Is Kelly Slater hanging it up?

from floridatoday.com:

"Despite leading the strong force of competitors from the U.S. who qualified for the 2010 Association of Surfing Professionals World Tour season, surf legend Kelly Slater was cautious in announcing his commitment to the Tour next year.

“I don’t know if I’m going to do the tour full-time next year,” said Slater, of Cocoa Beach. “I’m sort of feeling it out. I’ve just competed for so many years, doing the same thing and going to the same places, it’s a little monotonous. When you find some meaning in it and it’s bigger than just going and surfing, then it becomes more exciting, but, unfortunately, I had a pretty lackluster year in a lot of ways, both personally and competitively and it probably showed in my surfing.”

Slater, 37, owns nine world titles and finished this season at No. 6. He was the top rated American to requalify for next year’s quest for surfing’s throne after a near-immaculate performance at the Billabong Pipe Masters, where he finished runner-up behind Australian Taj Burrow, 31.

C.J. Hobgood, 30, of Satellite Beach, who was the 2001 ASP World Champion, finished his year No. 7. He capitalized on his impressive barrel-riding skills at Pipeline to finish his season with a fifth at the Billabong Pro while posting one of the event’s perfect 10-point rides for a massive forehand barrel.

Also finishing at No. 9 was Damien Hobgood, 30, of Satellite Beach, who posted his best result of the season with a runner-up finish at the Billabong Pro Jeffreys Bay."

Clerk is shot during robbery at Game Stop

from orlandosentinel.om

"A clerk was shot this morning during a robbery at a Game Stop in Orange County.

A man wearing a dark scarf that covered his face entered the store at 2781 N. Hiawassee Road at about 10:15 a.m., pulled out a handgun and demanded money and video games.

The clerk complied but was shot in the "lower body," according to a statement from the Orange County Sherrif's Office. The clerk was rushed to the hospital and sustained "non life-threatening injuries,'' the statement added.

The suspect was described as a black male between 35 and 40 years old, about 6 feet tall and weighing between 225 and 245 pounds."

Indianapolis teacher accused of relationship with female student

from badbadteacher.com:


"Sara L. Strahm, 28, a special education teacher and girls’ varsity basketball coach at Pike High School, in Indianapolis, Indiana has reportedly been arrested on allegations of a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old female student.Reportedly, Strahm was arrested on Friday on charges of child seduction.

Strahm came to the attention of police when school officials notified them of an allegation of sexual misconduct against Strahm.

Strahm has reportedly been placed on administrative leave by the school system.

According to the Pike High School website, Strahm attended Ben Davis High School where she played volleyball, basketball, and softball and was the first athlete in school history to receive 12 varsity letters and was named the Marion County Coaches’ Female Athlete of the Year.

Reportedly, before working at Pike High School, Strahm Strahm served as a varsity assistant coach at Decatur Central, as head coaching at Danville High School and was a third-grade teacher in Wayne Township, while serving as the JV basketball and volleyball coach at Ben Davis High School."

Family says actress Brittany Murphy had been ill before death

from orlandosentinel.com:

"LOS ANGELES (AP) — Brittany Murphy was ill with flulike symptoms in the days before her death and prescription medications were taken from her home, the Los Angeles coroner's office said Monday.

The 32-year-old star of films such as "Clueless" and "8 Mile" died Sunday morning after collapsing at her Hollywood Hills home. Paramedics tried to revive her, but she was pronounced dead at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said they will conduct an autopsy Monday to try to determine what killed the actress, and said her death appeared to be from natural causes. He said the illness, reported to officials by her family, could have contributed to her death, but it will be weeks before a final determination is made.

Toxicology tests will be performed, and officials will contact her personal physician to get a better sense of Murphy's medical history, Winter said.

Neighbor Clare Staples said she saw firefighters working to resuscitate the actress Sunday morning. She said Murphy was on a stretcher.

Murphy's husband, wearing pajama bottoms and no shoes, appeared "dazed" as firefighters tried to save her, Staples said. "It's just tragic," she added.

Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

"The sudden loss of our beloved Brittany is a terrible tragedy," Murphy's husband and family wrote in a statement. "She was our daughter, our wife, our love, and a shining star. We ask you to respect our privacy at this difficult time."

