Source: abs-cbnnews.com

MANILA, Philippines – Joshua Clottey of Ghana seems to be unthreatened by his match-up against the only 7-division world champion and pound-for-pound king, Manny Pacquiao, on March 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“Manny Pacquiao is a human being, like everyone else. He's just a really good fighter who is out there now who is No. 1 now,” Clottey told Lem Satterfield of Fanhouse.com.

“If I win this fight against Manny Pacquiao, I will never feel like I beat the best fighter in the world,” he said. “I will feel like I had a fight with Manny Pacquiao, the best fighter out there, and I won.”

He also clarified that just in case he wins on March 13, people should not regard his victory as an upset.

“I'll say, ‘It's not an upset, but a win,’” the Ghanaian stated.

But before the 33-year-old Clottey talks about his possible triumph over Pacquiao, he knows that he first has to overcome the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight champion.

He said he plans to beat Pacquiao by connecting his shots and wearing him down.

“I can't throw a lot of punches like Pacquiao will do. But I will connect enough to make him slow down and wear down, and bring his speed down,” he shared.

“I will also rely on my pressure. But I don't know what Pacquiao is coming to do, so I have to use my head. I don't know if he's planning to move around. But I'm not going to make him chase me. I will be right there.”

Happy with training

Clottey, meantime, was more positive about his ongoing training camp in Florida.

“I went to Ghana to try get a visa for my trainer, and it didn't work out for Godwin Kotey. I think that was three weeks ago, and I've moved on. I'm training with Lenny DeJesus, we're training hard, and we're very happy,” he said.

He added that his training has been going very well: “I'm in shape. I want to prove to the whole world that this [is] a fight that I can win, and that they should be careful not to write me off.”

The 31-year-old Pacquiao is said to be feeling great about his training camp in Los Angeles, California.

Conditioning coach Alex Ariza told Ronnie Nathanielsz of Philboxing.com that the Filipino boxing superstar was “feeling good and Freddie was obviously happy and had a smile on his face and when they are happy, I am happy.”

He noted that they cannot ask for anything more from Pacquiao as he showed “amazing speed and power and is ready to go anytime.”

Pacquiao has a record of 50-3-2, with 38 KOs while Clottey, a former International Boxing Federation (IBF) welterweight titleholder, has a record of 35-3, with 20 knockouts. – With reports from PhilBoxing.com and Fanhouse.com

Source: Reuters

LOS ANGELES – Superman and Batman's first appearances in comic books have each set auction sales records and broken the $1 million barrier, in an age when traditional investments have fared badly and superheroes look attractive.

A 1939 comic with the first ever appearance of masked crime fighter Batman sold at auction in Dallas on Thursday for a record $1.075 million, said Heritage Auction Galleries.

Three days earlier, a buyer paid $1 million for Superman's world debut in Action Comics #1, more than tripling the previous comic book sales record set last year.

Shirrel Rhoades, former publisher and executive vice president of Marvel Comics, said high sales for those comics is partly a reflection on the poor economy.

"When the stock market is down, when real estate investments are over the cliff, collectibles offer an alternative that you can invest in that may have some growth potential," Rhoades said.

He said the 1938 Action Comics #1 is arguably more historic than the first appearance of Batman, but that this week's sales seem to be following their own logic.

"We're probably seeing a little bit of a feeding frenzy," Rhoades said. "With the sale of Action #1 for a million, I think that's going to keep prices up for awhile."

Heritage Auction Galleries did not disclose the name of the previous owner or the winning bidder for Detective Comics #27, the first book featuring Batman.

The previous owner is a savvy collector who bought the comic for $100 more than 40 years ago, a figure which at the time seemed a large price, said Heritage Auction Galleries.

Economy down, comics up

The Action Comics #1 sale was handled by ComicConnect.com, and Vincent Zurzolo, chief operating officer of the website, echoed Rhoades' view that comics are fetching record sums because they are an attractive investment in a down economy.

He said buyers pay high sums for vintage comics because they want something "they're familiar with, that they feel comfortable with, that they think are good investments."

Back in the 1930s, both Action Comics #1 and Detective Comics #27 sold for 10 cents.

Experts said the same edition of a comic can vary widely in price, depending on condition.

Heritage Auction and CommicConnect said the books they sold this week were pristine, well-preserved copies.

Rhoades said he owns a ragged copy of Action Comics #1 that lacks a front cover and is worth very little.

But he said that more than eight years ago, he gave an art college a 1963 Amazing Spider-Man #1 then worth $40,000. He estimates the figure has since climbed above $100,000.

"My wife jokingly said why did I give it away, when I could have kept it and sold it a few years later for more than double its value," Rhoades said.

Source: Susan McGlaun, i4u.com

Micro Sport Japanese MP3 Player is available at ThinkGeek for $79.99.

It is the size of two sugar cubes literally. It comes out of Japan and it is being called the smallest MP3 player. It features full stereo sound in a tiny device. One earbud is attached directly to the side of the main unit, while the other earbud trails on a cord around the back of your head, reaching the other ear.

Amazingly loading music is very easy. Simply plug the Micro Sport into the USB port of your computer. It mounts like a USB thumb drive and you simply copy over any MP3 files you want to play. It is imported from Japan so the directions are in Japanese but you can find full directions on the ThinkGeek website.

The Micro Sport Japanese MP3 Player stores a whopping 4GB of your favorite music. It is so small you would never image it would have that kind of storage space. It has a built in rechargeable Li battery. Easily transfers music via USB and has great stereo sound. Also no drivers required, works with any OS. This is a must have so be sure to order one today.

Micro Sport Japanese MP3 Player is available at ThinkGeek for $79.99.

Source: Mark Vester, boxingscene.com

Floyd Mayweather Jr. continued to take aim at his May 1 opponent, Shane Mosley, and his potential future opponent, Manny Pacquiao. Speaking with allhiphop.com , Mayweather spoke about the broken negotiations for a Pacquiao fight and said he’s willing to fight Manny but they both have to undergo random drug testing. Once again he questioned Pacquiao’s abilities and says he should take the tests if there is nothing to hide.

“I would love to fight Manny Pacquiao but it has to be fair. We have athletes who live in our own country that lie to the American citizens about taking certain enhancing drugs. Manny Pacquiao is not from this country and don't even live in this country so imagine what he would tell the American people," Mayweather said.

“Manny Pacquiao was just an ordinary fighter and once he got over 25, 26, he became extraordinary. That doesn’t happen in the sport of boxing so it has to be something. I started off good in my career and all the way through my career I’ve been dominating. I started off good and became great but you don't start off ordinary and become extraordinary. If Manny Pacquiao has nothing to hide, I never saw a man who didn't want to take a $25 million dollar drug test.”

Mayweather said his name value is so high that it will take Mosley’s career to the next level.

“I'm an A-lister. Shane is a C-lister. When you involve yourself with the Mayweather brand, it takes you to the next level in the sport of boxing,” Mayweather said. “Shane is a good fighter. He’s going to the hall of fame and I know I’m going to the hall of fame so it’s good to have two fighters going to the hall of fame in there.”

“I built myself up, to be the super bowl of boxing. When Floyd Mayweather laces up the gloves, it's the all star game. I don't know how much longer we'll be in the sport of boxing. They are constantly trying to build up a fighter to beat Floyd Mayweather and I can't blame them.

Source: Jane Lasky, examiner.com

February 25, 2010 -- The rabbit hole is finally open, in London, for the royal world premiere of 'Alice in Wonderland'. Finally, the Lewis Carroll iconic tale come to life, courtesy magic maker Tim Burton and his gang of fine actors, including Johnny Depp (as the Mad Hatter), Anne Hathaway (as the White Queen), Helena Bonham Carter (as the Red Queen) andMia Wasikowska (as Alice), has hit London with a vengeance.

The world premiere, held at the Odeon Leicester Square cinema in central London, meants all these big stars and more came out decked out for the occasion. Take a look below at some pictures from the British capital's film festivies.

Meanwhile, 'Alice in Wonderland' goes wide March 5, 2010 so get ready for a really fun ride.

Source: Tommie Sandlin, examiner.com

American Idol was all about the ladies last night. Tonight it was the guys turn to take the stage and separate the men from the boys. Pick your favorite and cast your vote for your favorite male American Idol contestant.



Your vote may be the only thing to keep your favorite American Idol contestant in the competition. The two guys and two girls with the lowest votes will be sent home Wednesday night on American Idol, so pick up that phone and vote.



Votes may be cast in two ways. AT&T customers may text their votes to the number below, standard text rates apply. You may also cast your vote via telephone, by calling the number provided for the American Idol contestant of your choice.



