Wednesday 28 September 2011

Lauryn Hill Sued

Lauryn Hill Sued
Lauryn Hill Sued, Star Lauryn Hill has been sued by a fashion consultant for allegedly stealing clothes. The fashion house Via Davia Vintage filed the suit against the singer.The court documents which were filed at the L.A. County Superior Court allege that Hill failed to return the clothes that she was given for her tour in Europe in 2007. Under an agreement that the documents claim she made with the fashion house, Hill was to pay the total cost of the clothes over a period of four weeks. However the paper claims that only 30 percent of the total has been paid.

When Does It Go Bad

When Does It Go Bad, When to keep and when to toss your favorite foods. We’ve all heard tales of the Twinkie that would survive (as fresh as the day it was made) into the next millennium, but most food, fortunately, does not have quite that long a shelf life (how long do Twinkies really last?). Confused about what to keep and when to toss? Here is a guide to the lifespan of some of the foods currently sitting in your refrigerator or on pantry shelves.twinkie shelf life 25 days,

Tuesday 27 September 2011

Tom Jones chest hair insured $7 million

Tom Jones chest hair insured $7 million
Tom Jones chest hair insured $7 million, Many appearance-conscious men are looking to wax or trim their wayward hair, but pop singer Tom Jones must think a little fuzz is critical to his status as a sex symbol. In 2008, the New York Daily News and several other media outlets reported that Jones had his chest hair insured reportedly for millions.

Gene simmons insured tongue $1 million

Gene simmons insured tongue $1 million
Gene simmons insured tongue $1 million, Gene Simmons, bassist for the iconic late-'70s band Kiss, added his own signature move sticking out his extra-long tongue to the band's widely recognizable stage presence featuring black-and-white face paint and distinctive jumpsuits. Simmons' tongue, which is said to have been surgically enhanced, was reportedly insured when Kiss was at its peak. gene simmons tongue 7 inches, gene simmons insured tongue $1 million,

Monday 26 September 2011

Hells Angels boss killed in shootout

Hells Angels boss killed in shootout
Hells Angels boss killed in shootout, The city canceled its part in an annual multi-city motorcycle festival on Saturday and neighboring Reno increased police patrol amid fears of retaliation over the shooting death of a prominent Hells Angels boss by a rival gang.

Roker twitter apology accepted

Roker twitter apology accepted,  The Al Roker Speidi brouhaha is the second celebrity feud to make headlines recently. It was, of course, preceded by the Letterman Palin joke controversy. David Letterman told two jokes about the Palin family that triggered an intense uproar. One was the Sarah Palin Top 10 "slut" joke and the other was the Bristol Palin/A-Rod "knocked up" joke.

Dog-eating festival october

Dog-eating festival october
Dog-eating festival october, If you've been gearing up for the annual dog eating festival in Jinhua City, China, you'll have to find something else to do that weekend: "Internet-savvy" animal rights activists and dog lovers convinced the local government to cancel the fest, originally scheduled for October.

Embarrassing moments caught on tape

Embarrassing moments caught on tape
Embarrassing moments caught on tape, When Kim and Kourtney Kardashian were brutally mocked last week by two Philadelphia news anchors, they took it with good grace. The Philly newscasters aren't the only ones who've had unfiltered moments recorded. Let's look at some actors, musicians and politicians who've been caught on tape.

Sunday 25 September 2011

Tourist flight crash Nepal

Tourist flight crash Nepal
Tourist flight crash Nepal, Nepal tourist plane crashes near Kathmandu killing 19, A small plane has crashed in Nepal killing all 19 people on board, officials say.The Buddha Air plane was carrying 16 tourists to view Mount Everest and other peaks and was returning to the Nepalese capital.

Facebook's awkward 'unfriended' feature

Facebook's awkward 'unfriended' feature
Facebook's awkward 'unfriended' feature, Facebook has become the best platform where friends meet to share photos, news and gossip, but when relationships sour, another phenomenon often occurs - unfriending.

And now, in a first-of-its -kind comprehensive, a University of Colorado Denver Business School student has revealed the top reasons for Facebook unfriending, who is unfriended and how they react to being unfriended.

