Keon Clark testified Friday that he started drinking alcohol in high school.

DANVILLE – Former NBA player Keon Clark testified Friday that he started drinking alcohol in high school. By the time he was playing professional ball, he was drinking a half pint to a pint of gin a day.

"I never played a game sober, unfortunately," said the 32-year-old Danville man, who admitted he's an alcoholic.

The testimony came at a hearing at which a Vermilion County judge threw out Clark's 2 1/2-year prison sentence for not having a firearm owner's identification card, possession of a controlled substance and DUI.

Circuit Judge Michael Clary ordered that Clark get a new sentencing hearing, since Clark – who was sentenced on those charges in absentia on Oct. 10 – did not have legal representation at that hearing.

"A defendant has a right (to legal representation) at every stage of proceedings, unless they waive that right. ... There's no waiver by this defendant to not have a lawyer," Clary said. If he decided not to vacate the original sentence, the judge added, his decision likely would be overturned by the appellate court.

A date for the new sentencing hearing has not been set yet.

Clark remains behind bars at the Vermilion County Jail. He's scheduled to be back in court on Monday for six other felony cases and two traffic cases, though as of late Friday morning, he still had not found a lawyer to represent him.

The decision was the latest twist in Clark's well-publicized legal saga, which has included multiple arrests for DUI and other charges in Vermilion and Champaign counties since September 2005, firing an attorney in May and collapsing because of an apparent seizure before a sentencing hearing in Champaign County in September.

Later in September, Clark was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison for a felony charge of driving on a suspended license in Champaign County. Though his attorney was present, Clark failed to appear for that hearing and was sentenced in absentia.

On Oct. 18, Clark was arrested by U.S. Marshals on a bus heading out of Houston. According to court documents, he had been in Texas at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinic.

On Friday, Clary was to hear arguments on a motion to reconsider Clark's sentences in the Vermilion and Champaign County cases, which, if approved, would have lengthened Clark's sentence from 2 1/2 to 5 years.

Prosecutors planned to argue that Illinois law states that if a person commits a separate felony while on a pretrial release in another case, the sentences shall be served consecutively regardless of the order in which they were handed down. Clark was arrested and charged in the Champaign County case while he was out on bond in the Vermilion County case.

But before those arguments were heard, Tom Mellen – Clark's lawyer for the sentencing issue – asked Clary to reconsider the sentence. "The Illinois Supreme Court ... mandates an attorney be present," Mellen said, citing a case. "There was no attorney present at sentencing."

Mellen, who hopes to get Clark probation, also argued that Clark's 12-year battle with alcoholism was out of his control. "He was finally facing his problems in Texas," the attorney said.

On the stand, Clark said the drinking that he started in high school progressed when he left Danville to play basketball at junior college and then at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. It didn't help being in "the city of sin," he said.

After he was drafted in the NBA, he started drinking at games during halftime. "It just never stopped," he said.

After leaving professional ball, he spent much of his time drinking and playing golf. His drinking caused him to black out every day.

Clark said an ex-coach helped persuade him to seek treatment for alcoholism, depression and anger issues. In October, he entered a 90-day program at Extended Aftercare Inc., a rehabilitation center in Houston.

During his 2 1/2-week wait for admission to the program, Clark admitted to still "having his beer goggles on," meaning he hadn't fully acknowledged he had a drinking problem. He added that while he was in a three-day detox program in a hospital, he drank four beers that he had sneaked into his bag.

Clark told Mellen that he wasn't aware of his Oct. 10 sentencing hearing "because I had so many court dates." When he found out about it after talking to relatives back home, who attended, he tried to get the center's director, Gus Gerard, to fax the court a letter about his whereabouts.

Clark added that Gerard discouraged him from leaving the center. "He told me it would be detrimental to my recovery," he said.

Under questioning from Vermilion County Assistant State's Attorney Sandy Lawlyes, Clark admitted he failed to appear for his sentencing hearing in Champaign County because he was drunk. He also acknowledged being aware of sentencing dates for the Vermilion County case, and not having permission to leave the state, even to attend rehab.

Original article source: http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2007/12/15/clarks_prison_term_tossed

Award-Winning Dash Express Now Available for Pre-Order

Dash Express will be priced at $599.99 and will include three free months of Dash Service(1). -- While the Dash Express functions as a great GPS device even without the Dash Service, to take full advantage of the unique set of connected features including real-time traffic information from the Dash Driver Network, Internet Search, Send2Car and AutoUpdates, a subscription is required. -- Consumers will have several options for subscribing to the Dash Service: 2 year pre-pay plan: Effectively $9.99 per month 1 year pre-pay plan: Effectively $10.99 per month Month-to-month plan: $12.99/month -- The Dash Express will begin shipping in mid-to-late February directly from www.dash.net followed by broader retail distribution in Q2 2008.

Quotes

"After completing a successful 2,000 unit national road test, we've had tremendous interest from consumers around the country to purchase a device," said Dash CEO Paul Lego. "As we ramp up our manufacturing we'll have limited quantities of the Dash Express, so we want to ensure that the loyal community that has helped us with so much real-world feedback has a way to reserve a device first."

"The problem with most GPS devices is they are not intelligent. They don't see the world the way it really is, and they are only as good as their increasingly dated mapping information," said Rob Enderle, Principal Analyst for The Enderle Group. "Dash represents the leader of the next-generation of devices which can see, real time, the traffic conditions around you and be updated on the fly. So rather than routing you through traffic and road problems, Dash routes you around it, giving you more time at your destination. This is the core value of the Dash Express; it gives you time to do what you want to be doing -- instead of sitting in traffic."

Please contact Hillary Houser (hillary@sparkpr.com) to arrange an interview and/or for additional quotes.

Product Features

While any GPS device can provide directions to get you from point A to B, the always-connected Dash Express gives you the information you need every day. -0- -- Superior traffic with the Dash Driver Network(TM): Select your route based on up-to-the-minute traffic data that is automatically and anonymously exchanged via the most reliable source - other Dash devices. -- The Dash Express gathers traffic information from the Dash Driver Network and combines it with other sources of traffic data to provide you with the most accurate picture of what's happening on the routes you're traveling. -- Only Dash provides traffic information for both freeways and arterial roads. -- The Dash Express provides up to three routing options to your destination that are based on flow rather than incident data, and it has the ability to automatically alert you when traffic conditions change and route you around traffic problems. -- Find virtually anything with Yahoo! Local search: Connect to Yahoo! Local search to find unlimited points of interest - people, places, products and services. -- Two-way connectivity gives Dash Express the ability to use Yahoo! Local search and other Internet search sources. -- Unlike other GPS devices that come loaded with a static database of points of interest, Dash gives you access to unlimited points of interest based on your specific needs, and delivers key detailed information (i.e. gas prices, movie times) to help you select the right destination. -- Send2Car(TM) means no typing required: Simply highlight an address from any Internet browser or Microsoft Outlook and send it directly to your car. -- You can use Send2Car yourself, or have someone else send addresses to your Dash device when you're already on the road. -- MyDash makes it even easier to personalize your Dash Express: The MyDash portal (my.dash.net) enables you to customize your Dash Express. -- Create your own lists and feeds or, if you prefer, import the great content created by other members of the Dash Community. -- Easily send customized search buttons (i.e. LA Yoga Studios, Best Red Sox Bars in Boston, Toddler Playgrounds in New York City) straight to your device so you always have access to the places you want to go. -- AutoUpdate(TM) means your GPS is always up to date: Dash Express is the only GPS that automatically and wirelessly updates software and traffic (and in the near future - maps) using two- way connectivity. You'll always have the latest features as soon as Dash releases them.

Please use this link (blog.dash.net/) to access the Dash Corporate blog for more information about the Dash Express.

Original article source: http://www.pr-inside.com/award-winning-dash-express-now-available-for-r351191.htm

Terrelle Pryor, the No. 1 high school football recruit in America

errelle Pryor, the No. 1 high school football recruit in America according to Rivals.com, has added Michigan to the list of schools he might choose to attend because of its new coach.

Pryor, a 6-6, 235-pound dual-threat quarterback with 4.4 speed out of Jeannette, Pa., broke the news about West Virginia’s Rich Rodriguez taking the Michigan head-coaching job.

I just spoke to Coach Rodriguez … he told me he is going to Michigan," Pryor told Superprep.com Sunday afternoon. "He said they made him an offer and he can't refuse it."

Later, Pryor told Rivals.com: "He called me this morning and told me before he announced to anyone. He said he's keeping the same offense that he had at West Virginia because it's all he knows. I love that offense. I told him I was very interested."

Pryor, who listed Florida, Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon and West Virginia as his favorites to attend as of Sunday, told Superprep.com to “add Michigan to my list” following his conversation with Rodriguez.

"He's excited and so was I," Pryor told Rivals.com. "Michigan was on my early list, and now their right up there again. He's a great coach and I like his offense."

Pryor's addition of Michigan to his possible list of school is interesting because the status of the U-M quarterbacking job could be up in the air.

