Senate passes health care bill

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Senate passes health care bill | Senate Democrats passed a health care bill

Senate Democrats passed a landmark health care bill in a climactic Christmas Eve vote that could define President Barack Obama's legacy and usher in near-universal medical coverage for the first time in the country's history. "We are now finally poised to deliver on the promise of real, meaningful health insurance reform that will bring additional security and stability to the American people," Obama said shortly after the Senate acted. "This will be the most important piece of social legislation since Social Security passed in the 1930s," said Obama, standing with Vice President Joe Biden in the State Room of the White House.

The 60-39 vote on a cold winter morning capped months of arduous negotiations and 24 days of floor debate. It also followed a succession of failures by past congresses to get to this point. Biden presided as 58 Democrats and two independents voted "yes." Republicans unanimously voted "no." An exhausted Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., initially cast a "no" vote by mistake, then quickly corrected himself as fellow senators burst out laughing. The tally far exceeded the simple majority required for passage. The Senate's bill must still be merged with legislation passed by the House before Obama could sign a final bill in the new year. There are significant differences between the two measures but Democrats say they've come too far now to fail.

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NORAD Santa Tracker 2009 | NORAD Santa Tracker 2009 to track Santa Claus

NORAD Santa Tracker 2009 | NORAD Santa Tracker 2009 to track Santa Claus

The North American Aerospace Defense Command's (known as NORAD) 2009 will be keeping Santa TrackerNORAD Santa Tracker 2009: Santa Has Begun Delivering Presents
Date: December 31, 1969 track of Santa Claus delivering presents around the globe. NORAD's 2009 Santa tracking began on Christmas NORAD Santa Tracker 2009: Santa Has Begun Delivering Presents Date: December 31, 1969 Eve,at 5 a.m. EST. This is the time NORAD indicates Santa embarks on his gift-giving mission.

Santa Tracker consists of a world map, with a Santa icon that moves as Santa does. Gift boxes indicate where jolly St. Nick is expected to stop. The packages will be lit up with a glow, wherever Santa stops. This allows you to follow a highlighted trail of Santa's global journey. The Santa Tracker is also tricked out with several features that allow you to keep dibs on Santa. The bottom of the map will tell you where Santa currently is and where his next stop will be. NORAD will also add pictures and video captured during Santa's 2009 Christmas Eve trek. If you are curious about the locations Santa visits, there is also a Wikipedia link to explore.

The NORAD Santa Tracker 2009 offers updates of Santa's stops through Twitter and Facebook. There is also a mobile alert option, which will send text messages to your cell phone. If you or your child would prefer to call in to NORAD for Santa's coordinates, call NORAD's Santa Operations Center at 1-877-HI NORAD (1-877-446-6723). You will be able to speak to a live NORAD representative. The NORAD website claims that they are able to keep track of Mr. Claus using Rudolph's glowing red nose and satellite imagery. The tracker indicates he has already been to the Polonos Islands, Micronesia, Russia and Japan.

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Chelsea hit with shock transfer banned from FIFA

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Chelsea hit with shock transfer banned from FIFA

Chelsea have been banned from registering any new players for the next two transfer windows in a shock move by FIFA after being found guilty of inducing a French teenager to breach his contract with another club. Gael Kakuta (pictured), 18, joined Chelsea from Lens two years ago after which the French club lodged a complaint with FIFA.

Now FIFA's dispute resolution chamber has ruled that Kakuta breached his contract with Lens and that Chelsea induced him to do so. They now cannot make any signings until January 2011, while the player has been fined £682,000 and banned for four months. Chelsea havea right to appeal the decision directly to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.

FIFA said in a statement: "The French club had lodged a claim with FIFA seeking compensation for breach of contract from the player and requesting also sporting sanctions to be imposed on the player and the English club for breach of contract and inducement to breach of contract respectively. "The DRC found that the player had indeed breached a contract signed with the French club. Equally, the DRC deemed it to be established that the English club induced the player to such breach.

"As a result the player was condemned to pay compensation in the amount of 780,000 euros (£682,000), for which the club, Chelsea, is jointly and severally liable, and sporting sanctions were imposed on both the player and Chelsea in accordance with art. 17 par. 3 and 4 of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players.

"A restriction of four months on his eligibility to play in official matches is imposed on the player Gael Kakuta while the club Chelsea is banned from registering any new players, either nationally or internationally, for the two next entire and consecutive registration periods following the notification of the present decision. "Furthermore, Chelsea, has to pay RC Lens training compensation in the amount of 130,000 euros (£114,000)."