American Idol contestants voting information and judges comments.



1. Todrick Hall, 24 from Arlington, TX.

Voting information:

Text "VOTE" to 5701
Call 1-866-436-5701 to vote for Todrick.


American Idol judges comments:

Ellen - That is what we're looking for. You have great stage presence. I liked everything but the chorus.
Randy - It didn't even sound like the same song. You should never obliterate a song.
Kara - I agree but it's undeniable that you are a great performer.
Simon - You come over as a dancer trying to sing...you completely murdered that song. I think it was stupid what you did.


2. Aaron Kelly, 16, from Sonestown, PA.

Voting information:

Text "VOTE" to 5702
Call 1-866-436-5702 to vote for Aaron.


American Idol judges comments:

Simon - For your first live show, it was quite a good performance. Take control of the song and show more self confidence.
Kara - You have no idea how great your raw, natural talent is.
Randy - You have a great voice. You just need to believe in yourself.
Ellen - Ditto to all that, I think you will be here a long time.


3. Jermaine Sellers, 26, from Joliet, IL.

Voting information:

Text "VOTE" to 5703
Call 1-866-436-5703 to vote for Jermaine.


American Idol judges comments:

Ellen - I'm a huge fan of yours. I love your look, but you were pushing a little too much.
Randy - You're trying to do too much vocally dog, pull it back.
Kara - I think you were trying to show people what you got.
Simon - This was a song for a Cocktail Lounge...someone in their 50's might request this, I think you blew your shot.


4. Tim Urban, 20, from Duncanville, TX.

Voting information:

Text "VOTE" to 5704
Call 1-866-436-5704 to vote for Tim.


American Idol judges comments:

Simon - Congratulations on getting to come back but we made the right decision the first time. I don't think your voice is good enough.
Kara - The music overpowered you, it just swallowed you up. But, you're likable and you're cute.
Randy - This was really the wrong song for you...none of it worked.
Ellen - It's smart to pick a song that people like but you just couldn't hit the high notes. You can't count on the fact that you are adorable, and you are adorable.


5. Joe Munoz, 20, from Huntington Park, CA.

Voting information:

Text "VOTE" to 5705
Call 1-866-436-5705 to vote for Joe.


American Idol judges comments:

Ellen - Great stage presence, you look really comfortable on stage.
Randy - You've got a great voice, I think you did a great job.
Kara - You were up front and center but you had a few issues during the chorus.
Simon - You have to get out of the bubble...I think it was an O.K., safe, but forgettable performance.


6. Tyler Grady, 20, from Nazareth, PA.

Voting information:

Text "VOTE" to 5706
Call 1-866-436-5706 to vote for Tyler.


American Idol judges comments:

Simon - People are going to remember that performance...but for the wrong reasons.
Kara - There's an expression of the 70's going on here but you gotta change it up a bit.
Randy - It was style over substance...time to bring Tyler into the picture.
Ellen - You've got to quit just going through the poses. You are lacking charisma and excitement.


7. Lee Dewyze, 23, from Mount Prospect, IL.

Voting information:

Text "VOTE" to 5707
Call 1-866-436-5707 to vote for Lee.


American Idol judges comments:

Ellen - I thought that it was a good song choice, until you started screaming it and your voice went off in all directions.
Randy - I didn't like the song for you. You are more of a Rocker.
Kara - You almost made the song unrecognizable.
Simon - I thought this was the best performance, this guy is a naturally good singer.


8. John Park, 21, from Evanston, IL.

Voting information:

Text "VOTE" to 5708
Call 1-866-436-5708 to vote for John.


American Idol judges comments:

Simon - You have got to have an incredible voice to take on that song and you haven't.
Kara - I agree with Simon. It got a bit loungy at times...a bit sleepy.
Randy - That song made you feel old. You have a voice, but that song didn't suit you.
Ellen - I liked the song, I thought it was great...I just wish you had chosen a different song so we could know you.


9. Michael "Big Mike" Lynche, 26, from Astoria, NY.

Voting information:

Text "VOTE" to 5709
Call 1-866-436-5709 to vote for Michael.


American Idol judges comments:

Ellen - You have so much personality. A great song choice.
Randy - I agree with Ellen. You got the personality.
Kara - It was depressing until you came in here, but your performance was not outrageously great.
Simon - You're like the support act for the main act. When you get up there, you have to nail the song and get people interested. You didn't.


10. Alex Lambert, 19, from North Richland Hills, TX.

Voting information:

Text "VOTE" to 5710
Call 1-866-436-5710 to vote for Alex.


American Idol judges comments:

Simon - I don't know who was happier for that to end, you or me. If you can't get your nerves together, this will never work.
Kara - Your tone is crazy. It's all there, just not completely together. Believe in yourself.
Randy - You have a great tone. Just pull it all together. I like you.
Ellen - I like you too. You just need confidence. You need to ripen.


11. Casey James, 27, from Fort Worth, TX.

Voting information:

Text "VOTE" to 5711
Call 1-866-436-5711 to vote for Casey.


American Idol judges comments:

Kara - It was hard to listen to that, I'm married and it got a little pitchy when I was down there in your arms...all kidding aside, you are eye candy and ear candy.
Ellen - It was very hard to hear with Kara undressing you with her eyes.
Randy - It was a great song choice. You look good and you sound good.
Simon - We both were cursed with good looks. You absolutely chose the right song, this was the best performance from you since you have been in the competition.


12. Andrew Garcia, 24, from Moreno Valley, CA.

Voting information:

Text "VOTE" to 5712
Call 1-866-436-5712 to vote for Andrew.


American Idol judges comments:

Simon - I was looking forward to hearing you more than anyone else tonight. I was disappointed.
Kara - You took the risk but this was a strange rendition to this song.
Randy - I agree. The arrangement was really strange for me. Go back to being you.
Ellen - I felt like you shined when you looked at your wife or girlfriend or whatever. You opened up then. I want to see more of that.

Source: Ivan 'LatinoPorVida' Montiel, fightfan.com

Courtesy of BoxeoMundial.com, see what Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. had to say about his Saturday WBO title fight against Marvin Sonsona!

Q: There has been a growing rivalry between Filipinos and Puerto Ricans recently. Sonsona said he will beat you to prove Filipino superiority over Puerto Ricans in boxing. What do you think about that?

WV: That’s so good because the whole world has the right to have great boxers… every country. With that said, Sonsona has to get himself familiar with the internet to see how many champions Puerto Rico has had and how many the Philippines is at now. Puerto Rico was at 58 but now it will be 59 because I Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. am going to become champion! Marvin will need to get his math right before talking to the press next time. He needs to stop talking trash because he needs to know the facts before talking or else he will look ridiculous. Manny Pacquiao is good, no doubt about it. He’s worked hard. But to suggest that Filipinos are better boxers than the Puerto Ricans? I highly doubt it. We have got 58 champions so far… how many do they have?



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: Wilfredo what is your opinion of Marvin Sonsona?

WV: By looking at his record it’s obvious this kid can punch… but not all boxers have that KO punch. Some fighters have other abilities and I believe I have those abilities in my favour in this bout. I can box and punch. I am ready physically. The only difference he has is that he’s a southpaw. I just hope he comes in well prepared because I have the punch and I’m physically ready. I am ready for the bell to ring and I will be pressuring him from Rounds 1 through 12. If the KO comes sooner that’s better but I’m ready and have trained to go a full twelve rounds.

Q: Have you seen much video of Sonsona fighting?

WV: Yes I saw him fighting against ‘Carita’ Lopez. He’s a good boxer but there are a lot of boxers who are good but don’t put the work in. I work full time. The prize always comes to the one who’s worked hardest and I know how hard I’ve worked. This kid is good but I am 150 per cent confident that he will have problems on Saturday night!

Q: How did you feel when you signed for this fight?

WV: I really felt like all my sacrifices have paid off. All the hard work over the last three years has paid off. I have sacrificed a lot to get my opportunity for this title shot. When they asked me if I wanted the fight I said yes. I came home to my wife and was very emotional about getting this opportunity. I am not looking for fame, I just want to look up to God and be a responsible father and make a bright future for my family.

Q: Your father was a famous boxer. What can you tell us about watching him when you were young?

WV: I looked up to my father like every kid does… I was very proud of him. I respected him a lot more than I would have if he was a lawyer or something because he went to war dropping blood and getting bruised up for us. My father has been everything to us. My father fought hard and sacrificed a lot. I wanted to be just like my dad. He encouraged us to study but I ended up being a boxer and it’s given me a lot of pride. I am working very hard to come out on top like he did. I want to help my family the same way he did. I want to give my kids an education. God has given me a good opportunity and I have to keep working hard to achieve my dream.

