tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21007556959477695762024-02-20T00:23:16.334-08:00Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather, EntertainmentBreaking News, Latest News and Current News from foxnews-online delivers the latest breaking news and information on the latest top stories, weather, business, entertainment, politics, and more.club-asteria-bdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319196768297689217noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2100755695947769576.post-51156932100924949012011-04-13T21:49:00.000-07:002011-04-13T21:49:40.230-07:00Most expensive modern weddings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="main-story-content y-bg-1" id="yui-tmp-4" style="opacity: 1;"><h2 class="package-header "><img alt="Prince Charles kisses the hand of his new bride, Princess Diana on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on their wedding day. (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)" class="" id="p_13872472-header-image" src="http://l1.yimg.com/a/i/ww/news/2011/04/13/charles-di.jpg" title="Prince Charles kisses the hand of his new bride, Princess Diana on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on their wedding day. (Photo by Tim Graham/Getty Images)" /> </h2><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;">The 1981 nuptials of Prince Charles and Lady Diana cost a staggering sum.</span></span></h2><h4 class="title" style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: large;">The most extravagant weddings</span></h4><b>Prince William's wedding is expected to rank among the most expensive of modern times. These are the A-list blowouts it will be judged against. </b><br />
When it comes to getting married, the rich are really no different than you or me: They want to have weddings to remember. Their financial firepower just gives them more ways to pump up the drama than the average U.S. bride and groom with a $24,000 budget.<br />
Rather than a simple spray of white roses, Donald Trump wed Melania Knauss amid 10,000 roses, peonies and hydrangeas. Where the more common man might have had Uncle Tony's son's garage band play at the reception, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise had Andrea Bocelli.<br />
When Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the heir to the throne in Dubai, married Princess Salama in 1981, his proud parents built a 20,000-seat stadium for the week-long celebration, the most expensive wedding on record at $100 million in today's dollars. The sheikh visited every town in the emirate by horseback during that week, and fed them all. During the ceremony, wedding gifts for his bride were delivered by 20 bejeweled camels.<br />
When Indian steel barron Lakshmi Mittal married off his daughter Vanisha in 2005, the family sent out 20-page invitations contained in silver boxes. Mittal paid for 1,000 guests to stay for five days in five-star Paris hotels. The reception was held at the Palace of Versailles and concluded with a celebratory fireworks display at the Eiffel Tower. Total cost: $60 million, the third most expensive wedding of modern times by our estimation.<br />
Across the channel, the British royal family has been no stranger to opulent nuptials. When Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, the fairy-tale wedding, complete with horse, carriage and a worldwide TV audience of 750 million, had a price tag to match: an estimated $70 million in today's dollars, No. 2 on our list, with Diana's ivory silk gown alone believed to have cost more than $15,000.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">[ <b>Related: </b>Who is paying for Will and Kate's big day? ]</div>Prince William and fiancee Kate Middleton will reportedly take a more low-key approach to their big day, opting to arrive in a car rather than the traditional horse-drawn carriage. Despite the nod to more austere times, the estimates are still staggering. Reports suggest the wedding could top $30 million.<br />
Perhaps the propensity for all of us, rich and not-so-rich, to go over the top for our wedding is an attempt to make sure we're serious about our mate on the first go-round. An opulent service, with vows made in front of hundreds, can place an obligation on the bride and groom to work through rough patches rather than toss it all aside at the first hint of rough water.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">[ <b>Photos: </b>The world's most eligible royals ]</div>But no amount of glitz and expensive pageantry offers any guarantee. Take Liza Minnelli and David Gest. Michael Jackson served as best man at their $3.5 million wedding in 2002. Natalie Cole sang "Unforgettable." The ultra-A-list guest list, which one wag labeled "night of 1,000 facelifts," included Elton John, Elizabeth Taylor, Kirk Douglas, Mickey Rooney, Barbara Walters and 1,500 others. Yet a mere 18 months later, the two split up amid accusations by Minnelli that he tried to poison her.<br />
Here's hoping that Will and Kate do better.<br />
<b>THE MOST EXTRAVAGANT WEDDINGS</b><br />
<b>1. Princess Salama to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum</b><br />
$100 million, 1981 (today's dollars)<br />
To hold a really large wedding it helps to have a large venue, such as the 20,000-seat stadium specially built for the now-ruler of Dubai for his 1981 wedding to Princess Salama.<br />
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_3894" style="width: 495px;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-3894" height="340" src="http://l.yimg.com/ep/wpprod/42/2011/04/forbwed1.jpg" title="forbwed1" width="485" /><br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">(Sean Gallup/Getty Images)</div></div><b>2. Charles, Prince of Wales, to Diana Spencer</b><br />
$70 million, 1981 (today's dollars)<br />
There are special expenses when royalty weds, including mob control. Part of the millions spent on the fairy-tale wedding of the decade was allotted to ensure tight crowd surveillance. The joy of the occasion would later turn to ashes, proving that the amount spent on the wedding does not necessarily equate to the likelihood it will succeed.<br />
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_3895" style="width: 495px;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-3895" height="340" src="http://l.yimg.com/ep/wpprod/42/2011/04/forbwed2.jpg" title="forbwed2" width="485" /><br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">(AP Photo)</div></div><b>3. Vanisha Mittal to Amit Bhatia</b><br />
$60 million, 2005<br />
Six days, 100 guests, the Palace of Versailles, free jet transportation to France for the ceremonies, five-star hotels, fireworks at the Eiffel Tower, can-can girls, all these expenses add up -- in this case, a total of $60 million.<br />
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_3896" style="width: 495px;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-3896" height="340" src="http://l.yimg.com/ep/wpprod/42/2011/04/forbwed3.jpg" title="forbwed3" width="485" /><br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">(AP Photo/ISPAT Communications)</div></div><b>4. Aleksandra Nikolic to Andrey Melnichenko </b><br />
$30 million, 2005<br />
Entertainment was an important part of the wedding between this Russian billionaire and model, with performances by Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, and Julio Iglesias, each of whom raked in an estimated $3.6 million for the gig.<br />
<div class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_3897" style="width: 495px;"><img alt="" class="size-full wp-image-3897" height="340" src="http://l.yimg.com/ep/wpprod/42/2011/04/forbwed4.jpg" title="forbwed4" width="485" /><br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">(Mikhail Fomichev/Newscom)</div></div><br />
<img alt="(Mustafa Quraishi/AP)" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3898" height="340" src="http://l.yimg.com/ep/wpprod/42/2011/04/forbwed5.jpg" title="forbwed5" width="485" /><br />
<br />
<b>5. Priya Sachdev to Vikram Chatwal</b><br />
$20 million, 2006<br />
Take 600 guests for a 10-day wedding celebration and jet them from city to city in India, and you have the foundation for an over-the-top opulent wedding. Chatwal (nicknamed the "turban cowboy"), owner of <br />
<a name='more'></a>luxurious hotels such as Dream New York, managed to bring the event in at a tidy $20 million.<br />
