Crunchy Views

Odd Names In The News

2012-01-26T00:36:00.000-08:00

man call 911 fight a cop

2012-01-25T14:26:00.000-08:00

man call 911 fight a cop

man call 911 fight a cop - Man allegedly makes strange 911 call, An Illinois man was arrested after he allegedly called 911 and said he wanted to fight a cop. When officers got to his home, they say he began pushing and shoving them, and he was taken to jail.

A 38-year-old Willowbrook man accused of calling 911 and asking to fight a police officer faces felony battery and resisting arrest charges, police said on Monday.

Police said John R. Pacella, of the 200 block of Stanhope Drive, was arrested after a 911 call from a man who “wanted to see an officer because he wanted to fight with them” about 4 a.m. on Jan. 19, police said.

When officers arrived at Pacella’s home, he shoved the officers, according to a police report.

Pacella was booked into DuPage County Jail, where he remains on $100,000 bail, according to jail records. He is charged with aggravated battery, resisting a police officer, and battery with intent to provoke or insult – all felonies – records indicate.

Willowbrook police say they have had prior contact with Pacella, who is registered sex offender.

Bruce Jenner: Why Kendall and Kylie Might Skip College

2012-01-25T10:53:00.000-08:00

Bruce Jenner: Why Kendall and Kylie Might Skip College

Since their first appearance on "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" in 2007, Kendall and Kylie Jenner have become stars in their own right, thanks to lucrative modeling campaigns and a thriving teen fashion empire.

PHOTOS: Kardashians as kids

When Us Weekly spoke to their father Bruce Jenner at the Performance 3D demonstration in New York on Monday, the 62-year-old Olympian admitted his girls' careers are so busy they may not pursue higher education.

"If they want to go to college, certainly, I think it's a good idea. But I'm not the advocate of, 'You've got to go to college!'" Bruce said. "I think by the time they graduate from high school, they will probably be in a position to go right to working."

10 Most Expensive Car Repairs

2012-01-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

10 Most Expensive Car Repairs

Like real estate and relationships, cars require upkeep. If you neglect to change the oil, ignore the check-engine light or skip routine servicing, you're setting yourself up for a rude — and expensive — awakening. According to Art Jacobsen, vice president of CarMD.com, which publishes an online database of the most common and expensive check-engine-related automotive repairs, the key is to diagnose your car's problems early: "You've got to tackle it; address it when it's small, before it escalates." Here are the 10 most expensive vehicle repairs and what you can do to avoid them.10. Replace Turbocharger/Supercharger Assemblies
Turbochargers and superchargers help force air through the engine, allowing it to use more fuel, generate a bigger explosion in the cylinder and increase power. These devices typically operate at high rotational speeds, which make them vulnerable to damage and susceptible to heat. When they go bad, it can cost about $1,600 to replace them, with related repairs spiking the price by $700 to $3,000. If you're lucky enough to have a turbocharger or supercharger, you'll need to take care of it. "Make sure you have the right amount of oil in these units," Jacobsen says, noting that too much can be just as bad as, if not worse than, not enough.

9. Replace Torque Converter Assembly
The torque converter assembly is a hydraulic coupling between the engine and the transmission. It's similar to a clutch in that it allows you to come to a stop in an automatic-transmission vehicle without stalling the engine. But when the torque converter overheats, it can spring leaks and its parts can warp, and a busted torque converter may prevent you from starting — or more disastrously, stopping — your car. One way to avoid overheating this part, and incurring roughly $1,800 in repairs, is to not rev the engine while you have your foot on the brake.

Read: 9 Ways to Save on Car Maintenance

8. Replace Catalytic Converter
Catalytic converters, which detoxify exhaust emissions, are important when you're getting a smog check and if you care about your car's impact on the environment. Most are built to last for 15 to 20 years, and before they go kaput, there are plenty of warning signs. Two culprits are busted oxygen sensors and misfires, which happen when fuel catches fire as it passes through the engine. When a catalytic converter fails, it's pricey: Repairs can cost up to $2,692. It's the parts that are expensive, not the labor. "They contain platinum, palladium and rhodium — three of the most precious metals known to man," Jacobsen says.

7. Replace Hybrid Battery
A hybrid battery is often bundled with an integrated motor-assist battery, which charges it. Change one and you have to change both — to the tune of about $2,700. Because the technology is fairly new, it can be difficult to troubleshoot hybrid engines. "Hybrids are great, but when something goes wrong, you better have your checkbook ready," Jacobsen says. That's because there are a limited number of mechanics servicing hybrids and because parts are scarce. Hot weather in the South and Southwest taxes these batteries. To avoid repairs, you're best off driving them in mild climates.

Read: 9 Things to Know Buying Electric

6. Replace Injection Pump
A clogged injection pump, the device that delivers fuel into the engine's cylinders, is a relatively common problem for drivers, and the repair costs can vary widely. A Honda fuel pump might run a couple of hundred dollars and be straightforward to change. But in trucks and SUVs, the repair can cost upward of $2,900 because it's labor-intensive, requiring the mechanic to put the vehicle on a hoist and disassemble its rear. If you follow your vehicle's scheduled maintenance program and change the fuel filters regularly, your fuel pump should stay clog-free.

How Much Do Looks Matter in Presidential Politics?

2012-01-25T10:31:00.000-08:00

How Much Do Looks Matter in Presidential Politics?

Ever since the first televised presidential debate in September 1960, when Richard Nixon was said to have been deemed the winner by Americans listening on the radio and John F. Kennedy was preferred by those watching TV, conventional wisdom has dictated that looks matter in politics. For decades political observers have pointed out that in presidential match-ups, it’s often the taller man who wins. In recent years, social and political scientists have begun looking seriously at this question, trying to quantify the effects of physical attractiveness in the lab. In presidential politics, does it help to look like Mitt Romney? Or, put another way, how much does Newt Gingrich’s face hurt him?
The answer will be disappointing to those who believe in the myth of the rational voter. Looks do indeed matter. But they don’t matter in exactly the way we thought—it’s not attractiveness alone that counts, but a cluster of traits people believe we can read into faces. It appears that voters, particularly those who aren’t paying much attention, don’t know much about politics, and don’t have strong partisan affiliations—which is to say, a solid number of Americans—operate like 19th-century phrenologists, believing on some not-quite-conscious level that that they can read a politician’s character by glancing at things like his eyebrows and jaw line.
For a long time, social scientists looked no farther than attractiveness when measuring the importance of candidate looks, and for good reason. Studies going at least as far back to the 1970s tended to show a positive correlation between handsomeness and how subjects assessed a candidate. Scholars sometimes reasoned that the attractiveness effect took place because voters without a lot of information about a candidate used good looks to infer other good qualities—a kind of “halo effect.” The beauty advantage makes intuitive sense because we see it in other, non-political arenas. Attractive people appear to benefit in all sorts of situations, like in the workplace and in legal situations. Heck, even babies are predisposed to focus on good-looking facesAnd then, in 2005, Princeton psychologist Alexander Todorov and colleagues published an astonishing study suggesting that beauty didn’t tell the whole story. Rather, voters appeared primarily drawn to faces that suggested competence—so much so that the effect could actually be seen in election results. In the lab, subjects glanced for a single second at the faces of congressional candidates. They didn’t know anything else about the candidates, and they didn’t recognize them. Almost 70 percent of the time, the face that subjects judged as more competent-looking actually won the election.
What does competence look like? Working with subjects rating photos of hundreds of faces, Todorov and colleagues have developed computer models of how faces can suggest character traits like trustworthiness and likability. The competent face shape is masculine but approachable, with a square jaw, high cheekbones, and large eyes. When people say Romney just looks presidential, this is the image they’re summoning.
Todorov and other psychologists believe that otherwise expressionless faces can appear to show emotion based on how they’re formed—the shape of the eyebrows can suggest anger, for instance, while a long distance between the eyes and the mouth can suggest sadness. On Todorov’s computer model of an incompetent face, beady, close-together eyes paired with high eyebrows suggest fearfulness, even through the face is expressionless. Todorov believes our tendency to read expression into neutral faces amounts to an “overgeneralization” of a healthy trait—human beings’ ability to judge others’ intentions from a brief glance. We need to know in an instant if the guy approaching us on the street poses a threat. Todorov has found that people make judgments about the faces of strangers after just 34 milliseconds of exposure to an image.

CELEBRITIES AT SUNDANCE 2012

2012-01-25T06:37:00.000-08:00

CELEBRITIES AT SUNDANCE 2012

Kate Bosworth poses at the premiere of "Black Rock" during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 21, 2012.

Geoffrey Arend and Christina Hendricks attend Google Music at Tao Nightclub at T-Mobile Google Music Village at The Lift in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2012.

Octavia Spencer attends premiere parties for "Smashed" and "Nobody Walks," hosted by DirecTV and Sneaky Pete's at The One Group House in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 22, 2012

Taylor Swift poses at the premiere of the documentary film "Ethel" at Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2012.

James Marsden and Joshua Jackson attend the "Celeste and Jesse Forever" after-party at Grey Goose Blue Door on Jan. 20, 2012 in Park City, Utah.

Emily Blunt stops by the Solstice Sunglass Boutique in Park City, Utah, during Sundance to get fitted for sunglasses. Participating brands included Boss Black, Boss Orange, Carrera, Juicy Couture and Kate Spade New York.

Michael Cera and Jason Ritter attend the "End of Love" dinner party at Acura Studio in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 21, 2012.

