Wednesday 31 August 2011

Girls Goat Zoo Walk

Girls Goat Zoo Walk
Girls Goat Zoo Walk. 2 pajama-clad girls take stolen goat for walk. Everything went according to plan for two pajama-clad stepsisters who took a goat they'd freed from a Minnesota zoo for a late-night walk.


Until they told the Mankato police officer who stopped them about 11:30 p.m. Saturday that the animal lived in their bedroom closet.

The stepsisters, ages 6 and 7, said they regularly took the goat out for late-night walks because Dad didn't know their mother had bought it two weeks earlier.

The unconvinced officer walked the girls home, where their parents explained they'd attended a birthday party at the Sibley Park Zoo earlier that day. That's when they hatched a plan to take one of the goats home.

The Free Press (http://bit.ly/qB0qd4) says police don't know how the girls freed the goat, which was returned to the zoo.

Source:yahoo

Jay Z MTV VMA Chris Brown

Jay Z MTV VMA Chris Brown
Jay Z MTV VMA Chris Brown. Chris Brown got raving reviews for his impressive performance at the MTV Video Music Awards 2011, but one person in the audience seemed quite unimpressed by it. Jay-Z refused to clap at the end, report says.

TMZ has video of Jay-Z’s reaction at the end of Brown’s performance, when the entire audience was already giving him a standing ovation. Jay wasn’t, obviously.

While he does show some form of appreciation for what he’s just seen by nodding his head as he’s sipping from his beverage, the fact that he didn’t get up could mean he’s yet to forgive Brown for what he did to Rihanna.

At least, that’s what TMZ seems to believe.

“It was the standout performance of the MTV VMAs – Chris Brown dancing his face off – but while everyone from Kanye to Bieber stood up and cheered… Jay-Z refused to even crack a smile,” the e-zine notes.

However, later on that same evening, after Jay and Kanye’s performance, it was Bieber’s turn to take sides, as he refused to even pretend he’d enjoyed what he’d seen onstage.

“Of course, Jay is the man who discovered Rihanna – and they’re still VERY tight. So, was his decision to NOT clap a message to Brown? Or is Jay simply too cool for the room?” TMZ asks.

In the video below, the e-zine also offers a possible answer: while Jay is still good friends with Rihanna and is therefore siding with her against Chris Brown, he is good friends with Bieber, which is why the latter refused to clap at the end of Jay’s performance.

It could be a “Hollywood feud” if Jay-Z actually cared about it, which he probably doesn’t.

Also at the Video Music Awards 2011, Jay’s wife Beyonce announced that they were expecting their first child, when the singer showed off her baby bump both on the red carpet and at the end of her live performance.

Reports in the press say that Beyonce is about 3 months along.

Tuesday 30 August 2011

Claire Richards eating disorder


Claire Richards eating disorder
Claire Richards eating disorder. 'Those photos were mortifying': Former Steps star Claire Richards shows off the results of losing five stone... again. One year ago, Claire Richards posed in a purple bikini at size 18 and declared that she would lose all the weight she had regained following the birth of her daughter Daisy three months before - but she would do it safely and in her own time.Now, the former Steps singer has proudly unveiled the results of her hard work over the past 12 months in a new photoshoot.
Claire, 33, has seen her weight go up and down over the years - ballooning from ten stone, to 15, and back to ten again.
In this week's Closer magazine, Claire shows off her weight loss in a blue swimsuit and nude heels.

'I feel like a yummy mummy! I can’t wait to buy a new wardrobe and slip into a few sexy little party dresses,' she tells the magazine.

During last year's shoot, she insisted that she would take her time losing the baby weight.

Claire had previously worked it off after the birth of her son Charlie, three, by releasing a workout DVD.

After she regained those pounds all over again, the mother-of -two said pictures of her at her heaviest spurred her to get back on the wagon.

'Those photos were mortifying,' Claire says of pictures of her tucking into a pastry last year. 'My stomach looked enormous!

'It was a wake-up call. I’d been trying to eat well, and had lost around a stone, but I was still eating rubbish.

'It’s exhausting looking after two young children and I’d often reach for the biscuit tin, just for an energy boost.'

But she managed to kick her bad habits with 'sheer bloody-mindedness and lots of hard work,' she says. 'It’s been a tough slog, but I’m delighted with my sexy curves.'

Read more: dailymail

Sunday 28 August 2011

R. Kelly Burt Reynolds Foreclosure


R. Kelly Burt Reynolds Foreclosure
 
R. Kelly Burt Reynolds Foreclosure. Would you believe it that the richest apartment building faces foreclosure? A New York couple is facing foreclosure in one of the world’s richest apartment buildings. The couple reportedly stopped making payments on $16 million in loans tied to their apartment at 740 Park Avenue. In addition to that, famous celebrities is also facing foreclosure like R. Kelly and Burt Reynolds.
Yes, Burt Reynolds is also facing foreclosure.Correct me if I’m wrong, but celebrities usually make more money than the average human, right? I mean,
chances are that if your name appears in the papers or on several entertainment sites, then your paycheck is bound to have a few extra zeroes on the end of it…yes? I just wanted to double check that I wasn’t crazy with this logic, but it seems like more and more celebrities are facing foreclosure with their houses. First R. Kelly with his mansion and now Burt Reynolds with his $1.2 million mortgage debt. I know the bad economy has certainly put a big dent in employment opportunities (and therefore our bank accounts), but I had no idea our Hollywood stars were feeling the effects so badly as well.

Saturday 27 August 2011

Condoleezza Rice Gadhafi


Condoleezza Rice Gadhafi
Condoleezza Rice Gadhafi. Found at Gadhafi compound: Condoleezza Rice photos. Libyan rebels who took control of Moammar Gadhafi's sprawling compound made a surprising discovery in one of the buildings: a photo album with pictures of Condoleezza Rice.
Though maybe the discovery isn't that surprising. Over the years, the Libyan leader's comments and actions related to the former secretary of state have raised a few eyebrows.

