Lawsuits against pharmacy that allegedly caused meningitis

Lawsuits are mounting in Michigan as more and more residents who came down with meningitis come forward. The outbreak has been linked to a contaminated steroid manufactured by the New England Compounding Center pharmacy in Massachusetts.

The spate of Michigan lawsuits began Oct. 15, with a class-action on behalf of a 46-year-old woman diagnosed with fungal meningitis after being injected with the steroid. This case was the third such lawsuit filed in the nation, and the first in Michigan. Since then, at least five more lawsuits have been filed in Michigan against the pharmacy, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Negligence claims may not have too tough a time succeeding, thanks to some new information brought to light by state documents collected by the Associated Press through a public records request. According to the documents, in 2006 outside investigators found New England Compounding Center’s facilities to be inadequate, with poor contamination control and no written standard procedures for using equipment. The House Committee on Energy and Commerce is now seeking almost 10 years’ worth of safety documents from the pharmacy.

CBS News reports that as of Tuesday, 297 people had been infected with meningitis, and 23 had died.

Country Singer Jason Aldean Admits to Cheating Scandal and Apologizes

This is a country song waiting to happen.

Photos of crooner Jason Aldean getting close with someone who was not his wife, Jessica Ussery, hit the Internet today. And instead of pleading the fifth, Aldean came clean about the cheating scandal and apologized.

Arnold Schwarzenegger confesses to having an affair with Brigitte Nielsen "Hey Guys—I wanted to talk to you directly, so you were hearing the truth from me and not just reading allegations made about my personal life on gossip web sites," Aldean wrote on his Facebook page.

"The truth is that I screwed up. I had too much to drink, let the party get out of hand and acted inappropriately at a bar. I left alone, caught the bus to our next show and that's the end of the story. I ultimately ended up embarrassing my family and myself.

I'm not perfect, and I'm sorry for disappointing you guys. I really appreciate being able to work through this privately with my family and for all your continued support."

Ron Palillo Dies at 63; Played Horshack on TV

Ron Palillo, who portrayed the goofy high school underachiever Arnold Horshack in the hit 1970s sitcom “Welcome Back, Kotter” with such definitive oddballness that he had trouble for years afterward finding work as an actor, died on Tuesday in West Palm Beach, Fla. He was 63.

The apparent cause was a heart attack, said his agent, Scott Stander.

“I know him, love what he does, not right for the part,” Mr. Palillo said in a 1997 newspaper interview, repeating what he said was the mantra of every casting director he met after his years on “Kotter,” which was on ABC from 1975 to 1979. “Everybody thought of me as Arnold Horshack. I resented Horshack for so many years.”

LeBron James Completes NBA Ascendancy With Title in Miami

June 22 (Bloomberg) -- Tim Duncan took LeBron James aside after the San Antonio Spurs swept the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2007 National Basketball Association Finals and told James the league would soon be his.

While it may have taken longer than expected by many -- including Duncan, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and three- time NBA Finals MVP -- James now sits at the sport’s pinnacle after capturing his first championship with the Miami Heat.

Nine years after turning professional out of high school and two seasons into his move to Miami, James’s All-Star resume finally includes an NBA title, after the Heat upset the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-106 last night.

“It’s about damn time,” James said at the trophy presentation after being named Most Valuable Player of the Finals.

James pledged to produce multiple titles when he left the Cavaliers and signed with the Heat as a free agent in 2010. Last night’s victory to clinch the best-of-seven Finals 4-1 was his first step in delivering on that promise and may have also furthered his global brand.

James at 27 is younger than Michael Jordan was when he captured the first of his six NBA titles over an eight-year stretch. Jordan, the Hall of Fame player with whom James has most often been compared, was 28 and in his seventh season when he and the Chicago Bulls broke through in 1991.

Seattle takes chance on undersized QB Russell Wilson in 3rd round; takes LB Wagner in 2nd

RENTON, Wash. — Finally, Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks took a draft pick that everyone knew.

And yet there were still questions about what drafting Russell Wilson in the third round on Friday night might mean for the Seahawks.

Seattle took Wilson, the star QB that led Wisconsin to the Rose Bowl last season, with the 75th overall pick in third-round, after addressing another need by taking Utah State linebacker Bobby Wagner in the second round. The Seahawks are hopeful that Wagner’s huge production at a smaller college will carry over into the NFL and he can develop into their starting middle linebacker of the future.

While Wagner will have the more immediate impact, it’s the selection of Wilson that grabbed attention.

“We think more than anybody else that was alive in the draft, this guy gives you the chance to have a great player,” Carroll said of Wilson. “It’s going to be really exciting to see what he can bring. All he’s ever done is be great. And the way he finished at Wisconsin last year with the great finishing efforts, the extraordinary ability to control a game, and then knowing what kind of kid he is and the great all-around athleticism he has, he’s just a fantastic chance for us to take.”

Quarterback was an offseason theme for Seattle. The Seahawks signed Matt Flynn, one of the hottest free agents, to a three-year deal in March. Last season’s starter, Tarvaris Jackson, has one year remaining on his contract and won over much of the Seahawks locker room by playing through a painful pectoral injury for more than half the season. The Seahawks were also high on young undrafted free agent Josh Portis, who was the No. 3 quarterback for most of last season.

But Carroll and general manager John Schneider have said since they arrived that they will look every year at adding a quarterback in the draft. And even though his height was a deterrent for some, it’s hard to argue against Wilson’s production.

After starring at North Carolina State, giving pro baseball a brief try and eventually ending up at Wisconsin, Wilson was one of the best QBs in the country last season. He set the NCAA record for pass efficiency for Wisconsin with a 191.8 rating, while throwing for 33 touchdowns against just four interceptions. He led Wisconsin to the Big Ten title and a spot in the Rose Bowl, where he threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in the Badgers’ 45-38 loss to Oregon.

The concerns about Wilson seemed to be solely based on his height. He measured just shy of 5-foot-11 at the NFL combine, but questions about Wilson’s height followed him to North Carolina State, then to Wisconsin and now to the NFL with the Seahawks.

This is the highest Seattle has drafted a quarterback since taking Rick Mirer with the No. 2 overall pick in the 1993 draft. Wilson had lengthy conversations with Schneider and Carroll at the Senior Bowl and could tell the Seahawks were very interested.

“I knew I had the talent. The only knock on me was my height. I think the main thing was just showing teams through my film that I could really play,” Wilson said.

Jack Robinson

Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American baseball player who became the first black Major League Baseball (MLB) player of the modern era. [1] Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. As the first black man to play in the major leagues since the 1880s, he was instrumental in bringing an end to racial segregation in professional baseball, which had relegated black players to the Negro leagues for six decades. [2] The example of his character and unquestionable talent challenged the traditional basis of segregation, which then marked many other aspects of American life, and contributed significantly to the Civil Rights Movement. [3][4] In addition to his cultural impact, Robinson had an exceptional baseball career. Over ten seasons, he played in six World Series and contributed to the Dodgers' 1955 World Championship. He was selected for six consecutive All-Star Games from 1949 to 1954, [5] was the recipient of the inaugural MLB Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949—the first black player so honored. [6] Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. In 1997, Major League Baseball retired his uniform number, 42, across all major league teams. Robinson was also known for his pursuits outside the baseball diamond. He was the first black television analyst in Major League Baseball, and the first black vice-president of a major American corporation. In the 1960s, he helped establish the Freedom National Bank, an African-American-owned financial institution based in Harlem, New York. In recognition of his achievements on and off the field, Robinson was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.

Review of tablets for kids

Since the advent of the game-changing Apple iPad early in 2010, tablet computers have been one of the hottest electronics products on the market. Much as adults love them, though, children may just love them even more, as tablet-owning parents can verify.

Toy makers have taken note as well, and this year several companies—Fisher-Price, LeapFrog, and Vtech—have come out with tablet-like toys that feature at least some of the capabilities of real tablets, albeit in less sophisticated, less expensive form. They’re each built of hard plastic that feels as though it’ll take a fair amount of abuse. You’ll find such features as touch screens, music players, cameras and video recorders, and photo-editing apps.

We purchased three of these toy tablets and tested them in our lab and with children within the manufacturer-recommended age ranges to see how well they work—and whether kids will actually settle for toy versions of the real thing. Our conclusion: The child tablets have fewer features than standard tablets, but their learning apps and child-friendly content make them ideal for children. Children can have fun with the toy tablets, particularly the LeapPad. But they may still clamor to play with your responsive, feature-rich tablets and smart phones.

There is also the Vinci Tab (from Vinci), an Android tablet that’s customized for toddlers and young children. It’s quite a bit more expensive than the toy tablets—ours cost $480—and though it lacks wireless-Web capability, it has specs and features comparable to “grownup” tablets. We acquired the Vinci Tab, curious as to whether it’s really worth the extra money. Our conclusion here is that the Vinci didn’t really deliver for the price.

The child-tablet companies make various “learning” claims for their products. Each tablet includes media such as interactive storybooks that read aloud and let children click on words and other elements, spelling and counting games, and creative activities, and more can be purchased as downloads or add-on cartridges. (We aren’t evaluating the educational efficacy of the tablets in this report.)

The toy tablets each have a modest price, at least compared with prices of standard tablets, which can cost as much as $800—but of course, don’t expect the same functionality. And each one requires parental help with adding content or media, especially the Vinci, which has a younger target audience than the others.

All the child tablets can be connected to a PC for new content downloads and software upgrades and to transfer media onto and off the devices. The LeapFrog LeapPad also syncs with the company’s Learning Path website, so parents can check up on what their children are playing and how well they’re doing. Vtech has a similar site that keeps track of kids’ activities on its InnoTab.

Each tablet has a color touch screen display and features at least a few preloaded learning games and apps; you can add to your content by downloading more or buying insertable cartridges. All the devices but the LeapFrog have a memory card slot for additional storage, all but the Vinci have a headphone jack and stylus, and all use four AA batteries, except for the Vinci, which has a built-in rechargeable battery. None of the models have wireless Web connectivity.

Finally, to a greater or lesser extent, all the tablets require parental participation to get new content onto the devices, set up profiles, sync for updates, and so on. So parents, be prepared to help out, at least initially.

