Powerball jackpot hits $325 million: What you should know

Powerball mania has begun: Saturday night's jackpot is already at $325 million and is expected to drive higher as Americans plunk down their hard-earned money in a bid to strike it rich.

No ticket-holder matched the six Powerball numbers Wednesday night. That means the top prize of $250 million went unclaimed, and rolls over. The Powerball jackpot is now up to $325 million, or a relatively paltry $202.9 million if the winning ticket-holder decides to cash out up front.

Powerball has been called "America's Game" and "America's Lottery," but that is a bit of a misnomer. You can't play Powerball everywhere -- the $2 tickets are sold only in 42 states, plus Washington, D.C., and the Virgin Islands.

The Powerball game itself is pretty simple. Five of the winning numbers are pulled from a drum containing 59 white ping-pong-style numbered balls, and one red ball is plucked from a drum containing 35 red balls. That red ball puts the "power" in Powerball. The jackpot goes to a ticket-holder who matches all five white balls in any order, plus the red Powerball. In all, there are nine ways to win.

In case you're wondering, the chances of winning that jackpot are said to be 1 in 175,223,510.00.
If you happen to live in a state like, say, California that is a total party pooper and does not participate in Powerball, you might be wondering whether you can buy Powerball tickets online.

We'll let Powerball.com answer that question so that there's no uncertainty: "No one can sell lottery tickets by mail or over the Internet across state lines or the U.S. national border. No one. Not even us. No one." (Some lotteries legally sell tickets online, but only to their in-state residents.)

You're probably too smart to fall for a lottery scam, but you might want to pass along this warning from Powerball to those who might not be as astute: A fairly common ruse is to send an e-mail or letter, or to use a phone call, to tell someone that he or she has won the lottery -- and needs only to make a small deposit to collect said winnings.

"NO. It is a common scam," says Powerball.com, adding: "You never have to send money to collect a legitimate lottery prize."

R.I.P. Whitney Houston

Legendary singer Whitney Houston has died, according to the Associated Press. She was 48.

Houston’s cause of death is currently unknown, however, the singer had a long history with drug and alcohol abuse. According to TMZ, Houston was found dead at the Beverly Hilton hotel.

A six-time Grammy winner, Houston sold more than 55 million albums in the U.S. and her 1987 album Whitney became the first album by a female artist to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart. Her most recent LP, I Look to You, was released in August 2009.

In addition to her music career, Houston was an Emmy Award winning actress

ACTA: The Corporate Usurpation of the Internet

In the wake of a public outcry against internet regulation bills such as SOPA and PIPA, representatives of the EU have signed a new and far more threatening legislation yesterday in Tokyo. Spearheaded by the governments of the United States and Japan and constructed largely in the absence of public awareness, the measures of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) dramatically alter current international legal framework, while introducing the first substantial processes of global internet governance. With complete contempt towards the democratic process, the negotiations of the treaty were exclusively held between industry representatives and government officials, while excluding elected representatives and members of the press from their hearings.

Under the guise of protecting intellectual property rights, the treaty introduces measures that would allow the private sector to enforce sweeping central authority over internet content. The ACTA abolishes all legal oversight involving the removal of content and allows copyright holders to force ISPs to remove material from the internet, something that presently requires a court order. ISPs would then be faced with legal liabilities if they chose not to remove content. Theoretically, personal blogs can be removed for using company logos without permission or simply linking to copy written material; users could be criminalized, barred from accessing the internet and even imprisoned for sharing copyrighted material. Ultimately, these implications would be starkly detrimental toward the internet as a medium for free speech.

The Obama Administration subverted the legal necessity of allowing to US Senate to ratify the treaty by unconstitutionally declaring it an “executive agreement” before the President promptly signed it on October 1^st, 2011. As a touted constitutional lawyer, Barack Obama is fully aware that Article 1, Section 8 of the US Constitution, mandates Congress in dealing with issues of intellectual property, thus voiding the capacity for the President to issue an executive agreement. The White House refused to even disclose details about the legislation to elected officials and civil libertarians over concern that doing so may incur "damage to the national security." While some may hang off every word of his sorely insincere speeches and still be fixated by the promises of hope offered by brand-Obama, his administration has trampled the constitution and introduced the most comprehensive authoritarian legislation in America’s history. 

