Hines Ward won’t be seen running down the field anytime soon, but he’ll still be pretty visible this NFL season. The former Pittsburgh Steeler has just joined NBC Sports and will work on Football Night in America on Sunday nights during the 2012/13 NFL season.

Sam Flood, executive producer, NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network, said:

“We think Hines is a perfect match for television because he brings with him a unique combination of charisma and football experience… He’s an opinionated personality who can draw upon his 14 years of experience, having excelled at the highest levels of the game. Just don’t expect him to dance.”

The Post-Gazette reports that Ward will appear on several NBC shows. He will contribute to Football Night In America, Sports Talk and will do commentary for college football.

Ward said:

“I am really excited. It’s not everyday that you get the chance to work for a powerhouse like the NBC Sports Group. It is a big honor for me and I am looking forward to making the most of this great opportunity.”

USA Today reports that Ward was named to the Pro Bowl four times during his 14 year career. He was also named the MVP in the 2006 Super Bowl. Recently, Ward became a popular reality show figure after he won Dancing With the Stars last year. (Another football player, Donald Drive, won this year.)

Do you think Hines Ward will make a good commentator?

Hines Ward Joins NBC Sports is a post from: The Inquisitr

Mexican Presidential Candidate Enrique Peña Nieto got a powerful endorsement this week from Rebecca Black, the Youtube sensation who found fame with her hit single “Friday.”

The Huffington Post reports that Black, whose mother is originally from Mexico, traveled to Morelos to endorce Nieto of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional (PRI). Black doesn’t speak Spanish so a translator relayed her message. Black said:

“I personally think that it’s very important for youths and teens to be very involved in politics. I’m only 14 and won’t be able to vote in my country for four years. But you don’t want to be 18 and have no idea what your voting for…. I think that Nieto is going to do a fantastic job.”

But Black’s endorsement may not give Nieto the boost he needs. According to Latina entertainment reporter Astrid Capon, Black’s endorsement is an insult to the PRI. Capon said:

“I think this is a joke in bad taste from the PRI… This girl is not Mexican, she is not well informed… And for the PRI to believe that because she is famous, young people will follow… is almost offensive.”

Here’s the video of Rebecca Black endorsing Enrique Nieto.

Capon said that Black probably doesn’t know much about Mexican politics and is only endorsing Nieto because her uncle, Gustavo Petricioli, is a city council member for the PRI in Cuernavaca.

Capon is probably right. After all, Black had a hell of a hard time trying to decide on what seat to take seat to take in her song “Friday.” (Kickin’ in the front seat/Sittin’ in the back seat/Gotta make my mind up/Which seat can I take?) Do you really think she’s made up her mind about the Mexican presidency?

Black, at least to my knowledge, has not picked between President Obama and Mitt Romney yet.

Rebecca Black Endorses Mexican Presidential Candidate Enrique Peña Nieto [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

David Axelrod, communications director for President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign, had planned to talk about Mitt Romney‘s more controversial moments as Governor of Massachusetts on the steps of the Statehouse in Boston this morning.  The problem was that a group of Romney supporters were not going to have it come off that way.  Romney’s supporters jeered, booed and blew bubbles all over Axelrod.  When the Pro-Obama crowd shouted “Four More Years” the Pro-Romney crowd screamed “Five More Months”.

When Axelrod began to talk of the president’s accomplishments he was met with chants of Solyndra and Cory Booker.

And so begins the campaign season.  One that is already lining up to be dirtier than any that have proceeded it.

Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone told The Huffington Post after the event,

“Thanks for the bubbles — it was a hell of a lot better than the smoke Mitt Romney blew at us 10 years ago,”

the Pro-Romney crowd seemed to rattle Axelrod who started screaming at the hecklers saying,

“You can’t handle the truth, my friends, that is the problem. If you could handle the truth, then quiet down.”

Axelrod was trying to highlight what he calls a dismal record of debt and job creation that the Obama Campaign is saying highlighted Romney’s one term as Governor of the State.

what is for absolute sure at this point is the next time Mitt gets up to the lectern to speak there will definitely be some Pro-Obama people there to retaliate. As the Washington Examiner‘s Byron York tweeted:

“Team Romney will reap what it sows someday, probably soon.”

Obama Communications Manager Heckled In Massachusetts by Romney Supporters is a post from: The Inquisitr

A recently study has found that while AT&T Wireless’ 3G network is the fastest in the United States it lacks consistency.

The company behind the CarrierCompare app found that while Verizon’s data connections were half the speed of AT&T those connections performed the most consistently throughout the day. The app developer also found that Sprint wireless was the slowest of the “big 3″ carrier in the US however its system was overall the most consistent.

The app developer called AT&T’s performance “wildly inconsistent” depending on the time of day in each “test city” utilized for the experiment. According to the group the worse AT&T data use came during the afternoon hours when network congestion is at its worse.

AT&T data connects were so bad in testing when examined for consistency that CNN Money dubbed its mobile data a “crapshoot.”

Testing on the AT&T network occurred mostly on the networks HSPD+ network which it calls 4G however that technology is actually based off third-generation (3G) technology which is not to be confused with 4G LTE.

The study also found that Verizon Wireless was the second fastest carrier in five of the six cities when consistency was taken into consideration while New York City experienced the second fastest network delivered by Sprint Wireless. According to the report speeds from Verizon and Sprint were 50 to 72 percent of AT&T measurements.

Verizon scored another win in the ‘network response’ time category, beating out AT&T by two times. When combined with consistency Verizon’s network response time gives the appearance of a faster mobile data network.

To test their findings developer SwayMarkets gathered information from 40,000 data points in San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, New York City, and Washington DC.

The developer notes that because the information was crowd sourced it is “more indicative of customer’s actual experience with their phones.”

Study: AT&T 3G Is Fastest But Verizon Wireless Offers Most Consistent Data Network is a post from: The Inquisitr

Elizabeth Warren admitted on Thursday, after more than a month of denying and skirting the issue, that she told both Harvard and U Penn she was of Cherokee descent.

The Boston Gl0be reports that the Democratic Massachusetts Senate candidate’s campaign released a statement on Wednesday night, part of which read:

“Growing up, my mother and my grandparents and my aunts and uncles often talked about our family’s Native American heritage. As a kid, I never thought to ask them for documentation – what kid would? – but that doesn’t change the fact that it is a part of who I am and part of my family heritage.”

The Bureau of Indian Affairs, according to CBS News, does not recognize a person as an American Indian, unless he or she has had that status approved by one of the nation’s 566 federally recognized tribes. A Certificate Degree of Indian Blood (CDIB) can be obtained as well, to prove that a person has Native American blood, though it does not guarantee that person has tribal status.

Elizabeth Warren’s campaign statement went on to say:

“As I have confirmed before, I let people know about my Native American heritage in a national directory of law school personnel. At some point after I was hired by them, I also provided that information to the University of Pennsylvania and Harvard. My Native American heritage is part of who I am, I’m proud of it and I have been open about it.”

Warren, however, has neither the CBID document or the tribal status conferred upon her, making the claim she made to be Native American Cherokee not true. A group called Cherokees Demand Truth has also criticized the senate-hopeful’s claims as being “harmful and offensive to us.” A statement on the group’s website says:

“Cherokees Demand Truth from Elizabeth Warren is a group of authentic Cherokees and descendants devoted to sharing the truth about our history. Our mission is to help people understand what a real Cherokee is and to show why Elizabeth Warren claiming to be Cherokee without proof is harmful and offensive to us.”

In an attempt to stem the talks about her supposed heritage, Elizabeth Warren’s campaign also wrote in their Wednesday night statement that:

“The people of Massachusetts are concerned about their jobs, the future for their kids, and the security of retirement. It’s past time we moved on to the important issues facing middle class families in Massachusetts.”

Elizabeth Warren Admits Telling Harvard, U Penn, She Was Native American is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I’ll Have Another almost lost the chance to go after a triple crown victory when a loose horse who escaped from its trainer nearly caused a collision with the champion thoroughbred.

Trainer Doug O’Neill revealed that the accident nearly occurred on Thursday at Belmont Park as I’ll Have Another was on the track training for the Belmont Stakes.

The other horses trainer was thrown from the horse when O’Neill says the other horse came “screaming up on the outside rail” in the opposite direct I’ll Have Another was walking.

Thankfully the horse made a last second correction and went between the rail and I’ll Have Another. According to exercise rider Jonny Garcia the stray horse grazed his boot as it passed.

Trainer O’Neill says that similar accidents in the past have happened and “they are ugly.” He says the near collision was so close that his stomach was “still a little twisted” for quite some time after the freak run-away horse show.

If I’ll Have Another can pull off another win at the Belmont Stakes they will become the first horse in 34 years to pull off the Triple Crown. The Belmont Stakes are live on June 9.

In the meantime it is likely that I’ll Have Another’s handlers will be closely watching for any funny business on the track as they train their championship thoroughbred.

Will you be rooting for I’ll Have Another when the Belmont Stakes is finally underway?