Q: Does that work ethic instilled in you give you an advantage?

WV: Yes and I work very hard on my body in the gym. With my father in the corner it gives me a great mind and we’re able to go to plans A through Z in a fight. I have plan A which is to go at him at any cost… going to war. If he hasn’t prepared himself for this type of fight… thinking that I am going to run or be afraid of him because he has some power… he’s very mistaken. I am ready to leave it all in the ring down to my last drop of sweat. Like I said before I have been given this opportunity and I am going to take full advantage of it. Whatever it takes… I am well prepared.

Q: There has been a growing rivalry between Filipinos and Puerto Ricans recently. Sonsona said he will beat you to prove Filipino superiority over Puerto Ricans in boxing. What do you think about that?

WV: That’s so good because the whole world has the right to have great boxers… every country. With that said, Sonsona has to get himself familiar with the internet to see how many champions Puerto Rico has had and how many the Philippines is at now. Puerto Rico was at 58 but now it will be 59 because I Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. am going to become champion! Marvin will need to get his math right before talking to the press next time. He needs to stop talking trash because he needs to know the facts before talking or else he will look ridiculous. Manny Pacquiao is good, no doubt about it. He’s worked hard. But to suggest that Filipinos are better boxers than the Puerto Ricans? I highly doubt it. We have got 58 champions so far… how many do they have?


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. vs. Marvin Sonsona is one of two world title fights featured on the split-site “The Double Assault” pay-per-view broadcast, commencing at 9 PM/ET live from Reben Rodriquez Coliseum in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, the hometown Vazquez, Jr., who plans to make Puerto Rican history by defeating 19-year-old Sonsona.

The unique, double-barrelled broadcast is being distributed in the United States and Canada by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 9 PM/ET – 6 PM/PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DIRECTV, TVN, DISH Network, Viewer’s Choice and Shaw PPV.

Source: Kristy Stevens-Young , examiner.com

A killer whale named Tilikum, attacked and killed its trainer today inside Shamu Stadium. The incident happened around 2:00pm in front of a horrified audience at SeaWorld in Orlando.

Dawn Brancheau, the 40-year-old veteran trainer was one of SeaWorld’s most experienced trainers.
SeaWorld immediately closed the park while SeaWorld in San Diego suspended its killer whale show for an unknown amount of time.

There have been other attacks on whale trainers at SeaWorld parks. Back in November of 2006 one of the trainers at the San Diego Park was bitten and drug underwater by his foot several times. The trainer required surgery and received a broken foot.

Oddly enough just a few weeks prior to the November incident, a different Orca had grabbed another trainer the same way. Fortunately, the whale obeyed the command to release the trainer who then swam free.

Another trainer was not that lucky when he performing at SeaWorld in 1987. While riding a whale around the tank, a second whale leaped onto the trainer, breaking his pelvis, multiple ribs and his leg.

Tilikum, has a violent past including another death at SeaWorld! In1999 a man apparently slipped into the whale’s tank after hours and was found in the water, dead, the next morning. Tilly was also responsible for the death of another trainer back in 1991 at Canada’s SeaLand of the Pacific.

Jim Solomons, a spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff's Office, stated that the trainer had "apparently slipped or fell" into the water. He confirmed there would be an investigation but there is no sense of foul play. Right now this appears to be an accident.”

After three deaths, isn’t it time to stop using the 12,000-pound Tilikum in shows?

Source: Ace Freeman, fightfan.com

Manny Pacquiao was all smiles as he began his workout. After stretching he started out with light shadowboxing and began to chase Ariza around the ring. Just as he would when cutting off the ring while stalking a retreating opponent, Pacquiao moved like a shark through water with deceptive speed of foot. Finally cornered, Ariza impressively leapt through the ropes to the delight of the onlookers. An impressive vanishing act not afforded to actual Pacquiao opponents.

The champ continued on and would spin and throw punches every which way as he pivoted and changed angles constantly. His faithful sidekick Buboy Fernandez was the constant victim of a surprise body attack every time Manny passed by his location on the sideline. Pacquiao would change direction suddenly as he neared the rope and end a combination of punches with a slapping swipe at his friend’s mid section.

One of these shots happened right in front of me as I looked on from behind the ropes and somewhat caught off guard I happened to gasp at the loud slapping sound as Buboy hunched over in some discomfort.

My alarm caught the champ’s attention and he looked at me with wide eyes and raised eyebrows and laughed somewhat nervously.

“Body shot!” I exclaimed. He laughed and repeated my sentiment.

“Body shot!”

Things took on a much more serious tone as Freddie Roach entered the ring. The long time ace trainer maintains a loose and carefree climate at his Hollywood stronghold along with his band of merry men, but when it comes time to enter the ring with his star pupil, he is all business.

Source: Michael Langston Moore, examiner.com

On episode 2 of "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains," Stephenie was sent home in a 5-3 vote that featured some ugly back and forth exchanges between James, Stephenie and the rest of the Heroes cast.

At the start of the episode, the Villains tribe was attempting to rebuild their shelter. Boston Rob, upset that his teammates were complaining about the weather but disinterested in building a fire, stormed off in frustration. Later, Rob collapses to the ground.

With the help of Jerri, Jeff Probst, and medical personnel, Rob wakes. Fumbling while drinking water, Rob begins to cry, saying he has too much respect for "Survivor" to ever entertain the thought of quitting despite falling unconscious.

With the diagnosis of essentially the flu, Rob heads back to his tribe, telling them that he'll be fully recovered in 48 hours.

Related: 'Survivor: Heroes vs Villains' premiere recap: A mix of Sugar and spice

At the immunity challenge, the castaways were required to roll heavy crates and stack them in a way that spelled out the names of their tribe. At the start, the Heroes had the advantage, but with the help of Boston Rob's sheer determination and strength, the Villains triumphed and won their second immunity challenge in a row.

The victory also came with a reward--tarp, rope, and nails. At the end of the challenge, James voiced his frustration. Screaming at his teammates that too many people were talking and not listening to JT (who had previously done this challenge in a prior season), he chastised his fellow Heroes.

Back at camp, James continued voicing his opinion. Saying that the tribe should have "one voice" in challenges, he told his team that they should "suck it up" and accept criticism and not become defensive.

Back at the Villains camp, Russell appeared annoyed by Boston's Rob growing celebrity. Calling himself "King Russell of Samoa," he attacked and killed a chicken with a wooden spear.

With Tribal Council looming, James attempted to rally up votes to oust Stephenie. Stating that it was odd that Stephenie's tribes in prior "Survivor" seasons became decimated by losing, he tries to make the case that Stephenie is the weak link.

Best 'Survivor' Moments: Top 10 most memorable moments in 'Survivor' history (Video)

At Tribal Council, James continued to beat that drum. Colby and Tom didn't take well to James' accusations, however, as they both jumped to Stephenie's defense. Tom then says that James is "bullying" Stephenie, upon which James turns to Tom with an incredulous look on his face.

"I'm not bullying people," replied James.

In the end, the vote was close, as it came down between two people--Stephenie and Amanda. With a vote of 5-3, Stephenie became the second person voted off "Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains."

After Jeff snuffed Stephenie's torch, she turned to James and said: “A little advice. Next time ‘Ya’ll’ lose a challenge, a little less cursing out your tribe might help.”

"Keep your mouth shut," replied James.

As one of the most powerful men in showbiz, he once said he would never risk his fortune by getting married.

But has Simon Cowell had an astonishing change of heart?

The X Factor judge presented new love Mezhgan Hussainy with a huge diamond ring during a romantic dinner at the couple’s favourite restaurant – and it was immediately placed on her engagement finger.

The loved-up star, 50, surprised his girlfriend with the giant rock as they dined alongside his old flame Jackie St Claire and her husband Carl Michaelson at Mr Chow in Knightsbridge, London. It came six months after the Mirror first revealed they were dating.

The group shared two £42 Mr Chow specials – whole lobster and black cod – and sipped mineral water and, for Simon, wheat-free beer.

At about 9.15pm, Simon declared he had a special announcement.

Pulling out the diamond sparkler he gave it to Afghan-born Mezhgan, 36 – known as Mish – and gently placed it on her ring finger. As Jackie whooped with delight, a waiter congratulated the couple and offered them complimentary champagne.

Last night, a source told the Mirror: “Simon may come across as Mr Nasty on screen but he’s a big softie at heart. He wanted to do something unexpected and out of character on Valentine’s Day and decided to splash out on a ring. Mish was speechless and gave him a huge kiss. He is besotted with her, and she him.”

Simon and Mezhgan left the restaurant shortly after midnight. As they made their way to his West London mansion, she placed her hand on his thigh and showed off her new ring.

