Beauty and the Geek: Episode 4.13 Winner Is Finally Announced

With this first-ever Beauty and the Geek winners chosen by America, the finale also gave the booted pairs a chance to reunite and reminisce over the past season. Although I was impatient to learn whether or not Jasmine and Dave or Sam and Nicole won, I have to admit I got some good laughs while waiting.

Spoilers ... I mean, this IS the finale!

Overall, the returning partners looked much the same. For the most part, the geeks' makeovers were still intact, and a couple of the girls had new looks: Rebecca dyed her honey-blonde hair to a dark brown/black, while Holly's hair was a long, feathered Farrah 'do. Pretty much all of the ladies looked great, but I admit I was really happy to see Shay in her leopard-print dress greet little Joshua the most.

A retrospective of Dave and Jasmine followed, leading up to their reunion. Will Jasmine always look so cute? It's been four months since the last episode was taped till today's results finale, so she was appropriately jubilant to see Dave. Not so great was host Mike Richards giving her a chance to touch the tarantula, lovingly named Pinky, that she avoided during the Bronson Caves challenge.

Then it was Sam and Nicole's turn, and I must admit that Nicole looked good. She did something with her hair. Their reunion was less heartfelt and sweet. It was actually Sam's reunion with Rebecca, his main squeeze in the mansion, that seemed to be more emotional. Although there was some talk about his missing her the whole time, I have my doubts. Rebecca apologized to Nicole for the midnight makeout madness, and Nicole forgave her. What I want to know is: Has Sam ever apologized for his part in it?

What Else We Learned

The viewers' biggest Beauty crush - Sam
The viewers' choice for geekiest Geek - Joshua (second place: Josh)
Beauties going back to their studies: Holly - anthropology; Jen - realtor's license
Geek dating lives - Josh has a girlfriend; Luke is a player (averaging 2-3 dates a week!!)

I very much enjoyed a spotlight on Shay and Joshua, whom Mike called the Fan Favorites. It was hilarious when Mother Hen Shay and Joshua's real mom Marla met, making Joshua all meek: "I'm afraid to interrupt either of them." It was also very sweet because Joshua acknowledged that Shay's bossiness towards him came from a place of caring. Awww.

Rebecca sure got a lot of attention. First there was all the Sam business, then she was asked her opinion about Sam liking Amanda first. Finally, when Josh was showing off his self-makeover (Sheesh. Good job, I say.), she had to give him a full-body oil massage since she had promised she would if he removed his body hair.

Finally, it was time to reveal the winners. Each couple was given an envelope: one containing a check for $250,000, and the other, only mocking emptiness. Once I heard the squeal, I knew all was right with the world. Jasmine and Dave had triumphed over their formidable foes and claimed the final victory in the battle of Beauty and the Geek.

Highlights/Thoughts:

- Will, with his resonant voice, was just as annoying apologizing for his annoyingness on the show.
- Jasmine, explaining why she was hurt with Dave's initial repugnance for her: "I thought that even if I didn't get along with none of the girls, at least I'd have my geek."
- Will congratulating Nicole on her sneaky strategy: "That was magnificent! You played Sam, Rebecca and me like a virtuoso. You have to respect the skills."
- Mike ad-libbing after Sam asks who wrote in about his muscles: "M. Richards"
- An emotional Jasmine to someone offscreen after winning: "You're crying. I'm not crying."

Do you agree with the results? Did you vote? Who were you happiest about seeing again?

Source: zap2it.com

Spice 1 Shot and Wounded In Driveway

HAYWARD — The 37-year-old Hayward man shot Monday while sleeping in his car has been identified as Bay Area rapper Spice 1, whose real name is Robert Green.

Green was seriously wounded in the shooting and is recovering at a local hospital, Hayward Police Lt. Reid Lindblom said.

Lindblom said that Green has been interviewed at the hospital by detectives but did not have additional details.

"He said he dozed off in his car," Lindblom said. "He guessed he had been in his car for about 30 minutes."

Green apparently had been been sleeping in his car in the driveway of a house on the 26000 block of Chiplay Avenue when, at about 12:30 a.m., he became aware that someone was standing next to the vehicle. A shot was fired through the car window, and Green was hit in the chest, according to Lindblom.

Green then went into his house and family members called 9-1-1, he said.

Nothing was stolen from the victim or taken from the vehicle. The shooter was described as a white or Hispanic male about 5 feet 7 inches tall and dressed all in black.

Lindblom said investigators do not have a suspect or a motive for the shooting. Investigators are processing his vehicle for evidence, he said.

Green's manager, Scott Bibiano, who goes by the nickname "Six," said Tuesday that the residence belongs to Green's parents. Bibiano said that Green is in critical condition and has been through surgery.

Bibiano added that Green's parents have been with Green and that they are holding up well.

Green has released more than a dozen albums since the early 1990s; his latest, "Thug Association," was released earlier this year.

Bibiano said that he and Green were in Las Cruces, N.M., and El Paso, Texas, over the weekend for performances.

"He is well respected in the rap community," Bibiano said of Green. "He is one of the icons, one of the fathers that started it in the Bay Area."

Green has worked with several high-profile rappers, including East Bay rapper "Too Short," as well as Tupac Shakur, who was shot and killed in 1996.

