Wednesday 31 December 2008

Top ten mixed drinks.

It's New Year's Eve and the parties will soon be underway. Party hosts and guests not planning to drive are probably considering what cocktails to serve and drink. If you need some help deciding, the amateur mixologists at the Daily Top 10 have made this list of the best mixed drinks. Feel free to disagree or weigh in with your own choices in our comments section and online poll.

1. Long Island Iced Tea -- Is the name of this drink discriminatory? Do people from Long Island really consider vodka, rum, tequila, triple sec and gin mixed together to be iced tea?

2. Manhattan -- A real cocktail. A manhattan is basically the whiskey version of a martini. This drink packs flavor and bite into a 4 oz. glass.

3. Margarita -- Jimmy Buffett songs aside, the margarita's popularity is unquestionable. Frozen or on the rocks, with or without salt, flavored or served in the jumbo, fishbowl-sized glasses, this drink is a hit no matter the occasion.

4. Irish Car bomb -- Need two drinks in one?

5. Martini -- Classic. Food for thought: Contrary to James Bond style, a martini should never be shaken, as that makes the drink weaker. They should always be stirred (unless you like watered-down drinks).

6. Cosmopolitan -- This was kind of the precursor to the flavored martinis. A cosmo sweetens the vodka with cranberry juice, lime juice and orange liquer. A warning for guys: This drink is pink.

7. White Russian -- Vodka adds some kick to the sweet tastes of Kahlua and milk. This is a nice drink to carry around, because if you want, you can tell everyone you're drinking milk.

8. Pina Colada/Blue Sky -- A variation on an old, cliched song lyric: If you like pina colodas, then you will likely enjoy a Blue Sky. Substitute peach schnapps for the rum and add blue caracao to the bottom of the glass before pouring the frozen mixture in. The result looks like a blue sky swirled with clouds. A cherry garnish completes the drink.

9. Sex on the Beach -- You know, there are a number of different recipes for this classic drink. However, most follow some basic guidelines. Whatever is in it, it's just fun to order (and usually sets up lame joke at the same time).

10. Mudslide -- Ice cream! Kahlua already tastes good, but ice cream makes it better. In fact, ice cream has a tendency to make everything better - of course, some will say that about alcohol, as well.


As reported on dailypress.com
http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-now-top10list.d31,0,5537055.story

Sassy water and the flat belly diet.

Women are scrambling for the recipe for Sassy water, touted to reduce bloating, and give us a flat belly in just four days. The flat belly diet recipe is circulating the Internet.

The ingredients in Sassy water are so healthy, you should experience absolutely no side effects. Prevention editor-in-chief, Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, and author of the bestselling book, The Flat-Belly Diet, recommends Sassy water as a means to jumpstart the Flat Belly diet, guaranteed to show results in just thirty-two days.

Given the extreme interest, and the healthy benefit of the Flat Belly Diet, here is the Sassy water recipe, as near as we can find. We cannot completely guarantee the accuracy.

Sassy Water
2 liters water (approximately 8 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 medium cucumber sliced thinly and peeled
1 medium lemon sliced thinly
12 small spearmint leaves

As reported on emaxhealth.com
http://www.emaxhealth.com/1020/11/28124/sassy-water-and-flat-belly-diet-jumpstart-your-new-year.html

Tuesday 30 December 2008

UM quarterback Robert Marve released from scholarship

CORAL GABLES - University of Miami quarterback Robert Marve was granted a release from his scholarship Tuesday, but his father said UM coach Randy Shannon has placed strict stipulations on his transfer.

Eugene Marve said UM will not allow his son to transfer to any schools in the Southeastern and Atlantic Coast Conferences or any schools in Florida.

"We don't quite know the rules or how to approach things, but we're going to challenge it," Eugene Marve said.

It's common for schools to release players from scholarships with certain restrictions, such as prohibiting a transfer to a league or future opponent. UM spokesman Mark Pray said Marve will have opportunity for an appeal, but the committee is outside the school's athletic department.

A redshirt freshman, Marve started 11 games this season but split time with freshman Jacory Harris. Marve completed 116 of 213 passes for 1,293 yards with nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Marve did not return phone messages, but his father said he and Shannon had a rocky relationship.

"This is just another part of his ruthlessness this guy has towards my son," said Eugene Marve, a former NFL linebacker. "It dates all the way back to last summer when there was no relationship when he wouldn't even speak to Robert or encourage him. The non-respect and non-trust led to him wanting to leave. He didn't respect or trust coach Shannon."

Shannon expressed his support for Marve during a press conference on Sunday, saying he wanted him to remain with the Hurricanes. He declined comment on Tuesday, but did release a statement through the athletic department.

"When Eugene Marve speaks he has Robert's welfare in mind, which all fathers should," Shannon said. "I have respect for Robert and wish him nothing but success in the future."

