Michael Jackson's Death was Thriller come to life : Evil spirit also coming out of dark corners of the internet to trap the Michael Jackson's Beloved fans.In Under eight hours spammers and cyber criminals to launch spam attacks that exploited interest in the pop idol’s untimely death. Security firm Sophos spotted the first spam messages, which claimed to have vital information about Mr. Jackson and asking for a reply. The firm speculated the goal was to verify live e-mail addresses for future spam blasts or to gain the confidence of people who responded for some other scam.
“The fact is that cybercriminals have no respect for taste and decency. The only thing they are interested in is making some money for themselves, and turning other computer users’ lives into a misery,” wrote senior technology consultant Graham Cluley.
Soon after, researchers at Websense isolated a spam e-mail mimicking a news report about Mr. Jackson’s death and displaying what appeared to be a link to YouTube that actually sent visitors to a compromised Web site. There, Windows PCs would be infected with a Trojan Horse designed to steal information. SANS, an organization for security pros, said the attack appeared to have been launched from somewhere in Spain.
Unfortunately, attacks like these have followed many celebrity deaths – even the death of Pope John Paul II – as well as natural disasters and other tragedies. The reason is simple; scammers are trying to capitalize on intense interest in a topic to lure visitors to their malicious Web sites. Sadly, attacks using Mr. Jackson’s name are bound to grow; his death has sparked so much public interest that Google described search traffic about him as “volcanic.” It was heavy enough that Google’s automated systems thought for a time that Google was under attack.
Also yesterday, scammers were using Farrah Fawcett’s death from cancer to reel in victims. Sophos discovered a Web-based attack by running a simple Google search about the star. On the first page of results was a link to a site claiming to have news, pictures and videos, but a click on the link redirected visitors to a page attempting to scam people with fake antivirus software, known by security experts as scareware.

Source : iblog-entertainment.blogspot.com

Pop has never known a greater prodigy than Michael Jackson.

By age 9, he already served as the commanding focal point of his talented group of brothers, three of them his senior.

While barely out of toddlerhood, Jackson bore the confident gait, vocal range and unfailing charisma of a star. Before he even reached puberty, he would achieve that status - in the extreme.

The first recordings Jackson made with his family were cut in 1967 for the local label, Steeltown, located close to their hometown: gritty, working-class Gary, Ind. Within one year, those raw songs, and a brief tryout for Motown's Suzanne de Passe, would be enough to convince label czar Berry Gordy he'd found a group capable of bringing to his enormously successful business a whole new level of creativity and excitement.

The first single released by Motown of the Jackson 5 - 1969's "I Want You Back" - put the label's trademark catchy soul sound into italics. A hyperbolic blast of pop, the song pumps along at a dizzying speed, marked by a manic stop-start rhythm, topped by Jackson's quickly escalating cries. The song wasn't just a pop marvel. It begged a nagging question: How could a boy of 11 know a need this deep? The wonderment of it all drew older fans to the child, as surely as his character and charm entranced those closer to his own age.

The string of singles that followed in dizzying succession - "ABC," "The Love You Save" and "I'll Be There" - rank among the most catchy and exciting recordings in the last half-century of pop. Yet none would have jumped out of the speakers with as much verve were it not for the spark of Jackson's voice.

He used it to great effect, not only blended with those of his brothers' but in solo works, including the yearning single "Got to Be There" and a pitched remake of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin."

Though still a boy, his voice nailed a great range of feelings. The wisdom and implicit experience in his singing rivaled that of adult pop-soul icons, from Sam Cooke to Marvin Gaye.

Jackson also served as an ideal teen idol with his adorable looks, easy demeanor and eager fashion sense. From the moment the group began, he and his brothers held the imagination of all young listeners - yet none more than African-Americans, who saw in Jackson a role model of success, grace and talent that they could carry their entire lives.



source : http://www.nydailynews.com

Mere hours after Michael Jackson’s death in Los Angeles, nearly everyone in the Twitter-Wood feed has already logged on to tweet their reactions to the loss of the King of Pop.

While details surrounding this evening’s events are still coming to light, I wanted to assemble a special report that demonstrates how big of a role his contributions from “Thriller” to “Captain EO” have played in the popular culture we all share.

Below are the sincere thoughts and responses to today’s news as tweeted by “Twilight” cast members, directors, and other Hollywood luminaries, including Mandy Moore, John Cusack, Miley Cyrus and many, many others.

@RachelleLefevre Rest in peace Farrah Fawcett & Michael Jackson. Condolences to their families.
-Rachelle Lefevre, Actress (”Twilight,” “Casino Jack”)

@peterfacinelli Its a sad day. RIP Farrah and Michael. I’ll never for get the first time I saw this. RT @peterwintherThe moonwalk… http://bit.ly/lJz0V #fb
-Peter Facinelli, Actor (”Twilight,” “The Twilight Saga: New Moon”)

@hodgman Mourning McMahon, Fawcett, & Jackson w/ Amy Sedaris, Kate Mulgrew, and Jenna Srern in the weird empty townhouse they are storing us in.
-John Hodgman, Actor (”Coraline,” “Baby Mama”)

@mileycyrus michael jackson was my inspiration. love and blessings
-Miley Cyrus, Singer/Actress (”Hannah Montana: The Movie,” “The Last Song”)

@KristofferAaron Captain EO was the only thing in 3D I’ve ever seen where I remember things seeming to really fly around the room. Pretty awesome.
-Kristoffer Aaron, Writer/Director (”Blind,” “The Home”)

@TomFelton Crazy shit! Excuse the French but who saw that coming! Sad day for music : (
-Tom Felton, Actor (”Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” “Anna and the King”)

@shockozulu Jsckson five–abc’s –remember almost from crib..first song danced too as child… Rembrr the record playing in living room with fam. RIP
-John Cusack, Actor (”2012,” “High Fidelity”)

@mrskutcher I am greatly saddened for the loss of both Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. Especially for their children!
-Demi Moore, Actress (”G.I. Jane,” “Striptease”)

@FINALLEVEL Rest In Peace Mike. People can say what they want but you were 100% original. WE will always love , miss & remember your GREATNESS. “Ice T”
-Ice-T, Actor (”New Jack City,” “Leprechaun in the Hood”)

@Tyrese4ReaL I can’t believe I’m about to write this Michael Jackson May God Bless your SOUL WE LOVE YOU FOREVER REST IN PEACE I’m sad this is horrible
-Tyrese Gibson, Actor (”Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen”)

@TheJoeLynch Somewhere, @DougBenson is doing a memorial Captain EO dance in MJ’s honor. Sha’mon…..sha’mon….
- Joe Lynch, Director (”Wrong Turn 2: Dead End”)

@ashleytisdale So sad. Saying a prayer for Michael Jackson
-Ashley Tisdale, Actress (”High School Musical”)

@radiomaru damn it, i leave the house for a couple hours and Michael Jackson dies… I was listening to him in the car, too. :O RIP
-Bryan Lee O’Malley, Writer (”Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World”)

@SarahKSilverman Did you hear Michael Jackson’s kids are free? That’s not nice. I’m sorry. Ugh, I feel bad for saying that. LOOK A BLUE CAR!
-Sarah Silverman, Actress (”The Sarah Silverman Program,” “Saint John of Las Vegas”)

@robcorddry I wish it had been Michael Jackson that broke the story of TMZ dying. I can almost hear the high-fives.
-Rob Corddry, Actor (”W.,” “Semi-Pro”)
@OfficialKat Such a sad day. RIP Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson
-Kat Dennings, Actress (”Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” “The House Bunny”)

@emmyrossum Michael Jackson RIP You will be so missed. You will never be forgotten.
-Emmy Rossum, Actress (”Dragonball Evolution,” “The Phantom of the Opera”)

@TheMandyMoore RIP michael jackson and farrah fawcett. what a tremendous loss in one day…. thoughts and prayers with their families and loved ones….
-Mandy Moore, Actress (”Saved!,” “Southland Tales”)
@pennjillette Wow. I was just live on the radio in Chicago. I had to do my best to pimp Bullshit on Showtime tonight WHILE reporting on Michael Jackson’s death. Talk about dancing with the stars
-Penn Jillette, Producer/Actor (”The Aristocrats,” “Penn & Teller: Bullshit!”)