The Associated Press also reported Tuesday that 33-year-old rapper Chad Butler, known as "Pimp C," was found dead in a Los Angeles hotel room on Tuesday. Butler collaborated with Green in the past.

Hayward City Councilwoman Doris Rodriquez lives around the block from where Green was shot. She said she did not know Green, but was unnerved by the shooting.

"It's pretty close to home," she said. "It's always been a fairly quiet neighborhood, but periodically things have happened."

She said neighbors recently formed a Neighborhood Watch due to shootings and a firebombing that occurred in the neighborhood earlier this year.

Anyone with additional information is encouraged to call the Hayward Police Department at 510-293-7000.

Source: insidebayarea.com

Rapper Pimp C Found Dead in Hollywood Hotel

Pimp C, real name Chad Butler -- and one half of the rap duo UGK, was found dead in a hotel room this morning. He was 33.

L.A. County Fire responded to a 911 call at the Mondrian Hotel, located on trendy Sunset Strip in Hollywood. They arrived to his sixth floor hotel room to find him dead in bed.

UGK is best known for appearing on the Jay-Z track "Big Pimpin'" in 2000, and more recently with Outkast on the song "International Player's Anthem (I Choose You)." Pimp C had just performed with fellow rapper Too Short at the "House of Blues" in L.A. on Saturday night. Jive Records has issued the following statement regarding Pimp C's death:

"It is with great sadness that Jive Records announces the passing of Chad "Pimp C" Butler, a member of the celebrated rap duo UGK (Underground Kingz). Jive Records' President and CEO Barry Weiss states: "We mourn the unexpected loss of Chad. He was truly a thoughtful and kind-hearted person. He will be remembered for his talent and profound influence as a pioneer in bringing southern rap to the forefront. He will be missed and our prayers remain with his family and Bun B. I've known Chad since he was 18, and we loved him dearly and he was a cherished member of the Jive family."

Born in Port Arthur, Texas, Butler's father was a trumpet player who played professionally with Solomon Burke. Outside of his father, the 33-year old rapper's influences varied, ranging from Bobby Bland, Jimmy McGriff, the 1960's Motown artists to Run DMC. Butler met his inseparable partner Bernard "Bun B" Freeman in high school where they formed UGK. In 1992, the duo signed to Jive Records and went on release a total of eight albums for the label. They earned their highest achievement earlier this year when their most recent album, UGK (Underground Kingz), debuted in the number one position on the album pop chart. According to the New York Times, UGK "helped inspire a generation of Southern hip-hop stars, from OutKast to Lil Wayne."

Source: TMZ

Eat, Pray, Love - Finding Inspiration Off The Beaten Track (by Elizabeth Gilbert)

Eat, Pray, Love is a short yet powerful book by Elizabeth Gilbert. The full title of the book is "Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia".

Part memoir about the author's breakup from an unfulfilling (yet not terrible) marriage and part travelogue, Eat, Pray, Love is a chatty book that reads like one long letter from a girlfriend.

She's unsparing about her own failings and problems and doesn't place the blame for her divorce on her ex - instead, she beautifully expresses the existential "Is this all there is?" angst that so many women feel who have bought into the American dream of husband, house in the suburbs, and child, only to realize that in their heart they desire none of those things.

When Elizabeth Gilbert realizes that marriage and kids aren't for her (at least, with this particular man, at this particular time in her life,) she embarks on a personal, funny, and moving quest to find out just what IS right for her.

And she takes us on the journey with her.

Through the author's optimistic and breezy recounting of her adventures, we get to travel with her to Italy, India and Indonesia. Part spiritual quest, part journey of self-discovery, and part hedonistic escapade, her experience echoes what so many women go through. How do you find meaning and spirituality while also fully celebrating the wonderful things that life in a physical body can offer you? Through her, we taste the gourmet wonders of Italy, learn about repose and meditation at an Indian ashram, and embark on an unpredictable yet entertaining affair while pursing mystical knowledge with a funny medicine man in Bali. (Yes, it turns out there are such things as funny medicine men. Spiritual advisors and healers aren't all deadly serious, Gilbert discovers.)

This is a great stocking stuffer type of book -- a short, breezy read. I'm giving copies to the girlfriends in my life who have pursued all the trends like yoga, Pilates, crystals, massage, and so forth while at the same time finding those traditions (which are too often into denial of bodily pleasure) stultifying and restrictive.

I love Gilbert's message about how we can all find a balance between the pleasures of the body and the joys of the soul. I fully believe that that's what we're here to achieve, anyway.

I mean, c'mon. We're spiritual beings, sure, but we've chosen to hang out in these bodies for a while. Why not charge them with passion, joy, and pleasure? Doesn't that make us more able to extend love and positive energy to others, because we ourselves are experiencing life as JOY instead of LACK?

Repressing desire, repressing fun, or cutting out too many carbs only lasts so long on the spiritual path. As with all things, eventually we must come full circle - and as this happens we usually strive for a balance of living in both worlds. We're spiritual beings having a material experience. Both aspects of our nature should be honored and celebrated, and this book inspires readers to do just that.

This book is perfect for the armchair traveler in your life interested in gaining a glimpse into exotic places, and it will also resonate with women in your life who have loved and lost, loved and hated, and loved and despaired only to later find joy again. Inspiring and fun, you've got to check out this book!

