Technology Slice Blog

Senate Tax Vote - The Senate on Wednesday approved the $858 billion tax plan negotiated by the White House and Republican leaders, and House Democrats said they expected to pass the bill Thursday after a final, seemingly futile effort to change a provision that benefits wealthy estates. The Senate vote was 81-19 as Democrats yielded in their long push to end the Bush-era tax rates for high-income taxpayers. Republicans agreed to back a huge stimulus package, including an extension of jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed and a one-year Social Security payroll-tax cut for most workers, with the entire cost added to the deficit. House Democratic leaders said they would bring the bill to the floor Thursday along with an amendment to tax more estates at a higher rate. Democrats privately predicted the amendment would be rejected and the package approved, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was not ready to concede. Senate Tax Vote "We will make our point," she said at...

Gunman V for Vendetta Symbol - The Panama City News Herald reports that a man held a school board meeting in Florida at gunpoint and opened fire, after walking up to the podium and daubing a V symbol in a circle with spray paint on the wall That symbol will be familiar to many comic book readers and film goers as the symbol used by the character V in the comic and movie V For Vendetta, a reworking of the famous Anarchy symbol, though the red paint is indicative of the film more than the comic. Identified as Clay Duke, whose wife recently lost her school job, he was shot by former School Board member and district security chief Mike Jones, who was alerted to the incident, and the paper believes that Duke died as result. They also state that Duke’s weapon was a cap gun. Gunman V for Vendetta Symbol

Google Gravity I'm Feeling Lucky - Lots of people are becoming fascinated with the latest Google experiment that causes the Google search screen to collapse, as if being pulled under the weight of gravity. Google Gravity is a Google Chrome experiment made by Hi-Res! that initially loads a typical Google home page and then suddenly the elements are pulled down by gravity and you can start tossing them around! We highly recommend you launch this experiment in Google Chrome. It may run slower, or not at all, in other browsers. So many people have been trying this out that the keyword phrase of Google Gravity I’m Feeling Lucky, has entered Google Trends. Another little novelty that takes up a few seconds of our time and holds our interest for a short period, before we get on with our lives. Google Gravity I'm Feeling Lucky

Chesterfield County Public Schools - The board of trustees of Chesterfield Day School, an independent school in West County for toddlers through sixth-graders, has announced the appointment of Matthew Virgil as head of school beginning in the 2011-2012 school year. "This appointment is the culmination of an extensive and thorough process involving a variety of Chesterfield Day School constituencies, as well as a national educational search and consulting firm," said Jay Schmelter, president of the board of trustees. "Matt Virgil is a thoughtful, knowledgeable and dedicated man who is well respected as an educator and leader throughout the St. Louis community. We appoint him with great confidence in his ability to lead CDS with intelligence and enthusiasm toward a bright future." Virgil is the director of curriculum and instruction for City Academy in St. Louis. He previously served as the upper school director at Rossman School, and as a faculty member and the ...

Martial Law UK - Despite police being behind provocations that enraged demonstrators, Metropolitan commissioner considers using Public Order Act to kill free speech. UK police chief Sir Paul Stephenson is considering whether to ask the British government to ban protest marches altogether in response to last week’s student riots, a move that would place Britain under a de facto state of martial law. Martial Law UK

Cherokee County Schools - Cherokee County parents, who have been turned down three times in their effort to start a charter school, got their first good news after years of trying. A committee of the state Charter Schools Commission recommended late Monday that the school be approved, which will override the local denial by the Cherokee County Board of Education. The full commission will vote on the recommendation Thursday. "We are expecting a school; we are hoping for a school; we expect the process to go fairly easily," said Lyn Carden, a member of the Georgia Charter Educational Foundation Board, which is made up of those supporting the charter school application. Cherokee County Schools Carden and others have campaigned hard to get a charter school started, but the board of education has turned them down twice and the state commission once. After their second denial by the board of education last June, foundation members applied again to the state Charter Schools...

