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For a usually frigid time in late November, it sure is getting awfully hot in the NFL.

The only problem is that the scorching heat can be felt on many seats that support the behinds of team’s head honchos. This 2010 season is becoming remembered as a season of unfulfilled ambitions and disappointing leadership with head coaches either given the pink slip during the season or possibly getting their pardon papers in the near future.

The changing of the guard during the season is nothing new in the NFL; certain teams underperform in previous years and have sent head coaches home packing early. The difference is that many of those teams were sliding downhill in previous seasons as well.

This year, many of the teams that played well in 2009 started this year with big goals, but were never even close to reaching them as 2010 progressed. Some franchises have already cut ties with their head coaches, while others are nearly ready to sever those bonds soon enough.

Dallas Cowboys: Started With Wade Phillips; Now With Jason Garrett

America’s team appeared ready to return to prominence after last season. With an 11-5 record and first place of the NFC East, the Cowboys rumbled into the playoffs with a big win at home over their rival Philadelphia Eagles, but would come up short against the Minnesota Vikings in the second round.

Owner Jerry Jones’s state-of-the-art stadium was selected to host the 2011 NFL Super Bowl and his dream was to have the team become the first team to play a Super Bowl at home.

That dream soon turned into a nightmare.

Dallas would drop their first two games of the season before finally getting their first win just as their bye week came in week four. They would then go on to drop five in a row, prompting Jones to make a switch at head coach from four-year coach Wade Phillips to offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.

Since then, Garrett has appeared to adjust the direction of the ship back in the route Jones expected of his team to head prior to the start of the season. He has won two of the three games in which he’s been at the helm and is holding on to any slim chance of making Jones’s dream come true.

Minnesota Vikings: Started With Brad Childress; Now With Leslie Frazier

After losing an overtime heartbreaker in the NFC Championship game in 2009, this season became Super Bowl-or-bust for the Vikings. With virtually the same team returning from a year ago (including the age-less Brett Favre), Minnesota felt it was their year to be greater than last year and never lose in the playoffs.

The only problem is that they had to actually get through the 2010 regular season first.

The season began with the Vikes playing the first game of the season against New Orleans, the team that beat them out in the overtime championship game, and then against the Miami Dolphins. Both would end in losses. They would finally beat out the Detroit Lions for their first win just before they headed into their bye week.

That week produced a trade for WR Randy Moss, a move that looked to be a shot in the arm for a team in need of a boost. The trade instead became a virus of what was wrong with the Vikings as they would go on to lose three of the next four they played and the waiver of the superstar wideout after only acquiring him a month earlier. They would then go on to win only one of the next three outings and owner Zygi Wilf decided it was time for a change.

That change came in the form of canning head coach Brad Childress and promoting Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier as the interim head coach. Although they won their first game with their new leader, it appears that the Vikings took the bust road for the 2010 season with the hope of a title riding farther off into the sunset.

Coming Up Next For Possible Fired Coaches

San Francisco 49ers: Mike Singletary

Since becoming the coach of the 49ers in 2008, Singletary has become the face and voice of the team with his proclamations and domineering antics. He professes that this team, as well as his ability to coach, will continue to improve and progress with 2010 being the year that they would return to the promise land the organization once owned during the 80s and 90s.

Yet, as the 2010 season got underway, it appeared that the 49ers season appeared to reflect a year in their history that was not a part of those glory decades. San Francisco lost their first five games and got off to their worst start since 1979. A complete 180 for a team that not only believed themselves to be a division winner before the season started, but also a squad others picked as preseason NFC West favorites as well.

Now the 49ers are 4-7 and are hanging on to the ledge of the worst division in football with just a few fingers. Although they were shut out at home for the first time since 1977 against Tampa Bay, they have bounced back with a big win on the road at Arizona.

Will they ownership of the 49ers keep their faith in their extremely vocal leader, or will they kick him to the curb with the feeling that he is just all talk and no substance?

Cincinnati Bengals: Marvin Lewis

The hot seat is nothing new for Marvin Lewis. The eight-year head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals has been the in this same discussion topic since after the 2005 playoff run with no returns to the postseason since. He erased all those doubters with a 10-6 record in 2009 and finally getting back to the playoffs.

During the offseason, the Bengals acquired controversial WR Terrell Owens with hopes of capitalizing on last year’s success with a deeper playoff run this season. With another talented, but loud mouthed WR in Owens on one end, wideout Chad Ochocinco labeled the both of them Batman and Robin.

Except the only similarities that both receivers have is being a part of a bomb like the 1997 “Batman And Robin” movie.

After a 2-1 start, they have lost eight in a row including losses to 3-7 Cleveland and 2-8 Buffalo. It doesn’t get any easier for the team many thought would be a contender for the AFC North champions as four of their last five games are against teams with winning records.

Now that he is returning back into the hot seat discussion, Lewis can only hope the real Batman and Robin could come in to save this disastrous season and his job.

