Howie Mandel rushed to hospital

TORONTO -- "Deal or No Deal" host Howie Mandel was rushed to a Toronto hospital Monday night with an apparent irregular heartbeat and is expected to released Tuesday.

"He did not have a heart attack," Mandel spokesman Lewis Kay said in an e-mail.

Toronto-born Mandel, 53, is expected to be back at work Tuesday shooting an episode of "Howie Do It," a hidden camera prank show that debuted on NBC on Friday night.

Toronto police said paramedics rushed to the downtown Sheraton Center Hotel on Monday night to respond to Mandel, who remained conscious and talking as he was transported to St. Michael's Hospital.

The made-in-Canada "Howie Do It" series is a co-venture between NBC and Global Television.

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Stephanie Courtney Progressive Insurance Girl

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Progressive Insurance Girl! Stephanie Courtney as Flo for Progressive Insurance is the hottest girl in commercials today, with advertisement spots that are making guys go crazy.
Local press sat down recently with Courtney whom they describe as the following:
“bubbly and beaming, high-volume, with a flip of dark hair and a face like a lollipop. She irks as she endears, bemuses as she bewitches. She’s a bundle of energetic contradictions, bursting here, retracting there. Her expressions blink and change like a neon sign. Her eyes are popping globes. And she just sold you a bunch of car insurance.”

She recently spoke to the Houston Press in an article called “The Cult of the Progressive Car Insurance Chick”. That article said of Courtney:

“Am I the only one completely and totally enamored of the woman in the television ads for Progressive car insurance? You know, the ones starring that babelicious brunette named Flo with her ‘tricked-out name tag’ and her ’60s style eye makeup and her kissable red, red lips?”

“It’s so weird,” says Stephanie Courtney.

Courtney is 38 and has had the role of Flor for one year. Now because of the cult following she has been signed for 1 more year. Stephanie Courtney is a former member of Los Angeles’ Groundlings.

She says it takes 2 hours to transform her for the commercials. “And the makeup is like painting a portrait on my face.”

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Marcus Schrenker Heritage Wealth Management Fake Suicide?

What - Marcus Schrenker for whatever the reason put his plane on autopilot then jumped from the aircraft, Piper Pawnee Brave (Piper PA-46), and float to safety while the aircraft crashes in Florida. Initially Marcus Schrenker reported to authorities that he had hit some turbulence and the Piper Pawnee Brave (Piper PA-46), which is registered under the Heritage Wealth Management, windshield had blown in and that he was bleeding profusely. Here is when it gets weird. Marcus Schrenker once safely on solid ground and still wearing his parachute walks up to a police officer and tells him that he had been in a canoe accident then gives the officer his identification with his real name on it. Mark Schrenker then goes to a local motel where he checks himself in under a false name. Schrenker who is the president of Heritage Wealth Management.

Who - Mark Schrenker, Heritage Wealth Management, Piper Pawnee Brave, Piper PA-46

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Categories U.S. news World news Politics Business Sports Entertainment Gossip Celebrities Television Reality TV Movies Music Arts, books, more Horosco

NEW YORK - At least four women have accused the Academy Award-winning songwriter of "You Light Up My Life" of luring them to his home and sexually assaulting them while they auditioned for movie roles, police said.

Police were investigating whether director Joseph Brooks, who won an Oscar for Best Original Song for the 1977 Debby Boone ballad, advertised upcoming film roles on Internet postings as a ploy to assault women.

When a woman responded to an audition call, Brooks would tell her she'd be playing a prostitute and would have her drink shots and perform sex acts on him, police said. Some women believe they might have been drugged, police said.
At least four incidents are alleged to have happened in March and May 2008, police spokesman John Sweeney said. One woman told authorities she had sex with Brooks after drinking wine with him, Sweeney said.

Another woman, from Seattle, said she responded to an ad and, after she arrived in New York, Brooks demanded she have sex with him, Sweeney said. Another woman told police Brooks sodomized her, Sweeney said.

Brooks, 70, hasn't been charged, Sweeney said.

Telephone calls to Brooks' attorney, Jeff Hoffman, weren't immediately returned Monday. There was no telephone listing for Brooks at the Manhattan home address provided by police.

Brooks also wrote and directed the romantic comedy "You Light Up My Life," for which the song was composed. The movie stars Didi Conn as Laurie Robinson, a comedian who dreams of being an actress and has a one-night stand with a director.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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4 Day Diet: Tame temptations, lose weight

Dr. Ian K. Smith shares how to face the biggest roadblock to weight loss.
“Losing weight is 80 percent mental and 20 percent physical,” says Dr. Ian K. Smith in his latest book, “The 4 Day Diet.” Smith, best known as the diet expert on VH1's “Celebrity Fit Club,” has designed a diet that is done in four-day modules. In this excerpt, he writes about how to face temptation — and win.

Resist temptation: Your mind must lead you
Is it easy resisting temptation? Absolutely not, but this chapter will help you stay resolved in the face of it. Let’s establish context first. Temptations are abundantly and conveniently located throughout our environment. Whether it’s that expensive designer scarf that you want so badly but know it’s beyond your budget, eavesdropping on a conversation between an arguing couple at the table next to yours, or a piece of double fudge chocolate cake — the temptations are endless.

The good news is that we are successful more times than not at resisting the urges to indulge in these forbidden callings. So why do we lose on occasion and give in to temptation? What happens late at night when you can’t stop yourself from downing a handful of chocolate chip cookies or plucking off the lid to that pint of butter pecan ice cream? It’s about the mind losing its competitive edge.
One way of thinking about temptation is as a fierce conflict, one that you can win if you focus mentally and train properly. When it comes to resisting temptation, your mind is locked in an epic battle with your anticipated sense of physical satisfaction. Your body knows that buying that scarf, eavesdropping on the juicy details of that argument, or biting into that double fudge cake will produce a physical response of pleasure. Your challenge is to convince yourself that the brief reward you get from the indulgence will be less pleasurable than the reward you get from abstaining. In other words, you have to train your mind, strengthen it, and prepare it to recognize and seek the more enduring pleasure — a pleasure that does not provide immediate gratification but can be extremely satisfying over the long term.

Before we begin to train your brain, you must first be convinced that you can resist all those temptations lurking in vending machines, bakeries, and fast-food restaurants. If you believe that it’s possible to develop the mental willpower to succeed, then this increases your chances dramatically. Any doubt or skepticism will only reduce your chances of ultimate success. Keep telling yourself that your mind is strong enough to keep your body under control. The discipline you learn and exhibit in this phase of your program can prove useful not only in your weight-loss efforts but on the larger stage of life.
Train your brain: Understanding the physical
Why do we eat foods even when we know they will keep us from losing weight? Getting to that answer means understanding pleasure and the body’s physical response to it. Scientists have believed for years that the neurotransmitter dopamine, a chemical found in the brain, is the brain’s “pleasure chemical,” sending signals between brain cells in a way to reward a person for a particular activity.