I’ll Have Another Nearly Trampled By Loose Horse is a post from: The Inquisitr

Martin Short is a class act. The comedian appeared on The Today Show yesterday to talk to Kathie Lee Gifford about his new movie, Madagascar 3. The conversation took a strange and awkward turn when Gifford started talking about Short’s deceased wife.

Gifford was oblivious to the fact that Short’s wife, Nancy Dolman, passed away in 2010. The talkshow host asked Martin about how she was doing, if they were still in love, and how they’ve managed to stay married for so long. (They were married for over three decades.)

Short kept his composure during the live interview and later said that he wasn’t upset with Kathie Lee.

Short said:

“I think that it’s live television and people make mistakes and there’s no ill will intended… I think it’s nice to aspire to be that way.”

Gifford also sent out an apology to Short on Twitter, saying:

“I send my sincerest apologies to @MartinShort and his family. He handled situation w/enormous grace and kindness and I’m so grateful.”

ABC Reports that Gifford’s apology may not have reached Martin Short since @martinshort is not his Twitter handle.

How do you think Martin Short handled the situation?

Short plays Stefano the Sea Lion in Madagascar 3. Here’s a clip featuring Martin Short.

Martin Short Comments On Awkward Incident With Kathie Lee Gifford is a post from: The Inquisitr

Gabi Gregg wears a size 18, and when the Summer months come, she doesn’t shy away from putting on a bikini. Gregg, who writes the fashion blog GabiFresh, posted a series of Fatkini photos on XOJane earlier this week and the response has been a bit mixed. Some are criticizing Gregg for promoting obesity while others are commending her on her bravery.

Gregg says that the Fatkini photos are all about loving your body, whether it’s big or small.

Gregg said on Today that it’s important to be healthy and to strive for fit bodies, but it’s also important to love the body that you currently have. Gregg said:

“I think people should be really aware of what they’re putting in their bodies and try to get more active. The truth is, we have to live in our bodies and be happy with the bodies we have right now, regardless of where we are in our journey to health…. I love my body. I think we should reject these fashion rules about what we are and what we are not allowed to wear … We have to be happy with the bodies that we have right now…. You can be any size and be happy with your weight, and that doesn’t mean you’re not practicing healthy habits.”

Gregg said she posted a fatkini photo last Summer but wanted to do something on a larger scale this year. She encouraged her readers to send in photos of themselves in their bikinis, saying:

 “Don’t let body shame keep you from having a good time!”

Here’s the clip from Today.

What do you think of Gabi Gregg and her fatkini photos? Is Gregg promoting self confidence of obesity?

Fatkini Photos Promote Self-Confidence, Not Obesity, Says Blogger Gabi Gregg is a post from: The Inquisitr

Palme d’Or not, the Cannes Film Festival was great for Robert Pattinson, director David Cronenberg – and Cosmopolis.

A stackful of – predominantly – excellent reviews for Pattinson and strong readings for the film itself, is currently powering a wave of high interest in Cosmopolis ahead of its release in the UK, Canada and the U.S (the film has already opened in France).

Adapted from Don DeLillo’s novel of the same name by David Cronenberg (A History of Violence, Eastern Promises, Scanners, Spider et al) – Cosmopolis spends 24 very eventful hours in the company of 28 year-old billionaire, asset titan – Eric Packer (Pattinson).

Pursued by an assassin, a man carrying pies, and a roll-call of sharp talking employees, one wife and a raunchy art-dealer – Packer goes on the white-knuckle limo ride of his life amid an imploding Manhattan.

The publicity trail for the film has seen Pattinson and Cronenberg attend recent premieres in Portugal, Paris and Berlin (today), before it moves to the UK next week.

Nine new clips have been rolled out today as part of the promo build, and I’m including two more at the end that were released in the last two days.

Enjoy!

“Your New Wife”

Didi Fancher (Juliet Binoche) gets philosophical and flirty with billionaire wunderkind Eric Packer (Pattinson) about his new wife. In the limo, naturally.

“Day Off”

A sweaty Jane Melman (Emily Hampshire) and Packer’s Chief of Finance questions Packer about his limo-love.

“I Need a Haircut”

Shiner (Jay Baruchel) and Packer’s Chief of Finance brings the apparently sore subject of why Packer never leaves his limo, which leads to a hilarious discussion about – you guessed it – that haircut.

“The Rat as the unit of Currency”

Michael Chin (Phillip Nozuka)- and Packer’s Currency Analyst chew the fact about the inter-changeability of the rat as – er – currency. ” The rat closed lower against the Euro today”, and “major sell-off of pregnant Russian rats” and so on. It’s pretty funny.

“Petrescu”

Petrescu (Mathieu Almaric) – the pie-man to Packer’s proverbial Rupert Murdoch, talks pies and pie-conquests. I won’t spoil it and say who, suffice it to say it’s not true that white boys can’t jump.

“Lunch”

Elise Shifri (Sarah Gadan) gives husband of 22 days Packer the delicate brush-off while he indulges in some straight creepin’( and no, they’re not in the limo).

“Benno”

Benno (the awesome Paul Giamatti), Packer’s nemesis, is having a very bad day.

“Bad Traffic”

Torval (Kevin Durand), and Packer’s Head of Security is all “credible threats” and dead “Presidents” – but Packer’s having none of it.

“Street Riots, Giant Rats. Fire and Broken Glass”

Gay Pride gets a little out of hand with New York as the clear casualty. Kidding. The clip, in fact, depicts some of those anti-global folk Naomi Klein always banging on about. And, lets just say, they’re not happy.

We Die on weekends

Jane Melman (Emily Hampshire) talks to a philosophical laid-out Packer about the weekend.

“A Protest Against the Future”

A very intense Vija Kinski (Samantha Morton) gives Packer another perspective on the anarchy outside the limo.

Cosmopolis opens in Canada on June 8 and June 15 in the UK. As yet, no date for a US release has been confirmed. Clips courtesy of Eonefilms.

Nine New Clips Drop As Great Buzz On Robert Pattinson And Cosmopolis Continues is a post from: The Inquisitr

Signing a two-year contract in order to pick up an Apple iPhone 4 or Apple iPhone 4S for $199.99 does not appeal to all cell phone users, after all AT&T, Verizon and Sprint simply increase the cost of data and other fees in order to recuperate their losses. That is why regional carrier Cricket Wireless announced on Thursday that the company will soon offer no-commitment required iPhone devices.

Cricket Wireless customers will soon be able to pick up the iPhone 4 at a cost of $400 or the iPhone 4S for $500. While those increases in pricing may seem high the company points out that the average customer will save $1000 over two years because of the company’s cheaper data, text and talk plan.

Under the plan Cricket Wireless will charge customers just $55 a month for talk, text and data.

While the deal is a great way to avoid becoming shackled down to a wireless carrier for two-years it should be noted that Cricket Wireless currently offers service to just 60 million users in isolated parts of the country.

The idea of selling cell phones at full or close to full price is not a new approach, carriers throughout Europe offer non-subsidized phones with discounted carrier plans and in the United States major wireless carriers including AT&T, Verizon and Sprint have hinted at similar plans for the future.

While convincing US customers to pay more for an unlocked device with cheaper data and calling plans may not be a simple process it is likely the future of US based wireless phone service.

Cricket Wireless Unveils Contract Free iPhone 4, iPhone 4S is a post from: The Inquisitr

“The Bearcat family lost one of our legends yesterday with the passing of Jack Twyman,” said UC director of athletics Whit Babcock. “He was a true gentleman, a great man who loved UC. He will be missed. He supported his alma mater in every facet. He was an icon. The name “Jack Twyman” will forever be associated with our University and a golden era of UC Athletics.”

Twyman, a 6’6″ forward who finished his college career as the all-time scoring and rebounding leader at the University of Cincinnati, was taken with the eigth pick in the 1955 NBA Draft by the Rochester Royals. He would spend 11 seasons with the organization, who eventually moved to Cincinnati.

Twyman was named an NBA all-star in six of his 11 seasons, including 1960 when he led the league in scoring, averaging 31.2 points. He was named Second Team All-NBA in 1960 and 1962.

Over the course of his career as a professional basketball player, Twyman scored 15,840 points to go along with 5,424 rebounds and 1,861 assists.

He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983.

In addition to his on-the-court prowess, was just as amazing when he wasn’t playing.

Twyman and Stokes

In 1958, after teammate Maurice Stokes was left paralyzed after a head injury suffered during a game, Twyman became his guardian to help Stokes receive medical benefits.

In addition to becoming Stokes’ guardian, Twyman organized an NBA memorial basketball game to raise money for Stokes and other needy former players.

According to Wikipedia, the fundraising effort continues to this day, but the basketball game has been replaced by a pro-am golf event featuring NBA players.

“He was a great man, a devoted husband and father and a tremendous grandfather,” Jack Twyman’s son, Jay, told WCPO.

Besides his son, Twyman also is survived by his wife Carole, two other daughters and 14 grandchildren.

Jack Twyman, Former UC, NBA Star, Dies at 78 is a post from: The Inquisitr

Grants Pass, Oregon was forced to release 39 inmates amid huge budget cuts, which brought prison staffing levels to a twenty year low.

