thinks that Crystal had all the qualities essential to play the leading role of young and naive.

Liu Yi Fei is becoming a singer also signed a recording bond with Sony Music in August 2005 and has been learning singing and dancing in Japan and China since at that moment. Yi Fei has launched its first Japanese single ‘Mayonaka no Door’ in July 2006 and launched its China debut album in September 2006. Crystal Liu determined to take a break from show business in early 2007.

Why many have chosen Nicole Seah over Tin Pei Ling

NSP unveils 24-year old Nicole Seah as this GE's youngest candidate.

Why many have chosen Nicole Seah over Tin Pei Ling The two FASS graduates may face each other in the elections.  
The National Solidarity Party (NSP) has unveiled the youngest candidate of this General Elections — 24 year-old advertising executive Nicole Seah, who graduated from The National University of Singapore (NUS) with honors majoring in Communications and New Media. She was also part of the University Scholar’s Programme (USP) during her university tenure.
The NSP’s 24 year-old Ms. Seah was immediately compared to the 26 year-old Ms. Tin from the PAP, who had been the subject of a barrage of criticisms online ever since she was introduced as a candidate running for the General Elections. The heap of criticisms centered on Ms. Tin’s poor and seemingly trivial answers to television interviews, her lack of political nuance and also controversial political viewpoints such as her belief that the government had no responsibility to help the poor bridge the widening income gap.
The scrutiny even went personal — many questioned her motivations behind joining the ruling party, and placed her private life under an intense spotlight.
According to a Facebook poll that compared the two individuals, users overwhelmingly voted for Ms. Seah ahead of Ms. Tin.

While Ms. Tin’s name was thrust into the media spotlight like a fish out of water when her candidature was announced, for many it was a natural progression for the young Nicole Seah to be running in the coming General Elections.
 
Via http://kentridgecommon.com/?p=11206

Sir Elton John has confirmed that Lady Gaga is his son's godmother

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Sir Elton John, Lady Gaga
Sir Elton John has confirmed that Lady Gaga is his son's godmother and says the pop star is a real family girl at heart.

John, who welcomed baby Zachary with partner David Furnish last December, has confirmed reports that Gaga was indeed chosen for the honour. The couple is confident the outrageous star will do a great job, reports contactmusic.

During an interview with US news show 20/20, John said: "Yes (Gaga is the godmother)."

"When you get to the real person underneath, there's a very simple New York girl who loves her parents. I love her to death and a lot of people said, 'Oh that's crazy.' But they don't know her, and we do," he said.

Royal wedding: Kate Middleton likely to drop 'outdated' obey vow

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 Kate Middleton
And with the royal wedding less than a week away, there is growing speculation that Kate Middleton will drop what is increasingly seen as an anachronism from her own vows.


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 Kate Middleton



Diana, Princess of Wales, set a precedent in 1981 when she promised only to “love, comfort, honour and keep” the Prince of Wales.

The Archbishop of Canterbury’s comment earlier this week that Prince William and Miss Middleton had “thought through what they want for themselves, but also what they want to say” has been interpreted as a clue that they want to take their vows as equals.

Dr Rowan Williams might even have encouraged Miss Middleton to leave out the vow of obedience, as he has said in the past that for a bride to promise obedience without her husband doing the same is an outdated idea that could be used to justify domestic violence.

The Rev Rod Thomas, a member of the General Synod and chairman of the evangelical group Reform, said: “It’s relatively rare for people to make a vow of obedience these days.


Via

Paint Easter eggs with colors made from natural materials in kitchen


 

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Red Painted Easter eggs
Cover working area with plastic to protect surfaces from the stains of color dyes.

I used red cabbage (blue), onion skins and turmeric (rusty orange), and cherry juice (brown) to make the three egg colors.*

1. Wash uncooked eggs: Remove any oily residue from eggs by washing them with warm, soapy water. Allow to dry.

2. Select produce: Combine produce and spices to make your favorite colors or experiment with new color combination.

3. Prep for three colors: Cut up one head of red cabbage. Peel skins from three onions and add 3 teaspoons of turmeric. Measure four cups of cherry juice.

4. Boil: Put each color combination into a pot with water (adjust amount to cover materials). Cabbage: approximately 8 cups of water. Onion skins: about 6 cups. Boil each for around 30 minutes. Reduce heat and remove produce. Strain with cheesecloth.

5. Add vinegar: Put strained liquid back into each pot. Add vinegar. (1/4 cup for red cabbage and 3 tablespoons of each: onion skins (orange) and cherry juice (brown). Gently put in eggs and boil for 30 minutes.

6. Soak: Turn off heat and allow the eggs to soak for two to three hours. The time depends on each particular dye. Check often and remove eggs when satisfied with the color. Lay finished eggs on paper towels to dry. When completely dry, put into egg cartons and refrigerate.

7. Add shine: Moisten a cloth with a few drops of vegetable oil. Rub onto eggs to deepen colors and make eggs glossy.

TIP: Ad lib! If you‘re not happy with the color produced for a particular dye batch, it’s OK to add a few drops of food coloring to the pot to coax out a bit more color. *Don’t eat eggs made from this particular recipe as the eggs are cooked too long. Place them in a refrigerator until you can use them as decorations for Easter.

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10 Natural egg dye combination from vegetables, fruits and spices

Boil these combination or create your own.

1. Lavender: Make a mixture of purple grape juice, violet blossoms plus 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and Red Zinger tea.

2. Deep purple: Violet blossoms, red wine, red onion skins and hibiscus tea.

3. Blue: Canned blueberries, red cabbage and purple grape juice. (I added a few drops of blue food coloring to boost the blue color of the eggs in the photograph above.)

4. Orange/rust: Mix onion skins and turmeric or cooked carrots, chili powder and paprika to get a deep orange color.

5. Pink: Red beets or juice, cranberries or juice, raspberries and red grape juice.

6. Brown: Coffee grounds, instant coffee, black tea, black walnut shells or cherry juice.

7. Greenish yellow: Yellow Delicious apples.

8. Dark yellow: Many teaspoons of turmeric.

9. Red: Canned or frozen cherries with juice, pomegranate juice, raspberries and many red onion skins.

10. Green: Dark-green, spinach leaves and liquid chlorophyll.

Things to do

MATERIALS NEEDED

Fresh eggs: Choose the number of eggs that you will need plus extras for mistakes.

Produce and Spices: Purchase vegetables, fruits, juices or spices to make a variety of natural dye combinations.

Vinegar: Plain white vinegar is needed to color mixture when dyeing eggs.