I don't always agree with Oprah's book recommendations, but this was actually a book I wanted to write a review on for some time, and when I saw that Oprah was featuring it on her show today, I said - let me share my own impressions of this entertaining and enlightening book.

In short, I say get a copy - and consider stocking up on a few extra editions for those women in your life who are seeking ways to remain "good girls" while still craving some "bad girl" experiences. This book shows you that craving love, wanting good food, or desiring more than what you have doesn't make you "bad." It simply means that your spirit is expanding in what it needs to feel fulfilled.

And that's a good thing.

Source: lipstickmystic.com

Did Filomena Kill Seth Tobias?

The death of investment manager Seth Tobias is becoming the center of controversy Tuesday after his brothers claim Tobias' widow planned his death.

Brothers brothers, Samuel, Spence, Scott and Joshua, claim that Filomena Tobias drugged her husband and lured him into the pool, where he drowned.

A former assistant to Seth Tobias has told the police that Filomena Tobias confessed to him that she had lured her husband, who was on a cocaine binge, into the water, promising him sex with a male go-go dancer know as "Tiger." A lawyer for Filomena Tobias has called the claims outrageous.

The plot thickened when it emerged that Filomena Tobias had paid $9,628 to have the pool drained and resurfaced just days after her husband died.

Seth Tobias formed Circle T in 1996, with $4 million, and parlayed that into a $300 million hedge fund and brokerage firm. Circle T is in the process of returning investors’ funds; clients have not lost money.

Tobias counted among his investors Samuel Zell, the billionaire who recently agreed to buy the Tribune Company.

He managed to make a name for himself on financial-news television, appearing on “Squawk Box” and “Kudlow & Company” on CNBC.

His lavish lifestyle led to heavy expenditures, cocaine use and frequent visits with his wife to Cupids, a gay bar in West Palm Beach with televisions constantly showing with hardcore gay pornography. Cupids is where he met "Tiger".


Source: news.finditt.com

9/11 Mystery Plane Spurs Conspiracy (Plus Video)

The events surrounding 9/11 have prompted one of the fastest growing conspiracy movements in American history (perhaps even set to eclipse the conspiracy theories surrounding the Kennedy assassination in scope and popular interest). Adding fuel to this fire is a new CNN report on the "mystery plane" -- a Boeing 747 identified as the E-4B, the National Airborne Operations Center -- that flew over the White House on Sept. 11.

Conspiracy theorists say the airplane is proof that the government coordinated the attacks (that raises the question: why then would the government do something so obvious as to fly the "attack coordination" aircraft over the White House). Complicating attempts to refute such theories is that the government apparently won't confirm this is the E-4B, or to explain why it was flying over the White House on 9/11.

Source: CNN

Facebook Founder Loses Court Battle Against 02138 Magazine

A federal judge ruled against Facebook Inc. on Friday, denying two emergency motions to force 02138 magazine to take down documents regarding Mark E. Zuckerberg, the company’s founder.

The documents—which included Zuckerberg’s Harvard College application, his personal diary, and an e-mail he wrote to the College’s Administrative Board—are evidence in an ongoing court battle between Facebook and ConnectU, a social networking site founded by Harvard students who employed Zuckerberg before he went on to found Facebook.
The ConnectU founders allege that Zuckerberg, formerly of the Class of 2006, stole their ideas, including some of the source code for their site.

In the copy of the diary that is posted on the magazine’s Web site, Zuckerberg detailed potential features for the original Facebook, as well as how he would acquire the photographs and data for the first version.

“The Kirkland facebook is open on my computer desktop and some of these people have pretty horrendous facebook pics,” he wrote in a diary entry in October 2003, referring to the undergraduate House where he resided at the time. “I almost want to put some of these faces next to pictures of farm animals and have people vote on which is more attractive.”

Facebook argued that the documents were under court seal and should not have been released. The company’s lawyers notified 02138 on Thursday morning that they had filed the motions, giving the magazine less than two days’ notice to appear in court on Friday.

Bom S. Kim ’00—the founder of 02138, a magazine geared toward Harvard alums—said in a phone interview that the reporter who wrote the story about Zuckerberg simply walked into federal court and asked for the documents.

“We obtained them legally—it’s a matter of free speech,” Kim said. “This isn’t a new tactic—a big company trying to suppress information by harnessing their resources and lawyers to overwhelm media outlets.”

According to Kim, U.S. District Court Judge Douglas P. Woodlock recognized 02138’s First Amendment right to publish the information.

“We were relieved and happy,” Kim said. “It’s a good day for journalism.”
Richard Bradley, the executive editor of the magazine, echoed Kim in an entry he posted on his blog, “Shots in the Dark.”

“[T]his is a victory for the ability of the American press to do its job,” Bradley wrote, “even when a $15 billion company brings its legal guns to bear on you.”

Representatives from Facebook did not respond to requests for comment

Source: thecrimson.com

Redskins Pay Respects at Sean Taylor Funeral

MIAMI, Dec. 3 -- Washington Redskins players, coaches and officials joined thousands of other mourners to pay their final respects to slain teammate Sean Taylor in a massive funeral service Monday at Florida International University's Pharmed Arena.

As the players filed into the 5,000-seat arena along with Taylor's friends, relatives and NFL players and dignitaries, two large screens showed highlights from the Pro Bowl free safety's football career, starting with clips from high school and scenes from his playing days at the University of Miami, where he helped lead the Hurricanes to a national championship in 2001.