Murphy's death put "Saturday Night Live" in an awkward spot. Two weeks ago, the NBC show aired a sketch during "Weekend Update" in which cast member Abby Elliott performed an impression of Murphy, who had recently been fired from a film project. The impression portrayed Murphy as spacey and living in the past.

After her death Sunday, the sketch disappeared from Hulu.com, the online video repository co-owned by NBC Universal and News Corp.

The quiet removal prompted many bloggers and online viewers to question the sketch's tastefulness and the decision to erase it without notice. A publicist for "Saturday Night Live" didn't respond to requests for comment.

Murphy moved to Los Angeles with her mother, Sharon, in the early 1990s. Her career started with small roles in television series, commercials and movies, but her part in "Clueless" led to larger projects.

She is best known for parts in "Girl, Interrupted" and "8 Mile," and also voiced the character Luanne Platter for more 200 episodes on Fox's animated series "King of the Hill."

Her role in "8 Mile" led to more recognition, Murphy told AP in 2003. "That changed a lot," she said. "That was the difference between people knowing my first and last name as opposed to not."

She married British screenwriter Simon Monjack in 2007.

Murphy's father, Angelo Bertolotti, said he learned of her death from his son, the actress's brother, and was stunned.

"She was just an absolute doll since she was born," Bertolotti said from his Branford, Fla., home. "Her personality was always outward. Everybody loved her — people that made movies with her, people on a cruise — they all loved her. She was just a regular gal."

He said he hadn't heard much about the circumstances of Murphy's death. Bertolotti divorced her mother when Murphy was young and hadn't seen Murphy in the past few years.

"She was just talented," Bertolotti said. "And I loved her very much."

Wedding Crashers

Here is Wedding Crashers
http://www.megavideo.com/?v=IB34LKWM

Boondock Saints

Here is The Boondock Saints
http://www.megavideo.com/?v=KCH4OGPU

Watch Zombieland here is the link

Here is Zombieland, check it out.

http://www.megavideo.com/?v=TOJGXGLT

Here is the UCF VS Rutgers Game

Here is the UCF VS Rutgers St. Petersburg Bowl

http://www.justin.tv/bigeasttv

Watch The Hangover Here

Here is a link to The Hangover. Check it out.
http://www.megavideo.com/?v=CZ399VVP

(Disclaimer: I do not host these videos if there is a problem to the link you need to contact the host.)

B.J. Penn vs. Diego Sanchez UFC 107 (2 of 2)

Penn VS Sanchez Full Fight (2 of 2)

http://www.mma-core.com/videos/_B_J_Penn_vs_Diego_Sanchez_UFC_107_Part_2?vid=10008201&tid=100

BJ Penn VS Diego Sanchez (Part 1)

UFC 107 BJ Penn VS Diego Sanchez Full Fight (1 of 2)

http://www.mma-core.com/videos/_B_J_Penn_vs_Diego_Sanchez_UFC_107_Part_1?vid=10008200&tid=100

Melee King:This video is my inspiration

Need I say more....

'Iranian Cyber Army' hackers bring Twitter to a halt

from usatoday.com:

"Hackers purporting to be from a pro-Iranian group brought Twitter to a halt for at least an hour and defaced its home page.

The microblogging site became a popular means of communication for opponents of the Iranian regime following disputed Iranian elections.

For about an hour, users who went to the Twitter home page were re-directed to another website that displayed this message: "This site has been hacked by the Iranian Cyber Army."

"USA think they controlling and managing internet by their access, but they don't, we control and manage internet by our power," the message continued, according to the BBC.

It ended with "take care" followed by a winking emoticon.

It was not immediately clear whether the incident was a hoax or in fact the work of an Iranian group."

Prostitution sting nets 4 arrests in Melbourne

from floridatoday.com:

"Melbourne police continued with an ongoing series of prostitution sweeps late Thursday, taking four women into custody along the city’s southern end.

The sting took place at about 5 p.m. Thursday, with officers patrolling the U.S. 1 corridor where suspected prostitutes are frequently seen.

By 9 p.m., Melbourne officers with the department’s Special Operations Unit took four women into custody.

Maria Aviles, 38, Jody Kea, 36, Shelena Keller, 26, amd Mary Tracy, 31 were charged with solicitation for prostitution. They were taken to the Brevard County Detention Center and Sharpes.