The precise details of this pleasure loop haven’t been completely determined, but enough of it has been clarified to give us an idea of why the body commits us to actions that are against what we know makes sense for that body.

The neurons — nerve cells in the brain — that produce dopamine seem to activate just before the pleasurable activity is engaged. The timing of what comes first is still being worked out, but one leading theory is that our brain releases a certain amount of dopamine in anticipation of how pleasurable we expect the activity is going to be. The dopamine then becomes a motivator as it increases our energy and drive to participate in the pleasurable activity. The more pleasurable the activity, the higher the dopamine levels, the more vigorously we pursue and engage in the activity. If you don’t find the activity as pleasurable as you expected, your dopamine levels decrease and you lose interest.

The brain’s dopamine reward system can be extremely strong depending on the degree of pleasure one achieves. For example, take warm apple pie and vanilla ice cream. For many people, eating this dessert produces such a level of pleasure and satisfaction that they find it almost impossible to pass up the opportunity to order it when seeing it on a restaurant menu or being served to another diner. The dopamine response to the thought, sight, smell, and taste of the apple pie is overpowering, and despite great efforts to avoid the sugary dessert, they simply can’t help themselves.
CONTINUED : Cravings

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Nathan Pritikin Diet for Runners

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As most of you know, I have been following a special running diet for the past month or so. I have been following the Nathan Pritikin Diet for Runners. I came across this diet while doing my typical running research online. I usually eschew things like this, but the more I read about it, the more I became intrigued. I have always wanted to try to eat a high-carb, lowfat diet that is supposed to be the best for runners, but thought it would take a ton of time to calculate my daily ratios. After reading that the core of Pritikin's plan was "Seven Survival Staples", 7 foods that theoretically a runner could live off of and get all their necessary nutrients, I was hooked. Since I am a busy graduate student, I tend to eat from a core group of foods anyways. I bought the book online from Amazon and decided to read more and make a decision.


Before I continue, I just want to make it very clear that I am not a dietician or a nutritionist. My only knowledge of nutrition comes from my background in Science and my hobby of researching nutrition. Therefore, this post is not meant to offer nutritional advice, or even suggest you follow this diet. This is simply my experience on this diet. I would love any chemists or nutritionists to comment on this, so please, speak up! (or, forward this onto a nutritionist friend)

If the name Pritikin sounds familiar, it's because Dr. Pritikin has achieved fame with his Pritikin Program in the health field. Here is a quotation from his bio (read the whole article here):

Nathan Pritikin started following the work of Dr. Lester Morrison in California, a cardiologist who in the early 1950's had placed 50 of his seriously ill heart attack patients on a diet mimicking the low-cholesterol, low-fat wartime food rationing diet that many Europeans survived on. Another 50 cardiac patients, also very ill, continued eating the typical American high-fat diet. The latter was the study's control group.

By 1955, the cholesterol levels of the experimental low-fat, low-cholesterol group had dropped from an average of 312 to 220. The control group's cholesterol levels had remained the same. Nearly 60% of the men in the experimental group were still alive compared to 24% of the control group. By 1960, all of the patients in the control group had died; 38% of the low-fat, low-cholesterol group were still alive.
In addition to being a doctor, Dr. Pritikin was also a runner. He published his book in a time when some seasoned runners were dropping dead with heart disease. His book's main goal was to show how the typical American diet of 50% carbohydrate plus high protein and high fat can cause heart disease in even the most fit runners. Additionally, he found that runners on his diet ended up with greater endurance. Thus, an endurance diet for runners was born.

This book was published in 1985, so I knew I would have to read the information with a critical eye. Here are some direct quotations that I find interesting (I don't necessarily agree with all these statements):

* "Because ammonia is toxic to cells and difficult to eliminate, we say that protein doens't burn clean. As the process continues, two ammonia molecules are joined to form urea. This is less toxic than ammonia, but harmful enough to require large amounts of water to dilute its toxicity so that it can be excreted without damage to the kidneys. High protein diets are therefore very dehydrating"
* "On a high-carbohydrate diet, athletes have three times the endurance they have on a high-protein diet"
* "Some athletes believe they need to eat a lot of fat. But a higher proportion of our energy comes from fat when we're at rest than when we're exercising"
* "In fact, we can get most of the fat we need from whole grains"
* On carbo fasting then loading...."Carbohydrate loading causes enormous amounts of glycogen to be stored in all the muscles that have been worked to exhaustion during the depletion stage--not only the leg muscles, but the heart muscles as well. Glycogen is stored with three to four times its own weight in water. You can well imagine how difficult it will be for a heart so engorged with water to function properly....Metabolizing fats in the absence of sufficient carbohydrates can also result in the formation of ketones--toxic substances which, when excreted, can cause dehydration damage to the kidneys. Less dangerous, but certainly worth considering, is the fact that the weight of the glycogen and the water with which it is stored will make the athlete's legs feels heavy."
* "Studies by Dr. David Costill, at Ball State University in Indiana, show that on 50% carbohydrate diet (typical American), it takes three days after strenuous exercise to restore the proper glycogen levels, but that it takes only one day if you're on a 70% carbohydrate diet."

Here are some things I don't find interesting (I certainly don't agree with these statements):

* "Only fluid lost in perspiration needs to be replaced, and electrolyte supplements are unnecessary. Even with up to a four percent loss of body weight through sweating, mineral loss is small. "
* Beer is bad (paraphrasing)
* Coffee is bad (paraphrasing)
* All the fat we need we get from grains. We don't need to eat any additional oils, nuts, avocados, seeds, etc (paraphrasing)

In summary, this book advocates a high-carb, low-fat, reduced protein diet. Diet Breakdown: 80% calories from carbs, 10-15% from protein, and 5-10% from fat. All your carbs are in the form of whole grains, fruits, and veggies. All dairy is non-fat, and meats are as lean as possible. Oils of any type are to be avoided. Runners are to try to eat as many of the survival staples each day as possible.

Seven Survival Staples:

* brown rice
* beans
* chicken
* tomato veggie stew
* fat free dairy (such as yogurt)
* berry-apple compote
* frozen bananas

Here is what my typical day looks like:

Breakfast: Whole Oats with mixed berries and soymilk; coffee
Snack: Carrots, Plain Nonfat yogurt with mixed berries or berry-apple compote
Lunch: Big, Honkin' Spinach Salad with balsamic vingear, Brown Rice with Tomato-Veggie Stew, Apple
Snack: Carrots or other veggies, Smartpop popcorn
Dinner: Big, Honkin' Spinach Salad with balsamic vinegar, Brown Rice or Whole Wheat Pasta with Tomato Veggie Stew, Simmered Chicken, Frozen Banana faux-ice cream.

Since it is unrealistic for me to maintain this diet 100% of the time, I follow an 80/20 rule (80% on, 20% off). This allows me some flexibility to give into temptation or enjoy a nice dinner out with friends.