The inmates, released on Wednesday, practically ran from the jail, huge smiles on their faces at being free again, although about half will complete their sentences in work camps, according to The Huffington Post. The rest of those released are awaiting trial.

Jail Commander Vicki Smith did assure the public that “We did keep the worst of the worst,” but not all residents were reassured by this. Josephine County Undersheriff Don Fasching also stated that:

“We had no other alternative based on our funding predicament. We are very concerned for public safety.”

The most common charges among the prisoners released were for drug crimes, minor assaults, burglary, identity theft, and probation. Smith stated that those who faced charges for crimes that carry mandatory prison sentences were not released. About half of the 60 inmates remaining are federal prisoners being held on contract.

According to CBS News, one resident, Tammy Behrle, who lives in the woods by herself, stopped by the jail to take photos of those released so that she would know who to look out for on the street, since she has no computer to check the sheriff’s office website for information about them. She said that:

“I put a gun on layaway — a .38 Special — and I’ll get a permit when I get the training. This thing can go any which way but loose.”

Another visitor on Wednesday was Angelina Banachowicz, who was at the jail to pick up her boyfriend after her daughter heard about the releases on TV. Her boyfriend is a probation violator who is awaiting trial on a minor assault. She stated that:

“He’s still going to do his time…but we’re excited he’ll be with his kids and his family.”

CBS News reports that William Nathan Smith, 45, from San Jose, California, was celebrating his release by sitting on a curb shirtless, smoking his first cigarette in weeks. He served 30 days of a 50 day sentence for drugs, assault, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He told news crews around him that inmates at the prison have been excited for days, hoping that they would be among those released. He stated:

“They’re feeling like they’re getting a break for once. It’s not like they’re beating the system.”

Grants Pass, Oregon Releases 39 Inmates Amid Budget Cuts is a post from: The Inquisitr

When monks in Louisiana started selling caskets three years ago, the state told them to put their business on ice.

According to the Times- Picayune newspaper, the monks in question are from St. Joseph Abbey near Covington, La. and were sent a cease-and-desist letter from the state for selling cypress caskets made in their wood shop, because their operation did not meet stringent state law. The law required that anyone selling “funeral merchandise” be a licensed funeral director.

But the monks took their case to court, and for the moment at least, their business is still alive.

U.S. District Judge Stanwood R. Duval ruled the law unconstitutional, allowing the monks to continue their work of making and selling caskets, but now a panel of federal appellate judges will hear arguments June 7 on an appeal of that decision.

The Louisiana Funeral Directors Association filed an amicus brief with the court on behalf of the state funeral board, claiming the law was constitutional because it made sure that the public dealt with qualified professionals during a time of grief.

Though it officially took no sides in the case, the Federal Trade Commission also filed an amicus brief stating it “consistently has opposed laws that prohibit persons other than licensed funeral directors from selling caskets or urns.”

Scott G. Bullock, the lawyer representing the casket-selling monks was pleased with the the initial court’s decision.

“We think that Judge Duval’s decision was very well reasoned and followed precisely the correct legal standard,” Bullock told The Times-Picayune. “We are very hopeful the court frees — once and for all — the monks to sell these simple wooden boxes to parishioners and other Louisiana consumers who want them.”

According to the St. Joseph Abbey website, the monks have been making caskets for many years for select persons. The effort to market the caskets on a wider scale is to “support the needs of the abbey and to help maintain its communal life and apostolates.”

Monks Fight For Right To Sell Caskets is a post from: The Inquisitr

Jim Henson’s musical puppet series, “Fraggle Rock,” will soon be heading to the big screen. New Regency has hired Jim Byrkit, the co-writer of Rango, and Alex Manugian, a former executive at Cartoon Network, to create the script for the Fraggle Rock Movie.

Rumors about a Fraggle Rock movie have been circulating for years but the movie has never gotten past the planning stages. But the Hollywood Reporter notes that New Regency is finally ready to take a gamble on the Jim Henson creation. Little is known about the script but it should be pretty loyal to the original since it is being produced by The Jim Henson Company and the Montecito Picture Company.

The Huffington Post reports that a Fraggle Rock movie was originally planned in 2005. When it never happened, the Weinstein Company bought the rights to the movie and hired  Cory Edwards in 2008 to turn it into a full-length musical. The movie never came to fruition and in 2011 New Regency bought the movie rights. A writing team has finally been hired for the movie but we’ll just have to wait and see if production on Fraggle Rock will halt again or if the Fraggles will finally hit theaters.

Fraggle Rock was created in 1983 and ran for five seasons. Here’s a video of the show’s famous opening sequence.

Do you think the “Fraggle Rock” movie will get made? Will it be a success?

Fraggle Rock Movie Officially In The Works is a post from: The Inquisitr

White dwarf stars are quite literally dying stars, they are the burned-out cinders which have exhausted the very hydrogen that sustained them and now scientists believe that by using a new type of measurement they can use those stars to determine the true age of the Milky Way.

A study published on Wednesday in the journal Nature, astronomer Jason Kalirai describes a new technique for measuring the mass and age of old stars based on their current white dwarf status.

According to Kalirai:

“If we want to assess when components of the Milky Way formed, we need the ages of the stars.”

The scientists research focuses on the halo portion of the Milky way, a section that is nearly 500,000 light-years in diameter around the bulge and disk of the galaxy. The halo is composed mostly of old stars which had given scientists a hard time in determining the precise age of the stars through the use of old fashioned measurements and temperature readings.

For his own tests Kalirai examined light from newly formed white dwarf stars in Messier 4 (a nearby cluster known to be 12.5 billion years old). He then used the spectra information about hydrogen from the Messier 4 stars to determines the stars’ masses since the age of a star is directly related to its mass.

According to the LA Times:

“The more massive a star, the more pressure at its core and the faster it burns through its hydrogen supply. Less massive stars burn more slowly.

Turning to four newly formed white dwarfs in the Milky Way’s halo, Kalirai found that they were more massive than newly formed white dwarfs in Messier 4. That allowed him to calculate that their progenitor stars were also heavier, which means the halo stars were younger — about 11.4 billion years old, give or take 700 million years.”

The new process for measuring white dwarfs to determine stellar ages has been around for more than a decade however better data collection techniques and more powerful telescopes have just now made the theory available for testing purposes. In this test Kalirai used data culled from the Keck Observatory in Hawaii and the European Southern Observatory in Chile.

Next up for Kalirai will be outer Halo measurements.

White Dwarf Star Measurement Technique Could Help Identify Milky Way’s Age is a post from: The Inquisitr

The gunman, identified by authorities as 40-year-old Ian Stawicki, later shot himself in the head. Fox news reports he succumbed to his self-inflicted gunshot wound at approximately 6pm on Wednesday.

According to the Seattle Times, Stawicki’s rampage began just before 11am at Cafe Racer, a restaurant and music venue north of the University of Washington.

When the smoke cleared, Joe “Vito” Albanese, 52, was killed along with best friend and bandmate, Drew Keriakedes, 45. Both men performed with the band God’s Favorite Beefcake, the IBTimes reports.

The names of the other cafe shooting victims were not released.

The only survivor of the cafe shooting, Leonard Meuse, was upgraded from critical to serious condition at Harborview Medical Center. He remained in the intensive care unit Thursday, said spokeswoman Susan Gregg.

Meuse’s father, Raymond Meuse, told the Times his son was shot in the jaw and armpit but was expected to survive as the bullet missed his heart and spinal column.

While authorities had no immediate explanation for the bloodshed, Cafe Racer regulars said Stawicki frequented the establishment, but due to his mental instability and random outbursts, was asked not to come back.

“He’d be totally normal and educated and all of a sudden he would just crack – and say insane crazy stuff at a certain point they kicked him out and then this morning they said you are 86′d you can’t be here would you like a coffee to go. He was nice – courteous, walked to the door and turned and then started shooting,” says a friend of the victims, Christopher Assaf.

NECN has more on Ian Stawicki and the Cafe Racer shooting in Seattle in the video below:

Seattle Café Racer Shooting Deathtoll Rises to 6; Suicide Gunman Identified is a post from: The Inquisitr

Amy Winehouse‘s family has officially put the late singer’s home in London up for sale for 2.7 million pounds, or about $4.2 million.

The property is located in the Camden neighborhood and boasts a three bedroom house where the singer was found dead of alcohol poisoning last July, according to The Huffington Post.

The home has become a shrine to the late singer following her death, with fans constantly leaving flowers and other tributes on the front steps.

NBC Chicago reports that Chris Goodman, the Winehouse family spokesman stated on Thursday that the family made the decision to sell after deciding that it would be inappropriate for them to live there, even though Amy loved the house. He stated of the sale that:

“It was not practical to keep it empty while paying the costs of its upkeep.”

He added that Amy Winehouse’s family came to their decision with “great regret.” The AP reports that after putting the house on the market, Graham Lock, spokesman for Housenetwork.co.uk where the house is listed, stated:

“There’s a lot of fans getting in touch about it so we’re trying to weed out the genuine interest from people who are just being nosy.”

