A Czech mother is accused of partially skinning her sons and feeding their raw flesh to relatives. Kalra Mauerova, a member of the Grail Movement Cult, admitted in court to caging and torturing her sons, Ondrej and Jakub.
The boys say they were kept in cages or handcuffed to furniture while their family sexually abused them. The family also made the children cut themselves with knives.
Mauerova installed monitors so she could watch her sons being tortured. The abuse and torture of the boys is believed to have been coordinated by the cult leader, known only as ‘Doctor.’
Ondrej and Jakub’s abuse was discovered by a neighbor, who installed a TV monitor in his home so he could watch his newborn baby. Instead of seeing his baby, the man got images of the boys naked and chained in the cellar of his neighbor’s home.
Police were called to the residence and freed the boys and what appeared to be a 13-year-old girl. The ‘girl’ was later identified as Barbora Skrlova, 34. Skrlova helped torture the boys.
Mauerova claims Skrlova brainwashed her into abusing her sons. “Terrible things have happened. I realize it and can’t understand how I could have allowed it,” Mauerova told authorities.
Mauerova’s trial is still underway.
[Source: TransWorldNews]
Grail Movement Cult Members Skin Boys, Ate Raw Flesh
Sebrle is the greatest male athlete across all-sports
USA’s respected financial publication The Wall Street Journal recently drew together a panel of 5 judges, to study the achievements of 79 male sportsmen across all sports, and decided that Czech Roman Sebrle, the World Decathlon record holder, is currently the world’s greatest sportsman.
While the study was “not completely scientific” as The Wall Street Journal itself admits, it asked its panel to rank the sportsmen based on six criteria: speed; vision and reflex; stamina and recovery; coordination and flexibility; power, strength and size; and success and competitiveness.
The final category examined success - records held and victories - as well as competitiveness, based on the sport's popularity. Soccer, for example, the world's most popular sport, was judged the most competitive.
The panel gave a total score for each athlete in the first round. Sixty athletes were eliminated in the second round, either because of low scores or because they were not first in their field.
The panelists then made the final ranking with Yale statistician John Emerson helping to normalize the scores so no single panel member could exert undue influence.
In the overall scoring, track and field athletics faired very well with World and Olympic champions Liu Xiang (110m Hurdles) and Jeremy Wariner (400m) also making the top 10, against their contemporaries from football, boxing, golf, tennis etc….
Results of a study of women sports stars will follow in a separate article.
Vera Stiegler for the IAAF
Click here to read more about The Wall Street Journal’s sports poll
Click here to see the listing of the world’s greatest athletes
[Source: IAAF]
Gibbons out, Gaston back in as Blue Jays manager
The Blue Jays are planning a major shakeup with manager John Gibbons expected to be replaced by former manager Cito Gaston, SI.com has learned. Most of the coaching staff is expected to be let go as well.
The Blue Jays had been expected to contend for their first postseason appearance since 1993, when Gaston managed them to their second straight World Series title. Instead, they have struggled, going 35-39 and are in last place in the AL East, 10.5 games behind the first-place Red Sox.
Gibbons is in his fifth year as Toronto's manager and has a 305-305 record. Gaston managed the Blue Jays from 1989-1997, leading the team to four American League East titles and back-to-back World Series crowns in 1992 and 1993. He has not managed since leaving Toronto.
[Source: Sports Illustrated]
Beware Gimmicks Promising Better Mileage
Ever-increasing gas prices are sending motorists in search of sometimes unconventional ways to improve their cars' gas mileage.
Some products are geared heavily toward consumers and promise to make nearly any vehicle more fuel efficient. But "Good Morning America" technology contributor Becky Worley discovered some items may not live up to their fuel-efficient claims, which use additives, reformulators and special magnets as gimmicks.
Ethos
At $45 per 32-ounce bottle, it claims to increase fuel efficiency between 7 and 19 percent. What Becky Says
I have not seen any changes in fuel efficiency as a result of adding the liquid to my gas tank. To further my belief that this is a dubious product, when I called some of the distributors listed online for Ethos, the first two numbers were cell phones that were no longer in service and the third had a message saying the person was "locked up" until July 7.
What the Experts Say
The Environmental Protection Agency has evaluated or tested more than 100 alleged gas-saving devices and has not found any product that significantly improves gas mileage. In fact, some so-called gas-saving products may damage a car's engine or cause a substantial increase in exhaust emissions.
Gas-Saving Magnets
The fuel saver's magnet claims it has been tested and approved by an EPA-accepted laboratory to increase fuel economy up to 11.6 percent.
It gives a seemingly scientific online explanation for why the product works, including claims that clustered fuel molecules cause incomplete fuel burning.
What the Experts Say
The EPA has tested all kinds of fuel-line magnets, but no magnetic technology has ever been proven to improve mileage. The science is fundamentally flawed. Fuels in most engines burn at 99 percent efficiency. There's no leftover energy that escapes. Even if the magnets did break up fuel clusters, they'd only be able to improve fuel efficiency by 1 percent.
Plus, if this worked, why wouldn't car manufacturers have the technology built into their cars? The Federal Trade Commission has gone after marketers of fuel-line magnets in the past but the products just keep popping up.
Using Water to Improve Gas Mileage
The claim is that by using water hooked up to your car battery, you use electrolysis to create energy and double your fuel efficiency. To do this you attend a seminar for $145 or buy a converter for $185.