Jerry Lawson and the Talk of the Town - The Sing-Off host Nick Lachey teased us on Wednesday night. He said that only three of the amazing four remaining a capella groups in the competition would advance to the finals. But, surprise! All four of the singing acts — Jerry Lawson & Talk of the Town, The Backbeats, Street Corner Symphony and Committed — will compete on Monday night's live finale (NBC at 8 p.m.). They'll be vying for a Sony recording contract and $100,000. Guest singers Sheryl Crow, Sarah Barellis and Neil Diamond will perform. Up until now, the fate of the groups has been in the hands of judges Ben Folds, Nicole Scherzinger and Shawn Stockman, but voting opened to the public after Wednesday's show to determine the winner. Jerry Lawson and the Talk of the Town

Dannon Settles Lawsuit - French-owned Dannon Co. has agreed to pay Texas and 38 other states $21 million and to drop misleading health claims for its bestselling product, Activia yogurt, which is made in three U.S. cities, including Fort Worth. Activia cannot be pitched as a cure for digestive irregularity or as a way to protect against colon cancer, since no curative properties have been upheld by the Food and Drug Administration, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said in a statement. "These types of misleading claims are enough to give consumers indigestion," said Jon Leibowitz, chairman of the Federal Trade Commission. "Consumers want, and are entitled to, accurate information when it comes to their health. Companies like Dannon shouldn't exaggerate the strength of scientific support for their products." Dannon Settles Lawsuit Activia is one of the retail market's most successful probiotics, food items said to carry health benefits and now a fas...

Microsoft Bing Mobile App - Microsoft unveiled a slew of new mobile, local, travel and social-media features for Bing in an effort to make the search engine more competitive with search-industry leader Google. One new feature aimed at social media fans is the option to rank search results based on what a Bing user's friends have "liked" on Facebook. Microsoft also updated its Bing mobile apps -- for smart phones such as the iPhone, Android and Windows Phone 7 handsets -- to enable users to make reservations using the popular OpenTable service or order takeout using Grubhub, all from within the app. Once checked in to a restaurant using OpenTable, a Bing app user can then "check in" at the restaurant using social-media location services such as Foursquare and Facebook Places. Microsoft Bing Mobile App Another new location-based feature for the Bing apps are reminders that users can set to pop up on their smart phones when Bing recognizes that its near ...

Swine Flu Returns - Doctors at Dublin’s Rotunda Hospital are attempting to contain an outbreak of swine flu, it was confirmed yesterday. Five patients at the hospital, at different stages of pregnancy, are being treated for the virus. The hospital’s master, Dr Sam Coulter Smith, said all five women were recovering well and no babies had been infected. As he renewed appeals to pregnant women to get the seasonal flu vaccine, which this year contains protection against swine flu, it emerged that a pregnant woman transferred from a different maternity hospital was in a serious condition with swine flu at the Mater hospital. Swine Flu Returns “We would certainly be encouraging all pregnant women to have the seasonal flu vaccine this year even if they got the swine flu vaccine last year . . . the flu vaccine is safe and it will protect you,” he advised. Dr Coulter Smith said that in a bid to contain the spread of the H1N1 virus the hospital had restricted visiting, cancelled rou...

Terrence Williams Joins Rockets - New Houston Rockets guard Terrence Williams told FOX 26 Sports he can't wait to join his new team. He is overwhelmed at how Rockets general manager Daryl Morey described him as having a chance "to be a great player and really be special in this league." Williams was acquired by Houston from the New Jersey Nets in a three-team trade that also involved the Los Angeles Lakers. "It means a lot," Williams said. "The fact that a team like the Rockets makes you feel wanted makes you comfortable and gives you confidence so that you can go out there and do your job." The Nets took Williams with the 11th pick of the 2009 NBA Draft out of Louisville. Terrence Williams Joins Rockets "I feel like they got a steal," Williams said referring to the fact the Rockets gave up a lottery-protected 2012 first-round pick. "Not to be cocky and arrogant, but I don't feel I've been able to prove myself in thi...