Consider how he talked about her in an interview with Al-Jazeera television in 2007, where he hinted that then-President George W. Bush's top diplomat wielded considerable influence in the Arab world.

"I support my darling black African woman," he said. "I admire and am very proud of the way she leans back and gives orders to the Arab leaders. ... Leezza, Leezza, Leezza. ... I love her very much. I admire her, and I'm proud of her, because she's a black woman of African origin."

The following year, Gadhafi and Rice had an opportunity to meet when the secretary of state paid a historic visit to Libya — one that made steps toward normalizing relations after the United States went decades without an ambassador in Tripoli. (The U.S. "doesn't have any permanent enemies," she said during the trip.)

Gahdafi welcomed Rice in his home — one that President Ronald Reagan once ordered bombed in retaliation for Libya's attack on a German disco — for the traditional meal that ends the daylight fast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Once again, he repeatedly addressed Rice — "Condi" to her friends — as "Leezza," her aides said.

During the visit, he presented Rice with a diamond ring, a lute, a locket with an engraved likeness of himself inside and an inscribed edition of "The Green Book," a personal political manifesto that explains his "Third Universal Theory for a new democratic society."

Together, the haul was worth $212,000. (Rules prevent her, or any other U.S. official, from keeping gifts from foreign leaders — they generally end up in a warehouse, and some may turn up years later in a presidential library.)

Flash forward three years, when Libyan rebels moved into Gadhafi's Tripoli stronghold and took control. There, left behind in the compound, was Gadhafi's dear Leezza, her image affixed to the pages of a photo book.

Rebels leafed through the album Wednesday after finding it as they rummaged through Gadhafi's Bab al-Aziziya compound.

Rice did not immediately respond to requests for comment about the discovery of the photos. In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland was also asked about the album.

"I don't need to see the photos," she said. "But bizarre and creepy are good adjectives to describe much of Gadhafi's behavior. So (it) doesn't surprise me. It's deeply bizarre and deeply creepy, though, if it is as you described."

Source: yahoo

Jim Carey Emma Stone


Jim Carey Emma Stone
Emma Stone Jim Carrey. Jim Carrey Records Creepy Video Love Letter to Emma Stone. We'll give Jim Carrey the benefit of the doubt and assume this video love letter to Emma Stone he posted on his official website is the result of an idea for a joke taken too far, but, no matter what his intentions were in filming it, it's pretty creepy.

Carrey, his face extremely close to the camera, tells 22-year-old Stone: "If I were a lot younger, I would marry you, and we would have chubby little freckle-faced kids. We'd laugh all day long and go camping and play Yahtzee and tell ghost stories by the fire."


After an even creepier thing we won't mention here, he then continues: "Every day for the rest of your life, you would thank God that I was the appropriate age for you. But I'm not. I'm 49... Anyway, I just wanted to let you know how I felt. You're pretty special, and I wish you continued success and artistic fulfillment, but most of all, I wish you love and contentment."

He closes the video with a whispered "I love you" and a quavering lip.

When asked about the odd missive, a rep for Carrey simply told "Access Hollywood": "It's a comical love letter."

While we don't envy Stone in that she's no doubt going to have to address this video in countless press interviews moving forward, we have faith she'll handle it with wit and aplomb, as ever.
Emma Stone Jim Carrey video:



Source: yahoo

Sunday 14 August 2011

First Vampire Bat Death


First Vampire Bat Death
First Vampire Bat Death. A teenager from Mexico became the first person in the United States to die after being bitten by a vampire bat and infected with rabies, US health authorities said on Thursday.


The 19-year-old man was a migrant farm worker who had been bitten on the heel by a vampire bat in his native Michoacan on July 15, 2010, 10 days before he left for the United States to pick sugar cane at a plantation in Louisiana.
“This case represents the first reported human death from a vampire bat rabies virus variant in the United States,” said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in its Morbidity and Mortality weekly report.
The unusually aggressive form of rabies had an incubation period of just 15 days, compared to the median 85 days seen in other cases of human rabies in the United States, the CDC said.
Although vampire bat populations are currently confined to Latin America, climate change could be forcing their populations northward, leading to more cases of human infection in the southern United States, the CDC warned.
The patient had never received a rabies vaccine and fell ill about two weeks after he was bitten by the blood-sucking creature.
At the end of July, after one day of working in the fields, the man sought medical help for fatigue, shoulder pain, numbness in his left hand and a drooping left eye. He soon developed respiratory distress and a 101.1-degree fever (38.4 Celsius).
“During the next several days, the patient became gradually less responsive to external stimuli, developed fixed and dilated pupils, and began having episodes of bradycardia (slow heartbeat) and hypothermia,” the CDC said.
Tests showed he had developed encephalitis, or swelling of the brain. On August 20, samples of his spinal fluid confirmed a diagnosis of rabies.
A subsequent brain scan revealed severe impairment. His family decided to take him off life support and the man died shortly after.
Postmortem tests on his brain tissue “determined the variant to be a vampire bat rabies virus variant,” the CDC said.
The case “highlights the growing importance of bats in public health,” added the CDC, urging the public to avoid contact with vampire bats and get vaccinated if possible.
“Research suggests that the range of these bats might be expanding as a result of changes in climate,” it said.
“Expansion of vampire bats into the United States likely would lead to increased bat exposures to both humans and animals (including domestic livestock and wildlife species) and substantially alter rabies virus dynamics and ecology in the southern United States.”
The United States has documented a total of 32 cases of human rabies, mostly from a canine rabies variant, since the year 2000, eight of which were acquired abroad. Two of the cases originated in Mexico.
Vampire bats are bloodsucking nocturnal mammals that are typically found in Mexico, Brazil, Chile and Argentina. They usually feed on sleeping wildlife and livestock, but sometimes bite people, too.
Source:  yahoo.com

Saturday 13 August 2011

Tagine beverly hills gosling


Tagine beverly hills gosling
Tagine beverly hills gosling. I want to tell you about a restaurant that is one of the best kept secrets in town, and once you discover it you will add it to your favorites. The place which is called Tagine and the fact that one of the three owners is Ryan Thomas Gosling who frequents the place with his many movie star friends (perhaps not former girlfriend Sandra Bullock) when he is in town, also gives the place a buzz. On any given night you will most likely see a celebrity or two, but since the place is so small and extremely private, it is unlike any other place in town.