@freddurst We are with you MJ!! Hang in there. You have inspired millions and I am one of them. We are with you.
-Fred Durst, Musician/Director (”The Longshots,” “The Education of Charlie Banks”)

@james_gunn Oh, shit! It looks like Michael Jackson IS dead! - http://bit.ly/fSQdc
-James Gunn, Director/Writer (”Slither”)

@jackieguerra RIP Michael Jackson Gracias 4 a lifetime of gr8 musica n memories. WANNA B STARTIN SOMETHiN? I’LL B THERE! PYT! Adiós King o Pop. Adelante!
-Jackie Guerra, Actress (”Selena,” “Picking Up the Pieces”)


source : http://moviesblog.mtv.com

(CBS/AP) While it won't be clear for a while what caused the death of pop star Michael Jackson, a family attorney's comments Thursday pointed towards a problem with prescription drugs.

"I have warned of the use of prescription medication and people who have enabled the use of those medications," Brian Oxman, the family attorney, told CBS News anchor Harry Smith (see video below). "I do not know how much how much he has taken, I don't know what his current situation is in the last couple of weeks. Over the last several years I have said to family members that he is overmedicated.

Oxman said that he's been the family's attorney for 20 years. But in 2005, Oxman disassociated himself from the defense team in Jackson's molestation case after a spat with another attorney.

At the time, CBS News legal correspondent Andrew Cohen wrote, "You get the clear sense that Oxman became the 'lawyer who wouldn't leave' the case, so much so that a written 'notice' had to be filed to ensure that he wouldn't be hanging around the courthouse for the next few months."

Jermaine Jackson, Michael Jackson's brother, gave a press conference in Los Angeles Thursday afternoon. He said that his brother died at 2:26 p.m. local time, and it is believed that Jackson suffered cardiac arrest in his home, but that the cause of death is unknown until they received the results of an autopsy.

Jackson's personal physician tried to resuscitate him at his home, as did the paramedics, Jermaine Jackson said. Then at the hospital, doctors tried to revive him for more than an hour, but were unsuccessful.

The coroner's office received Jackson's body Thursday evening. They anticipate performing the autopsy Friday morning, but the final cause of death will not be conclusive because they need time to conduct toxicology and tissue studies.

Over Jackson's chart-topping music career, his health has commanded as much publicity as his hit songs.

Plastic surgery, mysterious hospitalizations and reports of pill popping have long plagued the King of Pop.

Jackson's unexpected death at age 50 during a comeback attempt stunned the world despite a history of health problems - some real and others rumored - that have been fodder for tabloids and gossip columns speculating wildly about his woes.

In the early 1990s, Jackson's dermatologist revealed the singer had a skin disorder known as vitiligo, which leads to white patches on the skin. Over the years, Jackson underwent numerous plastic surgeries, including a nose job.

Jackson was also widely reported to be addicted to painkillers from pain he developed after he was burned while filming a Pepsi commercial in 1984.


source : http://www.cbsnews.com

Actress Farrah Fawcett dies at 62


Yes, I had the poster.


It was the first Farrah poster in the dorm, but it certainly would not be the last. Many posters would follow. Until they did, however, I had a steady stream of freshmen, some of whom I had never seen before, passing through my room. They just stared at the space above my bed, their eyes transfixed on a dazzling smile and a revealing red bathing suit.

Years later, I would be reminded of that poster as I sat in bed next to Farrah.

Perhaps I should explain.

In the mid-'80s, the actress was promoting one of her TV movies, and only two interviews were granted – "Entertainment Tonight" and me.

Because it wasn't a full-blown media junket, the network had reserved a small suite in a trendy hotel on the Sunset Strip. When I arrived, I was told to wait in the bedroom while Farrah answered questions from an "Entertainment Tonight" reporter in the living room.

A publicist said to wait until the TV interview was completed, and the crew had packed up and gone. Then, they would summon me from the bedroom, and I would conduct my interview in the living room.

I sat on the edge of the bed and waited. Suddenly, the door burst open and the beautiful woman from the poster was standing in the doorway.

"I've got to get out of these clothes," she said as she ran toward the bathroom. "Let me slip into something more comfortable."

She was no dummy. She knew exactly how it sounded. I could hear her familiar giggle as she closed the door behind her.

It seemed like an eternity, but the wait really wasn't long. The bathroom door opened, and I remember congratulating myself on switching majors from political science to journalism.

Farrah Fawcett, the Texas-born beauty who became an iconic sex symbol for an entire generation of young men during the 1970s, was standing in front of me in a tank top and running shorts. She was barefoot, and her hair tumbled past her shoulders. She closed the door to the living room, leaving a stunned publicist on the other side, and leapt onto the bed.

"Do you mind if we do this in bed?"

I made a point of remembering that line exactly as it was spoken. I wanted to be able to repeat it accurately as many times as I could. I never dreamed I would recount the story again after Farrah's death at 62.

I don't remember the questions or the answers from that interview, but I do remember that I liked her.

She was friendly and open, which is all a celebrity interviewer can hope for, but she was friendly and open in a tank top and running shorts, which made it a memorable interview.

By the time of the interview, in the early 1980s, the actress had long since left "Charlie's Angels," the TV show that turned her into a household name, and began appearing in more serious fare. She was nominated for three Emmys during that period, although her film career never reached the same level of success.

She shocked a lot of people later when she posed for Playboy at an age normally reserved for women with daughters who pose for Playboy, but it probably was predictable for a fearless, but playful show business personality like Fawcett.

That same fearlessness was evident when she allowed her battle with cancer to be filmed as part of a recent documentary.

Many will remember her courage from that documentary, but if it's all right with you, I will try to remember a different Farrah Fawcett.

The poster is long gone, but the memory of that interview will remain forever.

With your permission, I would like to say it one last time: "Do you mind if we do this in bed?"





source : http://www.ocregister.com

This is the last ever photo of the late Michael Jackson, obtained by US TV show Entertainment Tonight.

But was the superstar dead in the pic? Reports have suggested that Jackson, 50, had passed away at his Los Angeles home after paramedics failed to revive him.

Jackson reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest Thursday afternoon at his Holmby Hills mansion and paramedics were unable to bring him back round.


When paramedics arrived Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back, according to TMZ. Jackson was apparently dead when paramedics arrived.

Once at the hospital, the staff tried to resuscitate him but he was completely unresponsive. Jackson’s sister La Toya ran in the hospital sobbing after Jackson was pronounced dead.

The star was due to begin a series of comeback concerts with an appearance at London’s O2 arena on July 13.

