Sports network ESPN today plans to air a tribute to Sal Aunese who played for CU as a Quarterback in 1987 and 1988. Sal had a very short sports career as he fell prey to inoperable stomach cancer in 1989.
This show is part of the ongoing ESPN series to cover College Football which covers the background of various college super stars of their time.
Sal Aunese was survived by his wife and a five-month old son, T.C. McCartney. Incidentally TC McCarney is now a quarterback at LSU. The plot of the documentary is something showing the son who is trying to walk in the footsteps of his dad.
ESPN’s show covering the Sal Aunese will start on Friday evening with a version of the story airing on ESPN Radio’s The Sporting Life at 9 p.m. MT. A shortened version of the segment will air on College Gameday, which airs beginning at 8 a.m. MT on ESPN.
Sal Aunese Biography and Wiki Info
Sal Aunese was 20 years old and few inches shy of 6 feet when he started as Colorado’s junior starting quarterback. He was close to 200 pounds. He continued to be the starter all through 1988 and led his team, Buffaloes, to an 8-4 record, passing for 1,004 yards and running for 397. He had won the job early in 1987 as a sophomore.
Sal Aunese was diagnosed with cancer on March 30, 1989, and he died six months later. Colorado dedicated the 1989 season to him and went 11-1, losing 21-6 to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. The Buffaloes won the Associated Press national title a year later.
Saturday, 19 September 2009
A mystery creature’s body has been found by a group of teenagers
A mystery creature’s body found by a group of teenagers, while playing in the town of Cerro Arul north of Panama City CNN reports, 18-September, 2009. The creature with rubber like skin, 150cm length, with weird and ugly features and without any hair on the body was spotted by the group, according to reports kids got scared from that Gollum-like thing in the lake.
Panamanian news service Telemetry reports, that the kids screamed when creature emerged from a cave and started hip hopping over rocks towards them as if intended to attack them, according to that group of teenagers they then stoned the mystery creature to death. Their parents returned to the lake the following day and were surprised to see the phenomenon. Later a team of researchers took out the body from the canal, photographed and was taken for forensic testing and research.
These photographs caused a great speculation on the issue on web. There are no reports about any scientific observation. In picture visible hooked claw promotes the theory that creature was a sloth that by some means lost its hair. According to many it is dead human fetus or some sort of genetic mutation . The alien like creature had received wide spread attention, many name had been given to it since then including “Gollum” to the “New Montauk Monster” and does not seem just a story. There must be strict investigation in such matters to avoid unnecessary fuss and panic. To our surprise, no official statement has been issued yet.
WoW Pirates Day
Blizzard likes to mix it up and has put a lot of cool little things into the game. Their latest addition is the amazingly cool sounding Pirates' Day! The only thing that could make this computer geek happier is if it was "Zombie Ninja Pirate Day". Oh well, maybe next year.
Yarrrr, matey! Commoners wearing pirate garb bring the news that the Dread Captain DeMeza and her crew have landed in Booty Bay and declared September 19 to be Pirates' Day! Learn more about this one-day event, including how you can join Captain DeMeza's pirate crew, on our Pirates' Day page.
Yarrrr, matey! Commoners wearing pirate garb bring the news that the Dread Captain DeMeza and her crew have landed in Booty Bay and declared September 19 to be Pirates' Day! Learn more about this one-day event, including how you can join Captain DeMeza's pirate crew, on our Pirates' Day page.
First doses of swine flu vaccine will be the nasal spray version
ATLANTA - Health officials say the first doses of swine flu vaccine will be the nasal spray version.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that about 3.4 million doses of nasal spray vaccine will be available the first week of October.
The government expects 195 million doses will be shipped out by the end of the year, most of them shots.
The nasal spray is approved for ages 2 to 49. Because it contains live flu virus, it's not recommended for some of the people at most risk from severe swine flu complications. That includes pregnant women, children younger than 2, and people with asthma and other chronic respiratory diseases.
Delivery of the spray will kick off the nation's complicated distribution of vaccine to protect against the novel H1N1 virus. Gradually increasing supplies of vaccine from five manufacturers are expected to be distributed at some 90,000 sites, said Dr. Jay Butler, who heads the CDC's H1N1 task force.
"Ultimately, anyone who wishes to be vaccinated should have the vaccine available to them," Butler said.
In the beginning, though, supplies are expected to be limited, even for high-risk groups targeted for early inoculation, including pregnant women, children from six months to age 24 and people with certain underlying health conditions.
State health departments will be in charge of requesting supplies of vaccine, and it will be up to them to decide whether to prioritize the very first doses even among the high-risk groups, Butler said.
Those orders will be transmitted to the CDC and then to the distributor, where they'll be filled within three business days then delivered by overnight service directly from the distributor to the provider. Distribution sites will be set up in four geographically diverse spots in the U.S., said Butler, who didn't know exactly where the sites would be located.
Eventually, 20 million doses a week
By the time vaccine production and delivery is in full swing, some 20 million doses a week will be available in the U.S.
INTERACTIVE
Sweating the swine flu?
NBC Chief Science Correspondent Robert Bazell answers your questions
Early results of clinical trials of the vaccine show a robust reponse in adults, who likely will need only one 15-microgram dose of the vaccine to protect against H1N1. Children younger than 10 are likely to need two doses, similar to their response to regular seasonal flu, health experts said.
"There's every indication that we have a good match betwee the virus that causes illness and the vaccine we have to prevent it," Butler said.
Still, many more cases of H1N1 are expected before the vaccine becomes available. The virus has become the dominant strain of flu in a very early flu season, said Dr. Daniel Jernigan, the CDC's deputy director of influenza. The bug is spreading in all 50 states, with 21 states reporting widespread activity. Clinics are reporting twice the number of flu cases for this time of year, mostly in children and young adults.
"It's a very strange thing for us to see that amount of influenza at this time of year," Jernigan said.
Click for related content
Seniors may have some immunity to swine flu
Upside to swine flu? At least they're over it
He emphasized the need for people to be vaccinated against seasonal influenza, which is also spreading. The H1N1 vaccine is not included in the seasonal shot, so people should plan on two separate doses for adults and likely three for children.
The government has ordered 195 million doses but may order more if there’s enough demand, health officials have said. Typically fewer than 100 million Americans get a flu vaccine every year, and it’s unclear whether swine flu will prompt much more demand.
A recent Associated Press-GfK poll found 57 percent of people said they were likely to get it.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that about 3.4 million doses of nasal spray vaccine will be available the first week of October.
The government expects 195 million doses will be shipped out by the end of the year, most of them shots.
The nasal spray is approved for ages 2 to 49. Because it contains live flu virus, it's not recommended for some of the people at most risk from severe swine flu complications. That includes pregnant women, children younger than 2, and people with asthma and other chronic respiratory diseases.
Delivery of the spray will kick off the nation's complicated distribution of vaccine to protect against the novel H1N1 virus. Gradually increasing supplies of vaccine from five manufacturers are expected to be distributed at some 90,000 sites, said Dr. Jay Butler, who heads the CDC's H1N1 task force.
"Ultimately, anyone who wishes to be vaccinated should have the vaccine available to them," Butler said.
In the beginning, though, supplies are expected to be limited, even for high-risk groups targeted for early inoculation, including pregnant women, children from six months to age 24 and people with certain underlying health conditions.
State health departments will be in charge of requesting supplies of vaccine, and it will be up to them to decide whether to prioritize the very first doses even among the high-risk groups, Butler said.
Those orders will be transmitted to the CDC and then to the distributor, where they'll be filled within three business days then delivered by overnight service directly from the distributor to the provider. Distribution sites will be set up in four geographically diverse spots in the U.S., said Butler, who didn't know exactly where the sites would be located.
Eventually, 20 million doses a week
By the time vaccine production and delivery is in full swing, some 20 million doses a week will be available in the U.S.
INTERACTIVE
Sweating the swine flu?
NBC Chief Science Correspondent Robert Bazell answers your questions
Early results of clinical trials of the vaccine show a robust reponse in adults, who likely will need only one 15-microgram dose of the vaccine to protect against H1N1. Children younger than 10 are likely to need two doses, similar to their response to regular seasonal flu, health experts said.
"There's every indication that we have a good match betwee the virus that causes illness and the vaccine we have to prevent it," Butler said.
Still, many more cases of H1N1 are expected before the vaccine becomes available. The virus has become the dominant strain of flu in a very early flu season, said Dr. Daniel Jernigan, the CDC's deputy director of influenza. The bug is spreading in all 50 states, with 21 states reporting widespread activity. Clinics are reporting twice the number of flu cases for this time of year, mostly in children and young adults.
"It's a very strange thing for us to see that amount of influenza at this time of year," Jernigan said.
Click for related content
Seniors may have some immunity to swine flu
Upside to swine flu? At least they're over it
He emphasized the need for people to be vaccinated against seasonal influenza, which is also spreading. The H1N1 vaccine is not included in the seasonal shot, so people should plan on two separate doses for adults and likely three for children.
