TOP - NEWS

Chicago Bears

2011-07-26T13:00:00.001-07:00

Now that the lockout is over, players who weren't selected in April's draft can agree to terms with NFL teams.
It's a process that normally would have begun even as the draft was winding down on its third and final day, which this year was on April 30.
Some former Ohio State Buckeyesstars are on the move, including wide receiver Dane Sanzenbacher, who has reportedly agreed to a contract to try to make the Chicago Bears roster.
Sanzenbacher must be regarded as a strong candidate to stay with the Bears. Most observers were surprised when he went undrafted.
Daniel Wolf writes about Sanzenbacher going to the Bears for the National Football Authority:

The Buckeyes' 2010 MVP was projected to be taken in the later rounds of April's draft but when he was not many, including ESPN's own Jon Gruden, were confused as to why.

Sanzenbacher comes into an offensive system ran by Mike Martz, which thrives on the passing game. Gunslinger and starting quarterback Jay Cutler needs weapons and Sanzenbacher can easily be a target over the middle or even down the sideline, for Cutler.

In fact, Sanzenbacher was more of a deep threat at OSU last year, than fellow starter DeVier Posey was, so the assumption that Sanzenbacher is a slot receiver is misleading.

Wolf's report links to an earlier National Football Authority report on how Gruden is a fan of Sanzenbacher's, and another NFA report on how Sanzenbacher can be more than just the prototype slot receiver.

Plain Dealer and cleveland.com Ohio State coverage includes Doug Lesmerises' reports on three different 2011 Big Ten football polls conducted by The Plain Dealer: predicting the Big Ten standings; picking the conference's best coach; picking the Big Ten's preseason offensive and defensive Players of the Year.

Kat Von D

2011-07-26T12:57:00.000-07:00

The romance is over, but they'll always have the tattoos.
Jesse Jamesand Kat Von D hooked up in the fiery aftermath of James' split from America's sweetheart Sandra Bullock, a breakup brought on by the Monster Garage dude's cheating.
And what a romance it was...
So what brought it down?
Despite the fact that the twosome shared an outlaw mentality—he's a maker of custom-built motorcycles and she's a reality show star/tattoo artist who previously dated Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx—their romance was apparently done in by something prosaic: Distance. James lives with his three kids in Texas while Von D is based in Los Angeles.
Here's a timeline of their short-lived affair:
Mar. 2010: Days after Sandra Bullock wins an Oscar and seems on top of the world, scandal erupts when a tabloid report claims James has been carrying on an affair. Jesse later admits to pulling a Tiger Woods and having affairs with several women, including stripper Michelle "Bombshell" McGee. He publicly apologizes to Bullock who moves out the couple's home by the middle of the month.
April, 23 2010: The Blind Side actress files a petition to end her five-year union to the 42-year-old James and also reveals that she and her soon-to-be ex had adopted a baby boy, which she decides she will now raise as a single parent.
June 28, 2010: Sometime after James' divorce from Bullock is finalized; the Discovery Channel personality and 29-year-old LA Ink star Von D begin dating.
Aug. 19, 2010: Von D. confirms reports of the romance: "I think it's pretty obvious that we're dating," she tweets.
Sept. 2, 2010: The tattoo babe and her beau hit the red carpet for the opening of her new Wonderland Gallery looking all smiles, then share a couple of kisses inside the party where Von D introduces James to her dad for the first time.

January 2011: James announces he and Von D are engaged after seven months of dating, calling her his "other half." "You know, sometimes the public and press gets it wrong," he tells People. "This is one of those times. 2010 was actually the best year of my life because I fell in love with my best friend." She tweets back: "I guess the 'kat' is outta the bag, eh?"
May 2011: James helps promote his book American Outlaw by telling Howard Stern that sex with Von D is "100 percent"better than it was with Bullock. He also tells Nightline that he forgives himself for what went down with Bullock. That's big of him, right?
June 2011: Six months after he vows to marry, reports surface that the pair are on the outs. James denies it, tweeting, "I like that all the piece of S—t tabloids are now following me on Twitter. I'm pretty sure it's just so I can tell them to Lick My Balls." The duo later tell People they are "still going strong."
Mon. July 25, 2011: James and Von D both separately confirm the split. She tweets: "I am no longer w Jesse, and out of respect for him, his family and myself, that's all the info I'd like to share. Thanks for respecting that." He tells People: "I'm so sad because I really love her. The distance between us was just too much."

David Wu

2011-07-26T12:53:00.001-07:00

Even as Rep. David Wu (D-Ore.) initially resisted pressure from leaders in Washington to resign, Democrats back home had begun to look past him. But with Wu relenting Tuesday and announcing his resignation from Congress, the race to succeed him in the historically Democratic district has taken on new urgency.
Gov. John Kitzhaber gets to set the date for a special election. If he schedules it for more than 80 days after Wu officially resigns, candidates will be nominated in party primaries. If the special election is set for less than 80 days after the resignation, candidates will be nominated by conventions of party officials. Both times Kitzhaber has previously set special election dates, he’s opted to allow a public primary, and political watchers are expecting the same this time.

Either way, Democratic insiders are already pointing to two front-runners: state Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian, who has already been preparing a primary challenge for months, and state Sen. Suzanne Bonamici, who hasn’t declared her candidacy but is widely expected to run.

“They’ll be two very well-organized campaigns,” said Len Bergstein, a Democratic lobbyist in the state. “It will be a very highly competitive race.”
State Rep. Brad Witt is also in the race, but he doesn’t enjoy the same home base that Avakian and Bonamici do in the district’s critical battleground of Washington County.
“This district is won or lost in Washington County,” said Jim Ross, a longtime Democratic strategist whose firm ran then-Gov. Ted Kulongoski’s successful reelection campaign in 2008.
Now that a special election has been triggered, more candidates are certain to take a closer look at the race.
“There are a lot of talented Democrats in this district, people in the business community, and we may see a self-funder emerge,” Bergstein said.
Republicans may also choose to compete more seriously but will remain at a big disadvantage in a district that both George W. Bush and John McCain lost badly. And local business and organized labor interests are sure to be quickly mobilized.
“Wu still being in the race had kind of frozen the field,” Ross said. “All these institutional players didn’t want to get involved, but they weren’t supporting Wu, either. Everything’s in play now.”
Avakian already has a significant head start in fundraising and political infrastructure against Bonamici and Witt. Avakian raised almost $200,000 in his first quarter as a candidate and has racked up a long list of endorsements from local elected officials.
A special election — and the accelerated campaign that comes with it — almost certainly magnifies Avakian’s early advantage.