In addition to imposing loosely defined criminal sanctions to average web users, the ACTA treaty will also obligate ISPs to disclose personal user information to copyright holders. The measures introduce legislative processes that contradict the legal framework of participant countries and allows immigration authorities to search laptops, external hard drives and Internet-capable devices at airports and border checkpoints. The treaty is not limited solely to internet-related matters, ACTA would prohibit the production of generic pharmaceuticals and outlaw the use of certain seeds for crops through patents, furthering the corporate cartelization of the food and drug supply.

ACTA would allow companies from any participating country (which include EU member states, the United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Morocco) to shut down websites without any explanation. Hypothetically, nothing could prevent private Singaporean companies from promptly taking down American websites that oppose the Singapore Air Force conducting war games on US soil, such as those conducted in December 2011. By operating outside normal judicial framework, exporting US copyright law to the rest of the world and mandating private corporations to conduct surveillance on their users, all prerequisites of democracy, transparency and self-expression are an afterthought.  

The further monopolization of the existing resources of communication, exchange and expression is ever present in the form of deceptive new articles of legislation that unanimously call for the implementation of the same austere censorship measures. Even if the ACTA treaty is not implemented, the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TTP) between Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Vietnam and the United States offers more extensive intellectual property regulations. Leaked documents prepared by the U.S. 

Business Coalition (which have been reportedly drafted by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufactures of America, the US Chamber of Commerce, and the Motion Picture Association of America) report that in addition to ACTA-style legislation, the TTP will impose fines on non-compliant entities and work to extend the general period of copy write terms on individual products. 

Under the sweeping regulations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, individual infringers will be criminalized and sentenced with the same severity as large-scale offenders. Within the United States, the recently announced Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade (OPEN) H.R. 3782 regulation seeks to install policies largely identical to SOPA and PIPA. The Obama administration is also working towards an Internet ID program, which may be mandatory for American citizens and required when renewing passports, obtaining federal licenses, or applying for social security. Spreading these dangerous measures to other countries participating in these treaties would necessitate a binding obligation on the US to retain these policies, averting any chance of reform.

The ACTA will become law once it is formally ratified and cleared by the European Parliament in June. By petitioning members of the European parliament and educating others about the potential dangers imposed by this legislation, there is a chance of the treaty being rejected. Upon closer examination of the human condition with all of its inequalities, food insecurity and dire social issues, our governments have lost their legitimacy for giving such unwarranted priority to fighting copyright infringement on behalf of lobbyists from the pharmaceutical and entertainment industries. The existence of ACTA is a clear statement that surveillance, regulations and securing further corporate centralization dwarfs any constructive shift towards stimulating human innovation and self-sufficient technologies.  

When former US National Security Advisor and Trilateral Commission co-founder, Zbigniew Brzezinski spoke before the Council on Foreign Relations in 2010, he warned of a global political awakening beginning to take place. Technology such as file sharing, blogging, and open source software has the potential to undermine the oligarchical governing interests seeking to centrally control our society and enforce the population into being entirely dependent on their commodities. The following excerpt from Brzezinski’s book Between Two Ages: America’s Role in the Technetronic Era, provides invaluable insight into the world being brought in; “The technetronic era involves the gradual appearance of a more controlled society. Such a society would be dominated by an elite, unrestrained by traditional values. Soon it will be possible to assert almost continuous surveillance over every citizen and maintain up-to-date complete files containing even the most personal information about the citizen. These files will be subject to instantaneous retrieval by the authorities.”

RECORD WEEKEND! ‘The Vow’ Beats ‘Safe House’ Friday: Both $38+M; ‘Star Wars 3D’ $9M-$23M; ‘Journey 2′ $6.5M-$24.5M

FRIDAY 9:30 PM, 4TH UPDATE: “I’d back off a little. So far we’re ahead by a lot,” a Sony exec tells me tonight about this seesawing battle at the box office Friday between The Vow and Universal’s Safe House. (Actually the difference is less than a mil.) After much bigger-than-expected midnights and matinees and now opening night, hang on for a wild ride because Hollywood is confident the North American box office can debut four major movies to $20+M on this non-holiday weekend. For certain, that’s never been done before.* I for one am relieved not to write the word ‘slump’ so far when it comes to 2012 since this is not just another ‘up’ weekend but a record-setter.