Pots, saucepans: Non-porous pots are needed to boil dyeing materials, vinegar and water.

Accents: Put your imagination to work when adding colorful accents to finished eggs. Decorate finished eggs with stickers or crayons. Before dyeing, use crayons to repel dye and draw unique patterns on eggs.

Plastic: Protect your work surfaces from permanent stains and water damage.

Ukrainian egg designs

Making your own brightly patterned, Ukrainian eggs is no small feat. This popular Eastern European craft has been continued through the ages as a means of bringing good luck and health to the families who make them. The designs and colors are highly detailed and dyed with vibrant colors. The website, www.learnpysanky.com, has clear instructions on how to create the egg designs, as well as familiarizing readers with the legends and traditions behind them. The website also shares classic Ukrainian recipes for paska (the Ukrainian decorated bread made especially at Easter), perogies (potato and cheese dumplings) and borscht (a beautifully red beet soup).





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'Gossip Girl' recap: When Charlie met Serena

With Lily facing jail time, the Van Der Woodsens get a surprise visit from her sister Carol and her niece Charlie.

It’s been so long since Gossip Girl was last on I have completely forgotten what’s happened this season. For a hot second I thought it was still the year that Hilary Duff showed up and showed new levels of lameness. That was a loooong, tough season for GG fans. Now, I remember—Blair and Dan were about to get it on! Yay. Oh and Chuck and Nate were fighting over snoozypants Raina! Boo. But let’s get back to THE couple with actual heat: Dan and Blair a.k.a. "Dair."

Via http://tvrecaps.ew.com/recap/gossip-girl-recap-season-four-episode-18/

8 iphone, itune, android apps for Easter

From Easter baking ideas to a children’s version of the Easter story to following the Easter Bunny as he travels the globe, your iPhone or Android phone will get you hopping toward a happier holiday with these apps.
ClickySticky Easter Eggs (99 cents on iTunes)Your kids will have fun decorating eggs, filling Easter baskets and building Easter bunnies without the mess with this sticker app.
Natural Colors for Easter Eggs (99 cents on iTunes)This app teaches you how to dye Easter eggs with commonly found natural ingredients, like onion skins. You also can’t go wrong with Egg Dyeing 101 from Martha Stewart Living ($0.99, iTunes)
Pat the Bunny ($2.99 on iTunes)Expanding Easter to include all things bunny, the e-book version of "Pat the Bunny" is loads of fun. It has 14 interactive scenes, every page can be used as a coloring book and your child can use the device’s front-facing camera to see himself in the book.
3D Easter Bunny Tracker (99 cents on iTunes)Track the Easter Bunny as he hops around the world delivering eggs to children. You can zoom in on any location on the 3-D globe.
Easter Egg Hunt LWP (Free on Android Market)There are a lot of Easter egg apps, but I enjoy this live wallpaper version for Android devices. It gives you phone an Easter theme and a game in one.
Easter Recipes & Meals ($1.41 on Android Market)Looking for a new twist on a traditional Easter dish? You’ll find more than 75 recipes for everything from side dishes to lamb to desserts. Chocolate-covered pecan Easter eggs anyone?
Bible Comic Book — Passion of Jesus Christ ($1.99 on iTunes)Aimed at kids 7 to 13, this comic book of the Passion of Jesus Christ covers the major parts of the Easter story from the Last Supper, to Jesus' death and resurrection and his journey on the road to Emmaus. For Android users, the StoryChimes Story of Easter (99 cents on Android Market) is a good choice.
Holiday Postcard (Free on iTunes)A step up from the usual greeting card apps, Holiday Postcard lets you send Easter and spring greetings via email on a simulated postcard with an address label and postage. For Android users, check out Build-a-Card: Easter Edition (99 cents on Amazon.com).

Caveman Bob

Caveman Bob
Buy on iTunes

Caveman Bob

Released:
October 2010

Platforms:
iPhone
Android (coming soon)

Gameplay:
Single Player

Watch the Trailer
Join on Facebook
Contact Us
300.000 years before the Nuclear Dawn... Bob was hungry. Interwave's first foray into casual gaming pits players against the most primal of desires, as they help navigate Bob through four unique, distinct, hand-painted landscapes.
Bob runs, jumps, slides, stumbles, and rages through the levels, which feature endless playability, challenging 'Cave Trek' and hunger survival modes, scoreboards and OpenFeint integration to show off your achievements and best runs.
Stay tuned for more information and previews, and keep your thumbs well trained - the fastest, fiercest tapfest of all ages is about to start.

Main Features:

  • Two game modes: unlock levels in ‘Cave Trek’, and then race them individually, staving off starvation and scoring the most insane jump combos.
  • Four unique levels, with hand-crafted backgrounds and animations
  • Procedurally generated levels: no two games will ever be the same
  • Levels change and evolve, becoming harder as gameplay progresses
  • Simple, one-tap controls for endless, reflex-based action
  • Day/Night cycles for exhilarating night time runs!
  • OpenFeint integration for leaderboards and achievements

Media

     

Via

Video of Real World Dustin’s gay sex removed; bloggers asked to remove images

Images and videos of The Real World Las Vegas cast member Dustin Zito having gay sex while performing for Fratmen and Fratpad have been removed from the site, which has asked bloggers to remove images and links to images to effectively whitewash the Internet of any record of his gay sex.
The Sword reports that “The Spencer/Travis oral scene has been pulled from the Fratmen site, and Spencer’s live gay sex shows aren’t available on sister site Fratpad,” while at the same time, “multiple gay porn bloggers have been asked to remove promotional images of Dustin Zito/’Spencer’ engaged in gay sex,” and “Fratmen has sent specific requests to highly-trafficked gay porn blogs and forums, including JustUsBoys and WayBig, to remove Spencer’s gay sex images.” The site notes that “Fratmen is deliberately removing the scenes and attempting to scrub the internet of the content that’s responsible for the most publicity and national exposure they’ve ever had” and speculates about why that might be the case.
Hilariously, Fratmen’s action has prompted The Sword to publish many of those images, which are now more accessible than they once were. While Dustin acknowledge his past on the first episode, it was glossed over, as if he was just naked in a house with other men, not having sex with them.
Incidentally, I was one of the people who received a request from Fratmen; one of its representatives asked me to edit this post so it would no longer link to a compilation of screenshots from an oral sex video because the site I linked to was infringing on their copyright.
I wrote back and explained that I don’t edit past posts for content, and that screenshots were newsworthy, and they certainly constitute fair use, which is permissible use of copyrighted content. The response from Fratmen was surprising, to say the least:
“As a journalist and TV critic, I’m confident you are aware of the perils of posting links to pages containing sexually explicit content that fail to maintain the labeling required by Title 18 U.S.C. § 2257. And furthermore, if that link were truly ‘newsworthy’, I would have thought you would have gotten your story straight before you posted it, if only to avoid the journalistic embarrassment of having to amend it. Maybe the purported video never was on the site; maybe the primary producer had been forced to remove the video because one of the performers was under 18 years old on the date of production… Maybe a pack of wild dogs broke into the Fratmen data center and destroyed the content with their magnetic teeth.”
The joke of the last sentence aside, the two possibilities he suggests are crazy: 1) He says the video never was on the site, which of course it was (how else would everyone have screenshots?) and 2) one of the performers may have been underage—in a video they distributed! The Fratmen representative obviously meant this as a threat, suggesting that I would be in trouble for linking. But considering his company produced those images, that’s an insane argument.

