Pat Quinn - new governor of Illinois

Meet Pat Quinn, new governor of Illinois

Pat Quinn

The 41st governor of Illinois to be exact. And, wow. Wikipedia already has him listed as taking the oath of office on their website.

Pat Quinn was born in Hinsdale, a DuPage County suburb of Chicago in 1948, graduated from Fenwick Catholic High School in Oak Park, Georgetown University in 1971 and Northwestern University school of law in 1980. He is divorced and the father of two sons.

He began his political career as an aide to Governor Dan Walker, was elected state treasurer and served for four years, 1991-1995. He ran for senate but lost to Dick Durbin in the democratic primary in 1996.

Pat Quinn began his career crusading against utility companies and organizing petition drives, including one that cut the size of the Illinois House by one-third - putting dozens of politicians out of work.

He won the race for Lt. Governor in 2002, but even though this office is the consitutionally mandated successor should the governor not finish his term, Pat Quinn and Blagojevich were not close, Pat Quinn says they have not spoken in more than a year. Blago said last year that Pat Quinn was not even part of the administration.

Say Hello To Pat Quinn, The New Governor Of Illinois

Despite his long career in politics, he was never seen as a powerhouse. He was more of a "goo-goo" -- one of those "good government" liberal populist reformers. He was dismissed as a gadfly, an odd-duck publicity-seeker, not especially known as a team player. Certainly not a go-along-to-get-along type of guy. He made his share of political enemies, many from his own Democratic Party.

But he is Pat Quinn, and Pat Quinn is now Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn. His ascension became official today when the state Senate, by a unanimous 59-0 vote, officially ended the governorship of Rod Blagojevich.

If Blagojevich was vain and over the top, Pat Quinn, 60 years old, is a mostly humor-challenged pol. He is an outsider who spent many years, and many elections, trying to make it on the inside. He champions the little guy, the powerless, with his longtime support for citizen initiatives, and he has spent a career battling special interests.

But he is not the most popular pol in Springfield either. His successful effort to cut the size of the state Legislature left him with some bitter enemies. And now he has become the most powerful person in Illinois state government.

Campaign record. In 1986, he sought the Democratic nomination for Illinois state treasurer but finished third in the primary to Jerry Cosentino. In 1990, with Cosentino running for secretary of state, Pat Quinn was elected treasurer (with, by the way, the help of strategist David Axelrod).

Four years later he took the same route as his predecessor Cosentino: He ran for secretary of state. But he lost to Republican George Ryan, later the governor and later convicted of corruption. In 1996, Sen. Paul Simon (D) retired, and Pat Quinn jumped into the primary to succeed him. But he got clobbered by a downstate congressman, Dick Durbin, now the Senate majority whip. In 1998 he lost a bid to become lieutenant governor.

But four years later, in 2002, he tried again, and he won the Democratic primary for LG and found himself on the same ticket as the party's gubernatorial candidate, Congressman Rod Blagojevich. Had it been an ordinary year, Pat Quinn could have once again gone down to defeat. But by 2002, the Republlicans in Illinois were reeling, the governor under a corruption investigation that would eventually send him to prison. The Blagojevich-Quinn ticket won, and despite the hints of the governor's ethics woes throughout much of his first term, they were re-elected in 2006.

But by his own admission, he hasn't been close to the governor. At the time of Blagojevich's arrest on Dec. 9, Pat Quinn said the two hadn't spoken in a year. He certainly didn't hesitate to talk about him, though, saying that the governor should resign his office.

He wouldn't. The Illinois state Senate decided the issue by convicting him today. And now Pat Quinn, gadfly outsider, is governor.

One of the interesting aftermaths of all this is the looming presence of 2010. Lisa Madigan, the state attorney general and a longtime Blago foe, had been preparing to run for governor next year, taking on Blagojevich in the primary if she had to. Now, with Pat Quinn as governor, that dynamic has changed. Stay tuned.

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How Tall is Jessica Simpson

how tall is jessica simpson ???

Many are curious about the height of Miss Jessica Simpson. Jessica Simpson is not really tall. She wears high heels so the height can be really confusing. According to some people, Jessica Simpson's height is 5'3". Some says she's 5'2". Others claims she is 5'4" . Comparing Jessica Simpson with other celebrities, one can say that she's somewhere between 5'1" to 5'5". That's the range. Jessica Simpson does look taller on tv and in her pictures and movies. You check out some photos of Jessica Simpson with some other celebrities to get an idea of her height.

Is Jessica Simpson Fat?