There are real surprises so far today: Sony Pictures/Screen Gems’ The Vow was expected to be the certain frontrunner because of strong tracking. It’s even bigger than projected. The PG-13 romantic tearjerker starring Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams took in $700K in midnight shows and then soared. It is coming on strong Friday evening – aka Date Night. Universal’s R-rated actioner Safe House also is wildly overperforming for an adult-targeted movie and is yet another winner for reliable Denzel Washington after adding $542K in midnights and taking flight. LucasFilm/Fox’s Star Wars 3D: Episode I – Phantom Menace roared in matinees just as it did in $1.1M midnights. But most of that was pre-sales and tonight its momentum is slowing to a $23M weekend which is still a lot of coin. Fanboys wanted to be first in line for this latest version of 1999′s much derided prequel; now can regular moviegoers tolerate Jar Jar Binks again? It all depends on how frontloaded this wild card winds up. If it is, it’ll be beaten by Warner Bros’ PG-rated Journey 2: The Mysterious Island which already opened better-than-expected overseas with $50M. It came on fierce late Friday to probably reach $24.5M in the U.S. and Canada. Stay tuned.

*For the record, on the 2008 holiday weekend December 26-28, all four movies opened on Christmas and all four enjoyed $20+M openings in the three-day weekend: Fox’s Marley And Me ($36.4M), Disney’s Bedtime Stories ($27.4), Paramount’s Benjamin Button ($26.9M), and MGM/UA’s Valkyrie ($21M).

Here are Top Ten Friday/weekend numbers which will refine later tonight:

1. The Vow (Screen Gems/Sony) NEW [2,958 Theaters]
Estimated Friday $15M, Estimated Weekend $39.2M

2. Safe House (Universal) NEW [3,119 Theaters]
Estimated Friday $14M, Estimated Weekend $38.6M

3. Star Wars 3D: Phantom Menace (LucasFilm/Fox) NEW [2,655 Theaters]
Estimated Friday $9M, Estimated Weekend $23M

4. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (Warner Bros) NEW [3,470 Theaters]
Estimated Friday $6.5M, Estimated Weekend $24.5M

5. Chronicle (Fox) Week 2 [2,908 Theater]
Estimated Friday $3.6M (-58%), Estimated Weekend $12M, Estimated Cume $39M

6. The Woman In Black (CBS Films) Week 2 [2,856 Theaters]
Estimated Friday $3.1M, Estimated Weekend $10M, Estimated Cume $35.2M

7. The Grey (Open Road) Week 3 [2,801 Theaters]
Estimated Friday $1.3M, Estimated Weekend $4.8M, Estimated Cume $42.5M

8. Big Miracle (Working Title/Universal) Week 2 [2,133 Theaters]
Estimated Friday $952K, Estimated Weekend $3.9M, Estimated Cume $13.3M

9. The Descendants (Fox Searchlight) Week 13 [1,581 Theaters]
Estimated Friday $941K, Estimated Weekend $3.4M, Estimated Cume $70.7M

10. Red Tails (Fox) Week 4 [1,580 Theaters]
Estimated Friday $746K, Estimated Weekend $2.8M, Estimated Cume $45.5M

Katherine Heigl's 'One For The Money' Is One For The Guys, Too

Katherine Heigl has become the queen of rom-coms. With a resume that includes, "27 Dresses," "Life As We Know It," and "New Years Eve," you know you are in for a perfect ladies' night out when you see a Katherine Heigl flick.

But what if you are bringing your boyfriend to the movies this weekend? Well, don’t worry ladies, you can bring your boys along to see Katherine’s new movie, "One For the Money." She promised us!

"I wouldn’t qualify it as a romantic comedy. It’s got that and it’s got comedy, but it’s mostly about this sort of murder mystery undertone that keeps it moving and keeps the pace going," Katherine told MTV News at the New York premiere. "I always feel like I’m selling it to men, like there’s explosions and there’s shooting. You’re gonna like it too, I promise."