This is a great place for a celebration of any kind, and dancing on the tables is also allowed. The place is only small with about 30 seats, but they will stay open until the last diner leaves, which in many cases is only after a lot of subtle urgings. The décor is classy with unique art work on the walls, and although the place is small, the acoustics are such that intimate private conversations stay that way.

For the guys reading this, single women like to come to Tagine to get their photo taken with the "star," and he is more than willing to oblige and join in the partying which happens every night. The hot sounds from Morocco, Algeria and France provide the exotic back drop, and although the previous incarnation of Tagine (Mamounia) had a big thing about belly dancers, you will not find them here, unless you want to hire your own. Instead, you get the chance to lounge on comfortable sofas and let the atmosphere flow, along with the Moroccan wine (Amazir is the top choice).

The food is Moroccan, and without a doubt is some of the tastiest food you will ever try. Master Chef Abdessamad Benameur grew up on the streets of Casablanca, and since coming to America has been in so many kitchens he has lost count. Now he has a chance to shine, and his Zerda (tasting menu) is all the rave with the in-crowd for a combined price of $33 to $38. They recently stole the show at the Taste of LA extravaganza. You start the meal with Moroccan salads with pouri bread, all served in baby tagine's, with almost a dozen different items ranging from beets to egg plant to cucumber, all marinated overnight and extremely savory. Then try the Tagine platter, a tasting of the freshest hummus you will ever try thanks to the extra virgin olive oil, along with spiced beef briwaats, chicken msemen (pot pie) and olives

Just when you think all the appetizers are over, out comes their specialty, the Bastilla, a savory pastry of saffron chicken, almond, powdered sugar and cinnamon. The authentic version in Morocco is usually done with pigeon, but since American's are not that keen on that, chicken gets the nod. Duck will also be used in the near future, and for those of you who never tried this delicacy, Tagine probably prepares the best Bastilla in town.

The secret of Moroccan food is a lengthy marination procession and the subtle use of spices. That comes out in the main course of Tagine du Jour, traditionally spiced braised Chicken or Lamb. You might want to try the Lham Maasal instead, braised lamb with honey, almond and caramelized onion, or the Minawa, a mixed grill of fish, chicken, lamb & merguez (spicy sausage) with cous cous. Cous cous of course is a staple of Moroccan food, and again the version here is superlative, just the right moisture level and served with the right vegetables.

Read more: nitedine

Peaches geldof weight loss


Peaches Geldof Weight Loss
Peaches Geldof Weight Loss. A few days ago, former hellraiser Peaches Geldof went out clubbing, unveiling a much more slender, fitter figure in a body-hugging red dress. Pressed for details, she says her weight loss is down to having bird flu and overhauling her diet.Since she’s been involved in at least one major drugs scandal, not few were those who assumed, upon seeing her skinnier figure, that she was again doing something unhealthy.

However, that is not the case right now, Peaches says in a new interview and on her Twitter page, as cited by the Daily Mail.

Sick to have people always assume the worst about her, the star is taking matters in her own hands and is setting the record straight on her new figure.

Contrary to what people might believe, she got it because she changed her diet and cut out everything that was unhealthy. She’s also been down with the bird flu.

“I’ve lost weight, I’ve had avian flu,” she says. “Peaches is believed to have lost around one-and-a-half stone since March, slimming from 10 stone to a small eight-and-a-half stone. And at 5ft 7ins tall, she could now even be considered underweight,” the Mail mentions.

On Twitter too, Peaches was forced to respond to criticism coming from those who said she was either too thin now or had become this way in a very unnatural, unhealthy fashion.

“To those telling me I look skinny and to eat something, I can assure you I’ve just cut out eating [bad stuff]. I still eat like a horse, guys!” she writes, as per the same publication.

“All these ‘Peaches Geldof: so skinny’, ‘Peaches Geldof’s drastic weight loss’ articles are becoming boring. I eat more healthily now. That’s it,” she adds.

“Obviously I’m going to look thinner if I don’t sit around eating pizza and chips. It’s just how the body works. You are a product of what you eat. Healthy diet, lots of fresh fruit and veg and no bread/ wheat,” Peaches says of the secret for her new figure.

Friday 12 August 2011

Helen Morgan Lost crowns


Helen Morgan Lost crowns. Morgan won the Miss World title in 1974, but she didn't keep it long.
Miss World, helen morgan miss world 1974 4 days, Helen Morgan forced to resign four days after her victory, upon the discovery that she had a 18 month old son, Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, United Kingdom, Helen Morgan judge Miss Wales 2004

Rebekah Revels resigned her crown


Rebekah Revels resigned her crown. In 2002, Revels won the Miss North Carolina pageant and the chance to compete to become Miss America that year.
Miss North Carolina, miss america, Rebekah Revels resigned her crown, Misty Clymer miss north carolina, Rebekah Revels $11,000  civil suit against her ex-boyfriend

Edwin Edwards Racketeering


Edwin Edwards Racketeering
Edwin Edwards Racketeering. Ex-Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards Marries Prison Pen Pal Less Than Half His Age. Colorful former Gov. Edwin Edwards, who turns 84 next month, on Friday married a 32-year-old woman who befriended him during his federal prison sentence for bribery and extortion.
Edwards, a Democrat who served four terms as governor in the 1970s, `80s and `90s, did most of the talking after he and bride Trina Grimes Scott emerged from an elevator at the Monteleone Hotel in the French Quarter.

