Just in Time News: Oktober 2010

Minggu, 31 Oktober 2010

Marine Corps Marathon Security Gets A Boost

ANDREA SIEGEL, a reporter at The Baltimore Sun, covers mostly crime and courts in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, as well as legal issues. She wishes she was more physically fit, and, as she's more fond of chocolate than exercise, fitness is a challenge. Her partner on a one-mile-plus daily walk is the family dog, a mixed breed named Moxie, and she exercises at the gym where the D.C. snipers once worked out. JERRY JACKSON has been a photo editor at The Baltimore Sun for 14 years and an avid cyclist for more than 30 years. Inspired by the movie he started racing as a teenager in Mississippi when leather were still the norm. He regularly commutes to work by bike and still enters several mountain bike races a year for fun. View Twitter feed PATRICK MAYNARD, who will be writing about running and walking, has been a producer for baltimoresun.com since 2008. In 2009, he tweeted on-course for the Sun from the Baltimore Marathon, finishing in just under 4 hours and almost managing to run the whole time. He sometimes walks to the Sun offices on Calvert Street. View Twitter feed LEEANN ADAMS, a multimedia editor at The Baltimore Sun, also dabbles in content for the mobile website and iPhone app and covers the Ravens via video. She did a triathlon to celebrate her 40th birthday and continues to swim, bike and run none of them quickly, though. Her biggest fitness challenge is to balance working, working out, spending time with her husband and being a mom to a 6-year-old boy. View Twitter feed ANICA BUTLER, the Sun's crime editor, is a former high school runner and recovering vegetarian who spent more of her early-adult years on a bar stool than working out. She is currently training (though poorly) for a half marathon and is trying to live a generally healthier lifedisabled. She also hates the gym. View Twitter feed

Time Change Fall 2010: Daylight Savings Time 2010 In Uk Starts

Daylight Saving Time 2010: Time Change in Fall When is Daylight Saving Time? When do we turn the clocks back in 2010? These are the questions of many as they seek on the day when they should adjust their clocks and watches. Daylight Saving Time (DST) is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less. Typically clocks are adjusted forward one hour near the start of spring and are adjustedward in fall. This practice is being done primarily to conserve energy.

So now that fall is approaching, when should the time change in fall begin? When is Daylight Saving Time? For all residents of US and Canada, effective Sunday, November 7, 2010 the clocks fall back to Standard Time. The official change will occur at 7.30 PM IST (6 AM EST). During Standard Time, clocks are turnedward an hour, effectively moving an hour of daylight from evening to morning. Daylight Saving Time will return on March 14, 2011 in the US and Canada.

It is important to note however that some US states and territories, including Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas, do not observe Daylight Saving Time

Meanwhile, in the UK, the clocks fall back to Standard Time effective Sunday, October 31, 2010. The official change will occur at 6.30 AM IST (1.00 AM GMT). Daylight Saving Time will return on March 28, 2011 in the UK.

Sabtu, 30 Oktober 2010

Time Change Fall 2010: Is Dst Bad For You?

Home Offbeat News TIME CHANGE FALL 2010: IS DST BAD FOR YOU?

M.D.A | Oct 30, 2010 | 0 comments

Time Change Fall 2010 is upon us which means that you should remember to set your watches, clocks gadgets and alarm clocks back one hour this weekend if you live in Europe (when it is 3 AM on Sunday it will actually be 2 AM) and for those who live in America and in Canada the big change will take place on Sunday, November 7, 2010 at at 7.30 PM IST (6 AM EST)

No matter where you live, you will gain an extra hour of sleep. Despite the fact that the process has been taking place for 35 years now, but twice a year people in 70 countries who have adopted this system still pose the same age old question are we switching to summer time or winter time before fixing their clocks.

In spring, the government decided to advance the legal time 60 minutes. In the fall, we get back to the usual time. But do you ever wonder why does the time change biannually?

The concept of daylight saving time and winter time was permanently established in 70 countries in 1975, just after the first oil crisis (1974).

By adjusting the official local time from an hour to standard time zone the countries were able to save energy. The concept allowed people to schedule activities while the sun was shinning in order limit the usage of artificial lighting.

But no invention is perfect. Many experts claimed that the concept has a negative impact on our health.

The main criticism from health professionals is the abrupt change in biological rhythms that occurs (especially for children) when the change takes place it is unhealthy and can cause people to experience health problems.

Some studies have shown that some individuals may have trouble sleeping (when switching to daylight saving time is one hour less sleep), experience lost of appetite, or mood swings.

Some environmentalists also believe that the process contributes to the already increasing air pollution level.

However there are so many studies that contradict the two previous findings that one would have to conclude that the changing of time has too little effects to actually cause any health or environmental issue.

FILED UNDER: Offbeat News

Bryce Harper Goes 3-for-5, Hits First Arizona Fall League Homer

By BEN GOESSLING, October 30, 2010 10:08 PM | 1 Comment

Bryce Harper played his fourth Arizona Fall League game on Saturday night. But for the first time, he stole the show.

Harper went 3-for-5, blasting his first professional home run in the second inning off the top of a party deck in right field. He added a double, drove in a pair of runs and helped the Scottsdale Scorpions to a 13-9 win over the Peoria Sagauros.

The 18-year-old is now 6-for-17 in four games in the league, counting three extra-base hits among the total of six. He played right field on Saturday and hit seventh, but Harper was one of the more integral parts of the Scorpions' win. And he'll certainly be the player everyone is talking about tomorrow.

Infielder Stephen Lombardozzi was back at shortstop, and continued to fare well at the plate, though he did mae a throwing error. He went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a pair of runs. And reliever Cole Kimball pitched the ninth inning, striking out one and notching a scoreless inning despite giving up two hits.

Watch Father Guido Sarducci Ask God For A Religious Sign At Rally To Restore ...

MARY writes a humor blog, called The Mommyologist, all about the changes in life that go along with being a parent. She loves to travel, and enjoys trying out different martini recipes on weekends. She lives in Connecticut with her husband of almost 7 years and her 4-year-old son.

SUNNY CHANEL resides in San Francisco with her husband, daughter, beagle and a tarantula named Lulu. She has strung words together for the SF Weekly, Bust, and Jane among others and currently writes for Babble's Famecrawler and Family disabled blog.

MARA SIEGLER is a freelance writer and online content consultant living in Brooklyn, New York. She specializes in celebrity news and has worked with The Daily News, OK! Magazine, and several online sites. In her spare time, she is usually out listening to music and writes about those adventures on her column for Huffington Post.

KELLI CATANA is 30ish mom of 4 kids, wife to one lucky guy and lover of all things smutty! She has an insatiable appetite for pop culture and celebrity gossip and still has a hard time believing that Dylan chose Kelly over Brenda. Kelli also blogs over at The Yummy Mummy Club about all things pop culture. Kelli lives in Ottawa, Canada but dreams of living the Gossip Girl life in New York one day.

WENDY MICHAELS enjoys her career as an entertainment writer, covering the celeb buzz at the TV Crunch and Movie Crunch blogs. She loves celebrity gossip on any level, from A-listers right down to those pesky reality stars. Wendy lives in Central New York, where she enjoys time with her husband and two children.

LINDA MARSICANO a.k.a Lulu and Moxleys Mom is a former public relations executive who quit the corporate grind to freelance when her identical twin girls were born in 2007. Lulu and Moxley are what she would have named her daughters if she was famous. Sadly, she's not so she writes about celebrities instead. Visit her personal blog at luluandmoxley.blogspot.com.

MARIA LIANOS is publisher/editor of A Mother World. She's slightly addicted to blogging and lives for social media but her two rambunctious boys remind her to go offline from time to time to enjoy things IRL.

TONI FITZGERALD has two kids, one husband and a cat. The cat is the most difficult of the bunch. She has written about everything from football to TV ratings to antique dolls, but she mostly likes sharing stories about her adorable children on her blog, Because I Said So.

EMMA BRADY has been the publisher of Celebrity Moms where celebrity and parenthood collide since January 2006. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her husband, two sons, mother-in-law, dog, and cat. When not following the news and trends of Hollywood, Emma works as a business consultant and freelance business writer.

Stewart Brings The Sanity, Colbert The Fear To Rally

video

After several months of hype and confusion, a crowd of thousands and those watching at home finally got to see what JON STEWART and STEPHEN COLBERT's Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear was all about: level-headedness, moderation, and patriotism for the country of Chile.

After wisely advising the crowd not to litter, Stewart kept to his promise that the purpose of his rally was to restore sanity, and, arguing that, for a rally to have impact, it must have a certain demographic makeup, sent out Daily Show regulars SAMANTHA BEE and AASIF MANDVI to do a person-by-person census of the rally. After all, you can t have too many white people, he argued, but if you have too many people of color at the rally, then you must be asking for something, special rights like and piggyback rights, something our society is just not ready to give. After finding several white people, one of whom hit on his shamelessly, Stewart gave up on the plan, just in time to be interrupted by a terrified, shirtless Colbert.

Colbert was hiding, trapped, in his fear bunker 2000 feet below the stage. Today's fear? I m terrified that no one showed up to our rally, he told Stewart. His fears assuaged by footage of the crowd, he was lifted out of the bunker by a recreation of the Chilean miner excavation, landing on the stage chanting Chi-le! enthusiastically, then demanded the crowd bow before us, minions!

The opening to today's Rally to Restore Sanity via C-SPAN below:

FILED UNDER

SHARE THIS POST

Thousands Descend On Dc For Rally To Restore Sanity

Oct. 30, 2010

Thousands of people descended on Washington today to attend Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert's and

Though the rally, taking place just days before the midterm elections, has been billed as an opportunity for people to air frustrations with American politics and the media, Stewart claims the event is meant as a satirical comedy event rather than a serious political rally.

