Bigfoot Backgrounder

Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, is an alleged ape-like creature said to inhabit remote forests, mainly in the Pacific northwest region of the United States and the Canadian province of British Columbia. In northern Wisconsin, Lakota Indians know the creature by the name Chiye-tanka, a Lakota name for "Big Elder Brother."[1] Bigfoot is sometimes described as a large, hairy bipedal hominoid, and some believe that this animal, or its close relatives, may be found around the world under different regional names, such as the Yeti of Tibet and Nepal, the Yeren of mainland China,the Orang Pendek of Indonesia, and the Yowie of Australia.

Bigfoot is one of the more famous examples of cryptozoology, with an ongoing debate on whether it exists or not. Most scientific experts on the matter consider the Bigfoot legend to be a combination of folklore and hoaxes. Despite its uncertain scientific status, Bigfoot is nevertheless a popular symbol, included as "Quatchi," one of the mascots of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, and used to name both a provincial park and the annual Sasquatch Daze event in Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia. A minor league baseball team in Arkansas, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, uses a stylized and smiling version of Bigfoot as the team mascot.

In reports on July 27, 2008, Clayton County police officer Matthew Whitton claimed to have found and retrieved a Bigfoot corpse as part of a group of "trackers".[2] In a press release published August 12, 2008, Bigfoot "trackers" announced that they have collected a Bigfoot corpse; alleged photos and DNA evidence are to be issued in a press release on August 15.[3]

Description and behavior

Bigfoot is described as being between 6–10 feet (1.8–3 meters) tall, and covered in dark brown or dark reddish hair. The head seems to sit directly on the shoulders, with no apparent neck. Alleged witnesses have described large eyes, a pronounced brow ridge, and a large, low-set forehead; the top of the head has been described as rounded and crested, similar to the sagittal crest of the male gorilla.

They are claimed to be mainly nocturnal, and seemingly omnivorous. In encounters where a human reported shining a flashlight at them, the eyes glowed red, possibly due to a tapetum lucidum in their eyes, not found in any other higher primate.

Sasquatches are rarely claimed to be aggressive, with only one reported case of a man being killed by one (found in The Wilderness Hunter by Theodore Roosevelt). Although there are claims of harassment of humans traveling through a forest that could be a part of a Sasquatch’s territory.

[edit] Proposed creatures

Various types of creature have been described by proponents to explain the sightings. These descriptions have generally received little support from the scientific community.

[edit] Gigantopithecus

Grover Krantz argued that a relict population of Gigantopithecus blacki would best explain Bigfoot reports. Based on his fossil analysis of its jaws, he championed a view that Gigantopithecus was bipedal.

Geoffrey Bourne writes that Gigantopithecus is a plausible candidate for Bigfoot since most Gigantopithecus fossils were found in China, whose extreme eastern Siberian forests are similar to those of north-western North America. Many well-known animals have migrated across the Bering Strait, so Bourne believes is not unreasonable to assume that Gigantopithecus might have as well. "So perhaps," Bourne writes, "Gigantopithecus is the Bigfoot of the American continent and perhaps he is also the Yeti of the Himalayas."[4]

The Gigantopithecus hypothesis is generally considered entirely speculative. Given the mainstream view that Gigantopithecus was quadrupedal, it would seem unlikely to be an ancestor to the biped Bigfoot is said to be. Moreover, it has been argued that G. blacki's enormous mass would have made it difficult for it to adopt a bipedal gait.[5] An analysis of the Patterson-Gimlin film shows that frames 369, 370, 371, and 372 all show a slender lower mandible, that does not match the massive lower mandible of Gigantopithecus blacki, which, assuming that the Patterson-Gimlin film is legitimate, would eliminate G. blacki as a candidate for Bigfoot.[6]

"That Gigantopithicus is in fact extinct has been questioned by those who believe it survives as the Yeti of the Himalayas and the Sasquatch of the north-west American coast. But the evidence for these creatures is not convincing."[7]

[edit] Other extinct apes

A species of Paranthropus, such as Paranthropus robustus, with its crested skull and bipedal gait, was suggested by primatologist John Napier and anthropologist Gordon Strasenburg as a possible candidate for Bigfoot's identity.

Some Bigfoot reports suggest Homo erectus to be the creature, but H. erectus skeletons have never been found on the North American continent.

There was also a little known genus called, Meganthropus, which reputedly grew to enormous proportions. Again, there have been no remains of this creature anywhere near North America, and none younger than a million years old.

[edit] Arguments

Bigfoot is one of the more famous creatures in cryptozoology, and, like many cryptids around the world, there is a fierce debate as to whether the Bigfoot species exists or not.

Cryptozoologist John Willison Green has postulated that Bigfoot is a worldwide phenomenon.[8]

Indian Native tribes in the Northwest note the appearance of large, anthropoid creatures. Such creatures were said to exist on Vancouver Island and near Harrison Lake.

The earliest unambiguous reports of gigantic apelike creatures in the Pacific Northwest date from 1924, after a series of alleged encounters at a location in Washington later dubbed Ape Canyon, as related in The Oregonian.[9] Reports the pro-Bigfoot authors claim are similar appear in the mainstream press dating back at least to the 1860s. The phenomenon attained widespread notoriety in 1958 when enormous footprints were reported in Humboldt County, California by roadworkers; the tracks pictured in the media inspired the familiar name "Bigfoot."

Mainstream scientists generally dismiss the phenomena due to a lack of representative specimens. They attribute the numerous sightings to folklore, mythology, hoaxes, and the misidentification of common animals.

Ecologist Robert Michael Pyle argues that most cultures have human-like giants in their folk history. "We have this need for some larger-than-life creature."[10]

[edit] Skeptical view

Scientists and academics overwhelmingly "discount the existence of Bigfoot because the evidence supporting belief in the survival of a prehistoric, bipedal, apelike creature of such dimensions is scant".[11] In addition to the lack of evidence, they cite the fact that while Bigfoot is alleged to live in regions unusual for a large, nonhuman primate, i.e., temperate latitudes in the northern hemisphere, all other recognized nonhuman apes are found in the tropics, Africa, continental Asia or nearby islands. The great apes have never been found in the fossil record in the Americas, and no Bigfoot bones or bodies have been found.

Many scientists do not give the subject of Bigfoot's existence serious attention, given the history of dubious claims and outright hoaxes. Napier wrote that the mainstream scientific community's indifference stems primarily from "insufficient evidence ... it is hardly surprising that scientists prefer to investigate the probable rather than beat their heads against the wall of the faintly possible."[12] Anthropologist David Daegling echoed this idea, citing a "remarkably limited amount of Sasquatch data that are amenable to scientific scrutiny."[13] He advises that mainstream skeptics take a proactive position "to offer an alternative explanation. We have to explain why we see Bigfoot when there is no such animal" (ibid 20). Indeed, many scientists insist that the breeding population of such an animal would be so large that it would account for many more purported sightings than currently occur, making the existence of such an animal an almost certain impossibility.

George Schaller is one of a few prominent scientists who argue that Bigfoot reports are worthy of serious study. A 2003 Los Angeles Times story described Schaller as a "Bigfoot skeptic", but he also expressed disapproval for other scientists who do not examine evidence, yet "write [Bigfoot] off as a hoax or myth. I don't think that's fair."[14][15] In a 2003 Denver Post article Schaller said that he is troubled that no Bigfoot remains have ever been uncovered, and no feces samples have been found to allow DNA testing. Schaller notes: "There have been so many sightings over the years, even if you throw out 95 percent of them, there ought to be some explanation for the rest. I think a hard-eyed look is absolutely essential".[16][17]

On May 24, 2006 Maria Goodavage wrote an article in USA Today titled, "Bigfoot Merely Amuses Most Scientists", in which she quotes Washington State zoologist John Crane, "There is no such thing as Bigfoot. No data other than material that's clearly been fabricated has ever been presented."[10] Several other prominent scientists have also expressed at least a guarded interest in Sasquatch reports, including George Schaller, Russell Mittermeier, Daris Swindler and Esteban Sarmiento.[18]

Prominent anthropologist Carleton S. Coon's posthumously published essay Why the Sasquatch Must Exist states, "Even before I read John Green's book Sasquatch: The Apes Among Us, first published in 1978, I accepted Sasquatch's existence."[19] Coon examines the question from several angles, stating that he is confident only in ruling out a relict Neanderthal population as a viable candidate for Sasquatch reports.

As previously noted, Napier generally argued against Bigfoot's existence, but added that some "soft evidence" (i.e., eyewitness accounts, footprints, hair and droppings) is compelling enough that he advises against "dismissing its reality out of hand."[20]

Krantz and others have argued that a double standard is applied to Sasquatch studies by many academics: whenever there is a claim or evidence of Sasquatch's existence, enormous scrutiny is applied, as well as it should be. Yet when individuals claim to have hoaxed Bigfoot evidence, the claims are frequently accepted without corroborative evidence.

In 2004, Henry Gee, editor of the prestigious magazine Nature, argued that creatures like Bigfoot deserved further study, writing, "The discovery that Homo floresiensis survived until so very recently, in geological terms, makes it more likely that stories of other mythical, human-like creatures such as Yetis are founded on grains of truth ... Now, cryptozoology, the study of such fabulous creatures, can come in from the cold."[21]

[edit] Hoaxes

Bigfoot sightings or footprints are often demonstrably hoaxes. Author Jerome Clark argues that the "Jacko" affair, involving an 1884 newspaper report of an apelike creature captured in British Columbia was a hoax. Citing research by John Green, who found that several contemporary British Columbia newspapers regarded the alleged capture as very dubious, Clark notes that the New Westminster, British Columbia Mainland Guardian wrote, "Absurdity is written on the face of it."[22]

In 1958 bulldozer operator Jerry Crew took to a newspaper office a cast of one of the enormous footprints he and other workers had been seeing at an isolated work site in Bluff Creek, California. The story and photo garnered international attention through being picked up by the Associated Press.[23] The crew was overseen by Wilbur L. Wallace, brother of Raymond L. Wallace. Years after the track casts were made, Ray Wallace got involved in Bigfoot "research" and made various outlandish claims. He was poorly regarded by many who took the subject seriously. Napier wrote, "I do not feel impressed with Mr. Wallace's story" regarding having over 15,000 feet of film showing Bigfoot.[24]

Shortly after Wallace's death, his children called him the "father of Bigfoot." They claimed Ray faked the tracks seen by Jerry Crew in 1958. There were some wooden track makers among Ray's inherited belongings which the family said were used to make the 1958 tracks[citation needed].

