Showing posts with label tax-cut talks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tax-cut talks. Show all posts

Friday, December 3, 2010


Holland Reynolds, a junior high school cross-country runner in California, collapsed just feet away from the finish line at the state cross country championship. She finished the race by crawling passed the finish line, securing the state championship for her team.
"By the 2 1/2 mile mark I really didn't feel as great as I should have," Reynolds said. "My leg started to feel really, really heavy. I was going to try and get right up behind the girl in first place, but I felt like I couldn't run fast anymore."
The team celebrated the victory in the back of the ambulance Reynolds was in. Scroll down to watch the dramatic
Read More: Holland Reynolds, High School Cross-Country Runner, Crawls Passed Finish Line


Have you gotten your fill of Anna Nicole Smith yet? A few weeks ago, I was typing away at the airport in Atlanta trying to drown out the continuing, repetitive breaking news that was flowing out of every speaker -- Smith had 50 million types of drugs in her body! Harried travelers kept stopping, asking what this breaking news was, and then groaning when I told them that it was all Ms. Smith, and not even the Angelina variety. But now most of that has passed. We know who the father of her little girl is, and maybe, just maybe we can hope for a nice lull in coverage on the deceased, troubled celebrity.

Yeah, not quite. We should expect more coverage for at least the next year or so as Smith's colorful life is heading to indie film, Anna Nicole, and Variety has just announced the biopic's star -- Willa Ford. She used to be the self-proclaimed "Bad Girl of Pop," and she appeared in the third season of Dancing with the Stars. Since one of her singles was the multiplatinum I Wanna Be Bad, I guess she's getting her wish. The super-speedy crew will jump into filming next week, with Keoni Waxman directing. Covering Anna from the ages of 17 to 39, it'll show the time we can barely remember when she was a Monroe-esque Playboy centerfold and Guess model, her stint as an actress, that controversial marriage to billionaire old man Howard Marshall II, the shocking death of her son and then, of course, her own death. Ford has got the barely-clothed blonde thing going for her, but I'm not sure if I buy her as Smith. Then again, plastic surgery kept the troubled celebrity from even looking like herself, so I'm sure that doesn't matter much.
Read More: Willa Ford is Anna Nicole Smith


Well, that turned out to be a big dud. The only noteworthy thing to come out of LeBron's return to Cleveland last night (besides James doing his powder toss) was a Cavaliers assistant coach telling LeBron to "shut the f--- up." So I guess we move on to other nonsense now, like this look at the seven sexiest women married to mediocre NHL players. Willa Ford is not on the list because she's married to Mike Modano, and he's not mediocre, but she needed to be recognized in this space.
Read More: The Benefit Of Being Mediocre


The X-37B returns: The unmanned spaceplane, dubbed the "sports car" of low orbital flight, landed in California this morning after seven months in space. Sir Richard Branson is officially jealous. [AP]Ashton Kutcher vs. Vivid: Long story short: A woman named Brittney Jones alleged in Star Magazine that she slept with Ashton Kutcher; Jones has a new sex tape; Vivid, the tape's producers, are including Kutcher's name in the marketing materials; Kutcher's attorneys have reportedly fired off an angry letter. Phew -- surely this could've been resolved with a couple of tweets. [New York Daily News]Bristol Palin vs. Keith Olbermann: "Sorry we can't all be as perfect as you," the former "Dancing with the Stars" contestant wrote in a fiery Facebook note after the MSNBC host took aim at the teen mom's role as an abstinence spokesperson. Looks like someone's about to get defriended
Read More :Brand X Files: X-37B returns. Brittney Jones sex tape irks Ashton. Bristol Palin vs. Olbermann

Thursday, December 2, 2010


Nutmeg high—is this the new drug of choice among teenagers?

