News Blog..

Ill. marks Abraham Lincoln's 201st birthday

2010-02-12T09:43:00.001-08:00

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - It's Abraham Lincoln's birthday, and Illinois is celebrating by sealing up a time capsule and taking pictures of life across the state.

Lincoln would have turned 201 on Friday.

To mark the occasion, officials are preparing a time capsule that will be stored at the Lincoln Presidential Library. It will include items such as birthday cards, photos and documents from the celebration of his 200th birthday.

The time capsule is supposed to be opened in 2109.

The Associated Professional Photographers of Illinois will also help celebrate. They're shooting Lincoln-themed pictures around the state on Friday and will post the images online.

On the Net:

Lincoln Presidential Library: http://www.alplm.org

Benicio Del Toro's "Wolfman" is nothing to howl at the moon about

2010-02-12T09:42:00.001-08:00

"The Wolfman," actor/producer Benicio Del Toro's updating of the classic Universal Studios monster, gets it almost right.

It certainly proves that, even in this jaded, "Saw"-loving era of horror movies, a retro monster like the wolfman can produce intense, stomach-churning scares. This is a horror movie that revels in pools of bright-red blood, ripped throats and severed heads.

Director Joe Johnston ("Jurassic Park III") wins big points for its atmospherics. The foggy woods, dreary, sooty village and scudding gray clouds combine for a nicely oppressive and menacing feel.

The full moon, framed with bare tree limbs, glares down like a primeval eye.

But what "The Wolfman" lacks is a reason why we should care about poor doomed Lawrence Talbot (Del Toro), the man whose concern about his missing brother leads him into danger and a furry little problem.

Del Toro reprises the role that Lon Chaney Jr. played in the 1941 classic film.

Perhaps he didn't want to be guilty of scenery chewing in a genre movie, but del Toro plays Lawrence as an unemotional stiff. Even when the guy is faced with unspeakable revelations about his family, Del Toro's expressions barely change.

Emily Blunt is equally flat, although we know that Blunt can be a passionate and luminous actress. This script doesn't bother to give her a personality. She merely sighs, purses her lips and gallops through the foggy woods with her long hair streaming behind her.

"The Wolfman" takes us to 1891 England, where Lawrence has returned home to investigate his brother Ben's mysterious disappearance. He reunites with his emotionally chilly father Sir John Talbot (Anthony Hopkins) and meets Ben's fiancee Gwen (Blunt).

The villagers are jittery due to a number of attacks by something unnaturally fast, strong and brutal. During the beast's next rampage, Lawrence is bitten while trying to kill it. He recovers, but finds that he's not quite the man he once was.

The pile of bloody bodies and dead sheep attracts the attention of Scotland Yard inspector Aberline (Hugo Weaving). Aberline arrives just in time; Weaving's steely stare is needed to lend energy to the story.

How are the werewolf effects, designed by master creature designer Rick Baker ("An American Werewolf in London"), you ask?

In keeping with the throwback nature of "The Wolfman," the movie's transformation scenes rely on the old trick of focusing on hands turning to claws and feet bursting out of shoes, instead of showing us whole-body morphing. This creature has a human-like face instead of a long snout like the wolf-humans in "New Moon."

The Wolfman's black button nose makes him look like a Pekingese.

Del Toro has proved that the Wolfman, the least popular of Universal's classic monsters, is terrifying enough to be revived for modern horror fans. But it was the Wolfman's tortured soul, his abhorrence of his nature, that captivated audiences back when Chaney played the role with yak hair on his face.

This remake got so wrapped in up in the horror, it forgot to show us the Wolfman's heart.

Julia Roberts – Valentine’s Day star Julia Roberts spits out words of love

2010-02-12T09:34:00.001-08:00

Julia Roberts is the American actress with a mesmerizing smile, an amiable personality and gorgeous face…..overall, quite a ‘Pretty Woman’. She is one of the leading stars of the mushy rom-com ‘Valentine’s Day’ that hits theatres on the Valentine week.