“The fact is that he already has a campaign team, he’s already raised $200,000, he has good name ID, so a short special election is very much in his favor,” Ross said. “That said, I think there are a lot of potential candidates who can close that gap very quickly.”
Avakian had been particularly vocal in calling for Wu’s resignation and said he deserves credit over late entrants to the race for being willing to campaign while the incumbent was still in the picture.

“I made the decision it was important to challenge David Wu months ago because of his ineffectiveness and the inappropriate things he did,” Avakian said. “I think a lot of people have already made up their minds, and they’ve jumped onto our campaign. … I can hit the ground running in Congress on jobs and the economy like nobody else in this race.”

Witt had stopped short of calling for Wu’s resignation, saying only that Wu should step aside if the latest allegations were true. He said his economic message would resonate.
“I understand the plight that average Oregonians and the rest of our country are facing today,” Witt told POLITICO. “I have been a longtime proponent of business, economic and workforce development.”
Bonamici could not be reached for comment. If the nominee for a special election is chosen by a party convention instead of a primary, all bets could be off.
“In a convention you could really get a wild card. It’s all party activists. Those are really tough to control,” Ross said.
Party leaders said a race in which more candidates can emerge is still wide open.
“It’s way to early to tell,” said Karen Packer, the Democratic chairwoman in Washington County. “Certainly Brad Avakian had an early head start. But it’s anybody’s game.”
Even before Wu relented to demands that he resign, a string of embarrassing incidents had already put a final stamp on a career long marked by political isolation — the first Chinese-American elected to Congress, in 1998, much of his financial support came from Asian communities outside his district. Allegations of a 1976 rape, in which no criminal charges were ever filed, surfaced in 2004. Just before last year’s election — in which he won a seventh term — he began behaving erratically, at one point sending a picture of himself in a tiger costume to staffers.
Details of this behavior didn’t emerge until after the election. Several staffers, including his chief of staff, resigned earlier this year, Wu acknowledged that he accepted painkillers from a campaign donor and a report surfaced about an incident last year in which he crashed into a parked car.
“He’ll be remembered as a quirky character who held that seat, but he won’t go down as someone who had a tremendous impact on the state or in the delegation,” Bergstein said.

Kelly Osbourne

2011-07-23T16:02:00.000-07:00

Word of Amy Winehouse's modification farm rapidly on Sabbatum greeting, sparking saddened reactions from fans and celebrities across the sphere.

Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan was one of the firstborn celebs to Sound out language of the vocaliser's alteration. "Sad to pore about Amy Winehouse. I mourn any experience one of our own passes on. A tragedy...no question. Really sad."

He was apace connected by many writer, including an improbably sorrowful Actress Osbourne.

"I lingo steady breather correct my now im weeping so lignified i upright mislaid 1 of my unsurpassable friends. i hump you forever Amy & present never bury the sincere you!"

Vocalizer Rihanna was also emotive most the info. "Pricey God human mercy!!! I am Displeased active this reactionary now!" she tweeted.

Swain pop player Lily Player tweeted, "Its honorable beyond sad, there's zip added to say. She was such a unredeemed soul, may she inactivity in security."

Stargazer Simmons side, "I am deeply saddened to center the success of Amy Winehouse. She was an howling talent who leftish us with tremendous gifts throughout her vocation. I broadcast my sincerest condolences to her stock, friends and fans."

Nicki Minaj couldn't equal conceive the "Rehab" player had passed forth.

"Gratify swear me Amy Winehouse didn't die. Is this any displeased humour?" she tweeted.

Musicians weren't the only ones expressing their condolences. Choreographer Kutcher only tweeted "Rip Amy Winehouse" patch actuality pretence topology Kim Kardashian superimposed "I fair heard the info that Amy Winehouse passed inaccurate. What a echt talent. I pray she's in a better estimate & at pact."

"So sad," wrote artificer Demi Lovato. "Unluckily the mankind unregenerate an improbably precocious woman to much a mighty disease...dependence."

Kutcher's wife, Demi Sculptor, also verbalised her unhappiness. "Genuinely sad intelligence most Amy Winehouse," she tweeted. "My courageousness goes out to her family. May her concerned spirit grow accord."

Actress Gabrielle Brotherhood superimposed "RIP 2 the wonderful, faithful, ungrudging Butch Explorer and the very precocious Amy Winehouse.

Norway Individual Suspect Released YouTube Recording

2011-07-23T15:39:00.000-07:00

A duo of hours before the devastating calorimeter blow in Norway's great, brat litigator Anders Behring Breivik released a video on YouTube where he calls for conservatives to "clutches affliction."
TV2 said sources within Noreg's constabulary confirmed the video was uploaded by Mr. Breivik, who was charged Saturday for the onset and shootings in Norge's book and a nearby island Friday that parcel at lowest 92 fill asleep.
The recording was uploaded by a person called AndrewBerwick on YouTube, hours before the assail in the eye of Oslo went off, TV2 said. It calls for conservatives to "hold martyrdom."

"[If] the multiculturalist elites of Europe maintain to decline to voluntarily person political and warlike state to our orthodox new forces ... then [the merchandise man war] is likely effort to happen as a picnic compared to the forthcoming carnage," the recording explicit in captions.
Autographed also by an AndrewBerwick, an Nation motion of the kinfolk Anders Breivik, was a manifest called "2083 - A Dweller Declaration of Metropolis" on the situation www.mutation.no. The manifest is 1,500 attendant description on Mr. Breivik's view and semipolitical viewpoints.
Friday's aggression was the country's poorest since Mankind War II and among the deadliest-ever attacks by a only gun.
The video has since been removed from YouTube.