Via http://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/archives/the_real_world_25/2011_Mar_16_fratmen_bloggers_dustin

Verizon Wireless posts strong Q1; churn down, data revenues up, 2.2M iPhones activated [Updated]



The first-quarter financial figures for Verizon Wireless were not all that surprising. The nation’s largest wireless carrier was widely expected to post strong quarterly results, and it did. Verizon Wireless saw its churn rate fall year-over-year to 1.01 for postpaid customers and 1.33 overall. The company’s data revenues were up 22.3% from the same period last year, fueled by 1.8 million net additions, 2.2 million new iPhone activations, 260,000 HTC ThunderBolt activations, and 32% of retail postpaid customers using smartphones. Verizon Wireless now has 104 million total connections on its network, which represents a 6.1% increase year-over-year. If you are interested in reading the entire Verizon Communications release, it is waiting for you after the break.

Update: Although not included in the Q1 press release, the company’s conference call presentation indicates that 2.2 million iPhone 4s were activated during the three month period. Title updated to reflect this new information.

Via http://www.bgr.com/2011/04/21/verizon-wireless-posts-strong-q1-churn-down-data-revenues-up-iphone-sales-figures-absent/

My strip idea worked well--Poonam Pandey


Her one statement for the Indian cricket team made her an overnight star and soon, she became one of the most searched and downloaded celebrities online. Kingfisher model Poonam Pandey had proclaimed to godare-bare to boost the morale of the Indian cricket team, if India wins the WC. In a recent conversation withIANS, Poonam Pandey sharedabout her strip idea experience and how did it help her to grab the headlines. “I did many things like opening the fan page on Facebook where I did an exclusive photo shoot. But I was not satisfied, so I came up with this idea, which worked well. It was my own decision and I was awake and fully aware of what I was saying,” said the model. Though she was finding the whole situation funny, she was bewildered when people started making issuesout of it. Read more at http://www.totalfilmy.com/feature/20110417/my_strip_idea_worked_wellpoonam_pandey-32834.html

Is Obama a CIA Candidate




The nexus of Obama’s almae matres: Occidental, Columbia, and Harvard, as well as that of his parents, the University of Hawaii, in the CIA’s mind control, behavioral modification, and mass hypnosis projects is deeply troubling. The fact that Obama has failed to provide a full accounting of his past academic and professional employment history, coupled with the presence of a major CIA presence within his and his parents’, grandparents’, and step-father’s backgrounds opens up the real possibility that Obama was, to use the CIA’s own term, “nurtured,” for a higher calling.
Obama told the nation that his would be the most open and transparent in recent recent history. However, Obama’s biography and those of his parents and guardians are full of more holes than a slice of Swiss cheese. It is well past time for the President to make good on that promise and fully release his past academic, passport, employment, and overseas travel records. After eight brutal years of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, the nation was ready for any change. Unfortunately, the CIA, through LOOKING GLASS, MK-ULTRA, ARTICHOKE, PANDORA, and other behavioral science programs were ready to answer the call. The CIA answered the call with Obama and most of us bought him and his “Hope and Change” propaganda fecundity “nurtured” by CIA programs going back some sixty years.

Via http://www.opinion-maker.org/2010/09/the-story-of-obama-all-in-the-company-part-v/

See Also http://www.ipresscenter.com/content.php/557-Barack-Obama-was-the-CIA-s-candidate

Should porn performers use condoms? Surely the answer’s obvious.


After all, responsible adults know condoms protect against a litany of life-threatening diseases. Porn performers have more sex with more people; so surely they have more need to use condoms. But some of the biggest names in porn are against mandating condom use -- despite being the ones at risk. What’s their reasoning? Porn: It’s a Dirty Job The condom question arises because sex gets messy. Working in porn, performers have frequent exposure to sweat, semen and ‘santorum’ (Google it!). As a result, bacteria and viruses spread between performers faster than kooties at daycare -- making porn a high-risk occupation. That risk was proven in 2004,when performer Darren James tested positive for HIV. In the window between tests, he’d had sex with 12 performers, who then exposed another 22. Within 30 days, the circle of exposure had spread so fast it lead to a virtual shut down of porn production, and by the end, it was revealed that James had infected three female performers. It demonstrated how dangerous a single infected performer could be in the ‘porn pool.’ Put a Rubber On It Critics attacked the porn industry, demanding mandatory condom usage and beyond. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health even petitioned for latex gloves and eye protection (medical fetishists were thrilled!). But the porn industry argued it was already self-regulated -- and the Darren James HIV tragedy proved the system worked. Via http://www.alternet.org/module/feed/mobile/?storyID=150361&type=story

Poonam Pandey finally strips


While she hasn’t yet gone nude despite making big claims, Poonam Pandey gavea glimpse of her stripping streak at a recent event. If anyone at all was actually disappointed with Poonam Pandey’s ‘no-show’ after the World Cup, this could make them partially happy. The bigtime wannabe became anovernight star after she offered to go nude before Team India if they won the Cricket World Cup. However, the actress who is yet to fulfill her commitment gave a glimpse of her stripping streak recently. The entire publicity stunt won her an entry into the latest season of stunt-based reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi hosted by Akshay Kumar. At a recent event, when Poonam Pandey was introduced as the contestanton the show and media bombarded her with questions regarding her no-show after India’s victory,she gave a trailer of her yet-to-release picture. She unzipped her jacket to reveala black bikini top much to thesurprise of the shutterbugs who went gaga clicking her. And Miss Pandey seemed to be enjoying all the attention. If rumours are to be believedPoonam Pandey is being paida whopping Rs 50 lakhs to be on the show. Also we won’t be surprised if she bags another popular reality showBigg Boss, which is also played on the same channel. Personalities like Poonam Pandey are perfect fodder for the Bigg Boss house!