NYU freshman Dakota Fanning shuns dorm life

NYU freshman Dakota Fanning shuns dorm life
NYU freshman Dakota Fanning shuns dorm life, Dakota Fanning just celebrated her move from Los Angeles to New York at her first Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, but the star is busy tackling an even bigger milestone now: starting her freshman year at NYU.“Going to college is a bit different than going back to high school,” the new student told PEOPLE recently at a Marc Jacobs bash. “You can kind of wear whatever you want, and I had a uniform in high school.”

Katie Holmes' slutty pumpkin

Katie Holmes' slutty pumpkin
Katie Holmes' slutty pumpkin, Katie Holmes will play the oft-referenced but never before seen Slutty Pumpkin on 'How I Met Your Mother.'According to Vulture, Holmes will make her 'HIMYM' debut in a Halloween episode in October. The character, who dressed as a pumpkin at a Halloween party in 2001, was introduced in the show's first season as a potential love interest for Ted. 'HIMYM' co-creator Craig Thomas called Holmes a "lovely" and "talented" actress. Holmes' last TV role was in Reelz Channel's 'The Kennedys' miniseries, and her last guest appearance on a scripted TV show was an episode of ABC's 'Eli Stone' in 2008.

Famous women firsts

Famous women firsts
Famous women firsts, History is full of pioneering women who fought for the right to use their talent and intellect in male-dominated fields. Today we look back at other famous women's firsts.

Saturday 24 September 2011

World's oldest running car for sale

World's oldest running car for sale
World's oldest running car for sale, The world's oldest working car is set to go under the hammer - and it is expected to fetch up to £1 million.

Diana Nyad's Jellyfish

Diana Nyad's Jellyfish 
Diana Nyad's Jellyfish, Endurance swimmer Diana Nyad is continuing her third bid to swim from Cuba to Florida despite suffering the effects of multiple Portuguese man o' war stings received only a couple of hours into the attempt.

Bieber and Titanic

Bieber and Titanic
Bieber and Titanic, Justin Bieber gives Selena a Titanic romantic surprise. Romantic pop star Justin Bieber organised a private screening of 'Titanic' for Selena Gomez at Los Angeles' Staples Centre.

Billy Beane Vice President Oakland Athletics

Billy Beane Vice President Oakland Athletics
Billy Beane Vice President Oakland Athletics, The upcoming release of the film Moneyball on Friday, based on the best-selling book by Michael Lewis with the same title, should hopefully be a somewhat flattering achievement for not only general manager Billy Beane, but the entire Oakland A’s organization as well.Imagine: a feature-length movie that illustrates your team’s revolutionary new business model that produces successful results on the baseball field.

Teachers say talking is an occupational hazard

Teachers say talking is an occupational hazard
Teachers say talking is an occupational hazard, By the end of her first day of school this month, Theresa Simon’s voice was already starting to go.“You can hear a little bit of rasp,” said the 48-year-old teacher at Cecelia Snyder Middle School in Bensalem, Pa.

Should boys get HPV vaccine

Should boys get HPV vaccine
Should boys get HPV vaccine, U.S. health authorities now recommend that girls and young women be vaccinated against human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted disease that is a known cause of cervical cancer, but that recommendation does not extend to boys and young men.

Pete Wentz dating model?

Pete Wentz dating model?
Pete Wentz dating model? Pete Wentz is dating a mystery brunette. The former Fall Out Boy rocker – who split from wife Ashlee Simpson in February – stepped out with his two-year-old son Bronx and his leggy new lady to visit a Los Angeles playground.

Beyoncé’s mom selling mansion?

Beyoncé’s mom selling mansion?
Beyoncé’s mom selling mansion? Beyonce's mom Tina Knowles is unloading one of her massive Houston area homes -- listing her Texas-sized, 8,885 square foot mansion for $3.499 million.

Some asthma inhalers banned

Some asthma inhalers banned
Some asthma inhalers banned, Health officials are banning the only asthma inhaler sold over the counter in the United States starting from next year to prevent the use of products that harm the environment.The Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in metered-dose asthma inhalers that contain the drug epinephrine cannot be used, following an international agreement that bans CFCs because they deplete the Earth's ozone layer.