Cologne vs Arsenal

2011-07-23T08:18:00.001-07:00

The Arsenal squad returned from their pre-season tour of Asia on Sunday and Wenger will assess Cesc Fabregas on Monday morning before deciding if he is ready to return for Saturday’s friendly against Cologne.
The backdrop, however, is Barcelona’s ongoing pursuit of Fabregas. Wenger accepts that the 24 year-old is genuinely torn between Arsenal and his hometown club but knows that, for the benefit of the London club, there needs to be a swift resolution.
Barcelona have already had one bid of £27 million rejected and there remains the long-standing question of whether they are willing to fund a deal that Arsenal would find acceptable.
“For us it is important that the team settles psychologically as quickly as possible because we have a tough start,” said Wenger, the Arsenal manager.
“We play most of the big clubs away in the first half of the season. We have to stop at some stage. I hope we can close that [the Fabregas situation] very quickly in our favour.”
Fabregas is still yet to train with the full squad following a hamstring injury but, after Cologne on Saturday, there is the Emirates Cup on July 30-31 and a final pre-season friendly against Benfica on Aug 6.
“We will have to see how far he is with his injury,” said Wenger. “He is not back in full training. I will have to assess him.”
Wenger, though, is adamant that Fabregas is very much part of his pre-season plans. “Yes, of course,” he said. “The problem is we face speculation from everywhere but my target is the same, to keep the players and my desire to fight for that is the same.”
While Wenger has accepted that he could allow Fabregas to leave if he is unhappy and Barcelona match Arsenal’s valuation, he is adamant that Samir Nasri will stay.
During matches in Asia over the past week, Nasri has shared the usual Fabregas position behind a main central striker with Aaron Ramsey. Nasri is the subject of interest from both Manchester City andManchester United.

Wenger is unhappy at the way Roberto Mancini has spoken openly of his desire to sign the France midfielder, describing the City manager’s comments as “absolutely out of order”. He believes Mancini has broken football’s code of conduct by speaking about another player who is under contract at another club.
The Arsenal manager stopped short of calling for the Premier Leagueor Fifa to take direct action but has clearly grown weary of hearing senior figures at rival clubs speak so openly about his players.
Last week, he accused Xavi and Sandro Rosell, the Barcelona midfielder and president respectively, of being disrespectful for recent comments about Fabregas.
"Things have changed in England and I believe it is important that we go back to normal behaviour on that front,” said Wenger." The rules are the rules. You have never heard me say any word about a player.”
Denilson, the Brazil midfielder, left Arsenal’s pre-season tour of Asia to travel back to South America where he is in talks to spend a season on loan at Sao Paulo. Fluminese is a more distant possibility.
Nicklas Bendtner and Manuel Almunia are also in talks with other clubs about a potential move. Wenger, though, has no plans to recruit a new left-back following the departure of Gael Clichy, with Kieran Gibbs almost certain to start the season in that position.

Singapore Malaysia World Cup Qualifier

2011-07-23T08:14:00.000-07:00

China recovered from a shock early two-goal deficit to beat lowly-ranked Laos 7-2 on Saturday in the first leg of their World Cup qualifying match.
In other Asian zone matches, Thailand had a 1-0 home win over Palestine to leave that matchup in the balance, and Singapore had an entertaining 5-3 home win over neighbor Malaysia.
A humbling home defeat loomed for China when Laos went 2-0 up in the 32nd minute through goals from Soukaphone Vongchiengkham and Visay Phapouvanin.
But the immediate introduction of Yang Xu as a substitute turned the game around as the big striker scored a hat trick and China stormed to a convincing victory.
Another substitute, midfielder Chen Tao, scored two goals, as did former Schalke midfielder Hao Junmin.
China's state news agency Xinhua said the Chinese Football Association announced that coach Gao Hongbo would be replaced as coach after Thursday's return leg, and a new man put in charge for the round-robin group-stage third round.
The five-goal buffer should be more than enough for China in the second leg, although in the first round of Asian qualifying, Laos scored six goals in the second leg to overturn a first-leg deficit against Cambodia.
Thailand was playing its first game under new coach Winfried Schaefer and in unfamiliar surroundings of a new stadium in Buriram in the northeast of the country rather than Bangkok.
The sole goal came in the 18th minute when Palestine's defense headed away a cross only as far as Jakkraphan Kaewprom, and the Buriram club player saw his shot deflect off an opponent and into the net.
Thailand pressed strongly for a second goal to provide a cushion ahead of the second leg, but Palestine held firm to keep the deficit to one goal.
The two teams met in an Olympic qualifier earlier this year which ended with Thailand winning a penalty shootout but later being disqualified for fielding an ineligible player.

In Singapore, the home team's victory over a familiar foe put the city-state in a good position to progress to the third round.
Malaysia went ahead in the first minute as striker Safee Sali took advantage of confusion in Singapore's defense to poke in one of his two goals, but by halftime they were 4-1 down.
Veteran striker Aleksander Duric equalized in the eighth minute and Qiu Li put Singapore ahead in the 21st before quickfire goals just before the break from Mustafic Fahrudin and Shi Jiayi.
Malaysia hit back with two goals in a minute midway through the second half, to Abdul Hadi Yahya and a second for Safee, before 40-year-old Duric scored a potentially crucial fifth for Singapore in the 82nd minute.
There were 15 first-leg games being played across Asia on Saturday, with the return legs to be played on Thursday.
The 15 winners will join Japan, Australia, South Korea, North Korea and Bahrain in the draw for the group-stage third round.

Singapore vs Malaysia Soccer

2011-07-23T08:10:00.001-07:00

SINGAPORE defeated bitter Causeway rivals Malaysia 5-3 in a thrilling World Cup second round qualifying match at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Saturday night.
The Lions got off to a bad start when they conceded a goal just barely 27 seconds into the game but Malaysia mysteriously went to pieces after that as a brace by striker Qiu Li and goals by midfielders Mustafic Fahrudin and Shi Jiayi gave Singapore a dream 4-1 lead at the break.

However, Singapore suddenly conceded two goals in quick succession midway through the second half and the game became a nail-biting open affair again.
The Malaysians, smelling blood, surged forward and Singapore goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud had to pull off a few good saves to keep the Tigers at bay.
Singapore striker Aleksandar Duric then provided some relief for the Lions when he scored the final goal of the game.
The Lions will travel to Kuala Lumpur next week to play Malaysia on Thursday in the July 28 return leg at the Bukit Jalil Stadium.