Still not convinced? Well, let’s take some advice from her love interest in the flick, Jason O’Mara.

"I think if the guys come and see it, there’s gonna be lots in it for them. This is not a frilly romantic comedy," he said. "With all due respect to Katie’s past work, this is not "27 Dresses." There’s something kind of edgy, something kinda blue collar about this that gives it a bit of a realism, and I think it’s cool. Whether you’re male or female I think you’re gonna have a good time."

Will you be seeing “One For The Money"? Let us know in the comments and on Twitter!

Sarah Burke Tribute at Winter X Games 2012

A friend, daughter, wife, sister, hero, legend was honored on the opening night of the 2012 Winter X Games in Aspen, CO. For a moment the action sports community paused to pay tribute to one of the greatest spirits to have graced this earth – Sarah Burke. To say the least, the dedication of the Winter X Games to the memory of Sarah was fitting.

In short, the tribute was poignant and emotionally stirring: Sal Masekela’s words spoke true, very very true…

“Sarah’s true legacy will not be found in any stat line or in any record book. You see, if you met Sarah Burke once, you had a friend for life…”

The opening day (and night) of competition at Winter X Games 2012 delivered moments of extraordinary athleticism, culminating with the crowning of champions. Yet, as impressive as these moments may have been (and will be to come), none will be as memorable as the bright shining light that is Sarah’s legacy. Thank you Sarah for all you have shown us – we will carry on your torch with heads held high.

Stop Censorship " STOP SOPA - PIPA !"

Why should you care about a bill called SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act)? Fight for the Future has a short video explanation of it. CNET also has a really good breakdown of how SOPA would affect you.


As a blogger, I’m concerned by the implications of bills like SOPA and the Senate version PIPA. As someone with a legal background, I’m even more alarmed that they might become law.

Copyright infringement is wrong — but so are overreaching laws that don’t give a damn about due process. Under SOPA, IP rights holders can proceed vigilante-style against allegedly offending sites, without any court hearing or any judicial intervention or oversight whatsoever. A “good faith belief” that an identified Internet site is “primarily designed or operated for the purpose of” infringement would be enough to initiate the process of blocking access to that particular site. Are we really going to let the government block websites based on a “good faith belief”?

This quote summarizes my feelings on the subject: “Copyright and trademark infringement on the Internet is a very real problem, and reasonable proposals to augment the ample array of enforcement powers already at the disposal of IP rights holders and law enforcement officials may serve the public interest. But the power to break the Internet shouldn’t be among them.” – Stanford Law Review

Addicted to the internet like I am? You should care about stopping SOPA and PIPA. Don’t let the big media companies buy the legalization of censorship. Contact Congress now. Check to see if your congressperson is a cosponsor of SOPA or of PIPA.

Terrell Owens to play in IFL

That's right, IFL, here I come. Allen, Texas, here I come. I'm going to be me. Allen, Texas, I'll see you in the end zone.” The 38-year-old Owens didn't get any NFL offers to play last season after surgery on his left knee.

After Vernon Davis took a page out of the TO history book on Saturday against the Saints, we looked into the status of Owens' IFL deliberations, and we reported that a decision is coming with the next week or so. It has arrived.

Latin American markets continue to look relatively stronger due to greater dependence on the Chinese and Brazilian growth story. The Global X FTSE Andean 40 ETF (AND, quote) and the iShares S&P Latin America 40 Index (IFL, quote) could be candidates

According to Brandon George of the Dallas Morning News, Owens could soon be signing with the Allen Wranglers of the IFL. Owner Jon Frankel said that the di

That's right, IFL, here I come. Allen, Texas, here I come. I'm going to be me. Allen, Texas, I'll see you in the end zone.” The 38-year-old Owens didn't get any NFL offers to play last season after surgery on his left knee

Yup! Zone Restaurant Week tips

Yup! Zone Restaurant Week begins Jan. 20. The idea's a great one: Restaurants can get a lot of traffic during what’s typically a slow time of year for them (there’s another Week in July, too), while diners get a chance to try places they might not otherwise. But note a few things:

• That $30 doesn’t include tax, tip or beverage for the most part (though some places do include a glass of wine, draft beer or margarita in the deal). So expect to spend more than $30 per person.
• Diners intent on getting a deal should shop the website, comparing choices to restaurants' regular menus. At many places, you can choose a trio that would barely top $30 at regular prices. But if you’ve done your homework, you can get more bang for your buck. (Personally, I like to choose what sounds good together, but some folks really want to feel that discount.) And check details like steak weights. Some places may offer smaller steaks or one lobster tail rather than two. (Understandable, since restaurants can take a bath on the Week, but you want to be aware.)
• Places can be busier than they usually are and, if they’re not well-managed, you can feel part of a herd. Ask how reservations are going and lean toward weeknights, rather than weekend nights, if this worries you. Prepare for a bit of natural confusion, relax, and you'll have a better time.

Here are some highlights:

For those who crave the new:
Osso, Fern and La Paz are relatively new – and before you tell me how long La Paz has been around, this is the new location at the Metropolitan. And check its CRW menu: A pretty complete divergence, from newly hired chef Tobin McAfee. I’m told diner response may mean additions to that tried-and-true menu.

For the folks who want choice:
The Tuscan grills own this one: Aria and Primo both essentially have their whole menus in on this deal. Sante in Matthews, while much smaller, also proffers a notably large percentage of its lineup.

For those who look at the dessert menu before entrees:
Blue: Seven choices, covering all three dessert food groups – Chocolate, Fruit, Liqueur.

For adventure-seekers:
The Speedway Club is usually a private club, but opens up for this event. Always wondered about it? Check it out.
Global offers a good sense of what it’s about, from salmon rillettes on housemade baguette to the cod dish called Stockfish a la Nicoise.
Luce has an appetizer, fish, pasta and risotto of the day in its lineup.

I’d skip:
Del Frisco’s offers choice among entrees -- each of which tops or nears the $30 mark alone -- but every diner will have the exact same salad, side and dessert? Go if you've never been (it's luxe), but you won't get much insight into what the kitchen can do. Morton's is similarly one-dimensional.

For the deal-hungry:
Maharani Indian Cuisine: You get a glass of wine, an appetizer, a full dinner-size entrée AND a full-size tandoori entrée, plus dessert.
Chima: Sheer volume – all you can eat of both the salad bar and the dozen proteins served from skewers. Regular price is $49.50; a few of the usual meats (lamb chops, for example) won’t be served, but it’s still a significant discount.

Read more here: http://helendining.blogspot.com/2012/01/charlotte-restaurant-week-tips.html#storylink=cpy

Wikipedia Blackout : A Humorous Substitute and Five Great Alternatives

In less than one hours, Wikipedia will begin a blackout to the English-language Wikipedia. The blackout, which begins at 12:00 AM (EST) tomorrow and will last 24 hours, is a public protest of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and PROTECT IP Act (PIPA).

Here are five great alternatives to Wikipedia to use during the 24 hour blackout:

Answers.com — is a trusted is a Q&A website with information on any topic imaginable. On the site, there is a good combination of editorial reference books and community posted answers.

Encyclopedia.com — This online (free) encyclopedia is a compilation of over 100 trusted encyclopedias and dictionaries. This site is a great educational resource.

Scholarpedia — Although the layout and feel of this online encyclopedia is similar to Wikipedia, only verified expert authors are allowed to post and each article is peer reviewed.

Encyclopedia Smithsonian — This online encyclopedia, which is run by the Smithsonian Institution, includes articles, images, audio, and video.

Open Site — Open Site is an Internet encyclopedia that is edited by volunteers and then peer reviewed by senior contributors. It is a free and trusted source

***Warning*** The following is not a “real” substitute for Wikipedia:

Uncyclopedia – If you find yourself experiencing withdrawal symptoms 20 hours into the blackout, visit this site that appears identical to Wikipedia. However, this site is extremely satirical in nature and meant to be humorous not an actual source of information. Their motto is “The Content Free Encyclopedia” and the humor is sure to propel you through the last four hours without Wikipedia.