Weather Louisville KY - With the nasty weather heading our way, you can expect treacherous road conditions. Crews are hauling salt from the reserve at the Louisville Mega Cavern to maintenance facilities. 6500 tons of salt were spread onto roadways earlier this week, and there's still a lot of salt residue left on the roads. That means pre-treating the roads with brine isn't necessary. 2400 miles of state-maintained highways will be cleared in the Louisville area. 166 trucks will salt and plow the roadways. Weather Louisville KY Motorists should be careful around plows and salt trucks -- they travel at a slower speed, and snow plows can cause visibility problems. Other tips for staying safe -- carry a cell phone, keep your gas tank at least two-thirds full to prevent fuel line freezing, and prepare for lengthy delays on the roadway. Also, carry jumper cables, reflectors, ice scraper, blankets, food, and a first aid kit. Weather Louisville KY

WBKO Weather - Wednesday's possible storm could bring with it wind, water, and right now, worry. People are gearing up all across Warren County, getting ready to take on the icy storm headed this way. People were out in large numbers at places like ACE Hardware, buying supplies to protect themselves from the cold. "Salt, shovels, and plumbing needs for frozen or broken pipes. We've had a steady flow of people for those needs. Winterizing," said Jerry Proctor, of ACE Hardware. ACE is ready for more. WBKO Weather "We're receiving a truck as we speak. We have four pallets of salt coming and we're trying to supply the need," said Proctor. Tree service companies are getting ready as well, warming up their trucks for the busy days ahead. "Most of our stuff is hydraulic, which does not like cold weather. It takes hours upon hours just to get it ready," said Daniel Fine, owner of Fineline Tree Care. WBKO Weather

WRAL Weather - With temperatures hovering around the freezing mark in the Triangle, the forecast of "light snow, sleet and freezing rain" on Thursday raises questions for commuters. WRAL Chief Meteorologist Greg Fishel said such a long cold spell is unusual in this area in December. "Because it's so cold and the ground's so cold, it won't take a lot of precipitation to cause problems on the road Thursday morning," said WRAL meteorologist Nate Johnson. The "bitter cold" is expected to continue Tuesday evening and into Wednesday morning, but Wednesday should be less windy with a high of 38. WRAL Weather

KSDK Weather - Another weather system will move across the region Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. With the cold air already in place, the stage is set for some minor travel disruptions overnight and early Thursday. Most of the day today will be dry, but by this evening, the chances for a wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain will be possible. In metro St. Louis, mostly light freezing rain is expected. While the actual amount of precipitation is expected to be quite light, a thin glaze of ice is certainly possible, especially on untreated surfaces later tonight and early Thursday. This will not be a major ice storm for the area, but will likely cause some disruption in travel. A winter weather advisory is in effect for areas east and south of the metro region where the glazing of ice may be a bit more prevalent. KSDK Weather

Florida School Shooting - Members of a Florida school board were searching for answers on Wednesday as to why a 56-year-old ex-convict opened fire on them before killing himself at an otherwise routine meeting. Speaking to reporters during multiple interviews, school officials from the Bay County Public School District said they were still puzzled about the Tuesday afternoon incident in Panama City. They were held hostage at gunpoint before scrambling for their lives amid a hail of gunfire that ended in the death of shooter Clay Duke. No one else was injured in the incident, video of which has gone viral on the Internet. "It was surreal, "school superintendent Bill Husfelt said on Wednesday. "We're talking about technology and head lice and the next thing we know this guy's got a gun to our face. There is nothing you can do to prepare for that." Florida School Shooting Video of the incident shows Duke walking up to a podium and spray painting a la...

99ers Unemployment Extension Update - Today with little disagreement, the Senate passed the $856 billion tax bill that contains 13 months of unemployment benefit extensions for those unemployed who have not exhausted their benefits. The Senate did NOT include any help for the millions of 99ers who have been without financial support for up to eight months. A breakdown of the tax package shows that the wealthiest Americans will be able to celebrate a richer holiday with this massive gift from Obama and the Senate. 99ers Unemployment Extension Update Key components of Senate tax bill according to Reuters: Cost to retain the top two income tax rates Obama originally opposed: $61 billion. * Keeps capital gains and dividends taxed at a top rate of 15 percent. Obama and Democrats had sought a 20 percent top rate. Cost: $54 billion. * Repeals certain limitations on deductions for high-earning individuals. Cost: $21 billion. Estate tax revisions Cost: $68 billion. While some ...