The brunette make-up artist – who met Simon on the set of American Idol – is known for her penchant for older men.

She was about 20 when she wed rug salesman Ahmed Shah Zahiri, 13 years her senior, in the early 90s. They divorced eight years later.

Simon’s romantic offering came two years after he claimed he would never marry and more than a year since he split from girlfriend Terri Seymour.

Mezhgan clearly has the X Factor. But when we suggested we may soon hear the sound of wedding bells, Simon just laughed it off.

Source: Luigi Lugmyr, i4u.com


Today at Mobile World Congress 2010, Microsoft unveiled the next generation of Windows Phones, Windows Phone 7 Series.



For the first time ever, Microsoft will bring together Xbox LIVE games with the Zune music and video experience on a mobile phone, exclusively on the Windows Phone 7 Series. See these Windows 7 Phone screen shots.

Microsoft partners have already started building phones and you will be able to purchase the first Windows 7 phones in stores by holiday 2010.

With the Windows Phone 7 Series, Microsoft says they are taking a fundamentally different approach to phone software.
The Windows Phone design begins with a new, holistic design system that informs every aspect of the phone, from its visually appealing layout and motion to its function and hardware integration. On the Start screen, dynamically updated "live tiles" show users real-time content directly, breaking the mold of static icons that serve as an intermediate step on the way to an application. Create a tile of a friend, and the user gains a readable, up-to-date view of a friend's latest pictures and posts, just by glancing at Start.

Every Windows Phone 7 Series phone will come with a dedicated hardware button for Bing, providing one-click access to search from anywhere on the phone, while a special implementation of Bing search provides intent-specific results, delivering the most relevant Web or local results, depending on the type of query.

Partners from around the world have committed to include Windows Phone 7 Series in their portfolio plans. They include mobile operators AT&T, Deutsche Telekom AG, Orange, SFR, Sprint, Telecom Italia, Telefonica, Telstra, T-Mobile USA, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone, and manufacturers Dell, Garmin-Asus, HTC Corp., HP, LG, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba and Qualcomm Inc. The first phones will be available by holiday 2010.

Apple will have to up the ante with the iPhone 2010 to stay ahead of the smartphone game. 2010 will be a very cool year for smartphones.

Source: gmanews.tv

NEW YORK — Jewish boxing champion Yuri Foreman hopes to defend his title at Yankee Stadium in June — unless a bar mitzvah gets in the way.

The 154-pound champion would fight former welterweight titleholder Miguel Cotto on June 5 at the ballpark in the Bronx, promoter Bob Arum told The Associated Press on Tuesday. Arum has been hoping to bring a fight to Yankee Stadium for years.

"The Yankees want to make a deal, we know we can make a deal, they're just working through a problem at Yankee Stadium," Arum said. "But you wouldn't believe it if I told you."

He's not kidding.

"They've leased out some lounges for this bar mitzvah and part of the deal was for a half hour or so, they could use the big screen in center field to show pictures and all that sort of stuff," Arum said, laughing. "Obviously you can't do that if there's fights going on."

Ramping up the irony, Foreman is studying to become a rabbi.

Arum said he's hopeful that something can be worked out, perhaps by giving the families holding the bar mitzvah credentials for the fight. If the conflict can't be resolved, Foreman would defend his WBA junior middleweight belt on June 12 at Madison Square Garden — the eve of the annual Puerto Rican Day parade in New York City.

Top Rank president Todd duBoef has said that he has the arena, where Cotto has fought some of his most thrilling bouts, on hold for that date.

Either way, the fight on a midsummer Saturday night creates another logistical problem. The Jewish sabbath does not officially end until sundown.

"Because of the sabbath ending late, we would announce that the main event would not start until after 11:30 p.m.," said Arum, himself a devout Jew. "There's a lot of great things we would have to do around it."

Foreman, a New York-based native of Belarus, would be making the first defense of the title he won from Daniel Santos on the undercard of Cotto's loss to MannyPacquiao last fall.

While he doesn't have tremendous name recognition, Foreman (28-0) does have substantial backing from the large Jewish population that makes up the New York metropolitan area.

"The magnitude of this event cannot be overstated," said Foreman's confidant, Dovid Efune. "It may be the biggest Jewish sporting event of all time, certainly since David fought Goliath."

While the logistics of holding a fight in Yankee Stadium are unclear, Arum hasn't shied away from staging fights in massive venues. He promoted the final bout at the old Yankee Stadium across the street when Muhammad Ali fought Ken Norton on Sept. 28, 1976, a fight remembered more for the chaos caused by a police strike than anything else.

On March 13, Arum is taking Pacquiao's title defense against Joshua Clottey to the $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium just outside Dallas. The facility will be configured for about 40,000 fans, although Top Rank is hopeful that up to 70,000 show up the night of the fight.

Arum has approached the Yankees several times over the past 30 years about staging another event at the stadium, but George Steinbrenner and club brass had always been tepid about erecting a ring and seating on the immaculate infield grass. Scheduling also created problems because a fight would have to be staged when the team is on the road.

All of those concerns seem to be washing away as the new leadership of Hal and Hank Steinbrenner work to maximize revenue from the luxurious ballpark.

Last September, a makeshift dais was set up along the first base line for a news conference to announce the Pacquiao-Cotto fight, which was ultimately held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Yankees chief operating officer Lonn Trost joked at the time that Arum should bring a fight between Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. to the stadium.

The cast of characters may be different, but Trost could be getting his wish for a fight.

"I'm very excited to defend my title in New York, which is the Jewish capital of the Diaspora," Foreman said in a statement. "Having the fight in Yankee Stadium would be the icing on the cake, so please God it is finalized." - AP

Source: Matt Carter, examiner.com

First, it was David Letterman; now, Sarah Palin has a new adversary in "Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane. Why? The controversial cartoon decided to air a new episode on Sunday that made a jab at down syndrome. As many of us know, Palin's son Trig was born with the genetic disorder.

Sarah Palin first referred to the episode as a "kick in the gut," and then daughter Bristol decided to add some comments of her own:

“As a culture, shouldn’t we be more compassionate to innocent people –- especially those who are less fortunate? Shouldn’t we be willing to say that some things just are not funny? Are there any limits to what some people will do or say in regards to my little brother or others in the special needs community? If the writers of a particularly pathetic cartoon show thought they were being clever in mocking my brother and my family yesterday, they failed. All they proved is that they’re heartless jerks.”

"Family Guy" is known first and foremost for being a controversial show, and really all the Palins are doing here is feeding into the frenzy. Are the right to stand up for Trig? Probably so, but they must understand that MacFarlane is sitting in a chair somewhere cackling to himself.

Here's a video of Michael Jackson's 'We Are the World' for Haiti. Spend time listening to this great video.

Source: Abac Cordero, philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines - Not even Freddie Roach’s statement that he sees the fight going the distance could keep the fight odds from sky-rocketing in favor of Manny Pacquiao.

The other day, the four-time Trainer of the Year told fightfan.com that he’s not looking for a knockout. Instead, he said he sees a 12-round battle with Joshua Clottey.

But no one seemed to listen as oddsmakers for the March 13 showdown at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas remained convinced it’s going to be one-sided.

At least four online betting stations in the United States have placed Pacquiao as the overwhelming favorite, and the only way he could lose if he doesn’t show up on fight night.

Sportsbook, which has control of the betting stations in Las Vegas, has the 31-year-old Filipino superstar at -500 and Clottey, the hungry challenger from Ghana, at +300with less than a month left.

It’s so huge that you need $500 to win a hundred bucks if you’re rooting for Pacquiao, and that a $100 bet on Clottey gives you $300 in return in case he pulls off the upset of the century.

At sportsbetting.com, Pacquiao was at -500 and Clottey at +350. Bookmaker.com was a little more conservative with its -440 for Pacquiao and +350 for Clottey while sportsinteraction.com has it at -556 and +300.

Clottey having problems in training makes it easier for oddsmakers to point at Pacquiao as the favorite.

First, the 33-year-old challenger could not take his long-time trainers with him to the United States after they failed to secure the required working visas from the US Embassy in Ghana.

And while he trained briefly in New York, a snow storm kept Clottey indoors and unable to do roadwork. For his part, Pacquiao is in the thick of things at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.

Those close to him say Pacquiao looked so fit the past week that he’s ready to fight Clottey tomorrow. Roach has even ordered the number of sparring rounds slashed from around 150 to just a little over a hundred.

Still, Roach said he sees a tough fight.

“The first half of the fight will be very hard for both guys,” he told fightfan.com.

“Then we’ll take over in the middle or late rounds. Clottey waits for you to punch yourself out and get tired. But Manny Pacquiao doesn’t get tired,” he said.

Source: gmanews.tv

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – Sandra Bullock spoke of maintaining a good work ethic for years to come. Woody Harrelson spoke of soldiers. Carey Mulligan spoke about bumping butts with Quentin Tarantino.

This season's Academy Awards elite gathered Monday for the annual nominees luncheon, with table talk ranging from weighty matters such as the war on terror to lighter chatter like what to wear to the big show.

Before sharing a meal of poached pear gorgonzola salad, marinated chicken breast and apple tarts, nominees dropped by a news conference to talk about the whirlwind leading to the March 7 Oscar ceremony.

Bullock has been considered the front-runner to win best actress for the football drama "The Blind Side" but said didn't take her nomination for granted.

"Does anybody expect a nomination? I certainly didn't," said Bullock, an enduring box-office draw who had never before been nominated for an Oscar. "I'm really very amazed and thankful to be here, because I'd like to work hard for another 10, 15 years. So if this is what that means, bring it."

Harrelson, a supporting-actor nominee for the homefront war drama "The Messenger," and Jeremy Renner, a best-actor contender for the Iraq war saga "The Hurt Locker," said their roles instilled fresh respect for troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"I walk up to any military personnel I can find, and I shake their hand and I thank them for their service," Renner said.

Before "The Messenger," Harrelson said he generally had viewed the war and the troops fighting it in the same light.

"I always kind of lumped it all together, and it wasn't until I had the opportunity through the shooting of `The Messenger' to spend a lot of time with people in the Army that I started to realize how amazing these people are," Harrelson said. "As much as I have come to love the warrior, I still loathe the war."

Harrelson had a concise reply when asked if he ever expected to earn an Oscar nomination for a film released the same year he played a gleeful slayer of flesh-eating fiends in "Zombieland."

"Short answer, no," Harrelson said.

Mulligan, a best-actress nominee for the British drama "An Education," said awards season has been a thrill because of the Hollywood idols with whom she has rubbed elbows, including Bullock and fellow best-actress contenders Meryl Streep ("Julie & Julia") and Helen Mirren ("The Last Station").

"They've all been so unbelievably kind and not intimidating," Mulligan said. "You have them on such a pedestal and you think they could be a nightmare if they wanted to because they're so good. And they're just lovely."

Also among the idols she has met is Tarantino, a directing nominee for best-picture contender "Inglourious Basterds." Moments earlier, Mulligan said, she and Tarantino had accidentally bumped butts while milling about among the luncheon crowd.

Bullock, Mulligan and Gabourey Sidibe, a best-actress nominee for the Harlem drama "Precious: Based on the Novel `Push' By Sapphire," said they have barely started to consider what to wear to the Oscars, one of the world's top fashion bashes.

"It's two weeks away, and my stomach's hurting over it a little bit," Sidibe said. "I'm a little scared."

Contenders posed for the annual Oscar "class picture" — a group photo of all 121 nominees at the luncheon.

The crowd included ex-spouses Kathryn Bigelow, director of "The Hurt Locker," and James Cameron, director of the sci-fi sensation "Avatar." Though the best-picture field was doubled to 10 films this season, the contest for top prize is considered a two-movie race between "Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker."

Others on hand included acting nominees George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick ("Up in the Air"), Morgan Freeman ("Invictus"), Jeff Bridges and Maggie Gyllenhaal ("Crazy Heart") and Colin Firth ("A Single Man").

The Oscar show had its best TV ratings ever when Cameron's blockbuster "Titanic" dominated the awards 12 years ago. Oscar organizers hope that having "Avatar" and hits such as "Up," "The Blind Side" and "District 9" in the mix will coax more viewers to tune in to a show that saw ratings fall to an all-time low two years ago.

"This year, it seems to be more lively, more interesting than it has been in a while," Tom Sherak, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, told nominees during the luncheon.

Gyllenhaal, a supporting-actress nominee for "Crazy Heart," said she got some valuable advice from brother Jake Gyllenhaal, a past nominee for "Brokeback Mountain," about not letting the Oscars go to her head.

"He said, `There isn't actually anything at the end of the rainbow,'" Gyllenhaal said. "He said, `It's a lot of fun and enjoy it in that spirit. If you make it mean too much more than that, you'll probably go astray.'"

Source: Barry Mcguigan, mirror.co.uk

Edwin Valero is now a champion in recess, as the WBC call it, which means his lightweight world title is up for grabs.

The idea is to give Valero time for the gash on his head - sustained against Antonio DeMarco last week - to heal and for him to test the waters at light-welterweight.

I wonder if the real issue is being overlooked here. Texas remains the only state in the United States in which he can fight.

That is no accident.

Reports of the brain scan from New York State came as a shock when I learned the findings.

Valero suffered a fractured skull and a blood clot on the brain after falling off a motor cycle in 2001. He was not wearing a helmet.

He had an operation to repair the damage and was declared fit to box by the Venezuela authorities.

It was not until the New York State scan that the extent of his injuries were revealed. The fact that he had a traumatic brain injury, a tear inside the cranium in the most vulnerable part of the brain, means he should never box again in my view. That is a devastating conclusion to reach for such a talented fighter but not as desperate as the consequences might be of fighting on.

He is a phenomenal fighter, one I tipped for greatness during his battle for the right to fight in the United States.

But the bottom line is I don't believe boxing can take the risk knowing what we know now.

The ramifications of allowing a boxer who has had a subdural haematoma into the ring could be disastrous.

I accept that Valero, and Marco Antonio Barrera, have fought on without obvious consequences following operations to drain blood from the brain.

But that is not to say there won't be any. The risk is just too great, particularly in championship bouts.

There are also the long-term effects to consider. Brain injuries sometimes take a while to play out leading to dementia or some impaired brain function much later. Valero is a knockout artist. He goes to war in the ring, which is the attraction of him.

But it is a style that leaves him vulnerable in elite class. From a technical point of view, Valero fights recklessly. Yes, he was more measured against DeMarco last week, but could he hold himself back against Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather? Championship bouts in Las Vegas have a way of hitting the adrenalin button. As it is, Valero throws shots like he is looking over a fence with his head stuck up in the air.

That is OK when the opponent is so scared by his reputation that he is already running away. And no wonder. Valero has ko'd each of his 27 opponents.

But against a Pacquiao or a Mayweather, Valero would get the opposite response. Both exploit any technical vulnerabilities.

A bout against either, or a Juan Manuel Marquez for that matter, would be dangerous for Valero.

It is not simply about him. What if he were to suffer a fatal injury in the ring? Subdural haematomas are the most common cause of boxing deaths.

I know what it is like to suffer the effects of a death in the ring.

There is not a day goes by when I don't think of Young Ali. No fighter should have to go through that.

The pressure for Valero to fight in Las Vegas will increase as he goes through the gears. For the sake of boxing and Valero himself, the answer should still be no.

Source: Trent Pusey, insidefights.com

Antonio Margarito’s rumored involvement on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey was debunked last week when the official undercard was announced. Margarito is having trouble obtaining his boxing license in the United States, stemming from his one-year ban for using illegal handwraps against Shane Mosley.

Top Rank is now mentioning May 8 as a possible return date for Margarito. His appeal for a license in Texas is still pending but the May 8 Top Rank event is scheduled to take place in Margarito’s home country of Mexico.

Source: Katrina Kasey Wheeler, Examiner.com

Porn star Joslyn James alleges that during her relationship with Tiger Woods she became pregnant twice.

According to FoxNews.com, James told Inside Edition that he encounters with Woods were "never protected," and that protection "was never talked about."

James says of suffering a miscarriage: "Actually, the day I was going to tell him, I had a miscarriage. After I lost the baby I didn't want to talk about it." She says that after going through that she "I got more emotionally attached," to Woods.

James says Woods' wife Elin and what she is enduring: "I feel bad for (Elin). She didn't deserve this, and she didn't deserve being humiliated."



What do you think - if this indeed happened, do you think that it should be made public at this point?

Source: abc.net.au

The Knack lead singer Doug Fieger, who co-wrote the 1979 hit My Sharona, has died aged 57.

Fieger was living in California and was being treated for cancer, the Detroit News said.

"Our hearts are broken, we will miss you Doug," Knack members wrote on their website.

The band built a large and influential following in the Los Angeles club scene of the late 70s and recorded its debut album, Get The Knack, in 11 days for $US17,000.

Capitol Records pulled out all the stops promoting the album and Rolling Stone magazine referred to the band as "the new Fab Four" - a reference to The Beatles.

Billboard named My Sharona the number one single of 1979.

