Friday, February 22, 2013

Kobe scores 40, Lakers hold off Blazers 111-107


 Kobe Bryant scored 40 points, Dwight Howard had 19 points and 16 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers capped a trying week with a gritty 111-107 victory over the slumping Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.
Hours after longtime Lakers owner Jerry Buss was buried, and a day after a moving memorial service punctuated by eulogies from Bryant and other franchise greats, the team got back to basketball with a much-needed victory at Staples Center.
Bryant scored 11 points in the final 5 1/2 minutes and the Lakers won for the seventh time in 10 games. They remained ninth in the Western Conference playoff race, 3 1/2 games behind Houston for the final spot with 26 remaining. Portland trails Los Angeles by 1 1/2 games.
Howard, looking for his sixth rebounding title in seven seasons, came in averaging an NBA-best and 11.8 boards per game. The Lakers are 19-12 when he gets double digits in rebounds, and 11 of those losses have come on nights when he grabbed 14 or more. They wasted 26 boards in a home loss to Denver on Jan. 6, and 20 in a Dec. 11 loss at Cleveland.
Antawn Jamison scored 16 points off the bench, helping to hand Portland its season-worst seventh straight loss. The Trail Blazers have lost five straight road games and 10 of their last 11 away from the Rose Garden.
J.J. Hickson had 22 points and 11 rebounds for Portland, and Nicolas Batum also scored 22. Two-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge finished with 15 points in 34 foul-plagued minutes after picking up his fifth personal with 8 minutes remaining.
Damian Lillard added 19 points. All of Portland's starters scored in double figures, while the bench produced just 14 points.
Portland led 82-80 after three quarters, and the lead changed hands five times before Steve Nash's layup gave the Lakers a 107-105 lead with 1:44 to play. Bryant fumbled the ball out of bounds on the Lakers' next possession, but the Blazers couldn't capitalize and Bryant closed it out with four free throws in the final 13 seconds.
Hickson, who came in fifth in the NBA with a 56.5 field goal percentage, shot 8 for 10 in the first half and had 16 points - including a 20-footer with 2.6 seconds on the clock to give the Blazers a 55-53 lead at the break.
Howard had 15 points and eight rebounds in the first half.
Lakers forward Metta World Peace played almost 9 1/2 minutes before taking his first shot, an airball on a 3-point attempt. But his next shot was a successful 3 that gave Los Angeles a 37-32 lead with 8:46 left in the second quarter.
Meyers Leonard, the Blazers' 7-foot-1 backup center, picked up three fouls in his first 5 1/2 minutes on the floor and finished with four points in 13 minutes.
NOTES: The Lakers (27-29) haven't been under .500 this deep into a season since 1993-94, when they were 21-35 after 56 games and finished 33-49. That was the first of only two times that the team didn't make the playoffs during Buss' term as owner, which began in 1979-80. ... The Lakers are 5-13 when Bryant commits five or more turnovers. ... Bryant hit a 3-pointer in the first quarter that snapped his string of 16 consecutive misses from behind the arc. He is only 2 for 39 since Jan. 20, when he misfired on his last two attempts. ... Hickson was 11 for 15 from the field, extending his club-record streak to 18 consecutive games of shooting 50 percent or better. ... No Lakers player scored 30 or more points in the team's previous 17 games since Jan. 15, when Bryant and Howard each had 31 in a 104-88 home win against Milwaukee. The only time that Bryant sat out the fourth quarter during that stretch was Feb. 7 at Boston, when he had 27 in a 116-95 loss. ... The Blazers haven't lost more than seven straight games in the same season since 2005-06, when they dropped their final eight and 19 of their last 20. They begin a four-game homestand Sunday against the Celtics, who have beaten Portland six straight times and won 13 of the past 14 meetings. ... The Blazers have lost six straight road games against the Lakers, and are 5-20 against them at Staples Center since the arena opened in 1999-00.

Drew Peterson enters prison for murder sentence


 Less than 24 hours after screaming out his innocence in court, Drew Peterson was transferred to an Illinois prison to begin serving his 38-year sentence for the murder of this third wife.
The former suburban Chicago police officer, whose case attracted widespread media attention and inspired a TV movie, entered the maximum-security Stateville prison outside Joliet early Friday. Prison officials said he could eventually be moved after an evaluation period.
A judge sentenced him Thursday for the 2004 drowning death of his fourth wife, Kathleen Savio. He's also a suspect in the disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson. Savio's death was originally ruled an accident, but it was re-examined after Stacey Peterson vanished in 2007 and eventually ruled a homicide.
Peterson, 59, had faced up to 60 years in prison. He will get four years' credit for time he already served in jail.
"I had prepared him for 60," one of his attorneys, Joe Lopez, said Friday. "He felt good ... He thought he might get more."
Peterson will likely remain at a maximum-security facility because he was convicted of first-degree murder, but his fame and status as a former police officer, which could make him a target of fellow inmates, may factor into a decision about where he is housed, Department of Corrections spokeswoman Stacey Solano said Friday.
Appearing calm as he sat to address the judge at Thursday's sentencing, the usually calm Peterson suddenly exploded. Looking at Savio's family, he leaned into a microphone and shouted, "I did not kill Kathleen!" He then made a 30-minute statement, during which he cried, shook uncontrollably and stopped several times to regain his composure.
At one point, he challenged the lead prosecutor, Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow, to look him in the eyes. Glasgow laid down his pen, folded his arms and looked straight back at Peterson.
"Never forget what you've done here," Peterson, his eye narrowing, told him. Glasgow later told reporters that Peterson's scream gave everyone in court a glimpse at the "psychopath" who killed Savio.
On Friday, Lopez said his client still believed he had been railroaded by Will County prosecutors.
"He is looking forward to getting out of Will County," Lopez said.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