[edit] Alleged sightings

There have been many hundreds of alleged Bigfoot sightings, however here are some of the most notable ones:

* 1840: Protestant missionary Reverend Elkanah Walker recorded myths of hairy giants that were persistent among Native Americans living in Spokane, Washington. The Indians claimed that these giants steal salmon and had a strong smell.[25]
* 1924: Fred Beck and four other miners claimed to have been attacked by several sasquatches in Ape Canyon in July, 1924. The creatures reportedly hurled large rocks at the miners’ cabin for several hours during the night. This case was publicized in newspaper reports printed in 1924.[26][27][28]
* 1941: Jeannie Chapman and her children claimed to have escaped their home when a large sasquatch, allegedly 7½ feet tall, approached their residence in Ruby Creek, British Columbia.[29]
* 1940s onward: People living in Fouke, Arkansas have reported that a Bigfoot-like creature, dubbed the “Fouke Monster”, inhabits the region. A high number of reports have occurred in the Boggy Creek area and are the basis for the 1973 film The Legend of Boggy Creek.[30][31][32][33][34][35]
* 1955: William Roe claimed to have seen a close-up view of a female sasquatch from concealment near Mica Mountain, British Columbia.[36]
* 1958: Two construction workers, Leslie Breazale and Ray Kerr, reported seeing a sasquatch about 45 miles northeast of Eureka, California. Sixteen-inch tracks had previously been spotted in the northern California woods.[37]
* 1967: On October 20, 1967, Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin captured a purported sasquatch on film in Bluff Creek, California in what would come to be known as the Patterson-Gimlin film.
* 1970: A family of bigfoot-like creatures called "zoobies" was observed on multiple occasions by a San Diego psychiatrist named Dr. Baddour and his family near their Alpine, California home, as reported in an interview with San Diego County Deputy Sheriff Sgt. Doug Huse, who investigated the sightings.[38]
* 1995: On August 28, 1995, a TV film crew from Waterland Productions pulled off the road into Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park and filmed what they claimed to be a sasquatch in their RV's Headlights.[39]
* 2005: On April 16, 2005, A creature resembling a bigfoot was reportedly seen on the bank of the Nelson River in Norway House, Manitoba. Two minutes and forty seconds of footage was taken by ferry operator Bobby Clarke from across the Nelson River.[40] Canadian rock band The Weakerthans later recorded a song about this sighting, "Bigfoot!", on their 2007 album Reunion Tour. [41]
* 2006: On December 14, 2006, Shaylane Beatty, a woman from the Dechambault Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada, was driving to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan when, she claimed, saw the creature near the side of the highway at Torch River. Several men from the village drove down to the area and found footprints, which they tracked through the snow. They found a tuft of brown hair and took photographs of the tracks.[42][43]
* 2007: On September 16, 2007, hunter Rick Jacobs captured an image of a possible sasquatch using an automatically triggered camera attached to a tree.[44] A spokesperson for the Pennsylania Game Commission challenged the Bigfoot explanation, saying that it looked like "a bear with a severe case of mange."[45] The sighting happened near the town of Ridgway, Pennsylvania in the Allegheny National Forest, which is about 115 miles north of Pittsburgh.[46][45]
* 2008: Berry-pickers reports a sasquatch sighting in northern Ontario, Canada.[47]
* 2008: In July, Rick Dyer made claims that he had discovered the deceased body of a possible Sasquatch in the woods of Georgia.[48] A press conference to release alleged photographs and DNA evidence was scheduled on August 15, 2008.[49]

[edit] See also

* Bigfoot in popular culture
* Bigfoot trap
* Evidence regarding Bigfoot
* Formal studies of Bigfoot

Similar alleged creatures

* Almas - Mongolia
* Barmanou - Afghanistan and Pakistan
* Chuchunaa - Siberia
* Ebu Gogo - Flores Island, Indonesia
* Fear liath - Scotland
* Fouke Monster - Fouke, Arkansas
* Hibagon - Japan
* Kapre - Philippines
* Karakoncolos - Turkey, Bulgaria
* Lake Worth monster - Lake Worth, Texas
* Momo the Monster - Missouri, Louisiana
* Người Rừng - Vietnam
* Nuk-luk - Northwest Territories
* Old Yellow Top - Canada
* Orang Mawas - Malaysia
* Orang Pendek - Sumatra, Indonesia
* Pennsylvania Creature - Pennsylvania
* Pitt Lake Giant - British Columbia, Georgia, South Carolina, Pennsylvania
* Skunk Ape - Florida
* Woodwose
* Yeren - Hubei, China
* Yeti - Tibet
* Yowie - Australia

Similar beings in folklore

* Giant - Southern Europe
* Ogre - Northern Europe
* Troll - Scandinavia
* Wendigo - Canada and Eastern US

From: www.wikipedia.org

Bigfoot body 'found and put in freezer'

TWO US professional Bigfoot hunters claim to have found a body of the legendary creature and will present evidence of the astounding discovery to the world's press and scientists tomorrow.

Matthew Whitton and Rick Dyer, who run Bigfoot expeditions, say they found a dead Bigfoot in the woods of north Georgia, in the southeast of the US, about two weeks ago and have put the carcass in a freezer.

They along with "the real Bigfoot Hunter" Tom Biscardi, who has endorsed the find, will front a press conference in California, where they say DNA and photo proof will be presented.

Mr Whitton, a Georgia police officer on leave to recover from a shooting, and Mr Dyer, a former prison officer, have posted photos of their "find" on their searchingforbigfoot website.

They describe the creature as being a 2.3m tall "part human and part ape" male and weighing over 230kg with reddish hair and blackish-grey eyes.

The infamous feet are described as being flat and 41cm long with five toes.

The hands also have five fingers and and the teeth are more "human-like than ape like".

The hunters claim several Bigfoots were spotted walking upright in the area the body was found but won't reveal the location "to protect the creatures".

Mr Whitton, Mr Dyer and Mr Biscardi say they will soon mount a secret expedition to capture a live Bigfoot.

Commenting on the discovery Scientific American said the apparent reluctance of the Bigfoot hunters to actually display or hand over the body would make those sceptical roll their eyes.

Although many would regard the Bigfoot as mythical, enthusiasts were given more reason to believe in October last year when hunter Rick Jacobs claimed to have taken photos of a Bigfoot in Pennsylvania.

The Bigfoot stir coincides with a supposed Texas sighting and filming of another legendary US monster, the chupacabra, which is a dog like animal with a long snout that according to folklore attacks livestock, especially goats, and drinks their blood.

It seems to be a monster summer in the US with an unidentifed creature creating an internet sensation after it washed up near New York last month.

Bigfoot's erstwhile cousin, the yeti or Abominable Snowman, also came under renewed scrutiny last month with a scientist sending some alleged hair from the creature to a lab for DNA testing.

from: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,24179242-2,00.html

Harry Potter Fans Call 'Half-Blood Prince' Trailer 'Bold,' 'Intense' And 'Eerie'

By Jennifer Vineyard (MTV.com)

Far from being disappointed that the new Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince trailer is barely about Harry at all, most fans say they love this first glimpse of Tom Riddle - the boy who would grow up to become the Dark Lord. They did have a few reservations, though.

"I thought this was a bold move and a wise choice," said Kristina Horner of the wizard-rock band the Parselmouths. "And it's a wise choice. He's easily one of the most fascinating characters in the book. Young Tom Riddle is all the right amounts of crabby, stubborn and adorable - which will make his story even more tragic."

Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, who plays the young Tom Riddle in the orphanage scene with Dumbledore, got raves for being extra creepy. Jen Bensoussan, who runs the fan site DanRadcliffe.com, called him the "perfect evil, eerie child version of Voldemort. Think 'Omen.' "

"It seems that in the way the universe revolved around the role of Dolores Umbridge in the last film, perhaps Voldemort will be stealing the stage this go-around," said Megan Schuyler, a documentary filmmaker who just completed a movie about wizard rock. "Hero Fiennes-Tiffin will make an excellent Dark Lord-in-training."

"I think the trailer did a good job of showing that the concept of absolute power turned an innocent boy into a madman," said 15-year-old Saribel Pages, a sophomore at New York's Horace Mann School.

Since the trailer presented that concept with Riddle's words as a boy over images of actions committed by him or in his name later in life - "I can make bad things happen to people who are mean to me" - the effect made it seem more like a horror film, fans said.

Not all fans appreciated that. "Ooh, exciting!" said Sandra Pieloch, a senior designer for Nickelodeon Creative Resources. "Only I didn't know the newest Harry Potter was being directed by M. Night Shyamalan. It feels like some Brit remake of The Sixth Sense. "

"The cinematography is on a much grander scale," Bensoussan said. "From the graphic effects surrounding Dumbledore to the chilling scene of Bonnie in the woods, or of Ron lying death-like on the floor, 'Half-Blood Prince looks to be bolder, darker and more intense."

"The movies pale in comparison to the actual books," said Raina Tinker, a designer at HarperCollins, "but this one looks dark and creepy, which is how the book was."

Not everything in the book is going to make the movie, and not everything in the movie can make the trailer - otherwise, it would be another movie. Still, fans noticed some discrepancies.

"I think they did a great job of young Dumbledore in the Tom Riddle orphanage, but what is he wearing?" asked Jen Boxerman, a staffer for the upcoming Harry Potter conference Terminus. "It's supposed to be a silly suit, and instead they put him in a polka-dot tie? It's a testament to J.K. Rowling that I even notice these things."

The larger issue for most fans is that the focus on Riddle meant nearly every other character was left out - including the Half-Blood Prince himself. "Where was Slughorn?" asked Caroline Bartels, librarian and host of Horace Mann's "Lit Chat" club. "Where was Snape? Where was Merope? And the battle on the Tower?"