Liposuction may lower heart disease risk

Liposuction may lower heart disease risk
Liposuction may lower heart disease risk, A new study suggests that liposuction — which plastic surgeons often use to sculpt the bodies of people who aren’t extremely overweight — can lower levels of a type of blood fat called triglycerides.

Peruvian bar serves up fresh frog juice

Peruvian bar serves up fresh frog juice
Peruvian bar serves up fresh frog juice, NBC TODAY Show A fresh juice bar in Lima, Peru, adds frogs to their mix. The bar owner says frog juice soothes fatigue and keeps the body strong. TODAY.com's Dara Brown reports.

Rare crocodile found in Florida

Rare crocodile found in Florida
 Rare crocodile found in Florida, A rare crocodile was spotted in St. Petersburg over the weekend, stunning residents of a gated community.

World's oldest running car for sale


World's oldest running car for sale
World's oldest running car for sale, The world's oldest working car is set to go under the hammer - and it is expected to fetch up to £1 million.The four-wheeled car, called La Marquise, was built in 1884 for the Count De Dion, one of the founders of the automobile manufacturers De Dion-Bouton et Trepardoux. It has only had two other owners since, according to Gooding & Company, the auction house selling it.

The four-seater, fuelled by coal, wood and paper, takes about half an hour to work up enough steam to go. In an 1887 race, La Marquise hit an average speed of 26 miles per hour on a 19-mile course. The following year it won the world's first motor race, beating out its three-wheeled competition, another De Dion-Bouton.

The steam-powered La Marquise was built in France in 1884 by De Dion-Bouton et Trepardoux, one year before Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz each independently built their first gasoline-powered cars in German. Twelve years later, Henry Ford built his first automobile in the US.

La Marquise is being sold by Gooding & Company, the California-based auction house, in August in Pebble Beach.

Source: telegraph

Drug cartels target social media

Drug cartels target social media
Drug cartels target social media, Twitter users report gun battles and fiery road blockades. A website lists victims’ names and details of how they died. A blog posts gory photos of gruesome killings and videos of drug lords’ confessions.As violence grows across Mexico, online posts dealing with it have also surged at an explosive rate. This week attackers left ominous threats mentioning two websites on signs beside mutilated bodies in northern Mexico. The message was clear: Post something we don’t like online, and you’re next. “I am about to get you,” one sign said.

More than two days later, it was unclear who the two brutally slain victims left dangling from a bridge were, or whether they had any connection to social media.

Local police in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, didn’t answer the phone. State prosecutors said federal authorities were handling the matter. The Mexican Attorney General’s Office said it had not received any details about the killings from local officials.

But no matter what investigators uncover, analysts say the case shows the prominent role technology has come to play in describing and denouncing violence in Mexico.

“It’s still very telling,” said Andres Monroy-Hernandez, a fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society. “Regardless of why they killed these people, the cartels kind of went out of their way and wrote a message explicitly calling out what is being reported on the Internet.”

‘The truth has to be told’
A woman was hogtied and disemboweled. Attackers left her topless, dangling by her feet and hands from a bridge in the border city of Nuevo Laredo earlier this week. A bloodied man next to her was hanging by his hands, his right shoulder severed so deeply the bone was visible.

Signs left near the bodies declared the pair, both apparently in their 20s, were killed for posting denouncements of drug cartel activities on a social network.

“This is going to happen to all of those posting funny things on the Internet,” one sign said. “You better (expletive) pay attention.”

The Nuevo Laredo case “shows that online messages are worrying a lot of people,” said Raul Trejo Delarbre, who studies social media at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. “It shows that uncomfortable topics are being addressed there.”

Online posts have become some of the loudest voices reporting violence in Mexico. In some parts of the country, threats from cartels have silenced traditional media. Sometimes even local authorities fear speaking out.

Over the past year, Twitter users in the northern industrial city of Monterrey posted balacera — the Spanish word for shootout — more frequently than anyone elsewhere in the world, Monroy-Hernandez said.

“There are frequently comments about fear, the feeling of distress,” Trejo said.

