The world we live won't laugh this hard. The weight of the world won't seem so bad now.

Unwanted horses a drain on economy

2008-12-06T18:05:00.002-05:00

Experts wonder who will take on the costs of caring for the increasing number of unwanted animals if a proposed federal ban on slaughtering and export for human consumption passes.

Former Rep. Charles Stenholm of Texas said Friday that the consequences of a proposed federal ban on processing horses for people to eat would further exacerbate an existing economic problem for the growing number of unwanted horses.
"When a horse is unwanted, something has to happen to that horse," Stenholm said during a talk at the Kansas Livestock Association's convention at the Hyatt Regency Wichita. "We don't believe it should be used for human consumption, and we've made that clear.
"But it's private property. No one should tell you what you should do with a horse except to treat it humanely."
In 2006, the year before state laws in Texas and Illinois closed down the nation's final three facilities that slaughtered horses for human consumption, there was a $65 million export market for horse meat, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Now it has dried up to almost nothing.
Horses are now largely taken to slaughterhouses in Mexico or Canada. Horse meat is consumed by humans in countries such as France, Belgium and Japan. Part of the proposed federal legislation would ban transportation of horses to the Mexican and Canadian slaughterhouses.
But Stenholm said the economic fallout has gone beyond the loss of the export market.
He said there are more than 125,000 unwanted horses in the United States. Another 33,000 wild horses roam federal land in 10 Western states and have drained the Bureau of Land Management's budget, he added.
"There's a cost to this," Stenholm said after speaking to an audience of about 350. "There's going to have to be money appropriated from states and Congress to deal with unwanted horses.
"What do you do with them when one turns up on the country road and you're the sheriff? Who pays for the feed? Some people are just letting their horses starve."
Stenholm, who spent 26 years in Congress and is now a consultant for various agricultural groups, said it can cost $200 to $2,000 to have a horse euthanized and disposed. In Wichita, the price is closer to $170.
Jason Kaiser, a Wichita veterinarian, said his Equine Surgery and Medicine clinic charges $40 to euthanize and an additional $40 for a trip charge.
Darling International, the only renderer in the Wichita area, charges $87 to haul off a horse. The two solid-waste transfer stations in Sedgwick County said they don't accept dead horses.
Kaiser confirmed Stenholm's concern about increased abandonment of horses.
"It's been a lot more in the last year, especially with hay prices up and the economy bad," he said.
Kaiser said often people will turn horses loose near Hope in the Valley Equine Rescue and Sanctuary, a nonprofit organization north of Wichita.
"Then animal control has to feed them and find what to do with them," Kaiser said. "No one wants them.
"The horse market is down. Cheap horses are free. There have been (livestock) sales where you just hope someone puts their hand to take the horse for free."
He said he believes the cause of the situation is the lack of slaughterhouses.
"There's a base value for a horse if there is a slaughter," he said. "It would be more humane than to let them starve to death."
Ted Schroeder, a livestock marketing economist at Kansas State University, said the situation is an animal welfare "nightmare."
"It's an emotional issue," he said. "It's hard to be for slaughtering horses. How do policymakers sell that?"
But Stenholm said it's an issue that must be tackled.
He said horse slaughter facilities may start to spring up on Indian reservations. He said he knew of one with definite plans.
"This can't be ignored," Stenholm said. "These are issues that need to be resolved in a less emotional way."

My take:

I don't see why the horse slaughterhouses are so bad. I mean, really. If there are so many unwanted horses, and there are people who would eat their meat, then why not kill them? In our society we already slaughter cows and pigs. So what difference does a horse make? A lot of people would tell me I'm sick and cruel. But if you think that, then you need to stop being so narrow minded. There are more societies than our own. And they all have their own rules and customs. So you have to think about the rest of the world, and not just your own little one.

There are postitve effects of having horse slaughterhouses. They help to remove unwanted horses. Why should a horse be left out to starve if its owner doesn't want it anymore? Why not just kill the animal? It may seem cruel, but it keeps the horse from suffering. It's like when a race horse is killed after it breaks a leg and can't run anymore. If the horse is no longer wanted, then why keep the thing around? It's just a waste. Plus, there are people who eat horse meat. So by killing the horses, there is food that is now provided to people. And why would you want to cut off someone's food supply? I just think that in general, it would be a better idea to kill the horse if it's unwanted so that someone else can enjoy it.

The negatives of the slaughterhouses are very few in my opinion. The only con i can think of is that too many people may abuse the use of the slaughterhouse and kill too many horses. Of course if this happens, the horse population in North America will severely drop and that would be a bad thing. But honestly, I can't really think of any other bad things about slaughterhouses. It all goes back to what I said before, the only reason why americans look at slaughtering horses as being bad is because we don't typically eat horses. It's all based on society. I'm certain there's someone in Asia who thinks Why do those american mother fuckers eat those poor cows? We think nothing of it because our society finds the slaughter of cattle to be perfectly normal and humane. It's like here there are people who think How can those crazy japanese bastards eat a poor horse? Obviously in their society, it's acceptable. So we should accept that our customs aren't the only ones for the world. There are many differences in customs around the world and people need to recognize it.

To get back to my main point, if a horse is unwanted, then why not just kill it?

One man's trash is another man's treasure, right?

So our trash, the horse, may mean something else to someone in another part of the world.

So why not just kill it?

It keeps the animal from starving and it also feeds other people.

So it's like a win-win situation.

Ronnie Radke Continues To Attack Max Green

2008-08-16T23:31:00.002-04:00

Ronnie Radke has written another blog to Escape the Fate bassist Max Green apologizing for everything ... Actually, this blog is meaner than ever!

"I didn't say anything about this before ... But you really are trying to be like me ... Fu--ing my ex girlfriend now, huh!!? So ... tell me ... How does my di-- taste?? ... Aaaaand my microphone?? How is it living my life?? Must be pretty rad ... I would know... Don't get used to it. When I get out, there won't be much left for you to live in cause the real deal will be back ... But hey, maybe you could sing back up in my band!!" Radke wrote to new Escape the Fate singer Craig Mabbitt on his MySpace blog from prison.

You think that's terrible, right? Well ... there's more ...
"You may say you are over 'IT'... But 'IT' has only just begun ... A storm is coming, and you can't stop it ... I would rather be in prison and happy, because I know who I am and what I have become, then be in a band with a bunch of liars and backstabbers ... Like I said before ... I am your foundation ... No matter where you go and what you do I'll ALWAYS be IN YOUR HEAD!! You must not remember the day we were all at Omars and you all walk in with your sea shell necklaces and Quicksilver t-shirts! After I got finished, you left looking just like ME ... Cause that's what you will always be, an image of me and what I made you ...," Radke wrote to Green.

Ronnie Radke's Message From Inside Prison

2008-08-09T09:55:00.003-04:00

Escape the Fate's former lead singer, Ronnie Radke was on trial Monday, August 4th. He has since been sentenced to 4 years in prison for violating probation. Also, he has begun blogging from prison. And he is very, very angry.
Radke had some choice words in his recent MySpace blog about the family who put him away: "Hope you guys are all happy ... You finally got what you wanted. Sitting there laughing at me in the courtroom ... thanks for that. Your snickers and laughs only make me stronger as a person, but just know that an innocent person is going to prison for some sh-- he didn't even do, and that would be me. If you think that I'm the guilty one, then you're all just as bad for taking away my life. If revenge is what you want, then why don't you dig a little deeper and find the real root of all evil instead of blaming the one it's easiest to point the finger at, 'cause you're not justifying ANYTHING by putting me away ... telling people you're there for support and hoping that I get better ... Well I hope all you fu--ing people get better. And to think I still feel sincerely terrible for what I witnessed ... it would send you into cardiac arrest. But did you catch that word I just dropped, WITNESSED, not fu--ing killed, and you should be ashamed of yourselves for letting someone go down for the crime when I wasn't even the one who pulled the trigger. Man you guys must sleep great at night."
Radke also posted a threatening message to [Escape the Fate bassist] Max Green, who was supposed to visit Radke in jail on August 4 but failed to show, perhaps igniting his anger even more. "I found out the reason why you didn't come ... you were talking to that kid's mom the whole time, stabbing me in my back. She said she went to your house the day before my court date, but I wouldn't have shown up either if I was playing both sides. YOU are the real reason I'm in here, because you're too scared to fix your own problems. I just want to let you know Maxwell, that your time's coming. Trust me, your gunna get what you deserve! I'm more clean minded than ever. Escape the Fate is ME and will ALWAYS be ME. And YOU will forever live in MY shadows"[After Radke's arrest, Green decided to keep ETF together, instead of breaking up. Since then, Craig Mabbitt, formerly of Blessthefall, has taken over on vocals.]
I am sure you are all speechless at this point, but there's another message from Radke, posted only minutes after the first two, and this one is dedicated to YOU. "TO ALL YOU WONDERFUL FANS: who stood by my side, I appreciate you. And I get out in December. These court people are keeping me from going to Virginia to record my next album ... but I'll have this figured out by then. I've had alot of time to sit by myself, and write the most ridiculous lyrics I've ever heard. I think you're all going to love it, and you can all write me at the Clark County Detention Center. Just go on their website, get the address and my inmate number, and you can send me pictures or whatever you want ... It's always great to have someone to write to, and thanks so much to all of those who have been writing me. I have hundreds of letters to respond to with all the time in the world to do it. I LOVE YOU ALL."
UPDATE: Max Green has responded to Radke's claims in his own MySpace blog.
Before jumping parole, Radke had originally been sentenced to five years probation after pleading guilty to battery charges related to a brawl [involving guns] that lead to the death of a boy named Michael Cook.

Okay, I am totally going to write to Ronnie. He is, in my opinion, one of the best songwriters. He has so much talent and I am so glad that he is planning on getting back into the music industry. I personally think that Ronnie shouldn't have gotten the probation to start with. Like he said, he didn't pull the trigger. I think he was innocent. But different people have different thoughts and views. I am just so excited to write Ronnie. I am a loyal fan of his, and I will stay by his side. I found it somewhat interesting when he said that he was Escape the Fate. I mean, he started it with Max. And the name Escape the Fate reffers to a group of people [the band]. I'm curious about what Ronnie meant by that. Could it be that he said it because he wrote the songs? Afterall, no band is complete without songs. Heck, the purpose of a band is defeated if there aren't songs. He did name the band. Maybe Ronnie is trying to say that the band is nothing without him. Which, I can somewhat agree with. Brian, Max, and Robert are all very talented. But when you add Ronnie to the mix with them, then they become golden. I don't think that Ronnie should take full credit for the band. Really, if he didn't have Max, Brian, and Robert there, then it wouldn't be as good. I am also very curious about Ronnie's new cd he's working on. Is he going to go solo with it? Personally, I don't know if that is the best choice for him. But you never know, Ronnie might surprise us all. Yes, I do plan on posting updates.

[sorry that part was really sloppy and so poorly written. it's not very focused on a topic. but i'm trying to improve. and sorry it has been so long since my last blog entry. i'm getting back into the swing of things and i had gotten messages from friends asking why i hadn't updated anything. so i will be working on that as well. and i want to say thanks to all the people who do come and check this blog regularly. you guys are amazing!]

Marijuana Farm Busted on Girl Scout Camp

2008-07-16T23:33:00.002-04:00

Police found thousands of marijuana plants being grown in a remote part of a Girl Scout camp, according to court documents and a scout official.
Officials at Camp Ella J. Logan were dismayed when they found out what had happened, said Sherri Weidman, chief executive of the Limberlost Girl Scout Council.
Police found the hidden marijuana farm with plants in various stages of cultivation in a wooded swampy area of Kosciusko County, according to documents filed Monday in U.S. District Court in South Bend. Some of the plants were growing on land belonging to a local resident, while the bulk - about 5,000 plants - were growing on camp land. State troopers in an airplane spotted the plots.Mario Comacho, 44, Mariano Gonzales, 38, and a juvenile were arrested last week after police found the farm.
Comacho and Gonzales, both of Goshen, appeared for an initial hearing Monday in federal court on charges of possession of more than 1,000 marijuana plants with the intent to distribute. Neither man had an attorney, according to court documents.
Johnny Coy, who owns part of the land where the pot was found growing, said he wasn't aware of the operation and rarely visits the swampy area.
Weidman said the area was in a remote part of the 220-acre camp accessible only by wading through the muck or taking a canoe. The land was bought by the council to provide a safety buffer, she said.
Parents of campers were informed of the discovery when they picked up their children.

Senate Votes to Triple AIDS Funding

The Senate voted Wednesday to triple spending for a much-acclaimed program that has treated and protected millions in Africa and elsewhere from the scourges of AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

The 80-16 vote committed the United States to spending up to $48 billion over the next five years for the most ambitious foreign public health program ever launched by the United States.

The legislation would replace and expand the current $15 billion act that President Bush championed in a State of the Union address and Congress passed in 2003. That act expires at the end of September.

In a statement, Bush said that when the program was launched in 2003, about 50,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa were receiving anti-retroviral treatment for HIV/AIDS. Today, the program supports lifesaving anti-retroviral treatment for more than 1.7 million people around the world, he said. It also has supported treatment and prevention programs that have helped HIV-positive women give birth to nearly 200,000 infants who are HIV-free.

"Traveling in Africa earlier this year, Laura and I had our most recent opportunity to witness the effectiveness of this program," he said. "We were honored to see the doctors, nurses and caregivers of all faiths working to save the lives of their fellow citizens. And we met the patients, including many children, who understand and appreciate America's generosity."

The Democratic-led Senate, rarely in agreement with the White House, gave Bush credit for initiating the program. Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a chief negotiator in crafting the bill, said the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, known as PEPFAR, is "the single most significant thing the president has done."

The global AIDS program will save tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of lives, Biden said, "and the president deserves our recognition for that."

Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee, and co-negotiator with Biden, said the program "has helped to prevent instability and societal collapse in a number of at-risk countries." He added that it has "facilitated deep partnerships with a new generation of African leaders, and it has improved attitudes toward the United States in Africa and other regions."

Biden said he had been coordinating with House leaders and was confident they could come up with a final version "within a matter of days."

The bill passed by the House in April approved $50 billion, including $5 billion for malaria, $4 billion for tuberculosis and $41 billion for AIDS. Of the AIDS money, a proportion — $2 billion next year — would go to the international Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Actual spending levels still have to be approved in annual appropriations bills.

Earlier Wednesday, the Senate, acceding to arguments that Congress must also address humanitarian issues closer to home, agreed to set aside $2 billion of the $50 billion for American Indian water, health and law enforcement projects.

"We don't have to go off of our shore to find third world conditions," said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., sponsor of the amendment with Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., and others. Biden said House negotiators had indicated they would accept the change.

The Senate vote came after months of negotiations with Senate conservatives wanting assurances that the new AIDS bill would continue to include programs promoting abstinence and fidelity and would not discriminate against religious groups in allotting funding.

Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., saying he wanted to prevent money from being diverted to irrelevant development programs, secured language that more than half the money would go to treating AIDS victims.

He said he was still concerned about how to pay for the $50 billion program. But Coburn, a medical doctor, said he believed that "this is our most successful foreign policy initiative in my lifetime. This is the most effective thing we have done to build America's prestige, esteem and respect."

Senate changes will have to be worked out with the House. Those include a measure added to the Senate bill by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Gordon Smith, R-Ore., that would reverse a policy that has made it difficult for HIV-positive foreigners to visit or seek residency in the United States.

"For 20 years the United States has barred HIV-positive travelers from entering the country even for one day," said Rachel B. Tiven, executive director of Immigration Equality. "Today the Senate said loud and clear that AIDS exceptionalism must come to an end."

The Senate was able to reject several proposed amendments offered by Republicans to cut the spending level in the bill. Supporters of tripling current spending said that 33 million are infected by HIV/AIDS around the world and that 13,000 people die every day from AIDS, TB and malaria."

The amount per year, about $10 billion, is less than 1 percent of this year's federal budget, and this is a small price to pay for a program that will save millions of lives and foster good will around the world," said Dr. Paul Zeitz, executive director of the Global AIDS Alliance.

Assisted Suicide Provokes Outcry in Germany

2008-07-04T22:58:00.002-04:00

Lawmakers gathered in Berlin today to discuss legislative steps for a new law that would outline Germany's position on the right to die.

The meeting, which had been scheduled some time ago, came only a few days after a widely publicized suicide that caused public outcry here.

Earlier this week, Roger Kusch, a German campaigner for assisted suicide, admitted publicly that he'd helped a 79-year-old woman from the Bavarian city of Wuerzburg after she'd decided to commit suicide.

He told reporters at a news conference in Hamburg that he had counseled the woman about how to commit suicide but that he did not administer the deadly drugs.

Kusch said he actually left the room after she drank a poisonous brew, which contained the anti-malaria drug chloroquine and a sedative called diazepam.

He returned to the woman's apartment three hours later to find her dead on her bed.

"She has died with dignity, a peaceful death for which she had decided of her own free will," he said. "Her last words were "auf Wiedersehen," or farewell.
The woman, Bettina Schardt, a retired X-ray technician, was single and apparently had no family to look after her.

Kusch said that she was neither terminally ill nor suffering acute pain but her life was unpleasant.
He showed reporters a video tape on which the woman was heard saying, "I can't really say I'm suffering, but I find it extremely hard to care for myself."

Kusch also said that she had trouble moving around in her apartment and hardly ever went outside.
"She knew her physical condition was deteriorating, she figured life in a nursing home would soon become her only option, and she was not going to accept that," Kusch told ABC News in a telephone interview today.
"That thought was simply unbearable for her. She has decided of her own free will that she would rather die than live in a nursing home."

Kusch is a trained lawyer who formerly served as a secretary of justice in the Hamburg city council.
He knew to be careful about actively assisting the woman, and he videotaped the entire process by remote control as proof to avoid legal prosecution.

Neither suicide nor passively assisted suicide is illegal. But euthanasia, or killing on demand, is a punishable crime in Germany, which can blur the line.
Germans are struggling with the issue because it brings back horrible memories of the Nazi's euthanasia program, which was responsible for the death of hundreds of thousands of people.

Kusch, who is also the founder of an organization called Assisted Death, told ABC News, "Most people simply want to die in their own beds; most important, they want to die with dignity. Why not help those who decide of their own free will they want to commit suicide? Every person has the right to choose to die, even if they are not terminally ill.
"Mrs. Schardt had already decided to commit suicide when she first contacted me in April," he said. "She was a very analytical person, there was no question if she would kill herself but only how she would proceed in taking her life. She left a goodbye letter thanking me for helping her to die in dignity."

Other European countries have more flexible rules when it comes to assisted suicide.

In Switzerland, it is legal to actively assist a person committing suicide, provided a doctor has been consulted and the patient is fully aware of the consequences of his decision.
A Swiss euthanasia group called Dignitas claims it offers a dignified death to terminally ill people by administering lethal injections to end their suffering.
In the past decade, about 500 Europeans, many Germans among them, are said to have traveled across the Swiss border to find help to end their lives.

Chancellor Angela Merkel told German TV station ARD she was absolutely against any form of assisted suicide, and her government is almost unanimously on her side, calling for strict legislation.
Lawmakers today postponed their decision on a new law until October 2008, but they ruled that law and justice enforcement authorities should put a break on commercial ventures that make money by helping people kill themselves.

They suggested that any commercially assisted suicide should be considered a punishable crime that will be prosecuted, and offenders can be sentenced to three years in prison.

Russia may ban Halloween

2008-07-02T22:09:00.002-04:00

Russia's State Duma is currently considering a package of laws aimed at protecting the morality of its children and preventing youth suicide and alcoholism. Some of the ideas kind of seem like overkill:

Together with proposals to combat child alcoholism and pornography, the policy project outlines a raft of draconian measures such as a 10 p.m. curfew for all school-age children and a ban on tattoos and body-piercings.Under the new measures, schools would be prohibited from celebrating Western holidays like Halloween and St. Valentine's Day, which are deemed inappropriate to "Russian culture." Toys in the shape of monsters or skeletons would be banned as "provoking aggression."
The proposal also sets its sights on teenage subcultures such as emo, a style of hardcore punk, and goth, which lawmakers accuse of "cultivating bisexuality." Both styles, the legislation implies, are social scourges on a par with the skinhead movement, and must be eliminated from the social landscape.

Model Ruslana Korshunova's 'suicide' conspiracy theories

Police have ruled that catwalk model Ruslana Korshunova's death was a suicide as conspiracy theories as to why she ended her life flood the internet.

The 20-year-old was found dead outside her downtown Manhattan building on Saturday afternoon after eyewitnesses described seeing a body plunge nine floors from a balcony.

Friends have since cast doubts that the successful Kazakh would have had reason to end her life however.

"There's no way she would have killed herself," Kira Titeneva, a friend from Korshunova's home town, told the New York Daily News. "She loved life so much".

Investigators have reportedly found no signs of a struggle inside Korshunova's apartment and a spokeswoman for New York's medical examiner said that Korshunova died from blunt impact injuries.

Theories blaming the Russian mafia for the model's death have swept the web.
It has been suggested that the model may have been desperate to get out of the fashion industry but been prevented from doing so by murky underworld bosses who manage the Eastern European models.

There is more to suggest that the model may have been depressed though, with recent blog posts hinting at hidden angst.
In one message three months ago she wrote: "I'm so lost. Will I ever find myself?"

The New York Post quoted a friend of Korshunova claiming she had just returned from a modeling gig in Paris and seemed to be "on top of the world."
"There were no signs," he said. "That's what's driving me crazy. I don't see one reason why she would do that."

Russia warns Lithuania on US missile defense

Russian lawmakers warned Lithuania against agreeing to place U.S. missile defense sites in the Baltic country, saying Wednesday that such a move could trigger a Russian military buildup in the region.
Russia could deploy more troops to its Baltic exclave of Kaliningrad if Lithuania offers its soil for the deployment of U.S. missile interceptors, said a statement approved unanimously by the Kremlin-controlled lower house, the State Duma.

Lithuania's Prime Minister Gediminas Kirkilas was in Washington on Wednesday for talks with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said he did not know if the two were discussing the possibility of placing missile-defense components in the former Soviet country on Russia's northern border.
But on Tuesday, the Pentagon had said Lithuania would be a "good alternative" to Poland if negotiations with Warsaw collapse. Poland has demanded increased U.S. military aid in exchange for approving the deal.

Russia is fiercely against the U.S. plans to deploy components of a missile defense shield in Poland and the Czech Republic, saying the move would undermine its nuclear deterrent.
The Duma statement said that placing U.S. interceptors in Lithuania would "lead to a change of the Russian Federation's approach to military security in the Baltics, which is currently based on the principle of minimal sufficient military presence."

The lawmakers said using Lithuania in the missile-defense plan "will lead to an adequate modernization and strengthening of a grouping of Russian forces deployed to the Kaliningrad region."
Kaliningrad, Russia's westernmost region, is located on the Baltic Sea between Poland and Lithuania.

The Duma statement also criticized a Lithuanian law passed last month banning the public display of Soviet and Nazi symbols. It said the law insulted the memory of the Soviet soldiers who fought the Nazis in the World War II and amounted to an attempt to "rewrite history."
The Soviet Union annexed independent Lithuania in 1940. Nazi Germany quickly seized the Baltics after invading the Soviet Union in 1941, and the Soviet army drove Nazi troops back in 1944.

Police Say Missing Girl's Body Is Found

2008-07-02T21:53:00.003-04:00

The body of a missing 12-year-old whose uncle allegedly planned to force her into a sex ring the day she disappeared was found Wednesday in Randolph, not far from his house.

State Police Director Col. James Baker said Brooke Bennett's body was found about 4:45 p.m. and her family had been notified.

The uncle, Michael Jacques, has been in custody since Sunday on charges of aggravated sexual assault against a different underage girl. He has pleaded not guilty.

Brooke was last seen alive with Jacques at a convenience store a week ago.

"The painful discovery of Brooke's body today is tragic and heartbreaking," Baker said at a news conference.

He called the death "clearly suspicious" but declined to give details before a planned briefing Thursday morning.

But in an affidavit unsealed earlier in U.S. District Court in Burlington, the FBI said an unidentified teenager told investigators she was present on June 25 when Jacques, 42, tricked Brooke into thinking she was going to a party and took her to his Randolph home to be initiated into a sex ring.

The girl said she was led to believe that Brooke would "would have sex with adult males" during the initiation.

After the three got to Jacques' home, the girl said she and Brooke watched television for a while before Jacques told her to leave and took his niece upstairs. The witness, who is 14, said she left the house with her boyfriend and did not see Brooke again.

The 14-year-old said she herself had been having sex with Jacques since she was 9 as part of the sex ring.

Brooke's former stepfather, Raymond Gagnon, appeared in federal court Wednesday on an obstruction of justice charge in the case. He was denied bail and was held pending another hearing on Monday.

Police say Gagnon, 40, lives in Texas but often visited Vermont. According to the affidavit, he told police he accessed Brooke's MySpace page from a laptop computer at his home in San Antonio after getting login information from Jacques.

Police said they have evidence that postings to the account were altered to make it appear that Brooke had discussed a secret rendevous with someone identified as "Skittlemeup" shortly before she disappeared.

Gagnon also told police he had downloaded child pornography onto the laptop, according to the affidavit.

In Randolph before the announcement, Brooke's friends and family put up signs saying they missed her and were praying for her safe return. She lived in Braintree, a small town close to Randolph.

"To the community, thank you so much for all your support and help, and I hope I can keep continuing to get that," said Brooke's mother, Cassandra Gagnon. She wore a photo pin of her daughter on her T-shirt.

She said she was "very surprised" by her ex-husband's alleged involvement.

Mom Accused of Denying Son Chemo

A woman has been charged with withholding cancer medication from her 8-year-old autistic son, who prosecutors say likely will die because the cancer has returned.

Kristen Anne LaBrie, 36, of Beverly, was released on personal recognizance Monday after pleading not guilty in Salem District Court to a charge of reckless child endangerment.

Her son, Jeremy Fraser, had been in remission from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

He had a good prognosis when first diagnosed, with chances of recovery put at 85 percent to 90 percent, according to a police report. But his chances have dropped to 10 percent since being deprived of medication, authorities said.

Prosecutor Kate MacDougall said "in all likelihood, Jeremy Fraser will not see his ninth birthday."

"This child was in remission," she said. "His prognosis was good. This child came out of remission. ... He is not expected to survive."

Labrie declined comment to the Salem Evening News as she left court. Her lawyer, Kevin James, said Labrie had taken her son more than 100 times to Massachusetts General Hospital and "has been extensively involved in this child's care."

He said prosecutors had "a very weak case."

According to a police report, Fraser was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2006 and underwent a five-phase regimen of chemotherapy, including drugs that were supposed to be given to him at his house by his mother.

Police said LaBrie canceled at least a dozen appointments for chemotherapy treatments. MacDougall also said LaBrie did not fill at least half of the prescriptions her son was given.

In March, Dr. Alison Friedmann, the child's oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, filed a report of suspected neglect with the Department of Social Services after discovering Fraser's cancer had returned, something that should not have happened if he was on his medications.

The boy's father, Eric Fraser, now has full custody of his son in Saugus. He said Jeremy spends part of his day in a special education program.

"The kid's a peach," he said. "He doesn't do one bad thing."

Eric Fraser said he's outraged LaBrie did not have to have to post bail Monday.

"I'm pretty disgusted about the whole justice (system) and DSS," Fraser said. "Now my son's going to die."

Teenager Sam Leeson hanged himself over 'Emo' taunts

2008-06-28T23:21:00.002-04:00

A 13-year-old boy hanged himself after he was bullied on social networking website Bebo.

Sam Leeson was targeted because he was a fan of 'Emo' music, which is popular with many children who feel left out of the mainstream.

The term originally meant 'emotional hardcore' and was an offshoot of punk music before it evolved into something more popular.

In common with many 'emos', Sam wore alternative black or dark clothing and had long hair, which attracted the bullies.

The boy, who had four sisters and two brothers, was found hanged in his bedroom by his mother and 12-year-old sister, after months of abuse which was only uncovered after his death.

His father Christopher, 39, of Hardwicke, in Gloucestershire, yesterday pleaded for other victims of bullies to not give in.

Mr Leeson, who is a builder, said: "Please talk to someone. Change your email address and change your mobile.

"Even change your school but don't destroy the lives of your mother, father, brothers or sisters.

"Mostly think of the people who will be putting flowers and cards on the gates of your school and trying to make sense of a pointless waste of a life.

"Bullies are cowards and you can beat them. Do it for Sam's sake."

He added: "I never knew things were so bad for Sam. I feel so sad he didn't speak to me."

Sam, who was a pupil at Severn Vale School in Gloucester, was found hanged in his bedroom on June 5.

Sam's laptop computer is now being examined by Gloucestershire Police and an investigation into his death has begun.

Girl found hanged in bedroom had become obsessed with ‘emo’ culture

A girl aged 12 who was found hanged in her bedroom had become obsessed with a teenage sub-culture known as “emo”, an inquest was told yesterday.

Rachel Jarvis, a fan of the band My Chemical Romance, died in January, a few days after making a new year’s resolution not to kill herself. She joins a growing list of children whose death has been linked to their involvement with the music and fashion of the angst-ridden cult, whose followers regularly talk of self-harming and suicide.

This month a 13-year-old boy, Sam Leeson, was found hanged in his bedroom in Gloucester. He had been bullied for his alternative dress and love of emo music. In May a coroner in Maidstone, Kent, ruled that the suicide of Hannah Bond, 13, another fan of My Chemical Romance, had “disturbing” emo overtones. She had earlier cut her wrists and discussed the “glamour” of hanging with other emo fans on the internet.

Emo is short for emotional hardcore. Its adherents – in Britain usually middle-class teenagers of both sexes – wear skinny black jeans, heavy, dark make-up and often dye their hair black.
Rachel, from Hull, was known to her family as a happy and friendly girl who performed well at school. Her form teacher described her as “wonderful . . . extremely mature for her age, very confident and bold”.

After her death it emerged that in the months before she was found hanged from her bedroom ceiling she had often visited an American emo website – her online name was Emos-rule – where young people spoke about depression, self-harm and killing themselves.

She had also kept a secret diary in which she recorded earlier suicide attempts. A statement from one of her close friends, a boy who cannot be named for legal reasons, was read to the hearing at Hull Coroner’s Court. He said that the pair had bonded over their shared passion for emo music and that Rachel had confided in him that she was going to cut herself.

“Other people used to say, ‘Don’t hang around with her because she’s weird and you will get depressed if you are around her,’ but I didn’t listen to them.”

Rachel’s mother, Maggie Jarvis, a former housing adviser, said that she had been about to give her two younger sons a bath and put them to bed and went to speak to her daughter about her playing loud music. “I went upstairs to ask her to turn it down otherwise they wouldn’t get to sleep. That’s when I found her,” she said.

Police investigating Rachel’s death found long-sleeved tops with blood stains at the wrists. They also found a diary with dark poetry and entries about eight earlier suicide attempts.

The coroner, Geoffrey Saul, recorded a narrative verdict in which he noted that “the suspension was at her own hand but the question of intent remains unclear”. He went on: “The evidence shows that she had talked to friends of hers about self harm but it doesn’t seem that they were strong statements of immediate intention.”

Teen Decapitated by Six Flags Coaster

2008-06-28T22:55:00.002-04:00

A teenager was decapitated by a roller coaster after he hopped a pair of fences and entered a restricted area Saturday at Six Flags Over Georgia, authorities said.

Six Flags officials are uncertain why the unidentified 17-year-old from Columbia, S.C. scaled two six-foot fences and passed signs that said the restricted area was both off-limits and dangerous to visitors, spokeswoman Hela Sheth said in a news release.

Authorities were investigating reports from witnesses who said the teenager jumped the fences to retrieve a hat he lost while riding the Batman roller coaster, said Cobb County police Sgt. Dana Pierce. Police have declined to release the teenager's name until an autopsy is completed.

Six Flags said it closed the roller coaster after the Saturday afternoon accident out of respect for the teen's family. The ride was expected to reopen on Sunday, according to a Six Flags news release.

Police said the ride was going full-speed when the teen was struck. The ride's top speed is 50 mph, according to the park's Web site.

No one riding on the roller coaster was injured, Sheth said. The teen was with another boy who also entered the restricted area but was not injured, Pierce said.

The teen and his parents were at the park with a group from the Oakey Spring Baptist Church near Springfield, S.C., police said.

In May 2002, 58-year-old groundskeeper Samuel Milton Guyton of Atlanta was killed after he wandered in a restricted area under the Batman roller coaster's path and was struck in the head by the dangling leg of one of the ride's passengers. The ride was closed for a day to allow the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration to inspect the ride. It was deemed safe for passengers.

In June 2007, a teenager's legs were severed when cables snapped on the Superman Tower of Power ride at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom in Louisville, Ky. Doctors were able to reattach Kaitlyn Lasitter's right foot, but she had to have some of her left leg amputated and subsequent surgeries.

State officials blame a faulty cable and slow response by an amusement park ride operator in the accident. Her family is suing Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom, claiming the park failed to maintain the ride and equipment and ensure riders' safety. The amusement park has denied liability in court filings.

Dog found in river had throat cut

The body of a partially decapitated dog has been found in the River Waveney in Suffolk, the RSPCA has revealed.

The lurcher dog, which had its throat cut, was found by canoeists on the river between Mendham and the Norfolk border at Harleston.

An RSPCA spokeswoman said: "It is not known how the dog died but it was almost decapitated and may have been in the water for several days."

The RSPCA are appealing to anyone with information to contact them.