This morning I was listening to the radio and for nearly five minutes, the DJs on the morning show were complaining about how Jessica Simpson gained weight. One estimated 30 pounds, another said 50. When I got to my computer, I had to see what all the fuss was about. Here are photos of Jessica Simpson that everyone is talking about that I found on PerezHilton.com and TMZ:

Personally, I think it's mostly the outfit. The pants and the belt are a terrible choice - they make her look bigger than she really is. It does look like she's gained a little bit of weight, but I didn't think that was a big deal. I was more concerned that in this photo she was performing at a chili cook-off in Florida! What's happening to her career?

Jessica Simpson's weight gain: PW's inaugural 'ShePop' post

Jessica Simpson's the new Jennifer Love Hewitt, thanks to some much curvier photos of the pop singer performing at a recent Florida chili cook-off. The pics have prompted all kinds of internet talk about her weight -- and we're not about to pile onto that or condone it, of course.

If the girl wants to eat chili -- if she finds the country music scene more forgiving of non-stick-figures, if she likes sharing Southern cooking with much-discussed boyfriend Tony Romo -- then God bless her for not starving herself. (God bless her also for just enjoying being ridiculously gorgeous, whatever her size.) But it also begs the question, in this very specific case:

When a star has made herself famous by selling her personal life, where will the public dissection stop? And if you're a conspiracy theorist (one who reads lots of tabloids), you might even wonder if she wants us to be having this exact discussion right now...?

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Kirsten Gillibrand - Senator ???

Kirsten Gillibrand

PIX News in New York is reporting that Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand, who represents upstate New York, will be chosen by Governor David Paterson to replace Hillary Clinton as New York’s junior senator. The announcement is to be made at noon Friday in Albany.

Speculation is that the governor’s thinking is that it benefits to have a senator from upstate, and that Hillary Clinton, herself, supports Kirsten Gillibrand as her successor. Carolyn Maloney, the New York City congresswoman who was also up for the job, will also be in Albany Friday. I wonder if Kirsten Gillibrand would have been chosen had Caroline Kennedy not pulled out. Or was it that Kirsten Gillibrand had already chosen and Kennedy, who has been vague about her reasons for withdrawing, did so to save face?

Kirsten Gillibrand - Senator from New York?

Word is Kirsten Gillibrand will be chosen by Governor Patterson to replace Hillary Clinton as New York’s junior Senator.

Patterson has really been dragging out this process, and the Caroline Kennedy fiasco has made nobody look good. Phillip Anderson at the Albany Project sums it up:

I’d add the Governor. This mess didn’t need to drag on anywhere near this long. Also, it was pretty obvious that in addition to not being “ready for prime time”, Kennedy never really seemed to even want it all that much. Paterson should have politely taken a pass. He didn’t and it has now blown up in his face. (Knickerbocker SKD should have as well, but at least they were billing.)

Kirsten Gillibrand is better, I guess. But she’s been wrong on FISA. Wrong on Free Choice. Wrong on immigration. Wrong on gay marriage. But, she does hail from one of the most conservative congressional districts in New York, and word is she’s more progressive than she lets on. And she’s a woman (which I guess is fitting) and she’s a great fundraiser. Here’s hoping she’ll represent the entire state of New York - which means being a significantly more liberal Senator than she was a Representative.

Either way, tomorrow at noon, us New Yorkers will have a new Senator.

Academy Awards 2009 Nominations

Academy Award 2009 Nominations Review

2009 Academy Award Nominees Announced; 2009 Oscar Nominees Unveiled in Hollywood Thursday Morning. While most of us were still bleary eyed, slurping down our first cups of coffee (if we were even awake) Forest Whitaker and Academy president Sid Ganis announced the nominees for the 2009 Academy Awards live from the Samuel Goldwyn Theater Thursday.

BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE Nominees

- Richard Jenkins–The Visitor

- Frank Langella–Frost/Nixon

- Sean Penn–Milk

- Brad Pitt–The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

- Mickey Rourke–The Wrestler

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Nominees

- Josh Brolin–Milk

- Robert Downey Jr.–Tropic Thunder

- Philip Seymour Hoffman–Doubt

- Heath Ledger–The Dark Knight

- Michael Shannon–Revolutionary Road

BEST ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE Nominees

- Anne Hathaway–Rachel Getting Married

- Angelina Jolie–Changeling

- Melissa Leo–Frozen River

- Meryl Streep–Doubt

- Kate Winslet–Revolutionary Road

BEST ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE Nominees

- Amy Adams–Doubt Penelope Cruz–Vicky Cristina Barcelona

- Viola Davis–Doubt

- Taraji P. Henson–The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

- Marisa Tomei–The Wrestler

BEST DIRECTOR Nominees

- David Fincher–The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

- Ron Howard–Frost/Nixon

- Gus Van Sant–Milk

2009 Oscar Nominees Unveiled in Hollywood Thursday Morning

- Stephen Daldry–The Reader

- Danny Boyle–Slumdog Millionaire

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY Nominees

- Frozen

- Happy-Go-Lucky

- In Bruges

- Milk

- Wall-E

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY Nominees

- Eric Roth–The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

- John Patrick Shanley–Doubt

- Peter Morgan–Frost/Nixon

- David Hare–The Reader

- Simon Beaufoy–Slumdog Millionaire

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM Nominees

- Bolt

- Kung Fu Panda

- Wall-E

BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR Nominees

- The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

- Frost/Nixon

- Milk

- The Reader

- Slumdog Millionaire

Leading the 2009 Academy Award nominees was The Curious Case of Benjamin Button with 13 Oscar nominations. Button was followed up with Slumdog Millionaire with 10 Oscar nominations.

Perhaps the biggest surprises are the snubs for both Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio in the film Revolutionary Road. Dark Knight was also overlooked for both Best Picture and Best Director, as was Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino. First time Oscar nominee Anne Hathaway was a surprise as well, being recognized for the under-the-radar pic Rachel Getting Married.

As many predicted, Heath Ledger was nominated in the Best Actor category. The nod fittingly comes on the anniversary of his untimely death last year. For the most part, however, Dark Knight was largely ignored by the Academy proving that big budgets, big names and big box office don’t always predict Oscar gold.

The 81st Academy Awards are being held on February 22 and will be hosted by “Sexiest Man Alive” Hugh Jackman.

2009 Academy Award Nominees Announced; 2009 Oscar Nominees Unveiled in Hollywood Thursday Morning. While most of us were still bleary eyed, slurping down our first cups of coffee (if we were even awake) Forest Whitaker and Academy president Sid Ganis announced the nominees for the 2009 Academy Awards live from the Samuel Goldwyn Theater Thursday.

Barack Obama oval office

Obama oval office

Barack Obama entered the Oval Office as president for the first time Wednesday morning at around 8:35 a.m., according to Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

It was a later arrival than his predecessor, George Bush, who was often in the Oval Office before 7:00 a.m. But President Obama had a late night Tuesday, returning to the White House after dancing at a series of inaugural balls around 1 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Time alone in the Oval

The new president spent about 10 minutes alone in the Oval Office which looks much as it did when George Bush was president. Mr. Obama decided to keep both the massive desk, made of timbers from the British ship Resolute, and the cheery rug designed by Laura Bush that were in his predecessor’s office.

After ten minutes alone, at 8:45 a.m. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel entered the room to brief the president on the events of the day. Michelle Obama joined the president in the Oval office at 9:10.

Starting the day with prayer

The first official business for the couple was to attend a national prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral. The Obama’s sat in the first pew along with Vice President Joe Biden, Dr. Jill Biden, fomer President Bill Clinton, and Hillary Clinton.

Later in the day, the new president is expected to meet with top military officials including Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen, and General David Petraeus. They will discuss the new commander in chief’s plans for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Obama Oval Office PHOTO!

The first White House photo of President Barack Obama in the Oval Office. To our eye he's changed nothing in the decor. The man at left is White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel. We'll offer a caption for this photo, borrowed from an earlier post here: "Now, The Hard Part." How would you caption this photo?

Inaugural Luncheon Menu

President's Inaugural Luncheon Menu

Following the swearing in, our new President Barack Obama, will be enjoying his first Presidential luncheon in the Statutary Hall. We couldn't find a picture of the new President dining anywhere fancy, but we did manage to find one of him enjoying a piece of pizza for an informal "presidential luncheon." Back to affairs, or should I say "meals of state... " For those whose enquiring minds wish to know, the following will be the substance of the Presidential Inaugural meal:

Apparently, the courses reflect the tastes of Abraham Lincoln, rather than our new President. Here is a brief rundown of what Obama and his guests will be genteely ingesting. For the first course there will be a seafood stew which will include Maine lobsters, sea scallops, large shrimp and black cod (which seems to be a favorite menu item here in the city at the moment also). Along with carrots, celery, leek and Idaho potato and heavy cream, the seasonings will include nutmeg and dry vermouth.


For the second course, there will be a brace of American birds: Pheasant and duck. These will be served with sour cherry chutney and Molasses sweet potatoes. This will be paired with Goldeneye, a 2005 Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley. The State Department did not state whether this was implying any connection between our President and James Bond, an interesting choice, nonetheless.

Dessert will be an Apple Cinnamon Sponge cake, served with sweet cream glace and paired with a California champagne (sparkling wine) from Korbel: which will be a special inaugural cuvee. A further California connection is provided with the hanging of a picture: "View of Yosemite Valley" in Statutary Hall where the President and his guests will dine.

Despite reports of inaugural tickets being sold for up to $1,000 on Ebay, the above, alas, is probably the closest most of us will ever get to joining the President for lunch... I know, I know, the invitation was in the mail...

The inaugural luncheon menu

It may be a bit crazy, but I've always been kinda fascinated by what presidents eat. I read the presidential Thanksgiving and Christmas menus. I make sure to check out the menus for state dinners. I read about White House chefs and presidential food preferences. It's just interesting to me.

Here's the luncheon menu for today's inaugural lunch:

The first course, a seafood stew filled with lobster, scallops, shrimp and cod, will be served with Duckhorn Vineyards's 2007 Sauvignon Blanc.

"The wine was released April 3, 2008. It's the only white wine we make as a company. It's a little richer, there's some barrel fermentation and I think it has benefited from being in the bottle a little longer," Duckhorn's chief winemaker Bill Nancarrow said of the harvest that yielded 30,000 cases.

"They've had Duckhorn wines at the White House before, so they know us. But still this is quite something," he added.

The main course, a brace of duck and pheasant served with sour cherry chutney and molasses sweet potatoes, will be accompanied by Goldeneye, 2005 Pinot Noir, from California's Anderson Valley.

"I have to say that among the many honors and awards in the world of wine, this is one of the most gratifying," Zach Rasmuson, Goldeneye's 35-year-old chief winemaker, said.

"I didn't know anything really about the selection until we found out last week. They didn't ask us to submit anything," he added.

"But I think, especially when I heard it was going to be served with duck and the sour cherry sauce, that our wine will go great with that dish. One of the descriptors of Pinot Noir is sour cherry."

Korbel's Heck, who has been in the wine business for 43 years, said he had sent about 18 magnum cases to Washington to be served with the dessert course - an apple cinnamon sponge cake with sweet cream glace.

"It's the same wine as in our Korbel Natural. These are just special bottles," he said.

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Another Cinderella Story

Another Cinderella Story Tonight on ABC Family


Can you imagine Cinderella dropping and leaving behind her MP3 player instead of her glass slippers? Imagine no more, as ABC Family brings a re-imagining of the classic fairy tale in the form of Another Cinderella Story, a 2008 romantic comedy film that debuts on the small screen tonight at 8pm. Wizards of Waverly Place's Selena Gomez stars as the titular character, along with Drew Seeley as the pop idol in place of Prince Charming Joey parker and Jane Lynch as Mary's evil legal guardian Dominique.

In Another Cinderella Story, the modern fairy tale takes place in present day Beverly Hills, with humble and downtrodden servant girl Mary (Gomez) dreaming of becoming a world-class dancer. Just like the old fairy tale, her evil stepmother and washed up diva Dominique (Lynch) alongside her equally evil daughters Bree and Britt stand in her way. When pop star Joey parker goes to town, he announces that he's hosting a contest to find the most talented dancer to star in his new music video. Mary sneaks into the studio to learn the dance moves, and, later, has an encounter with the pop star at the school's masked Black and White Ball. In true Cinderella fashion, she flees the scene and leaves behind her MP3 player.

Selena Gomez, 16, plays Alex Russo on the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place and is currently working on her debut album. The Grand Prairie, Texas-native was cast as the mayor's daughter in the animated feature Horton Hears a Who and will star in Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie slated for release this year.

Another Cinderella Story: Selena Gomez & Drew Seeley Interviews

After tonight’s premiere of “Another Cinderella Story” on ABC Family, I went looking for behind-the-scenes interviews of the movie’s stars Selena Gomez and Drew Seeley. These two interviews are by christinaaa28 at YouTube, who caught Selena and Drew when they were filiming at her high school (Vancouver, CANADA). Can you imagine Selena and Drew coming to your school?

Beyonce News !!!

Beyonce answers PETA about dog abandonment.

Rumors circulated that Beyonce's dog, Munchie, had been abandoned at her music studio. It was reported that she had tired of the dog's behavior and left it in the studio's care.

PETA made inquiries about the allegations and concluded that the rumors were false.

"We've had an up and down relationship with the Dreamgirl over her past fur-wearing, but lately it's been on the ups, as she hasn't been seen in fur the past two winters. Today, we were happy to learn from Beyoncé's rep that—as we expected—the Munchie tale is far from the truth and that the dog hasn't even been to the record company's offices in months," PETA states on their website.

Read PETA's full statement and the response from Beyonce's representative on the website.

Beyonce is a scheduled performer at Tuesday's Presidential Inauguration for Barack Obama. PETA will most certainly be watching to see if Beyonce is wearing fur in the frigid D.C. temperatures.

Note to Beyoncé, 'Boss': 'I Got Your Backup'

Prince William County music teacher Carol Mills, 52, is accustomed to singing in front of her 20 or so students during class at Rockledge Elementary School. And, on big occasions at her Alexandria church, Mills is part of a choir that presides over as many as 800 people.

Today, at the Lincoln Memorial, her audience and her act will get something of a massive makeover. Mills will be singing in front of hundreds of thousands of onlookers, perhaps more, at the opening ceremony of the inauguration of Barack Obama. Her colleagues onstage: Bruce Springsteen and Beyoncé.

Mills, in describing her emotions, did not resort to understatement. "This," she said in an interview last week, "may be the pinnacle of my entire existence."

Mills, a member of First Baptist Church of Alexandria, said the concert's producers tapped Joyce Garrett of Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, a well-known choir director, to find backup singers to create the Inauguration Celebration Chorus. Mills, who will be singing with the altos, was asked to participate about two weeks ago, before she knew with which stars she'd be singing.

Last week, when she walked into rehearsal, she finally found out whom she'd be backing. "When I got to rehearsal that night, there were two pieces of music out. One was 'America the Beautiful,' and in small print it said, 'Beyoncé enters, and I said, 'Bingo!' " Mills said. "Then, I saw the other piece of music, 'The Rising,' and as a person who's been to many Bruce concerts, I knew that was his song. I was just beside myself with excitement."

Madonna photos in auction ???

It has been 30 years since the n*de photos of Madonna was taken by photographer Lee Friedlander and appeared in Pl*yboy in 1985. Now there is one photo that is making a comeback headline as it is for sale at Christie's auction house in New York.

The Madonna Pl*yboy photo auction starts Feb. 12. Here are samples of Madonna Pl*yboy photos:


Photo of 20-year-old Madonna on auction block

A n*de photo of Madonna, taken before erotic songs and risque costumes catapulted her to superstardom, is expected to sell for at least $10,000, Christie’s auction house says.

Madonna, then known as Madonna Louise Ciccone, may have earned as little as $25 for the 1979 modeling session.

The raw, full frontal black-and-white image, taken by Lee Friedlander, appeared in Pl*yboy in 1985 and is to be auctioned Feb. 12. Madonna was a 20-year-old dancer trying to make ends meet when she answered Friedlander’s newspaper ad seeking a n*de model, said Matthieu Humery, head of Christie’s photography department.

Humery said this week that six photos from the shoot were sold to Pl*yboy and the one up for auction is "maybe the most explicit one."

"For Friedlander it is a very typical way of taking pictures of a woman," he said. "He likes very natural women. It reflects Friedlander’s aesthetic.

"There’s not a hint of glamorizing," he added. "That’s what makes it powerful."

He said he knows of no other prints of the black-and-white photo.

Friedlander has said of the photo session that Madonna "seemed very confident, a street-wise girl. She told me she was putting a band together but half the kids that age are doing that. She was a good professional model."

The other five pictures from the Pl*yboy spread were sold together in 2003 for $7,170.

Another, later photo of Madonna, by Helmut Newton, is in the auction and is also expected to fetch $10,000 to $15,000. In that shot, also sold to Pl*yboy, Madonna is wearing lingerie, curly blond hair and a seductive expression. A man kneels beside her.

The Madonna photos are among 150 images by some of the biggest names in photography that are being sold from the collection of Leon and Michaela Constantiner.

Last month, more than 350 photographs from the New York couple’s collection were auctioned. One highlight was a collection of photographs of Marilyn Monroe that were taken by Bert Stern for Vogue magazine the year Monroe died. They sold for $146,500.

Christie’s say the record auction price for a n*de photo is the $1.6 million paid last year for Edward Weston’s 1925 "N*de."

Jennifer Lopez - Golden Globe Awards 2009

Jennifer Lopez arrived on the Red Carpet with husband Marc Anthony at the 2009 Golden Globe Awards, held at the Beverly Hills Hilton. I’m not liking JLo’s dress much. It looks like she grabbed someone’s curtains and decided to wear it as a dress. But she does always go for the style she thinks will sock everyone. What do you think? Is Jenny’s dress hot or not?

Jennifer Lopez’ Dress at the Golden Globes

As I mentioned, Jennifer Lopez was the very first presenter of the evening at tonight’s Golden Globe awards ceremony. The shiny gold award must have inspired her, because she dressed in a slinky gold gown down to there. Her hair was pulled back (severely so, I’m afraid) and she looked great… but not as great as she did at the Benjamin Button premiere.

Jennifer Lopez: Went to Golden Globe with Marc

Jennifer Lopez walked the red carpet together with Marc Anthony at Sunday's Golden Globe Awards.

More news on Jennifer Lopez has been inferred from quite a number of sources. As per their reports, Jennifer Lopez, who was not wearing her wedding ring, put on a mashed gold bugle beaded embroidered long draped dress that was created by Marchesa.

The couple's major public outing comes one month after numerous sources confirmed that their marriage is on the verge of breaking.

A close friend of the couple also said that "They both didn't wear their rings on purpose.” She continued, "Nothing Jennifer Lopez does is without purpose."

However a representative of Mac Anthony has insisted, "They are doing great."

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Patrick Swayze Dead ???

Patrick Swayze is not Dead as many fans have been led to believe or according to the rumors but the star of yesteryears blockbusters like Dirty Dancing has started saying Good Bye to friends and family as his cancer is starting to spread to dangerous levels.

However after people started looking at it negatively, Patrick Swayze is denying that he ever told friends and family that he is about to die.

Take life as it is Patrick Swayze and stop thinking about death all the time.

I will update this post accordingly when new updates about Patrick Swayze health are available. Until then breathe easy.

Patrick Swayze - Emergency Hospital Trip Due to Pneumonia

Apparently Patrick Swayze had to make an emergency trip to the hospital due to pneumonia.

He has been hospitalized and he will be treated for respiratory illness. Apparently his immune system has been weakened due to chemotherapy treatments.

Everyone hopes he can get back to good health soon so he can continue to promote his new show entitled
“Beast.”

Vincent Angell the co-executive producer made a statement “You forget about it when you are working with him. Most of us get tired before he would — inspiring. You wouldn’t know it. For him, I think it is a bump in the road. We all wish him well.”

Lets all hope that Patrick Swayze gets better! Nobody can forget his famous roll in Dirty Dancing!

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Earthquake - Shock Rocks San Jose

The Central American Country of Costa Rica was hit by a strong earthquake on Thursday, January 8th. The earthquake has damaged a few buildings in the capital, San Jose, and killed a child.

According to Reuters, the 6.1 magnitude earthquake had an epicentre of 20 miles (32 km) from San Jose at a depth of 21.7 mile, and caused 40 seconds of shaking in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica is a region favored by tourists from the United States and various countries all over the world. The official language is Spanish and a vast majority of the population identifies as Christian.

Bordering Panama and Nicaragua, Costa Rica is famous amongst travellers for it's romantic beaches and deep blue sea.

Strong earthquake shakes Costa Rica

A strong earthquake shook the Costa Rican capital of San Jose Thursday afternoon, sending frightened residents running into streets.

There were no reports of injuries in the minutes following the earthquake.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the 6.1 magnitude temblor struck 22 miles (35 kilometers) northwest of San Jose, at a depth of 28 miles (35 kilometers).

Canal 7 television showed images of broken windows, fallen ceiling panels and cracked walls. It said the quake was felt strongly throughout the small Central American country.

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Jennifer Garner - new baby girl !!!

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck have welcomed another girl. The baby was born Tuesday in Los Angeles and is healthy, says the rep.

A smiling Jennifer Garner was spotted being wheeled on a roll-away hospital bed as she was taken to her room. A blanket was draped over her, and it appeared that she was holding the baby. Shortly after, the hospital staff brought in a portable bassinet and heart monitor to check on the baby.

Garner and Affleck, 36 -- who welcomed their first daughter Violet in 2005 -- had been vocal about wanting another baby.

"We definitely wonder what it would be like to have another," she told the U.K. edition of Marie Claire in 2007. "Hopefully, knock on wood, someday."

Another Girl for Jennifer Garner & Ben Affleck

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck have welcomed their second child, People magazine reports.

"Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck gave birth to a healthy baby girl," Garner's publicist Leslie Sloane Zelnick reportedly tells the mag.

While no additional information is available, 36-year-old Garner has been on baby watch for weeks now, lying low with minimal activity and double-duty for new dad Affleck.

Ben, also 36, has been taking the couple's first child (three-year-old Violet) to playdates, while Garner has been engaged in light shopping and socializing.

On New Year's Eve, the pair paid a trip to Cedars Sinai Medical Center where the expectant mother received a checkup, also the presumed hospital of the new baby's birth.

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Deanna Pappas and Jesse break up

Bachelorette couple DeAnna Pappas and Jesse Csincsak have called off their engagement?

who is suprised?

Best Answer:I wasnt surprised - just a little shocked by how phony she actually is - like OMG I LOVE HIM SO MUCH - got a little disgusting after a while - she is a famewhore as someone else stated above. I loved her when she was rejected by Brad but when she had all these guys fawning over her - it made her head blow up with her huge ego - the last straw for me was at the BBQ date - where she stormed off like omg pay attention to ME

Why do people think Jason was better for DeAnna than Jesse?

I think it was pretty obvious the whole show that DeAnna Pappas was truly smitten with Jesse, and when shes with Jason everything was fake.

Best Answer:It was obvious that Jessie was the best choice for DeAnna. Some on here say that Jason was the better man but he has been married before so knew how to act infront of DeAnnas family and had all the right answers. Jessie was nervous because he is a real person and it takes awhile for anyone to feel at ease in such a situation as meeting the woman of your dreams family. He might be a snowboarder (and theres nothing wrong with that) but I have thought all along that he treated DeAnna with respect, took things slowly, did not assume that she was his and is it is obvious that DeAnna will be loved and looked after forever.

Deanna Pappas Returns to Hector 'Bachelor'

The big news in the season premiere of "The Bachelor" wasn't meeting the line of 25 women, or the elimination of 10 of them.

It was the scenes from later this season when we learn that Deanna Pappas, whose rejection of Jason Mesnick in "The Bachelorette" led to this season, returns to try her hand at the runner up one more time.

This visibly upsets the new candidates and possibly Mesnick as well.

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Brittaney Starr

Brittaney Starr

Star Brittaney Starr is one of the most alluring young women on the current scene. She's a drop-dead gorgeous blonde bombshell with luscious long hair, lean and lovely legs and a strikingly pretty face that would be at home on any glamour mag cover. It's her curvalicious figure that usually gets the most amorous attention, a breathtaking 5'7" collection of all natural assets that's topped by a pair of mouthwatering (and totally real) 34D bra busters.

Brittaney Starr got into the scene in 2001, thanks to the help of her real life sister Teri Starr. Although Teri's left the biz for the time being, she introduced Brittaney Starr to all of her contacts and started her on the ribald road to hardcore stardom. Brittaney Starr has certainly lived up to the expectations roused by her sexy sibling. She's fast becoming one of the most sought-after starlets around.

Brittaney Starr's first foray into on-screen heat was in 'Girl World 2,' where she delved into a steamy lesbian liaison. Her first boy/girl encounter was a hot one, a delirious DP dalliance with Christopher Dean and Rick Masters in 'Real S*x Magazine 43' that really made an impression on her. In fact, she went out and married Dean that very same afternoon!



Both Brittaney Starr and Dean continue to work with one another and with others. "There's no jealousy here!" she proudly affirms. In fact, some of Brittaney Starr's best work has come in the arms of other swarthy studs. Her own personal fave is'Lewd Conduct 13,' where she and Mario got down and dirty in a feverish fling. The heat generated by these two is undeniable and utterly real.

Other top Brittaney Starr performances include 'Morning Star,' where she joined Chenin Blanc for a sensual Sapphic grind, and 'The Attic,' in which she played a human Statue of Liberty who trysts with a quartet of Presidentially masked men.


Brittaney Starr has her own line of videos as well. Called 'My First P*rn Scene,' the flicks find Brittaney Starr producing and directing scenes starring fresh new talent that she's discovered in her hometown of Las Vegas. She plans to continue in p*rn for the time being, and to move increasingly into magazine work. Whatever she does in the industry, she's sure to be a sexy success -- women this stunning are always a welcome addition to any project! Fans of busty blonde beauties should thank Teri for introducing the world to her sister's undeniable charms.

Brittaney Starr Is A Hot Celebrity DJ

Celebrity DJ, singer/songwriter Brittaney Starr has multiple dimensions of talent and covers many genres in her new album . Her diversity allows her cross over star power to connect with all demographics. From her electro-pop, 80's mash-ups to her progressive house DJ-mixes to her all original 12 track disc coming out this fall called, 'Counting Starr'.

This album resembles a bit of Alicia Keys, Nora Jones, Sheryl Crow, and a touch of Rhianna all wrapped up in to Brittaney's own sophisticated eclectic sound while pushing the sexual tensions in her music that bring forth the future sound of this rising talent. Her own independent label, S*x Kitten Music was created in 2006 and she now is working in the development of other artists and her own clothing/apparel line due out in the fall.

Jett Travolta dead ???

John Travolta's , Jett Travolta Son Dies

Rand Memorial Hospital in the Bahamas tells TMZ the son of John Travolta died today.

We're told 16-year-old Jett was vacationing with Travolta and wife Kelly Preston.

There have been reports that Jett was autistic, though Travolta has denied it, saying he suffers from Kawasaki Syndrome, a condition which often leads to heart disease.

UPDATE 5:15 PM ET -- Police just released more details. According to a report, Jett was last seen going into the bathroom at their private suite at the Old Bahama Bay Resort sometime yesterday. The body was discovered by the caretaker, Jeff Michael Kathrein (pictured bottom right with Travolta in 2006), at 10:00 AM today. The report says Jett suffered from seizures.