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<h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span></span></h2><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span>News Source: Yahoo</span></h2><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"> </h2></div></div>club-asteria-bdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319196768297689217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2100755695947769576.post-30030745694340556672011-04-13T21:41:00.000-07:002011-04-13T21:41:51.084-07:00Ad with boy's pink toenails sparks firestorm<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2 class="title-date " id="yui_3_0_0-2-1302752120310645"><span class="date y-txt-2 medium" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></h2><div class="main-story-content y-bg-1" id="yui-tmp-4" style="opacity: 1;"> <h2 class="package-header "> <img alt="A J. Crew store in Los Gatos, Calif. (AP/Paul Sakuma)" class="" id="p_13872472-header-image" src="http://l1.yimg.com/a/i/ww/news/2011/04/13/041311polish2.jpg" title="A J. Crew store in Los Gatos, Calif. (AP/Paul Sakuma)" /> </h2><h2 class="package-header "><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;">A photo of a J. Crew exec's son sets off a scathing debate over gender roles for kids.</span></span></h2><h1 id="yn-title" style="color: #0b5394;">Hot pink-toenailed boy in J. Crew ad sparks controversy</h1><h1 id="yn-title" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">When J. Crew sent out its latest catalog, we doubt that the classic clothing company expected it would be blasted by social conservatives as "transgendered child propaganda." But alas, it has.</span> </h1>The images in question fall under pages titled "Saturday with Jenna" -- featuring products personally favored by J. Crew president and creative director Jenna Lyons and her family. This particular Saturday for Jenna includes painting her five-year-old son Beckett's toenails pink. The caption reads, "Lucky for me I ended up with a boy whose favorite color is pink. Toenail painting is way more fun in neon."<br />
Cue the outrage from America's culture warriors.<br />
"Yeah, well, it may be fun and games now, Jenna, but at least put some money aside for psychotherapy for the kid—and maybe a little for others who'll be affected by your 'innocent' pleasure," Dr. Keith Ablow wrote in a Fox News op-ed. "If you have no problem with the J. Crew ad, how about one in which a little boy models a sundress? What could possibly be the problem with that?"<br />
<span id="more-9751"></span>Erin Brown of the Media Research Center took the criticism a step further -- after being sure to remind readers that J. Crew is a fashion favorite of First Lady Michelle Obama -- accusing the company of exploiting young Beckett to advance the cause of "liberal, transgendered identity politics."<br />
The ABC News report on the kerfuffle, below, includes a reaction from Sarah Manley, who set off a similar firestorm last Halloween after posting photos of her young son dressed up as his unconventional idol: Daphne from "Scooby Doo." Manley said today of the J.Crew ad, "If the roles had been reversed and the photo...had been of a little girl playing in the mud with trucks, nobody would have batted an eye."<br />
<a name='more'></a> The Lookout contacted J. Crew to get a response from Lyons, but company spokeswoman Margot Fooshee told us that neither Lyons nor J. Crew would be commenting on the matter. However, others aren't being shy about offering up voracious defenses of the company's creative decision, pushing back on Ablow and Brown as holders of the unpopular opinion.<br />
In another of the many critiques of Dr. Keith's critique, Jeanne Sager, on the parenting blog The Stir, asks: "So go back and look at that picture in the J.Crew ad, will you? What do you see? Do you see pink nail polish on a boy? Or do you see a little boy named Beckett, with beautiful blond curls, and a mom who looks like she is impossibly in love with her kid, in the very best way? Because that's what I see."<br />
<h1 id="yn-title"> </h1><h2 class="package-header "><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span></span></h2><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span>News Source: Yahoo</span></h2><h2 class="package-header "> </h2></div></div>club-asteria-bdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319196768297689217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2100755695947769576.post-66906500342362642032011-04-13T21:39:00.000-07:002011-04-13T21:39:17.822-07:00Where once troubled NBA star is now<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2 class="title-date " id="yui_3_0_0-2-1302752120310645"><span class="date y-txt-2 medium" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></h2><div class="main-story-content y-bg-1" id="yui-tmp-4" style="opacity: 1;"> <h2 class="package-header "> <img alt="Vin Baker (Copyright 2001 NBAE Mandatory Credit: Rocky Widner /NBAE/Getty Images)" class="" id="p_13872472-header-image" src="http://l1.yimg.com/a/i/ww/news/2011/04/13/baker.jpg" title="Vin Baker (Copyright 2001 NBAE Mandatory Credit: Rocky Widner /NBAE/Getty Images)" /> </h2><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;">Vin Baker was a four-time All-Star before personal problems led to the end of his career.</span></span></h2><h2 class="title" style="color: #0b5394;">Video: Vin Baker coaches ninth-graders</h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/oOOfKwyZuuA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><h2 class="title"> </h2>Upon retirement, many NBA players stick around the game of basketball, whether as coaches, executives, announcers, or businessmen with an interest in the sport. Vin Baker, however, didn't have an opportunity to stick around the highest levels of the game. In 2006, Baker retired after 13 seasons in the NBA, during which he made four All-Star teams and won a gold medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. Yet, despite these accomplishments, he left the game on bad terms due to struggles with alcoholism.<br />
Now, Baker is turning his life around, and he's doing it with the help of basketball. But while many ex-NBA athletes get high-profile coaching jobs, Baker is plying his trade in Connecticut as the ninth-grade boys coach at Old Saybrook High School, his alma mater. As you can see in the video above from SLAM Online, the team takes its halftime speeches in a converted storage closet with folding chairs and a decades-old television. It's a far cry from a top-level facility.<br />
But, if you watch this four-minute halftime speech, you'll see that Baker is taking this job as seriously as any other coaching gig. He implores his kids to play for the team, not themselves, and he's as passionate about it as a coach at any other level of the game.<br />
The video itself is part of a larger SLAM feature on Baker. It's great to see him doing well, and we all wish him the best for the future.<br />
<h1 id="watch-headline-title"><span class="long-title" dir="ltr" id="eow-title" title="Vin Baker, Ninth Grade Team Coach at Saybrook (CT) High, Motivates His Players"> </span></h1><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span>News Source: Yahoo</span></h2><h2 class="title"> </h2><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span></span> </h2></div></div>club-asteria-bdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319196768297689217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2100755695947769576.post-60986389563848908762011-04-13T21:34:00.000-07:002011-04-13T21:34:42.545-07:00'Idol' contestant's surprise song choice<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2 class="title-date " id="yui_3_0_0-2-1302752120310645"><span class="date y-txt-2 medium" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></h2><div class="main-story-content y-bg-1" id="yui-tmp-4" style="opacity: 1;"> <h2 class="package-header "> <img alt="James Durbin performs ('American Idol' Fox)" class="" id="p_13872472-header-image" src="http://l1.yimg.com/a/i/ww/news/2011/04/13/durbin-pd.jpg" title="James Durbin performs ('American Idol' Fox)" /> </h2><h2 class="package-header "><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;">"Idol" hopeful James Durbin rocks a heavy metal classic while others play it safe.</span></span></h2><h2 class="package-header "><span class="post-details"></span></h2><h2 style="color: #0b5394;">'American Idol' Top 8 Movie Night: Box-Office Bombs</h2><h2 class="package-header "><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span></span></h2><img border="0" height="244" src="http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/realityrocks__25/realityrocks-196828231-1302745632_thumb.jpg?ymgY.2ED_MjUjVMF" width="400" /><br />
Wednesday was Movies Night on "American Idol," and while sadly no one did anything from Nigel Lythgoe's 1980 cult flick <em>The Apple</em> and Clint Gamboa wasn't around to reprise his soundtrack to <em>The Room</em>, at least no one did "I Believe I Can Fly" (oh wait, Jacob Lusk already did that this season) or Steven Tyler's done-to-death <em>Armageddon</em> theme "I Don't Want To Miss A Thing." And the one upside to Pia Toscano's recent elimination was she wasn't there to sing the inevitable "My Heart Will Go On." But Movies Night was still <em>way</em> too heavy on schmaltzy balladry. Only James Durbin--who eschewed safe silver-screen fare for some righteous rock that even movie metalheads Bill & Ted of Wyld Stallyns would appreciate--put on a real show. In a night of mostly box-office bombs, Durbin was THE bomb.<br />
Still, with a couple of exceptions, Wednesday's episode felt like a sleepy rainy-day matinee, not a main attraction. Here's how everyone did:<br />
<strong><img border="0" height="240" src="http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/realityrocks__25/realityrocks-633085861-1302743361_thumb.jpg?ymC192EDdw4DZfqZ" width="400" /> </strong><br />
<strong>Paul McDonald</strong> - While Dancin' Paul's song selection, Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock 'N' Roll" as popularized by <em>Risky Business</em>, guaranteed a good time, I'm not so sure this was the best choice for him. First of all, he didn't slide onto the stage in his tighty-whiteys a la Tom Cruise--or a la David Cook, for that matter. (Nice suit, though.) Second of all, the frat-boy singalong anthem showcased Paul's class-clownish side, and we've seen enough of that from him already. There were so many other songs he could have done--from <em>Nashville</em>, <em>Crazy Heart</em>, maybe even <em>Saturday Night Fever</em>'s "How Deep Is Your Love," or something off Elliott Smith's <em>Good Will Hunting</em> soundtrack, or the appropriately raspy "Pretty In Pink." All of these would have better showcased his true talents. Well, at least he didn't beatbox, as Jimmy Iovine suggested. (Only Blake Lewis can beatbox on "Idol" and get away with it.) The judges went really easy on Paul, however. (Of course they did. They're like the opposite of that old Life Cereal spokes-kid Mikey. They like <em>everything</em>!) Steven, after flirting with Paul's blonde sax player, raved, "I love your crazy, wild abandon, how it transcends to an audience." Jennifer Lopez, aka the World's Most Beautiful Person according to <em>People</em>, compared Paul to one of her favorite things: diamonds. And Randy Jackson shouted, "America, you just witnessed the first number at a Paul McDonald concert!" I just hope America hasn't witnessed his last number on "Idol," because this was not Paul at his best.<br />
<strong><img border="0" height="234" src="http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/realityrocks__25/realityrocks-630360578-1302743361_thumb.jpg?ymB192EDE3VQRLbQ" width="400" /> </strong><br />
<strong>Lauren Alaina</strong> - I cringed when I learned that teen sweetheart Lauren would be covering teen sensation Miley Cyrus's straight-to-video sapfest "The Climb"--and my uneasiness was not alleviated when Lauren gushed, "Everything about that song just screams 'Idol'!" Well, it made <em>me</em> want to scream: NO MORE BALLADS! Why not "Flashdance (What A Feeling)"? Or Paramore's "Decode" from <em>Twilight</em>? Just something with some <em>oomph</em>? But vocally, Lauren was pretty much on point; I at least agreed with Jimmy, that Lauren can sing circles around Miley. Weirdly, though, Steven and Randy continued to reference her first audition that was filmed many months ago. ("The Lauren that we first saw in Nashville is roaring back," Randy claimed for the umpteenth time, and Steven echoed, "You were the first Idol we thought of when everyone was trying out in the beginning.") Then J.Lo advised Lauren to "go further" (which, in this kinder and gentler "Idol" season, is as close to harsh criticism as the judges get.) Um, that's what J.Lo told Pia, too. Is Jennifer TRYING to get another girl sent home? I wonder.<br />
<strong><img border="0" height="268" src="http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/realityrocks__25/realityrocks-512993462-1302743362_thumb.jpg?ymD192EDg6niZ1TV" width="400" /> </strong><br />
<strong>Stefano Langone</strong> - Stefano was in the bottom two with Pia last week, and this week he faced a backlash of Sanjaya-esque proportions as he tried to prove that he deserved to take "Pia's spot." Ironically, and perhaps foolishly, he went with the prophetically titled "End Of The Road" from <em>Boomerang</em>. I suppose for a boy-bandy singer like Stefano, a ballad by ultimate boy band Boyz II Men was appropriate. And he didn't mess it up. But the judges went way overboard trying to create some sort of comeback-kid story arc for him, with Randy declaring it Stefano's best performance to date and Jennifer telling him, "You finally got it!" Added Steven: "This is so not the end of the road for you; it's just the beginning." Really? I'm not so sure. <br />
<strong><img border="0" height="246" src="http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/realityrocks__25/realityrocks-27305769-1302743362_thumb.jpg?ymC192ED02TviYLz" width="400" /> </strong><br />
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<strong>Scotty McCreery</strong> - At first Scotty was going to do an old-school country number, Harry Nilsson's "Everybody's Talkin'" from <em>Midnight Cowboy</em>, which actually would've been the perfect song for Paul McDonald. But then good ole Safe Scotty decided to play it Strait, so to speak, by doing country king George Strait's "Cross My Heart" from some movie he found in a Redbox one-dollar rental machine in Garner. It was, in a word, boring. The judges didn't have many words, either; they just gushed and fawned like stage parents at their own kid's ballet recital. "Everyone wants us to be tough with you guys, but the truth is, you're all so damn good!" laughed Jennifer. "All I want to say is <em>wow</em>!" And while Jimmy had disagreed with Scotty's decision to switch to the Strait song, easy-to-please Steven just said, "You did it again; you picked the just-right song." And Randy said: "I love that song for you, I love it when you stay at your roots....If it ain't broken, don't even consider fixing it!" Hmmm...isn't Randy the same guy who kept telling Pia to mix it up every week? Just sayin'. <br />
<strong><img border="0" height="220" src="http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/realityrocks__25/realityrocks-179411670-1302743360_thumb.jpg?ymA192EDxZPGRS3c" width="400" /> </strong><br />
<strong>Casey Abrams</strong> - Casey flip-flopped between Nat King Cole's "Nature Boy" (as featured in <em>Moulin Rouge</em>), and Phil Collins' "In The Air Tonight" (as featured in another famous <em>Risky Business</em> scene featuring, er, people in their underwear.) Either prospect sounded more interesting than the songs that had come before him. Going against Jimmy's wishes, Casey went with Cole song, and it was probably a wise decision. The dark and evil Collins song probably would've brought out Casey's snarly side and scared away all the grandmas and little girls who power-vote for this show, but "Nature Boy" allowed him to showcase his jazzy, snazzy side. Randy loved it, crying out for an encore, calling it a "Grammy kind of performance" (ease your jets a little, Randy), and declaring: "It makes me proud to sit here and judge <em>artists</em> as well as pop stars." Steven concurred: "You're an artist in the truest sense of the word." Jennifer seemed overly worried that America wouldn't "get" Casey's jazzy vibe, but I think it's only when Casey does nasty Nirvana covers that he alienates the audience. I think Casey will be just fine; his teary-eyed backstage interview about his "sense of accomplishment" only sealed the deal. Take that, Mr. Iovine!<br />
<strong><img border="0" height="236" src="http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/realityrocks__25/realityrocks-775382249-1302743360_thumb.jpg?ymB192EDnmr.Lm_k" width="400" /> </strong><br />
<strong>Haley Reinhart</strong> - Haley finally brought the sass and spunk with "Call Me," Blondie's hit from <em>American Gigolo</em>. I never thought I'd type this, but...thank heavens for Haley! A sexy song like this was perfect for her, and finally there was some sign of life onstage. Her "Call Me" made me want to call her voting line for the first time this season. But bizarrely, two of the judges didn't like her performance, giving their first--and ONLY--real criticism of the night. Randy called it "very karaoke," and Jennifer said it was a bad song choice--though she added, "But I'm so afraid [to criticize], because I don't want any girls to go home!" I'm actually not so sure J.Lo meant that. Haley, and to a lesser extent Lauren, were the only contestants who actually received negative feedback this evening. Insert your own conspiracy theory here...<br />
<strong><img border="0" height="308" src="http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/realityrocks__25/realityrocks-373541495-1302745631_thumb.jpg?ymfY.2EDiVY5NHTL" width="400" /> </strong><br />