He had a history of health problems and had not completed a concert tour in 12 years.

Jackson had three children — Michael Joseph Jackson Jr, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince Michael Jackson II.
Jackson’s body has been flown to the L.A. County Coroner’s Office. His autopsy is scheduled to take place Friday.

It has also been reported that Jackson passed a recent physical, and his death is to be investigated by police.


source : http://www.showbizspy.com

The virus is also spreading rapidly through the Southern Hemisphere. A French company announces large-scale production of a vaccine.


At least 1 million Americans have now contracted the novel H1N1 influenza, according to mathematical models prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while data from the field indicates that the virus is continuing to spread even though the normal flu season is over and that an increasing proportion of victims are being hospitalized.

Meanwhile, the virus is continuing its rapid spread through the Southern Hemisphere, infecting increasing numbers of people and at least one pig.

Nearly 28,000 laboratory-confirmed U.S. cases of the virus, also known as swine flu, have been reported to the CDC, almost half of the more than 56,000 cases globally reported to the World Health Organization.

But Lyn Finelli, a flu surveillance official with CDC, told a vaccine advisory committee meeting in Atlanta today that standard models of viral spread indicate that many times that number have been infected. Although 1 million seems like a high number, between 15 million and 60 million Americans are infected by the influenza virus during a normal flu season.

At least 3,065 of those infected in this country have been hospitalized and 127 have died. The very young are most likely to be infected, Finelli said, but older patients seem to suffer more. The average age of swine flu victims is 12, the average age of hospitalized patients is 20 and the average age of those who have died is 37, she said.

The normal seasonal flu virus has virtually disappeared from this country, as would be expected. But the novel H1N1 virus is continuing to spread, and now accounts for 98% of all cases.

"So far, it doesn't look like transmission is declining at all," Finelli said.

The spread is highest in New England and the Northeast, and it is beginning to take its toll. Dr. Andrew Doniger, director of public health for Monroe County, N.Y., which includes the city of Rochester, said hospitals, emergency rooms and laboratories in the county are being overwhelmed by "very high volumes" of patients. He called on those who have mild symptoms to self-medicate at home.

In the Southern Hemisphere, which is one month into its flu season, several countries, particularly Chile, Argentina and Australia, are already feeling the effects of the new virus. Chile has had more than 4,000 laboratory-confirmed cases and seven deaths, Argentina more than 1,200 cases and 17 deaths, and Australia 3,200 cases and three deaths.

In Argentina, the virus is spreading particularly rapidly in the conurbano, the densely populated working-class suburbs and slums that ring Buenos Aires. Hospitals in the area are postponing elective surgeries to have more beds available for flu patients, and the government is sending mobile clinics into many of the neighborhoods.

In Chile, emergency room visits have tripled and waiting times in public hospitals are seven hours or more.

Epidemiologists fear that the novel H1N1 virus may exchange genetic information with other flu viruses while it is working its way through the Southern Hemisphere and develop a greater pathogenicity when it returns to the north this fall, but so far that is not happening, said WHO director-general Dr. Margaret Chan. In a news conference in Moscow today, she said that "the virus is still very stable. . . . But we all know the influenza virus is highly unpredictable and has great potential for mutation."

One surprising victim of the virus is a pig in Argentina. Jorge Amaya, director of the animal health and sanitation service there, said that the animal had recovered and that other pigs were being tested for the virus. He said he thinks the pig caught it from a human.

That was the initial theory when researchers found the virus in a Canadian herd early in the pandemic, but subsequent tests of the virus showed that it was different from the one that had infected their caretaker. As of now, no one knows how the pigs became infected.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been monitoring pigs throughout this country for signs of the virus, but so far has reported no infections.

Some help for the upcoming winter flu season is on the way. The French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Aventis said today that it had begun large-scale production of a vaccine against the novel H1N1 virus. The company did not say how many doses it was preparing, and noted that it was still producing seasonal flu vaccine for the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.

The company has the capacity to make 270 million doses of vaccine per year at its three plants, two in the United States and one in France. The novel H1N1 vaccine has to be tested before it can be used.



source : http://www.latimes.com

NEW YORK (Dow Jones)--While E*Trade Financial Corp.'s (ETFC) stock offering and debt exchange should provide sufficient capital for now, the company's future is still uncertain.

On Monday, the troubled online broker began to exchange more than $1 billion in debt, nearly a week after it raised $478.5 million in a common stock offering. E*Trade also plans to seek approval from shareholders to issue additional shares.

Analysts say the moves, though damaging for equity holders, ensure E*Trade's survival in its current state, in the near term. However, lingering credit concerns could pose a future threat, with some projecting an increasing possibility of a future sale of the prized brokerage franchise.

"I'm not sure the situation will be any different two quarters from now," said Michael Hecht, an analyst with JMP Securities.

Hecht estimates that E*Trade's loan loss provision - the amount that it sets aside to offset losses from bad loans - will decline by $50 million a quarter, but adds that its unclear how long mortgage-related problems for the company will persist.

An E*Trade spokeswoman reiterated that the company is further advanced in the credit cycle than many of its peers and the broader industry.

Last week, E*Trade estimated second-quarter loan-loss provisions of $375 million to $450 million and projected net charge-offs of $375 million to $400 million. In the first quarter, the company reported $454 million and $334 million, respectively.

E*Trade also said in its May activity report that delinquencies of 30 to 89 days in its home-equity portfolio - its greatest exposure to loan losses - fell 10% from March 31 to May 31. Delinquencies of 30 to 179 days fell 14% in the same period.

Not all company watchers agree that E*Trade faces significant future losses. Earlier Tuesday, FBR Capital Markets analyst Matt Snowling said he believes "the worst is now behind E*Trade."

Snowling raised his rating on E*Trade to outperform from underperform, adding that nearly $2 billion of capital from the offering and exchange should "alleviate regulators' concerns and take the worst-case scenario (for E*Trade) off the table."

Shares of E*Trade rose as much as 7.6% on the report, but closed up 2 cents, or 1.7%, at $1.21. The company's stock is down over 25% since announcing the capital-raising initiatives last Wednesday.

Citadel Investment Group, E*Trade's largest shareholder and bondholder, played a major role in that plan. Citadel bought 90.9 million shares through the stock offering, boosting its E*Trade stake to about 17% from 15%. Citadel has also agreed to tender at least $800 million in E*Trade's long-term debt. The hedge fund giant's founder and Chief Executive, Kenneth Griffin, recently agreed to join the finance and risk-oversight committee of E*Trade's board.

Snowling's upgrade of E*Trade on Tuesday followed that of Fox-Pitt analyst David Trone, who said "the company's chances of survival have increased, while the stock is materially cheaper."

However, Trone said a sale of the company by the middle of next year is a possibility. He identified rival TD Ameritrade Holding Corp. (AMTD) as a potential suitor.

A TD Ameritrade spokeswoman said "its our policy not to comment on other companies - industry peers or otherwise." Previously, TD Ameritrade had said it would be interested in E*Trade's brokerage business.

Not everyone agrees that the capital-raising plan will mean a future deal involving the brokerage franchise.

"I don't see how this puts them in a better position for a sale," Hecht said.

E*Trade was hurt badly by mortgage woes, setting aside more than $1 billion last year to offset losses from bad loans. The company also applied for an $800 million investment from the U.S. Treasury Department's Troubled Asset Relief Program, but has yet to receive approval.



source : http://online.wsj.com

Chicago Cubs at Chicago White Sox (4:05 p.m. EDT). The Windy City rivals begin a three-game interleague set. The two teams split their series at Wrigley Field last week with one game also getting rained out.