49ers' Jenkins looks to rebound after rookie flop

Although his team made it all the way to the Super Bowl, San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke was asked to discuss less pleasant issues with the media at the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday.
What will he do with demoted quarterback Alex Smith? Was he concerned with the lack of productivity from last year's draft class, especially that of wide receiver A. J. Jenkins, their first-round pick who saw minimal playing time?
Baalke has not made a decision on Smith, but reported that Jenkins is expected to begin working harder on self-improvement beginning this week.
Smith was sidelined by a concussion in November and remained a backup when second-year quarterback Colin Kaepernick made the offense more dynamic with a stronger arm and exceptional running ability that was showcased in a run-option series.
Baalke had dinner with Smith and talked with him, but admits he still does not have a definite plan on what to do with the popular veteran quarterback. He stammered and sidestepped when asked if trading Smith was an option.
"There's, uh, I think that's part of it, " Baalke said. "We're going to look at all options available. Are we going to trade him for sure? That hasn't been decided."
Not even after what he called "a great meal and a great discussion" with Smith and the quarterback's wife, Liz.
"I can't say enough good things," Baalke said of Smith. "If you ask anyone in the organization, they'll say the same thing. He is a pro's pro. Have nothing but great respect for him, his family. And we're certainly going to do everything in our power to make the best decision for everyone involved."
ESPN.com reported it was "highly, highly, highly unlikely" the 49ers would release Smith, citing sources, and would only trade him. However, Smith's trade value is in question based on a conspicuous lack of interest in him as a free agent last year. While the 49ers were reportedly eyeing another free agent, Peyton Manning, Smith visited the Miami Dolphins, who had a dire need for a quarterback. But there was not even an offer made to Smith, according to the Dolphins.
As the 49ers prepare for a 2013 draft in which they have 14 picks, Baalke was asked to reflect on the lack of production from Jenkins', who was the 30th player selected last year. He was healthy all season, but was active for only three games, played in 37 offensive snaps and dropped the only pass thrown to him.
Baalke said Jenkins' main problem was an inability to pick up the 49ers offense.
"He's a young guy that came out of a college system that's taken a while to grasp to the pro system," Baalke said. "It's not a work ethic issue, it's not a skill set issue. It's learning the craft at the pro level. And that's a position historically that some have adapted to more quickly than others."
However, the lanky receiver was criticized for not working out hard enough.to help fit in as a pro. That criticism became louder when it was learned that Jenkins did not follow through after accepting an invitation to work out with Hall of Famer Jerry Rice.
Jenkins recently said he would join Kaepernick at CES Performance in Atlanta. Kaepernick has a reputation for his diligent work habits. However, Jenkins was a no-show last week when Kaepernick and two other receivers, Ricardo Lockette and Chad Hall, began workouts.
Baalke said Jenkins was expected to join the other players this week.
"We're very confident in his ability as we were when we drafted him," Baalke said. "And now it's time for him to go back to work, and this offseason is going to be a big offseason. These guys -- we've always said -- their biggest growth is between Year 1 and Year 2. So we're expected that to happen this year, and certainly in AJ's case."