At a vigil Sunday night at his alma mater, Taylor's girlfriend, Jackie Garcia, said he had been "planning to come back and attend school in January; it was his dream to graduate." Taylor was a first-round draft pick of the Redskins in 2004 and quickly earned a reputation as one of the hardest-hitting defensive backs in the NFL.

Among those attending Taylor's funeral were NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Redskins owner Daniel Snyder and Coach Joe Gibbs. They were scheduled to offer tributes, along with Redskins tailback Clinton Portis, a University of Miami teammate of Taylor's; former Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington; and Taylor's agent, Drew Rosenhaus.

The group of current and former Redskins was joined by a large contingent from the Florida City, Fla., police department. Taylor's father, Pedro Taylor, is chief of police there.

Also attending was O.J. Simpson, the Hall of Fame running back who faces trial in Las Vegas on charges of armed robbery and kidnapping after a September incident involving two sports memorabilia dealers. Simpson told other attendees that he had encouraged his own alma mater, the University of Southern California, to recruit Taylor.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson accompanied Pedro Taylor into the arena. Garcia's uncle, actor Andy Garcia, was in a late-arriving group of family members who made their way into the arena as a choir sang gospel music.

Taylor, 24, died at Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital on Nov. 27, a day after being shot in the upper thigh at his Palmetto Bay home during an apparent burglary attempt. The bullet struck his femoral artery, and he bled profusely before paramedics arrived on the scene. With him in his house at the time of the break-in were Garcia and their 18-month-old daughter. They were unharmed.

Police last week arrested four young men and charged them with unpremeditated murder in the case. Authorities said the men did not know that Taylor was home when they broke into the house and that one of them shot Taylor when he surprised them.

The funeral was held a day after another in a series of tough losses by the Redskins, this one a 17-16 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills on a last-minute field goal. The team is scheduled to play again on Thursday against the Chicago Bears.

Thousands of fans paid tribute to Taylor at Sunday's game, many of them sporting jerseys or towels with his No. 21 on them. All stadiums around the league observed a moment of silence to honor Taylor, and players wore stickers with his number on their helmets.

Source: Washington Post

Keeping Up with the Kardashians: All The Info, Kim, Kourtney ....

Keeping Up with the Kardashians: Season 1 Finale "The Price of Fame" Recap

The best thing about Keeping Up with the Kardashians being an E! reality series is that the season only lasts eight episodes, so tonight brings the season finale. Sadly, it was renewed for a second season, but that's a long way away, so instead, let's revel in the fact that this is the last we'll see of this family for a while (at least in original reality series form).

Kim Kardashian is signing photos of herself at some car show. Everyone wants to know about her personal life, and she's upset about all the rumors of what famous people she's dating. I guess she wishes instead they'd ask her about her opinions on the Iraq War. Kim's publicist is calling to ask about some rumors about her dating Terrence Howard. Apparently sister Kourtney Kardashian got her picture taken with him, and the press confused the two of them. I understand that.

Kim goes online to read about the men she's been linked to, and only four out of 10 are true. Her sisters beg her to ignore it, but get momentarily sidetracked by the fact that their mom's screensaver is of Kim and not her other children. The next day, Kim goes on Ryan Seacrest's radio show to clear up stuff about her relationships. Seacrest in! He runs through a list of male celebrities Kim is rumored to be linked with. The founder of Girls Gone Wild, Joe Francis? Her sister is friends with him, but it's false. Pete Wentz, bassist for Fall Out Boy? She just starred in one of their music videos where she kissed him, but she also kissed a monkey in that video. Ryan claims he's also kissed a monkey, which makes me love Ryan Seacrest so much.

Terrence Howard? No. Football star Reggie Bush? Kim avoids the question, which Ryan immediately picks upon as an admission of guilt. Kim gives a non-answer, saying she's taking a sabbatical from dating because dating her involves dating her whole family. Ryan is horrified at the notion of dating Kim's mom Kris Kardashian. Ha! Seacrest out!

Kim gets a call from a tabloid editor friend who says there's a photographer trying to sell photos of Kim, Kourtney and some guy naked. She doesn't deny it, but Kim says she knows where the pictures came from. Kim cries to her mom, saying she doesn't want to go through this again. Well, stop letting people take naked pictures of yourself.

The photos were from high school, with Kourtney and her boyfriend. Kim stole the photos as a joke, but lost them. OK, so everyone in this family exhibited poor judgment. Kris tells Khloe Kardashian about the situation and asks her to keep Kourtney busy while Kris and Kim deal with it. They call up their lawyer and are told that since the photos are from high school and Kourtney is underage, it's child pornography. So the guy is trying to sell kiddie porn, but in all fairness, couldn't Kourtney also be busted for MAKING kiddie porn?

They track it down to a friend of Kim's ex-husband, Damon Thomas, who stayed at his house and took the photos. The lawyer tells them the FBi is getting involved. Glad to see the FBI's priorities are in order. Finally, they let Kourtney in on what's going on, and Kim is more upset than Kourtney. Kourtney is more willing to accept responsibility, but claims everyone has sex with their boyfriend and takes pictures. Kris shows a glimmer of motherhood by saying not everyone takes pictures.