"People who don't know me don't know what a wonderful, pleasant, modest fellow I am," Edwards said when asked how a man his age managed to land a much-younger wife.

He also told reporters how Grimes, who started writing him letters while he was in prison, visited him there regularly on weekends and holidays in recent years.

"The prison was in love with her -- they used to watch her walk across the parking lot," Edwards said, laughing. "They made me the camp hero."

The two have not talked about what prompted her to choose him as a pen pal.

Edwards spent eight years in federal prison for his role in a bribery and extortion scheme to rig riverboat casino licenses during his fourth term in the early 1990s. In July, he completed six months of home detention and regular reporting to a Baton Rouge halfway house.

Grimes became Edwards' third wife in what the governor said was a small, private ceremony earlier Friday at the hotel, with a few friends and family in attendance.

"It's great, I'm very happy," the bride told reporters. She has posted wedding updates on her Facebook page, which does not list an occupation.

Edwards wore a blue suit, while his new wife wore a cream-colored, knee-length, strapless dress.

A reporter asked what the dress was made of and she said she didn't know. Edwards, born and raised in Louisiana's Cajun country, quipped: "It's Italian silk, with a Cajun twist."

After posing for pictures, the couple walked around the block to Galatoire's Restaurant on Bourbon Street, to smatterings of applause from tourists and workers in taxi cabs and delivery trucks.

They were followed by a small parade of reporters, photographers, and an entourage that included state Supreme Court Justice Catherine Kimball, who performed the wedding ceremony, and her husband, former state Rep. Clyde Kimball.

Edwards, who also served in Congress, brought charisma and power to state politics that rivaled that of Louisiana's other favorite populist sons, Huey and Earl Long.

Though frequently criticized in the press for his link to a Korean rice scandal early in his congressional career, his strong hand in deal-making with legislators as governor and his leadership in the push to legalize gambling in the `90s, Edwards built a reputation for being able to broker coalitions of urban and rural constituencies.

He was last elected governor in 1991, when he faced former Ku Klux Klan wizard David Duke, who ran as a Republican. Business leaders feared Duke's election would be devastating for the state's convention business because of his extremist views.

Around New Orleans, bumper stickers began popping up on vehicles, stop signs and park benches that forever immortalized Louisiana's often stormy romance with Edwards. The stickers read, "Vote for the Crook: It's Important."

Edwards won in a landslide.

Source:foxnews

leona gage lied 18 wife mother of two


leona gage lied 18 wife mother of two. Crowned Miss USA in 1957, Gage was the only woman from her state so far to win the title. Miss USA , leona Gage miss maryland, leona gage lied 18 wife mother of two, +Mary Leona Gage Miss USA only one day, Leona Gage  miss usa

Danielle Lloyd Lost crowns


Danielle Lloyd Lost crowns. Crowned Miss Great Britain in 2006, Lloyd was stripped of her title later the same year.

Miss Great Britain Danielle Lloyd  posing for playboy affair with judge, Danielle Lloyd title reinstated in 2010, Danielle Lloyd celebrity big brother, Danielle Lloyd

Wednesday 10 August 2011

Plastic surgery regrets of the stars


Plastic surgery regrets of the stars

Stars' plastic surgery regrets. Heidi Montag, Tara Reid, Kenny Rogers & Mickey Rourke all regret having plastic surgery. Check out other celebrities who'd love to erase the changes they made.

Jamie Lee Curtis regrets liposuction and Botox

All of these 'bettering' experiences are not without risk. And there is this illusion that once you do it, then you'll be fine. I looked worse. Worse.
– Jamie Lee Curtis.

Jamie Lee Curtis + Activia yogurt, jamie lee curtis books for children, Jamie Lee Curtis + The Children Affected by AIDS Foundation ,


Dana Delany regrets having Botox injections
I notice it more than anybody else, but I was symmetrical before and now I am not.
– Dana Delany
Dana Delany + Women Move the World, Body of Proof, Freelancers + Dana Delany


Kim Kardashian regrets Botox injections
I think when you're young there are other ways you can look after your skin.
– Kim Kardashian
Kardashian + BotoxKim Kardashian + "Bruce looks better than ever", Kim Kardashian + Vera Wang wedding dress, Kim Kardashian + two-part wedding E! special


Jennifer Grey regrets nose job
I went in the operating theater a celebrity – and came out anonymous. It was like being in a witness protection program or being invisible.
— Jennifer Grey
Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Jennifer Grey


Jane Fonda regrets having eyes
I vowed I wouldn't — I did, and I don't feel proud about it.
– Jane Fonda
chin and neck done, Jane Fonda + Larry King + plastic surgery, Prime Time: Love; Health; Sex by Jane Fonda


Nicole Kidman regrets Botox
I didn't like how my face looked afterward.
– Nicole Kidman
The Paperboy, Trespass, Keith Urban + alleged paparazzo attack


Courtney Love regrets lip augmentation
I just want [what] God gave me back. … It was perfectly cute.
— Courtney Love
Courtney Love + Glorious Goodwood, Courtney Love apartment fire.


Heidi Montag regrets 10 plastic surgery procedures
I would love not to be a plastic girl or whatever they call me. Surgery ruined my career and personal life and just brought a lot of negativity into my world. I wish I could jump into a time machine and take it all back.
– Heidi Montag
VH1's "Famous Food", Heidi and Spencer live with parents, The Hills + Heidi


Tara Reid regrets breast implants and body contouring
If I had to do it again, I never would have done it in the first place.
– Tara Reid
Tara Reid + reconstruction surgery, American Reunion.