But there’s a flip side. Last month, false rumors about school attacks in Veracruz, Mexico, spread rapidly on Twitter and Facebook, causing real-life chaos on the coastal city’s streets. Parents panicked, rushing to rescue their children from schools they feared were under attack. Traffic jammed and cars crashed.

Rumors swirled online this week, as word spread about the slayings in the border city of Nuevo Laredo. Some users posted fears in online forums, vowing to delete their accounts or post anonymously. Others claimed the crime scene had been altered to add the social media threat.

“When I first saw the photo of the scene, I was scared. But I’ve calmed down. And now I’ve made some changes, but this is not going to compromise what I’m doing, or what others like me are doing,” said one Twitter user in northern Mexico who frequently posts about drug violence.

The Twitter user spoke to CNN but asked to remain anonymous to protect his family. He said he has removed any personal information about himself from his online profile, stopped showing his face in his profile picture and made sure not to tweet anything about his family or his job.

“People will still continue to tweet, despite these threats. People will still continue because the truth has to be told,” he said.

An anonymous voice chronicles the violence

The signs left beside bodies this week threatened those who report violent incidents through social media networks. But the two websites it mentioned, Al Rojo Vivo and Blog del Narco, also showed no signs of stopping their efforts.

On the Al Rojo Vivo forum, where citizens can make anonymous tips, one person posted: “Don’t be afraid to denounce. It’s very difficult for them to find out who denounced. They only want to scare society.”

More than 600 user comments appeared below pictures of blood-spattered shooting victims on Blog del Narco Thursday.

Since its launch last year, the drug-violence blog has gained notoriety for posting shocking videos and pictures, many of them submitted to the site anonymously.

The identity of the person behind the site also remains unknown. Last year the site’s creator said he was a twenty-something college student from northern Mexico majoring in computer science.

“The media and the government would like to make it look as if nothing is happening,” he said last year. “The media (keep silent) because they’re threatened, and the government apparently has been bought.”

In a statement sent to CNN Wednesday, Blog del Narco said its site was not dedicated to denouncing crime.

“In addition, we are not in favor or against any criminal group, we only inform as things happen,” the statement said.

‘We don’t want to find out who’s responsible’

At another blog, known as Menos Dias Aqui, Spanish for “Fewer Days Here,” “counters” spend their days combing media reports, searching for detailed descriptions of killings.

Their goal is finding the names of the deceased in every violent death in Mexico, and posting them online for the world to see.

“We want to give them names, faces. To stop trivializing death,” the website says.

That’s a difficult task amid a nationwide drug war that has claimed tens of thousands of casualties since Mexican President Felipe Calderon began a crackdown on cartels in December 2006. As of Wednesday, the website said it had documented 15,372 deaths caused by violence in Mexico since last September.

Alicia Gonzalez, a translator who runs the website, said Thursday that this week’s killings in Nuevo Laredo did not diminish her resolve.

“I have nothing to do with the causes of violent acts. Really I have no desire to get involved in those things. I am always very clear. We don’t want to find out who’s responsible,” she said. “What worries us is what will happen with all these children who are left as orphans.”

CNN’s Rafael Romo, Nick Valencia, Mariano Castillo and CNNMexico.com contributed to this report.

Where are Moneyball's major players

Where are Moneyball's major players
Where are Moneyball's major players, Billy Beane is a former MLB outfielder who played for the A's, Tigers, Twins and Mets. Beane's most valuable contribution to baseball isn't as a player, but as a GM and talent evaluator. As GM of the A's, Beane gained notoriety for his use of baseball metrics to build the team's roster. 
This use of sabermetrics ran counter to conventional baseball wisdom and changed the way teams did business. The practice was chronicled in Michael Lewis' book "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game," published in 2003. Billy Beane vice president oakland athletics, 
As Billy Beane's assistant GM and second in command, Paul DePodesta also had major influence on the Oakland A's emergence as a powerhouse team. Paul DePodesta Vice President of player development and scouting for the New York Mets,
Where are Moneyball's major players, BJ Upton, Prince Fielder, Scott Kazmir are three players who eventually proved Billy Beane didn't always bat .1000 when evaluating future talent. Beane didn't have the desire to take any of these players and all of these players have proven themselves in the majors. Prince Fielder last year, Scott Kazmir released by the Angels on June 15,