Emma Roberts hangs out at Burton Lounge at Park City Mountain Resort in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 21, 2012.e

Isla Fisher shows some love to the "Ladles of Love" program benefiting Feeding America at Bertolli Meal Soup Chalet inside Gen Art Lounge at Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 21, 2012.

Estelle and Mary J Blige attend the official after-party of "The Invisible War" at Sugar Lounge in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2012.

Elijah Wood deejays at the "Celeste and Jesse Forever" dinner with Emma Roberts and Rashida Jones at Acura Studio in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2012.

Jason Mraz and Allison Janney attend the "Liberal Arts" premiere party hosted by Chase Sapphire at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City on Jan. 22, 2012.

James Marsden attends Axe Groom Room at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

Liv Tyler and Elizabeth Olsen attend Day 2 of Grey Goose Blue Door at 449 Main St. on Jan. 21, 2012, in Park City, Utah.

Malin Akerman attends Nintendo 3DS Experience Lounge in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 21, 2012.

Paris Hilton and RedFoo of LMFAO arrive at Park City Live in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 21, 2012.

Wilmer Valderrama, Laura Prepon and Danny Masterson attend Google Music at Tao Nightclub at T-Mobile Google Music Village at The Lift in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2012.

Ludacris takes the stage at Park City Live in Utah on Jan. 20, 2012.

Sean Penn poses at the premiere of his film "This Must Be the Place" at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 21, 2012.

Lil Jon enjoys a snack by Udi's Gluten Free Foods at Miami Oasis Gifting Lounge in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 22, 2012.

Seth Rogen and wife Lauren Miller attend "For a Good Time, Call" Dinner Party at Grey Goose Blue Door in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 22, 2012.

Justin Long shows some love to the "Ladles of Love" program benefiting Feeding America at Bertolli Meal Soup Chalet in the Gen Art Lounge during Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 21, 2012.

Aziz Ansari and Rashida Jones attend the "Celeste and Jesse Forever" after-party at Grey Goose Blue Door on Jan. 20, 2012, in Park City, Utah.

AnnaLynne McCord arrives at Creative Coalition's annual Spotlight Initiative Gala Awards Dinner presented by Udi's Gluten Free Foods in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 22, 2012.

Mario Lopez and Courtney Laine Mazza attend the Brita FilterForGood Music Project party for "The End of Love" at The Canyons during the 2012 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 20, 2012, in Park City, Utah.

Maria Menounos shops for DL1961 Premium Denim at Talent Resources Suite at Al Dente Restaurant on Jan. 21, 2012, in Park City, Utah.

Modern Family" star Ariel Winter visits the Hint booth at TR Suites at Gateway Center in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 21, 2012.

Anne Heche heads to an event in Park City, Utah.

Andie MacDowell is spotted walking around Park City, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2012.

Alfre Woodard arrives at Creative Coalition's annual Spotlight Initiative Gala Awards Dinner presented by Udi's Gluten Free Foods in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 22, 2012.

"Celeste and Jesse Forever" stars Rashida Jones, Emma Roberts, Will McCormack, Elijah Wood, Andy Samberg and Ari Graynor pose for a portrait during Sundance Film Festival.

Martin Starr and Alison Brie attend Chefdance in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 22, 2012.

RedFoo of LMFAO takes the stage with Party Rock Crew at Park City Live in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 21, 2012.

Liv Tyler and Frank Langella attend Axe Groom Room at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

Breaking Bad" star Aaron Paul hangs out at Burton Lounge at Park City Mountain Resort in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 21, 2012.

Stephanie Pratt is spotted walking around Park City, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2012.

Jon Heder attends Nintendo 3DS Experience Lounge in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 22, 2012.

Bruce Willis poses at the premiere of his film "Lay the Favorite" at Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 21, 2012.

Jason Mraz performs at the Brita FilterForGood Music Project party for "The End of Love" at The Canyons during Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 20, 2012, in Park City, Utah.

Grey's Anatomy" star Jesse Williams is spotted at Sundance Film Festival on Main Street in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2012.

Modern Family" star Nolan Gould attends Nintendo 3DS Experience Lounge in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 21, 2012

Paris Hilton attends a DJ set by RedFoo of LMFAO and Party Rock Crew at Park City Live in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 21, 2012.

Laura Prepon poses at Bertolli Meal Soup Chalet hosted by GenArt and CWPR's RE: Treat Lounge in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2012.

Elijah Wood poses at the premiere of "Celeste and Jesse Forever" at Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2012.

AnnaLynne McCord leaves LAX for Sundance sporting Under Armour Charge RC Sneakers and Under Armour Shatter Tote.

Andie MacDowell tries on sunglasses at Solstice Sunglass Boutique at Bertolli Meal Soup Chalet in Park City, Utah, during Sundance. Participating brands included Marc Jacobs, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Tommy Hilfiger, Gucci and YSL.

Lake Bell poses at the premiere of "Black Rock" during Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 21, 2012.

Kate Bosworth and her boyfriend, Michael Polish, arrive at the DirecTV premiere dinner for "Black Rock" at The One Group House in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 21, 2012.

Lizzy Caplan attends Chefdance in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 22, 2012.

Emma Roberts poses at the premiere of "Celeste and Jesse Forever" at Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2012.

Christina Hendricks attends Gen Art & 7 for All Mankind's fifth annual Fresh Faces in Film event in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2012.

Elizabeth Olsen poses at the premiere of "Red Lights" at Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2012.

Lil Jon hits the slopes during Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 21, 2012

Eric Wareheim, Will Forte and Tim Heidecker visit Moroccanoil Supper Suite at Montage Deer Valley on Jan. 20, 2012, in Park City, Utah.

Drake strikes a pose at the Mario Barth King Ink’s Sundance party at Park City Live in Utah.

Scott Speedman and Teresa Palmer attend Google Music at Tao Nightclub at T-Mobile Google Music Village at The Lift in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2012.

Kelley and Scott Wolf shop for DL1961 Premium Denim at Talent Resources Suite at Al Dente Restaurant on Jan. 20, 2012 in Park City, Utah.

Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg pose at the premiere of "Celeste and Jesse Forever" at Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2012

Danny Masterson walks along Main Street in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2012.

Robert Redford, founder and president of Sundance Institute, speaks during a press conference at Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 19, 2012.

Dancing With the Stars" dancer Chelsie Hightower waves to fans in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2012

Rebecca Hall hosts Moroccanoil Supper Suite's IFP Filmmaker Salute Dinner at Montage on Jan. 22, 2012, in Park City, Utah.

Sigourney Weaver attends the premiere of "Red Lights" at Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2012.

Kate Bosworth braves the snow at Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 21, 2012

Carrie Preston and Lizzy Caplan check out DL1961 jeans and Prasad medical skin care at Talent Resources Suite for Sundance Film Festival.

Blythe Danner arrives for the opening night premiere of "Hello, I Must Be Going" at Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 19, 2012

Nia Vardalos shops for DL1961 Premium Denim at Talent Resources Suite at Al Dente Restaurant on Jan. 21, 2012, in Park City, Utah.

Olivia Thirlby poses at the premiere of "Nobody Walks" during Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 22, 2012

Melanie Lynskey arrives for the opening night premiere of "Hello, I Must Be Going" at Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 19, 2012.

Anne Heche attends Gen Art & 7 for All Mankind's fifth annual Fresh Faces in Film event in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 20, 2012.

Actor Luther Campbell from the film "Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke" poses for a portrait during Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 21, 2012, in Park City, Utah

Felicity Price and Teresa Palmer attend the "Wish You Were Here" premiere after-party at 628 Main St. during Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 19, 2012.

America's happiest workplaces

2012-01-24T10:50:00.001-08:00

America's Happiest Workplaces

America's Happiest Workplaces - A 2012 survey by a job-information website suggests that employees want policies and programs that help them advance their careers.

Accent the positive
Last year, Google (GOOG) emerged as the "Happiest Company in America" in an annual ranking byCareerBliss.com. But happiness is such a fleeting emotion: Google is nowhere to be found among the top 50 companies in the job-information website's most recent survey.

The CareerBliss rankings are based on more than 100,000 worker-generated reviews. Employees rate their workplaces on such factors as work-life balance, relationships with bosses and co-workers, compensation, growth opportunities, a company's culture and the opportunity for employees to exert control over the daily work flow.

Each review is given a score from one to. In all, data from employees at more than 10,000 companies were analyzed.

Click through the following slide show for details on how the top-rated workplaces fared, including their overall "Bliss Scores." In addition, the three top-rated categories for each workplace are given.

This year's survey reiterates what most workers probably know: Great co-workers make a huge difference in job satisfaction. The highest-rated factor shared by each of this year's top 10 workplaces is "the people you work with."

10.Chevron
Bliss Score: 4.198

Top-rated categories: The work you do (4.33), the people you work with (4.32), the company you work for (4.32)

Takeaway: San Ramon, Calif., company Chevron (CVX) -- the nation's second-biggest integrated oil and natural gas company, after Exxon Mobil (XOM) -- receives high marks for offering incentives to employees who meet established goals, as well as for its career-planning program.

9. Ericsson
Bliss Score: 4.201

Best-rated categories: The people you work with (4.43), the person you work for (4.35), the work you do (4.34)

Takeaway: Ericsson (ERIC), the Stockholm maker of telecommunications equipment and mobile broadband gear, gets high marks for its programs and centers designed to assess and develop employees for leadership roles.