Amy Winehouse is seen leaving Fishworks in London last night - looking positively wonderful!The hair, the clothes, the shoes, the makeup - EVERYTHING! She looks so put together, doesn't she? It's such a nice change from all of those negative photos of her looking rough and tired. I have to admit that I would love to see her turn things around and get back to making music and performing.Photos by INF Continue reading →

Larissa Meek Michael Michele Michelle Behennah Gwen Stefani Julia Stiles

Tony Parker may have counter-filed with his own divorce papers in Texas on Friday, but that doesn’t mean he wants a scorched-earth divorce battle with Eva Longoria. “This was not meant to escalate things,” says the source. “He filed his … Continue reading →

Kelly Ripa Carla Gugino Paz Vega Missy Peregrym Trista Rehn

Amy Winehouse is seen leaving Fishworks in London last night - looking positively wonderful!The hair, the clothes, the shoes, the makeup - EVERYTHING! She looks so put together, doesn't she? It's such a nice change from all of those negative photos of her looking rough and tired. I have to admit that I would love to see her turn things around and get back to making music and performing.Photos by INF Continue reading →

Ashley Tisdale Karolína Kurková Lacey Chabert Anna Faris Angelina Jolie

2010 American Music Awards Presenter, Nominee And Performer Highlights

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To be honest, Jeopardy host Alex Trebek has a rather tough job when dealing with rather unfunny contestants during their bio portion of the show.

Recently, a Canadian contestant was talking about how he met his wife at a stick-hockey game and well, he showed her how to handle something:

(Courtesy of Out of Bounds)

Republicans have a problem. The most-talked-about figure in the GOP is a reality show star who cannot be elected.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Derek Anderson got into a little heated discussion with a reporter during a post-game press conference from last night's MNF affair against the 49ers.

ESPN cameras caught Anderson talking with teammate Deuce Latui and sharing a little laugh. So naturally, a reporter asked Anderson regarding the incident and if he should be acting this way during a 18-point deficit.

DA didn't appreciate that type of question:

The ink on the divorce papers of Eva Longoria and Tony Parker is barely dry and yet a Hollywood bachelor is calling first dibs on a date with the actress! Comedian Dane Cook Tweeted earlier today: “Is it too soon … Continue reading →

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'Four degrees and beyond: the potential for a global temperature increase of four degrees and its implications'

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, the oldest continuously published scientific journal in the world, has published a theme issue on global warming that is available free through Thursday. Short version: we're fucked.

The Guardian summarizes:

A hellish vision of a world warmed by 4C within a lifetime has been set out by an international team of scientists, who say the agonisingly slow progress of the global climate change talks that restart in Mexico today makes the so-called safe limit of 2C impossible to keep. A 4C rise in the planet's temperature would see severe droughts across the world and millions of migrants seeking refuge as their food supplies collapse.

I've been debating global warming in the comments section of a minor conservative blog for a several years now, not because I'm a masochist but just to see how the other side thinks. For the first few years they denied that there was a consensus on global warming at all although the latest studies show the consensus among climate scientists at about 97%. Now they argue that the consensus is wrong although it is never clear how they know this, except that it is obvious to them that AGW is a plot of some kind. I bring up the Royal Society or the National Academy of Sciences; they link to some obscure Exxon-paid hacks who publish in nonscientific publications, in one case a LaRouche magazine. I concede that it is remotely possible that the 3% could be right, despite the overwhelming nature of the consensus, despite the links to Exxon on the part of many of the skeptics, despite the fact that they never seem to do any actual research or publish in peer-reviewed journals. Still, it is within the realm of possibility, however unlikely, that they are right. My conservative debating opponents are 100% certain however that they are right and I am wrong. One of them also doubts the "consensus" on the theory of evolution. Like the evolution deniers they ask for one "proof" that C02 is causing the increase in temperature, when they are not denying that the Earth is warming at all.

One week they deny that there is a consensus, another week they argue that the consensus is wrong. One week they deny the earth is warming, it is actually cooling they say, another week they argue that the whole solar system is warming due to natural causes, based on misinterpretations of some climate data for Mars. In the end they call me an idiot and close the comments.

My opponents are not even the nuttiest of the wingnuts. They are not birthers for example. But their minds are made up. So is mine I suppose but I concede the possibility that I could be wrong. I am not a scientist. I ask myself, if I were President what would I do? Study climatology in my spare time, work toward a Ph.D. and then review all the scientific literature? Or be guided by the considered opinion of the National Academy of Sciences and 97% of the experts in the field. That's what their idol Reagan did regarding the hole in the ozone layer, although I believe my opponents also still dispute the ozone connection. The mythical Reagan is their God but the real Reagan would be considered a moderate by their standards.

Although they believe that they are right on the Science lately they have been pointing out that they are winning on the Politics, that the Skeptics have succeeded in preventing anything serious from being done about global warming. Here they may very well be right making the worst case scenarios of the Royal Society all the more likely.

