red sox tickets

Red Sox tickets on sale Saturday 1/30 at 10 AM

At Red Sox website. Be prepared for an endless wait in the ":Virtual Waiting Room". After about noon sometimes you have greater success calling rather than internetting. Yankees games and LA Dodgers games not on sale nor are Green Monster seats - these go by lottery.

So if you are considering a Boston trip this summer and hope to see the Red Sox, now is the time to try to buy. They have sold out for some ridiculous number of consecutive games. Most seats are OK - but I might avoid RF Grandstand sections 2-5 - bleachers, even upper bleachers are better since these seats force you to crane your neck.

darius rucker

Darius Rucker is closing in on his fourth consecutive No. 1 country single

Just because Darius Rucker is closing in on his 4th consecutive No. 1 country single with ‘History in the Making’ from the platinum-selling ‘Learn to Live’ album, don’t think he’s fully realized his dream of being an accomplished country singer just yet.

“I didn’t fulfill that dream. We’ve started it,” he tells The Boot. “We’ve started what I want to do.”

Darius says he’ll know when that time has come, but he also acknowledges that he has a lot of work to do before getting there.

“[I'll have fulfilled that dream] when I get a lifetime achievement award from the CMA’s or the ACM’s,” says the singer.

“I want to have that kind of career. I want to make records that people want to listen to. In 10 or 15 years from now, when I don’t want to do this anymore, I want that to be important to the world of country music.”

In the meantime, Darius has started laying the groundwork for his sophomore country album which he’s anxious for his fans to hear.

“I’m very excited with the songs [on this album],” Darius says. “I think this last record ended up being about where I am today. This next record may be a lot more about what it took to get there. We’re writing some songs, and I’m going to cut a Radney Foster track for this record. I’m just really excited again.”

As for the release date of his yet-to-be-titled album, Darius says it will all happen when it happens.

“We’re going to play it by ear,” he notes. “When I leave the studio, and when I put it on in my car and can listen to it over and over, then I’m happy.”

honda recall

Breaking: Honda Announces Worldwide Recall Of 646,000 (Un)Fit Cars

The According to Dow Jones Newswire, Honda announced a voluntary worldwide recall of 646,000 compact cars so that it can examine window switches that can overheat if exposed to liquid, causing smoke or melting or even catch fire.

From the official statement:

“Under some severe operating conditions, water, rain, or other liquid may enter the driver’s window and reach the master power window switch, resulting in impaired function of the switch. If the master power window switch is damaged as a result of the liquid intrusion, it may result in failure of the switch and overheating.”

“An overheating switch may cause smoke, melting or, potentially, fire.”

The recall affects models built in Japan, China, Brazil, Thailand, Malaysia and India. Of the vehicles being recalled, 171,372 are in the U.K., where the model is known as the Jazz, 141,140 are in the U.S. and 229,000 are in Latin America.

About 10 percent of the (Un)Fit cars will need replacement switches, most will get waterproof skirts to prevent water from seeping in.

patrick kane limo pictures

Some nasty pictures of Patrick Kane alongside other Chicago Blackhawks players while in a limo with 02 numbers ladies; have caught much attention lately. Three members of NHL’s team namely Kane, J. Madden and K. Versteeg would be seen having fun in a limousine with two fine ladies with most of their coverings on the ground.

If his self-pictures caused lot of problems and embarrassment for Greg Oden and his team few days ago, some more similar pictures have buzzed the Internet yet again but with a little difference; three members of famous Ice Hockey team known as Blackhawks are not shy to be photographed.

Shirtless photos of Patrick Timothy Kane and Kristopher Versteeg alongside their relevantly much senior partner John Madden (36-year-old), surfaced online at a time when the Blackhawks were preparing meet the biggest challenges of the season. The players were riding a limousine on Vancouver highways and accompanying them were two unidentified girls (so far), one blonde while the other had nice black short hair.

The pictures in question reveal that all the three players were busy drinking, talking and above all; the dudes were taking pictures of each other and now the same are being searched by their fans to see how the party was. According to Patrick Kane, the photo shoot and the fun party occurred when they were free following a game at Vancouver against San Jose on Saturday.

Jonathan Toews the captain of Blackhawks didn’t seem very pleased with their acts and stated subsequently, there’re more important things for the players to focus than this. He further added that the matter will come under discussion later, in the locker-room. Patrick Kane made headlines even last summer when he was involved in a dispute with a cab driver at a Buffalo street and ended up arrested alongside a cousin.

toyota recall models affected

Toyota's Recall Spreads To China, 75,552 SUVs Affected

Toyota Motor Corp.'s (TM) quality concerns in the U.S. have spread to the China, with a potential accelerator pedal flaw prompting the recall of 75,552 RAV4 sport-utility vehicles sold in the East Asian nation.

The recall will likely tarnish the Japanese auto maker's image in a country that auto makers have come to rely on for growth, and which last year overtook the U.S. to be the world's largest car market.

Earlier this week, Toyota halted sales of most of its popular models in the U.S. on safety concerns. It had recalled millions of vehicles in the U.S. last week following growing reports of unintended acceleration.

The recall in China is due to the same accelerator pad problem affecting the U.S. vehicles, China-based spokesman Niu Yu said Thursday. The company has not received any complaints or reports of injuries related to the flaw here, he said.

He declined to comment on how the recall would affect the company's profitability in China.

Toyota is a significant player in China's passenger vehicle market, with sales rising 21% in 2009 from a year earlier to 709,000 units. The RAV4, along with the Corolla and Camry sedans, helped to drive sales, it said in an earlier statement.

The RAV4 vehicles were made at Toyota's joint venture with China FAW Group Corp. between March 19, 2009, and Jan. 25, the company said. The Chinese company could not be immediately reached for comment. The recall is effective Feb. 28.

Toyota's global recall affects eight models, including Corollas and Camrys. However, the auto maker does not expect to recall other models in China for this flaw, Niu said, as the problematic part was only used in RAV4s.

Thursday's announcement compounds Toyota's public relations woes in China. It follows a massive recall in August, when Toyota recalled nearly 700,000 cars here because of faulty window-control systems. It has also had to recall in China Camry sedans for a brake problem.

Though Toyota has a respectable share of China's market, its sales last year lagged those of its rivals.

