August 2011 Notable Deaths

August 2011 Notable Deaths

August 2011 Notable Deaths. In August we said farewell to many noteworthy individuals, including a controversial reality show husband and a concentration camp survivor. Read on to learn more about them and the others who passed away this month.

August in memoriam, Russell Armstrong, Rudolf Brazda

Stetson Kennedy August 2011 Notable Deaths

1916-2011

A human rights activist, Stetson Kennedy is best known for infiltrating a well-known racist group and authoring a book about what he witnessed. Kennedy's legacy is also left behind in the folklore group he founded.

Klu Klux Klan, Florida Folklore Society, Jacksonville, Florida, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

Esther Gordy Edwards August 2011 Notable Deaths

1920-2011

Edwards transformed an old recording studio into a museum as a way of preserving the Motown sound. Edwards' nickname says it all about how much she meant to the Motown music community.

Georgia, United States, Hitsville USA, Esther Gordy Edwards "Pillar of Motown", Howard University, Smokey Robinson

Nick Ashford August 2011 Notable Deaths

1942-2011

With his wife, Nick Ashford wrote and produced several hit songs, including this Marvin Gaye hit. Ashford and his wife were also successful as performers themselves and had a hit with their song "Solid".

Valerie Simpson, aint no mountain high enough, Ashford and Simpson Solid, White Rock Baptist Church Harlem, New York, "I'm Every Woman"

Michael Showers August 2011 Notable Deaths

1966-2011

Known for his role in a hit HBO show and for his appearances in "Breaking Bad, " "I Love You Phillip Morris" and a vampire TV show, Michael Showers' untimely death shocked fans of his work.

Treme, Breaking Bad, The Vampire Diaries, Michael Showers found dead,

Mike Flanagan August 2011 Notable Deaths

1951-2011

A star baseball player for this team from the' 70s through the early '90s, Flanagan was known for his incredible talent as well as for his quick wit.

pitcher (baseball), Baltimore Orioles, Cy Young award, Remembering Mike Flanagan, the funniest man in baseball, Mike Flanagan, daughter fourth test tube baby, 1983 baseball World Series

Jerry Leiber August 2011 Notable Deaths

1933-2011

With his songwriting partner, Jerry Leiber wrote many rock ''n' roll hits, including "Stand by Me" and this classic Elvis Presley song. Leiber was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985 and has his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Contestants on this TV show performed his songs for one episode.

Mike Stoller, Stand By Me song, Jailhouse Rock, American Idol, American Idol Leiber and Stoller, Jerry Leiber lyricist, Yakety Yak (song)

Scotty Robertson August 2011 Notable Deaths

1930-2011

Throughout his life as an NBA coach, Robertson head-coached the New Orleans Jazz, the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons. He went on to be assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns, the Miami Heat, the Indiana Pacers and this Texas team.

NBA, Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs,baseball, Louisiana Tech

Pete Pihos August 2011 Notable Deaths

1923-2011

A native of this holiday destination, Pihos was an All-American football player at this university. Pihos went on to play in the NFL for this team from 1947 to 1955. Pihos died from this degenerative disease, which was the focus of a documentary film produced by his daughter.

alzheimer's disease, Dear Dad by Melissa Pihos, Pete Pihos receiver, Pete Pihos The Golden Greek

Russell Armstrong August 2011 Notable Deaths

1964-2011

Russell Armstrong was an investment banker and venture capitalist in this California city. He is known for being the estranged husband of a reality show cast member, and he appeared on the Bravo show several times.

Taylor Armstrong, The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, housewives re edit, Jill Zarin tweets about Russell Armstrong

Albert Brown August 2011 Notable Deaths

1905-2011

Albert Brown was the oldest survivor of the Bataan Death March. A former dentist, Brown and 78,000 other prisoners of war were forced to walk for dozens of miles, a trek that killed more than 11,000. During the war, Brown also survived malaria, dengue fever and a broken neck.

Bataan Death March, Albert Brown 105, Bataan Death March 65 miles, "Doc Brown" Albert Brown, Creighton University, Omaha

Ernie Johnson August 2011 Notable Deaths

1924-2011

Ernie Johnson was a Major League Baseball player in the '40s and '50s. He played for the Boston Braves, the Milwaukee Braves and the Baltimore Orioles. Johnson later became a commentator for the Atlanta Braves, working with his son.

ernie johnson pitcher, Current video game, Canada Day Photo Contest, 1957 World Series, Vermont, United States

Zachery Tims August 2011 Notable Deaths

1969-2011

A co-pastor of this church and a televangelist commonly appearing on this TV program, Zachery Tims died nearly four years after he publicly asked for forgiveness for his extramarital affairs.

New Destiny Christian Center, Praise the Lord, Maranatha Bible College, Trinity Broadcasting Network

Jani Lane August 2011 Notable Deaths

1964-2011

The lead singer of -glam band Warrant, Jani Lane wrote six top 40 singles. Lane was also a cast member on this reality show.

Celebrity Fit Club, Jani Lane, John Kennedy Oswald,

Ray Anderson August 2011 Notable Deaths

1934-2011

Ray Anderson was a successful entrepreneur and the founder of Interface. He was also known as an outspoken advocate for industrial sustainability.

Interface Inc. Georgia Institute of Technology, The Ecology of Commerce by Paul Hawken

Mike Barrett August 2011 Notable Deaths

1943-2011

Mike Barrett was a basketball player for the 1968 U.S. Olympic basketball team. He also played professionally for this basketball organization.

1968 Olympic Basketball Team won Gold, American Basketball Association, Mike Barrett 6-foot-2, Mexico City, Mexico

Mark Hatfield August 2011 Notable Deaths

1922-2011

Mark Hatfield was a prominent politician in Oregon, serving 30 years as a U.S. senator and later elected Oregon's secretary of state and then governor. Several Oregon buildings that have been named in his honor, including the Mark O. Hatfield Library at his alma mater university and the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in this "Rose City."