Since I have been on this diet, I have been the happiest I have ever been food-wise. I am eating all day, and never feel hungry. My energy levels are sky-high, and my running pace has gotten faster. I think the most interesting change has been in my cravings. Before this diet, I would get intense cravings for gobs of peanut butter and handfuls of raisins. Now, I crave my tomato-veggie stew (or anything tomato for that matter) and cooked eggplant. Weird, I know, but I just roll with it. When I do allow myself to go off the diet, I usually have a few bites of "bad" food and just feel gross. If anything, this diet has taught me to eat cleaner without feeling hungry.

I am not going to post any of the recipes from the book, because I don't want to violate any copyright laws. If you are interested, I suggest you go buy the book. I got mine off Amazon for about three bucks. Even if you don't want to follow the diet, the book is full of great, healthy recipes that are easy and fast.

Again, I just want to emphasize that if you are considering this diet, you should talk to a doctor or a nutritionist. I am not an expert, and what works for me may not work for you.

Run Strong!

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Rickey Henderson Headlines Hall Ballot

Everyone likes to debate whether their favorite player is worthy of the Hall of Fame, but there are fewer than 600 people in this country who actually get to make that decision. Later this afternoon, the esteemed Baseball Writers Association of America will make their collective opinion known, revealing the results of this year's voting.

Only 23 players appeared on this year's ballot, the fewest ever, although voters are free to vote for any of the 60 players who are eligible. There are too many eligible candidates to mention here, but here are some names you should be looking for during today's announcement.


-- Rickey Henderson. There may not have been a better leadoff hitter in the game -- and let's face it, if Rickey didn't love the game so much, he'd already be enshrined. Instead, he kept pushing his first year of eligibility back every time he latched on with another team -- he played for five different teams after turning 40 before finally playing his final season as a 44-year-old in 2003.

Truth be told, Rickey never officially retired: he continued to play in the independent leagues for several years, and if a team called him up today and extended an invitation to spring training, he'd probably show up next month in better shape than half the players in camp.

Jim Rice-- Jim Rice. Rice is notable for several reasons, including two that have nothing to do with his career statistics. First, he fell just a few percentage points shy of making the cut last year with 72.2 percent of the vote, mere percentage points short of the requisite three-fourths majority. Secondly, this is his 15th year on the ballot; per BBWAA rules, if he doesn't make the cut this year he'll no longer be eligible to be included on future ballots, which would then put his fate in the hands of the notoriously stingy Veterans Committee.

-- Bert Blyleven. Like Rice, he's the definition of a fringe candidate. Unlike Rice, he has until 2011 until it's his last chance. The voters can't seem to decide whether he's deserving or not -- he received 53.3 percent of the vote in 2006, 47.7 percent in 2007 and 61.9 percent last year. Maybe this is the year he tops 75 percent, or maybe he dips below 50 percent. The relatively short ballot might work in his favor this year.

-- Tommy John. There's a whole generation of baseball fans who know about Tommy John simply for the surgery named after him than what he did as a player, but that shouldn't diminish his accomplishments. He pitched 26 years in the majors, appearing in four All-Star games in three different decades (1968, 1978, 1979 and 1980), including three after undergoing the then-revolutionary arm surgery in 1974 that now bears his name. Like Rice, this is his 15th and final appearance on the ballot.

-- Mark McGwire. McGwire has fallen short each of the first two years he was eligible. At some point, though, the voters will need to decide what they want to do with players from the so-called Steroid Era, because if they continue to deny McGwire, they'll probably have to deny every power hitter from the early 90's until the Mitchell Report. So long as McGwire continues to garner at least 5 percent of the vote (he had 23.5 percent in 2007; 23.6 percent in 2008), the BBWAA can put this debate on the back burner.

There are some tough calls for the voters to make, but that's the way it's supposed to be -- the talented fringe players who don't make the cut make it all the more special for those who do.

The BBWAA will make their announcement at 2 PM; check back frequently for our coverage of today's news.

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Space Roar!

A “Space Roar” is leaving astronomers with a mystery. The new Space Roar discovery was six times louder than usually detected. The Space Roar mystery is leaving several questions:

1. where is it from
2. what caused it

The extent of its magnitude is the greatest interest, coming from a distant cosmos. The Space Roar, as it’s being dubbed, was revealed today at the 213th meeting of the American Astronomical Society.

Alan Kogut of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. spoke of the discovery. He said of the roar:

“[There’s] something new and interesting going on in the universe.”

SOURCE

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Jim Caldwell Colts Head Coach!

Indianapolis Colts Tony Dungy will be retiring today as head coach. Jim Caldwell will be the Colts’ next head coach, says reports.

Dungy is reportedly at the Colts facility today saying goodbye to staff and players says FOX News.

Jim Caldwell, the assistant coach currently for the Colts, will be the team’s next head coach. Dungy leaves with 92-33 record and a 2006 Super Bowl win while at the Colts.

But in 13 years at both the Colts and Buccaneers, Dungy has had an impressive 139-69 record.

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Room A Day Giveaway 2009 - How To Enter

If you've been watching "The View" recently you'll already know about the exciting "Room-A-Day Giveaway Sweepstakes" offer where 16 lucky winners will win $25,000 for a fabulous design makeover.

15 of the winners will be announced between February 2 to February 15, 2009 on ABC's "The View" and the final winner posted on the Room A Day Give Away website on March 15, 2009.

The sweepstakes begin January 10, 2009 and end on March 6, 2009. This contest is only available to those living in the United States who are 18 years of age and over. You can find out more about the makeover contest and enter online at www.roomadaygiveaway.com.

SOURCE

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Bush Says Farewell To The 'Klieg Lights'? Bush's Public Comments On Obama

There is a lot of talk over a remark that Bush made about Obama and his future as our president. Bush was quoted in saying "He'll make the decisions he thinks (are) necessary," Bush said. "When I get out of here, I'm getting off the stage. I believe there ought to be one person in the Klieg lights at a time and I've had my time in the Klieg lights." Many are wondering, what exactly are Klieg lights?

A Klieg light is considered movie lighting, they are lights that illuminate through the use of a tungsten-halogen filament. Basically, instead of saying spotlight, Bush decided to use the word Klieg lights. Which was invented by John H. Kliegl and brother Anton Tiberius Kliegl. Most notably Kliegl lights are used to convert scenes in movies from day to night. The lights were invented in 1911.

According to UPI, Bush said he "hoped the tone in Washington was different for Obama than for him. While noting that the White House and Congress "did find some good common ground ... the rhetoric got out of control." He congratulated Obama and said that "President-elect Obama's election does speak volumes about how far the country has come," he said. "It's going to be an amazing moment." A real class act from our President. (c) tPC

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Jim Rice Elected Into Baseball Hall Of Fame

Red Sox slugger Jim Rice has been elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame, something Tom Verducci calls a "well-deserved honor":

Rice wasn't great just for a small period of time.
In the 12 years starting with 1975, Rice finished first, third, third, fourth, fourth and fifth in MVP balloting, was named to eight All-Star teams, and ranked among the top five in RBIs seven times, home runs five times, total bases five times and batting average four times. His reliability at an elite level was extraordinary. Rice qualified for the batting title in every one of those 12 seasons and never had a truly bad year -- his worst OPS in that run was 112, and that was a season in which he drove in 122 runs. He took 76 percent of his career plate appearances in either the third or fourth spot in the lineup, and batted .308 with runners in scoring position.