The listing describes the 2,500 square foot home by saying:

“[It has a] substantial and impressive three double bedroom, three reception room semi-detached period villa with well-proportioned private gardens.”

The master suite is gorgeous, with a vaulted ceiling, and also includes three living rooms and rear gardens that overlook the tony Camden Square, according to the listing. Lock confirmed with Reuters that the listing has received a lot of interest, but declined to go into further detail, stating that the Winehouse family asked for discretion.

Amy Winehouse’s body was discovered in bed on July 23, 2011, following a struggle with drugs and alcohol.

Amy Winehouse’s Former Home For Sale For $4.2 Million is a post from: The Inquisitr

The older we get the better we smell, that was the discovery of a research project published on Wednesday by a team of researchers at  the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia.

The group had 41 young people ages 20 to 30 smell body-odor samples collected from 41 donors in age groups that included “young” (20-30 years old), “middle-age” (45-55) and “old-age” (75-95). Samples were collected by affixing pads to the underarms of T-shirts which donors wore every night for five nights. Researchers then ensured that additional scents from soap, detergent, cologne and other substances that could interfere with the test were not present. Researchers then combined four samples from each age group inside jars to avoid one persons scene from swaying opinion.

After smelling each sample participants were then asked to rate each scent based on intensity and pleasantness.

It turns out the young sniffers were able to tell apart the age groups based on scene and they found older people’s armpits to be distinctive in smell but not “unpleasant” or “intense.’ Testers were not however able to tell male from female scents which they found unpleasant overall in middle and young age groups.

According to the study which is published in PLoS One, a persons skin biology and chemistry changes as they age which could explain the way their skin smells as they get older. Researchers point out that in animal studies they have found that different animals discern the age of their species based on scent.

The study finds:

“[I]n everyday life ,the old age odor is experienced in the context of an old individual being present.” And “It is likely that the body odors originating from the old individuals would have been rated as more negative if participants were aware of their true origin.”

Young People Think Old People Smell Better, Study Finds is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rebecca Adlington is trying to add to her gold medal count (she already has two) at the 2012 London Olympic Games and she isn’t going to let a bunch of internet trolls distract her. Adlington, who was recently berated on Twitter for her looks, said that she was going to give up on social media until after the Olympic Games.

Adlington, who won gold medals for the 400-meter and 800-meter freestyle events at the 2008 Beijing Games, said that she gets harassed on social networking sites like Twitter about her looks.

Adlington said:

“I used to read all the stuff about me. I learned very quickly not to do that. It is awful. Even if there are ten nice comments you get one idiot. I’ve now given up. It upsets me or gets me angry. They are to do with how I look, which has nothing to do with my performance in the pool. It’s just nasty comments about things  I can’t control. I can’t help the way I look.”

Adlington told the Daily Mail that she won’t be checking her Twitter account, which has close to 50,000 followers, until after the Olympic Games.

“The messages of support are amazing but you do have the chance of someone saying something that is going to be annoying. You don’t want that added stress. You don’t want to be thinking about that.”

Rebecca Adlington is at the top of her sport. Has won multiple gold medals. And is still criticized for how she looks? Adlington said that she’s been made fun of for the way she looks before. After the 2008 Olympic Games, the BBC had to censor the show “Mock The Week” after comedian Frankie Boyle made “nasty” comments about Adlington

The two-time Olympian said:

“It’s hard for a woman. A guy doesn’t get comments on his weight or his looks. But for women it is difficult because we get criticised for our weight or how we look.”

Olympian Rebecca Adlington Gives Up Twitter To Avoid Internet Trolls is a post from: The Inquisitr

It has not been a good season in terms of injury for Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star center fielder Matt Kemp, just one day after returning from the 15-day disabled list Kemp aggravated his left hamstring while scoring from first base on a first inning double from Andre Ethier.

As Kemp rounded third based his stride slowed and after reaching home plate he was immediately replaced by Tony Gwynn.

Speaking about the injury Kemp revealed:

“I don’t know what happened. It’s just kind of gave out. It’s definitely frustrating, having just come back, and now I will be sitting out a while. … I tried to hide it, but there really was no hiding this.”

The star center fielder was noticeably angry as he broke a bat over his knee in the dugout before heading into the clubhouse. Kemp will undergo an MRI on Thursday to determine the extent of his new injury. Manager Don Mattingly believes Kemp will be placed back on the disabled list.

Kemp continued:

“It wasn’t [Mattingly's] fault my hamstring flared up,” Kemp said. “I was frustrated because I love to play the game. I can’t be mad at Donnie B. It was just the frustration of being out.”

The center fielders original left hamstring issued occurred on May 13 during a game against the Colorado Rockies. Before returning to the Dodgers Kemp appeared to be in good shape during a two-game rehab stint with Triple-A Albuquerque, he was also performing well during his first game back in the Bigs on Tuesday night.

Matt Kemp Will Undergo MRI After Suffering Another Left Hamstring Injury is a post from: The Inquisitr

Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kordell Stewart officially retired Wednesday — nearly seven years after last suiting up and running onto an NFL field.

Though Stewart, 39, spent his final two years in the NFL with the Ravens, he said filing his retirement papers with the Baltimore club didn’t feel quite right.

“This where it all started, this where all my success was,” Stewart said on Wednesday just before signing a one-day contract so he could retire as a member of the Steelers. “This was the closure I wanted to have and needed to have with my career.”

After a successful college career as a run-pass threat at Colorado, Kordell was taken by the Steelers in the second round of the 1995 NFL Draft. Upon joining the team, Coach Bill Cowher used Stewart as a quarterback, running back, wide receiver and kick returner. His ability to play the multiple positions quickly earned him the nickname “Slash” by teammates and fans alike.

Over the course of his career, Slash passed for 14,746 yards, 77 touchdowns and 84 interceptions in 125 games. In the same period of time, he also accumulated 2,874 rushing yards and 38 touchdowns on the ground, as well 5 receiving TDs and 658 receiving yards.

Although the majority of his time as an NFL player was spent with the Steelers (1995-2002), Kordell also played for the Chicago Bears in 2003 and spent two seasons in a backup role for the Baltimore Ravens.

NFL.com writes that Stewart’s best season as a QB came in 1997, when he tallied up a total of 32 passing touchdowns and led the Steelers to the AFC Championship Game.

He was a Pro Bowl selection for the only time in his career in 2001, when Pittsburgh went 13-3.

Though he officially retires as an NFL player today, Kordell Stewart has remained close to the game by getting a football analyst job at ESPN. As an analyst, he is notorious for bashing Tim Tebow, which can be seen in the video below:

Kordell Stewart, Former Steelers QB, Officially Retires is a post from: The Inquisitr

And those are basically all the Tim Burton things.

New Tim Burton Movie is a post from: The Inquisitr

New York City’s mayor Mike Bloomberg may be laissez faire when it comes to the city’s big business interests, but if you want to have a cigarette or buy a large soda, then he’s all up in your shit.

The city controversially banned smoking in a large swath of outdoor places late last year, and now Bloomberg is coming for your Pepsi. The nanny state mayor is sticking his bossy nose into your fast food meals and theater-going experiencing, deciding that because sixteen ounces of soda is sufficient for him, everyone else should never want to consume an ounce more of soda despite the fact the other eight million people living in New York City don’t have tuxedoed butlers to drive us from destination to destination and rather have to rely on the city’s sweltering and swamplike subways to get places.

Yeah, sixteen ounces of beverage may seem like a lot, but if you’ve just had to spend an hour on a 90+ degree F train and run up and down several flights of stairs on the filthy platforms then screw you if you want to tell me how much soda to drink. Anyway, Bloomberg thinks he’s all of our dads, and the New York Times quotes the mayor as indicating that New York City residents totally want him to tell them how much Coke is too much Coke:

“Obesity is a nationwide problem, and all over the United States, public health officials are wringing their hands saying, ‘Oh, this is terrible,’ …New York City is not about wringing your hands; it’s about doing something. I think that’s what the public wants the mayor to do.”

Basically, any fountain soda would be affected by the proposed ban- a ban thought to be likely to pass since the Board of Health has to vote on it for it to go through, and guess who appointed all those guys? Soda trade groups are opposed to the ban, telling the Times:

“The New York City health department’s unhealthy obsession with attacking soft drinks is again pushing them over the top. It’s time for serious health professionals to move on and seek solutions that are going to actually curb obesity. These zealous proposals just distract from the hard work that needs to be done on this front.”

The New York City soda ban could go into effect as soon as March, and diet sodas wouldn’t be affected by the draconian rule.

Bossy Mayor Bloomberg Seeks NYC Ban on Large Sodas is a post from: The Inquisitr

The team at Vinci on Thursday revealed the 7-inch Vinci Tab II, the company’s second “learning tablet” for children.

The tablet is powered by a 1.2GHz Cortex A8 processor and is being offered with or without WiFi based on parental preferences.

The Vinci Tab II is build on the back of the Google Android platform but has been “heavily customized” to create a learning and fun experience for younger users.

While nothing to write home about the tablets display offers 800 x 480 pixels of resolution and it comes equipped with 8GB of storage with the ability to expand that storage using a microSD memory card slot.