The government has ordered 195 million doses but may order more if there’s enough demand, health officials have said. Typically fewer than 100 million Americans get a flu vaccine every year, and it’s unclear whether swine flu will prompt much more demand.
A recent Associated Press-GfK poll found 57 percent of people said they were likely to get it.
Friday, 18 September 2009
International Talk Like a Pirate Day
It’s the most wonderful time of the yarrrrrr. Yes, it’s International Talk Like a Pirate Day.
Actually, it’s tomorrow, September 19. But that’s no reason we can’t prepare for this very special celebration a day arrrrly.
For those of you well-versed in what should be a federal holiday, you’rrrrrre all set for the festivity. (OK, we’ll knock it off with all the arr’s).
But that’s basically all you have to do. Say “arrr” a lot. Do that and you’re celebrating. Woo-hoo!
Easy to understand why this is such a big phenomenon, isn’t it?
Well, like most other things that have taken off in the last few years, it’s the Internet that’s fueled it. Although it hasn’t amassed the 126 million times the “Evolution of Dance” video has been watched, there are more than 1,500 “Talk Like a Pirate” videos on YouTube, and more than 12 million websites dedicated in some way to the holiday.
Now this doesn’t compare to the 271 million websites that come up when you search for Christmas. Or the 35 million sites for Thanksgiving. But it clobbers Flag Day (1.3 million). And St. Patrick’s Day (6.8 million). Even President’s Day doesn’t come close, with only 1.1 million.
Not bad for a “holiday” that’s only been around since 1995 – and was started as a joke (obviously).
Humble beginnings
The humble roots of this special holiday go back to 1995 where two “normal” guys, John Baur and Mark Summers, were playing racquetball.
They don’t know why exactly they began to speak like pirates, but Baur suspects it might have come from an injury suffered during the game.
“One of us might have been reaching for a low shot that, by pure chance, might have come off the wall at an unusually high rate of speed, and strained something best left unstrained. ‘Arrr!,’ he might have said,” Baur explains on his website.
“Anyway, whoever let out the first ‘Arrr!’ started something. One thing led to another. ‘That be a fine cannonade,’ one said, to be followed by ‘Now watch as I fire a broadside straight into your yardarm!’ and other such helpful phrases,” he said.
The pirate lingo continued for a full hour. It was so much fun that they decided “that what the world really needed was a new national holiday, Talk Like A Pirate Day.”
They celebrated it in obscurity for many years, but once national columnist Dave Barry picked up on it back in 2002, it took off. Big time.
New names
Since that time, Baur calls himself “Ol’ Chumbucket.” While Summers goes by “Cap’n Slappy.” You’ll see them on national TV, in bookstores, giving speeches, and of course, they’re all over the Internet (video below).
So, if you feel like this is a holiday you must celebrate, you’ll probably want to start on their website. They’ve got all sorts of pointers and how-to’s.
If you want to impress your friends with some pirate jokes, here’s a one-stop location that should fill your needs.
But be aware, the jokes aren’t that hard to come up with. IE: What’s a pirate’s favorite sport? Nascarrrrrrr! And what did the Pirate get for Christmas? A parrrrrrrrrrrrtridge in a pear tree!
One of our favorite pirate videos, however, is really very funny. It’s a Saturday Night Live skit from a few years ago. Check it out here.
As for other videos, well, we can’t post a lot of them (they’re still funny though). But here’s a relatively safe video with Chumbucket and the Cap’n. Hope you enjoy…
Actually, it’s tomorrow, September 19. But that’s no reason we can’t prepare for this very special celebration a day arrrrly.
For those of you well-versed in what should be a federal holiday, you’rrrrrre all set for the festivity. (OK, we’ll knock it off with all the arr’s).
But that’s basically all you have to do. Say “arrr” a lot. Do that and you’re celebrating. Woo-hoo!
Easy to understand why this is such a big phenomenon, isn’t it?
Well, like most other things that have taken off in the last few years, it’s the Internet that’s fueled it. Although it hasn’t amassed the 126 million times the “Evolution of Dance” video has been watched, there are more than 1,500 “Talk Like a Pirate” videos on YouTube, and more than 12 million websites dedicated in some way to the holiday.
Now this doesn’t compare to the 271 million websites that come up when you search for Christmas. Or the 35 million sites for Thanksgiving. But it clobbers Flag Day (1.3 million). And St. Patrick’s Day (6.8 million). Even President’s Day doesn’t come close, with only 1.1 million.
Not bad for a “holiday” that’s only been around since 1995 – and was started as a joke (obviously).
Humble beginnings
The humble roots of this special holiday go back to 1995 where two “normal” guys, John Baur and Mark Summers, were playing racquetball.
They don’t know why exactly they began to speak like pirates, but Baur suspects it might have come from an injury suffered during the game.
“One of us might have been reaching for a low shot that, by pure chance, might have come off the wall at an unusually high rate of speed, and strained something best left unstrained. ‘Arrr!,’ he might have said,” Baur explains on his website.
“Anyway, whoever let out the first ‘Arrr!’ started something. One thing led to another. ‘That be a fine cannonade,’ one said, to be followed by ‘Now watch as I fire a broadside straight into your yardarm!’ and other such helpful phrases,” he said.
The pirate lingo continued for a full hour. It was so much fun that they decided “that what the world really needed was a new national holiday, Talk Like A Pirate Day.”
They celebrated it in obscurity for many years, but once national columnist Dave Barry picked up on it back in 2002, it took off. Big time.
New names
Since that time, Baur calls himself “Ol’ Chumbucket.” While Summers goes by “Cap’n Slappy.” You’ll see them on national TV, in bookstores, giving speeches, and of course, they’re all over the Internet (video below).
So, if you feel like this is a holiday you must celebrate, you’ll probably want to start on their website. They’ve got all sorts of pointers and how-to’s.
If you want to impress your friends with some pirate jokes, here’s a one-stop location that should fill your needs.
But be aware, the jokes aren’t that hard to come up with. IE: What’s a pirate’s favorite sport? Nascarrrrrrr! And what did the Pirate get for Christmas? A parrrrrrrrrrrrtridge in a pear tree!
One of our favorite pirate videos, however, is really very funny. It’s a Saturday Night Live skit from a few years ago. Check it out here.
As for other videos, well, we can’t post a lot of them (they’re still funny though). But here’s a relatively safe video with Chumbucket and the Cap’n. Hope you enjoy…
Paranormal activity - The movie trailer ( not for the faint hearted )
Seriously scary stuff , in cinemas from the 25th September. Go if you dare.
Breaking News - Swine Flu Vaccine Inadequate
There's been a setback on the swine flu front. The crash program to make vaccine against the pandemic strain will produce "substantially less" than the 4.9 billion doses that had been expected by the World Health Organization.
nurse prepares to give a shot.
Swine flu vaccine supply will be tighter than expected. (Tim Sloan/Getty Images)
Even after results from recent clinical tests showed one dose of vaccine should be enough to protect most people, the supply of vaccine will be "inadequate" to shield the world's population from swine flu, a WHO spokesman said today.
The bottom line: weekly production of swine flu will be less than 94 million doses, Reuters reports.
The latest supply crunch stems from production problems of swine flu vaccine and some factories continuing to churn out regular seasonal flu vaccine instead, the Associated Press reports.
Separately, some rich countries agreed to give more swine flu vaccine to developing nations, Bloomberg reports. France and the US just agreed to give 10% of their supplies to poorer countries.
The vaccine divide between wealthy and poor countries is likely to remain stark, however, despite the donations. More than 2 billion people around the world are expected to get sick with swine flu and the majority of the vaccine supply is destined for wealthy countries under contracts with manufacturers.
nurse prepares to give a shot.
Swine flu vaccine supply will be tighter than expected. (Tim Sloan/Getty Images)
Even after results from recent clinical tests showed one dose of vaccine should be enough to protect most people, the supply of vaccine will be "inadequate" to shield the world's population from swine flu, a WHO spokesman said today.
The bottom line: weekly production of swine flu will be less than 94 million doses, Reuters reports.
The latest supply crunch stems from production problems of swine flu vaccine and some factories continuing to churn out regular seasonal flu vaccine instead, the Associated Press reports.
Separately, some rich countries agreed to give more swine flu vaccine to developing nations, Bloomberg reports. France and the US just agreed to give 10% of their supplies to poorer countries.
The vaccine divide between wealthy and poor countries is likely to remain stark, however, despite the donations. More than 2 billion people around the world are expected to get sick with swine flu and the majority of the vaccine supply is destined for wealthy countries under contracts with manufacturers.
Swine Flu Symptoms Checkers Could Help with Self-Diagnosis
Great Britain's NHS Has Published a Swine Flu Symptoms Checker to Help Spread Information About the Flu
A swine flu symptoms checker is commanding a lot of water cooler talk today. The swine flu symptoms checker has been released by NHS Direct in Great Britain, and is just
Swine Flu Symptoms Checkers Could Help with Self-Diagnosis
one of many different swine flu symptoms checkers that are being released by websites and health advice websites seeking to get information to the public. One thing to make sure that you don't do is pin all of your facts on to information that one of these swine flu symptoms checkers gives you back. They should really only be used as a resource, and that medical advice (in person) is always a better way to deal with flu symptoms.