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Marcus Schrenker Piper: Schrenker Piper PA-36 wanted

Marcus Schrenker, pilot of Piper PA-36 plane, is wanted by authorities. Marcus Schrenker, of Indiana, made a weird report that his small plane, a Piper PA-36, was in trouble. Marcus Schrenker said he experienced turbulence. Schrenker said his windshield had blown into the Piper PA-36 plane and he was cut by glass. Schrenker’s Piper PA-36 crashed on Sunday, Jan 11.

Schrenker said he was bleeding badly. Schrenker set the Piper PA-36 on auto-pilot. Then Schrenker bailed out of the plane. The single engine Piper PA-36 crashed in northern Florida. The Piper PA-36 crashed into swamp of Blackwater River in East Milton, Florida.

Deputies did not find blood at the site of the Piper PA-36. They know Schrenker bailed out on a parachute. Schrenker checked into a hotel in Alabama using an alias but disappeared into the woods.

Schrenker is the president of an Indianapolis agency called Heritage Wealth Management. It seemed Schrenker wanted to fake a plane crash.

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Heritage Wealth Management Pilot Fakes Own Death to Avoid $1.4 Million Lawsuit

The story of Heritage Wealth Management President Marcus Schrenker is something straight out of a mid-grade Hollywood action flick.

Yesterday evening, Schrenker, who was flying a Piper PA 36 from Indianapolis to Florida, put in a distress call to Air Traffic Control that his windshield had imploded and he was about to crash. He crashed somewhere in the Florida Panhandle, but he wasn’t inside his plane when it went down.

Local authorities say that Schrenker put the plane into autopilot, then jumped out with a parachute before it crashed. Schrenker then allegedly checked into a Harpersville, Alabama hotel under a fake name.

Business is getting more tabloid-like every day.

InfoWeek’s Paul McDougall uncovered a possible motive for Schrenker’s great escape.

This guy is facing a lawsuit that claims he owes more than $1.4 million.

In court papers filed in December in federal court in Indianapolis, collection agent Creative Marketing International claims that Marcus Schrenker, acting as an insurance broker, failed to remit commission reimbursements of $1.4 million to National Western Life.

National Western contracted to CMI to collect the money on its behalf, according to court records.

Schrenker was an insurance agent for National Western from 2003 to 2006, according to court records. During that time, he collected more than $1.4 million in advance commissions on policies that ultimately went unsold or that lapsed in some way.

CMI claims Schrenker was legally obligated to repay the commissions to National Western, but never did. CMI is now suing Schrenker for breach of contract and unjust enrichment. Oh, and it wants the money back.

Schrenker’s escape skills seem to be as dubious as his business methods. If he really wanted to get away, why didn’t he just board a plane to Mexico?

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Presidential Burdens

DAN BERNSTEIN

Today's word is "serendipity."President Kennedy and President Brewer. Coincidence or what?

Last week, I opened an old book and read about Gen. Maxwell Taylor joining the Kennedy administration. Taylor wanted to be called The Military Representative of the President. Kennedy preferred Special Military Representative. Kennedy, the president, won.

A day later, acting on a tip, I scored a DVD of last week's Jurupa school board meeting, during which new member Noreen Considine, a retired Navy officer, made it clear what she wanted to be called.

When Board Prez Dawn Brewer called her "Ms. Considine," she responded, "Captain Considine." Later, a gent in the audience rose to say he'd appreciate the board calling his wife captain, "a title she has earned."

Whereupon board member Mike Rodriguez said he didn't want to be called "Mike" anymore. "I address you as President Brewer or Madam President, and you ... continue to call me Mike. It's not that kind of a relationship. I think I've earned the title of Mr. Rodriguez."

Much like President Kennedy, President Brewer, had to make a decision. What would it be?

Considine won't be called "captain" by this president. Electeds, Brewer told me, are addressed by their title: congressman, supervisor etc.

Another Navy captain is called Sen. McCain. Henceforth, Brewer will call board members "trustee."

Considine: "That sounds like somebody on a chain gang."

Lonely job, the presidency. But next meeting, they'll discuss the district's dire financial condition. It'll be a relief to get back to trivia.

Geologist Jeff Fitzsimmons was hitting on almost all cylinders the other night as he held forth on the San Jacinto fault at a Riverside meeting of the Inland Geological Society. His Power Point presentation was supposed to start with a "rumble" of an earthquake. But the sound was missing, so Fitzsimmons told his assistant he'd have to "provide the sound effects."

Just before 8 p.m. last Thursday, as Fitzsimmons leveled his laser pointer "on the seismic trend I was talking about, the earthquake hit." His assistant had come through big time. "I believe I high-fived him."

GREYHOUND: Now that they're talking again, Riverside Councilman Mike Gardner has suggested Greyhound and the city undertake a joint intel operation to pick potential sites, then go house to house (sort of) alerting the masses "before they ever apply" to open a depot. Gardner calls it "Neighborhood Buy-In." Warns it will be time consuming. He awaits word from the hound.

LIBRARY EXPANSION: Might be years before the Main Libe gets huge. But Gardner says a "design process" will go forward for "a significantly expanded library." How significant? He predicts the library's most devout backers will be tickled with a city manager's report, due in days. Pleased with the CM? What's changed?

Gardner: "There was an (City Council) election. Things changed. He's (City Manager Brad Hudson) marching in a new direction. I don't think he's as devious as he's accused of being."

That's awfully high praise.

Big welcome to the Afghan judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys visiting Riverside to study the American legal system with hopes of re-establishing their country's rule of law.

Someone should make sure the 14-member delegation observes weekend check-out lines at Costco so they'll know even RivCo handles some backlogs quite efficiently.

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Blue Moon Cafe Baltimore

Blue Moon Cafe

1621 Aliceanna St
Baltimore, MD 21231
(410) 522-3940

* Price Range: $$
* Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
* Parking: Street
* Attire: Casual
* Good for Groups: No
* Good for Kids: No
* Takes Reservations: No
* Delivery: No
* Take-out: Yes
* Waiter Service: Yes
* Wheelchair Accessible: No
* Outdoor Seating: No
* Good for: Breakfast
* Alcohol: None

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Driver Sues Eddy Curry for Sexual Harassment

A man who worked for three years as Eddy Curry’s driver is suing Curry, alleging sexual harassment and a failure to pay him tens of thousands of dollars.

