Hot Topics Around The World

Times Square New Years Eve 2010:New Year’s Rockin ‘Eve special with Dick Clark? An American tradition continues with the Times Square ball drop at midnight right in the heart of New York City and Clark will be there for his hosting duties, with a little bit of help from the hardest working guy in the business, Ryan will Seacrest. It be cold, but J Lo may help warm the celebrations to ring in the New Year of 2010. American Idol host Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest 2.0 has convinced Jennifer Lopez to perform live fromTimes Square on the New Year’s Rockin ‘Eve special he will be hosting alongside Clark.Seacrest talked to the singer’s manager at the AMAS about the deal, but J. Lo still was not completely convinced. Seacrest explains: “It started there [at the AMAS], and then, no kidding, Marc [Anthony] and Jennifer came over to my house and literally Walked through what it would be like inTimes Square , and now we’ve got a stage built [in that spot in my house]. ” “That’s exactly what happene...

Update – 3:12 p.m.: ESPN’s Jerry Crasnik believes with the fifth-year vesting option, the deal could be worth just north of $80 million. Update – 3:05 p.m.: Joel Sherman has contract details . Four-years, $66 million. “Easy vest” for fifth year, meaning a vesting option which Bay will likely achieve. Think of it as a five-year deal. Update – 3:03 p.m.: Jon Heyman confirms the agreement. Jason Bay has agreed to a deal with the New York Mets, according to WFAN. Bay still has to pass a physical. The terms of the contract were not readily available. The Mets do have a four-year, $65 million contract offer extended to Bay. The deal will be announced next week, according to WFAN. Not that I think they’ll find anything to cancel the contract, but don’t think this is a done deal. There may be an issue with Bay’s knees and they could alter the contact after the physical. In short: They’ve agreed in principle, but it’s not done yet. Ahem, I’m not alone . Read more: htt...

So Urban Meyer is still the head coach at the University of Florida. He will coach the Gators in the Sugar Bowl and even stated he believes there’s a really good chance he will be on the sidelines for the 2010 season opener. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen, but all signs point to the positive (or negative if you’re a fan of any school on Florida’s future schedules). The resignation has become a leave of absence of the indefinite kind. It will start after Florida faces Cincinnati on January 1, 2010 and last as long as Meyer sees fit. He took some time to rethink his choice and realized it wasn’t the one he wanted to make. He didn’t want to hang it up completely. He wanted to recharge and come back in good health. As a Gator fan, you can’t help but be overjoyed by the news. The man that brought two National Championships to Gainesville in his first four years at the helm is remaining in charge. Meyer is taking some time to get himself tuned up and cleaned out and r...

In a season filled with stunning news and upsets surrounding the Gator football program, the biggest shocker of all has happened. Florida coach Urban Meyer has resigned as head football coach, effective after the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl. The Florida athletic department released a statement Saturday evening, saying Meyer will coach his last game at the Jan. 1 Sugar Bowl against Cincinatti. Meyer is expected to travel with the team to New Orleans Sunday afternoon, where the Gators will begin preparations for the game. "I have given my heart and soul to coaching college football and mentoring young men for the last 24-plus years, and I have dedicated most of my waking moments the last five years to the Gator football program,'' Meyer said in a statement. "I have ignored my health for years, but recent developments have forced me to re-evaluate my priorities of faith and family.' "After consulting with my family, Dr. (Bernie) Machen, Jeremy Foley (UF a...

ASPEN, Colo. — Charlie Sheen spent the better part of Christmas Day in a Colorado jail cell after being arrested on domestic violence allegations.The 44-year-old actor was taken into custody Friday morning by officers responding to a 911 call from a house in this ski resort town about 200 miles west of Denver. Sheen, the star of CBS' "Two and a Half Men," was taken to the Pitkin County jail and booked for investigation of second-degree assault and menacing, both felonies, along with criminal mischief, a misdemeanor, Aspen police spokeswoman Stephanie Dasaro said. He was released in the late afternoon after posting $8,500 bond and being advised by a county judge on the conditions of his release, she said.Dasaro declined to name Sheen's accuser, citing a department policy prohibiting the identification of potential victims in domestic violence cases. It wasn't im...