Julia, herself, is a lovaholic i.e. addicted to love. Yup, she confirms as she gleefully quips, “It’s a drug, isn’t it? Love and that feeling and what it does to make us all tingly inside.”

Her much-awaited film will see her starring opposite Hollywood hottie Bradley Cooper. However, the flick is an interesting romantic caper with seven intertwining love stories. Other famous stars who have graced the films include the likes of Jessica Alba, Taylor Lautner and Taylor Swift. It’s going to be the perfect romantic gateway for die-hard romancers.

And, let’s ask America’s Sweetheart Julia Roberts how’s she planning to spend her V-Day and pat comes her reply, “We’re (she and her husband) just going to be making out for full 24 hours.”

Oops! The lady, surely, knows how to spit out sweet, honey-smeared words of love. After all, Love is in the Air…….

Teen suspected of violating Olympics air space in stolen plane

2010-02-12T09:32:00.001-08:00

Seattle, Washington (CNN) -- Authorities have a familiar suspect in the theft of a plane that violated a no-fly zone this week near the Vancouver Winter Olympics: They're looking for the "Barefoot Burglar."

Investigators say it's the fourth plane they believe Colton Harris-Moore has stolen and flown away, despite the fact that he is only 18 and does not possess a pilot's license.

"We think it fits his pattern," San Juan County Sheriff Bill Cumming said. "We are looking for him."

The sheriff said the four planes all appear to have been flown by an untrained pilot and were stolen from or crashed near an area near where Harris-Moore is known to have lived. Cumming said that authorities suspect Harris-Moore in the four thefts and that investigators are gathering and processing forensic evidence from the stolen planes.

Harris-Moore has not been charged in the plane thefts, but he faces at least 11 charges for driving a stolen car, Internet identity thefts and burglaries.

He is alleged to have committed some of the crimes barefoot. That earned him the nickname that has become part of the lore surrounding the young fugitive in the small Camano Island community where he grew up.

Investigators have received reports that Harris-Moore has lived in the woods and in other people's homes. They do not know where he is, but they're looking for him -- and trying to determine whether someone is helping him.

'Barefoot burglar' takes to the skies

"He will typically break into a home or vehicle and copy down the credit card numbers," Island County Sheriffs Department spokesman Ed Wallace has said. "He then leaves the credit cards behind so people don't realize they have been stolen."

Wallace has said that Harris-Moore has charged thousands of dollars worth of video games, GPS devices and police scanners online, using stolen credit cards.

When Harris-Moore wasn't squatting in homes, he took to the woods with survival gear to elude police, they said. He's been known to hide in the trees.

"He's almost like a feral child," Wallace said.

In the latest stolen-plane case, police say the pilot of a small plane violated the no-fly zone Wednesday before bringing the aircraft in for a hard landing on Orcas Island, off the coast of Washington state. Cumming said police also suspect that the pilot broke into a nearby grocery store and stole $1,200.

The thief left a calling card too, Cumming said. On the floor was written "C-Ya" and the outlines of two feet drawn in chalk.

In 2008, Harris-Moore went from being a convicted serial burglar considered to be a nuisance by residents and police to an outlaw making international headlines after he broke out of a juvenile halfway house shortly before someone started stealing and crashing planes.

Time magazine, in a December dispatch, dubbed him "America's Most Wanted Teenage Bandit."

Facebook fan sites show nearly 30,000 "friends" for him.

Island County Sheriff Mark Brown, whose department oversees Camano Island, said he is sick of Harris-Moore's growing fame.

"It should be more about the apprehension of an adult felon criminal and not so much about everything else making this person into a Robin Hood or cult hero," Brown said.

Harris-Moore's mother, Pamela Kohler, has not responded to questions about the latest incident. Earlier, she told CNN affiliate KIRO that she wanted her son to turn himself in. She said she was "proud" if her son had actually taught himself to fly.