8. Fidelity Investments
Bliss Score: 4.205

Best-rated categories: The people you work with (4.47), the company you work for (4.52), the place you work (4.36)

Takeaway:Fidelity Investments, based in Boston, distributes the products of mutual fund superpower Fidelity. It gets high marks for its professional and managerial training and development programs, as well as for offering tuition reimbursement, commuter benefits and concierge services. Chairman Ned Johnson touts the Japanese concept of kaizen, in which numerous small changes produce big improvements over time.

7. US Air Force
Bliss Score: 4.206

Best-rated categories: The people you work with (4.44), the work you do (4.39), the person you work for (4.35)

Takeaway: The Air Force, the aerial warfare branch of the U.S. armed forces is headquartered at the Pentagon in Arlington County, Va., but its combat forces are deployed around the globe. The Air Force gets high marks for providing enlisted personnel with education programs as well as insurance and other benefits.

6. Centex
Bliss Score: 4.208

Best-rated categories: The work you do (4.43), the people you work with (4.38), the way you work (4.35).

Takeaway: Homebuilder Centex merged with PulteGroup (PHM) of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., in 2009 and today represents the division of the business catering to entry-level buyers. The nation's largest homebuilder gets high marks for its emphasis on continuing training in such fields as construction management, information technology, land management and mortgage banking.

5. BASF
Bliss Score: 4.215

Best-rated categories: The company you work for (4.52), the people you work with (4.49), the person you work for (4.33)

Takeaway: BASF (BASFY), headquartered in Ludwigshafen, Germany, is a chemicals company with more than 100,000 employees, 385 production sites and sales in almost every country in the world. It gets high marks for team-building programs.

4. Nordstrom
Bliss Score: 4.234

Best-rated categories: The people you work with (4.49), the company you work for (4.45), the place you work (4.42)

Takeaway: Nordstrom (JWN), a Seattle company that operates 90 upscale apparel stores as well as 90 off-price outlet stores, is no stranger to "best of" lists; it's often recognized for its customer service. Nordstrom gets high marks from employees for promoting from within and for a streamlined accountability philosophy that relies on the judgment of workers.

3. Johnson & Johnson
Bliss Score: 4.236

Best-rated categories: The company you work for (4.42), the people you work with (4.41), the way you work (4.31)

Takeaway: New Brunswick, N.J., health care giant Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) produces a plethora of drugs, personal-care products and medical devices. Consumers trust such well-known brands as Band-Aid, Tylenol and Neutrogena. Johnson & Johnson gets high marks from employees for its diversity programs, including efforts that assist working mothers and female executives.

2.Fluor
Workplace: Fluor (FLR)

Bliss Score: 4.238

Best-rated categories: The work you do (4.46), the people you work with (4.45), the company you work for (4.36)

Takeaway: Irving, Texas, engineering and construction company Fluor (FLR) has projects in numerous industries, including utilities, transportation and health care, as well as government agency work. Fluor gets high marks from employees for establishing a culture of mentoring and professional development.

1. Hilton Worldwide

Bliss Score: 4.360

Best-rated categories: The people you work with (4.63), the place you work (4.52), the way you work (4.51)

Takeaway: Hilton Worldwide, based in McLean, Va., and formerly known as Hilton Hotels, operates 3,750 hotels in about 85 countries. It also has the country's happiest workers, according to CareerBliss.com. "When employees feel that there is growth and expansion, the sentiment in the workplace is positive," says Matt Miller, CareerBliss.com's co-founder and chief technology officer.

Hilton's chief human resources officer, Matt Schuyler, confirms this. "Every day, our more than 140,000 team members . . . work hard to fill the Earth with the light and warmth of hospitality. As an employer, we know that if we treat our team members well, they will, in turn, treat our guests well."

kyle williams death threats

2012-01-24T00:41:00.000-08:00

kyle williams death threats

kyle williams death threats Kyle Williams gets death threats, San Francisco 49ers wide receiver and punt returner Kyle Williams ( received death threats on Twitter, after fumbling the last punt of the game against the New York Giants The fumble put the Giants in position for the game-winning field goal in overtime

Following San Francisco’s overtime loss to the Giants in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game, folks claiming to be 49er backers took to Twitter, taking out their frustration on game goat Kyle Williams.

Or course, there were comparisons between Wilson and other famous sports goats like Steve Bartman and Baltimore’s Billy Cundiff — who missed a game-tying field goal earlier Sunday in the AFC Championship Game, the worst came from an account with the handle @javapasquel.

The tweet said @KyleWillaims—10 “I hope you, your wife, kids and family die, you deserve it.”

PHOTOS: GIANTS BEAT 49ERS TO REACH SUPER BOWL XLVI

According to Mashable.com, Pasquel said on Monday his “account got hacked” and “would never say or think anything like that.”

On Monday, a message on Twitter said Pasquel’s account “doesn’t exist.”

Williams fumbled a punt return in overtime, and it was recovered by Devin Thomas to set up Lawrence Tynes’ game-winning field goal.

RAISSMAN: WILLIAMS A GOAT FROM ALL ANGLES

Williams, the son of White Sox GM Kenny Williams, also let a punt graze off of his knee in the fourth quarter that was recovered by Thomas and set up a Giant TD.

According to Kenny Williams, Kyle injured his shoulder during the third quarter. But the elder Williams said the injury didn’t contribute to either fumble. Jim Harbaugh confirmed the injury Monday.

“He felt he could get the job done. He didn’t. End of story,” Kenny told ESPN Chicago.

Kenny Williams had some strong comments after news of the threat surfaced.

“I’m used to the years of criticism and threats on my life from time to time, but I have to hear about threats on your son’s life while you’re watching TV and it certainly makes you question our culture of sports as it stands,” the GM said.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/death-threats-kyle-williams-misplayed-punts-49ers-nfc-championship-loss-ny-giants-article-1.1010501#ixzz1kMZXlEbb

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Kyle Williams had something of a tough day against the New York Giants on Sunday. In his squad’s most important game of the year, he managed to both muff a punt and lose a fumble that ultimately catapulted the Giants to their latest Super Bowl appearance. And while his teammates and a large segment of the 49ers fan population rallied around him after the fact, some weren’t as warm in sending their condolences.

Here’s a taste of the messages directed at Williams after the game yesterday:

Kid Inventors

2012-01-24T00:39:00.000-08:00

Kid Inventors

Kid Inventors - Whiz kid inventors, If you thought kids were only good at inventing excuses to avoid chores, think again. These teens and tweens are the minds behind some revolutionary products from household staples to cool niche novelties to an entire method of communicating.

Joseph-Armand Bombardier

Hailing from the Great White North, this young mechanics fanatic designed a prototype to help navigate the local terrain: a snowmobile. What scraps did he use to make it?

Louis Braille

Blinded at an early age (how'd it happen?), Braille devised the well-known system of reading and writing for the visually impaired in 1824.

Sarah Buckel

Buckel's idea magnetic locker wallpaper gave students a boost of schoolhouse style, put her dad's biz on the map and helped her earn some serious pocket change.

Frank Epperson

Summers got a lot cooler thanks to Epperson's accidental 1905 invention, the Popsicle.

Philo Farnsworth

Talk about extra credit: In the early 1920s, farm boy Farnsworth showed his chemistry teacher a bright idea, a stepping-stone for making the first electronic television.

Chester Greenwood

Though he didn't acquire a patent until 1877, Greenwood created earmuffs in 1873, when he was still wet behind the ears. His hometown became the Earmuff Capital of the World.

Param Jaggi

Jaggi thought about more than just joyrides when he looked at cars; he designed the Algae-Mobile 3 to help make them more eco-friendly

Elizabeth Nathan & Gabriella Pollack

This New York City dynamic duo came up with their nonreusable syringe in 1995 to help curb a major health issue.

Ryan Patterson

Patterson got the idea for the sign language translator glove in 2002 while he was getting "brain food"

Tharon Trujillo

Trujillo's Lock-N-Block Safety Gate was inspired by an in-home incident. Find out what happened.

costa concordia discount

2012-01-24T00:31:00.000-08:00

costa concordia discount

costa concordia discount Company offers shipwreck survivors a discount, Survivors of the Costa Concordia shipwreck are being offered 30 percent off their next cruise with the company . Many of the passengers, however, are outraged at the cruise line's offer They're planning to file a class-action lawsuit against the company this week

The tragic sinking of the Costa Concordia cruise ship last week has brought with it the revelation of many fantastical safety oversights, seemingly a combination of screw-ups so vast that untangling the chain of events leading up to the deadly incident has been a massive undertaking.

The investigation has revealed many troubling things, including what is believed to be a foray into unapproved waters, the actions of the ship’s captain Francesco Schettino before, during and after the sinking and the handling of the aftermath by the cruise ship’s company. Survivors of the incident at sea initially reported a failure of the crew to adequately perform disaster drills as well, leaving many of the passengers confused as to how to exit the vessel, should an accident occur.

As news broke that another body, that of a woman whose name has not been released, was recovered near the wreck, Italian officials admitted that recovery efforts- which have been complex- may be complicated by the presence of unregistered passengers on the ship, people who may have been invited aboard or otherwise present but did not appear on ship rosters. It has been suggested that the woman whose body was located near the wreck has not been easy to identify due to nearly a week in the water, and that she may have been one of the “clandestine” passengers aboard the ill-fated ship.