The song has been covered by numerous artists and returned to the charts in 1994 after it was included on the soundtrack for the hit movie Reality Bites.

Fieger co-wrote My Sharona with bandmate Berton Averre after being initially rebuffed by a teenage girl of the same name in 1978.

Fieger told People magazine in 1995 he had hoped she would be flattered by such lines as: "I always get it up for the touch of the younger kind."

Sharona Alperin apparently joined Fieger on tour after the song's release and became a rock star girlfriend for three years.

Source: Dennis Gasgonia, abs-cbnNEWS.com

MANILA, Philippines -- Prized boxing trainer Freddie Roach has seen a loophole in Joshua Clottey’s defense that Manny Pacquiao could take advantage of when the two fighters slug it out on March 13.

“He's pretty strong and he has a good chin and he's a durable guy,” Roach said of the Ghanaian boxer in an interview with FightFan.com.

However, he described Clottey’s defense as very “passive”.

“Sometimes he goes to the ropes. I can't figure it out if he's being lazy and resting or he's trying to punch yourself out. But if he lays on the ropes and he has that passive defense on us, we're gonna kill him,” said Roach.

The trainer said that although Pacquiao did some “rope-a-dope” tactic during his fight with Miguel Cotto last November, he said the Filipino merely tested the Puerto Rican’s punching power.

“He was there for a reason. If he's just being lazy, then there's a problem with it but he has a reason, it's okay. I told him, 'I don't get the idea', but that's being Pacquiao,” said Roach.

The controversial trainer is currently overseeing Pacquiao’s training at the Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles, California.

He said he’s very impressed with the conditioning of the 7-time world champion, who is making his first title defense against Clottey.

“He looks pretty good... I was very happy with his performances,” said Roach.

Pacquiao will stake his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown against the Ghanaian at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas on March 13.

Roach attributed Pacquiao's superb conditioning partly to his brief down time after the Cotto fight. He said the "rest days" have worked wonders for the Filipino.

Pacquiao took a two-month vacation from boxing following his sensational 12th round technical knockout win over Cotto.

“He plays basketball everyday… it's like his favorite sport. He runs and runs the court and he came in to the New York press conference [for the Clottey fight] at 148 pounds,” said Roach.

Source: Trent Pusey, insidefights.com

Nonito Donaire knocked out Manuel Vargas in the third round of Top Rank’s Latin Fury 13/Pinoy Power 3 event earlier this evening in Las Vegas. Vargas took the fight on three days notice after the original opponent for Donaire, Gerson Guerrero, failed an eye exam. Donaire’s super flyweight title was not on the line.

Also on the card, Fernando Montiel disposed of Ciso Morales in the first round with a body shot to retain his bantamweight title.

Eric Morel took a split decision over Gerry Penelosa. Penelosa suffered cuts in round six due to a pair of unintentional headbutts. Morel received scores of 116-112 and 115-113 while one judge favored Penelosa with a score of 115-113.

Bernabe Concepcion earned a unanimous decision victory over Mario Santiago with scores of 98-91, 97-92, and 96-93. Concepcion most likely lined himself up for a title shot against Juan Manuel Lopez with the win.

Source: Luigi Lugmayr

The new Sony 3D Blu-ray players unveiled at the CES 2010 are available for pre-order and will ship already in March.
Sony will ship the Sony BDP-S570 and BDP-S470 without 3D capability. A firmware update scheduled to arrive in Summer will add the 3D functionality.

Besides 3D the Sony BDP-S570 Blu-ray player features include Wifi, 1GB storage, DVD, CD, and SA-CD playback, IP Content Noise Reduction, BD Remote (iPhone/iPod touch BD Remote Control application), Photo, music, and video playback via front USB and DLNA DVD upscaling, Dolby TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio decoding and Quick start and fast loading.

The Sony BDP-S570 3D Blu-ray player sells for $249.99 on Amazon and ships March 9th.

The Sony BDP-S470 3D Blu-ray player misses a couple features compared to the BDP-S570 including Wifi (wifi ready), 1GB storage and IP Content Noise Reduction. The Sony BDP-S470 sells on Amazon for $199.99 and ships on March 16th.

The new Sony BDP-S370 is not 3D enabled. It features Bravia Internet TV and iPhone/iPd touch BD remote. The Sony BDP-S370 is selling for $179.99 on Amazon and ships already on February 16th.

At this point I would recommend buying the Sony BDP-S570. The Wifi support and the additional features are worth the $50 difference in price.

Source: Luigi Lugmyr, i4u.com




Motorola teased us with an empty bath tube a couple days before the Super Bowl 2010. I am sure most male geeks hoped Megan Fox would be in that bath tube telling us about Motoblur.

The Motorola Super Bowl ad is alright, but without Megan Fox it would not really be worth talking about much. You can watch the Motorola Super Bowl 2010 commercial below.

It has a reasonable concept explaining Motoblur. Motoblur is Motorola's new user interface that lets you stream your emails and social networks into one feed.

Megan Fox is quite successful in advertising recently. As reported she is the new model for the Emporio Armani Underwear Campaign.

Source: Marv Dumon, Examiner.com

When I worked in investment banking, we tried to "sell a company" (i.e., partner the client) to a northern-based private equity firm that owned several industrial manufacturing facilities around the U.S.

Given the client's products, operations, markets, and geographic location, it was a perfect fit. Like Pavlov's dogs, we salivated at the fees. The client was seeing green hundred dollar bills in their sleep.

Deal-making - life and humanity - is not always business school science. It is art. The private equity firm was founded (and owned) by a billionaire family - the partner and I spoke to the principal on telephone conference, and his Managing Directors were steaming. They had offered close to $2 million more for the company, than the second highest bidder. But our client, who lived in a rural town, chose the lower offer and partnered with the local group.

A couple of weeks prior, the private equity guys had flown in to the rural town (to inspect the facility) in a private jet. I stepped inside it. It was fancy. They chartered it for the sole purpose of flying in. Bad first impression on a cowboy. If you're going to spend thousands of dollars for simple travel arrangements, instead of spending a few hundred dollars, what will you end up doing to my company which I've built up my entire life? Good question. Now to boxing . . .

Legion Followers >

Given the hordes of obsessive fans that follow pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, associates are loaning the Filipino icon with private jets for travel needs.

Former Philippine governor Chavit Singson and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum are among two individuals with the means to provide such assistance, and who have done so recently.

In several of Eminem's songs, the rapper discloses the downside of extreme fame. He lamented the inability to perform basic human functions in a bathroom stall without fans asking for an autograph.

Pacquiao's $20,000 Flight >

Travel via a private jet becomes the appropriate method in light of the wave of fans attempting to be around Pacquiao. Not bad for a once-aspiring pugilist who used to jog wearing nothing more than worn out slippers in the dirt-patched trails around General Santos City.


Is flying on planes the benchmark practice for today's marketplace athlete? At the all-star level, absolutely. If Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young misses his team's flight back home, he can pull out an American Express credit card and obtain a personally chartered flight, thereby avoiding the airport (and fans) altogether.

There is a time-saving benefit for Manny Pacquiao, an individual who did not want to be driven 30 minutes to a local gym in Arlington, Texas - instead preferring a temporarily constructed one in his hotel building. Saves time.

A Chartered Life >

The chartered flight - on Bob Arum's dime, who ultimately charges his client millions of dollars in promotion-related fees - lets the WBO welterweight champ have uninterrupted moments of peace and quiet. In a taxing physical and mental contest, silence is golden.

There is the risk management element. Security. After Manny's bouts in the U.S., he typically leaves out of LAX (the Los Angeles airport) by way of a Philippine Airlines flight. The media, often a hounding Philippine press, keeps the camera right in front of the Pacman - bright lights et. al. on a plane.

Ratings equals advertisements. We eat up (and love) their coverage. We propose the Philippine press, and obsessed fans, have not read George Washington's Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior.

Dozens are simply trying to catch a glimpse and / or take photos on their cellphone or digital cameras. Many form a circle and try to touch or tug at their idol. A few are looking to monetize the event by thrusting memorabilia at Pacquiao such as t-shirts, posters, and gloves for a valuable autograph. And just as in a Beatles concert, some just plainly lose their mind and scream at the top of their lungs, followed by sobbing, at the mere sight of Manny. [ 1 (800) THERAPY ]

Deductible >

Top Rank's cost? Harvard alum Arum - who bills Manny Pacquiao seven figures in professional services - can shell out between $1,000 to $2,500 per hour for aircraft usage (flight and ground time), depending if it is a light or mid-size jet. Ultimately, the Pacman foots the bill. It's the principal's checkbook that feeds the advisors. In the United States, it's a business expense. Tax deductible. Uncle Sam doesn't get to horde as much. (Sarcasm)

Chartered flights' expenses can vary significantly. London to Paris, one-way, can be about $6,000. California to Dallas, Texas - three hours. And return flight - three hours. Six hours plus ground time. Assuming $2,000 per hour, say $14,000. Alright, a $20,000 round trip bill would be much (as an estimate). But you add in the two press tours which took place in Dallas and New York. That's a lot of hours. The cost in growing the appetite for luxuries? Inestimable.