Thought to be a fixture behind center the next three seasons at U-M, sophomore-to-be Ryan Mallet’s status as U-M’s starter next season is suddenly under question.

Rodriguez runs a spread-option offense, and the 6-foot-7, 252-pound Mallet isn’t known for his mobility. The spread option demands a mobile quarterback with a quick release -- at least in Rodriguez’s version.

Pryor has dropped Tennessee and West Virginia from his list.

"My list is made up of some of the same teams," Pryor said. "Ohio State is in there, Florida is in there and Penn State is in there, but now Oregon is in the mix and now Michigan - so a lot has changed. Tennessee and West Virginia are now out.

"I've only been to Ohio State on an official and I've been to Penn State a few times. I need to see other schools, especially Michigan now."

Pryor rushed for 1,676 yards and 13 touchdowns and was 92 of 163 passing for 1.732 yards and 15 touchdowns during his junior season. He followed that up by leading the Jeannette Jayhawks to Class AA state championship this season.

Pryor would fall in line with the dual-threat quarterback Rodriguez has favored in his system in the past.

While offensive coordinator at Tulane (1997-98), Rodriguez was responsible for Shaun King’s record-breaking career. King finished the ’98 season with an NCAA-record passing effeciency of 183.3 and became the first player in NCAA history to pass for 300 yards and run for 100 yards in a game.

After following Tommy Bowden to Clemson, Rich Rodriguez’s stint as offensive coordinator (1999-2000) helped turn Woody Dantzler into the first quarterback in NCAA history to throw for at least 2000 yards and rush for at least 1000 yards in the same season.

And over the last three seasons at West Virginia, Rodriguez’s spread option helped turn Pat White into a Heisman Trophy contender this season.

Because of his size, something not found among Rodriquez’s past quarterbacks, most talent evaluators tend to compare Pryor to former Texas star Vince Young.

“I leave it up to people to make their own comparisons when they watch me play,” Pryor told Rivals.com in February. “It's a very nice comparison, but I haven't done anything yet. I like to watch Vince Young and Troy Smith and the quarterbacks that can move around and do things, but I don't compare myself to them.”

Pryor’s athletic ability may be on display on more than just the football field in college. Though a celebrated high school football player, Pryor is also considered an elite-level talent on the basketball court. So much so that Rivals.com has Pryor ranked among the top 30 recruits in the nation and the No. 3 small forward in the class of 2008.

Over the summer, Pryor maintained that he would like to play both football and basketball in college.

“I’ll give it a try,” Pryor told Scout.com in May. “It’s going to come down to the system I fit into and where I feel comfortable at.”

INTERVIEW WITH PRYOR (Editor's note: Other YouTube links off of this interview may not be appropriate for all audiences.)

Original article source: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071216/SPORTS06/71216027/1123/SPORTS05&theme=CARR

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WWE Armageddon Results (12/16): New World Champion!

Event: WWE Armageddon Pay-Per-View
Airdate: Sunday, December 16th, 2007 (Live On PPV)
Location: The Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Results by WrestleView.com

- The WWE promo hits.

- A video package airs looking at the WWE Championship Match tonight between Randy Orton and Chris Jericho and the Triple Threat for the World Heavyweight Championship between Batista, Edge and The Undertaker.

- A graphic opening then welcomes us to Armageddon as we go live to the Mellon Arena. A display of pyro goes off as Michael Cole and JBL open the show.

- Rey Mysterio defeated MVP via countout; MVP retains the WWE United States Championship. Early in the match, Mysterio took out MVP with a dive over the top rope right over the top of the referee to the floor. MVP countered a huricanranna attempt and sent Mysterio into the turnbuckle. Mysterio finally takes out MVP with a huricanranna, but MVP quickly responds with a quick kick to the face. The finish saw Mysterio hit another huricanrana on MVP on the floor. MVP then walked off and took the countout finish. Mysterio gets the win, but MVP retains the United States Title.

- Backstage, Todd Grisham was with WWE Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy. Hardy said tonight was his time to take it to the next level against Triple H.

- Big Daddy V & Mark Henry defeated ECW Champion CM Punk & Kane. They let this match go a lot longer then I'm sure many expected considering most of these guys haven't worked the best together recently on ECW. Early in the match, Big Daddy V and Henry exchanged tags and worked on Punk in the corner. Kane eventually got the hot tag and took out both Henry and Big Daddy V. The finish saw Punk hit a springboard off the ropes, Big Daddy V caught him on his shoulders and then hit a big samoan drop to get the pinfall.

- Vickie Guerrero is ready to throw Edge a victory party tonight after his World Title Match against Batista and The Undertaker.

- Shawn Michaels defeated Mr. Kennedy. Very good match between these two. Before the match, Mr. Kennedy got on the mic and said it didn't matter if he liked, hated or respected HBK, the only thing that matters is if he beats him and promised it would happen tonight. Kennedy was very aggressive with HBK early on in the match with a series of offense. HBK then took out Kennedy, chop blocking him and then going to work on his arm. Kennedy speared HBK to the outside. HBK responded by stomping on Kennedy's hand over the steel steps. Back in the ring, Kennedy sent HBK into the corner. The finish saw Kennedy attempt an STO, but Michaels got to the ropes. Kennedy attempted a DDT, HBK countered, Kennedy with a big left, Kennedy holds his hand in pain and then HBK connects with Sweet Chin Music to get the pinfall.

- A promo for the Royal Rumble on January 27 airs.

- Backstage, Todd Grisham was with WWE Champion Randy Orton. Orton promised to shut down Jericho tonight.

- WWE Intercontinental Champion Jeff Hardy defeated Triple H in a #1 Contendership Match to earn a shot at the WWE Title at the Royal Rumble.The story early on in the match was that Hardy held back hitting Triple H and Triple H yelled at him to bring it. Hardy eventually slapped Triple H across the face and Triple H smiled. The action spilled to the outside where Triple H sent Hardy into the steel steps. Back in the ring, Hardy takes out Triple H with a crossbody and a Whisper in the Wind for two close two counts. Twist of Fate attempt by Hardy, but Triple H counters and hits a quick DDT. Hardy with a Swanton Bomb attempt, but Triple H moves, Hardy hits the ring, Triple H covers, but only gets a two count. The finish saw Triple H go for the Pedigree, but Hardy counters into cradle pin for the win.

- The Great Khali cut a promo about his match with Finlay backstage.

- Finlay defeated The Great Khali. The story with this match was that Khali dominated throughout the match. Khali had a nerve hold on Finlay when Hornswoggle interfered. Khali threw Hornswoggle off the ring apron and then started to remove the top turnbuckle. With the referee distracted, Hornswoggle low blowed Khali with a shillelagh and then Finlay hit Khali with the shillelagh to get the pinfall.

- Promo for "Tribute to the Troops" on USA airs.

- Chris Jericho defeated Randy Orton via DQ; Orton retains the WWE Championship. Lots of quick aggressive offense by Jericho early on in the match on Orton. Orton finally got back in it with a big DDT on Jericho followed by a big dropkick. Both were knocked out when they hit each other near the corner. Both were up by the eight count of the referee. Some more back and forth action between the two with Jericho hitting Orton with an uppercut and Orton taking out Jericho with a clothesline. Jericho countered an RKO attempt into a quick backslide for a two count. Jericho went for the Lionsault, but Orton got his knees up, attempted the RKO, Jericho shoved him away and then finally connected with the Lionsault. They brawled to the outside and Orton threw Jericho on the Smackdown announce table right into JBL. Jericho shoved JBL away when he got off the table as the action spilled back into the ring. Orton countered a Codebreaker attempt by Jericho into a powerbomb in the corner. The finish saw Jericho get the Walls of Jericho applied. He pulled Orton to the center of the ring when JBL got in and kicked Jericho in the face causing the DQ finish. Orton retains his title. After the match, JBL yelled at Jericho and then Orton hit him with an RKO.

- Before the match, Jillian Hall came out and plugged her Christmas album on iTunes. She started to sing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" when Mickie James' music cut her off.

- Beth Phoenix defeated Mickie James to retain the WWE Women's Championship. Phoenix overpowered James early in the match. James tried to bulldog and send Phoenix into the ropes, but each were met by counters from Phoenix. Phoenix took out James later with a quick powerbomb that resulted in a two count. Phoenix gets taken down by James with a Lou Thesz Press. Mickie James clearly slipped out here. Hot pics at the link below. James took out Phoenix with another followed by a big dropkick. The finish then saw Phoenix catch James with a kick to the gut followed by her Fisherman's suplex to get the pinfall and retain her title.

- Tazz joins Michael Cole on commentary as JBL left after attacking Jericho.

- A preview video is shown for the main event.

- World Title Triple Threat Match: Batista (c) vs. Edge vs. Undertaker. This match is all over the place to start. All three men are going at it on the floor as there are no count outs or DQ's. Taker locked in the triangle choke on Batista. Edge rang the bell which broke the hold. Taker thought he had won but obviously he hadn't. Edge nailed Taker with spear for a new fall. This is a very good match thus far. A phony Edge enters the ring and takes a Chokeslam. The real Edge comes in from behind and nails Undertaker with 3 chairshots for the win.