SMU coach Alex Poole unveiled the much awaited for 2010 schedule this week. The Mustangs have an eventful year with division and conference rivalries early in the year. Last year the Mustangs climbed as high as #19 in the nation. To continue their growth and face more Top 25 teams, SMU will travel to the West Coast and the Southeast for the first time. In early February, the Mustangs travel back to Lubbock to start the divisional playoff race early. With games against Oklahoma State and Oklahoma all in February, SMU should have a great feel for where the season is headed in the LSA North. The Mustangs hope to continue their heated cross division rivalry with Texas in Austin and even the score after last year’s post-season loss to the Longhorns. In March, SMU will travel to San Diego to take on San Diego State University and UC San Diego. After a successful trip to Los Angeles last year, the Mustangs are excited to compete in southern California again. After Spring Break, the Aggies fro...

The new USA Ambassador to China, Jon Huntsman, is charming, experiences, and speaks fluent Mandarin. Together with his wife he's setting an example of international style. They have 7 children, some their own and several adopted. His youngest daughter is Asian and she knows her fashion brand names! She designed her own dress, and I fell in love with her golden shoes. Ambassador Huntsman was very kind to receive me at the Marine Ball and very happy to hear that as an American, I was reaching such success in China. His wife was excited by my offer to invite her to fashion events and encouraging to me to contact her any time. Ambassador Huntsman was very proud of his youngest daughter, who loves fashion and writes about it in her 11th grade class. I was very honored to finally be invited to the USA Embassy and meet the Ambassador finally. I always thought it was funny that the Australian, Italian, French, and English Embassy's always invite me to their offices or events, but until...

Tibetan Mastiff is an ancient and rare type of dog. It is not however a wild kind but domesticated and it has a history of over 3,000 years. Thus, for more tan 3,000 years, this dog has been domesticated and it has a very rich tradition and heritage. So, I am not that much shocked to see that a rich woman in China spent nearly half million dollar for buying a Tibetan Mastiff. About its history, I am quoting from Wikipdia: This is an ancient breed, descended from very early large Tibetan dogs. It is alleged that this early Tibetan dog is the ancestor to all Molossuses breeds but there is no proof of this and this theory is falling out of favor. The first known record of a Tibetan mastiff was in 1121 BC, when a dog trained for hunting was given to a Chinese emperor.[3] Marco Polo encountered the large Tibetan dogs in his travels and described them as "tall as a donkey with a voice as powerful as that of a lion." They were used as guard dogs outside the sacred city of Lhasa ....

Former American Idol champ Carrie Underwood got an early Christmas present over the weekend — a marriage proposal! It’s official: The “Before He Cheats” crooner, 27, and her hockey star beau Mike Fisher, a center for the Ottawa Senators, are getting married. “I’m happy to confirm that Carrie Underwood is engaged to Mike Fisher, and the couple couldn’t be happier,” Carrie’s rep said in a press release issued Monday. “No wedding date has been set at this time.” Carrie and Mike have been dating for close to a year. The athlete, 29, reportedly popped the question to the Nashville-based songbird in his native Canada on Sunday. Article From: http://www.popcrunch.com/carrie-underwood-engaged/

LOS ANGELES — Brittany Murphy, the actress who got her start in the sleeper hit “Clueless” and rose to stardom in “8 Mile” before her movie roles declined in recent years, died Sunday in Los Angeles of what appeared to be natural causes, a Los Angeles County coroner’s official said. She was 32. Murphy was pronounced dead at 10:04 a.m. at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Sally Stewart said. Murphy was transported to the hospital after the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call at 8 a.m. at the home she shared with her husband, British screenwriter Simon Monjack , in the Hollywood Hills. Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said Murphy apparently collapsed in the bathroom, and authorities were looking into her medical history. An official cause of death may not be determined for some time, since toxicology tests will be required, but “it appears to be natural,” Winter said. He said an autopsy was planned for Monday or Tuesday. Winter said Murphy’s family w...

