Collected News

2012 Acura NSX Concept

2012-02-06T04:53:00.000-08:00

Acura is planning to return to the supercar industry with their new NSX. Since this project was dropped in 2005, and its restart has been delayed because of the negative global economy situation, Honda enthusiasts have been hoping for a new performance car.

The Acura NSX concept is believed to start mass production as early as 2015. What is so special about this car is its hybrid drivetrain. This may seem odd for a supercar, but bear in mind, that the engine will still deliver over 400 horsepower. Due to this power we expect the new NSX to perform well both on the racetrack and on the road.

The exterior design somewhat resembles the one of the Audi R8 (in terms of dimensions), but this car surely has a personality of its own. The aggressive and modern design gives the Acura NSX an interesting, high-tech look.

The engine will probably be a V6, with a cylinder capacity of 3.5 or 3.7 liter. The power output will be connected to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox that in its turn is connected to the rear-wheel drive. The NSX also features two electric motors, for a total hybrid power output of 400 horsepower.

Revealed at the Detroit Motor Show, Acura only stated that NSX will come in a coupe version, but it is rumored that a convertible variant may be available at a later time after the release.

Although the fact that the new NSX will be a hybrid exotic supercar, a dealbraker for some, this vehicle may still be fun to drive, with good performances and great fuel economy.

Josh Powell, kids die in alleged murder-suicide

2012-02-06T04:49:00.000-08:00

The case of missing Utah mother Susan Powell took a horrific turn Sunday in Washington State.
Officials say her husband, who was a person of interest in that case, killed their two children and himself.
Home video shot minutes after firefighters arrived on the scene shows Josh Powell's home engulfed in flames.

Blast kills spouse, kids of missing Utah woman

"I just heard a huge explosion," neighbor Ryan Mickle says. "It shook my house and then I ran outside and the whole house was on fire almost immediately."

Inside, officials found the bodies of Powell and his two young sons, seven-year-old Charles and five-year-old Braden.
"This wasn't an accident," Ed Troyer, of the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, declared. "This was Josh Powell, who we believe killed his kids and himself ... dead in the fire."
About ten minutes before the fire started, Powell reportedly sent his attorney an email that read, "I'm sorry. Goodbye." Then, just minutes after his children were dropped off by a social worker for a supervised visit, the explosion occurred.
"He grabbed the kids," said Troyer, "locked her out of the house, and immediately, the house went up in flames. ... We believe that the house fire went up so fast that accelerants were used."
Powell was involved in a bitter custody battle with his children's' grandparents. Last week, a Washington judge denied Powell custody of his two sons and ordered him to undergo a psycho-sexual evaluation after child pornography was found on his father's computer.
Powell's fitness as a father has been under scrutiny since the mysterious disappearance of his wife, Susan Cox Powell, from their Utah home in December, 2009. Powell told investigators that, on the night his wife went missing, he had taken his sons camping in a blizzard to a remote part of the state.
In an interview with CBS News, Powell denied having any involvement in her disappearance. Asked directly whether he killed Susan Powell, Josh Powell replied, "I've never even hurt her. People who know me know that I could never hurt Susan."
But an attorney for the Cox family says the kids had recently started to open up about what happened on the night of their mother's disappearance. Steve Downing said, "They had gone camping. Their mother had been in the trunk and later, their mom and dad walked out into the desert and mommy got lost."
At Charlie and Braden's school, students and parents gathered for a candlelight vigil.
And while investigators piece together what happened in Washington, police in Utah will be taking a fresh look at Susan Cox Powell's disappearance and Josh Powell's involvement.
"This is a terrible act of murder involving two young children," says Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor. "Let's call it like it is. Let's call it a horrible murder, because that's exactly what we have here."

2012 Super Bowl scoring summary

2012-02-06T04:45:00.000-08:00

Scoring summary from Sunday's Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and New York Giants. The Giants won 21-17.
1st quarter
08:52 New York Giants safety. Penalty on Tom Brady, intentional grounding in own end zone. NY 2 NE 0
03:24 New York Giants touchdown. Victor Cruz, 2-yard pass from Eli Manning. Lawrence Tynes converted. NY 9 NE 0
- - -
2nd quarter
13:48 New England Patriots field goal. 29 yards, Stephen Gostkowski. NY 9 NE 3
00:08 New England Patriots touchdown. Danny Woodhead, 4-yard pass from Tom Brady. Stephen Gostkowski converted. NY 9 NE 10
00:00 Halftime NY 9 NE 10
- - -
3rd quarter
11:20 New England Patriots touchdown. Aaron Hernandez, 12-yard pass from Tom Brady. Stephen Gostkowski converted. NY 9
NE 17
06:43 New York Giants field goal. 38 yards, Lawrence Tynes.
NY 12 NE 17
00:35 New York Giants field goal. 33 yards, Lawrence Tynes.
NY 15 NE 17
- - -
4th quarter
00:57 New York Giants touchdown. Ahmad Bradshaw 6-yard run. 2-point conversion attempt unsuccessful. NY 21 NE 17