One of the main things that everyone needs to stay focused on, is that the symptoms of swine flu and the average flu virus we have all contracted before a very similar. In fact, there isn't one singular symptom that someone will recognize that will tell them if they have the H1N1 virus or something completely unrelated. This is why the swine flu symptoms checkers aren't the best tools, because it could give you false information about your flu symptoms, and possibly put a scare into you that is not needed at the time. I have linked the NHS Direct flu symptoms tracker at the end of this article, but only use it with caution.
There could be any number of symptoms present to someone that has contracted the swine flu, and several websites have been trying to release information that stays in line with the typical flu. The following is a list of potential symptoms that someone with the H1N1 virus or another flu strain might have. There is also a list of warning signs that parents should watch out for in their children, and contact doctors about if you are alerted to them.
Possible Swine Flu Symptoms
Fever
Cough
Headache
Fatigue
Chills
Muscle Ache or Pain
Joint Pain
Diarrhea
Sore Throat
Runny Nose
Sneezing
Loss of Appetite
Swine Flu Warning Signs in Children
Trouble Breathing
Behavior Changes
Increased Restlessness
Anxiety
Irritability
Isn't Drinking Enough Fluids
Skin Races
Dehydration
An Uncomfortable State
A swine flu symptoms checker is commanding a lot of water cooler talk today. The swine flu symptoms checker has been released by NHS Direct in Great Britain, and is just
Swine Flu Symptoms Checkers Could Help with Self-Diagnosis
one of many different swine flu symptoms checkers that are being released by websites and health advice websites seeking to get information to the public. One thing to make sure that you don't do is pin all of your facts on to information that one of these swine flu symptoms checkers gives you back. They should really only be used as a resource, and that medical advice (in person) is always a better way to deal with flu symptoms.
One of the main things that everyone needs to stay focused on, is that the symptoms of swine flu and the average flu virus we have all contracted before a very similar. In fact, there isn't one singular symptom that someone will recognize that will tell them if they have the H1N1 virus or something completely unrelated. This is why the swine flu symptoms checkers aren't the best tools, because it could give you false information about your flu symptoms, and possibly put a scare into you that is not needed at the time. I have linked the NHS Direct flu symptoms tracker at the end of this article, but only use it with caution.
There could be any number of symptoms present to someone that has contracted the swine flu, and several websites have been trying to release information that stays in line with the typical flu. The following is a list of potential symptoms that someone with the H1N1 virus or another flu strain might have. There is also a list of warning signs that parents should watch out for in their children, and contact doctors about if you are alerted to them.
Possible Swine Flu Symptoms
Fever
Cough
Headache
Fatigue
Chills
Muscle Ache or Pain
Joint Pain
Diarrhea
Sore Throat
Runny Nose
Sneezing
Loss of Appetite
Swine Flu Warning Signs in Children
Trouble Breathing
Behavior Changes
Increased Restlessness
Anxiety
Irritability
Isn't Drinking Enough Fluids
Skin Races
Dehydration
An Uncomfortable State
Chief Medical Officer Warns Second Wave Of Swine Flu Has Started
Chief medical officer for England Sir Liam Donaldson said the data suggested an upturn was on the way.
Experts have been predicting a second wave of swine flu will hit the UK in the winter months following a lull over the summer break.
Scotland has also seen a rise in the number of cases in the last week.
Sir Liam said: ''There has been a slight upturn this week. We don't know whether it will be sustained but I think it's one of the few straws in the wind that we might be seeing an upturn.''
There are now 143 people in hospital in England, of whom 23 are in intensive care.
The total number of deaths linked to the virus has risen by one in the last week to 67 in England.
Sir Liam said the figures "begin to suggest swine flu is coming back".
"We would naturally have hoped for a bit more breathing space before it started again."
A deal has been struck with GPs in the UK, who will receive £5.25 for each dose of the swine flu vaccine they give to patients. It is hoped that at-risk groups, such as those with diabetes or asthma, will be able to get their normal seasonal flu jab at the same time.
However, GPs are being told not to hold off starting the seasonal flu vaccine programme until the swine flu vaccine arrives.
The first doses of swine flu vaccine are expected to be given in October.
There have been nine deaths in Scotland, two in Northern Ireland and one in Wales. More than 1.3 million people have been assessed via the National Pandemic Flu Service for England, with 522,890 collections of anti-viral drugs.
The Government is now waiting for European regulators to license the swine flu vaccine before giving it to health workers and at-risk groups across the UK.
Sir Liam said that it was hoped the vaccine could be given to people "as quickly as possible" after it receives its licence.
Tests on GlaxoSmithKline's flu vaccine has shown that a good immune response can be achieved with just one dose rather than two.
However, Sir Liam said the under-13s and over-65s may need two doses, although research was ongoing. Sir Liam also said there had been suspected outbreaks of swine flu in six English schools, all of which had higher than normal absence rates.
Two schools are in South Yorkshire, one in Carlisle, one in the North East and two in London.
Sir Liam said there were no plans to close schools as the virus was circulating in the community, meaning such efforts would have little value. There have been 25 worldwide cases of resistance to Tamiflu to date, including one new confirmed case and another suspected case in the UK.
However, Sir Liam said these were of no public health significance at the moment.
In Scotland, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said there had been a significant rise in the number of suspected cases. Officials said about 6,180 people have caught H1N1 in the past week.
The rate of GP consultations for flu-like illnesses - not necessarily H1N1 - was 53.3 per 100,000 people, an increase from last week's figure of 43.9.
Around the world, the number of new cases is decreasing in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile and Argentina, and is rising in the USA and Eastern Europe. In central and Western Europe, figures remain low or at a moderate level.
Experts have been predicting a second wave of swine flu will hit the UK in the winter months following a lull over the summer break.
Scotland has also seen a rise in the number of cases in the last week.
Sir Liam said: ''There has been a slight upturn this week. We don't know whether it will be sustained but I think it's one of the few straws in the wind that we might be seeing an upturn.''
There are now 143 people in hospital in England, of whom 23 are in intensive care.
The total number of deaths linked to the virus has risen by one in the last week to 67 in England.
Sir Liam said the figures "begin to suggest swine flu is coming back".
"We would naturally have hoped for a bit more breathing space before it started again."
A deal has been struck with GPs in the UK, who will receive £5.25 for each dose of the swine flu vaccine they give to patients. It is hoped that at-risk groups, such as those with diabetes or asthma, will be able to get their normal seasonal flu jab at the same time.
However, GPs are being told not to hold off starting the seasonal flu vaccine programme until the swine flu vaccine arrives.
The first doses of swine flu vaccine are expected to be given in October.
There have been nine deaths in Scotland, two in Northern Ireland and one in Wales. More than 1.3 million people have been assessed via the National Pandemic Flu Service for England, with 522,890 collections of anti-viral drugs.
The Government is now waiting for European regulators to license the swine flu vaccine before giving it to health workers and at-risk groups across the UK.
Sir Liam said that it was hoped the vaccine could be given to people "as quickly as possible" after it receives its licence.
Tests on GlaxoSmithKline's flu vaccine has shown that a good immune response can be achieved with just one dose rather than two.
However, Sir Liam said the under-13s and over-65s may need two doses, although research was ongoing. Sir Liam also said there had been suspected outbreaks of swine flu in six English schools, all of which had higher than normal absence rates.
Two schools are in South Yorkshire, one in Carlisle, one in the North East and two in London.
Sir Liam said there were no plans to close schools as the virus was circulating in the community, meaning such efforts would have little value. There have been 25 worldwide cases of resistance to Tamiflu to date, including one new confirmed case and another suspected case in the UK.
However, Sir Liam said these were of no public health significance at the moment.
In Scotland, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said there had been a significant rise in the number of suspected cases. Officials said about 6,180 people have caught H1N1 in the past week.
The rate of GP consultations for flu-like illnesses - not necessarily H1N1 - was 53.3 per 100,000 people, an increase from last week's figure of 43.9.
Around the world, the number of new cases is decreasing in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile and Argentina, and is rising in the USA and Eastern Europe. In central and Western Europe, figures remain low or at a moderate level.
Kepler Mission Update
As it nears 11,000,000 miles distance from Earth, the Kepler spacecraft continues to scan the Milky Way galaxy, near the Cygnus constellation, for Earth-sized planets. The spacecraft subsystems are performing nominally, as the science team and engineers are preparing for upcoming events.
Scheduled for September 16-20 are another science data download and a quarterly roll of the spacecraft. Similar to the quarterly roll accomplished in late June, this activity keeps Kepler's solar arrays optimally pointed to the sun for power generation.
Meanwhile, scientists are continuing to process science data from previous downloads. Engineers have continued to make progress in determining the root cause of the two safing events that Kepler experienced on June 15 and July 2.