Parents will be happy to learn that the tablet also comes preloaded with educational applications, storybooks and animated music videos. The tablet also offers more education apps and storybooks which can be purchased with parental permission. If you decide to purchase the non-WiFi version the apps can be loaded using the devices microUSB port.

While the original version of the Vinci Tab sold for $389 without WiFi the new Tab II can be grabbed with WiFi for just $249 and without WiFi for $199.

The tablet is child safety-certified and has recently begun to show up in Toys ‘R’ Us and Walmart. Vinci has also announced that the Tab II will be solder through Diapers.com in June.

Do you plan on buying your young child an Android powered tablet or have they already jumped on the iPad or Android tablet?

Vinci Tab II Brings Android-Powered Fun And Education To Children is a post from: The Inquisitr

If New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has his way NYC will become the first city to place a ban on large sugary drinks. Under the mayors new proposal any cup or bottle of sweetened drink larger than 16 ounces will be banned from restaurants, arenas, movie theaters and street carts.

16-ounces is the equivalents of a medium coffee at most New York City locations and the ban would not apply to diet drinks, fruit juices, milkshakes or alcoholic beverages.

Talking to reporters Mayor Bloomberg said that while public officials around the United States are “wringing their hands” at the obesity epidemic New York city “is not about wringing your hands; it’s about doing something.”

When asked if the ban would limit consumer choices Bloomberg denied that fact, stating that consumers can simply purchase two small drinks instead of one large drink. The mayor did not however address the higher cost of purchasing two drinks instead of upgrading to a larger size.

In a move that surprised nobody the New York City Beverage Association attacked the plan, claiming that the New York City health department has developed an “unhealthy obsession with attacking soft drinks.”

The plan requires approval from the Board of Health, approval that is likely to pass since Mayor Bloomberg personally picked all of the members appointed to the board. Already agreeing with the proposal is the city’s health commissioner who also sits on the Board of Health as the chairman.

It will definitely be weird to see the Big Gulp, Super Big Gulp and Double Gulp all missing from 7-11 shelves. Do you think large sugary drinks over 16 ounces in size should be banned?

NYC Plans Ban On ‘Big Sugary Drinks’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

According to the Westlake Police Department, Susan Warren, 53, of Elyria is facing felony burglary charges for breaking into homes, cleaning up, then leaving her “customers” with a bill for her services.

Warren was arrested Tuesday night after performing one of her nightly surprise cleanings.

“There were some coffee mugs that my husband had out,” one Westlake homeowner, Sherry Bush, said. “She had washed them all.”

Bush added that after Warren illegally entered her home and washed her husband’s coffee cups, she then took out the trash, vacuumed the carpet and cleaned up her daughter’s playroom.

Bush then pointed out that, unlike the Tooth Fairy, the cleaning fairy’s “gifts” don’t come free of charge.

“She wrote a note on a napkin and left it on the table, saying, ‘$75 I was here to clean,’ and left her name and number.”

ABC reports that Bush quickly notified authorities who then called the number on the napkin. Police said Warren answered the phone and became irate and hung up, but not before yelling that she “does this all the time.”

Despite the strange nature of these crimes, nothing was stolen from the homes. Charges against Ms. Warren are expected to soon be filed as this is her second (known) time trespassing and “cleaning” someone’s house.

Readers chime in: Does a real life Cleaning Fairy, one that swoops into to your house while you are away and cleans up free of charge, sound good to you? Oh wait

Cleaning Fairy Arrested: Ohio Woman Busted for Breaking Into Homes and “Tidying Up” [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The court ruled that by making the “man and woman” distinction the law denies many federal benefits to gay married couples.

Passed in 1996 at a time when Hawaii said it would legalize gay marriage the law was arguably setup so other states would not be required to recognize those marriages. Since that time Massachusetts led a charge in 2004 to legalize gay marriage, a move that has led to eight more states legalizing the practice.

In rendering its decision the appeals court agreed with a lower court judge who in 2010 ruled that the law was unconstitutional because it interferes with a states right to define marriage and because it denies married gay couples federal benefits offered to other married couples.

A lawyer defending gay married couples said the law amounts to “across-the-board disrespect” for gay married couples” while arguing that states had the rights to regulate marriage as they saw fit for more than 200 years before DOMA was introduced.

In 2011 President Obama announced that the U.S. Department of Justice would no longer defend DOMA while House Speaker John Boehner attempted to defend the law using the Bipartisan Legal Advisory Group.

In the meantime the issue of gay marriage continues to be a hot button topic, specifically since President Obama voiced his full support for gay marriage.

Boston Appeals Court Strikes Down DOMA, Rules It Unconstitutional is a post from: The Inquisitr

Lori Anne Madison, the youngest person to ever qualify for the Scripps National Spelling Bee, was eliminated from competition today after she misspelled the word Ingluvies.

The Seattle Post Intelligencer reports that Madison, just 6-years-old, fell four shorts point of making the semifinals at the 85th Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Madison said:

“I was really disappointed that I misspelled the word. I knew the word. It was just too bad that I misspelled the word.”

But Madison shouldn’t feel too bad about being eliminated. For one, she was the youngest person in Scripps history to qualify for the spelling bee, so chances are she’ll get a few more shots at spelling glory. And secondly, it looks like spell check can’t spell Ingluvies correctly either. Did you mean Inglewood? Ingestion? No spell check, Ingluvies.

According to The Free Dictionary, the word means the crop, or craw, of birds. The Washington Post writes its “part of some animals’ esophagus.” Regardless, Madison started the word with an “e” instead of an “i” and was eliminated from the competition.

The Huffington Post reports that only semifinalist advanced with a perfect score. 10-year-old Vanya Shivashankar spelled “debellation” and “auteur” correctly as well as all 25 scored words on Tuesday’s 50-word computer test. Shivashankar’s sister, Kavya, won the 2009 National Spelling Bee.

Here’s a video of Lori Anne Madison at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Lori Anne Madison, Youngest Spelling Bee Contestant, Misspells ‘Ingluvies [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

SpaceX’s Dragon capsule made history this week when it became the first commercial space vehicle to dock with the International Space Station and now the capsule has been released from the station as it prepared for its re-entry and splashdown off the Baja California peninsula.

The process of unhitching the capsule from the ISS involved grabbing the unit with a robotic arm while four gangs of motorized bolts that were holding the capsule in place were driven out.

After flight engineer Joseph Acaba used the ISS‘ on board computers to move the capsule far away from the station he then released the Dragon capsule.

Once released it took the Dragon capsule approximately 11 minutes to fall outside of a pre-defined “safety zone” from the space station at which point SpaceX assumed full responsibility for the remainder of the mission.

NASA Flight Director Holly Riding tells Cnet:

“The departure sequence is fairly quick, it’s a three-burn series, two small burns then one big burn. The Dragon will head away from the space station outside the integrated space and that’ll be the end of our integrated activity with the SpaceX/Dragon team. That process is 10 or 11 minutes after the release time.”

“So again, very quick, very different from rendezvous day when we spent a lot of time in integrated space. The Dragon will head on out and be on its own in terms of the Dragon team controlling and managing the rest of the activities through the day.”

In the meantime the Dragon capsule is expected to touch down in the Pacific Ocean where recovery crews are already standing by to snag the capsule and return it to SpaceX’s facility in Los Angeles where it will be post-flight processed. The splashdown zone is located approximately 575 miles southwest of southern California.

The Dragon Capsule’s first trip to the International Space Station involved carrying low-priority supplies and equipment including gear weighing 1,100 pounds.

Re-entry of a spacecraft is something SpaceX is familiar with, having successfully completed a re-entry maneuver during a test flight in 2010.

SpaceX’s Dragon Capsule Heads Back To Earth After Successful ISS Docking is a post from: The Inquisitr

UCLA officials have found themselves defending their decision to provide Justin Combs with a a full scholarship to the University. Combs is the son of music and fashion mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs and given his fathers massive wealth some opponents have claimed that his football scholarship is unfair.

The universities top brass however were quick to point out that athletic scholarships have nothing to do with needs based scholarships. As one official told the New York Daily News:

“There’s a misconception out there that somehow athletic scholarships would take away money from low-income students who need need-based aid. That’s not the case. Athletic scholarships are awarded strictly on the basis of athletic and academic ability.”

Athletic scholarships at the university, much like most colleges are paid for through ticket sales, private donations, corporate partnerships and media contracts which all help bring in massive sums of money to the schools football program and ultimately to the university as a whole.

It could be argued that money raised from football programs in turn help the university offer more scholarships and programs to those in need.

In the meantime while P. Diddy won’t comment on the scholarship argument he was happy to praise his sons efforts, noting:

“As a parent, today is one of the proudest moments of my life,” he said late last year after his son committed to UCLA. “This is everything a father could want for his son, for him to excel at what he loves to do and is truly passionate about. ”

UCLA Defends Decision To Give Full Scholarship To P. Diddy’s Son is a post from: The Inquisitr

Donald Duck meant to scream congratulations in a recent comic. Instead, he yelled “Holocaust.”