STARS

Thursday

-Chris Davis, Rangers, matched a career high with four hits, including the winning two-run homer in the 12th, as Texas defeated Arizona 9-8.

-Scott Podsednik, White Sox, lined a two-out RBI single in front of diving center fielder Matt Kemp in the 13th inning to give Chicago a 6-5 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

-Lance Berkman, Astros, homered twice and drove in four runs to help Houston overcome an error-filled day and beat Kansas City 5-4.

-Denard Span, Twins, tripled, walked three times and scored three runs in his first game back from the disabled list, and Minnesota topped Milwaukee 6-4.

-Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners, lined the 29th leadoff homer of his career into the right-field seats and finished a triple short of the cycle as Seattle beat San Diego 9-3.

-Hanley Ramirez, Marlins, hit a grand slam as Florida cruised past Baltimore 11-3.

-Joey Votto, Reds, had a tiebreaking home run among his four hits and Cincinnati avoided a sweep by beating Toronto 7-5.

STATS

San Diego's Adrian Gonzalez walked in the seventh inning of the Padres' 9-3 loss at Seattle on Thursday, breaking the franchise record for walks in June. He has been given 28 free passes this month. ... Detroit beat the Chicago Cubs to improve to 23-11 at Comerica Park for its best 34-game mark at home since the 1984 world championship team had the same start. ... Tampa Bay's Jason Bartlett extended his career-best hitting streak to a franchise-record 19 games in the Rays' 10-4 victory over Philadelphia.

SILENT MANNY

Manny Ramirez made himself scarce in the clubhouse and didn't talk to reporters as he came out for warmups for his final game with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes on Thursday night. Later, with the start of the contest delayed by rain, Ramirez wore street clothes when he walked through a back door of the clubhouse, stepped into a sedan with an associate and a Dodgers' security official and drove away.

MILESTONES

Alex Rodriguez tied Reggie Jackson with his 563rd home run, and Mariano Rivera earned his 499th career save in the New York Yankees' 11-7 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Thursday night. Rodriguez's 10th homer in the first, a solo shot, tied Jackson for 11th place on baseball's career list. ... Texas shortstop Omar Vizquel singled in the first inning of the Rangers' 9-8 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks in 12 innings for his 2,678th career hit, the most by a native of Venezuela. The 42-year-old Vizquel moved ahead of Hall of Fame shortstop Luis Aparicio, who played in 107 fewer games.

SMOLTZ STRUGGLES

Boston's John Smoltz (0-1), who spent his previous 20 seasons with the Atlanta Braves, needed 34 pitches to get through the first inning of Washington's 9-3 win Thursday night. He settled down after that, giving up a run in the third but retiring the side in order in the second, fourth and fifth. His final line: five innings, seven hits, five runs, one walk, one hit batter and five strikeouts in 92 pitches.

EARLY PROBLEMS

Johan Santana went to 3-0 counts on four of his first 11 batters - something he hadn't done in an entire game in six years, not counting intentional walks - in the New York Mets' 3-2 win over St. Louis on Thursday. Santana (9-5) bounced back and gave up two runs - one earned - and seven hits in seven innings to win for the first time in three starts and lower his ERA to 3.08.

GRAND, GRAND SLAM

Hanley Ramirez hit his third grand slam of the season in the Florida Marlins' 11-3 win over Baltimore on Thursday night, tying him for the single-season franchise record with Cody Ross (2009), Jeff Conine (2004) and Bobby Bonilla (1997).

TURNING IT AROUND

Victor Martinez went 2 for 3 with a home run and scored twice in Cleveland's 3-2 loss at Pittsburgh on Thursday night. He entered the game hitless in his past 18 at-bats, but reached base three times. He was 3 for 42 against the National League this season, but singled, walked and led off the sixth with his 13th home run.

MAGS TAGS ONE

Magglio Ordonez ended a career-worst 40-game drought without a home run by connecting for the go-ahead shot, leading Detroit over the Cubs 6-5 on Thursday for its seventh straight victory. Ordonez connected for a two-run homer in the fourth inning.

FILLING IN

Willy Aybar, starting because Evan Longoria was resting a sore left hamstring, had a solo homer in the second and a two-run single in the sixth to lead Tampa Bay past Philadelphia 10-4. Rays, who dropped the World Series to the Phillies in five games, won two straight after dropping the opener of this week's rematch 10-1.

FIRSTS

The Cubs' Jake Fox hit his first homer in the majors, a three-run shot in the first inning of Chicago's 6-5 loss to Detroit on Thursday. ... Milwaukee's Mike Burns made his first career start, giving up four runs and six hits over 5 2-3 innings of a 6-4 loss to Minnesota. Burns was called up from Triple-A Nashville to replace Dave Bush, who went on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with a micro tear of the right triceps.

B-BOY MILESTONE

Houston's Lance Berkman homered twice and drove in four runs in the Astros' 5-4 win over Kansas City on Thursday to pass 1,000 RBIs. Berkman entered needing to drive in one run to become the third player in franchise history to reach 1,000. He did it on his first at-bat, a two-run shot that gave Houston a 2-1 lead and put him with fellow "Killer Bs'' Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio as the only Astros to reach the mark.

DRUG INVESTIGATION

Major League Baseball is cooperating with a federal investigation into where Manny Ramirez got the performance-enhancing drug that resulted in his 50-game suspension. The Drug Enforcement Administration is checking whether a doctor in Miami and his son were the source of the drug, ESPN reported Thursday. MLB president Bob DuPuy confirmed that baseball's department of investigations was working with the DEA. Ramirez was suspended in May for violating baseball's drug rules and can rejoin the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 3.

SORRY SOTO

Chicago Cubs catcher Geovany Soto will not be suspended by Major League Baseball or his team after testing positive for marijuana at this year's World Baseball Classic. Soto, last season's NL Rookie of the Year, drew a two-year ban from international competition by the International Baseball Federation.

SIDELINED

Arizona's Eric Byrnes will require surgery after breaking his left hand and could miss four to eight weeks. Byrnes fractured the fifth metacarpal in his left hand when he was hit by a pitch in the second inning of the Diamondbacks' 9-8 loss to Texas in 12 innings. ... Seattle placed shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt on the 15-day DL with a strained hamstring. He could be out until after the All-Star break.

SPEAKING

"On the triple, I almost died because I hadn't played in 2 1/2 weeks, so I'm a little out of shape.'' - Minnesota's Denard Span who had been on the disabled list with an inner ear infection. Span tripled, walked three times and scored three runs in his first game back Thursday.

"If I had hair like that, I'd still be single.'' - Detroit manager Jim Leyland on outfielder Magglio Ordonez, who cut his flowing locks - which are being auctioned off on eBay for charity.

SEASONS

June 26

1916 - In a game against the Chicago White Sox, the Cleveland Indians appeared on the field with numbers on their sleeves. It marked the first time players were identified by numbers corresponding to the scorecard.

1938 - Lonny Frey of the Cincinnati Reds had eight hits in a doubleheader split with the Philadelphia Phillies. Frey had three hits in a 10-3 opening-game loss and collected five in the nightcap, which the Reds won 8-5.