Homer Simpson Tries To Cheer Up Sad Keanu

Not even Homer Simpson can cheer up sad Keanu Reeves with a doughnut. D'oh! [BuzzFeed]

Shannyn Sossamon Donna Feldman Tessie Santiago Ciara Kristanna Loken

Lee Iacocca, who had been one of the forces behind the original Mustang, became President of Ford Motor Company in 1970 and ordered a smaller, more fuel-efficient Mustang for 1974. Initially it was to be based on the Ford Maverick, but ultimately was based on the Ford Pinto subcompact.The new model, called the "Mustang II, was introduced two months before the first 1973 oil crisis, and its reduced size allowed it to compete against imported sports coupés such as the Japanese Toyota Celica and the European Ford Capri (then Ford-built in Germany and Britain, sold in U.S. by Mercury as a captive import car). First-year sales were 385,993 cars, compared with the original Mustang's twelve-month sales record of 418,812.Lee Iacocca wanted the new car, which returned the Mustang to its 1964 predecessor in size, shape, and overall styling,[31] to be finished to a high standard, saying it should be "a little jewel."[32] However not only was it smaller than the original car, but it was also heavier, owing to the addition of equipment needed to meet new U.S. emission and safety regulations. Performance was reduced, and despite the car's new handling and engineering features the galloping mustang emblem "became a less muscular steed that seemed to be cantering.The car was available in coupé and hatchback versions. Changes introduced in 1975 included reinstatement of the 302 CID V8 option (called the "5.0 L" although its capacity was 4.94 L) and availability of an economy option called the "MPG Stallion". Other changes in appearance and performance came with a "Cobra II"version in 1976 and a "King Cobra" in 1978.All images are available in hires by clicking the picIn a late night blitzkrieg, Ford dropped all the details on Giugiaro's reinterpretation of the Mustang and words seem to fail it. The world-class coachbuilder has taken the iconic coupe and transformed it into rolling automotive pornography, leaving no body panel untouched and enlisting the help of Ford Racing to provide motivation to match its extreme design.
The bespoke creation takes all the right cues from the current Mustang, beginning with the classic front end, and then pulling the fascia down and outward to create a menacing homage to the original. Broad indentations flank the doors and lead into massive wheel arches topped with a classic crease that's brought to a point at its highest peak. Those same distinct creases define the rear end and provide a trick angle for the taillights to wrap overtop.A single piece of glass forms the windshield and roof, which flows into the trunk lid, and the louvered glass aft of the b-pillar gives a nod to Mustangs of yore. The doors are touch operated and, when asked, pivot up from the a-pillar, while five-spoke dubs get a healthy slathering of chrome and Giugiaro's orange hue.On the inside, the mixture of brown and butterscotch upholstery is warm and inviting, with a combination of smooth and furred horsehides covering the seats. The instrument panel houses the required duo of gauges, which snuggly fits inside a dash that flows from pillar to pillar. Custom switchgear, shifter and steering wheel all make it clearly known that this is something special, and more is on the way.Raise the mildly bubbled hood and you'll find the stock 4.6-liter V8 from the Mustang GT, but with a twin-screw supercharger mounted on top. The intercooled powerplant receives a 95 mm mass air meter, KN-shaped filter and fuel injectors from the Ford GT, to produce over 500 HP at 11 psi of boost. The stock radiator has been nixed in favor of an aluminum Ford Racing unit, which the company claims could allow the engine to create another 200 HP without worry of catastrophe.Although style and power are all well and good, handling must be addressed in equal parts. Thankfully, Ford Racing was tapped to provide their Handling Pack, which includes thicker anti-sway bars, lowering springs and tuned dampers, all of which is available for the base Mustang GT.
We absolutely can't wait to see this in person tomorrow, so stay tuned for more as we make our way down to the Los Angeles Auto Show.Below you'll find a multitude of pics, joined by the press release at the bottom of the page.

mustang

Leslie Nielsen, who traded in his dramatic persona for a hapless doctor in "Airplane!" and an accident-prone detective in "The Naked Gun" comedies, died on Sunday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 84. (Nov. 28)

Mariah OBrien Sarah Michelle Gellar Daniella Alonso Jordana Brewster Jaime King

Was auf der Reise des Erwachens geschieht, ist, dass unser Bewusstsein wie ein Licht auf Anteile oder Strukturen scheint, die wir lange nicht mehr wahrgenommen haben und die nun wieder wahrgenommen werden wollen.
Alles will ins Licht, will angeschaut oder eben bewusst werden als das, was es ist und sich dann weiter entwickeln.
Ohne das bewusste Wahrnehmen und Akzeptieren, dass es so ist,wie es ist, kann keine Veränderung und Entwicklung geschehen.
Leugnen, Abstreiten, Verhandeln - funktioniert alles nicht.
Das fühlt sich unangenehm an, denn wir halten ja nicht das Gute und Schöne vor uns selbst und den anderen geheim.
Nein, verdrängt wird das, was wir nicht fühlen wollen, weil es zu schmerzhaft, zu unangenehm oder furchteinflössend ist.