Kevin Jonas has made his bout of the lovebug a permanent infection. The 22-year-old eldest member of the Jonas Brothers married longtime love Danielle Deleasa Saturday at snow-covered Oheka Castle in New York's Long Island, E! News confirms. The former hairdresser from New Jersey donned a Vera Wang gown and clutched an impressive bouquet by Pedestal Florists as she walked down the aisle at the French château-themed space. The remaining members of the singing trio, Joe and Nick, served as the best men. But that wasn't the only romance in the air... Demi Lovato, the JoBros' Camp Rock costar and rumored love interest for Joe, also witnessed the couple exchanging custom wedding bands by Jacob and Co. The chef for the big occassion tells E! News he prepared quite the feast for the 400 guests. "We're having vegetarian options in addition to the main course," he says. "There will be stir-fried Asian vegetables, Italian rice, risotto, pasta and a full vegetarian ...

iTunes error 5002: How to fix this iTunes error? Apple fan boys and girls are looking for ways of how to fix their beloved iTunes. Because recently, almost all iTunes software encountered error 5002. This error was encountered recently by users who tried to purchase a free App from iTunes store. So how to fix this error? Here are some instructions for Apple Care: 1. Download and run “App Cleaner”. You can get it from here: http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/system_disk_utilities/appcleaner.html 2. Find iTunes in your applications folder and drop it on to App Cleaner’s window. 3. Download a new copy of iTunes for Apple, and install it. You can get it form here: http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/ That’s it. This should have solved iTunes error 5002. Source: http://www.dailyworldbuzz.com/itunes-error-5002-how-to-fix-this-itunes-error/7356/#ixzz0a6C55TYB

Jennifer Jones (who died today at the age of 90) was old-school Hollywood, a dark-haired beauty who could play anything — and was cast in a variety of roles in the '40s and '50s. She was the half-Indian temptress (pictured) in the notorious Western "Duel in the Sun" (which was nicknamed "Lust in the Dust" for its steamy scenes), produced by David O. Selznick — who became her second husband. She played a Eurasian doctor who falls for William Holden in "Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing." And she won an Oscar in 1943 for "The Song of Bernadette," in which she played a nun. Her last role was in "The Towering Inferno" in 1974. Article From: http://blogs.sltrib.com/movies/index.php?p=7751&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

Tiger Woods divorce rumors are flooding the Internet as Tiger is still M.I.A. After recent photos of Elin Nordegren Woods have surfaced depicting the former Swedish model without her wedding ring, reports have surfaced that Elin is through with Tiger. Tiger’s mistresses have long hit double digits and are numbered between 14 and 16. People Magazine states their sources which say Elin has retained celebrity attorney Trope to represent her in her divorce from Tiger. Sources also state that Elin is seeking a divorce in California, where the couple owns a home, instead of in Florida. Due to community property laws, Elin would be entitled to half of Tiger’s possessions, however, it might be more difficult to handle a divorce in California when the couple lives in Florida. Elin has not confirmed reports that she intends to file for divorce. While the rumors are circulating, TMZ reports that Rachel Uchitel, Tiger’s first alleged mistress outed by the National Enquirer, was spotted shopping in...

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) — H1N1 vaccines are being recalled . It involves one company, and about 800,000 doses nationwide.The H1N1 vaccine has been available for less than 2 months, and 4 lots are being recalled, not because of safety, but because they are no longer strong enough. The CDC announced that Sanofi Pasteur is voluntarily recalling 800,000 doses of their H1N1 vaccine, for children between 6 and 35 months.“I need to be clear with everyone, this is not a safety recall,” stressed Tennessee Health Commissioner, Susan Cooper, in a news conference. Cooper says, “The recall is really about the strength, or the potency of the vaccine.”Cooper says the state received more than 82,600 doses of the children’s vaccination from the company, “But we cannot tell you this moment whether any of those vaccines are from the affected lots or not. We’re gathering that information right now.” Sanofi says they discovered the weakening vaccine in one lot during testing, and then checked othe...