In a lawsuit filed Monday in federal court, the former driver, Dave Kuchinsky, claimed that Curry, the Knicks’ center, owed him $68,000 in back wages and another $25,000 for charges made on Kuchinsky’s credit card. In the suit, Kuchinsky also described two incidents in which he claimed Curry dropped his pants and made lewd and suggestive remarks.

Curry steadfastly denied the allegations Monday. Curry’s lawyer, Kelly Saindon, called the allegations “preposterous” and added, “In my opinion, it’s extortion.”

Curry, 26, is married and has four children. Kuchinsky began working for Curry in October 2005. He quit last October, according to his lawyer, Matt Blit.

“My client called up Eddy and said I need to get paid,” said Blit, of Levine and Blit in Manhattan. “If we came to an agreement, we wouldn’t have filed suit.”

Saindon said Kuchinsky’s salary was $3,600 a month and that he was paid in full before he and Curry parted ways. Saindon said that Kuchinsky called her in early December and asked for two months’ wages, because he “was upset he was let go.” She said that Kuchinsky made no mention at the time of “gay sex propositions or dirty towels or racial slurs or anything about a gun” — accusations made in the suit.

Curry said the allegations were “absolutely false; just incredible.”

“I guess it’s just a prime example of you just got to watch who you have around you,” Curry said, “because this is a guy who I really thought he was my friend.”

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Fargo woman wins 'Real Chance of Love' reality show

Abbie Noah is Fargo’s latest reality TV winner as the hairstylist ended VH1’s “Real Chance of Love” hugging, kissing and smiling with “her man.”

Monday night’s finale featured Noah as one of the final four women vying for the hearts of two men – Real and Chance, two brothers who call themselves “The Stallionaires.” The show’s premise featured each brother choosing his prospective “love” from a group of women.

As the show started Monday night, each brother had two final women to choose from.
Noah, who was known on the show was “Corn Fed,” was up against a woman dubbed “Bay Bay Bay” for the love of Real. Early in the episode, Noah and Bay Bay Bay argued during a poolside dinner in a Puerto Rico resort. Noah left the table crying after Bay Bay Bay and Real each wondered if the polite, sweet Fargo woman could handle the honest, harsh lifestyle of Los Angeles and the celebrity scene following Real.

“I’d feel absolutely devastated if Real doesn’t pick me,” Noah said early on.

During the show’s final selection, Real again questioned Noah’s ability to handle his lifestyle in Los Angeles.

“L.A. is not Fargo,” he said.

The statement brought tears to Noah’s eyes as she turned away in agony, unable to face the possibility she couldn’t be with Real.

But as Real turned to Bay Bay Bay he said he came to the show to find a relationship that had “fireworks.” And, he said, he didn’t feel the explosions with Bay Bay Bay.

Looking at Noah, Real said, “I believe you fell in love with me. I fell in love with you too.”

After an embrace, the show switched to a post-interview with Noah and she said, “I have been waiting this entire time to hear Real say he fell in love with me, and he said it. … I am absolutely in love with Real.”

She was the only woman on the show who found love. In a surprising move, Chance dismissed both of his final women saying he wasn’t truly in love with either of them.

The “Real Chance of Love” finale will be followed in two weeks with a reunion episode on VH1.

Fargo's previous reality show champion was Caridee English, who won the seventh cycle - or season - "America's Next Top Model."

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Citizens Of Humanity Jeans

Established in 2003, CITIZENS OF HUMANITY has charmed the fashion world with a rigorous commitment to cutting edge denim styling, supreme comfort and fit without compromise. CITIZENS OF HUMANITY designs, markets and produces over one million pairs of jeans annually in their own off site laundries. Each piece of CITIZENS OF HUMANITY is unique and handcrafted to perfection.
view more verities for women
Reg. $224.00
• Color - Amsterdam
• 34" Inseam
• 7.5" Rise
• 98% cotton 2% elastan
• 14" in the knee and 14" at the leg opening
• Distressed front and back pockets
• Whiskering along front pockets
• Styled with Lamb Selene in Gunmetal.
• Modeled in size 27. See fit guide for
model's dimensions.
• Revolve Style No. CITI-WJ468
• Manufacturer Style No. 1131-804
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view more verities for men

Reg. $246.00
• Wash - Vanity
• 34" Inseam
• 10" Rise
• 98% cotton 2% elastan
• 18" in the knee narrows to 17" at the leg opening
• Distressed pockets and hem
• Button up fly
• Revolve Style No. CITI-MJ78
• Manufacturer Style No. 604D-145
view more verities for men

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WWE.com Confirms Huge WWE HOF Inductee

WWE posted the following on their website:

It’s time to raise a glass — of beer, naturally — to the most popular WWE Superstar in history, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin.

It’s official! The six-time WWE Champion will be inducted into the 2009 WWE Hall of Fame on April 4 in his home state of Texas at Houston’s Toyota Center, the night before WrestleMania XXV. “Stone Cold” is the first Superstar announced for this year’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in what promises to be one “Hell Yeah” of an evening. (Stone Cold's Hall of Fame profile)

Tickets for this event will be available Saturday, January 17 at 10:00 a.m. CT. For more information, check WWE live events.

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Two and a Half Men Melissa!

The Two and a Half Men “Thank God for Scoliosis” guest stars listing was:

Melissa: Kelly Stables
Shelly: Carol Kane
Janine: Emily Rose
Mrs. Freemantle: Lillian Adams

TV Commercial Announcer: Robert Clotworthy

Kelly appears in a three episode arch as Melissa for the hit sitcom.

Says CBS about tonight’s episode:
“Multiple Emmy Award Winner Carol Kane (”Taxi”) Guest Stars as Alan’s Receptionist’s Mother “Thank God for Scoliosis” - Charlie and Jake fight for the affections of a waitress, while Alan fights sexual tension with his receptionist, on TWO AND A HALF MEN, Monday, Jan. 12 (9:00-9:31 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. “

CBS has had a huge hit with Two and a Half Men…. because as we all know there aren’t any decent shows on television.

Says CBS:

“Emmy Award nominated TWO AND A HALF MEN has been the Number One-rated sitcom on television for the past three seasons. It’s a comedy about men, women, sex, dating, divorce, mothers, single parenthood, sibling relations, surrogate families, money and, most importantly, love. More specifically, it’s about the lives of two brothers, one brother’s son, and the many women who surround them.”

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Carolyn Laurie Kane Bio

Full name, Carolyn Laurie Kane; born June 18, 1952, in Cleveland, OH; father,an architect; mother, a jazz musician and teacher. Addresses: Office:Krost/Chapin Artists Talent Agency, 9911 West Pico Blvd., Ph. I, Los Angeles, CA 90035-2715.; Agent: Creative Artists Agency, 9830 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90212.; Contact: 8205 Santa Monica Blvd., #1426, Los Angeles, CA90046-5967.