Best tablet for kids: Kurio ICS 4.0 dream prices

With the ever-rising popularity of tablet devices, buyers seem more than happy to stump up the cost of an outright purchase or even sign up to a 24-month contract. With this new technology entering more and more of our homes, the chances of the younger generation having access to these slates, could cause concern to the grown ups. While we try to introduce our children into this new era, the costly outlay can restrict willingness to let young fingers get involved. This is now to change with the new Kurio tablet from tablet maker Inspiration Works. Running with Android’s new Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 OS, the Kurio has been designed with children from 4-15 years and adults in mind. Available in three sizes being 7-inch, 8-inch and 10-inch with a capacitive touchscreen, the new ICS tablet will bring with it 4GB of storage with an SD card to expand it to 32GB, other specs still remain a little vague, although on the smaller 7-inch the Kurio will pack a .3MP camera whilst the bigger 8-inch and 9-inch pack a 0.3MP front with 2MP to the rear, with an average battery time of 6 hours. As to its processor and amount of RAM, this still remains a mystery, but the Kurio will arrive as pocketlint.com reported, with a USB socket for linking up a camera or joystick, with parental controls being a benefit. Available in the UK in July with accessories to match such as cases, car headrest kit and headphones that have a limited volume, for a price of £150, £180 with £200 being at the top end of the scale. Do you have young children, are you keen to introduce them to this amount of technology? What age do you think you can justify spending out for a tablet with this level of spec?

Much lost in win

It had all the pomp of a Fenway Park [map] opener, from the American flag draped over the Green Monster to the twin first pitches thrown by the retired Tim Wakefield [stats] and Jason Varitek [stats]. And it produced a convincing victory for a Red Sox [team stats] team that needed one in the worst way. But it also featured a look the Sox hoped never to see again from Jacoby Ellsbury [stats]. It was a grimace reminiscent of when Ellsbury broke five ribs in an April 11, 2010 collision with then-teammate Adrian Beltre. Ellsbury missed all but 18 games that season, and without their leadoff-hitting Gold Glove center fielder, the Red Sox missed the playoffs. So, when Ellsbury walked off the field, his right arm pinned to his body, after the fourth inning of yesterday’s 12-2 win against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Red Sox held their breath. And when he left Fenway to go for tests at Massachusetts General Hospital, they only could hope his right shoulder injury looked much worse than it actually was. “That looked painful,” said David Ortiz [stats], who winced and shouted an expletive after seeing the replay on a clubhouse television. “Hopefully things don’t go the way it looked like in the video. He’s our leadoff hitter. You’re not going to get any better by losing him for a while. We’ll see.” Ellsbury’s right arm was trailing behind his body as he slid into second base to try to break up a double play in the bottom of the fourth inning. Rays shortstop Reid Brignac leaped in the air to make the pivot and landed with his full weight on Ellsbury’s shoulder. By the time manager Bobby Valentine got out to second base, Ellsbury was writhing on the dirt. Shortly thereafter, when Ortiz went to check on him in the trainer’s room, Ellsbury was having difficulty raising his arm high enough to take off his jersey. “The only thing we’ve even heard is probably the same thing that everyone has been hearing, which is that it felt like something moved a little bit,” third baseman Kevin Youkilis [stats] said. “We always hope for the best. We know that if it’s for the best, then it won’t be long, and Jake will come back and do great things for this team.” For now, the Red Sox are making contingency plans. Valentine said they likely will make a roster move before today’s game. Outfield prospect Che-Hsuan Lin was scratched from the lineup last night for Triple-A Pawtucket and may be on the way to Boston. The injury overshadowed an otherwise perfect day for the Red Sox, who got eight brilliant innings from Josh Beckett [stats] and a long-awaited eruption against Rays ace David Price by an offense that led the majors in runs scored last season. Backup catcher Kelly Shoppach, who spent the past two seasons with Tampa Bay, led the 16-hit barrage by going 3-for-4 with three runs scored, two RBI and his first career stolen base, which featured a slide that could serve as the lead-in to any baseball blooper reel. The Red Sox won their eighth consecutive home opener, extending a club record. Today, they will attempt to win back-to-back games for the first time since sweeping a doubleheader last Aug. 27. Beckett set the tone, while also allaying some of Valentine’s lingering concerns about a bothersome right thumb that required the opinions of two specialists last week. After being pounded for seven runs last Saturday in Detroit, Beckett gave up a second-inning RBI single by Jeff Keppinger, then retired 21-of-24 batters. “It was just what the doctor ordered,” Valentine said, medical pun unintended. “We were wondering and hoping, and he relieved all doubt. That’s the performance we were looking for.” Added Adrian Gonzalez: “Josh did what Josh does. He had an incredible year last year. We know he’s going to do it again this year.” A few more outings like that and Beckett won’t hear any of the boos that greeted him during pregame introductions, a product of his role in last year’s beer-and-chicken flap.

Santorum's daughter defies odds with Trisomy 18

At age 3, Rick Santorum’s daughter Bella, who has been hospitalized for the second time during his presidential campaign, has outlived the majority of children born with Trisomy 18, a relatively common chromosomal defect that occurs in one out of every 3,000 to 5,000 live births and is three times more common in girls than boys.

Children with Trisomy 18, also known as Edwards syndrome, have three copies of chromosome 18, instead of the normal two, in their cells. Many pregnancies with affected fetuses miscarry, and half of all affected babies who are carried to term will be stillborn, according to the Trisomy 18 Foundation. Most cases aren’t inherited but occur as a random error in cell division during the formation of eggs and sperm, according to the National Library of Medicine.

Navy jet crashes into Virginia Beach apartment building

VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia (AP) – A fighter jet that malfunctioned just after takeoff hurtled into a Virginia Beach apartment complex on Friday in a spectacular crash that sent flames and black smoke billowing from the rubble.

The two pilots managed to eject just before impact, suffering minor injuries along with five others on the ground. Several residents described hearing a loud explosion and looking out their windows to see the red and orange blaze. In the confusion that followed, two men helped one of the bloodied pilots from the two-seat F18 Hornet move to safety.

"Oh, my God, I heard three really loud explosions, then the black smoke went up high in the sky," said 71-year-old Felissa Ezell, who lives in a townhouse near the crash site.

Amanda Bynes arrested on suspicion of DUI in WeHo

Amanda Bynes was arrested early Friday morning on suspicion of DUI in West Hollywood after she allegedly hit the rear corner of a sheriff's cruiser while trying to pass it.

That is most certainly not "What a Girl Wants."

In the wake of her 3 a.m. arrest, the "She's the Man" actress and former Nickelodeon star was in custody at the West Hollywood Sheriff's Station, L.A. Now reported, before being released around 10:30 a.m. on $5,000 bail. She was arrested near the intersection of Robertson and Santa Monica boulevards.

Bynes has been hitting the Hollywood party scene recently, according to TMZ, which had late-night St. Patrick's Day footage taken outside a club where the photographer cautioned the valet against letting her drive — a caution that was ignored as the actress left in her Range Rover with a friend.

Yes, we did say "actress," though it's hard to tell sometimes: Bynes retired from acting for a whole month in the summer of 2010, only to announce her return via Twitter a bit ahead of the release of "Easy A," which she appeared in with Emma Stone. That September 2010 release is still her most recent.

And about that hair in the mug shot above — it would appear to be the latter days of lilac, as Bynes broadcast a month ago on Twitter, "Did I mention I dyed my hair lilac?!?!?! LILAC !!!!!!!!"

Just when we were really starting to miss Lindsay ...

Kim Kardashian flour-bombed at perfume launch

Kim Kardashian is covered in flour during arrivals at the launch party for her True Reflectionperfume at The London West Hollywood on March 22, 2012. (Credit: Getty) (CBS/AP) Kim Kardashian faced more than photographers' flashbulbs when she walked the red carpet Thursday night to launch her new fragrance, True Reflection.

Sheriff's deputies say a woman threw white powder on the 31-year-old reality TV star in the lobby of a hotel in West Hollywood, Calif., where the television personality was hosting the launch event.

A costly win: Marshall injured as UNC rolls past Creighton

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Top seed North Carolina welcomed back one key player but may have lost another during its 87-73 victory over No. 8 Creighton on Sunday that sent the Tar Heels on to the Sweet 16 for an NCAA-record 25th time.

Two-time Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year John Henson returned after missing three games with a sprained left wrist and contributed 13 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots. But Tar Heels point guard Kendall Marshall, who had 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting with 11 assists, broke his right wrist midway through the second half.

Marshall was injured when he was fouled by Ethan Wragge on a drive to the basket with 10:56 remaining. Marshall jumped up after being knocked to the floor and made one of two free throws. But those were his final points of the game. He missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 7:09 remaining and did not shoot again, although he had two assists before coming out of the game to stay with 1:54 to play.

Plenty of corned beef and cabbage at Meriden AOH

MERIDEN — The Meriden division of the Ancient Order of Hibernians prepared well for its 88th annual St. Patrick’s Day dinner Saturday. It had ordered 285 pounds of corned beef and 100 pounds each of carrots, cabbage and potatoes from Thurston Foods, of Wallingford.

People came to enjoy the dinner and a performance by dancers from the Horgan Academy of Irish Dance.

“I think St. Patrick’s Day is a good Catholic day where we honor St. Patrick,” said Wayne Sweeney, the vice president of Meriden AOH.

The only event bigger for the organization is the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, Sweeney said. The parade will take place next Saturday.

Wallingford resident Darlene Behr-Farrell said she comes to the dinner every year for the authentic Irish at-mosphere.

“The reason I do come here is because it is true Irish spirit,” she said with a brogue. “Irish spirit is good music, good food and good people.”

State Rep. Emil “Buddy” Altobello, D-Meriden, came to the dinner wearing green pants and a green hat. He has been involved with the Meriden AOH for about 25 years, he said.

Many of the volunteers at the dinner said it and the parade are their favorite events of the year.

AOH member Geraldine Cosgrove-Reynolds served the cabbage. “I always serve the cabbage,” she said, and then laughed.

She will be driving the “shamrock-mobile” in the parade this year. Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day is important to her because some of her family is from Ireland, she said.

“My mother was born and raised in Ireland,” she said. “It’s tradition.”

