The 5th Annual “Cars for the Cure” Auto Show extravaganza will be held the weekend of February 6th – 8th 2009 at Colonial TownPark in Heathrow/Lake Mary Florida. This charitable event will help support the American Lung Association of Florida
Two days before US Airways Flight 1549 made an emergency landing in the Hudson River, passengers on the same route and same aircraft say they heard a series of loud bangs while in flight. According to CNN, the flight crew informed them they could have to make an emergency landing. Steve Jeffrey of Charlotte, North Carolina said he was on the flight Tuesday when about 20 minutes into the flight, "it sounded like the wing was just snapping off." Jeffrey said he sent a text message to his wife about a "scary, scary noise on the plane. Doesn't sound right. They're flying back to LaGuardia to check it out. I'll call you when we land. I love you."
According to another passenger, John Hodock, the pilot "got on the intercom and said they were going to have to make an emergency landing at the nearest airport. But then, only five to 10 minutes later, the pilot came back on and said it was a stalled compressor and they were going to continue to Charlotte." The National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Peter Knudsen said as part of its investigation into the Hudson River crash, it will be looking at all maintenance activities, but has no indications of any anomalies or any malfunctions in the aircraft, so far in the investigation. ____________________________________________________________
BIDEN'S WIFE BLABS ON OPRAH
If it was supposed to be a secret, it isn’t anymore! Joe Biden’s wife said Monday that Barack Obama gave her husband the choice of running mate or secretary of state, a nomination that ultimately went to Hillary Rodham Clinton. It was a slip of information that the vice president-elect immediately tried to shush. Jill Biden’s comments came during an appearance with her husband on The Oprah Winfrey Show. "Joe had the choice to be secretary of state or vice president," she said. Her husband turned to his wife with his finger to his lips and a "Shhhh!" and the audience responded with laughter. "OK, he did," Jill Biden said in her defense.
Joe Biden blushed and was visibly uncomfortable, but gave his wife a hug while the audience continued laugh. Mrs. Biden said she told him vice president would be better for the family. After the segment aired, Biden spokeswoman Elizabeth Alexander denied Jill Biden's account in a statement e-mailed to reporters. "To be clear, President-elect Obama offered Vice President-elect Biden one job only — to be his running mate," the statement said. "And the vice president-elect was thrilled to accept the offer." ____________________________________________________________
ORLANDO, FLA. -- One of the millions of people who will be in attendance at today's inauguration of President Barack Obama might be the tallest, too.
6-foot-11 Orlando Magic star Dwight Howard will be on hand for the historic event. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy changed the practice schedule to give the players Tuesday off, making it possible for Howard to travel to Washington, D. C. for the big event. ____________________________________________________________________
Bucs Fire Gruden's Brother
TAMPA, FLA. -- The brother of former Tampa Bay Bucs head coach Jon Gruden was among six members of Gruden's coaching staff fired by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
Jay Gruden, the former head coach of the now-defunct Arena Football League's Orlando Predators, was an offensive assistant with the Buccaneers. Also let go were offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Bill Muir, defensive quality control coaches Johnny Cox and Ejiro Evero, strength and conditioning coach Mike Morris and assistant offensive line coach George Yarno.
Jon Gruden and G-M Bruce Allen were fired Friday. The Bucs promoted defensive coordinator Raheem Morris to head coach and appointed Mark Dominik the new GM on Saturday.
What good are momentous events in our nation’s history if we can’t use them as an excuse to get hammered and make some bad decisions?
With that in mind the members of Team Cool & Tough have put our formidable brain power together and come up with a drinking game for the 2009 Inauguration. No need to thank us, we’re just doing our civic duty.
The Inauguration Day 2009 Drinking Game
Drink Every Time Someone Says:
“Historic”
“Monumental”
“Kennedy”
“Lincoln”
“Change” (as a noun)
“Most anticipated inauguration in history”
The name of a celebrity who thinks their opinion matters.
Drink Every Time:
Joe Biden’s hairplugs are awkwardly noticeable.
You see Oprah crying.
W glances at his watch.
You see a mediocre looking chick with political aspirations in the crowd.
Chris Matthews appears to get a boner.
You see Obama’s face on a t-shirt.
A white guy pretends to know the words to a Black Eyed Peas song.
Keith Olbermann comes off as a smug, pretentious asshole.
Someone in the crowd passes out.
You see a bearded hippie.
Jesse Jackson takes credit for Obama’s campaign.
A Fox News correspondent speaks in hushed tones with an air of faux patriotism.
AS ALWAYS...DRINK RESPONSIBILE!!! _____________________________________________________________________ CARDS FANS ARE DICKS!
We've long regarded Philadelphia fans to be amongst the worst behaved in the nation. We'd now like to add Arizona fans to that list. Some Cardinals fans vandalized the off-season home of Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb last week. According to Mike Silver's blog at Yahoo! "Go Cards" and other similar messages were burned into the front lawn of his Chandler, Arizona home. Silver points out that "it's hard to imagine that anyone over the age of eight doesn’t understand that burning something on the lawn of a house occupied by African-Americans carries deeper social overtones that are highly disturbing," but one of the fools left a box at the scene with his name and mailing address affixed. We're not exactly dealing with Mensa candidates here. ____________________________________________________________________
Monday 01-19-2009 6:50am ET
READ THIS STORY!!!!!.......CRAZY!
3 Arrested After Baby Left In Car; Car Traded For Drugs
One-Year-Old Found In Front Of Sanford Home
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, Fla. -- Three people face felony charges on Sunday after a 1-year-old was found in a Longwood woman's front yard.
"I'm at my house, I opened the door and there's a kid, I mean, right there, dropped off," said the caller in a 911 recording. Investigators said the boy was out in 40-degree weather alone and in the dark for hours. Seminole County investigators said the boy's mother, Julinia Moreno, left the boy in the car for hours while she went to a friend's house and partied.