Franco Gabrielli, head of the Civil Protection Authority, confirmed that there may ”have been X persons who we don’t know about who were inside, who were clandestine passengers aboard the ship.” The family of a woman from Hungary have asserted that their daughter was aboard the Costa Concordia at the time of the tragedy and the she has not been heard from since, but her name does not appear on official passenger lists

gang members arrested facebook

2012-01-23T12:47:00.000-08:00

Gang members arrested facebook

Gang members arrested facebook - Suspects bragged about crimes on FB? Police arrested rival gang members connected to three slayings, based on what they were saying about the cases on Twitter and Facebook. The two gangs often had shoot-outs that led to the slayings. According to police, the gang members then bragged about the shootings on the social media sites.

Forty-three Gang Members Arrested After Bragging About Murders On Facebook & Twitter, If you are going to do a crime, the key is to not get caught, and posting your dirt on Facebook is definitely one way to get the police to come knocking on your door. Several New York gang members are in serious trouble as police are investigating three murders and have arrested 43 rival gang members based on evidence collected from monitoring what the gang members were saying about the cases on Twitter and Facebook, authorities said.
According to Reuters, the 25 accused members of the Wave Gang and 18 accused members of rival Hoodstarz have been terrorizing

streets in Brooklyn with shootouts that led to the killing of three people and wounding of several others, New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said.
The gang members, ages 15 to 21, bragged about the shootings on the social media sites Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The tension between the two crews began in August and apparently the gangsters never took firing classes as they missed their intended targets and so far have killed an innocent bystander and wounded a 9-year-old boy and his dad.

Wave Gang members often robbed 13 and 14-year-olds by threatening to steal their bikes and electronics to intimidate them into joining their gangs, Hynes said. The 43 gang members were indicted on Thursday on charges including murder, assault, reckless endangerment, robbery and weapon possession, with potential sentences ranging from a year to life in prison.

Since their shooting game seems to be off point, I hope their knuckle game is a little sharper because the gladiator school where these idiots are going, they are going to need it.

johnny depp favorite actor

2012-01-23T03:12:00.000-08:00

Johnny Depp named favorite actor

Johnny Depp named favorite actor, According to a new survey, mega movie star Johnny Depp, 48, is America's favorite actor . This is the second year in a row that Depphas finished on top of the survey. Actor Denzel Washington was the runner-up also for the second year in a row

In 2011 he was the voice of Rango, he was Captain Jack Sparrow (again) and he was also a journalist. And, again this year, Johnny Depp has the distinction of being America’s Favorite Actor. Next on the list are two actors who haven’t actually acted in a movie this past year. Tied for number two are Denzel Washington, who was in the second spot last year, and Clint Eastwood who was number 9 on the list last year.
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll ® of 2,237 adults surveyed online between December 5 and 12, 2011 by Harris Interactive®.
Se7en

Rounding out the top five favorite actors is Larry Crowne or rather Tom Hanks in the number 4 spot, up from a tie for number 6 last year, and at number 5 the only actor to have been on this list since it began in 1994, the Duke himself, John Wayne down from the number 3 spot last year.
After being part of a three-way tie for number 6 last year, George Clooney now holds that position by himself. Up from number 10 to number 7 is Sandra Bullock who is the only woman in the top ten and dropping from number 4 to number 8 is Harrison Ford. There are two new additions to the list this year. At number 9, returning to the top ten after a two year absence is Will Smith and debuting at number 10 is funny man Adam Sandler.
Phat Girlz
This year there are two additions to the list from last year, which means that two actors have dropped out of the top ten. She made her directorial debut this past year, but Angelina Jolie, who was number 5 last year is not on this year’s list. And, America’s Sweetheart Julia Roberts dropped out of the top ten from a tie for number 6 last year.
The Change-Up
Age, region, gender and political party and leanings mean different favorite actors. Men cite Clint Eastwood as their favorite while women say it is Johnny Depp. Echo Boomers (those aged 18-34), Gen Xers (aged 35-46) and Baby Boomers (aged 47-65) all say Johnny Depp is their favorite actor while for Matures (those aged 66 and older), George Clooney is their favorite.

The South is a region that stands alone. Those who live in the East, Midwest and West all say Johnny Depp is their favorite while for Southerners, their favorite is Clint Eastwood. Johnny Depp is also the favorite actor for both Republicans and Independents, but Democrats say Denzel Washington is their favorite actor. There is finally something that Liberals and Conservatives agree on – Johnny Depp is their favorite actor however, for Moderates it is Denzel Washington.

NEW YORK, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Participants in an online Harris poll voted film star Johnny Depp America's Favorite Actor.

Denzel Washington and Clint Eastwood tied for the No. 2 slot on the survey, followed by Tom Hanks at No. 4 and the late John Wayne at No. 5.

Rounding out the top tier are George Clooney at No. 6, Sandra Bullock at No. 7, Harrison Ford at No. 8, Will Smith at No. 9 and Adam Sandler at No. 10.

The results were compiled by Harris Interactive after 2,237 adults responded to the online poll Dec. 5-12.

Jenna von Oy expecting

2012-01-23T03:02:00.000-08:00

Jenna von Oy expecting

Jenna von Oy expectingJenna von Oy to be a mom, "Blossom" star Jenna von Oy, 34 is expecting her first child in June The actress and country singer married her husband in October 2010 and apparently surprised him with the news on their one-year wedding anniversary

Isn't it just so precious to see your best friend grow up, get married and now, expect a baby?! OK, so she's not exactly our best friend as much as she was Blossom's, but same difference.

Jenna Von Oy, who played Six LeMuere on the popular sitcom is pregnant with her first child!

READ: Spawn of Thor! Chris Hemsworth and Wife Expecting a Baby

Von Oy sprung the happy news on her hubby on their first anniversary in October.

"We agreed on no presents, but I told him that I had something that was very, very small, which it was—at the time it was the size of an apple seed," she tells People.

"I handed him a handmade that card and when he opened it up, it said, ‘You're going to be a daddy,' and it had the EPT test underneath. It was the most beautiful evening!"

The actress is, of course, talking about her hubby of a little over a year, Brad Bratcher.

"Brad is so cute because the other night I said to him, ‘She's going to have you wrapped around her finger,'" says von Oy. "He gave me this wonderfully defeated look and said, ‘I think she already does.'"

Awww, congrats on the baby news!

It's been just a little over a year since Blossom star Jenna von Oy married husband Brad Bratcher, but it appears that the honeymoon phase is over as the two are expecting their first child.
According to People.com, the couple shares that their child will be due in June and have recently discovered the baby's gender, much to von Oy's delight.
"Brad is so cute because the other night I said to him, 'She's going to have you wrapped around her finger,'" von Oy said. "He gave me this wonderfully defeated look and said, 'I think she already does.' I can tell he's looking at me like I'm a little more fragile because there's a girl in there!"
The two wed in October 2010 in von Oy's hometown of Newton, Conn. after two years of dating.

Jenna, better known as Six LeMuere on 'Blossom' is revealed that she broke the happy news to her husband on their first anniversary. How adorable can you get?

"We agreed on no presents, but I told him that I had something that was very, very small... I handed him a handmade that card and when he opened it up, it said, ‘You're going to be a daddy,' and it had the EPT test underneath. It was the most beautiful evening!"

The actress has been married to Brad Bratcher for just over a year and the pair seem sickeningly happy together. And it sounds like he can't wait for the arrival of his baby daughter...

"Brad is so cute because the other night I said to him, ‘She's going to have you wrapped around her finger... He gave me this wonderfully defeated look and said, ‘I think she already does.'"

That sounds about right!

We're so grateful for some joyful news on this grey and windy Saturday. Many congratulations to the happy couple.

The actress is due in June with her and husband Brad Bratcher's first child. She broke the news to him on their one-year anniversary in October.

"We agreed on no presents, but I told him that I had something that was very, very small, which it was — at the time it was the size of an appleseed," Von Oy tells People. "I handed him a handmade card and when he opened it up, it said, 'You're going to be a daddy,' and it had the EPT test underneath. It was the most beautiful evening!"

Blossom's Jenna Von Oy gets married

Von Oy, 34, and Bratcher, a computer data consultant, always thought they were having a girl and learned this week that their intuition was correct.

"Brad is so cute because the other night I said to him, 'She's going to have you wrapped around her finger,'" Von Oy says. "He gave me this wonderfully defeated look and said, 'I think she already does.' I can tell he's looking at me like I'm a little more fragile because there's a girl in there!"

man shoots change machine

2012-01-23T02:51:00.000-08:00

Man shoots change machine

Man shoots change machine, Authorities in Winter Haven, Fla., are searching for a man they say shot a laundromat change machine in an attempt to steal money from it . Surveillance cameras show the man shooting at the machine several times and then taking off when he wasn't able to get any money

Detectives said a would-be thief tried to break into a laundromat change machine by firing a gun at it several times.

According to reports, the man walked into the Busy Bubbles laundromat in Winter Haven at 9 p.m. on Jan. 4, pointed a semi-automatic handgun at the change machine and fired several times.

However, despite the suspect's best efforts, the change machine would not yield. The man then fled on foot.

The attempted theft was discovered after the business manager saw the damaged machine, then reviewed the surveillance video.

The suspect is described as a black man who stands 5-feet-11 and weighs about 185 pounds. He was wearing a gray hoodie and dark baggy pants.

In 1989 I was young and broke in Denton, TX. I took my last 5 bucks and a load of laundry to a laundromat. I sat there reading a magazine for awhile, and then realized the damn' machine was still filling with water. Filling and draining, filling and draining. No washing. No spin cycle, just unabated soggifying. My clothes were soaked in soap and therefore unsuitable for drying. So I did what any broke 20-something would do: I kicked the change machine. Hard. Right below the little green light. The change machine spat out about $15 in quarters, part of which which I spent at a laundromat down the street. The rest went to tacos and beer.