National Cupcake Day 2011 - I always think of muffins as cupcakes' hard-working older siblings. They toiled at their unglamorous but steady jobs while cupcakes waltzed off to Hollywood to try to make it in the biz. As the muffins sat behind the Starbucks counter, they secretly looked forward to cupcakes' not making it and slinking back home with damp and wrinkled frosting. Then -- well, we know what happened. Cupcakes made it big. Now they're being photographed with celebrities, they have their own reality TV series, and muffins are still stuck behind the counter, sometimes for days at a time. Cupcakes live in trendier neighborhoods than muffins. You can even buy cupcake carriers to take them from place to place without incident, like small excitable dogs! Cupcakes sometimes are arrested for transporting illicit substances. The most illicit substance muffins will transport for you is bran. National Cupcake Day 2011 When you call someone "muffin," you pict...

Megan Waterman Still Missing - The family of a missing woman in Scarborough is hoping that their loved one is not among the four women found dead on Long Island this week. 22-year old Megan Waterman was last seen 6 months ago in the area where the bodies were found. But police say they aren't making any assumptions. Police who were investigating the case of a missing prostitute from New Jersey discovered a set of skeletal remains and three other decomposed bodies in Oak Beach, New York this week. Waterman took frequent trips to Long Island with her boyfriend and advertized as an escort on Craigs List there. Police say she was last seen with her boyfriend at 1:30 in the morning on June 6 at a Holiday Inn a few miles away from where the bodies were found. Megan Waterman Still Missing However, Scarborough Police say they are assuming nothing, and they're waiting for the bodies to be identified. In the meantime, they're continuing to investigate this as a missing perso...

Mason Holland Slams Referee - A Florida basketball player has been suspsended from school and his team after slamming a referee to the court Monday night, ESPN.com reported. In a video quickly making its way around the Internet, Mason Holland, a senior from DeSoto County High in Arcadia, Fla., is called for a technical after pushing an opposing player as they run up the floor. Holland then confronted the referee, pushed him, and then tossed him to the floor. Port Charlotte was awarded the victory by forfet, according to ESPN.com. The USA Today reported that Holland was suspended from school Tuesday. "It was totally unacceptable behavior," DeSoto County coach Joe Sheridan told the paper. "It was everything we are not, and now we have to recover from that with 12 very, very good boys. "He'll never play here again. I've been coaching for 40 years, and I've never experienced anything like that. I'm still in shock." Mason Holland Slams Refer...

Mark Zuckerberg is Time Person of the Year - Breathe, eat, drink, sleep, defecate, and check Facebook: these make up a significant portion of a very short list of daily activities that you have in common with a quarter of a billion other humans. One item on this list is somewhat different from the rest. There are half a billion active Facebook users. Half of those log on daily. Facebook reached 500 million in July 2010, up from 250 million in July 2009. Try to think of something comparable. Good luck. Mark Zuckerberg is Time Person of the Year This isn’t just a change in format, like when we all gave up our cassette collections and resigned ourselves to re-buy everything on CD. This is a new kind of thing in the world and in our lives. That might sound like an extreme claim—after all, friendship and conversation and social groups certainly aren’t new—but in a very real sense, Facebook is not just a new way of doing old things, but a new way for things to be. That’s probably why ...

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - With any hall of fame, there are always going to be arguments about who belongs in and who doesn't, and there will typically be outrage about people who have been overlooked. Every hall of fame has its mysterious choices (baseball has Phil Rizzuto and Jim Rice, basketball has Adrian Dantley, football has Rickey Jackson), but this year's batch of inductees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is pretty confusing. The new class includes Alice Cooper, Tom Waits, Neil Diamond, Dr. John and Darlene Love. Taken in a vacuum, that's not a horrible group of musicians (Waits' inclusion is especially inspiring, considering he has been consistently turning out great work for decades without a lot of mainstream recognition). But when you look at the nominees that got denied (especially LL Cool J, Beastie Boys and Bon Jovi) and the groups who continue to get overlooked (Kiss, Rush), it seems especially insane that this is the group. By rule, the Hall of ...