"Where's Rupert Grint?" asked Pieloch. (He was on the floor, after being poisoned, for a split second - blink, and you missed it. But Grint exclusively told the Movies Blog that it's just a teaser trailer, so there's more Ron Weasley to come.)

"There wasn't enough Draco," Boxerman said.

"Horcruxes weren't even mentioned," said Sarah Sanders, a 17-year-old Horace Mann junior.

Perhaps if they had been, the audience would have been lost. If it takes Harry the length of the book to understand what Horcruxes are, how many there are, and what and where they might be, how can you expect a general audience to grasp the concept in a minute and a half? But if the filmmakers steered clear from anything too clunky for the trailer, they might have done themselves a disservice by not alluding to the mystery.

"I don't think it was exciting enough for non-Potter fans," said Finn Vigeland, a 15-year-old junior at Horace Mann. "I don't think it would attract people who are on the fence."

"If you haven't read the books, why would you go see this?" Bartels asked. "It doesn't move you forward from the last book at all."

Others disagree, saying the trailer worked just as well for hard-core fans such like themselves as well as the general public.

"It gave me goose bumps," said Jace Crion of the wizard-rock band Catchlove. "The trailer gave me hope that this could be the best Harry Potter movie yet."

"It makes you want to stick with Harry to see how he's going to get through it all," said Hallie Tibbets, a staffer at Terminus, "even if you know exactly how the story will end."

from: http://www.mtvasia.com/News/200807/31016335.html

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Anthrax scientist commits suicide as FBI closes in

From: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gH1fcT1QrjvwIaAZTO63_lxHs9EQD929AMOO0

WASHINGTON (AP) — A top U.S. biodefense researcher apparently committed suicide just as the Justice Department was about to file criminal charges against him in the anthrax mailings that traumatized the nation in the weeks following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, according to a published report.

The scientist, Bruce E. Ivins, 62, who worked for the past 18 years at the government's biodefense labs at Fort Detrick, Md., had been told about the impending prosecution, the Los Angeles Times reported for Friday editions. The laboratory has been at the center of the FBI's investigation of the anthrax attacks, which killed five people.

Ivins died Tuesday at Frederick Memorial Hospital in Maryland. The Times, quoting an unidentified colleague, said the scientist had taken a massive dose of a prescription Tylenol mixed with codeine.

Tom Ivins, a brother of the scientist, told The Associated Press that another of his brothers, Charles, told him Bruce had committed suicide.

A woman who answered the phone at Charles Ivins' home in Etowah, N.C., refused to wake him and declined to comment on his death. "This is a grieving time," she said.

A woman who answered the phone at Bruce Ivins' home in Frederick declined to comment.

Justice Department spokesman Peter Carr and FBI Assistant Director John Miller declined to comment on the report.

Henry S. Heine, a scientist who had worked with Ivins on inhalation anthrax research at Fort Detrick, said he and others on their team have testified before a federal grand jury in Washington that has been investigating the anthrax mailings for more than a year.

Heine declined to comment on Ivins' death.

Norman Covert, a retired Fort Detrick spokesman who served with Ivins on an animal-care and protocol committee, said Ivins was "a very intent guy" at their meetings.

Ivins was the co-author of numerous anthrax studies, including one on a treatment for inhalation anthrax published in the July 7 issue of the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

Just last month, the government exonerated another scientist at the Fort Detrick lab, Steven Hatfill, who had been identified by the FBI as a "person of interest" in the anthrax attacks. The government paid Hatfill $5.82 million to settle a lawsuit he filed against the Justice Department in which he claimed the department violated his privacy rights by speaking with reporters about the case.

The Times said federal investigators moved away from Hatfill and concluded Ivins was the culprit after FBI Director Robert Mueller changed leadership of the investigation in 2006. The new investigators instructed agents to re-examine leads and reconsider potential suspects. In the meantime, investigators made progress in analyzing anthrax powder recovered from letters addressed to two U.S. senators, according to the report.

Besides the five deaths, 17 people were sickened by anthrax that was mailed to lawmakers on Capitol Hill and members of the news media in New York and Florida just weeks after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. The victims included postal workers and others who came into contact with the anthrax.

In January 2002, the FBI doubled the reward for helping solve the case to $2.5 million, and by June officials said the agency was scrutinizing 20 to 30 scientists who might have had the knowledge and opportunity to send the anthrax letters.

After the government's settlement with Hatfill was announced in late June, Ivins started showing signs of strain, the Times said. It quoted a longtime colleague as saying Ivins was being treated for depression and indicated to a therapist that he was considering suicide. Family members and local police escorted Ivins away from the Army lab, and his access to sensitive areas was curtailed, the colleague told the newspaper. He said Ivins was facing a forced retirement in September.

The colleague declined to be identified out of concern that he would be harassed by the FBI, the report said.

Ivins was one of the nation's leading biodefense researchers.

In 2003, Ivins and two of his colleagues at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick received the highest honor given to Defense Department civilian employees for helping solve technical problems in the manufacture of anthrax vaccine.

In 1997, U.S. military personnel began receiving the vaccine to protect against a possible biological attack. Within months, a number of vaccine lots failed a potency test required by federal regulators, causing a shortage of vaccine and eventually halting the immunization program. The USAMRIID team's work led to the reapproval of the vaccine for human use.

The Times said Ivins was the son of a Princeton-educated pharmacist who was born and raised in Lebanon, Ohio. He received undergraduate and graduate degrees, including a Ph.D. in microbiology, from the University of Cincinnati.

Dishneau reported from Hagerstown, Md.

Pluto Now Called a Plutoid

From Yahoo! News

The International Astronomical Union has decided on the term "plutoid" as a name for dwarf planets like Pluto.

Sidestepping concerns of many astronomers worldwide, the IAU's decision, at a meeting of its Executive Committee in Oslo, comes almost two years after it stripped Pluto of its planethood and introduced the term "dwarf planets" for Pluto and other small round objects that often travel highly elliptical paths around the sun in the far reaches of the solar system.

The name plutoid was proposed by the members of the IAU Committee on Small Body Nomenclature (CSBN), accepted by the Board of Division III and by the IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN), and approved by the IAU Executive Committee at its recent meeting in Oslo, according to a statement released today.

Here's the official new definition:

"Plutoids are celestial bodies in orbit around the sun at a distance greater than that of Neptune that have sufficient mass for their self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that they assume a hydrostatic equilibrium (near-spherical) shape, and that have not cleared the neighborhood around their orbit."

In short: small round things beyond Neptune that orbit the sun and have lots of rocky neighbors.

The two known and named plutoids are Pluto and Eris, the IAU stated. The organization expects more plutoids will be found.

Controversy continues

Already the IAU recognizes it is adding to an ongoing controversy.

The IAU has been responsible for naming planetary bodies and their satellites since the early 1900s. Its decision in 2006 to demote Pluto was highly controversial, with some astronomers saying simply that they would not heed it and questioning the IAU's validity as a governing body.

"The IAU is a democratic organization, thus open to comments and criticism of any kind," IAU General Secretary Karel A. van der Hucht told SPACE.com by email today. "Given the history of the issue, we will probably never reach a complete consensus."

It remains to be seen whether astronomers will use the new term.

"My guess is that no one is going to much use this term, though perhaps I'm wrong," said Caltech astronomer Mike Brown, who has led the discovery of several objects in the outer solar system, including Eris. "But I don't think that this will be because it is controversial, just not particularly necessary."

Brown was unaware of the new definition until the IAU announced it today.

"Back when the term 'pluton' was nixed they said they would come up with another one," Brown said. "So I guess they finally did."

More debate coming

The dwarf planet Ceres is not a plutoid as it is located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, according to the IAU. Current scientific knowledge lends credence to the belief that Ceres is the only object of its kind, the IAU stated. Therefore, a separate category of Ceres-like dwarf planets will not be proposed at this time, the reasoning goes.

A meeting, planned earlier this year for Aug. 14-16 at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, aims to bring astronomers of varying viewpoints together to discuss the controversy. "No votes will be taken at this conference to put specific objects in or out of the family of planets," APL's Dr. Hal Weaver, a conference organizer, said in a statement in May. "But we will have advocates of the IAU definition and proponents of alternative definitions presenting their cases."

The term plutoid joins a host of other odd words -- plutinos, centaurs, cubewanos and EKOs -- that astronomers use to define objects in the outer solar system.

* Why Planets Will Never Be Defined
* The History of the Pluto Controversy
* Gallery: Our New Solar System

* Original Story: Pluto Now Called a Plutoid

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Perfect storm' knocks out 911 service

* Much of Monday's storm damage was focused on the city's northwestern edge, authorities say.

J.D. Sumner

ALBANY — Calling it the “perfect storm,” Dougherty County’s EMA director says they still haven’t discovered how the area’s 911 system, designed to withstand most natural disasters, shut down during a thunderstorm Monday evening.

As rain, hail and near hurricane-force winds moved through the metro area around 8:30 p.m. Monday, Dougherty County’s lifeline between the public and public safety officials went down.

“It’s not supposed to happen,” EMA Director and Fire Chief James Carswell said. “I’m not sure exactly, at this point, why all of them failed; the phones were down, the radios were down, and the CAD system was down. Everything shut down.”

Carswell said that the system is designed to handle catastrophes including severe weather and power outages, but that, for some reason, all of the backups designed to keep the system functional, failed.

“I don’t know if we’re calling it the perfect storm or not, but everything that could go wrong did,” he said.

The storm that toppled trees and brought down power lines, shut off the department’s computer and telephone capabilities, Carswell said.

After several minutes, Carswell said that the system slowly started to come back on line, allowing just a few of the department’s lines to open.

Meanwhile, operators were forced to use portable radios to communicate with police, fire and EMS units who were responding during the storm.

The storm came virtually out of nowhere, giving area residents little advance notice through traditional TV and radio warnings. But the county’s new CODE RED notification system — which calls registered users when severe weather or other emergencies are threatening their area — was successfully used for the first time, Carswell said.

By Tuesday morning, most of the 1,000 people who lost power during the storm had it restored.

On the city’s northwestern edge, homes were more greatly impacted, Carswell said.

“There were a lot of trees down and lines down over near Nottingham, Gail and that area,” he said.