1944 - In an effort to raise funds for war bonds, the New York Giants, Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees played against each other in a six-inning contest at the Polo Grounds. More than 50,000 fans turned out. Each team played successive innings against the other two teams then would sit out an inning. The final score was Dodgers 5, Yankees 1, Giants 0.

1962 - Earl Wilson of the Boston Red Sox pitched a 2-0 no-hitter against the Los Angeles Angels at Fenway Park. Wilson also homered in the game.

1970 - Frank Robinson hit two grand slams in the Baltimore Orioles' 12-2 victory over the Washington Senators.

1976 - Shortstop Toby Harrah played an entire doubleheader for the Texas Rangers without handling a batted ball from the Chicago White Sox.

2000 - Minor league sensation Alex Cabrera hit a two-run homer in his first major league at-bat for Arizona as the Diamondbacks beat the Houston Astros 6-1.

2006 - Oregon State beats North Carolina 3-2 for its first College World Series title.

2008 - Matt Garza struck out 10 in a one-hitter, leading Tampa Bay to a 6-1 victory over the Florida Marlins.

Today's birthdays: Elijah Dukes 25; Luis Hernandez 25; Derek Jeter 35; Jason Kendall 35.



source : http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com

With the 20th anniversary of the Ryan White Care Act next year, Jeanne White-Ginder thought there would have been a cure for AIDS by now.


"I was just a mom, but because of the misunderstood disease called AIDS my life changed overnight," she said.


White-Ginder was invited by the Open Door Clinic of Aurora and Elgin on Wednesday to speak at Waubonsee Community College about the reauthorization of the Ryan White Care Act, named in honor of her son, Ryan.

Ryan died of AIDS in 1990 at age 18, after waging a courageous battle for his life.

White-Ginder, formerly of Indiana, said her son in 1984 was one of the first children and first hemophiliacs to contract AIDS through a blood product once used to treat hemophilia.

"At that time, people thought a person did something wrong to get AIDS. We definitely felt that discrimination," White-Ginder said.

The mother gave an hourlong address from the heart about her son, who was given three to six months to live by his doctors after being diagnosed with AIDS at age 13.

"People think his fight to go to school was what made him famous, but it was his will to live, the smile on his face and his giving life the best shot he could to raise awareness about the disease," she said.

White-Ginder said Sen. Edward Kennedy "told me they had legislation they would like to name the Ryan White Care Act. He said for the first time we have people actually caring about people with AIDS and this was a chance for us to get something done."

Following her son's death, she was invited to share Ryan's story before Congress to promote passage of the legislation.

"For the first time, I thought maybe I had a voice in this AIDS epidemic -- a voice as a mom."

The Ryan White Care Act, approved in 1990, funds essential services, including health care, medication, mental health services and case management. Illinois receives approximately $70 million from the federal program.

Open Door Clinic Executive Director David Roesler and John Peller of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago said the Ryan White Care Act is scheduled to expire Sept. 30. AIDS services organizations across the country are seeking a 3-year extension of the act.

Peller said the program originally was designed to help people with end-of-life care.

"That certainly is not the case today. There are medications to help people live with HIV/AIDS," he said. "... The epidemic is different and the Ryan White Care program needs to change with it."

Peller said an estimated 44,000 people are living with HIV/AIDS in Illinois, and 80 percent of them live in the Chicago metropolitan area.

"A 3-year extension will help us see how health-care reform will mesh with the Ryan White Care Program," Peller said.



source : http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com

Michael Jackson had agreed in 2008 to auction off the contents of his Neverland Valley Ranch, and hired high profile Julien’s Auctions to clean out the estate and its grounds, catalogue the contents and conduct the sale. But as was often the case with Michael, he changed his mind at the last minute and cancelled the sale.

He eventually agreed to allow Julien’s to hold a two-week long exhibit in Beverly Hills did give Jackson fans an opportunity to, if not own a piece of music history, the chance to at least see it.

“We returned everything to Michael immediately after the exhibit in April,”

Julien said that in all of his conversations with Michael, the singer was “coherent and logical, and his greatest concern was his fans.”

What will happen now to the millions of dollars worth of costumes, artwork and even the gates to Neverland Valley Ranch? “Under the right circumstances, I would agree to undertake the auction again,” Julien said.

The ranch property itself was co-owned by Jackson and Colony Capital, which bought out Michael’s $23 million mortgage last year just as the property was about to go into foreclosure. The 2,500 acre ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley area of Santa Barbara (CA) County has an assessed value of $27 million.


source : http://www.apakistannews.com

There are two ways to listen to Michael Jackson's "Thriller," 25 years after its release. Scandal addicts will find trace evidence of the obsessions that would sink the greatest pop star of his generation into Hollywood Babylon: the repressed, explosive sexuality in his breathy vocals; the racial ambivalence he'd encode on his body, evident in genre-busting songs such as "Beat It"; the innocence fetish that made ballads like "Human Nature" sparkle but led the singer into a shadowy life among paid-off children in his own Neverland.

The dirty stuff is all there. But so is wonder, pure and complex, and some willful forgetting can bring you back to it. Put aside Jacko, the tragic example. Return to Michael, the musical prodigy who filtered a host of cross-cultural and intergenerational influences through his own weird radar to create music as surprising as it was definitive.

Enjoy that Michael, at play in the fields of new technology with producer Quincy Jones and the best team of studio pros since Brian Wilson roped in the Wrecking Crew. At 24, that Michael embodied the vertiginous power of being young -- his love songs were all longing and playful innuendo, his angry songs half bluster and half nightmare. That Michael believed pop songs could have the effect that classic tales have on kids, coloring their dreams and staying forever in their memories. "Thriller" was the first Neverland he built -- the one he'll never lose in bankruptcy court.

The just-issued 25th anniversary of "Thriller" includes remixes by will.i.am and Kanye West and guest appearances from Fergie and Akon. But the classic content is what still resonates, even if younger listeners need to be lured in by names they associate with the Hot 100. Here, nine Calendar staff writers and contributors offer their views of the album's original tracks -- a trip back into "Thriller" that we hope readers will follow.

-- Ann Powers

"Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' ": Hot as Jackson was after the quantum leap that 1979's "Off the Wall" brought his solo career, few expected him to match, much less dramatically surpass, those heights so quickly. But "Thriller's" lead-off track immediately established the new album as another giant step forward. It connected to "Off the Wall" with an irresistible Afro-Caribbean funk dance-floor pulse and peppery horn accents akin to "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," then rocketed to new heights with even more sinewy bass and guitar lines propelling his impossibly nimble vocals. If "Off the Wall" demonstrated that Jackson was a kid no more, "Somethin' " signaled the full maturity of his musical acumen. All the more impressive for a song built on just two chords. -- Randy Lewis
"Baby Be Mine": Imagine if this weren't the better of the two non-singles from a monster album but a one-shot single by an unknown artist. The sweet midtempo glide of "Baby Be Mine" would have likely bubbled into the R&B Top 20 and gotten lots of roller-skate play, been included on recent mix CDs by cutting-edge European DJs and been remade as a slow jam at least three times. We'd have wondered at the bionic singer, the effervescent synth arrangements, the popping groove. In short, it would sound like the hidden classic it remains, even in plain sight. -- Michaelangelo Matos
"The Girl Is Mine": Treacly, insipid, weak, embarrassing -- that's how detractors describe Jackson's gentle sparring match with his then-favorite Beatle, Paul McCartney. Borne forward on a beat light as hair mousse and synth flourishes supplied by the guys from Toto, it's a long way from the paranoid funk of "Billie Jean." But its spun-sugar vocal line is like the G-rated version of "Unchained Melody," and the cornball lyrics (I know, "doggone") invoke a show-tune Arcadia that both MJ and Macca fought to preserve as pop got ever filthier. The lift Jackson gives the word "endlessly" midsong can still make a listener feel like she's swimming in a sea of Love's Baby Soft. -- Ann Powers