The animal, which had a black leather collar, was found with a black plastic bin liner around its head.

Anyone found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal faces a jail sentence of up to six months and/or a fine of up to £20,000.

Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz Says New Album May Sound Like AC/DC And White Stripes -- Or Not

2008-06-23T23:25:00.005-04:00

'It's early, but the ideas we've got right now, they're really guitar-riff-heavy,' bassist says. Hey, bloggers! Pay attention, because Pete Wentz is about to make things very easy for you.
Here's what he has to say about Fall Out Boy's new album — you know, the one that may or may not have an Iggy Pop & the Stooges-meet-the Smiths feel to it? The same one they're currently working on with producer Neal Avron? Anyway, yeah, here's how Wentz describes it. And again, we urge you to have your OMGs and WTFs at the ready.
"It's early, but the ideas we've got right now, they're really guitar-riff-heavy. A lot of other bands, like AC/DC or the White Stripes, you know their songs by the opening guitar riff," Wentz told MTV News. "So basically, I want our record to be like an AC/DC album or a White Stripes album. I want to make sure the bloggers say that. Actually, I'm just kidding about that. Well, I was kidding about the White Stripes part. Not AC/DC."
So there you go. The new Fall Out Boy record is going to be heavily influenced by the fret-shredding heroics of Jack White and Angus Young. Except that it probably won't, because, as Wentz points out, pretty much every song the band has ever written has gone through about, well, 30 different permutations. And, like he said, it's still really early.
"We've put down, like, three to four songs, but they're just ideas right now. This is how we do our songs. They go through, like, 30 changes. 'Sugar [We're Going Down]' went through 30 changes, and then it just went back to the way it was when we first started, so I don't know if these ideas we've got now will change or end up just like they are now," he explained. "Right now, we've got a bunch of great parts surrounded by a web."
And they're weaving that web at Avron's home, which has perks the average recording studio wouldn't ("He's got a trampoline built into the ground, a pool and a really awesome kid. So it's really easy to do test marketing, because if his kid says it sucks, we know it sucks," Wentz laughed). And as for how the pre-production process works? Well, Wentz is quick to explain with a "Wizard of Oz" metaphor (why not?).
"The way it works is, Patrick is kind of like Dorothy from 'The Wizard of Oz,' and we're all the supporting characters. I'm like the Tin Man, Hurley is Toto, and Trohman is definitely the Lion, because he's got big hair and he's very boisterous," he laughed. "I go over there after I leave the set of 'FNMTV,' and usually before too. Usually twice a day. Patrick is always there, working on new stuff. We keep him chained in the basement."
So when can fans expect to hear the new album? Well, Wentz said FOB hope to start recording it this summer, and that it will hopefully be in stores before the end of the year. Then again, that wouldn't be the first time he's said something like that.
"I think we're gonna start recording this summer, because it's 116 degrees in Los Angeles, and I need to be someplace with extreme air-conditioning," he said. "But I always say that, and then we screw it up, so we'll see."

Source: MTV NEWS

Pete Wentz opens a bar, and Ashlee shows off baby bump

The Wentz’s were seen in Chicago at Pete Wentz’s bar opening, as Ashlee showed off her baby bump.
Newlyweds and parents-to-be Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson-Wentz attended Wentz’s bar opening in Chicago this weekend.

Simpson-Wentz displayed her pregnancy for all to see in a fitted black dress and high heels, but only allowed a few pictures before stepping inside with her in-laws. Husband Wentz stayed out to field the hundreds of questions given by interviewers about the future for the happy family. He even revealed that he would rather raise a family in Chicago, rather than their home in L.A.
People quoted, “I think I would rather raise a family here than L.A.’ you go to your own coffee shop, you go to the dog park, it's smaller and I appreciate that.”
He also added that he is willing to do everything for his wife during her pregnancy: “oh year, I do the whole nine [yards], anything to keep her comfortable — massages, the works.”
Their night continued with a birthday photo montage for Wentz, followed up by a bulldog-shaped cake, a tribute to their bulldog, Hemmingway, who was the ring bearer at the wedding.

Woman Dead 42 Years Before Someone Noticed

2008-06-23T22:58:00.004-04:00

We're not sure what was on TV in 1966 in the former Yugoslavia, but it was the last thing seen by a woman whose remains have only recently been found.
Hedviga Golik, who was born in 1924, was discovered by police in the Croatian capital of Zagreb, long-dead and sitting in her arm chair in front of her black and white television.
The deceased had been reported missing 42 years ago, and neighbors say they thought she had moved away to live with relatives. Oddly though, the police only recently broke in to try to determine who owned the apartment and they still have not figured out how the woman could have been reported missing so long ago without anyone checking the residence.
"When officers went there, they said it was like stepping into a place frozen in time," a police spokesman said. "The cup she had been drinking tea from was still on a table next to the chair she had been sitting in ... Nothing had been disturbed for decades, even though there were more than a few cobwebs in there."
A neighbor, fittingly, remembered Golik as "a quiet woman who kept herself to herself."

Potent Quotables: Katy Perry's Crush Confession

"I'm kinda saving myself for Miley Cyrus."--Katy Perry
The 'I Kissed A Girl' singer insists that she is holding out for the 'Hannah Montana' star.

Don Imus on Adam Jones: 'What Color Is He?'

Don Imus, the radio jock who was fired last year for calling the Rutgers women's basketball team "nappy-headed hos," has once again put his foot in his mouth in comments related to the world of sports.
When one of Imus's on-air partners, Warner Wolf, discussed Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam Jones' legal troubles, Imus asked, "What color is he." When told that Jones is African-American, Imus said, "Well, there you go. Now we know.
The full transcript is below.

Wolf: "Defensive back Adam 'Pacman' Jones, recently signed by the Cowboys. Here's a guy suspended all of 2007 following a shooting in a Vegas night club."

Imus: "Well, stuff happens. You're in a night club, for God's sake. What do you think's gonna happen in a night club? People are drinking and doing drugs, there are women there, and people have guns. So, there, go ahead."

Wolf: "He's also been arrested six times since being drafte

d by Tennessee in 2005."

Imus: "What color is he?"

Wolf: "He's African-American."

Imus: "Well, there you go. Now we know."

Jamie Lynn Spears gives birth to a girl

2008-06-20T23:03:00.002-04:00

Jamie Lynn Spears gave birth to a baby girl Thursday morning at a south Mississippi hospital, according to a friend of the Spears family. The friend, who asked not to be identified because the family had not yet announced the baby's birth, told The Associated Press that the baby was named Maddie Briann and weighed 7 pounds, 11 ounces.
The 17-year-old Jamie Lynn was the star of Nickelodeon's "Zoey 101," a sitcom about prep school friends, and is the younger sister of pop star Britney Spears. The Spears family announced in December that Jamie Lynn was pregnant. The father is Casey Aldridge, a pipe-layer from Liberty, Miss. The couple is not married but announced an engagement several months ago.
Ellen Brannan, spokeswoman for Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center, in McComb, would not give out any details. "We understand everybody's interested, but we don't give out information on anyone. Everyone's entitled to their privacy," she said.
The younger Spears lives near Liberty with Aldridge, 19, and has been seen around the small south Mississippi town often as her pregnancy became more apparent. Her family owns a home across the state line in Kentwood, La.
Spears announced her pregnancy through an article in OK! Magazine and was expected to receive a large payday for exclusive pictures of the newborn.
Nickelodeon issued a statement about the birth on Thursday, saying, "We wish her and her family well." Nickelodeon spokeswoman Marianne Romano said that filming of the fourth and final season of "Zoey 101" was completed last summer before Spears became pregnant.
Spears portrayed Zoey Brooks, a student at Pacific Coast Academy, a campus that had been an exclusive all-boys boarding school until Zoey and a handful of other girls arrived. At the end of the series, Zoey gets the boy — longtime crush Chase (Sean Flynn).

Jamie Lynn Spears Baby Sparks Interest In High School Pregnancy Pact

The big news of yesterday was that 17-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears gave birth to her first child—a daughter. But the news that followed—that several girls at a Massachusetts high-school planned to get pregnant and raise their kids together in a pregnancy pact—has caused an uproar among concerned parents.
According to reports, 17 students at Massachusetts’ Gloucester High School—none of them older than 16—had made a pact to get pregnant and raise their children together. School officials learned of the pact while trying to explain how the pregnancy rate of students in the school had quadrupled over last year.
The Boston Globe has reported that the mass pregnancy has sparked discussion in the largely Catholic fishing town about the availability of contraception. The news sent shockwaves through parents and administrators.
“More students are coming in and asking about pregnancy testing,” Gloucester’s public health director, Jack Vondras, told the Globe last month. “What’s odd is that some of them are disappointed because they’re not getting pregnant.”
MTV is reporting that several of the fathers are out of high-school and well into their twenties. One is a 24-year-old homeless man from the area, the Website reported.
At a recent city council meeting, the town’s mayor inquired about filing statutory rape charges against several of the men, according to MTV.
Jamie Lynn Spears went public with her pregnancy when she was just 16 years old in a dual interview with her mother Lynne Spears. Lynne Spears said at the time that while her daughter was obviously too young to be having a child, she stood by her decision to have the baby and be as involved as possible.
Late last year, Jamie Lynn’s older sister Britney Spears experienced some parenting problems of her own. She lost custody of her two young boys to ex-husband Kevin Federline.

Teacher Accused of Burning Cross on Kids

2008-06-20T22:23:00.005-04:00

The school board of a small central Ohio community voted unanimously Friday to fire a teacher accused of preaching his Christian beliefs despite staff complaints and using a device to burn the image of a cross on students' arms.
School board members voted 5-0 to fire Mount Vernon Middle School science teacher John Freshwater. Board attorney David Millstone said Freshwater is entitled to a hearing to challenge the dismissal.
Freshwater denies wrongdoing and will request such a hearing, the teacher's attorney, Kelly Hamilton, told the Mount Vernon News.
School board members met a day after the consulting firm H.R. On Call Inc. released its report on the teacher's case.
The report came a week after a family filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Columbus against Freshwater and the school district, saying Freshwater burned a cross on a child's arm that remained for three or four weeks.
Freshwater's friend Dave Daubenmire defended him.
"With the exception of the cross-burning episode. ... I believe John Freshwater is teaching the values of the parents in the Mount Vernon school district," he told The Columbus Dispatch for a story published Friday.
Several students interviewed by investigators described Freshwater, who has been employed by the school district located 40 miles northeast of Columbus for 21 years, as a great guy and their favorite teacher.
But Lynda Weston, the district's director of teaching and learning, told investigators that she has dealt with complaints about Freshwater for much of her 11-year term at the district, the report said.
A former superintendent, Jeff Maley, said he tried to find another position for Freshwater but couldn't because he was certified only in science, the report said.
Freshwater used a science tool known as a high-frequency generator to burn images of a cross on students' arms in December, the report said. Freshwater told investigators he simply was trying to demonstrate the device on several students and described the images as an "X," not a cross. But pictures show a cross, the report said.
Other findings show that Freshwater taught that carbon dating was unreliable to argue against evolution.

Martha Stewart Banned From Britain

Martha Stewart has been banned from Britain -- but she got a warm welcome Friday in Poland, her grandparents' homeland.
The lifestyle guru was planning to visit Britain in the coming days for business engagements, but the Daily Telegraph and other British newspapers reported Friday that she was denied permission to enter because of her 2004 conviction for obstructing justice.
Stewart's assistants confirmed the visa denial, but they gave no other details beyond saying they hope the decision will be reversed.
"Martha loves England; the country and English culture are near and dear to her heart," said Charles Koppelman, chairman of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. "She has engagements with English companies and business leaders and hopes this can be resolved so that she will be able to visit soon."
On Friday evening in Warsaw, it would have been hard to tell that the headache was hanging over her head.
In an elegant home goods shop in the glistening Golden Terraces mall in downtown Warsaw, Stewart was feted by fans eager for a glimpse of the homemaking expert turned business tycoon.
She was in the Polish capital to promote her Martha Stewart Living magazine, which was recently launched in Polish, and to open an exhibition of her photographs, scenes of landscapes and gardens that she took herself.
During a brief speech, Stewart made a point of stressing the link she feels to the country where all four of her grandparents were born -- and crediting its hearty cuisine for providing inspiration in the kitchen.
She said that her mother, who was "a fabulous cook," taught her to make traditional Polish delicacies like pierogies, the traditional Polish stuffed dumplings; kielbasa, the Polish-style sausage; and babka, a spongy yeast cake popular at Easter.
"As a Polish-American, I feel a strong connection to this beautiful country and to its people," she said. "This trip is a wonderful opportunity for me to connect with my heritage."
Despite her roots, Stewart is not widely known in Poland -- though her legal troubles brought her a degree of attention for the first time.
In 2004, Stewart was convicted in federal court of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and making false statements related to a personal sale of ImClone Systems Inc. stock. She got a five-month prison sentence, and also served an additional five months and three weeks of home confinement.
A Home Office spokeswoman, however, refused to comment about Stewart's entry to Britain, but added: "We continue to oppose the entry to the U.K. of individuals where we believe their presence in the United Kingdom is not conducive to the public good or where they have been found guilty of serious criminal offenses abroad."
British and U.S. citizens generally enjoy visa-free travel between their countries. However, people with certain convictions must apply for visas.

Mexico Declares War On Emo

2008-06-19T23:09:00.008-04:00

Chances are if you aren’t emo, you hate emo. But you likely don’t hate this straight-haired, massacre-lined subculture as much as the Mexicans do. In recent weeks, a wave of emo bashings has swept across Mexico, several news agencies have reported, fuelled by punks, rockabillies, goths, metalheads and basically anyone who’s not emo.
According to Daniel Hernandez, who’s been covering the anti-emo riots on his blog Intersections, the violence began March 7, when an estimated 800 young people poured into the Mexican city of Queretaro’s main plaza “hunting” for emo kids to pummel. Then the following weekend similar violence occurred in Mexico City at the Glorieta de Insurgents, a central gathering space for emos. Hernandez also reports that several anti-emo riots have now also spread to various other Mexican cities. Via the Austin American Statesmen, several postings on Mexican social-networking sites, primarily organising spot for these “emo hunts,” have been dug up and translated. One states: “I HATE EMOS!!! They are not even people, they are so stupid, they cry over meaningless things… My school is infested with them, I want to kill them all!”
Another says: “We’ve never seen all the urban tribes unite against one single tribe before… Emos, their way of thinking is for crap, if you are so depressed please do us all a favour and kill yourselves!”
More recent reports state that the emos have begun to fight back against the other “urban tribes” and organised marches in Guadalajara and Mexico City, escalating the violence and leading to increased police presence. Also, some Mexican newspapers, such as El Porvenir, have called for government intervention to protect the emos, writing, “It’s the responsibility of the authorities to make sure the threats aren’t carried out and the aggressions are punished.”

Former Escape the Fate Singer Hunted Down By the Police

Emo kids might be getting beat up in Mexico, but in the United States, things are working out differently.

Ronnie Radke, the former singer for Escape the Fate attempted to live up to his old band’s name this week while eluding police. Radke skipped out on his parole and went on the lam before being apprehended outside of Las Vegas yesterday.
Radke was not involved with Escape the Fate’s next Epitaph album, but was apparently soliciting money while on the run to get his band back together when police nabbed him. Deputy U.S. Marshal Michael Picou said police “caught him by surprise” at a Henderson, Nevada home.
Radke’s trouble with the law began when he was charged and convicted of battery for his involvement in the murder of one Michael Cook during a fight. Another individual has been charged with the murder. Police have not stated if Radke stands to face any more charges for his brief flight.
It’s not known whether Radke plans to launch any humanitarian appeals on the basis that a singer from one of Epitaph’s newer signings doesn’t stand a chance in prison, however we’ll be sure to keep you posted should he do so.

Movie Soundtrack Features Exclusives From Aiden, The Von Bondies, Seether, and Eagles of Death Metal

Bloodsuckers and rock fans rejoice! There’s a new soundtrack for your hot, sweaty summer.
A 1987 cult hit, The Lost Boys’ soundtrack is arguably one of the most beloved movie soundtracks of the last 20 years. Armed with great, eerie songs that fit perfectly opposite the little film with a big bite, the soundtrack to the much anticipated sequel, Lost Boys: The Tribe, delivers just the same.
Helping to create a soundtrack worthy of it’s well-respected predecessor, the Lost Boys: The Tribe soundtrack includes AIDEN covering the classic anthem “Cry Little Sister” while THE VON BONDIES offer up “Only To Haunt You,” a never-before heard cut from their new album Love Hate And Then There’s You. Others include Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode fame, as well as the revamped Blind Melon.
Previously unreleased tracks include Aiden’s cover of “Cry Little Sister,” as well as Seether’s live acoustic rendition of “Burrito” and G.Love & Special Sauce’s “Long Way Down,” and The Von Bondies’ “Only To Haunt You.”
Says Aiden singer wiL Francis: "When we were approached to be a part of the new Lost Boys movie I was beside myself. Being such a fan of the original I could hardly set my excitement aside. This is a great opportunity for us to pay homage and be a part of something spectacular."
Artists’ Addiction Records is a leader in the horror soundtrack genre, releasing the popular SAW 1-4 Soundtrack CD’s. SaysAAR President Jonathan Miller: “I’m really excited to be a part of this project. I grew up with the original movie so to be involved with the second installment is amazing. We are all thrilled with the music that has been selected for the soundtrack and movie.”
Set in the shady surf city of Luna Bay, California, Lost Boys: The Tribe takes us to a world where vampires roam the night and feed on anyone who crosses their path. Into this dark world arrive Chris Emerson (Tad Hilgenbrink) and his younger sister, Nicole (Autumn Reeser). Having just lost their parents in a car accident, the siblings move in with their eccentric Aunt Jillian and become new prey for the locals’ way of life. When Nicole unwittingly falls for a local vampire, Chris must locate and destroy the gang’s lifeline before his sister’s transformation is complete; to do this Chris finds himself relying on the expertise of none other than Edgar Frog (Corey Feldman). With subtle references to characters from the original film, and cameos from returning actors,Lost Boys: The Tribe offers a homage to the Lost Boys legend while creating a sinister tone of impending doom.

Singer Wanted For Probation Jump Arrested

2008-06-18T10:07:00.004-04:00

Metro police have arrested the former lead singer of a Las Vegas band who was wanted in connection with jumping parole.
Ronnie Radke, who was wanted in connection with jumping parole, was arrested Tuesday.
Radke was charged and convicted of battery in the death of Michael Cook.
A little more than two years ago, Cook was shot and killed near Shadow Ridge High School at 5050 Brent Lane.
The charges against the alleged killer were dropped, because Chase Rader, 22, had a viable claim of self-defense, police said.
This stemmed from a fight. Ronnie Radke, who was involved, was charged and convicted of battery, but police said he jumped parole and is a wanted man.
Radke was once part of the band Escape The Fate and still has a fan site on MySpace.

Boston Cheers as Celtics Rout Lakers

2008-06-18T09:32:00.004-04:00

The sights, smells and happy chaos were familiar, as if borrowed from another era and another arena: Stale cigar smoke filled the air. Champagne soaked the locker-room carpets. Green and white confetti was everywhere.
Red Auerbach was not present for the moment in which the Boston Celtics restored their lost glory, but the party they threw Tuesday night at TD Banknorth Garden was unmistakably stamped with his outsize personality.
The Celtics did not just beat the Los Angeles Lakers, they crushed them – and left no doubt that the Larry O'Brien trophy belonged back in Boston after a 22-year hiatus.
Accompanied by chants of "Seventeen!" the Celtics routed their longtime rivals 131-92 to close out the finals in six games. Sixteen green-and-white banners will soon have company in the rafters.
Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce – three stars who had known individual glory but not gratification – will soon have their first championship rings. So will Coach Doc Rivers, who deftly blended their talents after they were united last summer.
It took Pierce, the longtime Celtics captain, 10 years to get here. Garnett waited 13 years for the moment, Allen 12. They all checked out of the game together, with 4 minutes 1 second left. They could not hug each other enough.
"Knowing that you were at rock bottom a year ago today, and to climb all the way to the top, this is a dream come true," said Pierce, who averaged 21.8 points in the finals and was unanimously named the most valuable player. "I'm going to cherish this forever."
They earned the moment with relentless defense that held Kobe Bryant, perhaps the game's premier scorer, to 40 percent shooting in the series. He had 22 points in the finale but just 11 points in the final three quarters.
Unbridled emotion came over the Celtics as the final buzzer sounded. Eddie House, the sharpshooting reserve, fell to his knees at one free-throw line. Garnett kneeled at center court and kissed the Celtics logo.
"I just want to say, other than my kid being born, this has got to be the happiest day of my life right now," said Garnett, one of the greatest power forwards of his era, whose intensity helped transform the Celtics this season.
In the din and the smoke, the Celtics paid homage their franchise patriarch.
"This win is for Red Auerbach," Wyc Grousbeck, the managing partner, said during a raucous trophy presentation on the court.
Moments earlier, Grousbeck had been shown on the video scoreboard chewing on a cigar, to the delight of the crowd.
After a taut series of wild comebacks, near-comebacks and tense fourth quarters, the finale proved anticlimactic – albeit exhilarating for the 18,624 green-clad fans, who hardly used their seats all night.
The Celtics had an 11-point lead in the middle of the second quarter, a 23-point lead at halftime, a 31-point lead by the middle of the third and very little to worry about for most of the night.
Allen buried the Lakers with his 3-point stroke and finished with 26 points. Garnett set the tone with a 10-point first quarter and finished with 26 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists. Pierce had 17 points and 10 assists.
The Lakers never did win a road game in the series, and the Celtics finished their run with a 13-1 record at home. The 39-point margin of victory was the largest for a title-clinching game.
"We're disappointed," said Lakers Coach Phil Jackson. "Our fans are disappointed. I think everybody is disappointed that we didn't get a game out of this, give ourselves a chance."
The game was lost in the first half, when the Lakers failed to grab a single offensive rebound and shot 29.6 percent from the field. Garnett mowed over Pau Gasol, Allen bounced back from a poked eye (courtesy of Lamar Odom) and the Celtics put the game away early, with a 35-14 second quarter.
"We just didn't have it in us, I guess, tonight to be able to match that effort and that intensity," said Gasol, who finished with 11 points and 8 rebounds.
The story of the series, and the season, was the Celtics' commitment to relentless defense. They turned Bryant into a jumpshooter, made him work for every point and forced his teammates to do something spectacular. With few exceptions, they were not up to the task. Odom and Gasol seemed to shrink in the face of the Celtics' ferocity. A young bench anchored by Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar seemed overmatched and outwitted by a Boston bench that featured the savvy veterans P.J. Brown and Sam Cassell.
After much prodding, Bryant conceded that the Celtics' defense was the best he had seen in the playoffs.
"Just upset more than anything, frustrated," Bryant said. "But I'm proud. I'm proud of the way that we performed all year. I'm proud of my guys. I'm proud of the effort that we gave."
The city was primed for the moment. The arena boomed with "Beat L.A." chants in the first quarter. They booed Bryant's image on the scoreboard even earlier — during the national anthem. Fans amused themselves early in the fourth quarter by singing "Where is Kobe?"
The championship was ready to be claimed Tuesday, if only the Celtics could fight through exhaustion, attrition and whatever Bryant unleashed upon them. Over 48 hours, the Celtics had endured a sobering Game 5 defeat, a delayed flight and a sick child, all layered on top of the accumulated aches from a long playoff run.
Allen's youngest son had fallen ill in Los Angeles two nights earlier, which led him to miss the team flight back to Boston. Pierce played the final five games of the series with a sprained knee. Center Kendrick Perkins finished the series with shoulder and ankle injuries and point guard Rajon Rondo with a sprained ankle.
It took 26 games for Boston to win the championship, an NBA record. They were not always the most convincing contenders, going 3-9 on the road and requiring seven games to beat Atlanta and Cleveland in the early rounds.
But the Celtics were persistent, and unified, staying true to the South African theme of "ubuntu" that they established last fall. The word, introduced to the team by Rivers, literally means "I am because we are" and was invoked when the Celtics opened training camp, with the newcomers Garnett and Allen joining Pierce.
"They came in with no egos," Brown said. "Everything was about one thing — they came here to win a championship. It went throughout the whole team. Everybody bought in."
As an added bonus for the Celtics, they denied Jackson a 10th title, which would have broken his tie with Auerbach. That was, Danny Ainge admitted, a fringe benefit: "We wanted to keep Red's nine championships intact and not let Phil pass him."
Ainge was a vital role player when the Celtics won their last title in 1986 and is now their general manager. He absorbed Auerbach's wisdom, acquired the kinds of players who were worthy of his legacy, then watched them dismantle the franchise's greatest rival.
"Beating the Lakers," Ainge said, "is an added bonus. Yeah."

FORMER ESCAPE THE FATE FRONTMAN RONNIE RADKE IS A WANTED MAN

2008-06-15T22:50:00.005-04:00

Former Escape the Fate frontman Ronnie Radke is wanted by police for ESCAPING THE FATE. Apparently, he was involved in a fight a couple years back, that led to the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Cook. Though charges against the shooter, 22-year-old Chase Rader, were dropped on the ground of self-defense, Radke was convicted of battery in the case, but has since skipped parole:

“Still waiting for justice … Now to have Ronnie on the loose is another slap,” said Cook’s mother, Setta Freeman.

Cook’s mother said her hope is that Radke turns himself in.Radke has some unique physical traits, including a tattoo on his neck. It’s a bird with the word “Dad,” along with a spider web and skull. He also has a scar on his left wrist. Anyone with information is asked to call 775-684-2644.

Tokio Hotel Makes Teens Swoon

Move over Jonas Brothers, the Kaulitz twins are moving in.

The 18-year-old Kaulitz brothers comprise half of Tokio Hotel, a German glam-pop quartet that is creating Beatles-like hysteria among the teen set in their native land. They've sold close to 3 million CDs and DVDs in their country, and are hoping to replicate that rabid fan base in the United States.

"They're the stepping stone between the tween stuff and My Chemical Romance," says Andrew Gyger, senior product manager for Virgin Entertainment Group, a few days after the foursome appeared at Virgin's Times Square store in New York in May to promote its English-language album, "Scream."

"The in-store was massive in terms of sales and the amount of girls that showed up," Gyger says, relaying stories of at least one girl fainting and screaming teens lining up around the block for the event. "The band seems to have come out of nowhere."

Actually, Tokio Hotel came out of the Internet. A YouTube search shows 123,000 video listings compared to 88,100 for the Jonas Bros. or 21,000 for a grizzled veteran like Bruce Springsteen. To further sate their young fans' appetite, for the last six months the band has produced weekly episodes of Tokio Hotel TV for its U.S. Web site.

For Tokio Hotel, the visual is as vital as the vocals and is propelled by lead singer Bill Kaulitz's anime look: straightened, teased black hair; heavy eye makeup that accentuates his delicate, androgynous, doll-like features; chain necklaces and vintage rock and roll T-shirts. He's so thin he appears almost one dimensional on stage, adding to the cartoon-like appeal. But to hear him tell it, his look comes by way of Transylvania, not Japan.

When he was 10, Bill Kaulitz dressed as a vampire for Halloween and adopted the styling year-round.

"After that, I started to color my hair and polish my nails. I started to wear makeup and stuff. I'd never heard of (anime)," Bill Kaulitz said in an interview at the Avalon Hollywood before to the group's sold-out show in Los Angeles. He, his brother, bassist Georg Listing, 20, and drummer Gustav Schafer, 19, are squashed together in a leather booth in the lounge one floor above the Avalon stage. Both he and Tom speak very good, albeit heavily accented, English, although an interpreter stands by in case any translation is needed.

Tom Kaulitz, the older brother by 10 minutes ("A lot of people think Bill is the boss, but I am the boss," he laughs), developed his hip-hop/dreads look when he was seven or eight, in part as a way to differentiate himself from his identical twin. "When we were six, we looked the same," Tom Kaulitz said. "We had sweat shirts with (the names) Bill and Tom so that teachers had a chance to know who's who."

The Kaulitz brothers began playing guitar when they were seven - the instruments were gifts from their musician stepfather. By the time they were in their mid-teens, they were playing in clubs, often to less than five people, and Listing and Schafer had joined the band.

Their mother's backing was not only desired, but vital: "We needed the support of our parents because we had no car, no money," Bill Kaulitz says.

Mom has long since stopped driving the band to gigs; they have people who do that for them now as they have accumulated a team during their meteoric rise. The group's first single, "Through the Monsoon," went to No. 1 in Germany in 2005, a pair of No. 1 albums and sold-out European tours followed.

The fan frenzy in Germany has reached epic proportions, such as when a group of teen girls delivered a fan letter that was more than seven miles long. After seeing a young fan repeatedly at shows in different cities, the band later learned that she was a runaway who had left home to follow the group. "It's still crazy to us," Bill Kaulitz says of the distaff attention.

After witnessing the spectacle at the band's February appearance at New York's Gramercy Theatre, Amy Doyle, MTV's senior VP of music and talent, became a convert. "I could not believe the line outside of screaming teen girls," she said. "It reminded me of the audience of the late '90s and 2000 for Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync."

Following that performance, MTV added the video for "Ready, Set, Go" into heavy rotation, as well as highlighted the band online, on mtv2 and on "TRL." Tokio Hotel writes a tour diary for MTV.com, which, Doyle says, had elicited more reader comments than any previous tour diary.

But the band has a long way to go before they reach Backstreet or 'N Sync like sales - since the group's CD was released in May, it has sold just over 23,000 copies. Tokio Hotel's U.S. label, Cherrytree/Interscope, has yet to take the first single, "Monsoon," to radio, but Doyle says the whole package is the band's selling point.

"Radio always helps, but there's a connection that clearly is made when the audience sees them that you can't connect with just a song; fans are making an emotional connection."

Tokio Hotel already has Madison Square Garden in its sights, but also knows it had to put in the footwork. On this trip, they went to the vaunted venue; not to perform, but to see Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige.

Indeed, at the Avalon show that evening, teenage girls packed up against the stage so tightly that security guards started a regular procession of lifting them over the railing as several teen become overcome by the nearness of their heroes and the pressure of those pushing behind them.

"It's so cool that we have fans already here. But we are at the beginning," Bill Kaulitz. "We really want to be successful in America, we really want to try it. There are not so many German bands who get the chance to come to America to play."

"It's a dream to play there," Tom Kaulitz says, shaking his head up and down. "Maybe in two years. You need goals in your life."

Suspect Leaves Trail of Dead Husbands

2008-06-13T15:17:00.003-04:00

For two decades, Al Gentry begged investigators to take another look at the mystery of who killed his brother, Harold, and left his gunshot-ridden body sprawled on the floor of the home he shared with his wife.

He visited the sheriff's office dozens of times and made just as many phone calls. And when authorities finally listened, they wound up arresting the person Gentry had always suspected: his brother's now 76-year-old former wife, who was charged last month with hiring a hit man to gun him down.

"This is something I've been waiting for for a long time," Gentry said.

But Gentry's persistence may have led investigators to a far more chilling discovery about Betty Neumar. After arresting her, authorities realized that five times since the 1950s, she was married, and each union ended with the death of her husband.

Authorities say they've notified law enforcement officials where Neumar is believed to have lived with the men. So far, no one has said whether the deaths are suspicious, but some officials are reopening the cold cases.

Al Gentry had been showing up for years at the sheriff's office and talking to anyone who would listen about the case. His brother's body, with several gunshot wounds, was found inside the couple's home on July 14, 1986.

Neumar, who was out of town the day her husband was killed, showed no emotion when she got back, Al Gentry said. When she pulled up to the one-story brick house in a quiet neighborhood that was surrounded by flashing lights and filled with police officers, he recalled, she blurted out that she had been in Augusta, Ga., the previous night - before he even said a word.

"If she had gotten out of that car with tears in her eyes and asked me why would anybody kill Harold, I would never have suspected her at all," he said. "That's where she slipped up."

Harold Gentry met Neumar - who was then Betty Sills - in Florida and they married on Jan. 19, 1968, in Charlton County, Ga., when he was 29 and she was 36. The couple moved to Norwood, about an hour east of Charlotte, in the late 1970s after he retired from the Army after 21 years of service.

Over the years, Al Gentry recalls, she told the family she had been a nurse and that her first husband died of cancer. She also said she was a beautician and had lived in Ohio, and had children from a previous marriage. At various times, she worked in a drug store, drove a school bus and waited tables while Harold Gentry worked long hours driving a delivery truck for the Royal Chemical Co.

At first pleasant, she grew to become "cold" to his brother and family, Al Gentry said. By 1986, the marriage was strained and Harold Gentry was living in a camper in the front yard.

"She was the type of person who liked fancy things - jewelry and clothes. She had the means to live like that but that wasn't enough," Al Gentry recalled. "She always wanted more, more, more. And she found a way to get it."

After Harold Gentry was killed, Al Gentry and his brother, Richard, said Neumar collected at least $20,000 in life insurance, plus other benefits from the military and sold the couple's house and other items. But as recently as a few years ago, bankruptcy records indicate, Neumar had no income other than a small monthly Social Security check - but had more than three dozen credit cards and hundreds of thousands in debt.

At a hearing earlier this month, prosecutors said she also had at least one overseas bank account.

The couple were married for about 14 years. They filed for bankruptcy in April 2000, and records show they owed $206,300 on 43 credit cards. They listed $14,355 in assets, including a 1996 Lincoln Town car, and had a combined monthly income of only about $1,800. The bankruptcy filing allowed the couple to wipe away the debts

After Gentry's death, Neumar remarried two more times. Once was to 79-year-old John Neumar, who died in October. Authorities in Neumar's hometown of Augusta, Ga., are examining the death, and detectives went to her home two weeks ago and seized an urn with his ashes, said Richmond County, Ga., sheriff's investigator Lt. Scott Peebles.