The prostitution stings continue as the police department’s effort to drive sex workers from the downtown Melbourne area."

Police Increasingly Suspicious of Missing Utah Mom's Husband

from foxnews.com:

"SALT LAKE CITY — Authorities have upgraded their investigation into the disappearance of a Utah mother to a criminal probe and say her husband's "lack of cooperation" has made them increasingly suspicious of him.

Susan Powell, a 28-year-old mother of two young children, was reported missing Dec. 7, when she didn't show up for work. She was last seen a day earlier.Josh Powell said he went camping with their boys, ages 2 and 4, in subfreezing temperatures about 12:30 a.m. on Dec. 7 and returned in the evening.

"Every lead we've been offered so far would leave us to believe this is out of character (for Susan) and thus suspect foul play is involved," West Valley City Asst. Police Chief Craig Black said Wednesday.

He said that her husband, Josh Powell, has not been named a suspect but investigators are highly interested in him.

"Josh's unusual lack of cooperation for a husband looking for his wife with the police department, you know, it certainly causes us to ask questions as to why would he do things to exclude the resources that we can bring to the table to find Susan," Black said.

But Josh Powell has been uncooperative in providing any details that might explain what happened to his wife, Black said.

Among other things, Josh Powell hasn't specified where he went camping or where he was all day on Dec. 7, he said.

Kimbo Slice VS Houston Alexander

Check out Kimbo Slice's UFC debut VS Houston Alexander

Here is the link:
http://www.mma-core.com/videos/_Kimbo_Slice_vs_Houston_Alexander_TUF_10_Finale?vid=10008079&tid=100

Tito Ortiz VS Forrest Griffin II UFC 106

Watch Tito Ortiz VS Forrest Griffin II: UFC 106

Here is the link:
http://www.mma-core.com/videos/_Tito_Ortiz_vs_Forrest_Griffin_II_UFC_106?vid=10007921&tid=100

Birth of a legacy: December 17, 1989

On this day in 1989, The Simpsons pilot episode aired. After 20 years, 449 episodes have been shown. Along with a feature film that grossed over $527 million worldwide.

This day in history: December 17, 1903

1903 - The Wright Brothers make their first powered and heavier-than-air flight in the Wright Flyer at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Just over 100 years later look how much things have changed.

Brevard Killer Justin Heyne gets death penalty

from floridatoday.com:

"Convicted murderer Justin Heyne has received two life sentences for the killings Benjamin Hamilton; his girlfriend, Sarah Buckoski, and the death penalty for killing their 5-year-old daughter, Ivory Hamilton.Heyne showed no reaction when the sentence was handed down by Judge O.H. Eaton"

Anne Hathaway involved in a car-bike crash

from enonline.com:

"Anne Hathaway was involved in a minor car accident in Santa Monica on Wednesday afternoon.

The former Oscar nominee was a passenger in a black Audi when a bicyclist crashed into the side of the vehicle. Anne and her friend who was driving were both uninjured.

Freddy Ferraro, 32, who was riding the purple bike with pink pedals, suffered only minor bruises and refused any medical attention. He told photographers he was OK and that the actress was caring and helpful."

Bengals receiver Henry dies after fall from truck

Bengals receiver Henry dies after fall from truck

Posted using ShareThis

SunRail: Gov. Crist signs SunRail bill -- OrlandoSentinel.com

SunRail: Gov. Crist signs SunRail bill -- OrlandoSentinel.com

Posted using ShareThis

Tiger's First Love: Woods Was Devastated by His Father's Cheating

Tiger's First Love: Woods Was Devastated by His Father's Cheating

Johnny Depp breathes new life into Alice in Wonderland

from eonline.com:

"

It may be called Alice in Wonderland, but there's no wondering who the real star of the show is here. Well, at least based on this new trailer, which features Johnny Depp, Johnny Depp—and look!—Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter.

In fact, blink and you'll practically miss Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway and Mia Wasikowska, who plays...what's her name? Oh yeah, Alice.