Beane saw something special in Kevin Youkilis and coveted him for the A's. The union wasn't meant to be, however, and Youkilis stayed with the team who was developing him the Boston Red Sox.
Mark Teahen was drafted by Beane and the A's but never played for the 'Moneyball ' honcho. Teahen was traded to the Royals a trade for which the A's received Octavio Dotel. Mark Teahen traded to the Toronto Blue Jays,
Bobby Crosby stepped up to the challenge and became the starting shortstop for the A's when Miguel Tejada left for the Orioles after the 2003 season. Crosby was good enough in his rookie season to win rookie of the year the first A's player to accomplish that in the Moneyball era. Crosby left the A's for the Pittsburgh Pirates after the 2008 season. diamondbacks release bobby crosby, Bobby Crosby rookie of the year,
Nick Swisher began the statistical climb immediately following his rookie season in Oakland in 2004. He contributed in the A's line-up until he was traded to the White Sox in 2008. Nick Swisher album Believe,
Joe Blanton was brought up to the A's to shore up the rotation after Mark Mulder and Tim Hudson were both traded from the roster. Blanton showed promise in his first years in Oakland. From 2005-2007, Blanton improved statistically but was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008.
Chad Bradford played a role for Beane's team from 2001 until 2004. As a reliever, Bradford had three good years in Oakland until he was traded to the Red Sox following a statistical slump. Chad Bradford retired coach Mississippi,
After Mark McGwire's departure via trade, Jason Giambi assumed the role of starting first baseman for the A's. Although Giambi had been with the team since 1995, it wasn't until 1999 that he really began to hit his stride. Giambi's best years for Oakland came in 2000 and 2001. Giambi won the AL MVP in 2000 and almost won the MVP in 2001 but most importantly he helped the A's get to the playoffs both of those years.
The A's drafted Eric Chavez in 1996. The third baseman was a slugger at the plate and a stalwart defensively, winning six Gold Gloves in six seasons. After 13 years with the A's, Chavez left for the Yankees as a free agent.
One of the earlier acquisitions for Beane, Miguel Tejada made his way to the A's late in the 1997 season and became the starting shortstop in 1998. As projected, Tejada's statistics began to back up his athletic promise. In 2002, Tejada had his best season and helped propel the A's into the playoffs. Miguel Tejada released by giants,
Jason Isringhausen joined the staff in Oakland as a relief pitcher in 1999. In 2000 he had one of his best statistical seasons for any A's closer in history, helping lead the team to the playoffs.
Tim Hudson rounded out the trifecta of talented, young pitchers that starred for the A's during the Moneyball era. Right out of the gate, Hudson tore up major league baseball, going 11-2 in his rookie season and winning 20 games in his second. The A's traded Hudson to the Atlanta Braves in 2005.
Mark Mulder benefitted from being part of the 'Moneyball' Oakland A's. Teaming up with Barry Zito and Tim Hudson, Mulder helped the A's reach the MLB playoffs from 2000 to 2003. mark mulder analyst on espn baseball tonight,
Barry Zito developed into a monster talent with the Oakland A's. Zito won a Cy Young award in 2002 two years after his major league debut. The magic ran out in Oakland for Zito after the 2006 season — he was traded to the San Francisco Giants. Barry Zito back on the mound, Barry Zito Cy Young Award, San Francisco Giants,

Source: foxsports

Friday 23 September 2011

Thomas McCulloch axe

Thomas McCulloch axe
Thomas McCulloch axe, Thomas McCulloch, convicted of triple murders has been handed the axe again outside his prison walls. This time though, the 63-year-old is not going to chop people but trees. He was among a group of people who were sent to a nature reserve to clear a pathway.A source at the prison doesn’t believe it was such a good idea to hand the axe back to a person like McCulloch. Newspapers quoted the source as saying that, “He may be old now but there is evidence he is still a very dangerous man. I don’t think it’s a good idea to let a murderer like McCulloch near sharp implements like axes.”