Sarah Burke medical bill

2012-01-23T02:41:00.000-08:00

Sarah Burke medical bill

Sarah Burke medical bill Burke's family gets $550K medical bill, The family of Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke, 29, (get details on her death) is working to raise more than half a million dollars to cover her medical bills. Burke's (watch videos of her) accident apparently happened at an unsanctioned event that wasn't covered by her insurance (where was she at the time?). A fundraising website (find it) has been set up to help pay the huge costs.

The medical bill of Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke has been paid for by donors worldwide, according to a statement released by her family’s publicist.

Following Burke’s death on Thursday, two fundraising websites had been set up by the skier’s agent, Michael Spencer, with the goal of raising $550,000 to help the family cover “the enormous cost of Sarah’s recent medical care and to provide for other arrangements.”

As of Friday evening, donors had raised $249,396.

“Because of the donations in the last day, it is now clear that Sarah’s family will not have any financial burden related to her care,” Nicole Wool, the Burke family’s spokesperson, said in a statement issued Friday.The fundraising goal appears to be significantly more than the actual medical costs.

“Based on early estimates, total charges for Sarah’s care are expected to be approximately $200,000,” Wool said in the statement.

According to the statement, the family has yet to receive a bill from the University of Utah Hospital, where Burke died following more than a week of intensive care.

Further contributions to the Burke fundraising websites will be “used to establish a foundation to honour Sarah’s legacy and promote the ideals she valued and embodied,” Wool said in the statement.

Burke, who was 29, crashed on Jan. 10 in Park City, Utah, while training in the halfpipe at a private event organized by Monster Energy Drink.

The Olympic gold-medal hopeful and four-time Winter X Games champion suffered irreversible brain damage after the fall because of a lack of oxygen and blood to the brain.

It’s unclear what insurance coverage Burke had at the time of her death.

Wool was not available for comment and, when reached by phone, Spencer, her agent, declined to comment.

“I’m on the phone with my mom right now,” he said. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to my mom in three days.”

He did not return calls.

David Pym, manager of the Canadian Snowsports Association, said any athlete competing in sanctioned activities has full out-of-country medical and disability insurance.

“We are an extremely safe sport because we are very anal about what we allow our athletes to do,” said Pym. “What happened to Sarah is an absolute tragedy but an absolute rarity.”

Burke’s accident, however, happened at an unsanctioned event.

“This is the unfortunate part of this — it was third-party training activity that was being undertaken privately,” said Peter Judge, CEO of the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association. “They have to ensure those mechanisms are in place for that time period and event.”

Robert Hooper, director of client and financial services at Octagon, a management firm that represents athletes including swimmer Michael Phelps and halfpipe snowboarder Hannah Teter, said competitors in all major sports are usually required to carry their own personal disability insurance (to cover accidents) and life insurance (to cover death).

“When you look at someone’s financial situation you want to make sure they have adequate disability coverage and adequate life insurance protection as part of their financial plan,” said Hooper. “My take would be is that she (Burke) probably didn’t have extensive insurance programs in place.”

Some wondered whether Monster Energy Drink, which was hosting the private event, had any legal obligation to help Burke, one of their sponsored athletes.

Monster Energy Drink declined to comment.

“That’s our policy for everything,” said a Monster Energy Drink media relations agent who would give only her first name, Laura, for fear of being fired. “We don’t talk to the media.”

The company has yet to release an official statement.

Extinct dracula monkey

2012-01-23T02:30:00.000-08:00

Extinct dracula monkey

Extinct dracula monkey Dracula-like monkey found again, Scientists have "rediscovered" a large, gray monkey so rare it was thought to be extinct . The animal , which has a black face and a fluffy, Dracula-like white collar, was seen in camera traps set up in the forest. Researchers were trying to get pictures of orangutans

They were all the more baffled to find the Miller's Grizzled Langur - its black face framed by a fluffy, dracula-esque white collar - in an area well outside its previously recorded home range.

The team set up camera traps in the Wehea Forest on the eastern tip of Borneo island in June, hoping to capture images of clouded leopards, orangutans and other wildlife known to congregate at several mineral salt licks.

The pictures that came back caught them all by surprise: groups of monkeys none had ever seen.

With virtually no photographs of the grizzled langurs in existence, it at first was a challenge to confirm their suspicions, said Brent Loken, a PhD student at Simon Fraser University in Canada, and one of the lead researchers.

The only images out there were museum sketches.

"We were all pretty ecstatic, the fact that, wow, this monkey still lives, and also that it's in Wehea," said Loken.

The monkey, which has hooded eyes and a pinkish nose and lips, once roamed the northeastern part of Borneo, as well as the islands of Sumatra and Java and the Thai-Malay peninsula. But concerns were voiced several years ago that they may be extinct.

Forests where the monkeys once lived had been destroyed by fires, human encroachment and conversion of land for agriculture and mining, and an extensive field survey in 2005 turned up empty.

"For me the discovery of this monkey is representative of so many species in Indonesia," Loken told The Associated Press by telephone.

"There are so many animals we know so little about and their home ranges are disappearing so quickly," he said. "It feels like a lot of these animals are going to quickly enter extinction."

The next step will be returning to the 38,000ha forest to try to find out how many grizzly langurs there are, according to the team of local and international scientists, who published their findings in the American Journal of Primatology on Friday.

They appear in more than 4,000 images captured over a two-month period, said Loken, but it's possible one or two families kept returning

They were all the more baffled to find the Miller’s Grizzled Langur — its black face framed by a fluffy, Dracula-esque white collar — in an area well outside its previously recorded home range.

The team set up camera traps in the Wehea Forest on the eastern tip of Borneo island in June, hoping to captures images of clouded leopards, orangutans and other wildlife known to congregate at several mineral salt licks.

The pictures that came back caught them all by surprise: groups of monkeys none had ever seen.

With virtually no photographs of the grizzled langurs in existence, it at first was a challenge to confirm their suspicions, said Brent Loken, a Ph.D. student at Simon Fraser University in Canada, and one of the lead researchers.

The only images out there were museum sketches.

“We were all pretty ecstatic, the fact that, wow, this monkey still lives, and also that it’s in Wehea,” said Loken.

The monkey, which has hooded eyes and a pinkish nose and lips, once roamed the northeastern part of Borneo, as well as the islands of Sumatra and Java and the Thai-Malay peninsula. But concerns were voiced several years ago that they may be extinct.

Forests where the monkeys once lived had been destroyed by fires, human encroachment and conversion of land for agriculture and mining and an extensive field survey in 2005 turned up empty.

“For me the discovery of this monkey is representative of so many species in Indonesia,” Loken told The Associated Press by telephone.

“There are so many animals we know so little about and their home ranges are disappearing so quickly,” he said. “It feels like a lot of these animals are going to quickly enter extinction.”

The next step will be returning to the 90,000 acre (38,000 hectare) forest to try to find out how many grizzly langurs there are, according to the team of local and international scientists, who published their findings in the American Journal of Primatology on Friday.

They appear in more than 4,000 images captured over a two-month period, said Loken, but it’s possible one or two families kept returning.

“We are trying to find out all we can,” he said. “But it really feels like a race against time.”

Experts not involved in the study were hugely encouraged.

“It’s indeed a highly enigmatic species,” said Erik Meijaard, a conservation scientist who spent more than eight years doing field research in the area.

In the past they were hunted to near extinction for their meat and bezoar “stones,” he said, which can, on occasion, be found in their guts.

Bezoars, as Harry Potter fans know from lectures given by Prof. Snape to first year students, are believed by some to neutralize poison.

Meijaard said the animal has long been considered a subspecies of the Hose’s Leaf Monkey, which also occurs on the Malaysian side of Borneo, but it now looks like that may not be the case.

“We think it might actually be a distinct species,” he said, “which would make the Wehea discovery even more important.”

katy perry russell brand twitter

2012-01-23T02:11:00.001-08:00

katy perry russell brand twitter

katy perry russell brand twitter Katy Perry unfollows ex on TwitterSinger Katy Perry, 27, s no longer following her soon-to-be ex-husband, Russell Brand, 36, on Twitter. The two, who wed in October 2010 , announced their split last month So far, it appears Brand has not stopped following Perry

Brand was quick to remove the photo from his personal Twitter page- but of course in this digital age, he didn’t remove the photo nearly quickly enough.

Read more: Katy Perry Missing Makeup In Russell Brand’s Twitter Photo http://mix1041.radio.com/2011/01/03/katy-perry-missing-makeup-in-russell-brands-twitter-photo/#ixzz1kH5eJjaR

Funnyman Russell Brand posted a not-so-sweet Tweet Friday: a photo of his blushing bride, Katy Perry, without any make-up.

The unflattering snapshot shows a side of the stylish pop starlet that fans haven't seen, the U.K. newspaper The Sun reported. The "I Kissed a Girl" singer looks half-awake and ruddy-faced, sporting a furrowed brow and a couple of blemishes.

The post, viewable to 1.7 million fans following Brand on Twitter, may have landed the "Get Him to The Greek" star in hot water--it was removed shortly after being posted.

London - Russell Brand may have been the one to file for divorce but Katy Perry is the first to dissociate from her estranged husband on Twitter.

The 27-year-old is only following 83 people on Twitter and Brand is no longer one of them, the Mirror reported.

However, the British comedian is still following the pop star on the microblogging site.