Apparently so, as a trend of young people are now posting videos of themselves on YouTube smoking nutmeg in another attempt to get high.
Doctors say that smoking, snorting or the ingestion of nutmeg, a popular cooking spice, may act as a hallucinogen after 15-20 minutes. They also warn it may cause nausea, body pain, convulsions and dehydration.
The YouTube video showed a young man eating an entire bottle of nutmeg, and then downs it with water that also has nutmeg mixed in.
Officers say that the video is just another example of “homemade highs,” a trend that finds legal substances to reach euphoria.
"I think a lot of the kids across the country when they see something on YouTube they like to try things especially when it comes to smoking something other than marijuana which they know is illegal they know it's going to cost them money to buy it. They purchase something like nutmeg, all spice, any kind of spice you can buy at the store legally and they go out and try it. They have to consider the consequences that's going to come a long with it," says Sgt Rickey Wheeler, in an interview with KTEN.com.
Unfortunately, the “word of mouth” way of spreading drug trends gets a whole lot faster in this digital age, according to Sgt. Rickey Wheeler.
Read more: Nutmeg High: Is The Cooking Spice the New Drug of Choice?


All holiday entertainment – including the Mannheim Steamroller concerts – is included as part of 2-Park or Multi-day admission to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Florida residents can take advantage of these special offers:
Read More:Enjoy Nightly Holiday Music, Including Three Concerts By Top-Selling Holiday Music Group Mannheim Steamroller on December

 At Universal Studios Florida, the Macy’s Holiday Parade will fill the streets every evening with the same iconic balloons seen winding through New York City. The parade features colorful holiday characters, floats, balloons and a tree-lighting ceremony by Santa Claus.

At Universal’s Islands of Adventure, adults and children alike will be entertained when the popular Dr. Seuss book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is brought to life in Grinchmas. Guests can see a live stage show featuring The Grinch and The Whos from Whoville with an original recorded musical score by Mannheim Steamroller. Also, guests will have the opportunity to meet The Grinch and the strolling Whos, and on select dates, purchase a spot at a special character breakfast with The Grinch.Guests can also enjoy the sounds of nightly a capella holiday music at Universal Studios. And, on December 4, 11 and 18, Mannheim Steamroller – the masters of Christmas music with more than 30 million albums sold worldwide – will play their memorable holiday music for guests on the Music Plaza stage. Guests can explore the nearby, all-new Holiday Village, filled with hand-blown glass ornaments, caramel apples, hot chocolate, roasted chestnuts and a cupcake decorating location.

The celebration continues at Universal Orlando’s three on-site hotels – Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel and Loews Royal Pacific Resort – all of which will glisten with holiday decorations. Hotel guests will be immersed in the spirit of the season with tree-lighting ceremonies, special musical performances, holiday “dive-in” movie presentations and holiday buffets and dining events. Loews Portofino Bay Hotel kicks off the season on Friday, November 26 with ‘Holiday Harbor Nights’, a wine tasting, food and jazz celebration on the piazza. Hard Rock Hotel welcomes Santa to the Kitchen restaurant on Fridays in December and Loews Royal Pacific Resort rings in the new year with ALOHA 2011, a New Year’s Eve celebration, with a special kids-only party right next door to the main event. Florida Residents can enjoy discounted rates at each of the three on-site hotels.
Read More; Celebrate the Season with Macy’s Holiday Parade, Grinchmas and an All-New Holiday Village


Orlando, FL – Imagine cheerful holiday music floating on the brisk air. Children marveling at giant, colorful balloons passing overhead. Laughter from the crowd as The Grinch and the Whos share their timeless story live on stage. Imagine families sharing the spirit of the season together, experiencing exciting rides and attractions. There’s no better place to be for the holidays this year than Universal Orlando Resort.This year’s Holidays event runs December 4 through January 1, 2011, and offers guests incredible entertainment themed for the season at both its theme parks.
Read More: Universal Studios Orlando Holiday Celebration

 Celebration, Disney's master-planned, picture-perfect central Florida community, has never reported a homicide in its 14-year existence — until this week.

Residents of the town five miles south of Walt Disney World woke up Tuesday to the sight of yellow crime-scene tape wrapped around a condo near the Christmas-decorated downtown, where Bing Crosby croons from speakers hidden in the foliage. A 58-year-old neighbor who lived alone with his Chihuahua had been slain over the long Thanksgiving weekend, Osceola County sheriff's deputies said.

The community's famous friendliness is what brought investigators Matteo Giovanditto's body: Neighbors hadn't seen the victim for days, so they filed a missing person's report, then went into his condo a day later and found him.