Stewart has also claimed that the rally coincides with scheduled tapings in Washington and has nothing to do with Tuesday's elections.

Speaking with Larry King on Wednesday, Stewart outlined the type of people he is targeting with the rally.

"This is for the people that are too busy, that have jobs and lives, and are tired of their reflection in the media as being a divided country and a country that's ideological and conflicted and fighting. This is for those people," Stewart said.

Attendees seem to be heading to the rally for a number of reasons, be it for entertainment value, comedy, political reasons or all of the above.

"It's a political rally," writer, political activist, street performer James O'Donnell told ABC News' Washington, D.C., affiliate TDB.com.

Hip-hop band The Roots took to the stage at 12:00 p.m., accompanied by Grammy-winning soul singer John Legend. Comedians Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman of the TV show warmed up the crowd after the opening 40-minute set, followed by appearances by Sam Waterston, Don Novello, Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens), Ozzy Osbourne, and Jeff Tweedy with Mavis Staples.

Live Blog: 'rally To Restore Sanity And/or Fear'

October 30, 2010, 1:25 pm By DAVE ITZKOFF

In recent years, the weekend before Election Day has traditionally been a time for learning the names of candidates, figuring out the locations of nearby polling places and figuring out which foreign country to vow to move to if the other guys win. So it was a jolt when Comedy Central's political satirists Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert announced a few weeks ago that they would instead use this Saturday for a pair of competing rallies at the National Mall in Washington events that were soon combined, Voltron-disabled, into a single super-gathering called the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.

Is the rally just a fun way to spend an afternoon with entertainers, comedians and 200,000 of your closest, most apolitical friends? A covert promotion for progressive causes on the eve of a crucial mid-term vote? Is it, as one writer has already argued, the Woodstock for the millennial generation? (Hey, man, if you didn t blog about it, you weren t really there.) Keep checking this page for live updates on the rally, video from MSNBC and dispatches from Washington by The Times's Brian Stelter and Sabrina Tavernise. Stay tuned for sanity and/or fear!

Cao Warns District Against Graft

BY RICHARD DRASIMAKU

MARACHA chief administrative officer Kazimero Ezaruku has warned district officials against misappropriating the sh11b the district will receive from the Government this financial year.

Of the sh11b, sh1.14b will be spent on the NAADS programme, sh533m on primary healthcare, and sh623m on the construction of schools.

Ezaruku decried the poor performance of the district in the education and health sectors.

He pointed out laziness and absenteeism, especially among teachers and health workers, as the main cause for the unimpressive performance in the two sectors.

We should set a yardstick and step up supervision of the workers, he said.

He said Abim district in Karamoja, where he was the CAO last year, was ranked number 26 in the Primary Leaving Examinations and number one in immunisation, while Maracha, then under Arua district, was among the last 20 districts.

There is no justification why pupils in this district should not pass PLE or why children should not be taken for immunisation, he said.

Ezaruku said the district will recruit 100 nurses and midwives, adding that it has a shortfall of about 250.

Recruitment of agricultural extension workers to promote NAADS is also in the pipeline, he added.

He disclosed that the district planned to construct a drug store using funds from the Peace, Recovery and Development Programme to ensure a steady supply of essential medicines.

Working When You're Sick: Symptom Of A Larger Problem?

FROM: THE EWIRE, 10.27.2010

Study shows residents work when ill; hospital culture influences callout decision

by Richard Quinn

The phenomenon of physician presenteeism, doctors coming to work even if they themselves are sick, is an opportunity for residency directors to pull back on how they schedule physicians in training, one program head says.

A study last month found that 57.9% of residents reported working while sick at least once and 31.3% had done so in the previous year (JAMA 2010;304(11);1166-1168). In one outlier hospital, every resident surveyed reported working when sick.

"Hospitals have to learn not to schedule their people to the max," says Ethan Fried, MD, MS, FACP, assistant professor of clinical medicine at Columbia University, vice chair for education in the department of medicine and director of Graduate Medical Education at St. Luke's-Roosevelt in New York City.

Dr. Fried, president of the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine (APDIM), says creating schedules with little or no flexibility can hamper a program's ability to handle inevitable sick calls. Larger programs might have which are used to cover staffing shortfalls, but smaller programs might not have that luxury, he adds.

Jack Percelay, MD, MPH, SFHM, FAAP, pediatric hospitalist with ELMO Pediatrics in New York City, says the culture of residencies is to and some physicians carry that attitude into private practice.

"The decision of whether or not to work sick is really related to the institutions' culture," Dr. Percelay, an SHM board member, writes in an e-mail interview.

Dr. Fried notes that the issue is further complicated by rules on how much training time residents need to be considered competent. He says the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) recently gave program directors discretion in

Still, presenteeism may be less of a problem with the current generation of residents than in the past because of culture changes tied to duty-hour rules. Dr. Fried says.

This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. No part of this article can be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients, or customers by contacting our reprints department at reprints[@]wiley.com. Copyright Â© 2009 Society of Hospital Medicine, administered by John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Jumat, 29 Oktober 2010

Fake Terror: The New Trick In Obama's Armory

It has come to notice that President Barack Obama and his administration has created a fake terror scare just before the mid-term elections in order to reverse the anti-incumbency wave that has slowly emerged against his administration. This is just following the policies of earlier US Presidents who have use similar rhetoric to topple freely and fairly elected governments which did not serve the purpose of the US.

CNN reported that two planes had landed one at Philadelphia International Airport and another one at Newark Liberty International Airport, in New Jersey. Both the planes were inspected by the federal authorities for suspected explosive packages and later cleared. The events were scare tactics designed to shake up Americans before the elections as reportedly said by President Obama. Apparently he forgot to mention that his own administration was behind unleashing these scare tactics over petty political gains. Even after authorities gave all-clear at Newark Airport, CNN continued to run the headline that Obama sniffed out explosives in places they were not there. This incident will surely show Obama administration in poor light, and this political stunt won t do any good to his falling approval ratings.

Fake Terror Claimed While Homeland Security Tries To Unravel Mail Bomb Threat

Fake Terror, Or Actual Bomb Threat? Today was certainly an eventful one in the news. Not only were several planes searched, and one passenger plane escorted to JFK Airport by F-15 s, but explosives were found on a plane in England as well. As Homeland Security experts scramble to make sure we are safe, working with several overseas allies, conspiracy theorists begin to chime in with claims that the Obama Administration may be behind the recent terror scares. They claim that he made them up in order to scare Americans into voting for more big government, come Tuesday's elections.

Websites like PrisonPlanet are contriving articles claiming just this. In a piece written just a couple hours ago, the website known for it's conspiracy undertone states:

As we predicted on four separate occasions would happen, the Obama White House has deliberately contrived a fake terror scare on the eve of the mid-term elections in an effort to subdue the rampaging political appetite for anti-big government candidates that threatens to sweep aside establishment incumbents next week.

Basically they are taking credit for predicting a fake terror scare, close to the midterm elections. How exactly do they know the recent mail bomb scare is fake? Who knows, but it certainly isn t good journalism to claim something as fact, when you have no idea what exactly is going on behind the scenes. The article at Prison Planet uses the fact that the media stated there were no explosives found on any of the planes in Newark and Philadelphia, yet Obama claimed that there were explosive materials in some of the suspicious packages. If you were paying attention to the various news sources throughout the day today you would know that as the news was breaking there were various reports, both claiming that the toner cartridge found in the UK did have explosive materials in it, and also that it did not. After several hours it was concluded that the UK package did in fact have explosive material within it, just like President Obama had stated.

To claim that Obama is simply making fake terror plots up to scare the American people into voting Democrat, is simply irresponsible at this point in time, especially as TSA workers, and Homeland security officials work overtime to try and secure the nation against perhaps another massive terror attack.

Fake Terror Plot Suspect Appears In Court

Farooque Ahmed's plan to bomb D.C. subway turned out to be a fake plot orchestrated by FBI

The Associated Press reports that a Pakistani man is accused of planning to bomb Washington D.C. subway station. The plan was commissioned, as he thought, by Al-Qaeda, but turned out to be fake terror plot orchestrated by U.S. authorities trying to catch the suspect.

Farooque Ahmed, 34, was arrested Wednesday morning and appeared Friday in another hearing about his ongoing detention, the Washington Post said. Ahmed has not yet entered a plea to the fake terror charges.

FBI investigation showed in January that Ahmed and an associate tried to contact a terrorist group in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Although he's been in the United States since 1993 and became a U.S. citizen in 2002, Ahmed actively joined the fake terror bombing plot and reportedly trained himself in martial arts, various weapon tactics and more.

A married father of a newborn child, Ahmed can be sentenced to more than 50 years in prison if convicted.

'captain Kangaroo' Star James Wall, Best Known As Tv Show's Mr. Baxter, Dies At 92

Mahaney/AP James (Jimmy) Wall died in his sleep Wednesday after a short illness.

James (Jimmy) Wall, who delighted a legion of kids as kindly and smart on the TV show died in his sleep Wednesday after a short illness. He was 92.

Although Wall's recurring role ended in 1978, he remained a beloved fixture at the CBS Broadcast Center in Manhattan where he worked as a stage manager until last year.

Wall, a former vaudevillian who staged USO shows around Europe as a master sergeant in the U.S. Army, began his career with as a stage manager in 1962.

He later persuaded show producers to create the show's first black character.

They in turn decided his rich baritone was perfect for who added a sense of calm to the show when all others around him may have been caught up in the silliness.

As a stage manager - the director's eyes and ears - Wall worked CBS News and CBS Sports broadcasts, including and the

Two years ago he was recognized on the air for his 41st consecutive year as stage manager of the U.S. Open Tennis Championships.