Muslim actress Playboy fury MUSLIM TV actress causes outrage by stripping for series of saucy shots for Playboy

A MUSLIM TV actress has caused outrage by stripping for a series of saucy shots forPlayboy. German-Turkish stunner Sila Sahin, 25, has appeared in a 12-page nude spread in the famous men's magazine. The provocative pics, including one on the cover in which she appears with one breast exposed, has outraged her family and Muslim fans. But the star of hit German soap Good Times, Bad Times claims she did the shoot in a bid to tackle the oppression of women who follow Islam. She said: "I did it because I wanted to be free at last. "These photographs are a liberation from the restrictions of my childhood. "My mother is still angry. It will be even more difficult with my grandparents, my aunts and my uncles." Sila says she has spoken to her father who was worried about the backlash she would receive from the Muslim community. She said that the aim of the controversial shoot was to use it as a call for action for other Muslim women. She said: "For too long I tried to do everything right. "I want these photos to show young Turkish women it's OK for you to live however you choose." But despite her bold move Sila wants her family forgiveness. She said in an emotional TV interview: "I hope you can forgive me. "Please let me come home."

Kate Middleton hits the high street


With just over a week to go till the wedding of the year, Kate Middleton took some time out from last minute preparations to enjoy a spot of retail therapy. Did she head to Bond Street? Harrods perhaps? No, Ms Middleton chose to pop into high street favourite, Warehouse, on King’s Road, Chelsea. According to the Daily Mail, she arrived with a bodyguard at 4.30 and spent time picking out a range of summer frocks. An assistant said: “She was really nice and friendly.” Warehouse’s PR Team released a statement saying: “Kate Middleton has just popped into our King’s Road store and has picked up some amazing summer pieces!” The stunning bride-to-be is said to have spent £225 on four summer items, including a poppy print bandeau dress for £60 and a one shouldered feather dress for £45. Kate’s purchases are perfect for a hot summer getaway and could be heading for the honeymoon suitcase…. The destination of the Royal couple’s romantic break is being kept under wraps with reports suggesting Prince William wants to keep it a surprise. Via

Knicks' Jared Jeffries says he should have shot when Carmelo Anthony passed to him on final play


Everyone at TD Garden knew the ball was going to go to Carmelo Anthony, with the Knicks down one and just seconds on the clock.
Jared Jeffries knew it, too.
But the ball and the game ended up in his hands, and in the biggest spot of his Knick career, he didn't get it done. And he knew it, too.
"Looking at the tape, I should have shot it," Jeffries said, recalling the final seconds when he tried to pass, and had the ball taken away by Kevin Garnett.
"I felt like KG was coming down," Jeffries said. "I tried to dump the ball off to Bill (Walker), and KG had his hand down. So when I tried to pass the ball to Bill cutting to the rim, he got a hand on it."
Then again, the ball should never have been in Jeffries' hands in the first place. As Jeffries explained, the play had been designed to go to Anthony, but the Celtics took that away.
"It was supposed to go to Carmelo," Jeffries said. "But Toney (Douglas) popped out and Rondo set on top of him."
But Anthony was doubled, Walker said, and that forced the Knicks to adjust. The adjustment played perfectly into the hands of the Celtics, with Jeffries, perhaps the least adept offensive threat on the floor, winding up with the ball.
"They doubled Melo," Walker said. "He threw it to the open man, trusting his teammates. And they just made a better defensive play."

Via http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/2011/04/20/2011-04-20_i_shouldve_shot.html

Charice talks about family, friends, fans, and 'Glee'

LOS ANGELES --- Internationally-renowned singer and actress Charice (Charmaine Clarice Relucio Pempengco) spoke with GMA News about her thoughts about her family, friends, Filipino fans, and her career, especially her stint in the hit TV series "Glee."

Below are excerpts of our phone interview with Charice:

How do you feel about your fans missing your presence in “Glee"? Is there a reason why you have been off from the show for a while?

I don’t think there is a reason why I have been off. Well, now I am back though. My fans are very happy. I see that on my Twitter. I read their Tweets and they are very excited that I am back. (Creator-director) Ryan Murphy really made my fans wait but in a good way. Now they are very excited.

Who did you get along well with the “Glee" cast? Did you have any crushes on any of the guys?

No, I did not have any crushes. But before I got into “Glee," my favorite character was Kevin McHale who portrays Artie Abrams. He is very nice.

Charice Pempengco Photo by Sthanlee B. Mirador
How many episodes of “Glee" are you doing?
I don’t know how many. But I am really excited to be back.

What do you enjoy most being in the cast of “Glee"?

I enjoy getting to know all of them. I am a Gleek. When I found out I was going to join them, I was excited to be part of the group. They really make me feel comfortable on the set. They are playful. It’s just amazing to watch them and to get to know them. I love bonding with them.

How does it feel to do “All By Myself" by Celine Dion in the latest episode?

It feels great. I am very excited to sing it. I am blessed to be part of the show. When they gave me that song, I was happy because I have been singing it forever.

Via http://www.gmanews.tv/story/218294/pinoy-abroad/charice-talks-about-family-friends-fans-and-glee

And they're off: Boston Marathon leaves Hopkinton

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZRETbmoo_Va_ZTcE7V5OeeYa8ZMtfO7eCM_FmxRbEu5dZ5yWCl-UoN0UJTjhBfI13-RmoWL4jbgilAy21AgHqq4p2xC32olJ4t8rKJPqeQpTce-UWh0iyIgQX8stxMiNCD2Ga0dY4MA/s1600/163280_146018845456041_117981994926393_261493_4840036_n.jpg
Kara Goucher, of the United States, speaks with reporters during a news conference for the 115th Boston Marathon, Friday, April 15, 2011, in Boston. The Boston Marathon is scheduled to run on Monday, April 18. Photo: Bizuayehu Tesfaye / AP 

BOSTON (AP) — The 115th Boston Marathon has begun.
The wheelchair field was first across the starting line in Hopkinton on Monday morning, followed by the elite women. Then the clock started on the elite men and the sold-out field of 26,964 other runners traversing the 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston's Back Bay.
It was the largest field for the race except for the 100th anniversary race in 1996. The unprecedented interest filled out the available spots in just eight hours, breaking the previous record of 65 days and forcing race organizers to change the process for next year's race.
The Boston Athletic Association also changed the start so that the field goes off in three waves of about 9,000 runners apiece.