The proceeds go toward other AOH activities and help fund its $3,000 college scholarships for one Platt and one Maloney High School student.

Corned beef and cabbage: Ireland says, no, thank you

By Amy Hubbard

March 17, 2012, 5:26 p.m.

It's St. Patrick's Day, so naturally we think of corned beef and cabbage. It's a dish that's as Irish as pepperoni pizza is Italian and chop suey is Chinese.

In other words, not very Irish at all.

The Irish writing duo of Belfast-born Peter Morwood and former New Yorker Diane Duane tackle this subject at their European Cuisines website. People "here," meaning Ireland, "sometimes eat corned beef and cabbage," they say. But "they don't eat it all that much" -- and almost never for St. Patrick's Day.

PHOTOS: St. Patrick's Day fare

Some restaurants in Ireland will serve corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick's Day -- but "almost without exception" those eating it will be tourists.

Corned beef and cabbage, the pair say, is far from the Irish national dish. It's not that corned beef doesn't have a history in Ireland; it's just that Irish people weren't the ones eating it.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the cattle raised in the country were often used for corned beef -- which then went primarily into the mouths of British civilians and the British and U.S. military, according to Serious Eats. The Irish people were too poor to afford their own corned beef. They dined mainly on pork and lamb.

But these days, most native Irish people, say residents Morwood and Duane, find corned beef and cabbage to be "too poor, plain, old-fashioned or boring ... or just too much trouble to go to."

Although corned beef is not difficult to make, it can be time consuming. An L.A. Times recipe for some delicious-sounding New England-style corned beef, cabbage and vegetables with horseradish mustard cream takes about 3 1/2 hours of total preparation time.

Worth it? That's for the cook to decide.

You could just order a pepperoni pizza. Pizza has its roots in Italy but it's Americans who love the pepperoni. In fact, if you were to order pepperoni pizza at an Italian pizzeria (that wasn't a tourist spot), you'd probably get red-bell-pepper pizza. As About.com says, pepperoni means "pepper" in Italian. If you wanted pepperoni, you'd have to ask for salame piccante.

Still, notes the PizzaMaking.com forum, "salami still isn't pepperoni, and in this case it appears the Italians are copying us and not the other way around."

What about chop suey? According to one tale, the dish was first tossed together from kitchen scraps in a San Francisco restaurant in the late 19th century. Other sources debunk that story and say that chop suey springs from the basic mixed stir fry that originated in the Pearl River Delta of southern Guangdong, China.

But chop suey, like pepperoni pizza and corned beef and cabbage, was thoroughly Americanized.

Vincent Jackson, Pierre Garcon find new teams

(CBS/AP) Wide receivers grabbed the big money as NFL free agency began Tuesday.

Vincent Jackson is headed to Tampa Bay, Pierre Garcon to Washington and Marques Colston will stay in New Orleans, all getting huge deals.

Josh Morgan also caught a hefty contract from the Redskins, while Miami dealt its top receiver, Brandon Marshall, to Chicago for two third-round draft choices.

Bears acquire Brandon Marshall from Miami

Jackson got a five-year, $55.55 million contract with the Buccaneers. He will be paid $13 million in each of his first two years, then $10 million for the third year. Jackson will provide a deep threat for Josh Freeman, whose other receivers, Mike Williams and Arrelious Benn, are more short-range targets.

Garcon gets $42.5 million over five years from the Redskins, with $20.5 million in guaranteed money, including an $11 million signing bonus.

Garcon had 188 catches for 16 touchdowns and a 13.4-yard average in four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts. Last year he had 70 receptions for 947 yards and six TDs as Indianapolis finished 2-14.

Washington, which is losing $36 million in salary cap space over the next two seasons for excessive spending in the uncapped 2010 season, also grabbed Morgan for $12 million over the first two years of a five-year deal, with $7.5 million guaranteed. And the Redskins re-signed defensive end Adam Carriker for four years and $20 million, with $7 million guaranteed.

Late Tuesday night, the Chargers agreed to a four-year deal with former New Orleans Saints wideout Robert Meachem.

Hours before free agency began, Colston agreed to a five-year contract worth about $40 million to remain in the Big Easy.

Will NCAA bracket play out true to form?

Even if you don't care about college basketball and don't know who any of these guys are, you are now fully engaged. The lure of completing your tournament bracket is too great to ignore. We know this: Kentucky is the best team in the country, and Kansas will disappoint us again. Here is an NCAA Tournament primer:

Who can beat Kentucky?

Kentucky: Vanderbilt, which beat UK in the SEC title game Sunday, does not count. Kentucky is still the best team in the country by a wide margin. But it is a young team, and young teams can go brain-dead and beat themselves when playing in a tight game against teams that have been around.

North Carolina: The Tar Heels have pro players, but their pace plays directly into Kentucky's hands. They would have to play a near perfect game, but could do it.

Syracuse: The Orange's zone is just enough of an irritant that Kentucky freshman center Anthony Davis could be harassed into an average game.

Kansas: Forward Thomas Robinson is going to get his 18 and 12; the question is whether guard Tyshawn Taylor can play smart. If he does, Kansas has a shot.

Playing the Butler

Wichita State: The best team from arguably the best mid-major conference.

Murray State: It's unfair to call the Racers a sleeper because they are 30-1. This is a veteran team that does not beat itself, and Isaiah Canaan shoots nearly 50 percent from 3-point range.

Creighton: Another Missouri Valley team. Point guard Antoine Young is going to embarrass a big name soon.

Long Beach State: Coach Dan Monson was a regular at this when he was the head coach at Gonzaga. Lots of seniors.

South

The NCAA set up a region final "rematch" of the 1992 Christian Laettner game against Kentucky. Kentucky has a hard road before it would meet Duke in the region final, but the team that should scare the Wildcats is No. 5 Wichita State.

The class: Kentucky. Not even close.

Worst draw: No. 9 UConn. The defending national champions have to get by a very tough Iowa State team and then would have to play Kentucky.

Best draw: You have to ask? Duke.

Top NBA player: F Anthony Davis, Kentucky. The likely No. 1 overall pick in the June draft.

Top player you don't know: G Tu Holloway, Xavier. You should know him, but the Musketeers' brawl against Cincinnati a few months ago changed everything.

What are you doing here? Colorado. The Buffaloes are 23-11, but won the Pac-12 tournament title against an average field. The Buffs can beat No. 6 UNLV in the first round.

First-round upset: No. 10 Xavier over No. 7 Notre Dame

Region champion: Kentucky

West

The last time Michigan State won the Big Ten tournament title, it won the national championship in 2000. The Spartans are not a lock to reach the Final Four, but an Elite Eight appearance feels very good.

The class: No. 2 Missouri. The Tigers are a four-guard team, but provided center/forward Ricardo Ratliffe stays out of foul trouble, they can win this region and make their first Final Four appearance.

Worst draw: No. 6 Murray State. The Racers deserved much better than a six seed and a potential second-round game against Marquette.

Best draw: No. 4 Louisville. The Cardinals are not that good, but they can win a Sweet 16 game against Michigan State.

What are you doing here? Iona. It's a shock to see two schools out of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference make it.

Top NBA player: F Drew Gordon, New Mexico. The most difficult matchup in the Mountain West Conference this season.

Top player you don't know: G Casper Ware, Long Beach State. He's only 5-11, but is such a good penetrator and ballhandler that NBA teams are looking at him for the draft.

First-round upset: No. 12 Long Beach State over No. 5 New Mexico

Region champion: Missouri

Midwest

Keeping in the spirit of storylines, the NCAA put No. 1 North Carolina in the same bracket as No. 2 Kansas. The region final is in St. Louis, so if these traditional powers make it through, expect a very pro-KU crowd.

The class: North Carolina. With Harrison Barnes, this is a pro team that could beat Kentucky.

Worst draw: No. 8 Creighton. The Bluejays are good, but a potential game against North Carolina is a bad, bad draw.

Best draw: North Carolina. It should be a prohibitive favorite through the region final.

What are you doing here? No. 15 Detroit. The Horizon League has produced the national runner-up in each of the past two seasons: Butler. That's a high standard to hit.

Top NBA player: F Harrison Barnes, North Carolina. He surprised everyone by electing to remain in college for his sophomore season. He's a top-three pick.

Top player you don't know: F Doug McDermott, Creighton. He averages 23 points and eight rebounds a game. He could really make a name for himself against Carolina.

First-round upset: No. 11 N.C. State over No. 6 San Diego State

Region champion: North Carolina

East

Of the four brackets, this one has the look that could hold closest to form. Aside from an early-round upset from Harvard, the East has the look of a region that will feature No. 1 vs. No. 2 at the end.

The class: Syracuse. Despite some very serious off-the-court drama, the Orange lost two games all season.

Worst draw: No. 5 Vanderbilt. Winning the SEC tournament title did the Commodores no favors. An opening game against Harvard is not an easy win.

Best draw: No. 3 Florida State. The Seminoles are good and should outmuscle every opponent until Ohio State.

What are you doing here? No. 11 Texas. The Longhorns barely made it in, but actually have a winnable opener against Cincinnati.

Top NBA player: G Dion Waiters, Syracuse. Another quick guard that coach Jim Boeheim has unearthed, he should be a first-round pick.

Top player you don't know: F Andrew Nicholson, Saint Bonaventure. The Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, who is from Canada, actually has drawn some comparisons to Tim Duncan.

First-round upset: No. 12 Harvard over No. 5 Vanderbilt

Region champion: Florida State

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2012/03/11/3801869/will-ncaa-bracket-play-out-true.html#storylink=cpy

NIT snub final insult for Illinois

After a cataclysmic collapse, a first-round exit from the Big Ten tournament and the firing of coach Bruce Weber, Illinois basketball received one final kick in the gut.

A snub from the NIT.

"Any time the University of Illinois is not involved in postseason play it hurts, so we're disappointed," interim coach Jerrance Howard said in a news release. "For our returning players, this should serve as motivation heading into the offseason so we don't feel this way next year on Selection Sunday."

It's hard to imagine what next season's team will look like.

Illini fans will turn their attention to the coaching search athletic director Mike Thomas is conducting and also wait to hear whether sophomore center Meyers Leonard will leave to enter the NBA draft.