He also worked political conventions, presidential inaugurations, election coverage and the space launches of the 1960s, counting down time for the likes of Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather.

Through the years Wall got to know thousands of CBS employees whom he fascinated with stories of his long and eventful career.

Wall left his Manhattan home and went to sea as 15, delivering sugar for New York bootlegger stills during Prohibition, and later sang and danced in Vaudeville acts that took him around the country and put him on Broadway stages.

Walls attended college on the G.I. Bill when he left the Army and continued his love affair with the theater through the 1950s.

He played various roles in New York stage productions, often stage managing and performing in the same show, before joining CBS where he became the second black stage manager hired by the network.

The Director's Guild of America gave Wall its Franklin J. Schaffner achievement Award in 1994.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Dolly Wall.

Travie Mccoy Arrested In Germany For Spray Painting Berlin Wall

Oct 29, 2010

TRAVIE MCCOY ARRESTED IN GERMANY FOR SPRAY PAINTING BERLIN WALL

Good TGIF morning. ... JENNIFER CONNELLY, with husband PAUL BETTANY, hit the red carpet last night for Fashion Group International's award ceremony in New York. ...

Elsewhere: Billionaire singer TRAVIE MCCOY was arrested in Germany for spray painting on the Berlin Wall. ... RIHANNA was spotted coming out of rehearsals for this weekend's Saturday Night Live show. ... JAMES WALL, Captain Kangaroo's neighbor, has died at age 92. ... TOM FENTON - Harry Potter villain Draco Malfoy - is happy he can finally get a tan. ... Calm down. That 1928 CHARLIE CHAPLIN film premiere was probably just hard of hearing, okay? ... The Sound of Music cast reunited yesterday on OPRAH and CHARMIAN CARR (Liesl) talked about having a huge crush on CHRISTOPHER PLUMMER. ... A jury convictedANNA NICOLE SMITH's boyfriend HOWARD K. STERN of conspiracy and fraud. ... Swedish actress NOOMI RAPACE had before she even took the role of play LISBETH SALANDER in The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest and the other two Larsson adaptations. ...

To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor BRENT JONES. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters[@]usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.

Audrina Patridge's Mom Apologizes For Wine-y Rant

AUDRINA PATRIDGE's mother is having second thoughts about calling LAUREN CONRAD's latest reality-TV venture

She already admitted on camera! that it was the wine talking, but now LYNN PATRIDGE is truly sorry for going off in the wake of her daughter's surprising elimination from Dancing With the Stars this week.

MORE:STAGE AT DWTS: AUDRINA'S EMOTIONAL ELIMINATION

"I am sincerely sorry for the negative things I said in the heat of the moment," Lynn said in a statement Thursday.

"As a mother, there is no pain in this world like seeing your children upset. I am so proud of my daughter and all she has accomplished on Dancing With the Stars. I was extremely emotional after her elimination it just came as such a shock. I want to apologize for offending anyone."

Hollywoodtv.com caught up with Lynn while she was taking a cigarette break outside EVA LONGORIA PARKER's restaurant Beso on Tuesday following the results show, and she jumped at the chance to air her grievances about what had just happened...and then some.

"I've been a celebrity mom for eight years through this Hills bullst," Lynn said,

"One door closes, another one opens," she added.

And it's not Audrina's fault that her mom forgot the difference between The Hills' edited version of reality and the raw video that ends up online.

"She's kicking ass on a reality show and we're going to fking smoke, especially LAUREN CONRAD's pissy ass little fashion st," Lynn continued, referring to Audrina's new deal with VH1.

"She's going to be pissed I'm talking to you idiots," Lynn also said.

No, Mrs. Patridge, thank you.

PHOTOS: PARTY PICS HOLLYWOOD

Halloween Music Free Options

What Halloween party could be complete without some Halloween music? Sure, it's nice to have a party with music to dance, but you have to also spice the night with some spooky music that will set the right mood!

If you haven t chosen what kind of music you will add to your Halloween party, here we leave you with some sites where you can download free Halloween music. Check them out:

Komar.org looks old and outdated, but has a small selection of songs for your Halloween party, among them are the Adams Family song, the song from the Twilight Zone and even some creepy classical stuff such as Bach's Tocatta.

All-About-Halloween, also has a selection of audio clips from TV shows, movies and they have all under categories, besides songs you will find here also a couple of sounds that may serve to scare people during the party!

Finally, in The Holiday Spot, you can download midi and wav music files for this Halloween. This is more about sounds, so you may use these along with the music found on other sites.

Happy Halloween!

Tags: halloween 2010, Halloween Music Free

Halloween Word Searches, Quotes, Sayings, Music And Jokes Provided Free Online

Free Halloween Jokes, Quotes, Word Searches, and Music Found Online As we approach the weekend of Halloween, the festivities begin. Since the festive holiday falls on a Sunday this year, we get to celebrate all weekend long. Adults will likely party it up both Friday and Saturday nights, while kids will get out there and trick-or-treat. No matter what you plan on doing, there are tons of great ways to get in the Halloween spirit that can be found for free online. Whether you sit back and relax to some Halloween Music, or print out Halloween word searches, and math worksheets for the kids, or want to impress your friends and family with Halloween jokes, sayings, and quotes, the internet can be your number one source.

Instead of having to go out of you way, and head over to a local store to get your fill on Halloween goodness, you can get most of what you need on the internet, and best of all, it's 100% free. I have provided you a list below with some links to sites which will offer you some great Halloween freebies, to print, or listen to online:

- Free Halloween puzzles, word searches, Rhymes, More: http://bogglesworldesl.com/halloweenworksheets.htm - Free Halloween Math Worksheets: http://www.math-drills.com/halloween.shtml - Free Halloween Music to Download: http://www.all-about-halloween.com/free-halloween-music.html - Halloween Jokes, Riddles, and sayings: http://www.robinsfyi.com/holidays/halloween/humor.htm - Halloween quotes, and sayings for kids and adults: http://www.quotegarden.com/halloween.html

Remember to have a safe, and fun Halloween.

Halloween Music Recommendations Including Monster Mash To Scare Your Guests

(Media-Newswire.com) - Finding Halloween music to entertain and scare your guests is as simple as clicking the mouse on your computer. Many websites offer free and downloadable classic tunes of scary monster and spooky music.

Amazon.com has a no cost sampler of Halloween music on its website entitled Experience Halloween: A Tunecore Music Sampler which has 16 tracks including Psycho Devil, Zombie Woman Medley, In the Dark and more.

Probably the most famous Halloween song is the legendary Monster Mash by Bobby Pickett & the Crypt-Kickers. This ghoulish tune is famous for the ghoulish voice used and oddgrounds.

Many leading retailers have full CD's worth of music to pop into the player for parties and gatherings. Check out Halloween stores for these as well but expect to pay a higher price.

Want something modern? Check out Michael Jackson's most famous song - 'Thriller' complete with a movie-like video directed by John Landis. The song and video features the voice of ultra-sinister sounding Vincent Price.

Rock & Roll fans can find any track by Marilyn Manson or Alice Cooper to be perfect for Halloween to play in theground.

Television and Movies have brought some great songs including Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr. and the Twilight Zone theme.

All these popular Halloween music tunes can be found easily online or at your local record store or many online portals where music can be purchased.

Halloween Music Recommendations Including Monster Mash to Scare Your Guests

FINDING HALLOWEEN MUSIC TO ENTERTAIN AND SCARE YOUR GUESTS IS AS SIMPLE AS CLICKING THE MOUSE ON YOUR COMPUTER. MANY WEBSITES OFFER FREE AND DOWNLOADABLE CLASSIC TUNES OF SCARY MONSTER AND SPOOKY MUSIC.

Pumpkin Carving Designs, Use Your Iphone

IPHONE HALLOWEEN APPLICATIONS The iPhone and the Blackberry have made aspects of people's lives easier. With only a few days left until Halloween, iPhone users may wonder if there is anything that will make their celebration of the Halloween easier.

Although a user can download PUMPKIN CARVING DESIGNS to the iPhone with the new apps, he is not unlocking the full potential of the applications available.

If an iPhone owner has not yet decided on his costume, he can use the Costume Decider to make the decision for him. If a child needs a costume at the last minute, the Pottery Barn Kids Costume finder can help a parent track down what he needs.

If a person just wants to send a Halloween postcard, he can pay $1 for the Halloween postage app. He can send virtual postcards to anyone for whom he has the e-mail address.

Pumpkin Carving Designs, Use Your iPhone

10 Gorgeous Pumpkin Carving Designs To Inspire Your Halloween

It's that time of the year, when people browse the web to find some of the most exciting pumpkin carving stencils and patterns, to win the unofficial competition between neighbors with the most original Jack O Lantern. It's a fun, creative time, filled with laughter and joy, a sweet time that begins the holiday season with some of the most original activities.

Soon, children will put on their monster outfits and go trick-or-treating. Adults will party, at the world's biggest masquerade Halloween is celebrated by people all over the world, not only in the United States, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Sure, other countries are just playing along with parties in some bars and nightclubs. There, Halloween is not a tradition, it's just fun.

Perhaps you don t know much about these traditions, but they are both interesting and fun. Pumpkin carving in particular, since the tradition begun in Europe, and not the USA as many may believe. Throughout Ireland and Britain for example, there is a long tradition of carving lanterns from vegetables, like turnip, mangelwurzel, or swede. But not until 1837 does jack-o -lantern appear as a term for a carved vegetable lantern, and yes, it first appears in the United States of America. The term becomes associated with the Halloween in 1866. Previously, the carved pumpkin was only associated with the harvest season.

After this bit of history, it is my pleasure to let you enjoy these ten absolutely stunning pumpkin carving ideas. For those of you who want to see even more, the Life magazine has a beautiful, and diverse, slideshow.