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

NASCAR's redesigned race cars receive rave reviews


Designed primarily to improve driver safety following the death of Dale Earnhardt in the 2001 Daytona 500, the car has been kicked to the curb, left in the rearview mirror and turned into scrap metal.
The redesigned replacements - at least so far - are a huge hit with drivers, owners, auto manufacturers and fans.
The new cars, dubbed ''Generation 6,'' look considerably closer to the ones sold on showroom floors. It's NASCAR's way of putting the ''stock'' back in stock-car racing and possibly making the cars stars once again.
''It matters because it's the image we portray,'' defending Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski said. ''I wear a fire suit with a helmet and a full seat around me. You can't see me. What you are seeing is this car going around the race track and the sponsors and the car construction, styling, etc. So that is what you see as a fan or as an ambassador of the sport. Absolutely it matters.''
Cars used to be as iconic as drivers in NASCAR.
In the mid-1950s, race cars were virtually indistinguishable from production vehicles. Sure, they had some rudimentary safety equipment and numbers on the doors, but they often still had license plates and working headlights.
Against other real production cars, the very first Chrysler 300 was dominant. That set the stage for the next five decades of racing.
Fireball Roberts and his No. 22 black and gold Pontiac Catalina were mainstays in Victory Lane in the early 60s. Richard Petty's blue Dodge Charger was a series staple.
The Charger became so important to Petty that NASCAR extended the car's eligibility through the 1977 season, an unprecedented move for the sanctioning body. And few have forgotten Bill Elliott's sleek Ford Thunderbird or Earnhardt's stylish Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS in the late 1980s.
''People want that kind of connection with the car they're driving,'' NASCAR team owner Chip Ganassi said.
NASCAR hasn't had that in years.
The CoT debuted in 2007 after extension research and development. The driver's seat moved more toward the center of the car, which was longer and wider.
The result was a boxy car that was indistinguishable from make to make; NASCAR needed just one template to check every car during inspections. Maybe more troubling was that it was considerably less racy than its predecessor.
Drivers hated it, fans ripped it and NASCAR officials dismissed the backlash while continuously pointing to the car's safety record.
''It was something that's never happened in history, where manufacturers were basically treated like mushrooms - kept in the dark and under a pile a crap by the organizing bodies,'' said Lee White, president and general manager of Toyota Racing Development. ''Now it's an opportunity for the manufacturers to become front and center.''
Indeed.
With Chevrolet leading the way, and fellow manufactures Ford and Toyota gladly following its lead, the auto giants demanded change. By some accounts, Chevy even threatened to leave NASCAR if the on-track cars didn't become more relevant.
NASCAR listened, and allowed the three manufacturers to develop unique versions of the Gen-6 car. That led to cars that closely resemble the Chevrolet SS, the Ford Fusion and the Toyota Camry.
Grills and body lines are similar. Silhouettes are within millimeters of their showroom counterparts.
''This is stock-car racing,'' said Mark Reuss, president of General Motors North America. ''Everything is supposed to be stock or at least as close as you can get to stock. NASCAR knew it. The manufacturers knew. The fans knew it. Everyone could feel things were off. We're trying to appeal to a whole new generation of people, and when the car's not relevant, it gets really hard because everyone starts aging. We did this as much for the sport as we did for the brand.''
Still, the ol' ''win on Sunday, sell on Monday'' mantra is what auto makers really would like to get back to.
''It's been a long time coming, and it's finally here,'' said NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick, who owns car dealerships across the country. ''I've never seen this much energy about the car. We have the drivers as stars, and we used to have the cars as stars. Now I think we've got them both again, and I think that's the neatest part of this deal.''
Feedback has been purely positive after two tests in January and through the first few days of Speedweeks.
Still, complete results won't really be known until the car makes its debut at superspeedways, short tracks and the all-important 1 1/2 mile ovals.
''The previous car was the ugliest car of all time,'' driver Jamie McMurray said. ''I thought it was horrible. I think this is the best looking car we've ever been in. ... It's cool that we have some brand identity. If you're a Chevy fan, you have something to pull for. Before, the cars just had different decals on them. They are actually different now, which is cool.''
And NASCAR isn't done making the race cars more closely mimic those on the streets.
The sanctioning body moved to ethanol-blended fuel in 2011 and then replaced carburetors with fuel-injection systems last year. Electronic power steering and glass dashboards could be next.
''It's our job to bring racing to fans in a format they can understand, that's relevant and not based on the past, but on the future,'' Reuss said.

2 Executives May Have Faked Deaths


The reporter in Mexico who described the purported death of two American executives with a crumbling business said they were likely not killed and he may have been "fed" the story.
Antonio Neri Johnston, a reporter for El Occidental newspaper in Guadalajara, Mexico, wrote a story on Feb. 11, describing that the bodies of Americans Michael Davies and Derald Johnston, identified as the CEO and CFO, respectively, of Southridge Enterprises in Dallas, had been discovered.
Johnston said a man who claimed to be a police officer in a remote village said two bodies were found in a river with documents showing their identities.
"The strange thing is, they called me, but also other colleagues," Johnston, who could not be reached for comment today, told Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA.
But Johnston said neither local police nor American authorities have evidence of a crime where the bodies were found, nor that the men have been reported missing or even that they existed in the first place.
"We were fed a story, and many of us ran with it," Johnston told The Dallas Morning News.
The Securities and Exchange Commission terminated the registration of Southridge Enterprises Inc.in 2011, noting that there were approximately 134 stock "holders of record." ABC News was not successful in attempts to contact an attorney and law firm once associated with the company, Carrillo Huettel LLP, in San Diego, Calif.
According to one of its press releases on its website, Southridge Minerals announced in November 2012 that it "hired new legal representation" but did not specify which law firm.
Southridge Mineral states that it was in the "development and acquisition of gold and silver mines in Mexico," but Bandera Gold, a competing company, said Southridge claimed to have business in places in Mexico where none existed.
Starting in early 2012, Southridge began issuing press releases indicating that it had surface rights to Cinco Minas in Jalisco, Mexico, something that caught the attention of Bandera Gold, a gold exploration company in Alberta, Canada, that said it has ownership of the land.
Bandera Gold has been in a legal dispute with its former joint venture partner since 2008 over a $5.6 million agreement to invest in Cinco Minas.
"[Southridge] was claiming a comprehensive drill program and they were intercepting bonanza grades -- all of which when we were acutely aware the site was dormant. It has not had activity since late 2007," said Stephen Roehrig, Bandera's CEO.
Concerned that Bandera Gold's shareholders might be confused by the conflicting information, Roehrig said he hired an independent security team to monitor the site and found no evidence of mining activity.
Roehrig told ABC News Bandera sent "cease and desist" letters to the address Southridge registered with the SEC. Those letters returned "undeliverable."
Linda Coker, the tenant relations manager at the Dallas office building of Southridge and Southridge Minerals, told the Dallas Morning News that Southridge does not lease space in the building, though she said the company may have had a temporary or virtual office operation there.
"We made efforts to try and communicate with them," Roehrig told ABC News. "There's never been evidence that he at all exists. All attempts to communicate with him ended up as a dead end."
The SEC suspended trading in Southridge stock after the company issued a statement claiming that it had a joint partnership in Mexico with Kinross Gold Corp. of Canada. Kinross told the SEC there was no such deal.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Exclusive: Disney discovers unreleased Mickey Mouse sketch from 1938


