the has-been

Viewers at home who dread another season of American Idol can relax, knowing that MittTV will stay on the air for at least a few more weeks.

Romney is nothing if not persistent. When a position gets in his way, he changes it. When he tells voters exactly what they want to hear, and that doesn't work, he moves on to the next state and tells them again.

In Michigan, the Romney campaign worked hard to show the world a New Mitt. Ana Marie Cox of Time wrote, "There was a different Mitt on display this morning. � My first reaction was that *this* is a Mitt that could win a general." That's a stretch, but the New Mitt spin works for a reason�it has been true all along. Like the virgin snow that blanketed Michigan on primary day, he's a New Mitt every morning.

As Jonathan Cohn wisely noted in the New Republic before the vote, this New Mitt reprises many features of the version he kicked his campaign off with several Mitts ago. More>>

Dec 28th

Well, it's almost time for me to head off to Australia. Tomorrow, actually, but this might be my last chance to get in a blog before then. I will try to blog while there but won't promise. Christmas is over and it was quite a pleasant one. My son visited from Las Vegas and he said he had a good time. It looks like he is set on going back to college full time to qualify as an accountant. He did one class last semester and got an A, so it looks like he should do OK in that field. He has quite a bit of money coming to him for education from the time he spent in the United States Air Force; at least enough for about two years of college. We spent Christmas Eve morning at my wife's parents then headed to Pensacola Beach, Florida to where my wife's sister and family live. Lots of gifts were handed around and we all ate and drank too much. More>>

New Tim Dorsey novel wacky

Atomic Lobster" is Tim Dorsey's tenth slapstick-noir novel featuring Serge, a psychopath whose only victims are jerks who will not be missed - and who delights in devising heinously creative ways to dispatch them.

Among those who get caught up the mayhem: Tex McGraw, a murderous redneck who has just been released from prison and is hell-bent on revenge. Timid Jim Davenport, who learned in "Triggerfish Twist" (2002) that the only thing worse than being Serge's enemy is being his friend. And Jim's nagging wife, Martha.

As with every Dorsey novel, the story drips with satire, overflows with Florida lore and is so wacky and chaotic that the plot cannot be summarized. Plot points include the reunion barbecue of a drunken criminal clan, a disastrous house-sitting job, international drug trafficking, a plot against national security, the smuggling of ancient Mexican artifacts, a government coverup of mysterious murders, a tsunami, an ill-fated wedding, a stripper and Coleman's attempt to build the world's biggest bong. More>>

the has-been

Viewers at home who dread another season of American Idol can relax, knowing that MittTV will stay on the air for at least a few more weeks.

Romney is nothing if not persistent. When a position gets in his way, he changes it. When he tells voters exactly what they want to hear, and that doesn't work, he moves on to the next state and tells them again.

In Michigan, the Romney campaign worked hard to show the world a New Mitt. Ana Marie Cox of Time wrote, "There was a different Mitt on display this morning. � My first reaction was that *this* is a Mitt that could win a general." That's a stretch, but the New Mitt spin works for a reason�it has been true all along. Like the virgin snow that blanketed Michigan on primary day, he's a New Mitt every morning.

As Jonathan Cohn wisely noted in the New Republic before the vote, this New Mitt reprises many features of the version he kicked his campaign off with several Mitts ago. More>>

Who will be the Nation Builder of 2007?

He showed us how the RCMP really operates in much of this country, including how they attempt to cover-up when witnesses provide information contrary to the Force's own spin.

As one Canadian wrote recently, if only Mr. Pritchard had been there with his camera the night Ian Bush died in Houston, BC police custody. Posted 24/11/07 at 10:40 AM EST | Alert an Editor | Link to Comment . More>>

The Dateline Bridal Diet Challenge

"Today" hosting a special series to help people learn how to plan a wedding. This year, it's a hometown wedding! Throughout the special series, "Today" show guests will offer helpful advice and guide viewers through the entire process of planning a wedding. We invite you to share in the fun.

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Silver Queen owner remembers when celebrities haunted VC's boardwalks

Charles "Tiny" Carlson remembers the good old days of the Comstock.

Not the Big Bonanza of the 1860s and 1870s, of course, but the 1960s and 1970s, when he said there were 32 saloons in town and celebrities everywhere.

"When I came here there was a lot of personality," he said. "We had all the celebrities in the world come up here from Reno and the lake. Now, nobody comes."

Pianist and showman Liberace, singer John Davidson, trumpeter Al Hirt, country star Tennessee Ernie Ford are only a few of the folks Carlson said a visitor to Virginia City could bump into.

Many of the musicians would jam in the local jazz club, the Silver Stope, he said. Now, the Silver Stope is a gift shop.