Police said she lent her car to her friend, Joshua L. Barnes, with her child still in it. At 3 a.m., detectives said Barnes went to a known drug house, where the car was stolen and the child later abandoned. "You don't find babies outside your house like that," Lupita Jimenez said. She said she couldn't believe her eyes. At 7:45 a.m., she found 1-year-old Jamir Worgs cold and alone in the front yard of her home on Cornwall Court in Sanford.
"He was just sitting there," she said. "He walked up and gave me his arms. I picked him up and said, "Where's your mommy?'" Seminole County investigators said the 24-year-old mother Jamir in her Nissan Altima while she partied with friends. "She probably didn't have a sitter, but she still wanted to party," Lt. James Clark said. "So she took the child, left the car running. The child sat there for hours."
Investigators said David W. Carver, a convicted burglar and thief, stole the car. He's the one investigators said abandoned Jamir in Jimenez' front yard.
"Anyone who treats a 1-year-old like that deserves to spend every minute in jail for that type of charge," Jimenez said. At about 6:45 a.m., authorities issued an Amber Alert that led them to the mother's car in a Wal-Mart parking lot. After dumping the baby, investigators said they believe Carver had traded the Nissan for drugs. The people who had the car told investigators where to find Carver.
The toddler was treated and released from South Seminole Hospital. He's now in state custody.
Moreno and Barnes will face felony child neglect charges. Carver could face that charge, plus grand theft auto and kidnapping. ____________________________________________________________
CARDINALS IN SUPERBOWL!
The Arizona Cardinals are breaking all kinds of rules this post season. They were the first Number four seed to host a conference championship game, and then they went and beat the Philadelphia Eagles yesterday for the franchise's first Super Bowl appearance - something most people (us included) didn't expect. Of course, it didn't look like the Cardinals were going to do it after they blew a 24-6 halftime lead but, down 25-24, veteran quarterback Kurt Warner led the Cards on a 72-yard drive, completed his fourth touchdown pass of the game to make it 32-25 with only 2:53 left in the game.
The Cardinals will face the Steelers in Tampa in two weeks. Pittsburgh eliminated the Baltimore Ravens 23-14 last night, making Mike Tomlin - at 36 - the youngest head coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl.
Bucs Fire Gruden, Hire Morris!
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers pulled a surprising move Friday and let go of head coach Jon Gruden, who led the Bucs to three division titles and its only Super Bowl (2003). General manager Bruce Allen was also let go, after the Bucs finished 9-7 this season. Both were replaced within hours. Raheem Morris, who was promoted to defensive coordinator on Christmas Day, will take over as head coach. At 32-years-old, he's now the NFL's youngest head coach. Director of pro personnel Mark Dominik replaces Allen in the front office. He's been with the team for 14 years. ____________________________________________________________
Taco Throwing Puts Teen In Jail
A Deltona man is in jail, accused of shoving his mother and throwing a taco at her, in a dispute that began when she unplugged his video game.
Dena Moir, 54, told Volusia County deputy sheriffs she called her 19-year-old son Zachary several times to come downstairs for dinner Tuesday. When he didn't respond, she said she went upstairs and unplugged his Xbox. She told deputies her son pushed her, called her names and ordered out of his room.
The woman said she was cleaning the kitchen when her son came down to eat and that she pushed him to the side because he was in her way. At that point, deputies said, the man smacked his mother on the left arm, called her an offensive word and threw his taco in her face.
He is being held without bail in the Volusia County Branch Jail, charged with domestic violence battery.
A six-year-old boy was killed and another man was injured when debris flew into the stands at monster truck show in Washington state, officials and witnesses said Saturday. Witnesses said a red truck came apart while doing doughnuts during the freestyle competition of Friday night's Monster Jam show in Tacoma. The pieces from the truck flew 30 to 50 feet over a safety barrier into the stands. The boy, Sebastin Hizey, was struck in the head by a Frisbee-sized chunk of metal. The man who was injured was taken to a hospital Friday night, but authorities haven't disclosed his name or condition. Spectators said they had to throw cups off the stands to get the attention of medics, and the show continued even after the two were hurt. On Sunday, investigators were examining loose parts of the oversized truck to learn why they tore off. ________________________________________________
SOME PEANUT BUTTER IS OKAY!!!
NEW YORK, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Lance Inc, Tasty Baking Co (TSTY.O), Hershey Co (HSY.N) and ConAgra Foods (CAG.N) said their products with peanut-butter or peanut-based ingredients are not impacted by the federal government's investigation into an outbreak of salmonella food poisoning.
U.S. health authorities on Saturday told consumers to avoid eating products that contain peanut butter until they can determine the scope of the outbreak, which may have been the cause of six deaths.
Lance and Tasty Baking issued separate statements on Sunday saying their products are not impacted by the recall.
Hershey and ConAgra, in separate statements late Saturday said they do not purchase any ingredients from the Peanut Corp of America, which is at the center of the investigation.
Peanut Corp said it had been informed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that some samples of its products had tested positive for a salmonella strain that may have originated in a Blakely, Georgia, peanut processing plant.
The recalled peanut butter was sold in bulk packaging in containers ranging from 5 pounds (2.3 kg) to 1,700 pounds (771 kg) and the peanut paste was sold in sizes ranging from 35-pound (16-kg) containers to tanker containers. None of the peanut butter or peanut paste being recalled is sold through retail stores, PCA said.
Kellogg Co (K.N) said on Friday it was recalling certain products that "have the potential to be contaminated," including some Austin and Keebler branded peanut butter snacks and some Famous Amos and Keebler Soft Batch cookies.