In 1976, McCulloch and another accomplice killed a police officer, a nurse and a patient when they went on a rampage at the State Hospital, Carstairs, South Lanarks. The other accomplice was the gay partner of McCulloch named Robert Mone.

McCulloch was given a life prison sentence for his crimes. He has been in jail for more than 40 years and officials seem to have relaxed the hold on him recently. For the first time his he was jailed, he was allowed outside his prison walls.

Source: thaindian

Burglar caught after falling asleep on bed

Burglar caught after falling asleep on bed

Burglar caught after falling asleep on bed, Burglar caught after drinking victim's wine and falling asleep. A burglar was caught after drinking a bottle of his victim's wine and falling asleep on the sofa instead of making his getaway, a court has heard.

Michael Dwyer, 44, broke in through a window of a basement flat in Cambridge before stuffing several pillow cases with DVDs, CDs and electrical items.

Unemployed Dwyer, who had already been drinking, then spotted a bottle of red wine and settled down on the sofa to drink it.

But he fell asleep until he was discovered with the empty bottle by his feet the next day by the homeowner returning from work.

The victim was still unable to wake up Dwyer and called police, who arrested him at the scene.

Dwyer admitted burglary following the raid on September 22 at Cambridge Magistrates' Court on Monday.
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Paul Brown, prosecuting, said Dwyer claimed he had broken into the house to use the lavatory.

He said: "Mr Dwyer was found sleeping on the sofa with a bottle of wine next to his feet.

"The victim informed police who then arrested Dwyer. He claimed that he didn't remember putting the items in the pillowcase and said he had a serious alcohol problem."

Monica Lentin, defending, said Dwyer had shown genuine remorse for his crime.

She said: "He is really trying to get help for his alcohol problems. This is the first time he has actually committed a burglary and it is out of character."

Magistrates adjourned sentencing until October 27 and requested a pre-sentence report be prepared by the probation service looking into Mr Dwyer's alcohol addiction.

Anne Mozingo Wife sues after husband's brain is removed

Anne Mozingo Wife sues after husband's brain is removed

Anne Mozingo Wife sues after husband's brain is removed, The practices of a prestigious medical research institute that studies schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are on trial in Maine, where the organization collected at least 99 brains from organ donors.

Anne Mozingo, of York, contends that the Stanley Medical Research Institute and a man working on its behalf removed her late husband’s entire brain without her consent after he died of a brain aneurism in 2000. She said she agreed to donate only small brain tissue samples.

Mozingo learned nearly five years after her husband’s death that his entire brain – along with its lining, plus his liver, spleen and pituitary gland – had been removed and sent to the institute. She filed suit in 2005 against the Bethesda, Md., institute and its Maine representative, Matthew Cyr.

Her claims include infliction of emotional distress, fraud and negligent misrepresentation. After Mozingo learned that her husband’s entire brain had been removed, she suffered extreme emotional and mental distress and had nightmares in which her husband’s body was being mutilated, she said in court documents.

The lawsuit accused the defendants of acting “beyond all possible bounds of decency.”

The institute and Cyr, of Bucksport, deny any wrongdoing. The institute has repeatedly said over the years that it never knowingly obtained brains without full consent from next of kin.

From the mid-1990s to 2003, Stanley Medical Research Institute used a network of “brain harvesters” in Maine and three other states to collect hundreds of brains for use in the study of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The brains were packed in dry ice and shipped by FedEx to the institute.

Cyr, who also worked for the Maine Medical Examiner’s Office, was paid more than $150,000 to collect brains and other organs from at least 99 bodies from 1999 to 2003, according to court documents.

Mozingo’s lawsuit is one of more than a dozen that were filed against the institute by Maine families alleging that their relatives’ full brains were removed without their consent.

Most of the complaints have been settled out of court, but three have gone to trial.

The first one to go resulted in a mistrial in January 2010 after the plaintiff testified that he chose to put the case before a jury because he didn’t want to settle. The judge ruled the statement implied to jurors that the defendant was offered a financial settlement to avoid a trial.

A second case went to trial last fall, with the jury siding with Stanley, Cyr and the institute’s former executive director, Dr. E. Fuller Torrey.