Twitter had been a flirting ground for the pair in happier times but Russell overstepped the trust boundaries when he posted a picture of his wife with no make up on, looking pretty rough and grimacing - just to top it off.

In recent times though the site is where Perry chose to thank her fans for their support following Brand’s announcement that they were divorcing in December.

“I am so grateful for all the love and support I've had from people around the world. You guys have made my heart happy again,” she had tweeted.

Though, the singer’s decision to stop rustyrocket updates popping up on her phone can be attributed to the fact that she’s furious with him for blindsiding her with the divorce papers.

She might also be angry over gossip that he’s about to spill on the juicy details about their time together in a tell-all book.

This is what happens when you’re involved with a comedic person

Russell Brand tweeted a fresh-faced photo of his wife Katy Perry, then quickly removed it. Now the photo is viral.

Do you think Katy is pissed? Russell probably thought it was funny huh…I actually like it. Too many photos on the web of celebrities looking perfect all the time.

The couple are now in London after spending their first Christmas together as husband and wife.

iran barbie dolls

2012-01-23T01:01:00.000-08:00

iran barbie dolls

iran barbie dolls Iran cracks down on Barbie dolls, Dozens of toy shops in Tehran, Iran have been shut down for selling Barbie dolls . Police confiscated the dolls in a "new phase" of the country's Barbie ban enforcement . Religious leaders originally banned the doll in 1996, but the rule is now starting to be strictly enforced

TEHRAN, Iran - A top Iranian judiciary official warned Monday against the "destructive" cultural and social consequences of importing Barbie dolls and other western toys.

In the latest salvo in a more than decade-old government campaign against Barbie, Prosecutor General Ghorban Ali Dori Najafabadi said in an official letter to Vice-President Parviz Davoudi that the doll and other western toys are a "danger" that need to be stopped.

"The irregular importation of such toys, which unfortunately arrive through unofficial sources and smuggling, is destructive culturally and a social danger," said the letter, a copy of which was made available to The Associated Press.

Iranian markets have been inundated with smuggled western toys in recent years partly due to a dramatic rise in purchasing power as a result of increased oil revenues.

While importing the toys is not necessarily illegal, it is discouraged by a government that seeks to protect Iranians from what it calls the negative effects of western culture.

Najafabadi said the increasing visibility of western dolls has alarmed authorities and they are considering intervening.

"The displays of personalities such as Barbie, Batman, Spiderman and Harry Potter ... as well as the irregular importation of unsanctioned computer games and movies are all warning bells to the officials in the cultural arena," his letter said.

Najafabadi said Iran is the world's third biggest importer of toys and warned that smuggled imports pose a threat to the "identity" of the new generation.
Mattel Inc., the maker of Barbie, had no immediate comment Monday on the Iranian action.

Barbie is sold wearing swimsuits and miniskirts in a society where women must wear headscarves in public and men and women are not allowed to swim together.

In 1996, the head of a government-backed children's agency called Barbie a "Trojan horse" sneaking in western influences such as makeup and revealing clothes.

Authorities launched a campaign of confiscating Barbies from shops in 2002, denouncing the un-Islamic sensibilities of the iconic American doll. But the campaign was eventually dropped.

Also in 2002, Iran introduced its own competing dolls - the twins Dara and Sara - who were designed to promote traditional values with their modest clothing and pro-family stories. But the dolls proved unable to stem the Barbie tide.

Iran’s morality police are cracking down on the sale of Barbie dolls to protect the public from what they see as pernicious western culture eroding Islamic values, shopkeepers said on Monday.

As the West imposes the toughest ever sanctions on Iran and tensions rise over its nuclear program, inside the country the Barbie ban is part of what the government calls a “soft war” against decadent cultural influences.Iran’s morality police are cracking down on the sale of Barbie dolls to protect the public from what they see as pernicious western culture eroding Islamic values, shopkeepers said on Monday.

As the West imposes the toughest ever sanctions on Iran and tensions rise over its nuclear program, inside the country the Barbie ban is part of what the government calls a “soft war” against decadent cultural influences.

“About three weeks ago they (the morality police) came to our shop, asking us to remove all the Barbies,” said a shopkeeper in a toy shop in northern Tehran.

Iran’s religious rulers first declared Barbie, made by U.S. company Mattel Inc, un-Islamic in 1996, citing its “destructive cultural and social consequences”. Despite the ban, the doll has until recently been openly on sale in Tehran shops.

The new order, issued around three weeks ago, forced shopkeepers to hide the leggy, busty blonde behind other toys as a way of meeting popular demand for the dolls while avoiding being closed down by the police.

A range of officially approved dolls launched in 2002 to counter demand for Barbie have not proven successful, merchants told Reuters.

The dolls named Sara, a female, and Dara, a male arrived in shops wearing a variety of traditional dress, with Sara fully respecting the rule that all women in Iran must obey in public, of covering their hair and wearing loose-fitting clothes.

“My daughter prefers Barbies. She says Sara and Dara are ugly and fat,” said Farnaz , a 38-year-old mother, adding that she could not find Barbie cartoon DVDs as she was told they were also banned from public sale.

Pointing to a doll covered in black long veil, a 40-year-old Tehran toy shop manager said: “We still sell Barbies but secretly and put these in the window to make the police think we are just selling these kinds of dolls.”

Iran has fought a running battle to purge pervasive western culture from the country since its Islamic revolution overthrew a western-backed king in 1979, enforcing Islamic dress codes, banning Western music and foreign satellite television.

As another swipe at the West, Iranians will soon be able to buy toy versions of the U.S. spy drone that it captured in December, Iranian media reported.

Models of the bat-wing RQ-170 Sentinel—which Iran’s military displayed on TV after it was downed near the Afghan border—will be mass produced in a variety of colours, reports said.

Iranian forces have set their sights on bringing down a beloved American figure: Barbie.

Police have closed down dozens of toy stores that have been selling the blond icon and confiscated the dolls as tensions continue to increase with the west, the semi-official Mehr news agency announced Friday, according to the Associated Press.

The government believes that toys like Barbies are the West's attempt to infiltrate the company's culture.

Shopkeepers told Reuters that the crackdown has been going on for weeks in what the Mehr news agency said was a "new phase" of its Barbie ban enforcement.

"About three weeks ago they came to our shop asking us to remove all the Barbies," one shopkeeper said.

The doll has technically been held in unfavorable light by the countries' religious leaders since 1996 but the ban has only been enforced in recent months, much to the dismay of many Iranian children who are left with the option of two dolls approved by the government in 2002, Dara and Sara.

Man survives nail brain

2012-01-23T00:50:00.000-08:00

Man survives nail brain

Nail enters brain, man lives, Texas resident Dante Autullo survived a recent brush with death after a 3 ½-inch nail accidentally lodged in his brain . Autullo successfully underwent surgery, and awoke to find his concerned family watching over him.

Dante Autullo thought his doctors were joking. The suburban Chicago man was sure he'd merely cut himself with a nail gun while building a shed. But they assured him the X-ray was real: A nail was lodged in the middle of his brain.
Autullo was recovering Friday after undergoing surgery at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where doctors removed the 3 1/4-inch (7.62-centimeter) nail. It had come within millimeters of the part of the brain that controls motor function.

“When they brought in the picture, I said to the doctor 'Is this a joke? Did you get that out of the doctors joke file?'” the 32-year-old recalled. “The doctor said 'No man, that's in your head.”'

As he was rushed by ambulance to another hospital for surgery, he posted a picture of the X-ray on Facebook.

Autullo, who lives in Orland Park, said he was building a shed Tuesday and using the nail gun above his head when he fired it. With nothing to indicate that a nail hadn't simply whizzed by his head, his longtime companion, Gail Glaenzer, cleaned the wound with peroxide.

“It really felt like I got punched on the side of the head,” he said, adding that he continued working. “I thought it went past my ear.”

While there are pain-sensitive nerves on a person's skull, there aren't any within the brain itself. That's why he would have felt the nail strike the skull, but he wouldn't have felt it penetrate the brain.

Neither he nor Glaenzer thought much about it, and Autullo went on with his day, even plowing a bit of snow. But the next day when he awoke from a nap, feeling nauseated, Glaenzer sensed something was wrong and suggested they go to the hospital.

At first Autullo refused, but he relented after the two picked up their son at school Wednesday evening.

An X-ray was taken a couple hours later. And there, seeming to float in the middle of his head, was a nail.

Doctors told Autullo and Glaenzer that the nail came within millimeters from the part of the brain that controls motor function, and he was rushed by ambulance to the other hospital for more specialized care.

“He feels good. He moved all his limbs, he's talking normal, he remembers everything,” Glaenzer said earlier Friday. “It's amazing, a miracle.”

Neurosurgeon Leslie Schaffer acknowledged that Autullo's case was unusual, but not extremely rare. Schaffer said having a nail penetrate the skull is not like being shot in the head, noting that a bullet would break into multiple pieces.

“This (the nail) is thinner, with a small trajectory, and pointed at the end,” he said. “The bone doesn't fracture much because the nail has a small tip.”

Schaffer said the man's skull stopped the nail from going farther into his brain. He said he removed the nail by putting two holes in Autullo's skull, on either side of the nail, then pulled the nail out along with a piece of the skull.

The surgery took two hours, and the part of the skull that was removed for surgery was replaced with a titanium mesh, Hospital spokesman Mike Maggio said.

Gail Glaenzer often teased accident-prone fiancé Dante Autullo about their long engagement, joking that she wanted to marry before he hurt himself too badly.

“I told him, I want to get married while your face is pretty for wedding pictures,” she said.