Despite the damage, no injuries were reported and no vital calls were missed while 911 was down, although Carswell said that an immediate investigation is under way to determine the cause of the failure.

from: http://www.albanyherald.com/archives/News/2008/front061108f.html

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Sleeping Your Way to the Top

Americans are not renowned for their powers of self-deprivation; doing without is not something we do particularly well. But experts say there is one necessity of life most of us consistently fail to get: a good night's sleep.

The recommended daily requirements should sound familiar: eight hours of sleep a night for adults and at least an hour more for adolescents. Yet 71% of American adults and 85% of teens do not get the suggested amount, to the detriment of body and mind. "Sleep is sort of like food," says Robert Stickgold, a cognitive neuroscientist at Harvard Medical School. But, he adds, there's one important difference: "You can be quite starved and still alive, and I think we appreciate how horrible that must be. But many of us live on the edge of sleep starvation and just accept it."

Part of the problem is we are so used to being chronically sleep deprived--and have become so adept at coping with that condition--that we no longer notice how exhausted we really are. In 2003, sleep expert David Dinges and colleagues at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine tested the effects of restricting slumber to eight, six or four hours a night for two weeks. During the first few days, subjects sleeping less than eight hours admitted to being fatigued and lacking alertness. But by Day 4, most people had adapted to their new baseline drowsiness and reported feeling fine--even as their cognitive performance continued to plummet.

Over time, the experiment's sleep-restricted subjects became so impaired that they had difficulty concentrating on even the simplest tasks, like pushing a button in response to a light. "The human brain is only capable of about 16 hours of wakefulness [a day]," says Dinges. "When you get beyond that, it can't function as efficiently, as accurately or as well."

In the real world, people overcome their somnolence--at least temporarily--by drinking coffee, taking a walk around the block or chatting with office mates. But then they find themselves nodding off in meetings or, worse, behind the wheel. Those short snatches of unconsciousness are what researchers call microsleep, a sure sign of sleep deprivation. "If people are falling asleep because 'the room was hot' or 'the meeting was boring,' that's not coping with sleep loss. I would argue that they're eroding their productive capability," says Dinges.

What most people don't realize is that the purpose of sleep may be more to rest the mind than to rest the body. Indeed, most of the benefits of eight hours' sleep seem to accrue to the brain: sleep helps consolidate memory, improve judgment, promote learning and concentration, boost mood, speed reaction time and sharpen problem solving and accuracy. According to Sonia Ancoli-Israel, a psychologist at the University of California at San Diego who has done extensive studies in the aging population, lack of sleep may even mimic the symptoms of dementia. In recent preliminary findings, she was able to improve cognitive function in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's simply by treating their underlying sleep disorder. "The need for sleep does not change a lot with age," says Ancoli-Israel, but often because of disruptive illnesses and the medications used to treat them, "the ability to sleep does."

If you're one of the otherwise healthy yet perpetually underrested, there's plenty you can do to pay back your sleep debt. For starters, you can catch up on lost time. Take your mom's advice, and get to bed early. Turn off the TV half an hour sooner than usual. If you can't manage to snooze longer at night, try to squeeze in a midday nap. The best time for a siesta is between noon and 3 p.m., for about 30 to 60 minutes, according to Timothy Roehrs, director of research at the Sleep Disorders and Research Center at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. He advises against oversleeping on weekend mornings to make up for a workweek of deprivation; late rising can disrupt your circadian rhythm, making it even harder later to get a full night's rest.

According to Dinges' analysis of data from the 2003 American Time Use Survey, the most common reason we shortchange ourselves on sleep is work. (The second biggest reason, surprisingly, is that we spend too much time driving around in our cars.) But consider that in giving up two hours of bedtime to do more work, you're losing a quarter of your recommended nightly dose and gaining just 12% more time during the day. What if you could be 12% more productive instead? "You have to realize that if you get a good night's sleep, you will actually be more efficient and get more done the next day. The more you give up on sleep, the harder it is to be productive," says Ancoli-Israel. "What is it going to be?"

If mental sharpness is your goal, the answer is clear: stop depriving yourself, and get a good night's sleep.

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Report: At least 100 dead as Sudan Airways plane burns

(CNN) — At least 100 people were killed Tuesday when a Sudan Airways plane caught fire after landing in Khartoum, Sudan, according to officials and Sudanese television reports.

Sudanese television reported more than 200 people were on the plane. Several injured people were taken to a hospital, the network said, but the number of injured was not immediately known.

The plane was arriving from Amman, Jordan, airport security officials said, and was landing in bad weather when it overshot the runway, crashed and caught fire. “Many people” are believed dead, an official said.

However, it was not clear whether the plane actually crashed. The chief of the Khartoum airport told Al-Jazeera Arabic network the plane landed safely, but an explosion occurred in one of its engines before it came to a stop, about 10 minutes after the plane had landed.

From www.cnn.com
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Obama's first test: Handling Hillary

Barack Obama would like to remind you of something: He won and she didn’t. It’s about him now and not her. He has made history, and she is history.
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Not that Hillary Clinton admitted to any of that in her nonconcession concession speech Tuesday night, after Obama attained the delegate votes he needs for the Democratic presidential nomination

For someone giving indications she would like to be Obama’s running mate, Clinton was surprisingly ungracious. In fact, if you had just awakened from a (blissful) 17-month sleep, you would have thought she had won.

“Because of you, we won together the swing states necessary to get to 270 electoral votes,” she told the crowd in New York City. “I want the nearly 18 million Americans who voted for me to be respected, to be heard and no longer to be invisible.”

But her fighting words only increased the need for Obama to show that he can be strong, tough and in charge. Clinton’s unwillingness to recognize Obama as the victor only increased the need for Obama to act like a president and not like a doormat. And denying her a vice presidential slot may be a way of doing that.

It has been a hard-fought and sometimes bitter campaign, but Obama is not, one of his senior advisers assured me Tuesday night, going to spend a lot of time in the next few months wooing Clinton supporters whose feelings may be hurting.

“I think there are always immediate feelings of disappointment and anger,” Anita Dunn said. “But in the months ahead, he must appeal not just to the constituency groups who favored her in the primaries, but those he wants in the general election, and that includes independents and Republicans.”

Another Obama adviser, who asked not to be identified, said that he was not worried that Clinton supporters would stay angry.

“Look at how many switched today to Obama,” he said. “Look at the Clinton supporters, look at Maxine Waters [the congresswoman from California who endorsed Hillary Clinton in late January but switched to Obama on Tuesday], who were passionate advocates for Hillary, but who switched to Obama.”

“At the end of the day,” he went on, “Hillary supporters will look at John McCain and decide they are not going to vote for a man who will put judges on the Supreme Court who would overturn Roe v. Wade.”

The easiest way, the Obama campaign has decided, to turn the page away from Clinton is to go at McCain full bore, start the general election campaign immediately and ignore the media chatter about what Hillary does or does not want.

“Now is the appropriate moment to begin the general election discussion,” Dunn said. “That is why Sen. Obama chose Minnesota [the site of the Republican convention in September] for his speech.”

And while Obama spent a few moments praising Clinton in his speech in St. Paul, he spent most of his time attacking McCain, raising the issue he so effectively used against Clinton: the need for change.

“Change is a foreign policy that doesn’t begin and end with a war that should’ve never been authorized and never been waged,” Obama said. He used that argument against Clinton, it worked, and now he is going to use it against McCain again and again.

“Obama put his stake in the ground tonight for the general election campaign, just like McCain put his stake in the ground for the general election campaign,” a senior Obama adviser told me. “The story will shift to that. Obviously, the vice presidency will be part of the back story, but there is going to be a pretty active general campaign story going on."

McCain did his part by giving a major speech in New Orleans on Tuesday night. “I have a few years on my opponent, so I am surprised that a young man has bought in to so many failed ideas,” McCain said. “Like others before him, he seems to think government is the answer to every problem.”

But the three speeches — Clinton’s, McCain’s and Obama’s — showed off one of Obama’s great advantages: While McCain was reasoned and detailed, while Clinton had a few good lines, Obama soared.

“Behind all the labels and false divisions and categories that define us, beyond all the petty bickering and point-scoring in Washington, Americans are a decent, generous, compassionate people,” he said. “America, this is our moment. This is our time.”

It was, after a momentous struggle, Barack Obama’s time Tuesday night. And he made sure everybody knew it.
From: Yahoo! News
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Low turn out California election results. A rough guess for pundits

The little watched California primary election have become every bit the ugly step brat pundits procrastinated. The divided California primaries are making news as the possible deciders as super delegates closed ranks and joined the Obama camp not aware of the damage they were causing to the party. Thousands of Clinton diehards and supporters are swearing to trump Obama with their votes. Thousands others say that they would never vote for Obama - even if Clinton asked them to. The voting trend was similar in many counties like the San Francisco County.

Voters ignored the local polling stations since the contests have lost its heat. Before the polls fewer people were seen around polling stations unlike before. At 8 p.m. only 150 people had turned up at a Bernal Heights polling station at the Back of St. Kevin’s Church in San Francisco, a neighborhood which is revered for its political involvement. “I just didn’t see much reason to vote,” a voter commented in Mendocino County. In San Mateo County, elections official David Tom said that the primary would be a sham since the voters would be just sleep inducing. “The predictions will be a rough guess for the pundits”. Contra Costa County’s county results were not different and the clerks say this was a likely test to evaluate the committed voting citizens.

from: http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world/low-turn-out-california-election-results-a-rough-guess-for-pundits_10056392.html

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Road and building damages reported after Iceland earthquake

BREAKING NEWS An earthquake has rattled southern Iceland. The U.S. Geological Survey says a magnitude 6.1 quake hit at 3:46 p.m. on Thursday. The epicenter was evidently 30 miles east-southeast of the capital, Reykjavik in Iceland. Residents of the southern Iceland city say they felt the shake. There has also been reports of damaged roads and buildings. Authorities advised many Iceland residents to leave their homes because of the possibility of aftershocks.

Strong Iceland Earthquake Hits Near Reykjavik

A strong earthquake occurred in Iceland today, about 30 miles southeast of Reykjavik at 11:46 EST, reports IceNews. The earthquake was felt in Reykjavik but nothing fell down from walls, according to the news agency.