Nationality
American
Gender
Female
Occupation
Actress
Birth Details
June 18, 1952
Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Famous Works

* CREDITS
* Film Appearances
* (As Carole Kane) Carol, Blood of the Iron Maiden (also known as Is This Trip Really Necessary? and Trip to Terror), 1970
* Jennifer, Carnal Knowledge, Avco-Embassy, 1971
* Young girl, Desperate Characters, Paramount, 1971
* Jeannie, Wedding in White (also known as Mariage en blanc),Avco-Embassy, 1972
* Young whore, The Last Detail, Columbia, 1973
* Jenny, Dog Day Afternoon, Warner Bros., 1975
* Gitl, Hester Street, Midwest, 1975
* Florence, Harry and Walter Go to New York, Columbia, 1976
* Allison, Annie Hall, United Artists, 1977
* Fatty's girl, Valentino, United Artists, 1977
* Annie Hickman, The World's Greatest Lover, Twentieth Century-Fox,1977
* Cissy Carpenter, The Mafu Cage (also known as My Sister, My Love, The Cage, Deviation, and Don't Ring the Doorbell), Cloud 5, 1978
* Daisy, Sabina (also known as La Sabina), El Iman-Svenska Film Institute, 1979
* Jill Johnson, When a Stranger Calls, Columbia, 1979
* Myth, The Muppet Movie, Associated Film Distribution, 1979
* Strong Medicine, 1979
* Miss Kurtz, The Emmett Smith Story, 1979
* Louise Haines-Pearson, Les jeux de la Comtesse Donlingen de Gratz,1981
* Candy Jefferson, Pandemonium (also known as Thursday the Twelfth), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1982
* Rose, Norman Loves Rose, Atlantic, 1982
* Cafe customer, Can She Bake a Cherry Pie?, World Wide Classics, 1983
* Cheryl Goodman, Over the Brooklyn Bridge (also known as Acrossthe Brooklyn Bridge and My Darling Shiksa), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1984
* Annie the hooker, Racing with the Moon, Paramount, 1984
* Martha Bernays, The Secret Diary of Sigmund Freud, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1984
* (In archive footage) Jill Johnson in When a Stranger Calls, Terror in the Aisles, 1984
* Lupi, Transylvania 6-5000, New World, 1985
* Cynthia Sparks, computer operator at 1st National Bank, Jumpin' Jack Flash, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1986
* Carol, Ishtar, Columbia, 1987
* Valerie, The Princess Bride, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1987
* Kitty, Sticky Fingers, Spectra Film, 1988
* Mom, License to Drive, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1988
* Ghost of Christmas Present, Scrooged, Paramount, 1988
* Franki D'Angelo, The Lemon Sisters, Miramax, 1990
* Shaldeen, My Blue Heaven, Warner Bros., 1990
* Maggie, Flashback, Paramount, 1990
* (As Lisa Le Blanc) Cassandra the hairdresser, Joe versus the Volcano, Warner Bros., 1990
* Colette and Colette's twin sister, Ted and Venus, Double Helix Films, 1991
* Barbara, In the Soup (also known as In the Soup--Alles Kino, In the Soup--Un mare di guai, and In the Soup: En la sopa), Triton Pictures, 1992
* Maria, Baby on Board, Prism Entertainment, 1993
* Granny Addams, Addams Family Values, Paramount, 1993
* Cowgirl Carla, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, New Line, 1994
* Treva Van Arsdale, The Crazysitter (also known as Two Much Trouble), Concorde/New Horizons, 1995
* Voice of Molly Rex, Theodore Rex (also known as T. Rex), 1995
* Helen, American Strays, A-Pix Entertainment, 1996
* Faith, Big Bully, Warner Bros., 1996
* Mona, Sunset Park, TriStar, 1996
* Tom's mom, The Pallbearer, Miramax, 1996
* Connie, Trees Lounge, Live Entertainment, 1996
* Donna Waters, Gone Fishin', Buena Vista, 1997
* Voice of Spider, Napoleon, Samuel Goldwyn, 1997
* Dorine Douglas, Office Killer, Miramax, 1997
* Miss Gimpole, The Tic Code, Jazz Films, 1998
* Miss Sherwood, Jawbreaker, TriStar, 1999
* (Uncredited) Herself in Taxi, Man on the Moon (also known as Der Mondmann), Universal, 1999
* Officer Garfield, Tomorrow by Midnight (also known as Midnight5), Capitol, 1999
* Dr. Louise Rosenberg, The Shrink Is In, New City, 2000
* Linda, The Office Party, 2000
* Herself, A Constant Forge (also known as A Constant Forge: TheLife and Art of John Cassavetes), 2000
* Mrs. Benson, My First Mister, Paramount Classics, 2001
* Mom, D.C. Smalls, 2001
* Joey, Love In the Time of Money, ThinkFilm, 2002
* Television Appearances
* Series
* Simka Dahblitz-Gravas, Taxi, ABC, 1981-1982, NBC, 1982-1983
* Nicolette Bingham, All Is Forgiven, NBC, 1986
* Lillian Abernathy, American Dreamer, NBC, 1990-1991
* Aunt Sylvia, Brooklyn Bridge, CBS, 1990-1991
* Annie Caraldo, Pearl, 1996-1997
* Lydia (L. L.) Luddin, Beggars and Choosers, Showtime, 1999
* Rosie Grubb, The Grubbs, Fox, 2002
* Movies
* Eliza Southgate, Out of Our Father's House, 1978
* Frances Loomis, "The Girls in Their Summer Dresses," The Girls In Their Summer Dresses and Other Stories by Irwin Shaw, 1981
* Ilene Cohen, An Invasion of Privacy, CBS, 1983
* Mary Harwood, Burning Rage, CBS, 1984
* Maxine, Drop-out Mother (also known as Goodbye, Supermom),CBS, 1988
* Jill Johnson, When a Stranger Calls Back, Showtime, 1993
* Gloria, the angel, Dad, the Angel, and Me, The Family Channel, 1995
* Miss Futterman, "Freaky Friday," The Disney Family Film, ABC, 1995
* Cousin Tilly/Mrs. Hatch, Merry Christmas, George Bailey, PBS, 1997
* Missy, Audrey's Rain, Hallmark Channel, 2003
* Mrs. Shaw, Cosmopolitan, PBS, 2003
* Also appeared in Many Mansions.
* Miniseries
* Sarah, Noah's Ark, NBC, 1999
* Episodic
* (As Carole Kane) Ellen, "The Return of Golden Tom," The Virginian,1966
* (As Carole Kane) Charlotte Rivers, "The Outcast," The Virginian, 1966
* Donna Mae Coble, "Epitaph for a Cop," The Felony Squad, ABC, 1968
* Susannah White, "We the Women," American Parade, CBS, 1974
* "Fans of the Kosko Show," Visions, PBS, 1978
* Simka Dahblitz, "Guess Who's Coming for Brefnish," Taxi, 1980
* April, "The Greatest Man in the World," American Short Story, PBS,1980
* Olga, "Jinxed," Laverne and Shirley, ABC, 1982
* "Keeping on," American Playhouse, PBS, 1983
* "Sleeping Beauty," Faerie Tale Theater, Showtime, 1983
* Amanda Boyer, "A Ditch in Time," Cheers, NBC, 1984
* Anne MacColl, "Snip, Snip," Tales from the Darkside, syndicated, 1985
* "Bum Tip," Crazy Like a Fox, CBS, 1985
* Judy, "Judy, You're Not Yourself Today," Tales from the Crypt, HBO, 1990
* Voice of Ollie, "Quack in the Quarks," Tiny Toon Adventures, 1990
* Late Night with David Letterman, 1990
* "The Crash: Parts 1 & 2," Sibs, 1991
* Polly, "Tomorrow's Child," The Ray Bradbury Theater, USA Network,1992
* Corinne, "The Marine Biologist," Seinfeld, 1994
* Shelby, "The Courtship of Carol's Father," Empty Nest, NBC, 1994
* Marguerite Birch, "Stand," Chicago Hope, CBS, 1995
* Lily Penney, "A Penney Saved ... ," Ellen, ABC, 1996
* Voice of Emily Dickinson, "Freeze Frame/Phoebe Cheats," Hey Arnold! (animated), Nickelodeon, 1997
* Munch's ex-wife, "All Is Bright," Homicide: Life on the Street (also known as Homicide and H:LOTS), NBC, 1997
* Simka Gravaas, "The Milk Run," The Tony Danza Show, NBC, 1997
* Voice of Maude, "Carl and Maude," As Told by Ginger (animated), Nickelodeon, 2000
* Voice of Carol, "Emission Impossible," Family Guy, Fox, 2001
* Also appeared as Gloria, "Baum's Thesis," That's Life; voice of Brawnhilda, Aladdin (animated), CBS; Emily Roebling, A. J.'s Time Travelers, Fox; voice, Adventures from the Book of Virtues (animated), PBS; voice of Little Miss Muffit, "Blue's Big Treasure Hunt," Blue's Clues (animated), Nickelodeon; tooth fairy, The Noddy Shop, PBS.
* Pilots
* Paula, Fox, 1998
* Specials
* "Bob Goldthwait--Don't Watch This Show," Cinemax Comedy Experiment, Cinemax, 1986
* Barbara, "Casey at the Bat" (also known as "Shelley Duvall's Tall Tales and Legends"), On Location, HBO, 1986
* "Paul Reiser: Out on a Whim," On Location, HBO, 1987
* "Rap Master Ronnie--A Report Card," Cinemax Comedy Experiment, Cinemax, 1988
* The 3rd Annual American Comedy Awards, ABC, 1989
* Voices That Care, Fox, 1991
* The 43rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards Presentation, Fox, 1991
* Why Bother Voting?, PBS, 1992
* Best of Taxi (also known as Hey Taxi), CBS, 1994
* A Comedy Salute to Andy Kaufman, NBC, 1995
* Merry Christmas, George Bailey, PBS, 1997
* Interviewee, Intimate Portrait: Anjelica Huston, Lifetime, 1998
* Voice, The First Snow of Winter, The Disney Channel, 1998
* Celebrity Profile: Marilu Henner, E! Entertainment Television, 1999
* Feld's wife, The First Seven Years, PBS, 1999
* Interviewee, Intimate Portrait: Diane Keaton, Lifetime, 2001
* Interviewee, Intimate Portrait: Doris Roberts, Lifetime, 2002
* Stage Appearances
* The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Public Theatre, New York City, 1966
* Esme Train, Ring 'round the Bath Tub, Martin Beck Theatre, New York City, 1972
* Miranda, The Tempest, Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, New York City, 1974
* Tillie, The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, Biltmore Theatre, New York City, 1978
* Benefit of a Doubt, Folger Theatre Group, Washington, DC, 1978
* Lillian Hellman, Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?, Promenade Theatre, New York City, 1978
* Tales from the Vienna Woods, 1979
* Sunday Runners in the Rain, 1980
* The Tempest, Lincoln Center, New York City, 1980
* Macbeth, Lincoln Center, 1980
* Fairy, The Fairy Garden, Walter McGinn/John Cazale Theatre, New York City, 1984
* The Debutante Ball, Manhattan Theatre Club, New York City, 1988
* Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, Westside Arts Theatre, New York City, 1988
* Demon Wine, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Los Angeles, 1988-1989
* Maid, WASPS and Other Plays, Joseph Papp Theater, New York Shakespeare Festival, 1995-1996
* The Vagina Monologues, Westside Theatre, 1999-2003
* Ricky, Sandra, Kelly, Family Week, 2000
* The Guys, Flea Theater, 2002
* Madame Latour, He Hunts, Geffen Playhouse, Westwood, CA, 2002
* Also appeared in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Charles Playhouse,Boston, MA.