A few years ago, a resident joked with a reporter that Celebration would feel like real town when a bike was stolen. Now, it has an unsolved killing on its hands.
With 11,000 residents, Celebration is something of anomaly in Central Florida. There's no suburban sprawl — the entire place is reminiscent of a quaint New England village.It's the kind of town where people give Christmas gifts to their favorite Starbucks barista, where welcoming wooden rocking chairs sit lakeside on a sidewalk without being stolen, where neighbors tend to get suspicious if they notice you're not around.And that's what happened with Giovanditto, detectives say.Neighbors hadn't seen Giovanditto, who owned a bottom-floor condo at a building called The Idlewyld, since the day before Thanksgiving. His black Corvette was also missing. A neighbor was supposed to walk Giovanditto's dog, Lucy, over the weekend, but he wasn't responding to her calls.
Read More; Town That Disney Built Has 1st Killing Since Start


Dr. Thomas Hess, the so-called friend of LPGA Golfer Erica Blasberg, and the last person to see her alive before she died May 9th 2010, plead guilty to misdemeanor obstruction of justice and at Henderson, Nev., Municipal Court.

There, Hess was sentenced to one year of probation and 40 hours of community service. 

Hess took a note and drugs of some kind away from what was the crime scene around Erica's death: her home in Nevada.
Read More: Erica Blasberg Death: Thomas Hess guilty of obstruction of justice

Thomas Hess, a Las Vegas physician, has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor obstruction in the suicide of Erica Blasberg.According to reports, Hess admitted to removing a suicide note and prescription medications from Blasberg's home before police showed up to investigate, wanting to spare her family the supposed embarrassment of a suicide.Hess was sentenced to one year probation and 40 hours of community service.Blasberg, the 25-year-old who joined the LPGA Tour in 2005, was found in May with a plastic bag over her head. Her parents initially expressed skepticism that the cause of death was suicide, but in August police confirmed that it was.

Shortly after Blasberg's death, police raided the office and home of Hess in search of "small blue oval pills in a 30 package blister pack," as well as a specific type of trash bag. The same type of pill package and trash bag were found in Blasberg's residence. Blasberg's parents said she had been taking Xanax for anxiety.
Read More: Erica Blasberg's Doctor Pleads Guilty in Suicide


No, still no word on the status of Howard Stern’
s contract with Sirius XM Satellite radio. Howard did, however, have stand-up comedian Whitney Cummings in the studio this morning. Cummings has been a frequent guest since she was a runner-up in Howard Stern’s Funniest, Hottest Chick Contest back in 2008.

Whitney was in to promote an upcoming pilot, her recent killing on the Friars Club Roast of Quentin Tarantino and some upcoming stand-up gigs. We learned that Whitney is very nice and apologizes ahead of time to her “targets” at roasts before she goes on. Robin Quivers confirmed this and said she did pre-apologize to her at the Comedy Central Roast of Joan Rivers.

If you’ve arrived at this page, you are most likely listening to the rebroadcast of Whitney’s segment on Sirius, and you want to know what she looks like… especially since she has such a hot voice. Below are two clips and a few images we’ve found around the internet: Read More: Comedian Whitney Cummings on the Howard Stern Show




I have 57 nieces (or, 6, I lose count), and all of them…from the 12-year-old to the 0-year-old…all of them want jeggings. This many jeggings can add up, but I found some good, relatively inexpensive options. Keep reading.
Read More : All My Nieces Want for Christmas: Jeggings


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They are the festive photos most families would want to forget but these embarrassing snaps have become an internet sensation.
Parents posing in paisley pyjamas, a family dressed in fig leaves and a couple with reindeer antlers are some of the most popular pictures on the Awkward Family Photos website.