The Illini once looked NCAA tournament-bound when they started the season 15-3 and recorded wins over the Big Ten's top two teams in Ohio State and Michigan State. But nothing could stop the unraveling that ensued.

Illinois lost 12 of its final 14 games, including an embarrassing 23-point loss at last-place Nebraska on Feb. 18, to finish 17-15 and ninth in the Big Ten. They lost 64-61 on Thursday to Iowa in the first round of the Big Ten tournament and Weber was fired after nine seasons the following morning.

It was the third time in four seasons that the Illini did not receive an NCAA tournament invitation. They advanced to the NIT quarterfinals in 2010 and did not participate in a postseason tournament in 2008.

The Illini's pitiful ending this season even sparked some Twitter rumors, begun by former player Mike Davis who said the team would not accept an NIT bid. Illinois officials and Thomas said Illinois would have played in the tournament if invited.

Solar flare may make auroras visible in Washington tonight

With a little luck, Western Washingtonians could get a good view of the aurora borealis tonight and Thursday night.

A big solar flare and possibly clear skies over Western Washington could give residents an eyeful of northern lights after midnight tonight and again Thursday evening. The eruption on the sun is the largest since December 2006, said Joe Kunches, a spokesman and space scientist at NOAA’s Space Weather Predication Center.

A similar eruption in late January also gave Washingtonians a shot at seeing the aurora, which is normally only visible closer to the Earth’s poles. During that solar eruption, however, cloudy weather blocked our view. Scandinavia got a great show, though.

The uptick in big eruptions is thanks to a new solar activity cycle with more frequent eruptions. Prior to about a year ago, the sun was in a pretty dull cycle. Now, the surface is lighting up.

"The sun’s done its part," Kunches said. "It had a big eruption. The local weather conditions are gonna be the issue: You live in Seattle."

Fortunately, Dennis D’Amico, a meteorologist for Seattle’s National Weather Service, said Western Washingtonians have a decent chance of getting clear skies both nights. There may be some clouds late tonight and into early Thursday morning, but early Thursday evening could be clear in the region.

Tonight, people south of Seattle have a greater chance of getting a clear look, D’Amico said. However, the moon may limit the show.

Kunches said weather-worn Washingtonians might get rewarded for braving the spring evening.

"You’ve got a tough breed up there," he said. "Standing out there in the cold in the dark for a while, you might get lucky."

Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic 4G Touch Ice Cream Sandwich (Android 4 ICS)

However, despite the fact that most of the main ICS features are already there, one needs to take into account a couple of things. Even though the main cycle of the update’s development looks to be almost done, there is another phase it has to go through before being ready fro prime-time: the testing and bug-squashing one

By looking at this recent Samsung galaxy S2 Epic 4G Touch Android 4 leak we can say that even though the manufacturer and the carrier have made a significant process they still have some tinkering to do. Why? Because very few devices on which the Ice Cream Sandwich build has been flashed are behaving the same. One has issues with overheating, another with the data connection or MTP, and others work without any problem.

Samsung Galaxy S2 Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0.3 ROM

No doubt everyone in the Android space that doesn’t yet own an Android Ice Cream Sandwich device is waiting on getting an official update to Android 4.0, and although the Samsung galaxy S2 is approaching one year old the smartphone will gain ICS at some point this quarter, but if you don’t mind tinkering with your handset you can try ICS out right now.

According to the guys over at Pocket Now, the guys over at SamMobile, have released the latest official ROM leak for the Samsung Galaxy S2, with the firmwear being relatively fresh on the 29th of January with a build number of I9100XXLPB.

Apparently this operating system version is Android 4.0.3 and Samsung TouchWiz on top and has some improvements and the guys say they gave the ROM a whirl on their European Samsung Galaxy S2 the ROM looks smooth, fast and stable and thus far haven’t found any bugs.

And we have a three and a half minute video checking out the Android 4.0.3 ROM build on a Samsung Galaxy S2 for your viewing consideration below so head on down and mash that play button to check out the footage.

The changes found thus far include the battery is a lot better than previously, feels the same as LP6, the interface gives a kind of 3D effect when scrolling, Facelock works fine, and a better score than LP6.

So there you have it if you wish to give this latest leaked official Android 4.0.3 ROM a whirl on your Galaxy S2 you can grab all the necessary by hitting up Here.

If you have enjoyed this Phones Review article feel free to add me to your circles on Google+ and I will of course add you back.

2012 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinees

The Pro Football Hall of Fame has announced its class of 2012, but is the list of snubs the bigger story?

Curtis Martin, Dermontti Dawson, Chris Doleman, Cortez Kennedy, Willie Roaf and Jack Butler are on the list of inductees who will be enshrined in a ceremony Aug. 4. Notable finalists such as Jerome Bettis, Tim Brown, Cris Carter and Bill Parcells weren't as lucky, as they fell short of the required number of votes.

Do you believe Carter didn't make the cut because the voting committee doesn't value the wide receiver position as much as it does other positions? Should Parcells have been a first-ballot Hall of Famer?

Cast your vote on who you think was the biggest Hall of Fame snub, and leave your comments on the class of 2012 inductees and rejectees below!

Samsung’s Android Ice Cream Sandwich promise on track, faster firmware leaks online.

A faster, smoother and more stable ROM hits the new Samsung Galaxy S2, and it looks like the electronics giant is on track for its Android Ice Cream Sandwich update this quarter.

According to Samfirmware, the new firmware with build number I9100XXLPB is more stable than the previous version, the I9100XXLP6. The report added that the new build is based on Android 4.0.3, the latest version of the popular platform available for the international HSPA+ variant. The hack-centric website also posted its step-by-step how-to-update post (but it is for advanced users).

Surprisingly, not all Galaxy S2 customers are happy to see the new software. In fact, the top two comments posted in the YouTube video say that the original user interface of the Android Ice Cream Sandwich is “more good-looking” than the ICS running a TouchWiz user interface

The top commenter said, “it’s very very fast! However, I would like to have the ICS without sam touch (Samsung TouchWiz) on the OS.” The second top comment with 20 likes as of 7PM adds, “This doesn’t look like ICS at all. I wish OEMs would start sticking to more of a stock look rather than changing it so much. I personally feel like that’s where a lot of lag and ‘fragmentation’ comes from.”

This week, a statement from Samsung’s Norway branch appeared online, confirming that the new operating system will update the Galaxy Note and the Galaxy S2 from Gingerbread to Ice Cream Sandwich, and it possible that the official working update will come before the end of March if the improvements will continue.

No video or word yet from Samfirmware if there’s also a new build for the Samsung Galaxy Note, but if Samsung will follow its Q1 plan, then the large 5.3-inch smartphone might welcome its own faster build later this month. Last month, a “buggy” ICS ROM for the Samsung Galaxy Note was leaked online, videos posted in YouTube have confirmed that some apps don’t work properly yet like the camera, the S Pen (or the capacitive stylus pen of the phone) and the battery status on the settings app.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus, according to the smartphone giant, is its most popular smartphone last year with more than 10 million units sold before the US launch in October, while the Samsung Galaxy Note has attracted its first 1 million customers last quarter.

This year, Samsung is expected to release its first Android Ice Cream Sandwich-equipped phone out of the box, the Samsung Galaxy S3 and according to its latest statement, it will announce the Galaxy S2 successor by mid-2012, and will release the phone after a week (or a month) or two to avoid the long lag between the global launch, and the United States release date/s.

Samsung Galaxy S2 Ice Cream Sandwich Update Coming Soon, HTC EVO 4G Also Upgrading

For Android fans excited for the Ice Cream Sandwich update coming to the Samsung Galaxy S2 smartphone by April, there is another device on par with the “iPhone killer” that will also receive it.

The HTC Evo 4G is set to get the Android 4.0 update in the near future as well. And this smartphone is almost as impressive as the Galaxy S2 in terms of specifications and hardware.

The Evo 4G currently runs on Android 2.3, but is set to upgrade to ICS once the official updates begin rolling out. It also features a 1.2GHz single-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S2 MSM7630 processor with 768MB RAM. It comes equipped with a 5-megapixel LED flash camera with 720p HD video capture and a 1.3 megapixel camera for video chat in the front.

Its 4-inch display slightly trumps that of the Galaxy S2 in terms of pixels since it features a resolution of 960x540 and the S2 has 800x480.

In terms of processing speed, the S2 is quicker than the Evo since it includes a 1.2GHz dual-core processor on the AT&T and Sprint variants with the T-Mobile version having a 1.5GHz dual-core chip.

And although the S2’s camera includes more megapixels with 8 in its rear camera, that doesn’t always lead to better quality when it comes to taking pictures.

Did the Groundhog See His Shadow? 6 More Weeks of Winter

Thousands of people that were gathered for the annual groundhog day event groaned when Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. An event that has some 15,000 to 18,000 people there to witness the furry creature’s prognostication ceremony at 7:30 a.m. EST. When the groundhog came from his burrow at dawn, it was only near freezing, which is above average for this time of year in Pennsylvania. Usually, the temperature is around 17 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

According to the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle, Phil has seen his shadow 100 times and hasn’t seen it 16 times since 1886. In Groundhog Club’s records, Phil has predicted 99 long winters and 15 early springs, with nine years of records lost. Those predictions have been right only 39 percent of the time — 36 percent if you look at post-1969 predictions, when weather records are more accurate.

MegaUpload data faces deletion from Thursday

Data stored on seized file-sharing site MegaUpload could be deleted from as early as Thursday this week, Federal prosecutors in the US have confirmed, after the company’s frozen assets stopped paying for the site’s hosting. MegaUpload’s attorney, Ira Rothken, has warned that the site has no way of continuing to maintain the data of around 50m users, The Guardian reports, while a US government letter regarding the case confirmed that data expected to be cited during the prosecution of Kim Dotcom, MegaUpload’s CEO, and his team was merely copied from the servers rather than the computers themselves being among the grabbed assets.

Since the search warrant has now expired, prosecutors confirm, the government can no longer access the MegaUpload files so as to secure copies for legitimate users. Instead, it’s down to hosting companies Carpathia Hosting and Cogent Communications Group to decide what to do, with one or both of the firms being free to delete content from February 2 2012.