What the Experts Say
There is a lot of controversy online about this technology. On one hand, people believe that the law of conservation of energy says you can't make fuel out of nothing. Others say that it can improve engine efficiency. Basically, I don't think it's worth doing the experiment on your own car. I talked to AAA and officials there warn that this kind of modification could void your warranty and end up costing you in repairs in the long run. And if this was such a straightforward economizer, with hybrid sales up 25 percent, why aren't the major manufacturers putting a mason jar and some tubing in their engines to increase fuel efficiency?
Fuel Mizer
For $69 you can purchase a Fuel Mizer that mounts on your car's dashboard and lets you know when your driving patterns are decreasing fuel efficiency.
What Becky Says
I am using the Fuel Mizer now on my mini-van and it's great. There's no installation. You just stick it to the dash board where you can see it. It tells you when you are accelerating too fast or braking too hard, and curtailing these two activities as much as possible can help to improve your fuel efficiency.
It beeps at you and flashes lights to communicate your driving habits and that gets a little annoying. I probably won't drive with it on all the time but it's beneficial for retraining me. I'm more aware of my inefficient driving habits.
What the Experts Say
Car and Driver magazine tested the Fuel Mizer and reported a 10 percent increase in fuel economy.
One note: I used the fuel additive but I can't give you any kind of quantitative number for what mileage changes I experienced. From everything I've read, this kind of testing needs to be done in a very controlled environment and I would be a total hack if I tried to represent anything other than my qualitative experience with the products.
Gut Gas Guzzling Without Gadgets
Here are some tips to improve your vehicle's efficiency without using gadgets or additives.
Replace your air filter.
Make sure your tires are inflated properly.
Remove ski racks or cargo carriers from the vehicle.
Finally, use cruise control and drive less than 60 miles an hour to conserve fuel.
[Source: ABC News]
COMMENTARY: Summer solstice calls for some sun-worshiping celebrations
Bring on the iced lattes and energy drinks - if there's one day that you don't want to be short on energy, it's today. June 20 marks summer solstice, the longest day of the year for those of us in the northern hemisphere. In the Bay Area, we'll get to enjoy nearly 15 hours of daylight, as the sun rises at 5:47 a.m. and sets at 8:31 p.m.
The cause of the summer solstice - the name of which is derived from the Latin words sol meaning "sun," and sistere, meaning "stand still" - is due to the angle of the earth on its axis. On this day, the earth is at its greatest tilt toward the sun (in winter, it is tilted away), and the sun is in its northernmost position of the year, above the Tropic of Cancer, where it will hover, shedding maximum rays toward earth before beginning its journey back toward the equator.
Known as "midsummer" in previous centuries, the day was revered by many cultures, from the Druids to the Incas to ancient Egyptians. They held festivals and feasts to celebrate the bounty of the warmer months and, in some locations, the monsoon rains, which enriched the land.
Summer solstice was also viewed by many as a time of fertility and good fortune, with weddings traditionally taking place on the day or within the month (June continues to be the most popular month for weddings).
Today, the observance of summer solstice in America is much more low-key, save for some community festivals and neo-pagan celebrations throughout the country. But it doesn't have to be this way. Why not welcome the beginning of summer with some revelry?
Take a cue from bygone eras, when people celebrated the solstice at sunrise, and head to Santa Cruz to greet the early sun on the beach. Alternately, you could celebrate the day by indulging in some sun worship - hike, try horseback riding, sail, kayak, play golf or organize an impromptu weekend camping trip.
Come evening, bonfires are a particularly popular route to go, as is hosting an at-home fete in honor of the long-lasting daylight.
Try a wine-tasting party, keeping it light with whites and rosés a "chilled" party, with frozen drinks and raw foods; a garden party, with fruits and edible flowers; or even a fiery summer sun party, where you can serve spicy foods or those in tones of yellow, orange and red, and listen to songs with the word "summer" in them.
If being social isn't your style, appreciate the day with some thoughtful solitude about what the next phase of the year will bring. After all, for ancient civilizations, summer solstice was like our modern-day New Year's Eve and was viewed as a time of rebirth and renewal. You could create a revamped resolution list, reviewing your year thus far and thinking about what you'd like to see happen before you ring in 2009. Or maybe plan a trip to someplace you've always wanted to see. Not sure where to go? You could always schedule a trip for next year to the Mecca of all summer solstice celebrations: Stonehenge, where hordes of tourists and neo-druids alike gather to spend the night at the sacred site.
Celebrations such as these might seem archaic, but in a time of frenzied schedules and fast-paced living, summer solstice offers a nice opportunity to bask in a fresh season while taking pleasure in the little things in life: friends, new beginnings, the beauty of Mother Nature and just the simple joy of a few more moments of sunlight.
[source: Mercury news]
Photos, Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet: Suit Sweet Tooth AND Lose Weight?!
A cookie Diet that allows you to lose weight...this has to be a joke, right? Well, according to CookieDiet.Com and Dr. Siegal, it's not a joke at all!
Let's be honest, here. Most of us have a sweet tooth - and no matter what diet we're on, we always catch ourselves rummaging through our refrigerator in the middle of the night looking for something to satisfy to snack on, ruining all the efforts we made that week - but now we can eat cookies and not feel guilty!
Website CookieDiet.Com says: Let's face it: hunger wrecks diets. No matter how motivated you are, it's nearly impossible to stick to a diet when you're hungry. That's why renowned physician, author, and weight loss expert Sanford Siegal, D.O., M.D., created his hunger-controlling Dr. Siegal's 'Cookie Diet' foods more than thirty years ago. Dr. Siegal's meal replacement diet cookies and shakes contain his secret blend of amino acid food proteins that curb your appetite without drugs and enable you to stick to the diet that your own doctor supervises.