More than 80 years after his creation, Mickey Mouse continues to surprise.
The Disney archives have released a newly discovered sketch from 1938, “Mickey’s Toothache,” part of an incomplete cartoon that was part of an effort to make Mickey a more complete character.
In “Mickey’s Toothache,” created in April 1938, artist Ferdinand Horvath has the newly adventurous Mickey experiencing something akin to a psychedelic nightmare. In the words of Disney Archives Director Becky Cline, Mickey has traveled to the dentist and fallen under the influence of too much laughing gas. The overdose sends Mickey into a “nightmarish world inhabited by living teeth, dental floss, a psychotic dentist’s chair and a vengeful pair of dental pliers," said Cline.
Mickey’s then-nemesis Pete also makes an appearance in the nightmare scenario. It culminates with Mickey being put on trial led, of course, by a judgmental wisdom tooth, who charges Mickey with tooth neglect.
The previously forgotten piece of artwork was discovered in the Walt Disney Archives, hiding out in a folder lost for more than 74 years. It was unearthed just a few months ago.
“Mickey’s Toothache” is just one of several unveilings being planned as part of this year’s D23 Disney Fanniversary Celebration, an event that began last year as a way to include members of Disney’s official fan club in some of the company’s milestone events. The Horvath image will be included in a 90-minute presentation showcasing some of this year’s other major Disney anniversaries in 10 different U.S. cities (Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Newark, Orlando, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.).
“Mickey has been a superstar from almost the beginning. He was immediately popular,” Cline told Yahoo News. “By 1938, he was just about to step into a finished version of himself. He was boyish and impish. During this period of his growth he became larger than life in some ways.”
Cline says the artwork showcases the transformation of America's favorite mouse from popular fad to American icon. It's one that can be seen as well in released cartoons of Mickey engaging in various adventures in locales including the deepest jungles of Africa, or in the 1936 cartoon “Through the Mirror.”
“Mickey was kind of growing and stretching. He left the barnyard, and he started to become more adventurous,” Cline said.
Though most people think of Walt Disney himself in relation to his most-famous individual creation, Horvath was a significant part of the early Disney years. Born in 1891 Horvath spent time in a Russian concentration camp where he taught himself to draw before immigrating to America on Armistice Day 1921. He worked for the studio from 1934 through 1944, producing between 70 and 80 animated shorts along the way and working on the production of "Snow White."
Last year, we brought you the story of a newly discovered, 85-year-old Oswald the Rabbit sketch, “Harem Scarem.” Since then, Disney has pushed forward with efforts to bring Oswald, a Mickey prototype of sorts, back into the Disney fold.
So, will we ever see a complete version of “Mickey’s Toothache”?
“It’s possible,” Cline said. "The animation research library still goes back and refers to those older cartoons. ... Even though we’re still discovering some of this material for the first time in decades, they’re not lost.”

Monday, February 18, 2013

Looking for Greatness on Presidents Day


This Monday, Nov. 19, 2012 photo shows a bust of Abraham Lincoln at the Robert Todd Lincoln mansion Hildene in Manchester, VT. The Georgian Revival home was built in 1905 by Robert Todd Lincoln, the only one of the president's four children to survive to adulthood. (AP Photo/Toby Talbot)
Presidents Day fact: Historians generally agree that Abraham Lincoln was the greatest U.S. president.
President Obama seems to agree, too. He announced his first run for president from the steps of the state house in Springfield, Ill., and laced it with references to No. 16. Asked during a "fireside hangout" on Google+ what people should read to really understand his political philosophy, Obama pointed first to his own book, then directed people to the writings of Lincoln.
"I have to tell you that where I draw inspiration from is the writings of Lincoln, and I'm assuming you're a Republican," he told a questioner. "This was our first Republican president. But the core philosophy that he espouses, this sense that we are this nation that is built on freedom and individual initiative and free enterprise but there are some things we do in common together," he said.
Obama caught some flak in December of 2011, during a "60 Minutes" interview, for comparing his own accomplishments to those of other presidents.
"I would put our legislative and foreign policy accomplishments in our first two years against any president - with the possible exceptions of Johnson, FDR and Lincoln - just in terms of what we've gotten done in modern history," Obama said.
It is surely too soon to say how great, or not, President Obama's presidency will be. But as he embarks on his second term, his legacy will be a topic of great debate and subject to political perspective.
John F. Kennedy told the presidential biographer David Donald that rating presidents was a tricky business.
"No one has a right to grade a president - even poor James Buchanan - who has not sat in his chair, examined the mail and information that came across his desk, and learned why he made his decisions," Donald wrote in his biography of Lincoln.
While "President's Day," which was enshrined as a Monday holiday with the " Uniform Holiday Bill" signed into law by Lyndon Johnson in 1968, is more closely pegged to Washington's Birthday, Richard Nixon appears to have started the tradition of referring to it as Presidents Day and honoring all the presidents, even though some surely deserve less commemoration than others. Good thing for him, too, because he's the only president to resign in the face of impeachment.
How a person views a president's legacy might have a lot to do with his or her political perspective. George Washington and Abraham Lincoln transcend those preferences; Washington helped create the country and Lincoln helped keep it intact and end the stain of slavery. But others - Woodrow Wilson, who is considered great - might be more well liked by a liberal than Ronald Reagan, who would surely be preferred by a conservative.
Somebody on Wikipedia took the time to compile surveys of scholars and the general public about who was the best president. Lincoln was rated highest the most. His predecessor, James Buchanan, is often cited as one of the worst because he allowed the Confederacy to fester. Another contender is Warren G. Harding, who followed Woodrow Wilson's international activism with a hands-off approach and a corrupt cabinet.
Newt Gingrich is a history professor and a politician and while his own presidential aspirations came up short in the Republican primary last year, he also has some bipartisan ideas about who were the best presidents: Washington or Lincoln, he said through a spokesman.
But he has often spoken up about the greatness of Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt, the longest-serving president who grew the federal government more than any other. When Gingrich reached some heights of Washington power in 1995 as speaker of the House, the first Republican to hold the position in 40 years, he gave some cross-partisan love to FDR, the same president many Republicans now blame for bloating the federal government.
In a speech to the House of Representatives, he outlined the need for spending cuts to balance the budget, which he thought should exempt Social Security. But he said Washington should not be afraid of cuts elsewhere. And he invoked F.D.R. to make that point:
"But let me say about everything else, whether it is Medicare, or it is agricultural subsidies, or it is defense or anything that I think the greatest Democratic president of the 20th century, and in my judgment the greatest president of the 20th century, said it right. On March 4, 1933, he stood in braces as a man who had polio at a time when nobody who had that kind of disability could be anything in public life. He was president of the United States, and he stood in front of this Capitol on a rainy March day and he said, 'We have nothing to fear but fear itself.'"
Elsewhere in that speech, Gingrich gave praise to Franklin Roosevelt for the style of his leadership, not his policies.
"The fact is that it was Franklin Delano Roosevelt who gave hope to a nation that was in distress and could have slid into dictatorship. Every Republican has much to learn from studying what the Democrats did right," Gingrich told the House of Representatives in 1995.
Listen to Gingrich's 1995 speech here.
Gingrich's view of FDR's being the greatest 20 th century president has not changed in the intervening years. Asked during his presidential run who the fifth president n Mt. Rushmore should be, Gingrich said he'd "go for five and six: F.D.R. and Reagan."