Yuri Gagarin proved humans have future in space

It was the Soviet Union's own giant leap for mankind, one thatwould spur a humiliated United States to race for the moon. It happened 50 years ago Tuesday, when an air force pilot named Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. The 27-year-old cosmonaut's mission lasted just 108 minutes and was fraught with drama: a break in data transmission, glitches involving antennas, a retrorocket and the separation of modules. And there was an overarching question that science had yet to answer: What would weightlessness do to a human being? "There were all kinds of wild fears that a man could lose his mind in zero gravity, lose his ability to make rational decisions," recalls Oleg Ivanovsky, who oversaw the construction and launch of the Vostok spacecraft that carried Gagarin. The flight was to be fully automatic, but what if weightlessness caused Gagarin to go mad and override the programmed controls? The engineers' solution was to add athree-digit security code that the cosmonaut would have to enter to gain command of the spacecraft. It proved unnecessary. The flightwent off safely, and the handsome Russian with the big smile became a poster boy for the communist world, still a national idol 43 years after his death in a jet training accident, and remembered with enormous affection by the last surviving pioneers of the Soviet space program at Star City outside Moscow, where he trained. From the stern and uncompromising chief designer, Sergei Korolyov, to young nursesand rank-and-file launch pad workers, "people loved, really loved him," Ivanovsky said in a telephone interview. Read more at http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/16/MNQ61IRCTD.DTL

JFK airport collision shows risks of huge planes

NEW YORK - A frightening collision between one of the world's largest airliners and a commuter jet on a dark, wet tarmac at John F. Kennedy International Airport is underscoring worries about ground accidents as U.S. airports begin handling a new generation of giant planes. A total of 586 passengers and crew members were aboard the two aircraft Monday night when the left wing of an Airbus A380 operated by Air France clipped a Bombardier CRJ-700 regional jet flown by Comair, spinning the smaller plane nearly 90 degrees. No one was injured. The superjumbo Airbus is so immense — as tall as a seven-story building, with a wing span as wide as a Manhattan block — that its wing almost cleared the smaller plane. But not quite. "It's the sheer size of these aircraft and the congestion at these airports that's the problem," said Allan Tamm, a consultant with Avicor Aviation, based in Portland, Ore.
read more at http://vw.vrvm.com/CentralTampa/db_6884/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=1RUV8raN&storycount=19&detailindex=0&pn=&ps=

Fashionably late ‘Everygirl’ Maria Menounos

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwtp_dHPV0rO-_7XSwzhhZ5vdUkSX4WUP3j_nBMs-7CowyamUZAdT7XODx2GBcyiVZ1T20FGGVYXQ4XoTt5pHZUgg7EPt1xDV5rkxYmgyPF9FDbvLv6cpcRIH1blRJWjJodIwXnW4HvRI/s1600/Maria_Menounos_photo_2.jpg “EveryGirl’s Guide to Life” scribe Maria Menounos, who advises readers to “be proud of your body, but not obvious,” is no stranger to the wardrobe malfunction.

So when the “Access Hollywood” honey came to town over the weekend in a white minidress that could have caused an oopsie moment like her on-the-beach bikini brouhaha in Miami last January, the girl broke her always-on-time mantra.
“I had to stop and get a slip,” Maria told the Track at a book brunch bash at 94 Mass. Ave., where she kept guests waiting for 45 minutes. “That’s why I was late!”


Via http://news.bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view/2011_0418fashionably_late_everygirl/srvc=home&position=also

Access Hollywood'' host Maria Menounos told She’s got the answers teens want to know


“Saved By the Bell’’ and “Showgirls’’ actress Elizabeth Berkley’s side gig has turned into a full-time job. Besides acting, which she’s done over the last few years on shows such as “CSI: Miami,’’ Berkley has become a popular self-help guru for girls and has been traveling the country to promote her book “Ask Elizabeth: Real Answers to Everything You Secretly Wanted to Ask About Love, Friends, Your Body . . . and Life in General,’’ which placed No. 2 this week on The New York Times Bestsellers List of children’s paperback books.

On Friday, her book tour brought her to Medford High School where she spoke to a girls-only assembly. Berkley told us yesterday that Medford High was added to her list of visits because Medford-bred “Access Hollywood’’ host Maria Menounos told her to go there. “She said, ‘When you’re in Boston, you have to go to my high school,’’’ Berkley said, adding that she was thrilled to be surrounded by so many local ladies during the “town hall-style’’ talk.

Via http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2011/04/18/shes_got_the_answers_teens_want_to_know/

Radfahrer (69) fünf Tage nach schwerem Sturz gestorben

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red.chronik  RedakteurRedakteurRedakteur
17.4.2011
14:36 

Radfahrer (69) fünf Tage nach schwerem Sturz gestorben

Der Mann war am Dienstag auf der St. Georgener Landesstraße in Richtung Oberndorf verunglückt

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mediabox.at

FLACHGAU. Seinen schweren Verletzungen ist jener 69-jährige Mann in einem Salzburger Spital erlegen, der vor fünf Tagen mit seinem Fahrrad in Oberndorf gestürzt war.

Der Pensionist radelte am vergangenen Dienstag gegen 8 Uhr auf der St. Georgener Landesstraße in Richtung Oberndorf und ist dabei verunglückt.

Der Pensionist, der keinen Fahrradhelm trug, zog sich unter anderem schwere Kopfverletzungen zu. Ein Hubschrauber flog ihn ins UKH Salzburg, wo die Ärzte schließlich den Kampf um sein Leben verloren.

Via http://www.regionews.at/?set_ActivMenu=65&special=details&News_ID=19176

Tax day: Your 3 extra days are over

The government gave you three extra days to get your taxes done this year, but if you like to live on the edge, here’s what you need to know:
  • File electronically at irs.gov for convenience and faster refunds. Be sure to file for an automatic six-month extension if you still can’t get it together.
  • Columbia-area post offices will not be open extra hours for procrastinators. They stopped that practice nearly a decade ago as many taxpayers turned to online filing.
  • Most branches close between 4:30 and 5 p.m. But check usps.gov for more information on your local branch. If you must make the mad dash, the latest possible pickup in the Columbia area is at 7 p.m. at 2930 Emanuel Church Road in West Columbia.

New television show 'Mob Wives' follows four Staten Island women and their lifestyles

 
Described as “The Real Housewives on steroids” by its creator, a new show about Staten Island women involved in the mob lifestyle may become the latest hit on TV.