Carlson, 82, is the owner of the Silver Queen Hotel and the Cole Mansion in Virginia City, a place where the Captain and Tennille got married, and 10 years later renewed their vows. More>>

Frigid weather doesn't deter die-hard car buffs

We love the cars but hate the crowds," said Tommy Shields, 52, an engineer from Eastpointe who was inside Cobo Hall by 9:02 a.m. "You can see what you want at your own pace."

The Shields were just two of the thousands on Sunday who braced sub-freezing temperatures and harsh winds to see the best of what the auto industry has to offer in 2008.

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Spears Not On Drugs???

However, Life & Style magazine is claiming that Brit Brit was not on drugs Thursday evening, when she had her meltdown.

�Her blood test just came back, and, thank God, it was clean. There are no traces of drugs or alcohol of any kind," Osama Lutfi a source close to the Spears family tells Life & Style.

They're able to get blood tests back from a lab in a matter of hours???? During the middle of the night!!

We find that highly suspicious.

Did they test for prescription pills??????

[Image via Gallery of the Absurd.]

. More>>

Turquoise Grill Brick Oven Bistro

It was a Saturday morning just after eleven when we walked into the Turquoise Grill Brick Oven Bistro on Norfolk at Kirby. I glanced at the menu and asked for the deluxe Turkish breakfast with a sausage omelet. My friend Jay Francis, who doesn't eat eggs, wanted some breakfast too, so he asked our server for a suggestion.

The waiter introduced himself as "Jim," the restaurant's owner, and apologized that he'd just opened for the day and it would take him awhile to get our breakfast ready. I told him not to worry. I was having the brakes done on my car and had a couple of hours to kill. Jay had picked me up at the mechanic's shop and joined me for a late breakfast.

Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned I wasn't in a hurry, because Jim stood by our table for the next ten minutes and shot the shit with us. More>>

Moyes celebrate 65th anniversary

Carl and Margaret (Miller) Moyes will be celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary Thursday. Moyes celebrate 65th anniversary Carl and Margaret (Miller) Moyes will be celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary Thursday.

They are the parents of Nelson (Patty) Moyes of Brooksville, Fla., Jennifer (Tom) Underwood and Troy (Karen) Moyes of Washington.

The Moyes have six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

An open house will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the home of Tom and Jennie Underwood, 869N 300W.

. More>>

Turquoise Grill Brick Oven Bistro

It was a Saturday morning just after eleven when we walked into the Turquoise Grill Brick Oven Bistro on Norfolk at Kirby. I glanced at the menu and asked for the deluxe Turkish breakfast with a sausage omelet. My friend Jay Francis, who doesn't eat eggs, wanted some breakfast too, so he asked our server for a suggestion.

The waiter introduced himself as "Jim," the restaurant's owner, and apologized that he'd just opened for the day and it would take him awhile to get our breakfast ready. I told him not to worry. I was having the brakes done on my car and had a couple of hours to kill. Jay had picked me up at the mechanic's shop and joined me for a late breakfast.

Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned I wasn't in a hurry, because Jim stood by our table for the next ten minutes and shot the shit with us. More>>

Jake Shears gets engaged

Scissor Sisters singer Jake Shears is to marry his boyfriend in a flamboyant New York ceremony.

The outlandish star - who recently bought an apartment in New York with Chris, who he has been dating for eight years - plans to tie the knot with his lover in a "glorious" ceremony next spring.

A source said: "Jake and Chris are both blissfully happy with their apartment and the wedding is the next thing. They're ready to show everyone they're together.

. More>>

Moyes celebrate 65th anniversary

Carl and Margaret (Miller) Moyes will be celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary Thursday. Moyes celebrate 65th anniversary Carl and Margaret (Miller) Moyes will be celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary Thursday.

They are the parents of Nelson (Patty) Moyes of Brooksville, Fla., Jennifer (Tom) Underwood and Troy (Karen) Moyes of Washington.

The Moyes have six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

An open house will be from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the home of Tom and Jennie Underwood, 869N 300W.

. More>>

Shed arsonist strikes again in Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach residents are worried about a serial arsonist on the loose.

An arsonist that has been lighting up sheds struck again on Saturday night. Police and residents are concerned that houses could be next.

"We shouldn't have to live like this. It's a ridiculous, senseless crime. There's no reason for it whatsoever," said Richard Kistulentz, a resident of the inflicted neighborhood.

Kistulentz spent Sunday evening installing motion lights in his back yard as a precaution.

"The only thing that woke me up was people banging on my door and banging on my window because they saw the smoke driving by," said Nancy Lee, whose shed was burned down two weeks ago.

"There was old pictures. We stored all our Christmas decorations, photo albums. My parents' wedding pictures were in there," described Lee. More>>

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Material girl: Costume designer�s �27� frocks plays starring ...