"Police in Selfoss closed a local tunnel as a precaution. It is not yet known if anybody was hurt, but there appears to be little or no damage to the capital, Reykjavik.

"It is the strongest earthquake to hit urban areas in Iceland since 17 June 2000. It is said the only reason nobody died that day was because 17th June is Icelandic independence day, and most people were outside celebrating at the time," reports IceNews.

USGS provides the following details about the earthquake in Iceland.

Magnitude 6.2
Date-Time Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 15:46:00 UTC
Thursday, May 29, 2008 at 03:46:00 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location 64.019°N, 20.916°W
Depth 10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program
Region ICELAND
Distances 55 km (35 miles) ESE of REYKJAVIK, Iceland
115 km (70 miles) NW of Vik, Iceland
230 km (145 miles) SW of Akureyri, Iceland
260 km (160 miles) SSE of Isafjordur, Iceland

Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 4.2 km (2.6 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters NST=242, Nph=242, Dmin=84 km, Rmss=0.9 sec, Gp= 40°,
M-type=moment magnitude (Mw), Version=7
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Here is the report in European metrics from Radio Netherland about the earthquake in Iceland.

Iceland has been struck by an earthquake registering 6.1 on the Richter Scale. The epicentre lay 50 kilometres southeast of the capital Reykjavik. Noone was injured, although in the town of Selfoss, close to the epicentre, several buildings were damaged.

Redbox Names Harvey CFO

Redbox has hired John Harvey as its CFO. The former EVP CFO at JetBlue Airways brings more than 20 years of experience in financial management and will be fully responsible for Redbox’s financial activities.

“Harvey brings to Redbox a proven track record of growing companies, extensive leadership experience and strategic financial skills,” said Gregg Kaplan, CEO of Redbox.

from: http://www.homemediamagazine.com/news/html/breaking_article.cfm?article_id=12798

David Archuleta Winner of American Idol 2008 Semifinal

David Archuleta became the winner of the next American Idol of 2008 Semifinal. Many bloggers had already predicted that the next winner of the American Idol 2008 song contest will be David Archuleta and here is why. Reports UltraDust from You Will Be Forever.

Archuleta has good attitude. He's not loud when. He doesn't talk back to the American Idol judges or defend himself.

1. He's super good looking. Super clean faced!
2. He sings very well.
3. He sang a CSI song! Opps, that's the wrong DAVID!
4. He sang a Switchfoot song. Opps. WRONG DAVID again.

So that's my prediction. David A Wins This Year's American Idol 2008!

Now if you're in a cave, David's wiki page and his involvement with American Idol:

David James Archuleta (born December 28, 1990) is an American pop singer and a finalist on FOX's seventh season of American Idol as of May 2008. He will compete against David Cook on the American Idol Season Finale on May 20, 2008. At the age of twelve, Archuleta won the Junior Singers competition on Star Search.
Contents

David Archuleta was born in Miami, Florida to James Jeffrey Archuleta and Lupe Marie Archuleta. He has three younger siblings, Amber, Daniel and Jazzy, and an older sister, Claudia. Archuleta's family moved to Salt Lake City, Utah when Archuleta was thirteen and currently lives in Murray, Utah, where Archuleta is a student at Murray High School. The only regular job he has had was over the summer of 2007 as a sound "techie" at a park amphitheater.[5] He once suffered partial vocal paralysis but refrained from risky surgery and feels he is almost fully recovered.

Archuleta started singing when he was six because he was inspired by a Les Misérables video. "That musical is what started all of this," he said. He started performing publicly at ten years old when he participated in the Utah Talent Competition singing "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton; he received a standing ovation, and won the kid division.

Archuleta's mother is from Honduras, and much of the music he listened to as a child, according to an interview aired on American Idol, was Latin-influenced. She also "was big on dancing" according to Archuleta, and would "make" him dance to traditional music with his older sister. He also listened to jazz music, he said, from his father's collection as well as gospel, pop, rock and "soulful music." In a later interview he also revealed that his dad was a jazz musician. Archuleta also enjoys Broadway musicals.

On his American Idol "Fast Facts" page, Archuleta cites his musical influences as Natalie Cole, Stevie Wonder, Kirk Franklin and Bryan Adams. When asked to list his top pop artists, he cites Natasha Bedingfield, Natalie Cole, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Bryan Adams, Kirk Franklin, and Robbie Williams. He also cites Tamyra Gray and Elliott Yamin as his favorite former American Idol contestants.[citation needed] Like Yamin and another singer he admires, John Mayer, Archuleta aspires to infuse his pop selections with a soulful vibe.

In 2003, at the age of 12, Archuleta sang on several episodes of the television show Star Search. He ended up as the Junior Vocal Champion on Star Search 2.[2] On one episode, he sang against then 13-year-old Alexandréa Lushington, who also became a "top 20" semi-finalist on American Idol alongside Archuleta. Archuleta's competing on Star Search led to appearances on The Jenny Jones Show and CBS' The Early Show, and meeting the finalists from American Idol's first season, for whom he performed a spontaneous a cappella rendition of "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dreamgirls.

Archuleta won his ticket to the Hollywood final auditions (with a performance of John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change") at the San Diego tryouts held at Qualcomm Stadium - July 30 and July 31, 2007. He was 16 during the Hollywood auditions (where he sang Bryan Adams' "Heaven" to unanimous praise) and, along with other contestants not yet 18, will have to go to school ("doing schoolwork in the morning and then come onto the stage and then go back to the schoolwork") while a part of American Idol's seventh season. His parents have been on hand, because he is a minor. Archuleta has also taken advantage of the decision to allow contestants to play musical instruments; he has accompanied himself on piano for his performances of "Another Day in Paradise" and "Angels."

The Los Angeles Times suspected that Archuleta avoided singing the first verse of "Imagine" because, "as a Mormon, he's unlikely to espouse the song's agnostic ideal . . . with the line about 'no religion too.'" Archuleta did, however, sing the entire song on Good Things Utah when he was 13.

from: http://www.huliq.com/59948/david-archuleta-winner-american-idol-2008
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Hoover man drops suit in wife's drowning death

A lawsuit for denial of an insurance policy payment brought by a Hoover man whose wife drowned while on their Australian honeymoon has been dismissed at the plantiff's request.

The lawsuit, which asked for approximately $45,000 and unspecified punitive and mental anguish damages, was filed March 30, 2005, by Gabe Watson.

According to Jefferson County Circuit Court records, Judge Ed Ramsey dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice at Watson's request, meaning it cannot be refiled with the same claim.

Watson's filing for dismissal referred to a criminal investigation under way in Australia which is causing him "to reasonably apprehend that he risks self incrimination in this case."

Gabe Watson's wife, Christina "Tina" Thomas Watson, died Oct. 22, 2003, during a group scuba diving expedition off the coast of Queensland.

An Australian coroner conducted a four-week inquest into the death of Tina Watson and is scheduled to recommend to prosecuters in June whether he believes evidence shows a trial should take place.

from: http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2008/05/hoover_man_drops_suit_in_wifes.html
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Stars Dance Freestyle, And The Bachelorette Gets To Choose

The three finalists on "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC, 8 p.m.) are much like the winners from previous seasons.

The consistently high-scoring Kristi Yamaguchi, like Apolo Anton Ohno before her, is an Olympian trying a new skill.

Jason Taylor, like Emmitt Smith before him, is an NFL star learning some new footwork.

And Christian de la Fuente, like first-season winner Kelly Monaco, is a soap star, who has only gotten better after injuring his arm last month.

All three go freestyle in tonight's final competition for votes that will be revealed Tuesday, in this week's second-most anticipated reality show crowning.

Remote Patrol
Just a week after the Brit on "The Bachelor" proposed to young Shayne Lamas, the franchise is back with one of the two women left standing at the end of "The Bachelor" the season before last, when Texan Brad Womack decided he didn't want anybody.

DeAnna Pappas, "The Bachelorette" (ABC, 9:02 p.m.), gets her chance to choose from among 25 bachelors, who, if they're like previous guys on the receiving end of roses, are less desperate than the women, though in trying to make a first impression, one shows his abs and another his duck calls.

In cable's more twisted romantic search, Flavor Flav makes his choice on "Flavor of Love 3" (VH1, 9 p.m.) in Paris.

Sarah Jessica Parker goes "Inside the Actors Studio" (Bravo, 8 p.m.).

The actor Tim Roth chooses the titles on Turner Classic Movies tonight: "Hobson's Choice" (8 p.m.), "Brief Encounter" (10 p.m.), "Roman Holiday" (11:30 p.m.), "Cathy Come Home" (1:30 a.m.) and "The Sporting Life" (3 a.m.).

Finale Time
Ten shows call it a season tonight. Among them: "Gossip Girl" (The CW, 8 p.m.), "Bones" (Fox, 8 p.m.), "Big Bang Theory" (CBS, 8 p.m.), "Two and a Half Men" (CBS, 9 p.m.), "Rules of Engagement" (CBS, 9:30 p.m.), "CSI: Miami" (CBS, 10 p.m.), "How I Met Your Mother" (CBS, 8:30 p.m.) and "One Tree Hill" (The CW, 9 p.m.). All will return next season.

Late Talk
David Letterman: Kevin Spacey, Sen. Jim Webb, Sara Bareilles. Jay Leno: Simon Cowell, Rob Schneider, Josh Groban. Conan O'Brien: Kevin Nealon, Devotchka. Jimmy Kimmel: Ashton Kutcher, Isabella Rossellini, Gavin Degraw (rerun). Craig Ferguson: Valerie Bertinelli, Paulina Porizkova, Estelle.

from: http://www.courant.com/entertainment/tv/hc-tveye0519.artmay19,0,7557608.column
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Chesney, Atkins up for country music awards

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Kenny Chesney leads all nominees at the 43rd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards with 11 and can tie Garth Brooks by winning his fourth straight entertainer of the year trophy.

Hosted by Reba McEntire, the awards air live Sunday from the MGM Grand at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS.

Other leading nominees are Rodney Atkins with six, and Brad Paisley, Big & Rich and Sugarland with four apiece.

If Chesney wins the coveted entertainer award, he would tie Brooks and trail only Alabama, which holds the record with five in a row.