In October, police called Harris-Moore a suspect in the theft of a plane from Idaho that crash-landed in a clearing northeast of Seattle. Since then, there have been no solid leads on Harris-Moore's whereabouts.

But on Wednesday, a Cirrus SR22 plane was stolen from a small airport in Port Angeles, Washington, Cumming said. The plane was "flying erratically" before making a hard landing about 40 miles to the north on Orcas Island.

Cumming said the plane was damaged on landing and its flight path violated airspace restrictions in place for the 2010 Olympics in nearby Vancouver.

Orcas Island, a 57-square-mile island with a population of about 4,500, is mainly known as a hub for whale-watching tourists.

Cash For Appliances Starting Near You Yet?

2010-02-12T09:31:00.001-08:00

Cash For Appliances Information Available On EnergySavers.gov
A $300 million program, part of a broader economic stimulus plan, divides federal money among the states, which can use it to encourage people to upgrade to high-efficiency home appliances. See how much money each state has to spend, and click the links to learn more about how the program works where you live. We've also noted when the rebates start in each state, when available.

You can also check out our map showing funding by state for more information.

# Alabama, $4.4 million. April 19 through May 9 (unless money runs out earlier)
# Alaska, $658,000. March 16
# Arizona, $6.2 million. March until money runs out (tentative)
# Arkansas, $2.7 million. March until money runs out (tentative)
# California, $35.3 million. April (tentative)
# Colorado, $4.7 million. March
# Connecticut, $3.5 million. Now running through March 31. Another round of rebates could be offered in the future. (tentative)
# Delaware, $837,000. Dec. 1, 2009 through Aug. 31, 2010
# District of Columbia, $568,000. April
# Florida, $17.6 million. April 15-25
# Georgia, $9.3 million. Feb. 12
# Hawaii, $1.2 million. Now running on Oahu, tentatively scheduled for April for rest of state
# Idaho, $1.5 million. Late March
# Illinois, $12.3 million. Rebates now offered on heating/cooling equipment and water heaters. Second phase for other appliances April 16-25.
# Indiana, $6.1 million. Feb. 1 until money runs out
# Iowa, $2.9 million. March 1
# Kansas, $2.7 million. Required application to previous program
# Kentucky, $4.1 million. April 22
# Louisiana, $4.2 million. April
# Maine, $1.3 million. Running now
# Maryland, $5.4 million. March
# Massachusetts, $6.2 million. March
# Michigan, $9.6 million. Running now
# Minnesota, $5 million. March 1
# Mississippi, $2.8 million. April
# Missouri, $5.7 million. April 19
# Montana, $928,000. April
# Nebraska, $1.7 million. April/May (tentative)
# Nevada, $2.5 million. April 17
# New Hampshire, $1.3 million. April (tentative)
# New Jersey, $8.3 million. April
# New Mexico, $1.9 million. April
# New York, $18.7 million. Mid-Februrary
# North Carolina, $8.8 million. First phase in April, second in June
# North Dakota, $615,000. April
# Ohio, $11 million. Announcement expected first quarter of 2010
# Oklahoma, $3.5 million. March 1
# Oregon, $3.6 million. Running now
# Pennsylvania, $12 million. April 10
# Puerto Rico, $3.8 million. February
# Rhode Island, $1 million. February for "white goods," March for heating systems
# South Carolina, $4.3 million. March 31
# South Dakota, $771,000. March 1
# Tennessee, $6 million. April 22
# Texas, $23.3 million. April 16-25
# Utah, $2.6 million. March
# Vermont, $596,000. Currently running for natural gas furnaces, gas boilers and tankless gas water heaters. Around March 6 for other appliances
# Virginia, $7.5 million. Late April
# Washington, $6.3 million. Starts April 1
# West Virginia, $1.7 million. April
# Wisconsin, $5.4 million. Running now
# Wyoming, $511,000. April or May

Bill Clinton returns home after heart procedure

2010-02-12T09:11:00.001-08:00

CHAPPAQUA, N.Y. – Former President Bill Clinton was recovering at his suburban home with his wife on Friday after leaving a Manhattan hospital where he underwent a heart procedure to fix a blocked artery.