Premiering April 17 at 8 p.m. on VH1, "Mob Wives" follows four friends at a crossroads, struggling with their identities and families as they start over while their husbands or fathers do time for alleged mob-related activities.

The cast features: Karen Gravano, daughter of Mafia turncoat Salvatore (Sammy the Bull) Gravano; Drita D’avanzo, whose husband Lee is in prison for bank robbery; Renee Graziano, daughter of Anthony Graziano, an alleged high-ranking member of La Cosa Nostra, and Carla Facciolo, whose husband Joey Ferragamo was convicted of stock fraud.

“I want everyone to know that these women are just like anyone else, like any other single mom out there,” said Jennifer Graziano of JustJenn Productions, the show’s creator and executive producer. “The show to me is really about the struggles, trials and tribulations these women go through and hopefully conquer throughout the season.”

Ms. Graziano, who grew up in New Springville and then moved to Huguenot, originally wrote a scripted drama based on her life and friends. But when reality TV started gaining momentum, she changed the show’s format figuring it was an easier way to get into television.

Picking the cast was simple. Renee Graziano is her older sister and she’s known the other women for years. All come from similar situations and each has a loved on in jail.

Sıla Şahin fotoğrafları aileyi rahatsız etti (ajans haber)

İlk kez bir Türk kızının kapak olduğu Playboy dergisine verdiği pozlar ile bir anda yıldızı parlayan Sıla Şahin, daha da koşulacak gibi görünüyor. Alman özel televizyonu RTL' de oynayan Gute zeiten, schlechte zeiten (İyi zamanlar, Kötü zamanlar), adlı dizide rol alan Sıla Şahin, Alman Bild gazetesinin kendisyle yaptığı röportajda, Sıla Şahin ”insanın hedefleri peşinde koşması gerektiğini” ve yaptığının ”Türk kızlarına, kendi yollarında ilerlemek ve hayatlarını kendileri için yaşamaları” konularında yardımcı olabileceğini söylemişti. Sıla Şahin 'in fotoğraflarını gören ailesi ise genç yıldıza tavır aldı. Özellikle annesinden çok büyük tepki alan Sıla Şahin 'in leriki zamanlarda başka dergilere pozlarverip vermeyeceği merak konusu oldu.

卫报:日本地震重创老年群体

据英国《卫报》3月18日报道,此次日本大地震和海啸对日本老年人群造成重创,由于缺少供热系统以及药品等物资,许多医院和疗养院已经证实有数十名老人去世。
在距离遭地震重创的福岛核电站10公里的医院中,日本自卫队士兵发现128名老年人被医务人员抛弃。大多数老人已经陷入昏迷状态,其中14人已经在地震发生后死亡。宫城县气仙沼市一家疗养院中,因为缺乏供热系统,该院已有11名老人死亡。这家疗养院的经营者称,幸存的老人感到孤独,并且承受着很大压力。而且疗养院中的煤油加热器所需燃料已经全部用光。
“医生无国界”日本分支负责人埃里克·夸尼斯说,在许多临时避难所中,许多老人正忍受着体温降低、脱水以及呼吸道疾病的折磨,但是这些地方的药品已经消耗光了。
尽管福岛核电站附近的老人被自卫队转移到一个体育馆中,但那里的条件并不好。一名政府官员说,“我们感觉非常无助,对这些老人的遭遇感到抱歉。这里没有活水、没有药品,只有一点点食物,我们无法为他们提供更好的照料。”
红十字会和红新月会国际联盟的帕特·富勒称,缺少民用燃油是最大挑战。几乎所有撤退中心都没有足够的燃油,只有少量汽油,导致许多食物无法食用被迫退回商店。许多地方爆发了胃流感,对于老人来说,很可能引发严重的并发症。

Jack Roush expects wrecks when racing at Talladega

TALLADEGA, Alabama - He has seen one of his cars soar into the fence and seen countless others hauled bruised and battered backto the garage. He also has three wins here as an owner, most recently here in 2009 with Jamie McMurray. Jack Roush is quick to admit that"historically, I have not been a fan of going to either Talladega or Daytona, for the risk involved." Because of the speed and close-quarter drafting at Talladega Superspeedway, drivers are not able to keep "out of harm's way,"Roush said Friday morning, sitting in a director's-style chair outside the No. 99 team's hauler. "On short tracks, you have a choice to back away or give quarter than you don't have here.The speeds are so fast and the time you have to react to (an incident) are so small, if you're in the proximity of something that goes wrong in front of you, you just about can't avoid it," Roush said.
read full story at http://mobile.al.com/advhunts/pm_29186/contentdetail.htm;jsessionid=1246322EB1498EC67C7468445E3D3D3A?contentguid=zbM4wwpF

Coachella 2011: Mumford and Sons asks crowd to dance

Their songs aren't the easiest to sing along to, but the crowd at Coachella (at least the ones closest to the stage) did so with gusto screaming the lyrics to familiar songs from Mumford and Sons debut U.S album "Sigh No More." The new songs, and there were two, were a little trickier (one fan nearby even said "aww" in disappointment when frontman Marcus Mumford said they would be playing new songs) but the crowd eventually caughton as the initially mellow songs built to the usual Mumford and Sons crescendo of banjo, horn and bass drum. "Shall we dance, Coachella?" asked Mumford before the band launched into their widely played single, "Little Lion Man." On cue, women were lifted onto shoulders and hands raised in unison. "This is by far the biggest gig we've ever done as a band," Mumford told the crowd, seeming genuinely honored to be a part of the festival. The band's banjo player - whose hipscould have managed a hula-hoop while he played - said he came to Coachella in 2007 to catch Rage Against the Machine. Considering the event's strict timing for main stage acts this weekend - cutting the sound on artists who arrived late and performed later - Mumford and Sons played their full set despite starting 20 minutes later than the schedule said they would, and ending their set at 9:32, 12 minutes after the schedule had them ending. It's a good thing they did - from my vantage point near the front, the crowd loved them.

Hamilton outruns Vettel for Chinese GP win

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton overcame a pre- race fueling issue and then passed Sebastian Vettel from Red Bull with less than five laps remaining to win Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix. Hamilton experienced a fuel leak prior to the start of the race. His team corrected the fuel-line problem by changing the engine air filter in his car. Hamilton was then able to make his warm-up lap in time to line up third on thestarting grid. Vettel made just two pit stops compared to three for Hamilton in the 56-lap affair at Shanghai International Circuit. Hamilton, with fresher tires in the late-stages of the race, chased down Vettel and then overtook him on lap 52. Hamilton crossed the finish line 5.2 seconds ahead of Vettel for his 15th career F1 win. His most recent grand prix victory came last August in Belgium.