Fans will choose this year's winner, the first time that's happened. All other categories are decided by ACM members.

Chesney's other nominations are for top male vocalist, song and video of the year for "Don't Blink" and vocal event for "Find Out Who Your Friends Are" with Tracy Lawrence and Tim McGraw.

He received double nominations for artist and producer for "Shift Work" with George Strait, as well as for "Don't Blink" for single of the year and "Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates" for album of the year.

Atkins and Taylor Swift are the year's breakout artists.

Atkins' sophomore album, "If You're Going Through Hell," produced four No. 1 hits: "Cleaning This Gun (Come On In Boy)," "These Are My People," "Watching You," and "If You're Going Through Hell (Before The Devil Even Knows)."

That's a remarkable feat for an artist in any musical genre.

His nominations include top male vocalist, song of the year and album of the year.

Meanwhile, the 18-year-old Swift might be country's hottest act at the moment, coming off big wins at last month's Country Music Television awards and appearing on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine's "Best of Rock" issue.

Her self-titled debut has sold 3 million copies.

Swift's three nominations tie her with Miranda Lambert as the night's most nominated woman and include top female vocalist and album of the year.

ACM voters have a history of rewarding new artists who have breakout years. Last year, Carrie Underwood took home top female vocalist, album and video of the year honors.

Other artists to watch Sunday are Brooks & Dunn, who are going for their 13th consecutive top vocal duo honor; and Rascal Flatts, which is in the running for its sixth straight win for top vocal group.

From: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j71NflP9VhsZoDwiD7y7olt7mQBAD90O7JP80
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Festivals calendar, May 2008

MAY

2 -- Peanut Butter & Jam Festival, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 907 Main St., Highland. Enjoy your lunch on the historic downtown square. Outdoor entertainment, sandwiches, popcorn. Sponsored by Highland Chamber of Commerce and the City of Highland. Free.

2 -- Springfest & Street Dance, Mascoutah. Old-fashioned fun with games for kids.

2-3 -- Cinco de Mayo Celebration, 5 p.m.-midnight Friday; noon-midnight Saturday, river's edge, Niedringhaus and Illinois 3, Granite City. Hosted by the Mexican Honorary Commission. Deejay from 7 to 11 p.m. Friday. Saturday attractions include strong man presentation at 2 p.m., Mexican folklore dancing from 6 to 7 p.m. with $8 admission, music by Fantasia from 7 to 11 p.m., inflatables for children. Beverages, food for sale.

2-3 -- Agape Fest, Greenville College, Greenville. Christian music festival.

3 -- Kids Day at the Fort, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Fort de Chartres State Historic Site near Prairie du Rocher. Free. Native American Village features new and expanded activities including the game of Lacrosse and storytelling featuring Indian lore. Also, write with a quill pen, watch kettle corn being made, attend a puppet show, make and use a jump rope or small leather bag; play period yard games such as boule, sack race, hoop and stick, tug of war, nine pins and archery; face painting; trading post.

3 -- Cinco de Mayo, 4-10:30 p.m., Third Street between Piasa and State, downtown Alton. Mexican food, music, dancers, children's activities at 4 p.m., bands start at 6:30 p.m.

3 -- Concert in the Park, 7 p.m., Cleaon Etzkorn bandstand, Edwardsville City Park, Edwardsville. Edwardsville High School Band Alumni tribute concert. Pays tribute to over 75 years of band performances. Bring lawnchairs.

3 -- Tour de Stooges, Lindendale Park, Highland. Routes of 15, 22, 31, 42 and 64 miles offered. $30 adults, $20 children. Lunch and Three Stooges movies after ride. Rest stops have snacks. http://stooges.rogerkramercycling.org.

3 -- Car Cruise, 6-9 p.m., downtown Lebanon. Music, 50/50, prizes. Hosted by Laker's Car Club.

3 -- Craft Fair and Fishing Tournament, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., Evansville riverfront. Cane pole furnished or bring your own. Prizes awarded. Tea party at the craft fair, bake sale. Sponsored by Evansville Business Association.

3 -- May Market, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., downtown Lebanon. Vendors, artisans, flowers, herbs, architectural and gardening items, food, pony rides.

3 -- Spring Fun Walk/Ride, 9 a.m. Saturday, St. John United Church of Christ, Maeystown. Five miles. Registration at 8:30 a.m. $20 adults; $10 16 and under. Benefits summer programs at Hoyleton Youth and Family Services.

3 -- Wade Ray Memorial Fiddlers Frolic and Bluegrass Show, Sparta Lions club, Sparta. $7 adults, $3.50 children. Food available. Presented by George Portz.

3 -- Law Day 5K Run/Walk, 9 a.m. downtown Belleville. Sponsored by Craig Virgin and the St. Clair County Bar Association. Celebrating National Law Day. Benefits Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation. Awards, trophies in 5K. Beverages, food, raffle. 537-9500.

3 -- Storytelling, 2 p.m., Cahokia Mounds, Collinsville.

3-4 -- Mayfest 2008, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 406 Hillsboro Ave., Edwardsville. Saturday: flower and gardening activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; book fair/used book sale; Chic Boutique in the parish hall; craft/vendor booths and food booth; craft activities and storytelling for children; musical performances and strolling musicians; tours of historic church; working blacksmith. Sunday events: festival eucharist at 10 a.m.; book fair/used book sale from noon to 4 p.m.; Edwardsville High School String Orchestra at 2 p.m.; traditional English Tea and Edwardsville String Quartet at 3 p.m.

3-4 -- Wood River Rendezvous, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Routes 3 and 143, Wood River. Historical re-enactment of the 1700-1840s frontier era. Period music, tomahawk throw, artisans/traders, black powder shoot, Lewis & Clark re-enactors, food, children's activities. Opening ceremony each day at 10 a.m., battle at 2 p.m. both days.

4 -- Spring Fling Parish Social, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. St. James Catholic Church, 405 W. Madison, Millstadt. Spaghetti dinner from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., music by Second Generation Swing, adult and children's games, cow patty bingo at 4 p.m.

4 -- Maeystown Fruehlingsfest, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, downtown Maeystown. Country, folk art, garden and architectural antiques, flowers and herbs for sale, food, creek side wine garden served by Ravissant Winery.

9 -- Peanut Butter & Jam Festival, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 907 Main St., Highland. Outdoor entertainment, sandwiches, popcorn. Sponsored by Highland Chamber of Commerce and the City of Highland.

9 -- Senior Celebration, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Programs and Services for Older Persons, 201 N. Church St., Belleville. Dancing with the RSVP Orchestra, table games, prizes, lunch is $4 per person, antique car show.

9-11 -- Spring Beach Jam 2008, 4 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday; noon-1 a.m. Saturday; noon-9 p.m. Sunday, Pontoon Beach. Features seven bands and acoustic acts (Borderline, RX Blues Band, The Alley Band, Frantic, Rock Bottom, American Dream, Michael J). Also, bike wash for charity, food concession, contests. $22 weekend pass; $10 per day.

9-11 -- Fairview Heights Homecoming, Longacre Park, Fairview Heights. Rides, food, games.

10 -- Car Cruise, 6-9 p.m. Hardee's Restaurant, Illinois 3 and 270, Granite City. Hosted by Piston Pushers Auto Club.

10 -- Pow Wow, picnic grounds, Cahokia Mounds, Collinsville. Vendors, food, drumming and dancing.

10-11 -- Lewis & Clark Departure Days, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Lewis & Clark State Historic Site, Hartford. Re-enactors portray life as members of the Corps of Discovery preparing for their trip west.

16 -- Peanut Butter & Jam Festival, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 907 Main St., Highland. Outdoor entertainment, sandwiches, popcorn. Sponsored by Highland Chamber of Commerce and the city of Highland.

16 -- MS Family Fun Day, 6-11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-midnight Saturday, VFW Post 5694, 1900 VFW Road, Highland. Music by Double D Band from 6 to 11 p.m., rides open from 6 to 10 p.m.; Saturday rides from 1 to 10 p.m., kids craft area from noon to 3 p.m., craft show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., raffles, silent auction, vehicle cruise-in, equestrian clinic from noon to 3 p.m., food court. Entertainment Saturday is Kevin Heim from 10 a.m. to noon; St. Paul Jazz Band, noon-1 p.m., Chris Miles from 1 to 2:30 p.m., MS spokesman from 2:30 to 3 p.m., Highland Twirlettes, 3-4 p.m., Yesterday Band from 4 to 7 p.m., Savis Davis Band from 8 p.m. to midnight. Proceeds go to fight MS.

16-17 -- Randolph County Pig Party, Steeleville. Barbecue cookoff, live music.

16-17 -- Swansea Firemen's Picnic, Mel Price Park, Caseyville Ave., Swansea. On Friday: 5 p.m.-midnight with Cactus Moon Band from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. On Saturday: 4 p.m.-midnight, parade at 5 p.m. and music by Avery Hill Band from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m.

16-18 -- Art on the Square, 5-9 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, downtown Belleville. One hundred artists will participate in the juried art show in a broad array of media. Continuous entertainment on the Main Stage and children's stage. Art demonstrations. Children's art activity area with make-it-and-take-it projects. Student art show. Cafe and market on the square. Free admission.

16-18 -- O'Fallon Mayfest -- O'Fallon City Park. Parade, car show, mile run, rides, games, music.. Sponsored by the O'Fallon Booster Club.

17 -- Car Cruise, 6-9 p.m. Culvers Restaurant, Illinois 157, Collinsville. Hosted by Laker's Car Club.

17 -- MidAmerica River Expo, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., National Great Rivers Museum, No. 2 Lock & Dam way, East Alton. Boating safety celebration, food, antique boat show, segway rides, live pelican shows.

17 -- Grafton Flood Fest, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Mason Hollow Park, Main and Springfield, Grafton jon boat parade, crowning of the Catfish Queen, games, washers tournament, body building sand hurling contest, live entertainment.

17-18 -- St. Patrick Strawberry Festival,, St. Patrick's Church, 1 Pioneer Lane, Ruma.

17-18 -- Strawberry Festival, Eckert's, Belleville.