The show ends with the real Edge holding the World title as the fake Edge's crawl away. New champ.

Original article source: http://www.24wrestling.com/index.php?id=news/12494

who won survivor micronesia

Representing on Reality TV: Survivor Finale

Survivor: China wrapped up tonight with a bang, including perhaps the meanest comment ever uttered on reality television and a rough welcome home for local competitor Denise Martin.

Every challenge counts at this stage, and all four Survivors need to try as hard as they can. Last Thursday, we became nervous about Denise because she wouldn't finish the chicken fetus in the Immunity Challenge, and it looked like she was losing energy. As for Courtney Yates, the Suffolk grad, she couldn't possibly have energy because her arms could have been used to pick food out from between host Jeff Probst's teeth.

The Reward Challenge involved building a bridge with planks and solving a puzzle to gain comfort food, like pizza and brownies. It didn't help that Jeff Probst kept taunting the Survivors with the words "pizza … beer … brownies … soft drinks." Amanda won the challenge and invited Meow Mix--whoops, Todd--to dine with her so they could talk strategy. Courtney and Denise returned to camp, chatting and laying about. Courtney seemed nice to Denise … to her face.

More recap after the jump, including what's happened to Denise after the show and why Courtney is the winner of the "biggest bitch in reality tv" award.

Then the Immunity Challenge came around, and the finalists had to balance a stack of plates on a stick. Denise really started to flag and tried to cut a deal with Amanda in the middle of the challenge. To Amanda's credit, she told Denise that she'd better keep trying, but Amanda still won.

Back at camp, Denise played her last card--the sympathy card. And she played it hard. She told Amanda, "I'm not gonna have much after this…. This is all I got." She adds, "I'm gonna go back to making seven dollars an hour working as the lunch lady, doing the same things day after day, like I've been doing." It was almost too much, but Denise could have played the sympathy card earlier.

While Denise and Amanda talk, Courtney and Todd are strategizing, and Courtney drops a bomb about why she doesn't want to lose to Denise: "Are you kidding me? This isn't, like, welfare. Like, she doesn't deserve it just 'cause, you know, she sucks at life. [pause] I'm the biggest bitch on the planet."

Note to Courtney: Yes, sweetheart. You are.

Courtney Yates may not be the biggest bitch on the planet, but she is the biggest bitch on reality television. Congratulations. That's an achievement. You know, Bostonist likes rooting for the locals--or those with local connections--and we'd like to root for her, but damn. For a little person, what a bitchy comment!

And Denise got voted out. The vote wasn't a surprise. Denise was flagging, but Courtney did not need to verbally kick the lunch lady who makes $7 an hour in the face.

The final three, Amanda, Todd, and Courtney, then get the unique pleasure of justifying why they should get the million and facing the rage of the jury. Courtney says she's "proud of herself": "You have to give a little credit to the little girl who everyone thought would be gone in the first six days and who is still here on Day 39."

The time with the jury got interesting when Jamie asked the players to air their dirty laundry. Amanda said that Courtney didn't deserve to be there because she was a whiner.

But it got even better when Denise faced down those who voted her out. She showed a surprising amount of spark when she told them, "I'm glad you all can look me in the eye. That's nice." She reams Amanda and Todd for being liars, and she reserves her nicest words for Courtney, saying she respects her. She even voted for Courtney. She'll wish she didn't do that when she hears what Courtney said about her. What a nasty, nasty way to find out what another person thinks of you.

Then it goes to the live show, with the players looking well-fed and glossy. Amanda was probably regretting lying to Denise because she was quickly taken out of it. Then it was announced that Todd won Survivor: China.

Denise got to talk at the reunion and was proudly sporting her mullet. Probst asked her why she didn't switch over to an alliance with Peih-Gee and Erik, and she said that she figured she'd be at the bottom anyway.

Probst talked about how Courtney might hold the record for one-liners, but she took it way too far when talking about Denise. We'll give her a pass on the joke about Denise's mullet and the USA hockey team, but "this isn't welfare" wasn't funny--it was mean.

Then it came up that her boss didn't give her lunch-lady job back. Her bosses said the kids would be "too distracted," and now she is working as a janitor at the school and doesn't get home until late. She said, "If anybody out there is looking for a lunch lady, give me a call." (Here's hoping she gets calls for much better jobs after tonight!)

One commenter on Television Without Pity immediately posted, "I smell baaaad publicity a-comin' for a certain Boston-area school district." They'd better brace themselves.

Probst then brought up the comment that Denise "sucked at life." Courtney said she regretted what she said, and Denise said there were no hard feelings. That's mighty nice of Denise, but an apology more than Courtney should have gotten. Then Probst brought up the hair, and Denise finally explained why she has the mullet. She said she had the mullet because she had to keep her hair short for working in the cafeteria: "I still want to be a woman. I still want to make my husband happy and make him think that I am a girl."

Good for Denise for a) forgiving Courtney and b) being so positive about her job situation. So, "certain Boston-area school district," it's time to rethink your decision. On the bright side, Survivor producer Mark Burnett said that he was going to give Denise $50,000. Sometimes things work out after all.

Original article source: http://bostonist.com/2007/12/16/representing_on_16.php

“Four out of five doctors recommend Anacin for headaches.”

Con-census: small sample may hide reality

If we don’t take into account the sample size, the confidence with which we can accept a claim can vary dramatically

Let’s say you are in-charge of running a call centre. You have two human resource (HR) managers, Vivek and Madhuri, who are independently responsible for recruiting customer service representatives for the call centre. You are well aware of the retention problem common tothe call centre industry, with a significant proportion of new recruits switching jobs within the first few months of joining a firm.

Over the past few years, your two HR managers have recruited several hundred employees. You are interested in finding out which of the two managers’ recruits stay longer with your company. You decide to look at the recruiting records for the first week of December of last year for both managers, and count the number of people who are still working with the company, one year later.

It just so happens that Vivek had recruited four employees in that week, three of whom were still with the company.On the other hand, Madhuri had been on a roll thatweek, and had recruited 24 people, of which only 14 were still with the company. It is evident from the two samplesthat both the recruiters had a better than 50% retention record, but which of the two samples provides a moreconvincing evidence that the retention rate is really more than 50%? Despite the fact that Vivek’s sample showed a 75% retention rate, Madhuri’s sample actually provides a statistically more convincing evidence of a better than 50% retention rate.

Why is a sample with a retention rate of 58% better evidence of recruiting success than that of 75%? The answer lies in the sample size differences.

In general, large sample sizes are less likely to deviate from the mean than smaller sample sizes. Thus, Madhuri’s sample is more likely to reflect the true retention rate for all her recruits. Vivek’s 75% retention could merely be a chance occurrence that may not reflect his true retention rate.

If we flip a coin four times, the likelihood of getting 75% heads (three of the four flips) is much greater than if we flip the same coin 100 times.

The fact that people judge the likelihood of an event based merely on the proportion of outcomes, while paying little attention to the sample size on which that proportion is based, has been labelled “sample size insensitivity bias” by researchers. The implication of this bias is very clear: We can easily be persuaded by advertising that doesn’t report on sample sizes.

Consider this hypothetical example: “Four out of five doctors recommend Anacin for headaches.” This claim can carry quite different meanings, depending on whether it was based on asking 10 doctors or 1,000. If we don’t take into account the sample size, the confidence with which we can accept a claim can vary dramatically.

For managerial decision-making, the sample size insensitivity bias can result in reliable and unreliable business information being treated equally. As the sample size goes down, the likelihood that observations are representative of the overall average also goes down.

You may feel that your secretary is not very punctualbecause on occasions, you have seen her walk into hercabin several minutes after the 9am deadline, whereasyour boss’ secretary is incredibly punctual because whenever you go to see your boss at 9am, she is always at her desk.

While it is possible that your boss’ secretary may actually be more punctual, you should also be aware of the fact that the two samples are not really comparable. You have a 9am meeting with your boss only once or twice a month, whereas you get to observe the time your secretary arrives every single day of the week. It is quite possible that you get to sample your boss’s secretary’s arrival time only on those days when she isn’t late.

You might have heard people complain about the person they dated being so different from the person they are now married to. It feels as if the person they married is not the one they dated.

This can partially be explained by the sample size bias. Dating provides a very small sample of a person’s true self.In those limited dating encounters, it is possible for an individual to project a persona that is quite different from their true self.

Marriage, on the other hand, isn’t sampling any more. It is the full census of a person’s true self! Obviously, the smaller the dating sample, the greater the chance of post-marriage behavioural deviations.

The moral of the story is simple. Don’t blindly take information that is presented to you and make significant decisions without asking some basic questions about the sample from which that information is drawn.

Realizing that information based on a few data points could present a distorted view of the reality, ask yourself whether a larger sample size is likely to present a different picture of the situation.