Courtney Love is insane. That's common knowledge among music and gossip fans. But this time, her antics may have led to serious consequences.The troubled rock star has lost legal custody of daughter Frances Bean Cobain, her only child with late husband Kurt Cobain, according to reports. It's unclear what prompted the legal change of Frances Bean's custody status, which is confirmed in documents filed Friday in L.A. Superior Court.Maybe Court's complete lack of coherent thoughts lately?Love's Facebook and Twitter pages have recently devolved into rambling, incomprehensible diatribes, though, leading THG to question her sanity.We're talking even more than we otherwise would. Gossip Girl star Taylor Momsen , Edward Norton, trustees of her daughter's trust fund, Lindsay Lohan Britney Spears - no one is safe from Love's rants.But 17-year-old Frances Bean Cobain is safe, at least for now, thanks to a ruling that named Kurt Cobain's mother and sister...

ESPN's "Outside the Lines" will air today its report based on interviews with Brenda Monk, a former academic adviser at Florida State University who is now suing the university. FSU is now challenging ESPN on the accuracy of the report ESPN on the university's academic-misconduct case. University officials believe the show will air interviews with at least two former FSU football players — Fred Rouse and Paul Griffin. Fred Rouse, a Lincoln High graduate, was dismissed from FSU after playing just one semester. He was suspended for multiple games during that season for what the university reported at the time as a violation of team rules. Griffin graduated from Butler Community College in December 2005 and enrolled at FSU in January 2006. He finished his career at FSU in 2008. Florida State goes on the offensive against ESPN show. Article From :http://salaswildthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/12/fred-rouse-and-paul-griffin-interviews.html

Who won in the Heisman Trophy winner of 2009? The Heisman Trophy Presentation 2009 is held today. Competing for the Trophy are: * Tim Tebow (Florida Quaterback) * Colt McCoy (Texas Quaterback) * Toby Gerhart * Ndamukong Suh * Mark Ingram The Heisman Trophy Presentation 2009 start time is 8/7c on ESPN. We will give you updates on who wins in the Heisman Trophy 2009. Please check back for any updates on Heisman Trophy Presentation 2009. Related: Heisman trophy, heisman trophy winners, heisman trophy winner 2009, 2009 heisman trophy winner, heisman trophy presentation Article From : http://inday-stories.blogspot.com/2009/12/heisman-trophy-presentation-2009-winner.html

You might not have the Midas touch to turn everything into gold whenever you come into contact with them, but you could very well bring home this gold plated PS3 for $4,999, making this the showcase piece in any living room. It does make me wonder where I can purchase an additional (and equally luxurious) controller unless flying solo is the direction of this gold PS3. Article From : http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2009/12/gold_ps3_now_available.html

Tim Tebow didn’t shed tears for this loss. Texas’ Colt McCoy is the quarterback to toast during Thursday’s College Football Awards ceremony by winning the awards Tebow got used to taking home. McCoy won the Maxwell Award for the best all-around player and the Davey O’Brien Award for the best quarterback. Tebow won the Maxwell Award in 2008 and the O’Brien Award in 2007. “You always say you never play to win awards, but when you’re honored with them, it shows you how good your team was and the success you had,” McCoy said. Stanford’s Toby Gerhart might have put some separation from Alabama’s Mark Ingram in the Heisman Trophy race among running backs with his Doak Walker Award win. Gerhart blazed through the Pac-10 with 26 rushing touchdowns. The Gators are 0-for-3 so far. Linebacker Brandon Spikes lost to Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh in the Chuck Bednarik Award for the best defensive player. Cornerback Joe Haden lost to Tennessee safety Eric Berry in the Thorpe Award given to the best ...

Sheikh Mohammed’s brother Sheikh Hamdan owns Shadwell, which isn’t as ubiquitous a presence as his brother’s Darley and Godolphin in the racing world. But the Shadwell banner has been strategically prominent internationally, and lately its presence has been noted in South America, from where Shadwell got Horse of the Year Invasor – bred in Argentina and originally raced in Uruguay. In fact, Shadwell sponsored the Uruguayan Derby — the Gran Premio Nacional - Copa Shadwell — this past weekend (see the photo above and the Shadwell banner), won by Escolaso. Invasor won the same race in 2005. This weekend, Shadwell’s presence moves to Brazil, where it is partnering with the United Arab Emirates and the Jockey Club of São Paulo to sponsor a lucrative race by South American standards, an $85,000 event at 2800 meters (about 14 furlongs) Saturday. According to press reports, a large delegation from Dubai landed in São Paulo to attend the event, which is part of a larger promotional initiative f...