Rothken says he is working with the US prosecutors to try to prevent that from happening, both so as to protect backups and cloud-stored files in MegaUpload, as well as to use in the company’s own defense. “We’re cautiously optimistic at this point” he said, “that because the United States, as well as Megaupload, should have a common desire to protect consumers, that this type of agreement will get done.”

MegaUpload was taken down in mid-January, after US prosecutors accused the site of illegally sharing millions of dollars worth of movie, music and other content. Controversial founder Kim Dotcom was denied bail in a New Zealand court last week, over concerns that he could flee the country so as to avoid extradition to the US to face charges. Meanwhile, some of the site’s former users have set up a legal campaign to have MegaUpload reinstated so as to be able to access non-copyright infringing content.

Brandon Marshall scores 4 TDs; AFC takes Pro Bowl

HONOLULU — Brandon Marshall caught six passes for 176 yards and a Pro Bowl-record four touchdowns and the AFC used a second-half surge to beat the NFC, 59-41, today.

The Miami Dolphins wide receiver had a touchdown catch in each quarter, including an early 74-yarder and a 3-yarder in the fourth, in a game filled with highlight-reel catches. He was selected the game’s MVP and his four TD catches set a Pro Bowl record.

SAG Awards 2012: A surprise for ‘The Help,’ a snub for Steve Carell

The Screen Actors Guild Awards were light on surprises and snubs, with this year’s ceremony feeling very similar to last year’s on the TV side. But there were a few shake-ups on the film front, as well as the tragic sixth and final loss for “The Office’s” Steve Carell. Let’s run down the surprises and snubs.

The Surprises

“The Help” wins big: “The Help’s” win for ensemble performance over perceived front-runners and Golden Globe winners, “The Artist” and “The Descendants,” certainly makes the Oscar race a little bit more interesting. While The Wrap thinks the silent French film starring Jean Dujardin and Uggie, the wonder dog, will still take home the Oscar for best picture, it’s hard to call the movie’s win a lock.

Viola Davis wins, George Clooney loses: Like “The Help’s” ensemble prize, Viola Davis and Jean Dujardin’s wins also make the outcome of the Academy Awards seem a little less certain. Will Meryl Streep be able to win her third Oscar for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher? Will George Clooney, or maybe even Brad Pitt, be able to conquer the charming Frenchman? We’ll know soon enough.

“Modern Family” lets the kids speak: “Modern Family” won the SAG Award for ensemble in a comedy series for the second year in a row. While it wasn’t surprising that the cast would try to switch things up and let the kids make the speech — “How cute will this be,” they must have thought — it was shocking how badly it went. The clearly scripted speech began with Nolan Gould declaring “I think it was the late, great W.C. Fields who said ‘Never work with kids or animals.’ Well, he can kiss my ...,” before being pulled away from the mic. As TV Guide’s Damian Holbrook tweeted, “another sign that the Modern Family writers are awesome ... and necessary #SAGAwards”

Pro Bowl 2012: USC, UCLA Well-Represented On Pro Bowl Rosters

The 2012 NFL Pro Bowl takes place on Sunday, January 29 at Aloha Stadium in Hawaii. The AFC and NFC All-Star teams will face off in the last NFL event before Super Bowl XLVI. The rosters represent the best NFL players of the 2011 regular season, with the exception of players from the New York Giants and New England Patriots who are gearing up to play in the biggest game of the year in Indianapolis next week. The rosters for the 2012 Pro Bowl include two players each with ties to Southern California colleges, including three starters. In the AFC, rushing machine Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jacksonville Jaguars will be the starting running back. Jones-Drew is a former member of the UCLA Bruins. He'll be joined on the team by reserve strong safety Troy Polamalu of the PIttsburgh Steelers, who was at one time a fixture of the USC Trojans. The NFC squad contains two more USC alums. Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews and Carolina Panthers center Ryan Kalil were both Trojans once upon a time. Ryan's brother, Matt Kalil, just finished up his senior year as a dominant offensive tackle for USC and is expected to go in the top 5 of the 2012 NFL Draft. Although the Pro Bowl is not often given the attention of All-Star games in the other major sports, the inclusion of these players should at least give Southern California fans reasons to cheer. For more on the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For full coverage of the event, please visit SB Nation's dedicated NFL hub.

Parents of babies with trisomy 18 saying goodbye to support group

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Roy Oswalt Reportedly Turned Down 1-Year, $10 Million Deal With Detroit Tigers

Before the Tigers went and shocked the world by signing Prince Fielder to a nine-year, $214 million contract last week, the team reportedly had a heavy interest in Roy Oswalt filling the No. 5 spot in the pitching rotation. The day prior to the Tigers agreeing to a deal with Fielder, reports surfaced that Oswalt was not interested in playing for Detroit, though. Today, CBSSports' Jon Heyman passes along the info that Oswalt turned down a one-year, $10 million deal:

Demi Moore 911 call: 'She smoked something'

"Send an ambulance right now. This is an emergency."

So begins the dramatic 911 call, in which Demi Moore's friends are desperately trying to get an ambulance to the actress' Beverly Hills home as quickly as possible, which was released this morning by the Los Angeles Fire Department.

On the heavily redacted recording, which lasts about 10 minutes, one of Moore's friends begins arguing with the dispatcher amid confusion over which agency covers the neighborhood and should be sending paramedics.

"Why is there not an ambulance coming now?" the woman says testily before explaining what caused the star to "act crazy."

MORE from E!: Demi "Pretty Hyper" and "Acting Crazy" Just Before Hospitalization

"She smoked something. It's not marijuana but it's similar to incense. She seems to be having convulsions of some sort.

"She's semi-conscious ... barely. She's convulsing."

The phone is passed to another woman, who tells the dispatcher, "She's not breathing normally ... she's burning up."

The Red Carpet Winners At The 2012 Golden Globe Awards

Spring’s big trends like punch, trippy colors and bouquets of flowers were missing on the red carpet at the 2012 Golden Globe Awards. Instead red carpet watchers were treated to a parade of nude and blush dresses like Charlize Theron’s deep neckline Dior Couture dress with a bustle on the waist, easily the best of the evening. The supermodel Elle MacPherson wore a dress that looked like a corset exploding in a sea of ruffles in the bottom designed by Zac Posen. Television star Piper Perabo wore a voluminous ball gown from Theyskens’ Theory, a dress so big it could drown the wearer. Julie Bowen channeled Grace Kelly in a pleated Reem Acra gown with bejewelled cap sleeves. Diane Lane glowed in a Reem Acra dress that reminded me of a Gustav Klimt robe.

Other celebrities in nude/blush confections were Sarah Hyland in a Dolce & Gabbana number that malfunctioned on the red carpet, Katherine McPhee, Kate Beckinsale in Roberto Cavalli, Heidi Klum in a halter neck dress with an open back, the comedienne Kristen Wiig, and the singer Mary J. Blige in a sparkly Michael Kors dress with a feathered hem. And Angelina Jolie looked every bit the A-list Hollywood glamour puss in an exquisitely fitted blush Atelier Versace dress that hinted at a red lining with the flipped neckline.

The other color trend of the evening was blue with Sofia Vergara in a Vera Wang dress with a mermaid hem. Red carpet stars Michelle Williams (winner of the best actress award in a comedy/musical for My Week With Marilyn) wore a velvet dress by Jason Wu and Tilda Swinton in a pale blue fish tail hem gown with a structured blazer that was masculine-feminine perfection. Sarah Michelle Gellar wore what looked like a blue paint-splattered ball gown by Monique Lhuillier. And Frieda Pinto wore a teal colored Prada creation, the shape of which reminded me of Olivier Theyskens’ early work at Rochas.

Other stunners on the red carpet included Kate Winslet (winner of the best actress award in a mini-series for Mildred Pierce) and Claire Danes in J. Mendel (best actress winner in TV drama for Homeland) both in black and white dresses, Reese Witherspoon in a red Zac Posen, Jessica Alba in Gucci, Zooey Deschanel in a custom beaded Prada dress with an infanta neck detail and Girl With A Dragon Tattoo star Rooney Mara in a black Nina Ricci dress with cutouts in the bodice.

Click on the slideshow for a full gallery of the red carpet at the 2012 Golden Globe Awards

Golden Globes 2012: 'Beginners', 'The Artist' and 'W.E.' Are Early Winners in Movie

Golden Globe Awards 2012 has just been kicked off on Sunday evening, January 15 at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles. The first winner in movie category was Christopher Plummer who won the Best Supporting Actor through his role in "Beginners". Well-reviewed silent film "The Artist" and Madonna's directorial drama "W.E." were also among the early winners at the evening.

Handing out the Best Supporting actor award to Plummer were Gerard Butler and Mila Kunis. When receiving his Golden Globe, Plummer said, "What a wonderful welcome back to the home of 'King Kong', 'Rin-Tin-Tin' and all of your youthful fantasies." He then apologized to his competitors like Kenneth Branagh and saluted actors like Ewan McGregor and Michael Mills.

"The Artist", in the meantime, brought its composer Ludovic Bource in winning the Best Original Score award. Presenting the trophy to Bource were Jimmy Fallon and Adam Levine. Upon receiving the award, the composer joked, "I'm sorry, I'm French," before sharing that if he was writing a song right now, it would be a tap-dance number. He added that music and silent movies are both universal.

As for "W.E.", the period drama won the Best Song award for Madonna's song "Masterpiece". As the Queen of Pop received her second Golden Globe award, after she last won the Best Actress prize in 1997, she enthused, "Hi. This is a surprise."

The other early winner at the evening was Michelle Williams who collected the Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy award for her acclaimed role as Marilyn Monroe in "My Week with Marilyn". After receiving the award from Seth Rogen, Williams said, "I consider myself a mother first and an actress second" before thanking her daughter Matilda Rose Ledger in a Monroe voice.

More winners, in both movie and TV, are going to be revealed at the ongoing Golden Globe Awards. Ricky Gervais is hosting the show, which is broadcast live on NBC.