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Giancarlo Fisichella joined Ferrari

Giancarlo Fisichella joined Ferrari

Giancarlo Fisichella has been given the green light by Force India to race for Ferrari for the remainder of the season, with immediate effect.

"Following extensive discussions over the past 24 hours, the Force India Formula One Team has agreed to release Giancarlo Fisichella from his contract to join the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro team for the remainder of the 2009 season, starting with immediate effect," Force India said in a statment. Force India team boss Vijay Mallya said that he would not have stood in the way of the Italian taking a race seat with Ferrari.

"Giancarlo and his management team approached me yesterday with the proposal from Ferrari," Mallya said. "For any Italian driver, a Ferrari race seat is a long-held dream and for Giancarlo it was no exception. No one should stand in the way of this. "Furthermore the agreement will secure Giancarlo's long-term future with Ferrari and it would be incorrect to jeopardise this, particularly when Giancarlo has made such a vital contribution to Force India."

Amazingly, Mallya said that there had been no financial settlement with Ferrari over the switch of Fisichella, who caused a minor sensation when running Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen close in Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix for Force India's first ever championship points. "This agreement has been made in good faith and for the good of Giancarlo and the sport in general," Mallya insisted. "A competitive Italian driver in a Ferrari for Monza is a positive story for Formula One, which can only help raise the sport's profile in these difficult times."

Fisichella would now be expected to make his Ferrari debut at the next Formula One Grand Prix at the Italian circuit of Monza on September 13. The 36-year-old replaces Luca Badoer as Kimi Raikkonen's team-mate, after the Italian test driver filled in for two races following Felipe Massa's accident at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Stand-in Badoer, 38, struggled in his two races as a replacement for Massa. Making a comeback after almost a decade away from grand prix racing, he qualified last in Valencia and Belgium and was also last to take the chequered flag in both races. Force India are yet to announce who will replace Fisichella for them for the remainder of the season.

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Watch Carling Cup Live Streaming

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Watch Carling Cup Live Streaming

Tuesday August 11, 2009, Kick off: 19:45


Crystal Palace vs Torquay United

Accrington vs Walsall

Huddersfield Town vs Stockport County

Rotherham United vs Derby County

Tranmere Rovers vs Grimsby Town

Sheffield Wednesday vs Rochdale

Bury vs West Bromwich

Notts County vs Doncaster Rovers

Lincoln City vs Barnsley

Scunthorpe United vs Chesterfield

Preston North End vs Morecambe

Crewe Alexandra vs Blackpool

Sheffield United vs Port Vale

Cardiff City vs Dagenham and Redbridge

Wycombe Wanderers vs Peterborough United

Southampton vs Northampton Town

Barnet vs Watford

Hereford United vs Charlton Athletic

Bristol Rovers vs Aldershot Town

Millwall vs Bournemouth

Gillingham vs Plymouth Argyle

Colchester United vs Leyton Orient

Exeter City vs Queens Park Rangers

Cheltenham Town vs Southend United

Brentford vs Bristol City

Yeovil Town vs Norwich City

MK Dons vs Swindon Town

Swansea City vs Brighton and Hove Albion

Shrewsbury Town vs Ipswich

Carlisle United vs Oldham Athletic

Reading vs Burton Albion

Watch Live Streaming



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Michael Jackson Pepsi Commercial 'Hair on Fire' Video Finally Found

Thursday, July 16, 2009

The Michael Jackson's Pepsi commercial 'hair on fire' incident is now 25 years old. When Michael Jackson had his hair on fire in the infamous Pepsi commercial shoot, it was regarded as the beginning of the end. 25 years later, the Michael Jackson 'hair on fire' Pepsi commercial shoot is more infamous than ever with Michael Jackson gone. Now, the damaging Pepsi commercial, and the moments where Jackson's hair was on fire, is even more infamous with the video of that moment finally found.

US Magazine posted the long awaited video of when Jackson actually had his hair caught on fire during the Pepsi commercial filming in 1984. As every Michael Jackson fan and follower knows, the pyrotechnics for the Pepsi commercial went terribly wrong, as Jackson's hair was on fire after an early explosion.

Michael Jackson suffered terrible burns to his hair and head on that day in January 1984. The Pepsi commercial hair on fire incident was the first negative bump in Jackson's rise to ultimate power. Before that Pepsi commercial accident, Jackson was still best known for his music and for the "Thriller" craze.