The FBI guys show up to interview the family. But first, Kris has to explain what happened to husband Bruce Jenner. He takes it as good as can be expected, first thinking it's TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes. Then Kourtney has to tell boyfriend Scott, and he thinks she's mad because the photos are from before her boob job. I LOVE SCOTT! He doesn't understand why she's fixated on the age. Scott says he didn't take naked photos of himself when he was 17, and somehow Kourtney doesn't believe him. He still supports her, for some reason.

Kris tries to explain the situation to the mini Kards, and does that "I'll tell you when you're older" stuff. The next day, they find out the FBI got the photos and the guy, so it's all good. Kris says they all learned a valuable lesson: don't trust anyone. Wow, that could not be further from the real lesson, which is: don't take naked pictures or make sex tapes of yourself. Also, did they not learn this lesson from Kim's sex tape? I guess in the Kardashian family, you need to screw up twice before you recognize it's a problem.

The whole clan gets together, and so ends the first season of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. See you this spring, when the family will struggle to manufacture eight more wacky scenarios for them to air.

Source: Buddy TV

One Laptop Per Child Orders Surge As Negroponte Claims Momentum Growing

The One Laptop Per Child Foundation has just secured an order for 260,000 of the low cost machines from the government of Peru. Despite a lower than expected take up from foreign governments, Nicholas Negroponte claims that this latest success could mean the momentum will now build.

Negroponte is the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) professor who set up the foundation in 2005 to provide affordable laptops to schoolchildren around the world. In an interview on Friday, he revealed news of the Peru order, as well as saying that Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim had purchased 50,000 of the machines for distribution in his country.
The not for profit organisation wants to eventually offer laptops for $100 or less, with the current price $188. The idea behind the whole project is to convince governments of developing countries to buy the machines, and distribute them to poor schoolchildren to enable them to have access to technology normally unavailable due to costs.

Just last week, the education minister of Nigeria, Dr Igwe Aja-Nwachuku claimed that the project was senseless until the basic facilities such as seats and uniforms were put in place.
There has also been intense competition to the idea of an affordable for all laptop from the commercial sector in the form of Microsoft and Intel.

Due to the lack of uptake of the original plan, OLPC introduced the Give One, Get One program, with participants buying two of the laptops for $400: one for themselves; and one for a child in the developing country.

According to The Boston Globe, Robert Fadel, the OLPC Foundation’s director of finance and operations, claims that since the Give One Get One program began on November 12th, the foundation has received about $2 million in orders every day. That equated to 190,000 laptops in total, with at least 95,000 of those going to kids in developing countries.

I hope the OLPC’s mission succeeds, as there’s no doubt it’s a great aim to enable children in less well off countries to be able to have access to this technology that we all take for granted.

Source: tech.blorge.com

Nicholas Negroponte (One Laptop Per Child) Sued for Patent Infringement

Among its other problems - like failing to get orders from third-world governments, competing against Intel and Microsoft, and the seeing the price of its Holy Grail rise from $100 to $200 - One Laptop Per Child and its do-gooder-in-chief Nicholas Negroponte are now being sued for patent infringement in Nigeria on a Nigerian patent (RD8489) by a US-based Nigerian-owned outfit called Lagos Analysis Corporation.

Lagos claims the non-profit reversed engineered its Shift2 keyboard driver source codes.
Lagos says it developed advanced multi-lingual keyboard technology using four shift keys and characters which when pressed while typing normally produce language-critical accents, symbols and diacritical marks. The widgetry appears in Lagos' region-specific Konyin Multilingual Keyboards.

Lancor claims OLPC bought two of the keyboards and ripped the technology off even though the OLPC and the Konyin keyboards are different.

Lancor, which intends to file suit elsewhere, claims OLPC put the functionality in another key.
Last we heard OLTP hadn't seen the suit.

Nigeria initially agreed to buy a million XO laptops from OLPC but reneged on the deal in part because of the higher price and in part because - according to what its education minister Dr Igwe Aja-Nwachuku told the BBC the other day - "What is the sense of introducing One Laptop Per Child when they don't have seats to sit down and learn; when they don't have uniforms to go to school in; when they don't have facilities."

So, failing Nigeria, the first 300,000 AMD-based XOs are in production and some of them are bound for Rwanda, Afghanistan, Cambodia, Haiti and Mongolia. The rest are bound for upscale American homes under OLPC's $399 Give One, Get One scheme, which started November 12 and was only supposed to run for two weeks but has been extended to December 31.
Oh, yes, and Intel is giving 3,000 of its competing Classmates to Nigeria.

Source: wireless.sys-con.com

Brazilian Kaka named European Footballer of the Year 2007

AC Milan playmaker Kaka has been named European player of the year for 2007, with Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United in second place.

The Brazilian, 25, was the Champions League's top scorer last season with 10 goals as he led his team to the title, beating Liverpool in Athens in the final.

He wins the Golden Ball after amassing 444 points in France Football's survey of 96 journalists from around the world.

Each was asked to vote on a shortlist of 50 players and Ronaldo came a distant second with 277 points. United winger Ronaldo, 22, was also in sensational form last term, scoring 25 goals in all for the Barclays Premier League club and Portugal.

Barcelona's 20-year-old Argentina forward Lionel Messi came third in the vote after emerging as a world-class talent for club and country.

The same trio - Kaka, Ronaldo and Messi - have also been shortlisted for FIFA's world player of the year award which will be announced in Zurich on December 17.