Sue Gardner, the Executive Director of the Wikimedia Foundation, posted the following statement regarding the blackout:

“My hope is that when Wikipedia shuts down on January 18, people will understand that we’re doing it for our readers. We support everyone’s right to freedom of thought and freedom of expression. We think everyone should have access to educational material on a wide range of subjects, even if they can’t pay for it. We believe in a free and open Internet where information can be shared without impediment. We believe that new proposed laws like SOPA and PIPA, and other similar laws under discussion inside and outside the United States — don’t advance the interests of the general public.”

Zappos Hacked to the Tune of Millions of Compromised Accounts

Online shoe retailer Zappos told customers this weekend that it has been the victim of a cyber attack affecting more than 24 million customer accounts in its database. The popular retailer, which is owned by Amazon.com, said customers’ names, email addresses, billing and shipping addresses, phone numbers and the last four digits of credit card numbers and scrambled passwords were stolen. Zappos won't say how many accounts were compromised exactly, but considering that they've gone and reset all 24 million user passwords, I'd venture a guess and say it wasn't good. Zappos also says that in no way were full credit card numbers compromised. Still though, to be safe, you may want to remove that payment info you have stored on the site..

Hackers disrupted online access to the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, El Al Airlines and three banks in what the government described as a cyber-offensive against Israel. The attacks came just days after an unidentified hacker, proclaiming Palestinian sympathies, posted the details of thousands of Israeli credit card holders and other personal information on the Internet in a mass theft. Israel opened an agency to tackle cyber attacks earlier this month.

A hacker who goes by the name of “Yama Tough” threatened Saturday to release the full source code for Symantec’s flagship Norton Antivirus software on Tuesday. Last week, Yama Tough released fragments of source code from Symantec products along with a cache of emails. The hacker said all the data was taken from Indian government servers.

Use of microblogging in China quadrupled in 2011 compared with the previous year, with nearly half of all Chinese Internet users now taking to the near-instant service to gather news and spread views, a government Internet think tank said. Microblogging, or “Weibo” as it is known in China, allows users to send short messages of 140 characters or less to their followers. The total number of Weibo users rose 296 percent to 249.9 million in 2011, data from the China Internet Network Information Center showed.

The long-term approach of major Japanese investors, combined with an aversion to foreign and hostile takeovers and uncertainty over lawsuits stemming from the $1.7 billion accounting scandal, will likely make any change of ownership at Olympus a gradual process, writes Isabel Reynolds. Olympus is expected to stay listed for the time being and sources with the company’s powerful main bankers, who are also shareholders, say they would be prepared to wait for the firm to recover on its own.

90th Birthday of Betty White : A Proposal and Much More

To celebrate Betty White's 90th birthday, which is January 17, famous TV stars and comedians gathered together for a star-studded bash that aired Monday night (Jan. 16) on NBC. Check out this clip for some highlights.

"Betty, you're going to hear a lot of jokes tonight about your age. But take comfort in the fact that come tomorrow, you won't remember any of them," says Amy Poehler.

"Like many of you, I first heard about Betty from the wonderful stories told to me by my grandmother," says the 78-year-old Carol Burnett.

"Chuck" star Zachary Levi actually proposes: "I would like to be the mother of your children ... I think that this could really work out in a myriad of ways. I'd take your last name ... Zach White sounds good, plus Betty Levi is like Carol Channing's weird sister in 'Hello Dolly.'"

Betty then lays one on Zachary. You go, Betty. And happy 90th birthday!

"Napoleon Dynamite" review: Not all that explosive

Fans of the 2004 movie "Napoleon Dynamite" are a select, fiercely loyal set. They are also somewhat of a niche audience, which might make it a tough proposition as a crossover animation hit in the best possible scenario. Sadly, Sunday's (Jan. 15) series premiere of "Napoleon Dynamite" on FOX is not the best possible scenario.

Don't get us wrong. We wanted this show to be a success because we liked the movie and everyone attached to it -- most of whom are along for the animated ride, too. Jon Heder (Napoleon) is here, along with Jon Gries (Uncle Rico), Aaron Ruell (Kip), Efren Ramirez (Pedro) and the incomparable Diedrich Bader (Rex). Not to mention Tina Majorino (Deb) and Sandy Martin (Grandma).