Wizard of Oz Jack O'Lantern, courtesy Jim Murphy

Courtesy morganglines

Time Jack-O-Lantern, courtesy Rick Payette

The eye - by Jenn Forman Orth

Jack O'Lantern hell, courtesy Logan Ingalls

Jack-O-Lanterns for 05, courtesy Kieran

Snow White Jack-o-Lanterns, courtesy Alesa Dam

Nessie jack-o'-lantern, courtesy Tapir Girl

Jack O'Lantern - Stewie, courtesy Gone-Walkabout

Jack o' Lanterns by Scott.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

LILIANA DUMITRU-STEFFENS is public relations consultant for Pamil Visions PR. She writes for Everything PR since January 2009. Previously she worked for My-tronic GmbH and Unilever Romania. Email Liliana at lsteffens [at] pamil-visions [dot] net.

See All Posts by This Author

Halloween 2010: Free Pumpkin Carving Designs And Stencils

Halloween is almost upon us now, and I m sure there are still many of you making your last minute Halloween party preparations. This of course could include carving that all important pumpkin, but some of you may be short of ideas on what design to use this year. Maybe a stencil could help?

After scouring the Internet I found an article over at walletpop.com by Julia Scott, which provides links to the best websites that provide free pumpkin carving stencils. Once you have found the perfect design for your Halloween pumpkin, just download, cut it out and get carving.

For example, hersheys.com has around 30 different designs, starting with simple, beginner's patterns to the more advanced designs for the more experienced carver. Another great site is ehow.com, whose patterns include a monster face, bats, scared ghost, an easy triangle face and a spider.

Or maybe you d like a design that's completely different, such as animals and faces of famous people or musicians. Some of them could be rather tricky to carve out, but it would be worth it to see the end result. You can view stencils such as this over at pumpkinglow.com.

You can see more links by visiting walletpop.com. What design do you think you will be using this year?

Ozzy Osbourne Coming To Tulsa's Bok Center

Copyright Â©2010. The Associated Press. Produced by NewsOK.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
FROM STAFF REPORTS Oklahoman Leave a comment

Published: October 29, 2010

Ozzy Osbourne has added a Feb. 10 concert at Tulsa's BOK Center to his current North American tour.

British rocker Ozzy Osbourne AP PHOTO DAN BALILTY

36.1532 -95.9951

MAP

MULTIMEDIA

His longtime friend and musical collaborator Slash will open.

Tickets for the Live Nation-produced tour go on sale Nov. 6. For the most up-to-date ticket information, go online to www.ozzy.com or www.livenation.com.

Osbourne recently completed a run of overseas festival appearances and headlining overseas performances including his first concert in Israel: a Sept. 28 OZZFest show at Hayarkon Park in Tel Aviv.

He will headline the Voodoo Experience festival in New Orleans on Saturday.

RELATED TOPICS: Celebrity News, Entertainment, Music Festivals, Music, Pop and Rock Music, Music Stars, Metal and Hardcore, Arts, Entertainment, and Media, Concerts and Tours

A & E PHOTO GALLERIESVIEW ALL

Keep It Local Street Party, Oct. 9

7 photos

Halloween Costumes

Halloween costumes for children and for adults as submitted by users.

13 photos

Thunder Opener: Vs. Bulls, Wednesday, Oct. 27

Photos from the Oklahoma City Thunder's victory over the Chicago Bulls in their 2010 opener.

41 photos

Oklahoma Lawmaker Holds Anti-bullying Hearing: Oct. 27, 2010

View the photos.

7 photos

Interesting Options Volume For Live Nation Entertainment (lyv)

NEW YORK (Market Intellisearch) LYV options saw interesting call activity today. A total of 43 put and 3,818 call contracts were traded raising a low Put/Call volume alert. Today's traded Put/Call ratio is 0.01. There were 88.79 calls traded for each put contract.

SUMMARY OF ALL UNUSUAL TRADING ACTIVITIES

Put/Call ratio is often used to measure investment sentiment, the ratio serves as a predictor of investor behavior. Unusual options volume provides reliable clues that the stock is expected to make a move.

Shares of LYV closed at $9.75 in the previous trading session and opened today at $9.63. Live Nation Entertainment settled the day down $0.10 to $9.65 in the trading session. The day's trading range is between $9.49 and $9.72 respectively. On the volume side, 1,299,362 shares were traded which is less than the average volume of 1,562,360 shares. LYV is trading above the 50 day moving average and lower than the 200 day moving average. The stock's 52 week low is $6.33 and 52 week high is $16.90. Price Performance Metrics for Live Nation Entertainment: Week: 1.07% Month: -16.70% Quarter: -40.00% 6 Month: 9.98% Year: 11.40%

DISCLAIMER: The material presented in this commentary is provided for informational purposes only and is based upon information that is considered to be reliable. Neither Market Intellisearch nor its affiliates warrant its completeness, accuracy or adequacy and it should not be relied upon as such. Neither Market Intellisearch nor its affiliates are responsible for any errors or for results obtained from the use of this information. This material is not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security or other financial instrument. Securities or other financial instruments mentioned in this material are not suitable for all investors. Any opinions expressed herein are given in good faith, are subject to change without notice. Before acting on any information contained on the website, you should consider whether it is suitable for your particular circumstances and strongly consider seeking advice from your own financial or investment adviser.

Myrtle Beach Area Concerts

New this week:

Rootsy/Americana trio Dangermuffin, which has caught the attention of the jam band scene's fans, has been added to the bill of jam outfit moe.'s Nov. 12 gig at House of Blues. Tickets are $19.50-$27.50, available at the venue box office, or online via www.livenation.com or www.houseofblues.com/myrtlebeach, or by calling 800-745-3000.

It's almost that time of year again as the 41st annual South Carolina State Bluegrass Festival returns to the Myrtle Beach Convention Center during the Thanksgiving weekend (Nov. 25-27), boasting an array of artists headed up by the legendary Ralph Stanley, along with notables J.D. Crowe and The New South, Doyle Lawson and Quick Silver. Tickets are $35 per day for general admission, $40 for reserved seating; and three-day passes are $95 for reserved seating, $85 for general admission. Tickets are available by calling 706-864-7203 or following this link: www.aandabluegrass.com/Tickets.html.

Previously announced:

One of Contemporary Christian music's most successful artists, Steven Curtis Chapman, performs tonight at Beach Church (formerly The Forum) near Freedisabled Music Park and tickets are $23, $35 and $50 available via www.hisradio.com or by calling 866-440-7880.

It's been awhile since he's rolled along our shores, but blues guitarist Bob Margolin (who played in Muddy Waters'ing band for much of the '70s) is the featured artist at The Grand Strand Blues Society 2010 Awards show set for Nov. 5 at The Hideaway in North Myrtle Beach, and advance tickets are $20 (includes dinner and one beverage). If you wait until the night of the show, it will be $30 to get in. Advance tickets are available at The Hideaway, 1021 Second Ave. N., North Myrtle Beach. For more information, call 492-6930 or 280-5301.

The Latin beats and booty-bumpin' bass will take a break at Club Boca on Nov. 11 as up-and-coming country crooner Josh Thompson ("Beer on the Table,") will perform at the Celebrity Square hot spot, and tickets are on sale now. They're $15 in advance, $18 day of show. Call 444-3500.

The Palmetto State's own Christian rock/alternative juggernaut NEEDTOBREATHE, lead by brothers Bo and Bear Rinehart, comes to the House of Blues on Nov. 26 and tickets are $20-$28. Snag 'em at the venue box office, or online via www.livenation.com or www.houseofblues.com/myrtlebeach, or by calling 800-745-3000.

All-clear Sounded After Gunman Reported On A&m Campus

COLLEGE STATION (October 28, 2010) Texas Awnsz=10;sz=180x60;ord=%5Btimestamp%5D" width="180" height="60" border="0" />

"Now, university officials believe the basis for the report was an individual who had in his possession a 'dummy' rifle a replica," an updated posting said.

"The individual then walked through Rudder Tower en route to the West Campus, where his car was parked, and he then drove home," the university said.

"Dummy weapons of the type believed to be at the center of the investigation are hard rubber replicas of rifles. No actual weapon has been found," the university said.

The original alert was issued at around 4 p.m. after a bus driver spotted a male carrying what appeared to be an AK-47 walking on campus.

In response, A & M issued a lockdown for its main campus and sent the first alert, which advised that an armed subject was spotted at Rudder Tower on the A & M campus in College Station and told students and staff to seek safe shelter until further notice.

About 35 minutes later, the school sent another alert advising that no gunman had been found, but that police were still searching.

KBTX-TV in Bryan reported that university police set up a command post near Rudder Tower and that the College Station SWAT team has been activated.

Former President George H. W. Bush, his wife Barbara and former First Lady Laura Bush were scheduled to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony at 5 p.m. Thursday at the George Bush Presidential Library, which is also on the A & M campus, though not near Rudder Tower.

Texas A&m Gunman Alert Stirs Fears On Campus

Amid the BushBush family's visit to the campus of Texas A & M University, it was reported that a gunman has been seen around the university campus. The administration of the Texas A & M University gave directives to lock down the main campus. But later on it was found that the incident was a misunderstanding.

According to sources, a personnel of the Cadet Corps of the Texas A & M was passing through the street, along with his official gun, around two miles distance from the location of the Bush family.

The notification system of the Texas A & M University delivered a message that said, All Clear. Person with replica weapon identified. No danger. Resume normal activity.

According to the spokesperson of the Texas A & M University, a bus driver of the university, who were on his way at about 4 p.m., alarmed them that he has spotted a person with a weapon by a building in the proximity of the student union.