Three black SUVs with tinted windows arrived around 7:45 a.m. Friday and pulled through the high gates at the house. The Westchester County hamlet of Chappaqua is about 35 miles north of New York City.

State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was also at the family's home.

Clinton adviser Douglas Band said in a statement that Clinton left New York Presbyterian Hospital "in excellent health."

"He looks forward in the days ahead to getting back to the work of his Foundation, and to Haiti relief and recovery efforts," it said.

Terry McAuliffe, the former Democratic National Committee chairman and a close friend of the Clintons, told CBS' "The Early Show" that he expects Clinton will get back to work quickly.

"If I know President Clinton, he'll be on the phone ... calling people asking for more help for Haiti and where he can get pickup trucks so they can deliver food or generators. If I know Bill Clinton, he'll be raring to go in about 35 minutes," McAuliffe said.

Clinton, 63, could be back at work as soon as Monday, cardiologist Allan Schwartz said previously.

A couple of hours after Clinton went home, C.J. Williams, a second-grader from New Fairfield, Conn., arrived at the cul-de-sac carrying a get well card and a red heart-shaped box filled with Skittles.

The sandy-haired boy said he wrote on the card, "Happy Valentine's Day. I hope you feel better and here's a little heart to make your big heart feel better." An officer told C.J. and his father that they'd have to mail the items.

Clinton had quadruple bypass surgery in 2004. He returned Thursday to have a clogged heart artery opened after suffering discomfort in his chest for several days.

Schwartz said tests had showed that one of the bypasses from the surgery was completely blocked.

Instead of trying to open the blocked bypass, doctors reopened the original clogged artery and placed two wire-mesh scaffolds called stents to keep it open. The procedure took about an hour, and Clinton was able to get up two hours later, Schwartz said.

"The procedure went very smoothly," Schwartz said, describing Clinton's prognosis as excellent.

The former president didn't have a heart attack, and the new blockage was not from his diet, Schwartz said.

Clinton has done everything right since his bypass — eating well, exercising, keeping his blood pressure and cholesterol in check, said his cardiologist, Schwartz said.

"This was not a result of his lifestyle or his diet," Schwartz said at a news conference Thursday night. Since the bypass, "he has really toed the line."

McAuliffe said Clinton participated in a conference call on earthquake relief as he was wheeled into an operating room.

"An aide had to literally take the phone away from him," he said.

The secretary of state went from Washington to New York to be with her husband. Their daughter, Chelsea, was also at the hospital. Aides said Mrs. Clinton plans to leave Saturday for the Persian Gulf.

During the medical procedure — called an angioplasty — doctors thread a tube through a blood vessel to the blocked artery and inflate a balloon to flatten the clog. Often, one or more stents are used to prop the artery open.

The angioplasty is usually done with the patient awake but sedated. It's one of the most common medical procedures done worldwide. More than a million are done in the United States each year, most involving stents.

"It's not unexpected" for Clinton to need another procedure years after his bypass, said Dr. Clyde Yancy, cardiologist at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas and president of the American Heart Association.

The former president has been working in recent weeks to help relief efforts in Haiti. Since leaving office, he has maintained a busy schedule working on humanitarian projects through his foundation.

Clinton's reputation as an unhealthy eater was sealed in 1992, when the newly minted presidential candidate took reporters on jogs to McDonald's. He was famously spoofed on "Saturday Night Live" as a gluttonous McDonald's customer.

Friends and family say Clinton changed his eating habits for the better after his bypass surgery.

But should Clinton slow down a little?

"Yeah, probably," McAuliffe said. "But he's been doing this for 63 years and you're not going to change him. He always says, 'It's not about me; it's about all those people.'"