His cause of death was listed as sepsis - an illness caused by a bacterial infection of the body's blood and tissues - and his body was cremated shortly after his death. Peebles said investigators would test the remains to see if there "were any other factors that contributed to his death," including whether he was poisoned by arsenic, which can cause sepsis-like symptoms.

"We're not going to rule anything out until we get the results back," he said.

Neumar was charged with a single count of solicitation of murder in Gentry's death and is being held on $500,000 bond. At her first court appearance, prosecutors said she tried to hire several people to kill her husband, offering one potential hit man cash and a pickup truck to do the job.

She does not yet have an attorney and a message from The Associated Press given to a jailer went unanswered. Her daughter with Harold Gentry, who also lives in Augusta, declined to comment about her mother's arrest.

The sheriff who reopened the case, Rick Burris, wasn't leading the department at the time Gentry was killed. Burris said he reviewed the thick case file and read transcripts of interviews conducted by the State Bureau of Investigation. He said they pointed to the likelihood that Neumar had hired someone to kill her husband, but police didn't collect enough evidence at the time to charge her. He assigned an investigator, who re-examined the evidence in the file and conducted new interviews.

"She was a suspect for a long time but we didn't have enough evidence. Now we do," Burris said.

Brothers Al and Richard Gentry said the pain of his death still lingers for the family. But after the arrest, the family visited their brother's grave, where Al Gentry said he delivered a simple message: "Brother, we got her."

Tomato Salmonella Cases on the Rise

The toll from salmonella-tainted tomatoes jumped to 228 illnesses Thursday as the government learned of five dozen previously unknown cases and said it is possible the

Six more states - Florida, Georgia, Missouri, New York, Tennessee and Vermont - reported illnesses related to the outbreak, bringing the number of affected states to 23.

The Food and Drug Administration has not pinpointed the source of the outbreak. With the latest known illness striking on June 1, officials also are not sure if all the tainted tomatoes are off the market.

"As long as we are continuing to see new cases come on board, it is a concern that there are still contaminated tomatoes out there," said the agency's food safety chief, Dr. David Acheson.

Government officials have said all week they were close to cracking the case, but "maybe we were being too optimistic," Acheson acknowledged.

How much longer? "That's impossible to say."

On the do-not-eat list are raw red plum, red Roma or red round tomatoes, unless they were grown in specific states or countries that the FDA has cleared because they were not harvesting when the outbreak began or were not selling their tomatoes in places where people got sick.

The FDA is directing consumers to its Web site - http://www.fda.gov - for updated lists of the safe regions.

Also safe are grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes and tomatoes sold with the vine still attached. That is not because there is anything biologically safer about those with a vine but because the sick have assured investigators that is not the kind of tomato they ate.

What if you did not go to the store armed with a list, or the store or restaurant manager cannot assure that any plum, Roma or round tomatoes came from safe regions?

"If you don't know, don't take the risk," Acheson said.

Cooking also kills salmonella, but the FDA is not formally advising people to cook suspect tomatoes for fear they will not get them heated thoroughly.

Mexico and parts of central Florida, two chief tomato suppliers, are still on FDA's suspect list. But the agency would not say they were top suspects, and in fact, said certain parts of Mexico that were not harvesting when the outbreak began are working to be cleared.

At least 25 people have been hospitalized during the outbreak, caused by a relatively rare strain of salmonella known as Saintpaul.

"At this point, there isn't a lot of data to suggest this is a more virulent strain," said Dr. Ian Williams of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

No deaths have been attributed to the salmonella. But the CDC for the first time Thursday acknowledged that the salmonella may have been a contributing factor in the cancer-caused death of a 67-year-old Texas man.

Bird Flu Cull Underway In Hong Kong

2008-06-12T08:44:00.003-04:00

June 11 2008 - Bird flu has been reported in Hong Kong, resulting in an order being given to cull all chickens being sold across city markets.

The H5N1 strain of the virus was found during the examination of chicken waste, resulting in a ban of poultry sales and thus the order to begin culling foul.

According to governmental officials, since the first cases of Bird flu were reported last week, additional cases have been reported.

"We have not found any dead chickens with the virus -- not yet. We have not had any human cases," said Cheng Siu-hing, director of agriculture, fisheries and conservation.

"Of course, we cannot be complacent. That is why we're now taking decisive measures to close all remaining outlets and to cull all remaining live poultry."

It is not known the exact number of chickens that will be culled.

Since 2003, more than 240 human lives have been lost thanks to the virus.

Oregon Court of Appeals protects medical marijuana

The Oregon Court of Appeals has ruled that an employer must make a reasonable accommodation for medical marijuana use for a disability.

In an opinion issued Wednesday, the appeals court upheld a ruling by the state Bureau of Labor and Industries.

The agency said that Emerald Steel Fabricators in Eugene violated state laws barring discrimination against the disabled by discharging an employee who used medical marijuana.

A key issue was the fact the employee never used marijuana in the workplace — an issue the Oregon Supreme Court avoided in 2006 when it ruled against a registered medical marijuana user fired from his job at a Columbia Forest Products plant after urine tests detected traces of the drug.

Employers do not have to let patients smoke medical marijuana in the workplace. But the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act approved by voters in 1998 was unclear about whether employers must accommodate workers who smoke medical marijuana off the job.

In the opinion by Judge Timothy Sercombe, the Oregon Court of Appeals went back over the 2006 Oregon Supreme Court ruling to emphasize the Emerald Steel employee never used the marijuana at work — just like the worker in the Columbia Forest case.

The appeals court also noted the Oregon Supreme Court did not address some of the defenses raised in the earlier case, including the argument an employee could be affected by medical marijuana use while on duty or in "safety-sensitive positions."

It also rejected an attempt by Emerald Steel to raise new issues on appeal, including the fact that marijuana remains illegal under federal law despite state law allowing its use for medical purposes.

"Accordingly, we will not consider those issues for the first time on review," Sercombe wrote.

Medical marijuana has been opposed by the construction industry, which wants laws to prohibit medical marijuana users from potentially hazardous jobs such as operating heavy machinery.

Associated General Contractors has lobbied for laws defining safety-sensitive jobs, including driving large trucks, handling explosives, working at construction sites and other jobs listed as hazardous under state work safety laws.

Supporters of restrictions on medical marijuana use, including state Rep. Mike Schaufler, D-Happy Valley, have said they are trying to ensure public safety.

But medical marijuana activist John Sajo says that during legislative hearings last year, nobody was able to identify a single case where a medical marijuana patient had caused a workplace accident or problem.

He also said the vast majority of medical marijuana patients are too ill to work.

Eleven other states — Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington state — have medical marijuana laws.

Common Sleep Problem Linked With Memory Loss

The part of the brain that stores memory appears to shrink in people with sleep apnea, adding further evidence that the sleep and breathing disorder is a serious health threat.

The findings, from brain scan studies conducted by researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, show for the first time that sleep apnea is associated with tissue loss in brain regions that store memory. And while the thinking and focus problems of sleep apnea patients often are attributed to sleep deprivation, the scans show something far more insidious is occurring.

“Our findings demonstrate that impaired breathing during sleep can lead to a serious brain injury that disrupts memory and thinking,” said principal investigator Ronald Harper, professor of neurobiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at U.C.L.A. The data appear in the June 27 issue of the journal Neuroscience Letters.

Sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in the throat, soft palate and tongue relax during sleep. They sag and narrow the airway and the tongue slides to the back of the mouth, blocking the windpipe and cutting off oxygen to the lungs. The sleeper gasps for air, wakes up briefly and falls back to sleep in a cycle that repeats itself hundreds of times per night. The result is loud snoring and chronic daytime fatigue. The disorder also is linked to a higher risk of stroke, heart disease and diabetes. An estimated 20 million Americans have sleep apnea.

The study focused on structures on the underside of the brain called mammillary bodies, so named because they resemble small breasts. The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to scan the brains of 43 sleep apnea patients. Compared to images of 66 control subjects, the brains of the sleep apnea patients had mammillary bodies that were nearly 20 percent smaller, particularly on the left side.

The structures also are known to shrink in patients who have other forms of memory loss related to alcoholism or Alzheimer’s disease.

The researchers don’t know why the sleep disorder affects brain tissue but theorize that it’s related to repeated drops in oxygen. During an apnea episode, the brain’s blood vessels constrict, starving its tissue of oxygen and causing cells to die. The inflammatory process, also linked with heart disease and stroke, further damages the tissue.

“The reduced size of the mammillary bodies suggests that they’ve suffered a harmful event resulting in sizable cell loss,” Dr. Harper said. “The fact that patients’ memory problems continue despite treatment for their sleep disorder implies a long-lasting brain injury.”

The data show the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea. Unfortunately, the most effective treatment is a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine that many patients find unwieldy and uncomfortable. In a future study, the U.C.L.A. researchers will explore whether vitamin B1 supplements might help restore memory in sleep apnea patients by moving glucose into cells and preventing cell death.

Lakers defeat Celtics 87-81 behind Bryant's 36 points

2008-06-11T18:27:00.002-04:00

On his floor and on his game, Kobe Bryant revived the Los Angeles Lakers - and the NBA finals.
Bryant scored 36 points with an MVP-worthy performance, Sasha Vujacic added 20 points and the Lakers, teetering on the brink of falling into an almost impossible hole in the NBA finals, beat the Boston Celtics 87-81 in Game 3 on Tuesday night.
"What I tried to do with my teammates is just stay calm," Bryant said. "It wasn't the end of the world. They did a great job of defending home court. We knew we had to come here and do the same. They feed off of my confidence and I have all the confidence in the world that we can come here and win."
A change of time zones, jerseys and attitude did wonders for the Lakers, who staggered home from Boston in an 0-2 hole and couldn't afford to fall any further behind.
No team in NBA playoff history has overcome a 3-0 deficit.
Bryant made sure the Lakers won't have to.
And this time, he got some help.
Vujacic, the self-proclaimed "Machine," made three three-pointers, including a crucial one from the left corner with 1:53 left that gave the Lakers an 81-76 lead. Pau Gasol finally flexed his muscles with two inside baskets in the fourth quarter and Derek Fisher made two free throws with 1:33 remaining as the Lakers held on.
"We just wanted to play," said Bryant, whose only flaw was an 11-of-18 night from the foul line. "I don't think anyone was feeling desperate."
Game 4 is Thursday night at Staples Center, where the Lakers are 9-0 in the playoffs and unbeaten in 15 games since March 28.
But it took everything they had to keep that streak alive as the Celtics, two wins from their 17th NBA title but 2-8 on the road in this postseason, made the Lakers play a more physical, Eastern Conference-style game and nearly walked away with a win.
Ray Allen scored 25 points - 15 on three-pointers - for the Celtics, but only one-third of Boston's Big Three showed up.
Kevin Garnett scored 13 points on 6-of-21 shooting, and Paul Pierce was 2 of 14 for six points and limited to 32 minutes because of foul trouble.
"As bad as we played, we still had opportunities," Allen said. "That's the positive. But I don't think on either side of the floor we were good. We had so much more room for improvement."
The Celtics enjoyed a huge disparity from the line in Game 2, shooting 38 free throws to 10 for the Lakers.
But the whistles were more well-balanced as Los Angeles took 34 free throws to Boston's 22.
After Garnett's dunk brought the Celtics to within 83-78 with 1:28 to go, Bryant made sure he took L.A.'s next shot. He drove on Allen to get some space, pulled up and drilled the kind of jumper he has practiced thousands of times.
Eddie House, who gave Boston big minutes when Rajon Rondo went out with a sprained left ankle, countered with a three-pointer, and suddenly the Lakers crowd grew uneasy.
But Bryant calmed the fans' twitching nerves quickly.
On the Lakers' next possession, Bryant, whose shot wouldn't drop in Boston, backed down in the lane and dropped in a short jumper to make it 87-81.
Los Angeles Coach Phil Jackson knew whom to credit for the win.
"I think undoubtedly it's the leadership of Kobe Bryant," he said. "He was aggressive right from the start, put the defense on its heels."
Los Angeles is trying to become the fourth team to come back from a 2-0 deficit, and with two more games at home, the Lakers have a chance to turn this renewed rivalry around.
Celtics Coach Doc Rivers figured Bryant would take over the series at some point, but he didn't expect Vujacic, who scored a combined 16 points in Games 1 and 2, to be such a factor.
"Kobe was fantastic, but I thought Vujacic was the key to the game," he said. "I said before we are going to have to win a game when Kobe Bryant plays well. We know that. But when that happens, we have to shut off the other avenues."
This game won't be remembered as one of the better ones in the storied Lakers-Celtics rivalry, but it did have a few moments of the physical nastiness that defined their matchups during the 1980s.
"It was not a beautiful ballgame," Jackson said. "That's a transition game from East Coast to West Coast. But we'll have a day to catch up tomorrow and hopefully both of us will play better basketball on Thursday night."

Smith, Saints agree on six-year, $70 million extension

New Orleans Saints defensive end Will Smith has signed a contract extension that will make him one of the NFL's highest-paid defensive players.

Smith is guaranteed $26 million with his new six-year, $70 million contract, a source told ESPN.com's Len Pasquarelli.

The deal makes Smith the NFL's third highest-paid defensive end, behind Minnesota's Jared Allen and Indianapolis' Dwight Freeney.

Smith made the Pro Bowl in 2006 and his seven sacks in 2007 led the Saints. He also was among team leaders in tackles with 66.

"We are excited about getting this long-term contract done with Will," said Saints general manager Mickey Loomis. "We view him as one of our core players and look forward to him having an impact on our defense for years to come."

Smith, who received about $20 million in bonuses when signed as a first-round draft choice out of Ohio State in 2004, was expected to earn between $1.8 million and $3 million next season, depending on performance incentives.

Smith had been dissatisfied with his contract -- which paled in comparison to the league's top defensive ends. Freeney is paid close to $12 million a year.

Last year, the Saints signed defensive end Charles Grant to a seven-year contract extension worth as much as $63 million if he reaches all incentives.

Smith has arguably outperformed Grant in recent years. He had 26 sacks over the past three seasons, compared to 11 for Grant.

"The Saints really stepped up," said Smith's agent, Joel Segal. "It was a long negotiation and a great deal for both Will and the Saints."

Smith skipped much of the Saints' offseason training program because of unhappiness with his contract, but participated in a mandatory minicamp and remained in New Orleans afterward. He also worked out with the team during its final two weeks of organized team activities, which are voluntary.

"He'll be able to show up for training camp now with nothing on his mind but getting ready for the season and the Super Bowl," Segal said.

Celtics halfway to title

2008-06-09T11:44:00.006-04:00

Paul Pierce did not need a dramatic exit, entrance, wheelchair or miracle cure Sunday to give his fans a thrill. All he needed was two free throws - the safety net the Boston Celtics surprisingly needed after a laugher turned tense at TD Banknorth Garden.

Pierce sank them both with 22.8 seconds left, and the Celtics held on for a 108-102 victory and a 2-0 lead in the NBA finals. Game 3 is Tuesday in Los Angeles.

"We knew we had to get this win and this was a big win going out West," Pierce said. "Our mindset is to get Game 3 and try to take away their confidence and win this series in L.A. We knew it was going to be tough, but nobody said it was going to be easy."

The Celtics led by 24 points with less than eight minutes left, which seemed safe enough. But the Lakers channeled their desperation into a hailstorm of three-pointers and put a momentary chill in the building. Vladimir Radmanovic, Sasha Vujacic, Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant all scored from beyond th arc as the Lakers whittled the deficit to 104-100 with 1:03 left.

Bryant made two free throws with 38.4 seconds left to make it a two-point game. But Pierce drove past Bryant and into traffic, drawing a foul from Fisher to earn the free throws. He extended the lead to 106-102, and the Lakers bowed out when Vujacic's three-point shot was blocked by Pierce on the next possession.

"We got cute when we got the lead," Celtics Coach Doc Rivers said. "We tried to make sensational plays instead of keeping it simple."

For most of the evening Bryant had a contorted expression and a multiple-choice problem. Where should he aim his anger and frustration? At the referees who disagreed with his world view? At the teammates who abandoned him for most of the night? Or at the Celtics, whose relentless defense held all of them in check?

Lamar Odom had just 10 points in 32 minutes. He committed his fifth foul late in the third quarter and never played in the fourth. The Lakers shot 49 percent but could not stop the Celtics, who shot 53 percent. Boston also enjoyed a huge advantage at the free-throw line (38 free throws to the Lakers' 10).

Los Angeles Coach Phil Jackson clearly was irritated by the officiating, although he tempered his words. He was most irked by Boston reserve Leon Powe's being awarded more free throws (13) than his entire team.

"That's ridiculous," he said. "You can't play from a deficit like that."

Asked about the general disparity in free-throw shooting, Jackson credited the Celtics for being aggressive. But, he added: "I think my players got fouled. I have no question about the fact that my players got fouled and didn't get to the line."

Pierce scored 28 points on his sprained right knee. Powe, the former Cal star, collected 21 points and a lot of ovations from an appreciative crowd. Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen had 17 points each, and the Celtics enjoyed a mostly stress-free evening for 3 1/2 quarters.

Bryant scored 30 points, but he battled on two fronts all night, taking on the Celtics' defense and the referees. He picked up three fouls in the first half and a technical foul in the third quarter. Still, he believed his team's furious comeback attempt wasn't all in vain.

"We played with a sense of desperation and aggression," Bryant said. "I think that's something to take home and learn from."

Any concerns about Pierce's knee and Kendrick Perkins' sprained ankle were put to rest shortly after tipoff. Perkins grabbed an offensive rebound and passed to Pierce for a three-pointer. A moment later, Perkins scored on a pass from Pierce. Then Pierce drove the lane for a layup, drawing a foul on Trevor Ariza and a gleeful roar from the stands.

Pierce had a game-high 16 points by halftime, a development that could only further Jackson's belief that his injury had been overdramatized. After Game 1, Jackson playfully suggested that Pierce - who was carried off the court and placed in a wheelchair before returning to make two big shots - was healed by angels. Asked before Sunday's game whether the Lakers' coaches had discussed Pierce and Perkins' injuries, Jackson said no.

"We discussed the wheelchair a little bit, but that's the only thing I think that was discussed," said Jackson, grinning. "First time I think we've ever seen it."

Bryant was called for two fouls in the first quarter, both for tussling with Allen, and neither one to his liking. He had words with referee Dan Crawford about the first call (at the defensive end) and with Bob Delaney about the second (on offense), which came with 1:59 left in the quarter. Odom soon joined Bryant on the bench after picking up two fouls in 21 seconds.

While the two Lakers stars sat, the Celtics opened the second quarter with a 10-0 burst and took a 30-22 lead. Bryant returned and hit two quick jumpers, but the relief was temporary. Pierce and Allen hit consecutive three-pointers to stretch the lead to 10 points. Then Bryant was tagged with his third foul for plowing over Pierce, and the crowd broke into a derisive chant of "Kooo-beee."

The Lakers' frustration was evident as they reached halftime down by 54-42. Pau Gasol missed two point-blank shots in the final seconds, then pounded his fist in the air and screamed after the buzzer, upset that no foul had been called.

Pete Wentz 'excited' about becoming a dad

2008-06-08T14:24:00.002-04:00

Fall Out Boy star Pete Wentz has said that he is "excited" about becoming a father for the first time.

The star, who recently married singer Ashlee Simpson, told E! News that he felt "totally content" when he heard the news.

"I'm genuinely a nervous person in general," Wentz said, explaining that he is now "excited to be a dad".

"The first time I ever went to the doctor's office and heard the (baby's) heartbeat, I felt totally content and at peace with everything," he said.

Supportive Pete Celebrates His B-Day Sans Cocktails

Pete Wentz turned 29 yesterday and marked the occasion with a big bash at Foxtail with new wife Ashlee by his side. And although the dad-to-be has lots of reasons to celebrate, a source says he never raised a glass the entire evening.

Looks like Pete's not drinking because Ash can't either...How sweet!

Even without booze, the birthday boy seemed to have a great time. Although Brent Bolthouse had the entire upstairs area reserved exclusively for their party, Pete and Ash spent most of their time downstairs, chatting and shaking hands with regular folks.

She was dressed in a black mini—that didn't show any signs of a belly—and gladiator-style stiletto heels. Pete matched perfectly, wearing black slacks and a button-up.

Around midnight, the waitstaff brought out a a cake for Pete and everyone (including his dad) sang "Happy Birthday."

(It took the Fall Out Boy bassist several tries to blow out his candles, but he finally managed, all while getting frosting smeared down the front of his suit.)

Soon after, the newlyweds called it a night, exiting Foxtail through the front door where they greeted by 30 or so of Pete's closest paparazzi pals.

Pete Wentz: Ready for Daddy Duty

Now that newlyweds Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson-Wentz have finally confirmed they're expecting, papa-to-be Pete is ready to open up about the happy news.

"I'm excited to be a dad," he told me at the Op clothing launch party Tuesday night, while admitting he was initially scared. "I'm a genuinely nervous person in general. The first time I ever went to the doctor's office and heard the heartbeat, I felt totally content and at peace with everything. It feels good."

Pete, who came without Ashlee, has a lot to celebrate these days. Besides his new marriage and baby on the way, the Fall Out Boy rocker has an MTV show in the works and turns 29 this Thursday. But he got an early surprise at the bash...

Pete was presented with a huge cake and serenaded by partygoers with an early "Happy Birthday." Wilmer Valderrama, featured alongside Pete in the Op campaign, helped him blow out his candles.

Also on hand to celebrate the new ads: Kristin Cavallari, Rumer Willis, Corbin Bleu and Kim Kardashian.

Cost of Polygamist Case Tops $7 Million

2008-06-04T21:24:00.003-04:00

Removing 460 children from a polygamist sect compound and then reuniting them with their families will cost Texas $7 million, according to the state Department of Family and Protective Services.

The children were ordered returned to their families this week after the Texas Supreme Court found that the state did not have enough evidence to show that abuse was happening at the Yearning for Zion ranch near Eldorado.

The price tag includes costs from fighting a court battle to retain custody of the children, attempting to determine their parentage through DNA testing and reuniting the children with their parents.

The $7 million does not include more than $500,000 in estimated costs incurred by local governments whose law enforcement agencies were involved in the April 3 ranch raid, according to a budgetary presentation given to Texas lawmakers last month.

The raid was prompted by an anonymous caller who claimed that men at the ranch were involved in sexual relationships with young girls.

The ranch is owned by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a Mormon offshoot that practices polygamy. Child welfare officials said they found a "pervasive pattern" of sexual abuse through forced marriages between underage girls and older men. FLDS members have denied that any sexual abuse occurred and say they are being persecuted because of their religion.

Albert Hawkins, executive commissioner of Texas Health and Human Services, told the state Senate Finance Committee that as of May 15, the state had spent more than $5.2 million to provide food, shelter and counseling to the FLDS children. The bulk of those costs included employee overtime and transportation, Hawkins said.

Meanwhile, a state district judge told senators that legal costs in the case had topped $2.2 million. Most of that burden falls on Tom Green County, where the district court hearings were taking place, and Schleicher County, where the ranch is located, said Judge Ben Woodward, according to a Senate statement.

Neither county, Woodward said, has the money to cover the legal costs. "We're at a point now where we're going to start limping along pretty badly," he said.

The court costs estimate, presented to the Senate on May 20, does not appear to reflect the cost of an appeal handled by the Texas 3rd District Court of Appeals. The appeals court overturned the district court's ruling that the children should remain in state custody.

For comparison, $7 million would pay for 137 police officers in the city of Mesquite, Texas, at a salary of $51,060, according to a figure from a job posting. It would also pay for 180 new teachers at the average statewide salary of $38,857 given by the Texas State Board for Educator Certification and would more than double resources available for a state program aimed at children of incarcerated parents, according to the state's budget for fiscal 2008-09. In that budget, the program receives $5 million.

Texas Child Protective Services referred all questions about the costs of the operation to the state's Health and Human Services department. In response to the Texas Supreme Court ruling last week, CPS said in a statement that it "has one purpose in this case: to protect the children. Our goal is to reunite families whenever we can do so and make sure the children will be safe."

The removal of the children was thought to be the largest child protection case in the nation's history. If they had remained in state custody, Hawkins told lawmakers, the estimated monthly cost for their care would have been $1.3 million.

District Judge Barbara Walther, who decided after a chaotic hearing last month that the state would retain custody of the children, also ordered DNA testing to identify parents and children, as child protection officials said they were thwarted by FLDS members who gave them conflicting or misleading information about their names, ages and familial ties.

Those DNA test results, obtained by a North Carolina lab, were beginning to come in Tuesday, the Child Support Division of the Texas Attorney General's Office said. The lab was starting to deliver reports to the court, the office said, and CPS should have them by the end of the week.

Some 599 DNA samples were taken, the office said. Of those, only 36 were of adult males. Now that the children are being returned, CPS will decide how to use the results in its continuing case involving its oversight of the FLDS.

State Sen. Steve Ogden told officials during the hearing that the final costs would probably be more than the estimated figures presented.

"The cost of this operation is going to be a lot more than is on this sheet of paper," he said. "It doesn't reflect what is going on now, and there are huge legal costs out there that we haven't even discussed yet."

He asked officials to rework their analyses of future costs so the state isn't caught by surprise when the next legislative session begins in January.

However, all that is largely a moot point now, as FLDS children were allowed to reunite with their families beginning Monday. Though the state Supreme Court upheld the ruling that the state had no right to seize the 460 children, the justices said that court oversight of the FLDS could be accomplished through other means.

Also during the hearing, state Sen. Bob Duell questioned whether Texas could force FLDS adults to bear some of the costs. However, given the subsequent court decisions, it appears unlikely the FLDS could be forced to bear any financial responsibility.

To those familiar with FLDS history, the raid called to mind a 1953 mass arrest in the hamlet of Short Creek on the Utah-Arizona state line. More than 400 FLDS members were arrested and more than 200 children taken into foster care. However, news photographs of wailing mothers and children won public sympathy, and the raid backfired on then-Arizona Gov. Howard Pyle, who ordered it. In the next election, Pyle was voted out of office.

"For 50 years, [the FLDS] used the Short Creek raid as [a] reason to keep their people secretive and isolated," Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff told the Los Angeles Times in a story Saturday. "We said that was not going to happen again. Well, it has happened again."

Eldorado residents, meanwhile, expressed frustration with the outcome of the raid and the court's finding that the state had no right to remove the children.

"I said from the word go, if there's sex with underage girls, nail their butt," Curtis Griffin, owner of the local fuel depot, told the Los Angeles Times. "But nail the right people. We're going to wind up with a $30 million bill here in this little county because these people didn't have their ducks in a row."

8 Outrageous Wedding Sites

2008-06-03T10:44:00.002-04:00

Would you marry in a graveyard? For some to-be-weds, a traditional ceremony site just doesn't appeal -- we asked brides to share stories of couples who chose to forgo the norm and wed in a truly unexpected setting. From a racetrack to a department store, here are eight outrageous wedding sites, plus tips for how they can inspire your own nuptials.

The Site: Racetrack

"Two of the members in our drag racing group got married on the track. It was really cute because immediately after they were married, she got into the car (in her wedding gown) and raced him to the end. The back of his car read, 'Just' and hers read, 'Married.'"

Our Take:

It's certainly dramatic, but you don't have to top 200 mph to create an unforgettable getaway. Ride off on bicycles, jump into the backseat of a vintage car, or, if your reception is nearby, have a brass band escort you and all your guests on foot.

The Site: Graveyard

"A hairdresser at a salon I used to go to was married at a cemetery on Halloween. Her bridesmaids and groomsmen all wore purple, black, and orange. She wore a black-and-red-dyed wedding gown, and all of her photos were taken next to headstones."

Our Take:

We love the idea of incorporating some holiday spirit into the wedding day, but you can get the idea across in more subtle ways. Something as simple as using lights to wash the room in color can help set a distinct mood and create a feel of the season without being overbearing with the theme.

The Site: Bookstore

"I saw a couple who got married at a Barnes & Noble because that's where they met. The store didn't close, but they said that for the duration of the ceremony, they wouldn't ring up any transactions."

Our Take:

If you're not fortunate enough to be able to wed in the place you met (exchanging vows in a bar, for example, might not best represent the sanctity of marriage), incorporate your first encounter in other ways. Print his pickup line on the cocktail hour coasters, name your reception tables after that and other significant places from your relationship, or sneak off after the ceremony and take some pics at the exact spot you first exchanged words.

The Site: Hockey Game

"A couple got married in between the first and second periods of a Chicago Wolves hockey game. The groom and groomsmen all wore jerseys, the bride wore a jersey over her dress, and the bridesmaids all carried hockey sticks."

Our Take:

Diehard sports fans have definitely been known to express their love for the game on their wedding day. Other ways to incorporate a sports theme: naming your reception tables after your favorite athletes and ordering a groom's cake in the shape of your team mascot.

The Site: Department Store

"A couple got married at JCPenney in Michigan. The bride walked down the escalator as the aisle, and the wedding was broadcast on the overhead speakers."

Our Take:

While we'd never heard of an escalator entrance, plenty of brides plan a grand entrance for their wedding day. Other ways to personalize the entrance: Walk down a monogrammed aisle runner, line the aisle with glowing luminarias, or enter the room to the sounds of a string quartet playing a rendition of your favorite pop song.

The Site: On Stage

"We got married in a theater on the set of Three Billy Goats Gruff. My husband and I are both actors -- so it made sense to us to get married on the stage. (We even had a stage manager who gave a curtain speech, there was a preshow, and several of our friends sang songs.) Instead of walking down the aisle, I walked over the troll bridge!"

Our Take:

Even without a troll bridge and curtain call, you can still show off your dramatic side. Donate to your favorite nonprofit theater in lieu of wedding favors, incorporate a line from your favorite play in your wedding vows, or steal the show by performing a choreographed routine for your first dance.

The Site: In the Air

"A lot of my skydiving friends have gotten married in freefall. One couple gave out 'Lovers' Leap' invitations."

Our Take:

If the thought of exchanging vows in front of all your friends and family has you nervous enough, seek an adrenaline rush in other ways. Take an adventure honeymoon exploring the jungle in Central America, send out save-the-date pictures of the two of you rock climbing, or add outdoor gear to your registry list.

The Site: Fast Food Restaurant

"Recently there was a story about three couples that all married at White Castle -- you know, the burger chain. They had their individual weddings back-to-back."

Our Take:

The smell of French fries makes our hearts melt too! Another way to satisfy everyone's taste buds: Have your caterer serve mini burgers, fries, and shakes for a late night snack at the end of the reception.

Source of this article:

MSN

I was just feeling lazy today. ^_^

In the news...

2008-06-02T21:58:00.003-04:00

Sect Families Reunite After Judge's Ruling

More than 400 children taken from a polygamist sect's ranch two months ago began returning to the arms of their tearful parents Monday, hours after a judge bowed to a state Supreme Court ruling that the seizure was not justified.

"It's just great day," said Nancy Dockstader, whose chin quivered and eyes filled with tears as she embraced her 9-year-old daughter, Amy, outside a foster-care center in Gonzales, about 65 miles east of San Antonio. "We're so grateful."

Her daughter and four other children were among the roughly 430 children ordered released after two months in state custody, much of it spent in foster care centers. Because siblings were separated at facilities hundreds of miles apart, it will probably take several days for all the families to be reunited.

Judge Barbara Walther responded to a state Supreme Court ruling last week by signing an order that cleared the children to be released from foster care. Walther allowed parents to begin picking up their children Monday, ending one of the nation's largest child-custody cases.

Dockstader and her husband, James, were headed to Corpus Christi and to Amarillo to pick up their other children. "We'll get the rest of them," said Dockstader, who was clad in a teal prairie dress and clinging to Amy, who wore a matching dress.

Walther's order requires the parents to stay in Texas, to attend parenting classes and to allow the children to be examined as part of any abuse investigation.

But it does not put restrictions on the children's fathers, require that the parents renounce polygamy or force them to leave the Yearning For Zion Ranch run by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Late Monday, elder Willie Jessop said the church won't allow underage girls to marry. Jessop said the new policy will forbid any girl to marry who is not of legal consent age in the state where she lives.

Jessop said the church has been widely misunderstood, but he said the church will not sanction marriages of underage girls and will counsel members against such unions. He insisted marriages within the church have always been consensual.

Child Protective Services removed all the children from the ranch after an April 3 raid prompted by calls to a domestic abuse hot line that purportedly came from a 16-year-old mother who was being abused by her middle-age husband. The calls are now being investigated as a hoax, but authorities contended all the children were at risk because church teachings pushed underage girls into marriage and sex.

The church has denied any children were abused, and members have said they are being persecuted for their religion, which believes polygamy brings glorification in heaven.

Marleigh Meisner, a spokeswoman for the child-protection agency, said authorities still have concerns about the children's safety, and the investigation into possible abuse would continue.

The Supreme Court on Thursday affirmed an appeals court ruling that reversed Walther's decision in April putting all children from the ranch into foster case.

The high court and the appeals court rejected the state's argument that all the children were in immediate danger from what it said was sexual abuse of teenage girls at the ranch.

The Third Court of Appeals ruled that the state failed to show that any more than five of the teenage girls were being sexually abused, and had offered no evidence of sexual or physical abuse against the other children.

Half the children sent to foster care were no older than 5.