18 -- Strawberry Festival, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., St. Jacob Park, St. Jacob. Strawberry desserts, games for children, crafts, entertainment. Trailnet bike ride. 644-2655.

18 -- Kids Day, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., Cahokia Mounds, Collinsville. Hands-on activities including flintknapping, pottery making, Indian games, corn grinding, spear throwing, identifying animal tracks and pelts, Indian dance group. Food, refreshments.

23 -- Peanut Butter & Jam Festival, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 907 Main St., Highland. Outdoor entertainment, sandwiches, popcorn. Sponsored by Highland Chamber of Commerce and the City of Highland.

23-24 -- Maeystown Homecoming, Maeystown, 4:30 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday-Saturday. Food, beverages, fried chicken plates on Saturday only. Rides, games, Fredbird, Bud Light Brigade, Krazy Klowns, duck race at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Parade at 6 p.m. Saturday. Music by Fountain Creek from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Friday and Aftershock from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Saturday.

23-25 -- Spring Greek Festival, 4-10 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday; noon-6 p.m. Sunday, Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, 405 Huntwood Road, Swansea. Greek food and pastries, Greek band and dancers.

23-25 -- Elks Fest 2008, 6-11 p.m. Friday; noon-11 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, Granite City Elk's Lodge, 4801 Maryville Road, Granite City. Music, food, games, rides.

23-25 -- Nashville Maifest, Memorial Park, Nashville. Slow-pitch tournament, live music, children's entertainment, food, refreshments.

24 -- Midwest Regional Fly-In, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., St. Louis Downtown Airport, Cahokia. Features ultralights, powered parachutes, light sport aircrafts, warbirds plus an auto show with vintage and classic cars. $1 admission. RC Aircraft Aerobatic demonstrations from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

24-26 -- Memorial Day Weekend Festival, Eckert's Farm, Belleville. Goodies, wagon rides and more.

25 -- Maifest and 142nd Anniversary Celebration, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Turner/Metter Park, Columbia. Sponsored by Columbia Gymnastic Association. Entertainment: Waterloo German Band, noon-4 p.m., Band Room Brass, 5-7 p.m., dancing and gymnastics exhibitions by the Turning School classes. Chicken dinners, bratwurst dinners, sandwiches.

26 -- Memorial Day in Hecker, 9:30 a.m., St. Augustine's Cemetery, Hecker. Guest speakers, music, flyover, recognition of local veterans and other dignitaries. If rain, event will be held inside the Hecker Community Center.

30 -- Peanut Butter & Jam Festival, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 907 Main St., Highland. Outdoor entertainment, sandwiches, popcorn. Sponsored by Highland Chamber of Commerce and the city of Highland.

30 -- Ainad's Annual Circus Parade, 7:30 p.m., 17th and West Main streets, Belleville. Parade ends at Mascoutah Avenue and East Main Street.

30-June 1 -- Ss. Peter & Paul Homecoming, 207 Vandalia St., Collinsville. Friday attractions: noon-11 p.m., food, rides, games, refreshments, bands, Sparkle the Clown from 2 to 4 p.m. with balloons and face painting, Collinsville High School Jazz Band from 2 to 4 p.m., raffle drawings, music by Ticket to the Beatles from 7 to 11 p.m. On Saturday: noon-11 p.m., 5K run/walk at 8 a.m., food, rides, games, refreshments, raffles, former St. Louis Cardinal baseball players autograph booth from noon to 2 p.m., Fredbird from 2 to 3 p.m., music by Blue Marlin Band from 2 to 5 p.m., Sparkle the Clown from 3 to 5 p.m., Mass at 4:30 p.m., music by Z Band with Elvis from 7 to 11 p.m. On Sunday: noon-10 p.m., 8 and 10:30 a.m. Mass, music by USAF Starlifter Band from 1:45 to 3 p.m., Jean Kittrell and the St. Louis Rivermen from 4 to 6 p.m., raffle drawings and music by Wild, Cool & Swingin from 7 to 9:30 p.m.

31-June 1 -- Ainad Shrine Circus, 2, 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 1, 6 p.m. Sunday, Belle Clair Fairgrounds, 200 S. Belt East, Belleville. $12 per person for adults, $8 for children. Tickets available at Schnucks, Hucks or Moto Mart stores.

from: http://www.bnd.com/events/story/322667.html

Biochemist gets life for killing husband by stuffing him in vat of acid

FRESNO - A biochemist convicted of killing her estranged husband by knocking him out and stuffing him into a vat of acid - possibly while still alive - was sentenced today to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Larissa Schuster, 47, of Clovis, was convicted in December of murdering Timothy Schuster with the special circumstance that the murder was committed for financial gain.

His half-dissolved remains - intact from only the belt buckle down - were found a few days after he was reported missing in July 2003 in a 55-gallon barrel concealed inside a storage unit his wife had rented.

Kristin Schuster, the couple's adult daughter, told a Fresno County Superior Court judge at today's sentencing hearing that she felt safer knowing her mother would be behind bars.

"I've been living for five years not knowing if I would have to worry for my own safety," she said. "In your quest to become a dominating power freak, you became your own demon. You have hurt me for so many years and probably smiled inside, but look who's smiling now."

The judge also rejected defense attorneys' request for a new trial in the gruesome case, which took nearly five years to prosecute.

Defense attorney Roger Nuttall did not immediately return calls seeking comment after the sentencing.

Prosecutors said Schuster and her former lab assistant, James Fagone, first immobilized Timothy Schuster with a stun gun and a chloroform-soaked rag. Then they bound his hands and feet, before dumping him head first into the barrel and pouring bottles of hydrochloric acid on the body, they said.

In December 2006, a Fresno jury convicted Fagone of first-degree murder and burglary for his role in the slaying, but he was acquitted of kidnapping. He also was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

But Larissa Schuster's high-profile case had to be moved to a Los Angeles County court after a Fresno County judge decided an impartial jury couldn't be found locally.

A researcher for the defense said more than 85 percent of local residents had heard of the case.

The Schusters were in the middle of a divorce after nearly 20 years of marriage when Timothy Schuster disappeared from his tony Clovis home in July 2003.

Fagone testified during his two-week trial that he had stopped working at the chemistry lab by that time, but Larissa Schuster intimidated him into kidnapping and burglarizing her husband.

Prosecutors said Fagone accepted $2,000 from his former boss in exchange for help with the slaying.

In Schuster's case, prosecutors presented cell phone records, orders for three cases of hydrochloric acid and other evidence showing that she had engineered and participated in her husband's murder.

Fresno County District Attorney Elizabeth A. Egan called the Schuster case "especially gruesome" in a statement issued today.

"Even in light of the human depravity we witness on a daily basis, the grotesque nature of this crime stands out," Egan said.


from: http://www.mercurynews.com
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It's time to kill corn subsidies and go Brazilian

from: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080512.RREGULY12/TPStory/Business

ERIC REGULY

ereguly@globeandmail.com

* E-mail Eric Reguly
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May 12, 2008

New in the ROB, feature columnist Eric Reguly will write in this space every Monday.

Your doctor will tell you not all cholesterol is created equal. The dangerous version can kill you, the good can make you healthier. Brazil uses the same line with ethanol. The corn-based stuff pumped out by the Americans and Canadians is bad, bad, bad. But our sugarcane ethanol is cheap and plentiful and environmentally friendly.

There is no doubt sugarcane ethanol is the more attractive fuel by almost every measure; just how much is still matter of political and scientific debate. Which raises the question: If there is good ethanol and bad ethanol, why not take the good, ditch the bad and put the billions of savings to other uses?

Forget it. The United States and Canada use a wall of import duties and tariffs to repel Brazil's sugarcane ethanol, and protect corn ethanol. They do so in spite of the barrage of evidence that the latter is harmful to taxpayers and the environment and is pushing up food prices around the world.

In Canada, the House of Commons just approved a bill that will require gasoline to have 5-per-cent ethanol content by 2010. Europe is implementing aggressive biofuel content rules. The Americans treat corn ethanol as a birthright.

The Brazilians are old ethanol pros. Sugarcane ethanol came to life in the 1970s, when the twin oil shocks made gasoline prices unaffordable. The government subsidized production and encouraged auto makers to engineer cars that could run on ethanol.

The effort was pretty much a dud. The engine technology was abysmal and falling oil prices soon made gasoline attractive again. In the 1980s, Brazil killed the subsidies.

But Brazil saw a long-term future in sugarcane ethanol, and it slowly came back to life. The fuel could create jobs in the deregulating agriculture industry, reduce the dependence on foreign oil and give motorists a choice at the pumps. Technological improvements would allow car engines to run on various ethanol-gasoline mixtures.

At the time, sugarcane's relative environmental benefits were of no concern.

The attraction was low cost and high efficiency in a country too poor for high-tech alternatives to gasoline and diesel.

Sugarcane is everything corn is not. Corn is a food. Turning it into fuel raises food prices because of competition for arable land. In the United States alone, one-third of the corn crop goes to ethanol production. In the European Union, some 15 per cent of arable land will have to be devoted to biofuel production to meet content mandates. Yes, sugar is food. But it is not a staple.

Sugarcane ethanol is inexpensive to produce. It requires no irrigation and only small amounts (relative to corn) of fertilizers and pesticides. It grows year round. The factories where sugarcane is turned into ethanol are clever little contraptions. The waste material is burned to produce steam, which spins a turbine to make electricity. About 3 per cent of Brazil's electricity comes from the ethanol factories. The figure is expected to rise to as much as 15 per cent by 2015.

Where sugarcane shines is in efficiency. One hectare yields 7,500 litres of ethanol. One hectare of corn produces about 4,000 litres, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. The Brazilian sugarcane association, known as Unica, claims one unit of energy is required to produce nine units of sugarcane ethanol. The ratio for corn is far worse, at one to two. Did we mention Brazilian ethanol gets no subsidies?

To be sure, sugarcane is not perfect. Since most of it is harvested by hand (mechanization is coming), the working conditions can be grim, and flash burning is often used to clear the foliage around the plants to make access easier. Burning creates carbon dioxide. While sugarcane is grown near Sao Paolo, well south of the Amazon rain forest, the argument can be made that the land devoted to sugarcane displaces other crops, resulting in deforestation elsewhere.