Denise Richards regrets breast implants
I just thought because they're a plastic surgeon, they must be good. You have to be your advocate for your own body and ask 100 questions.
– Denise Richards
Denise Richards + Real Girl Next Door, Charlie Sheen + "Your book rocks!!", Denise Richards + Eloise Joni, Denise Richards + Eloise Joni, Blue Mountain State,


Lisa Rinna regrets lip injections
[It] started to define who I am. That bothered me.
– Lisa Rinna
Lisa Rinna + lip reduction surgery, Harry Loves Lisa, Lisa Rinna + Hollywood Moms Club, 
Kenny Rogers regrets eye lift

I'm the plastic surgery king. I'm a bionic man! I kind of wish I hadn't done it.
– Kenny Rogers
Kenny Rogers + plastic surgery + married younger woman, kenny rogers tickets, Malaysia company buys Kenny Rogers Roasters,


Tori Spelling regrets breast implants
Well I got [it] done in my early 20s and if I had known it would or could possibly impact … I would never had had [it] done.
– Tori Spelling
Tori Spelling pregnant with third child, Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywoodm, Tori Spelling car crash at school


Mickey Rourke plastic surgery for boxing scars
I went to the wrong guy to put my face back together.
— Mickey Rourke
Mickey Rourke, Expendables 2

Source: msn

Tuesday 9 August 2011

Countries with Standard and Poor's triple A rating


Countries with Standard and Poor's triple A rating
Countries with Standard and Poor's triple A rating. The United States has lost its sterling credit rating. Credit rating agency Standard & Poor's on Friday lowered the nation's AAA rating for the first time since granting it in 1917. The move came less than a week after a gridlocked Congress finally agreed to spending cuts that would reduce the debt by more than $2 trillion -- a tumultuous process that contributed to convulsions in financial markets. The promised cuts were not enough to satisfy S&P.

The drop in the rating by one notch to AA-plus was telegraphed as a possibility back in April. The three main credit agencies, which also include Moody's Investor Service and Fitch, had warned during the budget fight that if Congress did not cut spending far enough, the country faced a downgrade. Moody's said it was keeping its AAA rating on the nation's debt, but that it might still lower it.

"The bipartisan compromise on deficit reduction was an important step in the right direction. Yet, the path to getting there took too long and was at times too divisive," the White House said in a statement. "We must do better to make clear our nation's will, capacity and commitment to work together to tackle our major fiscal and economic challenges".

Speaker John Boehner issued a statement saying that the downgrade is "the latest consequence of overspending by Washington."

One of the biggest questions after the downgrade was what impact it would have on already nervous investors. While the downgrade was not a surprise, some selling is expected when stock trading resumes Monday morning. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 699 points this week, the biggest weekly point drop since October 2008.

"I think we will have a knee-jerk reaction on Monday," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Harris Private Bank.

But any losses might be short-lived. The threat of a downgrade is likely already reflected in the plunge in stocks this week, said Harvey Neiman, a portfolio manager of the Neiman Large Cap Value Fund.

"The market's already been shaken out," Neiman said. "It knew it was coming."

One fear in the market has been that a downgrade would scare buyers away from U.S. debt. If that were to happen, the interest rate paid on U.S. bonds, notes and bills would have to rise to attract buyers. And that could lead to higher borrowing rates for consumers, since the rates on mortgages and other loans are pegged to the yield on Treasury securities.

However, even without an AAA rating from S&P, U.S. debt is seen as one of the safest investments in the world. And investors clearly weren't scared away this week. While stocks were plunging, investors were buying Treasurys and driving up their prices. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which falls when the price rises, fell to a low of 2.39 percent on Thursday from 2.75 percent Monday.

A study by JPMorgan Chase found that there has been a slight rise in rates when countries lost an AAA rating. In 1998, S&P lowered ratings for Belgium, Italy and Spain. A week later, their 10-year rates had barely moved.

The government fought the downgrade. Administration sources familiar with the discussions said the S&P analysis was fundamentally flawed. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the matter publicly. S&P had sent the administration a draft document in the early afternoon Friday and the administration, after examining the numbers, challenged the analysis.

S&P said that in addition to the downgrade, it is issuing a negative outlook, meaning that there was a chance it will lower the rating further within the next two years. It said such a downgrade, to AA, would occur if the agency sees smaller reductions in spending than Congress and the administration have agreed to make, higher interest rates or new fiscal pressures during this period.

In its statement, S&P said that it had changed its view "of the difficulties of bridging the gulf between the political parties" over a credible deficit reduction plan.

S&P said it was now "pessimistic about the capacity of Congress and the administration to be able to leverage their agreement this week into a broader fiscal consolidation plan that stabilizes the government's debt dynamics anytime soon."

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said the credit downgrade showed the need for a "balanced approach to deficit reduction that combines spending cuts with revenue-raising measures."

GOP Rep. Jack Kingston has called on Congress to reconvene to fix the debt crisis, saying the downgrade "confirms my belief that the debt ceiling increase signed into law this week does not go far enough to change the nation's fiscal trajectory."

The Federal Reserve and other U.S. regulators said in a joint statement that S&P's action should not have any impact on how banks and other financial institutions assess the riskiness of Treasurys or other securities guaranteed by the U.S. government. The statement was issued to make sure banks did not feel that the downgrade would affect the amount of capital that regulators require the banks to hold against possible losses.

Before leaving for a weekend at Camp David, President Barack Obama met with Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner in the Oval Office late Friday afternoon.

The downgrade is likely to have little to no impact on how the United States finances its borrowing, through the sale of Treasury bonds, bills and notes. This week's buying proves that.

"Investors have voted and are saying the U.S. is going to pay them," said Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics. "U.S. Treasurys are still the gold standard." He noted that neither his parent organization, Moody's, nor Fitch, the other of the three major rating agencies, have downgraded U.S. debt.

Japan had its ratings cut a decade ago to AA, and it didn't have much lasting impact. The credit ratings of both Canada and Australia have also been downgraded over time, without much lasting damage.