Oregon, United States, Mark O. Hatfield Library , Willamette University, Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse, Portland, Oregon, Vietnam War, "St. Mark" Mark Hatfield

Charles Wyly August 2011 Notable Deaths

1933-2011

With his brother, Charles Wyly founded Michaels Stores. Wyly is also known for his large contributions to public art projects in this Texas town.

Sam Wyly, Michaels Stores, Michaels Stores, Dallas, Texas, +Louisiana Tech University, Charles Wyly net worth 1 Billion

Hugh Carey August 2011 Notable Deaths

1919-2011

Hugh Carey was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 13 years before he was elected this state's 51st governor. In addition to his work as a politician, Carey was an attorney who earned his law degree from this university.

+St. John's University,

Nancy Wake August 2011 Notable Deaths

1912-2011

A British agent during this war, Nancy Wake was a highly decorated servicewoman in the Allied forces and was given the United States Medal of Freedom as well as several other awards from Britain, Australia, France and her home country.

United States Medal of Freedom, The White Mouse Nancy Wake

Bernadine Healy August 2011 Notable Deaths

1944-2011

Bernadine Healy was a well-known figure in the fields of health and medicine. She served as the head of the National Institutes of Health as well as the president of this humanitarian organization.

National Institutes of Health, American Red Cross, US News and World Report

Fred Imus August 2011 Notable Deaths

1942-2011

The brother of a well-known radio figure, Fred Imus was himself a radio talk show host as well as a songwriter and classic car enthusiast. Imus broadcast his radio show from his trailer in this Southeastern U.S. city.

Trailer Park Bash, +Frederic Moore Imus

Francesco Quinn August 2011 Notable Deaths

1963-2011

Known for his breakthrough role in this Academy Award-winning film and as the son of this actor, Francesco Quinn was also an adventure sports fan and spoke four languages.

Francesco Quinn English, French, Spanish and Italian.Into the West (2005)

Rudolf Brazda August 2011 Notable Deaths

1931-2011

Rudolf Brazda was the last known concentration camp survivor who was interned for being gay.

Rudolf Brazda hid in Pig Shed

Bubba Smith August 2011 Notable Deaths

1945-2011

Not only was Bubba Smith known for being an NFL football player, but he also gained fame as an actor, starring in a popular police comedy film series and beer commercials.

bubba smith miller lite, Charles Aaron Smith, Moses Hightower

Annette Charles August 2011 Notable Deaths

1948-2011

A fan favorite from the movie "Grease," Annette Charles played Cha-Cha, the flirtatious dancing beauty who hung with the rival crowd. Charles went on to teach at a California university.

Cha-Cha Digregorio Grease, California State University, Northridge, Charlene "Cha-Cha" DiGregorio, Speech

Leslie Esdaile Banks August 2011 Notable Deaths

1959-2011

Leslie Esdaile Banks was a prolific author who wrote in a range of genres, from African-American literature to crime and romance. She won many awards throughout her career, including this honor in 2008.

Essence Literary Awards Storyteller of the Year, LA Banks, The Vampire Huntress Legend Series

DeLois Barrett Campbell August 2011 Notable Deaths

1926-2011

The oldest member of a gospel-singing trio of sisters, DeLois Barrett Campbell had a true rags-to-riches story. Campbell grew up in a very poor family and lost four of her siblings to an infectious disease. Campbell and her sisters beat the odds and became successful recording artists.

The Barrett Sisters, Chicago, Illinois, tuberculosis, Wonderful, Sam Cooke, Patti LaBelle

Jay Z MTV VMA Chris Brown

Jay Z MTV VMA Chris Brown

Jay Z MTV VMA Chris Brown. Jay-Z's Very Public VMA's Snub to Chris Brown. A beaming Beyoncé revealed her pregnancy to the world by rubbing her burgeoning baby bump to the audience at the VMA’s on Sunday night.

And while delighted dad-to-be Jay Z offered a huge smile for the cameras to that news - his reaction to bad boy Chris Brown couldn't have been more frosty.

Jay Z has still not forgiven the 22 year old singer after his violent attack on Rihanna back in 2009, indeed, when news of the incident broke, the music mogul was said to have been furious, referring to Chris as a “walking dead man.”

Having signed Rihanna to his then label Def Jam back in 2005, Jay Z has developed a close bond with the 23 year old 'Umbrella' star. And it couldn't have been more evident than when Kanye West rose to his feet to applaud Chris Brown’s performance on Sunday night.

'Jay-Z remained seated, quietly sipping his drink,' said a source.

'he was not impressed.'

Rihanna stayed away from the star-studded event, despite being nominated for Best Collaboration with Kid Cudi and Kanye West for "All Of The Lights".

Source:mailonsunday

Maria Sharapova News

Maria Sharapova News

Maria Sharapova News. Maria Sharapova rallies for victory at US Open. Maria Sharapova's slow start almost turned into an early exit at the U.S. Open.

The three-time major champion picked up her game in time to avoid an upset against 102nd-ranked Heather Watson, rallying for a 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 victory Monday in the opening round.

After being thoroughly outplayed in the first set, third-seeded Sharapova let a 4-1 lead in the second slip, as well. She shored things up at 5-all in the second to pull out that set. She also led 4-1 in the third, but gave back a break. After that, Sharapova broke right back then served out her match against the 19-year-old Brit, who was making her first appearance in the main draw at Flushing Meadows.

Sharapova improved to 12-0 this year in third sets.

"In the end, that's kind of where it counts," she said after a match that lasted 2 hours, 34 minutes. "No matter how tired or whether you're playing your best tennis or sometimes your worst, you keep fighting for it."