H-E-B, Ralcorp Frozen Baker and Hy-Vee Inc have issued recalls for a range of their products that could have been contaminated. Continued... ____________________________________________________________
Friday 01-16-2009 7:08am ET
Harvin Jumps To NFL
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida star Percy Harvin is taking his speed, elusiveness and durability concerns to the NFL.
The junior playmaker said Thursday he is leaving school early to turn pro, but Gators linebacker Brandon Spikes will return for his senior season.
Both players announced their intentions hours before the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NFL draft.
Even without Harvin, the Gators likely will be the preseason favorite to win a third national championship in four years. But there's little doubt Florida will miss its do-it-all receiver.
A 5-foot-11, 195-pound dynamo from Virginia Beach, Va., Harvin led the team in receiving and was second in rushing. He caught 40 passes for 644 yards and seven touchdowns, and ran for 660 yards and 10 scores.
He missed five games in three years because of injury and was limited in several more, an issue that could keep him from being a top 10 pick in April.
When healthy, though, Harvin looked like the fastest - maybe even the most talented - player on the field. He scored at least once in 15 consecutive games, the longest streak in the nation, and burned defenses while lining up at receiver, running back and even quarterback.
"Percy is the most dynamic player I've ever coached and can change the game on any given play," Gators coach Urban Meyer said. "He has the best first step I've ever seen and his ability to plant his foot and go is unmatched. Percy is a relentless competitor who wants to win. We wish him the best of luck and we look forward to having him around our program."
Harvin finished his career with 133 receptions for 1,929 yards and 13 touchdowns, and 194 carries for 1,852 yards and 19 scores. He averaged 9.5 yards per carry and 11.6 yards every time he touched the ball. ____________________________________________________________
HERO
Everyoneissinging the praises of Chesley B. Sullenburger III, the pilot who performed the miraculous emergency landing in the Hudson River. A former fighter pilot, "Sully" (as he is called) also works with UC Berkeley's Center for Catastrophic Risk Management. The pilot reportedly walked the length of the plane twice afte every passenger got off safely to make sure no one was left behind. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg hailed Sullenberger's actions as "masterful."
OPRAH ON CRACK?
A former boyfriend is alleging that Oprah Winfrey (yes, the Oprah) used to smoke crack with him. While Oprah herself has admitted to using drugs in the 1970s, ex-lover Randolph Cook says 'O' smoked crack cocaine with him as late as the '80s! He even says she used to do her show under the influence. Supposedly, Cook and Oprah dated for only six months back in 1984, but that was long enough to warrant a tell-all book (The Wizard of O: My Life with Oprah) in and an interview with the most reputableNational Inquirer - that bastion of journalistic integrity. Cook's motivations seem to be that he is terminally ill with esophageal cancer and blames Oprah for all his problems.
BANK OF AMERICA BAIL-OUT
Bank of America is getting bailed out to the tune of 138 billion dollars. The U.S. Treasury Department has announced that it will provide Bank of America Corporation with 20 billion dollars in capital to keep the banking institution (the U.S.'s largest by assets) afloat. The treasury will also guarantee 118 billion dollars worth of troubled assets. This is being done in large part to help Bank of America with its acquisition of Merrill Lynch and to prevent the worldwide economic crisis from worsening.
The Minneapolis Star Tribune, one of the nation's largest newspapers, has filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy. The paper was sold to a private equity firm 2 years ago for 530 million dollars, but has failed to pull in the revenue it needs to repay its loans. Of its plans to get out of this debt, the Tribune's publisher and chairman Chris Harte said, "Our plan is to use the court-supervised process to reduce our costs, strengthen our balance sheet and create a financially viable business."
A toilet inside the Carl's Jr. in Centerville is in pieces after a man accidentally dropped his concealed weapon. A bullet struck the toilet, and the flying shrapnel wounded the man.
CENTERVILLE — A man was wounded by shrapnel from a toilet when his concealed weapon accidentally went off while he was using the bathroom, police said.
It happened Tuesday at the Carl's Jr. restaurant at 385 N. 800 West. Police said the 26-year-old man had gone into the bathroom to use the toilet, armed with a .40-caliber Kahr P40 handgun. The man, who has a valid concealed weapon permit and was lawfully in possession of the gun, had it in a holster inside his pants.
"While pulling his pants up the gun fell out of the holster, striking the tile floor," Centerville Police Lt. Paul Child said Wednesday. "When the gun hit the floor, it went off, and the bullet struck the toilet, shattering it and sending sharp pieces of porcelain flying."
The man was hit by some porcelain shards, lacerating his arm. No one else was injured, but an employee of the restaurant in the next-door women's restroom heard the gunshot and panicked.
"She was shaken, she was upset and was complaining of some chest pain," Child said.
The man walked into the restaurant area, holding his wound and asked an employee to call 911. Police and paramedics responded to the call of shots fired inside the restaurant and ended up treating the man for the cuts to his arm. The woman also was treated at the scene.
The missing pilot who was found on Tuesday had slit his left wrist in an apparent suicide attempt and was incoherent and bleeding profusely, a federal agent said Wednesday. Financial manager Marcus Schrenker attempted to fake his own death Sunday by parachuting out of a plane while over Alabama in order to escape fraud charges in Indiana. He was found late Tuesday at a campsite near Quincy, Florida. Frank Chinmento, assistant chief of the U.S. Marshals Service office in Florida, said Schrenker was "verbally resistant" to authorities' offer of medical help and was muttering a phrase with the word "die."