"Thriller": If ever a video killed the radio star, "Thriller" was it. The song was adequately groovy -- funked-out beat, lyrics seemingly lifted from some little kid's "scary storybook" -- but the video was legendary: bearing a price tag of $800,000, the 14-minute mini-film was the most expensive video of its time. Back then it was over the top; to today's viewer, jaded by bloated-budget videos, it still looks epic -- and deliciously campier than ever. That dialogue ("I'm not like other guys")! That Vincent Price rap interlude! And, most of all, those choreographed zombies, dancing in a style that -- thanks to Usher, Ne-Yo and Chris Brown -- still gets its close-up on MTV. -- Baz Dreisinger
"Beat It": A secret not closely guarded: The uncredited guitarist who whipped out the fluttering, squealing solo on this ode to macho cowardice was Eddie Van Halen, whose extracurriculars ranked among the provocations for singer David Lee Roth's 1985 departure from the megalithic rock band Van Halen. Along with the contributions of jazz and soundtrack legend Quincy Jones as producer, Van Halen's aerodynamic metal flight pumped crossover fuel that would boost the success of "Thriller" -- a gimmick Jackson would later flog with spots from Slash and Carlos Santana. Without the Van Halen precedent, there might have been no collaboration of Run-DMC and Aerosmith on the 1986 rap/rock version of "Walk This Way." -- Greg Burk

"Billie Jean": Twenty-five years later, "Thriller's" central chamber has lost none of its fevered mystery. This is where the album's material plane gives way to a haunted interior, excavated by that remorseless bass line and shaped by a taut interplay of instruments -- the arrangement is ingenious, so lean and spare that it's hard to accept there are three synthesizers at work. Jackson finds a new voice here, a victim's voice that shudders in the shadows of this remarkable sonic space, lashing at his own naivete and at the false accusers who were just starting to gather at his door. -- Richard Cromelin
"Human Nature": Jackson is a sensual vampire flying over the city looking for juicy necks to bite. A template for new jack swing and hip-hop soul ballads, "Human Nature" is comparatively slower and more intimate than "Thriller's" other songs. "If this town is just an apple, let me take a bite," quivers Jackson's voice over a cascading synthesizer and percolating bass line. Though written by John Bettis and Steve Porcaro of Toto, the lyrics resonate with Jackson's yearning to break free from his tower of celebrity and mingle with young people in a "city that winks its sleepless eye." -- Serena Kim
"P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)": It's all about the chipmunk. The production has a compelling charm already; it's not as forceful as "Beat It" or as slick as "Human Nature," but those squiggly synths and chewy bass lines do their work well. But besides the robo-accented "P.Y.T." hook, what seals the deal is that helium-pitched voice after the bridge. Honestly, to this day, I still can't decipher what line is blurted out, but just the chipmunk effect has been enough to imprint the song in my head for the last quarter century. Given that Kanye West looped the exact same passage for his Grammy-winning "Good Life" only confirms I'm not alone in my infatuation. -- Oliver Wang

"The Lady in My Life": And the '80s pop big bang ends with a . . . whimper? So it might have seemed at the time, this Rod Temperton-penned and arranged trifle closed "Thriller" on an unconvincingly romantic note -- even pre-scandal. Yet today, "Lady" shines for its classic simplicity and nuanced craft, a verse melody straight from vintage Burt Bacharach (the muted trumpet early on leaves no doubt) topped with a chorus that's almost a Stevie Wonder homage. And Jackson's delivery is refreshingly unaffected -- not until shortly before the final fade does he even let out an ooo! No, not a whimper. A sigh. -- Steve Hochman


source : http://latimesblogs.latimes.com

UC officials consider salary reductions of 4% to 8%, 21 unpaid days off or a combination. The cuts would close about one-fourth of an anticipated $800-million state funding shortfall.



More than 2,000 UCLA employees, including researchers, custodians, nurses and secretaries, gathered at Pauley Pavilion on Wednesday to protest plans for pay cuts and furloughs proposed by the University of California.

Because of the state budget crisis, UC leaders are considering three proposals to reduce payroll spending by about $195 million in the next school year. One plan would cut salaries by 8% for all faculty and staff earning more than $46,000 annually and 4% for those earning less; another would require 21 unpaid furlough days for all employees, and a third would combine pay cuts and furloughs.

The UC regents are expected next month to approve some version of the proposal for all 10 UC campuses and their many satellite facilities, although negotiations would be needed for union contracts, officials said.

UC President Mark G. Yudof outlined the pay and furlough proposals last week and promised they would be implemented "in the most equitable manner possible." The proposed cuts would make up about a fourth of what UC projects will be an $800-million shortfall in its state general revenue funding over this year and next; the rest would come through a recently approved 9.3% increase in student fees for the coming school year and through program and class reductions, Yudof said.

Lynn Kessler, a UCLA clinical study coordinator in neurology and union activist who attended the town hall-style meeting, warned that the proposals, if acted upon, could cause some staffers to lose their homes and others to leave UC for the private sector.

"Even in this bad job market, people are insulted," Kessler said.

Wearing lapel stickers that proclaimed "Chop from the Top," she and other UCLA employees attending the campuswide staff meeting said the regents should first reduce more sharply the salaries of administrators who earn $200,000 or more, tap endowment funds more deeply, halt campus construction projects and further reduce administrative overhead.

They also expressed concern that furloughs might harm patient care at UCLA's medical center and clinics.

UCLA Chancellor Gene Block and other campus officials took questions from the crowd and said they would urge the regents to fine-tune any reductions to ease the pain as much as possible.

But they said they did not think such cuts could be avoided and added that reductions in class offerings, faculty hiring and campus services are in the works.

"This will be devastating," Block said. "I recognize your concern, and my concern is that we all personally get through this and that this institution remains strong. But there is no doubt that this is going to have an impact on our salaries and an impact on our programs we offer to students. And that concerns me greatly."

Several UCLA employees on Wednesday noted the irony that they gathered in Pauley Pavilion, the nearly four-decades-old arena for which officials recently announced a $185-million renovation plan. Although more than half of that cost is to be financed by private donations, staffers wondered whether some donors might instead be persuaded to support UCLA's general finances.

"It's a luxury to replace this now, and we are not in luxurious times," said Alan Toy, associate director for UCLA's Center for Neighborhood Knowledge.

Dave Haugland, a campus sign maker and a shop steward for skilled trades workers in the State Employees' Trades Council-United, said UC employees shouldn't accept the pay cuts or furloughs without better explanations of why they are needed and larger reductions for top administrators. He said unions would go along only if UC "can prove to us that without an 8% cut, the university is going to suffer. But we're going to fight it unless they prove it."

At the California State system, meanwhile, officials have proposed furloughs of two days a month for employees at all 23 campuses. Some unions have voted to discuss the plan with the administration, but the faculty group's leaders are asking for more information.