___

Associated Press writers Marilynn Marchione in Milwaukee; Beth Fouhy, Marcus Franklin and Cristian Salazar in New York; Julie Pace, Matthew Lee and Darlene Superville in Washington; and AP video journalist Ted Shaffrey in Chappaqua contributed to this report.

Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games: Robel Teklemariam is the Ethiopian Olympic team

2010-02-12T09:07:00.001-08:00

We love warm-weather Olympians here at Fourth-Place Medal. How can you not? We've already covered Ghana and India, but now we can have a look at Ethiopia's entire Olympic squad. His name is Robel Teklemariam.

Teklemariam was born in Addis Ababa, the capitol of Ethiopia, and then moved to the United States at age 9. Three years later, while enrolled in a boarding school in Lake Placid, New York, Teklemariam was introduced to cross-country skiing and fell in love. Inspired by fellow Ethiopian Abebe Bikila — a barefoot marathoner who was the first black African to win a gold medal — the skier dedicated himself to making the Olympics. In 2006, he achieved his dream, and now he's headed to Vancouver hoping to improve on his finish.

If all that seems unlikely, consider what Teklemariam had to go through just to have the chance to qualify for the Olympics. Prior to his involvement, Ethiopia had no Winter Olympics committee, no ski federation, and basically no way for any of their citizens to even try to compete in a Winter Olympics. After three years of hard work, Teklemariam established all the necessary entities required to compete in the Olympics. In Turin he even beat 15 other competitors.

As you can imagine, there's not a ton of snow in Ethiopia, so Teklemariam trains by roller skiing down the streets of Addis Ababa. It's not the ideal training method, but when you're as driven as this guy, that's the least of your worries. Here's hoping his Olympic success is as great as his personal success.

Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt are suing tabloid over breakup story

2010-02-08T19:08:00.001-08:00

Game on! Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are taking legal action against the British tabloid News of the World for its story last month that alleged the couple were working out details of a split.

"The News of the World has failed to meet our clients' reasonable demands for a retraction of and apology for these false and intrusive allegations which have now been widely republished by mainstream news outlets," a lawyer working for the couple in London said in a statement. "We have advised them to bring proceedings, which they have now done."

In a letter cited in that statement, Sorrell Trope, the divorce attorney whose name was mentioned in the NOTW article, denied that he was in touch with the couple.

The Jan. 24 article, which was picked up by the Drudge Report late Jan. 23, the night of the Golden Globe Awards, immediately caused a rip in the celebrity space-time continuum. Then on Jan. 25, the Monday after the Globes, the Ministry of Gossip treated the claims as a total joke, much to the dismay of readers clicking through for hard news.

Hayley Barlow, a spokeswoman for the News of the World, had no comment on the court filing.

Doesn't get much savvier than showing up and smooching at a game that turns out to be the most viewed TV event ever, and then immediately telling your detractors -- in court -- to kiss off.

2010-01-09T21:45:00.000-08:00

Making Money with Your Credit Card

2010-01-06T09:36:00.000-08:00

TD Visa sent me a nice fat check for $1,125.54 today for using their credit card. I have a TD Gold Elite Visa that gives me 1% cash back on anything I buy with the card. And unlike some other cash back cards, the TD Visa has no rebate limits.

The check above represents my “dividend” for 2007. Those who are good at math will be able to figure out that in order to receive $1,125.54 cash back, I needed to charge $112,554.00 to the Visa last year. This begs the question, what the hell did I buy?

Only The Financial Illiterates Pay By Cash

Whenever possible, I always charge my purchases to a credit card. People who say you should only pay with cash so you can stay out of debt are financial illiterates who can’t handle their money. If that is you, then yes, you should only pay with cash and cut up the charge cards.