Mozingo’s case began this week in York County Superior Court.

On the first day of the trial, her attorney held up a model of brain as a prop while giving his opening statement. Mozingo told jurors that she was misled and betrayed during a time of grieving and stress. The institute’s lawyers questioned her reliance on notes to recount her conversation with Cyr after her husband died.

Mozingo’s lawyer, Thomas Douglas, declined to comment on the case because court proceedings were ongoing. Philip Coffin, who represents the institute, also declined to comment.

Mozingo’s trial is expected to conclude Friday or Monday, but it likely won’t be the final court case.

Portland attorney John Campbell said he expects his client, Ray Martin, of Old Orchard Beach, to have his day in court next spring. Martin’s case was the one that ended in a mistrial, and Campbell said it’s the last remaining case in Maine.

“Mr. Martin feels very strongly about going back to trial,” the attorney said.

No Child Left behind

No Child Left behind
No Child Left behind, President Obama is poised to broaden federal influence in local schools by scrapping key elements of No Child Left Behind, the Bush administration’s signature education law, and substituting his own brand of school reform.The move will bypass Congress, drawing fire from Republicans on Capitol Hill and some in the educational establishment but winning applause from governors across the country struggling to meet the demands of the nine-year-old law.
On Friday, Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan are scheduled to detail plans to waive some of the law’s toughest requirements, including that schools ensure that every student be proficient in math and reading by 2014 or risk escalating sanctions.

In exchange for relief, the administration will require a quid pro quo: States must adopt changes that could include the expansion of charter schools, linking teacher evaluation to student performance and upgrading academic standards. As many as 45 states are expected to seek waivers.

For many students, the most tangible impact could be what won’t happen. They won’t see half their teachers fired, their principal removed or school shut down because some students failed to test at grade level — all potential consequences under the law.

“It’s a momentous development,” said Jack Jennings, president of the nonpartisan Center on Education Policy. The White House is essentially rewriting the law, he said.

Duncan said the administration has no other choice, driven by mounting pressures on schools caused by the law and no clear sign that Congress will fix its flaws. Lawmakers have been trying for four years.

“I feel compelled to do this,” Duncan said as he rode a bus two weeks ago to tour schools in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Ohio, among other states. “My absolute preference is for Congress to fix it for the entire country. But there’s a level of dysfunction in Congress that’s paralyzing. And we’re getting to the point that this law is holding back innovation, holding back progress. We need to unleash that. We need to get out of the way.”

For Duncan, one of the most visible members of Obama’s Cabinet, the move is likely to cement his reputation as arguably the most powerful education secretary in the department’s history.

Duncan already has propelled school systems across the country to make far-reaching changes by awarding a record $8 billion, provided by the economic stimulus package, to states and districts that embraced Obama’s agenda.

Even states that didn’t win money through the best-known of those programs, called Race to the Top, changed policies and laws to compete for the funds.

Duncan “walked into office and was handed a big pot of money and very few congressional restrictions,” Jennings said. “Congress went off and got into health reform, the budget, all these other issues that sucked up their attention. He was left alone with his money and took advantage of the opportunity. Now he’s got another opportunity.”

Some say the administration is reaching too far.

Source: washingtonpost

Wanda Sykes Cancer

Wanda Sykes Cancer
Wanda Sykes Cancer, Wanda Sykes' comedic streak shined through the very serious issue of breast cancer during a recent visit to The Ellen DeGeneres show. Find out what led the mother of twins to opt for a double mastectomy -- and why she's not signing on to be a cancer poster child.Wanda Sykes is using humor to make the best of a scary situation. The 47-year-old comedian has revealed to Elle DeGeneres that she's not only had breast cancer, but undergone a double mastectomy.

Wanda Sykes, whose visit to The Ellen DeGeneres Show will air Monday, is lucky to be alive and in good health. The mother of two with wife Alex tells Ellen, "I had breast cancer. Yeah, I know it's scary. It is. I found it through ... I was having a breast reduction, actually."