All the children, including any underage mothers, will be allowed to go back to their parents, though it's possible some children's attorneys or child-protection officials could pursue further action in individual cases.

It's not clear how many might return to the ranch right away. Many of the parents have purchased or rented homes in Amarillo, San Antonio and other places around the state.

Rod Parker, a spokesman for the FLDS church, said some of the attorneys have advised parents to stay away from the ranch for now, but most families want to return so the children can continue the education they were getting at the sect's schoolhouse before the raid.

Walther's order does not end a separate criminal investigation. Texas authorities last week collected DNA from jailed FLDS prophet Warren Jeffs as part of investigation into underage sex with girls, ages 12 to 15. He has been convicted in Utah as an accomplice to rape and is jail in Arizona awaiting trial on separate charges.

The FLDS is a breakaway sect of the Mormon church, which renounced polygamy more than a century ago.

Doctor Calls Kennedy Surgery a Success

After investigating his options with his trademark intensity, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy underwent 3½ hours of risky and exquisitely delicate surgery Monday to cut out as much of his cancerous brain tumor as possible. "I feel like a million bucks. I think I'll do that again tomorrow," the 76-year-old Massachusetts Democrat was quoted by a family spokeswoman as telling his wife immediately afterward.

Dr. Allan Friedman, who performed the surgery at Duke University Medical Center, pronounced the operation a success and said it "accomplished our goals." Up next: chemotherapy and radiation, aimed at shrinking whatever is left of the tumor.

"The main goal is to remove as much of the tumor as possible to give any other therapy that we do a better chance of working," said Dr. John Sampson, associate deputy director of Duke's brain tumor center.

The sole surviving son of America's most glamorous and tragic political family was diagnosed last month with a malignant glioma, an often lethal type of brain tumor discovered in about 9,000 Americans a year.

Details about Kennedy's exact type of tumor have not been disclosed, but some cancer specialists said it might be a glioblastoma multiforme — an especially deadly and tough-to-remove type — because other kinds are more common in younger people.

Cutting a tumor down to size — or "debulking" it — is extremely delicate because of the risk of harming healthy brain tissue that governs movement and speech. But Friedman, who is the top neurosurgeon at Duke and an internationally known tumor surgeon, said Kennedy should not experience any permanent neurological effects.

Doctors said Kennedy was awake for much of the surgery, which begins with opening the scalp and removing a piece of the skull to expose the brain. Sometimes, to avoid damaging areas that control speech, surgeons use a probe to stimulate parts of the brain, then hold a conversation with the patient.

In the following days, Kennedy will probably be given drugs to prevent brain swelling and seizures, which are possible complications of the surgery. The senator will also be closely watched for bleeding and blood clots, because strokes are also a risk, though they are uncommon. He is expected to return to Boston in about a week.

Pete Wentz Explains Why He Denied Ashlee Simpson Is Pregnant

2008-06-02T21:28:00.005-04:00

In recent months, there's been an epidemic of celebrities playing coy with the media about big, personal news. Whether it was Jay and Beyoncé, Mariah and Nick, or just about anything regarding Pete and Ashlee, the no-straight-answers, keep-'em-guessing approach has been the rule more than the exception. And fair enough: Celebrities aren't obligated to share personal news with the media.

But last month, Pete Wentz denied to MTV News that his now-wife Ashlee Simpson was pregnant. However, rumors continued to swirl, the couple immediately backed off from directly answering the question, and late Wednesday, the newlyweds finally announced on FriendsOrEnemies.com (as they did with their engagement) that she actually is pregnant.

Couples often wait until the end of a pregnancy's first trimester to share their news. But still, somebody had some 'splainin' to do. Here's what Pete told us via e-mail on Thursday (May 29).

"Every woman, no matter who they are or what they do for a living, has the right to wait at least 3 months before sharing this very personal news," he wrote. "We wanted to wait until after the first trimester and get a clean bill of health from our doctors before confirming anything, just like any other couple.

"Being a boy I have no idea how to respond to such things and my first instinct was to protect her and the baby.

"It's insane that you can't let happy news brew in Hollywood. This wasn't about press or anything. It was about the health of the baby and trying to find a way to be happy with what should be the most happy time of our lives in the middle of a press blitz. I apologize to anyone who felt misinformed but the truth is, the person and growing baby is who I felt most loyal to protect and defend."

Pete Wentz's new bride postpones tour

Ashlee Simpson, the new wife of Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz, has cancelled her forthcoming summer tour.

The 23 year-old last week confirmed she is pregnant with the couple’s first child but did not cite the pregnancy as the reason for the cancellation.

A statement said: "After careful consideration, Ashlee Simpson has decided to postpone her summer tour. She is committed to giving her fans the best show possible, and will be back better than ever and ready to rock in the future."

Simpson married Wentz in ceremony in her parents garden in California two weeks ago (May 17) in an Alice In Wonderland- themed wedding.

Wentz, who had previously denied the pregnancy to MTV.com, last week explained his decision to keep the baby news private in an email.

"We wanted to wait until after the first trimester and get a clean bill of health from our doctors before confirming anything, just like any other couple. Being a boy I have no idea how to respond to such things and my first instinct was to protect her and the baby. I apologize to anyone who felt misinformed but the truth is, the person and growing baby is who I felt most loyal to protect and defend."

Final meltdown: Now what after Game 6 disaster?

2008-05-31T22:38:00.002-04:00

It all fell apart Friday night. Everything. The game. The series. The Pistons' championship hopes. Maybe even these Pistons as we knew them.

The maintenance crew hoped to sweep confetti off the Palace floor at the end; instead, all that was left were little pieces of the Pistons' swagger.

It was rough, but as far as the Pistons were concerned, it wasn't right. And they have nobody to blame but themselves.

Wherever Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Tayshuan Prince, Antonio McDyess and Rasheed Wallace find themselves next season -- and the best guess is still Detroit -- don't ever let them tell you they like it rough, or that they are great in clutch situations, or that they always come through.

Because they had their chance Friday against the Boston Celtics at the Palace.

And it was an utter disaster.

The Pistons had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter and blew it. They were outscored, 23-8, to start the quarter. By the time the hurricane had passed through and they could look up at the scoreboard again, they were down seven points with less than three minutes left.

Billups converted a three-point play to cut the margin to four. But then the Pistons had a chance at a defensive rebound, and they couldn't snare it.

Then they got a defensive rebound -- and Prince gave the ball right back to the Celtics, before the Pistons could even pass the halfcourt line. That play would stand out as the worst of the game, except that the Pistons had a few other turnovers just like it.

With a little over a minute left, Billups -- Mr. Big Shot -- had a chance at a huge three-pointer. He missed badly.

Before long, the Eastern Conference finals ended in Game 6, 89-91.

I thought the Pistons would be the tougher, more fiery team Friday, and I expected them to win. They sure proved me wrong.

It will be a long time before the Pistons live this down. It's one thing to lose a series; teams do that all the time, and there is no shame in losing to these Celtics. It's another thing to lose your ability to strut.

Please understand something: This game curled up in the Pistons' laps and begged them to take it. The Celtics' best player, Kevin Garnett, was in foul trouble throughout, and when he was on the floor, he missed shots. The Celtics' primary ballhandler, Rajon Rondo, was in foul trouble, too. Didn't matter. The Pistons didn't force enough turnovers.

But the Pistons only made one serious run in the whole game They should have made another, late in the first half.

This was the same time of the game, you might recall, when Game 5 started to fall apart for the Pistons. With five minutes left in the half, they led by six on the road and really had outplayed the Celtics. They needed to go into halftime with a lead -- for psychological reasons. Instead, Boston went on a 16-4 run to close out the half, and the Pistons spent the third quarter on their shrink's couch, wondering how a benevolent God could let Rondo penetrate into the lane like that. By the time the Pistons launched their comeback, they were looking up a 70-degree hill.

In Game 6, the roles were reversed. The Celtics had the lead. The Celtics were on the road. And the Pistons made a little run, thanks partly to Hamilton's bounce-around-the-rim-forever three-pointer. But they couldn't make a big run.

They couldn't force the Celtics to think about Game 7, because the Celtics always knew they were in Game 6.

Down the stretch, the Pistons kept dumping the ball into Wallace ... or at least, a guy who looked like Rasheed Wallace ... or ... do you know what he looked like? A mime impersonating Rasheed Wallace. He wanted to scream and he couldn't.

Wallace was one technical foul away from an automatic suspension. That alone does not explain his struggles Friday -- he didn't have the lift and mobility he normally does, for whatever reason -- but I think it explains part of it.

Remember last year, against Cleveland? When the series was finally lost, Wallace exploded at the officials in Game 6 and got ejected. He can't keep anything in.

He had to keep it in Friday. He couldn't risk another technical. And the result was another poor performance in a series where he had too many.

Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars now will have to make some tough decisions about his team, and about coach Flip Saunders, because the easiest change to make is always the coach.

Dumars must ask the same question that fans are asking right now:

Where does this leave the Pistons?

Same place they were in 2006 and 2007.

At home, instead of in the NBA Finals.

Judge Delays Reunions for Sect Families

2008-05-30T23:25:00.002-04:00

A Texas judge refused on Friday to sign an agreement that would have paved the way for the first large batch of children taken from a polygamist sect's ranch to return to their parents, dashing hopes raised by a Supreme Court ruling in the case.
Texas District Judge Barbara Walther wanted to add restrictions to the parents' movement and broaden the authority of Child Protective Services to monitor the more than 400 children in foster care before signing an agreement by CPS and the parents that would have reunited the families.
When several parents' attorneys objected and argued that Walther didn't have the authority to expand the agreement, she said she would only sign the initial document after all 38 parents whose case was considered by the Supreme Court signed off — a provision attorneys said would ensure the children stayed in custody at least through the weekend.
The hearing's end was a stunning development after it appeared the parents and CPS had reached an agreement that would allow children to return beginning Monday. The tentative plan technically applied only to the mothers named in an appellate court ruling that found CPS was unjustified in sweeping up the children from the Yearning For Zion Ranch two months ago, but everyone agreed the order would be extended to all but a few specific children.
"There was an opportunity today for relief in this, and it was not granted," said Willie Jessop, an elder for the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, which runs the ranch.
Attorneys for several of the minors and mothers in custody said Walther's refusal to sign the order would likely result in more appellate court filings.
While Walther said she would issue the order if all the parents signed, attorney Andrea Sloan said that would take days because parents have spread across the state to be close to their children in foster care.
"It's not as simple as going across the street and setting up a booth," said Sloan, who represents several young FLDS women and minors who contend they should be reclassified as adults.
Laura Shockley, an attorney for several children and mothers not part of the original appellate court case, predicted more filings in the Third District Court of Appeals in Austin on Monday. That court ordered Walther to allow the children to return to their parents in a reasonable time, a decision affirmed by the Texas Supreme Court on Thursday.
The agreement between CPS and parents said they would not be allowed to leave Texas until Aug. 31 but could move back to the ranch. It also called for parenting classes and visits by CPS to interview children and parents in the child abuse investigation.
Walther wanted to remove the August deadline and provide for psychological evaluations of the children.
All the children living at the ranch were placed in state custody in early April after CPS said the sect was forcing underage girls into marriage and sex and endangering all the children, including infants and boys.
An appellate court ruled last week that CPS failed to show an immediate danger to justify taking the children from their parents, saying the state failed to show any more than five of the teenage girls were being sexually abused and offered no evidence of sexual or physical abuse of the other children.
The Supreme Court agreed in a ruling Thursday.
Under state law, children can be taken from their parents if there's a danger to their physical safety, an urgent need for protection and if officials made a reasonable effort to keep the children in their homes — standards that were not met in the FLDS case, the appellate courts said.
The Supreme Court justices, however, said Walther could put restrictions on the children and parents to address concerns that they may flee once reunited and that CPS had authority to investigate and intervene in the family's lives to prevent abuse.
Texas authorities, meanwhile, collected DNA swabs Thursday from sect leader Warren Jeffs in an ongoing criminal investigation separate from the custody dispute.
A search warrant for the DNA alleges that Jeffs had "spiritual" marriages with four girls, ages 12 to 15.
Jeffs, who is revered as a prophet, is serving a prison sentence for a Utah conviction of being accomplice to rape in the marriage of a 14-year-old girl to a 19-year-old sect member. He awaits trial in Arizona on similar charges.
FLDS members, who believe polygamy brings glorification in heaven, say there was no abuse at the ranch. The sect is a breakaway sect of the Mormon church, which renounced polygamy more than a century ago.

I guess you could call it political

2008-05-26T21:47:00.005-04:00

Kennedy Competes in Sailboat Race

Sen. Edward Kennedy took the helm of his sailboat "Mya" on Monday and rode a stiff southern wind from Nantucket back to Hyannis in a regatta just a week after undergoing a brain biopsy that diagnosed him with cancer.

The Massachusetts Democrat made partially good on a pledge from the prior week by competing in the second half of the "Figawi" boat race between the island and Cape Cod. He missed Saturday's outbound leg but got up early on Memorial Day and took a ferry across Nantucket Sound to compete in the return leg.

Also aboard for the more than two-hour journey were his wife, Vicki, Sen. Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., and relatives including sons Patrick and Edward Jr. and stepdaughter Caroline Raclin.

"It couldn't be a more wonderful day," Kennedy told several dozen well-wishers and a handful of reporters who greeted him dockside just down the street from his family's vacation compound.

The senator said he relished the company of "great friends and family" while Dodd, Kennedy's closest friend in the Senate, and Vicki Kennedy nodded in agreement.

Kennedy and his wife declined to discuss his upcoming treatment. Doctors are considering using chemotherapy, radiation or a combination to treat the tumor that triggered a seizure on May 17. Treatment could start as early as this week.

Kennedy planned to compete in the Figawi even after doctors determined last week that he suffered from a malignant brain tumor.

Kennedy has won the Figawi contest twice.

"He was at the helm the whole way, doing what he always does, guiding the boat to the head of the fleet," said family friend David Nunes of Colorado, an associate who regularly races with the senator and was on the boat as a crew member.

After the race was over, the group sat at anchor off Hyannis Port for an hour before coming ashore. "We always like to rehash the race," Nunes said.

Kennedy has had a limited public schedule since getting out of Massachusetts General Hospital last Wednesday.

Besides skipping the first part of the regatta Saturday, Kennedy also missed a commencement address he was slated to deliver Sunday at Wesleyan University. Instead, he asked Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama to address the graduates — including stepdaughter Caroline — at the Middletown, Conn., campus.

Kudos to you, old man. Keep it up.

Castro Criticizes Obama Over Embargo

Former President Fidel Castro says Sen. Barack Obama's plan to maintain Washington's trade embargo against Cuba will cause hunger and suffering on the island.

In a column published Monday by government-run newspapers, Castro said Obama was "the most-advanced candidate in the presidential race," but noted that he has not dared to call for altering U.S. policy toward Cuba.

"Obama's speech can be translated as a formula for hunger for the country," Castro wrote, referring to Obama's remarks last week to the influential Cuban American National Foundation in Miami.

Obama said he would maintain the nearly fifty-year-old trade sanctions against Cuba as leverage to push for democratic change on the island. But he also vowed to ease restrictions on Cuban Americans traveling to Cuba and sending money to relatives.

He repeated his willingness to meet with Raul Castro, who in February succeeded his elder brother Fidel to become the nation's first new leader in 49 years.

Castro said Obama's proposals for letting well-off Cuban Americans help poorer relatives on the island amounted to "propaganda for consumerism and a way of life that is unsustainable."

He complained that Obama's description of Cuba as "undemocratic" and "lacking in respect for liberty and human rights" was the same argument previous U.S. administrations "have used to justify their crimes against our homeland."

Castro, 81, has not been seen in public since undergoing emergency surgery in July 2006, but he often publishes columns in state newspapers.

Obama's calls for direct talks with Cuban leaders differ sharply from a more hardline policy favored by current President Bush and Republican presidential candidate John McCain, whom Castro also has criticized.

Castro's column came three days after a prominent dissident group wrote an open letter to Obama suggesting that his idea of talking directly with Cuban leaders could help win freedom for prisoners.

"We have great hope that you can contribute to the immediate, unconditional liberation" of prisoners, wrote the Ladies in White, a group formed by relatives of people jailed in a government crackdown on political opposition in 2003.

Bill Clinton Alleges Cover-Up

Former President Bill Clinton said that Democrats were more likely to lose in November if Hillary Clinton is not the nominee, and suggested some were trying to "push and pressure and bully" superdelegates to make up their minds prematurely.?

"I can't believe it. It is just frantic the way they are trying to push and pressure and bully all these superdelegates to come out," Clinton said at a South Dakota campaign stop Sunday, in remarks first reported by "ABC News."

Clinton also suggested some were trying to "cover up" Sen. Clinton's chances of winning in key states that Democrats will have to win in the general election.

" 'Oh, this is so terrible: The people they want her. Oh, this is so terrible: She is winning the general election, and he is not. Oh my goodness, we have to cover this up.' "

Clinton did not expound on who he was accusing.

The former president added that his wife had not been given the respect she deserved as a legitimate presidential candidate.

"She is winning the general election today and he is not, according to all the evidence," Clinton said. "And I have never seen anything like it. I have never seen a candidate treated so disrespectfully just for running."

"Her only position was, 'Look, if I lose I'll be a good team player. We will all try to win, but let's let everybody vote, and count every vote,' " he said.

The former president suggested that if the New York senator ended the primary season with an edge in the popular vote, it would be a significant development.

"If you vote for her and she does well in Montana and she does well in Puerto Rico, when this is over she will be ahead in the popular vote," Clinton said.

"And they're trying to get her to cry uncle before the Democratic Party has to decide what to do in Florida and Michigan," which Clinton said the party would need to do "unless we want to lose the election."

The current requirement to claim the Democratic presidential nomination is 2,026 delegates, a formula that does not take into account delegates from Florida and Michigan, whose contests were not sanctioned by the party because they moved them up earlier on the primary calendar.

But if those votes were counted as cast, Hillary Clinton would still trail rival Barack Obama in the overall delegate count.

The former president said Sunday that the media had unfairly attacked his wife since the Iowa caucuses, repeating an often-used charge that press coverage had made him feel as though he were living in a "fun house."

"If you notice, there hasn't been a lot of publicity on these polls I just told you about," he said. "It is the first time you've heard it? Why do you think that is? Why do you think? Don't you think if the polls were the reverse and he was winning the Electoral College against Senator McCain and Hillary was losing it, it would be blasted on every television station?"

He added, "You would know it wouldn't you? It wouldn't be a little secret. And there is another Electoral College poll that I saw yesterday had her over 300 electoral votes. ... She will win the general election if you nominate her. They're just trying to make sure you don't."

Ontario, Canada

2008-05-24T21:46:00.003-04:00

Telus Unlikely to Seek Merger With BCE, Globe and Mail Says

Telus Corp. is unlikely to seek a merger with BCE Inc. whether a planned buyout of BCE by a group led by Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan succeeds or fails, the Globe and Mail reported, citing unidentified people close to Telus.

Vancouver-based Telus, Canada's second-largest telephone company, isn't interested in a deal with BCE under either scenario because federal regulators would make merger approval conditional on the divestment of the companies' wireless businesses, the newspaper reported. BCE is the country's largest phone provider.

Telus, which considered a bid for BCE last year, would prefer to see its Montreal-based rival burdened with debt if Teachers' record C$52 billion ($52.5 billion) buyout proceeds, the newspaper said, quoting a person who works with both companies. Telus executives declined to comment, the newspaper said.

BCE's bondholders oppose the Teachers' transaction because they say it would load the company with debt and increase the risk of default.

The Supreme Court of Canada is considering whether to hear an appeal by BCE to overturn a May 21 ruling by Quebec's appeals court that blocked the proposed buyout.

Ontario man dead, Penticton resident hospitalized after stabbings

A 27-year-old Ontario man is dead and a Penticton, B.C., man is in hospital after an early-morning fight in which both were stabbed at a beach in the Okanagan city.

RCMP say two groups of men were involved in the incident which ended with the stabbings.

Cpl. Rick Dellebuur says a 23-year-old Penticton man remains in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

No names are being released at this time.

The Penticton and District Major Crime Units is continuing to investigate.

Ontario Appeal Court tosses ailing autism lawsuit thin lifeline

Parents fighting to have their autistic children receive expensive, specialized therapies within the public education system were tossed a thin lifeline by Ontario's highest court Friday.

In a unanimous ruling, the Ontario Court of Appeal essentially handed back the parents some of their claims against the Ontario government and seven school boards, saying they need to be substantially reworked if they are to have any hope of succeeding in their lawsuit.

"I would say it's a mixed outcome," said David Baker, the lawyer representing the parents.

"The issue of charter damages and the issue of negligence (was) reopened - to a degree."

Baker said it was still too soon to say whether the group would now go back to the lower courts to try again on those issues.

The five families are trying to sue the Ontario government and the school boards for negligence and damages, accusing them of failing to provide or properly fund the specialized autism therapies - known as intensive behavioural intervention (IBI) and applied behaviour analysis (ABA) - in schools.

The therapies for autism, a poorly understood neurological condition that causes developmental disability and behaviour problems, can cost between $30,000 to $80,000 a year for each child.

The parents, who say they are forced to go to financial "extremes," filed a $1.25-billion lawsuit in 2004. They argued their children were victims of discrimination because other kids with special needs get therapy and an education within the publicly funded school system.

"The crucial issue is the issue of discrimination," Baker said.

"The reason why children with autism are out of school is that they are not being accommodated by being provided with ABA support while in school."

The court said that argument remains alive, if barely, but will require "substantial redrafting."

In its written ruling, the court was critical of the various claims for their fuzziness, at one point lamenting that the lack of clarity "makes it difficult to know" what the parents want.

"It continues to be difficult to correlate the appellants' allegations of fact with their proposed causes of action," Justice Susan Lang wrote on behalf of the three-member appeal panel.

The plaintiffs were also hoping to be allowed to sue for damages if their class action is eventually certified.

As with several of the other claims, the court ruled they could try again "with the necessary concision."

Taline Sagharian of Richmond Hill, Ont., whose 11-year-old son Christopher has autism, said the court had at least not shut the door entirely on their claims, but the decision needs further study.

"It's a little bit confusing," Sagharian said.

"But we're dedicated to the case, we're dedicated to the cause."

In March last year, Ontario Superior Court Justice Maurice Cullity sided with the provincial government in striking down several of the key claims, including negligence and damages.

The Appeal Court rejected the parents' negligence claims against the Ontario government, but left open the possibility that the school boards might yet be on the hook for how they ran programs aimed at accommodating children with special needs.

The court also tossed out a claim based on age discrimination related to Ontario's now-rescinded decision to pay for ABA for children only until age six.

New Ojibway reserve opens in northern Ontario

Members of an Ojibway community who have struggled for more than century for a home to call their own were celebrating the official opening of a new reserve in northern Ontario on Saturday.

Animbiigoo Zaagi'igan Anishinaabek (Lake Nipigon Reserve) consists of 12.5 square kilometres at Partridge Lake, along Highway 11, between Jellico and Geraldton — about a three-hour drive northeast of Thunder Bay.

Almost 70 per cent of the 310 community members now living throughout the region say they're planning to make the new reserve their home.

Chief Yvette Metasinine says her people always thought of themselves as a community, even though they were not part of a reserve.

"We were called 'Lake Nipigon, Various Places,'" she said. "We didn't belong anywhere. We were always recognized by the federal government, but we didn't have a place to call home, I guess"

Elder Mary Ann Nord says she remembers her parents working with the government to get a reserve, but wondered whether the day would ever come.

"Every time we'd get a letter it would say, pretty soon, pretty soon, and then all of a sudden we got it," she said. "I almost started crying."

Unlike most First Nations in Canada, Animbiigoo Zaagi'igan Anishinaabek has more elders than children.

Boston Celtics need to win on the road to advance past Pistons

2008-05-23T20:53:00.005-04:00

The Boston Celtics simply watched film and talked about adjustments the day after losing at home for the first time in the playoffs.

"Sometimes, I think you need a mental break," Boston coach Doc Rivers said Friday. "So, we're taking one and we'll be fresh." At this point, it's time for Boston to try anything to stop its skid on the road.

If the Celtics don't, they're going home to watch the NBA finals on TV.

The Detroit Pistons ended Boston's home winning streak at nine with a 103-97 victory that tied the Eastern Conference final at one game apiece.

Now, the NBA's top-seeded team will have to take a game on the road - or else.

"If we're going to win this series, we've got to protect the home for the rest of the series and try to get one on the road," Paul Pierce said.

Boston's first chance comes Saturday night at The Palace.

"People are going to say, 'Well, they haven't won on the road. Can they win on the road?' They're going to come in with a great focus," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. "We have to have the same focus and hope the adrenaline of the crowd will help us play with even more energy."

If the Celtics lose, they will be the first team to start 0-7 on the road in the playoffs to break a tie for the unwanted distinction with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1971 and the Miami Heat in 2004.

"I don't think it's really bothering us, like, psychologically," Pierce insisted Thursday night after Boston fell just short of equaling an NBA record.

The Celtics were a few shots and stops away in Game 2 from matching a league mark by winning their first 10 post-season games at home. Six teams started 10-0 at home in the playoffs, including the 1986 Celtics and 1990 Pistons before both of those teams won titles.

Detroit has been pretty good at home, too, winning five straight since losing the post-season opener a month ago to the Philadelphia 76ers.

"It's going to be crazy," Richard Hamilton said. "We've got the best fans in the NBA. Everybody knows about the Palace at Auburn Hills."

Everybody also knows about Boston's Big Three and Detroit's true team.

Pierce scored 26, Kevin Garnett had 24 points and Ray Allen had a breakout game by scoring 20 of his 25 points in the second half.

"Their three main guys, for the first time in the playoffs, all played well together. Very well," Saunders said. "When we play well, usually it's a team effort and a lot of people are involved. Last night was a prime example of that."

While Boston's trio is going through the rigors of the playoffs for the first time, Detroit's nucleus is doing it for a fifth year in a row and a few key players have been together in the post-season in six straight conference finals.

The four Pistons who helped win the 2004 title each answered Boston's clutch shots in the final minute.

Hamilton made a mid-range jumper, Chauncey Billups scored on a reverse layup off an inbounds play, Rasheed Wallace had a free throw and Tayshaun Prince made two at the line.

Before that decisive stretch, two more Pistons contributed as Antonio McDyess made a jumper midway through the fourth and rookie Rodney Stuckey had six of his 13 points in 3-minute span early in the final quarter.

"What makes Detroit good is you can't really hone in on one guy," Rivers said. "Obviously in the two previous series we've had LeBron (James) and Joe Johnson. Even though they had players around them, clearly they were the focal point.

"(The Pistons) have five for sure, and six guys on certain nights they can go to."

<-- We can't let them win.

Clinton Apologizes for Kennedy Remark

2008-05-23T20:45:00.003-04:00

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton quickly apologized Friday after citing the June 1968 assassination of Robert F. Kennedy as a reason to remain in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination despite increasingly long odds.

"I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation and in particular the Kennedy family was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that whatsoever," the former first lady said.

The episode occurred as Clinton campaigned in advance of the June 3 South Dakota primary.

Responding to a question from the Sioux Falls Argus Leader editorial board about calls for her to drop out of the race, she said: "My husband did not wrap up the nomination in 1992 until he won the California primary somewhere in the middle of June, right? We all remember Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June in California. You know I just, I don't understand it," she said, dismissing the idea of abandoning the race.

Clinton said she didn't understand why, given this history, some Democrats were calling for her to quit.

Her remark about an assassination during a primary campaign drew a quick response from aides to Democratic presidential front-runner Barack Obama.

"Senator Clinton's statement before the Argus Leader editorial board was unfortunate and has no place in this campaign," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton.

Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said the senator was only referring to her husband and Kennedy "as historical examples of the nominating process going well into the summer and any reading into it beyond that would be inaccurate and outrageous."

Even so, Clinton decided within a couple of hours to make a personal apology.

"I was discussing the Democratic primary history and in the course of that discussion mentioned the campaigns of both my husband and Senator (Robert) Kennedy waged in California in June in 1992 and 1968 and I was referencing those to make the point that we have had nomination primary contests that go into June. That's a historic fact," she said.

"The Kennedys have been much on my mind the last days because of Senator Kennedy," she added, referring to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's recent diagnosis of a brain tumor. "I regret that if my referencing that moment of trauma for our entire nation and in particular the Kennedy family was in any way offensive. I certainly had no intention of that whatsoever.

"My view is that we have to look to the past to our leaders who have inspired us, give us a lot to live up to, and I'm honored to hold Senator Kennedy's seat in the United States Senate from the state of New York and have the highest regard for the Kennedy family," she said.

In the same editorial board meeting, Clinton said her campaign has had no discussions with Obama's aides about her possibly becoming his vice presidential pick.

"It is flatly untrue and it is not anything I'm entertaining. It is nothing I have planned and it is nothing I am prepared to engage in. I am still vigorously campaigning."

The Obama campaign also dismissed reports that there were talks going on between the two campaigns about putting Clinton on the ticket.

Obama has an almost 200-delegate lead over Clinton and is just 56 delegates short of the number needed to clinch the nomination, making Clinton's goal of catching him more difficult by the day. The primaries end June 3.

Clinton spent the day campaigning in South Dakota, which holds one of two June 3 primaries. At stake are 15 delegates.

Recent reports suggested she may be discussing ways to end her campaign by being offered the vice presidential slot underneath Obama, but she rejected that and said she suspected the talk was coming from Obama aides.

"I would look to the camp of my opponent for the source of these stories," she said. "People have been trying to push me out of this ever since Iowa."

Two of those recent reports, however, were attributed by CNN and The New York Times to supporters of Clinton.

Meanwhile, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., a staunch Clinton supporter, said Friday that she believes that if Obama becomes the nominee he should select Clinton as his running mate.

"I think as this race has emerged each one of them has garnered a different constituency and different states, and therefore when you put the two of them together it forms, I believe, the strongest ticket," she told The Associated Press in a phone interview.

"Women feel very strongly about Hillary and African-Americans feel very strongly about Barack, and the election results show that, and the young versus old, the higher educated versus the working person. ... All these things are sort of separated out into one or the other so there is a logic in combining the two constituencies."

Feinstein is a longtime friend and supporter of Clinton's. So would Clinton accept the vice-presidency?

"I think anyone accepts if asked -- whatever they say," Feinstein said.

Former Fannie Mae CEO Jim Johnson is overseeing the early vetting of possible vice presidential running mates for Obama, Democratic officials say. He did the same job for Democratic nominees John Kerry in 2004 and Walter Mondale in 1984.

Tokio Hotel Checks In

2008-05-22T19:30:00.003-04:00

German rock band Tokio Hotel can sell out arenas in their own back yard, but they're trying to get a foot in the door on this side of the pond.

Having all the rock star looks of lead singer Bill Kaulitz won't hurt either, even if a few of the songs during their hour-long set Friday night at Sound Academy sounded uber-average at best.

With a horde of tightly packed female teens filling up about a third of the venue's floor, Tokio Hotel played most of the songs from Scream, its debut English album featuring songs culled and translated from two previous German albums. Just think of them as doing their duty in tearing down global language barrier walls.

It's an ambitious idea that seemed to get off on the right foot as the curtain parted for Ready, Set, Go! Kaulitz, with his rather large, shocking hairstyle, tight-fitting attire and somewhat androgynous appearance, looks like Bjork if she ever survived electrocution.

Yet it's a mug probably plastering the bedroom walls or computer screens of most fans in attendance.

Still a bit hesitant at times speaking English and keeping the between-song banter to a minimum, Kaulitz took a bullhorn siren out for the title track which evoked, you guessed it, loud screams. The rather radio-friendly tune ended with a strong finish by drummer Gustav Schafer as bassist Georg Listing and guitarist (and twin brother) Tom Kaulitz paced the stage.

Having cancelled the Toronto show earlier this year due to Bill Kaulitz undergoing surgery on his vocal chords, Tokio Hotel rolled through much of the songs from Scream as fans held up digital cameras and homemade signs. Two raggedy dolls were also held up resembling the Kaulitz brothers -- right down to the baseball cap and Rastafarian hairdo Tom sports.

But while the audience thought the band could do no wrong, the quartet sounded far more relaxed and tighter during the edgier Totgeliebt, the first number performed in German, which some of the audience knew.

Glad-handing those in the front and later tossing water on them to keep them refreshed, Kaulitz and company slowed things down with Monsoon, a lighter poppy-sounding number that seems to have the vocalist channeling the Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan's softer, earnest delivery.

After asking everyone to "make some noise" not once, not twice but three consecutive times, Kaulitz let his brother Tom steer the band through the heavier, guitar-fuelled Break Away and the moodier Black, which again slowed the pace down.

With a lone German flag waving, Tokio Hotel started wrapping things up only 10 songs in with the punk-ish Wo Sind Eure Hande (Raise Your Hands Together) that had the singer grinning throughout while the slow-building By Your Side closed the main set. The set length probably irked a few fans and some parents who expected a bit more bang for their buck.

Returning to the stage with three stools for the obligatory "unplugged" moment, Tokio Hotel ran through Rescue Me before diving into Durch Den Monsun, the German version of Monsoon which they played earlier. The German version came off about the same as the English version with Kaulitz encouraging the crowd to sing in his mother tongue.

Sports news

2008-05-22T19:12:00.003-04:00

Celtics Win Opener Despite Allen’s Disappearing Act

The Boston Celtics won their 15th straight home game, a streak that began nearly two months ago, to take Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Detroit Pistons, 88-79. If Boston keeps rolling at home, the Celtics will win the NBA title. But Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy is troubled: “What happened to Ray Allen? Can the Celtics win the NBA championship with the Big 2 1/3?”