Not showing the same kind of fight was fifth-seeded Petra Kvitova, who became the first reigning Wimbledon champion to lose in the first round of the U.S. Open. She made 52 unforced errors in a 7-6 (3), 6-3 loss to Alexandra Dulgheru and has won only two matches since hoisting the trophy at the All-England Club last month.

"After I made some mistakes, I was mentally down," Kvitova said.

Last year's U.S. Open and Wimbledon runner-up, second-seeded Vera Zvonareva, defeated Stephanie Foretz Gacon of France, 6-3, 6-0.

Other women's winners included No. 13 Peng Shuai, No. 19 Julia Goerges and No. 27 Lucie Safarova.

But Sharapova-Watson was the best match of the afternoon.

With Watson nimbly covering a court that players say is playing slower than usual this year, Sharapova had to fight, and the match turned into a showdown of styles — the Russian's punishing, aggressive baseline game vs. Watson's grinding, retrieving relentlessness. The final stats were no surprise: Sharapova finished with 41 winners and 58 unforced errors, compared to nine winners and 30 unforced errors for her opponent.

"There's no doubt that she's a great up-and-coming player who showed some of her best tennis today," Sharapova said. "She played really smart in the first. I was making too many errors. Consistency at the end helped me get through the match."

The early headliner for the men was American Mardy Fish, who at No. 8 is the highest-ranked U.S. player in the tournament.

Fish lived up to his billing, opening his stay at Flushing Meadows with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 victory over Tobias Kamke of Germany.

The 29-year-old from Los Angeles opened the match by losing his serve, but that turned out to be the only hiccup. He is one of 14 American men entered in the U.S. Open, as the host country continues the quest to find its next great champion. No U.S. man has won a major since Andy Roddick won in New York in 2003.

"Andy's been the No. 1 player in our generation for years," Fish said. "This is extremely different for me, this feeling coming out here and trying to show everything you can, to show you're the No. 1 guy, at least for this tournament. It's been a lot of fun."

Also winning in early play Monday was 27th-seeded Marin Cilic, who defeated 19-year-old American Ryan Harrison 6-2, 7-5, 7-6 (6). Harrison, who made headlines last year with his first-round upset of 15th-seeded Ivan Ljubicic, had chances to serve out the second and third sets, but was broken each time.

He also squandered a 4-1 lead in the third-set tiebreaker — and took nothing away from this match but a few scratched-up rackets, the result of the multiple times he bounced them, kicked them and skidded them along the ground at Louis Armstrong Stadium. He also kicked a ball into the stands.

"I didn't break any rackets; I didn't say swear words on court," Harrison said. "It could have gotten better and I could have been better. I didn't really go nuts."

Other early winners included ninth-seeded Tomas Berdych, 20th-seeded Janko Tipsarevic, No. 31 Marcel Granollers, No. 22 Alexandr Dolgopolov and No. 13 Richard Gasquet.

No. 3 Roger Federer and Venus Williams — unseeded after missing time with injuries and illness — were scheduled for night matches.

Sharapova, meanwhile, was due for a rest after her longer-than-expected grind.

"I knew I wasn't playing my best tennis," she said. "I think the goal sometimes on this is just to get through it and keep waiting for that opportunity."

Source:deseretnews

Austin Powers Rape Convicted

Joseph Hyungmin Son

Joseph Hyungmin Son. Austin Powers actor Joe Son convicted of torture in r@pe case. An actor who had a small part in the movie "Austin Powers" has been convicted of torture in connection with the 1990 Christmas Eve gang r@pe of a woman in Orange County. Joseph Hyungmin Son was found guilty Thursday of one felony count of torture in connection with the attack.
Son initially was charged with multiple sexu@l assault and kidnapping counts, but many of those charges were dropped in part because the statute of limitations had expired, according to Los Angeles station KTLA. Son, who played a shoe-throwing bad guy in the film "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery," was arrested in 2008 when his DNA was matched to the r@pe of a 19-year-old woman who was @bducted off the street by two men.

Prosecutors say Son and an accomplice pulled the victim into a car on Christmas Eve in 1990 and drove her toward Huntington Beach as they beat her with a gun and r@ped her.

No arrests were made in the case until Son's DNA was submitted to a state database in 2008 in connection to an unrelated vandalism sentence.

He faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to life in state prison.

Santiago Gaitan, 40, Son's co-defendant, was arrested in 2009 after he was also linked to the assault. He pleaded guilty to multiple sex crimes in January 2011 and was sentenced to prison for 17 years and four months.

Son was cast as "Random Task" in the 1997 Mike Myers "Austin Powers" film.

Source: cbsnews

Girls Goat Zoo Walk

Girls Goat Zoo Walk

Girls Goat Zoo Walk. 2 pajama-clad girls take stolen goat for walk. Everything went according to plan for two pajama-clad stepsisters who took a goat they'd freed from a Minnesota zoo for a late-night walk.

Until they told the Mankato police officer who stopped them about 11:30 p.m. Saturday that the animal lived in their bedroom closet.

The stepsisters, ages 6 and 7, said they regularly took the goat out for late-night walks because Dad didn't know their mother had bought it two weeks earlier.

The unconvinced officer walked the girls home, where their parents explained they'd attended a birthday party at the Sibley Park Zoo earlier that day. That's when they hatched a plan to take one of the goats home.

The Free Press (http://bit.ly/qB0qd4) says police don't know how the girls freed the goat, which was returned to the zoo.

Source:yahoo

Timberlake Biel together again

Timberlake Biel together again

Timberlake Biel together again. Actress Jessica Biel is reportedly dating her ex-flame, singer-actor Justin Timberlake.