"I had real big boobs and I just got tired of knocking over stuff," Wanda Sykes joked as the audience laughed. "Every time I eat -- oh lord -- I'd carry a Tide stick everywhere I go. My back was sore so it was time to have a reduction."

It turns out that breast reduction may have saved Wanda's life. She continued, "It wasn't until after the reduction that in the lab work, the pathology, that they found that I had DCIS [ductal carcinoma in situ] in my left breast -- I was very, very lucky because [at the time, it was] basically stage-zero cancer. So I was very lucky."

Of the decision to undergo a double mastectomy Wanda Sykes explained, "I had the choice of, you can go back every three months and get it checked. Have a mammogram, MRI every three months just to see what it's doing. But, I'm not good at keeping on top of stuff. I'm sure I'm overdue for an oil change and a teeth cleaning already."

Happily knowing she now has "zero chance" of having breast cancer again Wanda Sykes struggled to decide if she should speak publicly about her ordeal. "I was like I don't know, should I talk about it or what. How many things could I have? I'm black, then lesbian. I can't be the poster child for everything," she said, laughing.

"At least with the LGBT issues we get a parade, we get a float, it's a party," the mother of 2-year-old twins added. "I was real hesitant about doing this, because I hate walking. I got a lot of [cancer] walks coming up."

Best wishes to Wanda Sykes for continued good health!

Be sure to watch The Ellen DeGeneres Show Monday for more from Wanda Syke on breast cancer and her double mastectomy.

Source: sheknows

Spontaneous combustion kills man?

Spontaneous combustion kills man?
Spontaneous combustion kills man? A man who burned to death in his home died as a result of spontaneous combustion, an Irish coroner has ruled. West Galway coroner Dr Ciaran McLoughlin said it was the first time in 25 years of investigating deaths that he had recorded such a verdict.Michael Faherty, 76, died at his home at Clareview Park, Ballybane, Galway on 22 December 2010. Such incidents are extremely rare.

Deaths attributed by some to "spontaneous combustion" occur when a living human body is burned without an apparent external source of ignition.

Typically police or fire investigators find burned corpses but no burned furniture.

An inquest in Galway on Thursday heard how investigators had been baffled as to the cause of Mr Faherty's death.

Forensic experts found that a fire in the fireplace of the sitting room where the badly burnt body was found, had not been the cause of the blaze that killed Mr Faherty.

The court was told that no trace of an accelerant had been found and there had been nothing to suggest foul play.

The court heard Mr Faherty had been found lying on his back with his head closest to an open fireplace.

The fire had been confined to the sitting room. The only damage was to the body, which was totally burnt, the ceiling above him and the floor underneath him.

Dr McLoughlin said he had consulted medical textbooks and carried out other research in an attempt to find an explanation.

He said Professor Bernard Knight, in his book on forensic pathology, had written about spontaneous combustion and noted that such reported cases were almost always near an open fireplace or chimney.

"This fire was thoroughly investigated and I'm left with the conclusion that this fits into the category of spontaneous human combustion, for which there is no adequate explanation," he said.

Read more: bbc

Kim Delaney kicked off stage after bizarre behavior

Kim Delaney kicked off stage after bizarre behavior
Kim Delaney kicked off stage after bizarre behavior, Army Wives stars Kim Delaney kicked off stage after slurring her way through bizarre speech at U.S. military event.Kim Delaney, the star of Lifetime's drama show 'Army Wives', was last night kicked off stage at an event honouring the former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates after slurring her way through a bizarre speech. Ms Delaney stumbled to the podium at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, then repeatedly stalled her words and fiddled with her hands as she talked about having 'served in active military duty family for five years', even though she is an actress in a fictional programme. Kim Delaney Delivers Puzzling Speech, Kim Delaney Booted Off Stage at Liberty Medal Award Ceremony, kim delaney alcohol,

She was supposed to be honouring Mr Gates, who was receiving the Liberty Medal during the ceremony.

I've seen soldiers come home with painful life-altering injuries borne of their time and service,' she said, stuttering. Army Wives' Kim Delaney Yanked Off Stage by Military Officials‎,

'I've attended numerous military funerals, including that of my best friend’s son. And my heart has been broken on numerous occasions.'


Read more: dailymail