The misprint was quickly caught by publishers Egmont Ehapa and the magazine was recalled. The publishers blacked the word out by hand and said that a corrected edition of the Donald Duck comic will come out later this week.

According to Comic Book Resources, Donald Duck’s “holocaust” comment wasn’t exactly a typo. The original comic, titled “Where’s the Smoke” and published in 1972, actually used the word holocaust. Carl Barks, who illustrated the comic for Disney, apparently used the word as a synonym for blaze or inferno.

Donald Duck Screams ‘Holocaust’ In German Magazine is a post from: The Inquisitr

In 1963 an Australian man was accused of raping his wife and now 49 years later a panel of judges have ruled that he can be tried for the crime nearly five decades after it occurred.

The 81-years-old mans lawyers argued that marital rape at the time of the alleged offense could not have occurred in 1963 because at the time Australia was a ”very unenlightened and socially backward country by modern standards.” His lawyers argued that the court should not apply today’s law standards to a time when laws were different.

Five of the seven justices on the panel argued that by 1963 laws related to divorce and property meant “lawful marriage to a complainant provided neither a defense to, nor an immunity from, a prosecution for rape.”

In a dissenting opinion two judges argued that in 1963 a man could not have been convicted of raping his wife and that it is “abhorrent” to punish someone for an event that was not a crime at the time of the offense. According to Justice Virginia Bell:

“The common law was demeaning to women in its provision of the immunity. It is no answer to that recognition to permit the conviction of the appellant for an act for which he was not liable to criminal punishment at the date of its commission.”

According to the Australian the couple divorced in 1979 and the ex-wife will now testify against her former husband. The ex-husband has been charged with four counts of assault.

Do you think taking someone to court for something that wasn’t against the law when it was committed is wrong?

Man Who Raped Ex-Wife 49 Years Ago Faces Trial is a post from: The Inquisitr

Nearly two weeks after Mickey Shunick, the 22-year-old Louisiana college student missing from Lafayette, disappeared, police say two leads on “vehicles of interest” in the case have not panned out.

In recent days, Shunick’s bicycle (which she is believed to have been riding at the time she vanished) was found submerged in Whiskey Bay, 30 miles from Lafayette. Fishermen noticed the bike under a bridge, hidden from public view, and police told press that the bike had significant tire damage, possibly indicating a hit and run coverup.

Cpl. Paul Mouton of the Lafayette Police Department said of the development:

“We strongly believe that the person, or perpetrator, drove down to the edge of the water and dumped the bike into the water for it not to be found.”

Further, after reviewing surveillance tapes from the route Mickey Shunick is believed to have taken before her disappearance, two cars seen on the tape piqued the interest of police. Upon finding the vehicles and their drivers, however, cops say that they believe neither is linked to Shunick’s disappearance.

Despite a frustrating lack of evidence in the case, Shunick’s sister says she remains hopeful that her sister is alive and safe- Charlene Shunick said that she thinks the bike discovery means Mickey is ”still somewhere out there.” She explains:

“I think a lot of different things could have happened: someone made a mistake, hit her, picked her up or something and then they freaked out and have her somewhere… We didn’t get the bad feeling in the pit of our stomachs like, ‘Oh, my God, this is terrible.’ It was more like, ‘Oh, my God, finally we found something of Mickey’s.’ And we realized that someone definitely took her and this was planned out… whoever has her is thinking about these things.”

Mickey’s dad, Tom Shunick, said that the family is stricken with worry and “all we do is we get up every day and hope to hear a phone call about something … I’m helpless.”

Mickey Shunick Case ‘Vehicles of Interest’ Located, Ruled Out After Missing Student’s Submerged Bike Found is a post from: The Inquisitr

When Fred Weiss signed up to receive weekly text messages from the Pittsburgh Penguins he was told through the teams promotional agreement that he would receive up to three texts per week, when he received five messages the first week then four texts the second week rather than simply unsubscribing he decided to file a lawsuit.

In his filing Weiss claims the NHL franchise “intentionally and systematically transmitted text messages to individual consumers in excess of that weekly limit.”

The Penguins “fan” then claims that by sending additional text messages the Pittsburgh Penguins violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.

According to Weiss the additional text messages caused him “actual harm” because of “the aggravation that necessarily accompanies the invasion of privacy caused by unsolicited text message calls.” The lawsuit also claims that the “excessive” texts (3 extra texts all together), cause him to pay for additional messages.

Courthouse News reveals that Fred Weiss wants more Pittsburgh Penguins fans to join the lawsuit to turn it into a class-action case where he will be asking for statutory and punitive damages. If the case moves forward Penguins fans could be entitled to tens of cents! maybe even tens of dollars.

In the meantime Pittsburgh Penguins fans are on the offensive, calling Weiss “no real fan” of the Penguins while lambasting him for suing the franchise over what amounts to potentially $.30 in text messages over a two week period as part of an opt-in program.

Do you think this text message lawsuit is going to far?

Pittsburgh Penguins Fan Sues Team Over Excessive Text Messages is a post from: The Inquisitr

Gene Ween is retiring. Gene, real name Aaron Freeman, recently announced that the experimental rock band Ween was breaking up.

Ween said: ”It’s time to move on. I’m retiring Gene Ween.”

The band has been together for 25 years.

Ween told Pitchfork that the band ended on good terms. It was just time to move on. Ween told Pitchfork:

“For me it’s a closed book. In life sometimes, in the universe, you have to close some doors to have others open. There’s no, ‘Goddamn that such and such!’ For me, I’d like to think it’s a door I can close finally.”

According to Musicfortenews.com, Ween was formed in 1984 by Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo (AKA Dean Ween). Freeman said that the breakup was mutual, but Melchiondo apparently wasn’t made aware of the decision. Melchiondo wrote on his Facebook page:

“This is news to me… [That's] all I can say for now, I guess.”

The band never found sizable commercial success but have had a loyal following over the years. They self-released several albums in the 80s and early 90s before scoring their first, and only, big single, Push th’ Little Daisies in 1992.

The group has continued to tour and release albums over the years. Their last album, La Cucaracha, was released in 2007.

According to the Global Post, Ween fans saw the beginning of the end last year when Freeman had a melt down on stage.

Freeman said:

“I liken it to more of a marriage between two people than a band… And with that comes its ups and downs and its times of intimacy and distance and miscommunication. But as long as we’re still walking on the earth, Ween will still be there.”

Were you a fan of Ween?

Ween Announces Breakup After 25 Years is a post from: The Inquisitr

According to the FDA sugar is a “solid, dried and crystallized food” and not a syrup based product.

The Corn Refiners Association over the last two years have been running a campaign in which they claim that their own syrup based product offers the same nutritional value as white crystallized sugar, a claim that has led the Sugar Association to file a lawsuit in which they claim the campaign is misleading.

Sugar Association lawyer Dan Callister tells the Associated Press:

“What’s going on here is basically a con game to suggest otherwise. What do con men do? They normally try to change their name. The FDA has thankfully stopped that.”

The Corn Refiners Association in the meantime says the FDA dismissed their request on “narrow, technical” grounds.

In the meantime the American Medical Association is still not convinced that high fructose corn syrup and sugar are nearly identical in terms of health effects and nutritional value while the Center for Science in the Public Interest claims that the product is no worse on the body than regular crystallized sugar. In fact the biggest contention made by the Center for Science in the Public Interest is more worried that Americans consume too much of both products.

FDA: High Fructose Corn Syrup Can’t Be Called “Corn Sugar” is a post from: The Inquisitr

A photograph of two military moms in uniform breastfeeding their babies has sparked a degree of controversy, and the moms depicted in the image have spoken out about the debate.

The image was taken as part of the Mom2Mom Breastfeeding Support Group located at Fairchild Air Force Base. In the pic, Terran Echegoyen-McCabe, an Air National Guard member, is pictured feeding her twin baby girls in uniform alongside another breastfeeding mom, also in uniform. Posted to the group’s Facebook page, the seemingly benign pic has attracted attention due to the unfamiliar sight of moms in uniform breastfeeding.

Even on the page, the military moms breastfeeding are prompting a slew of comments- many encouraging, but some like this:

“Breast feeding in public is not illegal but public nudity is! Keep up the good work but please cover up the girls. I know my male children are confused by why some women have there girlie parts hanging out at the mall. Much classier to use a small blankie ”

But not everyone clucks for the proud moms to “cover up the girls,” and a fellow serviceman comments:

“While I kind of understand the paranoid publics’ outcry over the two airmen in uniform, being a Soldier, I see no problem with it, and applaud the photos. True, I am not a woman, but I still have my own opinion and it is that the images are perfectly acceptable. So congratulations on being normal,, good mothers… the world could use more of you, in or out of uniform!”

Echegoyen-McCabe appeared on the TODAY show to discuss the controversy, and stood by her decision to appear in the pic despite the backlash- she explains:

“I have breastfed in our lobby, in my car, in the park, and I pump, usually in the locker room… I’m proud to be wearing a uniform while breast-feeding. I’m proud of the photo and I hope it encourages other women to know they can breastfeed whether they’re active duty, guard or civilian.”