The pair, who split earlier this year, were seen enjoying a romantic rendezvous at Ella's Uncle coffee shop in Toronto, Canada, reports contactmusic.com.

Also, they were spending time together at a cafe over the weekend.

'They seemed so comfortable, happy and at ease (and) they literally couldn't stop staring and smiling at each other. Justin seemed completely smitten with Jessica, and she had this permanent smile on her face, and they joked around with each other,' a source told Life and Style magazine.

Source: yahoo

The Galaxy S II: Samsung's iPhone Killer Has Finally Arrived

Widely touted as the true iPhone-killer, Samsung’s new Galaxy S II is finally coming to the U.S. -- with the bite to back up its bark.
The Samsung Galaxy S II -- the company's fastest selling smartphone ever -- is already a bona fide international success, having sold lavishly in foreign markets. In 24 days, the company sold 1 million units; that's enough to reach past the top of Mt. Everest if stacked on end. The 2 million units sold in 42 days would fill two and a half soccer fields.

And finally, finally, it's coming to America. 
Samsung’s mobile division unveiled the hotly anticipated handset in a gala fete Tuesday at its flagship New York store in the Time Warner Center, announcing carriers AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile will begin shipping the phone this fall. 

“The unveiling of the Galaxy S II is a landmark achievement for Samsung, our carrier customers and consumers,” said Dale Sohn, president of Samsung Mobile, in a statement released prior to the event.
Over 5 million people worldwide have already bought the flagship Android phone in the 85 days it has been on the market -- that's one sold every 1.5 seconds, the company said, further entrenching the device as the first great iPhone competitor.
The hype isn’t without substance.

Though each carrier alters its phone a bit, all three Galaxy S II smartphones have some specs in common: a 4.3-inch, Super AMOLED 800x480 screen, a dual core 1.2-GHz processor, fast 4G network connectivity, and a sleek, simple design evocative of the iPhone. By contrast, the Apple iPhone 4 has a 3.5-inch, 960x640 screen, a 

1-GHz processor, and a slower, 3G connection..
All of this makes for a spectacular smartphone, says Sascha Segan, lead mobile analyst for PCMag.com.
"If the U.S. versions are anything like the international versions, these are going to be spectacular smartphones," he told FoxNews.com prior to the launch. Segan gave an international version of the phone an Editors' Choice award, calling it the finest Android smartphone available today.

One development that may slow but not stop the Galaxy S II’s momentum is the loss of a major carrier. Verizon Wireless won’t be offering Samsung’s smartphone, as the company focuses on alternative Android devices including HTC’s Droid Incredible 2 and Motorola’s upcoming Droid Bionic.
Samsung representatives would not confirm whether the Galaxy would ever be carried by Verizon, telling FoxNews.com only that it has "some great smartphones" available on the carrier.
Of course, there is also the unannounced Apple iPhone 5, the elephant in the room. Apple’s next generation phone is widely expected come out in September, Segan noted.

It’s impossible to compare the stats or pricing for any of these yet-to-be-unveiled phones but there could be a telling difference that turns the tables in Samsung’s favor – a 4G network connection.
"Unless Apple has made some sort of secret breakthrough, [the faster LTE network] might make a Verizon iPhone too thick and power-hungry for Apple's demands this year. Apple may skip it for now and wait for smaller and cooler chipsets," Segan noted.

That faster connection really pays off for anyone surfing a lot of complicated websites or viewing movies over Netflix, he said.

But in the end, pricing, a final feature set and the design is all up to the carriers. "The mainstream price for a smartphone is $199 with contract," Segan noted. "We're all hoping for $199.”

Source:Fox News

Beyoncé pregnancy sparks Twitter record

Beyoncé pregnancy sparks Twitter record

Beyoncé pregnancy sparks Twitter record. Beyonce's pregnant performance at the MTV Video Music Awards sparked a Twitter record.

When Beyonce performed at 10:35 p.m. EDT Sunday night, there were 8,868 tweets per second. Twitter said that rate was a record for the service.

At the VMAs, Beyonce revealed a baby bump, cupping her growing belly for photographers as she arrived and rubbing her tummy when she performed. The 29-year-old singer is married to Jay-Z.

The VMAs drew MTV's biggest audience since the network began measuring its viewership. Sunday night's show attracted 12.4 million viewers.

Source: yahoo

Beyoncé pregnancy to delay A Star Is Born?

Beyoncé pregnancy to delay A Star Is Born?

Beyoncé pregnancy to delay A Star Is Born? Like totes OMG! Guys, Beyonce is pregnant! Haven’t you heard? This is amazing! A man and woman have reproduced for the first time in human history! Can you believe it! WOW!


In addition to the pregnancy of Beyonce being so breathlessly reported that it turns out her ovaries glow in the dark, cure cancer, will end the war on terror, and destroy all disease and poverty, it turns out that her knocked up-ness is also sending shockwaves into Hollywood—it’s even sucking Clint Eastwood into its event horizon.

You see, Beyonce was set to star in Clint’s remake of A Star is Born, which is set to flick in February—so it seems that the filming will now have to pushed back to accommodate Beyonce’s birthing of the Christ Child 2.0, according to The AV Club.

Still, the delay could actually end up being a good thing, seeing as the flick has yet to find a male lead: Now that he no longer has to humor Eastwood on the set of J.

Edgar, Leonardo DiCaprio is officially out, which leaves the field wide-open for someone else to step in and play the bitter alcoholic to Beyoncé’s rising ingénue.

Gosh, guys, what if Eastwood got to Jay-Z to do it?!? Wouldn’t that be, like, soooooo amazing? And then they can have their Savior Of All Things—er, I mean, their baby—have a cameo! And the child’s radiant light will wash over us all from screens across the world, and the righteous and unrighteous alike will be bathed in its holy vision.