Marve, a former Mr. Football in Florida, was plagued with issues throughout his two-year stay at UM. He was injured in a car accident while driving to campus in 2007, causing him to redshirt his freshman season. He was named the starter last preseason, but missed the season-opener to serve a suspension for an arrest the previous season. Marve was charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly breaking a car rearview mirror.

He finally made his much-anticipated first appearance the second game of the season against Florida. He played well enough to keep the Hurricanes within six points entering the fourth quarter before losing 26-3. He followed that with another solid performance against Texas A & M, but never became the full-time starter.

Shannon, who said he wanted to build depth at the position because of the youth, continued using both quarterbacks throughout the season. Marve and Harris took turns leading the team to victories that eventually put the Hurricanes back in the Top 25 for the first time since 2006.

The end for Marve came after the regular season concluded. After the Hurricanes secured a berth in the Emerald Bowl, he was suspended again, this time for academic reasons. Harris played the entire way in last Saturday's 24-17 loss to California, completing 25 of 41 passes for 192 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Three days after the game, Shannon told WQAM Tuesday morning Harris would be the starter entering the spring.

Eugene Marve refused to comment on where his son was considering transferring, but did say the stipulations would affect his decision.

"He's trying to make it difficult for us, and I just don't think that's fair," Eugene Marve said

As reported on sunsentinel.com
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/college/hurricanes/sfl-1230umqb,0,4195819.story

Mia Farrow bids farewell to late daughter Lark Previn

Actress Mia Farrow sat in the front pew of a Brooklyn church Tuesday morning to bid a sad farewell to her adopted daughter Lark Previn, a mother of two who died Christmas Day after a long illness.

Farrow and her family listened intently as a priest at St. Saviour Roman Catholic Church in Park Slope described the 35-year-old Vietnamese-born Previn's brave battle.

"She had dark moments in her life but she put one foot in front of the other and kept going," said the Rev. Timothy Tighe.

"She pushed herself deeply so that she might keep going [for her daughters.]"

The two girls - Sara, 13, and Christine, 12 - sat near their grandmother.

A cause of death was not released, although Previn had been ailing for a decade.

Previn and her sister, Daisy, 34, were the first of Farrow's multi-ethnic gaggle of kids, both adopted and natural born.

Mia Farrow and musician Andrew Previn also adopted the Korean-born Soon-Yi Previn.

Soon-Yi-Previn wound up marrying director Woody Allen - Farrow's one-time companion and the biological father of her son Ronan Farrow - after the affair became public in 1992.

As reported on NYdailynews.com
http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2008/12/30/2008-12-30_mia_farrow_bids_farewell_to_late_daughte.html

Blagojevich Rolls the Dice With Roland Burris Pick

By announcing his intention to appoint Roland Burris to President-elect Barack Obama’s vacant Senate seat, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is dangling dual temptations above the noses of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his Democratic colleagues.

First of all, it will be painful for Democrats to reject a man who would be the Senate’s only African-American.

Secondly, it will be even more painful to reject a reliable Democrat for the seat, which could end up being filled by a Republican if the matter ends up being settled in an election.

Blagojevich rolls the dice with a bold move.

Of course, Blagojevich knows all this, which is why he is rolling the dice with such a bold move. He is keenly aware that if the political establishment were to somehow end up accepting Burris, it would also be a tacit acceptance of Blagojevich’s legitimacy as governor. It’s hard to impeach a governor whose Senate appointment has been accepted as legitimate.

This is all part and parcel of Blagojevich’s strategy of making himself more palatable by taking only those actions that, under normal circumstances, would be hard to oppose. For example, his first official act after being accused last month of trying to sell Obama’s Senate seat was to sign a bill combating autism.

Blagojevich knew that no one in their right mind would object to such a bill which, by extension, could be interpreted as an affirmation of his legitimacy. That legitimacy would grow only stronger if the Senate were to accept Burris, who was once Illinois’s attorney general.

Blagojevich was careful to choose someone outside the group of names initially mentioned for the post, including Valerie Jarrett and Jesse Jackson Jr., both of whom were tangentially caught up in the federal pay-to-play probe. Instead, Blagojevich chose the 71-year-old Burris, who has already indicated he would function as a caretaker of the Senate seat, stepping aside in 2010 for others to run. Yet another reason not to oppose Burris for the time being.

Will Blagojevich’s gambit succeed? Perhaps not. But it could result in a protracted legal battle, which would have the effect of leaving Obama’s Senate seat vacant indefinitely.

That could leave Democrats yet another seat short of their filibuster-proof majority of 60 seats in the Senate. With a host of close votes looming on such divisive issues as card check, that vacancy could make it all the more painful for Reid to reject Burris.

As reported on the Fox news blog.
http://foxforum.blogs.foxnews.com/2008/12/30/sammon_blagojevich/

Monday 29 December 2008

Jets fire Eric Mangini

The New York Jets fired head coach Eric Mangini on Monday during a hastily-called early-morning press conference.

The process to replace Mangini will take more time, according to executive vice president and general manager Mike Tannenbaum, who consistently referred to the "process" and didn't move from that stance when names like Bill Parcells and Bill Cowher were floated as possible replacements.

The first domino to fall occurred in swift, decisive fashion after a 2:45 a.m. (et) announcement about the 10:00 a.m. (et) press conference.

It was announced Mangini wouldn't attend the press conference, at which it was disclosed Mangini would no longer have an office at Jets headquarters.

The Jets (9-7) lost four of their final five games, spiraling from an opportunity at the AFC's top seed to a seat on the sidelines for the playoffs.

New York was thinking big things when Brett Favre arrived with the Jets and the club got off to an 8-3 start following a 34-13 victory at previously unbeaten Tennessee. The five-game winning streak gave the Jets a two-game edge in the AFC East division race.

However, a home loss to Denver was followed by a loss at San Francisco. After a win against Buffalo, the Jets let their playoff destiny slip away with defeats in Seattle and at home against Miami to finish at 9-7.

"We win as a team and lose as a team," said Tannenbaum. "But we felt this was the right decision."

The 37-year-old Mangini finished with a 23-25 mark and one playoff appearance in his three seasons at the helm, making the postseason in his first season and overseeing a dismal 4-12 campaign in 2007.

This offseason brought promise and an open checkbook, equaling $140 million in contracts to veterans defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, offensive guard Alan Faneca, defensive lineman Calvin Pace and offensive lineman Damien Woody.

Then came the move for the future Hall of Famer Favre in August, raising expectations and the pressure on the still relatively new head coach.

The Jets appeared ready to meet and even exceed those expectations with the fast start, which was followed by an equally fast plummet to the outside of the postseason.

As reported on Kansascity.com
www.kansascity.com/491/story/956151.html

Saturday 27 December 2008

Bahia emerald recovered.

850-pound emerald recovered as reported in the Los Angeles Times


The Sheriff's Department has recovered a stolen 850-pound emerald worth an estimated $370 million, officials said Friday.

The stone, known as the Bahia Emerald, was unearthed in Brazil and is believed to be the second-largest stone of its kind, according to the Sheriff's Department. The gem, once auctioned on EBay, has also been the focus of numerous lawsuits.

The gem was stolen from a secured vault in South El Monte in September and later warehoused in Las Vegas, said Lt. Thomas Grubb of the Major Crimes Bureau.


"The way it was stolen was through falsification of paperwork," Grubb said. "They flimflammed some papers and were able to get it released from the vault."

The investigation led sheriff's officials to Idaho and Las Vegas. When the suspects learned that deputies were hot on their trail, they agreed to hand over the gem. On Dec. 19, sheriff's investigators arrived in Las Vegas with a court order and took possession of the stone. No arrests were made.

The emerald has since been returned to L.A. County and will remain in the custody of the Sheriff's Department until ownership is resolved.

"A judge is going to have to rule on who the rightful owner is," Grubb said.

"We got one side telling us it belongs to them, and another side saying no, it belongs

Vicki Van Meter remembered.

Vicki Van Meter is amoung the dead being remembered by the Maine press.The Pennsylvanian was celebrated for piloting a plane across the country at age 11 and from the United States to Europe at age 12, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Her body was found March 16.

As a sixth-grader in September 1993, Van Meter flew from Augusta, Maine, to San Diego over five days in her single-engine Cessna 172. Nine months later,
Van Meter flew from Augusta to Glasgow, Scotland, and was credited at the time with being the youngest girl to make a trans-Atlantic flight.

Brandan Hogan.

The Charleston Gazette investigates the mystery surrounding the absence from practice of West Virginia Mountaineers cornerback Brandon Hogan.
At the begining of the week we were told that Hogan was “not feeling well,”however on christmas day head coach Bill Stewart told reporters , that the
sophomore was “dealing with some personal issues” and would be “evaluated day-to-day” leading up to Saturday’s match against North Carolina. Should Hogan
not be available, Keith Tandy will move into Hogan’s position.

Friday 26 December 2008

Rich Ellerson new head coach at Army.

Rich Ellerson has been named as the new head coach at Army. Ellerson, 60-41 in his career as head coach and 56-34 at Cal Poly, Rich Ellerson takes over for
Stan Brock, who was fired on December 12th, after the Black Knights lost to Navy 34-0.


Ellerson came very close to beating Wisconsin on the road in November. Cal Poly missed three PATs in a 36-35 overtime loss. Ellerson, 54, is considered by
many to be a master of running the triple option offense.

If anyone can get the Black Knights moving in the right direction, it's Ellerson.

Indiana Toll road

More than 150 miles of the Indiana Toll Road, was closed for apx. two hours at around 6.30 this morning due to icy conditions which has caused numerous accidents.
Parts of the Indiana Toll Road have now re-opened today after the icy conditions improved. Despite the Indiana Toll Road reopening, other nearby roads are closed

the Chicago Tribune reports sections have now reopened.
State officials say stay off the road today.