Radiation testing confirmed the susceptibility of a circuit, in the spacecraft's RAD750 processor, to single-event-upsets, as a credible root cause. The single-event-upset of the circuit would cause the RAD750 to execute a power-on reset, causing the spacecraft to enter a Safe mode. Mitigation actions are being considered for implementation to minimize the impact of any future safing events.
Scheduled for September 16-20 are another science data download and a quarterly roll of the spacecraft. Similar to the quarterly roll accomplished in late June, this activity keeps Kepler's solar arrays optimally pointed to the sun for power generation.
Meanwhile, scientists are continuing to process science data from previous downloads. Engineers have continued to make progress in determining the root cause of the two safing events that Kepler experienced on June 15 and July 2.
Radiation testing confirmed the susceptibility of a circuit, in the spacecraft's RAD750 processor, to single-event-upsets, as a credible root cause. The single-event-upset of the circuit would cause the RAD750 to execute a power-on reset, causing the spacecraft to enter a Safe mode. Mitigation actions are being considered for implementation to minimize the impact of any future safing events.
Archer the animated spy spoof
Last night saw the premiere of “Archer,” an animated spy spoof. The animation did not receive any promotion and the usual fanfare that goes with a new TV series. Pressdemocrat.com said that if you did not know about it, then you would not have known that it was on.
There are to be six episodes of “Archer”, but as animation takes too long, there are only two ready yet. The Network did like the two episodes that they have already shown, so are going to show the rest of the episodes in January 2010.
Archer is described as James Bond meets “Arrested Development, and by watching the two video previews, you can clearly see that he is a jerk of a spy who works for his mother. He seems to spend more time making fun of his co-workers than he actually catching the dad guys.
There are to be six episodes of “Archer”, but as animation takes too long, there are only two ready yet. The Network did like the two episodes that they have already shown, so are going to show the rest of the episodes in January 2010.
Archer is described as James Bond meets “Arrested Development, and by watching the two video previews, you can clearly see that he is a jerk of a spy who works for his mother. He seems to spend more time making fun of his co-workers than he actually catching the dad guys.
Volkswagen L1 car revealed
If a man is not passionate about cars then there must be something wrong with him. Sadly I cannot afford one, but if I did then in a couple of years I would like to own the Volkswagen L1 car. At the Frankfurt Motor Show 2009 a lot of cool cars showed up, however, this high-tech car shaped like a bullet caught the attention of most people. The Volkswagen L1 concept car will probably be released within three years and it will definitely make an impact, although it’s a hybrid car.
Most people runaway upon hearing of a hybrid car, and that’s understandable but only if you cannot find a place near your home to recharge the batteries on your car. The Volkswagen L1 concept is powered by a diesel-electric hybrid powertrain which manages 189 miles per gallon, and reaches a top speed of 99 mph. Pretty impressive, right?
It’s nice to see many giant car makers who get into the hybrid cars business, or is it the EU regulations who forces them to do that? I don’t really car as long as all hybrid cars feature a design as stunning as the Volkswagen L1 concept.
The Vampire Diaries - spolier
This week on CW’s ‘The Vampire Diaries,’ Vicki Donovan (Kayla Ewell) remembers she was bitten by a bloodsucker, and Stefan washes her brain clean of her memories. She now thinks an animal attacked her, which is true if you categorize those pesky Nosferatu as animals.
Jeremy’s English teacher holds a conference with his guardian and aunt, Jenna Sommers (Sara Canning), and reveals that he thinks she can’t raise Elena and Jeremy on her own. She should have told him to back off. He talked down to her like she was a child. He’s a douche hose. Wonder if Damon will make a meal out of him.
Elena stops by Salvatore manor and meets Damon, who reveals he’s a fatalist. He’s also a gossiper. He tells Elena that Stefan isn’t over his ex-girlfriend, Katherine. Naturally, he leaves out that Katherine has been dead for about 100 years or so.
What’s Damon up to? At first, it looks like he wants to lure Stefan back into drinking human blood. But when he lets Vicki go after Stefan says he’d rather die than bond with Damon, his motives become unclear. Maybe Damon wants Stefan to learn the hard way that humans can be vicious animals too.
Bonnie has a vision while passing Elena’s cell number to Stefan. She asks Stefan: “what happened to you?” He’s bewildered.
In a moment that is supposed to be tender, but is a little creepy, Elena and Stefan kiss. Can you trust the undead? ;)
This episode generates some pretty cool frights. Next weeks looks equally fun as Stefan joins the football team. If learned anything from Buffy, it’s that nothing good comes from hanging out with jocks!
Jeremy’s English teacher holds a conference with his guardian and aunt, Jenna Sommers (Sara Canning), and reveals that he thinks she can’t raise Elena and Jeremy on her own. She should have told him to back off. He talked down to her like she was a child. He’s a douche hose. Wonder if Damon will make a meal out of him.
Elena stops by Salvatore manor and meets Damon, who reveals he’s a fatalist. He’s also a gossiper. He tells Elena that Stefan isn’t over his ex-girlfriend, Katherine. Naturally, he leaves out that Katherine has been dead for about 100 years or so.
What’s Damon up to? At first, it looks like he wants to lure Stefan back into drinking human blood. But when he lets Vicki go after Stefan says he’d rather die than bond with Damon, his motives become unclear. Maybe Damon wants Stefan to learn the hard way that humans can be vicious animals too.
Bonnie has a vision while passing Elena’s cell number to Stefan. She asks Stefan: “what happened to you?” He’s bewildered.
In a moment that is supposed to be tender, but is a little creepy, Elena and Stefan kiss. Can you trust the undead? ;)
This episode generates some pretty cool frights. Next weeks looks equally fun as Stefan joins the football team. If learned anything from Buffy, it’s that nothing good comes from hanging out with jocks!
THE OFFICE season 6 premiere episode "Gossip"
Watch a sneak peek of the NBC hit series THE OFFICE season 6 premiere episode "Gossip" which airs Thursday Sept. 17 at 9pm on NBC.
Episode Synopsis: THE OFFICE "Gossip" Season 6 Premiere - Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) feels left out as the rest of the office gossips about the summer interns. While Michael searches for the next juicy rumor to share, Andy (Ed Helms) struggles with heterosexuality. Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Brian Baumgartner, Leslie David Baker, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling, Angela Kinsey, Phyllis Smith, Oscar Nunez, Creed Bratton, Paul Lieberstein, B.J. Novak and Ellie Kemper also star.
The Office Cast: John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, B.j. Novak, Melora Hardin, Leslie David Baker, Phyllis Smith, Steve Carell, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Angela Kinsey, Oscar Nunez, Rainn Wilson, Ed Helms, Paul Liberstein, Mindy Kaling, C
Episode Synopsis: THE OFFICE "Gossip" Season 6 Premiere - Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) feels left out as the rest of the office gossips about the summer interns. While Michael searches for the next juicy rumor to share, Andy (Ed Helms) struggles with heterosexuality. Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Brian Baumgartner, Leslie David Baker, Kate Flannery, Mindy Kaling, Angela Kinsey, Phyllis Smith, Oscar Nunez, Creed Bratton, Paul Lieberstein, B.J. Novak and Ellie Kemper also star.
The Office Cast: John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, B.j. Novak, Melora Hardin, Leslie David Baker, Phyllis Smith, Steve Carell, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Angela Kinsey, Oscar Nunez, Rainn Wilson, Ed Helms, Paul Liberstein, Mindy Kaling, C
Thursday, 17 September 2009
MP's Fury Over Cheating Wives Website
A website , which is one of many that advertises for women to join them ONLY if they are in a relationship or married has been slammed by the conservitive party in the UK for being a contributor to the break down of the family unit and moral standards. The US based website offers its clients 'Safe Discrete Dating' and offers the women that choose to join the security of knowing the men they will be meeting have been verified against the sex offenders register.
A Spokesperson for the company called the allegations ridicious and said 'far from cause the break down of families we enccourage families to stay together by offering a service that is what it is , its non threatening to the clients realtionship because evryone knows where they stand from the get go'.
Check out the site here Cheating Wives
A Spokesperson for the company called the allegations ridicious and said 'far from cause the break down of families we enccourage families to stay together by offering a service that is what it is , its non threatening to the clients realtionship because evryone knows where they stand from the get go'.
Check out the site here Cheating Wives
Susan Boyle’s Wild Horses Video
Susan Boyle, who came in second place during the last season of Britain’s Got Talent, made her U.S. debut last night on the stage of the season finale of America’s Got Talent.
Her performance was pre-recorded in front of a full audience who cried and cheered when she sang the Rolling Stones song Wild Horses, the new single from her debut album Echo, which will be released in November by Sony BMG record label. She was greeted warmly by Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne after the performance.
The 48-year-old church volunteer and overnight singing sensation from West Lothian, Scotland arrived stateside over the weekend and has been staying at Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles. She is slated to meet with Simon Cowell, who has publicly declared that he will do everything he can to protect her and promote her in the appropriate way to ensure her future success.
View more photos (click to expand) and see two videos: Susan Boyle’s Wild Horses performance and her recent Harper’s Bazaar photo shoot below.
susan-boyle-wild-horses-video
Her performance was pre-recorded in front of a full audience who cried and cheered when she sang the Rolling Stones song Wild Horses, the new single from her debut album Echo, which will be released in November by Sony BMG record label. She was greeted warmly by Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne after the performance.