Fall of the Lich King Trailer is one of the hottest searched term today in USA. It's all about the newly released Fall of the Lich King Trailer by Blizzard. The trailer video is available in Blizzard's website but due to lots of people accessing the video, Blizzard site is taking hard time to stream the video. So i've just embed the Fall of the Lich King Trailer from youtube below. Article From : http://www.iblogall.com/2009/12/fall-of-lich-king-trailer.html

MOUNTAIN VIEW, California — Google said Monday it will begin indexing much of the web in real time, and marry those results with its relevance-ranking technology to make sense of the torrents of information being published via Twitter, Facebook and blogs. The announcement, at a news conference at the Computer History Museum here, signals an aggressive push by Google to maintain its mantle as search-innovation leader amid unaccustomed pressure from rivals. Microsoft effectively beat Google to the real-time punch, announcing Facebook and Twitter partnerships for its Bing search engine at the Web 2.0 Summit in October. “Google Real Time search is Google’s relevance technology meeting the real-time web,” said Google Fellow Amit Singhal. “There is so much information being generated that relevance is the key to any product, and that’s where Google comes in.” Monday’s announcement aims to address a major perceived shortcoming in Google’s technology, which has drawn criticism lately for not k...

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Tim Tebow, a devout Christian, puts a Bibilcal passage on his eye black every game. This game, the passage, John 16 33, could not save the Florida QB and his Gators against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC title game. The Tide beat the Gators 32-13, taking revenge for 2008's defeat at the hands of Florida. John 16 33, in the New International Version of the Bible, says "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16 33, in the King James version of the Bible says "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." However, John 16 33 was of no help to Tim Tebow in the Florida Alabama SEC title game. Both teams came in undefeated, but it is Alabama who will reach the BCS title game in an atte...

Former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw was reportedly involved in a three-car accident that fatally injured one person on Friday. CBS News reports that Brokaw and his wife, Meredith , were not injured in the accident and released the following statement about the crash: "The Brokaws were in the far left lane when they noticed a spool of cable bouncing along the far right lane. Just then, a green SUV in the right lane came up fast and tried to avoid the cable. The driver lost control of her vehicle and slid into the middle lane, forcing a mail truck into the Brokaw lane of traffic. "As the mail truck careened into the Brokaw lane, Tom hit the brakes hard and skidded along the median. When the mail truck catapulted the median the Brokaw vehicle slid into it. Neither Tom nor Meredith were injured but tragically the driver of the SUV was thrown from her vehicle and killed. "Tom and Meredith are greatly saddened by this loss of life." A 28-year-old woman perished in th...

Time Warner Cable Nyc,Time Warner Cable: Time Warner Cable in the New York City area began receiving New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) programming around the clock on Channel 589. NTDTV is available to all digital cable subscribers for no additional charge in Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island and Mt Vernon, NY, as well as western-most Brooklyn and southeast Bergen County , NJ. In all, approximately 1.16M digital subscriber households can now watch NTDTV programs 24/7. As part of Time Warner Cable’s multi-cultural offering, NTDTV is adjacent to other Chinese channels. However, NTDTV holds the distinction for being the only full-time Chinese channel that does not require an additional monthly subscription, provided a subscriber household already has digital cable. NTDTV has been a programming partner of Time Warner Cable since 2004, airing on Channel 32 in Southern Manhattan each night for 3 hours during prime time. The move to digital Channel 589 represents a significant expansio...