Golden Globes 2012: A List of the Winners

FILM CATERGORIES

Motion Picture, Drama

The Descendants

The Help

Hugo

The Ides of March

Moneyball

War Horse

Best Motion Picture - Comedy Or Musical

50/50

The Artist

Bridesmaids

Midnight In Paris

My Week With Marilyn

Best Director – Motion Picture

Martin Scorsese, Hugo

Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris

George Clooney, The Ides of March

Michel Hazanvicius, The Artist

Alexander Payne, The Descendants

CES Video: Huawei’s Android 4.0 MediaPad tablet

Given my love for 7-inch tablets, I had to swing by Huawei’s booth at the Consumer Electronics Show. In addition to the high-end Ascend P1 S smartphone, the Chinese company is showing off its MediaPad tablet that comes pre-loaded with Android 4.0, also known as Ice Cream Sandwich.

Here’s a look at the small and light tablet, which will launch in selected markets within the next two or three months.

From a form-factor and feel standpoint, I like how this slate fits in the hand. It’s thin and — as Apple fans will quickly and correctly point out — is designed just like a small iPad. At 390 grams, it’s very light and would be easy to carry or put in a pants back pocket.

Although I only spent a little time with the MediaPad, it generally ran Android 4.0 very well with a Qualcomm dual-core 1.2 GHz processor inside. The IPS screen, with a 1280 x 800 resolution, is crisp and clear. And pictures taken with the tablet’s 5-megapixel rear camera looked decent as well. Battery life may be relatively low, however, due to the small size and thinness.

We’ll have to wait for availability and pricing details, which will likely come from carriers; the MediaPad has a 14.4 Mbps HSPA mobile broadband radio, so it’s a sure bet to come with a contract.

I’m not thrilled about that prospect and would personally like to see a Wi-Fi version. And I suspect the pricing should be competitive with other comparable 7-inch slates, such as those from Samsung, HTC and others.

CES 2013 will be Google's show

Not that many years ago, nearly every computing product on the CES exhibit floor ran Windows. This year, that was not the case. Sure, the new "ultrabooks" are Windows-powered, but Android is everywhere else: in tablets, in phones, and in TVs.

Even though Microsoft Windows still dominates the PC and laptop markets, Microsoft itself is no longer the leader in consumer tech innovation. It's sad but appropriate that the company will no longer be kicking off the leading consumer electronics trade show.

After Apple, Google is leading the charge in consumer electronics. Apple doesn't officially participate in CES, leaving Google as the most influential platform company there. The most interesting tablet products at CES ran Android (examples: Asus 370T; Asus Transformer Prime; Samsung Galaxy Note, while the the Windows-powered ultrabooks appeared pedestrian in comparison (except perhaps for Lenovo's Yoga). And it's a safe bet that most of the smartphone manufacturers see Google Android as their only feasible defense against the iPhone juggernaut. Windows Phone 7, good as it is, is too late.

It would make sense for Google to get the 2013 CES keynote spot. It was the most important vendor at this year's show and it's likely to be even more critical to the CE industry next year.

Google rose to this position in CE by using the same playbook as the company it's displacing. As Microsoft did with Windows, Google now makes the operating system that every manufacturer knows how to bake into its hot products and that developers like to build for due to its expanding market footprint and technical flexibility. In consumer computing, Microsoft perfected this virtual cycle, but in the new era of mobile devices, it's Google that's doing the best job implementing the model.

Will it be Google?
Jason Oxman, senior vice president of Industry Affairs at the Consumer Electronics Association, wouldn't tell me who has been invited to give the keynote at CES 2013. But he did discuss with me the process. CEA execs will decide on the "thematic direction" for the 2013 show shortly after the 2012 show closes. Then they'll extend invitations to speakers.

Another safe bet: the CEA isn't going to determine that the thematic direction for CES 2013 will in any way relate to portable PCs running Windows 8. Nor for any sensible 2013 theme (mobile computing, search, social computing, the cloud, or media), does Microsoft sit at the head of the class.

At some point, a major manufacturer like Samsung, Sony, LG, or Toshiba may manage to get real traction with an integrated media-sharing platform that competes with Apple (they are all building them). If it does, it could end up as a good keynote candidate. But as of CES 2012, these initiatives all seem secondary to these manufacturers' hardware lines. They're not as well integrated, or nearly as good, as iTunes is with Apple TV, its iOS devices, and the Macs.

Huskers miss chance at Big Ten upset

MADISON, Wis. — The Nebraska men’s basketball team on Sunday saw another prime opportunity to claim a Big Ten road upset slip away.

The Huskers, who never led in a 50-45 loss to Wisconsin, likely kicked themselves on the trip home for not taking advantage of the game’s circumstances.

“Obviously, we didn’t make the plays down the stretch,” NU coach Doc Sadler said on the Husker Radio Network.

Wisconsin, at one time ranked as high as No. 11, was struggling even more Sunday than it had in a recent two-game home losing skid. The Badgers, leading the country in fewest turnovers at 8.8 a game, gave up the ball 11 times in the first half alone.

“I don’t think we’ve played a better defensive game since I’ve been at Nebraska,” said Sadler, in his sixth year.

But Nebraska could only turn those miscues into six points. Also, NU missed five layups in the first 20 minutes. Meanwhile, Wisconsin shot only 31.3 percent for the game, and 11.1 percent (2 of 18) on 3-pointers.

The atmosphere wasn’t hostile, either.

The Kohl Center, where Wisconsin has won 90 percent of its league games the past 10 years, drew a smaller- and quieter-than-normal crowd because the game time conflicted with the Green Bay Packers’ NFL playoff game.

But Nebraska (9-8, 1-5) still couldn’t pull out a win, even after unranked Wisconsin (14-5, 3-3) made one field goal in the final nine minutes. All-Big Ten point guard Jordan Taylor hit 5 of 6 free throws in the final 26 seconds to seal the win. Taylor led all scorers with 19 points.

On Taylor’s only late-game miss — keeping NU within a possession at 48-45 with 17 seconds left — Nebraska’s Dylan Talley grabbed the rebound. But Taylor ripped it from his hands and dribbled away to draw another foul.

Free throws were an issue all night. Nebraska shot only two, making both. Wisconsin was 18 of 24.

“It’s amazing the game was as close as it was,” Sadler said, citing the free-throw statistics. “We’ve got to get tougher or something.

“With both teams shooting the same amount of 3-point shots and both teams being aggressive and taking it to the lane and our inside guys shooting more shots on the low post, (Wisconsin) just did a lot better job of not fouling, I guess.”

The other statistic of note was Wisconsin’s 42-28 advantage in rebounds, which included 17 offensive boards.

In the first half, Wisconsin jumped to a 6-0 lead. Nebraska tied it 6-6 on wing Caleb Walker’s jumper, but that was the only time the game was tied other than 0-0.

Nebraska, down 24-21 at halftime, fell behind 36-25 with 11:36 to play. But 3-pointers from guard Bo Spencer, who led NU with 13 points, helped cut the deficit to three points with 9:45 and 4:10 to play.

Talley’s 3-pointer brought Nebraska within 45-43 with 28 seconds left and a Spencer layup made it 47-45 with 17.5 seconds to go. But Nebraska never got the lead.

Nebraska’s next game is at home Wednesday at 6 p.m. against No. 8 Indiana.

Miss Wisconsin makes father's prison time a Miss America platform

(CBS/AP) LAS VEGAS - Making her father's prison sentence her platform for the Miss America pageant was a family decision, 23-year-old Laura Kaeppeler has said.

The Wisconsin beauty queen, who won the 2012 Miss America pageant, said she wanted children of incarcerated adults to feel less alone, to have mentoring and to pursue as much of a relationship with their parents as possible.

"There are many of you out there and I was one of them but it doesn't have to define you," Kaeppeler told The Associated Press after winning the crown and $50,000 scholarship on Saturday night. More than 2 million U.S. children have a parent in jail, she estimated.

The brunette opera singer, who won the talent preliminaries, was 18 and just graduating from high school when her father started an 18-month sentence in federal prison for mail fraud.

Her father, Jeff Kaeppeler, said when his daughter approached the family about making the personal topic her chosen platform, they supported it even though they knew it would be discussed publicly.

"It taught us that God can turn anything into good if you let him," he said. "Laura is totally on board with that idea. She let that drive her and inspire her this past year to get ready for this."

Miss Wisconsin wins Miss America pageant

LAS VEGAS – A 23-year-old beauty queen from Kenosha, Wis., won the Miss America pageant Saturday in Las Vegas after singing opera and strutting in a white bikini and black beaded evening gown.

Laura Kaeppeler also had to answer a question about whether beauty queens should declare their politics.

"Miss America represents everyone, so I think the message to political candidates is that they represent everyone as well," she said. "And so in these economic times, we need to be looking forward to what America needs, and I think Miss America needs to represent all."

Miss Oklahoma Betty Thompson came in second, while Miss New York Kaitlyn Monte placed third.

Kaeppeler wins a $50,000 scholarship and gets the title for one year. Her platform during the competition was supporting and mentoring children of incarcerated parents -- a topic close to her heart.

Kaeppeler's father, Jeff Kaeppeler, told The Associated Press he served 18 months in federal prison for mail fraud.

He said when his daughter approached the family about making the personal topic her chosen platform, they supported it even though they knew it would be discussed publicly.

"We've seen this come full circle," he said.

Jeff Kaeppeler said his daughter's win on Saturday night was the best day of his life. He attended the event in a black tuxedo with a baby blue vest and bow tie.

"It taught us that God can turn everything into good if you let him," he said.

Laura Kaeppeler's hometown of roughly 97,000 people, Kenosha, is about 40 miles south of Milwaukee.

She majored in music and vocal performance at a private Lutheran liberal arts college in Kenosha, and told pageant officials she planned to obtain a master's degree in speech and language pathology and become a speech therapist.

Kaeppeler was crowned the new Miss America by a panel of seven judges during a live telecast on ABC. The event was the culmination of a week of preliminary competitions and months of preparations for the titleholders from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

As the new Miss America, Kaeppeler will spend the next year touring the country to speak to different groups and raising money for the Children's Miracle Network, the Miss America Organization's official charity.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/14/miss-wisconsin-wins-miss-america-pageant/?test=latestnews#ixzz1jVjF6AuH

Heather Locklear Hospitalized in Stable Condition, "In No Danger"

Friday the 13th may just turn out to be Heather Locklear's lucky day after all.