The 48-year-old church volunteer and overnight singing sensation from West Lothian, Scotland arrived stateside over the weekend and has been staying at Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles. She is slated to meet with Simon Cowell, who has publicly declared that he will do everything he can to protect her and promote her in the appropriate way to ensure her future success.
View more photos (click to expand) and see two videos: Susan Boyle’s Wild Horses performance and her recent Harper’s Bazaar photo shoot below.
susan-boyle-wild-horses-video
“Yellow Submarine” to resurface
The Walt Disney Studios has made a deal with Apple Corps Ltd. to develop a new 3D performance capture adaptation of the 1968 animated film “Yellow Submarine” to be written and directed by Robert Zemeckis. It was announced by Dick Cook, chairman, The Walt Disney Studios.
The film will be created by ImageMovers Digital, Disney’s performance capture animation studio operated in conjunction with Zemeckis and his partners, Jack Rapke and Steve Starkey, who will serve as producers on the project.
For the new voyage to Pepperland, Zemeckis will incorporate the 16 Beatles songs and recordings from the original motion picture licensed from Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC and EMI-Capitol Records, respectively.
The songs include “All Together Now,” “All You Need Is Love,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “With A Little Help From My Friends.”
The original motion picture (released in the U.S. on November 13, 1968) based on the music of The Beatles was directed by George Dunning and featured the art direction and design of Heinz Edelmann.
The movie is set in Pepperland, an undersea paradise inhabited by music lovers who live in peace and harmony and are protected by Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. That is… until they are threatened by the music hating Blue Meanies. It’s up to John, Paul, George, and Ringo to set off on a magical adventure in their yellow submarine and bring music and harmony back to Pepperland.
The film will be created by ImageMovers Digital, Disney’s performance capture animation studio operated in conjunction with Zemeckis and his partners, Jack Rapke and Steve Starkey, who will serve as producers on the project.
For the new voyage to Pepperland, Zemeckis will incorporate the 16 Beatles songs and recordings from the original motion picture licensed from Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC and EMI-Capitol Records, respectively.
The songs include “All Together Now,” “All You Need Is Love,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “With A Little Help From My Friends.”
The original motion picture (released in the U.S. on November 13, 1968) based on the music of The Beatles was directed by George Dunning and featured the art direction and design of Heinz Edelmann.
The movie is set in Pepperland, an undersea paradise inhabited by music lovers who live in peace and harmony and are protected by Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. That is… until they are threatened by the music hating Blue Meanies. It’s up to John, Paul, George, and Ringo to set off on a magical adventure in their yellow submarine and bring music and harmony back to Pepperland.
Swine Flu Symptoms Checker
Swine Flu Symptoms Checker,Swine Flu Incubation Period:A swine flu symptoms checker is commanding a lot of water cooler talk today. The swine flu symptoms checker has been released by NHS Direct in Great Britain, and is just one of many different swine flu symptoms checkers that are being released by websites and health advice websites seeking to get information to the public. One thing to make sure that you don’t do is pin all of your facts on to information that one of these swine flu symptoms checkers gives you back. They should really only be used as a resource, and that medical advice (in person) is always a better way to deal with flu symptoms.
One of the main things that everyone needs to stay focused on, is that the symptoms of swine flu and the average flu virus we have all contracted before a very similar. In fact, there isn’t one singular symptom that someone will recognize that will tell them if they have the H1N1 virus or something completely unrelated. This is why the swine flu symptoms checkers aren’t the best tools, because it could give you false information about your flu symptoms, and possibly put a scare into you that is not needed at the time. I have linked the NHS Direct flu symptoms tracker at the end of this article, but only use it with caution.
One of the main things that everyone needs to stay focused on, is that the symptoms of swine flu and the average flu virus we have all contracted before a very similar. In fact, there isn’t one singular symptom that someone will recognize that will tell them if they have the H1N1 virus or something completely unrelated. This is why the swine flu symptoms checkers aren’t the best tools, because it could give you false information about your flu symptoms, and possibly put a scare into you that is not needed at the time. I have linked the NHS Direct flu symptoms tracker at the end of this article, but only use it with caution.
glee tv show glee episode 3
Watch Here
Josh Groban guest starred on tonight's episode of FOX's "Glee," which wasn't quite as strong as the season opener, but still has me plenty optimistic about the jokes and songs to come. The theme of tonight's after school special, boys and girls, is Confidence. Well...confidence, and Josh Groban.
Acafellas: Will, stung by criticism of his choreography, forms an acapella group with some of the other improbably gifted at harmonizing male teachers (and, later, Finn and Puck). And I gotta say, it was pretty hysterical watching Ken Tanaka getting down with the boy band dance moves. Will's confidence blooms when the Acafellas (yes, the obligatory musical pun name) get a great reception, and he attributes Terri's increased interest in him (once a week!) to said newfound confidence. Sadly, it looks like she's just in it to get knocked up for reals.
Sandy is initially out of the group due to general creepiness, but claws his way back in by promising to deliver penpal Josh Groban at their next gig: the concertiest PTA meeting ever. They sing "I Wanna Sex You Up" (ha!), and while it turns out Josh Groban is just there to give Sandy a restraining order, he did love the show. Plus, he sketchily picked up Will's drunk mom, so that's something. And teaching Finn and Puck to dance like the Backstreet Boys reminds Will of how great he is at it (teaching, not dancing like the Backstreet Boys...though he's not too shabby at that, either), so he decides to turn his focus back to imparting wisdom and away from adult boy bands. Good call, Will. Good call.
Sewing the seeds of destruction: Quinn and her cheerleading minions convince Rachel that Will's choreography is terrible, and that they need Dakota Stanley, famed show choir choreographer and "Beauty and the Beast" understudy candelabra (and hateful dictator), to get them to regionals. With Will's confidence shaken and attention elsewhere, everyone but Finn decides to bring Dakota on. He immediately kicks Artie out for not trying hard enough...at walking. In fact, he slams everyone but the cheerleaders, causing a mass walkout until Rachel fires him. And wouldja look at that? They have the confidence to embrace the things that make them different after all!
amberriley_glee_290.jpgGoing after the gleeks individually, the Cheerios convince lovelorn Mercedes to try and date poor, flaming Kurt. With Rachel and Tina's "Gayvention" unsuccessful, Mercedes mistakes Kurt's friendship for a relationship and breaks his windshield when he tells her he's in love with someone else (Finn). Mercedes' loss is our gain, as she treats us to a suitably angry "Bust Your Windows." And dang, she's not just a great singer - Amber Riley's got moves, too. Kurt finally comes out to Mercedes, tearfully telling her that she's the first person he's told. Awww.
Since the glee club is back with a vengeance, Sue revokes the failed Cheerios' tanning privileges for the rest of the semester. One of them breaks down in tears, but Quinn simply thanks Sue for teaching her that when you really believe in yourself, you don't have to bring other people down. What the-? Intriguing development...
Monday, 14 September 2009
Patrick Swayze, the hunky actor who danced his way into moviegoers' hearts with "Dirty Dancing" and then broke them with "Ghost," died Monday
LOS ANGELES — Patrick Swayze, the hunky actor who danced his way into moviegoers' hearts with "Dirty Dancing" and then broke them with "Ghost," died Monday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 57.
"Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months," his publicist, Annett Wolf, said in a statement Monday evening. Swayze died in Los Angeles, Wolf said, but she declined to give further details.
Fans of the actor were saddened to learn in March 2008 that Swayze was suffering from a particularly deadly form of cancer. He kept working despite the diagnosis, putting together a memoir with his wife and shooting "The Beast," an A&E drama series for which he had already made the pilot.
Swayze said he opted not to use painkilling drugs while making "The Beast" because they would have taken the edge off his performance. The show drew a respectable 1.3 million viewers when the 13 episodes ran in 2009, but A&E said it had reluctantly decided not to renew it for a second season.
When he first went public with the illness, some reports gave him only weeks to live, but his doctor said his situation was "considerably more optimistic" than that. Swayze acknowledged that time might be running out given the grim nature of the disease.
"I'd say five years is pretty wishful thinking," Swayze told ABC's Barbara Walters in early 2009. "Two years seems likely if you're going to believe statistics. I want to last until they find a cure, which means I'd better get a fire under it."
C. Thomas Howell, who costarred with Swayze in "The Outsiders," "Grandview U.S.A." and "Red Dawn," said: "I have always had a special place in my heart for Patrick. While I was fortunate enough to work with him in three films, it was our passion for horses that forged a friendship between us that I treasure to this day. Not only did we lose a fine actor today, I lost my older `Outsiders' brother."
Other celebrities used Twitter to express condolences, and "Dirty Dancing" was the top trending topic for a while Monday night, trailed by several other Swayze films.