Go here for more and photos of the mixes! Good luck!
[Source: Post Chronicle]
KHOU - Collapse At Rice University Kills 1, Injures 7
HOUSTON (CBS) ― One person was killed and seven were injured after a dorm collapse at Rice University in Houston Thursday afternoon, CBS affiliate KHOU reported.
According to KHOU, the collapse happened at a new dormitory that was under construction. A second-floor wall collapsed without warning.
According to KHOU, firefighters rescued at least four people who were trapped in the second-floor rubble, lowering them to the ground on gurneys.
[Source: cbs11tv.com]
Christina Szele Charged with Assault for Punching Flight Attendant
A
The JetBlue flight made an emergency landing in
She told police that she had two beers before boarding the flight from
[Source: Trans World News]
Government Crackdown on Mortgage Fraud
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department announced Thursday that 406 people had been indicted since March on charges of mortgage fraud involving the sale of individual properties, including about 60 who were arrested on Wednesday.
The sweep, called Operation Malicious Mortgage, focused primarily on three types of crime: lending fraud, foreclosure rescue frauds and mortgage-related bankruptcy schemes, the department said. The indictments stemmed from 144 cases that resulted in more than $1 billion in estimated losses.
Deputy Attorney General Mark R. Filip said in a statement that the operation was intended to send the message that “the Department of Justice is determined to detect and to punish mortgage fraud and to help restore stability and confidence in our housing and credit markets.”
The “integrity and credibility” of the nation’s troubled housing and credit markets “depend upon fair dealing,” Mr. Filip said. “And while the law, of course, cannot dictate economic outcomes or protect individuals from bad investment decisions or unlucky breaks, it does protect them from fraud.”
The F.B.I. has more than 40 task forces around the country that are working with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies on mortgage fraud issues. Its caseload has nearly doubled in the last three years, from 721 mortgage fraud cases in 2005 to more than 1,400 cases that are currently pending.
Robert S. Mueller III, director of the F.B.I., noted that the event was the third time since 2004 that the Justice Department had consolidated its recent mortgage fraud numbers as an “operation.”
People who are considering committing some mortgage-related fraud, Mr. Mueller said, should know that “we will investigate, and we will prosecute, and justice will be done.”
[Source: The New York Times]
Debra Ryan - Girlfriend of Wanted Hedge Fund Cheat Arrested
The live-in girlfriend of fugitive hedge fund trader Sam Israel was arrested Thursday for aiding him in staging a suicide ruse and assisting him in his flight from a 20 year prison sentence, according to a federal complaint unsealed in New York.
Israel's sentence was meted out by a federal judge in April after he pleaded guilty to defrauding investors in his Bayou fund of more than $400 million dollars.
According to the complaint, Debra Ryan, after repeatedly denying any knowledge of Israel's whereabouts admitted to federal Marshal's today that on Sunday June 8th she had helped the fugitive financier attach a motor scooter to the back of his RV and then helped him pack the RV with his belongings.
On Monday June 9th, Ryan said, according to the complaint, that Israel "woke her up and told her that he needed her help." Then Israel drove the RV to a rest area en route to the bridge, Ryan followed in her own car, according to the complaint. She then drove Israel back to their home.
[Source: ABC News]
Anne Donovan - Dream support WNBA's Hammon's decision to play for Russia in Olympics
They may be rivals on the court Wednesday night, but the Dream support Becky Hammon off of it.
The San Antonio guard's decision to play for Russia in the Olympics despite her lack of any former ties to the country has been criticized and analyzed the past several days.
Getty Images
(ENLARGE)
Becky Hammon has no Russian ancestry and had never been to the country before signing a contract to play professionally there. Yet under Russian rules, a player who has not played for another country internationally can become a naturalized citizen and then play for the Olympic team.
Your Turn
WNBA's Becky Hammon will play for Russia in the summer Olympics. Do you feel she's betraying America?
Yes
No
Voter Limit: Once per Hour
View Poll Results
But Dream players believe the backlash, particularly from Team USA Coach Anne Donovan, is unwarranted.
"I don't think she deserves that at all because I've been coached by Anne Donovan, and it wouldn't surprise me the things she's saying about Becky," Dream guard Betty Lennox said. "I'm not going to get into anything. I'm just going to say that's something she would say."
Hammon has asserted to ESPN that even though she desperately wished to represent her country, she was never on the short list of candidates for the U.S. Olympic team.
So when Russia made her an offer to play with its team — along with a reported seven-figure paycheck — Hammon rushed to become a citizen.
"If you play in this country, live in this country, and you grow up in the heartland and you put on a Russian uniform, you are not a patriotic person in my mind," Donovan told ESPN.
Dream forward Kristn Mann acknowledged she hasn't been paying too much attention to the drama but chose to side with her colleague.
"Basketball is basketball," Mann said. " I mean she wants that gold medal, so if it's for her country or it's for another team that's going to provide that for her, then let her play. Let her do what she loves to do."
Lennox said that like Hammon, she dreams of competing in the Olympics. So if another country presented her with an offer, she would most likely jump at the chance to compete.
"I can't say definitely yes, but I want to win a gold medal. Who wouldn't want to win a gold medal to add to their resume?" Lennox said. "I wish Becky the best of luck. I hope she gets a good chance of winning a gold medal because that's all of our dreams."
When the two teams face off tonight in the Philips Arena, Lennox plans to offer some supportive words.
"I'm just going to tell her to keep her head up," Lennox said. "Enjoy your opportunity while you can. Don't worry about what's been said. You made the decision and deal with it."