Initially the news of the Texas A & M University gunman stirred fear because of the incident that took place the previous month. It should be noted that the previous month a student of the University of Texas, Austin, opened fire on the campus of the university prior to diverting the gun on himself.

"University officials believe the basis for the report was an individual who had in his possession a 'dummy' rifle a replica," read the Texas A & M University statement. Meanwhile the university officials have announced that no weapon has been found yet.

Kamis, 28 Oktober 2010

Gravitas Communications Named As Finalist In 7th Annual Stevie Â® Awards For ...

New York, NY (PRWEB) October 21, 2010

Gravitas Communications (www.gravitas-pr.com) was named as a Finalist in the Communications Campaign of the Year - For-Profit - Advertising, Marketing, and Public Relations category in the 7th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business.

The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor women executives, entrepreneurs, and the companies they run - worldwide. The Stevie Awards have been hailed as the world's premier business awards.

Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word winners will be announced during a gala event at the Marriott Marquis hotel in New York on Friday, November 12. Nominated women executives and entrepreneurs from the U.S.A and several other countries are expected to attend. The presentations will be broadcast live on radio in the U.S.A. by the Business TalkRadio Network.

More than 1,200 entries - a record for the competition - were submitted this year for consideration in 54 categories, including Best Executive, Best Entrepreneur, and Best Community Involvement Program.

Gravitas Communications was named as a Finalist for its innovative work on the 2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year awards announcement. Garnering tens of millions of consumer impressions, the Gravitas team architected a comprehensive publicity plan that was inclusive of all major communications channels, including print, television, radio, online, social media and online video

"The Stevie Awards recognize the highest degree of excellence and achievement in the business world," said Jocelyn Johnson, founder of Gravitas Communications.

Finalists were chosen by business professionals worldwide during preliminary judging.

Members of the Awards' Board of Distinguished Judges & Advisors and their staffs will select Stevie Award winners from among the Finalists during final judging.

"It was harder than ever to be recognized in the Stevie Awards for Women in Business this year," said Michael Gallagher, president of the Stevie Awards.

Johnson continued,

Details about The Stevie Awards for Women in Business and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at www.stevieawards.com/women.

About Gravitas Communications Gravitas Communications is a boutique strategic communications firm that operates at the nexus of PR, Social Media and SEO. Based in New York with national support in St. Louis and Silicon Valley, Gravitas is comprised of a team of seasoned professionals who build strategic programs that help clients achieve their business objectives. Driven by technology, Gravitas leverages emerging communications channels to bolster brand awareness and drive a meaningful level of engagement between brands and key audiences.

About The Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about The Stevie Awards at www.stevieawards.com.

Sponsors of the 7th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business (as of October 11) include the Business TalkRadio Network and KeyBank. Localization partner of the 2011 Stevie Awards is Lionbridge.

# # #

For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2010/10/prweb4677364.htm

Why Is Karl Rove Taking Shots At Sarah Palin And Christine O'donnell?

Karl Rove says that Sarah Palin lacks the 'gravitas' to be a presidential candidate in 2012. Rove is not a fan of Tea Party candidate Christine O'Donnell either.

Boston

Karl Rove, Republican political strategist and the general behind George Bush's presidential victories, has been taking pot shots at some conservative favorites. Skip to next paragraph

Tony Bennett, Jimmy Robinson Meets Jim Mccormick And More Music For Thurs ...

Published: Thursday, October 28, 2010, 4:00 AM

TONY BENNETT is the last man standing. Very, very few jazz and pop singers of his generation and stature are still active, much less at such a high level.

At 84, he's still on the road, still turning the pages of the Great American Songbook, dropping references to everyone from Louis Armstrong to Lady Gaga along the way. Folks still rave about his set at the 2009 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival presented by Shell. Bennett is also an accomplished painter; his portrait of buddy Louis Prima graced the 2010 Jazz Fest poster. He ll be swinging and singing with his combo at the Mahalia Jackson Theater on Thursday.

Also, Woodenhead guitarist JIMMY ROBINSON'S weekly Musicworks series at Carrollton Station features songwriter JIM MCCORMICK. McCormick, a New Orleans native who years ago fronted a band called the Bingemen, spends much of his time in Nashville. Artists who have recorded his songs recently include Trace Adkins ( A Little Bit of Missing You ), Jamey Johnson ( Good Times Ain t What They Used to Be ), Cory Morrow ( Love Like This ), Tina Dico ( Watching Him Go ) and David Osmond.

Zydeco singer ROSIE LEDET is at Rock n Bowl. South Africa's NKANYEZI CELE AND TSHINA visit Snug Harbor. CEDRIC BURNSIDE AND LIGHTNIN MALCOLM return to d.b.a. FINGER ELEVEN headlines the House of Blues. The SOUL REBELS BRASS BAND is at Le Bon Temps Roule. CHRISTIAN SERPAS & GHOST TOWN play an early, acoustic show at the Rivershack Tavern.

Tony Bennett Slams Home 'god Bless America' At World Series Game 1

October 28, 2010 | 12:40 am
TONY BENNETT took the field for the first 7th inning stretch of the 2010 World Series on Wednesday night, delivering a rendition of that had fans singing along in serious fashion while the San Francisco Giants took the Texas Rangers 11-7 at home.

JOHN LEGEND sang to kick off the game (see that performance here).

In keeping with the Giants jacket he sported at AT the Giants played their last game at Candlestick in September 1999.

The 2010 World Series continues by the Bay for one more game Thursday night before moving to Texas for Saturday's contest at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.

Christie D'Zurilla
Photo: Tony Bennett sings before Game 1 of the MLB World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers on Oct. 27, 2010, in San Francisco.Credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press

RELATED DISPATCH FROM THE MINISTRY OF GOSSIP:

Kate Smith gets a postage stamp God bless America

Rabu, 27 Oktober 2010

Conway Cover Up Alleged

KENTUCKY SENATORIAL CANDIDATE COVERS UP BROTHER'S POSSIBLE DRUG ABUSE/TRAFFICKING Mathew Conway, brother of Kentucky Democratic Senator candidate Jack Conway, is the central figure in an obstruction of justice scandal. Michael Conway is an assistant commonwealth's attorney for Jefferson County, Kentucky.

On 23 October, 2010. The Louisville Courier-Journal reported Michael Conway received warnings of investigations for drug use and/or trafficking from Louisville narcotics detectives on 2 occasions. Jack and Michael Conway approached an attorney who in turn conferred with Louisville's Chief of Police Robert White.

David Stengel, Jefferson County Commonwealth's Attorney and Michael Conway's boss, decided not to press any charges. His review revealed no evidence of misconduct by Michael Conway except for lying to investigators about the warnings. Conway changed that statement.

A conflict of interest arose when contribution records showed Stengel, Michael Conway's boss, gave $500.00 to Jack Conway's campaign. Failure to press charges is considered favoritism and conspiracy to obstruct justice to protect the campaign.

Another 9/11 Cover Up Story Emerges, Is It Worth Listening To?

Another 9/11 Cover Up Theory Gone Too Far? Another piece has been written about a possible 9/11 cover up. It's again put out by Infowars.com, while corresponding to a simulcast done between PrisonPlanet's Alex Jones, and former Minnesota Governor, and Pro Wrestler, Jesse Ventura. The Prison Planet website states, Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura joins Alex Jones for a special live video and radio simulcast today to discuss the latest bombshell revelations surrounding the 9/11 cover-up .

I wouldn t exactly call recent revelations, bombshells, as most of the theories have been around for years now, however, recent media attention, in part due to clever marketing tactics by PrisonPlanet, as well as Infowars, has brought some of these issues back to the forefront. Both sites bring up very good points as usual, however, they also use a lot of theorizing, and use of facts, possibly taken out of context, to come to their own conclusions about things.

For example, they use the instance where Barry Mawn, the director of the FBI's New York Office during the 9/11 events, asked a firefighter shortly after the South tower had collapsed, That tower got a secondary hit? Shortly after, another FBI agent asks Mawn, is that ours? Infowars seems to try and claim that Mawn was somehow trying to confirm with the fire department that a secondary hit had occurred on the South tower, and soon after, a fellow FBI agent tries to confirm with Mawn that their bomb had gone off, leading to the collapse of the South Tower.

Clearly the above scenario could have been what was taking place, however, so could have thousands of other possible scenarios which would not point towards a conspiracy or cover up.

While I think questioning things and looking deeper into them is always a good idea, taking a situation, which none of us really know the context in which it was occurring, and sermizing that each official meant a certain thing, is not really all that healthy. Perhaps there is more involved in the 9/11 attacks, perhaps even an FBI cover up, however, the short video clip that has been brought to light, does very little to confirm or deny such claims.

Story Of 9/11 Cover Up Told In

Read on and discover the story of a 9/11 cover-up. Recounting his stint in Afghanistan in 2003 which lasted five months, US Army's Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Shaffer releases his book Operation Dark Heart: Spycraft and Special Ops on the Frontlines of Afghanistan and the Path to Victory.

Giving a new approach to the soldiers fighting and a bureaucracy that delay mission execution on the ground and obstruct mission efficiency, this account by Tony Shaffer shows how things worked in Afghanistan and in Washington.

The book was censored by the Pentagon despite the permission that was already been granted for the publication of the book. The Pentagon reasoned out that some classified information could be redacted from the book. Officials charged the book of exposing US military secrets, which prompted the Pentagon to purchase almost 10,000 copies and destroying them afterwards.

Tags: 9/11 Cover Up, 9/11 cover up book, Anthony Shaffer, Operation Dark Heart

This entry was posted on October 28, 2010 at 4:01 am and is filed under Events, Headline, Politics, World. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

Selasa, 26 Oktober 2010

'gma' Weather Anchor Sam Champion's Father Dies

October 26, 2010 | 11:07 am

weather anchor SAM CHAMPION tweeted Monday that he was with his family at his father's bedside, and likely wouldn't be back to this week.