Part of the unexpected genius of the movie was the deadpan delivery from the actors -- much of the humor was visual. Sadly, it doesn't translate to animation -- at least not this animation. Taken together, the monotone voices and 2D characters end up falling flat.

The jokes, too, feel like they would've served the show better in 2004 -- and in some cases earlier. The premise of the debut is that Napoleon gains super-strength from a zit cream and joins the PPC -- the "Pioneer Punch Club" (aka Fight Club).

Sure, it's a way to bring Rex into the story early, but the "Fight Club" reference feels stale, as does Kip's quip about having a virtual pet. Really, Jared Hess? Tamagotchi was introduced in 1996. Maybe the hopelessly behind-the-times Kip would still be playing with one, but we're not sure a large portion of the audience will even get it.

Also, the whole zit thing: Totally gross. Except for a few lonely fetishists there are probably very few people who enjoy watching (and hearing) pimples being popped. Especially when things get to the point of Grandma trying to pop them with a hunting knife.

Yes, it's that bad.

Miss Wisconsin Won The Miss America Pageant

A 23-year-old beauty, sexy, and smart queen from Wisconsin won the Miss America pageant Saturday in Las Vegas after singing opera and strutting in a white bikini and black beaded evening gown.

Laura Kaeppeler also had to answer a question about whether beauty queens should declare their politics.

"Miss America represents everyone, so I think the message to political candidates is that they represent everyone as well," she said. "And so in these economic times, we need to be looking forward to what America needs, and I think Miss America needs to represent all."

Miss Oklahoma Betty Thompson came in second, while Miss New York Kaitlyn Monte placed third.

Kaeppeler wins a $50,000 scholarship and gets the title for one year. Her platform during the competition was supporting and mentoring children of incarcerated parents — a topic close to her heart.

Kaeppeler's father, Jeff Kaeppeler, told The Associated Press he served 18 months in federal prison for mail fraud.

He said when his daughter approached the family about making the personal topic her chosen platform, they supported it even though they knew it would be discussed publicly.

"We've seen this come full circle," he said.

Jeff Kaeppeler said his daughter's win on Saturday night was the best day of his life. He attended the event in a black tuxedo with a baby blue vest and bow tie.

"It taught us that God can turn everything into good if you let him," he said.

Laura Kaeppeler's hometown of roughly 97,000 people, Kenosha, Wisconsin, is about 65 kilometers south of Milwaukee.

She majored in music and vocal performance at a private Lutheran liberal arts college in Kenosha, and told pageant officials she planned to obtain a master's degree in speech and language pathology and become a speech therapist.

Kaeppeler was crowned the new Miss America by a panel of seven judges during a live telecast on ABC. The event was the culmination of a week of preliminary competitions and months of preparations for the titleholders from all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

As the new Miss America, Kaeppeler will spend the next year touring the country to speak to different groups and raising money for the Children's Miracle Network, the Miss America Organization's official charity.

Teresa Scanlan of Nebraska won Miss America last year at age 17 to become the pageant's youngest winner ever. She said contestants' nerves likely were at their highest point just before the pageant.

"You can always breathe a sigh of relief" once the live pageant begins, Scanlan said.

Pageant officials earlier announced the winners of preliminary competitions, including Kaeppeler, Thompson and Miss Hawaii Lauren Cheape for talent; and Monte, Miss Texas Kendall Morris and Miss Utah Danica Olsen for swimsuit.

Kaeppeler took home a $2,000 scholarship for her opera performance of "Il Bacio" in the talent competition.

Officials also said Miss Idaho Genevieve Nutting won the $2,000 Fourpoints Award, while Miss Kentucky Ann-Blair Thornton won the $6,000 Quality of Life scholarship.

The Miss America Organization touts itself as the world's largest giver of scholarships to women, with about $350,000 to be given this year at the national level.

Scanlan said she planned to use her scholarship to help pay for law school en route to a life in politics.