Praveen Aggarwal is an associate professor of marketing at the Labovitz School of Business & Economics at the University of Minnesota Duluth and Rajiv Vaidyanathan is a professor of marketing and director of MBA programmes at the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Original article source: http://www.livemint.com/2007/12/17004401/Concensus-small-sample-may-h.html

Amanda Kimmel, a 23-year-old hiking guide

Todd Herzog, a longtime fan of "Survivor," won the CBS reality show's $1 million prize after 39 days of lying and scheming.

"I wasn't the strongest. I wasn't the smartest," Herzog said during the finale. "But I was definitely the most strategic."

The 22-year-old flight attendant from Pleasant Grove, Utah, bested his "Survivor: China" allies Courtney Yates, a 26-year-old waitress from New York, and Amanda Kimmel, a 23-year-old hiking guide and former beauty queen from Los Angeles.

Herzog won the 15th edition of "Survivor" with four votes against Yates' two and Kimmel's one. He's the youngest winner in the show's history.

"I knew that the second that I got out there that, no matter what it took, I would do everything that I possibly could to be sitting right here," Herzog said after the votes were revealed.

That meant teaming up with Kimmel on the first day of the competition and aligning himself with both weaker and stronger players to deflect any attention away from himself.

"I can't believe it worked," he said.

None of the opposing Zhan Hu tribe members was able to penetrate Herzog's alliance with Kimmel, Yates and fourth-place finisher Denise Martin, a 40-year-old janitor from Douglas, Mass.

Earlier in the season, the quartet turned on fellow original Fei Long tribe members Jean-Robert Bellande and James Clement, who possessed but didn't use either of the game's two Hidden Immunity Idols. "Survivor" host Jeff Probst called that move the "biggest blunder in the history of this game."

Despite his misstep, gravedigger Clement was selected by viewers to win $100,000 from Sprint.

Herzog and Clement weren't the only players awarded money. Probst announced that "Survivor" executive producer Mark Burnett would give $50,000 to Martin, who said she lost her job as a lunch lady as a result of being on the show.

Probst also revealed that the upcoming Micronesia-set 16th edition of the show will pit "Survivor" fans against former "Survivor" contestants — including one from "Survivor: China."

Original article source: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gLoXx9VAXRzw9idUjNLAns1KWT8wD8TIVQ280

Alycia Lane arrested for hitting officer

Philadelphia news anchor Alycia Lane has reportedly been arrested after hitting a police officer. According to reports, Lane, her boyfriend Chris Booker, and another couple were riding in a cab behind a slow moving, unmarked police car. The police car stopped at a red light when a man in Lane’s cab yelled at the driver of the unmarked car.

“I don’t care if you’re a cop, drive faster!” the man said. Three officers got out of the car and began questioning the man when Lane got out of the cab and began taking pictures of the officers.

A female cop warned the KWY -TV anchor to back away while snapping the photos. According to sources, Lane responded by yelling “I don’t care that you’re a cop – dyke bitch!” and then punching the officer in the face.

Original article source: http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=30727&cat=14

Christmas Drop launches: C-130s deliver to Micronesi

When Chris Hayes and Adam Nance, both senior airmen, pushed the first crate of Operation Christmas Drop 2007 out of their C-130's cargo bay, the sound of rushing wind announced where it will land.

"Chuuuuuk!" it roared as the crate was sucked out the plane's rear door. And so it went.

For the islanders gathered 400 feet below on the small atoll of Oneop, a tiny speck of land in Chuuk state of the Federated States of Micronesia, the crate promised another year of medicine, tools, clothing and food.

For the airmen, the crate elicited a feeling of goodwill and a welcome change of pace.

"One of the main things I like about the Christmas Drop is, normally we train and we train all the time. When we get that done, we train some more," Nance said. "This is our chance to get away for a little fun and specifically accomplish something we know is a more-than-worthwhile cause."

Operation Christmas Drop is an annual Air Force event that parachutes donated supplies to isolated islands throughout Micronesia. This year three C-130 cargo planes manned by crews from Yokota Airbase in Japan will deliver 148 crates to 71 islands in five days -- the largest Christmas Drop in its 55-year history.

Because of the popularity of the mission, airmen from Yokota must fight for their role in the operation every year.

This year Nance hounded his squadron chief for a seat on his second Christmas Drop, since he knows a deployment to Texas in January will make it his last. Hayes has proven he has a knack for getting the assignment -- in his five years stationed at Yokota, he has flown in the Operation four times; the other year was spent in Iraq.

"Half of the reason I do this is to get away and do something different," Hayes said. "But the other half, ... well, when you are coming up to shore and you see all these islanders waiting for you and waving, it does feel pretty good."

Nance said last year one islander spelled out "Merry Christmas" in stones to thank the flight crews. Another man on an isolated island, who had maybe never even met an American, waited for the planes on the beach, holding an American flag.

After seeing that, Nance was hooked.

Original article source: http://www.guampdn.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071216/NEWS01/712160309/1002

Survivor China Winner Is Todd Herzog

On the Survivor China season finale, Courtney, Amanda, Denise, and Todd celebrated making the final four. For the final reward challenge, the remaining four competed in an obstacle course and puzzle challenge that included Survivor’s version of the Great Wall of China. Amanda won the reward challenge and received a prize of pizza, beer, soft drinks, and brownies.

Jeff Probst gave Amanda the option of keeping the reward entirely for herself or inviting one or two of the other castaways to join her. Amanda invited Todd to share the reward with her. Over pizza, Amanda told Todd that she didn’t trust him, but Todd reassured her.

After setting off fireworks in memory of each of the previously eliminated castaways, the final four took part in the final immunity challenge. Courtney, Amanda, Denise, and Todd had to balance porcelain dishes on the end of a balance arm. Todd was the first one out, followed by Courtney. The challenge came down to Amanda and Denise, and Amanda kept her plates balanced the longest and ultimately won the final immunity challenge.

At the final four tribal council, school lunch lady Denise Martin was voted off. Denise said “I definitely believe that I would have won this entire thing if I would have stayed in the game. I’m just proud of what I’ve accomplished. I think I did a great job. I never gave up, and to make it thirty-eight days out here is spectacular thing for a forty year old woman.

At the final three tribal council, Amanda, Courtney, and Todd pleaded their cases to the Survivor jury. Amanda apologized to anyone whose feelings she had hurt, Todd thanked the jury for helping him in the game, and Courtney asked the jury to give her credit for making it to the end.

During the jury questioning, James wasn’t bitter and asked Courtney to tell him something good about the game of Survivor. Jean-Robert confronted Amanda over breaking her word and helping to vote him off and confronted Todd over blindsiding him. Peih-Gee called Amanda out for always being apologetic. Frosti told Courtney that she surprised him when she lied and backstabbed him. Jaime asked the final three to explain why they shouldn’t vote for the others for the million dollars. Denise called Amanda out for lying and Todd out for being deceptive, but told Courtney that she respected her.

At the live Hollywood part of the finale, Jeff Probst read the final votes. Probst revealed that Amanda received one vote, Courtney received two votes, and Todd received three votes. Flight attendant Todd Herzog was announced as the winner of Survivor China.

Original article source: http://www.realitytvmagazine.com/blog/2007/12/16/survivor-china-winner-is-todd-herzog/

Dan Fogelberg, Lyric Rocker, Dies at 56

Dan Fogelberg, the singer and songwriter whose hits “Leader of the Band” and “Same Old Lang Syne” helped define the soft-rock era, died Sunday at his home in Maine after battling prostate cancer. He was 56.

His death was announced Sunday in a statement released by his family through the firm Scoop Marketing and also posted on his Web site.

Mr. Fogelberg learned he had advanced prostate cancer in 2004. In a statement then, he thanked fans for their support. “It is truly overwhelming and humbling to realize how many lives my music has touched so deeply all these years,” he wrote. “I thank you from the very depths of my heart.”

Mr. Fogelberg’s music was powerful in its simplicity. He did not rely on the volume of his voice to convey his emotions; instead, they came through in his soft, tender delivery and his poignant lyrics. Songs like “Same Old Lang Syne,” in which a man reminisces after meeting an old girlfriend by chance during the holidays, became classics not only for his performance, but also for their engaging story lines.

Mr. Fogelberg’s heyday was in the 1970s and early ’80s, when he scored several platinum and multiplatinum records fueled by such hits as “The Power of Gold” and “Leader of the Band,” a touching tribute he wrote to his father, a bandleader. Mr. Fogelberg put out his first album in 1972.

Mr. Fogelberg’s songs tended to have a weighty tone, reflecting on emotional issues in a serious way. But in an interview with The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in 1997, he said it did not represent his personality.

“That came from my singles in the early ’80s,” he said. “I think it probably really started on the radio. I’m not a dour person in the least. I’m actually kind of a happy person. Music doesn’t really reflect the whole person.

“One of my dearest friends is Jimmy Buffett. From his music, people have this perception that he’s up all the time, and, of course, he’s not. Jimmy has a serious side, too.”

Later in his career, he would write material that focused on the state of the environment, an issue close to his heart.