25 years later, many are convinced that when Jackson's hair caught on fire, it was the shape of terrible things to come. Reports have been out for years that Jackson began his addiction to painkillers after his hair caught on fire that day. With Jackson's death, and suspicions still around his pill addiction as the cause of his death, the Pepsi commercial is being regarded as the incident that started it all.

Now, at long last, people can actually see Michael Jackson's hair caught on fire, thanks to US Magazine. The timing is pretty suspicious, as no one had been able to find this video from the shoot for 25 years, and now US Magazine has it a month after Jackson's death.

The US Magazine video shows that Jackson kept dancing for a few seconds after his hair caught on fire, then danced around in pain before he was surrounded by a mob of people. The video even catches a shot of Jackson's burned scalp in the aftermath.

source : associatedcontent

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Michael Jackson Autopsy Picture: Is it right to look?

There are a number of websites on the Internet who claim to have a Michael Jackson autopsy picture, firstly I cannot imagine that one of these photos would be leaked and second, is it right to look? Fans of Michael Jackson would not want to see their idol in this way, while others have a sick addiction to something like this.

There have been a number of reports as to how bad the state of Jackson’s body was; The Sun reported that the “King of Pop” was a virtual skeleton. It was alleged that he had hardly eaten and only had pills in his stomach. However, we have to wonder how much truth there is in this story.

It is no secret that the mystery surrounding Michael Jackson’s death has yet to be solved, and for those who claim to have images of his autopsy should be ashamed. The images that The Sun had in their newspaper of what Jackson was meant to look like without his makeup and wig were sick.

source : inentertainment

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British Open 2009: Leaderboard and Live Scores

Following on from our recent article that Tom Watson is leading the British Open 2009; there is an easier way for you to stay up-to-date with the live scores. The Open Championship has a Leaderboard web page that refreshes automatically with real-time scores.

What better and easier way to see how your favorite player is doing at the world’s oldest major championship. The British Open 2009 could become a special year for Padraig Harrington, as he is trying to win the Championship in three consecutive years, this will only be the second time that this has been achieved in almost 100 years.

Padraig Harrington will have a number of players aiming to make that task difficult, one such player is Tiger Woods. The No. 1 player in the world is aiming to make this his 15th golf major, if he wins then he will equal Roger Federer’s 15 grand slam titles

source : inentertainment

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Tour de France Stage 12: Lance Armstrong recovers from tire trouble

Lance Armstrong avoided disaster in Thursday's 12th stage of the Tour de France after puncturing a back wheel tire with just 37 miles left in the 131-mile ride from Tonnerre to Vittel.

Armstrong was still third overall and riding comfortably in the main pack when a wheel-flat forced the seven-time Tour champion to the side of road for repairs as the pack sped away to Vittel.

Fortunately for Armstrong, his Astana teammates were right there to fix the punctured tire and help Armstrong catch up without suffering a significant loss.
"It is stressful with the crashes, on a stage like this where you have nothing to gain and then you lose everything because of a crash or a split in the group," Armstrong had warned before the start of the stage. "You have to pay attention and try to avoid a crash."

That is just what Armstrong did, despite the perilous puncture to his tire on the stage's final stretch. Armstrong remains in third, eight seconds off the lead of Italy's Rinaldo Nocentini, with the famous Alps mountain stages approaching.
Armstrong has historically excelled in the Alps, and is well within striking distance to overtake the yellow jersey.

Armstrong's teammate and budding rival Alberto Contador of Spain stayed in second place overall, six seconds off the lead. Nicki Sorensen of Demark won the stage for his first individual win at the Tour, finishing 48 seconds ahead of France's Laurent Lefevre.

source : www.nydailynews.com

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Emmy Nominations 2009 - Complete Nominees List

The 61st Primetime Emmy nominations were announced on Thursday, July 16, 2009, by Grey’s Anatomy star Chandra Wilson and Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons. The awards show hosted by How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris will air live Sunday, September 20, 2009 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on CBS from the NOKIA Theatre L.A. Live.

Emmy Nominations 2009 List Below

Drama Series: “Big Love,” HBO; “Breaking Bad,” AMC; “Damages,” FX Networks; “Dexter,” Showtime; “House,” Fox; “Lost,” ABC; “Mad Men,” AMC.

Comedy Series: “Entourage,” HBO; “Family Guy,” Fox; “Flight of the Conchords,” HBO; “How I Met Your Mother,” CBS; “The Office,” NBC; “30 Rock,” NBC; “Weeds,” Showtime.