Saturday, February 16, 2013

Jets escort plane from where Obama is vacationing


Officials say two F-16 military jets have escorted a small plane away from a no-fly zone above where President Barack Obama is vacationing along Florida's Treasure Coast.
U.S. Army Lt. Col. Mike Humphreys said the planes forced the Cessna 152 to land in Witham Field in Stuart around noon Saturday. Local authorities met the plane when it landed. No other details were released.
Federal Aviation Administration officials said they are investigating whether the Cessna entered the temporarily restricted flight area.
Obama is spending the weekend with some friends at the Floridian, a secluded yacht and golf club.

Ever Wonder: How Did Beyoncé Get Her Unusual First Name?


Say my name! It’s become a household term at this point—but have you ever wondered what was the inspiration behind Beyonce’s unique moniker?
No need to be mystified any longer. According to Bey’s own family, there’s actually a quite logical explanation. At Tuesday’s premiere of Beyonce’s biopic documentary, Life Is But A Dream, her maternal uncle Roland Beyincegave the scoop.
As you've probably already guessed by now, the name was a twist on Beyonce's mom's maiden name. “My sister Tina [Knowles] didn’t think we had enough boys in the family to keep the name going, so she gave Beyoncé our last name as the first name,” Uncle Roland explained.
Of course, it’s not an exact match, but we think "Beyoncé" has much more of a lilt to it than "Beyince"—don’t you?
The megastar singer—who is well-known for her privacy—opened up recently to talk show queen Oprah Winfrey regarding her new documentary, which airs on HBO Saturday night. In the revealing interview, she touches on many subjects, including a miscarriage she suffered prior to having daughter Blue Ivy last year; the firing of her father as her manager; and her marriage to rap mogul Jay-Z.

Friday, February 15, 2013

‘Daily Show’ and ‘Colbert Report’ take on ‘Harlem Shake’ (VIDEOS)


The "Daily Show" and "Colbert Report" have made their contributions to the ever-growing canon of "Harlem Shake" remix videos.
The meme began late last month when a group of what appear to be college students dressed in latex suits shot a goofy video of themselves dancing wildly in a cramped dorm room to "Harlem Shake" by Baauer, a Brooklyn-based electronic music producer. The video quickly went viral, amassing more than 5 million views on YouTube.
In early February, five Australian skateboarders—including one wearing what appears to be a motorcycle helmet—followed suit. Theirs went viral, too, racking up more than 7 million views and inspiring scores of imitators.
By Feb. 11, there were more than 12,000 “Harlem Shake” videos on YouTube, according to ABC, with everything from swim teams to startups joining in on the fun.
Which brings us to this: Jon Stewart, clad in a helmet and surrounded by the "Daily Show" staff, dancing to the bass-thumping track. In the "Daily Show" version, Stewart is ditched by the staff and ends up dancing in a cape alone.
Not to be outdone, Stephen Colbert led a "Harlem Shake" remix with members of the "Colbert Report" studio audience.
Watch both versions below.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Tennessee man quits job after getting W-2 with ’666′ on it