Such is the dream dilemma for a costumer when clothing becomes a character. Much like center-stage ensembles worn in HBO�s "Sex and the City," the 27 dresses Katherine Heigl�s character, Jane, must sport as a constant bridesmaid in this romantic comedy are as spirited as the actress herself.

"It�s memorable when it has personality," said Thomas in a telephone interview earlier this week. "They were really like another character. Or like 27 other characters."

The film was shot almost entirely in Rhode Island, and Thomas� favorite scene is the last when - spoiler alert! - all 27 brides are lined up on the pier at Jane�s nuptials in the bridesmaid dresses she wore at their weddings.

Alongside the goth girl, there�s the Japanese friend in a kimono, the "Gone With the Wind" getup from the plantation-themed wedding ("There�s nothing more fun than creating 10 hoop skirts"), and the hot pink zip-front L.A. More>>

Shed arsonist strikes again in Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach residents are worried about a serial arsonist on the loose.

An arsonist that has been lighting up sheds struck again on Saturday night. Police and residents are concerned that houses could be next.

"We shouldn't have to live like this. It's a ridiculous, senseless crime. There's no reason for it whatsoever," said Richard Kistulentz, a resident of the inflicted neighborhood.

Kistulentz spent Sunday evening installing motion lights in his back yard as a precaution.

"The only thing that woke me up was people banging on my door and banging on my window because they saw the smoke driving by," said Nancy Lee, whose shed was burned down two weeks ago.

"There was old pictures. We stored all our Christmas decorations, photo albums. My parents' wedding pictures were in there," described Lee. More>>

Filed under: NFL

That we lost our starting QB to injury seemed barely to slow us down, although we did lose a game. Still the dream was there. Our second QB was as good as the first, but another player was the heart and soul of that team. Pat Landry was a tight-end and linebacker who also played on the kick off team. He was a ferocious tackler whose bone rattling hits on opponents fired up the defense and the crowd. He was a monster with an irrepressible spirit and an infectious will to win. At mid-season we sat atop the district standings at 4-1, tied with the surprising Eau Gallie Commodores, whom we were to visit next. As that game began, we lost our second string QB in the first quarter. Our third string QB had recently been converted from receiver. He wasn�t as talented as the other QBs but he was an unselfish leader around whom the team rallied. More>>

Spears Not On Drugs???

However, Life & Style magazine is claiming that Brit Brit was not on drugs Thursday evening, when she had her meltdown.

�Her blood test just came back, and, thank God, it was clean. There are no traces of drugs or alcohol of any kind," Osama Lutfi a source close to the Spears family tells Life & Style.

They're able to get blood tests back from a lab in a matter of hours???? During the middle of the night!!

We find that highly suspicious.

Did they test for prescription pills??????

[Image via Gallery of the Absurd.]

. More>>

One day only: Antonella Barba in Edison!

Bonds, Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers, Willie Nile, Nicole Atkins & the Sea, Joe D'Urso & Stone Caravan, Boccigalupe & the Badboys, Jobonanno & the Godsons of Soul, Jennifer Glass and many others.

Bruce Springsteen has appeared at many past Light of Day shows. This year, he is performing in St. Paul, Minn., on Nov. 2, and in Cleveland on Nov. 4, so while he could show up on Nov. 3, it wouldn't be surprising if he took the night off. Tickets are $35-$75 for Nov. 2 and $50-$125 for Nov. 3. Call (732) 238-5500 or visit starlandballroom.com or lightofday.org.

Continue reading "Light of Day returns" � . More>>

Spears Not On Drugs???

However, Life & Style magazine is claiming that Brit Brit was not on drugs Thursday evening, when she had her meltdown.

�Her blood test just came back, and, thank God, it was clean. There are no traces of drugs or alcohol of any kind," Osama Lutfi a source close to the Spears family tells Life & Style.

They're able to get blood tests back from a lab in a matter of hours???? During the middle of the night!!

We find that highly suspicious.

Did they test for prescription pills??????

[Image via Gallery of the Absurd.]

. More>>

You do not need any permission to link to any of the pages on this ...

Hodges (Senior Consultant, TFI), appears in the latest volume of the prestigious international telecommunications journal "Telektronikk." It addresses a number of past and current TFI quantitative forecasts to give an idea about the fundamentals of forecasting, outlines some successes of telecom forecasting, and offers a look at what's ahead. The article can be found at http://www.tfi.com/pubs/w/pdf/telektronikk_peer.pdf. 2005-07-16

Coast Into The Dog Days Of Summer With The Coolest Ideas To Dress Up Your Favorite Summer Concoctions From Flipflopstyle.ComIt�s summertime and FlipFlopStyle.com makes the living easy with cool ideas to enjoy fun in the sun. 2005-07-16

'Diabetes: Living My Best Life'� is selected for presentation at the 3rd Translating Research into Practice ConferenceType 2 Diabetes is a growing health problem for African American women. More>>

Martin Wows Wedding Guests With Bluegrass.