Da der Bewusstseinswandel nicht nur seperat in einzelnen Menschen stattfindet sondern auch in der Gesellschaft, also im Massenbewusstsein,(das Massenbewusstsein setzt sich ja zusammen aus dem Bewusstsein einzelner) geraten die Systeme und Strukturen ins Wanken und immer mehr an "Geheimgehaltenen" kommt ans Licht.
Seit einigen Tagen verstärkt durch Wikileaks.
Einerseits ist es eine Befreiung, anderseits ruft das natürlich auch Energien auf den Plan, die gegen die Enthüllungen vorgehen, sich bedroht fühlen und den alten Status aufrecht erhalten wollen.
Da wird es wohl noch einiges an Gerangel geben.

Für mich ist diese Entwicklung inzwischen etwas zutiefst natürliches und zeitgemäßes.
Boten einer neuen Zeit.

Ich habe heute zu den "Offenbarungen" von Wikileaks folgenden Kommentar gefunden, den ich hier hinein kopiere. Aufmerksam auf den Artikel bin ich durch das Wort "Kandesbunzlerin" geworden, was bei mir ein Gefühl von heiter und vergnügt ausgelöst hat.
Der Autor (vielen Dank, leider keine Autorenangabe vorhanden) hat so einen Witz,dass ich schallend gelacht habe:

"Problematisch aber anregend

Als Kandesbunzlerin bin ich so froh, dass der Assange noch nicht spitzgekriegt hat, was für Einschätzungen man von UNSEREN deutschen Diplomaten weltweit so bekommt.

Außerdem habe ich jetzt was gut: Wenn der Obama irgendwann erfährt, dass er in der deutschen Geheimdiplomatie vielleicht als "idealistischer Neger" durchgeht, darf er auch nicht böse sein.

Zur präventiven Abwehr möglicher diplomatischer Missstimmungen wird derzeit transatlantisch darüber diskutiert, die gegenseitigen Einschätzungen dadurch zu entkräften, dass wir sie direkt als Anreden benutzen. Die US-Außenministerin ist ja seither für mich nur noch die vergrätzte Ex-Next-President, und sie nennt mich liebevoll IM Teflon.

Der Vollständigkeit halber muss ich jedoch erwähnen, dass nicht alle Kabinettsmitglieder so weit sind, ihre neuen Spitznamen auch anzunehmen oder gar darauf zu hören.

Seehofer wehrt sich standhaft gegen die Anrede "unberechenbare Wildsau", Guttenberg kann das "Alter Yankeeopportunist" nicht mehr hören, Westerwelle wird jedes Mal blaurot vor Wut, wenn man ihn "aggressive Azubi-Gurke" nennt, und Schäuble fährt glatt aus dem Stuhl hoch, wenn er "transatlantischer Wüterich" hört.

Es ist halt gewöhnungsbedürftig"

So kann es klingen, wenn alte Strukturen im Clinch liegen.
Aber neben meinem schallenden Gelächter, was glaube ich, einfach an der witzigen Formulierung liegt, habe ich volles Mitgefühl und Verständnis für die weltweit Beteiligten. Alles nicht so leicht.
Außerdem:
Wie oben so unten, wie im Kleinen so im Großen.
Und "Wer ohne Schuld ist, werfe den ersten Stein".
Es ist immer gut "vor der eigenen Haustür zu kehren".
Wieviel Unausgesprochenes, Unterdrücktes und Verdrängtes gibt es im eigenen Leben?

Swizzy drops Monster Monday track days after previewing new Haute Living cuts on Ustream.
By Mawuse Ziegbe

Swizz Beatz
Photo: Johnny Nunez/ WireImage

Following in the tradition of fellow production star Kanye West, Swizz Beatz has conjured up Monster Mondays to dole out free joints on the Web featuring some of his celebrity pals. His latest offering, "Ass on the Floor," corrals Diddy-Dirty Money into the mix for a slickly atmospheric dance-floor-filler.

Reinvigorating the rapid-fire drums made famous by Major Lazer's 2009 party must-have "Pon De Floor," Swizzy adds the spacey sheen of synth chords as the Dirty Money ladies croon about drowning their sorrows over a frustratingly volatile relationship.

"You're the love of my life/ But you hurt my heart twice/ Now I'm drunker than a motherf----- / Trying to find my way back to your heart you motherf-----," Kalenna sings.

Production duties aside, Swizzy plays hypeman, commanding the lovelorn souls to forget the drama and "get ya ass on the floor/ Them haters can't tell you nothing!"

The track's amped-up rhythm is somewhat at odds with the melancholy lyrics, as Diddy also laments potent heartbreak in his verse.