In the playoffs so far, Mr. Allen is averaging 12.5 points and shooting 38% from the field, 31.4% from three-point range. Those are career lows for any regular season or postseason. In the Celtics’ clincher over the Cavaliers on Sunday, Mr. Allen sat for much of the fourth quarter, coming in late only because of the one stat that has risen to a career high in the playoffs: his free-throw shooting, now at 35 of 36.

“Watching Allen miss wide-open shots and/or disappear is a little shocking,” Mr. Shaughnessy writes. “It’s not as bad as witnessing Willie Mays with the Mets in the 1973 World Series, but it’s on the same path. It’s a little like watching David Ortiz try to hit in the first few weeks of the 2008 baseball season. Ray looks lost. He looks like a man suffering a crisis of confidence.”

The arrival of Mr. Allen and Kevin Garnett last offseason transformed the Celtics from a lottery franchise to one playing for the right to go to the NBA Finals. Monday night’s game tipped off just after the Chicago Bulls won this year’s lottery — more on that in a moment — reminding Hartford Courant columnist Jeff Jacobs of this time last year, when Boston was disappointed with the No. 5 pick that wouldn’t get them Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. “New England basketball fans were distraught,” Mr. Jacobs writes. “The Celtics, who once upon a time were the always champions, were never going to be champs again. Or if they were going to be champs, it would take years and years of suffering and development.” (Of course, it helps that the Minnesota Timberwolves were willing to help turn that No. 5 pick into Mr. Garnett.)

Now Paul Pierce, the Celtic who was there through the dismal years, is excelling. “This could be the spring he springs from the very good to one of the Celtics legends,” Mr. Jacobs writes. “This could be the spring he puts his number in the rafters. That’s the funny thing about not getting Oden and not getting Durant. That’s the funny thing about getting the Big Ticket. It has given Pierce the chance to be just as big a ticket. It has given Pierce the chance to remembered with all the great Celtics.”

*******

The Bulls hope to undergo a similar transformation with that No. 1 pick earned by luck. “They were guilty of crimes against basketball last season and by all rights deserved to be stuck with little more than a middling first-round pick,” Chicago Tribune columnist Rick Morrissey writes. The lucky Bulls should choose Memphis point guard Derrick Rose, Mr. Morrissey argues — despite, not because of, his Chicago roots. “It’s a nice side story, the local kid coming home to play after one year in college,” Mr. Morrissey writes. “But it’s beside the point. There’s no place for sentimentality here, not for this important a decision. If anything, his Chicago background is a negative. Some players can’t handle the pressure of playing in their hometowns. Too many distractions and temptations. But Rose seems mature enough to handle it.”

Last year’s lottery winners, the Portland Trail Blazers, had no such luck this time, finishing with the No. 13 pick. And that’s worth celebrating, according to the Oregonian’s John Canzano: “As long as management doesn’t muck up all the good traction, what Blazers fans really witnessed on Tuesday wasn’t justice but the end of a five-year relationship between a rebuilding franchise and the league’s unequal welfare program.”

Like last year, there are believed to be two top prizes in this year’s draft: Mr. Rose and Michael Beasley. But the New Orleans Hornets, who recently broke off their own fling with the lottery, landed back in the playoffs thanks to a No. 4 pick, Chris Paul. The Hornets and Mr. Paul forced the defending champion San Antonio Spurs to the brink before losing in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals. In the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Teddy Kider looks back at a season characterized by incredible progress: “The Hornets found a home dominance during the second half of the season, and they proved it until the final game against the Spurs, winning their first three home games of the second-round series by 19, 18 and 22 points. After finishing the 2006-07 season 0-11 against the Spurs, Mavericks and Phoenix Suns, New Orleans was 15-9 against them in 2007-08.”

*******

In the Daily Telegraph, Henry Winter previews today’s Champions League final in Moscow, expecting “a stirring affair: Chelsea stir respect but Manchester United stir the soul. Avram Grant’s side garner admiring glances for their relentless, machine-like strength which will roll across the Luzhniki’s substandard surface. But it is Sir Alex Ferguson’s United who quicken the pulse with the bewitching football that flows from the youthful pair of Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.”

Only two teams could make the final, of course, but Times of London columnist Martin Samuel points out that the other two English clubs in Europe’s premier club competition, Arsenal and Liverpool, would be there but for other English clubs. “This was the year when English clubs could only be eliminated by themselves,” Mr. Samuel writes. “Arsenal lost to Liverpool, who lost to Chelsea, who can only lose to Manchester United and vice versa. The statistics are astonishing. Including the qualifying rounds, English clubs have met foreign opposition on 42 occasions in the competition and lost four matches.” So why, Mr. Samuel wonders, are some of these top teams’ top stars considering departing for continental clubs?

In the International Herald Tribune, Rob Hughes describes the peculiar scene of hordes of English soccer fans descending on Moscow: “Thousands of fans with tickets but no visas — and thousands with visas looking for black market tickets — are meant to be segregated according to their allegiance to Chelsea blue and United red. Separation starts on entry into Russia. United followers land at Domodedovo Airport today 15:12:11 to the south, and Chelsea at Sheremetyevo to the north. Since there are not enough rooms for them at the capital’s pricey hotels, many will not see or set foot in Moscow at all. They will be bused from their airports to the stadium down cordoned routes. After the match, they may be held in pens, known affectionately as ‘gulags’ until their escorts are ready to return them to the exit.”

Pete Wentz in the news

2008-05-21T21:42:00.004-04:00

Ryan Seacrest Chats Up Pete Wentz On Honeymoon

Calling in to Ryan Seacrest’s LA radio morning talk show from “the basement of a house” Tuesday, Pete Wentz gave the obsequious American Idol host details of his current honeymoon with wife Ashlee Simpson, dodged pregnancy questions and talked about…like, stuff, you know?

The interview began with Wentz relating a story from earlier in the morning, when police called to verify whether a young man found driving his Mercedes had permission to do so. Knowing him only as a rapper named ‘Tiga’, Wentz told Seacrest, “I realized, this is what’s really important: when you get to know your friends…make sure you know their full name and some stuff about them.”

Wentz then went on to describe his honeymoon with Simpson. Avoiding paparazzi, the couple are “hanging out” in the basement of “a house”, eating Digiorno pizza, surrounded by blow-up palm trees and taking turns in a sunless tanning bed.

Asked by Seacrest how he felt, Wentz responded, “I feel great man. It’s like sunny and 65 in my head.”

As for Ashlee, “she’s happy man. She’s sittin’ here - she’s got these blow-up, you know, palm trees. She’s got this husband who’s, ya know, got a tanning bed there for her. We played Monopoly last night for real. I got Boardwalk and Park Place, but I had to mortgage all my real estate to get [them]. I’m one of those guys who plays Monopoly and those are the only two [properties] I care about, you know?”

He went on to note that during the Monopoly game he was the car, Ashlee the dog.

When asked by Seacrest whether he’d thought about potential baby names, Wentz responded cryptically. Having predicted the question, Wentz told Seacrest of his plan to answer by saying, “my penis is a flamethrower” in German, adding, “but I couldn’t remember how it went.”

Dear god.

Wentz went on to say, “Ryan, this baby has not been confirmed. The only thing I’m confirming right now is we’re in the basement right now, on our honeymoon, with these blow-up palm trees.”

No word yet on when Edward R. Murrow is expected to cease grave rolling.

Pete Wentz on His Honeymoon, Pre-Nup and Pesky Pregnancy Rumors

Which exotic destination did newlyweds Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson select for their honeymoon? Believe it or not, their basement.

While Ashlee slept, Pete called in to Ryan Seacrest's KIIS-FM radio show Tuesday morning and chatted about their splashy wedding, low-key honeymoon and, yes, those pesky baby rumors.

"We have signed a pre-nup," Pete admitted to Ryan. And while Ash is legally a Wentz, he said he doesn't "know what she'll do with her stage name, that's up to her. She hasn't decided on that."

Their honeymoon is taking place... in the basement of their Los Angeles home. "We got some blow-up palm trees," Pete said. "A little fake-n-bake tanning booth. We're eating DiGiorno's pizza, getting in that tanning oven every once in a while. It's great."

Ryan did ask about the pregnancy rumors, but Pete refused to budge, saying: "Ryan, this baby has not been confirmed."

And he wasn't talking about his sister-in-law Jessica Simpson's possible breakup with Tony Romo either. "I don't know anything about what's going on with them," he said. "I'm so busy clearing up my own rumors!"

About to Pop: Tokio Hotel

Who: Tokio Hotel

Album: 'Scream'

Hails From: Magdeburg, Germany

For Fans Of: AFI and My Chemical Romance

Why They're About to Pop: This hard-rocking foursome has been wowing audiences overseas since its members were in their early teens. Now, still barely legal, Bill Kaulitz (vocals), Tom Kaulitz (guitar), Gustav Schäfer (drums) and Georg Listing (bass) have sold upward of 3 million CDs and DVDs in Germany, and have four No. 1 singles and two No. 1 albums under their belt. Their following has spread like wildfire across Europe, and they hope to do the same in the U.S. "It's always been a dream of ours to make it in the States," says lead singer Bill Kaulitz. "We grew up listening to American bands like Metallica, Green Day and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. We wanted to get a chance to do what they do." On their impressive third album (the first in English), Tokio Hotel will get a chance to do just that.

Three Questions with Tokio Hotel:

What inspired the songs on your record?

Bill: A lot of things: We found inspiration in situations or circumstances that happened in our lives over the past few years and also in the lives of our friends and family. We've also been moved by fans who have written us letters about their lives, and we've included some of that in our music and lyrics.

What's your favorite song on the record?

Tom: That's a tough one because it always changes and we also differentiate between "favorite song on the record" and "favorite live song". My favorite live song right now is 'Don't Jump.'

Gustav: For performing live, it's 'Raise Your Hands.'

Bill: For me, it's 'Break Away.'

Georg: Hey, same here. Right now, it's 'Break Away.'

Bill: But as Tom said, if you would ask us tomorrow we might name totally different songs -- it always changes.

What are the most-played songs on your iPod?

Tom: '99 Problems,' by Jay-Z.

Georg: 'Big Casino,' by Jimmy Eat World.

Gustav: 'Make It Whit Chu,' by Queens of the Stone Age.

Bill: 'It Means Nothing,' by Stereophonics.

<--I don't think that Gustav is normal, nor that Georg is cute. Tom being tough is questionable. Bill is edgy. Someone needs to fix this picture. But I still love Tokio Hotel!!

~Celticsgirl

Ashlee Simpson is pregnant!?!?!?

2008-05-19T21:00:00.005-04:00

Pete Wentz, Ashlee Simpson's Wedding Had 'Alice In Wonderland' Theme, 'Emotional' Toast From Jessica: Reports

Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson's wedding Saturday night was a non-denominational, Alice in Wonderland-themed ceremony that was presided over by Ash's dad, Joe Simpson, with sister Jessica, serving as bridesmaid.

The wedding, which took place in the backyard of Joe and Tina Simpson's Encino, California, home, was attended by approximately 150 guests, including Nicole Richie and Joel Madden, "Scrubs" actor Donald Faison and girlfriend Cacee Cobb, as well as Jessica's maybe/ maybe not boyfriend, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, according to Us Magazine. The bride, 23, wore an ivory lace Monique Lhuillier dress and a diamond necklace with matching earrings, while Wentz, 28, wore a Dior Homme tuxedo.

While People.com's initial, "exclusive" report on the wedding seemed to confirm rumors that Simpson is pregnant — saying that she is "pregnant with the couple's first child," although there were no quotes from Wentz or Simpson on the matter — at press time, the wording had been altered to read, "who sources say is pregnant with the couple's first child," and a representative for the couple told MTV News on Monday (May 19), "We have not, nor did we ever, confirm anything but the wedding." Wentz denied that Simpson is pregnant when asked about the rumors last month by MTV News, but speculation has continued.

People aso reported that Wentz's English bulldog, Hemingway, served as the ringbearer, and that the reception featured a Wonderland-inspired cake with a top hat, teapot, stopwatch and a pot of flowers on top, with elaborate centerpieces with black beauty roses. Guests sipped on Veuve Clicquot champagne and danced to music from a DJ after dinner. OK! added that the bridesmaids wore black Vera Wang gowns and celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck catered the event.

One unnamed guest told E! Online that the wedding was a "magical" and beautiful" event that bore the imprint of the Simpson clan's hands-on patriarch, dubbing it the "Joe Simpson Show."

After escorting his youngest daughter down the aisle, the site reported that Joe Simpson told the guests funny and touching stories about Ashlee before beginning the wedding, frequently choking up during the ceremony. "They were all crying," the source said, "it was very moving."

Big sister Jessica was reportedly a bit glum during the wedding, but did give an "emotional, off-the-cuff" toast at one point, according to E!, saying that Pete and Ashlee's relationship, "had inspired [her] to love again." Wentz's brother also gave a toast.

Strangely, for a wedding of two musicians, E! reported that there was no live band, and no one danced until after the cake was cut.

The guests gathered underneath white tents, which were decorated with black rugs, white couches with red pillows, black chandeliers and lots of red roses, the site reported. At the couple's request, all the guests wore dark colors. After taking pictures, E! reported that Ashlee emerged in a "sexy black party dress" to dance, and claimed that it was barely noticeable that she was pregnant with the couple's first child. Though guests were required to check their cell phones and cameras at the door, they did leave with a memento: a red box containing a cookie that, continuing the "Alice in Wonderland" theme, read, "Eat me."

'I'm pregnant,' Ashlee tells wedding guests

The Outta My Head singer - who wed Fall Out Boy rocker Pete Wentz in a ceremony at her parents’ home on Saturday - confirmed to friends and family she is expecting her first child.

A source said: "At the wedding reception, Ashlee told guests, 'I’m pregnant’."

Rumours have been rife Ashlee is pregnant ever since she and Pete announced their engagement last month.

However, the couple refused to comment on the reports.

Ashlee and Pete were pronounced husband and wife by Ashlee's former Baptist minister father Joe in a non-denominational ceremony.

A spokesperson for the newlyweds said: "We are delighted to confirm that Pete and Ashlee were married in front of family and close friends."

After tying the knot, Pete and Ashlee celebrated with an Alice in Wonderland themed reception party, which included a wedding cake inspired by the classic children's book.

The sweet treat was adorned with a top hat, stop watch, tea pot and a pot of flowers.

The Celtics Advance!

2008-05-18T20:30:00.005-04:00

Paul Pierce returned home and made sure the Celtics would play there again.

Boston's captain scored 41 points -- and still lost a shootout with LeBron James with 45 -- but led the team with the NBA's best regular season record to a 97-92 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The conference finals begin Tuesday night against the Detroit Pistons in the same arena where the Celtics have won 14 straight games and are 8-0 in the postseason.

"Before the year our goal was to be there in Game 1 at home and that's where we are," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "So we're exactly where we should be."

Home teams are 22-2 in the second round of this season's playoffs. But the Celtics are 0-6 on the road in the postseason after Friday night's 74-69 loss in Cleveland. On Sunday, they never trailed but they never were safe until the final seconds.

Pierce hit two free throws with 7.9 seconds left for the final points, then James missed a 3-pointer on the last shot of the game with 4.4 seconds to go.

"I had it going, LeBron had it going and we just didn't let up," Pierce said. "Neither one of us wanted our teams to lose."

Sasha Pavlovic's 3-pointer made it 95-92 with 8.6 seconds left and the Cavaliers immediately fouled Pierce. His first shot hit the rim, hung in the air, then fell through as the crowd roared. Pierce said team patriarch Red Auerbach, who died in October 2006 at age 89, had something to do with that.

"The ghost of Red just looking over us," Pierce said. "I think he kind of tapped it in the right direction. It sort of put a smile on my face."

Pierce's second free throw was much smoother, making it 97-92.

Cleveland raced downcourt and James hoisted a 3-pointer that missed with 4.4 seconds to go. The Cavaliers got the rebound and James waved for the ball from the same spot he had just missed from.

But Boston's Eddie House intercepted the pass and, as the final seconds ticked off, James turned and walked toward his bench, his chances of reaching the East finals dashed on the court where the Cavaliers were 0-6 this season.

"Boston did their work during the regular season to put themselves in this position" to play Game 7 at home," Cleveland coach Mike Brown said.

Still, the Celtics were pushed to the limit for the second straight series. They did dominate Atlanta in Game 7, winning 99-65, but had a much tougher time eliminating Cleveland.

But now they're unbeaten in the 29 series in which they've led 3-2.

"Today it was basically get the ball to Paul Pierce and get the hell out of the way," Kevin Garnett said.

Garnett added 13 points and P.J. Brown came off Boston's bench to score 10 and grab key rebounds.

Delonte West was the only other Cleveland scorer in double figures with 15.

The Celtics led 50-40 at halftime, but the Cavaliers cut that to 52-49. It was 61-58 before Boston stretched its margin to 67-58 by scoring the next six points.

But Cleveland kept coming back and trailed by just 73-68 going into the fourth quarter.

The Celtics got a scare when Pierce was fouled by Pavlovic on a drive to the basket and fell on a video cameraman under Boston's basket with 23 seconds left in the first half. Pierce got up slowly and, after a 20-second timeout, made two free throws.

He stayed in the game for all but the last 4.2 seconds of the half, then left for treatment of a bruised left thigh but played most of the second half.

Many fans in the full house were clad in green shirts. Lucky the Mascot held up a sign reading "ROCK THE GARDEN!" and the crowd roared. Pierce got the loudest ovation when he was introduced with his nickname, "The Truth."

And when the game started, one fan bellowed, "Not today, LeBron."

With smoke from pregame pyrotechnics still rising toward the rafters where Boston's 16 championship banners hang, the Celtics got off to a strong start. They rolled to a 16-4 lead -- with Pierce scoring nine -- but the Cavaliers closed it to 29-23 with 7:20 left in the second quarter.

That's when James left the game for the first time, replaced by Pavlovic, and the Celtics got the next five points before James returned less than 1 1/2 minutes later.

Paul Perce Game Photos

Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce falls into the crowd during their game seven victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series. The Celtics now meet the Detroit Pistons in the conference final.

Ashlee Simpson, Pete Wentz Wed in California

2008-05-18T19:33:00.010-04:00

Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz are now reportedly man and wife.

The pop-star little sis of Jessica Simpson and the "Fall Out Boy" bassist wed Saturday in a private ceremony at the Encino, Calif., home of Ashlee's parents, according to People magazine.

The service had an "Alice in Wonderland" theme. Joe Simpson performed a non-denominational ceremony for his 23-year-old daughter and her 28-year-old groom, the magazine reported.

Ashlee's sister, Jessica, attended the event with Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, though tabloids have claimed the pair split.

Ashlee's mother, Tina Simpson, was also among the 150 people who watched the pair get married.

The "Pieces of Me" singer donned an ivory lace wedding gown by Monique Lhuillier accessorized with a diamond necklace and earrings by Neil Lane, People magazine reported.

Pete's English bulldog, Hemingway, was the ring-bearer, and the reception featured a wedding cake by Sam Godfrey of Perfect Endings featuring a top hat, tea pot, stop watch and a pot of flowers on top, the magazine reported.

The paparazzi staked out the wedding location and began gathering before 3 p.m. White shuttle vans with deeply tinted windows were streaming through the gates, as were several delivery vehicles.

Drivers of a few expensive cars who arrived at the guard tower were told to park elsewhere and take a shuttle. One was a well-dressed woman who arrived in an Audi packed with red boxes.

The wedding followed an intimate rehearsal dinner Friday.

On Thursday, the Simpson women threw a bachelorette bash for the youngest member of their clan at Tina and Joe's home, according to E! News. Meanwhile, Pete skipped a raucous bachelor party to dine with his pals and his now-father-in-law at hot spot Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills.

Ashlee and Pete, who began dating in fall 2006, announced their engagement April 9. Tabloid reports, blog rumors and "baby bump" photos have fueled speculation that Ashlee is pregnant, but the couple has long denied its expecting a child.

The wedding may help generate more buzz for Ashlee's new album "Bittersweet World," which she released last month. The record peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 in its first week and the tracks have logged more than 19 million plays on her MySpace page.

German band Tokio Hotel a hit in two languages

Growing in popularity, German rock band Tokio Hotel is new to North American fans but all the rage back home.

So when the foursome decided to break into the difficult North American market with its English debut album Scream, the group translated and then performed all of its German songs in English, something that took some time but was worth the work.

"The biggest challenge was to sing for the first time in English because as you can tell my English is not so good," singer Bill Kaulitz says inside a Toronto restaurant. "This is really the first trip that we've spoken English in interviews because we just know some words."

Tokio Hotel, playing the Sound Academy tonight, says translating each song "word by word" was trying.

"I'm a perfectionist, I really wanted to sound natural like I was a native speaker," he says. "That was really, really hard but I hope the fans like it."

"And then they (the words) have to rhyme and still have the same meaning," twin brother and guitarist Tom Kaulitz adds. "We wanted everyone to have a chance to understand what we are saying which was really important."

The band, rounded out by drummer Gustav Schafer and bassist Georg Listing, has made a lot of inroads in a short period of time with singles such as Monsoon and Don't Jump, which deals with suicide, a topic mentioned in some of the fan letters the band received from teens.

But both brothers say the single Ready Set Go! describes how the band members, who got together in 2001, found success at the mere age of 15.

"It was our first single in Germany and it was during our vacation in the summer holidays," Bill says. "It went directly to Number One and after that our whole life changed completely. It was a new life and that was our dream, our dream come true."

The resulting success caused a frenzy that some concert promoters in Germany weren't quite prepared for.

"We were playing a village party, a small festival and there were only 100 or 200 people expected," Tom Kaulitz says. "It was booked six months in advance and we released our first single Monsoon in Germany and we came to that festival."

"There were so many fans and thousands of people, the security was absolutely not ready for that," Bill says. "It was then we knew we had fans. Before it was always five or 10 people in a club just drinking beer and not looking at us."

The toughest thing a new band often has to do is learn how to say no to growing demands. A grueling touring schedule earlier this year left Bill Kaulitz unable to speak for 10 days following surgery to remove a cyst from a vocal chord.

"I was really afraid," he says. "We only played 10 concerts and had to cancel 16 (including a Toronto gig). I was in my hotel room and I looked (at the clock) and I was thinking at this time normally I'm on stage so it was really, really hard."

However, like so many identical twins, Bill had Tom nearby to act as his almost telepathic speaker.

"It's a very cool connection and a very special connection," Bill says of being a twin. "I think nobody else has a connection like that. I had a book and wrote things down (after surgery) but there were some things where I just looked at Tom."

"I always know what Bill is thinking in different situations because I think the same," Tom says without missing a beat. "I had to speak for him for 10 days, it wasn't a great time."

World News

2008-05-18T19:13:00.002-04:00

China Suspends Olympic Torch Relay

China will spend three days marking the moment when tens of thousands died in a devastating earthquake, while hope of finding more trapped survivors dwindled Sunday and preventing hunger and disease became more pressing.

The government announced an official mourning period starting Monday and asked China's 1.3 billion people to observe three minutes of silence starting at 2:28 p.m. — exactly one week after the quake killed an estimated 50,000.

The Olympic torch relay — a potent symbol of national pride in the countdown to August's much anticipated Beijing games — also will be suspended during the mourning period, the organizing committee said.

As the second week of China's worst disaster in a generation approached, the search for anyone left alive in the rubble turned glum despite remarkable survival tales among thousands who were buried.

"It will soon be too late" to find trapped survivors, said Koji Fujiya, deputy leader of a Japanese rescue team working in Beichuan, a town reduced to rubble. His team pulled 10 bodies out of Beichuan's high school Sunday.

The steady run of rescue news flashed by the official Xinhua News Agency has slowed. Just three rescues were reported Sunday, including a woman in Yingxiu town who was reached by soldiers who dug a 15-foot tunnel through the wreckage of a flattened power station and had to amputate both her legs to set free, after 150 hours.

"She was in a delirious state" and told rescuers to leave her alone, thinking she was already in a hospital, Xinhua quoted rescuer Ma Gang as saying. "We fed her milk and water, and her family was there to reassure her."

Dozens of aftershocks have rumbled through the region, extending the damage and fear of survivors. A magnitude 6 temblor on Sunday killed three people, injured more than 1,000 and caused further damage to houses and roads, Xinhua reported.

With more bodies discovered, the confirmed death toll rose to 32,476, the State Council, China's cabinet, reported. The injured numbered more than 220,000.

Many bodies lay by roadsides in body bags or wrapped in plastic sheeting, as authorities struggled to deal with the sheer number of corpses by digging burial pits and working crematoriums overtime.

The World Health Organization warned that shortages of clean water and warmer, humid weather in Sichuan province — which bore the brunt of the earthquake — were ripe for epidemics. It urged officials not to be distracted by the false belief that corpses were a health threat.

The Health Ministry said no major epidemics or other public health hazards had been reported so far, Xinhua said. Two field hospitals with 400 beds have been set up in isolated areas and medical staff have reached all townships affected by the quake, Xinhua said.

The three-day mourning period starting Monday was the most extensive one the government has ordered since the death 11 years ago of communist patriarch Deng Xiaoping, the architect of the free-market reforms that have brought many Chinese from poverty to moderate prosperity in a generation.

During the mourning period, all national flags at home and at Chinese missions abroad will fly at half-staff, and public recreational activities will be canceled.

Beijing Olympic organizers said in a statement that the torch relay also will be suspended for three days "to express our deep mourning to the victims of the earthquake."

Officials initially resisted changing the relay, which corporate sponsors have paid millions of dollars to fund, though some of the pomp was toned down in recent days. Organizers say the relay will resume in Sichuan next month.

Responding to concerns about nuclear sites in the quake zone, a Chinese military spokesman, air force Maj. Gen. Ma Jian, told reporters Sunday that all nuclear facilities jolted by the quake were confirmed safe.

Though Ma did not elaborate, China has a research reactor, two nuclear fuel production sites and two atomic weapons sites within 90 miles of the quake's epicenter, according to the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety.

Also in the quake area, three giant pandas were missing from the Wolong Nature Reserve for the endangered animals. Five staff members were killed in the quake, forestry spokesman Cao Qingyao told Xinhua. The 60 other giant pandas at the were safe.

President Hu Jintao continued to tour the destruction for a third day and was surrounded by wailing women at a camp for homeless survivors in Yinghua.

"I know you lost family and property," Hu was quoted by state media as saying. "I share the pain with you. We will try every effort to save your people once there is the slightest hope and possibility."

China also raised the magnitude of last Monday's quake, to 8.0 from 7.8, though it did not give reasons for the reassessment and the U.S. Geological Survey kept its 7.9 measure. A magnitude-8 quake has the equivalent energy of 790 nuclear bombs, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Foreign aid continued to arrive, including two U.S. Air Force cargo planes loaded with tents, lanterns and 15,000 meals.

A vast, impromptu humanitarian operation has sprung up among Chinese, with thousands flooding into Sichuan in cars loaded with instant noodles, blankets, clothes and whatever else they could carry.

Chinese people, organizations and companies donated around $1.1 billion for quake relief in the first week after the disaster, Xinhua said. That figure was set to surge after a Sunday night charity gala was broadcast nationally that featured celebrities and dignitaries dumping packets of cash into collection boxes and a tearful appearance of a young girl who survived the quake.

Some survivors, like Zhao Xingmao, were stoic in the face of grief.

Zhao's daughter was the only family member at home in Beichuan when it collapsed in the quake, and she has not been seen since. Their son survived. Every day, Zhao crawls through a small opening into what remains of their house and calls out her name in hope of a reply.

"My heart has been aching every day for her," Zhao said, as he and his wife packed clothes picked from the remains of the building into sacks and suitcases, dismissing offers of assistance.

"We're going to do this on our own. More people out there need help," he said.

Queen's Eldest Grandson Weds Canadian

The eldest grandson of Queen Elizabeth II married his Canadian fiancee Saturday in a private ceremony at Windsor Castle.

Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly wed at the castle's 15th-century St. George's Chapel in front of 300 guests including the queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, and Phillips' mother, Princess Anne. Prince Harry, the third in line to the throne, and his girlfriend Chelsy Davy were also there.

The bride wore a traditional white dress by Sassi Holford and a tiara lent to her by her mother-in-law.

She was led into the chapel by her father Brian. Her bridesmaids, wearing light green dresses, included Peter's sister Zara Phillips. After the ceremony, the couple left in a horse-drawn carriage for their reception.

Phillips - the 11th in line to the throne - met Kelly in 2003, when both were working at the Montreal Grand Prix.

Phillips did not immediately reveal he was a royal - Kelly later said she made the discovery when she spotted her husband-to-be in a program about Prince William.

The couple, both 30, live in London. Phillips works for the Royal Bank of Scotland while Kelly, a graduate of Canada's McGill University, is a personal assistant to broadcaster Sir Michael Parkinson.

They announced their engagement last year.

Kelly renounced her Roman Catholic faith and joined the Church of England to marry Phillips. Under centuries-old British law, a royal who marries a Catholic cannot take the throne.

Phillips is among the most low-profile members of the royal family, and neither he nor his sister Zara undertake official royal duties.

However Phillips and Kelly raised eyebrows in some quarters by agreeing to sell the story of their nuptials to the celebrity magazine Hello! for a sum reported at up to $1 million.

Scientist Shifts View on Global Warming

2008-05-18T18:49:00.008-04:00

Global warming isn't to blame for the recent jump in hurricanes in the Atlantic, concludes a study by a prominent federal scientist whose position has shifted on the subject.

Not only that, warmer temperatures will actually reduce the number of hurricanes in the Atlantic and those making landfall, research meteorologist Tom Knutson reported in a study released Sunday.

In the past, Knutson has raised concerns about the effects of climate change on storms. His new paper has the potential to heat up a simmering debate among meteorologists about current and future effects of global warming in the Atlantic.

Ever since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, hurricanes have often been seen as a symbol of global warming's wrath. Many climate change experts have tied the rise of hurricanes in recent years to global warming and hotter waters that fuel them.

Another group of experts, those who study hurricanes and who are more often skeptical about global warming, say there is no link. They attribute the recent increase to a natural multi-decade cycle.

What makes this study different is Knutson, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's fluid dynamics lab in Princeton, N.J.

He has warned about the harmful effects of climate change and has even complained in the past about being censored by the Bush administration on past studies on the dangers of global warming.

He said his new study, based on a computer model, argues "against the notion that we've already seen a really dramatic increase in Atlantic hurricane activity resulting from greenhouse warming."

The study, published online Sunday in the journal Nature Geoscience, predicts that by the end of the century the number of hurricanes in the Atlantic will fall by 18 percent.

The number of hurricanes making landfall in the United States and its neighbors - anywhere east of Puerto Rico - will drop by 30 percent because of wind factors.

The biggest storms - those with winds of more than 110 mph - would only decrease in frequency by 8 percent. Tropical storms, those with winds between 39 and 73 mph, would decrease by 27 percent.

It's not all good news from Knutson's study, however. His computer model also forecasts that hurricanes and tropical storms will be wetter and fiercer. Rainfall within 30 miles of a hurricane should jump by 37 percent and wind strength should increase by about 2 percent, Knutson's study says.

And Knutson said this study significantly underestimates the increase in wind strength. Some other scientists criticized his computer model.

MIT hurricane meteorologist Kerry Emanuel, while praising Knutson as a scientist, called his conclusion "demonstrably wrong" based on a computer model that doesn't look properly at storms.

Kevin Trenberth, a climate scientist, said Knutson's computer model is poor at assessing tropical weather and "fail to replicate storms with any kind of fidelity."

Trenberth, climate analysis chief at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., said it is not just the number of hurricanes "that matter, it is also the intensity, duration and size, and this study falls short on these issues."

Knutson acknowledges weaknesses in his computer model and said it primarily gives a coarse overview, not an accurate picture on individual storms and storm strength. He said the latest model doesn't produce storms surpassing 112 mph.

But NOAA hurricane meteorologist Chris Landsea, who wasn't part of this study, praised Knutson's work as "very consistent with what's being said all along."

"I think global warming is a big concern, but when it comes to hurricanes the evidence for changes is pretty darn tiny," Landsea said.

Hurricane season starts June 1 in the Atlantic and a Colorado State University forecast predicts about a 50 percent more active than normal storm season this year. NOAA puts out its own seasonal forecast on May 22.

In a normal year about 10 named storms form. Six become hurricanes and two become major hurricanes. On average, about five hurricanes hit the United States every three years.

Does Global Warming Have Benefits?

Ever since Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, hurricanes have often been seen as a symbol of global warming's wrath. However, a new study shows that warmer temperatures may actually reduce the number of Atlantic hurricanes.

In Greenland, where the ice is melting, fishermen are thrilled by the return of cod and farmers are reporting higher yields. Cleveland, Ohio, and other cities around the Great Lakes might enjoy balmier weather, but could suffer if lower lake levels cut off shipping lanes.
A man clears snow from a roof in Parish, N.Y., in February. Warmer weather could help northerners save on heating fuel and keep residents from moving south.

This Can't Be Good...

2008-05-17T21:44:00.002-04:00

Climate Change Could Make Breakfast Cereals Toxic

You remember how your parents warned you that eating cereals like Franken Berry and Frosted Flakes would kill you? Well, in the age of global warming, that may not be too far off the mark.