Miniseries: “Generation Kill,” HBO; “Little Dorrit” PBS.

Made-for-TV Movie: “Coco Chanel,” Lifetime; “Grey Gardens,” HBO; “Into the Storm,” HBO; “Prayers for Bobby,” Lifetime; “Taking Chance,” HBO.

Actor, Drama Series: Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad,” AMC; Michael C. Hall, “Dexter,” Showtime; Hugh Laurie, “House,” Fox; Gabriel Byrne, “In Treatment,” HBO; Jon Hamm, “Mad Men,” AMC; Simon Baker, “The Mentalist,” CBS.

Actress, Drama Series: Sally Field, “Brothers&Sisters,” ABC; Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer,” TNT; Glenn Close, “Damages,” FX Networks; Mariska Hargitay, “Law&Order: Special Victims Unit,” NBC; Elisabeth Moss, “Mad Men,” AMC; Holly Hunter, “Saving Grace,” TNT.

Supporting Actor, Drama Series: William Shatner, “Boston Legal,” ABC; Christian Clemenson, “Boston Legal,” ABC; Aaron Paul, “Breaking Bad,” AMC; William Hurt, “Damages,” FX Networks; Michael Emerson, “Lost,” ABC; John Slattery, “Mad Men,” AMC.

Supporting Actress, Drama Series: Rose Byrne, “Damages,” FX Networks; Sandra Oh, “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC; Chandra Wilson, “Grey’s Anatomy,” ABC; Dianne Wiest, “In Treatment,” HBO; Hope Davis, “In Treatment,” HBO; Cherry Jones, “24,” Fox.

Actor, Comedy Series: Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory,” CBS; Jemaine Clement, “Flight of the Conchords,” HBO; Tony Shalhoub, “Monk,” USA; Steve Carell, “The Office,” NBC; Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock,” NBC; Charlie Sheen, “Two and a Half Men,” CBS.

Actress, Comedy Series: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” CBS; Christina Applegate, “Samantha Who?” ABC; Sarah Silverman, “The Sarah Silverman Program,” Comedy Central; Tina Fey, “30 Rock,” NBC; Toni Collette, “United States of Tara,” Showtime; Mary-Louise Parker, “Weeds,” Showtime.

Supporting Actor, Comedy Series: Kevin Dillon, “Entourage,” HBO; Neil Patrick Harris, “How I Met Your Mother,” CBS; Rainn Wilson, “The Office,” NBC; Tracy Morgan, “30 Rock,” NBC; Jack McBrayer, “30 Rock,” NBC; Jon Cryer, “Two and a Half Men,” CBS.

Supporting Actress, Comedy Series: Kristin Chenoweth, “Pushing Daisies,” ABC; Amy Poehler, “Saturday Night Live,” NBC; Kristin Wiig, “Saturday Night Live,” NBC; Jane Krakowski, “30 Rock,” NBC; Vanessa Williams, “Ugly Betty,” ABC; Elizabeth Perkins, “Weeds,” Showtime.

Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Kevin Kline, “Cyrano de Bergerac,” PBS; Brendan Gleeson, “Into the Storm,” HBO; Ian McKellen, “King Lear,” PBS; Kevin Bacon, “Taking Chance,” HBO; Kiefer Sutherland, “24: Redemption,” Fox; Kenneth Branagh, “Wallander: One Step Behind,” PBS.

Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Chandra Wilson, “Accidental Friendship,” Hallmark Channel; Shirley MacLaine, “Coco Chanel,” Lifetime; Drew Barrymore, “Grey Gardens,” HBO; Jessica Lange, “Grey Gardens,” HBO; Sigourney Weaver, “Prayers for Bobby,” Lifetime.

Supporting Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Ken Howard, “Grey Gardens,” HBO; Len Cariou, “Into the Storm,” HBO; Bob Newhart, “The Librarian: Curse of the Judas Chalice,” TNT; Tom Courtenay, “Little Dorrit,” PBS; Andy Serkis, “Little Dorrit,” PBS.

Supporting Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Marcia Gay Harden, “The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler,” CBS; Jeanne Tripplehorn, “Grey Gardens,” HBO; Shohreh Aghdashloo, “House of Saddam,” HBO; Janet McTeer, “Into the Storm,” HBO; Cicely Tyson, “Relative Stranger,” Hallmark Channel.

source:bumpshack

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Michael Jackson to be buried without his brain

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Michael Jackson, who died of a suspected cardiac arrest at his Beverly Hills mansion on June 25, is going to be buried – without his brain.