The erotic mistress of tiger wood has come up with to join other voices talking about golf star Tiger Wood. She has broken the ice and talked about her relationship with the golfer. The incident, which took place on Friday morning, assumed many forms of rumors by people and media who had focused their attention towards the golfer. According to reports or rumors, Tiger Wood was fleeing from his home with a broken back-windscreen. It has been reported or suggested that when he was reversing his car, it collided with a fire hydrant in an attempt to run away from his wife. It is further told that his wife had smashed his car’s window with the help of a golf club. This story is still ambiguous and its validity has not been proven. But there is an actual story which has been revealed by the National Enquirer who has reported that the Golf star had relationship with Rachel Uchitel who is a steamy girl with a lot of sex appeal. She has the habit of developing intimate relationships with famous...

According to navytimes.com, more than 25,000 sailors will advance to petty officer first, second and third class for the spring cycle. There are 21,526 active duty and full-time support sailors on the advancement list, and 3,606 reservists. You can also check the Navy Advancement Center [advancement.cnet.navy.mil] for more information and check Navy profile sheets. For complete results for: Active-duty petty officers first class, Active-duty petty officers second class, Active-duty petty officers third class, Reserve petty officers first class, Reserve petty officers second class, and Reserve petty officers third class. please visit this site . Article From : http://salaswildthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/05/navy-advancement-center-exam-results.html

LAKEWOOD, Wash., Nov. 29 (UPI) — Four off-duty police officers were fatally shot in a Sunday ambush near Tacoma, Wash., officials said. The three male officers and one female officer were in a coffee shop discussing cases and checking their laptops when a gunman entered and shot all four, CNN reported. “This was a targeted, selected ambush,” Sheriff’s Department spokesman Ed Troyer said. Two employees and other customers were unharmed, Troyer said. “Just the law enforcement officers were targeted.” Police are searching for a suspect in the 8 a.m. shooting, described as an African-American male wearing a black coat and blue jeans. He is believed to have fled the scene on foot, police said. A $10,000 reward has been offered for information resulting in an arrest, they announced. The shooting happened in Lakewood, Washington, 40 miles south of Seattle and about 10 miles from Tacoma, CNN reported. The identities of the officers, all from the Lakewood police department , have not be...

Los Angeles Times sports writer Mike Penner, a transsexual known as Christine Daniels, has died at the age of 52. Penner’s death is reportedly a suicide. Read more on Mike Penner aka Christine Daniels’ death below. Mike Penner was pronounced dead on Friday at a California hospital. There will be an autopsy and official cause of death by the LA coroner. The Times reports that Mike Penner aka Christine Daniels, was believed to have committed suicide. Penner began using the name Mike Penner again last year. Mike Penner covered Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the Olympics, World Cup soccer, tennis and other sports. “Mike was one of the most talented writers I’ve ever worked with, capable of reporting on any number of topics with great wit and style. He was a very gentle man who will be greatly missed. This is a tragic ending and a difficult time for all of us who knew him,” said Times Sports Editor Mike James. Times Editor Russ Stanton said Penner “respected our r...

Rachel Uchitel is either a serial liar or a serial mistress. In October, she claimed to be having an affair with Bones star David Boreanaz. The celebrity gossip world reported on the story and then shrugged. No offense to Boreanaz, but he doesn't get our jucies flowing. If Uchitel's latest story is true, however, she'll receive the proper attention she clearly craves. The National Enquirer reports that Uchitel has been sleeping with Tiger Woods. A friend of Rachel's supposedly told the unreliable tabloid: "Rachel told me, ‘I’m having an affair with Tiger Woods. We’re in love!’ She even read me text messages Tiger sent her that said ‘I love you, babe. It’s always going to be just you and me. They were constantly sexting." Forget the iconic Tiger Woods fist pump, Rachel Uchitel says the golfer has been pumping her full of his nine-inch iron. Tiger's lawyer denies the charges, but does actually tell the Enquirer's print edition that his client met Uchitel...