"We're willing to do something. . . . The budget cuts are disastrous," said faculty union spokeswoman Alice Sunshine. "But we want to be sure what we're voting on."




source : http://www.latimes.com/news

Broadcasters, facing declines in advertising revenue, view cable television industry's push towards a subscription model for online video as a potential opportunity to grab more carriage fees from cable operators and their competitors.

While cable companies show signs of rallying around a plan to keep online video programming behind a subscription wall in order to preserve their TV service business, broadcasters continue to put some of the most popular TV shows online for free in pursuit of more ad revenue.

But despite early successes with offerings like Hulu and TV.com, analysts say web video poses long-term threats to the broadcast business as well as cable, and broadcasters may be persuaded to join the push towards a subscription model - known as authentication - if they can share more in the spoils.

"To the extent that authentication represents an additional way for CBS as a broadcaster to get paid, I think that's very interesting," said Quincy Smith, president of CBS Interactive.

This issue is particularly sensitive for CBS Corp. (CBS), which depends on its broadcast network more than other network owners, which are larger, more diverse companies.

CBS and other broadcasters have recently won higher subscription fees from pay-TV providers in return for access to their programming, as increased competition among cable operators, telecommunications companies and satellite providers has strengthened their hand in negotiations.

Still, the vast majority of the revenue reaped by broadcasters - possibly as much as 90% - comes from advertising, which is suffering due to the recession. Their cable counterparts, meanwhile, make over half their revenue from carriage fees paid by distributors from their pot of consumer subscription revenue, which has continued to grow despite the downturn.

Without much in subscription fees to protect, broadcasters have little incentive now to cooperate with the industry's push towards a so-called "TV Everywhere" model, which would require viewers to demonstrate through a log-in, or authentication process, that they subscribe to a pay-TV offering in order to watch their TV programming on the Internet.

Instead, they have put TV shows online for free in order to reach the broadest possible audience to power their ad revenue. eMarketer estimates that online video will be the fastest-growing ad category this year, with spending up 43.5% to more than $1 billion. By 2013, the firm projects online video ad spending to reach nearly $4.1 billion.

Currently, however, online TV boasts far fewer ads than traditional TV programming, and its profitability has yet to impress investors.

Sanford Bernstein estimates that a show like "The Simpsons" in prime-time on Sunday night generates about 54 cents per user for Fox Broadcasting, which like this newswire is owned by News Corp. (NWSA). The show packs in 18 commercials at a rate of about $30 per thousand viewers.

By comparison, "The Simpsons" on Hulu makes one-third of that amount even though it charges advertisers at a higher rate because it only has three commercials.

Broadcasters hope to add more inventory to their online programming and use online ad targeting techniques to bring the business into parity with its TV business as digital video becomes mainstream. But getting there could prove difficult, and Hulu is already mulling a subscription model of its own.

"We think that if Web usage of broadcast content increases, content owners will need to improve their economics by shifting to a subscription model or by increasing the advertising loads," said Michael Nathanson, analyst at Sanford Bernstein.

In the meantime, broadcasters say digital video recorders, which are sold by pay-TV providers and allow viewers to skip through commercials, are a greater threat to their ad business than the growth of online video.

Many broadcast companies express support for "TV Everywhere," but haven't said whether they'll participate. If popular broadcast content continues to be available for free, some consumers could be increasingly tempted to go without a cable TV subscription.

Some of the largest media conglomerates - like News Corp., NBC Universal and Walt Disney Co. (DIS) - own both cable networks and broadcast networks, complicating the issue. A spokesman for News Corp. declined to comment for this story, while Karen Hobson, a spokeswoman for Disney, said the company was learning more details about the industry's authentication plans.

"We remain open to the adoption of a consumer-friendly authentication system that could provide enhanced offerings, such as a simulcast network or more robust content," said Hobson in an emailed statement.

NBC Universal spokesman Joe Libonati also emailed a statement saying it's interested in authentication plans.

"We believe in providing opportunities for consumers to enjoy content on the Internet, while maintaining and continuing to grow the dual revenue business," said Libonati.

Time Warner Inc. (TWX) Chief Executive Jeff Bewkes, who oversees a host of cable networks and announced an early test of the "TV Everywhere" concept with Comcast Corp. (CMCSA) this week, told reporters that the proliferation of broadcast content online isn't a concern for the cable industry.

He noted that the vast majority of viewers subscribe to a TV service and predicted that "TV Everywhere" usage would surpass broadcast offerings on Hulu and elsewhere.

source : http://online.wsj.com

Australians have been feverishly scouring the internet in search of information on the shock death of the king of pop, Michael Jackson.

So intense has the worldwide interest in Jackson been, it's caused a temporary meltdown of the world's most popular search engine Google.

For more than half an hour Google in the US experienced difficulty handling the surge in people using Jackson as a keyword.

News Limited websites have reported a doubling of the number of hits while Facebook and Twitter have been buzzing with messages related to Jackson's passing.

Google rated the search statistics for Jackson as "volcanic".

"While we're not able to provide absolute numbers on people searching, we can say that millions of users around the world have been doing searches related to Michael Jackson," a Google spokeswoman told AAP.

Google searches relating to Jackson's death filled four of the top eight spots on Friday.

More than 20 per cent of Twitter users posted comments using the term "Michael Jackson".

Just as Jackson redefined pop music, his death redefined the way Australia and the world consume major news announcements.

News of his death was broken by celebrity website TMZ.com. The rest of the world's media then followed.

It was a huge scoop for the AOL-owned TMZ, though many did not believe TMZ's report until it was matched by more established news organisations.

"Everything starts with a tip," said Harvey Levin, managing editor of TMZ.

"We wouldn't have put it up if we weren't positive."

Jackson's death was oddly not the number one read item on two of Fairfax's websites - The Age online and WA Today.

New trains and trams for Melbourne pipped Jackson's death at The Age and dodgy weather on Rottnest Island causing ferry cancellations was more popular in WA.

The hoax death of Jeff Goldblum was surprisingly more popular on Google, coming in fifth, ahead of the death of '70s TV starlet Farrah Fawcett, which rated ninth in terms of Google search words.



source : http://news.ninemsn.com.au

A partnership between Time Warner Inc and Comcast Corp will test ways for viewers to watch more TV shows over the Web, Reuters reported.

The television industry is struggling to protect its revenue while also satisfying consumers who want to watch their favorite programs on their own time.

The two company’s joint effort would essentially allow the viewing of any TV show at any time over any sort of device, such as a TV set, computer or cell phone.

However, the users must first prove they are cable or satellite customers that pay a monthly subscription fee.

Time Warner Chief Executive Jeff Bewkes called the plan a free gift for consumers that expands their entertainment choices.

Bewkes said if the approach gets adopted it would clearly be the biggest story in video-on-demand and Internet video.

Time Warner and Comcast will begin a national trial of the service in July to test out whether the system can be successful.

Time Warner's 5,000 customers who were chosen for the trial run will be able to access full episodes of shows from TNT and TBS networks like "The Closer" and "My Boys" on Comcast.net just hours after they air during their regularly scheduled times.

The test confirms that content companies will take steps to protect their dual revenue stream, and in the process will not just respond to, but will shape, the evolution of web video consumption, according to Bernstein Research analyst Craig Moffett.

Others companies on both the content and distribution sides of the business could adapt similar plans.

Similar initiatives are being discussed at pretty much all the satellite, telephone and other cable companies, Bewkes said.