Of course, given that this is a Tim Burton film and Depp is considered the Sexiest Man Alive as well as an Entertainer of the Decade, we can't say we're exactly surprised. "

Fedor vs Rogers here in HD Fedor's Strikeforce debut

Here is Fedor's Strikeforce debut against Brett Rogers in HD:

http://www.mma-core.com/videos/__HD_Fedor_Emelianenko_vs_Brett_Rogers_Strikeforc?vid=10007662&tid=100

UFC 107 Frank Mir VS Cheick Kongo watch it here

Here it is, Kongo vs Mir UFC 107

http://www.mma-core.com/videos/_Frank_Mir_vs_Cheick_Kongo_UFC_107?vid=10008183&tid=100#disclaimer

Tiger's wife leaving him for Puma?

from tmz.com:

"While Tiger Woods is losing sponsors left and right, TMZ has learned his wife, Elin Nordegren, is "very close" to signing a deal of her own ... and the company happens to be Nike's archenemy -- Puma.An official from Puma -- the athletic wear company -- has confirmed they are in "internal discussions" to sign Elin as a spokesperson for a new Swedish-inspired clothing line called Tretorn.The rep tells us Puma is after Elin because they feel she's "a good brand fit."

Iran Test-Fires Its Longest-Range Missile

from foxnews.com:

"TEHRAN, Iran — Iran announced Wednesday it has successfully test fired an upgraded version of its longest-range, solid-fuel missile which it said is faster and harder to shoot down."
"The Sajjil-2 is a two-stage missile with a range of about 1,200 miles. That range places Israel, Iran's sworn enemy, well within reach and reaches as far away as southeastern Europe with greater precision than earlier models."

Palm Bay man who 'bragged' about killing back in Brevard jail

from floridatoday.com:

"A 29-year-old man who once pleaded for a judge’s mercy in the shooting death of a friend, is back in jail after police said he pointed a handgun at a girlfriend and bragged that he had gotten away with killing someone."

"Joseph Didio of Palm Bay was charged by Palm Bay police with battery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after the woman reported being beaten and threatened."

Man acquitted in Brevard toddler death trial

from floridatoday.com:

"VIERA -- A jury today acquitted a Melbourne man of charges that he killed his girlfriend’s toddler daughter while babysitting.

The 12-member panel deliberated about 2 ½ hours before returning the verdict in the case of Shane William George.

George, 24, had faced life in prison if convicted of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in connection with the April 2008 death of 16-month-old Veda VanCleave.

Police said George was watching the child on April 5, 2008, while her mother was at work.

Attorneys for George said the toddler slipped outside a tub, fell backward and hit her head on the tile. They said the child had pre-existing medical problems which likely contributed to her death.

Prosecutors argued that the child suffered a fractured skull and died of blunt force trauma to the head -- injuries that evidence suggested were too severe to be an accident."

800,000 Doses of Children's H1N1 Vaccine Recalled

from foxnews.com:

"ATLANTA — Hundreds of thousands of swine flu shots for children manufactured by French drug company Sanofi Pasteur have been recalled because tests indicate the vaccine doses lost some strength, government health officials said Tuesday.

The recall is for about 800,000 pre-filled syringes intended for young children, ages 6 months to nearly 3 years.

The shots were distributed across the country last month and most have already been used, according to the federal government's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Doctors were notified of the voluntary recall on Tuesday.Dr. Anne Schuchat, a CDC flu expert, stressed that parents don't need to do anything or to worry. The vaccine is still safe, she said. The issue is the vaccine's strength.

"No action (is) necessary by a parent of a child who received this vaccine," said Tom Skinner, a spokesman for the CDC. "(The) only thing they need to do is make sure their child gets two doses if they're in the 6 month - 35 month age group, which is the group impacted by the recall."

Tests done before the shots were shipped showed that the vaccines were strong enough. But tests done weeks later indicated the strength had fallen slightly below required levels. Why the potency dropped isn't clear.

Children in that age group are supposed to get two doses, spaced about a month apart. Health officials don't think children need to get vaccinated again, even if they got two doses from the same lots, said Schuchat.

Swine flu vaccine has been available since early October, and since then manufacturers have released about 95 million doses for distribution in the United States.

The recalled shots were made by Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of France-based Sanofi-Aventis Group. The company reported the potency findings to the government officials and did a voluntary recall.