Though the former Melrose

ambulance to a hospital yesterday where she remained overnight, a hospital spokeswoman released a statement allaying fan (and family) fears saying that the actress "is in no danger." "Heather's family wants her fans to know that she is doing well," the spokeswoman for the Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center in Thousand Oaks said last night, shortly after Locklear's admission to the emergency room.

"She is out of harm's way…she is in no danger."

The 50-year-old was taken from her home in Westlake Village to the facility after her sister placed a frantic 911 call saying she feared her famous sibling might harm herself. Paramedics responded and determined on sight that the actress did indeed require some medical evaluation. Reports quickly emerged that a mix of prescription drugs and alcohol caused the episode, though they remain unconfirmed.

In any case, Locklear is said to be resting comfortably and due to be further evaluated today before any release, though her family is hopeful for a quick recovery from whatever it is that ailed her.

"They're looking forward to her getting very, very well again and bringing her home," Carraway-Bowman said.

That goes double for us!

Coachella 2012: Remaining $285 passes to go on sale Friday

Three-day passes for the two April weekends of Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival will be available on the fest's official site beginning at 10 a.m. Friday PST. Since the lineup was announced Monday afternoon, the Coachella site has been struggling to manage the traffic influx and has been largely shut down.

Rapper Dr. Dre will close the 2012 edition of the annual Indio festival, to be held for the first time over consecutive weekends, the first April 13-15 and the second April 20-22. Each weekend, featuring identical lineups, is a separate ticket. Only weekend passes are available.

Titckets were first sold for the 2012 editions of Coachella in June 2011. They were available for only a week, and it was unknown how many were snatched in the initial on-sale. Though the event was 10 months out and artists had yet to be announced, multiplying Coachella into separate festivals to be staged over consecutive April weekends didn’t seem to lessen the immediate rush for tickets. Wait times for tickets varies, but a 35-minute queue wasn't out of the ordinary.

The June on-sale marked the first time Goldenvoice, Coachella's promoter, used Front Gate tickets rather than the more ubiquitous Ticketmaster for the general on-sale. Once charges were factored in, a general admission three-day pass came to about $315, but the Coachella site was loaded with options, ranging from shuttle trips to VIP passes. Depending on the package chosen, two Coachella tickets could push $1,300.

Tickets that will go on-sale Friday will range from $285 for a three-day pass to $665 to a VIP festival pass. There is also a general admission ticket that includes a hotel shuttle option for $335. All prices noted are quoted without the addition of service fees. It is recommended that those intending to purchase tickets should set up their account on the Coachella page Thursday evening.

While it was unknown how many tickets Goldenvoice had already sold for the weekends, the promoter had previously announced that it would not be offering a layaway option beyond the June pre-sale. The layaway plan offered fest-goers the ability to place 10% down and then make eight equal monthly payments.

Fans were allowed to buy tickets for each weekend, should they be inclined, but festival passes will be limited per household. In June, passes were limited to four per household. Additionally, fans will not be allowed to change weekends once a purchase has been made. Passes will be mailed in March. International attendees will have the option of picking up their passes at an off-site will call.

Though Coachella will close with a double hip-hop pairing of Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg on the Sunday evenings, rock acts will get top billing the other nights. Bluesey rockers the Black Keys will anchor a Friday that will also feature singer-songwriter Cat Power, reggae legend Jimmy Cliff and psychedelic electronic act M83. Radiohead will close the festival's Saturday evenings, with breakout indie star Bon Iver, reclusive indie rocker Jeff Mangum and noIse instrumentalists Godspeed You Black Emperor also on the bill.

ALSO:

Coachella 2012: Full lineup revealed; Dr. Dre, Radiohead headline

Coachella times two: 'We’re going after artists who are going to play twice.'

A Look At OLPC's XO 3.0 Tablet's Solar And Kinetic Chargers

As I’ve been writing for the past week, alternative energy sources for gadgets will be a big trend at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES). OLPC’s XO 3.0 tablet illustrates this trend in an intriguing way. The tablet is the latest iteration of the One Laptop Per Child nonprofit’s attempt to make computing devices affordable enough to be distributed in mass quantities to children who wouldn’t otherwise have access to computers. In the past, these devices have been laptops. The next OLPC, however, will be an 8-inch tablet.

AnandTech - Samsung Galaxy Note Gets ICS-based CyanogenMod 9 Build

Work on CyanogenMod 9 continues: yesterday saw the release of an experimental development build for the Samsung Galaxy Note, the first port of the new Ice Cream Sandwich-based OS to support the device. Samsung's official Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade for the Note is scheduled to be released before the end of the first quarter of 2012.

The new port is labeled "experimental" for good reason - while wi-fi, cellular data, audio, the touchscreen, and the GPS and sensors should be working properly, Bluetooth, battery usage, MTP mode, and the camera aren't. The team says that the camera won't work until it gets access to one of Samsung's official Android 4.0 builds for the Note, while the build's current graphics drivers are Gingerbread-based and can cause some rendering problems. As with any in-development software, you should hesitate to put this on any phone you rely on in your day-to-day wheelings and dealings.

While CM9 builds to this point have mostly targeted Samsung phones, as development continues we should see builds made available for most CM7-compatible devices beginning with the most recent hardware and working backward (excluding the original Motorola Droid). The download page for the Note port confirms that the CyanogenMod team is still targeting a January or February date for a final release, though we probably won't see all older devices supported until a few months after that.

2012 NFL Playoffs: Denver Broncos Win Stunning Overtime Playoff Contest as Tim Tebow Goes “John 3:16″ On the Pittsburgh Steelers

You could not possibly have dreamed up a better script. You really couldn’t have. This was one for Hollywood.

The critics were calling for Tim Tebow’s head after he ended the season with three dismal performances. His own team wasn’t fully supportive of the young quarterback, despite seven victories in an eight-game stretch earlier in the year (see: Elway, John).

Reports even surfaced that Denver was one bad series by Tebow away from inserting backup quarterback Brady Quinn into the game.

And then… Tebow time happened.

Tim Tebow led the Broncos to 29 points against the Pittsburgh Steelers and their top-ranked NFL defense, including an amazing, improbable, incredible 80-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas on the first play of overtime.

Tebow completed just 10 of 21 passes but threw for exactly 316 yards and two touchdowns.

316. And that’s where the irony begins.

John 3:16 is Tebow’s favorite Bible verse.

Tebow has been known to paint the verse on his eye black during actual football games, which has caused heavy critcism. He did it with Florida in the 2009 national championship game and 94 million people googled the verse during the game.

But the NCAA, as well as the NFL, banned their players from writing verses (or anything) on their eye black during games, stating that it makes their players look less professionally dressed.

That didn’t stop Tebow from spreading the word of God. Not one bit.

Think about this for a second. Tebow can’t write John 3:16 on his eye black so he goes out and throws for 316 yards. Oh, and he makes a believer of John. John Elway, that is.

Does it get any better than that?

John 3:16 is once again one of the most popular searches on Google after Tebow defeated Pittsburgh with exactly 316 yards.

He did so on an NFL postseason single-game record 31.6 yards per completion. There’s your 316 again. Denver was also helped out by a clutch interception of Ben Roethlisberger. The play, of course, came on 3rd and 16. 316.

By the way, receiver Demaryius Thomas, who caught the game-winning touchdown, was born on Christmas Day, the day of the anniversary of the birth of Jesus.

Tim Tebow’s performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers in his first ever postseason game was one for the ages. It was historic, clutch, and almost, well, divine.

John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.”

And since his name is Tim and he did just win his first playoff game, let’s check out 1 Timothy 3:16 for all those who may have wondered.

1 Timothy 3:16: “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.”

Lenovo S2 Smartphone: First Impressions

At tonight’s CES Unveiled event, we got a brief look at some smartphones from Lenovo. The Lenovo S2 doesn’t run the latest and greatest version of Android (Ice Cream Sandwich), but this Gingerbread-based phone still caught my eye. Its rounded curves and thin body make it stand out from the legions of rectangular all-black Android phones with 4.3-inch displays.

The S2’s 3.8-inch display has an 800-by-480-pixel resolution. I didn’t get a chance to run video on it (it was hard enough keeping other journalists away from it), but I opened a few websites and was impressed by the display’s brightness and clarity.

Beyoncé, Jay-Z have a baby girl, Blue Ivy Carter | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

Beyoncé and Jay-Z welcomed their first child Saturday night in New York, a daughter named Blue Ivy Carter. The little one arrived via scheduled C-section, multiple sources confirmed to www.eonline.com.

News spread fast Sunday about baby Blue's birth, with everyone from Beyoncé's sister Solange Knowles to famous friends such as Russell Simmons and Gwyneth Paltrow taking to Twitter to offer their well-wishes.

"The most beautiful girl in the world," Knowles wrote on Twitter before adding a statement about the news media. "Information that goes through the telephone always gets delivered wrong."

"Welcome to the world princess Carter! Love Aunty Rih," Rihanna wrote.

"Congrats to my good friends Beyoncé and Jay-Z," hip-hop mogul Simmons wrote.

Benson launching label

Brendan Benson, a Detroit-made singer-songwriter and cofounder of the Raconteurs, announced he'll be launching Readymade -- his own record label and publishing company -- in the spring.

He'll kick off the Readymade jams with his fifth solo album, "What Kind of World." It'll be available beginning April 21 at www.brendanbenson.com.

Benson's label will be based out of Nashville, Tenn., where his Raconteurs band mate Jack White runs his Third Man Records label.

DSO signs Pontremoli

Though organizers of the Detroit Jazz Festival opted not to renew the contract of artistic and executive director Terri Pontremoli last fall, she'll still be programming jazz in Detroit -- at least in the short term.

Cleveland-based Pontremoli has signed on as a consultant with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra to book its 2012-13 jazz series. The move comes as part of some restructuring within the DSO's nonclassical artistic staff.

In five years of leading the jazz festival, Pontremoli is credited with raising the artistic profile of the event to a new peak of excellence.

Briefly

• Bob Weston, a guitarist who played as a member of Fleetwood Mac during the early 1970s, was found dead in his London apartment last week, the Associated Press reports. An autopsy report indicated Weston, 64, was suffering from a gastric intestinal hemorrhage, cirrhosis and a throat ailment.