Or it’s just another of the thousands of kids that’ll be born that day. Either way.

Source: flickdaily

Eminem Koi fish

Eminem Koi fish

Eminem Koi fish. The ''Lose Yourself'' hit-maker requested a wooden pond filled with the colorful fishes to be built in his private backstage garden at the Tennent's Vital festival in Bangor earlier this month.

Koi carp are said to be calming to watch, and are an expensive variety of domesticated fish, costing between £200 and £600 per fish.

The pond wasn't the rapper's only backstage request for the show - he also requested a microwave, full-length mirror, dumbbells and rolling clothes racks.

As well as having equipment to help him work out, Eminem also steered away from junk food, requesting seedless watermelon, yogurt, pretzels and an assorted vegetable tray with ranch dip.

The rapper also displayed some erratic behavior at the recent Virgin Media V Festival in Chelmsford, England, where he made artists and staff wait in a separate area backstage while he was smuggled to his dressing room as he reportedly ''didn't want to be seen'' by anyone.

His friend Skylar Grey - who co-wrote his hit ''Love the Way You Lie'' - said: ''I feel sorry for Em. It's kind of sad. I see a lot of isolation. I wonder if he has got any really close friends.''

''I think he is scared to go out the front door 'cos somebody is always waiting for him. Everybody wants something from him... Seeing him so isolated behind a lot of protectors, I feel bad for him.''

Source: BANG Showbiz

QI producer slams BBC

QI producer slams BBC

QI producer slams BBC. The producer of BBC comedy hits such as Blackadder, Not The Nine O'Clock News and QI has hit out at the corporation, accusing it of making "bland" programmes.Writing in the Radio Times, John Lloyd said "sauciness" was no longer allowed before 21:00, especially not on BBC1.

Lloyd, who was made a CBE in the New Year honours list, added that a culture of form-filling has resulted in uninteresting programmes.

He went on to question whether comedy classics such as The Two Ronnies would have made it onto the nation's screens in the current environment.

"The commissioning, legal, compliance and editorial policy police hover over the scripts and the recordings, alert to the merest potential offence," he said.

"There are blanket proscriptions, passed down from on high, which reduce everything to a bland vichyssoise that suits comedy programmes not at all. Heaven knows what they would have done to The Two Ronnies."

Lloyd welcomed the fact that QI is moving back to its former home on BBC2 after three years on BBC1, saying it "can be itself again".

Source: uknetguide

Cheryl dropped Derek Balkham

Cheryl dropped Derek Balkham

Cheryl dropped Derek Balkham. Having already divulged personal information about Cheryl Cole, including the weird diets she was on, the star's former minder has continued to reveal more information about the star. This time focusing on her love life...Claiming that Cheryl dropped rumoured love interest Derek Hough "overnight", Craig Balkham also revealed to Heat that Cheryl doesn't have many friends.

He said: "It was pretty clear that she was lonely. She doesn't seem to have that many proper girlfriends.

"Derek Hough was the only true friend I saw her with who was not on the payroll. He had genuine, warm feelings for her and overnight she seemed to drop him."

Wowza! What will he come out with next?

Now that Cheryl is officially on Twitter, we wonder whether she'll start to respond to these reports...

Source: entertainmentwise

Britney Spears new single Criminal

Britney Spears new single Criminal

Britney Spears new single Criminal. Britney Spears chose the MTV Video Music Awards red carpet to reveal that her next single will be Criminal.

The track will be the fourth taken from Femme Fatale and the Womanizer star broke the news to MTV on Sunday night. "I don't know if I'm at liberty to tell. But I will anyways – it's Criminal," Britney said.

She added: “Actually the song, when I first heard it, [I thought] 'It's really different and [there's] not anything I've heard like this before'. So I really wanted to deliver this song.”

The pop icon didn’t reveal too many details about the upcoming video but she did say to expect the unexpected. “I was thinking of a really cool concept for the video just to make it interesting,” Britney teased. “You'll have to see.”

Britney won two awards at Sunday's VMAs and had some fun with Lady GaGa's male alter ego Jo Calderone when he/she presented Spears with the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award for her contribution to music

Cheryl Cole ITV new chat show

Cheryl Cole ITV new chat show

Cheryl Cole ITV new chat show. Cheryl Cole ITV New Chat Show. Cheryl Cole is on the verge of signing a deal to front a number of ITV shows, reports claim.

The ‘Fight For This Love’ singer – formerly a judge on ITV1′s The X Factor before her failed move to the US show – will turn to being a presenter in a primetime chatshow, according to The People.
The Girls Aloud star was allegedly offered deals with other major broadcasters including the BBC and Sky, but chose to stick with ITV despite her X Factor departure.

A source told the publication: “Cheryl’s been inundated with offers but knows ITV and its staff from her X Factor days so has gone with them.

“The exact contract details are to be thrashed out, but Cheryl is determined to take a well deserved break until next year.”

Cole, who is rumoured to be returning to The X Factor in a mentor capacity later this year, has apparently already agreed to appear in an Evening With special.

The most devoted fan of Apple

 The most devoted fan of Apple This kid is probably the most loyal fan of Apple in the world. It's not every boy would agree to do in his head "is." Steve Jobs just appreciated:

Burning man festival

Burning man festival

Burning man festival. Several thousand more would-be participants will have to wait until next year, as 2011 marks another historic milestone: the first time the event has ever sold out, said Burning Man communications manager Andie Grace.

According to an agreement with the Bureau of Land Management, the event is permitted an average of only 50,000 people per day, Grace said.

The theme of this year's festival, "Rites of Passage," is an appropriate one as it also previews a change in the structure of the California-based Black Rock City, L.L.C., which runs the event, from a for-profit organization to a not-for-profit that will continue to promote the festival's ideology throughout the year.