Robin Williams on USO Tour - Kix Brooks and Nashville songwriter Bob DiPiero are in the Middle East for a USO tour that also features Robin Williams, Lance Armstrong and comedians Lewis Black and Kathleen Madigan. The troupe has already visited Baghdad during the tour organized at the invitation of U.S. Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. "We just did our first show, and it went great," Brooks said in a statement. "This group of folks I'm traveling with are amazing." Robin Williams on USO Tour

AJ Burnett Divorce - New York Yankees pitcher A.J. Burnett may be going through a pretty nasty divorce according to Colin Cowherd of ESPN. In baseball, there a select few players who make mainstream media news (Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, both Yankees), so it's not often that people hear about the personal lives of the players that they like. Of course, the personal lives of ball players isn't really at the top of anyone's curiosity list, but the news of Burnett's divorce is making headlines today. According to Colin Cowherd, "A.J. Burnett went through a terrible divorce and he still might going through it. His wife was vindictive and spiteful. I don't even feel comfortable telling you everything. The stories are ugly" (via The Huffington Post). Burnett had previously been a great asset to the New York Yankees, but last season, his performance seemed mediocre at best. Of course a major life changing event such as divorce can have an effect of the wel...

Drex in The Morning Leaves Kiss FM - How much more drama can you get really? It just seems like everyone is trying to do something to get attention. Radio is no different, they want to make a big commotion so people will actually remember there is a thing called radio. It seems that DreX is no longer with Drex in the morning. Not only has the radio show disappeared but so has the facebook fan page. There was a spokeswoman that gave a little bit of information but mainly she said that she didn’t want to talk about personal matter. There has been a lot of junk going on with the show however. On Drex in the morning Drex was plenty open about how he had been using cocaine. There has been another incident that was similar to this however. Once before DreX walked out of the station badmouthing them and then poof a couple of weeks later he was back with a slightly different show. I guess only time will tell if it’s for real or if it’s another stunt. A sad day for Drex in the morning fans...

Hulk Hogan Wedding Brawl - Hulk Hogan's wedding almost turned into wrestling match. The former pro wrester (real name: Terry Bollea) was exchanging vows with girlfriend Jennifer McDaniel at his home in Clearwater, Fla., on Tuesday evening, when a fight reportedly broke out between a picture-seeking paparazzo and Hogan's security detail. According to E! Online, the photographer, Robert Martinez, tried approaching from the rear of the estate when a family employee acting as security stopped him. Hulk Hogan Wedding Brawl The two began pushing and shoving one another, but the altercation was soon broken up by police officers, the report states. Both agreed to stop fighting and leave the area without incident. Since no one wanted to press charges, the wedding continued and no arrests were made, according to TMZ. Back at the home, the pair successfully exchanged vows. E! reports that Hogan's daughter Brooke attended the affair and son Nick served as the best man. H...

Honeybee Killer - Surveillance video from a weekend robbery and subsequent shooting at a tanning salon in Orland Park, Ill. was released Tuesday. The video shows the dramatic moments inside the LA Tan location, as a customer confronts and then kills the alleged "honeybee killer." The surveillance video shows a young female employee behind the counter, with suspect Gary Amaya, 48, entering the scene. After chatting with the employee for a brief moment, Amaya displays a gun in his right hand. Amaya orders the female worker to tie herself up with rope in her chair. The worker obliges and is seen fumbling with the ropes. Honeybee Killer Customer Jason McDaniel, 29, enters the salon, sees what's happening and offers the man cash. "Take the money and go," he says. Amaya pulls the gun out of his coat as McDaniel steps behind the counter. Amaya tells McDaniel he's going to tie him up. The suspect reaches for rope in a bag and briefly puts the gun on th...