Chelsea's Didier Drogba came fourth in France Football's vote.

Source: Daily Mail UK

"Beauty and The Geek" Viewers Vote for the Winner! Sam Horrigan ?

In a surprise twist on Tuesday night's episode of "Beauty and the Geek," viewers learned that for the first time in the history of the series, they will be able to vote for the winning team of the show's $250,000 grand prize! The season finale of "Beauty and the Geek," in which America's winner is revealed, will air on Tuesday, December 4 (7:00 - 8:00 PM) on KCWI.

In a plea to America, finalists Sam Horrigan and Nicole Morgan viewers say they deserve to win because they were the most unique couple in the house and taught each other how to live and learn. Jasmine and Dave feel they deserve to win because they overcame their first bad impressions of each other to bring out one another's strong points.

As instructed during last night's episode, viewers can text A for Jasmine and Dave or B for Nicole and Sam to 72227 or visit www.cwtv.com to vote for their favorite team. Voting ends at 12:00 p.m. ET on Friday, November 30.

"Beauty and the Geek" is from fox21 and is produced by Katalyst Films and 3 Ball Productions with executive producers Ashton Kutcher & Jason Goldberg ("Guess Who," "Punk'd"), Nick Santora ("Prison Break," "The Sopranos"), J.D. Roth ("The Biggest Loser," "For Love or Money") and Todd A. Nelson ("The Biggest Loser," "For Love or Money").

Source: BuddyTv

Story Of Jesse James Hollywood - "Alpha Dog"

Jesse James Hollywood (born January 28, 1980 in Los Angeles, California) is an American drug dealer and fugitive. He allegedly kidnapped and ordered the murder of Nicholas Markowitz. Ryan Hoyt, a "posse member" of Jesse James Hollywood, has been convicted of the slaying of Markowitz on August 9, 2000. Hoyt reportedly owed Hollywood money for drugs and was offered the opportunity to kill Markowitz as a way of erasing his debt. Hoyt was convicted of 1st degree murder and was sentenced to death. He currently is on death row at San Quentin State Prison in California.

Hollywood's drugs trade allowed him to acquire a small fortune with which he bought a $200,000 property in the San Fernando Valley area of Southern California and numerous exotic sports cars.

He was profiled on America's Most Wanted on June 12, 2004. Upon being captured, AMW showed him again on March 12 and April 2, 2005. Hollywood was found to be living in Saquarema, Brazil. American authorities worked with Brazilian agents and found out that Hollywood was supposed to meet a cousin in a mall. He was arrested by Interpol agents in Saquarema on March 8, 2005, at 11:35am, and was returned to the United States on March 10, 2005.

He is currently awaiting trial in California, starting after 2007. If found guilty, he could face the death penalty.


Alpha Dog

In January 2007, the movie Alpha Dog, based on Jesse Hollywood and the kidnap and murder of Nicholas Markowitz, premiered at the Sundance Film festival. The film stars Emile Hirsch (as Hollywood, under the name Johnny Truelove), Justin Timberlake, Bruce Willis, Sharon Stone, Ben Foster and Harry Dean Stanton. Universal Studios originally set a release date in May 2006, but the film was pushed back to be released on January 12, 2007.

During filming, Santa Barbara County Deputy District Attorney Ronald J. Zonen provided copies of virtually every document in his file and served as an unpaid consultant to the film, citing his desire to have Hollywood captured. Zonen prosecuted Hollywood’s co-defendants and was poised to prosecute Hollywood. This alleged conflict of interest led to the decision by the California Court of Appeal for the Second District, who ruled on October 5, 2006 that, based on Zonen's disclosure of the files—which included confidential information and service as consultant to the film—he should be recused from further involvement in prosecuting Hollywood.

On December 20, 2006, the California Supreme Court granted review on Hollywood and a factually-unrelated case, Haraguchi v. Superior Court, involving the recusal of another prosecutor from Zonen's office, thus effectively staying the order to recuse Zonen. It is unclear how long it will take for the California Supreme Court to decide whether Zonen or his colleague will remain on their respective cases.

NBC's Dateline and Fox Network's America's Most Wanted have been covering this story extensively. You can get the Alpha Dog DVD Here>>>

Gibbs Aquada: First Boatmobile You Can Afford - Coming To America

Looking a bit like an MX-5 that got tired of land-bound living and returned to the sea, the Gibbs Aquada is nearly the automotive equivalent of a dolphin. It's sleek and fast in the drink, but the little amphibious roadster can still crawl out of the soup and go prowling around on four wheels. Once on dry land, the Aquada's no slouch, either; it's capable of running 100 plus mph.

Popular Mechanics managed to snag a ride in a stateside example and while messing about in boats, PM got some exciting news. No, we still don't know what's in Spam, but the Aquada is coming to the States to be sold with the Federal seal of safety approval. You may need to get a boater's license before you can take to the seas, but Gibbs contends that the Aquada will resist sinking mightily, even if swamped. That's comforting for something with such little freeboard, but don't worry, you'll bob like a cork after your wallet's been lightened at the dealer. The sale price in the US is expected to slot in around $100,000, a veritable fire sale compared to the $200,000 tab across the Atlantic. A good convertible will set you back at least $20,000, and an enjoyable runabout will cost at least as much, plus fuel, docking, and winter storage, to name a few. So $100,000 will likely be cheaper than owning a car and a nice little boat once the final tally is in. We wonder if Gibbs is going to try to circumvent shipping the cars, and just shove them off from the dock with an encouraging "off you go, watch out for rogue waves."