According to Lt. Jim Corder of the Gadsden County Sheriff's Office, Shrenker's tent was stocked with spare clothes, a cell phone, a laptop computer and $2,000 to $3,000 in cash. He was taken to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare and remained there in fair condition Wednesday, officials said. Authorities believe the recently divorced 38-year-old defrauded investors through three companies he owns. ____________________________________________________________
STEVE JOBS TO TAKE EXTENDED HEALTH LEAVE
Apple Inc.'s CEOSteve Jobs announced Wednesday that he is taking a medical leave of absence until the end of June. He told his employees in an e-mail that his health issues are more complex than he thought. Last week, Jobs announced that he was suffering from a hormone deficiency which caused him to lose weight. During his leave, Apple's chief operating officerTim Cook will take over his responsibilities. In mid-2004, Jobs was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in his pancreas. He underwent surgery and apparently recovered.
____________________________________________________________ MICHAEL IRVIN ALMOST ROBBED!!!
Michael Irvin might have gotten robbed at gunpoint Monday night, but it turns out that he's a former Dallas Cowboy, so it's all good. According to a police report, Irvin was stopped at a red light in North Dallas when two men in a truck pulled up next to him. The passenger in the truck rolled down the window, so Irvin did the same, thinking the two men recognized him from TV.
That's when one of the men pulled out a semiautomatic gun. Irvin said he was afraid but that nothing happened because the other guy in the car was a big Cowboys fan. One of the guys was heard saying, "Oh, that's Michael Irvin, with the Dallas Cowboys," and instead of shooting or robbing Irvin, they all ended up talking shop. "We started talking about the Cowboys and everything," Irvin said in the DallasMorning News. "Then they got back on the highway." ____________________________________________________________
Swayze has lung cancer now...SHOCKER!!! The National Enquirer claims that Patrick Swayze's cancer has spread to his lungs. The actor allegedly discovered his worsening condition when he was hospitalized last week for pneumonia. But if Swayze's diagnosis is indeed that serious, he isn't letting on in a new interview with People magazine. "I am alive and plan on continuing to stay that way," says the actor. He explains that he decided to go to the hospital after dealing with a cough that just wouldn't go away. "It made me suspect there was a possibility of some kind of infection," says Swayze. "I wanted to jump on it before it turned into a problem. As soon as I got home, I called my doctor and then went straight to the hospital and was immediately put on antibiotics." As for his current condition, Swayze says, "I am almost in the clear." ___________________________________________________________
Wednesday 01-14-2009 6:39am ET
POLICE FIND MISSING PILOT WANTED FOR FRAUD
A man believed to be Marcus Schrenker, the financial manager wanted for fraud who allegedly tried to fake his own death in a plane crash, has been found, police in Quincy, Florida, said Tuesday. A spokesman for the Quincy police said the man was found with marks on his body consistent with a suicide attempt. Earlier on Tuesday, Indiana authorities filed felony charges and issued an arrest warrant for Schrenker, 38. The charges came two days after authorities say he parachuted out of a plane (which later crashed in a Floridaswamp) and checked into an Alabama hotel under a fake name.
Police believe he fled Harpersville, Alabama on a red 2008 Yamaha motorcycle he had stashed at a storage unit he leased a few days earlier under an assumed name. Officials say Schrenker defrauded investors through his three firms: Heritage Wealth Management, Heritage Insurance Services and Icon Wealth Management. According to The Herald Bulletin in Anderson, Indiana, Schrenker's wife, Michelle, filed for divorce on December 30. A friend of Schrenker's, Tom Britt, said he received an e-mail Monday night from someone who identified himself as Schrenker. Schrenker wrote he was reading reports of his disappearance and was "disturbed and wanted to set the record straight." The e-mail said Schrenker would never abandon a plane and let it crash somewhere. ____________________________________________________________ PLAYING FOR THE OTHER TEAM: CURRY LIKES BOYS
The New York Knicks have stumbled upon their scandal of 2009 (because what's a basketball season without a little sexual harrassment, are we right?). And as sports scandals go, this one's up there: center Eddie Curry is being sued for sexual harrassment by his former driver...one David Kuchinsky.
Kuchinsky filed the lawsuit on Monday and alleges that Curry, a married father of three, solicited gay sex from him. Originally hired in October of 2005 as Curry's round-the-clock driver, Kuchinsky says his duties fell outside that job description. According to court papers, Curry would approach Kuchinsky "in the nude," and say, "Look at me, Dave, look" and "Come and touch it, Dave." He would also be asked to clean up dirty towels (filled with a bodily fluid which we won't mention here) because Curry didn't want his wife to see them. Kuchinsky - a straight and Jewish man - says Curry threw racial insults at him including "f---ing Jew," "cracker," "white slave," "white devil" and "grandmaster of the KKK" (which is particularly creative, considering the KKK hates Jewish people as well, but we digress). Curry also reportedly pulled a gun on Kuchinsky, saying "Look, I have one in the chamber."
The former driver is asking for $68,000 in unpaid wages, $25,000 in expenses and $5 million in damages. "Instead of paying him, they discriminated against him, figuring that it would keep him there," said Kuchinsky's lawyer, Matthew Blit. With logic like that - oh, and a criminal past - we foresee no way that Kuchinsky can lose this case.
The name Plaxico Burress is getting dragged all over the place these days. First the New York Giants wide receiver got in legal trouble because he shot himself in the leg with a gun he illegally concealed and carried into a club. Then he got suspended from his team and, subsequently, was unable to help the defending champions during this weekend's loss.
Then he was found with more guns. And now he's due in court today because of damage to a leased car; a leased car that he never returned. According to a Lebanon (PA) County dealership, Plaxico leased a 2004 Chevy Avalanche (worth over $36,000) in exchange for promises to appear at publicity events. Burress is accused of never showing to any events and never even returning the car. It had to be seized by New York City police after Burress let someone else use it. Meanwhile, there is damage to the car which the dealership expects him to pay for. This guy just gets better and better with time. Like a fine wine, yeah? ____________________________________________________________
from WFTV.com ORLANDO, Fla. -- Progress Energy customers are reeling from new bills reflecting a massive rate hike.