“Girl Next Door” has much to love

They have been best friends for years. She trusts him completely and he is deeply in love with her. But she has a boyfriend— and no clue. "Girl Next Door" entertained audiences at Southwestern College's Mayan Hall as part of theFestival of New Student Plays. Written by SWC student Diana Aguila, the clever 45-minute play held the audience's attention through to the end. Francisco Ramirez played the memorable character of David, the pizza delivery guy who professes his love to his next-door neighbor Stacey (Eva Flores) after she tells him she left her boyfriend. But when David finds out Stacey is moving in three weeks, he drifted into hopelessness. Ramirez shone throughout the play he delivered an empathetic performance. Flores created a cute Stacey that was a friendly "girl next door. " Her performance was steady but lacked needed emotion at times. One disappointing moment camewhen David wrote an anonymouslove letter to Stacey that she believed came from her ex-boyfriend. Stacey's reaction was less than believable when David revealed that he was the author of the note. A poignant moment was lost. George Adkins played Andy, David's quirky friend who loves toeat and adds a comedic element to the tension-filled story. Aguila wrote a lot of witty lines for the character and Adkins responded with a laughter-provoking performance. Coming in and out of scenes withencouraging lines for David, Adkins sometimes underplayed moments but his comedic clumsiness was a success at making the crowd burst into laughter when he bumped into walls and tripped over his own feet. People who paid the $8-$10 to watch the "Girl Next Door" left satisfied. This charming play made crowd members reminisce about that ever-so-enchanting moment when they first uttered the words "I love you."

Are Big Banks In More Hot Water? (BAC, C, UBS)

U.S. regulators are now investigating whether some major banks manipulated Libor leading up to the financial crisis and throughout it . Regulators arenarrowing in on Bank of America (NYSE: BAC ), Citigroup (NYSE: C ), UBS (NYSE: UBS ) and others for allegedly colluding to manipulateLibor for the purpose of improving the appearance of their credit quality. Gone are the days when the word‘cartel' made people think of drugs and oil. Now some of the biggest banks in the world are being accused of creating a global cartel to control Libor, which would affect how banks report their borrowing costs, according to the article. The Securities and Exchange Commission and U.S. Justice Department are investigating whether the banks understated their borrowing costs which in effect, makes their balance sheets and liquidity look better than they actually are. Because loans and derivatives areclosely tied to Libor, this could have affected trillions of dollars. The implications? Derivative contracts may be mispriced, trustin the markets will continue to be tainted, and the banks involved will receive more bad press.

N.C. projects waste millions

RALEIGH, N.C. -- State programs intended to offset environmentaldamage from development have spent roughly $140 million on work that is failing, needs significant repair or is too far away from distressed sources of drinking water.
Dozens of projects launched by the state Ecosystem Enhancement Program and its predecessors have not produced the expected improvements for streams and wetlands, which filter water on its way to lakes and reservoirs.
Some projects have damaged water quality by dumping sediment into waterways, a McClatchy investigation shows. The state also has lost track of some projects. And it paid twice for one, spending almost$700,000 extra.

Verizon iPhone Boosts iOS Ads vs. Android: Millennial

Verizon Wireless' iPhone 4 helpedApple iOS gain ad impression share versus Google's Android platform for March, according to Millennial Media.
Verizon Wireless's iPhone 4 helped boost ad impressions for Apple's iOS to 31 percent throughMarch from 27 percent in February. iOS' gain helped trim Google's Android ad share lead from 51 percent to 48 percent for the same period, according to the latest mobile ad impression figures from Millennial Media .
This should be no surprise; 14 of the current top 20 devices run Android. Apple accounted for 32 percent ofthe top 15 manufacturers impression share in March, a 14 percent boost from February..Apple iOS grew ad share 11 percent month-over-month, thanks to the uptick in sales for the Verizon iPhone, which accounted for 8.2 percent of iPhone impressions in March.
Overall, the iPhone saw ad impressions rise 17 percent month-over-month, underscoringhow a device paired with a majorcarrier can rev ad impressions in a short period of time. While Android is still the overwhelming mobile ad platform purveyor, iOS apps still dominant app revenue with 47 percent share compared to Android's 36 percent plot. Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in Marchthat Apple iOS developers earned$3 billion from selling their programs in Apple's iTunes App Store. Jeff Huber , Google's new senior vice president for local and commerce, said on the company's first quarter earnings call April 14 that more than 3 billion applications were downloaded from Google's Android Market since its launch in2008. He did not specify what percentage of those were paid apps; it's clear Apple iOS is still the chief revenue driver for mobile apps developers. Interestingly, Millennial said ad impressions for connected devices such as Apple's iPad, iPod touch, Samsung's Galaxy Tab and the Motorola Xoom comprise 17 percent of device impression share, up 21 percent from February. Connected device share should overtake feature phone ad impression share, which is 19 percent, next month. Smartphones accounted for the remaining 64 percent share for March.