"That love's gon' get ya, motherf----- / Smoke weed, listening to Sade/ I left my pain in Paris/ Why can't you see sh-- my way?" Diddy spits.

The vibe of the song definitely stays on track with the naked emotion the Bad Boy mogul promised on the trio's long-delayed effort, Last Train to Paris.

"One of the things we're trying to represent is emotion," Diddy told MTV News last year. "Not being afraid to show emotion on record. A lot of records out right now — no disrespect to them, but they're all surface. It's about what people have or a dance. All our records are gonna be about love, feelings and emotion. Last Train to Paris is a love story and the most vulnerable album I've ever been involved in. It's raw emotion — you get a feeling, a vibe."

In addition to his Monster Mondays series, Swizzy has been staying busy in the studio and recently previewed some joints from his upcoming Haute Living album on Ustream. Tracks included a thumping midtempo banger featuring Chris Brown, and another song boasting the breathy vocals of his new wife Alicia Keys.

What do you think of Swizz Beatz and Dirty Money's "Ass on the Floor"? Let us know in the comments!

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Jennifer Garner, Ben Affleck and their girls are spending some time in NYC this weekend. Jennifer was spotted with her youngest daughter, Seraphina, grabbing some coffee on the Upper West Side.Ben was photographed arriving at their hotel. He took a few minutes to greet his fans and sign some autographs for them. I wonder if they're in the city doing promotion for Ben's upcoming movie 'The Town'? It's due out in a few weeks, so that's my guess.Their girls are such cuties. They both look so much like Jennifer - especially the dimples! :)Photos by INF Continue reading →

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The Detroit Lions had been cannon-fodder for jokes for the past decade or so, so it was only natural that The Simpsons get their shot in.

In the latest episode called, "How Munched Is This Birdie In The Window?", Bart takes a shot at the Lions after Mo the Bartender mentions pigeon racing:

(Courtesy of It's Always Sunny in Detroit)

Wango Tango 2010

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Photo of the Kardashian Kard, a prepaid debit card

The Kardashian Klan has terminated their involvement with the new Kardashian Kard amidst allegations that the prepaid debit card was riddled with hidden, possibly illegal fees. [TMZ]
Sarah Palin sort of defends Willow's "f*ggot rant." [The Superficial]
Are Cameron Diaz and A-Rod doomed? Should Cameron focus more on serious relationships instead of flings? These relationship experts weigh in. [PopEater]

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The filmmaker, who also helmed the Bond flick 'Never Say Never Again' and 'Robocop 2,' passed away in Los Angeles.
By Tom DiChiara

Irvin Kershner
Photo: Jean-Christophe Verhaegen/ AFP/ Getty Images

Irvin Kershner, best known for directing the "Star Wars" sequel "The Empire Strikes Back," has died at the age of 87.

The filmmaker passed away at his Los Angeles home after a long bout with an unspecified illness, his goddaughter Adriana Santini told French news service AFP on Monday.

Born in 1923 in Philadelphia, Kershner studied music, painting and photography before turning his focus to filmmaking in the early 1950s. He got his start directing documentaries in Iran, Greece and Turkey for the United States Information Service, then returned to the States to develop the TV series "Confidential File" and "The Rebel."

Kershner made his feature directorial debut with "Stakeout on Dope Street" in 1958 and went on to direct a number of well-known films, including 1960's "Hoodlum Priest" and 1966's "A Fine Madness," starring Sean Connery and Joanne Woodward.

In 1980, Kershner directed "Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back," the sequel to George Lucas's 1977 space-opera hit, arguably the series' best-loved and most critically acclaimed installment.

While "Empire Strikes Back" is certainly the film for which Kershner is most fondly remembered, he's also known for helming 1983's unauthorized James Bond film "Never Say Never Again" — which saw Sean Connery return to the role of 007 — and 1990's "Robocop II."

Kershner did a bit of acting in his day as well. He made his big-screen debut in Martin Scorsese's "The Last Temptation of Christ" in 1988, and also appeared as a filmmaker in the 1994 Steven Seagal vehicle "On Deadly Ground."

At the time of his death, Kershner was still actively working in photography. The Force was strong with this one.

Mischa Barton Vanessa Marcil Danneel Harris Shiri Appleby Rebecca Romijn

nexus phone

Google Nexus One Unlocked Phone

Spearheading the next level in smartphone development is the unlocked Google nexus One phone from HTC which makes supercharged power available with one of the speediest processors you can get in a smartphone, a 3.7-inch AMOLED touch display, and access to all your contacts and your most valued data with a variety of Google tools via the Android 2.1 operating system.

With integrated Google technology, the Nexus One brings one-touch access to the popular Google mobile services millions use every day, including Google Search by Voice, YouTube and Picasa.