State regulators were up on the second floor at city hall for a hearing about People's Gas, but Eyewitness News wanted to know more about the 25-percent rate hike by Progress Energy and why they gave it the green light.
Linda Coleman knows a cold snap is coming to Mount Dora.
"I mean, I'll be freezing in there," she said.
Linda worries she can't afford to turn up the thermostat after getting her latest Progress Energy bill. It's up to $106 from the usual $75.
"For them to up the electric at this point in life is wrong. You can't tell me that's not wrong," she said.
Eyewitness News found the state regulators approved Progress Energy's 25-percent rate hike in November in part because of high fuel prices. Coal prices have since come down 27-percent.
Members of the Public Service Commission (PSC) wouldn't talk to Eyewitness News on camera about Progress because they said the matter is still ongoing, but they did offer their spokesperson.
"What is your answer to those folks who are so concerned about how they're going to pay this increase?" WFTV reporter Eric Rasmussen asked Cynthia Muir, Public Service Commission.
"They are hard times. At the commission, we're consumers also," Muir said.
Yet, the five commissioners appointed by governors Crist and Bush make an annual salary of more than $132,000 each.
Linda, who keeps the lights off and doors stuffed with towels said "hard times" mean something different to her.
"When you live on a fixed income, it's not easy. Not easy by no means," she said.
Regulators will meet with Progress Energy again in March and, even after that, the PSC insists it will continue to review what Progress is charging customers. ____________________________________________________________
Tuesday 01-13-2009 6:30am ET
Howie Mandel Hospitalized for Heart Troubles
Game show host and comedian Howie Mandel was expected to be released Tuesday from a hospital where he was taken after he experienced an irregular heartbeat.
"He did not have a heart attack," his publicist, Lewis Kay, said.
Mandel, best-known for hosting the television show "Deal or No Deal," was in Toronto, Canada, filming segments for a new show "Howie Do It." The hour-long prank show debuted on NBC Friday.
Kay said Mandel, 53, was hospitalized so doctors could monitor his condition.
"Doctors expect him to be released and back to work tomorrow," Kay said in an e-mailed statement.
The statement did not say where Mandel was hospitalized.
Mandel is the host of the American version of the game show "Deal or No Deal," which has brought boffo ratings for NBC.
News Source: CNN.com, EOnline.com or People.com ________________________________________________________________________________
Who Will Perform at Obama's Inauguration
The Presidential Inaugural Committee announced Monday that Sunday's kick-off event, We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, will feature performances from Beyonce, Sheryl Crow, and Bruce Springsteen.
Also scheduled to hit the stage are Mary J. Blige, Bono, Garth Brooks, Josh Groban, John Legend, John Mellencamp, Usher Raymond IV, Shakira, James Taylor, will.i.a.m, Stevie Wonder, Renee Fleming, Herbie Hancock, Heather Headley and Jennifer Nettles.
During his farewell news conference on Monday, President George W. Bush reflected on the last eight years of his presidency. He admitted some mistakes, but mostly defended his decisions as commander-in-chief. Bush said that "not finding weapons of mass destruction was a significant disappointment." The assumption that Saddam Hussein had these weapons was Bush's initial justification for going to war with Iraq. He also admitted that he should have pursued a comprehensive immigration overhaul after the 2004 election, instead of Social Security reform. But he said plenty went right during his years in office, including the economy for most of his term. "I inherited a recession, I'm ending on a recession. In the meantime, there were 52 months of uninterrupted job growth," he said. He also said that despite harsh criticism at the time, he believes the government responded well to Hurricane Katrina. "Don't tell me the federal response was slow when there was 30,000 people pulled off roofs right after the storm passed," he said. "Could things have been done better? Absolutely. But when I hear people say the federal response was slow, then what are they going to say to those chopper drivers or the 30,000 that got pulled off the roofs?" Bush wished his successor Barack Obama all the best and called him "a smart, engaging person."
According to White House press secretary Dana Perino, Bush is set to deliver a farewell address to the nation on Thursday night. ________________________________________________
PILOT MAKES FAKE DISTRESS CALL, GOES ON THE RUN
A pilot placed a fake distress call before secretly parachuting out of a small plane that crashed in the Florida Panhandle, and now authorities are searching for the man, CNN reports. After ejecting from the plane, the pilot, identified as 38-year-old Marcus Schrenker, checked into a hotel in Alabama under a fake name and then put on a black cap and fled into woods. According to the Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office in Milton, Florida, the plane crashed at 9:15 p.m. CT on Sunday in a swampy area of the Blackwater River. Schrenker had falsely told air traffic controllers that the window of his plane had imploded and he was bleeding profusely. Public documents list Schrenker as president of an Indianapolis agency called Heritage Wealth Management, but no contact information for the business was available. "We believe he was trying to flee some type of prosecution," said Santa Rosa County Sgt. Scott Haines, adding that Schrenker faced fraud charges in Indiana.