A Tennessee maintenance worker has quit his job after discovering the number "666" printed on his W-2 tax form.
The man, Walter Slonopas, a 52-year-old born-again Christian, told The Tennessean that God was worth more than money.
The number 666 is commonly referred to as the number of the beast and is often associated with the devil. (The number played a pivotal role in the classic horror movie "The Omen.") Revelation 13:18in the New Testament says, "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six."
This wasn't the first time that Slonopas had a work-related run-in with the notorious number. When he first began his job in 2011, he said, he was accidentally assigned the number 666 to be used when he clocked in. His number was later changed to 668.
However, a few months later, when the company updated its clock-in system, Slonopas was again assigned the number 666. He quit, but returned to work after being given yet another new number.
[Related: Father agrees to pay daughter $200 to quit Facebook]
The Tennessean spoke with Bob LaCourciere, vice president of sales and marketing for the Revstone Corp., Slonopas' former company, about the W-2 form. He explained that the number referred to the order in which the tax documents were mailed.
Slonopas is seeking a new W-2 with a different number on it. He says that he can't file his taxes without one.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Texas prison escapee caught after 16 years


Texas prison escapee on the run for almost 16 years has been captured by authorities in Mexico and awaits extradition to the U.S. to finish serving his sentence on charges of attempted capital murder of a police officerstate Department of Criminal Justice officials said Wednesday.
Juan Salaz was apprehended last week. The 37-year-old American citizen had been sought for years by authorities on both sides of the border.
Salaz escaped the night of March 22, 1997, from the Garza East prison in Beeville in South Texas by climbing over three 16-foot fences all topped with razor wire.
At the time, he was serving three concurrent 35-year sentences for aggravated kidnapping with a deadly weapon and two counts of attempted capital murder of a police officer for a 1995 incident involving two Houston officers.
He now also faces a felony escape charge besides serving the remainder of his sentence.
Prison records show on April 2, 1995, Salaz and another man, Geronimo Soto Alvarado, abducted a man at gunpoint and demanded a ransom. Houston police undercover officers involved in the case arranged for the exchange. After the abducted man was freed, they identified themselves as police and Salaz and Alvarado opened fire on them. A police sergeant avoided serious injury when he was saved by his body armor. Another officer suffered a hand wound.
Salaz was seriously wounded when police returned fire. He recovered from his injuries and subsequently pleaded guilty.
Alvarado, now 45, also was arrested and is serving a life sentence for two convictions of aggravated assault and another for aggravated kidnapping.
Prison officials said sources for years had told them Salaz was hiding out in Mexico but he managed to evade police. The hunt for him involved the U.S. Marshals Service, the Texas prison system's Office of Inspector General and Mexican law enforcement agencies.
"Salaz thought that he had eluded authorities by starting a new life in Mexico," Department of Criminal Justice Inspector General Bruce Toney said Wednesday. "He was wrong."
Salaz is to be returned to Texas custody once the Mexican government approves his extradition.
Salaz's capture leaves Jose Fernando Bustos-Diaz, 24, as the lone Texas prison fugitive. He fled in April 2010 from the Brisco Unit in Dilley, near San Antonio. The prison houses medium- and minimum-security inmates. He also is believed to have fled to Mexico.
Bustos-Diaz was serving 35 years for a 2005 murder in Harris County.

Christie to ex-White House doctor: 'Shut up'


In this photo released by CBS Broadcasting, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, left, and late night host David Letterman, right, react with laughter during the Governor's first visit to CBS’ “Late Show with David Letterman,” on Monday, Feb. 4, 2013 in New York. (AP Photo/CBS Broadcasting, Jeffrey Neira)
Gov. Chris Christie lashed out Wednesday at a former White House doctor who said she worries about the governor dying in office because he is so heavy, telling her to "shut up."
Dr. Connie Mariano, who served as White House physician from 1992 to 2001, told CNN she'd like to see Christie run for president in 2016 but that he needs to lose weight. She said she worries he could have a heart attack or stroke.
"I'm worried about this man dying in office," the doctor, who has a practice in Scottsdale, Ariz., told the network.
During a visit Wednesday to a shore town devastated by Superstorm Sandy, Christie was asked about the doctor's comments.
Unless Mariano gives him a physical exam and learns his family history, "she should shut up," the governor said.
His children heard the doctor's comments, Christie said, and his preteen son asked him if he was going to die.
"She's just another hack looking for her five minutes," Christie said.
Christie has never revealed his weight, but he has repeatedly said that keeping it in check has been a longtime struggle.
Christie joked about his girth during an appearance Monday on "The Late Show with David Letterman," pulling out a doughnut and saying his girth is "fair game" for comedians.
The next day, he spoke frankly about his efforts to lose weight and described himself as "remarkably healthy," but he also acknowledged his doctor "continues to warn me that my luck is going to run out relatively soon."
Christie has never released his medical records. He had one health scare during his first term, an asthma attack in the summer of 2011 that sent him to the hospital but did not require him to be admitted. He blamed it on the heat, not his weight.

Monopoly fans vote to toss 1 token, add new piece


The end is near for the shoe, wheelbarrow or iron in the classic Monopoly game as fans vote Tuesday in the final hours of a contest to determine which token to eliminate and which piece to replace it with.

The eight tokens identify the players and have changed quite a lot since Parker Brothers bought the game from its original designer in 1935. The latest changes mark the first time that fans have had a say on which piece to add and which one to toss.
The voting on Facebook is scheduled to close just before midnight Tuesday. Pawtucket-based toy maker Hasbro Inc. will announce the new piece Wednesday morning.

So far, the wheelbarrow, shoe and iron are neck and neck for elimination through the Save Your Token Campaign. The new addition will be a robot, diamond ring, cat, helicopter or guitar.

Fans from more than 120 countries have voted.