"I don't think it's going to amount to a lot," said Peter Morici, a University of Maryland business economist.

Still, he said, "The United States deserves to have this happen," because of its clumsy handling of fiscal policy.

Source: foxnews

Monday 8 August 2011

Derek Walker Vi Stannard marry


Derek Walker Vi Stannard marry
Derek Walker Vi Stannard marry. An 84-year-old British man is set to marry his 94-year-old fiancé. Derek Walker, who lives in Harkstead, Suffolk, will tie the knot with his future bride Vi Stannard on September 3rd, 12 years after he first asked for her hand in marriage.

He said: "The right woman didn't come along until now."

The ex-Royal Navy surgeon was previously turned down after popping the question because Vi, who is a devout Christian, was separated from her husband at the time and she did not believe in divorce.

However, her ex-husband died in 1997 and Vi and Derek decided to marry.

Source: stv

Saturday 6 August 2011

Obama in tribute to Afghan victims


Obama in tribute to Afghan victims
Obama in tribute to Afghan victims. A military helicopter has crashed in eastern Afghanistan, killing 31 US special operation troops and seven Afghan commandos, the country's president said.More than 20 Navy SEALs from the unit that killed Osama bin Laden were among those lost in the crash, according to reports, although none of those killed were thought to have been part of the mission that killed the al Qaida leader.
The operators from SEAL Team Six were flown by a crew of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment.

One source says the team was thought to include 22 SEALs, three Air Force air controllers, seven Afghan Army troops, a dog and his handler, and a civilian interpreter, plus the helicopter crew.

An American official said the helicopter was apparently shot down, in the deadliest single incident for American forces in the decade-long war.

The Taliban claimed they downed the helicopter with rocket fire while it was taking part in a raid on a house where insurgents were gathered in the province of Wardak. It said wreckage of the craft was strewn at the scene.

Nato confirmed the overnight crash took place and that there "was enemy activity in the area." But it said it was still investigating the cause and conducting a recovery operation at the site. It did not release details or casualty figures.

President Barack Obama mourned the deaths of the American troops, saying in a statement that the crash serves as a reminder of the "extraordinary sacrifices" being made by the US military and its families. He said he also mourned "the Afghans who died alongside our troops".

Afghan President Hamid Karzai gave the first public statement on the new crash, saying in a statement that "a Nato helicopter crashed last night in Wardak province" and that 31 American special operations troops were killed. He expressed his condolences to Mr Obama.

The helicopter - a twin-rotor Chinook, said an official at Nato headquarters in Brussels - took place in the Sayd Abad district of Wardak province, according to a provincial government spokesman, Shahidullah Shahid. The volatile region borders the province of Kabul where the Afghan capital is located and is known for its strong Taliban presence.

Simon Cowell Cheryl Cole still upset by X Factor axe


Simon Cowell Cheryl Cole still upset by X Factor axe
Simon Cowell Cheryl Cole still upset by X Factor axe. Simon Cowell has insisted that he agreed to Cheryl Cole's X Factor USA exit because he was trying to protect her.The music mogul broke his silence on the two-week drama just hours after it was officially confirmed that Nicole Scherzinger is to replace Cole on the judging panel for the Fox show.
"The hardest thing to accept is that everyone has painted me as a monster because I embarrassed her, but the truth was I was protecting her," Cowell told The Mirror. "I just want people to be in the best place at the right time."

Cowell admitted that Cole had appeared "uncomfortable" in her new role alongside himself, Paula Abdul and Antonio 'L.A.' Reid.

"Knowing Cheryl like I know her, we noticed she was quieter than normal, looked a bit uncomfortable but I put some of this down to nerves. The overall feeling was that she was slightly out [of] her comfort zone in America, compared to what she was in the UK.

"If she had accepted my original offer, she would have made a sensational return and would have understood she was more comfortable in the UK than the US."

Cowell went on to confirm that a genuine last minute offer to return her to the US panel had been made to Cole over the weekend.

"When she turned down the UK show, we got back in touch and said, well she is still under contract with the US show so we invited her back. Her position was still there," he explained.

"We had some heated conversations with her US manager will.i.am and he inferred this wasn't a genuine offer. They thought that if she didn't turn up on Wednesday then we wouldn't pay her.

"We made it clear that she was always going to be paid in full. We got to the point on Saturday when we genuinely thought she was going to accept the offer but again neither she nor they returned any calls. So we've announced Nicole."

Read more: digitalspy

Lady Gaga sued over Judas plagiarism claims


Lady Gaga sued over Judas plagiarism claims
Lady Gaga sued over Judas plagiarism claims. Lady Gaga is being sued for plagiarizing recent single "Judas" from a song called "Juda" by Rebecca Francescatti, who cites some tangential connection between a guy who re-recorded and remixed her song and another guy who ended up producing several tracks on Gaga's latest album, "Born This Way," but not the song in question.



The bigger problem Francescatti, an unknown singer-songwriter based in Chicago, is sure to face in court is that her song sounds nothing like the Gaga hit - unless you count the fact that it repeats the title.

And if that's your basis for a plagiarism lawsuit, Francescatti's owes the Beatles money.

I refer you to "Hey Jude," where Paul McCartney clearly states, "Jude, Jude-a, Jude-a, Jude-a, Jude-y, Jude-a," punctuating his remarks with "Ow-ooh-wow!"

Source: azcentral

Woman gets fingers caught in paper shredder


Woman gets fingers caught in paper shredder
Woman gets fingers caught in paper shredder. AN admin worker had a lucky escape after her fingers became trapped in a paper shredder.Firefighters based at Bolton Central Fire Station attended Barlow Andrews, Chartered Accountants, Chorley New Road, at 3.30pm on Thursday.
Ady Taylor, watch commander, said: “We suspect she had broken her fingers. Someone at the office had a tool kit and freed her fingers. We gave her first aid and oxygen. We were able to keep her stable until the paramedics arrived.”