Hire him to write this Godfather IV script, I will help him, do it for nothing...' "Mario was very concerned to leave his kids some money and they just never made the deal... Mario died and it was heartbreaking" Martin Wows Wedding Guests With Bluegrass....

Funnyman Steve Martin booked a bluegrass band to play at his top secret Los Angeles wedding on Saturday (28Jul07).

Hot Rize performed as guests like Tom Hanks and Diane Keaton gathered at Martin's home for what they believed was a dinner party.

Banjo player Martin joined the group after the ceremony, playing along with bluegrass standards The Crow and Foggy Mountain Breakdown.

. More>>

18 Holes With...

Before all eyes zoned in on beautiful, lush Medinah Country Club -- which, at 7,561 yards will play as the longest course in major championship history -- we had a chance to sit down for 18 holes of Q&A with PGA Head Professional Mike Scully. Scully, who was a lineman in the NFL for three seasons, explained his unlikely transition to one of the top job's in all of golf.

Scully also talked about following Tiger around for a practice round just two weeks ago and reports that he'll be shocked if Woods plays the way he did in the practice session and doesn't win quite handily.

No. 1 -- You come from a serious football background. You were an offensive lineman who played on the 1984 University of Illinois Rose Bowl team [which lost to UCLA] and you spent three seasons in the NFL with the Washington Redskins and the Kansas City Chiefs. More>>

18 Holes With...

Before all eyes zoned in on beautiful, lush Medinah Country Club -- which, at 7,561 yards will play as the longest course in major championship history -- we had a chance to sit down for 18 holes of Q&A with PGA Head Professional Mike Scully. Scully, who was a lineman in the NFL for three seasons, explained his unlikely transition to one of the top job's in all of golf.

Scully also talked about following Tiger around for a practice round just two weeks ago and reports that he'll be shocked if Woods plays the way he did in the practice session and doesn't win quite handily.

No. 1 -- You come from a serious football background. You were an offensive lineman who played on the 1984 University of Illinois Rose Bowl team [which lost to UCLA] and you spent three seasons in the NFL with the Washington Redskins and the Kansas City Chiefs. More>>

'Feast of Love' crams in an implausible amount of melodramatic ...

That "Feast of Love" is an overstuffed melodrama, better suited for broadcast as a TV movie of the week than as a theatrical release, is bad enough.

That it comes from Robert Benton, a veteran whose output has slowly, steadily declined in quality since writing "Bonnie and Clyde" and writing and directing "Kramer vs. Kramer," is just plain sad.

But what's truly troubling is the way the film, written by Allison Burnett based on the novel by Charles Baxter, regards women as idiots and objects.

Every actress gets fully, gratuitously naked at some point (except Jane Alexander, who manages to maintain some dignity alongside Morgan Freeman as her husband).

One (played by Selma Blair) abruptly leaves her husband (Greg Kinnear) for another woman � a stereotypical, softball-playing, predatory lesbian. More>>

Jim Salisbury | AL series deserves early start

Hey, it makes for good watercooler talk the next day.

"So, what happened in the fourth inning?"

Tonight's "special" start time is the result of Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, which starts at 10, 8 Denver time.

Whatever the reason, we'll take it. The ALCS is shaping up to be a dandy, and it would be nice if Game 3 ended before 1:37 a.m., so more folks in the East can see the finish.

That's what time Game 2 ended yesterday morning. OK, it was a 5-hour, 14-minute marathon that went 11 innings. But a start time past 8:20 didn't help.

All right, enough venting about baseball's keeping such late hours. It's never going to change.

So far, the ALCS has offered two intriguing games between two evenly matched clubs. The Red Sox won Game 1, 10-3, behind the strong pitching of Josh Beckett. More>>

Mapping the news: Concert to feature Urban, Underwood

Country music superstars Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood will perform March 2 at the CenturyTel Center in Bossier City.

The Love, Pain and The Whole Crazy Carnival Ride tour will hit 24 cities and will feature hits from both the Grammy Award-winning artists. The tour name combines the titles of each artist�s most recent album � Urban�s double platinum �Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy Thing� and Underwood�s No. 1 debut second album �Carnival Ride.�

The concert will feature 12 No. 1 songs. Seven from Urban, which include �Somebody Like You,� �You�ll Think of Me,� �Days Go By" and �Making Memories of Us.� Underwood, who was the breakout star from the fourth season of �American Idol,� outsold all other �Idol� winners with her debut CD �Some Hearts� in 2005. Her hits include �Jesus, Take the Wheel� and �Before He Cheats. More>>