________________________________________________
Monday 01-12-2009 7:23am ET
PRINCE HARRY CONTRITE AFTER USING RACIAL SLUR
England's Prince Harry has apologized after film footage was leaked of him using an ethnic slur. In the 2006 video, Harry referred to fellow cadet Ahmed Raza Khan as a "Paki," a derogatory term for people of Pakistan descent. The slip-up has garnered a lot of heat from members of Parliament as well as the cadet in question's father, but Prime Minister Gordon Brown said publicly that he believes Harry's apology to be genuine and sincere. Brown said, "It was a mistake and he's made the admission of that... the British people are good enough to give someone who has actually been a role model for young people and who has done well fighting for our country... the benefit of the doubt." ________________________________________________
BLAGOJEVICH IMPEACHED, AWAITS SENATE TRIAL
Gov. Rod was impeached Friday, after a near-unanimous vote in the Illinois House. Lawmakers voted 114-1 and their debate took less than 90 minutes. Blagojevich becomes the first U.S. governor in more than 20 years to be impeached. Arizona's Evan Mecham was impeached, convicted and removed from office in 1988 for trying to thwart an investigation into a death threat allegedly made by an aide. No other Illinois governor has ever been impeached. The House’s decision came exactly a month after Blagojevich’s arrest on corrupt charges that included trying to sell President-elect Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat. While the House debated, the governor was out jogging in the snow in Chicago. Later, the 52-year-old Blagojevich defiantly defended his innocence, saying, “I’m going to fight every step of the way.” The Senate trial is set to begin Jan. 26. If convicted, Blagojevich will be forced out of office. ____________________________________________________________
Inmate Rips Out Eye, Then Claims He Ate It
Texas death row inmate with a history of mental problems pulled out his only good eye, authorities said Friday. Andre Thomas told officers he ate it.
Thomas, 25, was arrested for the fatal stabbings of his estranged wife, their young son and her 13-month-old daughter in March 2004. Their hearts also had been ripped out. He was convicted and condemned for the infant's death.
While in the Grayson County Jail in Sherman, Thomas similarly had plucked out his right eye before his trial later in 2004. A judge subsequently ruled he was competent to stand trial.
A death-row officer at the Polunsky Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice found Thomas in his cell with blood on his face and had him taken to the unit infirmary.
"Thomas said he pulled out his eye and subsequently ingested it," agency spokesman Jason Clark said Friday.
Thomas was treated at East Texas Medical Center in Tyler after the Dec. 9 incident. Then he was transferred and remains at the Jester Unit, a prison psychiatric facility southwest of Houston.
"He will finally be able to receive the mental health care that we had wanted and begged for from day 1," Bobbie Peterson-Cate, Thomas' trial attorney, told the Sherman Herald Democrat. "He is insane and mentally ill. It is exactly the same reason he pulled out the last one."
Thomas does not have an execution date.
The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in October upheld his conviction and death sentence for the death of 13-month-old Leyha Marie Hughes. Also killed March 27, 2004, were his wife, Laura Christine Boren, 20, and their son, Andre Lee, 4.
Thomas, from Texoma, walked into the Sherman Police Department and told a dispatcher he had just murdered the three and had stabbed himself in the chest.
Thomas told police how he put his victims' hearts in his pocket and left their apartment, took them home, put them in a plastic bag and threw them in the trash.
Junior quarterback Tim Tebow will remain at Florida for his senior season. Tebow, who in 2007 became the first sophomore to ever win the Heisman Trophy, surprised fans Sunday during the school's national championship celebration in Gainsville. When he was walking off stage after addressing the crowd, he turned back around, grabbed the mic and told fans and teammates alike, "Oh, by the way, let's do it again. I'm coming back." When he spoke to reporters after his decision later, he said that he felt loyal to the school. "I feel like I'm a role model, and a lot of times people start things and don't finish them. I didn't want to be like that. I wanted to be loyal to the university. I wanted to finish what I started and play another year." He's hoping to lead the Gators to their first undefeated season and their fourth national title which would be his third in four years.
Police say that Charles Barkley was, in fact, legally drunk when he was arrested on December 31st. Tests revealed late last week that his Blood Alcohol Level was at .149. That's almost twice the legal limit of .08 in Arizona (and almost everywhere). Meanwhile, Barkley is taking a leave of absence from TNT for a minimum of several weeks, according to TMZ. David Levy, president of TNT Sports, released a statement saying, "When I spoke with Charles, he was apologetic for the events that transpired and it was obvious he understands the significance of the situation. This is an important time for Charles as he deals with the legal and personal issues that confront him. Charles is a valued part of the Turner Sports organization and we are concerned for his well-being." No date has been set for his return. ________________________________________________
Patrick Swayze has pneumonia and has checked himself into a hospital. A&E president Abbe Raven announced news about the actor's health on Friday (January 9th) at a television press event were he was scheduled to speak about his new show, The Beast. She said, "As we arrived here this morning we have some news. Patrick Swayze has checked himself into the hospital. However, he asked us specifically to go forward with today's panel. We wish him the very best with his recovery."
The actor has been battling pancreatic cancer for the past year.
In an interview that aired last Wednesday (January 7th), he told Barbara Walters, "You can bet that I'm going through hell. And I've only seen the beginning of it." ____________________________________________________________
Friday 01-09-2009 6:35am ET
INVESTIGATORS FOUND 100 SIGNED CHECKS IN MADOFF'S DESK
Investigators who searched the desk of financial scam artist Bernard Madoff following his arrest allegedly found approximately 100 signed checks totaling more than $173 million "ready to be sent out," ABC News reports. Prosecutors are using this information to argue that Madoff, who is currently under house arrest in his posh Manhattan apartment, be placed in custody. Earlier this week, prosecutors appealed to Judge Roland Ellis saying Madoff violated the conditions of his bail agreement when he and his wife sent multiple packages worth more than $1 million to relatives and friends.
The packages included at least 16 watches, a jade necklace, an emerald ring, four diamond brooches, two sets of cufflinks, a diamond bracelet and other assorted jewelry from brands like Cartier and Tiffany. An earlier court order had banned Madoff from "dissipating, concealing, or disposing of any money" or "personal property." Madoff’s lawyer, Ira Sorkin, said mailing the items was a harmless mistake. “To Mr. and Mrs. Madoff, the value of these items was purely sentimental,” Sorkin wrote in a court filing Wednesday. Last month, Madoff was arrested on charges of allegedly perpetrating a massive Ponzi scheme that scammed investors worldwide out of $50 billion. The judge's decision on whether or not Madoff should be sent to jail is expected today or Monday. ____________________________________________________________
PALIN STRIKES BACK
If you thought you had seen the last of Sarah Palin, think again. For a new documentary about the 2008 election, conservative filmmaker John Zieglersat down with the Alaska Governor, who had a lot to say about how she was treated. Part of the footage is on YouTube and Palin takes a swing at the media, whom she says covered her and her family unfairly; she also says Caroline Kennedy is getting softer treatment because of her social class; Palin also accuses Katie Couric and Tina Fey of exploiting her and capitalizing on her.