LT. COL. JAMES H. CHAMPION died that night at age 75, ABC News reported Tuesday.

The elder Champion enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1953 and served in Japan and Hawaii before getting a college degree, ABC reports. He returned to active duty in 1962 and later served in Vietnam, earning two bronze stars and other decorations in combat that included the Tet Offensive. He retired from active duty in 1981.

In addition to Sam, James Champion is survived by his wife, Sylvia, daughter Teresa and her husband, and two grandchildren. Details about his cause of death were not released.

Sam's the executive producer of wrote in a message to the show's staff Tuesday. Champion has been the weather guy since 2006.

Christie D'Zurilla

Photo: Sam Champion at a New York event in 2008. Credit: Peter Kramer / Associated Press

What's Cool Now?

Lawanda Johnson

Today's topics are for everyone. The children to the adults will enjoy features.

As you may know, former American Idol judge, Kara DioGuardi, has her own show on the Bravo Network. According to a press release, the new show, Going Platinum, is based on the journey of 12 musical contestants as they battle through tests of songwriting, creativity, patience, and drive. Basically, it's a show that asks, Maybe American Idol has a run for their money.

What's totally cool now is the new Pixar family DVD collections. All of Pixar's most incredible and lovable movies will be featured in this package. Movies such as Cars and Bugs Life will be a part of this Pixar collection. Toy Story 3 will also be included! Pixar has done it again.

For all of the men and women who are interested in investments, listen up! Billionaire investor Warren Buffet just hired 39-year-old Todd Combs to manage a major part of Berkshire Hathaway's investments! Wow, that is huge. According to Reuters, this may be Buffet's boldest market bet. Let's wish him the best.

Now that you have what's cool now, it's time to get a little more sentimental. Lt. Col. James H. Champion, the father of Good Morning America anchor Sam Champion, has passed. Champion's father passed away on Oct. 25, 2010.

According to Good Morning America's senior executive producer, Jim Murphy, the staff will always remember Lt. Col. James H. Champion simply as Sam Champion's dad. Very sweet. Sam, his sister, and their mother were there together with the father when he passed.

Remembering Sam Champion's Father

Oct. 26, 2010

Lt. Col. James H. Champion, father of weather anchor Sam Champion, passed away Oct. 25, 2010.

"After a life of service to his country and his family, Lt. Col. James H. Champion, U.S. Marine Corps (retired), passed away last night in Houston, Texas," senior executive producer Jim Murphy wrote in an e-mail to the show's staff today.

Lt. Col. Champion was born December 26, 1934, in Paducah, Ky. to B.F. and Josephine (Hampston) Champion. After graduating from St. Mary's High School in Paducah, Ky. in 1953, he enlisted in the Marine Corps, serving in Japan and Hawaii. Upon discharge he attended Peabody Teachers College in Nashville (now part of Vanderbilt University), graduating in 1958.

Champion employed by Southern Bell Telephone prior to returning to active duty in 1962. A Marine infantry officer, he participated in operations in the Dominican Republic in 1965 and was assigned as Security Officer on USS Simon Lake, forward deployed in Holy Loch, Scotland in support of ballistic missile submarine nuclear deterrent patrols.

Deployed to the Republic of Vietnam in 1968 and 1969, he participated in combat operations as a rifle company commander at Khe Sanh and during the 1968 Tet Offensive. He completed his tour as a Combined Action Program (CAP) team leader, including operations during the 1969 Tet Offensive. His combat decorations included the Bronze Star (two awards), the Combat Action Ribbon and the Presidential Unit Citation (two awards).

Later assignments included the Naval War College, command of a Marine Infantry Battalion, 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade Operations Officer in Okinawa, and Headquarters Marine Corps. He retired from active duty in 1981.

Following retirement, Champion and his wife settled in Smithland, Ky. but later relocated to Aransas Pass, Rockport and Houston, Texas.

Lt. Col. Champion is survived by his wife of 53 years Sylvia (Murphy) Champion, son Samuel James Champion, daughter Teresa Champion, son in law John Quigley, grandchildren Sydney and James Quigley.

"Sam tells me his tight knit military family is strong and hanging together to face their time of grief," Murphy wrote.

In lieu of flowers the family respectfully requests any donations in memoriam be made to:

MD ANDERSON CANCER CENTER (RE: LT. COL. J. H. CHAMPION) PO BOX 4486, HOUSTON, TX 77210

VIRGINIA AUTISM PROJECT AT VIRGINIAAUTISMPROJECT.ORG

Highlights Of Abc News' Good Morning America For October 25-october 29, 2010

Previous | Main | Next

October 21, 2010 1:54 PM

The following report highlights the programming of ABC's Good Morning America during the week of October 25-October 29, 2010.

Good Morning America is a two-hour, live program anchored by ROBIN ROBERTS and GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS. JUJU CHANG is the news anchor and SAM CHAMPION is the weather anchor. The morning news program airs MONDAY-FRIDAY (7:00-9:00 a.m., EDT), on the ABC Television Network.

Highlights of the week include:

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25 JANET JACKSON discusses her life, career and new movie ( For Colored Girls ); GMA kicks off Countdown to Halloween with a look at how to protect your family from dangers on Halloween night; SAM DONALDSON and JOHN PALMER discuss their new program on Retirement Living Television that focuses on politics for American seniors; HALEY TAYLOR on her new show ( The Fairy Jobmother ); a preview of National Geographic's Great Migrations series

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26 GMA's Countdown to Halloween continues with the best deals on candy, costumes and decorations; author KELLY VALEN discusses her new book ( The Twisted Sisterhood: Unraveling the Dark Legacy of Female Friendships"); athlete and author MARION JONES; a performance by a nine-year-old piano prodigy

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27 Countdown to Halloween series: ELISABETH HASSELBECK looks at this year's most popular store bought and homemade costumes; GMA's The Morning Mix; LAUREN BUSH on UNICEF's 60th Anniversary; the Dancing with the Stars couple voted off from Tuesday night

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28 JUJU CHANG reports on the growing number of schools eliminating recess and its negative effects; Countdown to Halloween continues with Country Living's SARAH GRAY MILLER on home decorating ideas; what every family needs to know about healthcare with DR. TIM JOHNSON

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29 America's Health with DR. RICHARD BESSER on the truth about vitamins: Are they really necessary?; JOHN QUINONES previews What Would You Do? ; Countdown to Halloween concludes with new uses for old things and party treats

JIM MURPHY is the senior executive producer and TOM CIBROWSKI is the executive producer of ABC News Good Morning America.

USER COMMENTS

The comments to this entry are closed.

Sam Champion's Houston Day: Gma Weatherman Hits Discovery At Dawn, Enjoys ...

CELEB SPOTTING

October 22nd, 2010 at 2:06 PM

Forget Al Roker, Sam Champion is our favorite weatherman. On Good Morning America, he's so damn chipper at the crack of dawn we'd normally want to throw things at the TV, but so likeable that we never could.

Apparently Champion returns the love, because he made a one-day trip to Houston on Friday.

He broadcast from Discovery Green, where he was joined by the Westside High School Marching Band in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center before heading to The Lake House patio, where he was joined by a spread of food from The Breakfast Klub and some hardcore Breakfast Klub/GMA fans.

The Breakfast Klub was making its second Good Morning America appearance of the year, after fans voted it one of the four finalists for America's best breakfast dishes for its chicken and waffles back in April.

Champion also headed to the Galleria Harlon's Bar-B-Q for lunch.

CultureMappers, did you wake up with Sam this morning? Will you be stalking him around town?

Tony Romo Out With Clavicle Fracture - Jon Kitna Steps In

Romo's Clavicle Fracture Leaves Jon Kitna In Charge As if things couldn t get worse for the Dallas Cowboys, who have started the season off with a 1-5 record, Cowboys fans just got news that their star quarterback, Tony Romo, will miss 6-8 weeks, or possibly the entire season, with a clavicle fracture.up quarterback Jon Kitna is ready to take over the team for the next 6-8 weeks, with a daunting task in his hands, turning the team around.

In the second quarter of the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys game last night, Tony Romo took a hit by Michael Boley, while making a pass to Miles Austin. After the hit Boley said he heard Romo let out a loud scream. After Tony got up, he started experiencing shortness of breath, so he went back into the tunnel for X-Rays. To the angst of Cowboy fans everywhere it showed a fractured clavicle.

So, where does this leave this Cowboys team? Already with a 1-5 record, the team clearly is in trouble. The 38 year oldup, Jon Kitna, who made his NFL debut in 1997 with the Seattle Seahawks will start, at the very least, the next 6 weeks. Jon Kitna has experience, but likely not the skills needed to make this Dallas team a competitor this year. Kitna has played for the Seahawks, the Bengals, the Lions, and now the Cowboys. He has 152 career touchdowns, and 151 career interceptions. His lifetime quarterback rating is 76.6. He was traded to Dallas in February 2009 for Anthony Henry.

Tony Romo Is In Good Company, 5 Celebrities Who Also Had A Clavicle Fracture!

Tony Romo Clavicle Fracture Injury Could Be Season Ending

DALLAS (LALATE) TONY ROMO'S CLAVICLE FRACTURE COULD BE SEASON ENDING; TESTING ON TONY ROMO'S LEFT CLAVICLE FRACTURE INJURY TODAY WILL DETERMINE IF RECOVERY TIME COULD BE AS LONG AS 8 TO 10 WEEKS AS INSIDERS BELIEVE. ROMO'S INJURY CAME DURING MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL'S SHOWDOWN WITH THE GIANTS. IT WAS THE GAME THAT THE COWBOYS NEEDED TO WIN; INSTEAD, IT JUST WENT FROM BAD TO WORSE, WITH THE COWBOYS FALLING TO THE GIANTS 41-35.