Whale Shark

2011-07-23T08:06:00.001-07:00

Imagine staring at the largest fish in the ocean as it swims straight towards you with its huge mouth wide open. Would you be panicking? What would you do? Would you be a little more relaxed if you knew the monstrous marine animal only ate plankton and small marine life? What if you also knew the fish couldn't see really well? It doesn't know if you are plankton or not.
A diver, almost swallowed by a whale shark off the coast of Mexico, didn't have to imagine this frightening scenario. It really happened, and the diver almost ended up in the belly of the whale. Or did he?
The diver that almost became lunch was a photographer who was snapping photos in the midst of about 600 of 40-foot long whale sharks during a feeding frenzy. The sharks were getting their fill of tuna spawn and had no desire to devour a diver.
The photograph is amazing and shows just how close this diver came to being sucked in this poor unsuspecting and stunningly majestic whale's enormous mouth which measures up to 1.5 meters wide and holds up to 350 rows of teeth. That's a lot of chompers. Despite all their pearly whites, this docile shark eats by sucking in huge amounts of water filled with spawn into its jaws and filtering its feed.

According to sources, if the diver almost swallowed by the whale shark had actually been sucked in, the shark would have just spat him back out. What a relief!
So, even though the chances were slim the diver would have made it into the belly of the whale, the diver was probably quite relieved to be able to escape those 350 rows of tiny teeth and the horrifying experience of being sucked into a huge mouth anyway.

Mayhem

2011-07-23T08:01:00.001-07:00

WHO: Rockstar Mayhem Festival Featuring Megadeth, Disturbed, Godsmack, In Flames and Machine Head.
WHAT: Heavy metal.
WHEN: 2:15 p.m. Wednesday.
WHERE: PNC Bank Arts Center, Exit 116, Holmdel; 732-203-2500 or artscenter.com.
HOW MUCH: $25 to $85.
ALSO PERFORMING: With Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax at the Big 4 at Yankee Stadium concert, Sept. 14, Bronx.; $94.50 to $229.50; 877-469-9849 or ticketmaster.com.
FOR MORE INFO: megadeth.com, myspace.com/megadeth and rockstarmayhemfest.com.
For thrash legend Megadeth, this summer is a time to reflect on its past while looking toward the future. The band has been working on its 13th studio album, "TH1RT3EN," due this fall, and this month released a 25th anniversary edition of its seminal 1986 album, "Peace Sells … But Who's Buying?"
"It's a cool set of bookends right now," bassist Dave Ellefson said by phone from the band's San Diego recording studio.
"Peace Sells" is considered one of the most technically complex and aggressive records in heavy metal history and represented a giant leap forward for Megadeth from its straightforward debut, which was released a year earlier.
"The longer you're together as a band, the better you write," Ellefson said. "Everything goes up to a whole other level."
Megadeth played many of the songs on "Peace Sells," including the classic title track and metal masterpieces such as "Wake Up Dead," "The Conjuring" and "Devil's Island," on tour before entering the studio.
"Having played the songs live, they already had that energy," Ellefson said. "Our chops were shining."
Ellefson said Megadeth was literally a hungry band at the time, which contributed to the album's dangerous and dark vibe.

Rags to riches

"We scraped and crawled and squatted and did everything we could to survive in those days," Ellefson said. "We had nothing to fall back on."

The "Peace Sells" lineup also included guitarist-vocalist Dave Mustaine, guitarist Chris Poland and the late Gar Samuelson on drums. Megadeth today features Mustaine, guitarist Chris Broderick and drummer Shawn Drover.
In addition to performing at the Rockstar Mayhem Festival in Holmdel, Megadeth will play a special Big 4 Show with fellow thrash pioneers Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax at Yankee Stadium.
Ellefson said he is thrilled to be part of the show, which celebrates the bands generally acknowledged as having created the genre.
"Every one of us has staked our own claim and contributed something very unique to heavy metal music," Ellefson said. "At the same time, the common thread is that we all formed in the early 1980s, and we were the first generation that took the sound of heavy metal at the time and added the aggression of punk."

Derrick Rose

2011-07-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

While there is a lockout in effect, and players in the NBA are talking about playing next season in Europe, some of the big stars in the sport are getting a taste of basketball overseas, as learned by Euro basket betting services.
According to multiple reports by the media, league MVP Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls, the Oklahoma city Thunder’s Kevin Durant, New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul, and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, are among the big names who will be playing exhibition games in the Philippines, and Euro basket betting fans everywhere would love to watch these games.
The games will be taking place in benefit of the MVP Sports Foundation, which helps youth sports programs, as found out by Euro basket betting services, and basketball fans are very pleased that the games are being played for a good cause, and can’t wait to see their favourite players in action.
“The (foundation) over there is all about giving back and helping out kids,” Paul told the New Orleans Times-Picayune on Wednesday. “That’s something I feel strongly about also. I’m going over there with a few other guys, and we’re going to play. I found out about this through D-Fish (Derek Fisher). He let me know about it.”

According to media reports, Fisher will also be playing, as well as Washington Wizards big man JaVale McGee, Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans, and Minnesota Timberwolves draftee Derrick Williams, and with these players in action, it’s a great time for some basketball betting.
According to what was mentioned in reports, Bryant will be arriving from Shanghai, where he took part in Nike’s Asian Tour, and basketball betting fans everywhere have been very excited when they saw this. He started that tour in the Philippines.
Besides playing the exhibitions against Philippine all-stars, the NBA players will be getting a tour of the country, and Euro basket betting fans everywhere would love to watch these games take place, as they can prove to be very exciting.

Cake Pops

2011-07-23T07:54:00.001-07:00

Although recipes vary, cake pops are essentially crumbled cake mixed with a generous dollop of frosting, rolled into a ball and fashioned on to a stick. The pop is then chilled and dipped in a colourful melted candy mix and decorated in increasingly imaginative ways.These tasty, golf-ball sized bites are popping up everywhere, not least at children's birthday parties, school functions and even weddings. One can find assorted cake-pop cookbooks - in several languages - as well as step-by-step cake-pop tutorials online and even special pans devoted to the cause.

The craze first came to the world's attention via Bakerella.com, a popular blog that translated into huge success for the author, who last September published a cake-pop cookbook that went on to become a New York Times bestseller. The aptly titled Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats instructs enthusiasts how to fashion cake pops into an assortment of creatures, from rabbits to robots.
Never one to miss a trick, Starbucks picked up on the trend and promptly stocked its shelves. The treats continue to adapt to tastes, branching out from straight cake to include brownie and cheesecake varieties. People are making cake-pop babies, cake-pop Berts and Ernies (from the popular US television show Sesame Street) and even cake pops that look like cupcakes.