"It's a logical extension of what happens here, and of taking our principles into our own communities," said Grace, referring to 10 principles including civic responsibility, communal effort, and being noncommercial and based on giving.

Through the group's not-for-profit outreach, Burning Man will become "a state of being that exists all the time," Grace said.

That state of being has beckoned its devotees, mostly through word of mouth (organizers do noself-promotion or advertising), into the Black Rock Desert in increasing numbers for more than two decades.
They travel like pilgrims from faraway lands ready to confront the possibility of dust storms, extreme temperatures, and drenching rainstorms in order to live for one week in a self-made and participatory community that bases itself on acceptance, self-reliance, self-expression and creativity

source:.reuters

Panda Poop Solve Biofuel Woes?

Panda Poop Solve Biofuel Woes?

Panda Poop Solve Biofuel Woes? Biofuels might be a way to make energy out of renewable resources and cut dependence on fossil fuels, but currently, producing them from corn and other edible plants is largely impractical.Now, a group of researchers believes they may have found a solution — in panda poop.

The microbes in the feces of giant pandas break down super-tough plant material in grass, corn stalks and wood chips, the researchers reported Monday (Aug. 29) at the National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society in Denver. If the technique works on a large scale, inedible plants and plant waste could be used as biofuels instead of edible corn.

"Who would have guessed that 'panda poop' might help solve one of the major hurdles to producing biofuels, which is optimizing the breakdown of the raw plant materials used to make the fuels?" study researcher Ashli Brown, biochemist at Mississippi State University, said in a statement. "We hope our research will help expand the use of biofuels in the future and help cut dependency on foreign oil."

Brown and her colleagues spent a year collecting and analyzing panda feces at the Memphis Zoo.

In the excrement, they found several types of digestive bacteria similar to bacteria found in termite guts. These bacteria help termites break down and digest wood. In pandas, they probably help with the digestion of woody bamboo shoots.

"Our studies suggest that bacteria species in the panda intestine may be more efficient at breaking down plant materials than termite bacteria and may do so in a way that is better for biofuel manufacturing purposes," Brown said.

Under certain conditions, the panda poop bacteria can covert 95 percent of plant biomass into simple sugars, Brown estimated. The powerful enzymes in the bacteria speed up chemical reactions, eliminating the need for high heat, harsh acids and high pressures currently used to produce biofuels. Bacteria would also be a more energy-efficient way to turn materials such as switchgrass, corn stalks and wood chips into fuel, Brown said.

The next step for Brown is a complete census of the panda gut. She's looking for the most powerful digestive enzymes. Using genetic engineering, scientists could program yeast cells to make these enzymes, she said. The yeast, in turn, could provide large amounts of enzymes for biofuel production.

The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, The Memphis Zoological Society, the Mississippi Corn Promotion Board and the Southeastern Research Center at Mississippi State.

Source: yahoo

Vaulter Pole Snaps

Vaulter Pole Snaps

Vaulter pole snaps. Pole vaulter’s pole snaps during jump at world champs. Every time I watch the pole vault, I marvel at how much the thin, 15-foot poles are able to bend in order to withstand the weight of the athlete being propelled high into the air. The process of making the approach, placing the pole in the small plant, propelling into the air, having the pole bend just enough to get an athlete over the bar and falling safely to the pit is one of the more remarkable scenes in sports.


Unfortunately for Dmitry Starodubtsev, it doesn't always work out that way.

Rihanna Wax Figure Unveiled

Rihanna Wax Figure Unveiled

Rihanna Wax Figure Unveiled. Rihanna got the wax treatment at Madame Tussauds in Berlin, Germany. The museum unveiled its latest sculpture of the pop superstar, wearing the colorful outfit from the video for “Who’s That Chick?” complete with her fiery red hair.

This is not the first time RiRi has being immortalized in wax. Just last year, Madame Tussauds added her to their celebrity hall of fame with a waxy likeness on display in Washington, D.C.

Hilary Duff gets $100K for getting dumped from 'Bonnie & Clyde'

Hilary Duff gets $100K for getting dumped from 'Bonnie & Clyde'

Hilary Duff gets $100K for getting dumped from 'Bonnie & Clyde'. A preggo HIlary Duff scored a GIANT golden parachute after getting dumped from the new “Bonnie and Clyde” movie — a severance deal worth $100,000 … all for doing nothing.


Sources close to production tell TMZ, it’s all in Hilary’s play-or-pay contract — if for some reason, production decides to terminate the actress’ employment … they’ll cough up the six-figure sum to compensate her.

As reported, Duff was dropped from the flick after she got knocked up.

We’re told the search is still on for a Bonnie replacement — Amanda Seyfried was approached to fill the role … but she turned it down.

Over the weekend, Duff was volunteering at the Los Angeles Mission’s 75th End Of Summer Block Party — when we asked about the situation.

Duff told TMZ, “I dont wanna give them any more press than they’ve already gotten off me … I think [my] baby is a little bit more exciting.”

Teen fight polar bear

Teen fight polar bear

Teen fight polar bear. A 16-year-old boy mauled in a fatal polar bear attack in the Norwegian Arctic told of his ordeal for the first time Sunday, saying he thought he was going to die as the beast chewed his head.Patrick Flinders was left disfigured in the August 5 attack on the island of Spitsbergen, when a 250-kilogramme (550-pound) male polar bear entered the camp site of 13 young Britons who were on a five-week expedition.

He punched the polar bear in the head as he fought for his life and was left with fragments of its teeth lodged in his skull as its jaws clamped down.

Horatio Chapple, 17, was killed in the attack. His funeral took place Friday.

Flinders, from the Channel Island of Jersey, had been sleeping next to Chapple when the bear attacked.

