Thursday, May 28, 2009

911 Juice Box



CNN

I Picked This Video Story Because It's Hillarious

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Clown Arrested For Drunk Driving

NEWS9 has learned more about the real face behind the make-up that's getting a lot of attention.Patricia Ingalls is the clown who Wheeling Police arrested for drunken driving late Friday after they said she left the scene of an accident.Ingalls talked with NEWS9 Sunday and said that she's sorry that the children she went to entertain witnessed her get taken into custody."I'm not allowed to drink in costume and I should have never went because I was too upset," said Ingalls.Ingalls was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and fleeing the scene of an accident after she arrived at an event to entertain children.Police said she left the scene of an accident before arriving at the event.Ingalls admits that she did consume alcohol, but she said she didn't drink before the accident. She said she drank before getting to the kids -- but after the crash.She blew a .252 blood alcohol content, more than triple the legal limit during the Breathalyzer test while being arrested.Ingalls has been a clown for 17 years now, but she's not laughing about what's happened especially considering the children she said she disappointed as she was led away in a police cruiser in handcuffs."They were all hanging on me and saying, 'Don't take the clown,'" said Ingalls.

I picked this story because i think i'd be funny to see a clown driving down the road drunk.

Rapper T.I. gives farewell concert before going to prison

Rap star T.I. threw himself a going-away party Sunday night, less than two days before he was scheduled to begin serving a prison sentence on federal weapons charges.

The Grammy-winning rapper performed at Atlanta's Philips Arena before a packed house. He is scheduled to head to prison Tuesday to start a 366-day sentence.

During Sunday's concert, the 28-year-old reiterated a message that's become familiar in recent weeks: He wants others to learn from his mistakes.

"I'm doing the best I can to get out there, man, and put something positive on these young kids, man," T.I. said during the show. "I try my best. I need y'all help, though."

The rapper played to a sell-out crowd of 16,000 people, said Kenan Woods, a spokesman for the arena. T.I., whose given name is Clifford Harris, played through much of his catalog, including the hits "Whatever You Like," "Live Your Life" and the Grammy-winning "Swagga Like Us," Woods said.

At times in the show, Harris was joined on stage by fellow rapper Soulja Boy and by his five children and mother, Woods said.

He was greeted by a welcoming crowd, and some members of the audience held up signs supporting him.

Tickets for the show started at just $10, according to the arena, which called the event "T.I.'s Final Goodbye Bash."

Harris has been the subject of an MTV reality show, "T.I.'s Road to Redemption," in the lead-up to the prison term.

He was sentenced in March on weapons charges related to purchasing machine guns and silencers. In addition to serving prison time, T.I. was placed on house arrest, was given community service and was ordered to pay a $100,300 fine.

Though he had been in legal trouble before, Harris' current situation began when he was arrested just hours before he was to perform at the BET Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta.

The rapper had provided a bodyguard with $12,000 to buy weapons. Harris was not permitted to own any guns, however, because he was convicted in 1998 on felony drug charges -- possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute -- in Cobb County, in suburban Atlanta.

After his arrest, he entered a plea agreement, which federal authorities called unique because it allowed the rapper to remain out of prison for a year while he performed community service.

Harris has already left a strong mark on the hip-hop genre, music experts told CNN, which should position his career well when he is released. Harris had been named to the Forbes list of top-earning rappers, making an estimated $16 million in 2006.

Some music industry observers have said T.I.'s prison term will only make him more popular.

"I think that if anything, it will gain him more fans and actually support his fan base, because he's talked about making a mistake," Emil Wilbekin, editor in chief of Giant Magazine, told CNN. "He's talked about taking care of the error of his ways."

The Atlanta rapper has expressed remorse for the situation.

"I would like to say thank you to some and apologize to others," he said at his sentencing in March. "In my life, I have been placed in the worst-case scenario and had to make the best of it."

In a March interview with CNN's T.J. Holmes, Harris said he no longer felt like he needed to carry weapons to protect himself. He said people should not idolize him for what he's gone through, but should take note of the fact that he has taken responsibility for his actions.

"You shouldn't take the things that I've gone through, and the negative parts of my life, and admire me for that. If anything, admire me for how I've accepted responsibility for the part I played in placing myself in these situations, and what I've done to recover from it," Harris said.

CNN

I Picked this story because I like the rapper T.I. and I think it's too bad he's going to jail.

'Night at the Museum' opens with $70 mil

Ben Stiller had no problem handling Christian Bale and an army of robots this Memorial Day weekend. "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian" cruised to an easy first-place finish of $70 million over the four-day weekend, according to early estimates by Hollywood.com Box Office.

The total marks Stiller's biggest opening ever, as the PG-rated comedy clearly caught the attention of families looking for non-violent (and just a wee bit educational) entertainment. 'Smithsonian's' tally also demolishes its predecessor, 'Night at the Museum,' which opened its doors to a $42.2 million gross over a four-day Christmas weekend in 2006.