Heidi Jones Arrested - WABC/Channel 7 weather anchor Heidi Jones was arrested on Monday after allegedly making up a story about how someone tried to rape her in Central Park earlier this year, police said. Jones, who anchors the local news station’s weekend evening weather and fills in on "Good Morning America," was charged on Monday with falsifying a police report, the NYPD confirmed. If convicted, the anchor could face a fine of up to $1,000 or a year in prison. Last month, Jones, 37, told police that a man grabbed her from behind while she was jogging in the park on the afternoon of Sept. 24. The man, who she described as Hispanic and in his 30s or 40s, proceeded to drag her to a wooded area and try to rape her, the New York Post reported. The man stopped his attack when he was scared off by two people who were passing nearby, the paper wrote. Heidi Jones Arrested Police were reportedly doubtful about the veracity of Jones' story from the start, according to t...

Time Person of the Year - The embattled WikiLeaks founder, Julian Assange, has been overwhelmingly chosen as the Time magazine's "Person of the Year". Assange, who on Tuesday succeeded in securing a bail from a British court where he appeared in connection with a case of sexual misconduct, topped the list through an online poll that garnered thousands of responses on its website. Time Person of the Year The 39-year-old Australian whistleblower secured 3.82 lakh votes, while US President Barack Obama finished sixth with just 27,478 votes. He received 1.48 lakh votes more than Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Ergodan, who stood second with a score of 2.33 lakh. Pop star Lady Gaga was third with 1.46 lakh votes. Assange, who has earned the wrath of the US for leaking a huge cache of secret diplomatic documents, has been imprisoned for a week after he gave himself up to Scotland Yard in London following two Swedish women's charges. Time Person of the Year

Michael Moore Donates to Wikileaks - Filmmaker Michael Moore said Tuesday that he has given $20,000 towards bailing out Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Mr. Moore defended his decision, saying he support Mr. Assange’s organization. Wikileaks has released upwards of 100,000 classified documents, many of which have been widely disseminated to various news organizations. A court in London imposed the fine, saying Mr. Assange poised a flight risk. The court in London set bail for £240,000 ($378,840). Radio show host Rush Limbaugh took issue with Mr. Moore’s proposal. “It’s so heart warming to see a bunch of high-minded people out there on the left…coming out of the woodwork and paying the bail of the serial rapist Julian Assange,” Mr. Limbaugh said. Michael Moore Donates to Wikileaks Mr. Assange remains jailed in the U.K. after Swedish police issued an arrest warrant for the Wikileaks founder. Sweden has requested that Mr. Assange be extradited to Sweden on allegations of sex...

Jennifer Connelly Pregnant - Actress Jennifer Connelly and Paul Bettany are expecting their second child together. The 40-year-old and the English actor will be having another child, who will join their seven-year-old son Stellan. Jennifer is also mother to son Kai, 13, from her previous relationship with photographer David Dugan. Paul, 39, and Connelly started dating in 2001 after co-starring alongside Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind, for which she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. The couple married in Scotland on New Year's Day back in 2003 and had son Stellan the following August. Jennifer Connelly Pregnant

Beauty Sleep not a Myth - Forget lotions and potions. Don’t bother with a new dress or hairstyle. The best way to improve your looks is to treat yourself to some good old-fashioned beauty sleep. Those who manage eight hours a night look far more attractive than those who are sleep deprived, according to scientists. Twenty-three healthy young adults were photographed after a good night’s sleep, and again after much less. Each picture was then rated on an attractiveness scale of one to ten by members of the public. And the well-rested won hands down. Young women who took part in the study were not allowed to use make up and had to wear their hair down for both photos, just in case a particular style was slightly more flattering. Beauty Sleep not a Myth On the first night they slept in their own homes and were told to go to bed at 11pm and set their alarms for 7am. On the second night they were allowed to sleep no more than five hours and were monitored in the laboratory to e...