The online contest to change the tokens was sparked by chatter on Facebook, where Monopoly has more than 10 million fans.

Monopoly's iconic tokens originated when the niece of game creator Charles Darrow suggested using charms from a charm bracelet for tokens. The real-estate trading game is based on the streets of Atlantic City, N.J., and has sold more than 275 million games worldwide.

The eight tokens are an iron, racecar, Scottie dog, a shoe, thimble, top hat, wheelbarrow and battleship. Most of the pieces were introduced with the first Parker Brothers iteration of the game in 1935, and the Scottie dog and wheelbarrow were added in the early 1950s.

Versions of Monopoly with the new token will come out later this year.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Obama to make first visit to Israel ‘in the spring’


President Barack Obama will visit Israel "in the spring" for the first time since taking office in January 2009, the White House said on Tuesday. Israeli media reports said the trip wasset for March 20. Possible military action against Iran and the crisis in Syria seem sure to top the agenda.
Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the possibility of a visit during a Jan. 28 telephone call, White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters. Carney said Obama would also visit Palestinian leaders in the West Bank and make a stop in Jordan, and that dates would be released later.
Obama visited Israel in July 2008, when he was running for office, but he has not been back since. Mitt Romney's presidential campaign—and Republicans in general—have sought to use that as a political weapon, suggesting it shows he's willing to shortchange the staunchest U.S. ally in the region. But both of George W. Bush's visits to Israel came in 2008, when his second term was nearly up, and Republican icon Ronald Reagan never went.
The visit will come as Obama and other world leaders, notably Netanyahu, have warned that time is running short for a diplomatic end to the tense standoff with Iran over that country's suspect nuclear program.
"When the president spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu on January 28, they discussed a visit by the president to Israel in the spring," Carney said. "The start of the president’s second term and the formation of a new Israeli government offer the opportunity to reaffirm the deep and enduring bonds between the United States and Israel and to discuss the way forward on a broad range of issues of mutual concern, including Iran and Syria."

Monday, February 4, 2013

FBI investigating NYC woman's death in Istanbul


Betzaida Jimenez, mother of 33-year-old Sarai Sierra who was found dead on Saturday in Turkey, pauses before a news conference at a friend's home in Staten Island, Monday, Feb. 4, 2013, in New York. Sierra went missing while vacationing alone in Istanbul on Jan. 21, the day she was due to board her flight back home. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
The FBI is playing a significant role in the investigation into the death of a New York City woman in Istanbulwhile on a solo vacation, a U.S. congressman said Monday.
Rep. Michael Grimm, a former FBI agent, said U.S. investigators were invited by Turkish authorities to assist as they try to find out what happened to Sarai Sierra, a 33-year-old mother of two who disappeared Jan. 21. Her body was found 12 days later, near the remnants of the city's ancient walls. Police said she had suffered a fatal blow to the head.
Prosecutors in Istanbul got a court order Monday for authorities to take blood and DNA samples from 21 people already questioned in the death, according to Turkish state media.
Meanwhile, her family was working out how to return her body to the U.S.
"Our No. 1 priority right now is bringing Sarai home," said Grimm, who accompanied Sierra's parents, Betzaida and Dennis Jimenez, as they spoke to the media at the home of a family friend on New York's Staten Island.
Sierra's husband, Steven, is in Istanbul, where he traveled last week to help in the search. He intends to accompany her body back to New York, but the family is still determining how to fund the transport. Their church and friends are working to raise money to help defray the costs.
Turkish authorities finished an autopsy Monday on Sierra and gave DNA samples from it to a crime lab, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported. After that, Istanbul prosecutors got the court order but did not identify the possible suspects, the agency reported.
On Monday, police with sniffer dogs were scouring the area where the body was found for clues, it said. The Milliyet newspaper said the forensic lab will examine samples from Sierra's fingernails as well as hair and other samples from a blanket found near her body. It said some nail scrapings suggest she may have tried to fight off at least one attacker.
Sarai Sierra made her first trip overseas alone after her childhood friend, Magdalena Rodriguez, backed out. At Monday's news conference in New York, Rodriguez fought back tears as she said she wished she had not changed her plans.
"I wasn't working at the time and I didn't have the money to go," she explained.
Family and friends described Sierra as a devoted mother to her 9- and 11-year-old sons who volunteered at their school and worked part time so she would be available for them after school. "Every time I saw her, she was always with her family," said another longtime friend, Dulce Arroyo.
Arroyo ran across Sierra on a shopping trip two days before she left the U.S. and said traveling alone didn't appear to be a frightening prospect. Her friend was looking forward to an exciting adventure and spent most of their conversation talking about the murals and architecture she planned to photograph.
"She was perfectly OK with taking this trip on her own," Arroyo added. "She was thrilled."
Dennis Jimenez said Sierra tried to calm any fears by emphasizing that she'd be in regular contact via video calls and text messages.
"I didn't want her to go, but she wanted to go," he said. "Turkey was a land rich in architecture and ancient history, and she was very fascinated by that."
He added that she shared her photos online and checked in frequently. "You could tell that she was happy," he said.
Grimm said Turkish police still have hours of video footage to review as they piece together Sierra's last movements. A special unit of Turkish police set up to find Sierra have an image of her at Galata Bridge, which spans Istanbul's Golden Horn waterway and where she went on her last day to take photos.
The trip also included preplanned excursions to Amsterdam and Munich.
Betzaida Jimenez said her two grandsons do not know what had happened to their mother. They only know their father went to get her after her vacation.
"We're going to talk about that when he gets back," she said.
She recalled hugging her daughter before she departed and praying together for a safe journey.
"Just the thought that I'll never be able to hug her again," she said, pausing to compose herself. "We just didn't think a tragedy like this was going to happen."