If you are responsible with your money, then a credit card is a great thing because you can make money from it. There are tons of reward cards that you can apply for that will give you money back on purchase, points, air miles or other rewards. If I were to pay my last year’s Visa purchases with cash, I would not be getting this thousand dollar check. Best of all, the money is tax free because it’s not income. It’s a rebate of my purchases.

Not for The Financial Illiterates

You have to be very careful with reward credit cards. They can twist your thinking inside out. Instead of thinking how much something cost, you start thinking how much cash back you’ll be getting and forget that you have to pay the bill when it shows up. Do too much of that and you’ll soon find yourself running a balance and incurring interest charges, which will not be offset by any rewards you will get. This is how financially illiterate people fall into the credit card trap. Although I charged over $100,000 to my Visa last year, I am happy to report I paid off the full balance every month and incurred zero interest charges.

What Kind of Credit Card is Right for You?

Wondering what kind of credit card you should apply for? Then check out this credit card site. It takes your information and then finds a card that will match your needs. When used properly, credit cards are a great financial tool that will make you money.

Now I just have to decide what I’m going to do with this dividend check. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner so I may blow it all on a huge night on the town with Sarah. I will charge the night out on the Visa of course. :twisted:

What is iPod Touch

2010-01-05T09:54:00.000-08:00

iPod touch lets you enjoy everything you love about an iPod, and then some. Watch your movies and TV shows on a brilliant 3.5-inch display. Use the revolutionary Multi-Touch interface to flick through your music in Cover Flow. And anytime you’re itching for more entertainment, just tap iTunes to browse and buy on the fly.

Sick Nigerian Prompts Security Alert in Detroit

2009-12-28T09:11:00.000-08:00

DETROIT — A Nigerian man who became ill on Northwest Airlines Flight 253 from Amsterdam to Detroit — the same flight involved in Friday’s terrorism attempt — triggered a security alert at Detroit Metropolitan Airport after the pilots requested emergency assistance upon landing, the Department of Homeland Security announced on Sunday. The department said that the response to Sunday’s incident, which included informing President Obama, was “an abundance of caution.”... for more on the story : http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/28/us/politics/w28talk.html?em

Sports » Danica Patrick gets taste of NASCAR at Daytona » Daily Journal Online - Park Hills, MO

2009-12-27T13:41:00.001-08:00

Sports » Danica Patrick gets taste of NASCAR at Daytona » Daily Journal Online - Park Hills, MO

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Minnesotans step up to lead U.S. victory in world junior hockey opener

2009-12-27T10:35:00.001-08:00

St. Cloud State goalie Mike Lee of Roseau, Minn., made 13 saves to help the United States open the world junior championship with a 7-3 victory over Slovakia on Saturday night in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Jordan Schroeder of Prior Lake, Derek Stepan of Hastings and Danny Kristo of Eden Prairie also scored for the Americans. Schroeder plays for the Gophers, Stepan for the University of Wisconsin and Kristo for North Dakota.

The United States plays Switzerland today.

Gabriel Bourque had three goals and four assists to lead five-time defending champion Canada to a 16-0 victory over Latvia.

# Donald "DJ" Richardson, a crew member for Richard Childress Racing, died late Friday of complications from the H1N1 virus after a lengthy hospitalization for acute respiratory distress syndrome. Richardson contracted H1N1 during a Thanksgiving visit to his home state of Massachusetts, and team officials say he had been hospitalized ever since. He was 37.

# Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest suffered a concussion and injured his left elbow after falling at his home. Artest didn't travel with the Lakers to Saturday's game at Sacramento after tripping over a box and falling down a flight of stairs at his home Christmas night, the team said in a news release.

He was treated at UCLA Medical Center, undergoing a CT scan and receiving stitches in the back of his head and his elbow. A neurologist examined him on Saturday and
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confirmed he had a concussion, the team said. Artest is day to day.

# After missing out on top arms this offseason, the New York Mets are ready to try a questionable one. Injury-plagued pitcher Kelvim Escobar, an 18-game winner in 2007, and the Mets reached a preliminary agreement on a $1.25 million, one year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations confirmed.