Mr. Fogelberg’s last album was 2003’s “Full Circle,” his first album of original material in a decade. A year later his cancer was diagnosed, forcing him to forgo a planned tour.

Survivors include his wife, Jean.

Original article source: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/17/arts/music/17fogelberg.html?ref=us

nicole boyd wanted for major heist

Mysteries Linger Over Heist Suspects

By JOE MILICIA –

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (AP) — By age 24, she had been married, given birth to a son, gotten a divorce, filed for bankruptcy and tried to make extra cash as a model. By age 22, he had played plenty of the computer game Halo, and found a job at an armored car company.

As a couple, they lived a quiet life in the upstairs of an 80-year-old brick house with giant, gnarled sycamores in the front yard.

They also loved to play Dungeons & Dragons, and now they're accused of a plot as far outside the realm of their ordinary lives as that fantasy role-playing game.

Federal prosecutors say Nicole Boyd, boyfriend Roger Lee Dillon, and his mom, Sharon Lee Gregory — none of whom had a criminal record — stole $7.4 million in cash and checks from Armored Transportation Systems in nearby Liberty where he had worked as a driver for about nine months.

On the night of Nov. 26, when the company had cash from the busy post-Thanksgiving holiday shopping weekend in the region's stores, someone entered the building using another employee's security code — then rearmed the system 24 minutes later.

Five days later, Boyd, Dillon and Gregory were arrested at a mobile home about 250 miles away in Pipestem, W.Va.

The suspects had left a puzzling trail.

Before leaving with their cat and dog, Boyd and Dillon stopped to put the next month's rent in their landlord's mailbox, much to her surprise.

"If I was going to steal $7 million, that would not be one of my concerns," said Cookie Bowman, who lives on the house's lower floor.

She didn't read her mail until three days after the robbery. Tucked between the bills and junk mail was a plastic bag containing cash and a one-word note that read: "SORRY."

Bowman doesn't know what the apology was for. They were perfect tenants, paying the rent on time, not playing loud music or throwing parties, and Dillon would even haul her trash cans back from the curb.

"I'm still in a little disbelief," she said.

The caper became the talk of the Rust Belt region where jobs are scarce and drive-thru lottery shacks are patronized by people dreaming of easy millions.

Many in the region have mocked the suspects for allegedly leaving behind clues in Boyd's purple pickup truck.

Authorities found receipts from Beckley, W.Va., where a retailer directed the FBI to Pipestem, a nearby town of 633 next to a state park amid rolling mountain vistas. The federal indictment says Boyd and Dillon had gone to West Virginia in October to look for a place to hide out.

Records show that Boyd struggled through her young adulthood.

She married at age 19, lost custody of her son in the divorce and was ordered to pay $102 a month in child support.

A year before the robbery, the couple had filed for bankruptcy, owing $67,000 to banks and credit card companies, plus $580 to LeModeln Inc., a model and talent agency in nearby Boardman.

Boyd paid LeModeln $290 for the first year of a three-year contract but didn't have enough money for a photo portfolio. LeModeln president Linda Weaver had high hopes for the redhead and didn't charge her for the photos, showing a smiling young woman with neatly applied makeup and flowing shoulder-length hair.

"She was like an All-American girl. She was beautiful," Weaver said. "She had a great personality."

Boyd wanted to do fashion shows and model for print ads, Weaver recalls. She got her a one-day job at a fashion show in late 2004 at a local mall that paid $72.48. But Boyd didn't pay the last two years of her contract.

Boyd attended Kent State University this fall but dropped out Oct. 18, according to the university.

She told co-workers at Rondinelli Tuxedo Co., where she was a seamstress for six months, that she was going to study fashion design and Dillon was going to pay her tuition, plant manager Ron Felleti said.

Felleti said she was a good worker and friendly but a bit strange.

"The only thing I remember her telling me is she was a witch. I said, 'A good witch or a bad witch?' She said, 'Oh, I'm a good witch.'"

Dillon listed Wiccan as his religion on his MySpace page. "He would call her about 35 times a day to see if she was still here — a little possessive," Felleti said. "I had to yell at her."

Gregory, 48, who went by Lee, worked at Rondinelli Tuxedo for about a month. Felleti recalls her as hyperactive and a heavy smoker. She lived in the same house with the couple, in a separate unit upstairs.

The three remain in a West Virginia jail on charges of conspiracy to steal money from a bank; conspiracy to transport stolen property across state lines; and transporting and aiding and abetting in that transportation from Ohio to West Virginia.

Boyd's court-appointed attorney, Kimberly Mann of Daniels, W.Va., declined to comment on the case, saying she will represent Boyd only until she's returned to Ohio. Attorneys for Gregory and Dillon did not return calls seeking comment.

Boyd expressed her love for Dillon by posting a cartoon on his MySpace page Nov. 21. It shows a little blue creature with guts spilling out of its chest, its heart lying on the floor. The cartoon bubble reads: "Oh, look, it's beating for you."

Dillon seemed equally smitten. A message on his MySpace page read:

"True happiness is going for it, to hell with what society says. I am always striving now, though in secret and only one person knows; but she'll keep our secret. I am in love, I have always been. I wake up every morning with a smile, till I realize that I have to go to work. I am not you, I could never be. I am not for this world, this world is for me."

Original article source: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hvyDUsxL153A0L90p-Rms_W9RqbAD8TIMQN80

Jessica Simpson dating Tony Romo

Blonde bombshell brought Dallas Cowboy home for Thanksgiving feast

	UNIVERSAL CITY, CA - AUGUST 20: Singer/actress Jessica Simpson arrives at the 8th Annual Teen Choice Awards at the Gibson Amphitheatre on August 20, 2006 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) 10:46 a.m. ET, 8/17/07
Frazer Harrison / Getty Images

DALLAS - Of all the things Jessica Simpson is thankful for, it appears a new boyfriend is at the top of the list.

The blonde bombshell is dating NFL star Tony Romo, a source close to Simpson confirmed to Access Hollywood.

In fact, Simpson even brought the Dallas Cowboys QB home to meet the family for Thanksgiving, albeit a day late, the source added.

Because Romo’s team was taking on the New York Jets on Thanksgiving Day, Simpson’s family was reportedly more than happy to postpone their holiday feast until the following day, when Romo, Jessica and the rest of the Simpson clan got together at her grandparents’ home in Waco, Texas.

Simpson is just the latest starlet who has been romantically linked to the football star. Following his break-up from country cutie Carrie Underwood, Romo has reportedly been seen getting cozy with the likes of Britney Spears, Brit’s pal Alli Sims and “One Tree Hill” siren Sophia Bush.

Coincidentally, before dating Underwood earlier this year, back in November 2006, Jessica was the first celebrity Tony was linked to when he first burst onto the NFL scene.

Original article source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21981030/

stillwater band

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Original article source: http://ledisinewz.blogspot.com/2007/12/stillwater-band.html

4chan status - Why is the site down?

Why is the site down?
4chan.org is currently down due to being hit by two distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, in the 2-3gbit/sec range. The site will return once these attacks stop.

Who is attacking it?
We've received mixed reports. Some of the people who are believed to be responsible include: Lulznet, 7chan, and "Kakama5". We don't have a definitive answer at this time.

What can be done about it?
Nothing, apart from waiting. We don't have the capability to filter over two gigabits of traffic per second, nor do we have a pipe large enough to accomodate it.

What is the current ETA?
Your guess is as good as mine—I wish I had a real answer for this! Unfortunately, it's all up to the person(s) perpetrating the attack.

What happens if it doesn't stop?
We have some contingencies in place, but they'll take a fair amount of time and money to implement. Right now we're just hoping the parties involved will cease their attack and move on to more worthwhile endeavors.

What can we do to help?
Just hang tight and check back on this page periodically for updates. Spread the word: let your friends and other sites know about the existence of this blog and what the current situation is.

This news is very refreshing to hear. Without 4chan I will not get my daily life. I hope 4chan will be helped. I think 4chan needs some professionals working in their corner as far as network security and controls go. the chans as of late have been under DDoS attacks or shut down. There is such as karma, and the chans that decide to DDoS other chans will eventually get figured out and then wiped off the face of the internet.
Recent Update from moot:
"Well that was fast. Not long after putting this blog up we've received word that the attacks will no longer continue. Here's to hoping that statement holds true!

We're aiming to have things back up and running within the next few hours." (posted at 10:45)

Original article source: http://mmachampion.blogspot.com/2007/10/4chan-status.html

Bam Margera's Wife is Naked

I didn't watch Bam's Unholy Union since Bam is only fun to watch on Jackass. I mean, this show might have been good, but I wouldn't know because I can't run the risk of watching things I can only assume will suck. What if I die and the last half hour of my life was wasted waiting for something entertaining to happen on Bam's Unholy Union, then it never does and somebody finds me dead with the closing credits rolling. I mean, my loved ones could potentially sue Bam's Unholy Union for causing my death, but there's no fun in that for me. I'm dead. What do I get? An autographed picture of Bam in my casket? No thanks. If it's not an autographed picture of Pat Sajak or Gene Rayburn, it wasn't worth dying for.