Madonna's halftime show upstaged by M.I.A. middle finger

2012-02-06T04:42:00.000-08:00

For all the pomp and excess of Madonna's Super Bowl halftime extravaganza a single extended middle finger by guest singer M.I.A. is likely to be the most remembered piece of the show.
The gesture, accompanied by a barely disguised expletive, came during a performance of Madonna's new single, "Give Me All Your Luvin."' At the end of her lines, M.I.A. appeared to sing "I don't give a (expletive)," although it was hard to hear clearly.
The incident was reminiscent of Janet Jackson's infamous "wardrobe malfunction" eight years ago -- a surprise risque moment in front of tens of millions of unsuspecting viewers. The brief exposure of Jackson's nipple during the 2004 halftime show raised a storm of controversy and put CBS in hot water with the Federal Communications Commission.
The Super Bowl, shown on NBC in the U.S. this year, is routinely viewed by more than 100 million Americans, the biggest TV event of the year.
"We apologize for the inappropriate gesture that aired during halftime," NBC spokesman Christopher McCloskey said. "It was a spontaneous gesture that our delay system caught late."
The screen briefly went blurred after M.I.A.'s gesture in what was a late attempt -- by less than a second -- to cut out the camera shot. The NFL, which produces the show, had no immediate comment.
British singer M.I.A. is best known for her 2007 hit "Paper Planes," a Grammy nominee for record of the year that memorably features a sample of the Clash song, "Straight to Hell." It was featured on the soundtrack to the movie "Slumdog Millionaire."
Madonna had admittedly been nervous about her performance, hoping to position herself as the queen of a new generation of pop stars with an opulent show and a sharp performance that mixed her new release with more familiar songs. She seemed like Roman royalty when muscle-bound men carried her extravagant throne across the football field to the stage for her opening song, "Vogue."
Guests Cee Lo Green, Nicki Minaj and dance rockers LMFAO also appeared with Madonna. The singing and dancing on "Vogue" was smartly choreographed, as Madonna moved more deliberately -- she is 53 -- but still adroitly. She briefly appeared to stumble at one point while trying to make a step on the stage set, but recovered in time.
She let a tightrope walker make the more acrobatic moves during a performance of "Music."
Madonna carried gold pompons for a performance of her new single. Twitter was alight with questions about the vocals being lip synched or augmented by tapes, particularly during this song.
The best guest was clearly Cee Lo, who joined Madonna for the final song, "Like a Prayer." They were joined by a robed chorus in the show's most soaring performance. With a puff of white smoke, Madonna disappeared down a trap door in the stage, and lights on the field spelled out "World Peace."
The performance was also carried live on SiriusXM Radio, giving Madonna the biggest single audience of her career. For all the elaborate choreography and flashy effects, the finger incident is the more likely headline from the event.
Earlier, Kelly Clarkson, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert offered some pre-game patriotism. Shelton and Lambert did a twangy duet on "America the Beautiful" and Clarkson, in a simple black dress, sang "The Star Spangled Banner" without a hitch after last year's performer, Christina Aguilera, flubbed a line.

Powerball jackpot increases to $250 million

2012-02-05T08:07:00.000-08:00

The Powerball jackpot has increased to $250 million mark because no ticket matched last night's winning numbers.

The Powerball winning numbers for Feb. 4: 15-23-43-45-56.

The Powerball Red number: 7.

For information about Mega Millions, and Michigan Lottery, including Daily 3, Daily 4 and Keno, go to mlive.com/lottery.

There were no jackpot winners on Saturday. However, five tickets matched 5 numbers, but not the red Powerball number.

Those tickets were purchased in Colorado, Florida, Arizona, New York and North Carolina. Each wins $1 million. Two of the tickets used the Power Play feature and won an extra $1 million. (The payout amount is part of many changes to Powerball.)