[Source: AJC.com]
NY Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw jailed in southwest Virginia
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw is serving a 30-day jail sentence on a probation violation in southwest Virginia, his legal counsel said Thursday.
Charles A. Stacy said in a news release that Bradshaw, who reported to the Abingdon Regional Jail on Sunday, is being held on a violation from the Tazewell County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court.
Stacy said the underlying charge stems from an offense that occurred while Bradshaw, a native of Bluefield, was a juvenile.
"Mr. Bradshaw has not been charged with any offense since being drafted by the New York Giants and is eager to put this matter behind him and begin training for next season," Stacy said in the statement.
His office declined to release any additional information.
Bradshaw, a key player in the Giants' Super Bowl victory against the New England Patriots last February, reported to the jail under a court order and is being held without bond, jail employee Stephen Clear said.
Bradshaw, who played in college at Marshall, rushed for 45 yards in New York's 17-14 victory against the Patriots. He also recovered a fumble.
The Giants said they were aware of Bradshaw's situation.
"This situation is not the result of any recent incident," the team said. "It stems from an issue that occurred prior to Ahmad being drafted by the Giants. Beyond that, we have no further comment."
After a dazzling career at Graham High School, where he rushed for 5,265 yards and 92 touchdowns, Bradshaw was recruited by and originally enrolled at Virginia, but was dismissed from the Cavaliers football team without ever playing a game after pleading guilty to resisting arrest and underage drinking, both misdemeanors, and being placed on probation.
He rushed for almost 3,000 yards and 31 touchdowns in three seasons at Marshall after joining the team as a walk-on, but also had another arrest, this time for allegedly stealing a PlayStation 2 video game.
He pleaded guilty in that case to misdemeanor petit larceny and was given two years probation. A 12-month jail sentence was suspended.
[Source: Associated Press]
Dueling Teen Pregnancy Tales: Jamie Lynn Spears and Gloucester High
And nine months later, she gave birth to a bouncing baby girl, and another Internet frenzy.
Jamie Lynn Spears, the TV actress and sister of the singer Britney Spears, sent the celebrity gossip machinery into a lather last December when, at the age of 16, she confirmed to the world that “I’m pregnant.” Today, she’s rocketing to the top of Google’s search charts with the arrival, reported initially by People magazine, of Maddie Briann, weighing in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces. (The child presumably has a surname, but it isn’t mentioned in the report.)
In the intervening months, Ms. Spears has tried to chip away at what seemed like a scandal to most people. While avoiding the paparazzi, she passed a few important milestones to adulthood: she got engaged to the young man who is reportedly the baby’s father, she passed her G.E.D. exams, she bought a home in Liberty, Miss., and she turned 17, the legal age of consent in Louisiana, where she and her family had been living.
Just when it was starting to look safe to embrace that all’s-well-that-ends-well feeling, though, a disturbing new blast of teenage pregnancy news has surfaced: a sudden baby boom among students at Gloucester High School in Massachusetts, which Time Magazine says is apparently no coincidence:
As summer vacation begins, 17 girls at Gloucester High School are expecting babies — more than four times the number of pregnancies the 1,200-student school had last year. […] All it took was a few simple questions before nearly half the expecting students, none older than 16, confessed to making a pact to get pregnant and raise their babies together. Then the story got worse. “We found out one of the fathers is a 24-year-old homeless guy,” the principal says, shaking his head.
Once again, the news has touched off a round of soul-searching and finger-pointing. According to the Time article, adults in Gloucester variously blame a depressed local economy, broken families, adrift children, difficult access to birth control and hit movies like “Juno” and “Knocked Up” that they say glamorize pregnancy to young audiences. Bad examples set by celebrities off-screen did not come up, though, and no one Time talked to in Gloucester seems to have mentioned the most famous teen mother of the moment.
[Source: New York Times]
US schoolgirls in 'pregnancy pact'
Officials at a Massachusetts school are investigating reports of a "pregnancy pact" after a huge spike in the number of teenage girls expecting babies.
Time magazine reported that 17 girls at Gloucester High School in Gloucester, a largely Catholic fishing town of 30,000, are pregnant, four times as many as last year. All are 16 or younger.
Joseph Sullivan, the school's headmaster, told the magazine that last autumn officials began noticing a large number of girls had started asking for pregnancy tests at the school clinic. By May, the nurse had given 150 tests and some students were coming back several times.
"Some girls seemed more upset when they weren't pregnant than when they were," Mr Sullivan told Time.
The girls were questioned and nearly half admitted to making a pact with their peers to get pregnant and raise their babies together.
Time said some of the fathers were men in their 20s. "We found out one of the fathers is a 24-year-old homeless guy," Mr Sullivan told the magazine.
The baby boom has prompted calls for better contraceptive services, including prescriptions for students that do not require parental consent. The calls were met with such fierce opposition that the proponents, a nurse and doctor who described the situation as "an epidemic of teen pregnancy", resigned.
The nation's teenage pregnancy rate increased in 2006 for the first time in 14 years, according to the most recent figures from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
Some blame the trend on films such as Juno and Knocked Up, arguably pro-pregnancy films that show young, unwed mothers, or celebrities such as Jamie Lynn Spears, the 17-year-old sister of Britney, who yesterday gave birth to a baby girl.
One young mother and former student of Gloucester High, which has a free day care centre for children, said many of the now pregnant students approached her when she was expecting and said how lucky she was to have a baby.