# Los Angeles Kings wing Justin Williams was taken off the ice on a stretcher after apparently injuring his right knee early in the first period of the Kings' road game against the Phoenix Coyotes.

# Lauren Cholewinski and Mitchell Whitmore won spots on the American Olympic team in the 500 meters at the U.S. Speed Skating Championships in Kearns, Utah.

# Gabriel Bourque had three goals and four assists, and five-time defending champion Canada romped to a 16-0 victory over Latvia in its opening game at the world junior hockey championship in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

# Chelsea missed a chance to extend its lead to seven points in the Premier League soccer standings when it was held to a scoreless draw at Birmingham. The Blues lead defending champion Manchester United by five points.

The HTC Touch Cruise

2009-12-27T10:09:00.000-08:00

The HTC Touch Cruiseโ้?ข is sleek, stylish, and compact, but big on features and with an LCD screen size that gives you an excellent multimedia experience in a mobile device. Featuring HTCโ?้?s innovative TouchFLOโ้?ข interface, the Touch Cruise is extremely easy to use. Using ordinary finger gestures, you can quickly browse through e-mails, web pages, messages, music, and images, making navigation a breeze.

Police: NFL's Chris Henry dies after fall from truck

2009-12-17T07:21:00.001-08:00

(CNN) -- Cincinnati Bengals football player Chris Henry has died, police in Charlotte, North Carolina, confirmed Thursday.

Henry suffered "life-threatening injuries" after falling out of the bed of a pickup during a fight with his fiancee, police said earlier.

The incident occurred shortly before noon Wednesday when Henry's fiancee tried to drive off during a "domestic situation," only to have Henry jump into the bed of the truck, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said in a written statement.

"The domestic situation continued between the operator and Mr. Henry," according to a police statement. Henry "came out of the back of the vehicle" about six-tenths of a mile from the house, police said.

Henry was believed to be in critical condition after the wreck, the Bengals said in a statement on their Web site. Police said Henry underwent treatment at the Carolinas Medical Center hospital in Charlotte.

Charlotte is the home of his fiancee's family, the team said.

The 26-year-old receiver has played for the Bengals for five seasons, but has been on the injured reserve list after suffering a dislocated forearm during a November 8 game against the Baltimore Ravens. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Henry caught 12 passes for 236 yards and two touchdowns in eight games before being hurt.

Story Highlights

2009-12-09T10:09:00.000-08:00

Athletic and eager, Rice's Arsalan Kazemi ready to make mark on and off court
Kazemi's comfortable at Rice because of large local Middle Eastern community
Kazemi follows in the footsteps of Iranian visionary Fereidoun M. Esfandiary

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/luke_winn/12/09/kazemi/index.html?eref=sihp#ixzz0ZDUCfLLe
Get a free NFL Team Jacket and Tee with SI Subscription

Teen accused in celeb home burglary to stand trial

2009-12-03T10:23:00.000-08:00

LOS ANGELES – A judge ruled Tuesday that a teen accused of burglarizing the home of Orlando Bloom must stand trial.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Darrell Mavis made his ruling in the case of Alexis Neiers after a 90-minute preliminary hearing that included testimony by two police detectives.

Neiers, 18, is accused of being part of a group that targeted the homes of Bloom, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and other celebrities.

However, Neiers, who is filming a pilot for a reality television show, is accused only in the burglary at Bloom's house. She previously pleaded not guilty to the July break-in.

"The prosecution has one version of the facts, we have another," said attorney Jeffery Rubenstein, who represents Neiers. "We look forward to our day in court so the truth can come out."

Four other people were accused of burglaries that prosecutors said netted $3 million in stolen goods. Their arraignments were scheduled for Wednesday.

In a short interview on cable network E!'s Web site, Neiers said she was eager to put the matter behind her.

"I just learned my lesson that I need to make some better friends and some better decisions as far as my friends go," she said.