The woman had not cut her hands in the machinery. The accident is thought to have happened while shredding a large amount of paper.

Source: theboltonnews

Ryan Gosling on being Canadian


Ryan Gosling on being Canadian
Ryan Gosling on being Canadian. Ryan Gosling is known for being a sexy, brooding character, making women swoon in his wake in his movies.But the actor is also an accomplished musician and took his music on the road today and played the baglamas while walking down the street in New York City. Gosling looked like a nerdy artist as he casually pounded the pavement while strumming his musical instrument.

He wore grey trousers, a white v-neck T-shirt and had a brown cardigan thrown over his shoulders.

The baglamas was attached to string which he hung around his neck for comfort while enjoying his outdoor concert for one.

He looked like he did not have a care in the world and was totally immersed in his song.

Gosling is no stranger to music, in fact he has his own band called Dead Man's Bones and performs under the alias Baby Goose.

The 30-year-old Canadian star sings and plays guitar in the band that he is in with Zach Shields.
The baglamas is a long necked bowl-lute stringed instrument used in Greek music.

It's tiny size is popular with musicians who need an instrument that is easily transportable or small enough to put under a coat.

Hollywood's new golden boy Bradley Cooper will be joining Gosling in his upcoming film The Place Beyond the Pines.

The movie, which has been described as a multi-generational crime drama - follows a professional motorcyclist (Gosling) who turns to robbing banks to support his newborn son.

However, when he meets a rookie police officer (Cooper), their confrontation spirals into a generational feud.

Gosling is also joining the cast of Gangster Squad where he will star opposite Sean Penn and Josh Brolin.

His next film Crazy, Stupid, Love is released on July 29 which he stars in with Steve Carell and Julianne Moore.

The Notebook star is also rumoured to have grown close to House star Olivia Wilde who has recently divorced her Italian prince husband.

Source:dailymail

Friday 5 August 2011

Zoe Sievwright


Zoe Sievwright
Zoe Sievwright. A Skydiver survived a 1100m plunge with just a broken ankle after a jump turned horribly wrong when both her parachutes didn't open.
Zoe Sievwright said she instantly knew something was wrong when her first parachute didn't open as she dived out of the plane.
The 29-year-old British woman said she went to open her reserve parachute but it didn’t open properly after being caught up in the first one, leaving her in a terrifying dive.

“I was searching for toggles to pull but there weren't any. The next thing I looked at the ground and that was it,” she told the Daily Mail.

“I just thought that was it because there was nothing else I could do. I didn't think I was going to make it - I thought I was dead.

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“I braced for impact and I don't really remember what happened after that.

"There was a bit of shock but I didn't black out.”

In pain, she managed to put herself in the recovery position before being found 3km away in a boggy field by a rescue team.

Ms Sievwright has been left shaken and traumatised after the fall and has undergone surgery on her ankle.

Skydive Strathallan chairman Kieran Brady said he hoped she would make a recovery, but denied there was an issue with the parachutes.

He said it appeared she failed to remove the steering toggles and flare the canopy which would have allowed her to land.

Source: heraldsun

Thursday 4 August 2011

Canada Life Expectancy 81.38

Canada Life Expectancy 81.38
Canada life expectancy 81.38. This entry contains the average number of years to be lived by a group of people born in the same year, if mortality at each age remains constant in the future. The entry includes total population as well as the male and female components. Life expectancy at birth is also a measure of overall quality of life in a country and summarizes the mortality at all ages. It can also be thought of as indicating the potential return on investment in human capital and is necessary for the calculation of various actuarial measures.

Rank: No. 12
Canada life expectancy 81.38

Population
34,030,589 (July 2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 81.38 years
Male: 78.81 years
Female: 84.1 years (2011 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.056 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 15.7% (male 2,736,737/female 2,602,342)
15-64 years: 68.5% (male 11,776,611/female 11,517,972)
65 years and over: 15.9% (male 2,372,356/female 3,024,571) (2011 est.)

Median age
Total: 41 years
Male: 39.8 years
Female: 42.1 years (2011 est.)


Source: CIAWorld 

Tuesday 2 August 2011

Fake IKEA China


Fake IKEA China
Fake ikea China.A Fake IKEA store thought that it would be safe hiding in an isolated southern district in southwest China, but like its counterpart, the fake Apple store, it was unveiled.


Situated in Kunming City, the store, known as 11 Furniture, copies the Swedish furniture giant's signature blue and yellow color scheme, signage, mock-up rooms, its rocking chair design, and its playground for children.

Like IKEA members, those who have a membership with 11 Furniture can also enjoy free coffee on weekdays. Even its cafeteria-style restaurant has IKEA-like minimalist wooden tables, except the menu features Chinese-style braised minced pork and eggs instead of IKEA's Swedish meatballs and salmon.

This IKEA copy is symbolic of a new wave of counterfeiting sweeping across China. Instead of just producing fake luxury handbags, DVDs, electronics, and athletic shoes, the more sophisticated counterfeiters now recreate the look, feel, environment, experience, and service of successful Western retail concepts.







Source: theepochtimes

Monday 1 August 2011

Dad sleeps while 8-year-old son drives truck


Dad sleeps while 8-year-old son drives truck
Dad sleeps while 8-year-old son drives truck. An intoxicated man was arrested early Saturday morning when Louisiana state police determined he took a snooze while his 8-year-old son took the wheel, authorities said.


The man allegedly told police he was letting his son drive while the family travelled between Mississippi and Texas. The boy was doing the speed limit, 70 mph, and pulled over when the police cruiser turned its lights on, authorities said. The boy apparently sat on the edge of the driver's seat in order to reach the gas.