The 5-megapixel camera on the back also
captures DVD-quality widescreen video
(see a schematic of all ports and controls).
In addition to 3G connectivity, the Nexus One offers Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g) for accessing home and business networks as well as hotspots while on the go and Bluetooth connectivity for both hands-free devices and stereo music streaming. Other features include assisted GPS (AGPS) with Google Maps Navigation providing turn-by-turn voice guidance, memory expansion via microSD memory cards (a 4 GB card is included with the device), threaded messaging for seamless on-the-go conversations, and up to 7 hours of 3G talk time.

Unlocked Phone
The Nexus One is unlocked and will recognize SIM cards from any mobile service provider using the GSM standard. The Nexus One's antenna supports four GSM radio frequencies (850/900/1800/1900) and three 3G/UMTS Bands (2100/AWS/900). These cover most major GSM mobile providers worldwide, including T-Mobile in the United States, but not the 850 MHz 3G band used by AT&T. The Nexus One will, however, deliver 2G/EDGE speeds on these networks, and of course supports Wi-Fi as well.

Nexus One Software Innovation
The Nexus One runs on Android 2.1, a version of the platform's Eclair software, which offers advanced applications and features including:

* Google Maps Navigation: offering turn-by-turn driving directions with voice output.
* E-mail: multiple Gmail accounts; universal inbox and Exchange support.
* Phone book: aggregate contacts from multiple sources, including Facebook.
* Quick Contacts: easily switch between communication and social applications.
* Android Market: access to more than 18,000 applications.

It also includes the following applications on the home screen:

* Gmail: Your Inbox displays conversations with the newest messages at the top. To read a message in a threaded conversation, touch its subject.
* YouTube: Use the YouTube application to view, search for, upload, and share videos. Like the version you use on your PC, YouTube on the Nexus One presents the videos grouped into categories, such as Most viewed, Most discussed, Most recent, and Top rated.
* Messaging: You can use Messaging to exchange text (SMS) and multimedia messages (MMS) with your friends' mobile phones. Touch New message to start a new text or multimedia message, or touch an existing message thread to open it.
* Music: Use the Music application to listen to and organize audio files you have transferred onto your microSD card from your computer.
* Maps: With Google Maps on your phone, you can find your current location, view real-time traffic conditions, and get detailed directions by foot, public transportation, or car. You'll also be able to navigate using spoken, turn-by-turn driving instructions as well as switch between viewing a street map or a satellite image.
* Car Home: Access Google Maps, Navigation, Voice Search, Contacts, and Search with the touch of a button. Car Home opens with five large buttons that you can touch to access applications that are most useful when you're driving.
* Android Market: With the Android Market, you can browse and search for free and paid applications. Once you find an application you want, you can install it on your phone.

Amazon customer review: "I've had the Google Nexus One for about three or four days now. I got the unlocked version direct from Google for $530, so I can't imagine why anyone would pay the $630 or more other sellers are asking for. Switching my number over to T-Mobile was easy, although it took about a day for the transfer to be finalized, which I'm blaming on Sprint due to my experience with their customer service in the past. And since I have the unlocked phone I was able to get the Even More Plus plan with 500 minutes, unlimited texting and "unlimited" data for $59.99 a month, so I'll be saving a _lot_ of money in the long run compared to the iPhone on AT&T or the Droid on Verizon. So far the phone seems very fast and I've already downloaded several apps. Some people have been making a big deal about the fact that the app space is limited to the internal 512 MB flash drive, unlike the iPhone which can save app data to the main drive. I've installed 9 apps so far, the largest is 3.59MB and the smallest is 664KB, with the total coming to 12MB. According to the memory manager I've still got 153 MB of storage left (apparently the OS takes up about 350MB) so I'm not worried about running out of space before Google comes out with the fix for saving apps to the SD card that they've said they're working on. One important "feature" of the N1 which people may view as a pro or con, depending on your views on privacy, is the integration with all of Google's online applications. When you start the phone up it asks you log into your Google account (I'm not sure what happens if you try to skip that step.) It will then synch the phone with your "My Contacts" list in GMail and will automatically log you into most Google services. This morning while doing a search on my phone during lunch I was a little surprised to see similar searches I'd done this morning on my desktop showing up in the suggestions box. I've also been getting notifications on my phone for all the events I have saved on my Google Calendar. Transferring data to the phone from your computer is simple. It comes with a USB to micro-USB connector, and the hardest part of getting it connected is realizing that after you've plugged it in you need to open the notifications window on the phone and tell it to mount the SD card (this is presumably some kind of security feature in case you lose the phone.) After that you can copy files across just like any other drive. I've already moved about half a gig of music over to the phone. The battery life seems adequate so far. I need to charge the phone every day, but that's probably because I've been spending a considerable amount of time browsing the web with it. Once the novelty wears off (and the work week starts again =) I expect my usage will drop off a bit. I'm still thinking I may want to get a car charger for it though. Speaking of which, web browsing seems to work great, though I do miss tabbed browsing a little. YouTube videos work great, though other sites with the latest version of Flash don't. Adobe is currently working on Flash 10.1 for the Nexus though. It's already in beta and there are demos of it working on YouTube, so hopefully it will be out soon."