The Powerball jackpot on Wednesday, Feb. 8 is $250 million.

Lottery officials have said big jackpots like the upcoming $250 million jackpot on Wednesday is one of the reasons for the changes in Powerball.

On Feb. 4, Michigan did have several winners, according to Michigan Lottery.

According to the Powerball website, "Powerball is a combined large jackpot game and a cash game. Every Wednesday and Saturday night at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time, we draw five white balls out of a drum with 59 balls and one red ball out of a drum with 35 red balls. Draw sales cut off at least 59 minutes before the draw."

The jackpot is won by matching all five white balls in any order and the red Powerball. Each ticket costs $2.

The second prize (won by matching five white balls in any order) is $1 million.

The overall odds of winning a prize in the game are approximately 1 in 32.

Jason Wu For Target: Released

2012-02-05T08:02:00.000-08:00

Jason Wu for Target has officially launched and while most people are busy preparing for the Super Bowl, a slew of stylish shoppers across the nation are at Target preparing their spring wardrobes by getting their hands on what’s left of the new collection.
Jason Wu for Target became available early Sunday, Feb. 5 and while the line hasn’t shut down the website like the past Target collaboration with Missoni, almost every item is already sold out online except for a few shirts and a floral canvas saddle bag.
Back in January, Target Corporation officially announced it would be partnering with favorite of the First Lady, designer Jason Wu for a limited-edition collection of women’s apparel, handbags and scarves.

“By working with Target I was able to create an accessible collection that reflects my sophisticated design aesthetic” said Jason Wu in a Target press release. “As with my main collection, special attention has been considered into every detail and I can’t wait to see girls wearing and enjoying the collection.”

The collection consists of 53 pieces including A-line silhouette dresses, tie-waist shifts and high-waisted skirts, scarves and bags and has an American girl in Paris theme. The line ranges in price from $19.99 to $59.99 for apparel and $19.99 to $49.99 for handbags and scarves.
“The collection’s Parisian inspiration is found in Wu’s exclusive muse for Target, Milu, a mischievous, illustrated black cat that will be found on a t-shirt, tote bag and silk scarf, as well as in the collection’s marketing campaign,” reads a Target press release.
The collection will be available through March 6 at Target stores and on Target.com but only what’s left of it. In the first day alone, most of the stock is sold out and that doesn’t account for in-store items. If it’s anything like Missoni, there may be only one item left hanging on the rack.
The already-successful Jason Wu collection follows a similar Target collaboration collection from Missoni.
Back in September, Target launched a limited-edition Missoni line that caused the website to crash due to the influx of visitors in the very first day. Not to mention the scene at the stores around the nation; as the sun came up and doors to Target unlocked, the tornado of people blew through grabbing everything and anything Missoni they could get their hands on.

Super Bowl Style Buffalo Chicken Dip

2012-02-05T07:46:00.000-08:00

Imagine having some Buffalo Chicken Wings without the mess or the bones. Chef Justin brings a recipe that incorporates chicken and the zesty style of the buffalo sauce without the mess or the bones. Economical and easy are Chef Justin's words du jour this morning on Sunday Brunch.
Buffalo Chicken Dip
Prep time: 5 min
Cook Time: 40 min
Ready in: 45 min

Ingredients

2 (10 oz) cans chunk chicken, drained or 1 1/4 pounds of fresh chicken cooked then diced
2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
3/4 cup pepper sauce (i.e. Frank's Red Hot)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 bunch celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces
Sampling of crackers, tortilla chips or pieces of baguette

Directions
Depending on if you like the convenience of canned chunk chicken or fresh chicken, the first step will differ somewhat. If you use canned chunk chicken you will first need to drain two 10 oz. cans before proceeding to the next step. If you prefer to use fresh chicken, you will need 1 1/4 pounds and cook it until no longer raw and then with a fork hold the chicken breast on a cutting board with your fork then use your knife and dice into smaller pieces.
Once you have chosen your chicken choice then you will need to heat your chicken through in a skillet over medium heat, with the hot sauce. Stir in the cream cheese and ranch dressing. Cook, stirring until well blended and warm. Mix in half of the shredded cheddar cheese and transfer the mixture to a slow cooker. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top, cover and cook on low until hot and bubbly.
Serve with either celery sticks, crackers, tortilla chips or pieces of baguette