"They're so excited to finally have someone to love them unconditionally," Amanda Ireland, 18, told Time. "I try to explain it's hard to feel loved when an infant is screaming to be fed at 3 am."
[ Source: Telegraph.co.uk]
Shigeo Tokuda - Japan's Booming Sex Niche: Elder Porn
Besides his glowing complexion, Shigeo Tokuda looks like any other 74-year-old man in Japan. Despite suffering a heart attack three years ago, the lifelong salaryman now feels healthier, and lives happily with his wife and a daughter in downtown Tokyo. He is, of course, more physically active than most retirees, but that's because he's kept his part-time job — as a porn star.
Shigeo Tokuda is, in fact, his screen name — he prefers not to disclose his real name because, he insists, his wife and daughter have no idea that he has appeared in about 350 films over the past 14 years. And in his double-life, Tokuda arguably embodies the contemporary state of Japan's sexuality: In surveys conducted by organizations ranging from the World Health Organization (WHO) to the condom-maker Durex, Japan is repeatedly found to be one of the most sexless societies in the industrialized world. A WHO report released in March found that one in four married couples in Japan had not made love in the previous year, while 38% of couples in their 50s no longer have sex at all. These figures were attributed to the stresses of Japanese working life. Yet, at the same time, the country has seen a surge in demand for pornography that has turned adult videos into a billion-dollar industry, with "elder porn" one of its fastest growing genres.
Tokuda is rare among Japanese porn stars in that his name has become a brand. The Shigeo Tokuda series he's just completed portray him as a tactful elderly gentleman who instructs women of different ages in the erotic arts, and he boasts a body of work far more impressive than most actors in their prime.
Tokuda's exploits have proved to be a goldmine for Glory Quest, which first launched an "old-man" series, Maniac Training of Lolitas, in December 2004. Its popularity led the company to follow up with Tokuda starring in Forbidden Elderly Care in August 2006. Other series followed, and soon elder porn had revealed itself as a sustainable new revenue stream for the industry. "The adult video industry is very competitive," says Glory Quest p.r. representative Kayoko Iimura. "If we only make standard fare, we cannot beat other studios. There were already adult videos with Lolitas or themes of incest, so we wanted to make something new. A relationship between wife and an old father-in-law has enough twist to create an atmosphere of mystery and captivate viewers' hearts."
Director Gaichi Kono says the eroticism of their elders is captivating to younger viewers. "I think that as a subject, there is this something that only an older generation has and the young people do not possess. It is because they lived that much more. We should respect them and learn from them," says Kono passionately.
But Tokuda stresses the appeal of his work to an audience of his peers: "Elderly people don't identify with school dramas," he says. "It's easier for them to relate to older men and daughters-in-law series, so they tend to watch adult videos with older people in them." The veteran porn star plans to keep working until he's 80, or older, as long as the industry will cast him — and given the bullish market for his work, he's unlikely to go without work.
"People of my age generally have shame so they are very hesitant to show their private parts," Tokuda says, "but I am proud of myself doing something they cannot." Still, he laughs, "That doesn't mean that I can tell them about my old-age pensioner job."
Japan's adult video industry is believed to be worth as much as $1 billion a year according to industry insiders, with the largest rental video store chain Tsutaya releases about 1,000 new titles monthly, while and the mega adult mail-order site DMM releases about 2,000 titles each month. Although films featuring women in their teens and 20s are the mainstay of the industry, a trend toward "mature women" has become evident over the past five years. Currently, about 300 of the 1,000 adult videos on offer at Tsutaya, and 400 out of the 2,000 at DMM, are "mature women" films.
Ryuichi Kadowaki, director of Ruby Inc. which specializes in "mature women" titles, says that when the company started the genre a few years ago, the term referred to actresses in their late 20s, and last year it was expanded to ladies in their 70s. And the company sees the advantage of the "mature" titles is their enduring appeal: "Adult videos with young actresses sell well only in the first three months after the release," Kadowaki explains. "On the other hand, 'mature women' films enjoy a steady, long-term popularity, which after 10 years or so might lead to a best-seller." And then there are the cost savings — a popular young actress can earn up to $100,000 per film, while a mature actress is paid only $2,000. The market for "elder porn" has doubled over the past decade, according to Kadowaki. "In the view of the aging society," he adds, "I think that in the future we will see a steady increase in demand."
[Source: Time]
Kendal Sheppard of "Road Rules" Blasts Josh Henderson for Being Deadbeat Dad
Kendal Sheppard, one of the stars of MTV's "Road Rules", blasted actor Josh Henderson on her MySpace profile Tuesday for being a deadbeat daddy.
In a MySpace blog entitled "Father's Day and My Baby's Daddy," Sheppard, 27, expressed her emotions about the dichotomy of her relationship with her her son Asa and Henderson, his father.
"With my son's first birthday on the same day as Father's day, I can't help but have mixed feelings," says Sheppard. "I am so excited to celebrate the day my very favorite boy was born, but a feeling of anger and rage sweeps my body when I think of little Asa's biological dead beat dad."
Sheppard explains that
Sheppard also said that
Sheppard was featured on MTV’s "Road Rules: Campus Crawl" in the series’ eleventh season. She later was featured on MTV’s "The Inferno".
[Source: TransWorldNews.com]
Wikileaks Acquires Counterinsurgency Manual
"The document, which has been verified, is official US Special Forces doctrine. It directly advocates training paramilitaries, pervasive surveillance, censorship, press control and restrictions on labor unions & political parties. It directly advocates warrantless searches, detainment without charge and the suspension of habeas corpus. It directly advocates bribery, employing terrorists, false flag operations and concealing human rights abuses from journalists. And it directly advocates the extensive use of 'psychological operations' (propaganda) to make these and other 'population & resource control' measures more palatable."