As the late King of Pop's family prepares for the singer’s funeral on Tuesday, they have been told his brain would be held back for tests.

The family was given the choice of either waiting up to three weeks for Jackson’s brain to be returned to them or go ahead and bury him without it – which they have decided to do.

Los Angeles Coroner’s spokesman Craig Harvey said that neuropathology tests are going to be conducted to see if it holds any clues to the exact cause of his death.

However, the examination cannot start until at least two weeks after the death when the brain has hardened sufficiently to slice it open.

Sources at the coroner’s office revealed that his brain was removed before his body was released to relatives the next day.

Jackson’s death is believed to have stemmed from a suspected overdose of painkillers.

Jackson’s brain will be tested by a forensic neuropathologist for past drug use and whether he has suffered overdoses in the past.

The brain can also show any past abuse of alcohol or if the singer had suffered from any one of a number of diseases.

Source : IBN

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What's open and what's closed on July 3 and 4

Friday, July 3, 2009

The Fourth of July falls on a Saturday this year, but some community and government agencies will recognize the holiday on Friday, July 3. Here's a list of what will be open and what will be closed on Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4:

Banks: Open Friday and closed Saturday, though some branches inside grocery stores might be open limited hours.

Government Offices: King County offices are recognizing July 3 as a holiday and will be closed both Friday and Saturday. In addition, most King County buildings and services will be closed Monday, July 6, for one of the 10 furlough days being taken this year. Metro transit will be operational on July 6, however, and the King County Courthouse also will be open.

Garbage Collection: Will proceed as usual on both Friday and Saturday.

Shopping Malls: Most malls are open regular hours on Friday and will be closing slightly early on Saturday. Bellevue Square will open Saturday from 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m.; Westlake Center and Alderwood, Northgate and Tacoma malls will be open from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Ferries: Depending on the route, some ferry schedules have been modified to accommodate expected holiday traffic. The Seattle-Bainbridge Island run will operate on a Saturday schedule both July 3 and 4, while the Edmonds-Kingston run will sail a holiday schedule on July 3 and return to normal Saturday service July 4.

There will be no passenger-only service between Seattle and Vashon on Friday, July 3, but the Seattle-to-Bremerton route will operate on a normal schedule all weekend. For more detailed holiday information on all Washington State ferry runs, please visit http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/News/2009/06/WSDOT+Ferries+Division+and+Washington+State+Patrol+plan+for+busy+Fourth+of+July.htm.Metro Transit: Buses and Access Transportation will operate on Sunday schedules July 3, while the King County Water Taxi will be on a Saturday schedule. If you are a subscriber to Access Transportation and your service area is not available on Sundays, special arrangements can be made for those who call 206-205-5000 or 206-749-4286 by 5 p.m. today. Metro will operate its regular Saturday bus service on July 4. For more information, please visit http://metro.kingcounty.gov/up/holidays/h-07-4thjuly.html.

Community Transit: Community Transit and Dial-a-Ride transportation will run on Sunday schedules July 3. There will be no commuter service that day. Buses will operate on their regular Saturday schedules July 4.

Postal Service: All post offices will be open July 3, but many will close at noon to observe the holiday. Regular Friday mail delivery will be unaffected by the change in hours. All post-office locations will ben closed July 4 and will open and resume delivery on Monday, July 6. Only Sunday/Holiday Express mail will be delivered on the Fourth of July.

Department of Licensing: Department of Licensing offices will be closed Friday and Saturday.

Liquor Stores: Washington State liquor stores will be open normal business hours on July 3 and open from 11 a.m.-7 p.m. July 4.

Source : seattletimes.nwsource.com

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‘Lights on the Lake' one of nation's best fireworks shows

South Lake Tahoe's Fourth is second to none. The 28th annual “Lights on the Lake,” the South Shore's Independence Day fireworks display, will illuminate the skies over the blue waters of Lake Tahoe.

Not only is “Lights on the Lake” the largest fireworks extravaganza on the West Coast, it's drawn national attention: NBC's “Today Show,” Travel + Leisure magazine, USA Today, yahoo.com, MSNBC.com and ForbesTraveler.com all rank the display among their top Fourth of July celebrations. In addition, the American Pyrotechnics Association includes “Lights on the Lake” as one of the top five fireworks show in the nation.