Thursday morning, Autullo awoke at Advocate Christ Medical Center following surgery to remove a 3½-inch nail he accidentally shot into his brain -- not even aware that he had -- while working in his Orland Park garage on Tuesday morning.

Minnesota nativity goat found

2012-01-23T00:39:00.000-08:00

Minnesota nativity goat found

Minnesota nativity goat found Missing Nativity goat found safe, A 3-year-old goat, who ran off during a Minnesota Nativity scene, has been found safe showed up on his farm with his other animals. He says it appeared hungry, wet and cold and had lost weight

A goat which escaped a Minnesota Nativity scene is safe after 25 days on the loose.

Curly was found on Wednesday afternoon on a farm south-west of Fergus Falls.

Tony Loomer came out to feed the horses and goats on his farm and noticed the extra goat. KBRF-AM reported that Curly appeared hungry, wet and cold and had lost weight.

Curly's owner, Jim Aakre, came to make sure the goat was his. Mr Aakre thought about going home to get a horse trailer, but Curly was already cold, so he and his wife, Karen, gave Curly her first car ride.

The three-year-old Angora goat was supposed to be part of a live Nativity scene but escaped while she was being unloaded for a Christmas Eve service at Bethlehem Lutheran Church.

FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (KSAX) - The goat that escaped a Fergus Falls nativity scene back in December has finally been caught after 25 days on the loose.

Karen Aakre, Curly’s owner, said the four-year-old Angora goat was found Jan. 18 at around 4 p.m. on a farm southwest of Fergus Falls. Curly was found shivering mixed in with other goats on Tony Loomer’s farm, Loomer said.

Both Jim and Karen Aakre hauled the goat home in their car and she was safe and sound by 8:30 that night.

The goat initially escaped during a Christmas Eve service at Bethlehem Lutheran Church during a live nativity scene presentation. Since, Curly has been spotted many times around town, but no one was able to catch the furry fugitive.

The Aakre's said they were happey to be reunited with Curly.

“Jim (Aakre) held her the whole way home and she just immediately put her head in his lap and just like 'ahhhhh I'm safe,'" Karen Aakre, said.

As promised, the Loomer family received a prize worth almost $300, which they said they plan on giving back to the church where Curly originally escaped.

A goat that escaped a Minnesota Nativity scene is safe after 25 days on the loose.

Curly was found Wednesday afternoon on a farm southwest of Fergus Falls.

Tony Loomer came out to feed the horses and goats on his farm and noticed the extra goat.reports Curly appeared hungry, wet and cold and had lost weight.

Curly's owner, Jim Aakre (AWK'-ree), came to make sure the goat was his. Aakre thought about going home to get a horse trailer, but Curly was already cold, so he and his wife, Karen, gave Curly her first car ride.

The 3-year-old Angora goat was supposed to be part of a live Nativity scene but escaped while she was being unloaded for a Christmas Eve service at Bethlehem Lutheran Church.

peta oj simpson house

2012-01-23T00:24:00.000-08:00

peta oj simpson house

PETA wants O.J. Simpson's homeAnimal rights group PETA is asking the bank that's foreclosing ex-NFL star O.J. Simpson's Miami home to donate it to the group. PETA reportedly wants to turn the house into a vegetarian museum. PETA says it chose Simpson because he actively endorsed the consumption of meat

O.J. Simpson’s Kendall, Fla. home.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — PETA wants O.J. Simpson’s house.
Why?
To set up a “Meat Is Murder” museum, of course.
In a letter addressed to Jaime Dimon, JPMorgan Chase’s CEO, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals asked if the bank would either donate or sell the house to the animal rights group for a “nominal sum” once the bank completes the foreclosure it’s pursuing on Simpson’s home.
Ingrid Newkirk, PETA’s president, assured Dimon in the letter that if the organization is able to acquire the five-bedroom Kendall, Fla. home, it would put it to good use by turning it into a “Meat Is Murder” museum that would teach visitors that “nonviolence begins on our plates.”
A Chase (JPM, Fortune 500) spoksesman said the bank would not comment on the matter.
PETA said it chose Simpson’s home because the former football star actively endorsed the consumption of meat. Simpson, they said, was a spokesman for a chicken restaurant chain, owned two restaurants himself and held an ownership stake in several HoneyBaked Ham stores.
The organization said it was serious about its request.
O.J. Simpson faces foreclosure in Florida
“Hope springs eternal.” said Newkirk. “We said we wanted a building in Los Angeles a couple years ago and Bob Barker came up with $4 million to buy it.”
In addition to educating visitors about the treatment of animals used for meat, the museum would offer free samples of foods made from healthy, plant-based proteins, including veggie burgers and faux chicken.
“If they say yes, we’ll be working on the menu,” said Newkirk.
Simpson is currently serving a prison sentence of up to 33 years for a 2007 armed robbery and kidnapping in Nevada. According to a source familiar with the matter, he stopped making payments on his Florida home in 2010.

PETA is in the works of asking JPMorgan and Chase to hand over his pricey house to this animal rights organization for a new museum.

Why Simpson’s old digs, you ask? Simple. PETA would like to turn the five-bedroom home in Kendall, Fla., into a “Meat is Murder” museum. Simpson was infamously accused of murdering Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman in 1994. Now, PETA wants to allay any concerns about the unfortunate semantics here. The museum would supposedly teach visitors that “nonviolence begins on our plates.”

Non-violence begins on our plates? What is so difficult about PETA realizing where these plates come from? The Chinese slaves that we fund and work to death so that we can have so much time on our hands to be uppity assholes who ruin causes like animal rights for everyone else. PETA is making a public statement that Animals are more important that Jewish waiters.

Former football player O.J. Simpson is no stranger to trouble. Everyone is familiar with his infamous 1995 murder trial and acquittal, as well as his subsequent imprisonment for a 2007 robbery conviction. Now it seems that his Miami mansion is heading into foreclosure — not so strange, considering his incarceration — but here’s where things get interesting.

Animal-rights group PETA wants to buy the home and turn it into a vegetarian, “Meat is Murder” museum.

According to PETA president Ingrid Newkirk, ”Our museum will remind visitors that violence may not always be preventable but that it sometimes can be prevented and that non-violence begins on our plates. For instance, many wonderful flesh-and-blood individuals, who feel pain and fear as acutely as humans do and who value their lives in much the same way, are knifed to death every day for nothing more than a fleeting taste of flesh. In slaughterhouses, chickens and turkeys have their throats slit, and frightened pigs and cattle are hung up by one leg, skinned, and dismembered.”

So why is PETA singling out Simpson in particular? Well, it has to do with his troubled background, but not in the way you might think. Newkirk says that ”Simpson…was once a spokesperson for and a franchise owner of two chicken restaurants, and he held a 50 percent ownership in eight HoneyBaked Ham stores.”

Newkirk has asked JP Morgan Chase (the bank that owns the property) to donate the mansion to PETA, or at least consider selling it for a “nominal sum.”

Simpson purchased the 4-bed, 4-bath home for $575,000 in 2000. Let’s hope PETA can get a better deal than th

National Hug Day

2012-01-21T02:46:00.000-08:00

National Hug Day

National Hug Day - Needing a hug, It's National Hug Day and, considering the bummers, blunders and low blows these folks have suffered lately, they could use any extra embraces you have to spare.
National Hug Day, Nowadays, with all the drama going on in this crazy but beautiful world, huggers are an endangered species. Let’s bring them back by participating in National Hug Day, spreading the love and joy. Hug your family and loved ones today and remember to do it more often from now on. If you’re not comfortable hugging strangers, simply share a handshake or high five. National Hug Day was created by Rev. Kevin Zaborney in 1986; it has since been celebrated annually and continues to grow internationally. Zaborney wanted to help people show their emotions in public and spread more love throughout America. The official National Hug Day website declared Ellen DeGeneres and Gloria A. Mecca the Most Needing a hug.

National Hug Day or National Hugging Day is an annual holiday created by Rev. Kevin Zaborney. It occurs on January 21 and is officially recognized by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, but is not a public holiday. The holiday was founded on January 21, 1986 in Caro, Michigan, and has since spread to multiple countries. The purpose for the holiday is to help everyone show more emotion in public.There is only one way you are supposed to celebrate the holiday, offer a hug to anyone and everyone you want. While National Hug Day and the Free Hugs Campaign share many similarities, there is not actual association between the two. Whether you hug a family member or a stranger, the mental and physical health benefits are the same

Ellen Barkin

A holiday run-in with the NYPD left the native New Yorker irate.

Newt Gingrich

The former House speaker and 2012 presidential hopeful complained that he feels "Romney-boated" and even forecasted his own doom in Iowa.

Kris Humphries

Not only is he licking the wounds of a very public divorce, but the NBA player gets no love on the court, either.

Lindsay Lohan

The former Disney star's career has taken an adults-only turn lately and she's had some international woes this year.

George Michael

Michael was making his pop star rounds last fall, when the music came to an abrupt halt in November.

Demi Moore

Newly single Moore tugged at heartstrings when she opened up about her worst fear in a glossy cover story.

Star QBs

QB standouts Tim Tebow, Mark Sanchez, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers deserve a collective hug for disappointing losses in their respective match-ups.

Chuck Schumer

Sen. Schumer is so busy thinking about big infrastructure plans and flood safety precautions that it seems he's let other things fall by the wayside.

Twin polar bear cubs

These little guys who just made their public debut over the holidays deserve a hug just for being adorable.