Victoria Azarenka's Australian Open win 'great' for women's game

2012-01-29T05:09:00.000-08:00

VICTORIA Azarenka's Australian Open triumph means five different women have won the last five grand slams.
And on top of that, six women had a chance of becoming the world No.1 when the Australian Open began two weeks ago.
Azarenka, who is now the new No.1 after winning her first grand slam with her 6-3 6-0 defeat of Maria Sharapova on Rod Laver Arena last night, has acknowledged what an exciting time it is for women's tennis.
“Petra (Kvitova) is a great player, Maria playing really well now, you know, Serena (Williams) is back, Kim (Clijsters), I think it's great for the women's tennis,” Azarenka said.
“With Li Na winning a grand slam (French Open), Sam Stosur winning a grand slam (US Open), I think it's a great competition, and we can really look forward to the women's game. It's at a great level right now.”
Azarenka credited her stirring semi-final win over Clijsters for giving her the belief to topple Sharapova, the former Wimbledon (2004), US Open (2006) and Australian Open (2008) winner.

“It was just beating that great champion, you know, defending champion here,” Azarenka said of her 6-4 1-6 6-3 defeat of Clijsters.

“So it really helped me a lot with the self-belief, you know. You have to go through the tough matches to win the titles.

“So for me, it was a huge moment. Great learning experience. Tonight was another learning experience for me because I have never been in that position, never been in that situation. It was exciting to see how I could adjust. And I did pretty well.”

Azarenka dropped her first service game to find herself down 2-0 against Sharapova. But with only 12 unforced errors for the match compared with 30 for Sharapova she seemed in total control throughout, especially in the second set.

Azarenka thought otherwise.

“I was super nervous. I couldn't wait to actually go on the court and play. I was like, `OK, I'm ready to go. When is it coming? What time is it?

“She really started aggressive. It kind of caught me a little bit off guard, because I tried to be aggressive myself and it didn't really work. I missed few shots. But I'm glad I keep fighting and changing the momentum.”

While Azarenka is in top spot, followed by No.2 Petra Kvitova, Sharapova have moved up one place from No.4 to No.3 in the WTA world rankings. Former No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, who had held the position for the past two years, slips to No.4.

Defending champion Clijsters has suffered the biggest drop, falling from No.14 to No.30.

Remarkably Australia's Sam Stosur, who was knocked out in the first round of the Australian Open, maintains her No.5 world ranking. She did not have as many points to defend since she only reached the third round last year.

Etta James Remembered as Triumphant Trailblazer

2012-01-29T05:02:00.000-08:00

Etta James was remembered at a service Saturday attended by hundreds of friends, family and fans as a woman who triumphed against all odds to break down cultural and musical barriers in a style that was unfailingly honest.
The Rev. Al Sharpton eulogized James in a rousing speech, describing her remarkable rise from poverty and pain to become a woman whose music became an enduring anthem for weddings and commercials.
Perhaps most famously, President Barack Obama and the first lady shared their first inaugural ball dance to a version of the song sung by Beyonce. Sharpton on Saturday opened his remarks by reading a statement from the president.

"Etta will be remembered for her legendary voice and her contributions to our nation's musical heritage," Obama's statement read.

The Grammy-winning singer died Jan. 20 after battling leukemia and other ailments, including dementia. She had retreated from public life in recent years, but on Saturday her legacy was on display as mourners of all ages and races converged on the City of Refuge church in Gardena, south of downtown Los Angeles.

Among the stars performing tributes to James were Stevie Wonder and Christina Aguilera, who told the gathering that she has included "At Last" in every concert she's performed as a tribute to her musical inspiration.

Wonder performed three songs, including "Shelter In the Rain" and a harmonica solo. James' rose-draped casket was on display, surrounded by wreaths and floral arrangements and pictures of the singer.

Sharpton, who met James when he was an up-and-coming preacher, credited her with helping break down racial barriers through her music.

"She was able to get us on the same rhythms and humming the same ballads and understanding each other's melodies way before we could even use the same hotels," Sharpton said.

He said James' fame and influence would have been unthinkable to a woman with James' background — growing up in a broken home during segregation and at times battling her own demons.

"The genius of Etta James is she flipped the script," Sharpton said, alluding to her struggles with addiction, which she eventually overcame.

"She waited until she turned her pain into power," he said, adding that it turned her story away from being a tragic one into one of triumph.

"You beat 'em Etta," Sharpton said in concluding his eulogy. "At last. At last. At last!"

The assembly roared to their feet, and would again stand to applaud performances by Wonder and Aguilera, who filled the sanctuary with their voices.