The boy’s father, Billy Joe Madden of Hattiesburg, Miss, rode in the passenger’s seat and his 4-year-old daughter sat in the back when police pulled the truck over in Livingston Parish, near Baton Rouge. The child’s driving was apparently so erratic that it alarmed motorists, who called authorities.

Madden, 28, was booked on charges including Child Desertion and Allowing a Minor to Drive. It was not clear Saturday afternoon if he had an attorney.

The children have since been handed over to Louisiana Child Protective Services and are awaiting the arrival of family members. There were no injuries.

Police first received a call from a motorist traveling on the I-12 at about 6:30 a.m., and identified the vehicle as a green Chevrolet pick-up truck, and said it was driving erratically and that a child appeared to be behind the wheel, authorities said in a statement.

During an interview with Madden, troopers said they determined that he was intoxicated and was sleeping while his son drove the vehicle from Hattiesburg, Miss., to Dallas, Texas.

Madden's bond was set at $1,474.00.

Source: foxnews

Weather Reporter Shot


Weather Reporter Shot
A Los Angeles television reporter was struck in the hand by a BB gun pellet Saturday afternoon while delivering a live weather report, officials said.
Two teenagers were arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the shooting, Fontana police told The Los Angeles Times.

KABC-TV Channel 7 reporter Leanne Suter was taken to a hospital after she was hit about 6 p.m. while standing on Summit Avenue near Interstate 15, KABC said, adding she is expected to be OK.

Police, with the assistance of a San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department helicopter, pinpointed a house possibly involved. Officers found several BB guns inside the house, KABC said.

Police arrested two boys, ages 16 and 17, for assault with a dangerous weapon, a felony, KABC said. The boys, whose names were not released, were released to their parents.

Authorities said they apparently fired from the home’s back yard. The TV news van was hit, KABC said. Police recovered at least two pellets.

“We are fully cooperating with police in their investigation,” KABC-TV President and General Manager Arnold J. Kleiner said in a statement reported by the Times. “Our crews and reporters are very conscious of good safety practices and take proper precautions when on assignment. They could not have anticipated that someone would decide to target them in this way.”

Suter has worked at KABC since 2003, according to the station’s website.

She got her first TV job while in college working at WSYX in Columbus, OH. She has also worked in the White House press pool in the Midwest during presidential elections, and was a reporter in Akron, Ohio, and Grand Rapids, Mich. She moved to Los Angeles in 1998, first working at KCAL before joining KABC.

El Bulli closes


El Bulli closes
El Bulli closes. elBulli, the beachside Spanish restaurant repeatedly crowned the world's best, closed Saturday after pushing the boundaries of cuisine for over two decades under acclaimed chef Ferran Adria.


The 49-year-old announced last year that he was closing the eatery overlooking a cove in the Mediterranean in Cala Montjoi near the resort of Roses, a two-hour drive north of Barcelona, and replacing it with a culinary research centre.

Preparing dozens of courses each night and fielding the tens of thousands of requests for a table that the Michelin three-star restaurant received each year had left him with little time to be inventive in the kitchen, he argued.

"We created a monster and it was time to find a way to tame it," he told reporters as he sat at a table outside the restaurant before the final meal was served, flanked by past and current elBulli chefs dressed in white.

"It would be logical for this to be a very sad day but it is the opposite, we are happy, very happy because the project will continue," added Adria, the co-owner and, since 1987, the head chef of the restaurant.

The elBullifoundation is scheduled to open in 2014 in a building to be built beside the restaurant, which is reached by driving along a winding mountain road surrounded by pine and olive trees.

It will grant between 20 and 25 scholarships annually for chefs to spend a year working with elBulli's core staff on new creations. The results will be posted online.

Adria's trailblazing approach to cooking uses hi-tech methods to take apart and rebuild foods in surprising ways.

The 50 guests invited the final meal at elBulli began their meal with his version of a dry Martini -- a dish composed of a spherical globule of reconstituted olive that was placed on the tongue and then spritzed with atomised gin and vermouth.

Pistachio ravioli, clam meringue, liquid croquetas and olive oil chips were among the other dishes on the 50-course menu served by waiters wearing black T-shirts that read: "elBulli the last waltz".

After dinner a party was held at the restaurant to celebrate the opening of the culinary think tank.

"We have never had a party at elBulli before," said Adria.

The restaurant is credited with pushing back the boundaries of cuisine and helping transform Spain from a culinary backwater to a world leader.

Britain's Restaurant magazine ranked it number one on its list of the world's top 50 restaurants a record five times -- in 2002 when the list was first published and for four years in a row through 2009.

Several chefs who worked at elBulli and went on to found top restaurants of their own credit the freedom they had to break culinary rules during their time at the eatery for their success.

"The courage and freedom to do what we do at our restaurant came from here," said Rene Redzepi, head chef and co-owner of Noma in Copenhagen, as he sat beside Adria.

"And that is like finding a treasure," he added. It was Redzepi's restaurant that deposed elBulli at the top of Restaurant magazine's rankings last year.

Noma was ranked the world's best restaurant in 2011 for the second year in a row. elBulli was not included in the rankings this year because it was closing.

"To see someone taking risks and expressing themselves through cooking, through food, it lights a fire," said Grant Achatz, the head chef at Chicago's acclaimed Alinea restaurant who also spent time at elBulli.

elBulli was open only half the year. Staff at the 50-seat restaurant annually fielded more than two million requests for its roughly 8,000 sittings, with tables in the rustic dining room alloted mostly by form of lottery.

Dinner was a degustation menu of between 30 and 50 small dishes, which cost 270 euros ($385) not including tax, drinks or tip.

But despite its popularity, the restaurant was losing half a million euros a year, in part because preparing the dozens of items on the menu often involved more chefs in the kitchen than the diners it hosts in one night.
It made up the shortfall through a series of elBulli spin-offs, including books, a range of kitchenware, speaking engagements and by lending his name to a range of products, from olive oil to cutlery.

Source: yahoo