When you teach a behavior, you form a habit. An excessively expensive one. (Arum?) The question is, from which lenses are these expenses being viewed from? The "cowboy in a rural town"? Or the "private equity big shots"? Or simply the obsessive lenses, too crazed and who are after an autograph - despite being in a bathroom setting.

Source: Michael McGuire, examiner.com

Jingyao Wang, Miss China 2009, poses for photographer in her BSC Swimwear poolside at ATLANTIS, Paradise Island, Bahamas.

She competed along side 84 contestants vying for the coveted Diamond Nexus Labs Crown.

Miss Venezuela Sofia Fernandez was crowned Miss Universe 2009 on Aug. 23, 2009.

Source: Miguel Helft and Brad Stone, nytimes.com

SAN FRANCISCO — Google and Facebook are on a collision course in the increasingly competitive market for social networking services.

On Tuesday, Google introduced a new service called Google Buzz, a way for users of its Gmail service to share updates, photos and videos. The service will compete with sites like Facebook and Twitter, which are capturing an increasing percentage of the time people spend online.

The links shared on those social networks are also sending a growing amount of traffic to sites across the Web, potentially weakening Google’s position as the prime navigation tool on the Internet.

Separately, Facebook plans to announce on Wednesday that it is improving the live chat service on its site by allowing it to be integrated into other services like AIM, AOL’s instant messaging network, which is among the most popular in the United States.

Buzz is Google’s boldest attempt to build a social network that can compete with Facebook and Twitter. The service is built into Gmail, which already has 176 million users, according to comScore, a market research company. And Buzz comes with a built-in circle of friends, a group that is automatically selected by Google based on the people that a user communicates with most frequently in Gmail and on Google’s chat service.

Like other social services, Buzz allows users to post status updates that include text; photos from services like Google’s Picasa and Yahoo’s Flickr; videos from YouTube; and messages from Twitter. Analysts say many of its features mimic those of Facebook.

“It is a direct challenge to Facebook, in particular,” said Jeremiah Owyang, a social media analyst with the Altimeter Group.

Still, Buzz faces a struggle against Facebook, which recently announced, on the occasion of its sixth birthday, that it had 400 million users. Buzz also risks further overwhelming people who are struggling with Web services that generate ever-increasing amounts of information.

But Google executives said that, on the contrary, Buzz would help tackle the problem of information overload, as Google would apply its algorithms to help people find the information most relevant to them.

“The stream of messages has become a torrent,” Bradley Horowitz, vice president for product development at Google, said in an interview. “We think this has become a Google-scale problem.”

Sergey Brin, a Google co-founder, said that by offering social communications, which have primarily been used for entertainment purposes, Buzz would bridge the gap between work and leisure.

“Bridging those two worlds is very powerful,” Mr. Brin said at a press conference, adding that he had used Buzz to help him write an Op-Ed article for The New York Times by soliciting input from other Google employees.

Google has also woven Buzz into mobile phones, through a mobile Web site and a Google mapping application. Users will be able to see updates that friends have posted from particular spots.

Microsoft, AOL and Yahoo have also allowed their members to use e-mail services to tap into updates from social networks.

Facebook reacted cautiously to the new service. “We haven’t yet had the opportunity to use Google Buzz,” Larry Yu, a Facebook spokesman, said in an e-mail message. “Generally, we’re supportive of technologies that help make the Web more social and the world more open, and are interested to see how Google Buzz progresses over time.”

At the same time, Facebook is staging its own incursion into the messaging business, where Google is more strongly positioned. Facebook plans to announce that it has embraced Jabber, a technical specification for real-time chats, allowing other makers of instant-messaging software to combine Facebook’s increasingly popular chat service with their own.

AOL plans to immediately incorporate Facebook chat into its popular AIM service, used by 17 million people a month. AIM users will be able to log into Facebook from AIM and see which Facebook friends are online and available to chat.

“We don’t aspire to be just a Web site where people connect and share with friends,” said Ethan Beard, director of the Facebook developer network and a former Google executive. “We want to be the underlying technology people use to connect with friends wherever they are on the Web.”

Source: Trent Pusey, insidefights.com

Edwin Valero, fresh off his dominating win over Antonio DeMarco Saturday night, has been named the WBC Lightweight champion in recess. The WBC wanted to give Valero time to heal from the gash he received from an accidental elbow by DeMarco in the second round of their fight. In order to keep the belt from staying stagnant, the WBC will award their lightweight title to the winner of Humberto Soto and an opponent to be named later. As champion in recess, Valero is eligible to challenge for the title whenever he is healthy enough to get back into the ring.

“The WBC is hereby naming Edwin Valero champion in recess for him to be allowed the necessary time to recover from the injury, and to make his decision regarding the division where he will continue his career,” said WBC President Jose Sulaiman.

Edwin Valero is also considering a move to the light welterweight division. Valero plans to petition the WBC to let him take a fight at 140 lbs, a move the WBC seems likely to approve. Valero said that he wanted to fight in Texas and he wanted to fight Juan Diaz. That has all the elements for a great fight.

Source: abs-cbnNews.com

MANILA, Philippines – In facing a guy like Joshua Clottey, 7-time world champ Manny Pacquiao would have to use the strategy he utilized in beating boxing great Oscar de la Hoya.

Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach said they would have to remove Clottey’s accurate punches by using almost the same lateral movements that confused De la Hoya.

“Clottey's accurate if you stand in front of him, but the thing is, we're going to be in and out and side to side and use our angles on him… It's going to be very similar to the Oscar de la Hoya fight, I feel,” Roach said in a report by FanHouse.com.

Pacquiao outpunched De la Hoya in 8 rounds during their Dream Match in December 2008. So outclassed was the boxing great in that match that his corner was forced to stop the fight.

Roach said for the "De la Hoya strategy" to be effective, Pacquiao would again rely on his superior speed.

“He's not going to be able to catch us,” said Roach.

Pacquiao is currently toiling at Roach’s Wild Card gym in Los Angeles, California in preparation for the March 13 fight.

He will be staking his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight title, which he won from Miguel Cotto.

Roach said he has studied Clottey’s fights and saw some of his strengths and weaknesses.

“Well, he's got a good chin, and he takes a good shot, and he can be a little heavy-handed. But he can be passive at times, and he lays on the ropes and kind of rests there a little bit. I've been studying him really well, and he makes too many mistakes,” said the trainer.

Roach said these weaknesses, coupled with Pacquiao’s punching power and speed could mean Clottey’s first career loss by knockout.

“Pacquiao, I truly feel will be the first person to knock Clottey out,” he said.

‘I understand Floyd’
Pacquiao, meanwhile, had another good training day at the Wild Card Gym.

His conditioning expert Alex Ariza told PhilBoxing.com that the Filipino boxer is again in his usual unstoppable self, going 10 rounds on the mitts with hardly a break. This was aside on top of his regular training routine, including his exhausting conditioning exercises.

Despite the gruelling session, Pacquiao has found time to face the media to share his thoughts about Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The Filipino boxer said he understands why Mayweather came out with the drug testing demand, which led to the collapse of negotiations between their camps.

"I think I understand Floyd,” Pacquiao told Robert Morales of BoxingScene.com. “He just can't say, 'Oh, I don't want to fight. I'm not ready for the fight.' He's just making alibis to cancel the fight. He's not ready."

He said such “excuse”, which sparked allegations that he was on performance enhancing drugs, is unfair and damaging to him.

"I’m really disappointed because I sacrifice and train hard and focus for what I have achieved in boxing," said Pacquiao.

"If you are a true champion, no alibis, just fight."

Source: Reuters

Actress Brittany Murphy's death in December was accidental and the result of pneumonia, anaemia and "multiple drug intoxication," the Los Angeles Coroner's office says.

Murphy, 32, the co-star of movies Clueless and 8 Mile, suffered a cardiac arrest on December 20 in the bathroom of her Hollywood Hills home.

The coroner's office said the drugs found in Murphy's body were a mixture of prescription and over-the-counter medications. No illegal drugs were found.

The preliminary report ruled her death an accident caused by drug intake.

It said she had pneumonia and suffered from anaemia caused by an iron deficiency. The full autopsy report will be issued in about two weeks' time.