RECOVERY TIME ON TONY ROMO'S LEFT CLAVICLE FRACTURE IS IN QUESTION; WITH TEN WEEKS LEFT IN THE SEASON, AND INSIDERS CLAIMING THE RECOVERY TIME IS 8 TO 10 WEEKS, THIS COULD BE THE END OF THE SEASON FOR ROMO. AND YET WHILE MANY LIKE ADAM SCHEFTER SAY THE INJURY COULD PUT ROMO OUT AS LONG AS 10 WEEKS, COWBOYS OWNER JERRY JONES IS STAYING FIRM WITH 6 TO 8 WEEKS. JONES ADDITIONALLY TOLD NEWS MONDAY NIGHT THAT TROY AIKMAN ONCE WAS ONLY OUT FOUR WEEKS WITH THE SAME INJURY.

ROMO'S INJURY CAME IN THE SECOND QUARTER DURING A PASS TO MILES AUSTIN. ROMO WAS HIT BY MICHAEL BOLEY DURING A BLITZ. ROMO'S LEFT SHOULDER HIT THE GROUND DURING THE TACKLE. BOLEY SAID ROMO LET OUT A SCREAM WHEN HE HIT THE GROUND.

ROMO WASN T SO SURE IT WAS A PROBLEM AT FIRST. HE HAD SUFFERED THE SAME INJURY AS A TEENAGER. BUT SHORTLY THEREAFTER HE WAS SURPRISED IT WAS BROKEN. WHEN HE FELT A SHORTNESS OF BREATH, HE KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. HE SAID THE LACK OF BREATH HIT HIM HARD.

BOLEY TOLD NEWS OF THE HIT THE GUARD DIDN T SEE ME. I CAME IN SCOT-FREE. WHEN HE (ROMO) HIT THE GROUND, I HEARD HIM LET OUT A LITTLE SCREAM. I KNEW SOMETHING WAS UP, BUT I DIDN T THINK HE WAS GOING TO LAY DOWN. I THOUGHT IT WAS A NORMAL HIT. AFTER I GOT UP AND STARTED RUNNING, I LOOKED back AND SAW HE WAS DOWN.

Senin, 25 Oktober 2010

Ouch! Tony Romo Has Fractured Clavicle Would You Let Your Kid Play Ball?

Nj Transit Reports Up To 30 Minute Delays After Train Derailment - The Star-ledger

Published: Monday, October 25, 2010, 6:10 PM Updated: Monday, October 25, 2010, 6:11 PM

NEW YORK A train leaving New York Penn Station and heading for New Jersey derailed just minutes into its trip today morning, causing no injuries to its 300 passengers but setting off a domino effect of delays for thousands more that carries into the evening hours.

Midtown Direct train No. 6621, bound for Dover, derailed at about 10:50 a.m., just before entering the Hudson River rail tunnel. The cause of the derailment, which happened at a speed of less than 15 mph, was under investigation.

A text alert on the clevercommute.com website at 11:02 a.m. began innocuously enough.

"10:33 NWK to NY train waiting outside penn for last 15 min, disabled train in station ahead."

The next text arrived four minutes later.

"10:33 NWK to NY train stuck outside NYP conductor says could be half hour to hour delay. "

Within a half-hour, it became pretty obvious it was not going to be a good day for New Jersey commuters.

The derailed car blocked access to eight of the 12 tracks assigned to NJ Transit and Amtrak.

The 300 passengers were safely escorted back to the station.

At 11:35 a.m., this text came over clevercommute.com:

The derailed train left Manhattan at 10:45 a.m. and had been scheduled to arrive in Dover at 12:23 p.m.

Rail service into and out of New York Penn was subject to 60-minute delays for much of the day.

By late afternoon, NJ Transit had softened the message, telling customers to allow 20 to 30 minutes of additional travel time on the Northeast Corridor Line, North Jersey Coast Line and Midtown Direct service.

Midtown Direct trains continued to originate and terminate at Hoboken during the evening commute. PATH was cross-honoring between Hoboken and 33rd Street.

Due to the delays caused on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Lines, NJ Transit and private carrier buses were cross-honoring rail tickets and passes. Cross-honoring also was in effect with PATH from New York, Newark and Hoboken.

"To NJ Transit's credit, they seem to have a workable plan in place with cross-honoring announced well in advance of the evening rush," Clever Commute founder Josh Crandall said.

The delays came after one of the worst commuting summers in memory and during the same week Gov. Chris Christie was expected to decide the fate of the over-budget Hudson River train tunnel. The tunnel would double train capacity from New Jersey to midtown Manhattan, but the projected cost was at least $9.78 billion, more than $1 billion over budget.

Customers are encouraged to visit njtransit.com for updates on the train delays.

Son Of Yankee Candle Company Founder Starts Kringle Candlemakers

20-year-old Michael Kittredge III held a ribbon cutting ceremony in Massachusetts this weekend. Kittredge III opened his first store, Kringle Candle Company in Bernardston, MA with his father on Saturday.

Kittredge III said the ribbon cutting ceremony with his father was special to him. That's because so many times in the past, Kittredge III had cut ribbons at other grand opening ceremonies with his father, Michael Kittredge II for a new Yankee Candle Company. Kittredge II is the former owner and founder of Yankee Candle Company. Kringle Candle Company is, in a manner of speaking, Yankee Candle's baby.

Kittredge III said he started Kringle Candle Company when he was 17 in his basement. The brand new Kringle store is located Michael Kittredge III purchased his first building for $480,000.

Kringle Candle Company has 36 fragrance scented candles. The candles are gingerbread, peppermint twist, and Nantucket rose. The Kringle candles are crafted on site at the Kringle Candle Company Store. Kringle's also sells holiday items and is geared up for the Christmas holiday season as well.

Aside from the story of a family legacy, the Kittredge III's launch of Kringle Candle Company reestablishes the Kittredge name into the candlemaking industry. Michaeal Kittredge II sold Yankee Candle in 1998 for $400 million.

Kringle Candle Company Follows Path Of Dad's Yankee Candle Company

Kringle Candle Company is the brainchild of 20-year old Michael Kittredge III. It is no surprise the young entrepreneur's father, Michael Kittredge II, is the founder of Yankee Candle Company. Now his son Mike founded the Kringle Candle Company with a store opening in Bernardston, Massachusetts.
KRINGLE CANDLE COMPANY GRAND OPENING
This weekend marked the grand opening of the Franklin County Kringle Candle Company store. According to WWLP, Mike said about creating Kringle Candle Company, My dad started when he was sixteen years old in his basement, and this company started when I was 17 years old in my basement.
WHAT DOES DAD SAY ABOUT KRINGLE CANDLE COMPANY
Consumer can only imagine how proud papa is of his son following in his footsteps. The Yankee Candle Company is a leader in the industry. Mike Kittredge's father stated the success was his son's and, It's pretty cool to be back with my son, It's really his company, but I'm happy to do a little design work; it was always my favorite part of the business.
WHAT DOES THE KRINGLE CANDLE COMPANY SELL?
The Kringle Candle Company opened its doors on Saturday at 10:30 AM with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The store is located up the road from Yankee Candle in Deerfield. MassLive reports Mike Kittredge said during the opening, This is a turning point for all of us. You have been working long hours, both day and night...But now, just look out there.
Expectant shoppers gathered to peruse candles, gifts and holiday items in the Kringle Shop with a Christmas theme. Kringle Candle Company products are a 36-fragrance line with irresistible scents such as gingerbread, peppermint twist and Nantucket rose.
Candles are crafted in a production space at the facility. A full line of candles by Kringle Candle Company includes pillars, tea lights, apothecary jars, votives, kitchen candles, floating candles and fire starters.
KRINGLE CANDLE COMPANY AND BUILDING A LEGACY
The Kringle Candle Company is an example of creating your own legacy. Children who are fortunate enough to grow up around a thriving business can learn skills to build their own empire. Rather than jumping on board his father's business, Mike Kittredge decided to build his own company. Using the knowledge he gained from experience with the Yankee Candle Company, Kittredge made his own dream a reality by creating the Kringle Candle Company.
With the holiday season around the corner, the timely opening of Kringle Candle Company is sure to be a success. If they offer the same quality and service as Yankee Candle Company, Kringle Candle Company will enjoy its own moment in the sun.
Â© Stacey Mamasaid for Gather October 2010 All Rights Reserved

Please provide details below to help Gather review this content. If it is found to be inappropriate and in violation of the Gather Terms of Service, action will be taken.

* Please select the part of the post you are reporting.
* Please select why you are reporting this content.
* Please enter a description.

You have successfully submitted a report for this post.

Jennifer Mee, Charged With Murder In Florida

Jennifer Mee (CBS/WFOR/Pinellas County Jail)

ST. PETERSBURG (CBS/WFOR/AP) Three years ago Jennifer Mee made headlines as the Tampa, Fla. teen with uncontrollable hiccups. Now the 19-year old is making headlines for murder.

Over the weekend Mee, of St. Petersburg, and two other people were charged with first degree murder in the death 22-year old Shannon Griffin.

According to the St. Petersburg Police Department, Mee lured Griffin to a home where the two others robbed him and then shot him several times.

Mee and the others reportedly admitted to the crimes during questioning, CBS affiliate WFOR reports.

According to The Associated Press, she is being held without bond.

In 2007, Mee gained national attention as the girl who could not stop hiccuping; she would hiccup up to 50 times a minute for months. She tried home remedies and consulted medical specialists, a hypnotist and an acupuncturist, until the hiccups finally just stopped on their own.