Vantage points include Tahoe's two paddlewheelers, the Tahoe Queen and the M.S. Dixie II, which offer dining packages for the show; the Tallac Historic Site off Emerald Bay Road has an east-viewing perspective, while Baldwin Beach has picnic tables and fire pits nearby; Nevada Beach State Park has a sandy shoreline and picnic tables; Regan and El Dorado beaches fill up fast; and Bijou Community Park has a skatepark, disc golf course, municipal golf course and playground.
Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course invites guests to watch the fireworks and enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet with Jamaican jerk chicken, soy-marinated salmon, hamburgers and hot dogs. Tickets are $50 for adults, $20 for kids and younger at southtahoe.activitytickets.com.

From those vistas, visitors and locals can see the fireworks explode into the shapes of jellyfish, stars, butterflies and smiley faces as local radio stations KRLT-FM 93.9 and KOWL-AM 1490 simulcast the soundtrack to the pyrotechnics.

That's not all the music available for the holiday: Abbracadabra, “the ultimate ABBA experience, will perform July 2-3 and 5 in Harrah's South Shore Room. Last One Picked performs original American rock, blues and country July 3-4 at the Lakeside Inn and Casino, with no cover charge.

Big Blue Summer MusicFest will continue at the Tallac Historic Site, with “Red White and Toccata-Tahoe Blue,” a holiday presentation by the Orchestra and Community Chorale of the Tahoe Area featuring the music of American composers in the Boathouse Theater.

Activities will continue almost every week throughout the summer, including the 20th annual American Centruy Championship golf tournament July 14-19 and Labor Day fireworks Sunday, Sept. 6. For more information on what's going on around the South Shore, contact the Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority at (800) 288-2463 or visit www.bluelaketahoe.com.

Source : www.tahoe.com

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Wimbledon Semi Finals Live for Men's Final Four

The Wimbledon semi finals are live for today, as the live men's semi finals try to match the Wimbledon women's semi finals. Today's live Wimbledon semi finals could see history being made in both matches, setting things up for an even more historic Wimbledon final.

The Wimbledon semi finals have Roger Federer trying to move closer to a record 15'th Grand Slam, but he will not be the crowd favorite. The real main event in Britain for the Wimbledon semi finals is Andy Murray, whom the whole country will be cheering for live later today.

For the first of the Wimbledon semi finals, Roger Federer tries to take care of business. Federer is the heavy favorite against the most unlikely player in the semi finals, 24'th seeded Tommy Haas. However, Haas may have come to play, as Federer had to work hard to beat Haas 7-6 in the first set.

A Haas win would knock Federer out in the Wimbledon semi finals for the first time in many years. The Wimbledon crowd may root for it, since Haas is the underdog - and since Haas may be an easier opponent in the Wimbledon finals for Andy Murray.

But Murray has to get through the Wimbledon semi finals first, as his live match will likely be at around noon est. The villain going against him will be Andy Roddick, as he continues to try and get his second Grand Slam title.

If Federer gets through the semi finals, he may want to root for Roddick to win. This is partly because no one will root for Federer against Murray, and because Murray has beaten Federer frequently in his career - while Roddick loses constantly to Federer in Grand Slams.

No matter what, a Federer-Murray final may even surpass the hype of Federer-Nadal last year, at least in Britain. Even though Murray is Scottish, he is Britain's adopted son, as he tries to be the first British Wimbledon champion since the 1930's.

Source : www.associatedcontent.com

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Authorize.Net Goes Down

As a lot of e-commerce businesses and Twitter users are noticing, the entire Authorize.Net infrastructure crashed a few hours ago. For anyone who makes a purchase online, this is huge; Authorize.Net is the largest service for accepting credit cards and e-checks through the web. This means that millions of web-based transactions and purchases have come to a halt.

Luckily, Authorize.Net understands the usefulness of social media in situations like these. They set up a new Twitter account, @AuthorizeNet, earlier today to keep users informed about the recovery of one of the web’s most important payment systems. So what took Authorize.Net down anyway? And when will it be 100% back?

According to AuthorizeNet, the cause of the outage was a fire at their datacenter in Seattle. This impacted not only their website and transaction platforms, but even their backup center. Couple this with the fact that today starts the 4th of July holiday weekend, and you have a recipe for disaster.

Luckily, it seems that transaction processing has returned, although global processing is still down. This is the most important aspect of the outage – without the payment system, merchants couldn’t accept credit card payments, which could result in millions of dollars lost among all of its vendors. The website is still down, meaning that accounts can’t be accessed. Luckily, the company had the foresight to use Twitter to keep merchants and users informed. We will update this post with any new developments on the situation.