[Source: Slashdot]
Gary Zerola: 'Eligible Bachelor' Arrested After Celtics' Win
BOSTON -- A lawyer who was acquitted of two rape charges after being named one of People magazine's "Most Eligible Bachelors" was arrested Wednesday and charged with hitting a police officer who confronted him for urinating in public.
Gary Zerola, 36, was arrested near Faneuil Hall about 1:45 a.m., as fans celebrated the Celtics' victory in the NBA Finals.
Zerola unbuttoned his pants and turned toward the corner of a building, according to a police report filed by Sgt. David O'Connor.
When O’Connor confronted Zerola and ordered him to stop, Zerola struck O'Connor on the shoulder and fled before being tackled by officers a few blocks away, according to the report.
In 2001, Zerola was named one of People's 50 most eligible bachelors.
In court Wednesday, Zerola had two bandages on his knees and one on his right hand - injuries he said he received when he was arrested.
Zerola said he had been at the game and was celebrating the Celtics’ win.
"I was trying to go home, that's all," he said. "It was one of the best nights of my life that ended with a thud."
Zerola denied the charges and was released on personal recognizance.
His arrest comes days after prosecutors in Florida dropped charges that he raped an 18-year-old woman at a Miami Beach hotel.
Zerola also was acquitted earlier this year of rape and attempted rape in cases involving two other women in the Boston area.
[Source: thebostonchannel.com]
Michelle Obama Makes Appeal to Women Voters, Co-Hosts 'The View'
Michelle Obama makes her debut appearance on ABC's "The View" Wednesday as her husband, presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama, fights for key women voters.
Her appearance on a popular women's daytime television program coincides with subtle attempts by the Obama campaign to soften her image and combat efforts by some conservatives and critics to paint her as an unpatriotic, angry, black woman.
Obama, 44, would become the nation's first African American first lady if her husband wins the White House in November, and one of the youngest since Jackie Kennedy.
Obama's 'View'
Mrs. Obama co-hosts the program Wednesday alongside regulars including Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, and Elisabeth Hasselbeck who grilled Obama's husband on the show last March for their association with Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
"She needs to relax, show she has a sense of humor and is someone who can laugh at herself," said Myra Gutin, a first lady historian at New Jersey's Rider University and author of the 1989 book The President's Partner: The First Lady in the 20th Century.
Michelle Obama is viewed more favorably by likely voters than Cindy McCain, 48 percent to 39 percent, according to a recent ABC News/Washington Post poll. But while Obama leads in favorability, many voters say they haven't formed an opinion yet of McCain, and slightly more voters also view Obama unfavorably -- 29 percent vs. McCain's 25 percent.
[Source: ABC News]
Jen Moss: Oregon lady to go naked to the Fourth of July parade
Jen Moss has been known as "The Naked Lady" in Ashland, Oregon, ever since she moved to the town from California, when she found out that the local laws require people to cover only their genitalia in public. Since she moved in Ashland from Ojai, California (where she was known as "Pastie Lady" or "Earth Friend Jen"), Jan Moss was often spotted around town riding her bicycle topless, an act, Moss says, which provoked harassment by the California police in the past. But this year Jen Moss will push the Oregon's town decency laws to their limits - she has applied for an entry to the annual 4th of July parade and plans, of course, to participate while wearing nothing but a G-string.
The local Chamber of Commerce says that's contrary to the rules for the family celebration, but Jen Moss says she'll sue if she can't parade as she desires. According to a post she made online, the Naked Lady plans "wearing only a hemp G-string and blowing a conch shell" during the parade. "We don't feel that someone in the parade who is topless or nearly naked is appropriate for a family audience. She's welcome on any other day of the year to do that. But not on the Fourth of July while in the parade," parade chairman James Kidd was quoted. If this story pick up national attention, odds makers are sure to post odds on the outcome.
[Source: OG Paper]
Tiger Woods Website: Woods to Undergo Season-Ending Knee Surgery, Golf Channel Says
June 18 (Bloomberg) -- Tiger Woods has decided to undergo season-ending knee surgery just two days after winning the U.S. Open championship in a playoff over Rocco Mediate, the Golf Channel said on its Web site.
Woods sustained a ``small stress fracture'' in his left leg about two week before the Open, which was causing him pain throughout the tournament, the Golf Channel said, citing unidentified people. Woods's agent, Mark Steinberg, didn't immediately return a phone call and e-mail message seeking comment.
The world's top-ranked golfer needs surgery to repair his anterior cruciate ligament and rest ``to get him back to 100 percent,'' Golf Channel said. He's expected to be able to return for the 2009 season, the cable network added on its Web site.
Woods's win at the U.S. Open, his third at the tournament and 14th major title overall, came in his return from a knee operation he had in April. He limped at times over the five days at Torrey Pines Golf Course, grimaced after some swings and even used his club as a cane at several points.
[Source: Bloomberg.com]
Dragon Millipede Photo: Among Top 10 New Species
Dragon Millipede Photo - Thousands of new species have been discovered on Earth in the last year, and only 10 of them are special enough to make it to the top.
Scientists recently released a list of the top 10 new species discovered in 2007, the star of which seems to be the shocking little pink Dragon Millipede.
[Source: The Post Chronicle]
Tim Russert Wake: President Bush attends
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush and his wife, Laura, went to a wake for Tim Russert, the television newsman who died last Friday.