Story continues below
Ashton Kutcher – whose wife, Demi Moore, costarred with Swayze in "Ghost" – wrote: "RIP P Swayze." Kutcher also linked to a YouTube clip of the actor poking fun at himself in a classic "Saturday Night Live" sketch, in which he played a wannabe Chippendales dancer alongside the corpulent – and frighteningly shirtless – Chris Farley.
Larry King wrote: "Patrick Swayze was a wonderful actor & a terrific guy. He put his heart in everything. He was an extraordinary fighter in his battle w Cancer." King added that he'd do a tribute to Swayze on his CNN program on Tuesday night.
A three-time Golden Globe nominee, Swayze became a star with his performance as the misunderstood bad boy Johnny Castle in "Dirty Dancing." As the son of a choreographer who began his career in musical theater, he seemed a natural to play the role.
A coming-of-age romance starring Jennifer Grey as an idealistic young woman on vacation with her family and Swayze as the Catskills resort's sexy (and much older) dance instructor, the film made great use of both his grace on his feet and his muscular physique.
It became an international phenomenon in the summer of 1987, spawning albums, an Oscar-winning hit song in "(I've Had) the Time of My Life," stage productions and a sequel, 2004's "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights," in which he made a cameo.
Swayze performed and co-wrote a song on the soundtrack, the ballad "She's Like the Wind," inspired by his wife, Lisa Niemi. The film also gave him the chance to utter the now-classic line, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner."
Swayze followed that up with the 1989 action flick "Road House," in which he played a bouncer at a rowdy bar. But it was his performance in 1990's "Ghost" that showed his vulnerable, sensitive side. He starred as a murdered man trying to communicate with his fiancee (Moore) – with great frustration and longing – through a psychic played by Whoopi Goldberg.
Swayze said at the time that he fought for the role of Sam Wheat (director Jerry Zucker wanted Kevin Kline) but once he went in for an audition and read six scenes, he got it.
Why did he want the part so badly? "It made me cry four or five times," he said of Bruce Joel Rubin's Oscar-winning script in an AP interview.
"Ghost" provided yet another indelible musical moment: Swayze and Moore sensually molding pottery together to the strains of the Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody." It also earned a best-picture nomination and a supporting-actress Oscar for Goldberg, who said she wouldn't have won if it weren't for Swayze.
"When I won my Academy Award, the only person I really thanked was Patrick," Goldberg said in March 2008 on the ABC daytime talk show "The View."
Swayze himself earned three Golden Globe nominations, for "Dirty Dancing," "Ghost" and 1995's "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar," which further allowed him to toy with his masculine image. The role called for him to play a drag queen on a cross-country road trip alongside Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo.
His heartthrob status almost kept him from being considered for the role of Vida Boheme.
"I couldn't get seen on it because everyone viewed me as terminally heterosexually masculine-macho," he told The Associated Press then. But he transformed himself so completely that when his screen test was sent to Steven Spielberg, whose Amblin pictures produced "To Wong Foo," Spielberg didn't recognize him.
Among his earlier films, Swayze was part of the star-studded lineup of up-and-comers in Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 adaptation of S.E. Hinton's novel "The Outsiders," alongside Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Emilio Estevez and Diane Lane.
Other '80s films included "Red Dawn," "Grandview U.S.A." (for which he also provided choreography) and "Youngblood," once more with Lowe, as Canadian hockey teammates.
In the '90s, he made such eclectic films as "Point Break" (1991), in which he played the leader of a band of bank-robbing surfers, and the family Western "Tall Tale" (1995), in which he starred as Pecos Bill. He appeared on the cover of People magazine as its "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1991, but his career tapered off toward the end of the 1990s, when he also had a stay in rehab for alcohol abuse. In 2001, he appeared in the cult favorite "Donnie Darko," and in 2003 he returned to the New York stage with "Chicago"; 2006 found him in the musical "Guys and Dolls" in London.
Swayze was born in 1952 in Houston, the son of Jesse Swayze and choreographer Patsy Swayze, whose films include "Urban Cowboy."
He played football but also was drawn to dance and theater, performing with the Feld, Joffrey and Harkness Ballets and appearing on Broadway as Danny Zuko in "Grease." But he turned to acting in 1978 after a series of injuries.
Within a couple years of moving to Los Angeles, he made his debut in the roller-disco movie "Skatetown, U.S.A." The eclectic cast included Scott Baio, Flip Wilson, Maureen McCormack and Billy Barty.
Off-screen, he was an avid conservationist who was moved by his time in Africa to shine a light on "man's greed and absolute unwillingness to operate according to Mother Nature's laws," he told the AP in 2004.
Swayze was married since 1975 to Niemi, a fellow dancer who took lessons with his mother; they met when he was 19 and she was 15. A licensed pilot, Niemi would fly her husband from Los Angeles to Northern California for treatment at Stanford University Medical Center.
In February, Swayze wrote an op-ed piece in the Washington Post titled, "I'm Battling Cancer. How About Some Help, Congress?" in which he urged senators and representatives to vote for the maximum funding for the National Institutes of Health to fight cancer as part of the economic stimulus package.
He also appeared in the September 2008 live television event "Stand Up to Cancer," where he made this moving plea: "I keep dreaming of a future, a future with a long and healthy life, a life not lived in the shadow of cancer, but in the light. ... I dream that the word `cure' will no longer be followed by the words `is impossible.'"
"Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully today with family at his side after facing the challenges of his illness for the last 20 months," his publicist, Annett Wolf, said in a statement Monday evening. Swayze died in Los Angeles, Wolf said, but she declined to give further details.
Fans of the actor were saddened to learn in March 2008 that Swayze was suffering from a particularly deadly form of cancer. He kept working despite the diagnosis, putting together a memoir with his wife and shooting "The Beast," an A&E drama series for which he had already made the pilot.
Swayze said he opted not to use painkilling drugs while making "The Beast" because they would have taken the edge off his performance. The show drew a respectable 1.3 million viewers when the 13 episodes ran in 2009, but A&E said it had reluctantly decided not to renew it for a second season.
When he first went public with the illness, some reports gave him only weeks to live, but his doctor said his situation was "considerably more optimistic" than that. Swayze acknowledged that time might be running out given the grim nature of the disease.
"I'd say five years is pretty wishful thinking," Swayze told ABC's Barbara Walters in early 2009. "Two years seems likely if you're going to believe statistics. I want to last until they find a cure, which means I'd better get a fire under it."
C. Thomas Howell, who costarred with Swayze in "The Outsiders," "Grandview U.S.A." and "Red Dawn," said: "I have always had a special place in my heart for Patrick. While I was fortunate enough to work with him in three films, it was our passion for horses that forged a friendship between us that I treasure to this day. Not only did we lose a fine actor today, I lost my older `Outsiders' brother."
Other celebrities used Twitter to express condolences, and "Dirty Dancing" was the top trending topic for a while Monday night, trailed by several other Swayze films.
Story continues below
Ashton Kutcher – whose wife, Demi Moore, costarred with Swayze in "Ghost" – wrote: "RIP P Swayze." Kutcher also linked to a YouTube clip of the actor poking fun at himself in a classic "Saturday Night Live" sketch, in which he played a wannabe Chippendales dancer alongside the corpulent – and frighteningly shirtless – Chris Farley.
Larry King wrote: "Patrick Swayze was a wonderful actor & a terrific guy. He put his heart in everything. He was an extraordinary fighter in his battle w Cancer." King added that he'd do a tribute to Swayze on his CNN program on Tuesday night.
A three-time Golden Globe nominee, Swayze became a star with his performance as the misunderstood bad boy Johnny Castle in "Dirty Dancing." As the son of a choreographer who began his career in musical theater, he seemed a natural to play the role.
A coming-of-age romance starring Jennifer Grey as an idealistic young woman on vacation with her family and Swayze as the Catskills resort's sexy (and much older) dance instructor, the film made great use of both his grace on his feet and his muscular physique.
It became an international phenomenon in the summer of 1987, spawning albums, an Oscar-winning hit song in "(I've Had) the Time of My Life," stage productions and a sequel, 2004's "Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights," in which he made a cameo.
Swayze performed and co-wrote a song on the soundtrack, the ballad "She's Like the Wind," inspired by his wife, Lisa Niemi. The film also gave him the chance to utter the now-classic line, "Nobody puts Baby in a corner."
Swayze followed that up with the 1989 action flick "Road House," in which he played a bouncer at a rowdy bar. But it was his performance in 1990's "Ghost" that showed his vulnerable, sensitive side. He starred as a murdered man trying to communicate with his fiancee (Moore) – with great frustration and longing – through a psychic played by Whoopi Goldberg.
Swayze said at the time that he fought for the role of Sam Wheat (director Jerry Zucker wanted Kevin Kline) but once he went in for an audition and read six scenes, he got it.
Why did he want the part so badly? "It made me cry four or five times," he said of Bruce Joel Rubin's Oscar-winning script in an AP interview.
"Ghost" provided yet another indelible musical moment: Swayze and Moore sensually molding pottery together to the strains of the Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody." It also earned a best-picture nomination and a supporting-actress Oscar for Goldberg, who said she wouldn't have won if it weren't for Swayze.