Australian researcher Lisa Bricknell, speaking at an environmental health conference, speculated that climate change could result in an epidemic of "killer cornflakes." That's because grains like corn and rye are increasingly being attacked by a killer fungus that thrives in the hot, damp weather that we're going to be seeing more and more of as the world heats up. The fungus has harmful mycotoxins that can cause liver failure and death if eaten in large quantities.

Bricknell acknowledged that the outbreak isn't right around the corner, but notes that the effects of the toxins have been known since the Middle Ages, when European rye bread was contaminated. "People started suffering mass hallucinations, manic depression, gangrene, reduced fertility and suffered a painful, convulsive death," Bricknell said.

18 of the Craziest Breakfast Cereals Ever Made

18. Kaboom
A day-glo clown, creepy smiley-faced shapes, and an ability to turn milk a murky grayish-blue color: What's not to love about Kaboom? Note that the clown on this box front, who appears to have been dosed with LSD, refuses to actually handle the bowl with anything other than his foot.

17. Punch Crunch
Cap'n Horatio Crunch has shared the S.S. Guppy with numerous first mates over the years, but few were quite as foppish as Harry S. Hippo. The spokes-character for the "little pink rings with big pink flavor," Harry tempted the lonely sea cap'n with his teased eye lashes and curvaceous figure. If the idea of fruit-punch-flavored cereal wasn't so disgusting, who knows what could've been. Maybe in a more accepting time...

16. Sugar Corn-fetti
Though the connection between mariners and processed corn is spurious at best, Post used the seafaring Captain Jolly to pitch Sugar Corn-fetti in the 1960s. As illogical as that sounds, using a single-toothed smile to sell a sugary breakfast may be an even worse idea.

15. Wackies
In the good ol' days, an uncontrollable little boy getting hopped up on a cereal full of "banana bingles," "banana jangles," and "oat gloops" was endearing. Now it just makes him a candidate for Ritalin.

14. Rice Honeys
Given that children are taught to steer clear of bees, you'd think arming insects with pistols would make them more off-putting. Obviously, this didn't cross the minds of the execs in charge of Rice Honeys, who also led a movement to unseat Mr. Potato Head as the piece of produce most likely to be anthropomorphized.

13. Sir Grapefellow
Imagine being in General Mills' boardroom when an advertising exec proposed that a knighted, phallic-nosed British aviator with the tag-line "Tally-ho" would be the best option to market their new grape-flavored cereal. You can almost envision the staff looking on quizzically before the boss stands up and begins clapping. The yes-men follow along on cue, unaware that the boss had a four-martini lunch.

12. OKs
Long before there were Brawny paper towels there was a "Br-r-awny," cereal. It appears Kellogg's wanted kids to think eating OKs would make them grow big and strong. However, it's not entirely clear why they thought kids aspired to be stereotypically Scottish.

11. KOMBOs
After finding success using a tiger to market Corn Flakes, Kellogg's decided to use another exotic beast, the Blue Gnu, to represent the cereal's orange-flavored incarnation. While using one of the African savanna's most obscure animals seems like an odd choice, it's even stranger that they cloaked the character in a trench coat, like some kind of citrus-wielding flasher.

10. Magic Puffs
If your hat comes alive and tells you to eat cereal, you've probably already had some magic puffs. When this was on tables from 1974 to 1977, we're pretty sure it was more post-bong "munchie meal" than part of a nutritious breakfast.

9. Quisp
Once again, the children of America were forced to face an armed spokes-thing while eating cereal. Quisp cereal was introduced in 1966 and has since disappeared from most store shelves, but Quaker continues to make small batches of it every year. We think cereal lovers across America fear retaliation from "Quisp" -- a propeller-headed alien with permanently crossed eyes -- if they don't buy a box every year.

8. Mr. Wonderfull's Surprize
Regardless of whether this guy is "wonderfull" or not, any parent who would let their kid eat the creamy-filling "Surprize" found inside the balls of a man with a periscope head should be charged with child abuse.

7. Fruit Brute
Of General Mills' monster-themed cereals, only Count Chocula, Boo Berry and Franken Berry scared up any business. Fruit Brute, the runt of the series, was shot by a silver bullet in 1983 after an eight-year run, leaving grocery stores devoid of cereals containing fluorescent orange puffs and nasty lime marshmallows.

6. Corn Flakes with Instant Bananas
First of all, Mr. Kellogg, bananas can't instantly appear. Their freeze-dried meat needs to be reconstituted, which is not really a "Presto!" sort of moment. Secondly, we're pretty sure the top of that banana's head was cut off to give him a nose. Needless to say, a child's fragile mind shouldn't be expected to wrap itself around this kind of macabre fruit phantasmagoria.

5. Vanilly Crunch
Once again, the good Cap'n is being tempted by a sexually aggressive animal. Wilma the White Whale is a nice literary tip of the cap to Moby Dick, but giving her long lashes and "Hello, sailor" lipstick creates the type of promiscuous sea life Melville never imagined and probably never wanted to. (You might want to re-read some of the more symbolic passages of "Billy Budd" if you don't know what we're talking about.)

4. Freakies
Born in 1973, the Freakies were Snorkeldorf, Cowmumble, Hamhose, BossMoss, Goody-Goody, Gargle and Grumble. Besides inspiring fan clubs nationwide, the original Freakies commercial became an installation at New York City's Museum of Modern Art. But if you put them in front of a kid now, they'd want to know why boogers were floating in their cereal.

3. Tutti Fruiti Twinkles
Known as the Tutti-Fruiti Sprinkler, this cartoon fire fighter appeared on the scene in the mid-'60s to tinkle sprinkles all over your cereal. It's unclear why anyone would want this, but at least there are other designs on the box to distract you from over-analyzing why Sprinkler seems so excited about using his hose.

2. Crunchy Loggs
Honestly, what's more appetizing than chowing down on some crunchy loggs? Wouldn't you just love to pop a logg in your mouth and experience its rich nutty flavor? It tastes just like what you'd get if a cartoon beaver took a dump in your bowl. Mmmm...delish.

1. Grins & Smiles & Giggles & Laughs
Created in 1975, GSGL's "story" was of four characters named Grins, Smiles, Giggles and Laughs who had to make the robot laugh to get it to vomit up boxes of cereal. While its concept is exceptionally weird, we actually ranked it number one for its profound tagline: "It takes funny people to make funny cereal." Of course, we interpreted that as "funny-weird," not "funny ha-ha."

Astronomers Baffled by Bizarre Star

2008-05-17T20:51:00.008-04:00

Astronomers are baffled after finding an exotic type of star called a pulsar apparently locked in an elongated orbit around a star much like the sun -- an arrangement defying what had been known about such objects.

The rapidly spinning pulsar -- an extraordinarily dense object created when a massive star exploded as a supernova -- is called J1903+0327 and is located about 21,000 light years from Earth, the astronomers said.

A light year is about 6 trillion miles, the distance light travels in a year.

"The big question is -- how in the heck did this thing form, because it doesn't follow our standard models of how these things form," astronomer Scott Ransom of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Charlottesville, Virginia, said in a telephone interview on Thursday.

This object is known as a millisecond pulsar because of its speedy whirl -- it spins on its axis 465 times per second.

"The reason why we're so excited about this is the impact it might have on our understanding of where the pulsars that we look at are coming from," David Champion, an astronomer at Canada's McGill University, told SPACE.com. "We've never seen anything like this before."

Until now, all of the ones found orbiting with another star have been doing so with a white dwarf, another type of dying star. In each case, they shared a perfectly circular orbit. But this one has a very elongated orbit around a star similar in size and composition to our sun.

"What we have found is a millisecond pulsar that is in the wrong kind of orbit around what appears to be the wrong kind of star," astronomer David Champion of the Australia Telescope National Facility said in a statement. "Now we have to figure out how this strange system was produced."

It was detected using a radio telescope in Puerto Rico.

Pulsars are a rare type of neutron star whose strong magnetic fields channel lighthouse-like beams of light and radio waves that whirl around as the star spins.

Typical pulsars spin once a second to about 10 or 20 times a second. But millisecond pulsars spin far more rapidly.

The understanding had been that these started out as typical, slower-spinning pulsars, then built up speed after material expelled from another star reached the pulsar's surface, giving it momentum.

"If you were to ask any astronomer if we would have found a system like this, they would have said no. So this is a very big surprise," Ransom said.

The scientists, writing in the journal Science, speculate a third star -- perhaps a neutron star or white dwarf -- might be orbiting with the other two. Scientists know of about 100 pulsars in two-star, or binary, systems, and this might be the first in a triple-star system, Ransom said.

Incredible Space Pictures

Below: An artist's graphical representation obtained from NASA depicts a pulsar, center, surrounded by whirling beams of light and radio waves. Astronomers are puzzled by the discovery of a pulsar with an unusual orbit never before seen.

Below: A pair of spiral galaxies found in the constellation of Hercules meet in a head-on collision in this new image from the Hubble Space Telescope. Fifty-nine new swirling galaxy images from the famed telescope were released on April 24 on the 18th anniversary of its launch.

Above: Even galaxies get bullied. Here, a so-called "death star galaxy" blasts a nearby galaxy with a jet of energy. Scientists said that if this happened in the Milky Way, it would likely destroy all life on Earth.

Below: In February, photos taken in July 2007 were released showing a puzzling haze that brightened and dimmed over Venus' southern latitudes. The haze moved toward the equator and then back to the south pole. Scientists aren't sure what is causing it.

Below: In 2005, NASA's Hubble Telescope captured this image of the Crab Nebula, a six-light-year-wide expanding remnant of a star's supernova explosion. Japanese and Chinese astronomers witnessed this violent event in 1054.

Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson

2008-05-17T19:25:00.005-04:00

It's no secret that Joe Simpson has quite the thumb on his two star-studded daughters. It seems he is even reigning over Ashlee's “big day.”

The youngest Simpson sister is reportedly set to tie-the-knot with Fallout Boy frontman Pete Wentz on Saturday evening at Joe's mansion within a gated community in Encino, Calif. The musicians started dating in the fall of 2006 and announced their engagement on April 9, fueling rumors that Simpson is "expecting."

An inside source told Tarts that plans were to keep the ceremony pretty "small and intimate" and that it was to be attended only by close family and friends.

On Saturday morning Pop Tarts observed several large trucks and people going coming and going and at the residence.

Jessica Simpson also apparently hosted a rehearsal dinner for her 23-year-old sister in her Beverly Hills home Friday evening.

Speaking of Jessica...

The Internet has been running rampant this week with reports that Jessica Simpson has split from Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.

While reps for the Texan twosome have been busy denying the split, a source close to the Romo camp told Pop Tarts that their relationship has hit a "rough patch" but might not be totally over just yet.

After all, he apparently already had plans to get down on one knee for the songstress, and just recently she referred to him as her "future husband" in Glamour magazine.

According to our inside source, Tony was organizing an "intimate dinner for friends and family" to take place in Texas within the next few weeks in anticipation of announcing his engagement to the eldest Simpson sister.

"Every couple has their problems; we're hoping that they'll have a break and work it all out," the source said. Calls to Simpson's rep were not returned.

So while Romo’s initial matrimonial plans seem to have been put on the back-burner, Jess and Tony are apparently still "talking."

So what's the problem?

Romo, 28, reportedly still has a roommate and loves his freedom, while Jess, 27, already has been married and divorced and has made it clear she wants to be a mom soon.

"Jessica has made no secret of the fact she wants to get married, and with all the Ashlee wedding talk and Jess’ dad’s involvement, Tony was obviously feeling it," another source said. "I wouldn’t be surprised if he just couldn’t go through with the proposal and that’s what’s caused the break."

Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz Enjoy Pre-Wedding Parties

Acknowledging a time-honored tradition, bride-to-be Ashlee Simpson celebrated the impending end of her single status with an all girl get together on May 15, 2008. According to E! online, the "Little Miss Obsessive" singer and her party posse soon moved from the sedate setting of her parent's residence in order to check out the pleasure treasures sold at Kiki de Montparnasse, a Beverly Hills boutique brimming with such naughty notions as Amour peek-a-boo lingerie and lace beaded blindfolds.

Pete Wentz also said bye bye to bachelorhood, bonding with his buddies and soon-to-be father-in-law during a celebratory dinner at Mr. Chow. A landmark restaurant among luminaries, Mr. Chow is the eponymous eatery of Michael Chow, an actor recognizable to movie buffs from his roles in You Only Live Twice, Rush Hour and Lethal Weapon 4.

From hosting the first Academy Awards ceremony to supposedly harboring the restless ghost of cinematic legend Montgomery Clift, the Roosevelt Hotel is the architectural heart of Hollywood. The soon-to-wed couple and their respective friends and family members ended their late night fete at the hotel's Marilyn Monroe suite, where the lovebirds could look down on the waters of the same palm-lined pool where the silver screen siren posed for her first ad.

Ashlee and Pete Rehearse at Jessica's House

Wedding weekend got even more officially under way tonight.

A day after Ashlee Simpson celebrated her bachelorettehood with family—including her future mother-in-law—and gal-pals, Jessica Simpson hosted a private rehearsal dinner for her little sister and Pete Wentz at her Beverly Hills home.

Red-vested valet attendants greeted the friends and family who were invited to the intimate affair, held in the elder Simpson sib's backyard. Guests were also spotted mingling on the front terrace.

Candlelit tables and twinkling white lights strung through the trees helped set the mood.

A source tells E! News that Ashlee and Pete arrived via limo at about 7:45 p.m., while a team of security guards held court on the street outside.

There's no confirmation yet that Jessica's boyfriend, Tony Romo, was there, but the NFL star is reportedly planning to accompany the singer to the Simpson-Wentz wedding tomorrow night. The apparently cohesive couple were spotted having lunch at the celeb-frequented Katsuya in Hollywood earlier today.

Carnival Ride Collapses, Injuring Dozens

2008-05-17T19:04:00.002-04:00

State accident investigators were trying to determine what caused a Calaveras County Fair carnival ride to collapse and injure all 24 people on board.

The ride, called the Yo-Yo, collapsed shortly after 6 p.m. Friday at the fair, which features the famous Jumping Frog Jubilee. The event is held just outside the Gold Rush-era town of Angels Camp in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Three were airlifted to hospitals in Modesto and Sacramento, but the extent of the injuries was not immediately known, said Sgt. Dave Seawell, a spokesman for the Calaveras County Sheriff's Department.

Most of the riders were children, and all suffered some form of injury, he said.

The fair remained open after the accident, but the carnival area had been shut down, said Laurie Giannini, the fairground's marketing director. She said there were no fatalities and that riders with minor injuries had been treated.

The ride has metal arms, each with a seat at the end attached by a chain, that swing outward as the ride picks up speed. The arms rise and fall as they spin around a center pole, putting the seats horizontal to the ground.

The pole apparently collapsed, causing the arms to crash back toward the center, said Dennis Townsend, a chief in the Calaveras County unit of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Prevention.

"The mechanism that lifts the people is the one that collapsed," he said.

The riders were hurt when their seats struck the ground or other parts of the machine, he said.

"I was buying cotton candy and the arms collapsed, but it was still spinning," Cole Sirius, 13, told the Stockton Record.

Another witness told the newspaper she saw the ride operator struggling to stop the machine. Melissa Hall, 17, said she had been at the far all day and thought the ride was functioning poorly in the morning.

"It didn't rise all the way," she said of the arms.

Authorities could not immediately determine what might have caused the accident.

"We don't know, and nobody at the scene has been able to make a competent determination as to why," Townsend said.

The three victims who had been airlifted were taken to the University of California, Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, Doctor's Hospital in Modesto and Modesto Memorial North Hospital.

A spokeswoman at UC Davis Medical Center said she could provide no information without a patient's name. Memorial North Hospital would say only that it had received one victim who was in stable condition.

Doctor's Hospital received a female patient with minor injuries, nursing supervisor Robert Norton said.

Gail Witzlsteiner, a spokeswoman for Sonora Regional Medical Center in Sonora, said five teenagers - four girls and a boy ranging in age from 13 to 18 - were treated for minor injuries.

Mark Twain Hospital in San Andreas was caring for five patients, said Jessica Norris, an emergency room clerk. Three arrived by ambulance and two came in on their own. Most complained of knee pain.

The Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee opened Wednesday and is held each year in late May. It was inspired by a Mark Twain story, "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County," which focuses on a character and his jumping frog, named Dan'l Webster.

Last year's jumping frog contest drew 4,000 entries. This year's final is scheduled for Sunday.

Speaking of children...

Minister Caught in Sex Sting

As if the polygamist sect wasn't good enough for Texas...

A minister from a Dallas-area Baptist megachurch was caught in an Internet sex sting and charged with online solicitation of a minor, police said Friday.

Undercover officers posing as a 13-year-old girl communicated with Joe Barron, 52, of Plano for about two weeks. The online conversations were sexual in nature, police said.

On May 6, Barron suggested meeting the girl in person. He eventually made the nearly 200-mile drive to Bryan on Thursday, when he was arrested. Police said they found a web-cam and condoms in his car.

Barron was released Friday night from the Brazos County Jail on bond. Police were unsure whether he had an attorney.

Barron is one of 40 ministers at Prestonwood Baptist Church, one of the largest churches in the country with 26,000 members. He ministers to married adults.

Mike Buster, executive pastor, said in a statement that the church had no record or knowledge of previous improprieties or saw any inappropriate behavior in the 18 months Barron was on the church staff.

Buster said church officials are fully cooperating with police.

"We are disturbed and saddened by the reports we have heard and we are praying for the Barron family," he said.

Pete Wentz, Jessica Simpson, and Tokio Hotel??

2008-05-16T19:35:00.003-04:00

Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson Party Before Saturday's Wedding: Reports

Though just a few days ago he told MTV News, "Blah, I got nothing," when asked if he was planning to get married this weekend, it looks as if Pete Wentz might have been holding back a bit. Unlike Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey, who pulled off a stealth wedding with almost no one finding out (or at least believing it would ever happen), the buzz about the Wentz/ Ashlee Simpson union has been building all week.

Though no update has come from Wentz, 28, a number of outlets claimed to have confirmed the nuptials will take place this weekend. Usmagazine.com claims that the couple have asked guests to wear dark clothing to the event. People.com reported on Friday (May 16) that Wentz had a low-key bachelor party Thursday night in Beverly Hills in a private room at popular restaurant Mr. Chow, accompanied by his bandmates, soon-to-be father-in-law Joe Simpson, Joel Madden and about 10 other friends.

People.com reported that Wentz arrived at his party wearing a black hoodie and smiled as he stepped out of the car, accepting congratulations from a patron on his way in as Papa Simpson put his hands on Wentz's shoulders and said, "This is the man." Simpson picked up the $1,000 tab for dinner, Usmagazine.com said. The group left the restaurant just before 11 p.m., according to People, and ended up at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, where they partied in the Marilyn Monroe suite.

While Jessica Simpson was spotted at the Roosevelt Hotel lounge Teddy's, People.com said bride-to-be Ashlee, 23, was elsewhere, having her bachelorette party with friends at the Kiki De Montparnasse luxury lingerie store. In keeping with the confusion surrounding the event, Usmagazine.com reported that Ashlee's bachelorette party actually took place at her parents' Encino, California, home, where Jessica and mom Tina Simpson put on a "mellow affair" with about a dozen close friends and family in the backyard.

On Monday, Usmagazine.com reported that the wedding will take place this Saturday, citing as proof a big white tent with bright red curtains that was reportedly being set up at the Encino home on Thursday, along with a seating area around a fireplace adorned with a cross.

"Proper invites have not been sent out, but instead guests have been given a save-the-date notice," an unnamed source said. An intimate rehearsal dinner is reportedly scheduled to take place on Friday night for close friends and family.

"[Guests] have been asked to wear cocktail attire, but to not be overdressed," a friend of the couple is reported to have told Usmagazine.com about the dress code for the wedding. The site said that around 250 guests are expected, though they are being kept in the dark about the details of the celebration.

TMZ.com reported that People has paid "well over" $1 million for the rights to run the wedding photos. "We're thrilled that celebrities continue to choose People as the place for their most intimate photos," a spokesperson told the site. "We do not comment on specifics of any deals."

Jessica Surprised by Pete Wentz

While her future brother-in-law Pete Wentz was celebrating his bachelor party, Jessica Simpson had a Thursday night out with three girlfriends at Hennessy’s Jazz Night at Teddy’s in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

Little did the newly single bombshell know that Pete, who had been dining with family and friends at Mr. Chow, would choose the same hotel for an after-hours party with 20 of his pals.

But before Pete, dressed super-casual in black jeans, gray tee and a cutoff black hoodie, headed upstairs to the Marilyn Monroe suite, he stopped in to say hello to Ashlee's big sister.

“When Jessica saw him, she was completely surprised,” a fellow partygoer tells OK!. “All the girls yelled ‘Pete,’ and Jess jumped up and ran over to him and gave him a big hug.”

Though he did the gentlemanly thing by popping by to see Jess, the onlooker adds, “He looked like he was in a rush.”

After he left and went upstairs where the Hennessy was flowing, Jessica let him do his thing and continued partying and dancing all night.

Tokio Hotel Makes All the Girls Scream

If you think you know all about crazed, obsessive fans, clearly you've never spoken to German band Tokio Hotel. Sure, like any other alternative rock group, they have to dodge legions of screaming girls wherever they go, but Tokio Hotel's fans like to go that extra devoted mile.

"If they write a letter - I think the longest now is 12 kilometres long, the fan letter," lead singer Bill Kaulitz says through an interpreter. "Or they buy us a star - you know, there is a star out in the universe being called Tokio Hotel. And then we had a redesigned car, one girl redesigned her car in the whole Tokio Hotel look and kept driving next to our tour bus."

With his long, spiky hair, heavy eye makeup, skinny jeans and tight t-shirts, 18-year-old Bill has cultivated his lean, androgynous look to perfection. He appeals to the kinds of girls who think Zac Efron is a little too butch.

His twin brother, Tom, seems to make a conscious effort to counteract Bill's ambiguous sexuality by dressing in baggy clothing, covering his dreadlocks with a baseball cap and constantly carrying himself with an overconfident swagger. While Bill does most of the talking, Tom does pipe up every once in a while to tease his band mates and reassert his masculinity.

"I could add a couple of [crazy fan] stories from my hotel room," he interrupts. "But it would take ages and we would probably need another interview for that."

Tom appeals to the kinds of girls who think Fred Durst is too sensitive.

The brothers teamed up with bassist Georg Listing and drummer Gustav Schafer to form Tokio Hotel in 2001. Although it took the band four years to hit it big in Germany, they were still only in their mid-teens when their debut album, Schrei, went platinum, turning Tokio Hotel into rock stars at a young age. After conquering European music charts many times over, Tokio Hotel released Scream, their first English album, in Canada on March 25.

"Tom and me, we were 15 when we broke in Germany and since then we are constantly on the road," says Bill. "It was what we always wanted to do and it was a clearly-made decision. Experiencing all of this, sitting here today in Toronto, giving interviews, playing shows over here in Canada, that was nothing we ever expected, all that we thought would happen."

Translating their songs into English was one of Tokio Hotel's biggest hurdles with Scream because, while they can understand English surprisingly well, speaking it is another matter. Bill spent many hours in the studio going over lyrics to make sure none of the songs' meanings got lost in translation.

"It wasn't easy because if you compare the languages to each other, obviously in German you work with different pictures, different sentences. Not every word is found in the English language," he explains. "We really wanted to go for a one-to-one translation, so that really took some time. Then I went into the studio and that took some time as well because I really wanted to sound native. I really wanted to sound as perfect as possible."

"Yeah, but things take a long time for Bill anyway," adds Tom, having gone more than five minutes without teasing his brother. "If he sings in German or if he sings in English, he always needs time. And he's not good at hitting the right tone; that takes time as well."

Bill is clearly used to his brother's haughty posturing. "Yeah, whatever," is all he mutters as he rolls his eyes.

Staying together for seven years is a remarkable feat for any band, but especially for a group who were going through puberty at the same time. But even though the members of Tokio Hotel obviously get on each others' nerves occasionally, Bill admits that they're better off together than apart.

"There are times when we annoy each other and get on each others' nerves and everybody needs to get out, have his own space, time for himself and stuff like this," he says. "But the good thing is that we know each other very well. We've been together for seven years. We know each as well as you actually could; everything. That really helps us. I think, actually, it brings us closer together. It just makes us stronger going through [this] with each other and it's actually that we can't live without each other anymore."

Unsurprisingly, Tom is unwilling to let the interview end on such a sentimental note.

"Actually, Bill especially can't live without me," he says with his trademark mischievous grin. "And the others as well, they can't live without me. Talking about me, I'm more, like, in the father role of this whole family trip, you know. They really all depend on me."

Bill rolls his eyes again, but he can't stop himself from smiling back at Tom. The Gallagher brothers should take lessons from these two.

U.S. news

2008-05-16T19:21:00.002-04:00

US oil shipments canceled.

Responding to congressional pressure, the Bush administration on Friday said it is suspending oil deliveries into the government's Strategic Petroleum Reserve for the remainder of the year.

The move came days after Congress passed legislation requiring President Bush to temporarily halt shipments into the reserve in hopes of lowering gasoline prices. The president is expected to sign the bill.

The decision came as Bush, visiting Saudi Arabia, sought to get the Saudis to pump more oil. Saudi Arabia announced it decided a week ago that it increase production by 300,000 barrels a day in response to customer requests, although it also told U.S. officials it believes world supplies are sufficient to meet demand.

The Energy Department said it will not sign six-month contracts schedule to have begun starting July 1, for the acceptance of 76,000 barrels of oil a day. The department also plans to defer deliveries under existing contracts once the legislation passed by Congress late Wednesday becomes law.

Bush had opposed halting the shipments, arguing that such a relatively small amount of oil would not influence prices. The reserve, a system of salt caverns on the Louisiana and Texas Gulf coast, is 97 percent full, holding 701 million barrels of crude.

The stockpile, currently sufficient to cover two months of oil imports, is kept as a cushion in case of a major disruption of oil supplies.

It's not clear how much of an impact — if any — the interruption of deliveries into the reserve will have on oil or gasoline prices.

Crude oil prices were about $126 a barrel and held firm Friday on the New York Mercantile Exchange, despite the U.S. and Saudi announcements. Average gasoline costs were nearly $3.79 a gallon, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

Both the House and Senate by lopsided votes this week directed the president to suspend the oil SPR shipments with both Republicans and Democrats saying it made no sense for the government to take oil at today's prices. The crude oil would better be left on the market to increase commercial supplies, they said.

The government accepts the oil in lieu of royalty payments that otherwise would go into the U.S. Treasury on oil taken from U.S. land and offshore waters. Administration officials emphasized they are not actually "buying" oil, but critics say the U.S. Treasury in any case is losing revenue.

Texas officials sue US over border fence

Texas mayors and business leaders filed a class-action lawsuit Friday alleging Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff hoodwinked landowners into waiving their property rights for construction of a fence along the Mexican border.

Members of the Texas Border Coalition said Chertoff did not fairly negotiate compensation with landowners for access to their land for six-month surveys to choose fence sites. The coalition of mayors and business and community leaders is seeking an injunction to block work on the fence.

They also want a federal judge to rescind all the agreements with landowners and to order Chertoff to start again. The department has sought and won access from hundreds of landowners to determine where to build the fence and other barriers to illegal border crossings.

The coalition's attorney, Peter Schey, said Chertoff violated a 1996 immigration law that requires fair negotiation with landowners.

The lawsuit also names Robert Janson, director of Asset Management at U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as a defendant.

It was filed with U.S. District Judge Reggie B. Walton, a Bush nominee who presided in the criminal case of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff.

"They hoodwinked property owners" into waiving their property rights, Schey said.

"This whole thing has been built on a foundation of lawlessness," he said.

Landowners were visited by officials from Homeland Security, Army Corps of Engineers and Customs and Border Patrol. But the government didn't send anyone to advise the owners' of their property rights, Schey said. Some landowners accepted offers of $100 for access to their land.

The Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly denied allegations of unfair negotiations, saying it has bent over backward to work with landowners.

The agency wants to build about 353 miles of fence by year's end to bring total fencing, walls and barriers to about 670 miles.

"This is just a delay tactic. I can't imagine this has any merit," said Homeland Security spokeswoman Laura Keehner, who had not yet seen the lawsuit.

The lawsuit also alleges:

-Chertoff failed to write and make public any regulations or guidelines on negotiation procedure and determining a "reasonable" price for access to property.

-Chertoff has not written policies on how to consult with landowners about their concerns as required by a 2007 law.

-Landowners' rights to equal protection under the law were violated because the fence bypasses the property of some well-connected landowners, including Dallas billionaire Ray Hunt and his relatives.

-The newer law requires Chertoff to build the fence where it is most practical and effective but he continues to build where a 2006 law specified.

Brownsville Mayor Pat Ahumada said the mayors are willing to work with Homeland Security to devise alternatives to the border fence.

"They are determined to build a wall to appease mid-America," Ahumada said. "This is a political problem that's being addressed at the expense of all the border communities."

North Korea Gets Food Supplies as U.S. Resumes Aid

The U.S. said it reached agreement with North Korea to resume food assistance needed because of a ``severe'' shortage in the isolated communist nation.

North Korea will receive 500,000 metric tons of commodities during the 12 months starting in June, the U.S. Agency for International Development said today in a statement.

The World Food Program will distribute 400,000 tons of the aid, and American nonprofit organizations will handle the remainder.

The assistance is restarting as North Korea moves closer to reaching a separate agreement with the U.S. and four other nations aimed at ending its nuclear program. Negotiators for the U.S., South Korea and Japan are to meet in Washington May 19 to discuss progress in the nuclear talks, which also involve Russia and China.

The envoys will discuss the communist state's release of 18,000 documents related to its nuclear weapons program and review whether the papers help verify that Kim Jong Il's regime is disclosing the program's extent.

Talks had stalled after North Korea missed a deadline to declare its programs by Dec. 31. Food assistance has been delayed by concerns that the aid wasn't reaching the people who need it most.

North Korea ``has explained to the United States that it faces a major shortfall in food supplies,'' the U.S. aid agency said in its statement. ``The two sides have agreed on terms for a substantial improvement in monitoring and access in order to allow for confirmation of receipt by the intended recipients.''

Praise From Biden

U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joseph Biden praised the food agreement. International staff, including many who speak fluent Korean, will open at least five field offices to track distribution, including with unannounced visits, he said in a statement.

``The United States has negotiated the most comprehensive and transparent monitoring system ever accepted by the North Korean government,'' said Biden, a Delaware Democrat who also is backing the Bush administration's six-nation nuclear talks. ``Their level of cooperation is unprecedented.''

Oh gosh, its George W Bush

2008-05-16T19:04:00.003-04:00

Saudis Rebuff Bush on Oil Output Request

Saudi Arabia's leaders made clear Friday they see no reason to increase oil production until customers demand it, apparently rebuffing President Bush amid soaring U.S. gasoline prices.

It was Bush's second personal appeal this year to King Abdullah, head of the monarchy that rules this desert kingdom that is a longtime prime U.S. ally and home to the world's largest oil reserves. But Saudi officials stuck to their position that they will only pump more oil into the system when asked to by buyers, something they say is not happening now, the president's national security adviser told reporters.

"Saudi Arabia does not have customers that are making requests for oil that they are not able to satisfy," Stephen Hadley said on a day when oil prices rose above $127 a barrel, a record high. "What the Saudis wanted to tell us was we're doing everything we can do ... to meet this problem, but it's a complicated problem."

The Saudi oil minister, Ali al-Naimi, announced that the kingdom decided on May 10 to raise production by 300,000 barrels at the request of customers, including the United States. He said that increase was sufficient.

"Supply and demand are in balance today," he told a news conference. "How much does Saudi Arabia need to do to satisfy people who are questioning our oil practices and policies?"

Bernard Picchi, an energy analyst at Wall Street Access, an independent research firm, said the 300,000-barrel Saudi production increase was "a token amount" that is not expected to have much impact on prices.

It would be different, he said, if Saudi Arabia boosted production by 1 million or 1.5 million barrels a day. The announced increase will have Saudi Arabia pumping 9.45 million barrels a day by June, Saudi officials said. That's about 2 million barrels below its capacity.

Oil prices advanced Friday as traders, unimpressed by efforts to boost supply, kept buying on the expectation that prices would keep setting new records.

Saudi Arabia often adjusts its output to meet demand, and the increase coincides with the start of the peak driving season in the U.S. "It's a way to raise production without raising production," said Phil Flynn, analyst at Alaron Trading Corp. "I think it was a way to save face."

Hadley never mentioned the Saudi's new production in his recap with reporters. He said the Saudis briefed Bush again on their plan to increase their production capacity over time. They also argued that even an increase would be unlikely to bring down the soaring prices, driven more by uncertainty in the market, lack of refining capacity for the type of oil readily available and other complicated dynamics, he said.

Economists say prices are being driven up by increased demand, not slowed production. Energy-guzzlers China and India are stretching supplies.

As a result, Hadley suggested the White House was satisfied with - or at least accepted - the Saudi response. He added, however, the Bush administration will see if the explanation "conforms to what our experts say."

Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said the discussion with Bush about oil was friendly. "He didn't punch any tables or shout at anybody," the minister said. "I think he was satisfied."

High energy costs are a major drain on the U.S. economy, which is experiencing a slowdown that some think is already a recession. At the pump, gas prices rose to a national average of $3.78 per gallon on Friday, according to a survey of stations by AAA and the Oil Price Information Service.

When Bush and Abdullah met in the kingdom in mid-January, the president also sought more Saudi output in a plea that also ultimately was for naught.