Sadly, according to Yahoo Shine, no particular protections are in place to ensure that servicewomen are encouraged to breastfeed babies, and even goes so far as to indicate that female military members “are encouraged to pump and bottle-feed their babies while they’re in uniform,” a practice known to harm a breastfeeding relationship.

Military Moms Breastfeeding in Uniform Surprised at Controversy Stirred by Pic is a post from: The Inquisitr

Sometimes, you just have to award all the points. We’re waiting for Sharkspear Week.

Epic Misspellings is a post from: The Inquisitr

The bath salts drug craze has been blamed for the violent, zombie-like attack in Florida during which one man had most of his face chewed off, and the face-eating man was shot dead after a first shot failed to subdue his violent and gory behavior.

Almost immediately, the bath salts drug was suspect in the case, but like much of the panic around the bath salts drug, not much is known about why authorities came to such a conclusion. The bath salts drug is a mystery to those outside the loop, but law enforcement officials say that the mixture packaged as the spa staple is a ruse, a mixture of mephedrone, MDPV, and methylone actually intended for users to snort.

And the bath salts drug, which is sold over the counter, does not show up on tests- being as toxicology tests do not come back for several weeks, it is unclear why in the absence of tests or any evidence they have revealed that police have cited bath salts as a possible factor in the Florida cannibal attack.

WPTV spoke to local lawmakers about the supposed bath salts drug problem, and Pembroke Pines Commissioner Angelo Castillo said that while the jurisdiction is cracking down on fake pot, not much is known about bath salts:

“The cities are deeply involved [in banning sythetic drugs] because the state can’t seem to get on top of it.”

“We see cities jumping in to handle it, because the state isn’t. Otherwise people die and people’s faces get chewed off. This is the next horizon in the war on drugs and we need to gear up and deal with it.”

Experts have compared the impervious-to-restraint effects of the bath salts drug to PCP or angel dust.

Bath Salts Drug Blamed For Cannibal Attack in Florida, Authorities Crack Down is a post from: The Inquisitr

This year’s Cannes Film Festival was memorable for many reasons, but surely the most headline-worthy moment came courtesy of Paperboy, a film in which Nicole Kidman’s character urinates on Zac Efron.

The peeing-on-Efron scene, as it will surely be known to students of cinéma vérité in decades to come, doesn’t seem that gratutitous. In the film, Efron’s character is attacked by a jellyfish and needs the urine to stop the pain. Apparently other women offer to provide the service, but Kidman’s character wins the right to shower Efron with the line, “If anyone’s gonna pee on you, it’s going to be me.” See? Just a mundane, everyday scenario.

And before you ask, yes, it was the real thing.

Anyway, Paperboy director Lee Daniels has since talked about filming the scene to GQ magazine, stating:

“First of all, it was really hard to shoot. It was the third day. The first scene we shot was the sex scene with John [Cusack and Kidman]. I like to get that right out of the way. The second day was the telepathic sex scene in the prison. And the third day of shooting was the piss scene.”

Apparently Daniels started to get nerves about including the scene in the film, but was chastised by Kidman, who was determined to see her, er, golden moment make the final cut. She reportedly told Daniels:

“Lee, you made me pee on Zac Efron. If you don’t put that in the movie, you’re out of your freakin’ mind. I did it! I did it!”

As for Efron, it sounds like he was struggling not to corpse while Kidman tinkled away. Daniels revealed:

“If you could have watched Zac’s face, he’s supposed to be passed out and [while Kidman is urinating] he’s just got this smile on his face. I’m like, ‘Zac, pretend like you’re dead!’ And he’s just got this crazy smile on his face. The whole thing’s crazy.”

Yeah, might want to keep that mouth closed, Zac.

Nicole Kidman Urinates On Zac Efron In ‘Paperboy’ Film is a post from: The Inquisitr

Jerry Seinfeld was offered a whopping $100 million contract to film just one more season of Seinfeld, yet instead chose to walk away from the hit sitcom after its ninth season.

That’s according to former NBC executive Warren Littlefield, one of the group who attempted to lure the comic back in front of the camera for a tenth season. Yet Seinfeld turned down the sum, which worked out at $5 million per episode, because he wanted to have a family.

Speaking to FOX, Littlefield revealed Seinfeld made a ‘quality of life decision’ when he quit the show, though did say the comedian was tempted:

“We didn’t mess around. What we put on the table was unheard of. We went in there with a staggering sum and there was tremendous confidence that no one could walk away from it… (Jerry) came to me and said, ‘I don’t have a life, I’m not married, I don’t have kids.’ We gave it everything we had, he was tempted, but in the end it was a quality of life decision.”

It’s little surprise that NBC were flashing the big bucks at Seinfeld. Rather than tiring of the show, audiences seemed to grow more and more fond of it. In its final season, the comedy clocked up its best ever ratings, with an average of 21.7 million U.S. households tuning in for each episode. Critics also continued to lavish praise on the show, the last episode of which aired on May 14, 1998.

That same year, Seinfeld finally got the personal life he desired when he married his wife Jessica. The couple have three children together.

Jerry Seinfeld Was Offered $100m To Make One More Season Of ‘Seinfeld’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson recently purchased the New Orleans Hornets and now Benson has received his first gift from the NBA, the winning spot in the NBA draft lottery, a win that will almost certainly   result in a No. 1 pick for Kentucky star Anthony Davis.

Davis led the Kentucky Wildcats to a national championship at the national championship in New Orleans in April and now the consensus college player of the year says he is excited to have the opportunity to play for the Hornets.

New Orleans needed some good news following a season in which they traded All-star Chris Paul and were stuck with a stagnant roster as the NBA looked to sell the team to an outside buyer. The league had purchased the Hornets from owner George Shinn in December 2010 and completed the sale of the team to Benson in April. The NBA sold the New Orleans Hornets after cries of conflict of interest were voiced by team owners, players and outside forces.

Following the lottery win Benson said in a TV interview:

“Just a first step for us to winning it all.”

Opening up about the lottery win Hornets coach Monty Williams said:

“Everything was surreal once they announced the fourth pick. I said, ‘This is pretty cool.’ I knew my wife and kids were home praying that things would go well and they did.”

In second place was the 7-59 Charlotte Bobcats (worst winning percentage in NBA history), followed by a third pick Washington and fourth pick Cleveland.

Charlotte will likely take Davis’ former Kentucky Wildcats teammate Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

The last time the New Orleans Hornets won the NBA draft lottery was in 2001 when they took Larry Johnson.

New Orleans Hornets Win NBA Draft Lottery, Will Pick Anthony Davis is a post from: The Inquisitr

The killing of bats through white-nose disease is nothing new, million of bats in other species have died in caves and mines throughout the northeastern United States and the gray bat according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are even more susceptible since they live year-round in caves which allows white-nose disease to spread at faster rates.

According to biologists ninety percent of gray bats gather in just nine caves located in five states with colonies as large as 1 million in size.

The loss of the bats population could be devastating to farmers since the bats eat upwards of 223 billion insects per year, in fact 250,000 gray bats can east one tone of beetles, moths, flies and other pests that can infect farmers fields and cause harm to various types of crops.

The gray bats were listed on the endangered list in the 1970s and were nearly removed from that list until white-nose disease was discovered in the bats in March.

Not all bats are falling to white-nose disease, Virginai’s big-earned bats are living in caves with the disease and thriving, giving biologists hope for the future.

Caused by the fungus Geomyces destructans the white-nose disease eats through a bats skin and membranes. The disease spreads easily and there is no cure.

Gray Bats Could Go Extinct Following White-Nose Disease Epidemic is a post from: The Inquisitr

Last week it was Cannes, yesterday Portugal. But today it was Paris’ turn to experience the white ‘knuckle’ limo ride that is Cosmopolis, when Robert Pattinson and director David Cronenberg hit up the City of Lights for the third premiere of their latest film.

But before all that red carpet malarkey, while he was in Paris, Pattinson made an appearance on a popular French TV show (Le Petit Journal) – and lets just say the whole thing was a total hoot.

Possibly, still delighted about the predominantly excellent reviews he received for his performance in Cosmopolis, Pattinson appeared relaxed and up for a bit of laugh on the show.

And that’s exactly what he got.

Hats off to LPJ  for coming up with an imaginative idea in what must be the umpteenth interview Pattinson has done in the last 4 years. So here’s what went down.

The host – Yann Barthes – showed clips of some of the Brit actor’s past TV appearances (screaming, general audience lawlessness that sort of thing), then told the LPJ audience that this time when the “biggest star in the world” walked out, in order to “spare his ears” they had to be completely silent.

So, Pattinson – who was ‘in’ on the skit – walked out to a silent set. Giggling somewhat nervously, the actor shook hands with Barthes saying, “hey silence.” After a bit of small talk Pattinson said, “this is weird.”

Asked if it was bizarre walking out to the sound of nothing a wide-eyed Pattinson said, “Kind of, [it’s] quite frightening. I haven’t really experienced anything like that. It’s very serious. ”

Then, Barthes asked the actor he’d prefer it if the audience screamed. Sort of shyly (but honestly), Pattinson replied, “I mean, well, if you feel like it doing it you can do it, but you don’t have to.”