<strong>Jacob Lusk</strong> - Jacob sang Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," which apparently was on Will Smith's <em>The Pursuit Of Happyness</em> soundtrack. (The "movies" theme was pretty loosely defined this week, I guess.) "Bridge," of course, was Clay Aiken's signature song in Season 2, and that was a while ago, but Claymates have very good memories. So I pretty much expected Clay's fans to storm the Fox gates, flaming pitchforks in hand. However, Jacob sang it as well as Aiken (<em>please</em> don't give any Claymates my home address), and the judges unanimously praised him. Steven adored Jacob's "crescendos and innuendos" (isn't that the title of an Aerosmith song?), J.Lo got chills, and Randy non-condescendingly called Jacob "special." But still, this performance was a little dated and snoozy. Where would Jacob fit in today's pop landscape, if he got a record deal out of this show? I suppose the judges don't need to worry about that. That's Jimmy's problem.<br />
<strong><img border="0" height="266" src="http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/realityrocks__25/realityrocks-871008598-1302745631_thumb.jpg?ymfY.2EDUBdn9Fuk" width="400" /> </strong><br />
<strong>James Durbin</strong> - Finally! A reason to pass the popcorn and enjoy Movies Night! James begged the audience to "give metal a chance" before his performance, after bickering with Jimmy about his <br />
<a name='more'></a>adamant choice to cover Sammy Hagar's <em>Heavy Metal</em> movie theme from 1981. I'm glad James stuck to his guns ('n' roses). I'd been waiting for James to bring back the metal since his blazing Judas Priest cover from earlier in the season, and he sure brought it tonight--Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist, Zakk Wylde, even joined him onstage! (Yes, that seemed like an unfair advantage. It was still awesome.) Randy--after howling "Durbin rocks!" and giving him the horns--predicted James would be on the Ozzfest tour in 2012. Steven deemed the performance "excellent" in a <em>Bill & Ted</em> voice. Jennifer said the performance "felt really, really <em>real</em>." For once, I wasn't annoyed that the judges were so positive. This was a fun, vivacious performance that stood out like a metal-spiked thumb on an otherwise mellow night. All that was missing was the "Pepsi moment" pyro. So now it is prediction time. Stefano didn't quite stage the killer comeback the judges might have us believe he did, so I think he will be in the bottom three again. Haley absolutely doesn't deserve to be in the bottom three this week, but since she was the only contestant the judges actually criticized, and she's a <em>girl</em>, she's probably in trouble too. But...as much as it pains me to say this, I think Paul is probably going home. I love the guy, but he sang first (always a tricky spot for even the best of contestants), and with his silly Seger cover, he squandered all the momentum and goodwill he gained after his fantastic Johnny Cash performance last week. So this Thursday, don't expect to see Paul's megawatt smile when Ryan Seacrest reads the results--and Paul's exit is soundtracked by another movie song, David Cook's <em>Breakfast Club</em> cover of "Don't You Forget About Me."<br />
Parker out.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span>News Source: Yahoo</span></h2><br />
<h2 class="package-header "> </h2></div></div>club-asteria-bdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319196768297689217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2100755695947769576.post-51874739620425130222011-04-13T21:15:00.000-07:002011-04-13T21:15:24.864-07:00New king of NBA jersey sales<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="main-story-content y-bg-1" id="yui-tmp-4" style="opacity: 1;"><h2 class="package-header "><img alt="Rajon Rondo #9 of the Boston Celtics a(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) and Derrick Rose #1 of the Chicago Bulls (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)" class="" id="p_13872472-header-image" src="http://l1.yimg.com/a/i/ww/news/2011/04/13/jerseys1.jpg" title="Rajon Rondo #9 of the Boston Celtics a(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) and Derrick Rose #1 of the Chicago Bulls (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)" /> </h2><h2 class="package-header "><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;">Two young stars' uniforms are big fan favorites, but their sales can't touch the league's leader.</span></span></h2><h1 class="page-title">LeBron Reclaims Top Spot In NBA Jersey Sales</h1>By Tom Rotunno<br />
<a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/15837548/cid/170818/?__source=yahoosports&par=yahoosports" target="1">CNBC.com</a><br />
There's a new king in NBA jersey sales. In his first season with the Miami Heat, LeBron James has reclaimed the top spot on the NBA's best-selling jersey list.<br />
James is back at No. 1 for the first time since April 2004. Kobe Bryant, who held the top spot for the last two seasons, falls to No. 2.<br />
The NBA's top-selling jerseys list is based on sales on NBAStore.com since the start of the 2010-11 NBA season.<br />
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td align="center"><img alt="Click here for more from CNBC.com" border="0" height="148" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/sp/tools/med/2011/04/ipt/1302709839.jpg" width="640" /></td> </tr>
<tr> <td align="center">Slideshow: Best-selling NBA jerseys</td> </tr>
</tbody></table>Perhaps the biggest surprise of the list comes at No. 3, a spot claimed by the Boston Celtics' Rajon Rondo, who finished 15th last season.<br />
It's the biggest jump of any player this season and is remarkable given his popularity is still likely limited to the Boston area. Rondo traded places with his teammate Kevin Garnett, who fell from third to 15th.<br />
Other players who saw their jersey jump in popularity include the New York Knicks' Amar'e Stoudemire, who ranks fourth after not making the list last year. Rookies John Wall and Blake Griffin were tops in the rookie class, coming in at 10th and 11th, respectively.<br />
The New Orleans Hornets' Chris Paul saw the biggest drop, falling out of the top 15 after finishing seventh last year.<br />
A league high -- and Most Popular Jersey list record -- five Boston Celtics made the top 15 (Rondo at No. 3, Shaquille O'Neal at No. 12, Ray Allen at No. 13, Paul Pierce at No. 14, and Garnett at No. 15).<br />
It wasn't enough to help Boston claim the overall top spot in team sales. That distinction falls to the Los Angeles Lakers, whose gear is the No. 1 most popular selling team merchandise for the eighth time in the last nine seasons.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Making its first top-10 appearance in team history is the Oklahoma City Thunder at No. 6. It will likely come as no shock that the Cleveland Cavaliers fell out of the top 10 in team merchandise sales this season. The Cavaliers were the third most popular team in the 2009-10 season, the last before King James took his talents -- and jersey sales -- to South Beach.<br />
Here's a look at the top 10 jersey-selling teams in 2010-11:<br />
<b>1.</b> Los Angeles Lakers<br />
<b>2.</b> Boston Celtics<br />
<b>3.</b> Miami Heat<br />
<b>4.</b> New York Knicks<br />
<b>5.</b> Chicago Bulls<br />
<b>6.</b> Oklahoma City Thunder<br />
<b>7.</b> Orlando Magic<br />
<b>8.</b> San Antonio Spurs<br />
<b>9.</b> Denver Nuggets<br />
<b>10.</b> Phoenix Suns<br />
<h1 class="page-title"> </h1><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span>News Source: Yahoo</span></h2><h2 class="package-header "><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span></span> </h2></div></div>club-asteria-bdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319196768297689217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2100755695947769576.post-27944366812420913552011-04-13T21:11:00.000-07:002011-04-13T21:11:20.982-07:00College team's dramatic logo change<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2 class="title-date " id="yui_3_0_0-2-1302752120310645"><span class="date y-txt-2 medium" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></h2><div class="main-story-content y-bg-1" id="yui-tmp-4" style="opacity: 1;"> <h2 class="package-header "> <img alt="ARCHIVE: Arizona State wide receiver Michael Jones (1) celebrates his touchdown with teammate Chris McGaha during the third quarter of a football game Saturday, Sept. 22, 2007 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)" class="" id="p_13872472-header-image" src="http://l1.yimg.com/a/i/ww/news/2011/04/12/asu-pd.jpg" title="ARCHIVE: Arizona State wide receiver Michael Jones (1) celebrates his touchdown with teammate Chris McGaha during the third quarter of a football game Saturday, Sept. 22, 2007 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)" /> </h2><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;">Arizona State drops its cartoonish homage to Disney with a meaner, more menacing mark.