Daniel Radcliffe Birthday

2011-07-23T02:51:00.000-07:00

Over the past decade, Daniel Radcliffe has been immortalized as Harry Potter starring in all eightHarry Potter films since he was just twelve! Since then, he has appeared on Broadway in the playsEquus and How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Get all the details at Astrology.com!

Happy birthday, Daniel Radcliffe! With four planets in performance-loving Leo, it seems like being the star of your own feature film series had destiny written all over it — and what you conjure up next is likely to be just as grand. Perhaps we’re only left to see ‘Sir’ Daniel Radcliffe scroll down the list of credits on your next project? The sky’s the limit!

Hair For Hope 2011

2011-07-23T02:43:00.001-07:00

FIRST, he was shocked. Then, anxiety took over after Jatin Khemlani, 15, learned just a few days ago that he would get his head shaved by Health Minister Gan Kim Yong at the ninth annual Hair for Hope.
'He is a minister, not a barber,' said Jatin. On Saturday morning, at the head-shaving event organised by non-profit Children's Cancer Foundation (CCF), guest-of-honour Mr Gan admitted that he was playing barber for the first time and was 'nervous'.
And even though he had to change to a larger shaver halfway through working on Jatin's thick locks, Mr Gan completed the job.

Jatin, a childhood cancer survivor, too, was glad he could be part of the event to bring hope to children battling cancer - although he was seen wincing occasionally throughout the shave. Saturday saw the fourth time he has lost his hair for a good cause. His continued participation in the event is his way of expressing thanks to the love and care he received during his five-year journey as a cancer patient. Jatin was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia when he was two, but later recovered from the illness. (Lymphoblastic leukaemia can be fatal in as little as a few weeks if left untreated).
'This is the least I could do for children with cancer to show them that they are not alone,' said the Secondary 4 student of St Patrick's School.
More than 1,400 people registered to shave their heads - the highest ever recorded - at the two-day Hair for Hope event at VivoCity which ends Sunday. CCF hopes to raise $1.8 million in 2011 from donations.

Singham Movie Online

2011-07-23T02:30:00.000-07:00

Reliance Entertainment has availed of a John Doe Order to ensure legal action against illegal screening

If you are planning on streaming Rohit Shetty's action-packed film Singham online, it's best you reconsider. In fact if you plan to watch any of the pirated versions of the film, then make sure you have a good lawyer because the filmmakers of the Ajay Devgn - Kajal Agarwal starrer, Reliance Entertainment, have left no stone unturned to ensure legal action be taken against the piracy of Singham.

Singham Movie Online

Reliance Entertainment has reportedly availed of a John Doe Order from the Delhi High Court, which means that any individual caught watching the film illegally will be slapped with a law suit.

When contacted, Sanjay Tandon, vice president, music and anti piracy said, "We all are aware that any movie which is released gets pirated the same day or is available the very next day. Thus, as a pre-emptive measure for our film Singham, we took a John Doe Order from the Delhi High Court, on July 20. A John Doe Order is basically an order given against unidentified prospective infringers.

This gives the IP owner the leeway to serve the notice and take action at the same time against anyone who is found infringing the copyright of our movie Singham.

The John Doe Order received by us is the first of its kind, as it now covers making Singham available without a valid license from us illegal. This includes through cable, internet, physical DVDs or any other mode."

"In simple words it means that anyone caught breaking any of the rules concerning Singham will have a court case filed against them immediately. There will no debate," added Tandon.

Singham is the remake of the 2010 Tamil hit Singam, which was directed by Hari and featured Suriya and Anushka Shetty in the lead roles. Prakash Raj was signed on to essay his role of the antagonist from the original version. The Hindi version, which went on floors in November 2010, was released on July 22, 2011 on 1500 prints, excluding the ones sent overseas.

Norway Bomb Blast

2011-07-23T02:26:00.000-07:00

Twin shooting and bomb attacks left 17 dead yesterday as a Norwegian gunman disguised as a policeman opened fire at a youth camp and a bomb blast tore through government buildings in Oslo.

Many were also reported wounded from the explosion in central Oslo and the shooting at a summer school meeting of Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg's ruling Labour Party on an island outside the capital.

In a late night press conference, Stoltenberg said it was too early to speculate to say who was behind the attacks but insisted they would not intimidate one of Europe's most peaceful countries.

"People have lived through a nightmare that very few of us can imagine," he said. "The coming days will show who is responsible and what kind of punishment they will get."

"Norway is a tight-knit small country and when this kind of catastrophe hits us this strengthens our country and that is something that will help us through this difficult time.

"The message to whoever attacked us, the message from all of Norway is that you will not destroy us, you will not destroy our democracy and our ideals for a better world."

Speaking alongside Stoltenberg, Justice Minister Knut Storberget confirmed that a suspect who had been detained was a Norwegian national.

"A person has been arrested... I have been informed that he is a Norwegian," Storberget told reporters.

"I do not think it is right from my position to go into details about him... (It is) way, way too early to say anything about responsibility just yet."

Police confirmed at least 10 deaths on the island but added that they fear the number will rise.

Police had earlier confirmed that seven people were killed in the bomb attack in Oslo.

The United States and European leaders immediately denounced the attacks and vowed solidarity with NATO member Norway — an enthusiastic participant in international military missions that has forces in Afghanistan and is participating in Western air strikes in Libya.

The shootings took place at a youth camp on Utoeya, an island just outside Oslo where Stoltenberg had been due to give a speech on Saturday to the 560 people attending.

Witnesses described scenes of panic and horror after the gunman, who police said was disguised as a police officer but never worked for the police force, opened fire on the youth gathering.

"I saw a lot of people running and screaming, I ran to the nearest building and hid under a bed," Emilie Bersaas, 19, told Britain's Sky News.

"It was very terrifying. At one point the shooting was very very close to the building, it actually hit the building, the people in the next room screamed."

"It is kind of unreal, especially in Norway," Bersaas said. "This is something we hear about happening in the US."

Norwegian police said they feared there could also be explosives on the island.

Reports of the island shooting emerged shortly after a blast tore through the government quarter in central Oslo, home to the prime minister's office, other ministries and some of the country's leading media.

Police said a "bomb" had been behind the "powerful explosion".