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Kelly Rutherford Fears Estranged Husband Will Vanish with Son

The divorce action between Gossip Girl star Kelly Rutherford and her estranged husband has turned ugly, with the actress seeking to bar him from leaving the United States with their 2-year-old son for fear they'll disappear.



Estranged husband David Giersch countered in L.A. Superior Court with papers alleging the actress, who's four months pregnant with their second child, has a bad temper, once throwing a laptop at him and another time trying to sock him with her fist.

Rutherford, 40, filed for divorce from Giersch, an entrepreneur, last month after being married a little over two years, seeking sole physical custody with monitored visitation. On the same day, Giersch filed for legal separation, seeking sole legal and physical custody with visitation for her.

In emergency papers filed Jan. 9, Rutherford sought to bar Giersch, 34, from traveling outside the United States with their son Hermes.

Views As Risk
"I feel there is some risk that he will leave the country with Hermes and I will not know where they are," Rutherford said in a declaration, adding that during their marriage, he told her of a pending investigation in his native Germany that could lead to his arrest.

Rutherford also asked the court to allow her to travel to New York for work with their son.

Giersch fired back in a response that he has dutifully served as Hermes's main caretaker in L.A., and that Rutherford's commitments to Gossip Girl and her bicoastal commute were a reason why their marriage failed.

"I have been extremely concerned about our son living in a hotel and a New York lifestyle, and this has been one of the main reasons, if not the reason for the ending of (Rutherford's) and my marriage," Giersch said.

He added: "(Rutherford's) routine is that she has weekly hair appointments for at least two hours, manicures, pedicures, shopping and the like. She has been able to do all of that because I have been taking care of Hermes, and am happy to continue doing so, as it would be best for him."
more here

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Happy Bogi,Pongal and Kanuma

"Bhogi tho bhoga bhagyalu, sankrathi tho santhosha kanthulu ,kanuma tho kannula pandagalu mee bhavishthku jatha cheralani asisthu mee siva rajesh"

Its Festival time again! Here’s wishing everyone a crackling Bhogi, a delightful Pongal and a cheerful Sankranthi!