"Out of all the singers that I've ever heard, she was the one that cut right to my soul and spoke to me," Aguilera said before her performance.

Throughout the service, a portrait of James as a woman who beat the odds in pursuit of her dreams repeatedly emerged.

"Etta is special to me and for me, because she represents the life, the triumphs, the tribulations of a lot of black women all over this world," said U.S. Rep Maxine Waters, D-Calif.

"It does not matter who sang 'At Last' before or after Etta. It does not matter when it was sung, or where it was sung. 'At Last' was branded by Etta, the raunchy diva — that's her signature and we will always remember her."

James won four Grammy Awards, including a lifetime achievement honor and was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. In her decades-long career, she became revered for her passionate, soulful singing voice.

She scored her first hit when she was just a teenager with the suggestive "Roll With Me, Henry," which had to be changed to "The Wallflower" in order to get airplay. Her 1967 album, "Tell Mama," became one of the most highly regarded soul albums of all time, a mix of rock and gospel music.

She rebounded from a heroin addiction to see her career surge after performing the national anthem at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. She won her first Grammy Award a decade later, and two more in 2003 and 2004.

James is survived by her husband of 42 years, Artis Mills and two sons, Donto and Sametto James.

"Mom, I love you," Donto James said during brief remarks. "When I get to the gates, can you please be there for me?"

300 arrested in Occupy Oakland protests

2012-01-29T04:52:00.000-08:00

OAKLAND, Calif. — Dozens of police maintained a late-night guard around City Hall following daylong protests that resulted in 300 arrests. Occupy Oakland demonstrators broke into the historic building and burned a U.S. flag, as officers earlier fired tear gas to disperse people throwing rocks and tearing down fencing at a convention center.
Saturday's protests — the most turbulent since Oakland police forcefully dismantled an Occupy encampment in November — came just days after the group said it planned to use a vacant building as a social center and political hub and threatened to try to shut down the port, occupy the airport and take over City Hall.
An exasperated Mayor Jean Quan, who faced heavy criticism for the police action last fall, called on the Occupy movement to "stop using Oakland as its playground."

"People in the community and people in the Occupy movement have to stop making excuses for this behavior," Quan said.

Protesters clashed with police throughout the day, at times throwing rocks, bottles and other objects at officers. And police responded by deploying smoke, tear gas and bean bag rounds, City Administrator Deanna Santanta said.

Interim Police Chief Howard Jordan said about 300 arrests were made.

"These demonstrators stated their intention was to provoke officers and engage in illegal activity and that's exactly what has occurred today," Santana said.

The group assembled outside City Hall late Saturday morning and marched through the streets, disrupting traffic as they threatened to take over the vacant Henry Kaiser Convention Center.

The protesters walked to the vacant convention center, where some started tearing down perimeter fencing and "destroying construction equipment" shortly before 3 p.m., police said.

Police said they issued a dispersal order and used smoke and tear gas after some protesters pelted them with bottles, rocks, burning flares and other objects.

The number of demonstrators swelled as the day wore on, with afternoon estimates ranging from about 1,000 to 2,000 people.

A majority of the arrests came after police took scores of protesters into custody as they marched through the city's downtown, with some entering a YMCA building, said Sgt. Jeff Thomason, a police spokesman.

Taco Bell Launches Breakfast Menu In 800 Restaurants

2012-01-27T03:06:00.000-08:00

Taco Bell breakfast menu’s made their way into 800 of the company’s 5,600 restaurants on Thursday, marking the first time that the fast food service has offered breakfast foods.
The initially launched is based mostly in the western US but the company hopes to have all restaurants nationwide serving breakfast based foods before the end of 2014.
Options on the new menu include breakfast burritos with eggs and meat, sausage and egg wraps, orange juice, coffee and other traditional American breakfast foods with a slight twist. Items currently range in price from 99 cents to $2.79.

To fully serve its breakfast options the company has partnered with some big names in the breakfast industry including Cinnabon, Seattle’s Best, Johnsonville and others.

The move is largely seen as a way for Taco Bell to expand profits at a time when poor economic conditions have led many people to eat-in rather than purchase more expensive food from local diners.

Speaking about the company’s push an executive at Taco Bell told the Associated Press: “We want to get our fair share and then some.”

In the meantime don’t expect a 6am Taco Bell breakfast burrito as the company will open later then its competitors and focus more on the younger crowd who tend to wake up later in the day.