"We can confirm that we have seven dead and two have been seriously injured" in the bomb attack, a police spokesman told reporters at a briefing in Oslo. Several dozen were also wounded, police said.

"We have no main theory, we don't even have a working theory," a police official said separately. "We already have enough to do to get an understanding of the situation."

Police did say however that they believed the two attacks were connected.

"There are good reasons to believe that there is a link between the events," police commissioner Sveinung Sponheim told reporters in Oslo.

Oslo's mayor Fabian Stang said the capital was struggling to come to terms with the idea that it had joined the list of cities targetted by bombers.

"Today we think about those people living in New York and London who have experienced this kind of thing," he told Sky.

"I do not think it is possible for us to understand what has happened today but hopefully we will be able to go on and that tomorrow Oslo will be a peaceful city again."

Images on Norwegian television showed the prime minister's office and other buildings heavily damaged, sidewalks covered in broken glass and smoke rising from the area.

A police spokesman said a vehicle had been seen driving at high speed in the area just before the explosion but did not confirm that the blast had been caused by a car bomb.

Police had sealed off the area and urged residents to stay in their homes.

The EU condemned the attacks as "acts of cowardice" and the NATO chief denounced them as "heinous".

US President Barack Obama called the attacks "a reminder that the entire international community has a stake in preventing this kind of terror from occurring".

Norway's intelligence police agency (PST) said in February that Islamic extremism was a major threat to the country, describing it as "our main priority and our main concern".

Norway, which counts some 500 troops in Afghanistan, has never suffered an attack at home by Islamic extremists.

However, police last year arrested three Muslim men based in Norway suspected of planning an attack.

Norwegian F-16 fighter jets are also participating in air strikes in Libya, though the country has said it will withdraw its forces from the Libya operations on August 1.

The Norwegian capital is also a well-known symbol of international peace efforts, home to the Nobel Peace Prize and the birthplace of the 1993 Israeli-Palestinian Oslo Accords.

Earthquake

2011-07-23T02:18:00.001-07:00

A strong 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit northern Japan Saturday, but there were no reports of damage and no danger of a major tsunami, geologists said.
The quake struck at 1:34 pm (0434 GMT) off the Pacific coast of Miyagi prefecture, around the same area as the giant March 11 earthquake and tsunami, the United States Geological Survey said.
The Japan Meteorological Agency estimated the magnitude at 6.5.
The epicentre was 125 kilometres (77 miles) northeast of Sendai city, Miyagi’s capital, the USGS said, estimating its depth at 35.7 kilometres.
The quake did not cause fresh damage to the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, according to its operator Tokyo Electric Power.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, while the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was “no destructive widespread tsunami threat” although a local tsunami could result from a quake of this size.
The Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train services were halted because of the quake, but resumed shortly afterwards.
The devastating March 11 twin disasters left about 22,000 people dead or missing and triggered an atomic crisis at the Fukushima plant, where emergency workers are still working to cool down the overheating reactors.

Parents Day

2011-07-23T02:15:00.000-07:00

Parents Day

The parents’ teachers’ day ceremony observed Thursday at a makeshift school ‘Pehli Kiran’, for the slum area children was arranged by a local NGO while the same NGO is imparting education to nearly 250 small kids belonging to unprivileged and deprived community in the outskirts of Islamabad.

The way the students of this makeshift school performed was outstanding and unbelievable. They presented different sketches, dramas on terrorisms, made fun and cut jokes, presented poetry, poems, songs and also delivered speeches on various issues. While the students also made fun of the bad behaviour of the teachers by presenting different social reforming stories.

Ghazanfer Ali, the head teacher said, “There is zero literacy rate in these slums and they do not even know how to hold a pencil and pen in their hands while their parents are sending their children for collecting recyclable stuff in order to support their families because poverty is on the peak level in these areas. We are now trying to teach them and give them basic education besides teaching them how to keep themselves clean.”

He added, “There is much talent present in the students of these areas but the problem is that there is no one who could help them bring their talent to the front while supporting them financially and giving them opportunity but their parents cannot teach them. They themselves are very much poor and do not even have two-course-meal a day so how is it possible for their parents to think about their education.” It is reportedly said that all the people living there in the slums are either daily wagers or scavengers and there is no hygiene over there which is very important for maintaining their good health and the people of the area are also deprived of the basic necessities of life.

Sabra Qureshi, the founder of a local NGO who runs the schools for the kids living in slums, said, “We took the initiative of ‘Pehli Kiran schools’, which is for the children of the deprived class back in 1995 with 8 students and now with the grace of God we are imparting education to almost 250 students alone in one school while we have set-up 8 schools consisting of 1200 student from across the slums in the outskirts of Islamabad.”

The majority of students studying in these schools are Afghan refugees while others belong to district Punjab. Every donor, philanthropist and the government authorities give attention to the elite class schools while no one is bothered to help the children of slums who collect recyclable stuff from the garbage. This is really a serious matter and need the attention of the concerned authorities to help them solve their problems as well as educate them because majority of population in Pakistan consists of the children who are poor.

Kajal Agarwal

2011-07-23T02:11:00.000-07:00

Kajal Agarwal

Kajal Agarwal, a known name down South, made her debut with the recently released movie 'Singham', starring Ajay Devgn and directed byRohit Shetty.

Though Kajal has been city-hopping to promote the movie, the girl has been missing from 'Singham' promotions of late. This has sparked off rumours that the girl isn't too happy with her role in 'Singham', and is miffed with the makers.

However, Kajal rubbished all these rumours when we spoke to her: I thoroughly enjoyed doing the movie. I'm happy with the way it has shaped up. I'm not angry with anybody. I haven't been cheated. The only reason I wasn't at the promotions is because I'm unwell. Also, I'm busy shuttling between promoting Singham and shooting for my film down South. So yes, it's a bit chaotic."

About Bollywood plans, Kajal says, "Being a part of a good film is always a treat whichever part ofIndia or the world it comes from. I want to be a part of cinema, that's all."

BodyGuard

2011-07-23T02:08:00.000-07:00

Salman Khan charmed at the first look launch of Bodyguard at PVR Cinemas in Juhu, Mumbai on Thursday, July 21, signature styled in a Being Human Tee and destroyed jeans,
Salman paid tribute to his real life bodyguard, Shera, at the event by asking him to do the honors of unveiling the film's poster and promo.
The 45-year-old Bollywood star posed for photogs with co-star Kareena Kapoor, Shera, producer and Salman's Brother-in-law Atul Agnihotri, film's director Siddique, Aditya Pancholi and his sisters Arpita and Alvira, who is also the co-producer of the film.