Settling for No. 2 was "Terminator Salvation," which earned $53.8 million over the four-day weekend (plus $13.4 million from its debut on Thursday, bringing its five-day gross to $67.2 million). Warner Bros. will boast about 'Salvation' representing the Terminator series' best opening, beating "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machine's" three-day tally of $44 million in July 2003. Entertainment Weekly: 15 best 'Terminator' moment\

The total marks Stiller's biggest opening ever, as the PG-rated comedy clearly caught the attention of families looking for non-violent (and just a wee bit educational) entertainment. 'Smithsonian's' tally also demolishes its predecessor, 'Night at the Museum,' which opened its doors to a $42.2 million gross over a four-day Christmas weekend in 2006.

Settling for No. 2 was "Terminator Salvation," which earned $53.8 million over the four-day weekend (plus $13.4 million from its debut on Thursday, bringing its five-day gross to $67.2 million). Warner Bros. will boast about 'Salvation' representing the Terminator series' best opening, beating "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machine's" three-day tally of $44 million in July 2003. Entertainment Weekly: 15 best 'Terminator' moments

Trek,' in particular, is holding up extremely well -- the sci-fi reboot is closing in on $200 million and should take over Monsters vs. Aliens this week to become 2009's top moneymaker.

"Dance Flick" rounded out the top five with $13.1 million, which is a respectable outcome for the modestly budgeted spoof movie from the Wayans family.

On the indie scene, Steven Soderbergh's "The Girlfriend Experience," starring the adult-film actress Sasha Grey, scored an okay $200,000 from 30 theaters. "Easy Virtue," the 1920s-era romantic comedy featuring Jessica Biel, roared to $146,000 from just 10 theaters for a healthy average of $14,600 per theater.

Also, the con-film "The Brothers Bloom" expanded to 52 theaters, stealing $528,000 and averaging just more than $10,000 per theater. iReport.com: What did you think of 'Museum', 'Terminator'?

Overall, the box office was up 2 percent compared to last year's Memorial Day weekend, when "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," despite nuking the fridge, managed to whip up a staggering $126.9 million.

CNN

I Picked this because i like the Night at The Museum 1 so I think that this story is interesting.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Michael Jackson delays some shows until '10

(CNN) -- Several of Michael Jackson's comeback concerts in London have been postponed until next year because producers can't be ready in time for the July debut, according to a "Dear Customer" e-mail sent to ticket holders Wednesday.

The delay comes days after the concert promoter said Jackson was in good health, contrary to media reports he was diagnosed with skin cancer.

Jackson's "This Is It" shows were to begin July 8 at London's 20,000-capacity O2 Arena.

"It was not an easy decision to change the schedule but in the end we wanted to ensure that all of Michael's fans attending the concerts get the same quality in staging and level of entertainment," said the Ticketmaster e-mail sent to someone who bought tickets for the third show.

"In order to deliver a phenomenal and unprecedented show -- the first show on the 8th July will take place on 13th July 2009," according AEG Live, the promoter of the London concerts. "The subsequent shows on 10th July will be moved to 1st March 2010, 12th July will be moved to 3rd March 2010, and the show on the 14th July will be moved to 6th March 2010."

The delay is "due to the sheer magnitude" of the concerts, AEG said. The decision "to move back a few of the opening shows" was needed "in order to meet the challenges presented by such a massive and technically complex show," it said.

Randy Phillips, president and CEO of AEG Live, last week denied reports that Jackson had skin cancer.

"He's as healthy as he can be -- no health problems whatsoever," the executive told CNN on Saturday.

"Michael, who is directly involved with all aspects of the styling/choreography/band selection and rehearsals, is working around the clock to ensure this is the show to end all shows!" AEG said in it's delay announcement.

Jackson held open auditions for dancers last month at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California.

Promoters released a video this week showing that process and ending with a clip of the 12 dancers who were chosen meeting Jackson in an undisclosed gym in the Los Angeles area, where he has been preparing for the shows.

Ticketmaster, in its e-mail, assured the ticket holders they would "have the same seat originally purchased."

CNN


I found this interesting because that's a rip off and I would be mad if something like that would happen.

Man can't swallow sweepstakes error



CNN

I feel bad for this guy because Coke ripped this guy off.

Fresno Firefighters Remove 800-Pound Corpse

Fresno firefighters had to improvise in order to transport the corpse of a 51-year-old man believed to weigh more than 800 pounds out of a residential hotel. Fire Department spokesman Ken Shockley says firefighters needed to remove a wall of the second-floor apartment and use an intricate pulley system to extract the man Tuesday night. The body was wrapped in a large tarp when it reached the ground floor. Firefighters used the pulleys, rope and a gurney rated for 1,500 pounds to load the man into a coroner's van. Shockley says neighbors told firefighters that no one had seen the man walking around the hotel for more than a month. Officials have not identified the man.

CNN

I think this is wicked weird that's exactly why I picked it.

House Stalls Amendment To Same-Sex Marriage Bill

An amendment to a bill to allow same-sex marriage in New Hampshire was sent to committee on Wednesday, putting the future of the measure in doubt. The amendment had been demanded by Gov. John Lynch, who said he would sign the bill if it provided more protections for religious institutions that did not want to participate in same-sex marriages.The Senate earlier approved the amendment on a 14-10 party-line vote, but the House rejected the change, 188-186. The House was left with the choice to kill the amendment or send it to committee, and it elected to send it to committee.That means the amendment could come to the floor again this session. The House will attempt to negotiate a compromise with the Senate.The House had previously passed the same-sex marriage bill by a vote of 178-167, so more members took part in Wednesday's vote. A question to indefinitely postpone the issue, which would have effectively killed the measure, failed 173-202.One House member who voted in favor of same-sex marriage but against the amendment was Rep. Steve Vaillancourt, R-Manchester. He said the governor's amendment would create discrimination in a bill intended to bring equal rights to people."This bill has nothing to do with gay marriage," Vaillancourt said. "This bill is a homophobic bill put in by a governor who was backed into a corner, hoisted on his own petard. My job is not to get the governor out of his corner. My job is to do what's best for society. It is not best to send a message across the country that we're going to give gay marriage with lots of strings attached."Critics have said that the amendment reflects religious protections already guaranteed on the state and federal constitutions and that the bill would not protect other businesses that don't want to participate in same-sex marriages. Some also criticized the process."This bill's been around for five months, but it seems every week, there's some last-minute change that's multi pages that people haven't seen," said Sen. Peter Bragdon, R-Milford. "This week, they won't even answer our questions on the bill."Rep. Jim Splaine, D-Portsmouth, said he's confident that the same-sex marriage bill will make it to the governor's desk this session."This is all part of the process," Splaine said. "Obviously, there's a lot of people in favor of marriage equality and making sure that we have protections for religious organizations and churches, and there are some people who are saying we're not quite there yet."The House committee could make minor or more substantial changes to the bill. Either way, it would have to go back to the full House floor and then the Senate again before it reaches the governor.

CNN

I found this story to be a big one because gay marriage is a big thing going through law right now.

Thursday, May 7, 2009

First Full Face Transplant


May 6, 2009 -- The nation's first full face transplant gave Connie Culp what dozens of painful plastic surgeries could not -- the ability to re-enter life.

Culp, a 46-year-old mother of two from Ohio, didn't die four years ago when her husband pulled the trigger of a shotgun aimed at her face. But she lost every semblance of a normal existence.

The middle of her face was gone. She lost one eye, her nose and sinuses, her cheekbone, her upper jaw, and the bone, muscles, and skin that hold a face together. Her facial nerves were torn away.

Culp couldn't breathe without a tube in her neck. She could not drink from a cup, smell, or taste. Despite the best efforts of reconstructive plastic surgeons, a tight and extremely painful shell of scar tissue grew over the wound.

Perhaps even more painful to Culp, people saw her as a monster.

"We tried to assimilate her into society, but she had a difficult time," Cleveland Clinic plastic surgeon Risal Djohan, MD, tells WebMD. "Kids ran away from her and people stared at her."

"Our patient was called names and was humiliated," Cleveland Clinic transplant team leader Maria Siemionow, MD, PhD, said at a news conference. "You need a face to face the world."

Culp now has that face, thanks to an anonymous donor and to Siemionow's 17-member surgical team. The donor, a woman of about the same age and complexion as Culp, died of a head injury that left her face and neck intact.

In an astonishing 23-hour operation, the team was able to remove the donor's face -- nearly the entire face except for the upper eyelids, forehead, lower lip, and chin -- and connect it to Culp's blood vessels and nerves. Although they'd practiced over and over again on cadavers, the team didn't know for sure that the operation would be a success.

That changed when Culp's blood began to flow into the transplant, and the pale white skin became a rosy pink.

"It was a joyful moment to see the lighting up of the face," Djohan said. "It was like the lighting up of a Christmas tree."

The big risk for any transplant is rejection of the new tissues by the body's immune system. Culp spent 12 days in intensive care, and 45 days in the Cleveland Clinic's post-transplant room. She was able to leave the hospital on Feb. 5 -- 58 days after being wheeled out of the operating room.

She can now eat solid food without restrictions, drink from a cup, breathe through her nose, and smell. Her pain, which she'd described as 8 on a 1 to 10 scale, is down to a 1 -- the lowest level of pain.


I think this is amazing and very cool that's why I picked it.