Gators Win The BCS Title, 24-14
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — As Florida quarterback Tim Tebow ran off the field near the end of the third quarter against Oklahoma in the Bowl Championship Series title game Thursday night, the right shoulder of his white jersey was tattooed with many grass stains.
He looked more like himself as he motioned to his sideline with arm pumps and primal screams.
Finally, the Gators offense had come to life. Soon, Florida took hold of the game in the same way safety Ahmad Black grabbed the ball from Oklahoma wide receiver Juaquin Iglesias on the key defensive play of the game in the fourth quarter.
The Gators seized the moment and thus the national championship, beating Oklahoma 24-14 in front of an orange and blue dominated crowd of 78,468 at Dolphin Stadium. It is Florida's second national title in three years and third in school history.
COACH URBAN MEYER WINS BIG MONEY!!! Florida coach Urban Meyer already has raked in bonus money this postseason. He had $100,000 more on the line in the title game Thursday night.
If the Gators beat Oklahoma, Meyer will get an additional $100,000. He earned $75,000 for winning the Southeastern Conference championship and $150,000 for reaching the Bowl Championship Series title game.
He also is guaranteed another $50,000 for finishing in the top 10 of either The Associated Press college football poll or the USA Today college football coaches poll.
In all, Meyer could pick up $375,000 in postseason bonuses.
When Florida offensive linemen Mike and Maurkice Pouncey heard about Meyer's potential compensation at media day this week, they called over athletic director Jeremy Foley, pointed out that the payout for each team was $17.5 million and Meyer was in line for his money, then jokingly asked, "So why can't we get a movie in our hotel room?"
Apparently, the Gators were banned from renting pay-per-view movies at their hotel.
"I'll look into it," Foley said with a laugh.
There was also bonus money on the line for Sooners coach Bob Stoops.
He would get a $250,000 bonus for an Oklahoma victory, and $150,000 for a loss on top of his salary of $2.775 million and bonuses of $3 million for reaching his 10th year at Oklahoma, $80,000 for winning the Big 12 title and $30,000 for being named the conference's coach of the year.
He's also essentially a lock to get a $75,000 bonus for a top-10 finish in the BCS.
Barack Obama collected Spider-Man comics as a child, so Marvel Comics wanted to give him a "shout-out back" by featuring him in a bonus story, said Joe Quesada, Marvel's editor-in-chief.
"How great is that? The commander in chief to be is actually a nerd in chief," Quesada said. "It was really, really cool to see that we had a geek in the White House. We're all thrilled with that."
The comic starts with Spider-Man's alter-ego Peter Parker taking photographs at the inauguration, before spotting two identical Obamas.
Parker decides "the future president's gonna need Spider-Man," and springs into action, using basketball to determine the real Obama and punching out the impostor.
Obama thanks him with a fist-bump.
Marvel comics have featured most presidents, but generally in walk-on roles, Quesada said.
"I think President Nixon might have appeared on the cover, but not in a good way," he said.
Obama has said that as a child, he collected Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comic books. His Senate Web site used to have a photo of him posing in front of a Superman statue.
The Obama story is a bonus in Marvel Comic's Amazing Spider-Man #583, available in comic book shops nationwide on Jan. 14 for $3.99 and is expected to sell out, with half the covers devoted to Obama. ____________________________________________________________
Thursday 01-08-2009 6:53am ET
Airtime 6p, Kick-Off 8p
Line: Florida by 4.
Series record: First meeting. What's at Stake
The BCS championship, bragging rights and a clear look at whether Tim Tebow or Sam Bradford is most Heisman worthy.
With Southern California, Utah and Texas already proclaiming themselves the best in the land after bowl wins, and no less than President-elect Barack Obama calling for a playoff system, one thing is certain about the matchup at Dolphin Stadium: The winner gets to take home the $30,000 crystal football that signifies the Bowl Championship Series title. Whether the game produces an undisputed champ will have to wait - the final Associated Press poll will be released in the wee hours Friday.
For coach Urban Meyer and Florida (12-1), this is a chance to win their second national title in three seasons and validate the Southeastern Conference as the best in college football. For Oklahoma (12-1), it's an opportunity to end a four-game losing streak in BCS games and restore coach Bob Stoops' reputation as "Big Game Bobby."
Key Matchup
Oklahoma's no-huddle offense against Florida's speedy defenders. The Sooners are the highest-scoring team in modern history, averaging 54 points per game. They sprint to line up for the next play, often leaving their opponents out of breath and disorganized. Meyer calls it the "chaos factor."
The Gators boast one of the best defenses in the country, led by linebacker Brandon Spikes. Oklahoma's defense is ranked 63rd - Spikes called Big 12 defenses "a joke." One similarity between the teams: They were 1-2 in turnover margin.
Players to Watch
Florida: Tebow. He threw for 28 touchdowns and ran for 12 scores, but numbers hardly define his value. He's a born leader and powers the Gators with sheer will. Of course, being able to run over a linebacker also helps. The junior's numbers are down from last season, when he won the Heisman Trophy, but his teammates say that's because he's more focused on spreading the resources.
Oklahoma: Bradford. More of a pure passer than Tebow, this season's Heisman winner threw a nation-high 48 TDs passes and completed 50 tosses for at least 25 yards. The sophomore rarely gets hit, protected by a talented offensive line that matches the Gators' front wall. Like Tebow, he is exploring his worth in the upcoming NFL draft.