SHANNYN MOORE COMMENT - I was 'gate raped' by my government

SHANNYN MOORE commented at http://www.adn.com/2011/04/16/1813827/i-was-gate-raped-by-my-government.html
I don't like it, but with 80 percentof our communities off the road system, flying is a necessary part of our lives. Last month, Rep. Sharon Cissna, asurvivor of both physical abuse and breast cancer, refused an invasive TSA pat-down at SeaTac. Instead of flying, she returned to Juneau by ferry. I reported her story on my radio show with a lump in my throat. She's an Alaska hero. I am not. I recently returned from Washington, D.C., where I'd celebrated Bristol Bay salmon, met Erin Brockovich, attended a reception with Justice Sandra DayO'Connor, bore witness to the blooming cherry blossoms and visited family. On departure day, I got to ReaganInternational early and made my way through security. Nudie Scanners. Not the old metal detectors, but the new graphic x-ray scanners. Lines were full of willing, compliant passengers; legs spread, arms in the air, photographed by our government. Recently, thousandsof scans were anonymously posted on the Internet. A man barked directions as I displayed my ticket and ID. He didn't look at me. He scribbled onmy ticket and I moved through. I braced myself. I watched childrenpass through the scanner. If a teacher was caught with those pictures on his computer, he'd bearrested. But here, it's legalized porn; the TSA's in charge. Finally, it was my turn. I requested the old-school machine. You'd have thought I'd screamed, "I have a bomb in my shoe and another in my panties!" "We need a female assist," a manboomed while he grabbed my arm and walked me through. I was told I couldn't touch my belongings. A woman walked toward me, pulling on her gloves.The male supervisor stood behind me. People gathered theirbelongings and walked past, staring. I'm not sure when I started to shake. I explained I wasn't comfortable being touched. The man laughed. I said in a smaller voice than normal, "I don't want you to touch me." The woman said she would be the one touching. She told me to extend my arms. She inspected my hair and neck first. I started to cry. I wanted so much to be brave. I was told I could be escorted out of the airport. "I live in Alaska," I said. Like that would explain something. As though he would know that flying isn't optional forus and shoo me though. They seemed angry at me. The search continued. My shoulders. My arms. My back. "Put your hands out, ma'am." They were over my face, and I was sobbing. People were watching. "Let's move her to a private room." They gathered my things and another woman accompanied us to a small room. "I don't want you to touch me," Isaid again. It didn't matter. Latex fingers feltunder my bra, inside my waistband, all with a Southern accent narrating. "Now I'll touch your breasts. Now your stomach." It went on. "Now turn around." When she touched the part of myleg where it meets my torso, I heaved. They offered me a Kleenex. I could not stand properly from the shaking, nausea and sobbing. "OK, we need this room," the supervisor said. "Time to finish up." I was now deemed safe enough to fly the friendly skies. I looked at the second woman who had searched me. She looked away. "I've been raped," I said. I wasn't speaking figuratively. A lot of Alaska women have suffered rape. I'm one of them. Someone once told me, "They got20 minutes; don't give them the rest of your life." I took that to heart. I became an advocate for abused women. I made love withthe lights on and didn't date menwith beards. I moved myself fromthe "rape victim" to "rape survivor" column. A couple who had been behind me in line waited 20 minutes for me to come through. She asked ifI was OK. Could they help me to my gate? I was still crying. I handed her my ticket. He took mybag. I didn't look at either one of them. She said she understood. No one should have to choose between invasive visual procedures or sexual assault. TSA agents are not sworn officers; they are civilians. Were another traveler to grab your crotch at the airport, you could prosecute him. We pay these people to do it. I don't want special treatment. I don't need a special pass. I don't want privilege. The Fourth Amendment should be sufficient. No American, no Alaskan should have to be molested to fly on an airplane. It's been almost 10 years since 9/11. I was "gate raped" by my government, and Osama Bin Laden is still at large. I guess he can unfurl the "MissionAccomplished" banner now. Shannyn Moore is host of "The Shannyn Moore Show" on KOAN radio, and the television show"Moore Up North" on KYES.

Cee Lo Green is abruptly cut offat this year's Coachella

Famous musician Cee Lo Green was to perform yesterday, April 15, at the opening day of Coachella.
Many of his fans had waited eagerly for him to sing some of his classics. Unfortunately for the fans, Green was not able to perform with ease. Arriving late to the concert due to poor planning on the promoters' parts, he implored the crowd to stick with him as hearrived 20 minutes late to the stage.
Despite his late arrival, fans were still eager for him to start singing. And sing he did. He managed to get through five of his hit songs, "F**k You" and"Crazy" just to list a few. Just as he was making his way through his cover of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing," his music was cut off abruptly. Fans were confused by this lack of music, believing it to be a technical difficulty as Green stormed off the stage, followed by his band. It was only later that fans would learn that he was cut off in order to keep the schedule on time andflowing smoothly. The crowds, originally angry at the singer for arriving late, were later seen to be livid at the promoters of the concert.

Christians mark Palm Sunday inJerusalem

Jerusalem - Millions of Christians worldwide, and several thousandin Jerusalem, marked Palm Sunday - the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago, in what they believe was his last week on earth before his crucifixion and resurrection.
Thousands of pilgrims gathered in and outside the walled, historic Old City, for an early afternoon procession, reenactingthat entry.
The procession sets off from the Mount of Olives overlooking the Old City, through what is now called Lion's Gate. According to the New Testament,Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey and was greeted by a crowd who placed palm branches before him.
Palm Sunday opens Holy Week, with Christians marking his crucifixion on Good Friday and hiswaking from the dead on Easter Sunday next week. This year, the Orthodox calendar date coincides with that of Catholic and Protestant Christians, meaning the different branches of the faith celebrate together. The Israeli Tourism Ministry said it expected some 250,000 touristsand pilgrims to visit Jerusalem and holy sites in Israel and the Palestinian territories during the Easter season alone.
Holy Week also overlaps this year with the Jewish Pesach (Passover) holiday, which begins Monday after sunset with a festive meal on Seder night, with some 15 million Jews around the world celebrating the Jews' liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt. Israel toughened restrictions on the movement of Palestinians forthe Pesach week, shut down road blocks in the West Bank to avoid attacks by militants in crowded areas. In 2002, a Palestinian suicide bomber killed 30 Israelis as they set down for the Seder dinner at a hotel in Netanya, north of Tel Aviv.

'The Celebrity Apprentice': Mark McGrath gets run over by a Busey


It came down to team leader Mark McGrath and Gary Busey in the firing room on 'Celebrity Apprentice' this week. ( NBC )
We're sure that when Gary Busey walks back into the TV room after surviving Sunday's (April 10) boardroom on "The Celebrity Apprentice," the men's team will have a collective stroke. Not only have they lost pop-rocker Mark McGrath, one of their best players, but now they still have who they perceive to be their worst player still around. To quickly recap, the teams were asked to create an outside attraction using a glass box and its surroundings to market Australian Gold sunscreen products. The men did their usualrisky take on the challenge by going with a pirate theme and the idea of found treasure. The women also went with their usual M.O. and translated the company's marketing theme literally and in line with the company's current advertising with several outdoors scenes, their Koala Bear mascot and bikini-clad girls in gold. The company liked the men's ingenuity, but didn't feel their marketing message was used much in their display. So, the women took the challenge win and project leader, La Toya Jackson, won herself another week. By the way, La Toya may not be the most decisive leader, but she has proven herself to be quite the fighter. In the final boardroom, it was down to Gary and project leader Mark. Gary had been purposely given tasks that would keep him out of the other guys' way, but several spoken snafus to the executives didn't sit well with them or his teammates. Yet, Marksealed his fate when he said that if the team lost he would take all the responsibility. Later, when the men found out that they indeed lost, Mark's story changed: He would take all the responsibility if the theme was the reason he lost. Regardless, the first rule of"Apprentice" is to never admit that you're at fault especially if you're the project manager. It's agiven that the first finger will be pointed at the leader, so it's theirjob to get it pointing to someoneelse.

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