"When I won my Academy Award, the only person I really thanked was Patrick," Goldberg said in March 2008 on the ABC daytime talk show "The View."
Swayze himself earned three Golden Globe nominations, for "Dirty Dancing," "Ghost" and 1995's "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar," which further allowed him to toy with his masculine image. The role called for him to play a drag queen on a cross-country road trip alongside Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo.
His heartthrob status almost kept him from being considered for the role of Vida Boheme.
"I couldn't get seen on it because everyone viewed me as terminally heterosexually masculine-macho," he told The Associated Press then. But he transformed himself so completely that when his screen test was sent to Steven Spielberg, whose Amblin pictures produced "To Wong Foo," Spielberg didn't recognize him.
Among his earlier films, Swayze was part of the star-studded lineup of up-and-comers in Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 adaptation of S.E. Hinton's novel "The Outsiders," alongside Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise, Matt Dillon, Ralph Macchio, Emilio Estevez and Diane Lane.
Other '80s films included "Red Dawn," "Grandview U.S.A." (for which he also provided choreography) and "Youngblood," once more with Lowe, as Canadian hockey teammates.
In the '90s, he made such eclectic films as "Point Break" (1991), in which he played the leader of a band of bank-robbing surfers, and the family Western "Tall Tale" (1995), in which he starred as Pecos Bill. He appeared on the cover of People magazine as its "Sexiest Man Alive" in 1991, but his career tapered off toward the end of the 1990s, when he also had a stay in rehab for alcohol abuse. In 2001, he appeared in the cult favorite "Donnie Darko," and in 2003 he returned to the New York stage with "Chicago"; 2006 found him in the musical "Guys and Dolls" in London.
Swayze was born in 1952 in Houston, the son of Jesse Swayze and choreographer Patsy Swayze, whose films include "Urban Cowboy."
He played football but also was drawn to dance and theater, performing with the Feld, Joffrey and Harkness Ballets and appearing on Broadway as Danny Zuko in "Grease." But he turned to acting in 1978 after a series of injuries.
Within a couple years of moving to Los Angeles, he made his debut in the roller-disco movie "Skatetown, U.S.A." The eclectic cast included Scott Baio, Flip Wilson, Maureen McCormack and Billy Barty.
Off-screen, he was an avid conservationist who was moved by his time in Africa to shine a light on "man's greed and absolute unwillingness to operate according to Mother Nature's laws," he told the AP in 2004.
Swayze was married since 1975 to Niemi, a fellow dancer who took lessons with his mother; they met when he was 19 and she was 15. A licensed pilot, Niemi would fly her husband from Los Angeles to Northern California for treatment at Stanford University Medical Center.
In February, Swayze wrote an op-ed piece in the Washington Post titled, "I'm Battling Cancer. How About Some Help, Congress?" in which he urged senators and representatives to vote for the maximum funding for the National Institutes of Health to fight cancer as part of the economic stimulus package.
He also appeared in the September 2008 live television event "Stand Up to Cancer," where he made this moving plea: "I keep dreaming of a future, a future with a long and healthy life, a life not lived in the shadow of cancer, but in the light. ... I dream that the word `cure' will no longer be followed by the words `is impossible.'"
How Well Do You Know Your Celebrities? - Name this list in the fastest time you can
Make your own Element Bars
Feeling peckish after a workout, and want to bite into something? Then no need to for energy bars which are already made and sold. You can choose your elements and make your own bar that you like. That too all below 200 calories!
element-bars
May be you don’t want the usual wants and wish to give your tongue a different flavor. Then this is how you do it.
Choose your own ingredients and make it more yummy.
-For the core, you can take crispy, chewy, datey or oaty.
-Choose your favorite fruits like blueberries cherries, apricots, cranberries, raisins or prunes
-Add the nuts your wish; take a pick from almonds, walnuts, peanuts, cashews, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds or soynuts,
-Add the sweet flavor you like; choose from brown rice syrup, agave syrup, honey, maple syrup, M&Ms, chocolate chips or pumpkin spice
-Use the boost of your choice, i.e., whey protein, immunity, soy protein, omega-3 or fiber
For 12 such customized bars, you pay only $36.
element-bars
May be you don’t want the usual wants and wish to give your tongue a different flavor. Then this is how you do it.
Choose your own ingredients and make it more yummy.
-For the core, you can take crispy, chewy, datey or oaty.
-Choose your favorite fruits like blueberries cherries, apricots, cranberries, raisins or prunes
-Add the nuts your wish; take a pick from almonds, walnuts, peanuts, cashews, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds or soynuts,
-Add the sweet flavor you like; choose from brown rice syrup, agave syrup, honey, maple syrup, M&Ms, chocolate chips or pumpkin spice
-Use the boost of your choice, i.e., whey protein, immunity, soy protein, omega-3 or fiber
For 12 such customized bars, you pay only $36.
Kanye West Crashes Taylor Swift Speech at MTV Awards, Praises Beyonce, Makes Fool of Himself
Wow. Incredibly, Joe Wilson's outcry of "You lie!" in the direction of Barack Obama was not the most inappropriate example of public humilation this week.
At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Taylor Swift defeated Lady GaGa, Katy Perry, and Beyonce to take home the trophy for Best Female Video.
As a visibly humble, appreciative Swift took the stage and began her acceptance speech, Kanye West actually grabbed the microphone from her and declared that Beyonce - with "one of the greatest videos of all-time" - deserved to win.
The camera cut to Beyonce in the audience. She was horrified. Kanye (who drank Hennessy on the red carpet) ran away from the stage like a pathetic little bitch; and Taylor was left alone, embarrassed and speechless.
To the crowd's credit, they stood and applauded Swift, but the damage had been done.
At the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, Taylor Swift defeated Lady GaGa, Katy Perry, and Beyonce to take home the trophy for Best Female Video.
As a visibly humble, appreciative Swift took the stage and began her acceptance speech, Kanye West actually grabbed the microphone from her and declared that Beyonce - with "one of the greatest videos of all-time" - deserved to win.
The camera cut to Beyonce in the audience. She was horrified. Kanye (who drank Hennessy on the red carpet) ran away from the stage like a pathetic little bitch; and Taylor was left alone, embarrassed and speechless.
To the crowd's credit, they stood and applauded Swift, but the damage had been done.
Sunday, 13 September 2009
Jodie Foster's girlfriend -- did she dump Foster?
Jodie Foster's girlfriend -- did she dump Foster?
That's the gossip today -- that Jodie Foster is "devastated" after being dumped by her lesbian lover Cindy Mort. Mort reportedly walked out of the couple's LA home after a series of heated fights.
Foster met the writer/producer on the set of The Brave One in 2006. The couple started living together following Foster's split from long term partner, producer Cydney Bernard. Foster was hush-hush about her sexuality for years, then and decided to come out of closet in 2007 when she acknowledged her 15-year relationship with Bernard at an award ceremony.
Hopefully it's just a rumor. No one wants to be dumped -- especially before the cold months start to set in! If it's true, be The Brave One, Jodie.
That's the gossip today -- that Jodie Foster is "devastated" after being dumped by her lesbian lover Cindy Mort. Mort reportedly walked out of the couple's LA home after a series of heated fights.
Foster met the writer/producer on the set of The Brave One in 2006. The couple started living together following Foster's split from long term partner, producer Cydney Bernard. Foster was hush-hush about her sexuality for years, then and decided to come out of closet in 2007 when she acknowledged her 15-year relationship with Bernard at an award ceremony.
Hopefully it's just a rumor. No one wants to be dumped -- especially before the cold months start to set in! If it's true, be The Brave One, Jodie.
Jack Kramer, the Wimbledon and two-time United States singles champion has died
Jack Kramer, the Wimbledon and two-time United States singles champion who became one of the most influential figures in tennis history as a powerful promoter and innovator, has died. During the broadcast of the Rafael Nadal-Juan Martin Del Potro semifinal at the Open, ESPN’s Cliff Drysdale reported the death and Pam Shriver confirmed that the family was aware of the network’s announcement.
Known for his “big game” — a serve-and-volley attack complemented by his stinging forehand that presaged the modern attacking style — Kramer emerged as a marquee amateur player in the years following World War II, Richard Goldstein writes in an obituary that will soon be published on nytimes.com.
John Albert Kramer was born in Las Vegas on Aug. 1, 1921, the son of a brakeman for the Union Pacific Railroad. He learned to play tennis in the Los Angeles area as a teenager when his family moved there. His idol was Ellsworth Vines, the former United States Nationals and Wimbledon champion, whom he played against in workouts.
Kramer won the 1946 and 1947 men’s singles title at the United States Nationals at Forest Hills, the forerunner to the United States Open, and he captured the Wimbledon singles in 1947. He won the United States doubles championship four times and the Wimbledon doubles twice and played on Davis Cup teams that defeated Australia in 1946 and ’47.