</span></span></h2><h2 class="title"><a href="http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/Fashion-Break-Arizona-State-helmets-drop-their-?urn=ncaaf-wp725" title="Fashion Break: Arizona State helmets drop their demonic homage to Walt Disney">Fashion Break: Arizona State helmets drop their demonic homage to Walt Disney</a></h2><div class="byline">By <span><span><a href="http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday?author=Matt+Hinton" title="View Posts By Matt Hinton">Matt Hinton</a></span></span></div><center><img align="middle" alt="" class="aligncenter" hspace="8" src="http://mit.zenfs.com/214/2011/04/AzState-Black-Uniforms.jpg" /></center> Change your clothes, change your life: If Oregon can do it, why can't Arizona State? Tired of watching the Ducks' ever-evolving aesthetics hog all the attention during their slow rise to the top of the Pac-10, ASU unveiled its own long overdue makeover Tuesday afternoon courtesy of — who else? — Nike, which set the Sun Devils up with their own trademarked font, an ominous pitchfork logo and, in addition to a few tweaks to the Sun Devils' traditional home and away motifs, a new all-black ensemble that overthrows more than a half-century of strictly yellow/gold headgear. (See the entire set for all sports here.) <em>Trés chic</em>, for the moment.<br />
<img align="right" alt="" hspace="4" src="http://mit.zenfs.com/214/2011/04/Sparky-and-Disney.jpg" />The only major casualty of the redesign: The cartoon Sun Devil himself, Sparky, who was originally incarnated in the late-'40s by alum Bert Anthony, a former Disney artist who allegedly (and probably apocryphally) modeled the Devil's features after his old boss as retribution for being fired. At any rate, the same grinning cartoon Sparky has personified Arizona State athletics for more than six decades, and has lent his quirky brand of satanic mischief to ASU helmets since 1980. The live, costumed mascot itself isn't going anywhere, but on the uniforms? He's nowhere to be found.<br />
With the rise of the official pitchfork logo, Sparky will probably be stricken from the field art, as well, depriving countless thousands of the joy of seeing him spear turkey legs and other vulnerable foodstuffs on special occasions.<br />
<a name='more'></a> On the bright side, the team is no longer bearing the mark of a cartoon who appears to be terrorizing the night in a set of elaborate pajamas. But wherever the stylized, disembodied pitchfork appears, we'll always remember the gnarled, searing hot hand of Hades that wields it.<br />
<h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span></span></h2><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span>News Source: Yahoo</span></h2><h2 class="package-header "> </h2></div></div>club-asteria-bdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319196768297689217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2100755695947769576.post-18335170078422251552011-04-13T21:07:00.000-07:002011-04-13T21:07:18.059-07:00Paul Reiser's new show sparks backlash<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2 class="title-date " id="yui_3_0_0-2-1302752120310645"><span class="date y-txt-2 medium" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></h2><div class="main-story-content y-bg-1" id="yui-tmp-4" style="opacity: 1;"> <h2 class="package-header "> <img alt="Paul Reiser (Noel Vasquez/Getty Images)" class="" id="p_13872472-header-image" src="http://l1.yimg.com/a/i/ww/news/2011/04/13/reiser.jpg" title="Paul Reiser (Noel Vasquez/Getty Images)" /> </h2><h2 class="package-header "><span style="font-size: small;"> <span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;">The actor was popular on "Mad About You," but fans aren't happy about his return to TV.</span></span></h2><h1 style="color: #0b5394;">Bye-Bye, 'Perfect Couples,' Hello 'Paul Reiser Show'</h1><div class="image-left"><img height="400" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/tv/blog6/blog_buzz_paul_reiser_110407.jpg" width="300" /><br />
<div class="caption">Like it or not, Paul Reiser has a new show</div><div class="credit">Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images</div></div>The NBC sitcom "Perfect Couples" was not quite perfect enough for the network: The show is being replaced with "The Paul Reiser Show," bringing a storm of criticism to the Web. <br />
<a name='more'></a> "Couples" followed the relationships of three pairs of friends, and starred comic Olivia Munn, but did not make it to the end of the season. While the show disappointed in the ratings, it still managed to develop a following, and hundreds of fans bemoaned the abrupt ending on Yahoo!. <br />
A commenter named Sean pleaded, "Keep 'Perfect Couples' on." Billie added, "I just started watching 'Perfect Couples,' it is one of the best new shows. Give it a chance." <br />
<br />
<em>Watch a clip from last week's season finale of "Perfect Couples":</em> <br />
<br />
Meanwhile, disappointed viewers aimed their venom at Paul Reiser. As a commenter called TwoTireFire summed it up, "I was a huge fan of 'Mad About You' but it came and it went. Why does a middle age man want to come back and try his luck with another cast?" <br />
Why indeed? Zap2It called the series one of the forgotten shows of the network's 2010-2011 season. Reiser, who co-wrote all six episodes, plays a version of himself: an actor, husband, and father who once had a TV show. "Show" follows his troubles and adventures. <br />
The storyline sounds awfully similar to the real-life Paul Reiser. His hit sitcom from the '90s, "Mad About You," starred the actor and Helen Hunt as a newly married couple navigating their lives together in New York City. The critics didn't fall for it -- Entertainment Weekly called the premiere "Ambivalent About You" -- but the show caught on with viewers, and ran from 1992-1999. The comedy peaked in popularity when 39 million fans tuned in to the 1997 episode on the birth of their daughter, Mabel. <br />
Clearly, the star hopes to strike comedy gold again. <br />
<em>Get a sneak peek at "The Paul Reiser Show" (with guest star Larry David) right here: </em><br />
<br />
<em>"The Paul Reiser Show" premieres Thursday, 4/14 at 8:30pm ET on NBC.</em><br />
<h1> </h1><h2 class="package-header "><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span></span></h2><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span>News Source: Yahoo</span></h2><h2 class="package-header "> </h2><h2 class="package-header "> <br />
</h2><h2 class="package-header "> </h2></div></div>club-asteria-bdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319196768297689217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2100755695947769576.post-45950330931408085052011-04-13T21:04:00.000-07:002011-04-13T21:04:31.594-07:00'American Idol' stars: then and now<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2 class="title-date " id="yui_3_0_0-2-1302752120310645"><span class="date y-txt-2 medium" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></h2><div class="main-story-content y-bg-1" id="yui-tmp-4" style="opacity: 1;"> <h2 class="package-header "> <img alt="(L-R) Carrie Underwood (Jason Merritt/Getty Images); Kelly Clarkson (Scott Kirkland/WireImage)" class="" id="p_13872472-header-image" src="http://l1.yimg.com/a/i/ww/news/2011/04/12/idol-now.jpg" title="(L-R) Carrie Underwood (Jason Merritt/Getty Images); Kelly Clarkson (Scott Kirkland/WireImage)" /> </h2><h2 class="package-header "><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;">Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson didn't always look like chic pop stars.</span></span></h2><h1 style="color: #0b5394;">'American Idol' Stars: Then & Now</h1>See how “Idol” contestants changed their looks after being thrust into the spotlight.<br />
<h2 class="package-header "><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span></span></h2><div><img alt="" class="landscape" id="gallery_img_container" src="http://l.yimg.com/k/im_siggBx4o9kWW3.CyLLO6Rc2AZQ---y526-x595-q75-n0/omg/us/img/b4/38/1724447559_13617753456.jpg" /> </div><div> </div><div> <div><img alt="" class="" height="640" id="gallery_img_container" src="http://l.yimg.com/k/im_siggUIp.e4.ADRgY92GTzrzKFA---y626-x495-q75-n1/omg/us/img/90/d1/1750505421_1077125448.jpg" style="opacity: 1;" width="422" /> </div><div> </div><div> <div><img alt="" class="" id="gallery_img_container" src="http://l.yimg.com/k/im_siggbCbOy7nz936vuAcVgHFebA---y626-x495-q75-n1/omg/us/img/ed/76/1885028802_7076400941.jpg" style="opacity: 1;" /></div> <div><img alt="" class="" id="gallery_img_container" src="http://l.yimg.com/k/im_siggCv0TTUB7LSn5kvGri8a7Uw---y626-x495-q75-n1/omg/us/img/ba/53/1517482470_1845862203.jpg" style="opacity: 1;" /></div> </div><div><br />
</div> <br />