Comcast Chief Executive Brian Roberts said he expected other content companies to join the approach and offer their own hit shows.

Bewkes said the approach was kind of like iTunes but it's “better because you don't have to pay”.

He calls it the "TV Everywhere" approach, in which the only requirement is that people show they pay for a TV service prior to watching shows online. Comcast calls it "On Demand Online."

Maintaining a paying audience for a TV service is essential for cable operators like Comcast and networks like TBS that collect fees from cable operators that carry their programs.

Many fear the TV industry will suffer the same devastation as the publishing and music worlds by failing to protect their shows from the free, open world of the Web.

However, the TV industry has divided the approach to securing its future.

News Corp's Fox, General Electric's NBC, and Walt Disney's ABC joined together to form Hulu.com, which carries mostly broadcast TV shows but also some content from cable.

But many in the cable business are against this approach, since audiences can watch a TV show on the Internet that previously they could see only if they subscribed to pay-TV.

But both Bewkes and Roberts say they are not reacting belatedly or defensively to the threat that the Internet poses.

Bewkes said they are simply being “offensive”.



source : http://www.redorbit.com

Shouldn’t summer vacation be over already? Our kids have work to do.

Do kids really need a three-month summer vacation? Or a puny six-and-a-half-hour school day? For some kids, sure, free time is great: Every moment is packed with camps, museum visits, picnics, tennis lessons and trips abroad. But for most, life is way duller. Hard times mean that ever more Houston kids are stuck home alone, unsupervised, their brains marinating in video games and cable TV. If ever there were a time to discuss extending school hours, this is it.

In March, President Obama started that conversation. He called not only to extend after-school programs, but to increase the number of hours in the school year. “We can no longer afford an academic calendar designed when America was a nation of farmers who needed their children at home plowing the land at the end of each day,” he said. “That calendar may have once made sense, but today, it puts us at a competitive disadvantage. Our children spend over a month less in school each year than children in South Korea. That is no way to prepare them for a 21st-century economy.”

Extra school time particularly helps minority and low-income kids. During summer vacation all kids tend to forget what they’ve learned. Academics call that well-documented slide “summer learning loss,” and studies show it’s greatest for the kids who can least afford it.

More school time is among open secrets behind the success of Houston’s KIPP and YES Prep charter-school systems, both of which have shown remarkable ability to propel low-income and minority kids into college. KIPPsters typically attend school from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. each weekday — plus go to school some Saturdays and for a few weeks each summer. During those extra hours, KIPP provides its students not only with more classes, but also with sports, art and field trips — the kind of enrichment that upper-class kids get at home.

Could the Houston Independent School District try something similar? The question strikes home for school board member Natasha Kamrani: She’s married to Chris Barbic, the founder and head of YES Prep, and she’s seen the effect those extra hours can have.

Kamrani is quick to point out that longer hours are expensive — teachers have to be paid — and that they aren’t a cure-all: Good stuff has to happen during those extra hours. In classes with the worst-performing teachers, Kamrani notes, students actually lose ground as the school year wears on. “Kids in those classes,” she says, “might be better off if they spent less time at school.”

But what if HISD were very careful in its approach? Kamrani is appalled by HISD’s dropout rate: Roughly 40 percent of HISD’s freshmen fail to graduate from high school. She notes that the district’s data shows that most dropouts have something significant in common: They start falling behind in fifth grade.

What if, she asks, the district made an all-out push to stop their fall as soon as it began? What if, in sixth grade, kids at risk were assigned the district’s most talented teachers? And what if those teachers had more hours to work their wiles? Would that be enough to turn the kids’ entire lives around?

The idea needs to be tried. And it needs to be tried immediately, before another class of sixth-graders slides out of reach.



source : http://www.chron.com

“I was a Michael Jackson fan. It’s devastating. It’s devastating to see that Michael is gone. I’m going to miss him. I think it’s tantamount to (the death of) Elvis Presley. … I was at the Victory tour (at Arrowhead Stadium in 1984). Historic. I’ll never forget that.”

“I find (his death) hard to believe. I didn’t really listen to him that much. He’s a pop music icon, though. His music’s still there, so he’ll live on through that.”

“It’s very sad. I went to one of his concerts in Adelaide (Australia). And I remember going to my sister’s 6th birthday party (at a roller skating rink), and ‘Thriller’ was No. 1 at the time. The DJ had to get my mom’s permission to play (the video, which featured zombies).”

“I’m surprised. I didn’t see it coming. My money would not have been on him for the next celebrity to die. (Farrah Fawcett), I expected it because she had been so ill.”

“He kind of overshadowed Farrah Fawcett. ‘Beat It’ was always my favorite song. It was the young-rebel music.”

“I’m sorry to hear of his death. That’s too bad, but I’m of another era.”


source : http://www.kansascity.com

What was supposed to be a yearlong celebration of Motown Records’ 50th anniversary, turned into a major tragedy with the death on Thursday of one of its biggest stars, Michael Jackson.

The 50-year-old self-proclaimed “King of Pop” died of suspected cardiac arrest as he was about to launch a major comeback with a string of 50 concerts in London.

It comes 25 years after the death of another Motown alumnus, Marvin Gaye, who was also on the comeback trail. Gaye was shot to death by his father in a domestic dispute.

Jackson rose to fame as the youngest member of the Jackson 5, a group that Motown founder Berry Gordy was initially reluctant to sign. “He didn’t want any more kid acts because Stevie Wonder was more than a handful,” said former Motown executive Suzanne de Passe, who lobbied Gordy to sign them.

De Passe toured extensively with the Jackson 5, taking charge of their costumes, schooling, choreography and concert production. “Michael was very mischievous back in those days,” de Passe said, recalling that he loved to hide in closets and behind doors to scare unsuspecting targets. She dubbed him “Casper,” and when she saw him decades later mobbed by fans, she yelled out “Casper!” and Jackson immediately rushed over to give her a hug.

Jackson left Motown for the greener pastures of Epic Records in 1979, and de Passe said she last spoke to him about three years ago. She was on a retreat when she heard of Jackson’s death, and described the news as “the shock of my life.”

Until Thursday, Gaye was probably Motown’s highest-profile casualty. The tortured soul’s career was marked by drugs, divorce, label disputes and bankruptcy. Drugs, poverty, suicide and murder claimed many other Motown figures. A year before Gaye was killed, virtuoso bass player James Jamerson died in obscurity. A raging alcoholic who played on Gaye’s landmark 1971 album “What’s Going On,” Jamerson has since been deified by aficionados.

Other ill-fated stars include:

– Roger Penzabene, the co-writer of the Temptations’ mournful masterpiece “I Wish It Would Rain,” committed suicide in 1967.

– Hard-partying drummer Benny Benjamin, the backbeat of the Motown sound, was silenced by a stroke in 1969 after battling drugs and alcohol.

– Temptations co-founder Paul Williams, the heart of the group and lead singer on “Don’t Look Back,” turned to alcohol and was eventually unable to perform. Two years after quitting, he shot himself dead in 1973, while sitting in a car parked two blocks from Motown.

– Another troubled former Temptation David Ruffin, who sang lead on “My Girl,” died of a drug overdose in 1991.

– Early Motown star Mary Wells of “My Guy” fame died in 1992 of throat cancer. She endured poverty in her dying days, as did former Supreme Florence Ballard, who succumbed to a coronary thrombosis in 1976.



source : http://blogs.reuters.com