Bhogi is more common up here than in Hyderabad where kite-flying is in vogue. I’ve touched upon the same information last year as well so pardon the redundancy. Also, I couldn’t find a unique greeting image for wishing you all, so I’ve put together something different…sample this:

During the search, I’ve come across this nice li’l Pongal Google Logo by Siva Rajesh

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Kodak Easyshare 8.1MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Zoom

Kodak Easyshare 8.1MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Zoom- Hello people! Today we will introduce you a really very specific digital camera with a very cheap price. Kodak Easyshare 8.1MP Digital Camera is only $109.99 just special for today. Normallyi if you want to buy this digital camera, you must pay at least $159.95. And if you ask to me even $159.95 is very cheap for such a specific camera. Maybe some of you say i speak nonsense, but i do not. Because Kodak Easyshare 8.1MP Digital Camera has a 12x Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon optical image-stabilized zoom lens and HD capture and records HD video. If you know a little about digital cameras, you know what 12x Optical Zoom means. İf you don’t, let me tell you: Optical Zoom means the quality of picture that you will capture not Megapixels. Megapixels only enable anyone to be able to print in large size. Anyway, below you can find the specifications and the pictures of Kodak Easyshare 8.1MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Zoom. And if you have any questions or problems, i will be around here to help you guys. Finally, of course the choice is yours but as a photographer i say you: Don’t miss this camera!
Kodak Easyshare 8.1MP Digital Camera with 12x
Features:

* 8.1 MP means you can make stunning prints up to 30 × 40 in. (76 × 102 cm)
* 12X Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon Optical Zoom Lens (36–432 mm)
* Easily capture and create great shots with features such as on-camera cropping, blurry picture alert, and digital redeye reduction
* Selectable grid line display helps with image composition, especially for taking shots of buildings or landscapes

* Verify the exposure of your picture using the histogram feature on live view, quick view, and review
* Capture stunning shots with ease—smart scene mode automatically selects from 5 available scene modes
* Camera automatically selects from ISO 80 to ISO 1600 based on lighting conditions
* Print better, brighter pictures using Kodak Perfect Touch Technology
* 2.5 in. (6.4 cm) LCD color display
* Record continuous VGA video (640 × 480) at 30 fps with sound and on-camera editing
* Advanced program modes, aperture and shutter priority, as well as full manual mode (PASM)

Standard Features
Sensor type:	1 / 2.5 in. CCD
Effective pixels:	8.1 MP (3298 × 2472)
Lens:	36–432 mm (35 mm equiv.) f/2.8–4.8 SCHNEIDER-KREUZNACH VARIOGON Lens
Zoom:	12X optical 5X advanced digital
Image stabilizer:	Optical
Shutter speed:	1/2–1/3200 sec. [smart scene mode–auto] 16–1/1000 sec. [S/M mode]
LCD:	2.5 in. (6.4 cm) high resolution (230k pixels) indoor/outdoor color display
Storage:	21 MB internal memory available SDHC/SD card expansion slot
Auto Focus
Type:	TTL imager AF system
Modes:	Normal AF Macro AF Infinity AF
Focus range:	Auto wide: 4.7 in. (12 cm)–infinity Auto tele: 3.9 ft (1.2 m)–infinity
Auto focus control:	Single Continuous
Auto focus zones:	TTL multi-zone AF Center zone AF
AF assist light:	Yes
Exposure Control
ISO sensitivity:	Auto 64 100 200 400 800 1600 3200 (ISO 3200 available at 2.2 MP setting & less in PASM modes.)
Metering modes:	Multi-pattern Center-weighted Center-spot
Compensation:	±2.0 EV with 1/3 EV steps
Bracketing:	±1.0 EV with 1/3 EV steps, 3 images
White balance:	Auto Daylight Tungsten Fluorescent Open shade
Flash
Range:	Wide: 7.8 m, tele: 4.4 m [smart scene mode] Wide: 21 m, tele: 12 m [ISO 3200]
Modes:	Auto Off Fill Red-eye reduction
Compensation:	±1.0 EV in 1/3 steps
Shooting Specifications
Drive modes:	Single shot First burst (1.7 fps up to 4 frames) Last burst (1.7 fps last 4 frames) Self timer (10 sec.) Two-shot self timer (10 sec.) Delay shutter (2 sec.)
Shooting modes:	Smart scene High ISO P (program) A (aperture priority) S (shutter priority) M (manual) Panorama (left-right, right-left ) Video Scene
Scene modes:	Portrait Sports Landscape Flower Sunset Backlight Candlelight Manner/museum Text Beach Snow Fireworks Self-portrait Night landscape Night portrait Stage
Still Capture
Still format:	JPEG/EXIF v2.21
Picture size:	8.0 MP (3264 × 2448)—4:3 7.1 MP (3264 × 2176)—3:2 6.0 MP (3264 × 1840)—16:9 5.0 MP (2592 × 1944)—4:3 3.1 MP (2048 × 1536)—4:3 2.2 MP (1800 × 1200)—3:2 2.1 MP (1920 × 1080)—16:9 1.2 MP (1280 × 960)—4:3
Color modes:	High color Natural color Low color Sepia Black and white
Sharpness:	High Normal Low
Review options:	Select all Search Tag Protect Copy Slideshow Multimedia slideshow Multi-up
Editing:	On-camera crop KODAK PERFECT TOUCH Technology Sound tag
Video Capture
Format:	QuickTime MotionJPEG
Quality:	VGA (640 × 480) at 30 fps QVGA (320 × 240) at 30 fps
Length:	Continuous up to 80 min. based on memory capacity
Review options:	Play Rewind Pause Fast forward Forward and rewind by frame Multi-up Slideshow Multi-field search
Editing:	Make a picture Action print (4, 9, 16-up) Trim Bookmarks
Customization
Custom settings:	LCD brightness setting (5 levels) Image storage setting Album setting Set tag Capture frame grid Date stamp Redeye preflash Image stabilizer control Quick view Advanced digital zoom setting Orientation sensor setting Camera sound setting Sound volume setting Date & time setting Auto power off time setting Video out setting (NTSC/PAL) Language setting
Sharing
Share:	Print Print all e-mail Favorites Cancel print
Physical Specifications
I/O interface:	USB 2.0 connector with A/V output
Power:	KODAK Lithium Digital Camera Battery CRV3 KODAK Li-Ion Rechargeable Digital Camera Battery KLIC-8000 2 AA lithium batteries 3V AC adapter Optional KODAK EASYSHARE Camera/Printer Docks
Tripod mount:	¼ in. standard
Dimensions:	W × H × D: 4.1 × 2.6 × 2.8 in. (104 × 65.6 × 70.5 mm)
Weight:	10.2 oz (290 g), body only

In the box:

• KODAK EASYSHARE Z8612 IS Digital Camera


• KODAK Lithium Digital Camera Battery CRV3


• USB cable


• Wrist strap


• Getting Started Guide with KODAK EASYSHARE Software


• Custom camera insert for optional KODAK EASYSHARE Camera and Printer Docks

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