So, anyway, this naked girl is Bam's new wife, Missy, and I have no idea whether these (NSFW) pictures are from Playboy, Hustler or Fug Weekly, but it's a slow news day, so here you go.

Original article source: http://www.idontlikeyouinthatway.com/2007/03/bam-margeras-wife-is-naked.html

Edwin Valero And The Albatross

edwin valero14.12.07 - By Matthew Hurley: Edwin Valero has become something of a YouTube fascination to many American boxing fans. The power-punching World Boxing Association super featherweight champion has registered a professional record of 22-0 with 22 KOs – 19 of those coming in the first round. He helped prepare Erik Morales for his first bout with Manny Pacquiao and then worked as a sparring partner for Marco Antonio Barrera when the ‘Baby Faced Assassin’ closed out his career against the ‘Pac Man’. In fact, after losing to Pacquiao he was asked who could beat the Filipino icon and he answered without hesitation “Valero!”

The southpaw from Venezuela has since relocated to Japan and has continued to ply his craft outside the United States where potential big money bouts against the likes of Pacquiao lie. This career altering circumstance actually began a year and a half before the fighter turned professional. Valero suffered a severe head injury in a motorcycle accident, recovered and began a twelve bout string of first round knockouts – 3 of which occurred in the United States. Before his thirteenth bout a routine MRI revealed a ‘black spot’ on his brain. The fallout was immediate. The New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) put Valero on immediate suspension which basically banned him from being licensed to fight anywhere in the US.

An undeterred Valero packed up his belongings and moved his family to Japan where he signed a contract with Akihiko Honda’s Teiken Promotions. He turned his ferocity, and obvious frustration, on his opponents, eventually winning the title by an exciting 10th round TKO over Vincete Mosqueva. This Saturday the diminutive banger with the long hair, odd glasses and odder still taste in clothes defends his title against Zaid Zavaleta, 16-2-2 with 11 KOs at the Plaza de Toros in Cancun, Mexico. The bout is being telecast on DirecTV, Dish Network and In Demand pay-per-view at the suggested price of $29.95.

But as Valero’s career continues the very real concern that his prospects for a big fight against the likes of Pacquiao or Juan Manuel Marquez hangs in the balance as long as his suspension remains intact. That albatross could also wreak havoc on his psyche and his maturation as a fighter. Already, just 22 bouts into his career, there are hints coming out of his training camps that he is no longer willing to accept criticisms or carry on learning the finer points of the game in terms of defense and footwork. Because he continues to knockout opponents with, for the most part, relative ease, Valero is becoming a wild swinging fighter. His opposition has also begun to stagnate. There is a very real possibility that all the potential that resides in his small but powerful frame will be wasted.

Valero continues to pass all subsequent pre and post fight medical exams but the NYSAC suspension remains, so far, his greatest obstacle. The fighter, who admits to frustration over his situation, recently wondered aloud why he seems to be frozen out by a suspension that was handed down years ago when other fighters such as Joe Mesi and Evander Holyfield, both suspended by the NYSAC have found venues in the United States to fight.

“We are hoping that (the) problem gets resolved soon,” he told Fightnews.com. “I am able to fight everywhere else, why not in the US? I have passed the tests in every country I have fought. I am sure I would pass them in the US.”

If the suspension holds up there is a real possibility that Valero will return to the United States, most likely the Southern California area to live and train. He could then fight in Mexico. The idea of continuing to live and fight in Japan is one that he has admitted to being a “difficult” option and one he would rather not continue in the long run.

But as time goes on and his career continues to be haunted by the suspension, the fighter’s skills are beginning to falter just a bit. Where at one time he was a patient stalker who set up his power shots behind his jab, he has now become a head hunter who leaves himself open to counter punches. As the skill set of his opposition has leveled off there is the very real possibility that should he finally get licensed in the US and face off against a supremely talented fighter his punch won’t be able to make up for his regression as a fighter.

But all of that remains to be seen. He is still only 26 years old and is at or near his physical peak as an athlete. And with a bout on pay-per-view more people will get a chance to see him and boxing fans love a powerful slugger who can end a bout with just one punch. If you haven’t seen him fight yet and don’t plan on buying the pay-per-view there’s always YouTube.

Original article source: http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=13691&more=1

the legend of billie jean

THE night before I meet Christian Slater, I am lazily channel-surfing and, a little spookily, on comes True Romance, the 1993 Tarantino-scripted love story and gangster movie that cemented the actor's stardom.

There is much to enjoy in the film: Brad Pitt as a stoner, Gary Oldman as a scary white pimp who thinks he is black, and Quentin Tarantino's dialogue at its best, never better than in a scene between Christopher Walken and Dennis Hopper.

But it is the performance delivered by Slater - a comic-store geek whose love for Patricia Arquette makes him capable of insane heroism - that sticks in the mind.

And guess what? As he tucks into his burger in London, Slater reveals that he, too, was channel-surfing in the flat where he is staying during his run in the excellent stage adaptation of Swimming with Sharks. And he, too, ended up watching True Romance.

"I was doing nothing but watching TV yesterday," he says. "So I'm sitting there and I was watching a couple of the scenes - the Christopher Walken scene - and I thought: God, brilliant. It's so weird, all the things that watching a movie like that bring up for me."

Fourteen years after True Romance, Slater is an established favourite in the West End, initially because of his two runs as Randle P. McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and now as the brutally ambitious Hollywood producer Buddy Ackerman in Swimming with Sharks. The play, expertly adapted and updated from the 1994 film by theatrical wunderkind Michael Lesslie, is not to be missed.

The part of Buddy was played by Kevin Spacey in the original movie, but Slater's take on the studio executive who becomes Mephistopheles to his young apprentice, Guy (Matt Smith), is more subtle and seductive. While we are never in any doubt of Buddy's villainy, we also see his appeal and his dark honesty about human motivation.

"It's not like I'm the only shark in it. Everybody in the play has an agenda. We are all maybe different kinds of sharks: I think Cyrus (the studio boss) is the great white, you know, and I may be the tiger shark and I think when Guy shows up it is like a new shark ... I think every actor brings whatever it is that they have within themselves.

"No matter what character it is that I'm playing, I have to find something I enjoy about him. And yes, with Buddy, I think he is a hilarious character. It is an opportunity to play somebody who learns nothing. I mean, he is completely true to himself."

His preparation for the part was fortuitously perfect, too. "When I read the script, I had just come back from Fiji where I had actually swum with some sharks, which was cool. I remembered the movie slightly and I thought, wow, and I was really into it, I thought it was rich, and fun, and just right."

It must be said that Slater is one of the most instantly likable people I have interviewed: disarmingly open and genuinely pleased that people enjoy his work. He is also living proof that F. Scott Fitzgerald was wrong to say that "there are no second acts in American lives".

Born in New York in 1969, the son of a casting executive and an actor, he made his Broadway debut opposite Dick Van Dyke in 1980 and landed his first big screen role five years later in The Legend of Billie Jean. But it was his performance as Sean Connery's young Franciscan novice, Adso, in The Name of the Rose ("Every day I would have to shave the top of my head") that propelled him towards Hollywood stardom. "I was like 15 - 15 or 16, something like that - and that was particularly crazy. I was a kid growing up in Manhattan, going to a regular school, about as uncultured as you could possibly be. I just wanted to go to movies, and go to arcades and goof around, hang out with chicks and do my thing. I mean, it was insane, working with these actors and going to Germany and staying in this lovely hotel on the Rhine. It was about as culturally shocking an experience as you possibly could get." There were, he says, absolutely no guard-rails thereafter. As a hot property, he was offered - and took - everything: booze, drugs, women. The Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel became his office. His dark features and intense acting style made it all but inevitable that he would be labelled "the second Jack Nicholson".

In time, it all went badly wrong. "You end up getting a lot more voices in your head than you need to have," he recalls. The partying became self-destructive. In 1997, he was charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon and one count of battery, and spent more than 50 days behind bars. His marriage to Ryan Haddon, with whom he has two children, finally ended in divorce in 2006.

But he is two years sober now, physically fit and (it seems to me) more creatively ambitious than ever.

"To survive is really phenomenal, and not a lot do it. Amen! I had fun, great times. But I did come to a point where I thought: 'Why am I doing this? What am I? I've been getting away with murder for a long time, I don't know what I'm doing."'

All the disasters made him reappraise everything, made him want to be a really good technician as well as a big star. He went to acting classes. Taking to the West End stage and stretching himself - back to the basics of his craft - was evidently part of this reinvention. And his initial choice of role was no accident. "I think coming over and doing (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) the first time, it was the first time in probably six years that I had made a decision completely and solely and utterly for myself because it wasn't about financial gain or putting my kids through school, or anything like that.

"I really wanted to take the Jack Nicholson thing by the horns and do something that he had done such a brilliant job with, and face that, and do it." The performance was a triumph and earned Slater a new kind of respect. No surprise, then, that he is so happy when in London and has even taken to calling everyone "mate". "I love it. I love the scenery, I love the architecture, I love the history of the place, the culture of it, the people. I just find it all very jelling, it just works. The place I stay here (in Westminster), it's wonderful. I think coming to London really marks a time in my life when I made a decision for myself."

The fruits of this hard graft have been more challenging roles: in the underrated ensemble movie Bobby with Sharon Stone, about the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, and in the forthcoming Slipstream, an experimental film written and directed by Anthony Hopkins.

"He and I met on the set of Bobby, so yes, I went into his trailer one day and he and I were just talking. He couldn't be a nicer guy, he is really a good man, and after we'd finished that project he called me about 90 days later and told me he had written a script and he had shown it to (Steven) Spielberg. Spielberg thought it was good and so he was going to make this movie. I was thrilled. I played my part at full velocity. It was like: wow, Anthony Hopkins wrote this and I want to honour this as much as possible."

In his latest film, Frank Cappello's He Was a Quiet Man, Slater ditches his matinee idol image completely to play a bespectacled office drone plotting to kill his co-workers. "It gave me an opportunity do things physically I'd never really done before. The hair and the teeth and glasses. I guess there's not much of the Christian Slater that I've been before."

Along the way, he has found happiness with Tamara Mellon, co-founder of designer shoe label Jimmy Choo. His amiability is real, but you can detect a new steeliness about what he does: a determination, having diced with oblivion, to make the most of his gifts and transcend the stardom of youth to become one of the great actors of his generation. I think he is well on the way.

Original article source: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22926087-16947,00.html

helen slater - Departed today

People

Country singer Chris Cagle, 39, was cited for misdemeanor assault after allegedly punching a fan's boyfriend in the face. The singer had finished performing a benefit show at a Tucson, Ariz., nightclub early Thursday when he declined to sign an autograph for the woman, police spokesman Sgt. Mark Robinson said. The woman became belligerent and, and "called him every name in the book," Robinson said Friday. When the bouncers were escorting the woman and her beau out of the club, another incident occurred, which Robinson declined to describe. At that point, the boyfriend was bopped, Robinson said.

Lott is itchin' to write

Departing Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss., has decided to write a congressional version of "Profiles in Courage," the 1950s book that won then-Sen. John Kennedy, D-Mass., a Pulitzer Prize. Instead of the Kennedyesque profiles of courageous Americans, Lott is writing 20 chapters on lawmakers who took courageous stands.

Update

Case is flushed

A Scranton, Pa., woman who was cited for loudly cursing at her overflowing toilet — and then at a neighbor who told her to quiet down — has been acquitted on First Amendment grounds. District Judge Terrence Gallagher dismissed the disorderly conduct charge against Dawn Herb, 33, ruling Thursday that she was within her rights when she let loose a string of profanities Oct. 11. Herb was cited after Patrick Gilman, a police officer who lives near Herb, called authorities to complain.

That'll cost you

Parking boo-boo

At least 26 Norwegian motorists were charged between $37,000 and $148,000 when they used their bank debit cards to pay for street parking in the central Norwegian city of Trondheim last week. Because of a computer glitch, the machine dispensing parking permits multiplied the amount of time they bought by 10,000, and automatically deducted it from their bank accounts, the city-owned parking company said Friday.

Art notes

Hirst donates 4 works

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British artist Damien Hirst donated four of his works to the Tate collection, including a replica of his prize-winning installation of bisected cows in formaldehyde, the museum said Friday. A Hirst piece set a record in June for the highest price paid at auction for a work by a living artist, selling for $19.1 million.

Passages

Floyd Red Crow Westerman, 71, an American Indian activist, actor and folk singer who appeared in "Dances With Wolves" and performed with Willie Nelson and other musicians, died Thursday at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles of complications from leukemia.

Laura Archera Huxley, 96, a lay therapist and author who was the widow of "Brave New World" author Aldous Huxley, died Thursday at her Hollywood Hills, Calif., home of cancer.

Today in History

1890: Sioux Indian Chief Sitting Bull and 11 other tribe members were killed in Grand River, S.D., during a confrontation with Indian police.

1944: A single-engine plane carrying bandleader Glenn Miller, who was a major in the Army Air Forces, disappeared over the English Channel while en route to Paris.

1961: Ex-Nazi official Adolf Eichmann was sentenced to death by an Israeli court.

Today's Birthdays

Actor-comedian Tim Conway, 74. Actor Don Johnson, 58. Director Julie Taymor, 55. Director Reginald Hudlin, 46. Actress Helen Slater, 44. Actor Adam Brody, 28. Actor George O. Gore II, 26

Original article source: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/2004074535_eye15.html

chordoma - Fundraiser helps wrestler with medical bills

Fundraiser helps wrestler with medical bills

A fundraiser for a Mount St. Joseph wrestler who is battling a chordoma brain tumor will be this Friday, Dec. 7.

Wrestling for Rob Murvine, the title of the fundraiser, will be 8 p.m. to midnight at Delhi Senior Center, 647 Neeb Road.

There will be entertainment by Richie and the Students, and food, drinks and a raffle

Tickets available for $20 each from any family member or by calling 859-441-4499

Donations are also accepted at any Fifth Third Bank.

Murvine just turned 20. a graduate of Oak Hills High School and is currently a sophomore and a wrestler at Mt. St. Joseph. His father died when he was 2, according to his aunt, Barbara Hamblen.

Due to his illness and treatment, he had to drop out of college and there's a chance his medical insurance may be dropped if he's not a full-time student.

On Sept. 11, Murvine was diagnosed with a very rare brain tumor (chordoma) and underwent a 14-hour surgery Oct. 9 when most of the tumor was removed.

"Because of his otherwise healthy physical condition, he came through the surgery very well, and has surprised most of his doctors with his speedy recovery," Hamblen said. "However, this particular tumor generally returns and so he is about to begin a long road of radiation followed by chemotherapy. Rob is a very positive and optimistic person and we have a lot of faith that he will be cured and blessed with a complete recovery"

Original article source: http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/NEWS01/711300407/1067/RSS1103

Andy Williams ' star still shines

Singer Andy Williams, a man who has started almost as many traditions as he embodies, performed a traditional Christmas concert Friday for the first of two sold-out shows at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert.

It was an old-fashioned variety show with quick-change artists Pasha & Aliona, the singing Warnock Family and the Williams Brothers tap dancers - who, as they noted, weren't really Andy's brothers.

Williams, who turned 80 on Dec. 3, is a longtime winter resident of La Quinta and a former honorary mayor of the city.

So the theater was filled with many local friends, including entertainer Peter Marshall of Palm Desert.

But others came from all over the nation, as personal notes Williams read on stage indicated. Notes included quips such as: "Is that your real hair?"

Other celebrities on the guest list included Grammy Award-winning singers Jack Jones and Keely Smith, and longtime Grammy show producer Pierre Cossette.

Williams was the host of the Grammy Awards in the 1960s and the first host of a televised Grammy show.

Smith, scheduled to attend Williams' Sunday show, said the secret to Williams' appeal is that he's so approachable.

"He's a very nice person and he gives off that aura from the stage," she said. "You always call him Andy, you never call him Mr. Williams. He's just like a down-home country boy."

Williams didn't come out in his traditional Christmas sweater, making an entrance in an oversized yellow shirt.

But he started with his traditional "Most Wonderful Time of the Year" and quickly indicated he hasn't lost any of his dulcet vocal tones.

Williams has recorded eight Christmas albums and he did a Christmas show during each of the 10 seasons his highly rated variety show was on television in the 1960s.

His Christmas concerts became a holiday tradition at the McCallum in the first years of the theater and he transferred that tradition to his Andy Williams Moon River Theatre in Branson, Mo. He performed his last Christmas show there Wednesday.

Williams sang such holiday classics as "Jingle Bells" and "Silent Night.

But he mixed in pop classics such as "Call Me Irresponsible" and, of course, "Moon River."

Original article source: http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071215/LIFESTYLES0101/712150316/-1/newsfront

David Freese Gets a Homecoming

It will be a homecoming for new St. Louis Cardinals third baseman David Freese as he graduated from Lafayette High School in suburban St. Louis. Freese was a ninth round selection during the 2006 draft by the San Diego Padres out of the University of South Alabama.

Scouts love his above-average power, bat speed, and strike zone judgment. Coming out of college, scouts were mixed on his ability to stay at third base but with a superb work ethic, he has proven his ability to play the position.

In 2007, Freese played at high Class A Lake Elsinore hitting .302/.400/.489 with 17 home runs and 96 RBIs. Great numbers, but Freese was a 24-year-old in the hitter-friendly California League. The 6-foot-2 Freese was named a California League Mid-Season and Post-Season All-Star.

In his professional debut in 2006, Freese hit .317/.395/.465 in 262 at bats over two levels.

In his final year at South Alabama, the fifth-year senior hit .414/.503/.661 with 12 home runs and 73 RBIs. The Jaguars made it into the NCAA playoffs and Freese was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year.

Freese seemed to be the odd man out with major leaguer Kevin Kouzmanoff and blue chip prospect Chase Headley blocking him in the Padres’ system.

Original article source: http://padres.scout.com/a.z?s=315&p=2&c=711557

Padres to acquire jim Edmonds from Cardinals

By BERNIE WILSON AP Sports Writer

Article Launched: 12/14/2007 09:59:25 PM PST

SAN DIEGO—Hours after talks broke off with Mike Cameron, the San Diego Padres agreed in principle Friday to acquire center fielder Jim Edmonds and cash from the St. Louis Cardinals for a minor leaguer.

The deal was waiting approval from the commissioner's office because it will involve around $1 million going from the Cardinals to the Padres, according to a source with knowledge of the deal, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been finalized.

The Cardinals will get minor league third baseman David Freese.

Edmonds, 37, will return to Southern California, where he grew up and was drafted by the Angels in 1988. He played for the Angels from late in the 1993 season until being traded to St. Louis just before the 2000 season.

Edmonds was slowed by injuries last season but the eight-time Gold Glove winner recently pronounced himself fit.

The trade comes after the Padres were spurned by three outfielders in less than a week.

Cameron's agent broke off negotiations for a deal to bring back the center fielder on Friday. Left fielder Milton Bradley on Sunday accepted a one-year deal from the Texas Rangers worth approximately $5 million. The Padres had offered $4 million to bring back Bradley.

Plus, the Padres lost out in the bidding for Japanese outfielder Kosuke Fukudome, who signed with the Chicago Cubs.

Padres right fielder Brian Giles is coming off microfracture surgery on his right knee. The Padres have expressed interest in signing free agent Geoff Jenkins.

Edmonds' Cardinals beat the Padres in the opening round of the playoffs in both 2005 and 2006.

After the Cardinals won the 2006 World Series, the four-time All-Star had operations on his right shoulder and left toe. He batted just .222 in April.

"I wasn't even close to healthy," he said last month.

Edmonds wound up batting .252 with 12 homers and 53 RBIs—his lowest totals since 1999 with the Angels. But heading into the final season of a $19 million, two-year contract, he expects much better production from himself next season.

"Everything is gone now and I'm feeling really good," he said. "I'm feeling the best I've felt in five or six years. I'm already working out and already running and doing some things that I need to do."

Original article source: http://www.mercurynews.com/sabercats/ci_7727880?nclick_check=1

Thirteen Days of War Resistance at the Port of Olympia

The US military will have to think twice before it ever again tries to use Olympia, WA as a launching point for war.

For 13 unforgettable days in November, people in this small community engaged in a courageous and spirited campaign of resistance to the war in Iraq. Sixty-six arrests were made and untold numbers were assaulted by police during a campaign which made national and international news. Day after day, and night after night, people put their lives on hold and their bodies on the line to prevent movement of military equipment from the Port of Olympia to nearby Fort Lewis.

The campaign was organized primarily by the Olympia Port Militarization Resistance (OlyPMR), a coalition of peace groups, students, and individual community members. As well, there were student groups such as Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and non-affiliated folks, all of whom have worked together in recent years to oppose shipments of war materials through the ports of Olympia, Tacoma and Grays Harbor.

Early in November activists learned that the USNS Brittin would arrive on Nov. 5, bringing Stryker combat vehicles and other equipment back from Iraq through the Port of Olympia to Fort Lewis. The equipment belongs to the 3rd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, whose roughly 3,600 soldiers returned home in October from a 15-month deployment to Iraq ­ except for the 48 who died from injuries sustained in Iraq.

OlyPMR was founded in May of 2006 when activists attempted to block outgoing equipment in advance of the deployment of that same 3rd Stryker Brigade. Activists then united under the banner of Port Militarization Resistance, declaring a common mission to "end our community's participation in the illegal occupation of Iraq by stopping US military use of the Port of Olympia."

Thirty-seven arrests were made for acts of nonviolent civil disobedience during that campaign, which was preceded by two years of marches, vigils, forums and petitioning of public officials through multiple avenues to protest the use of Olympia's port for war-related shipments.

Just as in May of 2006, when activists blocked shipments directly supplying the war in Iraq, they resolved in November to block the same equipment now returning to Fort Lewis only to be refitted and redeployed to the war.

On Nov. 6, the group released a statement saying, "We oppose Olympia's complicity in a war whose disastrous effects have been felt worldwide and we will actively resist the use of Olympia's port to further that war. Through nonviolent actions we intend to stop the Port of Olympia from becoming a revolving door of military machinery furthering illegal war."

In another press release later that day, OlyPMR reaffirmed its commitment to a nonviolence statement written in February of 2007, including a pledge to refrain from physical assaults, verbal harassment and malicious sabotage.

Original article source: http://www.counterpunch.org/mayes12132007.html

With Knol, Google takes whack at Wikipedia

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - Google Inc. has started a Web site that will compete with online encyclopedia Wikipedia, where users contribute and edit entries.

The site is called Knol, which stands for a unit of knowledge, Google said Thursday on its blog. The company invited a selected group of users to start testing the site this week.

Wikipedia was created in 2001 and has grown to become the eighth most-visited U.S. Web site, according to data for October from ComScore Inc.

In challenging Wikipedia, Google is taking on a site that claims 75,000 active contributors working on 9 million articles in more than 250 languages.

"Our goal is to encourage people who know a particular subject to write an authoritative article about it," Udi Manber, a Google vice president, wrote on the blog.

"A Knol on a particular topic is meant to be the first thing someone who searches for this topic for the first time will want to read."

Wikipedia benefits from Google's search engine, which is designed to send users to the sites most relevant to their query. For example, a Google search for Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential candidate from Illinois, provides a link to a Wikipedia page just below the link to his own Web site.

Google's product could allow the company to keep more users on its own site, rather than sending them to Wikipedia and elsewhere. Google gets 99 percent of its more than $10 billion in annual sales from online advertising, mostly by selling sponsored text links on its own pages and partner sites.

"We welcome the Google Knol initiative," Wikipedia, which is owned by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation, said Friday. "The more good free content, the better for the world."

Google had 131.6 million U.S. visitors in October, more than double Wikipedia's 56.1 million, Reston, Va.-based ComScore said. Yahoo Inc. had 136.8 million.

Original article source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-sat_google_1215dec15,0,3269973.story?coll=chi-technologylocal-hed

lisa matsumoto Dies in Wrong-Way Crash

Honolulu police are asking for possible witnesses to come forward after popular playwright and children's author Lisa Matsumoto was killed early Friday morning while driving her car on the wrong side of the H1 Freeway.

The 43 year old died at the Queen’s Medical Center after colliding with another car at 3:32 a.m. about a hundred yards before the Kalihi Street overpass. A 36 year old Waipahu woman was the lone occupant of the other vehicle. She was taken to the hospital in serious condition.

According to police, Matsumoto was driving a green 1997 Toyota Camry town-bound on the lane closest to the concrete median when she hit the driver of a black 1998 Toyota Corolla, who was on the correct side of the freeway headed Waianae-bound.

Police have yet to determine if speed or alcohol were factors in the crash.

Maj. Susan Dowsett of HPD’s Traffic Division says at least two motorists called 911 to report a driver on the wrong side of the H1.

"She was probably on the freeway for a period of time due to the length of time that people had to call in," said Dowsett.

Police blocked all Waianae bound lanes of the H1 at the Houghtailing off-ramp while investigators sifted through wreckage and searched for possible clues. All west bound lanes were reopened to traffic just after 6 a.m.

The nearest freeway exit where Matsumoto may have made a wrong turn is Likelike, but police doubt that's where she got onto the Waianae bound lanes.

"If anybody has any more information or any other follow-up or maybe they saw her get on the freeway - that would be helpful to our investigation," Dowsett said.

While wrong-way crashes are considered rare there have been four other such incidents on Oahu freeways in the past two-and-a-half years:

In June of 2006, 33 year old Janice Madamba was killed on the H3 after she was struck by a drunken Montana tourist driving on the wrong side of the freeway.

In March of 2006, 20 year old Renee Champ, who was eight months pregnant and highly intoxicated, died after getting on the wrong side of the Moanalua Freeway. Champ collided with 40 year old Chikako Iwakiri, who was also killed.

In June of 2005, 80 year old Rickey Isaka died after going the wrong way on the Likelike Highway. Speed and alcohol were not factors in that crash.

In April of 2005, Bradley Lopes killed the 28 year old driver of another car, Jeremy Villanueva, after Lopes headed onto oncoming traffic on the H1. Police say Lopes was drunk and high on ecstasy. Three other people in the car with Villanueva, including a one year old boy, were also injured

Anyone with information about Friday morning’s crash involving Matsumoto is asked to call HPD’s Traffic Division at 529-3499. Police are investigating the incident as a negligent injury case.

Andrew may be reached at apereira@khon2.com or ph. 591-4263.

For more information, call HPD Traffic Division at 529-3499.

Original article source: http://www.khon2.com/news/local/12525461.html