Given the fact that I can make Johnsonville food at home in a matter of minutes I have a feeling I’ll be sticking to breakfast at home for the near future.

Would you be willing to forget about buying a McMuffin if you could eat a breakfast burrito from Taco Bell instead?

'Welcome Back Kotter' actor Robert Hegyes dies from suspected heart attack

2012-01-27T02:58:00.000-08:00

"Welcome Back Kotter" actor Robert Hegyes died Thursday in New Jersey, from a suspected heart attack.
Hegyes was a star of the 1970s comedy -- with his character Juan Epstein famous for producing faked absence letters from "Epstein's Mother" and "Epstein's Mother's Doctor" -- and was also one of its directors.
In addition, he appeared in "Cagney & Lacey."
The 60-year-old died at JFK Medical Center in Edison, N.J., after suffering chest pains at his Metuchen home Thursday morning, The Star-Ledger reported.

His brother Mark Hegyes told The Star-Ledger that the actor had suffered a heart attack a couple of years ago and had not been in full health.

Peter Loewy from Metuchen's Forum Theatre Arts Center paid tribute to Hegyes, saying, "He was a gentle guy. He had, ironically, a big heart."

Hegyes was seen at last year's TV Land Awards, where he joined many "Kotter" co-stars -- including John Travolta -- to accept a 35th Anniversary Award.

Hegyes leaves behind two children and two step-children. A funeral will be held at Flynn & Son Funeral Home in Fords, N.J., Sunday evening.

Devin Thomas is going to the Super Bowl

2012-01-25T11:54:00.000-08:00

Promising players leaving the Redskins as underachievers and then flourishing elsewhere is such a stale cliche, but darn if it hasn’t happened again. Obviously Devin Thomas wasn’t drafted in the second round of that accursed 2008 draft to be a special teams ace, but he seems to have found his niche in New York. And wouldn’t you know it, Thomas’s two fumble recoveries on Sunday were two of the biggest reasons the Giants are going back to the Super Bowl.

“After all the preparation and posturing, the difference between the Giants and the 49ers on Sunday essentially came down to a 25-year-old special-teams player who managed to be in the right position to fall on a uniquely contoured ball best known for taking strange bounces,” the New York Times’s Harvey Araton wrote.

Thomas was on ESPN 980 with Skins beat reporter Chris Russell on Monday night, and when Russell asked about going to the Super Bowl, Thomas — unprompted — brought up his former team.

“First of all let me just say shout out, big ups to all the Redskins fans,” Thomas began. “ I’ve still got a lot of love for you guys. You know, things didn’t work out, but you guys did a great job this year, knocking us off. We were 0-2 against you this year.”

And then Thomas talked about recovering those fumbles — one of which he kept after the game — and boarding a flight for home, knowing he had helped send the Giants to the Super Bowl.

Demi Moore hospitalized for 'exhaustion'

2012-01-25T11:07:00.000-08:00

It has been a whirlwind few months for Demi Moore, who's going through a split with her estranged husband, Ashton Kutcher. And now the drama has taken a toll on her health.
Moore's reps released this statement to USA TODAY this evening: "Because of the stresses in her life right now, Demi has chosen to seek professional assistance to treat her exhaustion and improve her overall health. She looks forward to getting well and is grateful for the support of her family and friends. We have no comment beyond this statement."
Additionally, TMZ reports that a 911 call was placed late Monday night and that paramedics transported the star from her L.A. home to a hospital.

L.A. City Fire Dept. spokesman Matt Spence confirmed an emergency call came from Moore's address, telling People, "We transported at least one patient to a local hospital. The patient was transported at 11:21 p.m."

Moore filed for divorce from Kutcher in November after six years of marriage.

"As a woman, a mother and a wife there are certain values and vows that I hold sacred, and it is in this spirit that I have chosen to move forward with my life," she said at the time.

Her rep confirmed to EW.com that Moore has pulled out of Lovelace, the film in which she was to play Gloria Steinem.

Moore's ex, Ashton Kutcher, hasn't mentioned the incident on Twitter at this point. He has been tweeting from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The State of the Union's Gas Market

2012-01-25T10:57:00.000-08:00

If his latest State of the Union address is anything to go by, President Obama has found religion on natural gas. Don't expect the gas industry or its investors to rejoice.
The success of the exploration and production, or E&P, sector in developing America's unconventional gas has crushed prices. This is good for bill-paying voters, so the White House would like to encourage it. Problem is, what is really needed is more demand. The oil price is now about 40 times the price of gas. On an energy-equivalent basis, oil should be only six to 10 times higher. The market is saying use less oil and more gas.