Possum NYC subway

2012-01-20T10:33:00.000-08:00

Possum NYC subway

Possum NYC subway - Possum causes NYC subway evacuation, Riding a New York City subway at 4 a.m. is bound to involve some strange sights. For passengers who spotted a wild possum there last week, it meant the end of the line, as the train was reportedly evacuated while animal-control officers tried to wrangle the critter.

Even some jaded New Yorkers thought the four-legged creature curled up near a radiator under a subway seat was pretty unusual.

Startled riders abroad a Manhattan-bound train spotted the opossum around 4:30 a.m. last Friday.
The New York Times reports that finding the nocturnal creature on a subway train was rare in several ways.
First, they tend to like trees. Two, they are not burrowers although they sometimes go below ground in search of food or warmth.

After the animal bared its teeth at officers who tried to remove it with heavy gloves, animal control experts were called.

NYC Transit spokesman Charles Seaton said it was the first anybody could remember seeing a wild animal in the system.

SINNFREIER GIF DUMP

2012-01-20T06:59:00.001-08:00

SINNFREIER GIF DUMP

Bis zum Wochenende dauert es nicht mehr lange. Um die Zeit zu überbrücken gibts hier wieder unseren animierten Gifdump

Notorious athlete divorces

2012-01-20T06:17:00.000-08:00

Notorious athlete divorces

Before the fall Not all marriages are winners, as Vanessa and Kobe Bryant recently proved. Here are some more athlete unions that didn't make it.

Deion Sanders and Pilar Biggers-Sanders Husband: Deion Sanders, football and baseballWife: Pilar Biggers-Sanders, model/reality TV starBing: Length of marriage?Reasons for divorce: Via Facebook, Deion Sanders announced, "Pilar and I have decided to end our marriage and move on to the next phase of our individual lives with mutual respect. We are friends, and our top priority has and will continue to be the well-being of our children."Bing: Find his official Facebook page.Find: See photos from their wedding.Search: Remember the couple's family reality show?

Kris Humphries and Kim Kardashian Husband: Kris Humphries, basketballWife: Kim Kardashian, reality TV star/red carpet magnetBing: How long were they married?Reasons for divorce: Things didn't go "as expected" after the couple married in 2011. The couple was allegedly paid $10 million to have their nuptials made into a reality-television special.Bing: Browse photos from their lavish wedding.

Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Bryant Husband: Kobe Bryant, basketballWife: Vanessa Bryant, stay-at-home momBing: How long was the marriage?Reasons for divorce: Divorce papers cite "irreconcilable differences," but rumors suggest Vanessa found out her husband was cheating on her. In addition to the new allegations, Kobe was involved in an infamous 2003 incident in which a woman filed a sexual assault claim against the basketball star. He did admit to the incident but said the sex was consensual, and charges were later dropped.Bing: See a photo of the famous 'apology' ring Kobe gave her after the incident.Find: How much money is Vanessa rumored to receive in the divorce?

Tony Parker and Eva Longoria Husband: Tony Parker, basketballWife: Eva Longoria, actress, 'Desperate Housewives'Bing: How long were they married?Reasons for divorce: Irreconcilable differences, though there were rumors that the basketball star cheated on his actress wife.Her current flame: Who is she currently dating? (Hint: He's the brother of her friend, who is also an actress. Who?)Bing: See photos of the exes in happier times, at what was then hailed the "Wedding of the Year."

Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren Woods Husband: Tiger WoodsWife: Elin Nordegren WoodsBing: How long did the marriage last?Reasons for divorce: Tiger's Thanksgiving 2009 car accident outside his home led to revelations of affairs with multiple women, including at least one porn actress.Bing: How much money did Nordgren receive in the divorce settlement?Find: Find out what she's doing to the Florida mansion she's building.

Shaquille O'Neal and Shaunie O'Neal Husband: Shaquille O'Neal, basketballWife: Shaunie O'Neal, reality TV starBing: How long did the marriage last?Reasons for divorce: Shaq's 2007 filing referenced his unease about Shaunie's handling of the household finances. Hers, in 2009, cited irreconcilable differences and Shaq being a hard dog to keep on the porch.Bing: Shaq is rumored to be married again. To whom? | See photos of the couple.Find: See a photo of O'Neal and Shaunie's wedding.

David Justice and Halle Berry Husband: David Justice, baseballWife: Halle Berry, actress/modelBing: How long was the marriage?Reasons for divorce: "We were pretty much bi-coastal and didn't get a chance to spend a lot of time together," Justice said after the divorce from his actress wife.Bing: To which sexy actor did Berry recently announce she's engaged?Find: Browse photos of Berry's fiancé playing with her daughter (from a previous relationship).

Alex Rodriguez and Cynthia Scurtis Husband: Alex RodriguezWife: Cynthia ScurtisBing: How long did the marriage last?Reasons for divorce: Toxic narcissism, chronic immaturity and "emotional abandonment" by the husband, his wife alleged. She apparently said the last straw was his affair "of the heart" with a pop icon (who?).

Dennis Rodman and Carmen Electra Husband: Dennis Rodman, basketballWife: Carmen Electra, Playboy Playmate-turned-actressBing: How long was the marriage?Reasons for divorce: Rodman's agent suspected alcohol had fueled the quick Las Vegas nuptials, which Rodman and his bride denied. Nine days later, however, he filed for an annulment of the marriage. A court eventually granted his wish in April 1999.

Mike Tyson and Robin Givens Husband: Mike Tyson, boxer-turned-actorWife: Robin Givens, actressBing: How long did they last?Reasons for divorce: Givens reported that she divorced the boxer due to "violence and physical abuse."Bing: How much money did Givens receive in the divorce settlement?

Andre Agassi and Brooke Shields Husband: Andre Agassi, tennisWife: Brooke Shields, actressBing: How long did the marriage last?Reasons for divorce: Andre Agassi was a troubled athlete. Brooke Shields wanted someone to help her navigate showbiz. Both quickly realized they had made the wrong choice, and the two divorced in 1999.Bing: Did you know Agassi's famous rocker hair was, ahem, a wig? See photos.

Rick Fox and Vanessa Williams Husband: Rick Fox, basketballWife: Vanessa Williams, actress/singerBing: How long did the marriage last?Reasons for divorce: Living on opposite coasts for most of the marriage led to the breakdown of the union between the basketball star and his actress wife, according to People magazine.

Frank and Jamie McCourt Husband: Frank McCourt, baseball team ownerWife: Jamie McCourtBing: How long did the marriage last?Reasons for divorce: In 2009, the McCourts separated, and Frank fired Jamie from her position as CEO of the Los Angeles Dodgers, citing insubordination as well as an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate - reportedly her bodyguard. The Dodgers later filed for bankruptcy, and on Nov. 1, 2011, Frank McCourt agreed to sell the team.

Greg Norman and Laura Andrassy Husband: Greg Norman, golfWife: Laura AndrassyBing: This one lasted much longer. How many years were they married?Reasons for divorce: Norman's semi- public philandering had been tolerated, but his decision to take up with close family friend Chris Evert wasn't and the two divorced in 2006.

Greg Norman and Chris Evert Husband: Greg Norman, golfWife: Chris Evert, tennisBing: How long did the marriage last?Reasons for divorce: The problem was five kids, two addresses and the unwillingness of either the golfer or tennis star to relocate to be closer to the other. No money was exchanged in the settlement.Bing: Norman married wife No. 3 in

Jeff Gordon and Brooke Sealey Husband: Jeff Gordon, NASCAR driverWife: Brooke SealeyBing: How long did the marriage last?Reasons for divorce: The marriage was irretrievably broken as a result of the husband's misconduct, according to his wife.

John Daly Husband: John Daly, golfWives: He has four exes: Dale Crafton, Bettye Fulford, Paulette Dean and Sherrie Miller (pictured)How long was each marriage? Crafton (two years), Fulford (three years), Dean (three and a half years) and Miller (nine years)Reasons for divorce: It probably depends on which of Daly's four ex-wives you ask, but the responses would likely include drinking, smoking, gambling, fighting and lying.Bing: In 2010, Miller released her memoir, "Teed Off: My Live as a Player's Wife on the PGA Tour." Find it. Find: After Dean's divorce from Daly, she was rumored to have had an affair with a married MLB star. Who?

Jason Kidd and Joumana Kidd Husband: Jason Kidd, basketballWife: Joumana KiddBing: How long was the marriage?Reasons for divorce: Jourmana Kidd alleged "numerous liaisons and perpetual physical and emotional abuse" by her basketball-player husband. Jason's response: She did, too.Bing: Kidd married the former girlfriend of fashion mogul Russell Simmons in 2011. Who is she?

Landon Donovan and Bianca Kajlich Husband: Landon Donovan, soccerWife: Bianca Kajlich, actressBing: How long did the marriage last?Reasons for divorce: The soccer star's marriage to his actress wife crumbled due to irreconcilable differences.

Fred and Deborah Couples Husband: Fred Couples, golfWife: Deborah CouplesLength of marriage: 13 yearsReasons for divorce: One was a laid-back introvert (Fred) in a very public place, and the other was an extrovert (Deborah). The marriage ended in 1993.

Pierre-Yves Hardenne and Justine Henin Husband: Pierre-Yves HardenneWife: Justine Henin, tennisBing: How long did the marriage last?Reasons for divorce: From tennis star Henin's friend Dominique Monami: "The imbalance here was just too great. Pierre-Yves didn't have a role. At the start her entourage wanted to give him a role, but it didn't work. He was only her husband. At best he carried her water bottles for her."