'It all started when my mum hung a picture on the wall of me, my dad and my brother doing a silly ski pose for my dad's 50th birthday,' said Mike.
'I went out for lunch with my friend Doug and told him about the picture and he said he had lots of embarrassing family photos too.
'It got me thinking that everyone must have awkward pictures and we decided to set up a website to share them as a sort of celebration of awkwardness.'
The website was soon discussed on a radio station and within a week it had a million hits.
Now 20 months on the pair get sent 150 pictures a day, from all around the world including the UK, China, Australia and Brazil, and have now posted 1000 photos on the website.
'People that come to the site have a good sense of humour and are able to laugh at themselves,' he added.
'We all love our families but they are uncomfortable at times too. They are the type of pictures that everyone can relate to.
'The website has now become a full time job for us. We never envisaged how big it would get.'
Mike said the Christmas snap of the dad without his shirt on and t
Read More:Smile! (Or make that cringe!) A website dedicated to embarrassing photos of festive family fun has become an internet sensation

Wednesday, December 1, 2010


Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen was shot dead by an expert marksman, it was revealed today.
n initial coroner's report showed the movie industry stalwart's injuries were consistent with a professional 'hit'.Miss Chasen, 64, was shot five times in the chest in the early hours of November 16th in Beverly Hills, shortly after leaving the premiere of Burlesque.The coroner said the nature of the famed publicist's injuries were consistent with being targeted by a professional gunman.The report said:'There were three apparent gunshot wounds to the right side breast/chest area. There were two apparent gunshot wounds to the right shoulder.

'There was an apparent gunshot wound to the right upper back and the left upper back.

'One bullet was recovered from her back while at the hospital and is possibly a 9mm hollow point.'

Detectives confirmed they are looking for a skilled marksman as part of their murder probe.

They believe the gunman fired from a SUV or truck that pulled up alongside Miss Chasen's BMW as she stopped on Sunset Boulevard.

The report added: 'After being struck by gunfire, she then made a left turn and drove for approximately a quarter mile before she crashed her car into a pole.'

Former LA detective Gill Carillo told ABC News: 'Normally they turn the gun sideways and this is something that was done with some skill.
I carried a gun for 38 years and had to fire it quarterly. I don't think I could shoot and hit that mass like that.'Police could find no shell casings and only the car's right-side passenger seats and windows were damaged.Miss Chasen's death has prompted a swirl of theories as to who might have wanted to kill the popular publicist.Footage of her driving a car that was not hers 19 days before she was gunned down has only added to the intrigue as conspiracy theories abound about her death.The film, snapped by a private investigator who was asked to record all the comings and going of the building where Miss Chasen was living, for an unrelated purpose, shows her driving an unidentified vehicle.

Read more: Murdered Hollywood publicist was gunned down by 'expert marksman', coroner reveal

LOS ANGELES ( KTLA) -- Three members of a rock band who blocked traffic for nearly two hours on the 101 Freeway in Hollywood in October have been charged with conspiracy to commit a public nuisance.

The felony charge and several misdemeanor counts were filed Tuesday against members of the Orange County band Imperial Stars, according to Los Angeles County prosecutors. They band members could face up to three years in prison if convicted.

Prosecutors say Keith Richard Yackey, 31, of Las Vegas, Christopher Roy Wright, 32, of Garden Grove, and David Paul Hale, 30, of Stanton climbed atop a truck that stopped on U.S. 101 near Sunset Boulevard on Oct. 12.
Read More:Band Members in Hollywood Freeway Jam Charged


Ah, it pays to be a top Hollywood star. Take Julia Roberts, for example. U.K. tabloid the Daily Mail reports the Oscar winner was recently paid $1.2 million euro ($1.6 million CDN) to star in a 45-second TV commercial for Italian coffee company Lavazza.Dressed as the goddess Venus, Roberts smiles, sighs, winks, sips coffee, and flashes her famous grin but doesn’t utter a single word.The commercial begins airing this month in Europe.Roberts is following in the footsteps of dozens of Hollywood’s elite by starring in foreign advertisements. Everyone from George Clooney to Nicolas Cage have lent their famous faces to make a few, or a lot of, bucks.
Read More:How Julia Roberts made almost $2M in 45 seconds:


Rick Bentley is a regular guy who, as The Fresno Bee's entertainment reporter, rubs elbows with today's hottest stars. Here's a peek inside Rick's Hollywood notebook:
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and I end up waiting for our cars together outside the Four Seasons Hotel after doing an interview for his new feature film "Faster."
We kill time with small talk. I thank him for the interview.
"No problem," says Johnson, who may very well be the second-nicest guy in Hollywood, behind Tom Hanks. "I really thought the interviews went well."
That's when I notice two guys dressed in black: Johnson's bodyguards.
It seems odd Johnson - a man so big he shows up on most topographical maps - needs bodyguards.
To make matters more confusing, if you combined the two bodyguards, they wouldn't be as big as one of Johnson's arms.
Read more: Hollywood notebook


Bakersfield College and Clinica Sierra Vista Team Up to Keep Students HealthyStaying healthy is an essential part of keeping a student’s college education moving forward. With the goal of overall student health in mind, Bakersfield College and Clinica Sierra Vista (CSV) have formed a partnership to provide health services to students on the College’s Panorama Campus in northeast Bakersfield.The College and Clinica Sierra Vista have already had an existing partnership serving students at the College’s Delano Campus for several years.“We want our students to stay healthy so they can be successful in achieving their educational goals here at Bakersfield College,” said Bakersfield College President Dr. Greg Chamberlain. “By partnering with Clinica Sierra Vista, we are providing students with quality health services and a large network of medical care services with ease of accessibility.”

The mission of Clinica Sierra Vista is to provide high quality and comprehensive primary and preventive health care services at the most efficient cost to the underserved populations of Kern,Inyo and Fresno Counties regardless of ability to pay and to seek necessary resources to meet the growing health care demands while maintaining the corporation’s financial integrity. We strongly believe in everyone’s right to quality health care; therefore, no one is denied services based on race, religion, ethnicity, sex, age, disability or economic status.”This new partnership with Bakersfield College is an appropriate extension of our long-time commitment to high quality primary care for Kern County populations” said Clinica Sierra Vista’s CEO Steve Schilling. “We are thrilled to have been asked to help the college meet its holistic obligation for student services and good health”.Bakersfield College Health and Wellness Center relocated to a more central area of campus, adjacent to the cafeteria, in Campus Center. The Health and Wellness Center is open five days a week, and hours of operation can be found on the Center’s website or at the Center location.

In addition to the College’s full-time, on staff registered nurse, a CSV physician, Dr. Michael Farber is on campus from Monday to Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mental health services are provided by Edie Warkentin, Licensed Clinical Social Worker from CSV, on Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesdays from 3 to 5 p.m. and on Thursdays from 3 to 7 p.m.All students who are currently enrolled at Bakersfield College and attending at least one class on the Panorama Campus are able to visit the Health and Wellness Center for no cost. The Student Health Fee covers consultations with all staff, but does not include medical insurance coverage for testing or referrals for services not offered on campus.
Read More: BC, clinic team up for student health


BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Imagine stepping out of class and right into the doctors office without ever having to get in your car. That's what Tanisha Thompson and 18,000 other Bakersfield college students now have the option to do.

"You know it's great. I don't have to worry about leaving school to go see a doctor. I can just come right here on campus," said Thompson.

Bakersfield College and Clinica Sierra Vista have formed a partnership to provide health services to students on the college's Panorama Campus in northeast Bakersfield.
Click here to find out more!

In addition to the college's full-time, on-staff registered nurse, the Bakersfield College Health and Wellness Center also provides services from CSV physician Dr. Michael Farber. Mental health services are provided by Edie Warkentin, licensed clinical social worker from CSV.

All students enrolled at Bakersfield College and attending at least one class on the Panorama Campus are able to visit the Health and Wellness Center at no cost. The student health fee covers consultations with all staff but does not include medical insurance coverage for testing or referrals for services not offered on campus.

Services offered on campus include blood pressure monitoring, blood sugar monitoring, cholesterol screening, diabetes screening, drug information, first aid, hearing and vision screening, over-the-counter medications, pregnancy tests and weight control information.

The new clinic also comes with ambulance services, which has been used daily since it began. School officials say having an on-site clinic will benefit more than just students' health.

"If students aren't healthy, then they're not in classes and they're not learning. They're not meeting their educational goal, so by providing this service, many of our students have no other opportunity for health care," said BC President Greg Chamberlain.
Read More:Clinica Sierra Vista Moves Into Bakersfield College

 

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