Bush and his wife rode in a short, unmarked motorcade to St. Albans School in Northwest Washington, where the wake was being held Tuesday in the refectory.
White House press secretary Dana Perino said that Bush wanted to pay his respects and offer his deepest sympathies to the Russert family.
The funeral for the 58-year-old of NBC's "Meet the Press" is scheduled to take place Wednesday.
[Source: Associated Press]
Navy Federal Credit Union computer systems down due to power outage
A power outage at Navy Federal Credit Union's headquarters in Vienna, Va. has caused a ripple effect, closing computer systems in the bank's branches.
At the branch at 302 Western Boulevard, a sign posted alerts customers: "Due to a power outage within our headquarters building all systems are currently down. Your transactions are limited. We apologize for the inconvenience."
A bank employee told The Daily News the power outage has impacted the bank's systems worldwide. A message on the bank's automated telephone system this morning said phones could not be answered due to an emergency, and no message or answer is available now.
However, customers can still conduct some transactions inside the local branches.
[Source: JDNews.com]
Tiger puts away Mediate on 91st hole to win U.S. Open
SAN DIEGO -- Looking as vulnerable as he ever has during a run toward a major, Tiger Woods is nonetheless the U.S. Open champion for a third time.
On the 91st hole at Torrey Pines, Woods stood strong on his wobbly left knee in putting away a determined Rocco Mediate in sudden death to win his 14th major title.
The two shot even-par 71 Monday, so the playoff continued, starting on the par-4 seventh hole. Woods two-putted for par, then looked on as Mediate missed his par-saving try from 15 feet.
It also was Woods' seventh victory at Torrey Pines, the most victories of any golfer on one course.
Woods blew a three-shot lead he built by the 10th hole and trailed by one, but got onto the par-5 18th hole in two and made a 4-foot putt for birdie. Mediate had a chance to win the tournament with a 20-foot birdie putt of his own, but he missed and had to make a testy 3-foot comebacker to stay tied.
This marked only the third time a U.S. Open playoff has gone beyond 18 holes. The last was 1994, when Ernie Els and Loren Roberts played to a draw, then went two extra holes before Els won his first championship.
Mediate trailed by three heading into the 11th hole, but made three straight birdies on Nos. 13, 14 and 15 to grab the lead and force Woods to birdie the 18th to stay in the tournament.
Woods did the same thing Sunday on No. 18 to force the playoff and stay in contention for his 14th major. He has never lost when holding at least a share of the 54-hole lead, as he did heading into the final round this time.
Mediate, meanwhile, is seeking his first major victory. At 45 years, 6 months, he would become the oldest first-time major winner and the oldest man to win the U.S. Open.
[Source: ESPN]
FetchDog.Com: Play, Lick, Sleep, Sniff, Eat & Fetch Dog!
Fetch Dog is every dog owner's dream website - because it was the only one built for dog owners and lovers when there was no other decent place to go!
FetchDog was invented after people got fed up with the lack of websites specifically designed for puppy parents to shop, chat or connect with canine professionals!
FetchDog.Com makers write in their 'About' section: We wanted products that were sturdy, practical, yet beautiful to look at, not stuff that looked like it belonged in Dad's den or the garage. We wanted thoughtfully-designed items that would complement our tastes and lifestyle. And we wanted our dogs to enjoy naturally healthy food, treats, and health care products free of chemicals and byproducts. Most of all, we wanted all these things in one convenient place so we could spend less time shopping and more time with our best friends.
You can read more here!
[Source: Post Chronicle]
NBC, WCSN to create new Olympic sports network
NEW YORK - NBC Sports and World Championship Sports Network are forming a partnership to create a network that airs Olympic sports.
Universal Sports will include a television network and Web site, the two organizations announced Monday. WCSN, which will operate under the Universal Sports name, had broadcast many events between Olympic Games. NBC, a unit of General Electric Co., owns American TV rights to the Olympics.
Early-round coverage of the U.S. Olympic trials for gymnastics and diving will air on Universal Sports later this week.
[Source: Chicago Tribune]
U.S. Open showdown: Tiger vs. Rocco
Seventy-two holes wasn't enough to settle the U.S. Open. So they'll play 18 more to decide the winner today. Can Tiger Woods win a 14th major title? Or will 45-year-old underdog Rocco Mediate shock the world and capture his first major at Torrey Pines?
CURRENT SCORE: (through 18 holes)
Tiger Woods: E
Rocco Mediate: E
What's going on?
Tiger Woods did it again. A clutch birdie putt on the 18th pulled Tiger even with Rocco Mediate in the U.S. Open playoff ... and now the tournament is heading to sudden death. The two men are tied at even-par. They will resume play on the seventh hole.
Follow along with our analysis and updated scores.
HOLE-BY-HOLE
NO. 1 Par 4, 448 yards
Woods' tee shot found the fairway for the first time this week on a hole he double bogeyed three times in four rounds. His drive looked like it was heading into the right rough but kicked into the fairway. He raised both hands in mock celebration, hit his approach safely to the green and two-putted for par. Mediate's approach from the fairway ended up in the bunker short right of the green. He played out to six feet but missed the putt and took bogey.
Woods E, Mediate +1.
NO. 2 Par 4, 389 yards
Woods drove into the right rough, left his second shot short of the green and chipped to four feet to save par. Mediate drove into the fairway bunker, missed the green with his approach and chipped to three feet for par.
Woods E, Mediate +1.
NO. 3 Par 3, 188 yards
Mediate almost holed his tee shot, the ball just missing the pin as it stopped 18 inches past for a tap-in birdie. Woods hit into the bunker, chipped long and two-putted for bogey.