Kaepernick nearly leads another 49ers comeback


Under pressure and off balance, Colin Kaepernick released a fourth-down throw into the end zone with the outcome of the Super Bowl hanging in the balance.

Everyone in the Superdome could see that the ball wasn't caught as it sailed over Michael Crabtree. Enraged San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh argued for why: He thought Crabtree got held, bumped by cornerback Jimmy Smith with safety Ed Reed trailing the play.

''There's no question in my mind that there was a pass interference and then a hold on Crabtree on the last one,'' Harbaugh said.

The San Francisco 49ers' remarkable unbeaten run in their first five Super Bowls ended with a 34-31 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night, though they nearly pulled off the greatest championship comeback yet.

With three chances from the 5 and less than 2 minutes remaining, Kaepernick threw three straight incomplete passes intended for Crabtree, including the last on which Harbaugh screamed from the sideline and signaled for a penalty.

Kaepernick hardly reacted, lowering his head slightly and walking slowly off the field.
''That wasn't the original option,'' Kaepernick said. ''It's something I audibled to at the line based on the look they gave us.''

No comeback this time in the Big Easy.

Kaepernick got tripped up and tossed down, then nearly rallied his team once more in his 10th career NFL start.

Still, with Kaepernick leading the way, the 49ers thought they had it.

''I think everybody was thinking that,'' right guard Alex Boone said. ''Execution in the red zone wasn't where it was supposed to be today. It's a bad feeling.''

Rarely rattled on an impressive path to the Super Bowl, Kaepernick - San Francisco's gutsy second-year quarterback with those speedy legs - finally showed some inexperience on football's big stage. Not to mention some guts.

After a remarkable postseason run by the tattooed play-caller, the Ravens exposed plenty of flaws in handing Kaepernick and Co. despite San Francisco's second-half rally.

''We were ready for the second half,'' Kaepernick said. ''We knew we had to score to get back in the game. We had good plays, we had bad plays in the red zone.''

No team has come from more than 10 points down to win a Super Bowl, and Kaepernick had a chance to make it happen less than three months after becoming San Francisco's starter.

He regrouped during a 34-minute delay early in the third quarter because of a power outage, finding his groove and turning the Super Bowl into a wild game down the stretch - and gave yet more credibility to the pistol offense designed by his old college coach that is so well suited for the NFL's young, mobile quarterbacks.

''Colin was cool the entire game,'' left tackle Joe Staley said. ''Colin was the same he's been the whole entire season. He's never shown any hints of being rattled, any hint of being uncomfortable on the football field, and he showed that exact kind of character today.''

Kaepernick directed four second-half scoring drives, throwing a 31-yard touchdown pass to Crabtree and also running 15 yards for a TD. But the 49ers missed the two-point conversion that would have tied the game with less than 10 minutes left.

Crabtree didn't get much help in a mistake-filled first half by San Francisco (13-5-1), which failed to stop Joe Flacco and deliver the franchise's sixth championship that would have matched the Pittsburgh Steelers for most ever.

The 49ers' perfect Super Bowl record? That's over, too. They lost for the first time in the title game.
Perhaps it's a bit premature to begin talking Bay Area dynasty again - in football, at least.
Playing for a title for the first time since Hall of Famers Steve Young and Jerry Rice won with a rout of San Diego 18 years ago, Jim Harbaugh's Niners made costly mistakes on both sides of the ball early in the game. And special teams, too.

Kaepernick wound up 16 for 28 for 302 yards with three sacks and an interception for a 91.7 passer rating in his outstanding Super Bowl debut. The interception was the first by the 49ers in six Super Bowls and ended a streak at 169 passes without one.

Kaepernick also rushed for 62 yards, joining Joe Montana as the only quarterbacks to pass for 300 yards and run for 50 in a Super Bowl. Kaepernick recorded the fourth 300-yard passing performance by the 49ers in the Super Bowl - Montana had two and Young one.

The 25-year-old Kaepernick completed eight of 13 first-half passes, was sacked twice and threw an interception as San Francisco fell behind 21-6.

In the NFC championship game at Atlanta two weeks ago, such a deficit was no problem. Kaepernick rallied the Niners back from 17-0, while the defense delivered by holding the Falcons scoreless in the second half to win 28-24.

This time, Kaepernick led his team into the end zone for the first time with 7:20 remaining in the third quarter after the power outage when he found Crabtree.

But a stingy San Francisco defense that relied on its ball-hawking, run-stopping play all season, couldn't consistently slow down Flacco and the high-powered Ravens.

Leading up to the Super Bowl, Kaepernick had handled himself beautifully in hostile environments - beating Drew Brees and the Saints right here in the Superdome on Nov. 25, and later guiding the Niners at New England. And, of course, the win against the Falcons on Jan. 20 that returned San Francisco to the Super Bowl at last.

''I was just sitting there watching Kaep with the ball and knowing that this whole team has trust in him and that he had everything in his hands,'' defensive tackle Ricky Jean Francois said. ''We just knew that the ball was going in the end zone, through Frank, through Kaep, even getting the ball to Randy (Moss) or Crabtree with the hands he has.''