"I looked up and saw its huge mouth snapping. All around its nose there was blood. At that moment I thought I might die," he told the Sunday Mirror newspaper.

"It hit me with its paw and my arm came out of my sleeping bag. Then I felt its teeth around my elbow, biting down on the bone.

"Then suddenly it had my head in its jaws and I could feel it crunching my skull. I could hear it crack. I heard a growl which was deafening because I was so close up.

"I lashed out and waved my arm up to punch the bear in the head, again and again to get it off me."

Chapple was killed and two others besides Flinders were also seriously wounded. One of the expedition leaders, who was among those injured, eventually shot the bear dead.

Flinders has 20 staples on his skill, leaving a big scar across his forehead, his left eye is twisted and his ears and cheeks bear fresh scars. He will need further surgery to realign his eye.

He refused to accept he was a hero for hitting the animal in a bid to scare it off.

"I'm not a hero," he said.

"I punched the polar bear because I was fighting for my life, not because I wanted to fight it."

Flinders said Chapple was the victim of "pure bad luck".

"If I had slept where he was, I would be dead. I feel guilty it was him and not me."

Source: yahoo

Children sue bad mothering

Children sue bad mothering

Children sue bad mothering. An Illinois appeals court recently dismissed a case in which two adult children sued their mother for "emotional distress". The kids claimed damages were caused when she didn't buy them toys, sent birthday cards they didn't like, told them to buckle their seat belts and asked them to be home at midnight.

2011 August product recalls

2011 August product recalls

2011 August product recalls. This month, a favorite kids' treat was recalled, and nearly 2 million light bulbs were removed from shelves. Find out what other popular products were found to have problems in August. sugar-free popsicle recall. philips lighting energy saver recall

August 2011 food recalls
Several sizes of Christie Cookie Co. gift tins, due to undeclared ingredients. Where were they sold? doubletree hotel.

Atlanta Oriental Food Wholesale Co.'s Cut Napa Kimchi, due to possible contamination. cut napa kimchi listeria.

Winn-Dixie Stores' Choco Charm Chocolate Drink. Why? Choco charm chocolate drink mislabeled

Whole Foods' beer-flavored marinades because of undeclared allergens. whole foods marinade undeclared allergens

Several kinds of guacamole-based dips produced by Fresh Food Concepts. What was the problem? listeria monocytogenes.

Miss Bonnie's Gourmet Classic Cheddar Cheese Spread, due to risk of a potentially lethal contamination.

Jaquith Strawberry Farm's fresh strawberries sold at roadside stands, farm stands and farmers' markets after a fatal outbreak. How many people died? Jaquith strawberry e. coli outbreak one person died.

Xymogen OrganiX Bars because of an undeclared ingredient.

Two flavors of Jalapeno Cheese Bites sold in Texas HEB stores, due to undeclared soy allergens. Get the UPC numbers. cheese jalapeno bites recall upc

Organic baby spinach sold in Western U.S. grocery stores with an "Enjoy by" date of Aug. 1. Why? Fresh & Easy spinach Listeria monocytogenes

Mislabeled lemon bars, chocolate cherry bars and iced cinnamon rolls. Winn-dixie bar may contain undeclared egg and wheat.

August 2011 children's gear recalls
Children's company phil & teds recalled 54,000 "metoo" clip-on chairs after receiving 19 reports of the chairs detaching from tables. Were there any injuries? metoo clip-on chair five injuries

Additional recalls:

About 206,000 Circo step stools with storage sold at a major retailer after several reports of injuries to children and adults.target step stool can break.

About 26,500 Build-a-Bear Workshop lapel pins in the United States and 2,200 in Canada, due to this health hazard. build-a-bear lapel pin excessive levels of lead

August 2011 children's clothing and toy recalls
Radio Flyer recalled about 165,000 Scoot 'n Zoom children's riding toys after several reports of the toy tipping over. How many injuries were reported? scoot 'n zoom toy six injuries

Additional recalls:

About 1.08 million Battat toy keys were yanked off shelves after reports of the keys and key rings breaking. Has anyone been injured? battat toy key recall No injuries have been reported.

August 2011 pharmaceutical recalls
American Regent recalled several lots of its Vasopressin Injection, which may have had reduced effectiveness. What is the drug used for? vasopressin

August 2011 meat recalls
McNees Meats and Wholesale recalled approximately 2,200 pounds of ground beef products that may have been contaminated with dangerous bacteria. How many people have been reported sick? mcnees beef 5 confirmed case-patients

Additional recalls:

Approximately 36 million pounds of Cargill's ground turkey products, due to possible contamination. salmonella heidelberg

Approximately 10,668 pounds of HEB's Fully Cooked Lean Burgers that may contain foreign materials.

Approximately 380,000 pounds of Canadian diced bacon products that could have been contaminated. listeria monocytogenes

Approximately 24 pounds of County Market beef summer sausage with a sell-by date of Sept. 10, 2011, because of misbranding and undeclared allergens.jerry's foods store wisconsin

About 1,642 pounds of Lowe's Foods ground beef products that may contain foreign material. Where were they sold? lowe's foods ground beef recall + North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia

August 2011 electrical recalls
Cloud Engines recalled about 11,000 of its Pogoplug Video file-sharing devices, due to possible fire hazards. pogoplug recall fire

Additional recalls:

About 450 LED exit signs with emergency lights, due to malfunctioning problems. LED exit signs with emergency lights recall

August 2011 vehicle recalls
About 2.5 million Honda vehicles because of software problems. What part does it affect? honda 2.5 million cars recall automatic transmission.