Salman and Kareena fondly spoke about Shera.
Salman said that he trusts Shera with his money, family and his women.
"I could trust him with their security. I know he will always keep them safe," he said.
Kareena said Shera has known her since she was ten years old and she is honored that he is launching the promo of her new film.
Asked for his reaction to Shah Rukh Khan's performance at IIFA during which he poked fun at Dabangg, Salman ducked the question saying, "Kareena is very close to Shah Rukh Khan; she will answer that."
Known to be outspoken, Kareena too wisely opted not to respond.

Buckingham Palace

2011-07-22T10:02:00.001-07:00

The dress worn by Kate Middleton when she married Prince William back in April is going on display at Buckingham Palace. And one of the privileges of royalty? The newly minted Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, and Queen Elizabeth II got to tour the setup Friday, a day before it opens to the public.
"Horrid, isn't it? Horrid and dreadful!" the 85-year-old queen reportedly joked to the 29-year-old granddaughter-in-law.
Visitors will be able to get within 8 feet of the dress seen 'round the world, which is presented, unprotected, on a raised platform in the palace ballroom where state banquets are held. Unlike tours of the White House, which are first-come, first-served and free of charge, the Buckingham Palace tour runs just shy of $30. No worries, apparently: Advance ticket sales are way up over last year.
Photos: Kate Middleton's wedding dress in action at Westminster Abbey
"What is so astounding ... is just how much thought and extraordinary work and craftsmanship and skill went into it," said Caroline de Guitaut, curator of decorative arts at the Royal Collection. She noted that the royal couple had been striving for modesty, despite the elaborate nature of the wedding.
"There is a sense of modesty in this dress," she said. "I think it will stand the test of time, definitely."
Above the dress is the original veil and Cartier tiara worn by the bride, featuring about 900 diamonds and lent to her for the occasion by the queen. Kate's wedding shoes, earrings and a silk replica of her bouquet are also part of the show.

The almost 650,000 expected visitors can stop for visual dessert as well: The couple's ornate wedding cake is on show in a glass cabinet in the state dining room, complete with a deep cut where they plunged in the knife.
Photos: The royal wedding of Kate Middleton to Prince William
In a video made to accompany the exhibition, Alexander McQueen designer Sarah Burton sharesmany secrets of the dress (a hidden bustle, weighted panels to help it perform on its trip down the Westminster Abbey aisle) while staying mum about the cost, as well as the newly minted Duchess of Cambridge's measurements.
Except for one, revealed not by Burton but by a stamp on an item itself.
Those who wondered whether that "glass slipper" would've fit them after the ball now know: Catherine was wearing a size 5.5 shoe.

Street Fighter X Tekken

2011-07-22T09:59:00.001-07:00

Capcom has unveiled four more characters expected to appear in the crossover fighting game Street Fighter X Tekken.

British boxer Steve and longtime veteran Yoshimitsu join the Tekken side, while Dhalsim and Poison (Street Fighter III) are with Street Fighter.
Fourteen other brawlers have since been revealed. On theTekken side, players have Kazuya, Nina, King, Marduk, Hwoarang, Julia and Bob. For Street Fighter, it's Ryu, Ken, Guile, Chun-Li, Abel, Sagat and Cammy.
The game is slated for release in 2012 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. There's also a version in the works for Sony's new handheld PlayStation Vita.

Alpe D Huez

2011-07-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

Pierre Rolland sent the French crowd into raptures by winning stage 19 of the Tour de France on L’Alpe-d’Huez after holding off the race's overall contenders.
The Europcar rider attacked on the final mountain climb of the Tour to hand the French their first stage victory of the race, as well as riding his way into the white young rider’s jersey.
Rolland held off the attentions of Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) and Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank) at the line, winning by 14 seconds to confirm his place as the next top prospect in French cycling.
The battle for the yellow jersey was raging behind with Peter Velits (HTC-Highroad) leading home an elite group of six containing the overall contenders, with the exception of race-leader Thomas Voeckler (Europcar).
The stage saw Andy Schleck (Leopard Trek) move into yellow with two stages remaining, finishing on the same time as brother and team-mate Frank who moved into second place overall, 53 seconds down.
Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) worked hard throughout the day and sits third on the general classification, 57 seconds back to set up a tantalising penultimate stage time trial in Grenoble.
Contador made up time on his rivals to move up to overall but was left to rue his time loss during the first week and on the Col du Galibier on Thursday.
Voeckler arrived at the line 3:22 down on the stage winner, his lengthy tenure in the leader’s jersey finally brought to an end after surviving the Pyrenees and up until the final climb of the Alps.
Points battleAfter the stage there was a tense wait for green jersey holder Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) and the gruppetto with a 25:09 time cut to aim for.

The Manxman led a large group around the final corner but ultimately finished outside the cut by a tantalising 17 seconds.
Yet with main rival Jose Joaquin Rojas (Movistar) in attendance both riders were docked 20 points, meaning the Manxman maintained a 15-point lead in the classification ahead of the final sprint stage on the Champs-Elysees.
The fight for green was the final act in what had been a stunning day of action, culminating with a finish featuring incredible crowds as the riders made their way up the 23 hairpin turns of the most famous of Alpine climbs.
A relatively short stage at 109.5km always looked likely to be a punishing one but no one was prepared for an opening stanza which saw the race blown wide open.
Stunning startThere were warning signs of an attack as Chris Anker Sorensen (Saxo Bank-Sungard) moved up the road on the run-up to the first climb of the day.
Moments later team-mate Alberto Contador lit the blue touch paper by immediately attacking the field on the early ramps of the Col du Telegraphe with 92km to go.
Immediately the favourites were forced to react with the Schleck’s quickly into the wheel of the Spaniard while Evans and Voeckler were forced to put in a big effort to bridge across.
In scenes that mirrored the final kilometres of a race, Contador kicked again in a move that distanced Frank Schleck, with only Evans, Voeckler and Andy Schleck remaining.
Another punishing attack saw Evans and Voeckler finally distanced, Evans stopping completely with a bike problem on the steep ramps of the climb which required a change of machinery.
Epic battleVoeckler was left to go it alone in no-man’s-land and eventually slid back into a vastly-depleted peloton mid-way up the Col du Galibier.
Three groups on the road came back together in a surprising turn of events at the foot of the final climb with 25km remaining.
Not content with one large attack during the stage, Contador kicked again with 12.5km, distancing his rivals as large crowds closed in on the roads.
Separate attacks from Rolland and Sanchez paid dividends, the Spaniard narrowly missing out on the stage win but moved into a now unassailable lead in the polka dot jersey standings.