Add up the pluses and the minuses and sugarcane ethanol blows corn ethanol off the farm. So why not import it?

Because ethanol is all about transferring wealth to the American and Canadian corn industries. The subsidies are rich, the market is guaranteed through content goals. The American corn ethanol machine will tolerate no threats. The new U.S. Farm Bill proposes to extend the ethanol import tariffs - 54 cents (U.S.) a gallon - for another two years.

Canada's corn ethanol industry, while smaller, also sucks up a fortune in subsidies for dubious environmental benefits and unwelcome upward pressure on food prices. If Canada wants ethanol, import the good stuff. If it wants to be serious about the environment, kill domestic ethanol subsidies and plow the money into technology devoted to making the oil sands cheaper. "The oil sands need enormous investment to make them environmentally sustainable," says Annette Hester, a research fellow at the Canadian International Grains Institute.

The chances of either happening are small. The Canadian and American ethanol policies border on the insane.

Flex fuel reigns in Brazil

In Brazil, 90 per cent of new cars are 'flex-fuel' vehicles - they can burn any combination of gasoline and ethanol.

By 2012, half of the Brazilian car fleet (25 million vehicles) will be flex-fuel vehicles.

Brazilian gasoline contains no less than 25 per cent ethanol.

"Untraceable" and "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian"

Out this week on DVD, is the thriller “Untraceable.” Diane Lane stars as Jennifer Marsh, a secret service agent who is pulled into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse when an unknown person creates a Web site showcasing their victims with a live feed for the world to see. The victims’ fate is determined by the number of people who visit the site. The more that visit, the quicker the victim dies. Soon spreading like wildfire, the world is logging on to KillWithMe.com out of sheer curiosity to what the site is all about, unknowingly turning themselves into an accomplice to murder.

Marsh, of the FBI, and her team scramble to shut down the site, but because the killer is well-versed in computers, he has made the site unable to be touched and himself unable to be found. Now all the FBI can do is watch as the body count grows all the while trying to pick up clues in attempt to find the stranger behind the computer.

This was a pretty decent one, and I was reminded while watching of how not too many of these Internet-related thrillers are made. So with that there was an advantage because it wasn’t all recycled material done from years past. It made me think of “Silence of the Lambs” meets “The Net.” The Web site addition to the plot kept it from feeling like a remake of “Lambs” but more like an updated version with a twist. So while not completely original, it does have some ideas of its own. Not a bad way to spend a couple of hours. Entertaining with plenty scenes of tension that only the horror fans will be able to watch with both eyes.

IN THEATERS
Out today is the next installment of the popular Narnia movies. “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian” picks up about a year after the events from the first movie and continues to follow the adventures of the four children, the famous lion, as well as new, weird-looking characters with even weirder names. From what I gather, only die-hard fans of the series will be able to properly explain what seems to be an overly complex story to what is supposed to be a kid’s movie. In turn, those die-hard fans are also probably the ones who will get the most enjoyment out of it as well.

I wouldn’t expect your random moviegoer to walk into this one and end up adding it to their top 10 list. These movies have a built-in audience — the ones who read the books. The first one brought in nearly $300 million so expect this follow up to do just as well, which will pave the way for the rest of the series.

from: www2.islandpacket.com/
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Anna Nicole Smith's mom sues website

Virgie Arthur, mother of the late model Anna Nicole Smith, is suing TMZ website and Howard K. Stern for tarnishing her image by spreading false story.

Virgie alleged that TMZ website and Howard K. Stern, lawyer and partner of Anna Nicole, spread the false story that she gave birth to the child of her stepbrother. The website carried a story with the headline: 'Virgie Has Son With Step-Brother'. The lawsuit says that their goal was to do away with anyone who opposes Howard K. Stern or his interest. Now, Virgie Arthur wants financial compensation as an apology. However, she has not denied the story.

Anna Nicole Smith was a very popular reality TV stars and a Playmate models. She married billionaire J Howard Marshall, who was 63 years her senior. She died of drug overdose last year at the age of 39.

from: entertainment.oneindia.in
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"Blame It On The Rain"

You said you didn't need her
You told her good-bye (good-bye)
You sacrificed a good love
To satisfy your pride
Now you wished
That you should have her (have her)
And you feel like such a fool
You let her walk away
Now it just don't feel the same
Gotta blame it on something
Gotta blame it on something

Blame it on the rain (rain)
Blame it on the stars (stars)
Whatever you do don't put the blame on you
Blame it on the rain yeah yeah
You can blame it on the rain
Get
Ooh, ooh (ooh)
I can't, I can't. I can't, can't stand the rain
I can't, I can't. I can't, can't stand the rain
Yeah, yeah
Should've told her you were sorry (sorry) huh
Could have said you were wrong
But no you couldn't do that. No, no
You had to prove you were strong ooh
If you hadn't been so blinded (blinded)
She might still be there with you
You want her back again
But she just don't feel the same
Gotta blame it on something
Gotta blame it on something

Blame it on the rain that was falling, falling
Blame it on the stars that did shine at night
Whatever you do don't put the blame on you
Blame it on the rain yeah yeah

You can blame it on the rain
Cos the rain don't mind
And the rain don't care
You got to blame it on something
(Blame it on the rain)
(Blame it on the stars)
Whatever you do don't put the blame on you
Blame it on the rain yeah, yeah
You can blame it on the rain
Girl

Ooh, ooh (ooh)
Girl
I can't, I can't. I can't, can't stand the rain
I can't, I can't. I can't, can't stand the rain

Get
Girl
(Whatever you do...)
(Blame it on the rain yeah, yeah) x 3
You can blame it on the rain, blame it on the rain,
blame it on the rain baby
(Blame it on the rain yeah yeah)
Blame it on the stars that did shine that night
(Blame it on the rain yeah yeah)
Blame it, blame it on the rain
woo
I'm walking
I'm walking

Walking in the rain
Walking in the rain

(Rain, rain)
(Stars, stars)
Whatever you do don't put the blame on you
(Blame it on the rain)
yeah yeah
(Blame it on the rain)
that keeps falling, falling
(Blame it on the stars)
that did shine that night
Whatever you do don't put the blame on you
Blame it on the rain yeah yeah
Blame it on the rain (rain, rain

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Still full of fire

Some legends die young. Others fizzle out into a mix of quiet obscurity and semi-retirement or, even worse, ironic self-parody. But then there are the few musical heroes whose souls fade naturally like a favorite pair of jeans. And if anybody lingering from the 1970s has still got soul, lord knows, his name is the Rev. Al Green.

The knees have worn a little thinner, and the seams will never return to the store-bought crispness they once held, but overall, Green is no worse for wear. Apparently, life at 62 is no less sexy than it was at 32.

Here it is, folks, the soundtrack to all your summer copulating: Lay It Down. Green's latest album finds the elder-spokesman of getting down and funky in fighting, no, loving, form. Green sounds as if he has stepped straight out of a '70s time capsule, plaid-patterned suit and all.

Everything clearly bears Green's stamp of approval, but a lot of the execution comes courtesy of producer Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson, drummer of The Roots and Philadelphia's current music genius in residence. With distinct admiration for the work of Willie Mitchell, Green's longtime go-to guy behind the boards, Thompson and co-producer James Poyser (Erykah Badu, Common) keep the arrangements classically organic and appropriately soulful.

They push Green's remarkably preserved voice front and center in the mix, delicately integrating strings, brass and guest singers without intruding on the intimacy. The title-track album opener (featuring Anthony Hamilton) sets the rapturous tone with the backing singers booming what could very well be Green's entire musical mantra summarized: "Lay it down/ Let it go/ Fall in love."

The sermon fits as well now as it did then. Whatever Green lacks in songwriting, he has always made up for with burning conviction. His lyrics become all the more believable in their passionate delivery.

"The smile on your face/ Your lips on mine" and "a love divine" would be considered cliché coming from almost any other singer. But Green propels these lines into his upper-falsetto on "Too Much," unleashing his mixed pain and joy on the stock phrasings. "I'm Wild About You" is not exactly a mind-blowing declaration either, but Green sells every last groove. Sometimes it really is the singer, not the song.

Not to mention, the guy's accompaniment is not exactly shabby. Thompson and Poyser bring a lot to the table musically, culling a high-profile supporting cast to round out the Lay It Down session players. Green is not the only one on board with an impressive set of pipes.

John Legend complements his musical idol beautifully while trading vocals on the lights-down-low number, "Stay with Me (By the Sea)." British singer Corinne Bailey Rae joins in the background after taking a seductive turn on the lead for "Take Your Time." Her request, "I want to take a little time/ Just to fall in love again," seems so little to ask from such a sultry narrator.

With all the smooth R&B going down, it is a relief to hear some much-needed punch and sass on the album, courtesy of Amy Winehouse's Dap-King Horns section. The group's contributions on Lay It Down's two strongest tracks, "You've Got the Love I Need" and "All I Need," bring it all back home to Green's heyday at Hi Records.

No one has to tell Green it is his show to steal. He just jumps in and takes the reins, riding an endless wave of enthusiasm all the way through to the Motown/Stax-inspired finale, "Standing in the Rain."

On the closer, Green belts, "Write this down if you can/ I'm a cold hard working man." And with the hardest working man in show business no longer alive, (James Brown, one of Green's greatest influences), Green may just inherit the title.

Blame it on the intoxicating magic of love and bongos - Lay It Down breezes by incredibly quickly for a full 45-minute LP. A true sum of its parts, the album is airtight. There really are no weak moments, not an ounce of filler snuck in.

At the same time, Lay It Down does not offer any radical reworking of Green as an artist. Despite recruiting a younger crew, outside Green's working circle, Thompson and Poyser play to the singer's strengths. They have aimed to create the ultimate Al Green album, something representative of his mid-'70s stride.

There is no new angle, and that is exactly why Lay It Down finds success. Why destroy the winning formula?

While so many of his contemporaries preached to an increasingly turbulent America through socially minded R&B, Green stuck to what he knew best - sweet, funky love. Today, our country is no less turbulent, but Green just keeps on laying it down like he always has.

Thankfully, some things never change.

from: http://media.www.diamondbackonline.com

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