- Popular Mechanics

Fuse TV Drops Pants-Off Dance-Off

In an effort to rebrand itself as the home for all things music, Fuse is lighting up two U.K.-produced original music series and undressing its staple program, Pants-Off Dance-Off.

Seven months into his tenure as Fuse's president, Eric Sherman is taking the Cablevision Systems-owned channel back to its musical roots by offering a mix of original and acquired music fare, such as the British music-related interview series Planet Rock, and by scrapping off-brand reality shows such as the iconic Pants-Off Dance-Off, in which people strip on-air to their favorite songs.

"With Fuse, music is in the DNA of everything we do," he said. "Over the last year or so we might have strayed from that a little bit, but our focus moving forward is to strengthen our commitment to music going forward."

- Multichannel News

UCLA knocked No. 2 USC out of the Bowl

(2) USC 9, UCLA 13

PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- Southern California's dejected players trudged off the Rose Bowl field, oblivious to the celebration going on around them.
Their national championship hopes had just ended with the biggest upset of the season.

UCLA knocked No. 2 USC out of the Bowl

Championship Series title game with a stunning 13-9 victory over its crosstown rival Saturday. The Bruins did it with a vastly improved defense and a quarterback starting on three days' notice.

"Give credit to UCLA. They made it a difficult day," said USC coach Pete Carroll, whose team lost for just the fourth time in its last 59 games. "They kept us from doing what we wanted to do. We had no rhythm. We did not anticipate this happening."

Neither did most fans of either team. The Trojans hammered the Bruins 66-19 last season to lock up a second straight appearance in the BCS title game, and figured to win again, if not by such a one-sided score, to make it three in a row.

It wasn't to be. "I didn't believe it until the clock hit zero. All we wanted to do was stay close and get a chance to win," UCLA coach Karl Dorrell said. "I know how important this win is for the Bruin family. I know that it's been a long time."

Since 1998, to be exact. The Trojans had beaten the Bruins seven straight times. Before that, UCLA beat USC eight times in a row.

see the rest of this story here>>

Pittsburgh Football Coach Wannstedt Gets Three-Year Extension

It appears Pittsburgh is not ready to give up on head coach Dave Wannstedt.

Despite three straight losing seasons under his direction, the Panthers are poised to give Wannstedt a three-year extension that takes him through 2012, a person familiar with the deal told ESPN's Joe Schad on Friday.

The deal leaves Wannstedt with five years left on his contract and provides a slight raise over his current $1 million a year salary, a source told Schad.

Pitt is expected to make a formal announcement at Saturday's 100th Backyard Brawl at No. 2 West Virginia.

At his introduction as the Panthers new athletic director on Friday, Steve Pederson gave Wannstedt his vote of confidence.

"Absolutely, I'm a supporter of Dave Wannstedt, and I'm going to do everything I can for him to be successful," said Pederson, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "He's our football coach and I want him to be our football coach.

"I'm not in a position to talk about [a contract extension] right now. But I think we will be in the very short term."

Wannstedt is 15-19 overall in three seasons with the Panthers. Pitt is 4-7 overall and 2-4 in the Big East this season.

-ESPN

World marks World AIDS Day

Tens of thousands of people filed into a Johannesburg stadium for a 10-hour music extravaganza beamed to millions around the globe to mark World AIDS Day.

The concert at the 50,000-seater Ellis Park stadium featured 30 local and international artists performing, ranging from Ludacris to Peter Gabriel.

The event was organised by the 89-year-old Nelson Mandela's 46664 AIDS campaign, named after his prison number from his 27 years in jail during South Africa's apartheid regime.

Thirteen years after apartheid ended and after Mr Mandela became president in South Africa's first ever democratic elections, the country is now on the front line of the struggle against HIV.

Around 5.5 million of its 48 million people are infected - the world's worst rate, according to recent UN data.

Addressing the crowd, Mr Mandela urged people to stand up and take the fight against AIDS into their own hands.

"It is still alarming that for every person who receives treatment there are four others who are newly infected," said the Nobel laureate, after slowly walked to the podium with the aid of his wife and a walking stick.

"Here in South Africa we are making every effort to reach into communities because we believe the answer is in our hands.

"Yes, big ambitious plans are needed to deal with the epidemic. But what really matters are small acts of kindness ... such as protecting yourself," he said.

South Africa's deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka thanked the performers.

"It's about preventing the infections. It's about caring for the people who are already sick ... it's about rolling out the treatment, and ensuring we empower women who are at the frontline of the battle," she said.

Worldwide ceremonies

Earlier United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon launched the 20th World AIDS Day at a midnight ceremony at St Bartholomew's Church in New York.

Mr Ban has called on governments around the world to allow universal access to HIV prevention and treatment.

He says the stigma associated with the disease is the biggest barrier towards combating AIDS.

"For AIDS is a disease unlike any other," he said.

"AIDS is a social issue, a human rights issue, an economic issue.

"It targets young adults, just as they should be contributing to economic development, intellectual growth and bringing up the children."