A Sanofi Pasteur representative could not immediately be reached for comment Tuesday. Sanofi Pasteur bills itself as the No. 1 manufacturer of flu vaccines in the world. It makes flu vaccine at sites in France and in Pennsylvania."

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Leaked Tiger Bedroom Romp

Funny as hell, check this out.

Brevard triple murderer learns fate Thursday

from floridatoday.com:

"Convicted murderer Justin Heyne finds out this week whether a judge will follow a jury's recommendation to sentence him to the death penalty.

Circuit Judge O.H. Eaton will hand down the sentence at 9 a.m. Thursday in Courtroom 4G of the Moore Justice Center in Viera.

Heyne, 28, was convicted this summer in the 2006 shooting deaths of his roommates: Benjamin Hamilton and his girlfriend, Sarah Buckoski, and their 5-year-old daughter, Ivory.

The jury recommended life in prison for Hamilton's murder, then voted 8-4 for the death penalty in Buckoski's death and 10-2 in favor of execution in the child's killing.

In October, Lamont Lewis, 27, of Mims, who was charged in a plot to smuggle a gun to Heyne in the Brevard County Detention Center was sentenced to four years on probation after striking a plea bargain with prosecutors."

Radiation from CT scans linked to cancers, deaths

from usatoday.com:

"CT scans deliver far more radiation than has been believed and may contribute to 29,000 new cancers each year, along with 14,500 deaths, suggest two studies in today's Archives of Internal Medicine. One study, led by the National Cancer Institute's Amy Berrington de Gonzalez, used existing exposure data to estimate how many cancers might be caused by CT scans.

Another study in the journal suggests the problem may even be worse. In that study, researchers found that people may be exposed to up to four times as much radiation as estimated by earlier studies. While previous studies relied on dummies equipped with sensors, authors of the new paper studied 1,119 patients at four San Francisco-area hospitals, says author Rebecca-Smith Bindman of the University of California-San Francisco. Based on those higher measurements, a patient could get as much radiation from one CT scan as 74 mammograms or 442 chest X-rays, she says.Young people are at highest risk from excess radiation, partly because they have many years ahead of them in which cancers could develop, Smith-Bindman says. Among 20-year-old women who get one coronary angiogram, a CT scan of the heart, one in 150 will develop cancer related to the procedure.

Not all doctors agree about those risks. Scientists have not yet determined whether low doses of radiation actually increase cancer risk or whether the risk rises only after exposure levels reach a certain threshhold, says James Thrall, chairman of the American College of Radiology.

He says it's also tricky to compare cancer rates between people who have had CT scans with those who haven't. People undergoing scans may have underlying health problems that predispose them to cancer, he says.

In many cases, CT scans can be lifesaving. In other cases, there's no evidence a CT scan is really better than other approaches, Smith-Bindman says. Up to one-third of all CT scans are unnecessary, according to an accompanying editorial by Rita Redberg, also of UCSF.

Doctors sometimes order CT scans for convenience because they don't have access to results at another facility, says Rosaleen Parsons, chair of diagnostic imaging at Philadelphia's Fox-Chase Cancer Center, who wasn't involved in the new studies.

She suggests that patients keep their medical records and ask doctors about alternatives that don't involve radiation exposure.

Patients also should ask if a facility has been accredited by the American College of Radiology, she says."

Monday Night Football recap

San Francisco came to play on Monday Night. They forced 7 turnovers and finished the game 24-9 victors over the Arizona Cardinals. Arizona choked with a chance to secure the NFC West title. Arizona's playoff fate still rests in their own hands, because they hold a 2 game lead over the 49ers in the NFC West.

Roy Halladay headed to Phillies

according to espn.com:

"A three-way deal that would send Roy Halladay to Philadelphia and Cliff Lee to Seattle is "close" but "not done," according to two sources familiar with the negotiations.As part of the deal, Halladay would agree to a three-year extension through 2013, with a vesting option that could lengthen the deal by another year or two, one source said. The extension is expected to guarantee Halladay in the neighborhood of $60 million, plus the $15.75 million he would make in 2010, the final year of his current contract.