Iran was the other dominant topic of Bush's overnight visit with the king.

The two shared a concern over the recent violence in Lebanon, where Hezbollah overran Beirut neighborhoods last week in protest of measures aimed at the group by the country's government. The display of military power by the Shiite militant group, which the U.S. considers a terrorist organization, resulted in the worst internal fighting since the end of Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war.

With Shiite-dominated Iran backing Hezbollah, Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia - eager to stop any advance of regional power by Tehran - joins the West in supporting Lebanon's government. Hadley said Bush and Abdullah shared a concern that the recent events would "embolden Iran." The U.S. and Saudi Arabia, he said, "are of one mind in condemning what Hezbollah did."

On Thursday, Hezbollah and the government reached a deal to end the violence after Lebanon's Cabinet reversed measures aimed at reining in the militants.

Bush's Saudi stop was intended, in part, to celebrate 75 years of formal U.S.-Saudi relations and strengthen ties that, once strong, have frayed over the perception Washington favors Israel too much in the dispute with the Palestinians, the Iraq war and the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. Fifteen of the 19 airline hijackers were Saudis, and Americans blamed Saudis for allowing the religious extremism that gave rise to them, an accusation that stings here.

Bush was spending the day with Abdullah at his lavish farm complex outside Riyadh, talking mostly out of public view over multiple tea services and meals. Abdullah greeted Bush warmly at the airport, and rode with him in his limousine out into the desert.

The White House hoped that new agreements formalized during Bush's visit would give the relationship a boost.

Among them was an agreement for the U.S. to assist the kingdom in developing civilian nuclear power. Another agreement involves U.S. promises to help protect any Saudi nuclear infrastructure with training, the exchange of experts "and other support services as needed." Hadley said it would not involve U.S. troops.

But the rising price of oil commanded attention.

When Bush first ran for president in 2000, he criticized the Clinton administration for high fuel prices and said the president must "jawbone" oil producing nations and persuade them to drop rates. At that time, oil was nearing $28 a barrel - less than a quarter what it is now.

Bush's visit comes two days after Congress voted to temporarily halt daily shipments of 70,000 barrels of oil to the nation's emergency reserve.

After Bush's talks on Friday, his administration announced in Washington that it has canceled oil shipments into the reserve beginning in July, when the current purchase contract expires. Bush has refused to stop pouring oil into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, saying the stockpile was meant for emergencies and that halting the shipments would have little or no impact on gasoline or crude oil prices.

Obama Slams Bush for 'Dishonest' Attacks

Barack Obama rebuked Republican rival John McCain and President Bush for "dishonest, divisive" attacks in hinting that the Democratic presidential candidate would appease terrorists, staunchly defending his national security credentials for the general election campaign.

Obama responded Friday to Bush's speech Thursday to the Israeli Knesset. The president referred to the leader of Iran, who has called for the destruction of the U.S. ally, and then said some seem to believe that we should negotiate with terrorists and radicals — comments Obama and Democrats said were directed at them. McCain subsequently said Obama must explain why he wants to talk with rogue leaders.

"I'm a strong believer in civility and I'm a strong believer in a bipartisan foreign policy, but that cause is not served with dishonest, divisive attacks of the sort that we've seen out of George Bush and John McCain over the last couple days, " Obama told about 2,000 voters at a town hall-style meeting in a livestock barn.

Obama said McCain had a "naive and irresponsible belief that tough talk from Washington will somehow cause Iran to give up its nuclear program and support for terrorism."

During his swing through South Dakota, the Democratic front-runner said he had intended to focus on rural issues, but felt compelled to respond to the criticism from Bush and McCain.

"They aren't telling you the truth. They are trying to fool you and scare you because they can't win a foreign policy debate on the merits," said Obama. "But it's not going to work. Not this time, not this year."

Bush did not mention Obama by name in his speech, but Obama and other Democrats said the implication was clear.

"That's exactly the kind of appalling attack that's divided our country and that alienates us from the world," Obama said. He vowed to turn the foreign policy debate back against both Bush and McCain, rejecting the notion that Democrats critical of the war in Iraq are vulnerable to charges of being soft on terrorism.

"If they want a debate about protecting the United States of America, that's a debate I'm ready to win because George Bush and John McCain have a lot to answer for," Obama said. He blamed Bush's policies for enhancing the strength of terrorist groups such as Hamas and "the fact that al-Qaida's leadership is stronger than ever because we took our eye off the ball in Afghanistan," among other failings.

The Illinois senator also said that he has state "over and over again that I will not negotiate with terrorists like Hamas."

Other Democrats accused McCain of hypocrisy Friday, saying the certain GOP presidential nominee had previously been willing to negotiate with the militant Palestian group Hamas.

In Charleston, W.Va., speaking before Obama's speech, McCain told reporters: "I made it very clear, at that time, before and after, that we will not negotiate with terrorist organizations, that Hamas would have to abandon their terrorism, their advocacy to the extermination of the state of Israel, and be willing to negotiate in a way that recognizes the right of the state of Israel and abandons their terrorist position and advocacy."

McCain contended that Obama wants to "sit down and negotiate with a government exporting most lethal devices used against soldiers. He wants to sit down face-to-face with a government that is very clear about developing nuclear weapons. ... They are sponsors of terrorist organizations. That's a huge difference in my opinion. And I'll let the American people decide whether that's a significant difference or not. I believe it is."

In an op-ed published Friday in The Washington Post, former Clinton State Department official James Rubin said that McCain, responding to a question in a television interview two years ago about whether U.S. diplomats should be working with the Hamas government in Gaza, said:

"They're the government; sooner or later we are going to have to deal with them, one way or another, and I understand why this administration and previous administrations had such antipathy toward Hamas because of their dedication to violence and the things that they not only espouse but practice, so ... But it's a new reality in the Middle East. I think the lesson is people want security and a decent life and decent future, that they want democracy. Fatah was not giving them that."

Rubin, who interviewed McCain for the British network Sky News, said McCain is "guilty of hypocrisy" and accused him of "smearing" Obama.

Canada!

2008-05-15T20:29:00.002-04:00

Weeping mother urges Taser moratorium in Canada

A mother whose son's death at a Canadian airport ignited debate over the safety of Taser stun guns wept on Thursday as she called for a moratorium on their use.

"I know my son would not (have) died if he was not Tasered," Zofia Ciscowski told a public inquiry launched into the death of her son, Robert Dziekanski, during a confrontation with police after he arrived at Vancouver's airport as a new immigrant from Poland.

Ciscowski's lawyer said too many questions have been raised about the weapon's safety and the adequacy of police training on using the Taser to allow it to be used until Canada completes an independent safety investigation.

"It's time to put the genie back in the bottle and to start from square one," lawyer Walter Kosteckyj told the public inquiry, which is looking at both the airport incident and the broader issue of the weapon's use.

The stun guns made by TASER International Inc. (TASR.O: Quote, Profile, Research) have become popular with police internationally as a means of subduing people. They use a 50,000-volt jolt of electricity that causes muscle spasms and incapacitates a person.

The stun gun's supporters say it is much safer for both the person being arrested and police officers than other weapons such as firearms and batons.

Critics have accused Arizona-based Taser of pushing the product into the market without adequate independent testing of health risks such as heart failure.

GM Canada reaches labor deal

An end to the drawn out American Axle strike continues to elude U.S. bargainers, but the threat of a walkout in Canada at General Motors Corp. plants has faded.

The Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) union announced Thursday that an all-night bargaining session had reached a tentative contract with GM.

The agreement is welcome news to General Motors in the United States and its employees, including about 1,800 at the Tonawanda engine plant.

An Oshawa, Ont., assembly plant is one of 20 GM locations supplied by the local facility.

In the United States, GM has had to deal with the impact of the United Auto Workers strike against American Axle, now in its 12th week.

The walkout has interrupted production at more than two dozen U.S. plants of General Motors and forced the temporary layoff of thousands of workers.

In Canada, CAW President Buzz Hargrove had said that he expected to reach new contract agreements with GM and Chrysler by May 15 that would follow the pattern set by a now-ratified three-year deal with Ford Motor Co.

Terms of the General Motors agreement were not immediately disclosed but in the past, Hargrove said his union would not accept a two-tier wage system.

The CAW's current contracts with GM and Chrysler do not expire until Sept. 16.

Canada, Russia, Sweden, Finland advance to semifinals

Derek Roy scored three goals and added an assist to give defending champion Canada an 8-2 win over Norway and a berth in the semifinals of the ice hockey World Championships.

Finland edged the United States 3-2 in overtime to book a meeting with Russia, which trounced Switzerland 6-0 to advance. Host Canada meets Sweden in Friday's semifinals for the second straight year after the Scandinavians pulled out a 3-2 overtime win over the Czech Republic.

Rick Nash added two goals, while Dany Heatley, Ryan Getzlaf and Jonathan Toews added one apiece for Canada, which won for the 16th straight time at the championships.

Morten Ask and Mathis Olimb replied for the Norwegians, who were making a quarterfinal appearance for the first time ever at this level.

Also at Halifax, Sami Lepisto scored 3:59 into overtime to lead Finland over the United States.

Lepisto took a pass from Saku Koivu at the point and fired the puck through a crowd and underneath U.S. goalie Robert Esche for the win.

"It's hard to lose like this, especially the way we played the third period," U.S. coach John Tortorella said. "We lost a tied faceoff. Really, we won it, but we didn't come up with the loose puck and it ends up going in the net."

Tuomo Ruutu and Anssi Salmela also scored for Finland, which held a 2-0 lead with less than 5 minutes remaining in regulation.

The Americans rallied with goals by Phil Kessel and Drew Stafford 37 seconds apart to force overtime. The loss marked the seventh time in the last nine years the U.S. team failed to advance past the quarterfinals.

Switzerland put two pucks into its own net in the opening minutes at Quebec City to help Russia to an easy victory.

Maxim Afinogenov had two goals for Russia, seeking its first world championship title since 1993.

Alexander Semin opened the scoring 1:14 into the game as Alexander Ovechkin screened goalie Martin Gerber.

Then, the costly mistakes came for the Swiss. Afinogenov got credit for a goal when Swiss defenseman Raphael Diaz pushed the puck into his own net with his hand at 2:18. He was in the crease after Afinogenov's drive to the net and tried to push the puck under Gerber to freeze it.

Danis Zaripov was also given a goal that defenseman Philippe Furrer mistakenly shot into his own net 6:23 in. Furrer was attempting to clear the puck around the boards while killing a penalty, but his blast from the left circle went straight into the net.

A scary moment came with 6:47 left the game, when Russia's Ilya Kovalchuk took a major penalty and a game misconduct - earning an automatic suspension for the semifinal - after a charge on Julien Vauclair. The Swiss defenseman was down for several minutes and attended to by trainers on the ice before refusing a stretcher and skating off the ice under his own power.

Afinogenov scored his second of the game, and Ovechkin and Sergei Fedorov had goals in the second period to make it 6-0. Evgeny Nabokov made 22 saves for the shutout.

Earlier at Quebec City, Mattias Weinhandl scored 3:15 into overtime to give Sweden the win over the Czech Republic.

The Czechs had just killed a penalty when Weinhandl slipped a backhand shot through heavy traffic to the net, where it slid just inside the post.

Radim Vrbata gave the Czechs a 2-1 lead on a penalty shot 8:19 into the third period after he was tripped on a breakaway, but Sweden got it back on a disputed goal by Marcus Nilson at 16:22 to set up the 10-minute 4-on-4 overtime period.

Rickard Wallin backed into Milan Hnilicka and knocked him over, and the Czech goaltender was unable to get up and get set in time to stop Nilson's shot. The Czechs complained vehemently to the referees to no avail.

Sweden's Patric Hornqvist and Czech Tomas Rolinek exchanged goals in the second period.

No place like home as Celtics down Cavs in NBA playoffs

2008-05-15T20:13:00.002-04:00

The Boston Celtics rallied for a 96-89 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday to move within one game of advancing in the National Basketball Association playoffs.
Kevin Garnett scored eight of his 26 points in a furious third quarter, and Rajon Rondo finished with 20 points and 13 assists as the Celtics stayed perfect at home this postseason.
With the victory the Celtics took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series, from which the winner will advance to a meeting with the Detroit Pistons in the conference finals.
Paul Pierce had a team-high 29 points - including eight on free throws in the final 1:23.
Game six will be on Friday in Cleveland, where the Celtics haven't won since 2004.
"We've got some work cut out for us as we go out here on this road and try to close this out, which is the most important thing for us right now," Pierce said.
The Celtics are 0-5 on the road in the playoffs, but have dominated at home.
Cleveland superstar LeBron James looked like he might turn the tables early. He scored 11 points in the first quarter and was up to 23 when a jump shot late in the second quarter stretched the Cavaliers' lead to 43-29.
However James, the five-time All-Star who was 8-of-42 from the floor in the first two games of the series, didn't score again until the final minute of the third quarter.
By then, Garnett and Rondo had taken over.
Rondo, who had made two 3-pointers in a game just once in his career, buried two in a span of 46 seconds to spark a 14-3 scoring run that closed the first half and pulled Boston within 46-43.
"The second quarter - we had a lot more energy," said Garnett, who led all players with 16 rebounds. "Offensively, Rondo hit some big shots, got us going, got us in the flow, and we carried it over to the third quarter."
Little more than a minute into the second half Rondo's steal and layup saw the Celtics take the lead for the first time in the game, and Pierce drained a 3-pointer midway through the third to break a 55-55 tie and put the Celtics ahead for good.
"He was the X-factor tonight," James said. "Rondo played an excellent game. Without Rondo tonight, it would've been a much tighter game. Rondo was the player of the game tonight."
After James' last basket of the first half put the Cavaliers ahead by 14, Boston outscored Cleveland 42-16 in a run spanning more than 15 minutes.
With 3:38 to play Boston led 88-77, but the Cavaliers made the most of two turnovers by the Celtics to close the gap to four points in the final minute.
Garnett missed a jump shot on Boston's next possession, but Ray Allen tipped the miss out to Pierce, who was fouled and made two free throws to make it 93-87 with 15.6 seconds remaining.
After Delonte West hit a pair of free throws for the Cavaliers, Pierce sank two more, and Cleveland's five-second violation with 11 seconds left doomed their comeback bid.
James finished with 35 points but had just four baskets in the second half.
"They came out and turned up their aggression in the third quarter, and that was the difference in the ballgame," said Cavaliers coach Mike Brown. "That set the tone for the Celtics, it set the tone for the crowd and it was a rough go from there."

Facing elimination, Spurs knew Hornets would be trouble

You probably didn't expect this so soon after Team Duncan so convincingly dispatched the Phoenix Suns.

You must be struggling to fully digest the reality that the defending champs can be eliminated in the second round Thursday night on their own floor.

You undoubtedly are still asking -- even after watching San Antonio get walloped in each of its road games in this series -- how the supposed playoff neophytes from New Orleans have shoved the Spurs into such a perilous position.

Yet we're guessing you'll be interested to hear who's not surprised by any of this.

That would be the Spurs.

It used to be the Dallas Mavericks that presented San Antonio's most uncomfortable matchup, as witnessed in the second round back in 2006, when Dallas won a Game 7 in San Antonio in the Spurs' most recent elimination game.

More recently, Phoenix could claim to be the Spurs' fiercest rival, with most of that animus spilling out of the bloody, chippy, unforgettably controversial second-round saga the Spurs and Suns staged.

But that was last season.

No team has caused more unrest in Gregg Popovich's private thoughts this season than these pesky Hornets.

The Spurs surely were less than thrilled to see the Suns in Round 1, especially after going 0-2 in their first two looks at Phoenix after the Shaquille O'Neal trade. They will be grateful to get back to the Western Conference finals at this point -- given that the Spurs have never won a series from 3-2 down -- but won't exactly be celebrating if Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol are there waiting for them.

That said …

No one has abused San Antonio in 2007-08, regular season and postseason, like New Orleans.

On a Saturday at home in late January, with the Hornets playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the Spurs absorbed a 24-point pounding. Some six weeks later, this time on the road and with neither team having played the previous night, San Antonio lost by 25.

So the Spurs' angst has little to do with their famed inability to win two titles in a row … or win it all in an even year … or get through a Joey Crawford-officiated game without some sort of run-in.

It's pretty much all about New Orleans repeatedly routing them, which is a new experience for the only team out West with unimpeachable championship cred.

Recognition is finally coming to Byron Scott (the newly minted NBA Coach of the Year) and Jeff Bower (who just finished third in voting by his peers for the NBA's Executive of the Year award) for the team they've assembled around imperious Chris Paul, but none of that is news in South Texas.

They're acutely aware down here that the Hornets don't simply rely on Paul's ability to score inside and outside, get to the line more than most little men and get his teammates involved while he's doing all that damage. They know New Orleans' weaponry extends beyond Paul and David West's ability to stretch the floor and bang inside like Tim Duncan.

Lots of us outsiders underestimated how the pieces that snap in so nicely around those two make containing Paul and West so problematic.

Bower has wisely flanked Paul and West with shooters you can't leave (Peja Stojakovic, Jannero Pargo and Morris Peterson) and with a big man (Tyson Chandler) who just keeps heading straight for the rim to open up more space. The Hornets, as a result, almost skunked Dallas because the Mavs didn't make Paul work enough defensively, couldn't deal with West one-on-one and failed to deter New Orleans from swarming Dirk Nowitzki with a punchless supporting cast. They have a 3-2 lead in this series because the Spurs are equally reluctant to expose themselves by frequently double-teaming West and because West has been borderline unstoppable in support of Paul's brilliance at home. This was underlined Tuesday when the other Spurs couldn't make New Orleans pay for its increased focus on Duncan … and when West out-Timmy-ed him in a 38-point, 14-rebound, 5-block masterpiece.

In its two victories at home, San Antonio's trio of primary West defenders -- Kurt Thomas, Fabricio Oberto and Robert Horry -- sufficiently slowed and frustrated West for the Spurs to survive Paul's prowess. You figure there's a good chance it will happen again in Game 6, given that San Antonio's dreadful third quarters seem to be a Bourbon Street-only issue and that you've inevitably heard by now that the home team is a ridiculous 19-1 in the league's four second-round matchups so far.

Yet that would still leave a Game 7 roadie for the Spurs to win Monday night, in the building where they've lost by 19, 18 and 22 points in Games 1, 2 and 5.

There is one silver (and black) lining in that scenario for San Antonio. An unexpected three-day break between Games 6 and 7 would figure to help the older Spurs be at their freshest for the series decider and possibly give the carefree Hornets more time than Scott would prefer to start thinking about the enormity of the moment.

Yet it's also true that West (back) and Chandler (foot) likewise can benefit healthwise from such a gap … and that the gap exposes San Antonio to some brooding about its own ongoing struggles in New Orleans.

Says one veteran scout: "The Hornets play with such a chip on their shoulder. Especially at home. They look like they have no fear of the Spurs."

Which is nothing San Antonio didn't know, long before most of us realized it.

Gay Couples Rejoice at Ruling, and a Super Robot Suit

2008-05-15T19:49:00.004-04:00

Gay and lesbian couples in San Francisco rejoiced Thursday over a California Supreme Court decision affirming their right to marry even as political leaders on both sides of the issue girded for an extended fight in the courts and at the ballot box.
“It’s just amazing to feel like I am a full citizen — I am not a second-class citizen,” said Christmas Laubrile, a nurse, who was with her partner, Alice Heimsoth. “I don’t have to sit in the back of the bus, and I don’t have to take second best.”
Among those celebrating were Gavin Newsom, the city’s mayor, who had set off a fair amount of the national debate over gay marriage in 2004 when he ordered the county clerk to issue licenses to same-sex couples. More than 4,000 couples married, though those unions were later invalidated by lower court decisions.
“What a day for San Francisco, what a day for California, what a day for America, what a day for equality,” Mr. Newsom said before a crowd of several hundred jubilant supporters at San Francisco City Hall.
Mr. Newsom said his office would begin preparing for new gay marriages as soon as the court decision was effective in 30 days. But unlike in 2004, Thursday’s decision would effect marriages statewide, something that the mayor seemed both relieved and vindicated by. “This is not just San Francisco now,” he said shortly after the decision was released. “Its Redding. Its Auburn. It’s Long Beach, its the southern part of the state. It’s Riverside. Its Fresno, that this is now appropriate and legal.”
Even as gay rights groups hailed the decision, however, opponents of same-sex marriage said they wanted to put the issue to a test before California voters in November. Conservative groups have proposed an amendment to the state Constitution banning gay marriage and have gathered more than a million signatures in an effort to get it on the ballot.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a moderate Republican who has vetoed past bills aimed at legalizing same-sex marriage, issued a brief statement saying he would not support a constitutional amendment that would overturn the court’s ruling.
“I respect the court’s decision and as governor I will uphold its ruling,” the Mr. Schwarzenegger said.
Elsewhere, reaction split largely along party lines. The Assembly Republican leader, Mike Villines, said that the decision was a disappointment, but that he believed California voters would affirm that “marriage should be between one man and one woman.”
“I am confident that the people of California will again overwhelmingly vote to preserve and protect traditional marriage,” said Mr. Villines, who is from Fresno, in the state’s more conservative central valley.
Democrats, who hold majorities in both houses of the Legislature, hailed the ruling, as did gay rights groups statewide and nationally.
“There is no more important and deeply personal decision than whether to take on the commitment of marriage,” said Shannon Price Minter, legal director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, who argued the case. “With today’s ruling, the California Supreme Court declared that lesbians and gay men have an equal right to make that cherished commitment.”
On the steps of the California Supreme Court and at San Francisco City Hall, the mood was festive, as gay and lesbian couples slowly streamed in. . Some women wore wedding dresses. At a noon news conference in the ornate City Hall rotunda, dozens of same-sex couples stood behind a beaming Mr. Newsom and other city officials, as several hundred people cheered from the floor and balconies above.
Ellen Pontac had driven to San Francisco from Davis, Calif., about 65 miles to the east, with her partner, Shelly Bailes, to witness the decision, and she said she was thrilled with the decision, but still not totally satisfied.
“This is what should happen, its so simple, so clear,” she said. “I used to say that all I want is the same rights that a 14-year-old girl in Arkansas has. We can’t have them federally. But we will.”

To something less controvercial...

Robotic Suit Could Create Super Soldier

Rex Jameson bikes and swims regularly, and plays tennis and skis when time allows. But the 5-foot-11, 180-pound software engineer is lucky if he presses 200 pounds — that is, until he steps into an "exoskeleton" of aluminum and electronics that multiplies his strength and endurance as many as 20 times.

With the outfit's claw-like metal hand extensions, he gripped a weight set's bar at a recent demonstration and knocked off hundreds of repetitions. Once, he did 500.

"Everyone gets bored much more quickly than I get tired," Jameson said.

Jameson — who works for robotics firm Sarcos Inc. in Salt Lake City, which is under contract with the U.S. Army — is helping assess the 150-pound suit's viability for the soldiers of tomorrow. The suit works by sensing every movement the wearer makes and almost instantly amplifying it.

The Army believes soldiers may someday wear the suits in combat, but it's focusing for now on applications such as loading cargo or repairing heavy equipment. Sarcos is developing the technology under a two-year contract worth up to $10 million, and the Army plans initial field tests next year.

Before the technology can become practical, the developers must overcome cost barriers and extend the suit's battery life. Jameson was tethered to power cords during his demonstration because the current battery lasts just 30 minutes.

But the technology already offers evidence that robotics can amplify human muscle power in reality — not just in the realm of comic books and movies like the recently debuted "Iron Man," about a wealthy weapons designer who builds a high-tech suit to battle bad guys.

"Everybody likes the idea of being a superhero, and this is all about expanding the capabilities of a human," said Stephen Jacobsen, chief designer of the Sarcos suit.

The Army's exoskeleton research dates to 1995, but has yet to yield practical suits. Sarcos' technology sufficiently impressed Raytheon Co., however, that the Waltham, Mass.-based defense contractor bought Sarcos' robotics business last November. Sarcos also has developed robotic dinosaurs for a Universal Studios' "Jurassic Park" theme park ride.

Jack Obusek, a former colonel now with the Army's Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center in the Boston suburb of Natick, foresees robot-suited soldiers unloading heavy ammunition boxes from helicopters, lugging hundreds of pounds of gear over rough terrain or even relying on the suit's strength-enhancing capabilities to make repairs to tanks that break down in inconvenient locations.

Sarcos' Jacobsen envisions factory workers someday using the technology to perform manual labor more easily, and firefighters more quickly carrying heavy gear up stairwells of burning buildings. Disabled people also may find uses for the technology, he said.

"We see the value being realized when these suits can be built in great numbers for both military and commercial uses, and they start coming down in cost to within the range of the price of a small car," said Jacobsen. He declined to estimate how much the suit might cost in mass production.

But cost isn't the only obstacle. For example, developers eventually hope to lengthen the suit's backpack battery's life and tinker with the suit's design to use less energy. Meanwhile, the suit can draw power from a generator, a tank or helicopter. And there are gas engines that, while noisy, small enough to fit into the suit's backpack.

"The power issue is probably the No. 1 challenge standing in the way of getting this thing in the field," Obusek said.

But he said Sarcos appears to have overcome the key challenge of pairing super-fast microprocessors with sensors that detect movements by the body's joints and transmit data about them to the suit's internal computer.

Much as the brain sends signals to tendons to get muscles to move, the computer sends instructions to hydraulic valves. The valves mimic tendons by driving the suit's mechanical limbs, replicating and amplifying the wearer's movements almost instantly.

"With all the previous attempts at this technology, there has been a slight lag time between the intent of the human, and the actual movement of the machine," Obusek said.

In the demonstration, the bulky suit slowed Jameson a bit, but he could move almost normally. When a soccer ball was thrown at him, he bounced it back off his helmeted head. He repeatedly struck a punching bag and, slowly but surely, he climbed stairs in the suit's clunky aluminum boots, which made him look like a Frankenstein monster.

"It feels less agile than it is," Jameson said. "Because of the way the control laws work, it's ever so slightly slower than I am. And because we are so in tune with our bodies' responses, this tiny delay initially made me tense."

Now, he's used to it.

"I can regain my balance naturally after stumbling — something I discovered completely by accident."

Learning was easy, he said.

"It takes no special training, beyond learning to relax and trust the robot," he said.

Woman Indicted in MySpace Suicide Case

2008-05-15T19:16:00.004-04:00

A federal grand jury on Thursday indicted a Missouri woman for her alleged role in perpetrating a hoax on the online social network MySpace against a 13-year-old neighbor girl who then committed suicide.

Lori Drew of suburban St. Louis was charged with one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing protected computers without authorization to obtain information to inflict emotional distress on the girl.

Drew allegedly helped create a MySpace account on false premises to contact Megan Meier, who thought she was chatting with a 16-year-old boy named Josh Evans, who turned out not to exist.

Megan hanged herself at home in October 2006 after receiving cruel messages, including one stating the world would be better off without her.

Drew has denied creating the account or sending messages to Megan.

MySpace is based in Beverly Hills. The indictment noted that MySpace computer servers are located in Los Angeles County.

Due to juvenile privacy rules, the U.S. attorney's office said, the indictment refers to the girl as M.T.M.

Each count in the indictment carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Last month, an employee of Drew, 19-year-old Ashley Grills, told ABC's "Good Morning America" she created the false MySpace profile but Drew wrote some of the messages to Megan.

Grills also claimed Drew suggested talking to Megan via the Internet to find out what Megan was saying about Drew's daughter, who was a former friend of Megan's.

Grills said she wrote the message to Megan about the world being a better place without her, which was supposed to end the online relationship with "Josh" because Grills felt the joke had gone too far.

"I was trying to get her angry so she would leave him alone and I could get rid of the whole MySpace," Grills told the morning show.

Megan's death was investigated by Missouri authorities, but no state charges were filed.

911 Operator Who Cursed at Caller Fired

A Nashville 911 operator has been fired after saying during a call that he didn't "give a s---" about what happened to a woman whose ex-boyfriend was threatening her.

Nashville TV station WTVF reports Sheila Jones called 911 after her ex-boyfriend held her at knifepoint. She said he eventually left her home, but kept calling and threatening her.

Emergency officials did not show up until nearly three hours after her initial call.

Jones called 911 again two-and-half-hours into the incident to say she was afraid. A recording of the call has operator Frank Roth promising police would be there soon. After Jones hangs up, he says, "I really just don't give a s--- what happens to you."

Emergency Communications Center spokeswoman Amanda Sluss said Wednesday Roth was in training at the time of the February incident and was dismissed the next month.

Girl Scout Sells 17,328 Boxes of Cookies

A Girl Scout sold 17,328 boxes of the group's signature cookies this year by setting up shop on a street corner, shattering her troop's old mark and probably setting a national record.

Jennifer Sharpe, a 15-year-old from Dearborn, plans to travel to Europe with her troop with the proceeds from her feat.

"It's always been one of those goals I wanted to accomplish," Sharpe said Wednesday.

The two bakeries that make the cookies said Sharpe sold more than anyone this year, according to Dianne Thomas, spokeswoman for the Girl Scouts of Metro Detroit.

Michelle Tompkins, spokeswoman for the New York-based national organization, called the figure "amazing" but said there's no national record on the books.

"We're thrilled for the girls who take it to such a great level, but so far, we don't track it at the national level," she said.

Sharpe sold cookies every day on a street corner with help from her mother and troop leader, Pam Sharpe.

"We were always there; we never closed," Pam Sharpe said. "At one point, Jenny got really sick and we did shut down early, and we heard about it the next day."

Jennifer Sharpe's Troop 813 raised about $21,000 in cookie sales, paying for its 10-day trip to Europe this winter. Troops get only part of the proceeds from their members' sales.

The cookie program has helped push Jennifer out of her shell, Pam Sharpe said.

"It's made her really confident," she said. "I remember when she first started selling, she was very shy and quiet and you had to push her out to talk to customers, but now she's right out there, first to the door."

One thing that hasn't changed, despite selling thousands of boxes for the past few years, is Jennifer Sharpe's feelings about the cookies.

"I love them," she said.

Of course she loves those cookies. Why else would she sell so many? Probably for the money. But if you want the money enough, you will sell anything. And I am disgusted by Girl Scouts. They are always annoying. I only buy Girl Scout cookies from my friends. I hate when a bunch of little girls come and irritate me while trying to get me to buy thier cookies. I never thought someone could sell so many cookies. It is insaine! I find Girl Scouts to be brainwashed young children who are bribed into going door to door trying to sell you what they've got. And that is a bad idea to post in a young child's mind. Especially in the society we live in. Where children are constantly abducted, and sometimes raped. Then again, those girls think that everything is perfect and couldn't be better...such lies...

sports...and surgery

2008-05-14T20:53:00.005-04:00

NBA Playoff Prediction: Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers

The Boston Celtics are at home tonight where they excel, but LeBron James ain’t having none of that. LeBron is still having nightmares of their Game 1 loss in Boston where he missed a layup with 8.5 seconds left to win the game. Tonight they’ll try the same when the Celtics host the Cavs. The best of seven series is tied at 2-2. Oddsmakers at BetUS.com have the Celtics as 9-point favs over the Cavs with the over/under set at 176. Get your NBA Playoff Prediction in now at BetUS.com.

The Cavs know the playoffs don’t start until you get a win on the road. They are 2-3 SU on the road in the playoffs where they’ve averaged 84 PPG. Their last two games at Boston they could only muster up a low 72 ½ points. The main reason has been the great defense of the Celtics. So how do they slow down the Celtics? They must fight defense with defense, they are allowing the Celtics too many points in the paint. In Game 1 and Game 2 the Cavs were outscored a combined 44-58 in the paint. Their offense must do better shooting from the field and LeBron needs to start sinking the rock. He was 8 for 42 from the field in the first two games in Boston.

The Celtics are deadly at home, they are 5-0 SU at home in the playoffs where they average 94 PPG. They are 4-1 ATS at home. Despite their great home record they still need to work hard. Technically they could win a Championship without ever winning on the road, but no team has ever done that. "I'm not even thinking about a Game 7. That's definitely the idea: Get a win (Wednesday) night and try to close it out in Game 6," Pierce said. "We definitely have to play well (in Game 5), because we haven't been playing well on the road.”You kind of want to treat it like a Game 7, because you can't count on winning Game 6." Paul Pierce leads the Celtics averaging 19 PPG while Kevin Garnetts pulls down an average 9 RPG.

Recent Trends to Consider

~Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 Conference Semifinals games.

~Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games playing on 1 days rest.

~Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.

~Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs. Eastern Conference.

~Celtics are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record.

~Celtics are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 playoff games as a favorite of 5.0-10.5.

~Celtics are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 Conference Semifinals games.

~Under is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings in Boston.

~Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.

~Cavaliers are 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings.

Boston Scientific gets FDA OK for new heart implants

Officials at Boston Scientific Corp. report that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted the medical devices giant approvals for two new cardiac implants.

Natick-based Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX) said the FDA approvals were for its Cognis cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator and Teligen implantable cardioverter defibrillator. The devices are designed to treat sudden cardiac death and heart failure.

The approvals announcement is the second positive development for Boston Scientific in the past week. The company revealed May 9 that a Canadian court had ruled in its favor in a lawsuit from competitor and New Jersey-based medical products powerhouse Johnson & Johnson, which had accused Boston Scientific of infringing on its patents for cardiovascular stents.

Company CEO Jim Tobin said in a statement that the firm has garnered more than 10 regulatory approvals for new devices worldwide this year.

Boston Scientific, a global developer, manufacturer and distributor of medical devices, reported a 2007 net loss of $495 million on revenue of $8.4 billion. The firm employed 27,500 workers worldwide as of December 2007.