Facts & Figures
This is only the second time that Heisman winners have played against each other in college. The other was the 2005 Orange Bowl, when '04 winner Matt Leinart led USC over '03 winner Jason White of Oklahoma for the national title. ... Heisman-winning quarterbacks have tended to struggle in their final games of the season. Bradford is trying to become just the fourth Heisman QB since 1947 to win the national title in the same season. The others were Florida State's Charlie Ward (1993), Florida's Danny Wuerffel (1996) and Leinart (2004). ... Stoops was the defensive coordinator at Florida under Steve Spurrier when the Gators won the 1996 title.
While bantering in front of a crowd at a pool in South Beach recently, former NFL star and Dancing with the Stars contestant Warren Sapp challenged eight-time Beijing gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps to a race. Aren't they just so funny? Thank goodness TMZ had a camera there, or we wouldn't have believed their crazy antics. Sapp almost won, but he had a half-a-pool length head start. And we don't even think Phelps put his head in the water. This must be what it feels like to be chased by a shark.
Wednesday 01-07-2009 6:51am ET
Vail Skier Left Hanging, Partially Naked
VAIL, Colo. - MUST SEE PHOTOS! Vail Resorts has released more information about the skier who ended up hanging upside-down and partially naked on Vail’s Skyline Express Lift in the Colorado resort's Blue Sky Basin area last week.
The 48-year-old man, who has not been identified, was attempting to load the chair Thursday when he got caught and was suspended for about seven minutes, Vail Resorts said in a press release.
Lift operators immediately stopped the lift, and mechanics reversed the lift about 10-12 feet, lowering the man to the ground, Vail Resort said.
Vail Resorts spokeswoman Liz Biebl declined to answer further questions about the incident.
Photos taken by bystanders show the man’s backside was bared in the incident. Another skier sits upright on the chair as the man hangs by one leg.
National media has taken notice of the photos of the incident, which were posted Tuesday on prominent websites thesmokinggun.com and drudgereport.com.
The photos appear to show that the chair's seat was in the upright position though Vail Resorts would not comment on the report.
The Forest Service, which owns the land on which the incident occurred, has not received notice of the incident, said Snow Ranger Don Dressler.
Dressler called chairlift incidents of this type “rare.”
“We do have incidents every year, whether it’s people loading or unloading,” he said.
Officials from the Colorado State Tram Board, which reviews lift incidents, could not be immediately reached Tuesday.
Hef's third lady is Crystal Harris, although it's the twins - Karissa and Kristina Shannon - who have received most of the attention…for the obvious reasons.
On her MySpace page, Crystal describes herself as a "good girl, for the most part" who believes in "opening your heart and letting your walls down, it is better to have loved and lost, than to never have loved at all."
Congressman Asks For Break To Watch UF Title Game...ARE YOU KIDDING ME?
Speaker Will Not Grant Request
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Thursday's championship football game between No. 2 Florida and No. 1 Oklahoma is obviously a big game, but big enough to shut down Congress?
Rep. Cliff Stearns hopes so.
Stearns, a Republican from Ocala, wrote to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday asking her to move votes scheduled for Thursday evening and Friday so House members from Florida and Oklahoma can go to the Bowl Championship Series national title game.
Stearns wrote, "As you may be aware, on Thursday January 8, the University of Florida and the University of Oklahoma will play for the national football championship. Members of the Florida and Oklahoma delegations have expressed interest in attending the game as the congressional schedule allows. However, votes are currently scheduled to continue into Thursday night and Friday afternoon. We ask that you move these votes to either Wednesday and/or Thursday morning to allow Members to attend this historic game."
Oddly -- or maybe not -- none of the other members Stearns referred to as "we" signed the letter, which was obtained by The Associated Press.
To help his cause, Stearns added a handwritten message to Pelosi. "Madam Speaker -- Kindly consider. Thanks, Cliff," he wrote. Pelosi's office said she would not agree to the request. Among the votes to be considered Thursday afternoon is certification of the Electoral College vote that gives Barack Obama the presidency.
Stearns was first elected to Congress in 1988. While he didn't attend the University of Florida, his district includes the Gainesville area, where the school is located. The game is being played in Miami.
A message left after hours at Stearns' Washington office seeking comment wasn't immediately returned. ____________________________________________________________
UH-OH....BIRD FLU IS BACK!
A 19-year-old woman who handled ducks in northern China has died in Beijing from bird flu, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.
Nantong of Jiangsu province, China, last month, where the H5N1 virus was discovered.
The woman, Huang Yanqing, died Monday morning after she was admitted to hospital on December 27, according to state-run Xinhua news agency.
Huang had been in close contact with ducks at a market in Hebei Province, which neighbors Beijing, on December 19. She bought nine ducks from the market and cleaned the dead fowl before giving them to some relatives and friends, Xinhua reported.
Only Huang fell ill, though she had close contact with 116 people, according to the Beijing Municipal Health Bureau.
Zhao Qingchao, an official with the local government in Langfang City where the market is located, told Xinhua that they have taken steps to detect the source of the deadly virus.
No other cases of the H5N1 avian influenza have been reported from the same area, Xinhua reported.
Authorities have disinfected and isolated the woman's home, and officials met in Beijing on Monday about the case, but the market is still selling ducks, Xinhua reported.
H5N1 has led to 248 deaths worldwide since 2003, including 21 in China, according to the WHO. ____________________________________________________________
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Jay Gruden, the former head coach of the now-defunct Arena Football League's Orlando Predators, was an offensive assistant with the Buccaneers. Also let go were offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Bill Muir, defensive quality control coaches Johnny Cox and Ejiro Evero, strength and conditioning coach Mike Morris and assistant offensive line coach George Yarno.
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