So a very efficient, stylish and multi-functional phone from HTC which meets a wide array of needs a user could want.

twilight new moon book online

New Moon (The Twilight Saga) [Mass Market Paperback]

Rescued from the vampire attack that put her in hospital at the close of Twilight (Little, Brown, 2005), Bella enjoys her birthday celebrations with boyfriend Edward and his family, a special group of vampires that has forbid themselves of Human Blood but the celebrations are cut short when Bella cuts her arm accidentally on broken glass.

The sight and smell of her blood trickling away forces the Cullen family to retreat lest they be tempted to make a meal of her. After all is mended, Edward, realizing the danger that he and his family create for Bella, sees no option for her safety but to leave. Mourning his departure, she slips into a downward spiral of depression that penetrates and lingers over her every step. Vampire fans will appreciate the subsequently dour mood that permeates the novel, and it's not until Bella befriends Jacob, a sophomore from her school with a penchant for motorcycles, that both the pace and her disposition begin to take off. Their adventures are wild, dare-devilish, and teeter on the brink of romance, but memories of Edward pervade Bella's emotions, and soon their fun quickly morphs into danger, especially when she uncovers the true identities of Jacob and his pack of friends. Less streamlined than Twilight yet just as exciting, New Moon will more than feed the bloodthirsty hankerings of fans of the first volume and leave them breathless for the third.

Amazon customer review: "So many of the reviews are more about the character's actions- I'd prefer to actually discuss the book. My sister just started high school, she's 15 and she lent New Moon and the first book, Twilight to me. Despite our age gap (I'm sixteen years older) I found them a very engaging and entertaining read. I'm glad to share these with her and I'd suggest them to anyone who is staring at a younger, somewhat mysterious female relative wondering what to buy them for Christmas.

The pacing is good. The book is a quick, satisfying read. My feeling is that the author works through scenes rather than writing in a linear fashion- and the scenes are fairly cinematic in their structure which I personally like. She gets to the point in her stories and fits a lot of action and significant detail in without overwhelming you with a density of vision.

If you're concerned about the content, as in "Is this appropriate to give my neice/cousin's kid etc" you can be assured that the romantic tension captured here is through restraint rather than exploration. Not too surprizingly this is highly seductive. Several reviews seem disappointed by the character's actions and have given fewer stars. However, I'd like to say that this book is clearly part of a larger work and we're seeing Bella at a certain point in her personal growth. It is not a conclusion novel so it doesn't feel like one. She acts like, well, a confused person in love. I think the depiction is honest and it is a good thing when a character can annoy or drive you crazy: it means you're engaged and the author has done their job well.

I'll be honest- I wasn't expecting to be drawn in, now I'm a bit annoyed I have to wait until next fall.

New Moon is the sequel to Twilight, so I'm covering both in my review. I think it could stand alone but I'd stronly recommend reading Twilight first as it really gives the foundations and 'rules' of Bella's world."

So a fascinating read for fans of fantasy thrillers and fans of the Twilight saga as a whole.

Prevents that awkward talk with your neighbor in the hallway.

Alexis Bledel Fergie Jill Arrington Amber Brkich Noureen DeWulf

Bill Hader, Victoria Justice, James Otto & Ronnie Milsap

Virginie Ledoyen Taylor Swift Megan Fox Jodi Lyn OKeefe Jennifer Love Hewitt

leslie nielsen

Friends and fans of comedy legend Leslie Nielsen are gathering in their thousands on Twitter with their most loved on and off-screen memories of the actor who died of Pneumonia on Sunday at the age of 84. His death has today sent shockwaves through Hollywood where a few high profile celebrities have paied their respects to the actor through Twitter.

Many are citing one of Nielsen's most famous catch phrases from his 1980 film "Airplane!": "I am serious, and don't call me Shirley." "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest tweeted, "Sad to hear about Leslie Nielsen passing. To this day ‘Airplane' is still one of my favorite comedies ever." Comedian Russell Brand paid tribute, writing, "RIP. Leslie Nielsen. Shirley, he will be missed." Rocker Slash called Nielsen "one of my all time favorite comedians," adding, "U my friend, will be missed big time. Wow, what a loss."

So a very sad day as the comic legend leaves us but with plenty of jovial memories left behind of the man.

When Blaine (Darren Criss) and the Warblers of Dalton Academy doo-wopped Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream," it reached number one on the Billboard chart, a "Glee" first. Do we think the same will happen for their performance of Train's "Hey Soul Sister" this week?

Christina DaRe Rachel Hunter Kate Groombridge Tila Tequila Kate Bosworth

One thing that I do love about the National Basketball Association is when a little guy dunks on a rather larger fellow.