Growing complacency

Activists are trying to keep the battle against HIV in the public eye on in the face of growing complacency amid progress in treating and slowing the spread of the disease.

Even the Miss World beauty pageant on the Chinese holiday island of Sanya was enlisted to get out the message that the disease daily kills some 6,000 people.

Chinese President Hu Jintao appeared on the front page of major state-controlled newspapers shaking the hand of a woman HIV carrier, a day after the UN warned that as many as 50 million Chinese are at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS.

December 1 has become a time of grim stocktaking as AIDS campaigners worldwide sound the alarm over the disease's rampage through Africa, the threat it poses to Asia and former Soviet republics, and the risks to vulnerable communities such as sex workers, drug users and gay men.

In Australia, campaigners have warned that complacency after earlier success in fighting HIV/AIDS risks giving rise to a new wave of infections.

AIDS awareness educator Vince Lovegrove is calling for a new campaign aimed at a new generation.

"This is the moment it all could go astray. This is the moment when it can become a pandemic," he said.

Australian government figures show that by the end of 2006, 26,267 Australians had been diagnosed with HIV and 10,l25 people had been diagnosed with AIDS, with 6,723 having died.

- AFP/BBC/ABC

Former American Idol Finalist Jessica Sierra Jailed

TAMPA, Fla. - Former "American Idol" finalist Jessica Sierra was jailed early Saturday after a drunken confrontation with police and onlookers, authorities said.

The arrest comes less than two weeks after she pleaded no contest to charges of battery and possession of cocaine.

Sierra, 22, was charged Saturday with disorderly intoxication, resisting arrest, felony battery and possession of cocaine, according to the police report. No bond was immediately posted.

Sierra, who was supposed to be completing a drug-rehabilitation program to be televised nationally, was arrested at a bar in Ybor City at 2:10 a.m. Saturday.

"As the defendant was taken into custody, she attempted to push away and flee the scene," the arresting officers wrote.

A message left Saturday for Sierra's attorney John Fitzgibbons was not immediately returned.

On Nov. 19, Circuit Judge Gregory Holder sentenced Sierra to 12 months probation and random drug screening. She was accused of hitting a man on the head with a glass at a Tampa nightspot in April. Officers then found a small amount of cocaine while searching her afterward at the county jail.

A top-10 contestant on the show in 2005, Sierra entered a California rehab facility in July that was to be documented on VH1's reality show "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew," sometime early next year.

Source: Associated Press

Miss China Is Miss World

Pre-contest favourite Miss China won the Miss World 2007 title in her own country late Saturday, much to the delight of the audience, in front of an estimated two billion viewers around the globe.

Twenty-three-year-old Zhang Zilin was crowned the winner in Sanya, China. Miss Angola came second and Miss Mexico third at the beauty pageant, held on the southern holiday island of Hainan, dubbed China's answer to Hawaii.

Viewers in 200 countries were expected to tune in to watch the show, which saw Miss China take the crown ahead of 105 of the world's most beautiful and talented women.

The audience in the 2,000-capacity Beauty Crown Theatre, specially built for when Sanya first hosted the event in 2003, roared in delight as Zhang was crowned the winner at the end of the two-hour-long contest, which was conducted mainly in English.

The secretary from Beijing was the pre-contest favourite with British bookmakers, along with Miss Dominican Republic.

At 182 centimetres (six feet), Zhang was also the tallest contestant.

"There are 1.3 billion people behind me," she said during the interview stage of the contest, referring to China's population.

"If I win I want to become a link between the Olympic Games (in Beijing next year) and the Miss World Organisation."

"I want to use the power and beauty of Miss World to support those in need," she said, speaking throughout in hesitant English, adding a few words in Chinese.

Zhang earlier told the contest her favourite pasttimes were the 100-metre hurdles and the high jump.

Fireworks exploded above the crown-shaped theatre, where visitors had paid up to 300 dollars for tickets, after the popular decision was made.

Miss Mexico had also been strongly fancied, while Miss Angola was an outsider.

"I want to tell you that I am a strong woman and also a dreamer girl and I don't accept failures in my life," Carolina Moran Gordillo, Miss Mexico, said earlier in the contest.

"This is my dream and I worked very very hard to get here," the 19-year-old student added.

Portuguese-born Miss Angola, Micaela Reis, 18, said she wanted to win the coveted crown so she could spread awareness about AIDS/HIV.

Contestants were rated on an array of disciplines including physical fitness, style, dress, personality and beauty.

The 106 were whittled down to 16, then five, with hotly tipped Miss Dominican Republic not making the final five despite strong support from the mainly Chinese crowd.

The 57th edition of the contest was being held on World AIDS Day as organisers wanted the annual showcase of gloss and glitz, seen by critics as a sexist throwback, to help increase awareness of the fight against HIV/AIDS.

To underline their commitment to AIDS awareness, organisers invited former South African president Nelson Mandela's eldest daughter Maki to serve on the panel of nine judges.

The Noble laureate's son Makgatho died of an AIDS-related illness in 2005, and the family has since been active in the global fight against HIV/AIDS.

As well as being held on World AIDS Day, Miss World 2007 came a week after Chinese state media reported hotels in Beijing have been ordered to stock condoms in every room in response to a spike in new HIV infections in the capital.

Source: http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gzgefBvkCq5XAt2Kr2ImNnCVMT_A