<div><img alt="" class="" id="gallery_img_container" src="http://l.yimg.com/k/im_siggY4wvlMxGyYxt6d.UEZaKzg---y626-x495-q75-n1/omg/us/img/57/63/1650994295_14175231501.jpg" style="opacity: 1;" /> </div><div> <div><img alt="" class="" id="gallery_img_container" src="http://l.yimg.com/k/im_siggi_H7Xfm_JrNdJLf3rsM_LA---y626-x495-q75-n1/omg/us/img/7c/c1/1456188201_3091090868.jpg" style="opacity: 1;" /></div></div><div><br />
</div></div><h2 class="package-header "><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span></span><span id="photo-title">Jennifer Hudson, Musicians</span> </h2><div id="photo-caption">Though she finished in seventh place during the third season of the show, she's made it to the top now, winning an Oscar, Golden Globe, and SAG award for her supporting role in "Dreamgirls." Her <a name='more'></a>self-titled first album won a Grammy, and she's since starred in "Sex and the City" and "The Secret Life of Bees." </div><div id="photo-caption"> </div><div id="photo-caption"> <h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span>News Source: Yahoo</span></h2> </div><h2 class="package-header "> </h2></div></div>club-asteria-bdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319196768297689217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2100755695947769576.post-82179070357139083312011-04-13T20:59:00.000-07:002011-04-13T20:59:35.732-07:00Obama leaves wiggle room in budget battle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="main-story-content y-bg-1" id="yui-tmp-4" style="opacity: 1;"><h2 class="package-header "><img alt="President Barack Obama outlines his fiscal policy during an address at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)" class="" id="p_13872472-header-image" src="http://l1.yimg.com/a/i/ww/news/2011/04/13/obamatoday.jpg" title="President Barack Obama outlines his fiscal policy during an address at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)" /> </h2><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;">The president's $4 trillion deficit-reduction plan offers both flexibility and room for criticism.</span></span></h2><h1 id="yn-title" style="color: #0b5394;">On Healthcare and Deficit, Obama Punts (Mostly) and Invites a GOP Fight</h1>In his Wednesday speech on deficit reduction - and even in fact sheets distributed ahead of time - the President wasn't big on specifics. On health care spending, a primary driver of long-term deficits, he was downright vague. In a briefing with reporters, two "senior administration officials" armed with talking points repeatedly stressed that "this is a framework, not a plan." The speech today was about "putting ideas on the table," not offering specific legislative proposals. <br />
This vagueness was calculated, of course. The fewer specifics you offer, the less specific criticism you'll have to bear and the more wiggle room you leave yourself to claim you're not really proposing that thing that everyone hates. <span class="see">(See the 2011 TIME 100 Poll)</span><br />
But Obama won't be able to insulate himself from criticism of his health care "ideas." In fact, a major piece of what he proposed today in fairly broad strokes is sure to generate renewed accusations that the Administration wants to "ration Medicare." <br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Obama says he wants to strengthen the Independent Payment Advisory Board. This is the 15-member board created by the Affordable Care Act and charged with keeping the growth in Medicare spending to per capita GDP plus 1% beginning in 2018. The board, serving paid 6-year terms, would be appointed by the President, in consultation with Congress and with the consent of the Senate, but essentially, IPAB takes the duty of cutting Medicare reimbursement out of Congress's hands. <span class="see">(See how Americans are spending now.)</span><br />
IPAB will propose cuts based on Medicare cost projections. If Congress can come up with alternate cuts that achieve the same savings as IPAB recommends, it can override the board. In general, though, the creation of IPAB is a transfer of power from the legislative to the executive branch and is intended to make containing Medicare spending possible. The idea, say IPAB's architects, is to insulate Medicare payment decisions from political whims and special interests. <br />
(For much more on the details of IPAB, see this column by Timothy Jost and published in May 2010 in the New England Journal of Medicine. See also this deep and thorough issue brief from the non-profit, non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation.) <br />
Obama proposes setting the GDP benchmark lower, at GDP plus .5% in 2018, which would do more to restrain Medicare's cost growth. IPAB's recommendations, which would probably include cuts in provider reimbursements, would kick in at lower levels of spending under Obama's new proposal. (This paragraph has been altered slightly for clarification.) <span class="see">(See the top 10 financial-crisis buzzwords.)</span><br />
That Obama opted to focus on IPAB is a direct shot at the GOP; he is asking for a fight and he'll likely get one. In Paul Ryan's 2012 budget proposal, the House Budget Chairman notably proposed repealing IPAB even though he suggested leaving much of the ACA in place. (And even though the Congessional Budget Office says IPAB will cut some $30 billion in spending by 2019.) Here's what Ryan says in the "Path to Prosperity": <br />
The new health care law empowers bureaucrats at the expense of patients and providers, setting up an unelected board of "experts" - the Independent Payment Advisory Board, or IPAB - tasked with squeezing savings out of Medicare through formulaic rationing. One-size-fits-all decisions to restrict certain treatments punish beneficiaries by hitting all providers of the same treatment with across-the-board cuts, with no regard to measures of quality or patient satisfaction. <br />
This budget would eliminate IPAB and stop the raid on Medicare. <br />
So the IPAB will become an intense battleground. Obama likely thinks he has good cover, however. The Simpson-Bowles deficit commission recommended empowering IPAB even more than Obama suggested today. (See page 34.) It said IPAB should be able to make recommendations for private health insurance plans, which would make IPAB's power much more dramatic. Simpson-Bowles also said IPAB should be able to recommend cuts in payments to all providers, while the existing IPAB structure includes various carveouts. <br />
Obama left other deficit reduction ideas on the table. He does not support raising the Medicare retirement age to 67, as Ryan suggests. A senior administration official was also careful to point out that capping or eliminating the tax exclusion for job-sponsored health benefits has not been proposed. (This was a major proposal in Simpson-Bowles and one that health care economists say should be seriously considered if the long-term health spending crisis is to be addressed.) Simpson-Bowles also recommended increasing cost-sharing for Medicare beneficiaries; Obama said nothing about this. <span class="see">(See pictures of Barack Obama's campaign behind the scenes.)</span><br />
In addition to proposals to strengthen IPAB, Obama winked at Republican governors by pledging to simplify Medicaid and give states more flexibility in how they run the program. (He did not recommend transforming the state-federal program into a series of block grants, as Ryan suggest.) Obama also indicated he is open to using Medicare's purchasing power to negotiate drug prices - possibly nod to liberals angered by the White House backroom deal with the pharmaceutical industry struck during the health reform debate. <br />
How exactly would the Medicaid and prescriptions drug proposals work? He didn't say. <br />
Here are Obama's remarks today on his health care deficit reduction plan: <br />
The third step in our approach is to further reduce health care spending in our budget. Here, the difference with the House Republican plan could not be clearer: their plan lowers the government's health care bills by asking seniors and poor families to pay them instead. Our approach lowers the government's health care bills by reducing the cost of health care itself. <br />
Already, the reforms we passed in the health care law will reduce our deficit by $1 trillion. My approach would build on these reforms. We will reduce wasteful subsidies and erroneous payments. We will cut spending on prescription drugs by using Medicare's purchasing power to drive greater efficiency and speed generic brands of medicine onto the market. We will work with governors of both parties to demand more efficiency and accountability from Medicaid. We will change the way we pay for health care - not by procedure or the number of days spent in a hospital, but with new incentives for doctors and hospitals to prevent injuries and improve results. And we will slow the growth of Medicare costs by strengthening an independent commission of doctors, nurses, medical experts and consumers who will look at all the evidence and recommend the best ways to reduce unnecessary spending while protecting access to the services seniors need. <br />