Source : Mashable

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Duct Tape Prom Dresses in Online Contest

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Some students around the country this year planned for their proms in an unusual way -- they made their own duct tape dresses. Theone-of-a-kind dresses have been popping up on prom night for years and now offer students a chance at a $3,000 scholarship.

In Grafton, Ohio, Rachel Cunningham and her date, Billy Oliver , wore their homemade creations to the Midview High School prom in early May. The pair chose the theme of Mother Nature and Father Time for their outfits, which used 47 rolls of duct tape in 18 colors.

"It took a lot of trial-and-error," Cunningham said to The Morning Journal . "But I got better and better at it as I went."

The colorful outfits also got them selected for a national contest sponsored by the maker of Duck brand duct tape.

Two Flathead High School students in Kalispell, Mont. , are also among the finalists in a national duct tape prom-wear contest. Charden Wood says it took about a month to create her flamenco dress and her date's pin-striped suit. Her date, Steven Quade, said duct tape doesn't breathe, and his suit was very warm. "My suit was really hot, duct tape doesn't breathe at all."

The "Stuck at Prom" contest is down to 10 finalist, out of over 200 entries. The winning couple and school will each receive $3,000 scholarships. Online voting is available at www.stuckatprom.com . The last day for voting is July 2, and winners will be announced July 9.

If you are planning to make your own duct tape dress , a do-it-yourself fashion blog offers some instruction.

Source:myfoxmemphis

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Katherine Jackson seeks custody of Michael's kids

In the continuing story of life after Michael Jackson, his mother, Katherine Jackson, asked a Superior Court judge to name her administrator of her son's estate so she can ensure that his three children become its beneficiaries.

Court documents state that Katherine Jackson "intends to marshal assets of the decedent for the exclusive use of the decedent's three children -- her grandchildren -- after payment of debts and expenses of administration."

Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff, who has already granted her request to assume temporary guardianship of her son's children, scheduled hearings for July 6 and Aug. 3 to take up the matters, including whether to approve her request to become permanent guardian of the children.

Also on Monday, investigators with the Los Angeles County Coroner's office emerged from Michael Jackson's rented home bearing two large plastic bags, possibly containing medications, the latest move in an investigation that may continue for several weeks.

Jackson, 50, died after suffering cardiac arrest Thursday at UCLA Medical Center, although questions remain about what part prescription drugs may have played in his demise.

As Jackson's family takes the first steps to lay claim to the sprawling estate and seemingly parentless children he left behind, it seems clear that the pop icon's sudden death will be no less complicated than his troubled life.

The funeral

Joe Jackson spoke at the Jackson family's home in Encino, Calif., yesterday and said his son's funeral would not be closed to the public. But he also said no funeral will take place until results from a privately ordered autopsy become available.

"We're not ready for that yet, because we're trying to wait on something else," Joe Jackson said, according to MyFoxLA, the Web site of a Los Angeles-based television station. "We're searching to see what happened to Michael," he added. "We don't have the time frame yet 'cuz I want to see how the autopsy's coming out, you know, the second autopsy."

The Rev. Al Sharpton, who flew in from Atlanta on Sunday to discuss with the Jacksons a possible worldwide celebration of the singer, said: "It is the determination of the family to be careful and deliberate on how they plan his celebration of life, because we're talking about a historic figure that really changed pop culture around the world."

The will

Jackson's parents believe he died without a valid will, according to a court filing. But the Web site TMZ.com claimed that Jackson's onetime lawyer, John Branca, was rehired by the singer about three weeks ago and holds a will signed by the late superstar.

Specifics of the alleged will have not been revealed, but Branca reportedly intends to file it within 30 days.

The case

Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said his team entered the home to retrieve medications because of information developed by a police investigation, along with questions the coroner's office had. Winter wouldn't say what type of medications, or how much, were retrieved, nor would he identify where in the home they were found. But he did say the investigation would continue for four or five weeks.

The images

A gaunt but smiling Jackson can be seen in a series of pictures taken at Los Angeles' Staples Center during a rehearsal for the singer's ambitious run of 50 concerts -- dubbed "This Is It!" -- that were scheduled at London's O2 Arena.

The photos, taken by Kevin Mazur on behalf of AEG Live, provide hints of an elaborate, career-spanning show that reportedly would have included more than two dozen sets, numerous costume changes, pyrotechnics and 20-foot-tall puppets.

News also surfaced of a five-week video shoot, called "Dome Project," that Jackson completed two weeks before his death.