Unfortunately, that is easier said than done. The anticipated switch from coal-fired electricity to more derived from gas is proving gradual. Increased gas exports, if they happen, remain years off. Converting vehicles to run on natural gas is another strategy. But Joe Petrowski, chief executive of fuel distributor Gulf Oil, estimates there might be an extra 300,000 gas-fueled vans and trucks on the road this year, boosting gas demand by just 2%.

If gas is to strengthen anytime soon, it won't be due to surging demand, but reduced supply. Chesapeake Energy, the biggest independent U.S. gas producer, issued on Monday an effective "pre-buttal" of the president's speech, announcing drilling cutbacks.

But like other E&P companies swearing off drilling pure gas prospects, Chesapeake is redeploying investment toward fields containing higher-value oil—which usually contain some gas, too. Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co., an energy-focused investment bank, estimates 17% of current gas supply comes from liquids-rich fields, but they also account for 35% of new supply coming.

This trend is echoed by oil-field-service companies. Halliburton's and Baker Hughes's latest quarterly results show signs of profit margins on hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," services being squeezed. But while growth in demand from E&P companies is slowing, it isn't slowing fast enough. Consultant Spears & Associates forecasts North American spending on fracking services to hit $33 billion this year, up 22% from 2011.

What investors need more of is the pain being felt by producers like Chesapeake, forcing cutbacks. Despite recent cuts, the E&P sector's 2012 capital-expenditure bill is still set to be 139% of operating cash flow, according to ISI Group's Jon Wolff. He expects further capex cuts as the still-high pace of drilling for oil keeps costs up even as gas prices are low, squeezing margins. Furthermore, with banks due soon to reassess lending facilities backed by reserves, lower gas prices will reduce available E&P credit.

Gas inventories are high and likely to test the limits of storage capacity this year, which could leave some output with nowhere to go. That raises the risk of gas prices plummeting from today's already low levels at some point, particularly toward the fall, when inventories normally peak. This will likely mark the bottom of this price cycle. But only if it forces the E&P sector and consumers to find religion on more moderate drilling and higher demand, respectively.

James Farentino Dead. Actor Dies Of Heart Failure At 73

2012-01-25T10:09:00.000-08:00

Actor James Farentino, who came out throughout dozens of films and tv exhibits, died Thursday inside a LA clinic, according to a family spokesman. He was 73 years.
Farentino died of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Hospital after a long illness, said the spokesman, Bob Palmer.
Farentino starred alongside Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen in the 1980 science fiction film "The Final Countdown." The movie featured a modern aircraft carrier that travels back in time to Pearl Harbor hours before the Japanese attack.
Farentino also starred opposite Patty Duke in 1969's "Me, Natalie."
In 1967, he won a "Most Promising Newcomer" Golden Globe for his performance in the comedy "The Pad and How to Use It."
He also had recurring roles on "Dynasty," "Melrose Place," "The Bold Ones: The Lawyers" and "ER," playing the estranged father to George Clooney's character.
In 1978, he was nominated for an Emmy for his portrayal of Saint Peter in the television mini-series "Jesus of Nazareth."
A four-time divorcee, Farentino's tumultuous personal life made headlines, too.
In March 1994, he pleaded no contest to stalking his ex-girlfriend Tina Sinatra, daughter of Frank Sinatra.
In 2010, the actor was arrested at his Hollywood home on suspicion of battery when he tried to physically remove a man from his home.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1938, Farentino is survived by two sons, David and Saverio.

Insync (“Dropbox For Google Users”) Gets Major Revamp, Goes Free

2011-12-31T07:35:00.000-08:00

File registration and sharing program Insync has been around for over a assemblage now, and today, the name startup has coiled out a totally revamped edition of its "Dropbox for Google users". Insync 2.0, so t talk, is many focused on Google Docs as ever, removed standardization and sync limits, streamlined the soul live, and is now discharge to use.
The main aim aggroup here are GDocs users who requisite Dropbox-like functionality when it comes to touching files (the writer Google accounts, the writer reclaimable Insync should become). In a nutshell, Insync allows you to automatically sync, update, handle, and get files stored on GDocs on your Mac or Windows desktop (in Finder or Adventurer).
For information, nested or singular distribution of files is getable (Dropbox exclusive supports intercourse of folders), as is distribution read/write or read exclusive permissions to others. All file formats, including MP3, exe, dmg, MS Role documents, etc. are subsidized.