Now, we believe the reforms we've proposed to strengthen Medicare and Medicaid will enable us to keep these commitments to our citizens while saving us $500 billion by 2023, and an additional one trillion dollars in the decade after that. And if we're wrong, and Medicare costs rise faster than we expect, this approach will give the independent commission the authority to make additional savings by further improving Medicare. <br />
But let me be absolutely clear: I will preserve these health care programs as a promise we make to each other in this society. I will not allow Medicare to become a voucher program that leaves seniors at the mercy of the insurance industry, with a shrinking benefit to pay for rising costs. I will not tell families with children who have disabilities that they have to fend for themselves. We will reform these programs, but we will not abandon the fundamental commitment this country has kept for generations. <br />
<h1 id="yn-title"> </h1><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span>News Source: Yahoo</span></h2><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span></span> </h2></div></div>club-asteria-bdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319196768297689217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2100755695947769576.post-67714745843601200792011-04-13T20:56:00.000-07:002011-04-13T20:56:32.283-07:00What to know before you whiten your teeth<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2 class="package-header "><img alt="Close up of young woman using a teeth whitening strip IMAGE: © Jose Luis Pelaez, Inc./Blend Images/CorbisClose up of young woman using a teeth whitening strip IMAGE: © Jose Luis Pelaez, Inc./Blend Images/Corbis" class="" id="p_13872472-header-image" src="http://l1.yimg.com/a/i/ww/news/2011/04/12/teethwhitening-lg.jpg" title="Close up of young woman using a teeth whitening strip IMAGE: © Jose Luis Pelaez, Inc./Blend Images/CorbisClose up of young woman using a teeth whitening strip IMAGE: © Jose Luis Pelaez, Inc./Blend Images/Corbis" /> </h2><h2 class="package-header "></h2><h2 class="package-header "><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;">Up to 65% of people who bleach their teeth experience some pain.</span></span></h2><h1 style="color: #0b5394;">About to Whiten Your Teeth? Read This First!</h1><h1> </h1><br />
<div class="figure fig-left" style="width: 350px;"> <img alt="About to Whiten Your Teeth? Read This First!" height="400" src="http://www.realage.com/cm/realage/images/Mo/whitened-teeth-350x350.jpg" width="400" /> </div>The down economy's done little to darken the tooth-bleaching market. Americans spend $1.4 billion a year on at-home kits to brighten stained and yellowed chompers and request whitening more than any other procedure in the dentist's office. (Then again, who's begging for a root canal?) But, like anything that combines the potential of looking better (a twinkly white smile) with possible risks (sticking chemicals in your mouth), this one has attracted its share of controversy.<br />
Before you run out for a lunchtime tooth-lightening session or apply your umpteenth -- or your first -- set of whitening strips to your bicuspids at home, here are four things you should know about chemical spiff-ups for your smile:<br />
<a name='more'></a> <strong>1. Give it a rest.</strong> There's a reason some products should be used only four times a year: worries about overuse. If lightening becomes as regular as a monthly haircut in your grooming routine, you may damage tooth enamel and take your teeth to the point of ghostly translucence. That's not pretty.<br />
<strong>2. It's not always ouchless.</strong> The most common side effects of tooth-whitening, whether it's DIY in your bathroom or a professional job, are sensitive teeth and irritated gums. From 10% to 65% of people who give tooth bleaching a try have some pain, experts say. Usually, it's short lived, but to avoid it in the first place, try using a toothpaste that reduces sensitivity for several days before your procedure (and for a few days or weeks afterward). Taking an ordinary painkiller (like ibuprofen) before a bleaching session helps, too.<br />
<strong>3. Think twice about bleaching at the mall.</strong> One recent CBS-TV investigation of "whiten while you shop" kiosks and storefronts in malls found that while employees may wear lab coats, they usually aren't dental-care professionals. And they aren't equipped to evaluate dental problems -- so underlying dental issues, like cavities, could be made worse by bleaching. One place used bleaching agents that were dentist-office strength, which can be two to three times stronger than the carbamide peroxide gel found in some home whitening kits approved by the American Dental Association.<br />
<strong> <br />
Check out these dental tools you'll want to use to keep teeth and gums healthy.</strong><br />
<strong>4. Ask your dentist what's possible.</strong> Bleaching can make your pearly whites several shades whiter -- especially if coffee, tea, tobacco, or plain old aging are to blame for that gray-yellow grin. But the results are less reliable if your teeth were stained by the use of the antibiotic tetracycline or by too much fluoride in childhood. Also, if you have tooth-colored fillings or crowns, bleaching can cause a color mismatch. Talk to your dentist about whether a possible variation in "whites" in your mouth will be noticeable.<br />
<h1> </h1><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span>News Source: Yahoo</span></h2><h2 class="package-header "><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span></span> </h2><h2 class="package-header "><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span></span></h2><h2 class="package-header "><br />
</h2></div>club-asteria-bdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319196768297689217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2100755695947769576.post-82895661394513783052011-04-13T20:51:00.000-07:002011-04-13T20:51:25.894-07:00Goalkeeper commits an awful blunder<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2 class="title-date " id="yui_3_0_0-2-1302752120310645"><span class="date y-txt-2 medium" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></h2><div class="main-story-content y-bg-1" style="opacity: 1;"> <h2 class="package-header "> <img alt="Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes of Spurs can't stop Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid scoring their first goal during the UEFA Champions League quarter final second leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)" class="" id="p_13872472-header-image" src="http://l1.yimg.com/a/i/ww/news/2011/04/13/keep.jpg" title="Goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes of Spurs can't stop Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid scoring their first goal during the UEFA Champions League quarter final second leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Real Madrid (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)" /> </h2><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;">Heurelho Gomes plays in the world's best league, but Ronaldo makes him look like a novice on this shot.</span></span></h2><h2 class="title" style="color: #0b5394;">Gomes has comical difficulty catching Ronaldo’s shot</h2>Despite being in a 4-0 hole after the first leg, Spurs held out hope that "anything could happen" when they hosted Real Madrid for their Champions League quarterfinal second leg match. I don't think this was the "anything" they had in mind, though. After a scoreless first half that suited Jose Mourinho just fine, Spurs goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes made one of his trademark goof-ups by letting a Cristiano Ronaldo shot from distance skip right through his hands and bounce into the goal. That killed what little hope Spurs had and produced the only goal of the match.<br />
<a name='more'></a> Of course, Gomes did more than his fair share to get Spurs to the quarterfinals of the Champions League in the first place and with his teammates unable to manage a single goal, his mistake didn't make much of a difference. Still, he might want to start taking his gloves off before he eats handfuls of butter.<br />
<a href="" name="remaining-content"></a> <center><img align="middle" alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-854" height="636" hspace="8" src="http://mit.zenfs.com/210/2011/04/1302728342_extras_albumes_0.jpg" title="1302728342_extras_albumes_0" width="600" /></center> Psst -- it's right above you.<br />