• Rolling Stones' rocker Keith Richards, 68, is doing "very well" following his recent laser eye surgery procedure to correct his failing vision, according to the U.K.'s Daily Mirror. This year marks the Stones' 50th anniversary as a band, but no official touring plans have yet been confirmed.

• Redford resident Gwendolyn Davis was one of the winners of the "Judge Mathis" show's "Joyful Noise" sweepstakes. She'll be rubbing elbows with "Joyful Noise" stars Queen Latifah, Dolly Parton, Keke Palmer and Courtney B. Vance at the film's Hollywood premiere tonight. She won by watching Detroit native Greg Mathis' show and entering the word of the day on www.judgemathistv.com during the contest two weeks ago.

At New Hampshire debate, rivals pounce on Mitt Romney

CONCORD, N.H. – Mitt Romney’s Republican challengers made a last-ditch effort to take down their party’s front-runner in Sunday morning’s GOP primary debate, assailing Romney’s conservative credentials and his self-description as a political outsider.

Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum, Romney’s two most formidable opponents on the right, charged at the former Massachusetts governor from the start.

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The two conservative upstarts mounted a tag-team attack on Romney. Santorum accused Romney of “bailing” from a difficult 2006 reelection campaign; when Romney cast that and his other time out of office as a selfless choice, Gingrich pounced.

“Can we drop a little bit of the pious baloney?” Gingrich asked Romney. “You were running for president while you were governor … You then promptly reentered politics. You lost to McCain, just as you lost to [Ted] Kennedy [in 1994.”

Gingrich kept going: “Just level with the American people. You’ve been running at least since the 1990s.”

Romney, facing a sustained assault on the debate stage for the first time this cycle, stuck to his version of the events.

“I never thought I’d get involved in politics,” he responded, saying of his race against Kennedy: “I happened to have been wise enough to realize I didn’t have a ghost of a chance of beating him.”

Three other candidates shared the stage in Concord at the candidate forum hosted by NBC News and Facebook: Rick Perry, Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman.

The tone was markedly different from Saturday night’s debate, as the candidates seemed to realize that absent a direct confrontation with Romney — who’s far ahead in polls for Tuesday’s primary — he would be well on his way to claiming the Republican presidential nomination.

Even the mild-mannered Huntsman went out of his way to seek out a moment of contrast with Romney, bringing up a comment Romney made at the previous debate, swatting Huntsman for having served in the Obama administration.

“I was criticized last night by Gov. Romney for putting my country first,” Huntsman said. “I want to be very clear with the people in this country. I will always put my country first.”

Romney appeared unimpressed by the line of attack, reminding Republican viewers that Huntsman had once described President Barack Obama as a “remarkable leader.”

“I think we serve our country first by standing for people who stand for conservative principles,” Romney said.

Fact check: Mangled claims in Saturday's N.H. debate

Truth took a punch or two at the first of two GOP debates before New Hampshire's critical presidential primary.

•Former Massachusetts governor Romney, talking about taxes, said federal, state and local government consume 37 percent of the economy today compared with only 27 percent when John F. Kennedy was president. In fact, taxes now consume only 27.4 percent of GDP.

•Texas Rep. Ron Paul blasted Gingrich for avoiding the draft during Vietnam, and Gingrich said Paul had a "long history" of inaccuracies. The truth is Gingrich was both a student and a father at the time, and probably would have failed the physical anyway, according to his stepfather, an Army man.

•Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum said the term "middle class" implies class warfare and is one "I don't think we should be using as Republicans." The fact is his own campaign used it in an Iowa flyer, and he has used it in the past himself.

•Paul attacked Santorum as a "high-powered lobbyist." Santorum was never registered as a lobbyist, though he earned more than $200,000 working as a consultant for a lobbying firm and an energy company.

Candidates also recycled some false or doubtful claims we've gone over before. Romney repeated his misleading claim that his firm Bain Capital invested in businesses that "have now added over 100,000 jobs." Former Utah governor Jon Huntsman again claimed Utah was "No. 1" in job creation while he was governor, which isn't true according to the standard statistical measure for employment. And Santorum again put words in President Obama's mouth by claiming that the president "supported" the results of a disputed election in Iran.

And finally, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, Santorum and Romney were all a bit confused about which sports teams were playing an important game on another network. Perhaps they had more important matters on their minds.

Analysis

The six remaining major GOP candidates debated the evening of Jan. 7 at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. The debate was sponsored by ABC News, Yahoo! News and WMUR. The candidates slugged it out again 12 hours later on a special edition of NBC's "Meet the Press" on Jan. 8.

Romney's fast shuffle on tax figures

Romney gave some inaccurate and misleading figures to support his view that "taxes are too high."

Romney: Taxes are too high. Government at all levels during the days of John F. Kennedy consumed 27 percent of our economy, about a quarter. Today it consumes 37 percent of our economy. We're only inches away from no longer being a free economy. And our Democrat friends want us to just keep raising taxes 'just a little more; just give us a little more.'

But the fact is that federal, state and local government taxes are only slightly higher now than they were during Kennedy's time in office.

In 1961, 1962 and the first three quarters of 1963, total government receipts were never higher than 26.4 percent of gross domestic product, according to historical figures from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. And today, the figure is 27.4 percent, as of the most recent quarter on record, which ended Sept. 30.

A Romney spokesman said he was actually giving figures for spending. If so, Romney still was misleading his audience. He used the word "consumes." And he sandwiched the figures between references to taxes, never making clear that he had switched from talking about taxes to giving figures on spending and back to talking about taxes again.

Furthermore, total government expenditures never exceeded 24.7 percent of GDP in any quarter while Kennedy was president, and never were as high as Romney's 27 percent figure. Also, during the July to September quarter last year, spending was 35.7 percent, lower than Romney's 37 percent figure. (The figure did reach 36.5 percent in the second quarter of 2009, when the economy was shrinking. But that was then, not "today," as Romney claimed.)

SolarKindle Cover Is Walking On Sunshine (Whoaaa!)

I’ve done my fair share of Kindle cover research, and to tell you the truth I wish this new cover from SolarFocus was around when I did. It’s the world’s first solar cover for the Kindle, with a solar panel built right in.

The SolarKindle promises “up to three months of unplugged Kindle use under normal sunlight environment.” In my experience that means near a window, which should be easy enough.

The cover also packs a reserve battery, which can either power an LED reading lamp (built right in) or offer extra reading time by feeding energy into the Kindle’s main battery. The LED lamp will run for 50 hours continuously before using the Kindle battery. Solar focus says that an hour under direct sunlight can offer 3 days of reading time.

It’s a bit rough on the eyes, but doesn’t seem to be bulky or obtrusive. I guess it’ll all come down to how you prioritize appearance and utility.

The SolarKindle goes on sale next week on January 15, and can be had for $79.99.

Kristy McNichol: I'm a Lesbian

Kristy McNichol, best known for her roles on Family and Empty Nest, has come out of the closet 20 years after leaving acting because she is tired of seeing kids bullied about their sexuality, People reports:

McNichol, 49, who has lived with her partner Martie Allen, also 49, for the past two decades, decided to make a statement about her sexuality and share this photo because she is "approaching 50" and wants to "be open about who I am."

She "is very sad about kids being bullied," her publicist Jeff Ballard tells PEOPLE. "She hopes that coming out can help kids who need support. She would like to help others who feel different."

Read more: http://www.towleroad.com/2012/01/kristy-mcnichol-im-a-lesbian.html#ixzz1ir3P4nJ7

Kristy McNichol Comes Out of the Closet to Help Bullied Kids

Kristy McNichol, famous for her roles on the TV series “Family” and “Empty Nest,” has come out of the closet in an effort to help children being bullied.

McNichol, 49, has lived with her partner Martie Allen, for the past two decades.

She decided to make a statement about her sexuality and share a photo because she is “approaching 50″ and wants to “be open about who I am,” People Magazine reported.

She “is very sad about kids being bullied,” her publicist Jeff Ballard told People Magazine. “She hopes that coming out can help kids who need support. She would like to help others who feel different.”

McNichol was best known for her roles on the drama “Family,” for which she won two Emmy Awards, and later “Empty Nest.” She has also starred in several films, including “Little Darlings” in 1980 with Tatum O’Neal.

McNichol was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1992, and subsequently ended her television career. She currently lives in Los Angeles.

“She is very happy and healthy,” says Ballard, according to People Magazine. “And she enjoys living a very private life.”

Are Android tablets that cost more than $199 doomed?

Apple set the stage for the tablet revolution with the iPad, but it was Amazon with the Kindle Fire that made the biggest hit in terms of price - by setting the price bar at $199. With CES just around the corner we’re likely to see a whole raft of tablets released. But how will they be priced?

Price was the main reason that Android tablets have, so far, been a failure. While there are undoubtedly other issues (Jason Hiner over on TechRepublic covers the major ones in his postmortem on why Android tablets failed) there’s little doubt in my mind that the primary cause of death was price. After all, who was going to put down $500+ or even $800+ for an Android tablet if they could get an iPad for $499? People see the price way before they notice that a 16×9 aspect ratio isn’t ideal, or that there are a lack of tablet apps.

Price stands out above all.

So what effect with the Kindle Fire with it’s $199 price tag have on Android tablets that we’re going to see unveiled at CES?

Kristy McNichol Comes Out of the Closet to Help Bullied Kids

Kristy McNichol, famous for her roles on the TV series “Family” and “Empty Nest,” has come out of the closet in an effort to help children being bullied.
McNichol, 49, has lived with her partner Martie Allen, for the past two decades.
She decided to make a statement about her sexuality and share a photo because she is “approaching 50″ and wants to “be open about who I am,” People Magazine reported.
She “is very sad about kids being bullied,” her publicist Jeff Ballard told People Magazine. “She hopes that coming out can help kids who need support. She would like to help others who feel different.”
McNichol was best known for her roles on the drama “Family,” for which she won two Emmy Awards, and later “Empty Nest.” She has also starred in several films, including “Little Darlings” in 1980 with Tatum O’Neal.
McNichol was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1992, and subsequently ended her television career. She currently lives in Los Angeles.
“She is very happy and healthy,” says Ballard, according to People Magazine. “And she enjoys living a very private life.”