Insync doesn't require a sign-up anymore: righteous travel the site, mark in with your existing Google reason, download and lay the client, contact the story with your PC or Mac, and you'll see all files synced on your computer's desktop. (According to the fellowship, Insync's now simpler web app is currently in the appendage of getting another "facelift", too.)
Insync co-founder and CEO Dramatist Pua says a key projectile muzzle is damage: spell his mating now went unconfined (existing users can ask for a refund or attribute), Dropbox loses the toll comparison with Google's store offering by 1:8. For monition, US$100 a twelvemonth gets you 50GB at Dropbox but a whopping 400GB at big G (overview). For its own adps, Insync distant syncing limits only.
Insnyc, which is based out of Singapore and Manilla, honourable lifted a US$800,000 supporter global from Joi Ito (via Neoteny Labs), Philosopher Actor, Toivo Annus (co-founder at Skype), and Santosh Jayaram (ex-COO at Twitter).

UFC 141 Results: Overeem Crushes, Lesnar Announces Retirement

2011-12-31T06:11:00.000-08:00

If there was any question that Alistair Overeem belonged among the uncomparable heavyweights in the UFC, he tested it on Sabbatum night.
The previous Strikeforce and Imaging heavyweight contender as shaft as K-1 Grand Prix champ in kickboxing, mowed through Brock Lesnar equivalent a injure finished butter.
Questions were increased some Overeem's activity, his state and how he would grip the spot that had wilted so more before him stepping into the UFC Octagon for the initial case.
He answered all of that within seconds of the commencement of the defend, hunt Lesnar downbound and showing no revere of a possibility takedown.
The onetime UFC heavyweight back grabbed at Overeem's leg for a brief moment, sensing for a takedown, but the giant Dutchman shrugged him off and it was all descending from there.
"I trained my takedown protection a lot, Brock is an excellent grappler so I had to locomotion up my occupation," Overeem explicit.
Like a celebrity sightedness a injured gazelle, Overeem's sureness grew the time he stuffed Lesnar's takedowns, and when he started squirming sassy it was with virulent intention.
Overeem destroyed Lesnar to the embody with large articulation strikes and with each surprise, Lesnar's midsection took an small destroy chance, rattling his insides.
"Metropolis slight K-1 body move," Overeem said after the combat.
Finally, Overeem uncorked a huge spring to the body that landed and most like a postponed reaction, Lesnar change the rumbling direct compel trauma and elapse to his knees.
Overeem followed up with a shelling of strikes, but the seek was already over at that mark. Judge Mario Yamasaki mercifully stepped in to break the carnage, and in fewer than one discoidal, Alistair Overeem attained a UFC heading attempt and showed everyone vindicatory how critical a aeroplane he really can be.
When you face at humankind sort striking, there somebody been a lot of K-1 take fighters to changeover into MMA. Semmy Schilt gave it a go, and Effect Tag is comfort competing in the UFC.
There is no question notwithstanding that Alistair Overeem is by far the most settled airplane to changeover between MMA and kickboxing, and now he's attained a shooter at the senior instrument remaining on his hunting to greatness…the UFC heavyweight course.
"Lowly Dos Santos is close," said a positive Overeem.
People a devastating blackball after many than a gathering inaccurate from the game, Brock Lesnar was forthright and straight in his assemblage fisticuffs speech where the one quantify NCAA competitor titled it a advance.
"My hat's off to Alistair Overeem. I've had a rattling ambitious two of geezerhood with my disease. I'm accomplishment to officially say tonight was the terminal instant you'll see me in the Octagon," Lesnar said.
"I deprivation to convey the Fertittas, Dana Light, Brock Lesnar is officially old. I promised my wife and my kids if I won this battle that I would get a title remark and then that would be my live one, but if I curst tonight (I would quit), everybody you've been uppercase."
When it's all said and finished, Brock Lesnar walks departed as a 5-3 professional protector and a sometime UFC heavyweight support, but the modify he had on the athlete won't shortly be forgotten. He leaves a gift that includes being one of the greatest draws in the history of the jock, and a shielder that brought a lot of new eyeballs to MMA.
The industrialist has reversed on Lesnar's calling nevertheless, and he'll start a new chapter where he says goodbye to MMA for the worst example.
Now, the ruminate is can Alistair Overeem's rule of destruction locomote with Intermediate Dos Santos? It may not be sesquipedalian before we all reason out.