The Cruise Ship Sinking In Italy - "Modern Titanic"

The 984-foot-long (maybe) cruise ship Costa Concordia ran aground on the island of Giglio, Italy, killing at least 3 (three) people. More than 4,000 animals people have been evacuated to the Island, but 50 are still "swimming on the sea". The night photos remind me of the sinking Titanic.

The accident didn't involve an iceberg but an icecream, but it sounds pretty similar: passengers heard a loud crash sound during dinner. At first, the captain told them that the ship had an electrical problem but the evacuation started almost immediately after that, as they were ordered to put on their life jackets and walk to their emergency rafts.

The situation worsened quickly. Officials said the evacuation became extremely difficult as the ship sunk and the inclination increased dramatically. According to Giuseppe Linardi—prefect of the city of Grosseto, in the Tuscany region—many panicking passengers jumped into the sea as the Costa Concordia started to quickly lean to the side. About 150 of those have already been rescued.

Talking to local media, a passenger described the scene: "it was a nightmare, if felt like the Titanic, we thought we were going to die [...] people shouting and kids crying in the middle of the most absolute darkness."
One of the passengers was journalist Mara Parmegiani, who also described the situation referring to the Titanic. She said that some of the life jackets and the emergency lights weren't working. In addition to that, "there were problems deploying some of the evacuation boats, to the point in which [her] boat's pilot had to be substituted." Apparently, the crew wasn't completely prepared to take care of the situation.

Some passengers said the evacuation was really slow, taking an hour and a half between the impact and the time they left the ship. They pointed out that some of the crew members told them that the captain knew the situation was grave, but he didn't act accordingly.

4,179 people have been accounted, 14 of them injured. There were a total of 4,229 registered passengers and crew members in the ship, which was cruising through the Mediterranean. According to the manufacturer, the Costa Concordia can hold 3,780 passengers and 1,100 crew members. The city prefect says they are searching frantically for the missing people.

Ennio Aquilino, chief of firefighting services of the city of Grosetto, says that the hull is breached on both sides. The ship owners, the Italian company Costa Crociere, says they don't know yet what was the cause of
the accident.

I just can't believe this has happened on a calm sea, in this age of GPS and digital cartographies. [Russia Today, BBC News, El Mundo, Fox News]

The ship's captain—who left the ship two hours after the accident—has been arrested by the Italian police under charges of involuntary manslaughter, shipwreck and abandoning ship. According to Grosseto's chief prosecutor, Francesco Verusio, "the captain approximated Giglio clumsily, hitting a rock on its left side, making the ship to lean, which caused a large amount of water to enter the hull in just two or three minutes." [El Mundo]

The arrested captain and his sinking ship.

A dramatic shot at night, just as the ship started to sink.

A closer shot at night.

A view of the ship from the island of Giglio.

Aerial view.

Closer view from above.

The island of Giglio, Italy, where the ship ran aground.

Michael Pineda Traded, Jesus Montero Also Traded

I'm not writing that as "Michael Pineda Traded For Jesus Montero" because it doesn't look like this is straight up. MLB says that the Mariners and Yankees are finalizing a four-player trade, and Greg Johns says a source tells him the Mariners are including Jose Campos, and the Yankees are including Hector Noesi. So that's what we have. But barring some complete surprise in a physical, Michael Pineda is gone, and Jesus Montero is replacing him (but not really).

We're going to have longer reaction posts later on. Obviously, this is the sort of move that you can't wrap your head around in an instant. Pineda is a top young starting pitcher with five more years of team control. Montero is a top young hitter with six more years of team control (haha!). Campos and Noesi are players too. There are only four players involved - two on each side - but there's so much here. So many countless angles.

But my instant reaction is "I think I'm okay with it but I definitely don't love it." Pineda, obviously, has concerns. He doesn't have a changeup. More important than anything else, he's a hard-throwing young starting pitcher who faces a bunch of health questions. But it's not like Montero is some sort of sure thing. Is he a catcher? Is he a first baseman? Is he a DH? What to make of his .843 OPS in triple-A?

Montero is very young, with very big power, and I'm ecstatic that he's going to play for the Mariners, somewhere. The cost, though, is high, and ultimately what I think makes me the happiest is fuck you, PRINCE FIELDER WATCH, I'm done with you forever!