Boston Bruins re-sign forward Chuck Kobasew to a multi-year deal

The Boston Bruins have re-signed forward Chuck Kobasew to a US$7 million, three-year contract extension Tuesday.

Kobasew will make $2 million next season and $2.5 million in each of the final two years of the deal.

Kobasew, a native of Osoyoos, B.C., had a career year for Boston in the regular season with 22 goals, 17 assists and 39 points.

Kobasew was acquired by the Bruins from the Calgary Flames in February 2007. He is 55-57-112 in 293 regular season games with Boston and the Flames.

Pistons reach NBA semi-finals for sixth year in a row

Richard Hamilton scored 31 points and the Detroit Pistons advanced to the National Basketball Association semi-finals for the sixth year in a row by defeating Orlando 91-86 Tuesday.

The Pistons captured the best-of-seven Eastern Conference second-round series four games to one and will next play either the Boston Celtics or Cleveland Cavaliers for a berth in next month's NBA Finals.

"It's an awesome feeling for us to get the opportunity to play in the Eastern Conference finals for six straight years, but it's one of those things that we feel as though we're supposed to," Hamilton said.

"That's our confidence. We feel as though we have to make it there and we have to try to get back to the Finals."

During the latest run of trips to the NBA's final four, the Pistons won a title in 2004 and lost the 2005 final to San Antonio in seven games but lost in the East final in 2003 and the past two years.

Detroit improved to 15-3 in potential series-clinching games and became the first team to reach six conference finals in a row since the Los Angeles Lakers did it in the West from 1984 through 1989.

The Celtics, the NBA regular-season champions, lead Cleveland 2-1 in their series and are the only NBA team that would have a playoff home-court edge on the Pistons, who were ousted by the Cavaliers last year in the semi-finals.

Antonio McDyess scored 17 points, 11 of them in the fourth quarter, and grabbed 11 rebounds to spark the Pistons despite playing with a heavy heart after learning just before the game that his grandmother had died.

"It made me think she was looking down upon us and I'll definitely dedicate this win to her because she never missed a game," McDyess said. "She always called me, always talking about the game. She loved the Pistons.

"I'm just happy to have the opportunity to win this game on such an important day of her passing - brings tears to my eyes, pretty much. I tried not to think about it when I was on the court. She was definitely with me."

The Pistons also had 15 points from Rodney Stuckey and 14 points from Rasheed Wallace.

"We just tried to play together and talk on defense," McDyess said. "Rip (Hamilton) got us going on offense. We just tried to play off him."

Detroit scored 13 points in a row to seize a 78-70 edge and McDyess hit three free throws in a row to give the Pistons an 82-72 lead, their largest of the game.

Hedo Turkoglu, who led Orlando with 18 points, hit a jumper and assisted on a Rashard Lewis 3-pointer to cut Detroit's lead in half with 3:08 remaining and the margin was the same, 89-85, after Tayshaun Prince hit a free throw with 79 seconds remaining.

Turkoglu answered with back-to-back baskets to pull Orlando within a point but the Turkish standout knocked a rebound out of bounds with 20.9 seconds remaining and Orlando began fouling to stop the clock.

Hamilton, who was perfect on 16 free throws, hit six in the final 19.6 seconds to keep the Magic at bay while Prince blocked a Turkoglu dunk attempt and Orlando lost the ball out of bounds on the next possession, the 21st and last Magic turnover of the game. Those giveaways set up 34 Pistons points.

"It was a disappointing way to go out," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "Nothing is going to feel good if you lose but, if you come in and you play great and they play great and you just can't get it done, that's one thing.

"But 21 turnovers and 57 percent at the free-throw line, it's just very disappointing to come into an elimination game and play that poorly and make that many mistakes."

The Pistons played without point guard Chauncey Billups, who is suffering from a strained right hamstring suffered in a game three road loss last week. Billups also missed Detroit's 90-89 victory at Orlando in game four Saturday.

"It will mean a lot to get some rest, especially to have Chauncey back in the lineup in the next round," McDyess said.

Dwight Howard had 14 points and 17 rebounds for Orlando, which failed to back up Jameer Nelson's guarantee of a victory. Nelson also had 14 points.

"It hurts, but we want to be a great team, and that's what the Pistons are right now," Howard said. "They are going for the championship, and next year, we want to be the ones playing in June."

Oh joy! All the happy stories in the news!

2008-05-14T20:28:00.003-04:00

Brother Killed 2 Days After Sister

A 20-year-old man who crashed his truck into a stand of pine trees as he headed home after learning his sister had been killed has died, hospital officials said.

Billy Carrigan died Tuesday at Enloe Medical Center in Chico, said Christina Chavira, a hospital spokeswoman. He had been in critical condition at the hospital since Sunday, when he got into the accident along Highway 36 outside his hometown of Chester, about 150 miles north of Sacramento.
Carrigan's sister, Jennifer, and her friend, Steven Furtado, had been found dead Sunday afternoon inside the family's home. Jennifer Carrigan's mother found the pair in her daughter's bedroom.
Early reports said the couple, both 18, had gone to prom the night earlier but Sgt. Greg Hagwood said there was no indication they went to the high school dance.
Jennifer Carrigan's ex-boyfriend, 18-year-old Reyes Carrillo, was arrested in connection with the deaths. Investigators believe Carrillo acted alone and that Carrigan and Furtado were stabbed multiple times late Saturday or early Sunday, said Plumas County Sheriff's Patrol Commander Gerry Hendrick. Autopsies were being conducted to determine the exact cause and time of death.
Carrillo did not enter a plea in court Tuesday and his arraignment was postponed, said Hendrick, who attended the court hearing.
Hagwood said Jennifer Carrigan and Carrillo had dated for several years and broke up within the last couple of months.
Billy Carrigan was a student at the Berkeley City College, said friend Sarah Rubin. The car accident occurred when he lost control of his pickup truck while driving around a sharp curve on his way home.
"It's really affected people down here strongly," Rubin said. "He wanted to start studying Mandarin Chinese and he wanted to visit the East Coast. He was so enthusiastic and uplifting and put a smile on everyone's face."
A memorial fund has been set up by the Seneca Health Care District to help Joane Carrigan pay for her children's funeral expenses.

Teenage suicide: 'At last I could talk about the whole horror'

Five years separate the suicides of Matthew Heathcoat-Amory and James Wentworth-Stanley, two promising, charismatic young men who, without warning, ended their lives with a gun, Matthew in 2001, James in 2006. Matthew was 19. He had become depressed after leaving school and, during his gap year, suffered a mental collapse. James, 21, at Newcastle University, had become anxious that he was not recovering properly from a relatively minor operation. He went to a walk-in clinic saying he felt suicidal, but was sent to queue at A & E as a low priority. He walked out. Both came from close, loving families but did not tell their parents how desperate they felt. They simply disappeared for a few moments in the middle of family gatherings. Then a shot rang out, and their loved ones were sent spinning into a chasm of grief. Their mothers, Linda Heathcoat-Amory, a painter, and Clare, the Marchioness of Milford Haven and former social editor of Tatler, first met nine months ago, at the suggestion of a mutual friend. They have become firm friends and campaigners. Appalled at the taboos surrounding suicide and by the fact that 22 per cent of the 5,000 people who kill themselves in Britain each year are males aged between 16 and 24, the two women are committed to checking the trend. They are both passionate about the value of talking openly from shared experience. In 2006, Linda, wife of the Conservative MP David Heathcoat-Amory, gave a moving speech at a seminar for the Child Bereavement Trust. Clare, bereaved only 18 months ago, is organising a two-day rock and polo event this weekend at Cowdray Park to raise money for a memorial fund in her son's name. It will finance programmes aimed at cutting the suicide rate, making parents aware of the danger signs, banning suicide websites and creating helplines on the internet for young people suffering from depression or anxiety. Yesterday, they met in London to discuss their strategy, but also to offer one another comfort.

US Moves to Protect Polar Bear

The Interior Department declared the polar bear a threatened species Wednesday because of the loss of Arctic sea ice but also cautioned the decision should not be viewed as a path to address global warming.

Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne cited dramatic declines in sea ice over the last three decades and projections of continued losses, meaning, he said, that the polar bear is a species likely to be in danger of extinction in the near future.

But Kempthorne said it would be "wholly inappropriate" to use the protection of the bear to reduce greenhouse gases, or to broadly address climate change.

The Endangered Species Act "is not the right tool to set U.S. climate policy," said Kempthorne, reflecting a view recently expressed by President Bush.

The department outlined a set of administrative actions and limits to how it planned to protect the bear with its new status so that it would not have wide-ranging adverse impact on economic activities from building power plants to oil and gas exploration.

"This listing will not stop global climate change or prevent any sea ice from melting," said Kempthorne. He said he had consulted with the White House on the decision, but "at no time was there ever a suggestion that this was not my decision."

Kempthorne, at a news conference, was armed with slides and charts showing the dramatic decline in sea ice over the last 30 years and projections that the melting of ice -- a key habitat for the bear -- would continue and may even quicken.

He cited conclusions by department scientists that sea ice loss will likely result in two-thirds of the polar bears disappearing by mid-century. The bear population across the Arctic from Alaska to Greenland doubled from about 12,000 to 25,000 since 1960, but he noted that scientists now predict a significant population decline. Studies last year by the U.S. Geological Survey suggested 15,000 bears would be lost in coming decades with those in the western Hudson Bay area of Alaska and Canada under the greatest stress.

But when asked how the bear will be afforded greater protection, Dale Hall, director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, had difficulty coming up with examples.

Better management of bear habitat on shore and making sure bears aren't threatened by people including hunters, more studies on bear population trends and their feeding habits were among the areas mentioned. "I don't want to prejudge recommendations for (bear) management," said Hall whose agency administers the Endangered Species Act.

Environmentalists were already mapping out plans to file lawsuits challenging the restrictive measures outlined by Kempthorne.

"They're trying to make this a threatened listing in name only with no change in today's impacts and that's not going to fly," said Jamie Rappaport Clark of Defenders of Wildlife and a former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service director.

Members of Congress also were skeptical.

The Bush administration "is forcing the polar bear to sink or swim," said Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., chairman of a House committee on global warming.

Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., called it "a lifeline for our last remaining polar bears" but said the bear's survival won't be assured without limits on oil development in the same Arctic waters where the bears are found.

Despite the new listing, the announcement underscores the need to approve climate legislation that would limit the release of greenhouse gases and avert the future effects on climate change, said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Environment Committee.

Scientists have blamed global warming for the disappearance of sea ice which is vital for the bear's survival.

Summer ice surrounding the North Pole declined an average of 10 percent per decade since 1979, with a loss of about 28,000 square miles per year, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. Last year was the sharpest drop, as the amount of sea ice in September fell to 1.65 million square miles, or 23 percent below the previous low in 2005.

Kempthorne proposed 15 months ago to investigate whether the polar bear should be declared threatened under the Endangered Species Act. That triggered a year of studies into the threats facing the bear and its survival prospects.

A decision had been expected early this year, but the Interior Department said it needed more time to work out many of the details, prompting criticism from members of Congress and environmentalists. Environmentalists filed a lawsuit aimed at forcing a decision and a federal court on April 29 set a May 15 deadline for a decision.

A species is declared "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act if it is found to be at risk of becoming endangered in the foreseeable future. If it does not make progress toward recovery, it can be declared "endangered" meaning it is at risk of extinction and needs even greater protection.

Canada! ^_^

2008-05-12T21:30:00.004-04:00

Taser chairman defends stun gun's safety in Canada

British Columbia, May 12 (Reuters) - The chairman of Taser International Inc accused critics on Monday of spreading myths about the stun gun's dangers, saying there was no "magic bullet" to completely eliminate the risk of death during police use of force.

No studies have shown the devices can cause deaths, but that does not mean their use is entirely risk free, Taser co-founder Thomas Smith told a Canadian inquiry in Vancouver.

"There is no use-of-force option, ours included, that is a magic bullet," he said.

Smith said that Tasers, which are becoming increasingly popular with police forces, were still safer for both police and those being subdued than either firearms or batons. He emphasized his statements with videos of people being hit and pepper-sprayed by police officers.

Police use of the stun guns -- which incapacitate people with a 50,000-volt jolt of electricity -- has become controversial in Canada following the death a Polish immigrant during an arrest at Vancouver International Airport last year.

Images of Robert Dziekanski writhing on the floor after he was shot with the Taser were broadcast around the world, but the cause of this death has not been determined.

Smith called the incident tragic, but said he declined further comment until a medical examiner's investigation is completed.

Critics have accused Taser of pushing its product on the market without adequately testing for health risks such as heart failure, and for manipulating studies to downplay possible safety issues.

Taser use has been linked to over 290 deaths in North America since 2001, but the company argues there is no evidence the guns caused any fatalities and factors such as victim's drug use may have responsible.

Smith accused critics of basing their attacks on second-hand information. "I believe this is the most studied police technology out there today," he said.

Former British Columbia Attorney General Ujjal Dosanjh, who first approved police use of Tasers in the western Canadian province, said on Monday he felt he had been misled by claims the guns were entirely safe.

"I don't have much confidence in (Taser's) claims," Dosanjh said, echoing a recent call by the Canadian Medical Association Journal for a comprehensive independent study of police use of the weapons.

Dosanjh said he does not oppose police having the weapons available, but wants more limits on their use until questions over their safety are resolved.

Arizona-based Taser has waged a vigorous legal battle in defense of its safety claims, including suing at least two U.S. medical examiners who ruled the stun guns were the cause of deaths.

Smith declined to speculate if the company might take legal action against the British Columbia's inquiry if it does not like the outcome of the investigation.

Taser also sells the stun guns to the general public in the United States, but Smith said there are no plans to do that in Canada where such sales are illegal.

Canada to buy fewer F-35 fighters than thought

The Canadian government said on Monday it would buy 65 new F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, a figure lower than the 80 planes that had widely circulated in the media.

"One of the reasons there will be fewer of the new fighters is we anticipate the new fighters will have significantly greater capacity than existing fighters," Prime Minister Stephen Harper told a news conference.

He was speaking in Nova Scotia as he unveiled what he called the Canada First Defence Strategy, involving C$30 billion ($30 billion) in projected new military spending for the next 20 years.

The F-35s will replace Canada's CF-18s, which are scheduled to reach the end of their working lives in 2017-20. Canada bought 138 of them in the 1980s and now has 98, 80 of which are being refurbished.

Lockheed Martin Corp will make the F-35s. The Joint Strike Fighter program is being funded by the United States, Canada and seven other countries.

Canada dollar inches higher in lackluster session

The Canadian dollar rose slightly against the U.S. dollar on Monday, but remained stuck in a tight range, while bonds rose as traders took advantage of lower prices after last week's big selloff.

The Canadian dollar closed at C$1.0044 to the U.S. dollar, or 99.56 U.S. cents, up from C$1.0056 to the U.S. dollar, or 99.44 U.S. cents, at Friday's close.

The currency spent the session in a range of C$1.0076 to C$1.0025 to the U.S. dollar.

Part of that was due to muted trading as many European markets were closed for holidays, but it was also because traders were just not sure to do with the currency, said David Watt, senior currency strategist at RBC Capital Markets.

"Short-term studies say that the Canadian dollar should rise, but then medium-term studies say it's a challenging environment for the Canadian dollar," he said. "That's why we can't break out of this range and even the most light of resistance or support levels can't be broken."

Much of the uncertainty comes from doubts about the U.S. economic outlook and how that will affect Canada, he said.

The U.S. economy takes in over three-quarters of Canadian exports.

The market did not react to Canadian data that showed the price of new homes edged up 0.2 percent in March, compared with a 0.3 percent rise in February, as it was in line with market expectations.

Year-over-year price growth slowed to 6.1 percent from 6.2 percent in February.

news goes to the dogs

2008-05-12T21:18:00.004-04:00

Bone marrow transplants for dogs are way of repaying favor

The bone marrow, or stem cell, transplant, a procedure that every year saves tens of thousands of lives and won for the Seattle physician who pioneered it the 1990 Nobel Prize in Medicine, appears poised to come full circle and finally become more widely available to those who first made it all possible.

Dogs.

"They helped us figure out how to help save ourselves, and so this represents a big give-back to the canine species," said Dr. Jeffrey Bryan, a veterinary oncologist at Washington State University.

Bryan is spearheading a project to soon launch what would be the world's first large-scale clinical transplant program for dogs. The program is expected to become available to treat dogs with lymphoma sometime this summer.

Bone marrow transplants had been done experimentally in dogs over the decades, Bryan said, and clinically for a few dogs by some pioneering private practice veterinarians. But the procedure has never before been routinely offered as a cancer therapy for the canine community, he said.

"We are looking at this as an option for dealing with one of the most common cancers in dogs," Bryan said. "There are tens of thousands of dogs diagnosed with lymphoma every year. At WSU, we get five or six calls a week."

The WSU transplant program, which will be a partnership with a private business based in North Carolina, is intended to make the procedures available to pet owners for about $15,000 to $20,000 per dog. That's pricey, Bryan acknowledged, but there appears to be enough demand among pet owners to support the program.

"We could never have done this in the first place without dogs," said Dr. Rainer Storb, head of transplant biology at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and one of the original members of the team of Seattle scientists led by Nobel Laureate Dr. E. Donnall Thomas that worked to perfect the procedure in humans during the 1960s and '70s.

It's not just that the scientists happened to work with dogs when the research started, Storb said. Dogs -- unlike mice or monkeys or any other animals in research -- turned out to be uniquely qualified to serve as animal models for the experimental human bone marrow transplant, he said, in part because of their broad genetic diversity.

"It is the only species other than humans that has such a large spectrum of genetic diversity," Storb said. Just consider the difference between a dachshund and a Great Dane, he said, and you get the picture. "They also suffer many of the same diseases as humans."

By 1965, when Storb moved from Europe to Seattle to work with Thomas and his team, most researchers had concluded that bone marrow transplantation would never work. All of the earlier experimental attempts had failed miserably in people, usually because of immune system rejection. But the Seattle team stubbornly believed it could be done and, working with veterinarians, recruited dog owners to help advance the science.

"The funniest one I remember was Richard, a very old Chihuahua with no teeth," Storb said. He said the dog was constantly fainting in the lab and they eventually determined he didn't actually have cancer but rather severe anemia. They gave the owner anemia drugs to treat Richard and sent him home.

Another time, a friend of Thomas brought in his energetic German shorthaired pointer, which had lymphoma. The dog escaped the lab and the scientists spent hours searching the neighborhood before finding him. Storb recalled many other dogs he met while trying to perfect the transplant procedure. Many died anyway, of course, but man's best friends eventually revealed to the scientists how to make it work.

The first clue dogs gave for making transplantation work was identifying that a close tissue match between the marrow donor and the patient was critical, Storb said.

"This was not the case in mice," he said. "We only discovered this because of the dogs. And they also showed us it wasn't the entire solution."

Research in dogs helped the Seattle scientists figure out how to reduce the risk of immune system rejection and led to the first successful human bone marrow transplants. Storb continues to work with dogs and is now doing studies, all of them nonlethal, aimed at eliminating the need for radiation and toxic chemotherapy altogether.

"Dogs are still important to this science," Storb said.

"So it's only fair that we now make this as widely available as a treatment option for them as well," said Dr. Edmund Sullivan, a Bellingham veterinarian uniformly credited with doing one of the first nonexperimental marrow transplants for a dog in this region -- in 2004 on a golden retriever named Comet who had T-cell lymphoma.

Comet was successfully treated for the lymphoma, and enjoyed years more of life, but died last month at age 10 from a different cancer, said his owner, Darrell Hallett, a Seattle attorney.

Sullivan has since done transplants for five other dogs, some brought to Bellingham from as far away as Dallas and New York City. The Bellingham vet, who charges between $25,000 to $35,000 for the procedure, has been able to pioneer the transplant here by working with Storb and also using WSU's radiation equipment.

But once WSU launches its own transplant program, Sullivan has been told he will no longer be allowed to use the university's radiation equipment to do the procedures at his Bellingham clinic.

"Ed deserves a lot of credit for pushing this forward," Bryan said. But in order for the transplants to be done at the highest quality and become fully incorporated as a standard of care within veterinary medicine, the WSU oncologist said, the entire procedure needs to be comprehensively managed within an institutionalized program.

Sullivan agrees with the need for an institutionalized program, but said he sees no reason why he can't also continue to do the transplants, given his successful track record. The Bellingham vet said he suspects there are "turf" or business concerns playing into this and plans to continue to press WSU to allow him access to the radiation equipment.

"I mean, I helped get this whole thing going, starting with Comet," Sullivan said.

However this professional dispute plays out, it appears that bone marrow transplantation will soon become an option for the species that allowed scientists to develop one of the most powerful and innovative anti-cancer therapies out there.

Good dogs.

Rock your Converse

2008-05-12T20:31:00.004-04:00

Converse launches Chuck Taylor design contest

The Chuck Taylor All Star isn't simply a venerable basketball sneaker or a nostalgic fashion statement; it's also a blank canvas, a clean slate that can serve as a medium for artistic expression.

Or so states Converse, the North Andover sneaker brand, which invites creative types to "Put your world on our canvas."

Along with Utah Jazz basketball star Kyle Korver, Converse is launching a contest that asks shoe artists to come up with designs of their very own All Star.

The contest is called MyChucks, and Converse promises to produce the winning entry and have it sold exclusively by Eastbay, a subsidiary of retailer Foot Locker Inc.

"As part of the contest, Kyle Korver submitted his own design of the Chuck Taylor All Star shoe, which will be featured online, along with a video of him designing his shoe and explaining the process," Converse said in a press release. "Korver's shoe features pinstripes to represent all of the people in his life, and a red stripe to represent himself and his desire to be an original. Converse will produce 226 pairs of the shoe, which pays homage to Korver's jersey number 26, and will be donated to the Kyle Korver Foundation, whose mission is to make a positive impact on the lives of under-privileged children by improving the quality of life for disadvantaged youth and their families."

To enter the MyChucks competition, contestants can visit mychucks.eastbay.com to download the entry kit, which contains a silhouette of the Chuck Taylor All Star shoe and contest instructions, Converse said.

"Participants need to submit a scanned image of their design and a 20- to 30-second video explaining their entry," Converse said. "Submissions will be placed in an online, public gallery where visitors can vote on each design."

"Converse added: "The top five designs with the most votes will enter the final round of judging, which is determined by the total number of votes, and the judging of artistic ability, creative expression, and overall design by a panel from Converse and Eastbay. The grand prize will be announced on or about July 11, 2008 on mychucks.eastbay.com."

Speaking of Converse...

Who was Chuck Taylor??

Who was Chuck Taylor? “The man’s biography begins and ends with his name,” Orange County Register columnist John Hughes once declared.

Not quite – Chuck Taylor was quite real. He played his first professional basketball game in March, 1919, while still a high school student in Columbus, Ind. He was 17 years old.

By the mid-1920s he was player-manager of a stellar group of cagers who shot hoops for the Converse All-Stars barnstorming team. The team traveled throughout the Midwest and featured Carlyle Friddle, one of the stars on the Franklin (Ind.) High School and college “Wonder Five.”

During World War II Chuck joined middle-aged high school and college coaches who worked as physical fitness instructors and coaches for the Army and the Navy. Chuck was a physical fitness instructor at a Navy “pre-flight” program at Marquette University coached the wonderful Wright Field Air-Tecs in 1944-45, at what is now Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.

College All-Americans and future NBA players such as Long John Mahnken, Big Ed Sadowski, Dwight “Dike” Eddleman, Bruce Hale, Al Negratti, Johnny Schick and others played for him.

Born Charles Hollis Taylor in rural Brown County in 1901, Chuck always wanted to be a star basketball player, and he almost was. His best team was the Akron Firestone Non-Skids in the early 1920s. The Non-Skids were an “industrial league” team, but in 1937 they were charter members with the Akron Goodyear Wingfoots and the Fort Wayne G.E. Techs in creating the National Basketball League. Though the Non-Skids folded during World War II, the National Basketball League merged with the Basketball Association of America in 1949 to form the NBA.

Chuck’s signature – that’s what most people know of him – was added to the Converse All Star shoe in 1932, after a series of business reversals for the company. Chuck, who had promoted himself via the Converse barnstorming team, and who had hosted countless “clinics” in high school and college basketball gyms across the country where he almost single-handedly taught Americans the fundamentals of basketball, became the new brand name for the shoe.

He started his All-American picks at this time, too. They were highly regarded because Chuck only selected players he had personally seen play, and he found talent in small Southeastern and Southwestern colleges where big-city sportswriters never went. He had a good eye, and his picks always were touted in the popular Converse Basketball Yearbook.

Chuck had his dark side, though. He, and his employer, often claimed that he was a veteran of the “World Champion” Original Celtics from New York City and “Olympic champion” Buffalo Germans. He was neither, but the myth helped sell shoes. And in 1957, he put on a basketball clinic at Westminster College in Fulton, Mo., then ran off the with the athletic director’s wife. “He had women everywhere,” said long-time associate Joe Dean, retired athletic director at Louisiana State University.

No matter. His iconic shoe is part of Americana – look for it in the popular movie “Hoosiers,” or on Larry Bird’s feet while making a jump shot in high school, or as a popular, uniquely unisex “lifestyle” shoe everywhere.

Shocking Earthquake in China

2008-05-12T19:58:00.003-04:00

Nearly 10,000 Perish in China Quake

A powerful earthquake toppled buildings, schools and chemical plants Monday in central China, killing more than 8,700 people and trapping untold numbers in mounds of concrete, steel and earth in the country's worst quake in three decades.

The 7.9-magnitude quake devastated a region of small cities and towns set amid steep hills north of Sichuan's provincial capital of Chengdu. Striking in midafternoon, it emptied office buildings across the country in Beijing and could be felt as far away as Vietnam.

Snippets from state media and photos posted on the Internet underscored the immense scale of the devastation. In the town of Juyuan, south of the epicenter, a three-story high school collapsed, burying as many as 900 students and killing at least 50, the official Xinhua news agency said. Photos showed people using cranes, mechanical hoists and their hands to remove slabs of concrete and steel.

Buried teenagers struggling to break free from the rubble, "while others were crying out for help," Xinhua said. Families waited in the rain near the wreckage as rescuers wrote the names of the dead on a blackboard, Xinhua said.

The earthquake hit one of the last homes of the giant panda at the Wolong Nature Reserve and panda breeding center, in Wenchuan county, which remained out of contact, Xinhua said.

In Chengdu, it crashed telephone networks and hours later left parts of the city of 10 million in darkness.

"We can't get to sleep. We're afraid of the earthquake. We're afraid of all the shaking," said 52-year-old factory worker Huang Ju, who took her ailing, elderly mother out of the Jinjiang District People's Hospital. Outside, Huang sat in a wheelchair wrapped in blankets while her mother, who was ill, slept in a hospital bed next to her.

Xinhua reported 8,533 people died in Sichuan alone and 216 others in three other provinces and the mega-city of Chongqing.

Worst affected were four counties including the quake's epicenter in Wenchuan, 60 miles northwest of Chengdu. Landslides left roads impassable Tuesday, causing the government to order soldiers into the area on foot, state television said, and heavy rain prevented four military helicopters from landing.

Wenchuan's Communist Party secretary appealed for air drops of tents, food and medicine. "We also need medical workers to save the injured people here," Xinhua quoted Wang Bin as telling other officials who reached him by phone.

To the east, in Beichuan county, 80 percent of the buildings fell, and 10,000 people were injured, aside from 3,000 to 5,000 dead, Xinhua said. State media said two chemical plants in an industrial zone of the city of Shifang collapsed, burying hundreds of people and spilling more than 80 tons of toxic liquid ammonia.

Though slow to release information at first, the government and its state media ramped up quickly. Nearly 20,000 soldiers, police and reservists were sent to the disaster area.

Disasters always pose a test for the communist government, whose mandate rests heavily on maintaining order, delivering economic growth, and providing relief in emergencies.

Pressure for a rapid response was particularly intense this year, with the government already grappling with public discontent over high inflation and a widespread uprising among Tibetans in western China while trying to prepare for the Aug. 8-24 Beijing Olympics.

"I am particularly saddened by the number of students and children affected by this tragedy," President Bush said in a statement.

International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge sent his condolences to President Hu Jintao, adding: "The Olympic Movement is at your side, especially during these difficult moments. Our thoughts are with you."

Premier Wen Jiabao, a geologist by training, called the quake "a major geological disaster," and traveled to the disaster area to oversee rescue and relief operations.

"Hang on a bit longer. The troops are rescuing you," Wen shouted to people buried in the Traditional Medicine Hospital in the city of Dujiangyan, on the road to Wenchuan, in comments broadcast by CCTV.

"As long as there was a slightest hope, we should make our effort a hundred times and we will never relax," he said outside the collapsed school in Juyuan.

The quake was the deadliest since one in 1976 in the city of Tangshan near Beijing that killed 240,000 — although some reports say as many as 655,000 perished — the most devastating in modern history. A 1933 quake near where Monday's struck killed at least 9,000, according to geologists.

Monday's quake occurred on a fault where South Asia pushes against the Eurasian land mass, smashing the Sichuan plain into mountains leading to the Tibetan highlands — near communities that held sometimes violent protests of Chinese rule in mid-March.

Much of the area has been closed to foreign media and travelers since then, compounding the difficulties of getting information. Roads north from Chengdu to the disaster area were sealed off early Tuesday to all but emergency convoys.

In Chengdu, the region's commercial center, the airport closed for seven hours, reopening only for emergency and a few outbound flights. A major railway line to the northeast was ruptured, stranding about 10,000 passengers, Xinhua said. Although most of the power had been restored by nightfall, phone and Internet service was spotty and some neighborhoods remained without power and water.

Nervous residents spent the night outside, some playing cards or heading to the suburbs. State media, citing the Sichuan seismology bureau, reported 313 aftershocks.

"Traffic jams, no running water, power outs, everyone sitting in the streets, patients evacuated from hospitals sitting outside and waiting," said Ronen Medzini, an Israeli student in Chengdu, via text message.

When it hit shortly before 2:30 p.m., the quake rumbled for nearly three minutes, witnesses said, driving people into the streets in panic.

"It was really scary to be on the 26th floor in something like that," said Tom Weller, a 49-year-old American oil and gas consultant staying at the Holiday Inn. "You had to hold on to something like that or you'd fall over. It shook for so long and so violently, you wondered how long the building would be able to stand this."

While most buildings in the city held up, those in the countryside tumbled. On the outskirts of Chongqing, a school collapsed, killing at least five people. Residents said teachers kept the children inside, thinking it was safer.

The city of Mianyang ordered all able-bodied males under 50 to take water and tools and walk or drive to Beichuan, where most of the buildings had collapsed.

State TV broadcast tips for anyone trapped in the earthquake. "If you're buried, keep calm and conserve your energy. Seek water and food, and wait patiently for rescue," CCTV said.

Although initially measured at 7.8 magnitude, the U.S. Geological Survey later revised its assessment of the quake to 7.9. Its depth — about six miles below the surface, according to the USGS — gave the tremor such wide impact, geologists said.

The earthquake also rattled buildings in Beijing, 930 miles to the north, causing evacuations of office towers. People ran screaming into the streets in other cities, where many residents said they had never felt an earthquake.

In Beijing, where hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors are expected for the Olympics, stadiums, arenas and other venues for the games were undamaged.

Li Jiulin, a top engineer on the 91,000-seat National Stadium — known as the Bird's Nest and the jewel of the Olympics — was conducting a site inspection when the quake struck. He told reporters the building was designed to withstand a 8.0 quake.

"The Olympic venues were not affected by the earthquake," said Sun Weide, a spokesman for the Beijing organizing committee. "We considered earthquakes when building those venues."

Some 660 miles to the east in Anhui province, chandeliers swayed in the lobby of the Buckingham Palace Hotel. "We've never felt anything like this our whole lives," said a hotel employee surnamed Zhu.

The massive Three Gorges dam, the world's largest about 350 miles to the east of the epicenter, was not affected, according to the information office of State Council Three Gorges Construction Committee. The area around the enormous dam remains increasingly precarious as rising waters in the reservoir have led to landslides.

Premier Wen, after arriving in Chengdu, traveled to Dujiangyan, near the collapsed high school. On his plane, he appealed for people to rally together.

"This is an especially challenging task," state TV showed Wen saying, reading from a statement. "In the face of the disaster, what's most important is calmness, confidence, courage and powerful command."

That is just amazing.

There was another article I was going to post.

But I felt like this one was more important.

The other story was very important too.

It was about a woman who had saved the lives of at least 2500 jewish children during the Holocaust. This woman was Polish and was a social worker. Irena Sendler and her team of about 20 people saved the lives of some 2500 children from the Warsaw Ghetto. All between October 1940 and April 1943. Babies and small children were smuggled out in trams, sometimes wrapped up like packages. Teenagers escaped by joining labor forces. This woman recorded the names of all the children she saved. When German police came to arrest her in 1943, an assistant managed to hide the slips, which Sendler later buried in a jar under an apple tree in an associate's yard.

"It took a true miracle to save a Jewish child," Elzbieta Ficowska, who was saved by Sendler's team as a baby in 1942, recalled in an AP interview in 2007. "Mrs. Sendler saved not only us, but also our children and grandchildren and the generations to come."

In 1965, Sendler became one of the first so-called Righteous Gentiles honored by the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem for wartime heroics. Poland's communist leaders at that time would not allow her to travel to Israel; she collected the award in 1983.

Irena died at age 98.

~Celticsgirl