Woods +1, Mediate E.
NO. 4 Par 4, 488 yards
Woods scratched out a par after a shaky drive and second shot before chipping close and tapping in. After missing a long birdie putt, Mediate laughed as his two-footer for par circled the cup and dropped in.
Woods +1, Mediate E.
NO. 5 Par 4, 453 yards
Mediate drove into a fairway bunker on the right, then pulled his second shot across the fairway, bouncing off a cart path twice and into grass trampled by the gallery. He chipped back onto the green and two-putted for bogey. Woods' tee shot hit the fairway, his approach settled 15 feet from the hole and he two-putted for par.
Woods +1, Mediate +1.
NO. 6 Par 4, 501 yards
Woods mastered the tournament's second-toughest hole by hitting his second shot to five feet and making a birdie. Mediate, who also teed off to the middle of the fairway, hit his second shot long, chipped on and saved par.
Woods E, Mediate +1.
NO. 7 Par 4, 515 yards
After both players reached the green in two, Mediate came up just short on a long putt for birdie, and Woods made a 10-footer for birdie.
Woods -1, Mediate +1.
NO. 8 Par 3, 171 yards
Woods hits into the back bunker and his second shot ends up near Mediate's ball in the collection area in front of the green. Woods chipped within a couple of feet and made his putt for bogey. Mediate made a three-footer for par.
Woods E, Mediate +1.
NO. 9 Par 5, 612 yards
It looked like Mediate was going to catch Woods at the turn. He was set up for a birdie putt from 15 feet and Woods was in the rough left of the green after going for the green on his second shot with a 3-wood and landing in the bunker. But Woods recovered and saved par as Mediate three-putted for a bogey. Woods E, Mediate +2.
NO. 10 Par 4, 414 yards
Mediate needed three shots to reach the green from the middle of the fairway and two-putted for bogey. Woods' drive found the deep rough on the right. He gouged it out and saved par with a 20-foot putt from the fringe after his approach shot spun back off the green.
Woods E, Mediate +3.
NO. 11 Par 3, 192 yards
Playing off the back tee, Woods' shot hit the bunker and he knocked it 10 feet past the hole and two-putted for bogey. Mediate cut one stroke off the lead with a tap-in for par but could have made it two had his 20-foot birdie putt not missed by a couple of inches.
Woods +1, Mediate +3.
NO. 12 Par 4, 505 yards
Woods' first two shots ended up in the bunker and the right rough, and he two-putted for bogey. Mediate made par but missed another golden opportunity when his 15-foot birdie putt went three feet past the hole.
Woods +2, Mediate +3.
NO. 13 Par 5, 539 yards
Both players birdied the par-5 hole but took different routes. Woods reached the green in two from left rough but came up short on a 35-foot eagle putt. Mediate's second shot went into the bunker shy of the green, and he blasted out within three feet of the hole.
Woods +1, Mediate +2.
NO. 14 Par 4, 267 yards
Mediate drove near the front of the green, Woods into the rough in front of the right greenside bunker. Woods pitched to seven feet, Mediate to a foot. Mediate tapped in for birdie, but Woods lipped out and settled for par.
Woods +1, Mediate +1.
NO. 15 Par 4, 478 yards
The most exciting hole so far, Mediate sank a 25-foot putt for his third straight birdie after Woods blasted onto the green from a bunker along the right side of the adjacent ninth fairway. Woods missed his 12-footer for birdie.
Mediate E, Woods +1.
NO. 16 Par 3, 225 yards
Woods' 50-foot birdie putt from the lower edge of the green stopped one turn shy of the cup. Mediate's even longer putt from just off the green also had a chance to drop but he, too, settled for a tap-in par.
Mediate E, Woods +1.
NO. 17 Par 4, 441 yards
Woods left a 20-foot birdie putt short and tapped in for par, and Mediate, who had to endure "Go Tiger!" yells from the gallery while setting up for his second shot out of the right rough, also parred the hole after his 45-footer for birdie rolled three feet past the cup.
Mediate E, Woods +1.
NO. 18 Par 5, 525 yards
One shot down, Woods drove down the middle and hit the green in two from 217 yards. Mediate drover into the left bunker, laid up short and hit his third on from 120 yards. Woods' putt from 45 feet went by the hole and Mediate's 20-footer for birdie slid by. Woods made his four-footer for birdie, Mediate his three-footer for par to force sudden death.
Mediate E, Woods E.
[Source: Sports Illustrated]
Stan Winston, dead at 62; Oscar-winning visual effects artist suffered from multiple myeloma
Stan Winston, an Oscar-winning visual effects artist, has died at age 62.
Winston died at home Sunday evening after a seven-year struggle with multiple myeloma, according to a rep from Stan Winston Studio.
"Stan died peacefully at home surrounded by family," a spokeswoman said.
Winston won four visual effects Oscars and earned multiple nominations. His first Oscar was for James Cameron's "Aliens" (1986). Winston later won two Oscars for "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1992) (visual effects and makeup) and 1993's "Jurassic Park."
Phil Tippett, who shared a visual effects Oscar with Winston on "Jurassic Park," noted that Winston was one of the best in the business.
"Stan contributed to some of the greatest -- fantastic movie characters in motion picture history," Tippett said. "His loss in a great one and he will be missed."
In lieu of flowers, Winston's family is requesting that donations be made to his charities of choice, a list of which will be posted here shortly.
-- Sheigh Crabtree
Photo: Courtesy Stan Winston Studio.
[Source: LA Times]
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