Weather Chicago

2011-07-22T09:50:00.001-07:00

Weather Chicago

With the weather acting up, causing numerous power outages, it’s important to be able to understand the terms used in Chicago weather reports.

For nearly every hazard, according to Marc Austin, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Oklahoma, meteorologists use a Doppler radar to measure almost every aspect from wind to rotation speed.

The Doppler radar allows meteorologists to see beyond the sight line of that of the naked eye. Using this tool, they assess how fast raindrops are moving, thus giving the wind speed.

Another common term that is misconstrued is thunderstorm or tornado watch.

“People often confuse watches to be warnings,” Austin said. “But what they don’t know is that a watch just means that the weather conditions are favorable for a tornado or severe thunderstorm to develop.”

A warning, on the other hand, means a severe storm or tornado has been observed either by the Doppler radar or a meteorologist, and proper precautions should be taken immediately.

A more popular hazard among Chicago weather is what is called a “derecho,” defined as a thunderstorm with severe winds. Derechos are most popular in late spring and summer, and consist of a long lived, violent straight-line windstorms.

As for hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes and tropical storms, the likelihood that area residents’ houses will be affected is minimal.

Groupon

2011-07-22T08:53:00.001-07:00

Groupon

The Groupon juggernaut rolled into auto retailing last week, and dealers around the nation watched intently to see whether the online coupon phenomenon could drive herds of shoppers into showrooms.
So far, no.

Only four consumers agreed to pay $200 for a $500 discount voucher on a new-vehicle purchase at LaFontaine Buick-GMC-Cadillac in Highland, Mich. Groupon and LaFontaine had set 10 as the minimum required for the vouchers to be issued.

In an effort to turn things around, the dealership and Groupon extended the offer from the original two days to four and considered lowering the number of consumers needed.

But the tepid response showed that the online coupon craze isn't a natural fit with auto retailing.

Groupon's success so far has come from offering its more than 80 million members daily deals at local small-ticket retailers, spas and hotels. Many discounts are for 50% to 60% off. Here's how it typically works:

On Monday, a Groupon e-mail alert offers a coupon good for $12 worth of goodies at a local bakery for $5. The bakery will honor up to 400 coupons through Thursday -- but only if at least 50 consumers sign up. The bakery knows it will lose money on the baked goods but hopes to draw enough new customers who will return later and make the discount worthwhile.

If enough folks sign up, Groupon charges $5 to their credit cards and pays the bakery $2.50. If not enough people sign up, nobody is charged or gets the coupon.

The auto industry has used Groupon successfully to promote service business. So interest was high to see whether it would work for vehicle sales.

"We did get a lot of chatter," says Robert Milner, LaFontaine's general sales manager. He received media calls and inquiries from other dealerships interested in Groupon promotions. He also sold new cars to two of the four Groupon customers, honoring the vouchers even though Groupon is canceling the deal and refunding their money.

Consumers were to pay Groupon $199 for a voucher worth $500 toward the purchase of a new car, redeemable through the end of 2011. Half of the $199 would go to LaFontaine. LaFontaine capped the deal at 150 vouchers but needed to entice at least 10 customers during the two-day offer on July 12-13 for the promotion to go forward.

Here are some reasons that didn't happen:

Negotiated prices. Most of the products promoted through Groupon, of Chicago, have fixed prices of less than $100. When Groupon says the price of a restaurant meal is half off, consumers can verify that against the menu price.

Mr. Milner says consumers were skeptical, thinking the dealership would boost the price to offset the $500 discount. On the Groupon Web site, he told people to negotiate their best deal, then bring the voucher for a down payment.

He also told them that if they decided not to buy a car, they could use the $500 on other products and services the dealership sells. Later, Groupon, which has been eager to move into high-ticket items, broke with its usual rules and offered to refund the cost of the voucher if a consumer didn't use it by year end.

Skimpy discounts. Consumers expecting a Groupon-like half-off deal may have dismissed $500 off on a $30,000 car as not enough.

Not an impulse purchase. Many Groupon discounts are offered on impulse buys, such as a massage or flowers. Cars don't fit that mold.

Neil Stern, senior partner with retail consulting firm McMillan Doolittle in Chicago, points out that instant offers work better on frequently purchased items.

For Groupon retailers to break even on the deep discounts, "You need 20% of your customers to come back," Mr. Stern says. "You lose money on the Groupon offer so you have to get return customers."

And someone who buys a car isn't going to come back next week or next month to buy another one.

Milner still views the $500 offer as cost-effective and has not given up on using Groupon for car sales. The dealership normally spends an average $370 in advertising per car sold.

Dave Zuchowski, Hyundai Motor America's vice president of sales, says he is "intrigued" by Groupon.

"We have not yet tried anything on the sales side, but I am certainly open to it because of the very targeted and limited-time nature of the offer," Mr. Zuchowski said in an e-mail. "It can be used for month-end pushes or heavy-up on a particular vehicle."

Within the past few months, Groupon has offered two service discounts. Publicly held auto retailer Group 1 Automotive Inc. of Houston offered a service special at a Texas Volkswagen store. And the central region of Hyundai Motor America coordinated a maintenance discount at 10 Chicago-area stores.

In the Hyundai promotion, more than 1,300 consumers paid $29 for an oil change, tire rotation, multipoint inspection and car wash. The deal was promoted as a 63% discount off the regular price of $79.95.

Erin Frank, service manager of McGrath City Hyundai in Chicago, says about half the people who bought Groupon vouchers were new customers and some of them owned non-Hyundai makes.

Groupon says that future car-sale promotions will need to be modified in light of the LaFontaine experience.

"It was not a bad deal, but typically our deals involve fixed prices," says Groupon spokesman Chad Nason. "We'll look at what this deal did and tinker with what we can do in the future."