Where the world is heading to: Teenager convicted of setting girlfriend ablaze

2009-12-02T19:43:00.000-08:00

A TEENAGER was convicted overnight in a British court of murdering his girlfriend by soaking her in petrol and setting her on fire after she threatened to leave him.

Stewart Blackburn, 18, faces life in prison for setting his girlfriend ablaze and then holding the bedroom door shut, leaving her no way to escape, a crime described as "barbaric and evil."

Jessica McCagh, 17, suffered burns to more than 80 percent of her body in April this year and died in hospital.

Her final words to her father were: "I don't want to die, Dad - I love you."

Prosecutor Frank Mulholland told the High Court in Scotland's Livingston that Blackburn had committed "a barbaric and evil act against a defenceless young woman".

"It is difficult to envisage more cruel or sadistic treatment of another human being," he told jurors.

The victim's parents, Marion and Garry, who endured days of harrowing evidence at the court, said their daughter had been killed "in the most terrible and terrifying way."

"No parent should ever have to bury a child and we hope no parent will ever have to endure the anguish we have suffered since Jessica was taken from us," they said in a statement.

The court heard during the trial that a drunk Blackburn deliberately poured a litre of petrol or more over her in a violent rage in the Scottish town of Arbroath after she threatened to break up with him.

Blackburn, who will be sentenced next year, then held a naked flame next to her.

* Set girlfriend alight after break-up threat
* Poured petrol over her, before trapping her
* Girlfriend suffered burns to 80% of body

Looking for reasons to care about Tiger Woods

2009-12-02T16:35:00.001-08:00

James Poniewozik
Time

We in the respectable media are not interested in Tiger Woods' car crash for prurient reasons. Oh, no. We don't care about what a celebrity, but a private citizen, may or may not have been doing with his extracurricular time. Nor do we care about the rush of viewers and readers—like you there, who came to this article by Googling "Tiger Woods car crash affair rumors"—and how good it will make us look to our advertisers if we indulge it.

No, we care only for high-minded reasons. It's about, um, the business impact of the story on the lucrative sports-endorsement business. It's about, um, the ever-changing culture of American celebrity. It's about, um, traffic safety! How many more innocent trees must suffer? Wait, no! It's about the media coverage itself! That's the ticket! So here is a blog post about the media coverage itself!

As you have guessed, the Woods story is about exactly what you think it is about: a huge celebrity, one of the most famous athletes in the world, suffers a mysterious mishap, gives an unsatisfying explanation, and rumors of personal scandal have filled in the void. A big star seems to be trying to hide something that won't stay hidden, and people want to have at it. That's it, and it's that simple.

The Procrastinator's Creed

2009-12-02T14:30:00.000-08:00

The Procrastinator's Creed:

1. I believe that if anything is worth doing, it would have been done already.

2. I shall never move quickly, except to avoid more work or find excuses.

3. I will never rush into a job without a lifetime of consideration.

4. I shall meet all of my deadlines directly in proportion to the amount of bodily injury I could expect to receive from missing them.

5. I firmly believe that tomorrow holds the possibility for new technologies, astounding discoveries, and a reprieve from my obligations.

6. I truly believe that all deadlines are unreasonable regardless of the amount of time given.

7. I shall never forget that the probability of a miracle, though infinitesmally small, is not exactly zero.

8. If at first I don't succeed, there is always next year.

9. I shall always decide not to decide, unless of course I decide to change my mind.

10. I shall always begin, start, initiate, take the first step, and/or write the first word, when I get around to it.

11. I obey the law of inverse excuses which demands that the greater the task to be done, the more insignificant the work that must be done prior to beginning the greater task.

12. I know that the work cycle is not plan/start/finish, but is wait/plan/plan.

13. I will never put off until tomorrow, what I can forget about forever.

14. I will become a member of the ancient Order of Two-Headed Turtles (the Procrastinator's Society) if they ever get it organized.