John I 2:12 I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Britney Spears, Demi Lovato to Judge 'X Factor'
fFollowing months of speculation, Fox has finally announced thatBritney Spears and Demi Lovato will be judging the second season of Simon Cowell's singing competition show, "X Factor." Both pop stars appeared at Fox's Upfronts presentation in New York on Monday (May 14) for the big reveal.
"I am so excited about this whole experience. It's gonna be so much fun and so different from anything I've ever done," Spears, clad in a body-hugging eggshell-white dress, said from the stage halfway through Fox's annual presentation to advertisers. "I'm ready to find the true star."
"Well we delivered," Cowell said as soon as the new cast hit the stage. "Rumors are one thing, but delivery is something else."
Lovato was equally enthused about the new gig. "I am totally stoked to be here because of not only the opportunity to be a judge here but the presence of you guys is just an honor to be standing next to you."
Perhaps most excited of all was returning judge L.A. Reid, who exclaimed, "I'm the luckiest guy in the planet, standing next to these three. This is the Rolls Royce of television right here."
The debut season of "X Factor" ended with major shake-ups, with two of the four judges -- Nicole Scherzinger, who reportedly pulled in $1.5 million and Paula Abdul, who netted $2.5 million -- leaving the show. It was reported a few weeks ago that Spears had nabbed a $15 million contract for the show, but the exact amount has not been confirmed.
Cowell closed his remarks with a warning to his forthcoming fall competitor, NBC's "The Voice." "This year, we are going to seriously kick butt," he said. "We're thrilled 'The Voice' has decided to compete with us and I wish them the most sincere luck. But second's not great."
Britney Spears has had seven No. 1s on Billboard's Pop Songs chart and five toppers on the Billboard Hot 100. Her No. 1s on the Hot 100 include her debut single "Baby One More Time," "Womanizer," "3" and her "S&M" collaboration with Rihanna. Spears has notched six No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart, including her most recent release, last year's "Femme Fatale." The pop/dance diva has sold 33 million albums in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan, and in terms of download song sales, she has moved 29 million tracks in the U.S.
Demi Lovato has tallied 15 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, with four of them reaching the top 40: "This Is Me" (with Joe Jonas), "Here We Go Again," the "Send It On" all-star charity single and 2011's "Skyscraper." The latter was the lead single from her "Unbroken" album, which debuted and peaked at No. 4 -- her third of three top five albums on the Billboard 200. 2009's "Here We Go Again" hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Her total U.S. album sales stand at 1.3 million, while her digital song sales total 9 million.
The two pop stars will be asked to not only judge contestants on the reality show, but also to mentor a group of performers. The "X Factor" contestants are, if season two follows the same format as season one, divided into Girls, Boys, Over-30s and Groups, and then assigned a mentor/judge to guide them through the rounds of competition.
Earlier this year, rumors of Mariah Carey and Beyonce joining the panel circulated, but were quickly shot down by Cowell himself. Miley Cyrus and Avril Lavigne were also reportedly under consideration for the gig. "X Factor" is still in need of a host to replace ousted British TV personality Steve Jones.
Mitchell Guist of 'Swamp People' Dies
very sad im sad
love the show
love the show
Mitchell Guist, one of the happy-go-lucky stars of the hit reality TV show "Swamp People," has died.
Guist appeared on the show with his brother, Glenn. Their History Channel biography says: "Swampers through and through, Glenn and Mitchell Guist were born and raised on the bayou and live entirely off the land. These brothers are always up to something, whether it’s hunting for their dinner or making use of everything nature has to offer."
According to Sheriff Mike Waguespack, who spoke to WRBZ Louisiana, Guist was in his boat along the Belle River when he apparently fell. Witnesses say he appeared to have been suffering from a seizure.
"Swamp People" has been a hit for the History Channel. Currently in its third season, the show focuses on the lives of alligator hunters in rural Louisiana. The Guist brothers joined the cast in the second season.
There is no official word yet on Guist's cause of death. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to WAFB. CPR attempts were unsuccessful. There is no word on whether an autopsy will be performed.
News of Guist's death quickly spread. "Swamp People" became a trending term on Twitter. The condolences rolled in on the show's official Facebook page. "Rip Mitch!! So sad :0( Glen is gonna be lost without him," one person wrote. Another posted, "Couldn't help but shed some tears. RIP Mitch."
Guist was a likable fellow. When, during one episode, he was asked about his favorite food, he responded, ”squirrels, rabbits, deers, fish, frogs… I ain’t really picky on food.”
APNewsBreak: USPS halts closure of urban stations
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DES MOINES, Iowa — The U.S. Postal Service said Monday it no longer plans to close 600 urban and suburban postal branch offices and satellite stations.
The facilities in many cities serve as neighborhood post offices. The Postal Service announced last year that it was looking at closing up to 252 mail-processing centers and 3,700 post offices, as part of a plan to save some $6.5 billion a year.
It began backing off the plan last week, saying it no longer planned to close thousands of rural post offices but would keep them open with shorter hours. Monday's announcement, provided to The Associated Press before its official release, addressed 600 branches and satellite stations that had been included in the original study for closure and were expected to shut down sometime after Tuesday.
"Any proposals to close these facilities have been placed on hold and will not close at this time," said a statement from Richard Watkins, Postal Service spokesman in the Kansas City area. "Going forward, the Postal Service will evaluate how best to incorporate them into long-term plans for effective and efficient retail service."
The Postal Service has said it will also put forward a new plan for the mail processing centers later this week.
It has been struggling as people switch to email and other electronic forms of communication.
The Senate offered an $11 billion cash infusion last month, but Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said that amount fell far short of what is needed to save the Postal Service in the long term. The House has yet to take action on its own bill.
Among the post offices considered for closure was the Capitol Square Post Office in downtown Des Moines, where a rally was planned Monday in support of keeping it open.
The American Postal Workers Union, The National Federation of the Blind Iowa, a local law office, and the Alliance of Retired Americans planned the rally and informational picket.
They say closure would leave downtown residents and businesses without easy access to a post office. The elderly and those without cars or other transportation to the main post office are particularly concerned, said Lance Coles, president of the American Postal Workers local union.
"You don't quit providing what you do in order to survive," he said.
Pressure has been building on the Postal Service to extend a self-imposed moratorium on the closure of post offices and mail processing facilities. It was set to expire Tuesday.
Last week, 100 members of Congress signed letter directed to Donahoe asking him wait until Congress can act.
"The USPS is a major employer around the country and employs over 500,000 workers," the letter said. "With an unacceptably high unemployment rate, it would be particularly inopportune for the USPS to close facilities."
Some mail processing centers could still close or merge. For example, one proposal calls for the Springfield, Mo., center to have its work merged into the Kansas City operation and the Cape Girardeau, Mo., processing center work moved to St. Louis.
In Nebraska, the Norfolk and Grand Island centers may be merged into Omaha and Alliance work moved to North Platte.
The Postal Service last week reported a quarterly loss of $3.2 billion and said without legislative action, it will be forced to default on more than $11 billion in health prepayments due to the Treasury this fall.
The Postal Service is an independent agency of government and does not receive tax money for its operations but is subject to congressional control over major aspects of its business.
Phoenix-area man hits $1 million jackpot six times - http://bit.ly/Jn2m3b
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Man says rattlesnake bit him at Wal-Mart in Wash. - http://bit.ly/Jw58nG
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APNewsBreak: USPS stalls closure of urban stations - http://bit.ly/JF8hjf
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new games out this week
New games are released nearly everyday, so every week we compile a list of these new games, just for you. There are 7 upcoming game releases this week so read on to find out more about the games:
Diablo III - PC, Mac (May 15)
Pick up where the Diablo II: Lord of Destruction expansion pack left off and help Deckard Cain find the clues he needs to defeat the new evils that have arrived.
Pick up where the Diablo II: Lord of Destruction expansion pack left off and help Deckard Cain find the clues he needs to defeat the new evils that have arrived.
Max Payne 3 - Xbox 360, PS3, PC (May 15)
Help Max Payne as he tries to find out the truth and the way out of Sao Paulo, Brazil for the third installment of this third-person shooter game.
Help Max Payne as he tries to find out the truth and the way out of Sao Paulo, Brazil for the third installment of this third-person shooter game.
Game of Thrones - Xbox 360, PS3, PC (May 15)
The book and TV phenomenon are coming to your game console. Become one of 2 original characters as you take on a number of quests and interact with a number of characters during a war over power over the Seven Kingdoms.
The book and TV phenomenon are coming to your game console. Become one of 2 original characters as you take on a number of quests and interact with a number of characters during a war over power over the Seven Kingdoms.
Mario Tennis Open - 3DS (May 20)
Mario and his friends want to play tennis again and are bringing the game to the 3DS. The game features the standard games, as well as special ones, and you can play by yourself or with 2-4 of your friends online!
Mario and his friends want to play tennis again and are bringing the game to the 3DS. The game features the standard games, as well as special ones, and you can play by yourself or with 2-4 of your friends online!
Akai Katana - Xbox 360 (May 16)
Join the fight with a small band of rebels and their Blood Swords as they fight against the empire in this JRPG!
Join the fight with a small band of rebels and their Blood Swords as they fight against the empire in this JRPG!
Battleship - Xbox 360, PS3, 3DS, Wii, NDS (May 15)
Step into the shoes of Cole Mathis for this first-person shooter game and stop the aquatic alien attack utilizing the naval and air units under your command.
Step into the shoes of Cole Mathis for this first-person shooter game and stop the aquatic alien attack utilizing the naval and air units under your command.
Test Drive: Ferrari Legends - Xbox 360, PS3 (May 15)
You may not be able to get in the front seat of a Ferrari, but this game may have you feeling like you are as you race the computer or your friends on 36 different circuits and in 52 different Ferrari models.
You may not be able to get in the front seat of a Ferrari, but this game may have you feeling like you are as you race the computer or your friends on 36 different circuits and in 52 different Ferrari models.
Do any of these games intrigue you this week?
max pain 3 looks good
heat
Dwyane Wade drapes himself all over Amar’e Stoudemire during Thursday’s Heat-Knicks game. Miami, which held a 3-1 series lead, defeated New York 106-94 and ended the Knicks’ season. (Marc Serota/Getty Images)
nba 2
Celtics forward Larry Bird shoots over the outstretched hand of Julius Erving and Darryl Dawkins during a 1980 playoff game between the Celtics and 76ers. Philadelphia and Boston fans will see another chapter of this long rivalry unfold when the two teams meet in the second round of the playoffs. Both Boston and Philadelphia won last night to advance to the second round. (Walter Iooss, Jr./SI)
nfl
Members of the Minnesota Vikings offense — John Henderson (80), Jim Vellone (63), John Beasley (87), Gene Washington (84), and Ron Yary (73) — try and stay warm during the 1969 NFL Championship game against the Cleveland Browns. The Vikings would go onto win 27-7 to capture the NFL title before losing to the Chiefs in Super Bowl IV. This was the last Super Bowl before the NFL-AFL merger. (Neil Leifer/SI)
mlb
Baseball’s top Latin American players — Felix Mantilla, Roberto Clemente, Tony Oliva, Cookie Rojas, Juan Marichal, Zoilo Versalles, Vic Davalillo and Leo Cardenas — pose before on the field before the 1965 All-Star game. (Herb Scharfman/SI)
nba
Despite absorbing a right hand to the throat, Chris Paul is whistled for a foul on Zach Randolph during yesterday’s Game 7 in Memphis. Paul scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds as the Clippers won 82-72 and will face San Antonio in Round 2. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
DOLLINGER: Clippers win street fight against GrizzliesGALLERY: Rare Photos of Chris Paul
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