The video reportedly features four sets -- including a cemetery recalling the "Thriller" video -- and is said to be in postproduction with a release date of July 15.

source:Fox43

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Michael Jackson Leaked Autopsy

British tabloid paper, The Sun was quick to report that Michael Jackson’s autopsy report was leaked. E! Online confirms that the report is false and it was followed by a confirmation by the website TMZ.com. who first reported Michael Jackson had a cardiac arrest and being taken to the hospital.

The earlier reports where Jackson was “emaciated, lost all his hair and filled with needle scars” may or may not be true. “Bruises and scars due to a possibility of a recent fall” cannot be confirmed as well. A second autopsy report was ordered and there is no confirmation that the autopsy report was leaked in any shape or form.
TMZ.com do say that the “story is developing” and will announce any findings as soon as reports are received.

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Seattle Police seized-items auctions make more online

Inside the Seattle Police Department's property room, rows of bicycles, Christmas decorations, wheelchairs and other unclaimed or seized items gather dust until they're put up for auction. But bargain hunters no longer have to wait for police, or the King County Sheriff's Office, to schedule a public auction to score a deal. They now merely need to log onto a computer.

Seattle police and the Sheriff's Office contract with PropertyRoom.com, a California-based Web site that receives items from the property rooms of 1,600 law-enforcement agencies in the U.S. — 124 in Washington state — and sells them online.

Proceeds are split between the police departments and the Web site.

Before, the Seattle Police Department and Sheriff's Office periodically held auctions to sell off unclaimed items — and there wasn't even a guarantee they could sell it all.

"It's a lot easier for them [PropertyRoom.com] to come and take it all than for us to auction it off," said sheriff's spokesman Sgt. John Urquhart "It's a very efficient way to dispose of excess property we get."

"It's a very green way to do it," added Cindy Granard, detective sergeant of evidence for Seattle police. "It's recycling old material and giving it to someone new."

When Granard wants to give items to PropertyRoom.com, she compiles a list and calls the Web site, which sends a truck to get them. The truck then takes the items to a facility in Seattle, where they move from one truck to another that goes to PropertyRoom.com's processing facility in Los Angeles.

"We usually wait until we have pallets full of stuff before we give to them." Granard said.

Once the items arrive in Los Angeles, Gemological Institute of America-trained specialists look over items containing precious stones to ensure they are real. They are then listed for auction on the Web site.

Once an item sells, the originating law-enforcement agency receives 50 percent of the proceeds if the item sells for less than $1,000, and 75 percent if it's more than $1,000.

Since using PropertyRoom.com starting in July 2003, Seattle police have seen their profits go up. From 2004 to 2005, for example, police recorded about a $28,000 increase in auction profit. In 2004, the department's auction profit was $29,951. In 2005, it was $57,974.

Proceeds from the sale go toward the department's pension fund.

PropertyRoom.com is set up as a kind of eBay for police auctions. Items are sold in categories including jewelry, fine art, tools, bicycles, watches and "everything else." The site was founded by former police officers, including Daryl Gates, former chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, according to its Web site.

Since many of the items were stolen but never reclaimed, PropertyRoom.com will return them to their owners provided they can prove ownership of an item shown online.

When the site started in 2001, it had contracts with 100 departments and profits of $3 million. Now, the company has contracts with nearly 2,000 departments, 25,000 new bidders each month, and last year reported a profit of $35 million, according to company spokeswoman Cher Murphy.

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Connie Hamzy

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Connie Hamzy is exceptionally caring to her loved ones and in her love relationship she always searches devotion and security. She always provides promotional and warm atmosphere to her loved ones. Hamzy always cares to hang on with other and try to stop them from changing.

Connie Hamzy’s interests are to providea good affection physically, touching and closeness and she always has a good movement to eat too much during the sensual pleasures and comforts. Food has most often been substituted by Hamzy to get love and emotional relieve. In her starting years, most probably she was used to travel a lot or something like that is in her background which has enabled her to understand the different types of cultures and people.Hamzy always has a thirst for those things which are foreign or far away from her or for those things which she has never used before. Connie always wants to throw herself fully into the tastes and feelings of every new place instead of being collecting the facts and figure or a thinker appreciation. She has a restless personality emotionally.She is very determined and her power is in her feelings. May be she has a feeling that she has to emphasize herself without thinking about the risks that could be involved. Connie is not probably agree to compromise on those tensions which have been given by the others. Probably she has a wrongly theory about that world which is around her and due to this probably she suffered a lot of regrets.

source : makli

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