Kramer showcased the professional game as a player and a promoter in the two decades leading up to the arrival in 1968 of ”open” tennis, when pros were finally allowed to compete for prize money in tournaments previously open only to amateurs. He turned pro with a memorable match against Bobby Riggs, the defending pro champion, at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 26, 1947, before a crowd of 15,114 that trudged through a 26-inch blizzard. Kramer lost to Riggs in four sets but succeeded him as champion by decisively besting him in a series of one-night stands across the country in 1948. He retained his championship by defeating Pancho Gonzalez, Pancho Segura and Frank Sedgman, respectively, on tours in the three seasons after that.
“He put more continuing pressure on an opponent than any other player I ever saw or played against,” Ted Schroeder, Kramer’s partner for two United States doubles championships, told The Associated Press in 2002. “That goes all the way back to Bill Tilden.”
Kramer took over as promoter of the pro tour in 1952 and expanded it into an international operation, the players transporting a portable court in a host of one-night stands. In a 12-day period in 1957, Kramer’s entourage made 11 appearances in 8 cities, from South Africa to the Philippines.
Kramer offered lucrative contracts to stars like Gonzales and Segura and the Australians Sedgman, Lew Hoad, Ken Rosewall and Rod Laver in raids incurring the wrath of amateur-tennis officials. Kramer, in turn, viewed the men who ruled the amateur game as more concerned with maintaining their power than enhancing the sport and corrupted by undercover payments to players.
Kramer competed on his pro tour into the late 1950’s, when injuries forced his retirement, but he continued to run it until 1962. He was named to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1968, and a panel of tennis experts voted him as the fifth-best player of all time in 1969.
Hardly finished as an influential figure with the arrival of “open” tennis, a concept he had long advocated, Kramer devised the men’s Grand Prix, which debuted in 1970. It endured for two decades as a series of tournaments leading to a Masters Championship and a bonus pool of earnings for a host of leading players.
In 1972, Kramer helped found the Association of Tennis Professionals, the men’s players’ union, and he became its first executive director. The organization’s boycott of Wimbledon in 1973 over issues of player independence spurred the movement that freed players from the control of national tennis associations.
Wilson Sporting Goods sold millions of Jack Kramer-autographed wooden rackets, Kramer receiving a percentage of the sales revenue. He was a longtime commentator for American network broadcasts and for the BBC at Grand Slam events.
Known for his “big game” — a serve-and-volley attack complemented by his stinging forehand that presaged the modern attacking style — Kramer emerged as a marquee amateur player in the years following World War II, Richard Goldstein writes in an obituary that will soon be published on nytimes.com.
John Albert Kramer was born in Las Vegas on Aug. 1, 1921, the son of a brakeman for the Union Pacific Railroad. He learned to play tennis in the Los Angeles area as a teenager when his family moved there. His idol was Ellsworth Vines, the former United States Nationals and Wimbledon champion, whom he played against in workouts.
Kramer won the 1946 and 1947 men’s singles title at the United States Nationals at Forest Hills, the forerunner to the United States Open, and he captured the Wimbledon singles in 1947. He won the United States doubles championship four times and the Wimbledon doubles twice and played on Davis Cup teams that defeated Australia in 1946 and ’47.
Kramer showcased the professional game as a player and a promoter in the two decades leading up to the arrival in 1968 of ”open” tennis, when pros were finally allowed to compete for prize money in tournaments previously open only to amateurs. He turned pro with a memorable match against Bobby Riggs, the defending pro champion, at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 26, 1947, before a crowd of 15,114 that trudged through a 26-inch blizzard. Kramer lost to Riggs in four sets but succeeded him as champion by decisively besting him in a series of one-night stands across the country in 1948. He retained his championship by defeating Pancho Gonzalez, Pancho Segura and Frank Sedgman, respectively, on tours in the three seasons after that.
“He put more continuing pressure on an opponent than any other player I ever saw or played against,” Ted Schroeder, Kramer’s partner for two United States doubles championships, told The Associated Press in 2002. “That goes all the way back to Bill Tilden.”
Kramer took over as promoter of the pro tour in 1952 and expanded it into an international operation, the players transporting a portable court in a host of one-night stands. In a 12-day period in 1957, Kramer’s entourage made 11 appearances in 8 cities, from South Africa to the Philippines.
Kramer offered lucrative contracts to stars like Gonzales and Segura and the Australians Sedgman, Lew Hoad, Ken Rosewall and Rod Laver in raids incurring the wrath of amateur-tennis officials. Kramer, in turn, viewed the men who ruled the amateur game as more concerned with maintaining their power than enhancing the sport and corrupted by undercover payments to players.
Kramer competed on his pro tour into the late 1950’s, when injuries forced his retirement, but he continued to run it until 1962. He was named to the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1968, and a panel of tennis experts voted him as the fifth-best player of all time in 1969.
Hardly finished as an influential figure with the arrival of “open” tennis, a concept he had long advocated, Kramer devised the men’s Grand Prix, which debuted in 1970. It endured for two decades as a series of tournaments leading to a Masters Championship and a bonus pool of earnings for a host of leading players.
In 1972, Kramer helped found the Association of Tennis Professionals, the men’s players’ union, and he became its first executive director. The organization’s boycott of Wimbledon in 1973 over issues of player independence spurred the movement that freed players from the control of national tennis associations.
Wilson Sporting Goods sold millions of Jack Kramer-autographed wooden rackets, Kramer receiving a percentage of the sales revenue. He was a longtime commentator for American network broadcasts and for the BBC at Grand Slam events.
Watch all Sunday night football games of the 2009 season live online in HD
Following the success of last year’s online transmission of NFL Sunday Night Football games, the NFL is going one step further this year. You can watch all Sunday night football games of the 2009 season live online in HD. The HD player that will be used for the telecast will feature DVR style controls, allowing the user to go backwards to watch previous plays!!!
The HD quality player from NBCSports will use Microsoft’s Silverlight technology. This is the same player that NBC used during the telecast of Beijing Olympics. The following features will be available on the player:
1. Full DVR functionality
2. Ability to open the player in the middle of a game and go back all the way to the start of the game. You can also rewind just as much as you like if you only want to go back a certain plays.
3. Four additional camera angles will also be available in the player.
4. Highlights and online-only sideline reports.
5. Markers for all key plays – so that you can watch any of the key plays by pointing the mouse at the corresponding play marker.
6. NFL expert Mike Florio will provide detailed analysis of every game and will also be available to take questions from fans online.
Here is the complete schedule of NFL Sunday night games in the 2009 season. All these games can be watched online on NFL.com and NBCSports.com
Sun. Sept. 13 Week 1 Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
Sun. Sept. 20 Week 2 New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
Sun. Sept. 27 Week 3 Indianapolis Colts at Arizona Cardinals
Sun. Oct. 4 Week 4 San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers
Sun. Oct. 11 Week 5 Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans
Sun. Oct. 18 Week 6 Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons
Sun. Oct. 25 Week 7 Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants
Sun. Nov. 1 Week 8 NO SNF GAME (Football Night airs 7-8 p.m.)
Sun. Nov. 8 Week 9 Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
Sun. Nov. 15 Week 10 New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts
Sun. Nov. 22 *Week 11 Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears
Sun. Nov. 29 *Week 12 Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens
Sun. Dec. 6 *Week 13 New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
Sun. Dec. 13 *Week 14 Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants
Sun. Dec. 20 *Week 15 Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers
Sun. Dec. 27 *Week 16 Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins
Sun. Jan. 3 *Week 17 TBA
The HD quality player from NBCSports will use Microsoft’s Silverlight technology. This is the same player that NBC used during the telecast of Beijing Olympics. The following features will be available on the player:
1. Full DVR functionality
2. Ability to open the player in the middle of a game and go back all the way to the start of the game. You can also rewind just as much as you like if you only want to go back a certain plays.
3. Four additional camera angles will also be available in the player.
4. Highlights and online-only sideline reports.
5. Markers for all key plays – so that you can watch any of the key plays by pointing the mouse at the corresponding play marker.
6. NFL expert Mike Florio will provide detailed analysis of every game and will also be available to take questions from fans online.
Here is the complete schedule of NFL Sunday night games in the 2009 season. All these games can be watched online on NFL.com and NBCSports.com
Sun. Sept. 13 Week 1 Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
Sun. Sept. 20 Week 2 New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys
Sun. Sept. 27 Week 3 Indianapolis Colts at Arizona Cardinals
Sun. Oct. 4 Week 4 San Diego Chargers at Pittsburgh Steelers
Sun. Oct. 11 Week 5 Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans
Sun. Oct. 18 Week 6 Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons
Sun. Oct. 25 Week 7 Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants
Sun. Nov. 1 Week 8 NO SNF GAME (Football Night airs 7-8 p.m.)
Sun. Nov. 8 Week 9 Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
Sun. Nov. 15 Week 10 New England Patriots at Indianapolis Colts
Sun. Nov. 22 *Week 11 Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears
Sun. Nov. 29 *Week 12 Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens
Sun. Dec. 6 *Week 13 New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
Sun. Dec. 13 *Week 14 Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants
Sun. Dec. 20 *Week 15 Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers
Sun. Dec. 27 *Week 16 Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins
Sun. Jan. 3 *Week 17 TBA
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