According to a source who spoke with two teams involved in the trade, Toronto would get highly regarded Mariners pitching prospect Phillippe Aumont, Phillies catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud and another Phillies prospect in exchange for Halladay. Indications are that the Phillies have balked at Toronto's repeated requests for outfielder Domonic Brown, and the Phillies are offering highly touted outfielder Michael Taylor instead.

Seattle would send two additional prospects to Philadelphia in exchange for Lee, who is a year away from free agency."

Brooklyn school faces "naked" controversy with 3rd teacher

from ktla.com:

"NEW YORK -- James Madison High School's sexy shenanigans just got sleazier.

A third teacher at the Brooklyn school is being investigated for having personal relations with a male student -- just one day after news broke that two other teachers were caught "undressed" in the back of a classroom.

Allison Musacchio, a social studies teacher, is under investigation for having an inappropriate relationship with a male student.

The Midwood school first learned about the affair in March, after a female student saw her ex-boyfriend's phone number on the teacher's cell phone.

Officials later found more than 200 texts and calls between the teacher and the male student. Musacchio was banned from the classroom, after school officials determined that that amount of contact was inappropriate.

Musacchio, 31, was also investigated for having a fling with a second student, but the investigation was dropped after authorities learned the boy was of legal age and was no longer at the school.

Chatter ran rampant Wednesday after a janitor allegedly caught French teacher Cindy Mauro, 33, and married Spanish instructor Alini Brito, 29, "naked" in an empty classroom. The janitor mistook the pair for students, and reported them to school authorities.

The school issued a statement confirming that the school was investigating "an incident of employee misconduct while the school was having an event in the assembly during the evening of Nov. 20."

In a bizarre twist, Musacchio just became a member of a Facebook group set up by students wanting to talk about the language teachers' alleged romance.

Lawyers for Mauro and Brito deny the allegations.

"They are both exemplary teachers whose reputations and careers are being irreparably harmed by unfounded rumors and innuendo," a statement said.

The pair are expected to address the allegations "in an appropriate forum."

Meanwhile, Brito and Mauro -- who have tenure -- have been temporarily reassigned to what other teachers call "the rubber room" -- a series of buildings scattered throughout the city with other teachers who face disciplinary charges. The investigation is ongoing, school officials say."

Teacher Suspended After Punching "Jersey Shore" Star

from ktla.com:

"A drunken man was captured by MTV cameras sucker-punching one of the reality show's female stars. That man has been identified as a Long Island high school gym teacher who has since been suspended, the New York Post reports.

Brad Ferro, 24, of Deer Park, was arrested in August for punching out Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi at the Beachcomber Bar & Grill in Seaside Heights on Aug. 19, local police tell the Post.

The highly publicized punch reportedly got Ferro booted from the classroom at North Hills Community High School in Queens and reassigned to a "rubber room" - a temporary reassignment center where employees await disciplinary hearings on offenses."

Ex-Real Radio jock Burke guilty of probation violation

from floridatoday.com:

"ORLANDO -- Radio personality Shannon Burke pleaded guilty today to probation violation charges.

Shannon Burke admitted to violating his probation for DUI in Orange County when he shot at his wife in May, hitting her face and her dog.

Burke's attorney portrayed the former radio host as a changed man. He called a friend of Burke's from Alcoholics Anonymous and Burke's wife, Catherine Burke, as witnesses when asking the judge to let Shannon Burke serve his sentences concurrently.

Shannon Burke is required to report to the Seminole County Jail by Dec. 31 to serve a six-month sentence on a reduced animal cruelty charge stemming from the May shooting at his Altamonte Springs home.

Sentencing for the probation violation charge in Orange County will be held on Jan. 5."

Brevard man gets 40 years in death of paraplegic landlord

from floridatoday.com:



"A 22-year-old Ukrainian immigrant, who confessed to Titusville police that he killed his landlord in July 2007, will spend the next 40 years in prison.

Circuit Judge Jack Griesbaum also sentenced Vitaliy Groesbeck to lifetime probation and a year of house arrest.

A jury in October convicted Groesbeck of second-degree murder with a firearm and theft in connection with the July, 15, 2007 death of his 24-year-old landlord Randi Lee Allison."

Applebee's introduces device to call servers to the table

from orlandosentinel.com:

"This fall, Central Florida Applebee's franchises rolled out a high-tech system designed to improve service. Servers wear watches that vibrate when customers press buttons at electronic boxes on their tables.The small black boxes also allow customers to fill out surveys and if the ratings are low, managers will come out and talk to the customers. Also, employees can use the system to communicate with each other.