Murphy's husband, British screenwriter Simon Monjack, said at the time that the actress had been suffering from laryngitis.

Initial media speculation had focused on a possible eating disorder and rumours of cocaine use - both of which she had denied several years ago.

Photographs of Murphy's last red carpet appearance in early December showed the actress in a sleeveless dress with rail-thin arms and legs.

In her career, Murphy starred in films such as Girl Interrupted and 8 Mile and worked with actors such as Michael Douglas, Ashton Kutcher, Eminem and Angelina Jolie.

But in more recent years she worked mostly in low-budget movies.

Source: Matt Carter, Examiner.com

Just when it looked like Adam Lambert was starting to soften up his image with new single "Whataya Want From Me," the "American Idol" runner-up decided to stir things up and be edgy again.

In a new interview with The Times discussing romance, Adam had plenty to say: "My heart craves [a relationship], but now is not the time for it. So in the meantime I'm gonna have fun. I love a torrid affair," Adam surely knows that his schedule is packed these days, and he only recently split with boyfriend Drake LaBry. (The two were even rumored to be back together at one point, but it turned out to not be the case.)

Lambert wasn't even afraid to talk about women: "I'm openly gay so they know I'm not going to have sex with a woman - although I like making out with girls from time to time...I have this curiosity at the back of my mind. I've never had sex with a woman and I'm a little bit curious about it." Is this cause for some women out there to be excited?

Adam's hold-nothing-back attitude has definitely brought him a number of fans, and these people will probably only further appreciate the singer's reluctance to conform to a mainstream audience.

What do you think about Adam's latest comments? Let me know your thoughts with a comment

Source:Paul Magno, insidefights.com

Floyd Mayweather Jr vs. Shane Mosley: May 1st.

I dare you to hate on this one. Go ahead…I dare you.

While Manny Pacquiao is fighting Joshua Clottey, the guy who lost to the guy that he just blew away, Mayweather will be fighting the consensus number one welterweight in the world and a first ballot Hall of Famer.

Mayweather’s opponent is the same one who practically begged Pacquiao for a fight to no avail. Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, even said, “Shane came to the gym twice to ask me to let him fight Manny…I told him ‘no’ both times, and both times for the same two reasons: First, there isn’t enough money there, and second, you’re too good a fighter.”

Best of all, this fight was signed with no drama about fear of needles, superstitions and blood-letting; No weight stipulations and penalties and no petty lawsuits.


Mosley showed the world what a fighter who wants to fight actually looks like by quickly agreeing to Olympic style blood testing. So, unlike Manny’s bout in weak-commissioned Texas, Mayweather-Mosley will be a guaranteed encounter between two 100% clean fighters competing solely with their God-given abilities. This is a guarantee that Pacquiao chose to deny the fans.

The signing of the Mosley bout is a dose of good karma sent to Mayweather after having to withstand the injustice of being branded a “chicken” for a fight that Pacquiao backed out of and intentionally squashed.

All the name calling and unfair aspersions on his character, the mocking cartoons and videos popping up on the internet and on less reputable boxing sites (**cough, The Examiner, cough**) are all discredited because, in the end, it was Mayweather who took the higher ground and it’s Mayweather who’s fighting someone, on even terms, with a solid chance of beating him.

Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley is a done deal for May 1st and we’ll now see how the dedicated Mayweather haters conduct themselves. After all, this is what they’ve claimed to want from Mayweather for the longest time.

I can almost hear them begin to clear their throats, crack their knuckles and dream up ways to rain on the parade, though.

Mosley, who was the unquestionable top welterweight after beating Antonio Margarito to a pulp, will suddenly age to the point of being a decrepit old man. And the same Mosley who was willing to dry out to 142 for a fight with Manny, will become a tailor-made walk in the park for Mayweather who is always “ducking the very best.”

But enough about the haters…If they’re missing out on one of the true greats of this generation and willing to downplay a true Hall of Famer like Mosley in the process, then so be it; If they’re willing to do this based solely on false propaganda, misinformation and a faulty time line, then it’s on them. Let them stew in their own hate while the rest of us enjoy a truly classic encounter.

Let’s get back to the business of boxing where fighters actually choose to fight one another inside the ring and not in court.

Source: Matt Carter, Examiner.com

Miley Cyrus took a break from filming "Hannah Montana" (and participating in the "We Are the World" remake with Justin Bieber) to enjoy a little dinner with her boyfriend Liam Hemsworth and fellow Disney Channel sensation Demi Lovato. The three were spotted Tuesday out and about in Studio City, and of course there was an eager crowd of paparazzi following along.

It has been a busy week for Miley so far, as she went from presenting at the Grammy Awards on Sunday to participating in the charity song. Now, she gets to don the famous Hannah Montana wig again for one final season (she will reportedly finish filming in June).

The show has brought Miley an enormous fan base (particularly among young teens), and she has used it as a way to enter the film business. She met Liam on the set of "The Last Song," which was written specifically for her by romance author Nicholas Sparks.

Source: Michael Marley, Examiner.com

Sugar Shane Mosley's lawyer thought Floyd Mayweather might be dragging his feet like a seven year old.

That was Tuesday. Now on Wednesday night, Michael Marley, acting like a five year old, screams from the rooftops, "I told you so, I told you so, I told you so!"

Here's the official annonucement:

Press Release: Floyd "Money" Mayweather made his upcoming fight with Sugar Shane Mosley official today when he signed the contract that pits the two fighters against each other on Saturday, May 1st at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in a mega-bout which will be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View. Mayweather is undefeated with world titles in five weight classes (130, 135, 140, 147 and 154), while Mosley has world titles in three weight classes (135, 147 and 154) and currently reigns as the WBA weltwerweight champion. Mosley's title will be at stake.

"This one is definitely for the fans as I wasn't going to waste anyone's time with a meaningless tune-up bout and asked to fight Shane immediately," said Mayweather. "I have said ever since I came back to the sport that I only wanted to fight the best. I think Shane is one of the best, but come May 1, he still won't be great enough to beat me."

I guess Manny Pacquiao is excited and delighted, something like that, about Shane fighting Floyd (Pacland)

"I have always wanted to fight Floyd and now it is finally coming true," said Mosley, who signed his side of the deal last Friday in Las Vegas. "I am already in great shape and ready to show everyone on May 1 that I am stronger, faster and better than he is. I will have no problem beating him."

In addition to the fight being one of the most competitive and talked about contests in each of the fighters' careers, Mayweather and Mosley have agreed to Olympic-style drug testing for the fight.

"Floyd has been trying to make this fight for the last 10 years, so he is extremely excited about the opportunity to face Shane," said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO, Mayweather Promotions. "He can't wait to extend his undefeated record and perform at the highest level. More importantly, he is also happy to set the precedent for random blood testing in order to ensure fair and safe contests for all fighters."

"When two champions of this caliber meet in the ring, you can expect nothing but excellence and that is what we are going to see on May 1," said Richard Schaefer, CEO, Golden Boy Promotions. "Shane Mosley is one of the greatest fighters of this era and I commend him for not only agreeing to the fight against Mayweather, but also agreeing to participate in a testing process that can only help the integrity of the sport."

"Mayweather-Mosley is a showdown of superstars that fans have been talking about for years", said Mark Taffet of HBO Pay-Per-View. "It has all the elements of a pay-per-view mega-fight."

A 1996 Olympic Bronze medalist for the United States, Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KO's) has since gone on to strike Gold in the professional ranks, winning six world titles in five weight classes to firmly establish himself as one of the most elite fighters of his era. With dominating wins over the likes of world champions Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo, Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Oscar de la Hoya and Ricky Hatton, Mayweather was on a meteoric rise to hall of fame greatness when he announced his retirement from the ring in 2008. But he left the door open for a return if the right challenge presented itself and after 18 months of a much needed physical and emotional break from the ring, he returned to boxing on September 19, 2009 with a dominating and spectacular victory over future Hall of Famer Juan Manuel Marquez.

A future Hall of Famer with five world titles to his name, Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KO's) has ruled the lightweight, welterweight and junior middleweight divisions over his storied 16-year career and at 38 years old, the Pomona, Calif. native seems to be getting better and better as the years pass. Winner of seven of his last eight fights dating back to 2005, Mosley has defeated the likes of Fernando Vargas (twice), Luis Collazo and Ricardo Mayorga, but his most recent victory also was one of his most spectacular -- a ninth round stoppage of Antonio Margarito in January 2009 to win the welterweight world title for the third time.

The 12-round welterweight battle is a highly competitive match-up that already has sports fans across the world buzzing to see two of the sport's biggest names meet in the squared circle in the premier boxing match-up of 2010.