CENTRAL VALLEY – Police said a stabbing in the parking lot of Woodbury Common on Wednesday afternoon was not a random act. A longstanding dispute led to a Warwick man in his early 20s being stabbed in the back several times. He was treated and released at the Arden Hill Campus of Orange Regional Medical Center in Goshen. Town of Woodbury Police investigated and arrested two of three suspects. Rodney Jean, 22, of Chester was charged with second-degree assault and criminal possession of a weapon. Ashton Dieudonne, 18, also of Chester, was charged with third-degree assault. A third person is still being sought by police. Article From : http://www.midhudsonnews.com/News/2009/November09/26/Jean_Dieudonne_arr-26Nov09.html

Title: Christmas Jars Reunion Author: Jason F. Wright Publisher: Shadow Mountain Release Date: October 1, 2009 ISBN: 978-1606411650 Size: 176 pages, 5x7, hardcover Genre: Christmas Series: Christmas Jars Hope Jensen's story continues in Christmas Jars Reunion . It s been two years since Hope was reunited with her biological mother on Christmas Eve at Chuck's Chicken 'n Biscuits. Hope has never felt more complete. She s writing full-time for a family magazine and, with the help of her mother, Marianne, leading the Christmas Jars Ministry out of Chuck s quirky restaurant. To top it off, she's dating a marketing executive in a comfortable long-distance relationship. Her life is right where she wants it to be—a state of organized chaos as another Christmas rolls around. Then her world changes forever over Thanksgiving weekend. The Maxwells hire a nephew to take over the family furniture restoration business. Someone that Hope can't stop thinking about. Then an ...

Updated at 1:30 p.m. EST with details from new National Retail Federation survey. For retailers, the scheme is simple: Pitch the hottest Black Friday deals and watch consumers flock to their stores. That is, of course, if consumers are feeling confident enough to spend early and often this holiday season. Recent surveys suggest this might not be the case. Consumer confidence registered an ever-so-slight increase in November , ticking up to 49.5, eight-tenths of a point higher than October. “The moderate improvement in the short-term outlook was the result of a decrease in the percent of consumers expecting business and labor market conditions to worsen, as opposed to an increase in the percent of consumers expecting conditions to improve,” says Lynn Franco, director of The Conference Board Consumer Research Center, in a press release Tuesday. “Income expectations remain very pessimistic and consumers are entering the holiday season in a very frugal mood.” The Consumer Confidence ...

Swine flu fears have derailed many activities around the country. The government has said that those with H1N1 swine flu should avoid contact with others. When Black Friday Deals are at stake, when people are trying to cash in on that WalMart Black Friday 2009 Flyer in their mailbox, will they care? People should care. The close quarters of waiting in line at WalMart, Best Buy, or other high-profile retailer for the Black Friday deals and doorbusters will place people in close quarters with others. That is precisely the type of situation you should avoid. With few having access to the H1N1 swine flu vaccine, many are unprotected. Being in close quarters with someone who has swine flu, or even has been around someone with swine flu, is risky. Medical sources indicate that the swine flu can remain viable for up to 3 hours on surfaces. Thus, if a person has come in contact with someone with the swine flu, by shaking hands perhaps...

DJ Matthew Roberts decided to search for his biological father, and then discovered he is serial killer Charles Manson. Yikes. Roberts, 41, said after he found out he fell into a depression, and didn't want to believe it. "I was frightened and angry. It's like finding out that Adolf Hitler is your father,” Roberts told The Sun. DJ Matthew Roberts found out his father is Charles Manson. (thesun.co.uk) Despite finding out his father was a serial killer in the late '60s, he's communicated with Manson via letters to his California prison. Roberts said anything he receives from Manson is signed with a swastika. Apparently the L.A. DJ had been looking for his biological parents for 12 years before his discovery. He located his biological mother first, a woman living in Wisconsin. She eventually told Roberts who is father is, and said she was raped by Manson in 1967. Roberts said he's a very peaceful person, and isn't "nuts" like Manson, but he's ...