The Thunder's Russel Westbrook decided to put Rockets forward Shane Battier on a poster with this nasty dunk from last night:

(Courtesy of The Basketball Jones)

During yesterday's Ravens/Buccaneers tilt, Tampa Bay's Aqib Talib came up with an impressive interception of Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco.

What's the old saying, two shins are better than two hands?

During Saturday's Oklahoma-Oklahoma State game, Oklahoma State's Broderick Brown deflected a pass thrown by Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones that was going out of bounds.

Brown's deflection was so impressive that the ball ricocheted into the hands of teammate Shaun Lewis for the interception:

(Courtesy of The Sports Geeks)

During yesterday's Texans/Titans affair, Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson and Titans defensive back Cortland Finnegan got into a little brewhaha after some rough play during the game.

The NFL is currently reviewing the below fight to see if there will be any suspensions or fines levied against either player:

(Courtesy of Bob's Blitz)

Capri Anderson - the woman who was found in Charlie Sheen’s hotel room last month – has announced that she is suing the actor for battery and false imprisonment.� The porn star was hired by Sheen that night to escort … Continue reading →

Kelly Monaco Jules Asner Amerie Larissa Meek Michael Michele

CNN: Justices turn aside another challenge over Obama's citizenship

U.S. scientists have identified rocks that “may contain evidence of life on Mars”.

After consecutive losses to the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants entered Week 12 in dire need of a victory to end their recent slide and keep pace in the NFC playoff picture.

So with the Jacksonville Jaguars paying a visit to the new Meadowlands Stadium, and games against the Washington Redskins (2), the Minnesota Vikings, the Eagles and the Green Bay Packers remaining on their schedule, it goes without saying the Giants’ margin for error decreases significantly with each passing week.

That said, as Week 12 action draws to a close, the G-Men should be extremely thankful for several results that placed them in prime position to control their playoff destiny.

5. Minnesota Vikings – 17, Washington Redskins – 13

Prior to their home tilt with Minnesota, the Redskins stood only one game behind the Giants in the NFC East and the race for the last NFC wild-card spot.

However, despite Leslie Frazier making his debut on the head coaching circuit and Adrian Peterson, the NFC’s leading rusher, sidelined since the second quarter with an ankle injury, Minnesota handed the Redskins a crushing defeat at FedEx Field.

The loss opened the door for the Giants to double their lead over Washington with only five games left to play in the regular season.

4. Baltimore Ravens – 17, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 10

With an enthusiastic, young second-year head coach and a 22-year-old quarterback who’s taken giant leaps in his maturation process this season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have gone from preseason outcasts to viable playoff contenders.

And with a dominating 21-0 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 11, Tampa Bay moved one game ahead of the Giants for the final wild-card spot in the NFC.

But a tough road loss to the Baltimore Ravens, one of the top teams in the AFC, left the Buccaneers on the outside looking in coming down the home stretch and in a chase with the Green Bay Packers to catch the New York Giants for the aforementioned wild-card spot.

3. Atlanta Falcons – 20, Green Bay Packers – 17

Unlike Tampa Bay, several NFL analysts tabbed the Packers to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLV.

Nevertheless, following Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the Packers, who have made due in spite of season-ending injuries to running back Ryan Grant and tight end Jermichael Finley, wouldn’t even make the playoffs if the season ended today.

In fact, as it currently stands, Green Bay has to leap-frog the Buccaneers and the Giants to qualify for the postseason. So their game against New York at Lambeau Field the day after Christmas looms extremely large.

2. Chicago Bears – 31, Philadelphia Eagles – 26

Although the Chicago Bears have their fair share of doubters, all they do is keep on winning to maintain their lead over Green Bay in the NFC Central.

Their fourth consecutive victory, and their most convincing one of the season, came at the expense of Michael Vick and the red-hot Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field.

So although the Eagles remain perched atop the NFC East by virtue of their win over New York in Week 11, they have a quick turn-around this week as they face the Houston Texans Thursday evening before hitting the road to take on the Dallas Cowboys and the Giants in Week 14 and Week 15 respectively.

In addition, what the Eagles’ loss did is give the Giants an edge over Philadelphia in a conference tie-breaker scenario if that were ever to come into play as far as postseason positioning is concerned.

1. New York Giants – 24, Jacksonville Jaguars – 20

If the Giants can consistently play turnover-free football and combine it with a swarming defense that pounds opposing quarterbacks into submission, like they did in the second half of their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, they should win their five remaining games to qualify for the postseason.

And for New York, controlling their own destiny is exactly the position they want to be in at this stage of the season.

Therefore, the G-Men can look to Week 12 as a time when the football bounced in their favor in Washington, Baltimore, Atlanta, Chicago and, most importantly, in the friendly confines of the new Meadowlands Stadium.

Now it’s all on their shoulders to capitalize on this good fortune.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and highlights from Week 12 action in the NFL.