The electronic wizardry starts when a party walks inside the restaurant. The host can quickly glance at a computer screen to find available tables – something that helps during busy periods.

When the host seats guests, he swipes his watch against a small black box. That starts the countdown. A server gets alerted with a vibrating watch. She has 60 seconds to show up, or the manager gets buzzed. Managers also get automatic alerts if a table presses a button several times."

If I were a server, I would tell Applebee's to kiss my ass. After working in the service industry for 10 years, I am glad to be out of it. These devices are probably nothing but a headache. Some asshole party buzzing you every 30 seconds because their drinks are half full. 60 seconds to respond, WTF? The people who designed these obviously have never worked in service, especially at a restaurant. I hope other restaurants don't pick up on this crap. -TFG

Toyota to Sell Plug-in Hybrids in 2 Years

from foxnews.com:

"Toyota Motor Corp will begin selling "affordable" plug-in hybrid cars in 2011, upping the ante on General Motors and Nissan Motor as they aim to take the lead in the field of rechargeable cars.

Toyota's first plug-in model, the Prius Plug-In Hybrid (PHV), adds an external charging function and more batteries to the popular Prius to enable longer-distance driving on electricity alone.he third-generation Prius starts at 2.05 million yen in Japan and $22,400 in the United States.

The Chevrolet Volt, on track to become the first mass-market plug-in hybrid in the United States, could cost as much as $40,000 before a $7,500 consumer tax credit is applied, GM has said. The U.S. automaker expects to sell about 10,000 Volts in the first year of production and 60,000 in its second full year.Toyota said the Prius PHV could halve the running cost of traveling 30 km compared with a regular Prius when using cheaper, nighttime electricity. The car can be fully charged in about 100 minutes at 200 Volts and three hours at 100 Volts.

GM's Volt is designed to run for 40 miles on a single battery charge. Unlike Toyota's two-motor series parallel hybrid system, GM uses a conventional engine to generate electricity to power the motor when the battery is empty."

Elin Woods ditches wedding ring

from tmz.com:

"Tiger Woods' wife Elin was finally spotted in public this weekend, but she was noticeably missing a vital piece of hardware -- her wedding ring. Elin -- who used to wear her wedding ring out in public all the time -- was photographed, sans ring, as she gassed up her red SUV near her Windermere mansion in Florida.

80's kids know about this.

Before PS3 and xbox 360, we were rocking this shit and making national news.

Modern Warfare 2 call signs exposed

What the hell is a "Lone Wolf" call sign and how did I unlock it?
This site has the MW2 call signs.
http://callofduty.wikia.com/wiki/Callsigns

Tiger Woods squares off with Mr. Belding

from tmz.com:

"Tiger Woods' alleged third mistress, Kalika Moquin, hasn't been spotted since her name surfaced as being one of Tiger's "transgressions" -- but she popped up this week at a Califonia karaoke bar ... with Mr. Belding.Belding -- or Dennis Haskins to anyone over the age of 40 -- is a frequenter of Dimples in Burbank and is a staple in Las Vegas ... where Kalika happens to work as a nightclub executive."

Rottweiler kills toddler at party

from floridatoday.com:
"NEW PORT RICHEY — Authorities say a Rottweiler attacked and killed a Florida toddler when the boy reached to pick up a cookie he had dropped.

Kevin Doll of the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office says 20-month-old Dallas Walters was at his aunt’s home during a party Saturday night. Doll says the dog attacked Dallas when the boy dropped a cookie and went to grab it.

Family members at the party managed to pry the dog off the child and then took him to a hospital.The boy later died.

Animal control has taken possession of the dog.

Doll said today that the incident is still under investigation, but appeared to be a “tragic accident.”

Ingram wins Alabama's first Heisman

Alabama's Mark Ingram brought home the schools first Heisman trophy. Ingram edged out Stanford's Toby Gerhart for the honors.

Penn and Mir dominate UCF 107

BJ Penn dominated Diego Sanchez with a 5th round TKO, and Frank Mir quickly submitted Cheick Kongo in the 1st round.