Log Cabin Vacations Idea #1: River Dance Lodge located in Syringa, Idaho, is a great place for a family adventure camp vacation. You can stay in the lodge or in one of their handcrafted log cabins and take off on many different types of family adventure activities. They are situated in the heart of trout fishing country near the Lochsa, Selway and Clearwater rivers. Fly fishing packages and clinics are available. You can take a family rafting, canoeing or kayaking trip. National Forest lands nearby provide many miles of hiking trails. Log Cabin Vacations Idea #2: Four log cabins are available for your vacation rental near Asheville, North Carolina. The Log Cabin Retreat; The Treehouse; The Log Cabin Lookout; The Log Cabin Hideaway . These are luxury log cabins on 35 private acres in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. You have access to a 3-acre spring-fed lake stocked with trout as well as two trout stocked ponds. Enjoy a swimming platform, fishing pier, and a white sandy beach ...

It was a great night of fights Las Vegas Nevada. With an intriguing co-main event and a great main event fight. Anthony Johnson V.S Josh Koscheck (Co-Main Event) Johnson and Koscheck came out swinging in the first round exchange hard shots. Not much happened other then that before the fight took a turn for the weird. While standing up from underneath Koscheck, Johnson did what was hopefully just him acting on instinct, and kneed a downed opponant in the head. Koscheck needed five minutes to recover. Not from the knee though. As Johnson let go of Josh's head, his pinkie grazed Josh's right eye, but thats also not what caused Koscheck to need a five minute rest period. In all honesty, I dont know. I was watching the fight intently and Joe Rogan had the clip re-played who knows how many times, but neither Joe Rogan or I could figure out what happened to Koschecks left eye that caused him to need so long to recover. Evetually though, after the doctor talked to the ref and conside...

Target Black Friday 2009 ads are in, and consumers are quite pleased. Although Target’s Black Friday sales aren’t as anticipated and don’t offer as many deals as Walmart, shoppers of the Minnesota based retailer are likely to be very pleased. Some of the best Target Black Friday 2009 deals featured in the ads are: Polaroid LCD Camcorder $39 SD Card with 50 free music downloads $10 LCD Keychain $10 6 foot HDMI Cable $10 1” CHI $89.99 Phillips Sonicare Toothbrush $39.99 Select Chefmate Appliances $3 Westinghouse 32” HDTV $246 Tons of discounted DVDs, Blu-Rays, and CDs Of course, Target Black Friday ads aren’t as exciting as the Walmart ads. Nevertheless, there are throngs of shoppers that are very loyal to Target, citing superior quality of goods and services as the reason. My wife prefers to shop at Target for discounted clothing and housewares. Target’s Black Friday sale starts at 5 a.m, the same time that many retailers are opening their doors. The big exception is Toys ...

50 Cent vs. Marv Albert: Marv went on Jimmy Kimmel this week. So did 50 Cent. Too bad 50 Cent’s posse didn’t recognize Marvelous. “As Albert arrived, with an entourage of one, TNT public relations specialist Jeff Pomeroy, there was a sudden scuffle when a multitude of 50 Cent protectors seemed unfamiliar with Albert. There was shouting (’It’s Marv Albert’ yelled a Kimmel show guard, a pronouncement that seemed to have no effect on the 50 Cent phalanx.) There were obscenities. A fist or two flying. A ‘Don’t you put your hands on me’ pronouncement. And finally Albert made it to his waiting room, relatively unruffled but slightly puzzled. ‘Did you see that?’ Albert said. ‘I thought they were kidding, but then I realized they weren’t.’” [ LA Times ] Article From : http://thebiglead.com/?p=28934

The death of Uga VII, who was officially introduced as to UGA fans at the Georgia Southern game in Athens on Aug. 30, 2008, makes his tenure the shortest of the Uga line of pure-bred white English bulldogs owned by Sonny Seiler of Savannah. Previously, Uga II, who was mascot from 1966 to 1972, held that distinction. The Seilers have provided UGA’s mascots since 1956 and generally have served about nine years each. At 56 and a half pounds, Uga VII, whose official name was “Uga VI’s Loran’s Best,” was second only to Uga VI as the biggest mascot in the line. He was 4 years old. The Ugas are among the nation’s most popular and celebrated college mascots, especially with the TV networks that cover football. Uga V was perhaps the biggest “celebrity” of the line, having had a role playing his father in the film “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” and been named America’s best college mascot by Sports Illustrated. Uga VII’s time with the Bulldogs was too brief to make much of an impr...