Additional recalls:

More than 10,000 2012 Chevrolet Impalas, due to problems with the power steering hose. 2012 chevrolet impala steering hose could melt

General Motors recalled more than 4,000 of its 2012 Buick LaCrosses because of a malfunctioning sensor. 2012 buick lacrosse electronic stability control could falsely activate
More than 50 Winnebago 2012 models because of a mislabeling problem. 2012 winnebago recall wrong tire label

Approximately 256 of Freightliner's 2011 and 2012 Coronado trucks. Find out why? freightliner coronado 2011 and 2012 bumpers could crack

About 54 2012 Nissan Altimas due to air-bag assembly problems. nissan altima 2012 air bag control unit recall

Approximately 300,000 Chrysler and Dodge 2008 minivans, due to air-bag problems. What could happen? chrysler minivan recall 2011 airbag could deploy

Approximately 920 2011-2012 Audi R8 Spyders due to possible fuel leaks. 2012 audi r8 spyder recall

Approximately 250 New Flyer heavy-duty transit buses because of driveshaft problems. New Flyer bus recall drive shaft august 2011

About 665 Dodge Sprinter vans, due to problems with the intake manifold.

Approximately 359 Fleetwood RVs, due to faulty circuit breakers. fleetwood rv circuit breaker recall 2011

About 15,457 Navistar school buses. Find out why? navistar school bus electrical short recall

Approximately 900 Porsche 2012 models worldwide, due to seat-belt flaw. porsche seatbelt recall

About 919 2011 Ducati Diavel motorcycles. What's the problem? 2011 ducati diavel kickstand recall

August 2011 consumer product recalls
Philips Lighting recalled approximately 1.86 million of its EnergySaver and Marathon compact fluorescent dimmable reflector lamps because of a potential laceration hazard. How many injuries have been reported? Philips lighting recall two injuries.


Additional recalls:

About 20 Scarpa wood and glass round dining tables, due to this danger. Scarpa Wood and Glass Round Dining Tables wooden table base can split

About 34,000 Realspace PRO 3000 Series desk chairs, due to a pinching hazard. Which office supply store were they sold at?

About 960,000 Martha Stewart Collection Enamel Cast Iron Casseroles, because of a laceration hazard.Martha Stewart Collection Enamel Cast Iron Casseroles enamel can crack

About 5,200 Itasca Fusion hiker boots sold at a major sporting goods retailer. Find out why. Itasca Fusion hiker boots recall foot injury.

Taiwan HIV-Infected Organs

Taiwan HIV-Infected Organs

Taiwan HIV-Infected Organs. Taiwan hospital transplants 5 HIV-infected organs. One of Taiwan's best regarded hospitals mistakenly transplanted HIV-infected organs into five patients after a hospital staffer misheard the donor's test results by telephone, the hospital said.

The five are now being treated with anti-AIDS drugs, an official at National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei said Monday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because she is not authorized to deal with the media.

The hospital said on its website over the weekend the mistake occurred because a transplant staffer believed he heard the English word "non-reactive" on the donor's standard HIV test, while the word "reactive" was actually given.

The information on the test result was given over the telephone and was not double-checked, as required by standard operating procedures, the hospital statement said.

"We deeply apologize for the mistake," the hospital said.

The Health Department will look into the mistaken transplants and decide on possible penalties for NTUH, department official Shih Chung-liang said. If negligence was found to have caused the blunder, Shih said the hospital may have to suspend its transplant programs for up to a year in addition to unspecified fines.

The donor was a 37-year-old man who fell into a coma on Aug. 24 and his heart, liver, lungs and two kidneys were transplanted to five patients on the same day. The heart transplant was conducted at another hospital, while the four other transplants were conducted at NTUH, according to NTUH.

The donor's mother, who was not identified, told cable news stations that she felt terrible about the transplants and had not been aware of her son's ailment. She said he died after "falling from a high spot," without providing details.

Yao Ke-wu, who heads the health department of Hsinchu city, where the donor resided, decried the NTUH transplants as "appalling negligence."

He said NTUH staffers could have avoided the mistake by asking his department about the donor's medical history in advance, and deplored that such inquiries were not mandatory in Taiwan.

Yao said the five organ receivers will very likely contract HIV, and their anti-AIDS treatment will be further complicated because they also have to take medication to modify rejection of the new organs.

The five recipients are all Taiwanese. NTUH is among about a dozen well-equipped and highly-respected Taiwanese hospitals offering organ transplants.

There are also concerns among the physicians and nurses who conducted the transplants that they too may contract HIV. Medical staffers routinely take protections against bodily fluids during surgeries, but some experts also warned needle and other accidential cuts could still expose them to HIV.

Lee Nan-yao, a physician with the National Chengkung University Hospital, which performed the heart transplant, told the United Daily News that some physicians and nurses who had conducted the transplant "were depressed, and on the verge of panic."

Source: yahoo

Man Names Kids Lady Gaga Will.I.Am

Man Names Kids Lady Gaga Will.I.Am

Man Names Kids Lady Gaga Will.I.Am. Lady GaGa and will.i.am are to be the names of a British father's two children.

Ian Clark, 36, is following the advice of his eldest child Maddie, who persuaded him to name his second daughter Meggie Maisie Lady GaGa.

Now Clark plans to call his first son Tommy will.i.am, according to The Mirror.

Clark's partner Melanie Robinson, from Cramlington in Northumberland, said: "I'm trying to convince him not to."



However, the 28-year-old, who is four months' pregnant, conceded: "He's done it once so I'm sure he will do it again."

Watch Lady GaGa's video for 'Born This Way':

<iframe width="560" height="345" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wV1FrqwZyKw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

World's Most beautiful Fountains

 The Fountains of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas (USA) are a vast, choreographed water fountains with performances set to light and music.

The fountain's show takes place every 30 minutes in the afternoons and early evenings, and every 15 minutes from 8 PM to midnight.

The Fountains are set in a nine-acre man-made lake & is choreographed to various pieces of music.