Mee is no longer suffering from the hiccups, police spokesman Mike Puetz said.

'hiccup Girl' Jennifer Mee Charged With Murder

Jared Allen At Lambeau Field: Minnesota Vikings Game

Monday, October 25th, 2010 at 7:05 am , filed under NFL News by David Stephen

Jared Allen did not perform well in Minnesota Vikings game at Lambeau Field on Sunday. Jared Allen was failed to register a sack in his fourth straight game of this NFL regular season 2010.

Minnesota Vikings defensive end, Jared Allen is famous for more pass rushing, but he had made only one sack this season so far.

In last two seasons, Allen had 14.5 sacks and in 2007, he made 15.5 sacks and he completed 73 sacks in his career.

On Sunday, Allen struggled a lot, but failed to increase his sacks in the game against Green Bay Packers. However, Jared Allen had half season to increase the sacks and Minnesota Vikings coach is confident that Allen would retain his previous form.

Jared Allen was the fourth round pick in the 2004 NFL Draft by Kansas City Chiefs. After 2007 season, Allen moved to Minnesota Vikings.

Tweet This Post

* Brett Favre Will Return To Minnesota Vikings?
* Minnesota Vikings Glad about Brett Favre Return
* Minnesota Vikings Win: Detroit Lions vs Minnesota Vikings Highlights
* Brett Favre Likely to Play for Minnesota Vikings
* Brett Favre Practices with Minnesota Vikings

TAGS: Jared Allen, Lambeau Field, Minnesota Vikings

Vikings: Griffin Out For Season; Favre's Practice To Be Limited

By KBJR News 1

October 12, 2010

In press conference on Tuesday, Minnesota Vikings head coach Brad Childress confirmed cornerback Cedric Griffin suffered a torn ACL in his right knee and is out for the season.

Griffin apparently suffered the injury while making a tackle in the fourth quarter, according the Minneapolis-Star Tribune. Monday night's loss to the New York Jets was Griffin's second game since suffering a torn ACL in the left knee in last season's NFC Championship loss to the New Orleans Saints.

According to the report, rookie Chris Cook will eventually take Griffin's spot. However, he is likely out for one more week with a meniscus tear. Until Cook is healthy enough to return, the Vikings will likely rely on Asher Allen and Lito Sheppard.

Meanwhile, Vikings quarterback Brett Favre continues to suffer from tendinitis in his right elbow. Coach Childress said the team would look at limiting Favre's workload at practice, to give him more rest between games. Minnesota reportedly used a 'pitch count' last season, but not this year. During Monday night's Vikings loss to the Jets, Favre was seen holding his right elbow on multiple occasions.

Posted by Joe Dufek jdufek[@]northlandsnewscenter.com

Brad Childress Press Conference: Vikings Packers Game

Monday, October 25th, 2010 at 6:35 am , filed under NFL News by Billgerber

BRAD CHILDRESS PRESS CONFERENCE: Minnesota Vikings coach; Brad Childress held a press conference and revealed the details regarding Vikings Packers game.

Minnesota Vikings lost against Green Bay Packers in the week 7 game of the NFL regular season 2010. Minnesota Vikings coach, Brad Childress has huge hopes on the Super Bowl XLV, but the players are not doing well as per the expectations and creating troubles in the Vikings camp.

Brett Favre and all other star players from Vikings are not performing well this season. Brad Childress seems to be unhappy about the performance of Brett Favre and other senior players. Childress showed his unhappiness about senior players in the press conference after the game.

You can t throw it to them, you ve got to play within the confines of our system, Vikings coach, Brad Childress said. Sometimes it's OK to punt the football. You can t give seven points going the other way, not in a game like this.

Minnesota Vikings lost with 28-24 against Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

Tweet This Post

* Brett Favre's Panic Of Ankle Injury
* Minnesota Vikings Preparations over Brett Favre Decision
* Brett Favre Practices with Minnesota Vikings
* Minnesota Vikings Glad about Brett Favre Return
* Brett Favre Retires From NFL?

TAGS: Brad Childress Press Conference, Vikings Packers

Minggu, 24 Oktober 2010

Hallow-bling

If you prefer a contemporary d Â©cor disabled, you aren t interested in rustic jack-o-lanterns or homespun stuffed witches when Halloween comes around. But fear not: This season, you ll find lots of ghoulish yet glamorous pieces to fete the occasion.

Modern Alchemy's Memento Mori collection includes a set of beautiful black porcelain plates etched with silver skulls. There also are sleek, ebony skull candles to provide drama on a beverage bar.

Send invites using their elegant skull-printed stationery, or check out websites such as Graphics Fairy (vintage clip art) and Living Locurto (bold, colorful designs) to make your own. (www.modernalchemyco.com four black porcelain skull plates, $175; skull stationery, $50; black skull candles, $40 to $85)

Z Gallerie has skull goods, too glitter-dusted in black or silver for display, plus glossy black mini-candles and little metallic spiders to scatter on a buffet. There's also a wonderful wood-finish, hinged skull made of resin that holds a wee clock; it has an antique look, but would be a great counterpoint to more modern decor. (www.zgallerie.com wood-finish, hinged, resin skull clock, $34.95; Metallic resin spiders, $9.95 each, glitter skulls, $9.95 each; shiny black skull mini-candles, six for $12.95)

Each Halloween, Pottery Barn presents a new wall mural, screen printed with a suitably ghoulish image. This year's version is a cool black-and-white photograph of an iron gate opening into a mist-filled graveyard. Resembling a horror movie still, it would really turn a party space into something unique. (www.potterybarn.com Haunted Gate wall mural, 72-by-48 inches, now $79)

You re well on the way to creating a super spooky room with a few of the retailer's black-feathered crows; add a set of life-size black-cat wall decals from Domestic and 5.5 Designers, and get out the fog machine.

Grandin Road has a fun Halloween collection that includes dancing brooms and life-size green or silver glittery skeletons. Thick velvety tasseled cords evoke the Opera, and phantoms seem to fill the eye sockets of shiny chrome skulls.

Get the festivities going with a set of vampire or poison-themed old-disabled beverage labels, dramatic black candlesticks and black flocked trees from Grandin Road, and some mini lights or ornaments. A blood red or inky black feathered wreath adds surprise as a centerpiece. (www.grandinroad.com Tinsel theater cord, $24; black flocked trees, $149 to $199; life-size glitter skeleton, $149; Gothic candlesticks, $39 to $49; vampire beverage labels, 18 for $18; chrome skulls, $29)

Set the table with Pier 1's purple spider-webbed table runner and fiercely fashionable animal-print serveware. (www.Pier1.com Spider web table runner, black or purple, $9.95; leopard print glass bowl, $69.95) Boris Karloff's Frankenstein visage is emblazoned on a set of beverage napkins from Z Gallerie perfect for a scary movie party theme. (www.zgallerie.com 20 Frankenstein paper napkins, $5.95)

Jared Allen Says People 'shocked' To Find He Has Just 1 Sack

* Michael David Smith
* NFL Writer

Vikings defensive end Jared Allen has been one of the league's best pass rushers for his entire NFL career, and as a result he's one of the league's highest-paid players. But this season the Vikings don't appear to be getting their money's worth.

Through five games, Allen has just one sack. That would put him on pace for just three sacks all season, a far cry from the 14.5 he's had in each of his two previous years with the Vikings, and even well below his career-low of 7.5 in 2006, when he played for the Chiefs.

Allen knows that has people asking if he's slowing down. But he says he's still making a difference, as he did in consistently applying pressure in Sunday's game against the Cowboys, even if he isn't getting any sacks. playoffs.

"I think people are kind of shocked," Allen told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.(Romo) elected to throw the ball and we got (two interceptions) instead."

So does Allen have a case that he's playing well despite having only one sack? It's true that defensive ends can affect a game just by getting pressure even if they're not tackling the quarterback, but Allen is at times struggling even to get pressure. Gregg Rosenthal of Pro Football Talk watched Allen closely in Week 1 against Saints tackle Jermon Bushrod and came away unimpressed.

And the folks at Pro Football Focus are more than just unimpressed with Allen this season. They say that Allen is the worst 4-3 defensive end in football right now.

Allen is only 28, so I don't think he's getting old, and he hasn't had significant injuries, so I don't think he's slowing down. But I do think that people are right to be shocked by how badly he's playing right now. One sack for a guy who makes $12 million a year just isn't acceptable, and Allen is one of the players who has to get better for the Vikings to make the

Packers Vs. Vikings Sunday Night Football: Where Is Jared Allen?

Jim Prisching/Getty Images

The question of where Jared Allen has been all season was answered fairly early in the game as Allen got his first pick of the season off of Aaron Rodgers.

Allen is known more for his pass rushing than his interceptions, but he's only had one sack this year.

Allen had 14.5 sacks the last two seasons and 15.5 sacks in 2007, so his production definitely is down this year. He has 73 career sacks coming into tonight's game.

Allen is a Superstar on the Vikings defense, known as much for his mullet and cookbook as he is for his play on the field.

With Rodgers beinga a mobile quarterback, it's going to be hard for Allen to increase his sack total tonight, but there's still more than half a season for Allen to bump up his numbers, and at age 28, he still has plenty of productive years left.

Since most of the pregame focused on Favre, Allen's presence wasn't really addressed and how much of an impact he can have on an offense when he is putting the pressure on.

The comparison between Allen and the Packers young star Clay Matthews is a great one to make as both guys leave it all out on the field when they play.

MOST RECENT UPDATES:

This article is

What is the duplicate article?

Why is this article offensive?

Where is this article plagiarized from?

Why is this article poorly edited? Flag This Article