<h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span></span></h2><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span>News Source: Yahoo</span></h2><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span></span></h2><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span></span></h2><h2 class="package-header "> </h2></div></div>club-asteria-bdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319196768297689217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2100755695947769576.post-30327189423484077082011-04-13T20:46:00.000-07:002011-04-13T20:46:24.965-07:00Surprise double take in 'Men in Black III'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2 class="title-date " id="yui_3_0_0-2-1302752120310645"><span class="date y-txt-2 medium" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></h2><div class="main-story-content y-bg-1" style="opacity: 1;"> <h2 class="package-header "> <img alt="Tommy Lee Jones (Columbia/courtesy Everett Collection)" class="" id="p_13872472-header-image" src="http://l1.yimg.com/a/i/ww/news/2011/04/13/tommylee.jpg" title="Tommy Lee Jones (Columbia/courtesy Everett Collection)" /> </h2><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;">Another Oscar-nominated actor will play Tommy Lee Jones's younger self in the sequel.</span></span></h2><h2 style="color: #0b5394;">Josh Brolin Is the Young Tommy Lee Jones in 'Men in Black III'</h2><span class="omg-b-m-inlinephoto" style="width: 250px;"> <em><img height="400" src="http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ymoviesblog__15/ymoviesblog-797814678-1302719971.jpg?ymjH42ED8trBc9em" title="Will Smith &amp; Josh Brolin" width="333" /></em> </span><br />
<span class="omg-b-m-inlinephoto" style="width: 250px;"> <span class="omg-b-m-photo-caption">Will Smith & Josh Brolin</span> <span class="omg-b-m-photo-credit">Asadorian-Mejia/Splash</span> </span> After nearly a decade away from movie screens, Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones are suiting up again to become "Men in Black." After the first two films made over $1 billion worldwide, it was just a matter of time before they put on their shades and fought aliens again. But if the photo to the left is looks a little off to you, don't worry. It's not a facelift that's making Jones look decades younger; it's another actor.<br />
Photographers caught Will Smith and new costar Josh Brolin filming scenes for "Men in Black III" this week in the Bronx. According to The Hollywood Reporter, in the third movie Smith's character, Agent J, goes back in time to 1969 and encounters the younger version of Jones's Agent K, played by Brolin. From the looks of the pictures, it seems that Brolin has stepped into Jones's patent leather shoes just fine.<br />
<br />
<div align="right"><strong>See Will Smith and Josh Brolin on the set >></strong> </div><br />
<span class="omg-b-m-inlinephoto" style="width: 250px;"> <em><img height="400" src="http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ymoviesblog__15/ymoviesblog-591620697-1302719971.jpg?ymjH42EDRkVBUQXW" title="The Two K's: Jones and Brolin" width="333" /></em> </span><br />
<span class="omg-b-m-inlinephoto" style="width: 250px;"> <span class="omg-b-m-photo-caption">The Two K's: Jones and Brolin</span> <span class="omg-b-m-photo-credit">Everett Collection/Asadorian-Mejia/Splash</span> </span> In many ways, Josh Brolin was a natural choice to step in as the earlier incarnation of Tommy Lee Jones. There is a marked resemblance between the two, especially with their matching black suits and slicked-back hair. They both have roots in Texas: Jones was born there, and Brolin's mother was a native. Both own ranches where they live when they're not working. They have also worked on the same film twice before -- "<span class="ymp-btn-page-play ymp-media-a287a3cde1832bd320896b5e4944ad24">In the Valley of Elah<em class="ymp-skin-hover"></em></span>" and the Oscar-winning "<span class="ymp-btn-page-play ymp-media-75223da6d3d90ed8eb262c0da61a9c2d">No Country for Old Men<em class="ymp-skin-hover"></em></span>" -- but they never appeared in the same scene. And since they're playing the same role in two different times, it stands to reason they won't in "Men in Black III," either.<br />
However, Brolin is significantly older now than Jones actually was in 1969. Brolin is currently 43 years old, and Jones was 23 at that time. But since Brolin still looks young for his age -- and Jones has always looked old for his -- it basically evens out.<br />
<a name='more'></a> <div align="right"><strong>Josh Brolin red carpet photos >></strong> </div>"Men in Black III" has been the subject of some controversy because, according to The Hollywood Reporter, cameras started rolling on the film without a finished script. In order to qualify for New York tax credits that were set to expire, the movie began shooting last November. The plan was for filming to go on hiatus from December through February, but that break was extended through March to finish the screenplay. But as the photographs show, the cast and crew are now back at work.<br />
With a cast that also includes Emma Thompson and Jemaine Clement, "Men in Black III" is scheduled to open on May 25, 2012.<br />
<h2> </h2><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span></span></h2><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span>News Source: Yahoo</span></h2><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span></span> </h2><h2 class="package-header " style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span></span></h2><h2 class="package-header "> </h2></div></div>club-asteria-bdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319196768297689217noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2100755695947769576.post-80726998061310901352011-04-13T04:22:00.000-07:002011-04-13T04:22:51.394-07:00Serena back on court in outrageous outfit<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2 class="title-date " id="yui_3_0_0-2-1302692931807682"><span class="date y-txt-2 medium" style="font-family: inherit;"></span></h2><div class="main-story-content y-bg-1"> <h2 class="package-header "> <img alt="Serena Williams (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)" class="" id="p_13872472-header-image" src="http://l1.yimg.com/a/i/ww/news/2011/04/12/serena.jpg" title="Serena Williams (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)" /> </h2><h2 class="package-header "> <span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;">The stylish tennis star makes a stunning return to practice for the first time since her health scare.</span></span></h2><h2 class="title" style="color: #0b5394;">Serena returns to the tennis court wearing skintight, pink bodysuit</h2><div class="byline">By <span><span>Chris Chase</span></span></div><div> Serena Williams is back on the tennis court for the first time since a health scare sidelined her two months ago. And, in typical Serena fashion, she did so in style:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img align="middle" alt="" height="468" hspace="8" src="http://mit.zenfs.com/218/2011/04/serena-williams-return-11-pink.jpg" title="serena williams return 11 pink" width="350" /> </div>What, you expected the woman who once wore this to a US Open to practice in a tennis skirt and sweater vest? If Serena is coming back, it's going to be with some gusto.<br />
<div> <table border="0"><tbody>
<tr> <td><img alt="" height="266" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/sp/tools/med/2011/04/ipt/1302653039.jpg" style="border-width: 0px ! important;" title="Serena's worst fashions" width="400" /></td> <td valign="middle"><br />
</td> </tr>
</tbody> </table></div>The 13-time Grand Slam champion had been hinting at a return to the court for the past few days on her Twitter account. Cryptic messages like "my life starts today" and "back on the shakes" foreshadowed Tuesday's practice session, which was announced in the third-person and later confirmed by her agent.<br />
The outfit, however, was a complete surprise. It's not like Serena had given any warnings that she had recently watched Molly Ringwald in "Pretty In Pink" or was reading "Catwoman" comic books.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
There's no word as of yet on when Serena will return to competitive play. It'll come in time. For now, just seeing her on the court with a racquet in her hand is good news enough.<br />
</div><h1> <span style="font-size: small;"><span> </span></span></h1><h1><span style="font-size: small;"><span>News Source: YAHOO </span></span></h1><h2 class="package-header "><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="medium" style="line-height: 1.231;"> </span></span></h2><h2 class="package-header "> </h2><h2 class="package-header "> </h2></div></div>club-asteria-bdhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319196768297689217noreply@blogger.com0