Stuxnet Virus - The Stuxnet computer virus has set Tehran's nuclear programme back by 24 months, an Israeli newspaper reported Wednesday, quoting a top German computer consultant. The malicious software, or malware, reportedly targeted Iran's nuclear facilities this year, causing damage. Stuxnet infiltrates and reprogrammes Windows operating systems. Stuxnet Virus 'It will take two years for Iran to get back on track,' Ralph Langer told the Jerusalem Post. 'This was nearly as effective as a military strike, but even better since there are no fatalities and no full-blown war. From a military perspective, this was a huge success,' he said. Langner, one of the first experts to analyse the Stuxnet code, said Iran's best move would be to throw out all the computers infected by the virus, which he termed the most 'advanced and aggressive malware in history.' But even once all the computers were thrown out, Iran would still have to ensure that ...

Biggest Loser Winner 2010 - Patrick House, 28, of Vicksburg, Miss., who was motivated to lose weight for the sake of his young family, won the 10th season of "The Biggest Loser" Tuesday. In the final weigh in, House, who came into the show weighing 400 pounds, was down to 219, having lost 181 pounds over the seven month process - a total weight loss percentage of 45.25 percent. That just edged the total weight percentage of the runner up, the former Marine Alfrado "Frado" Dinten, 43 of Staten Island, who had similar family concerns about his long term health because of his weight, coming into the show a 367 pounds and weighing in Thursday at 205, losing 162 pounds and having a total weight lost of 44. 14 percent. Biggest Loser Winner 2010

Clay Duke Gunman - This is the shocking video that shows an icy calm gunman holding members of a Florida school board hostage before shooting himself dead. The footage shows Clay Duke, 56, spray painting the letter 'V' in red paint on the wall inside the school before ordering everyone save six male Bay District school board members to leave the room. Then, as news cameras that were filming the meeting continue rolling, he is seen raising his gun and pointing it straight at one board member from just a few feet away. 'Please don't,' the man can be heard saying on the footage. 'Please don't.' Duke fires - but misses, and the board member crawls out of the room on his hands and knees as Duke opens fire. Moments later, police said, after he was wounded by a security guard, Duke turned the gun on himself. He was declared dead last night. The astonishing footage also captures one brave woman creeping back into the room behind Duke and hitting him...

Ghana Becomes an Oil Nation - Ghana's Jubilee oil fields have begun pumping for the first time, making the West African country the world's newest oil-producing nation. President John Atta-Mills opened the valves in a ceremony on a floating platform 60 kilometres off Ghana's coast. "This should be a blessing and not an oil curse," he said later. The fields were discovered almost four years ago and are estimated to contain more than a billion barrels of oil. It is thought the oil will bring in more than $400 million of revenue during the first year. Ghana Becomes an Oil Nation But some analysts are concerned about Ghana's ability to manage its new industry. Commercial production comes while proposed laws to regulate the industry still under debate in parliament. Critics also argue that Ghana does not yet have the infrastructure to tap the gas that comes with crude production. Ghana Becomes an Oil Nation

Alina Kabayeva Vogue Cover - This story is making politics in the US sound all the more dull and monotonous: the supposed mistress of the Prime Minister landing on the cover of one of the country’s most prominent fashion mags? Now that’s good stuff. The decision to put her on the cover was apparently made by editor-in-chief Viktoria Davydova. The cover features Kabayeva, a professional gymnast and Olympic Gold medalist, wearing a Balmain dress worth more than $30,000. The Daily Mail reports that the dress has already been featured on the cover of a few other fashion mags—a big “no, no” in the biz. Nonetheless, she stands smiling with her hands on her hips, confident and poised. Alina Kabayeva Vogue Cover But the cover pic itself is likely to become a periphery issue. After all, Kabayeva is rumored to not only have been Putin’s mistress, but also the mother of his ‘love child.’ A few years ago a Russian newspaper reported that a mysterious wedding had been planned between the t...

Diane Von Furstenberg Prefall Collection - And the pre-fall collections just keep trickling in: We've got fresh looks from Diane Von Furstenberg, Calvin Klein, Tibi, and more. Nicole Miller turned out aggressive black silhouettes with puffy shoulders and wide, flared pants; meanwhile, Reed Krakoff layered sheer panels of fabric to give his skirts and loose tops a filmy depth. Both Tibi and Diane Von Furstenberg played with orange color palettes to give their collections a retro spin. Diane Von Furstenberg Prefall Collection