General Motor Co.'s sales soared 67% to 1.83 million units in 2009. Sales in China's overall auto market rose 46% to 13.6 million units, according to data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

greg oden dirty pictures

Greg Oden Apologizes For Penis Pics; He Should Be Apologizing for Showing Off

Portland Trailblazers’ dud center Greg Oden sat down today and apologized for pictures of his enormous penis that are making rounds on the internet:

SportsChat is very disappointed in Greg Oden. While it is great that there is now empirical evidence beyond his stats that Oden truly is a big stiff, SportsChat sees no reason for him to apologize. If SportsChat had a piece like that, its photo would likely replace the rather smarmy looking head shot at the top of this blog. Nobody likes a braggart, but SportsChat understands it’s hard to speak softly when you are packing such a big stick.

SportsChat remembers a simpler time when a man could send a woman a Polaroid of his penis and the only thing he had to worry about was a restraining order. He also remembers when men used to simply suck their stomachs in and puff their chests out to impress a female. But times, they are a changing.

Of course, ladies and gentleman around the world have often wondered if seven-foot basketball players are proportionate across the board. Gred Oden answers this age old question in the affirmative. Here’s the money shot.

Now if Yao Ming would just let a penis pic slip, he could do the world a service by potentially eradicating the myth about Asian men and making the Google-China fued a moot point by exploding search engine servers worldwide.

So there is no need to apologize, Greg. You are very well endowed, and undoubtebly very proud. The only person here who should be apologizing is the chick who posted these online.

What is the world coming to when a sweet gesture like taking a picture of your own cock in the bathroom mirror and “sexting” it to a woman you barely know can be so easily twisted into something dirty?

claudette ortiz

Claudette Ortiz is making headlines again since the airing of ‘Intervention,’ the latest episode on the A&E Monday night. The episode focused on the miserable life of Robbie Pardlo, the ousted member of the trio called ‘City High,’ an R&B group. When Claudette Ortiz broke up with him; Robbie was broken too.

The fans of City High musical R&B group must be fully aware of a tragic story that turned the life of one of the group members into a living hell. 28-year-old Claudette Ortiz the American singer was the only female member to form the trio alongside Robbie Pardlo and Ryan Toby.

Reportedly, Claudette Ortiz had developed a very close relationship with Robbie Pardlo while in the high school days and they dated for quite some time. Later the duo formed the aforementioned group and with Ryan Toby into the scene; Ortiz changed her mind and went on to marry the guy in the year 2004 on 14 October.

Poor Robbie that was deep in love with his longtime girlfriend Ortiz just couldn’t bear the shock thus; became the victim of depression and from that moment onwards, he’s always deep drunk. To Robbie, the breakup meant a lot and it seemed to change the entire meanings of life for him.

New Jersey (Willingboro) born Ortiz and Ryan Toby are living a happy married life together whereas the family of Robbie is engaged to try and save the life of a once happy and energetic R&B rapper and singer. Latest episode of ‘Intervention’ on Monday night was all about Robbie and his troubled life since the breakup with Ortiz.

Actually it was when the hit song “What Would You Do” by City High was released that Robbie drowned himself into alcohol and eventually lost both his girlfriend and the music career. According to the reports, he’s become an intensive drinker and his family is deeply concerned about his rapidly falling health.

Australian Open Results

Australian Open 2010 Results: Federer Defeats Hewitt

Federer Defeats Hewitt. Current world number 1 professional tennis player, Roger Federer, defeated Lleyton Hewitt to move on to the next round of Australian Open 2010. Federer captured victory by winning three straight sets. On the first set, he pulled of a 6-2 win. He won the second set with a 6-3 score and bagged the third set with scores 6-4.

With the victory of Federer lead him to a match against Nikolay Davydenko. Davydenko has defeated Federer in their last two matches. Obviously, the momentum is on the Russian tennis player.

city high

City High’s Robby struggles with alcoholism on A&E’s Intervention

Wow, tonight’s episode of Intervention on A&E revealed a sad blast from the past for fans of the R&B group City High. Group member Robby Pardio is shown chugging vodka and is then confronted by his family about his alcoholism.

Robby says that he went into a depression after his group member and girlfriend Claudette Ortiz left him and married City High partner Ryan Toby instead. And that was compounded by his failed music career.
Here’s some quotes…

“The music industry destroyed Robby. I gave the music industry a cub scout who was trained on Italian arias, and they gave me back, a drunk.” -Robby’s mother

“I buried Robby long ago, my children have a fictional character for an uncle. So I’m not hopeful, I’m not optimistic. I’m numb.” -Robby’s brother at the pre-intervention meeting

“When I was in labor, I had to call and get you out of the bar. You don’t realize how much that hurt me. I’ve had the burden of being both parents [to daughter Lyric]. We have a beautiful little girl that I’m prepared to raise by myself if you don’t get help.” -Robby’s girlfriend [the parts showing their relationship are so infuriating and pathetic]

The Grocery Game

The Grocery Game is a website that can save you hundreds of dollars on your grocery bill each the month. Log in, spend a few minutes with a pair of scissors, and you’re off to winThe Grocery Game ! When you play, teh grocery game you’ll get a weekly list (called Teri’s List) of the lowest-priced products at your supermarket matched with manufacturers’ coupons and weekly specials — advertised and unadvertised.

The Grocery Game does all the hard work and research, and presents it to you in a straightforward format. The Grocery Game is a website that can save you hundreds of dollars on your grocery bill each month. Log in, spend a few minutes with a pair of scissors, and you’re off to winThe Grocery Game!

When you play, teh grocery gae you’ll get a weekly list (called Teri’s List) of the lowest-priced products at your supermarket matched with manufacturers’coupons and weekly specials — advertised and unadvertised. The Grocery Game does all the hard work and research, and presents it to you in a straightforward format.How much can you save?

It varies from person to person, but my savings average around 50-60%, often more with every trip. All in all, both were fun experiences and challenged me as a homemaker! I wouldn’t say I failed at the experiments, but I think my limited time really has started shedding light on where I really want to spend my time and focus my energies on.

Ashley Wagner

Ashley Wagner born 16 may 1991 is an American figure skater. She is the 2008 & 2010 U.S. bronze medalist and 2007 & 2009 World Junior bronze medalist.

For the 2009-2010 Grand Prix of figure skating season, Wagner was assigned to compete at the 2009 Rostelecom Cup, at that event she won the silver medal. In the process she set new personal best scores in her long program and her combined score. She won the bronze medal at the 2009 NHK Trophy, and qualified for the 2009-2010 Grand Prix Final.

gary matthews jr

Mets Acquire Gary Matthews Jr. From Angels

Uncertain when Carlos Beltran will be ready to play in 2010, the Mets have now acquired a backup — good-fielding, modest-hitting Gary Matthews Jr. of the Los Angeles Angels.

The Angels signed Matthews to a five-year, $50 million contract after the 2006 season, and it quickly came to be seen as one of the worst contracts in baseball because of Matthews’s limitations as a hitter. He is owed $23 million over the final two years of his deal, and the Angels are expected to pick up most of the cost, making him a relatively inexpensive acquisition for the Mets.

The deal, in which the Mets are expected to surrender a relief pitcher, is expected to be made official later Friday. It was confirmed by a baseball executive who did not want to speak publicly until the deal was announced.

Last season Matthews played in 103 games, had 316 at-bats, and hit .250, with 4 home runs and 50 runs batted in. As a Met, he is capable of playing center field in place of Beltran, although it is possible that the Mets will use him as a fourth outfielder, playing behind Jason Bay, Jeff Francouer and Angel Pagan, who had a good season offensively in 2009 and presumably is the first choice to play in center until Beltran returns.

But Pagan has been injury-prone as a Met. If he gets injured, Matthews will be there to step in.

As for Beltran, he is expected to return to the lineup at some point in May.

john edwards

John Edwards and his new daughter

At nearly two years old, Frances Quinn Hunter isn't "new," of course. But for the first time, former presidential candidate John Edwards has admitted he fathered the child during an affair with videographer Rielle Hunter.

According to the Associated Press story, it appears that Frances -- known as "Quinn" -- was conceived "during the middle of 2007." That would be close to July 2007, when Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, renewed their wedding vows in honor of their 30th anniversary.

But the most interesting thing about today's story, to me at least, was this quote from Elizabeth Edwards, who reportedly urged her husband to acknowledge his paternity of the child. She has said that whether or not he fathered the child didn't matter to her..."that would be a part of John's life, but not a part of mine."

rielle hunter

John Edwards Admits Fathering Rielle Hunter Love Child; No One Surprised

John Edwards has finally admitted what we have suspected for years - that he is indeed the father of a 2-year-old daughter with his mistress, Rielle Hunter. The former U.S. Senator and Democratic presidential candidate said today in a statement that he’s taking responsibility for the child, Frances Quinn Hunter:

“I am Quinn’s father. I will do everything in my power to provide her with the love and support she deserves. I have been able to spend time with her and trust that future efforts to show her the love and affection she deserves can be done privately."

"It was wrong for me ever to deny she was my daughter and hopefully one day, when she understands, she will forgive me. [I've] been providing financial support for Quinn and have reached an agreement with her mother to continue providing support." "I understand that to all those I have disappointed and hurt, these words will never be enough, but I am truly sorry.”

Edwards is not speaking publicly on the subject, in part because of an ongoing federal investigation into whether campaign money was used to try to cover up the affair.

He has denied wrongdoing, but then again, he also denied the affair with Rielle Hunter, and fathering the child with Rielle Hunter, so who knows with this guy! Edwards' attorneys say he's been seeing Quinn and providing financial support for about a year, and just signed a new child support agreement with Rielle. A spokesperson for John's cancer-stricken wife, Elizabeth Edwards, says she learned last year that Quinn is John's child. Yet this is the first formal admission. John Edwards’ personal and political troubles began after the National Enquirer began reporting in late 2007 about his affair with Hunter, which he denied.

In 2008, after his failed presidential bid, Edwards was caught visiting Hunter in a hotel and eventually confirmed to ABC News that he had an affair with her.

Still, he vehemently denied on the air that he was the father of her child. Dude lies a lot and will only come clean when his hand has been forced, basically.

Today's admission comes on the heels of the political expose Game Change by John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, which sent shock waves around D.C. A portion of the book about the 2008 election, which ran in New York Magazine, dealt with details of Edwards’ affair and his relationship with Elizabeth.

The admission also comes in advance of a tell-all book by Andrew Young, a former Edwards aide who originally claimed to be the father of Hunter’s child. Basically, he would have kept on denying it if he had any choice, and had no interest in actually coming clean for morality's sake. Pretty typical, John.

graco strollers

Graco stroller recall: Is your Graco stroller affected?

Wednesday's Graco stroller recall of 1.5 million units is the largest in US history. Here's how to find if you have a problem stroller.

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a Graco stroller recall Wednesday that will total 1.5 million strollers. The recall concerns uncovered hinges on the canopy of the Graco Passage, Alano, and Spree strollers, which have caused seven severe injuries to toddler's fingers, according to the CPSC.

The strollers in question were sold between October 2004 and February 2008 at several dozen retailers including Target, Wal-Mart, Babies “R” Us, Toys “R” Us, Kmart, and Sears. The strollers cost between $80 and $200.

If you bought a Graco stroller during that period, check the stroller's model number against the chart at the bottom of this page or check out the CPSC's news release. (You can find the stroller's model number and manufacture date on the lower inside portion of the rear frame, just above the rear wheels.)

If you have one of the problem strollers, stop using it immediately, the CPSC warns, and order a repair kit from Graco. You can find those order forms here. or by calling 800-345-4109. (Be forewarned: The Graco website was operating extremely slowly at 10 a.m. EST, probably due to the increased traffic the recall is generating.)

The company has set up a FAQ post regarding the recall on it's blog. Graco is also responding to stroller owners via Twitter.

Customers outside the United States are also eligible for the recall, according to Graco.

Graco says the repair kits will be available in one to two weeks. Once you've received the kit, an instructional video at the bottom of this post demonstrates how to properly attach the kit.

Graco has now had the two largest American stroller recalls on record. A 2005 recall of two Graco models that failed to latch properly resulted in 230 injuries and the recall of 1.1 million strollers. In November, British stroller manufacturer Maclaren recalled a million strollers in the US due to a hinge issue similar to that of the latest Graco recall. Maclaren strollers had injured 15 toddlers, 12 severely.

Venus Williams Australian Open

Tennis : Venus Williams reflects on past decade, years ahead after Australian Open win

MELBOURNE, Australia — Venus Williams turns 30 this year and would like to note that she is the still fast, still strong and has no wrinkles.

As the new decade dawns, Williams reflected on her past 10 years in tennis and listed some of her goals.

"I feel like I have so much left in my strings to accomplish," Williams said after dispatching Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 6-2 Tuesday in the first round of the Australian Open. "I love playing. I want to win each tournament I play. I want to win the majors, play doubles and be in the Olympics."

In other words, she has no plans to retire anytime soon.

Williams and her younger sister Serena have proven their staying power. In 1999, 17-year-old Serena won the first Grand Slam singles title for the family at the U.S. Open. Venus followed the next year with two trophies - at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. The siblings have a total of 18 - seven for Venus and 11 for Serena.

And that's just singles. Venus has 10 Grand Slam doubles titles, all won with Serena playing at her side. The sisters are the defending doubles champions at Melbourne.

Serena's successes have upstaged her sister's in recent years. But Venus has consistently remained a top player despite occasional injuries. She's seeded sixth in Melbourne behind top-ranked Serena.

Venus is aiming to improve her record at the Australian Open, where she was a finalist in 2003 but has not advanced beyond the fourth round since. She was upset last year in the second round by Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain.

Venus' strong serves and full-swinging, relentlessly attacking style were on display Tuesday as she dominated her match in a canary yellow dress. She sent her 22-year-old opponent chasing balls right and left, backward and forward.

"To be honest, when you're on the court, age doesn't matter," she said. "So far, I'm fast and strong. Maintaining that is great."

She added with a laugh: "And no wrinkles yet, either, so thankfully that's working out."

Venus will turn 30 on June 17 and is 15 months older than Serena, who also advanced to the second round Tuesday.

She is not, by a longshot, the oldest woman playing in Melbourne. That honour goes to 39-year-old Kimiko Date Krumm of Japan followed by 35-year-old Jill Craybas of the United States. Both are considerably lower in the rankings.

Their mother Oracene Price - who co-coaches the sisters along with father Richard Williams - made headlines Tuesday by saying she's getting tired of travelling the world to watch her daughters play tennis.

"That's why I wear sunglasses," she said in Australia's Herald Sun. "I go to sleep."

Venus thought the comments were "extremely funny."

"You can see what we live with and how much fun we have with her," Venus said of their mother, who sat without sunglasses in the stadium during Tuesday's match. "I hope she does another interview. Then you'll get to have a little more fun with her."

citigroup earnings

Wary of Earnings Reports, Wall Street Opens Softly

Shares opened quietly Tuesday after Citigroup’s fourth-quarter earnings report kept investors uneasy during this first big week of corporate earnings reports.

Many are wary about bank earnings after a disappointing report from JPMorgan Chase on Friday helped send stocks sharply lower.

Citigroup’s earnings came in as expected. The bank reported a fourth-quarter loss of $7.6 billion loss, or 33 cents a share, with the bulk of that shortfall the result of expenses related to its repayment of $20 billion in government bailout money.

But the report, like JPMorgan Chase’s, reflected consumers’ struggle to repay their loans. Citigroup set aside $8.18 billion to cover bad loans during the quarter.

In early trading, the Dow Jones industrial average was about 46.8 points or 0.12 percent higher, while the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index was 5.1 points higher. The Nasdaq was up 17.15 points or 0.39 percent.

In Europe, the FTSE 100 was down 15 points, or 0.27 percent, while Germany’s DAX fell 13.11 points, or 0.37 percent. The CAC-40 was 0.37 percent lower.

News that Kraft Foods and Cadbury agreed to a $18.9 billion deal appeared to push Cadbury to the list of risers on the FTSE 100, gaining just under 4 percent to 837 pence a share, more or less in line with the offer price of 840 pence a share.

In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei stock average fell 0.8 percent to close at 10,764.90. However, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng was up 1 percent, to 21,677.98, while Shanghai index rose 0.3 percent, to 3,246.87. JAL shares, which have lost more than 90 percent of their value over the last week, tumbled 20 percent Tuesday to 4 yen before finishing flat at 5 yen.

Wall Street was poised for a subdued start to the week after being closed Monday for the Martin Luther King public holiday.

In the run-up to Wall Street’s open, investors will be turning their attention to the next batch of fourth quarter corporate earnings. Besides Citigroup, other big banks reporting earnings this week include Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs.

Over the week, 65 companies in the S.&P. 500 post their results this week. As well as the banks, earnings from Google, I.B.M.. and McDonald’s will be closely monitored.

Over all, earnings have been fairly mixed, with upside surprises from the likes of Intel offset by disappointments elsewhere, most notably the aluminum maker Alcoa.

Meanwhile, bond prices were mixed. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, was unchanged from 3.68 percent late Friday. The yield on the three-month T-bill, considered one of the safest investments, rose to 0.07 percent from 0.05 percent.

The dollar mostly rose against other major currencies, while gold prices also rose.

jenna wolfe

NBC channel’s Jenna Wolfe might have taken the attention of many tv viewers after experiencing a twisted tongue when she used the word “Boner” on her co-mate, Matt Bomer. People are now wondering if this was really by accident or it was an intended joke on the part of Jenna Wolfe.

Last year, some NBC viewers may still remember Jenna Wolfe making a mistake about her guest’s name. She mistakenly called her guest “Dr. Genitalia” instead of Jenna Taylor.

So with this previous mistake/blooper that Jenna Wolfe encountered, did she really intend to put up those green jokes or were they really by accident? No one can actually tell but only Jenna Wolfe herself.

martin luther king jr

Morristown remembers Martin Luther King Jr. at noon, at the Calvary Baptist Church

Today, we will again experience what has become an American tradition, 25th observance of our national holiday honoring the Rev. Dr Martin Luther King Jr.

Even though this celebration has become ingrained in the nation’s consciousness, the Morristown community has been far ahead of the rest of the country in recognizing the valuable contributions and legacy of one who many feel is a 20th-century prophet.

This year will mark the FORTIETH Anniversary of the Martin Luther King Observance Committee’s annual celebration.

We salute the vision and persistence of Dr. Felecia Jamison, the late Sister Rachel Jones, and others who saw the need to preserve the memory and legacy of this great champion of social justice.

Out of the despair and frustration of that dark day when Dr. King was assassinated, out of the pit of bigotry and racial turmoil that imprisoned the American spirit, out of the clinging fog of strife and tension that enshrouded the American ideals of opportunity and liberty of all, these valiant souls raised their voices in unison with him to demand justice for the beloved community.

By publicly commemorating the work and life of Dr. King, their call mission was to plant the seeds of hope in our consciousness -- that someday the tide would turn in America and the world towards universal love and justice.

In our changing world, events should remind us that we are far from attaining our goal of a stable world at peace, with opportunity for all.

With the rise of global terrorism, the damaging impact of global warming, the steady increase of sectarian violence, the jolting dislocation of economies across the world, and the accelerating rate of population diversity in every sphere of human activity, intolerance and prejudice are perennially showing their ugly heads in world affairs.

With the rise in tensions and intensification of hatred between tribal, national, and regional factions, today is a time that we need to embrace the moral imperatives of the civil rights movement to reconcile the differences that continue to divide us.

We can congratulate each other on the country coming together to elect our first black President, but the promised land, though it is within sight, it is not yet under our feet.

There a plethora of challenges that remain for us to confront. More than ever there is a need to refresh ourselves with the lessons learned over the last few decades and to dedicate ourselves anew to the principles espoused by Dr. King: compassion, love for peace, commitment to reconciliation, and belief in the dignity and worth of all people.

We thank God that Dr. Jamison and the other members of the Observance Committee have reminded us incessantly over the last 40 years that we all have a responsibility to keep pursing Dr. King’s dream of freedom, equality and justice for all.

Mary Lynn Rajskub

Mary Lynn Rajskub was in New York last night to celebrate the 8th season premiere of the hit show 24, in which she appears as Chloe O’Brian.

Mary told Fo411 about actions scenes, what to expect in the next season, and also what it’s like to work with Jack Bauer, played by Kiefer Sutherland.

Rajskub told 411, that one thing fans may not know about Sutherland, is that the fans favourite TV action hero, spends a lot of his in between takes time, relaxing with a quick game of chess.

Freddie Prinze Jr, was also in New York, and told 411 about his preparations for his role as Cole Ortiz, by learning about life as a soldier, while also getting himself in physical shape.

Prinze said,“It was much more [about] understanding military protocol and looking for those opportunities in the script as far as character choices.” “But as far as training, you just have to eat better, make sure you work out [and] don’t eat fried chicken as much as you’d like, which sucks.”

Rajskub, born in 1971, is an American Actress and Comedian.

She was born and raised in Trenton, Michigan. Her father is of Czech descent was a pipe-fitter, and her mother a pharmacist assistant.

Rajskub moved to L.A. and worked in Hard Rock Cafe, and a ticket taker at the Beverly Center movie theater, before becoming an actress.

Miracle On The Hudson

"Miracle on the Hudson" One-Year Reunion

It was one year ago that Capt. Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger landed US Airways flight 1549 safely in the New York's Hudson River -- saving 155 lives.

As it flew 3,000 feet over one of the most densely populated areas of the planet, a flock of geese struck the plane, causing it to lose all power. Sullenberger was faced with a possible catastrophe.

With brains and courage, the seasoned pilot brought his plane down -- and kept it intact -- on the river's frigid waters.

Sullenberger told CBS' "60 Minutes," "I think, in many ways, as it turned out, my entire life up to that moment had been a preparation to handle that particular moment."

In a matter of minutes, the plane was evacuated, and ferry boats and first responders rushed to the scene. Not one person was killed.

The crew and passengers of flight 1549 forged a bond that day that's still strong.

And on "The Early Show" Friday, the passengers, crew and first responders came together again one year later to remember the day that truly proved to be a "Miracle on the Hudson."

Sullenberger told "Early Show" co-anchor Harry Smith it feels like much less than a year since it happened. "I feel like I've lived 10 normal lifetimes in this last year," Sullenberger said.

As for reuniting a year later, he said, "It's like the best high school reunion you could imagine. We were just talking about that -- who has come the farthest, who has changed the most. We have so much to be grateful for, and it's absolutely wonderful to once again have a chance to celebrate such a wonderful outcome with this great group of people."

Sullenberger's co-pilot, Jeff Skiles, said he remembers the shock of that day most. However, he said he realized that day just how preparations for emergencies could actually lead to success.

"Both of us got right to work," he said. "We used our training. We used our procedures. We used the experience that we've built up over decades between the two of us to handle the emergency."

First responders Sally Phipps, an American Red Cross volunteer who also responded to the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, and Capt. Vince Lombardi, of N.Y. Waterways, also appeared on "The Early Show."

Phipps said when she arrived on the scene, she was just grateful that she could give her supplies to survivors.

Lombardi said his first thought when he saw the plane was, "Why is there a jet in the water?" He added his second thought was, "OK, let's go."

Passenger John Howell said the day was a "sequence of miraculous events."

"It's hard to find the words to describe the feeling when you're looking out the window and the engines are on fire or there's no engines at all and you're looking down at the river and you recognize that you were in a situation that's not likely to have a good outcome -- and then a few minutes later, you start to realize, 'Wow, we're going to be all right. We're going to walk away from this.

Jpm

JPMorgan Chase books $3.3 billion profit

JPMorgan Chase reported better-than-expected profits of $3.3 billion in the 4th quarter Friday, helped by healthy results from its investment banking business.

The New York City-based banking giant also revealed that compensation expenses climbed 18% during the year to $26.9 billion.

Kicking off the fourth quarter earnings season for the nation's top banks, the company said it earned 74 cents on a per share basis during the final three months of 2009.

That was much better than Wall Street was anticipating. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected the company to report a profit of $2.46 billion for the quarter, or 61 cents a share.

Shares of JPMorgan Chase (JPM, Fortune 500) fell about 1% in early morning trading though as revenue numbers fell short of expectations.



"Though these results showed improvement, we acknowledge that they fell short of both an adequate return on capital and the firm's earnings potential," JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said in a statement.

Still, 2009 was a stellar year for the bank, as profits more than doubled to $11.73 billion, besting consensus estimates.

One of the strongest divisions in the quarter was the company's investment banking business, which earned a profit of $1.9 billion in the quarter, largely helped by robust debt and stock underwriting fees.

There were also some encouraging signs within the company's massive loan portfolio. The number of non-performing assets, or loans that are not collecting interest or principal payments, declined from the third quarter, suggesting that loan losses may have peaked.

With American consumers and the nation's housing market still under pressure though, the company said it added an additional $1.9 billion to its loan loss reserve in the fourth quarter.

Dimon acknowledged the continued weakness in the economy and said that the bank remained cautious as it moved into 2010.

"While we are seeing some stability in delinquencies, consumer credit costs remain high, and weak employment and home prices persist," he said.

JPMorgan Chase is the first of several big banks and Wall Street firms to report its latest results. Next week, Citigroup (C, Fortune 500), Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500), Wells Fargo (WFC, Fortune 500), Goldman Sachs (GS, Fortune 500) and Morgan Stanley (MS, Fortune 500) will all release their fourth-quarter and full year numbers.

JPMorgan Chase is widely believed to be among the strongest banks in this group though, and its healthy profits could lead to more criticism of the financial services industry. The White House proposed a new tax Thursday on big banks that it said helped to contribute to the financial crisis.

There is also a growing backlash among politicians and taxpayers about the size of bonuses doled out by financial firms that benefited from government bailouts.

JPMorgan, which accepted $25 billion in taxpayer aid last fall, revealed Friday that more than a third of its compensation expenses were tied to its Wall Street business. The company spent $9.33 billion to compensate employees in its investment banking division, an increase of $1.6 billion from a year ago. That figure includes salaries as well as money set aside for bonuses.

Divided among the nearly 25,000 individuals in this business, the average annual compensation per employee was nearly $380,000.

teddy pendergrass

Teddy Pendergrass: Remember the voice

As EW has reported, Teddy Pendergrass has died at age 59.

Living and working in the Philadelphia area, I had the good fortune to interview Pendergrass a couple of times, and his knowledge of the history of Philly soul in particular and all the byways of rhythm & blues, gospel, and soul music was extraordinary — transfixing to hear.

One of the last of the classic singers in the “love man” style that includes Otis Redding, Al Green, and Peabo Bryson, Pendergrass had a burly voice of enormous delicacy. He still had it here, during an Apollo Hall of Fame TV concert from 1993:

pat robertson haiti comments

Here’s how to help earthquake victims in Haiti

It is hard to know what to say about what’s happened to Haiti. It’s simply heartbreaking to see tragic devastation on such a scale inflicted on a place and a people already struggling just to survive. Governments, international aid groups, church groups and civic associations are scrambling to help, but as usual in the first few days of such tragedies, the immediate challenge is logistics.

The only thing helpful to say is … help.

layla kiffin pictures

Haiti's earthquake and death toll; Layla Kiffin pictures; Herschel Walker; and baldenfreude

The People are frantic in their quest for information about the devastating series of earthquakes that struck Haiti in the past 16 hours, causing confusion and chaos throughout the poor island nation southeast of Cuba. One of the quakes, a magnitude 7.0, has"destroyed" much of the nation's capital Port-au-Prince, the country's first lady told CNN. And the death toll is unknown this morning as international aid agencies, such as the Red Cross, quickly mobilize.

The quakes come at a rough time for Haiti. The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere was still reeling from hurricanes in 2008, making everything else that people are reading about online today seem quite shallow, especially efforts to find pictures of Layla Kiffin.

To understand why people want pics like the one above, we first have to give you the hook: Tennessee football coach Lane Kiffin, whose program is facing investigation for questionable recruiting practices, will move to the University of Southern California. All the buzz about his move has highlighted something otherwise hidden in the mind of American males -- they covet thy football coach's wife (or at least ogling her from the privacy of a laptop).

On the subject of football, Herschel Walker, a former Heisman Trophy winner, is getting into the ass-kicking world of mixed martial arts. Walker's MMA debut is Jan. 30 in Sunrise, Fla. Greg Nagy will be his opponent for the Strikeforce card contest.

And thank New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd for lighting up Google's search engines with "baldenfreude." She writes in the Times, "As NBC reeled from the fallout of Jeff Zucker’s tacit admission that his attempt to refashion the customary way Americans watch prime time had failed, Hollywood was ablaze with baldenfreude." But she failed to define the word.

haiti disaster relief

Miami's anxious Haitian community readies Haiti disaster relief

With more than 350,000 Haitians living in Florida, emotional shock waves from Tuesday's earthquake are severe. In Miami, community leaders begin to organize Haiti disaster relief.

It did not take long for Jean-Robert LaFortune’s telephone to start ringing with calls from the anxious, the desperate, and the bewildered. “What have you heard?” people wanted to know. “What can we do?”

So vast is the scale of the disaster back in his birthplace of Port-au-Prince in Haiti that Mr. LaFortune, a prominent activist leader within Miami’s Haitian-American community, was at a loss to know what to recommend.

“Many people are calling loved ones on the island to learn their conditions, but have not been successful,” he said Tuesday night. “Not a single one that I know has established contact. There’s a lot of panic in Miami.”

With more than 350,000 Haitians living in Florida, the emotional shock waves from Tuesday’s earthquake have stretched far beyond Hispaniola’s own shores.

In Miami’s Little Haiti district – whose residents have mobilized aid to Haiti so many times before, following tropical storms, mudslides, hurricanes, and floods – the scale of the latest natural disaster brought despair and disbelief, said LaFortune, sending them scuttling to their churches to pray, or gathering around their televisions in shocked silence.

“It’s like there is an omen hanging over Haiti; this is what most Haitians believe,” he said. “It’s like nature has revolted against us. We don’t know what we have done, what crime we have committed for this to happen.”

As president of the Haitian-American Grassroots Coalition, an umbrella organization made up of 15 community-based and advocacy groups in Miami, LaFortune was set to meet Wednesday morning with the Haitian consul to discuss how Florida’s Haitian diaspora might come to the aid of their countrymen once again by donating food, clothing, money, and manpower. Hopes are that aid organizations already on the ground in Haiti will expedite rescue and recovery efforts.

“We’ll be making an assessment of the needs, but it’s going to be a very complex operation that will have to be put in place to bring some kind of relief to the victims. Our hands are going to be very, very full,” he said.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Miami set up an immediate appeal for donations and planned a special mass at the Cathedral of St. Mary this morning, to pray for victims of the earthquake. Among those due to attend were students of the cathedral school, which serves the Haitian community in North East Miami-Dade.

Many headed immediately last night to Notre Dame D'Haiti, a church considered the heartbeat of Miami’s Haitian community. Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado joined them. “We feel their pain,” he said, adding that city firefighters trained in search and rescue techniques stood ready to be dispatched to the disaster zone if asked to go.

At WLQY radio station, listeners called in to plead for news or to share their accounts of loved ones lost. Between bulletins, radio host Marc Jendy dialed his elderly mother in Port-au-Prince over and over, burying his head in his hands as the telephone line came up dead.

Past relief efforts for Haiti – including in 2008, when four hurricanes hit in succession – have failed to unite all sectors of the Haitian-American community in south Florida, says LaFortune.

“In Miami we have two Haitian communities living side by side but mutually exclusive of each other. There are the well-to-do, those you don’t see in times of crisis, [and] then there are the others,” he said. “We are hoping that this time, they can all come out and share the pain, share the suffering, do what is right by their homeland and get involved.”

Anne Frank

The reluctant hero, who ensured that the diary of Anne Frank did not fall into the hands of Nazis after the 14-year-old's arrest, has is died. She was 100.

Gies was among a group of Dutch citizens who hid the Frank family of four and four other people in a secret annex in Amsterdam, Netherlands, during World War II, according to her official Web site, which announced her death Monday. The family stayed in the secret room from July 1942 until August 4, 1944, when they were arrested by Gestapo and Dutch police after being betrayed by an informant.

When Gies and a friend were left behind, she picked up Anne's papers from the floor, kept them in a desk drawer and gave them to Anne's father, Otto, after the war. Anne died in a concentration camp in 1945. Her father published her diary, titled "The Secret Annex," in 1947. It was released in America in 1952.



Despite the extreme hardship she endured during the German occupation, Gies never embraced the label of a hero. "More than 20,000 Dutch people helped to hide Jews and others in need of hiding during those years. I willingly did what I could to help. My husband did as well. It was not enough," she says in the prologue to her memoirs, "Anne Frank Remembered: The Story of the Woman Who Helped to Hide the Frank Family."

In her diary, Anne Frank wrote, "In spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can't build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery and death."

no pants day

Passengers remove trousers for No Pants Subway Ride

Despite a cold snap across much of the northern world, users of public transit systems in a number of cities took off their trousers for No Pants Day.

The event, which began in New York City in 2002, sees participants with bare legs mingling with other passengers.

Organisers Improv Everywhere say 3,000 people took part in New York with more in 43 other cities in 16 countries.

The group says its mission is to cause "scenes of chaos and joy in public places".

Participants were told to meet at a designated train station fully clothed before boarding and removing their trousers.

People are urged to keep a straight face, act normally and not acknowledge other people without trousers.

One of the organisers in Washington, DC, said "there's not really any point or any cause" to the event.

"We're just trying to put smiles on people's faces," Bruce Witzenburg told the Washington Post.

With temperatures hovering around freezing in Edmonton, Canada, participant Sarah Jackson said she felt liberated by the event.

"People you know look around, they're curious and interested and for some reason I feel incredibly comfortable in my underwear on the LRT," she told CTV News.

On its website, Improv Everywhere said groups from Adelaide, Australia, to Zurich, Switzerland had organised their own No Pants Subway Rides.

disney marathon

Disney Marathon weekend: Half-marathoners brave sleet, flurries this morning

Disney Half-Marathon participants braved historic weather this morning at the Walt Disney World.

Runners endured 13.2 miles of sleet, flurries and light rain in 34-degree weather. The Orlando area has not seen sleet since 2006.

The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, which includes a half marathon, full marathon and 5K races, attracts up to 100,000 participants and spectators from all over the world each January.

Tomorrow’s marquee event — the Disney Marathon — is expected to see 24,000 runners this year.

Check back here later for pictures and results from today’s Disney Half Marathon.

elvis birthday

Happy Birthday, Elvis Presley

We try not to celebrate birthdays of the deceased here in the Newsroom, but today's occasion might as well be a national holiday in some circles. On this day in 1935, Elvis Presley was born. The man who changed rock and roll forever would have turned 75 years old today had he not passed away in 1977 (unless you're a conspiracy theorist who thinks the King is still alive, in which case we hope he's having cake somewhere).

As the distance grows between Presley's breakout and the present day, it becomes harder and harder to put Elvis' accomplishments into context. He successfully synthesized the blues, country, folk and whatever else was kicking around on the front porches of America to create a sexy, funky stew of shuffling rock and roll that worked as both head music and groin music.

Elvis had 18 chart-topping singles, and his worldwide album sales are estimated at over one billion units (yep, that's billion). He made peanut butter and banana sandwiches cool. He wore awesome jumpsuits (and capes!). He's in four different music halls of fame. His home is now an amusement park. Everything about the man is epic, which is why his legacy has lived on well after his death and his influence continues unabated to this day.

Back in 2002, Dutch producer Junkie XL remixed the somewhat obscure Presley track "A Little Less Conversation," which found its way to the top of the charts in 20 different countries. The tune turned Elvis into the unlikely author of a club hit — appropriate for a guy who first stirred up controversy because of his too-sexy dancing. Happy birthday, Elvis, wherever you are.

Plano Isd

Plano ISD: Sigler Elementary students evacuated to Vines High School

The students at Sigler Elementary School have been evacuated to Vines High School due to a "noxious smell," according to the Plano Independent School District spokeswoman Lesley Range-Stanton.

"The instructional day for Sigler Elementary School students has been rerouted to Vines High School due to a noxious odor reported at the Sigler campus," she said. "The students will remain at Vines for the rest of the instructional day and will be released as normal from the high school."



Plano ISD facilities and safety and security staff responded and implemented the appropriate relocation plan while this situation was being addressed. The district staff are also investigating the cause of the odor.

The Plano Fire Department's hazardous materials crew is also on-scene to help determine the cause of the smell. Peggy Harrell, Plano Fire Department spokesperson, said the hazard material crew did not detect anything hazardous or toxic in the odor.

The first call to the fire department came in shortly after students arrived in the morning, Harrell said. The engine that responded could not find the source of the odor, at which point the hazardous material team was brought in.

“The smell was noticeable, but there nothing hazardous showing up on our devices,” Harrell said.

Shortly after noon the fire department cleared the building and left. Plano ISD investigative crews, containing trained scent dogs, remained at the school.

The fire department did not take part in the evacuation. The were no reported injuries or illnesses of students or staff.

Students will remain at the high school for the rest of the day. Buses will run at their regularly scheduled time from Vines; and carpool for Sigler parents will be at the west bus lane at Vines, she said.

Page Six

Page Six: Stern sidekick Lange in suicide attempt

Howard Stern alluded to, but did not read this morning a report from the New York Post's Page Six detailing a suicide attempt by his on-air sidekick/stand-up the comedian Artie Lange.

From the Page Six item, posted early this morning:

"Troubled comic Artie Lange landed in the hospital after stabbing himself nine times in an apparent suicide attempt, sources told The Post. Lange's frantic mom called 911 Saturday morning after she entered his Hoboken apartment and found the bloodied funnyman, a law-enforcement source said. Lange sustained six "hesitation wounds" and three deep plunges. A source close to Lange's management team confirmed that the Howard Stern sidekick stabbed himself, adding that his mother had come to visit him that day to drop off food. Surgeons managed to save Lange despite heavy bleeding."

At first Stern said he would read the item, then changed his mind several times before deciding not to read it.

"I'm sorry. I just feel sick about this, I don't know what to do."

Stern talked about Lange and his situation for about 15 minutes. He referred to Lange's troubles with substance abuse (the cause of his absence from the show since early December) and reminisced about his early appearances on the show - at times sounding like he was eulogizing his sidekick, before saying "I don't want this to sound like a eulogy."

nexus one google phone

Will Nexus One Google Phone Challenge the iPhone? I Doubt It

It seems like every three - four months there is a new smart phone that comes out that is debated as the iPhone killer. A few months ago I wrote a post about the Verizon Droid and its commercials claiming that everything the iPhone doesn't do, Droid does. Well, this time around it's the Nexus One Google Phone that is being put up against the iPhone as analysts talk about whether the Nexus One can wrestle away some market share away from Apple's iPhone.

In the CNN Money video below Michael Copeland runs down the features of the new Nexus One Google Phone. Although there seems to be a few cool features that the iPhone doesn't have, for example voice activated everything, I don't see the Nexus One putting a big dent into iPhone sales. First of all, service for the phone is currently only available through T-Mobile which prevents anyone tied into an AT&T or Verizon contract from upgrading to the Nexus One. Secondly, the Google Apps that are available through the new phone will have less than one fifth of the applications of Apple's App Store.

The upside for the Nexus One is that Verizon is set to have it available in the spring and that as Michael Copeland states it "is a gateway drug to Google". So Nexus One users will have the benefit of the power of Google and all it's applications. We'll have to wait and see whether that is enough to outweigh the over 100,000 apps that the iPhone offers.

The Nexus One Google Phone will initially only be offered online for a price of $529 without a contract or $179 with a contract through T-Mobile. What do you think? Will the Nexus One challenge the iPhone or will it be yet another smart phone left in the wake of Apple's iPhone?

jyoti basu dead

Jyoti Basu, Veteran politician and 95 years old Marxist leader is dead. The former chief minister of Bengal was hospitalized with pneumonia and then put on a ventilator following acute breathing problems.

He was admitted last Friday and though his condition improved for some time, his health parameters turned awry from Tuesday and he had to be put on life support.

Jyoti Basu served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal for the Left Front government from June 21, 1977 to November 6, 2000.In the year 1996, he was all set to be the consensus leader of the United Front for the post of the prime minister of India. However, it did not work out due to the CPI(M) decision of not participating in the government.

Jyoti Basu resigned from the Chief Minister’s post of West Bengal in 2000, citing health reasons and was succeeded by fellow CPI(M) politician Buddhadeb Bhattacharya. Jyoti Basu hold the record for being the longest serving chief minister in the Indian political history.

casey johnson dead

Casey Johnson, who recently made tabloid headlines with an alleged engagement to the reality star Tila Tequila, has died at age 30.

The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed the news to Access Hollywood on Monday night.

Johnson, a member of the Johnson & Johnson dynasty, passed away in Los Angeles, TMZ reported.

No details were immediately available about the cause of death.

Earlier in the evening, Tequila herself confirmed the news on her Twitter account.

Tequila, posted a couple of comments on the microblogging site, shortly after reports of Casey’s death began circulating.

Everyone please pray 4 my Wifey Casey Johnson. She has passed away. Thank u for all ur love and support but I will be offline to be w family.

,wife Tila Tequila wrote on her Twitter home page this morning, but later tweeted a shocking update.

I know u can feel me Casey! Dot let go! I’m almost home baby please hang on! We have a beautiful life planned out for us! I LOVE u! Hang on!

Tila Tequila and Casey Johnson were just recently in the media for their same-sex engagement and reports say not even Tila Tequila knows why Johnson died, or if she died or that she wasn’t dead but in a coma.

Tequila and Johnson first announced their engagement via Tequila’s Ustream account on Dec. 9.

Shortly after the news broke, a rep for the Johnson family issued a statement. The Johnson family is mourning its tragic loss, and asks for privacy during this very difficult time.

Our condolences to Casey’s bereaved friends and family.

path train

PATH train service from Newark is restored after problems with bridge

PATH service has been restored from Newark's Penn Station to Journal Square in Jersey City with 10 min delays.

The Port Authority said a problem with an Amtrak dock bridge caused the service to be totally suspended earlier in the morning. Service was fully restored by 8 a.m.

Apple s Tablet

Hate to pop your so cool Apple tablet hot air bubble but …

I have pretty much tried to stay out of this whole Apple fanboy daisy-chain lovefest over the possibility of some super duper tablet being announced this month.

Except Robert Scoble just had to go and add his two cents worth about the glory that will soon be in our shaking hands (emphasis is mine).

Well I hate to be the burst everyone’s Apple loving bubbles but the tablet – or slate – or anything you want to call it – isn’t anything new. Nor is Apple the first one to walk down this road – regardless of Scoble’s fandom.



Oh and it’s not just Microsoft, as Linux has been running on tablet computers that don’t exist – well at least not before Apple says they do.

You might want to take that up with companies like Toshiba, Acer. Lenovo and HP.

But then we all know that Scoble thinks that Microsoft is old and decrepit.

Just too bad we’ve forgotten to give credit where credit is due – not everything in our tech world exists because Apple says so.

Jim Zorn

Jim Zorn Fired by Redskins

The Jim Zorn has, finally and/or officially, been fired by the Redskins. In a move that surprises no one, GM Bruce Allen announced that the team would be going in a different direction next season. Zorn was given the news at a 4 AM meeting upon the team's return from San Diego.

"The status quo is not acceptable," Allen said in a statement. "I felt it was necessary to not waste a moment of time to begin building this team into a winner."

Zorn has been on the hot seat for several months -- and more or less considered all but fired for the last few weeks -- and the Redskins are now free to pursue the available candidates out there.

It's widely rumored -- and believed by plenty of people -- that they have a deal already in place with Mike Shanahan and have circumvented the Rooney Rule by interviewing Zorn assistant Jerry Grey a month ago.

Allen has scheduled a 12:30 press conference to discuss his decision.

In his two years as Redskins head coach, Zorn produced a 12-20 record and was 6-18 in his last 24 games. Washington finished the 2009 season with a 4-12 record.

Australia flooding

More than 1,000 people have been evacuated from an outback town in Australian state of New South Wales, after days of flooding.

Two areas of the state have been declared natural disaster areas after days of the heavy rains swelled rivers and left farms cut off.

As water levels threatened to reach 5.5m (18ft), up to 1,200 people were moved from the town of Coonamble.

It comes after summer wildfires wreaked havoc on the other side of the country.

Sunday's evacuation order for Coonamble was issued because of concern about the state of levees holding back the nearby Castlereagh river.

"We are looking at a flood peak in the early hours of Monday morning at around 5.5m (18ft)," Phil Campbell, from the State Emergency Service, told state radio.

"That particular flood height does give us some concern regarding the levee that does protect 224 properties within Coonamble and, as such, an evacuation order has been issued."

Coonamble resident Ken Baker told AP television the river was the highest he had seen it in 60 years of living in the town.

Despite the damage, a number of farmers welcomed the rains, which follow a long drought.

Last week, wildfires threatened the city of Perth in Western Australia after razing dozens of homes and consuming thousands of acres of land.