An autopsy is being performed to determine the exact cause of death.

UPDATE 4:54 PM ET -- A police spokeswoman says Jett hit his head in a bathtub.

UPDATE: 4:40 PM ET -- Restview Memorial Mortuary and Crematorium in the Bahamas tells TMZ Jett's body would be transferred there on Monday.

UPDATE: 4:00 PM ET -- Travolta's attorney Michael Ossi says Jett suffered a seizure at his family's vacation home at the Old Bahama Bay Hotel on Grand Bahama Island. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful and he died on scene.

Robert Giden, president of Ginn Properties (which owns the Old Bahama Bay Hotel), tells TMZ, "The Travolta family has become like family to us at Old Bahama Bay and we extend our deepest sympathies to them."

John Travolta's Son Jett Dead at Just 16 Years Old

We have learned that Jett, the young son of Actor John Travolta suddenly passed away to day after suffering head trauma. It was originally reported that Jett had suffered a seizure but was later confirmed that he apparently hit his head in the bathtub. The family was staying in their vacation home in the Bahamas when the tragic incident occured.

Emergency medics at the scene attempted to revive young Travolta but were unsuccessful. Jett was just 16 years old.

Additional reports are still being made at this time. Our deepest condolences go out to the Travolta family.

Jett Travolta, the autistic 16-year-old sone of John Travolta and Kelly Preston, has died according to reports out of the Rand Memorial Hospital in the Bahamas where the family has been vacationing.

No cause of death has been given. Travolta has denied for years his son is autistic but many believe other wise. Travolta says his son has Kawasaki Syndrome which can cause heart related problems. We will let you know if and when we hear more.

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Jett Travolta,dies at 16

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Shoah Foundation

Shoah Foundation Madoff !!!

The Shoah Foundation is one of many foundations affected by the Bernard Madoff fallout. Bernie Madoff’s numbers with the Shoah Foundation is detailed by Bloomberg today.

“U.S. foundations that invested with Bernard Madoff donated more than $73 million to nonprofit organizations in 2007, according to a tally based on foundation tax returns. The Dec. 11 arrest of the 70-year-old New Yorker has directly affected some 400 U.S. nonprofits ….

A precise accounting of Madoff-related losses isn’t possible.” Bloomberg releases a new table that shows “foundation assets and donations come from 2007 tax returns and data from the research site Guidestar.org. Grants of $5,000 and above are included.”

On there, USC’s Shoah Foundation, founded by Stephen Spielberg to preserve Holocaust survivors’ narratives.

“USC Shoah Foundation 2007 $5,000
Los Angeles, CA”

Shoah Foundation tames 8 PB with tape and automation

The Shoah Foundation, founded by Stephen Spielberg to preserve Holocaust survivors’ narratives after Schindler’s List and now a part of the University of Southern California, has conducted interviews with thousands of survivors in 56 countries. The Foundation has 52,000 interviews that amount to 105,000 hours of footage.

CTO Sam Gustman says the footage was originally shot on analog video cameras, then converted to digital betacam and MPEGs for distribution online. It currently amounts to 135 TB. However, the Foundation is converting the footage to Motion JPEG 2000, which will create bigger files–about 4 PB of data, Gustman estimated. Each video will be copied twice, bringing the total to 8 PB.

Gustman says the Foundation received a $2 million donation of SL8500 tape libraries, Sun STK 6540 arrays and servers from Sun Microsystems in June. The Foundation has an automated transcoding system running on the servers, and that takes up the 140 TB of 6540 disk capacity for workspace. Sun’s SAM-FS software will automate the migration of data within the system, to the 6540 and then to the SL8500 silo for long-term storage.

We’re hearing a lot in the industry these days about rich content applications such as this one moving to clustered disk systems, but Gustman said disk costs too much for the Foundation’s budget. He sees the potential for an eventual move to disk storage, but “disk is still too expensive–four to five times the total cost of ownership, mostly for powerand cooling.”

Another advantage to the T10000 tape drives the Foundation plans to use is that they will eliminate having to migrate the entire collection to disk during copying, transcoding and technology refreshes. One T10000 drive can make copies or do conversions directly between drives in the robot, and the virtualization layer with SAM-FS means that can happen transparently.

However, as an organization charged with the historic preservation of records, Gustman agreed with others I’ve talked to about this subject in saying that there’s still no great way to preserve digital information in the long term. “The problem with digital preservation right now is that you have to put energy into it–you can’t just stick it in a box and hope it’s there 100 years from now,” he said. “Maybe there’ll be something eventually that you don’t have to put energy into, but it doesn’t exist yet.”