Cue audience clapping and whooping. Laughing, Pattinson joked, “That’s better. I – I’m definitely not tired of it yet.”

After a bit of chat about Cosmopolis, Pattinson was then shown a picture of recently elected French President, Francois Hollande.

When Bathes explained (after showing a clip of a speech by Hollande) that the new French President was elected partly because he called out ‘fat cat bankers’ and the world of finance as ‘the adversary’, Pattinson admitted he didn’t actually recognize Hollande. Laughing at himself, the 26 year-old said, “I’m incredibly ignorant.”

Pressed to talk a little more about Hollande in relation to ‘Eric Packer’ – the billionaire he plays in Cosmopolis – Pattinson said, “I don’t know. I didn’t really see him that much as a bad guy”, before adding that he thought Hollande’s [statement] was “amazing.”

Asked why, the Brit said, “Just the fact that someone was bold enough to say that at that level of politics […] everyone who’s in finance is going to hate him now.”

Politics over, the show got even more surreal. Pattinson was shown a clip of wig-wearing ‘interviewers’ as they rolled off a selection of ‘typically asked’ questions. Out of the 18 asked, here’s a sample:

1:Are you the new Brad Pitt?
2:Are you the new Jude Law?
3:Rob, are you the new Robert Redford?
4:Have you ever drank blood?
5:How does it feel to be a sex symbol?
6: Like most vampires do you only come out at night?
7: When are you and Kristen getting married?
8: How old were you when you kissed a girl for the first time?

The last question came from a man dressed in S & M gear suggestively saying, “What do you have planned after [this] interview?” At the end of it all, Pattinson joked, “That’s every interview I’ve ever done.”

Then, Barthe asked the actor to think of the most boring question he’d ever been asked. After briefly dropping his ear-piece, Pattinson pulled a mock-serious face and said, “So are you worried you’re going to be a total failure after Twilight finishes? I get asked that a lot.”

As the hilarity came to a close, Pattinson was asked if he wanted to leave [the set] to the sound of screams, cheers or silence. Laughing, the Brit replied, “I quite like the idea of leaving in silence. Maybe everyone can just hum. [actually hums] A dramatic exit.”

And that’s exactly what they did.

Robert Pattinson and David Cronenberg on the Red Carpet with Fun Radio at the Paris Premiere

Robert Pattinson at the Cosmopolis Paris Premiere at Le Grand Rex

Robert Pattinson greeting fans at the the Paris Premiere  

Robert Pattinson and David Cronenberg inside Le Grand Rex before the screening of Cosmopolis

Starring Robert Pattinson, Paul Giamatti, Juliet Binoche, Mathieu Almaric,Sarah Gadon, Samantha Morton and Jay Baruchel. Cosmopolis is now playing in France, before opening in Canada on June 8 and in the UK on June 15. No date has yet been confirmed for the U.S.

[Clips links via @RPLife  and @RobertPattinsontNews]

Robert Pattinson Rocks ‘Cosmopolis’ Paris Premiere: He’s “Not Tired” Of The Love (Very Funny Video) is a post from: The Inquisitr

Florida House of Representative contender Eddie Gonzalez realized early in his campaign that without the good graces of the Democrats or Republicans on his side he was going to need a new political tactic to call his own and his final idea was to officially change his name to a .com address.

Eddie is now legally known as VoteforEddie.com and that name under Florida election rules will now appear on Florida election ballots in November.

Speaking to the Associated Press Eddie said of his decision to change his name to such an unconventional option:

“Since I’m not under the wings or good graces of both political parties, I had to find a different way to get my message out there.”

Eddie is running an an independent candidate for the 25th Congressional District in Broward, Collier, and Miami-Dade counties. The chances that VoteForEddie.com will win are rather slim as he competes against five-time Republican incumbent Mario Diaz-Balart. To put the two men’s campaigns in perspective VoteforEddie.com has received $2,400 in campaign donations while Diaz-Balart has earned $608,400.

It is still not clear if VoteforEddie.com will keep his new name after the election, perhaps he’ll just spend the rest of his life running for various political positions so his name always carries a little bit of meaning. If he does win a name change to ReElectEddie.com could be in his future or he could just go back to Eddie Gonzalez.

Would you vote for a candidate who decided to change their name to a .com web address for the sole purpose of grabbing a seat in public office?

Florida Candidate Changes Name To .Com Address is a post from: The Inquisitr

Elon Musk and his Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) are flying high after their first successful docking with the International Space Station and now the company has announced a 2013 commercial agreement with Itelsat, the world leader in satellite services. Intelsat has agreed to use the SpaceX Falcon Heavy Rocket in 2013.

While the contracts value has not been announced its believed SpaceX will receive in the vicinity of $80 million – $125 million.

Elon Musk said of the new contract:

“SpaceX is very proud to have the confidence of Intelsat. The Falcon Heavy has more than twice the power of the next largest rocket in the world. With this new vehicle, SpaceX launch systems now cover the entire spectrum of the launch needs for commercial, civil and national security customers.”

SpaceX is believed to be launching at least one satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) after performing a variety of test launches on the heavy rocket.

Speaking of the agreement Intelsat CTO Thierry Guillemin said:

“Timely access to space is an essential element of our commercial supply chain. As a global leader in the satellite sector, our support of successful new entrants to the commercial launch industry reduces risk in our business model. Intelsat has exacting technical standards and requirements for proven flight heritage for our satellite launches.”

The contract comes at a time when the Falcon Heavy Rocket is still awaiting a new launch pad which is currently being built at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

According to redOrbit the SpaceX Falcon Heavy will be the most powerful rocket since the Saturn V, featuring 3.8 million pounds of thrust from 27 first-stage engines.

SpaceX Announces First Commercial Contract For 2013 is a post from: The Inquisitr

The catastrophic reality if gay marriage ever becomes law.

The Consequences fo Gay Marriage is a post from: The Inquisitr

Jamie Moyer Designated For Assignment By Colorado Rockies is a post from: The Inquisitr

All Time Home Run Champion Barry Bonds has told the media that he hopes to rejoin his old team, The San Francisco Giants in some capacity.  Team President Larry Baer also admitted that he had spoken to Bonds about a possible role he could fulfill within the organization.

Baer was quick to point out that all they have had were discussions and that nothing was actually imminent.

Baer said to the San Francisco Chronicle,

“He approached us about doing something in an official capacity in the organization. We had a cordial conversation. Right now, there are no plans.”

The Chronicle says that Bonds is interested in being an instructor ad possibly with helping the team make improvements during Spring Training.

There is reportedly some controversy over a reported 10 year personal services clause in his contract which pays his personal charity, Bonds Family Foundation, $100,000 annually but the San Francisco Chronicle noted the team’s ownership will have the final call on his personal services clause because of “the magnitude of the hire and person.”

Bonds was a seven-time NL MVP, eight-time Gold Glove winner and 14-time All-Star. He played 15 of his 22 major league seasons with the Giants. Bonds last played in the majors in 2007 with the Giants, hitting .276 with 28 homers, 66 RBIs and an NL-best .480 on-base percentage. It was during the final season of his career that he hit home run number 762 which made his the all time leader in the history books.

Bonds is better known for the scandals that he was involved in that ended his career.  Bonds has been accused of using anabolic steroids during most of his stint with the Giants. In December, he was sentenced to two years of probation, 250 hours of community service and 30 days of home confinement for misleading grand jurors in the BALCO steroid trial.

Barry Bonds Wants To Rejoin San Francisco Giants is a post from: The Inquisitr

Representative Allen West wants to go back in time, 9 years ago to be exact.  West was asked about his military record at an event in Boca Raton on Tuesday and he responded that he would rather talk about President Obama’s drug use around that time.  At that time West had been involved with the alleged mistreatment of an Iraqi prisoner.

Speaking at the town hall West said,

“If you guys want to go back and talk about what happened nine years ago for me, let’s talk about the president doing blow and smoking dope,”

In 2003,  lieutenant colonel Allen West supposedly watched as soldiers beat an Iraqi officer. After the Iraqi was given a beating his head was placed into a barrel of water which west fired a gunshot into (he fired the gunshot away from the Iraqi).

West was fined $5,000, and resigned with full benefits over the incident. When asked about the details of the vent West said,

“I was not convicted of anything. I think everyone knows that. If you guys have a problem with the fact that people were out there planning on killing my soldiers and I found a guy and I put a pistol, shot above his head… If you guys have a problem with that, you need to go talk to someone else, because if I’m in that exact same situation, I’m making the same decision.”

West also had a little bit to say about MSNBC host Chris Hayes, who ignited a media firestorm this week by saying he felt uncomfortable calling soldiers heroes on account that the term helps justify unjust wars.

West said of the incident,

“Maybe there are people out here that agree with that little kid Chris Hayes, who made that statement about how he doesn’t consider those men and women who gave their lives heroes,”

Watch a video of Allen West at the Town Hall talking about President Obama’s drug use.

Allen West: “Let’s Talk About The President Doing Blow and Smoking Dope” [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr