wave

Surf's up Wednesday: Google Wave update
Starting Wednesday, September 30 we'll be sending out more than 100,000 invitations to preview Google Wave to:

• Developers who have been active in the developer preview we started back in June
• The first users who signed up and offered to give feedback
  
• Select customers of Google Apps
  

We'll ask some of these early users to nominate people they know also to receive early invitations — Google Wave is a lot more useful if your friends, family and colleagues have it too. This, of course, will just be the beginning. If all goes well we will soon be inviting many more to try out Google Wave.

Some of you have asked what we mean by preview. This just means that Google Wave isn't quite ready for prime time. Not yet, anyway. Since first unveiling the project back in May, we've focused almost exclusively on scalability, stability, speed and usability. Yet, you will still experience the occasional downtime, a crash every now and then, part of the system being a bit sluggish and some of the user interface being, well, quirky.

There are also still key features of Google Wave that we have yet to fully implement. For example, you can't yet remove a participant from a wave or define groups of users, draft mode is still missing and you can't configure the permissions of users on a wave. We'll be rolling out these and other features as soon as they are ready — over the next few months.

Despite all this, we believe you will find that Google Wave has the potential for making you more productive when communicating and collaborating. Even when you're just having fun! We use it ourselves everyday for everything from planning pub crawls to sharing photos, managing release processes and debating features to writing design documents. In fact, we collaborated on this very blog post with several colleagues in Google Wave.

Speaking of ways you could potentially use Google Wave, we're intrigued by the many detailed ones people have taken the time to describe. To mention just a few: journalist Andy Ihnatko on producing his Chicago Sun-Times column, filmmaker Jonathan Poritsky on streamlining the movie-making process, scientist Cameron Neylon on academic papers and lab work, Alexander Dreiling and his SAP research team on collaborative business process modelling, and ZDNet's Dion Hincliffe on a host of enterprise use cases.

The Wave team's most fun day since May? We invited a group of students to come spend a day with us at Google's Sydney office. Among other things, we asked them to collaboratively write stories in Google Wave about an imaginary trip around the world. They had a ball! As did we...

Finally, a big shoutout to the thousands of developers who have patiently taken part in our ongoing developer preview. It has been great fun to see the cool extensions already built or being planned and incredibly instructive to get their help planning the future of our APIs. To get a taste for what some of these creative developers have been working on, and to learn more about the ways we hope to make it even easier for developers to build new extensions, check out this post on our developer blog.

earthquake

Earthquake rocks western Indonesia: Powerful earthquake rocks western indonesia

A powerful underwater earthquake has struck off the the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island.

The 7.9 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday damaged hundreds of houses, destroyed bridges and started fires in the costal city of Padang, witnesses told local television.

It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties.

"Hundreds of houses have been damaged along the road," the Reuters news agency quoted a witness in Padang as saying.

"There are some fires, bridges are cut and there is extreme panic here maybe because water pipes are broken and there is flooding in the streets."

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued regional tsunami warning following the earthquake, but the warning was cancelled soon afterwards.

The Indonesian earthquake comes just hours after a series of tsunamis caused death and devastation on the Pacific island nations of American and Western Samoa.

Padang, the capital of Indonesia's West Sumatra province, sits on one of the world's most active fault lines along the "Ring of Fire", where the Indo-Australia plate grinds against the Eurasia plate, creating regular tremors and sometimes earthquakes.

In 2004, a 9.15 magnitude earthquake, with its epicentre roughly 600km northwest of Padang, caused a tsunami that killed 232,000 people in Indonesia's Aceh province, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, and other countries across the Indian Ocean.

red fox labrador

Fox red is not a separate color of the Labrador but only a shade of yellow. In the early years of the breed development, fox red or dark yellow was the original yellow shade of the Labrador Retriever. The original yellows were in fact called Golden until the British Kennel Club came to register them.

They argued that gold was not a colour, so yellow they became. One has to only look at the first yellow Labrador over recorded, Ben of Hyde in 1899 sired by Major Redclyffe's Neptune out of lord Wimborne's Duchess both blacks to see this original shade. These early Labradors were either dark golden or butterscotch tinged with red. Until and even to some point after World War 11, dark yellow was the norm.

Registered AKC Labrador Retriever puppies, Fox red Color

AKC registered labrador retriever puppies, all fox red color. Mother is Rose and father is Baron who are both fox red labs.

Males and Females available. Black nosed and lived nosed. Championship bloodline, Hall of famers in the pedigree. Health guaranteed, parents on site. Will be ready for new homes on September 12, 2009.

Come pick out your puppy now and with deposit will hold until ready. Health contract and guarantees provided to new owners. $650 each. Call 704-982-9726. New pictures added on 8-30-2009. These puppies are beautiful!!

colonial period

Simply the best - by the river Banks of Southern Laos

The rainy season, or otherwise referred to as the green season, is often considered a boring period for many people. Conversely, personally this period of time brings me a feeling of cheerfulness, as all the things surrounding me are starting their new lives. Trees change from a dreary brown to a glowing green, while the rice fields are carpeted with green hopes.

As soon as I had the opportunity of a short break due to a long public-holiday weekend in July, I wasn’t going to miss the chance to recharge my batteries by visiting one of my favourite places, Southern Laos. What’s more, to make my trip even more special, I spent most of my time lazing during the Vat Phou Cruise, observing and really appreciating the close look I had into the colourful lives by the river banks of Mekong River.

jeremy london

London in Credit Card Court Case

Actor JEREMY LONDON is facing legal action from a credit card company after allegedly failing to pay his bills.
The former 7th Heaven star has been hit with a lawsuit from attorneys for American Express, who allege the 36 year old racked up $19,485 (£12,990) in charges he never paid off.
Now bosses at the financial firm are demanding their money back, as well as interest and attorneys' fees, according to legal documents obtained
Unlike his twin brother Jason London, Jeremy London’s career seems increasingly pointed toward television work, though he does occasionally appear in feature films. Born in San Diego, 27 minutes after Jason, Jeremy was raised in Oklahoma. His mother divorced their father when they were young. As the family’s sole supporter, she moved them often until she finally located them a more permanent home in middle-class De Soto, a suburb of Dallas, TX, where he, his brother, and their younger sister Dedra London took acting classes. It was Jeremy who was first bitten by the acting bug while in high school. He made his film debut as a stunt double for his brother in The Man in the Moon (1990) and, from there, had bit parts in a couple other films. He had his first speaking role when he played a bit part in the made-for-TV feature In Broad Daylight (1991), which also marked the debut of sister Dedra in a small role. Later, Jeremy replaced his brother Jason in the role of Nathan in the critically acclaimed NBC television drama I’ll Fly Away. Jason reclaimed the role in the PBS film version. Jeremy gained further experience in the briefly aired CBS series Angel Falls and in a trio of made-for-television movies. He had his first feature film role in The Babysitter, a taut direct-to-video drama starring Alicia Silverstone. On television, Jeremy is best known for playing the dangerously handsome Griffin on the Fox teen-oriented drama Party of Five. The part was originally meant as a short-term role, but when Griffin was written out of the show, outraged fans flooded producers with letters of protest. The producers listened and London became a cast regular. Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

philippines weather

'10 dead, missing' as storm hits Philippines

At least 10 people were reported dead or missing and more than 1,800 were forced to evacuate as tropical storm Ketsana lashed the Philippines Saturday, officials and radio reports said.

The government declared Manila and 25 other provinces to be in a "state of calamity," Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said, as heavy rains brought by the storm caused the worst flooding seen in the capital in some 20 years.

A wall, weakened by floodwaters, collapsed in a suburb of Manila, killing a father and child while five children drowned in flooding elsewhere in the city, radio station DZMM said.

Three other people were swept away by a swollen river outside the capital, it said.

Over 1,800 people were forced to flee their homes and take refuge in evacuation centres due to rising waters, the civil defence office said.

Flooding was reported in many districts with waters in some areas reaching as high as the rooftops of one-storey buildings, the civil defence office said.

Power was cut in many parts of the city, partly due to flooding but also as a protective measure in some districts to prevent people attempting to escape the floodwaters from being electrocuted by fallen lines.

Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, who is also in charge of civil defence operations, said all the efforts of the police and the military were being concentrated on rescuing people trapped on rooftops.

But he said the flooding in the streets and the large numbers of stalled vehicles were giving rescue units "a hard time" in reaching those affected.

In a radio broadcast, he advised that "if you are on the roof, don't try to leave. Just remain there on the roof and we will do everything to rescue you."

He remarked that even he had to swim through chest-deep waters to reach his office.

The storm, bearing winds of 85 kilometres (53 miles) per hour with gusts of 100 kph, hit the main island of Luzon near the town of Infanta at about 0200 GMT Saturday, moving west at 19 kilometres per hour, the weather station said.

Government weather forecaster Gener Quitlong said the equivalent of one month's worth of rain fell on the city in less than a day.

"We knew there would be rain but not like this," Quitlong told reporters.

One of the three airport terminals in Manila was forced to cancel and divert flights after the flooding hampered its electrical system.

Local officials interviewed on radio said they were moving to evacuate more of their residents.

At least four hospitals in the capital had to move their patients to higher floors after water began seeping into lower levels.

The highways leading to metropolitan Manila were rendered impassable due to the huge number of vehicles stalled in the floodwaters.

Local officials made radio appeals asking rescue agencies to send rubber boats to rescue stranded people, some of whom had been on their rooftops all day and were panicking because of rising waters.

In a suburb of Manila, residents in a flooded area were seen rescuing children from rooftops by placing them in inflated inner tubes before dragging them to higher ground.

The second level of a three-step storm alert was raised over the eastern provinces of Luzon while the first level alert was hoisted over metropolitan Manila and surrounding areas, the government said.

The storm is expected to move west, across the main island of Luzon, before exiting the country early Sunday. The government weather station said it is weakening and that rains are likely to ease up after sundown.

An average of 20 typhoons and storms enter the Philippines from the Pacific Ocean over the eastern seaboard every year.

soldier boy

Soulja Boy Fiance Photos - Meet Sexy Rosa Acosta!

Popular rapper, Soulja Boy, is sparking media attention this week with news of an engagement to his model girlfriend Rosa Acosta.

According to reports, Soulja Boy (not Soldier Boy) proposed to the dark-haired beauty sometime last week and the two are thrilled about planning the wedding.

So who is Rosa Acosta and what’s her story?

Well the Dominican Republic native is a model and an accomplished ballerina. She came to the US in 2006 to try and boost her modeling career. If she looks a little familiar to you, it’s probably because she’s appeared in music videos for P. Diddy, Drake, Mario and 50 Cent.

Soulja Boy and Rosa hardly have a high profile relationship, so why is the engagement sparking so much interest from mainstream media?

It appears that the couple is trying to keep the news under wraps, which only fuels media interest in the entertainment business.

Soulja Boy is known for sharing every intimate detail of his life with his friends on twitter but has failed to mention anything about an engagement to his loyal followers. Why so hush, hush?

News of the engagement has been confirmed by sources close to the couple but neither party have confirmed the news themselves. Do you think Soulja Boy is getting married – and what do you think of his fiancé?

pee wee herman

Pee Wee Herman (aka actor Paul Reubens) appeared on The Jay Leno Show Tuesday and showed off his new "abstinence ring." The joke was a reference to Reubens' arrest for indecent exposure at an adult theater in 1991.

Pee Wee also talked about his first song recording as a child. He sang "Let's Get Together" by Hailey Mills.

Pee Wee rose to fame in the 1980's as an innocent and kooky character first in "The Pee-wee Herman Show" and then on the children's television show "Pee-wee's

The Jay Leno Show: Pee Wee Herman, Amy Peohler. Ever hear a joke that you're not sure you heard a punchline to yet? I'm not even sure tonight's Jay Leno Show had a setup.

Pee Wee Herman's triumphant return to Jay's show was an insufferable bore, beyond an opening joke about mistaking a wedding ring for an abstinence ring. It ended, and I literally said the words, "Why the hell did I just watch that?" Then I realized I'm being paid to watch TV for a living, and I quit bitching.

The comic character was there to promote his revival of the pee wee herman show stage play, but the whole interview had very few laughs and felt more like an introspective look at the man's childhood and aspirations to go into show business. The only problem is he's a fictional character and the stories didn't have much of a punchline, so it's hard to know if they were about Pee Wee Herman or the man playing Pee Wee Herman. Should I be laughing? Should I be interested? Should I care?

Then just before I'm about to be sucked down into a swirling gray vortex of dull, the two move into that weird salad bar and deep fryer bit. I was waiting for them to get into a food fight or for Cowboy Curtis, aka Lawrence Fishburne, to poke his head out of the cucumber bin and give them a big ol' "Howdy."

Nothing like that happened. The thing didn't even feel like the setup to a joke. It just felt like a joke and not the good kind. The only funny part was the metal set piece that fell to the floor and broke the dullness of the salad bar bit. Either one of Jay's crew has the butterfingers or God is a better interview prepper than Jay's staff.

The upside was tonight's "Ten@Ten", this time with star Amy Poehler. The segment seems to work loads better when a comedian is being interviewed, since the questions aren't always meant to be serious. It reminded me, for the first time, of Craig Kilborn's famous "5 Questions" from the original Daily Show and The Late Late Show. Her answers were very witty and funny and brought a great sense of spontaneity to the show, something that's been suspiciously absent since the primetime talk show hit the air.

Marina Franklin's correspondent set also brought some much needed comedy to the show. It had a great sense of honest comedy without going over the top from some very genuine people as she toured Harlem in search of signs of the city's slow gentrification. Any one of the people Marina interviewed would have made a much funnier guest than Pee Wee Herman.

houston weather

Heavy rush-hour rains snarling Houston roads

Early morning rain showers have swamped some roads and made others slick, contributing to fender benders and other mishaps that are snarling traffic.

But emergency crews are working quickly to clear the wrecks and so far, few remain in traffic lanes for long.

Houston TranStar officials report water on the ramps at West Sam Houston Tollway north and sound bound at Clay Road.

Traffic also is backed up because of a single-car crash on the west tollway northbound at W. Gulf Bank.

A two-car collision is snarling northbound traffic on U.S. 59 near Texas 288. The wreck occurred about 8:20 a.m.

Traffic is stacking up after a two-car collision on the North Sam Houston Tollway westbound a T.C. Jester about 8:30 a.m.

Heavy downpours are expected throughout the day as a mild cold front approaches the Houston area.

As much as 3 inches of rain is expected in some spots today, making street flooding possible, according to the National Weather Service.

The front is expected to hit the region later today or early Wednesday and forecasters said the rainfall will continue through at least Friday as the weather system moves toward the coastline. Then it will shift north, taking the showers with it.

The area should dry out for the weekend.

Temperatures are expected to drop slightly behind the front.

Today, the high temperature will be in the mid 80s and the low will be about 70 degrees. An 80 percent chance of rain is forecast.

Some high winds are possible during the rainfall, but forecasters said few severe thunderstorms are likely.

More rain is on tap for Wednesday, when a 70-percent chance of thunderstorms and showers is forecast.

The high will struggle to reach about 80 degrees as the front passes through. The low will be near 70.

The front is expected to reach the coastline and move off shore by Thursday, but rain will continue to rake the area while the weather system moves north, said Kent Prochazka, a weather service meteorologist.

Temperatures begin to climb Thursday, when the high will be in the mid 80s and the low will be in the low 70s.

The high temperature Friday will be in the upper 80s and the low will be near 70.

Late Saturday, the area begins to dry out. Rain chances drop to 20 percent, and by Sunday only a slight chance of showers is predicted.

The high temperature each day will be near 88 degrees and the low will be in the low 70s under mostly cloudy skies.

Sunny skies and no rain are expected early next week with high temperatures near 90 degrees.

ringtone maker

Xingtone Ringtone Maker 5.0.1 Full
Don’t settle for the same clip of music everyone else has. Express yourself with your own custom ringtone from any of your favorite audio files.Choose exactly the clip you want, adjust it and get it just right, then send it to your phone via text message - no cables, no hassles,no clubs to join, no hidden charges. It’s fast, easy, and fun. - Select any of your favorite audio files -even record your own or someone else’s voice. Make real music ringtones that sound great! Make as many as you like. -Select the exact part of the song you want to make a ringtone that’s truly personal.

Agorics is proud to announce its new free ringtones Maker Online. This is yet another peerless addition to the already fantastic range of services extended by Agorics to its prestigious customers worldwide. Other than personalizing your mobile phone using melodious ringtones, latest videos, wonderful wallpapers and games, the Ringtone Maker will provide you another mesmerizing way of adding a personal touch your beloved cell phones.

As most cell phone users are into personalizing their free ringtones, the Ringtone Maker from Agorics allows them to do this job without any problem. It is extremely easy to use and even the ones who are not very proficient with using various software can handle it without any issue. The great demand of customers for customizing ringtones has provoked Agorics to cater to the needs of its much-valued customers with its special Ringtone Maker software. You can use it for editing and extracting sound files which can be used for your free sprint ringtones.

The free ringback tones Maker from Agorics is highly innovative and allows you to convert your music files to your cell phones which can be played instantly. Unlike the other programs, you will not have to go through the intricate processes or undergo several steps to achieve what you desire as Ringtone Maker from Agorics provides you with this facility just by a couple of clicks. Other than providing you with the comfort of playing customized audio formats, you will also be able to generate music files which can be played by means of the media player of your mobile phone. You can store these files as free ringtones for verizon on the phone's memory or can use them as you wish.

The Ringtone Maker from Agorics is compatible with all types of mobile phones including Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung and Motorola. The latest models of these cell phones can play a number of audio formats which are used for ringing tone as well. As many cell phones users wish to continuously upgrade their ringtones, the Ringtone Maker from Agorics enables the user to customize the songs or music of their liking and makes it a part of their ring tones collection. No matter if you want to create new alltel ringtones or personalize playlists on your cell phone, this program will enable you to do all you wish to on your mobile phone.

With this and much more, Agorics Ringtone Maker is the experience of a lifetime with all its brilliant offerings, which are accessible to you for FREE!

calvin and hobbes

As a journalism major, the fact that newspapers are dying is deeply saddening — as a comic fan, not so much. Newspaper comic strips have been stagnant and boring for years, with the same old repetitive Garfield, Cathy and Dilbert dominating the printed page.

To save money, newspapers are pushing out comics and cutting down on pages. The ones that remain are unfunny and geared toward the average local newspaper reader — older people with a low tolerance for the new and different.

Many people yearning for the golden age of comics, when artists and writers weren’t afraid to push the envelope and actually make the readers laugh, have turned to web-comics, which are becoming more and more popular. Web-comics are competing and overtaking syndicated comics in terms of moneymaking as they churn out T-shirts and other merchandise to capitalize on inside jokes.

Many syndicated cartoonists complain about the new paradigm of financially successful comics, calling the creators of web-comics “salesmen” rather than artists.
These print cartoonists are hypocrites. “Peanuts” made money because Charles Shultz sold his images to be used as marketing tools for insurance companies and merchandisers. “Garfield” merchandise is ubiquitous.

The reason web-cartoonists make money off their merchandise is because people want it. Bill Watterson never allowed Calvin and Hobbes to be used as a marketing tool, which led to a huge bootleg industry of stickers of his character urinating on various logos. It’s best for people to license their characters and make money off it rather than allow bottom feeders to illegally use images for profit.

“Dinosaur Comics” is one of the best web-comics out there. It’s too bad this name can also be applied to the vast majority of print cartoonists. They’re scared of the new model, and of changing. They’re much like their readers — afraid of change.

shane mosley

Mayweather dominates, Chris John Keeps title

Surprising few, Floyd Mayweather Jr. beat Juan Manuel Marquez easily over 12 rounds. Scoring a knockdown in the second and dominating throughout, the unbeaten Mayweather, now 40-0 was never really troubled by his smaller opponent. Having significant advantages in both height and weight, Mayweather used his jab effectively and landed an impressive 59% of his punches to Marques' 12%.

Whether boredom, reported staggering IRS bills or a genuine love of competing drove Mayweather back to the ring after 2 years off, he clearly hasn't lost a step. His next fight will probably be against Manny Pacquiao, although Shane Mosley callled him out immediately after the fight and the two had to be seprated. Mosley might be too large of a prospect to take on, being both much larger and stronger physically, however that discussion is for another day. For the time being Mayweather will be basking in the glory of his latest win, proclaiming himself to be the top pound for pound fighter in the world, and hyping up whichever fight he wants to take next. Mayweather said after the fight:

"I've been off for two years, so I felt like it took me a couple of rounds to really know I was back in the ring again," And later: "I know I'll get better.""He's a great small man," Mayweather said. "Don't forget, I came from a small weight class too, so I know when you're in front of a great fighter. I think he brought his best tonight."

Indonesian Chris John also retained his title on the undercard, beating Rocky Juares to a unanimous decision. He looked a lot sharper than the first time the two met, and clearly won all but the later rounds. Juarez like the first meeting surged towards the end of the fight, but didn't do enough to put the result in question. He did hurt John briefly in the last round, but failed to capitalize or get the knockdown. John moves to 43-0-2, with 22 KOs, while Juarez slips to 28-5-1 with 20 KOs.

tura satana

Tura Satana:Bitch Slap was a huge hit when it premiered at

TIFF09 during the Midnight Madness programme earlier this week. And the three stars – Julia Voth, America Olivo and Erin Cummings – are quickly becoming cult icons the same way Lori Williams, Haji and Tura Satana became after the 1965 Russ Meyer film Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (which Bitch Slap has been compared to).

The multi-talented stars (Julia is releasing a book of poetry, America has a song on the charts and Erin will be appearing on Nip/Tuck soon as well as the new Sam Raimi-produced show Spartacus: Blood and Sand next year) chatted with me about the vibe on set, shooting guns and who inspires them.

inverted nipples

'Inverted Nipples' -- Why, How and What to do? It has nothing to do with one’s over all health or even looks. But inverted nipples can poise a threat if you are breast feeding mother.

How to check if you have inverted nipples. For easy reference lets call them, innies and outies. So, you can check if you have got innies or outies. About 10-20 percent of total women have innies.

You can slightly pinch near the areola and see how the nipples react. If it comes out then it is an outie and if it retracts, it is an innie.

For those who have innies, they can try use some coaxing like ice or such stimulation to make the nipples stand straight.

For breast feeding mothers, this can prove difficult but for those who want to have outies for looks can go for plastic surgery.

bruce hornsby

Concert announcement: Bruce Hornsby, Matisyahu at the Pageant
Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers, Matisyahu, and LMFAO are new concerts coming to the Pageant.

– Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers, the Wood Brothers, 8 p.m. Nov. 19, $35.

– Matisyahu, Trevor Hall, 8 p.m. Nov. 2, $25. Buy three tickets get one free first week of sales.

– LMFAO, 8 p.m. Nov. 20, $18. Buy three tickets get one free first week of sales.

starship troopers

Boris Kodjoe Joins "Resident Evil 4: Afterlife"

Paul WS Anderson, who has written all three "Resident Evil" installments and helmed the first one, is set to begin shooting "Resident Evil 4: Afterlife" on September 28th for eight weeks in Toronto.

Milla Jovovich has already signed on to reprise her role and other actors are currently in negotiations to join the cast. One of those actors is Boris Kodjoe, who has worked on such projects as "Starship Troopers 3: Marauder," "Madea's Family Reunion" and the upcoming "Surrogates."

He writes on his Twitter account: "In Toronto meeting with the director of my new movie 'Resident Evil: Afterlife' Very exciting!!! Lots of stunts, shooting guns, monsters..."

"Resident Evil 4: Afterlife" is scheduled to hit theaters on August 27th, 2010.

jennifer grey

Jennifer Grey: Patrick Swayze Was a Real Cowboy,

Jennifer Grey, who appeared alongside Apostle Swayze in his 1987 gaolbreak flick Dirty Dancing, is remembering the New actor, who died weekday daytime after a nearly digit assemblage effort against unserviceable pancreatic cancer.

“Patrick was a thin and bonny compounding of nakedness sexuality and awful grace,” Jennifer said in a evidence to The Insider overnight. “Gorgeous and strong, he was a actual cattleman with a protective heart. He was manful and insisted on ever doing his possess stunts, so it was not astonishing to me that the struggle he waged on his cancer was so courageous and dignified. When I conceive of him, I conceive of existence in his blazonry when we were kids, dancing, practicing the displace in the chilling lake, having a wind doing this tiny lowercase flick we intellection no digit would ever see. My hunch goes discover to his spouse and immatureness sweetheart, Lisa Niemi, to his mom, Patsy, and to the rest of their family.”

Grey, who played Frances “Baby” Houseman, remembered Swayze, who died Monday at age 57 after a battle with pancreatic cancer, by saying, “When I think of him, I think of being in his arms when we were kids, dancing, practicing the lift in the freezing lake, having a blast doing this tiny little movie we thought no one would ever see.”
Miss Grey added that Swayze was a “real cowboy with a tender heart,” who loved danger and did his own stunts that “it was not surprising to me that the war he waged on his cancer was so courageous and dignified.”

She added, “Patrick was a rare and beautiful combination of raw masculinity and amazing grace. My heart goes out to his wife and childhood sweetheart, Lisa Niemi, to hi mom, Patsy, and the rest of their family.”

Meanwhile, choreographer from the hit Dirty Dancing, Kenny Ortega, made a statement, saying, “Patrick was a great human being who I knew as a loving son, husband, brother and friend. He was one of the most creative, enjoyable and alive people I knew. He did as much for dancing as any man of our generation.”

Adding on to the devoted star, he says, “Patrick loved life, and had such an enthusiasm for everything he did. If he could climb it, he climbed it. If he could write it, he wrote it. If he could dance it, well, we all know he did. He lived. Patrick Swayze was a loving and soulful man. The planet has lost a big heart. And I, a forever friend. My loving thoughts to Lisa, Patsy and his entire family.”

you lie

Joe Wilson Apologizes For Shouting You Lie! At Obama

Fresh from a month of acrimonious town halls, House Republicans arrived for President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night with signs, props, and a lot of attitude.

But at least one congressman went way too far. Rep. Joe Wilson shouted "You lie!" after Obama denied that his health care proposal would cover illegal immigrants.

All eyes turned in the South Carolina Republican's direction -- including Obama's, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's and Vice President Joe Biden's.

Wilson, looking agitated, leaned forward and began tapping away at his BlackBerry, as if he were Googling up proof that the president had, in fact, lied.

"Shame on you!" shouted someone from the Democratic side. "Throw him out!" shouted someone else. First Lady Michelle Obama, seated behind and above Wilson, seemed to mouth a drawn-out "damn" at the scene unfolding before her.

Not long after the speech ended, Wilson issued an apology. "This evening I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the President's remarks regarding the coverage of illegal immigrants in the health care bill," he said. "While I disagree with the President's statement, my comments were inappropriate and regrettable. I extend sincere apologies to the President for this lack of civility." Wilson also called the White House to apologize.

Wilson's wasn't the only disruption, though it was the most extreme. Throughout the speech, Republican members of Congress repeatedly held up stacks of papers that appeared to represent ideas they had for the bill.

When Obama told the chamber that the "death panel" lie was, in fact, a lie, a Republican member said loudly enough to be heard in the press gallery, "Read the bill" -- a common refrain at August's angry town hall meetings.

When Obama told the chamber that he had "no interest in putting insurance companies out of business," a Republican member responded with a loud, "Ha!"

"Nineteen years, never, never have I seen anything like this," said a furious Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) after the speech.

"I thought it was very inappropriate behavior, to hold up signs. None of us ever would have done that," said Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.). "I don't think in the Congress of the United States there ought to be catcalls, or people standing up and yelling comments or holding up signs."

Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), the longest serving member in House history, said he was not impressed by the GOP antics. "Well, you've got to understand: They're Republicans. They're just doing what comes natural," he told HuffPost.

Obama, in his speech, referenced Dingell's father for first introducing universal health care legislation in 1943. Dingell has introduced such a bill every year he's been in Congress and today's House bill bears his name.

"I am not the first President to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last," Obama said of the long history of failed efforts. It struck a chord with Dingell. "The best speech I've ever heard on the floor of the House," he said.

joel robuchon

Annnnd, the domination of the women continues on Top Chef Season 6 episode 4. In the quickfire challenge, Tom Colicchio and a guest judge raised the stakes: the loser would be immediately sent home. The challenge? To produce a stellar snail dish. Kevin once again nabbed top honors with snails, candied bacon and mushrooms. Jesse, Ashley and Robin landed in the bottom three, where they were given 20 minutes to create an amuse-bouche in a three-way cook off. Jesse, after a long stay in the bottom, was finally sent home. Her last words were, "I promise I don't suck this much." It's possible that people's nerves get the best of them, especially on national television. But so far, that hasn't affected Jennifer, Kevin or Michael V., who continued to amaze into the elimination challenge.

Well, actually, due to his victory, Kevin had the special honor of sitting out the challenge and eating the other chefs' meals along with the judges, who included a round table of top French chefs, including Joel Robuchon. As for the other competing chefs, they were asked to draw knives engraved with the names of French sauces or proteins. Each sauce naturally corresponded to a protein, matching the chefs up in pairs. Ash and Hector did steak and peppercorn, Eli and Laurine a lobster and lobster bisque, Ashley and Mattin chicken and veloute, Bryan and Mike trout and bernaise, Ron and Robin frogs legs and Jennifer and Michael V. rabbit. Ron and Robin proved to be an interesting pair. While Robin buzzed around the chill Ron like a hyper bee, it seemed as if Ron might become irked. He maintained his cool, however, showing his temperment (and appearance) are more akin to an easy-going Jabba the Hutt.

In the end, Jennifer and Michael V. and Mike and Bryan shown. The show is getting a bit repetitive with those on the top. Clearly, talented chefs always perform well on Top Chef. But I don't think I've seen another season quite so lopsided, with those in the bottom unable to move up, and those on the top firmly planted there. It's like the poverty line. Any way, Bryan pulled in the win with his skillful cooking on the trout. His prize: cooking in Joel Robuchon's Las Vegas restaurant for a week.

On the bottom were Ashley and Mattin with a botched and overly bacon-y veloute sauce and Hector and Ash with an overcooked and improperly carved steak. Ashley is really the only one here who is no stranger to the bottom. But in the end, it was Hector's mistreatment of the meat that sent him packing. He was certainly an interesting character that brought a unique, authentic Latin american style of cooking to the show. I guess French cooking was his downfall. Next week: cooking outside in 100 degree weather. Goody!

susan atkins

Surveying damage...Michael Jackson interment...Troops killed in Iraq
LOS ANGELES (AP) — All residents forced to flee the massive wildfire burning north of Los Angeles have been allowed to return to survey the damage. Firefighters have been able to set controlled burns and remove dry brush overnight as they continue efforts to surround the fire. It's scorched nearly 219 square miles.

GLENDALE, Calif. (AP) — Michael Jackson will be interred in a mausoleum later today. The service will be private. Jackson will rest in the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn Glendale, about eight miles north of downtown L.A. Hollywood stars including Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and W.C. Fields are also interred there.

CHOWCHILLA, Calif. (AP) — It looks like Charles Manson follower Susan Atkins will die in prison. Atkins admitted stabbing actress Sharon Tate to death 40 years ago. She's now terminally ill with brain cancer, but a California parole board has denied her requests for freedom.

BAGHDAD (AP) — Two U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq. The U.S. military says the soldiers' died when their vehicle rolled over in Diyala (dee-YAH'-lah) province. It's giving no other details.

BEIJING (AP) — Residents of the western Chinese city of Urumqi (uh-ROOM'-chee) have been demonstrating in the streets. Eyewitnesses say hundreds of majority ethnic Han are protesting deteriorating law and order in the city. Safety fears have been high since July's deadly rioting between the Han and the region's Uighur (WEE'-gur) ethnic group.

danaher

Danaher Buys Instrument Business for $1.1 Billion

Diversified toolmaker Danaher said Wednesday it will pay $1.1 billion for MDS Inc.’s instrument business in a move to add mass spectrometers to its offerings, while cutting an additional 3,300 jobs and closing 30 facilities, The Associated Press reported.

Danaher, which makes medical equipment and Sears’ Craftsman tools, will gain 50 percent ownership in Applied Biosystems and MDS’ joint life sciences tool venture, AB Sciex, which focuses on mass spectrometers. It will also gain full ownership in the former Molecular Devices Corp., which focuses on analytical instruments.

”AB Sciex is the market leader in mass spectrometry and its instruments address the needs of a broad scientific community involved in many applications including the research, applied and clinical markets,” said Danaher President and Chief Executive Officer H. Lawrence Culp Jr., in a statement.

He said the purchase will compliment the company’s existing medical technologies business.

Under the deal, MDS will receive $650 million while Life Technologies will receive $450 million for the joint venture deal. Life Technologies, based in Carlsbad, Calif., was created by the merger of Invitrogen and Applied Biosystems.

Meanwhile, MDS said the sale allows it to focus solely on its Nordion business, which provides medical isotopes for molecular and diagnostic imaging, along with radiotherapeutics.

”The board and executive management team believe the proposed path forward provides the greatest opportunity to unlock the value of MDS businesses in the near-term and enables a substantial return of proceeds from the sale of the MDS Analytical Technologies business to shareholders,” said MDS Chairman James S. A. MacDonald in a statement.

Meanwhile, Danaher’s restructuring program will cost between $225 million and $250 million, up from prior estimates of $150 million to $170 million. The company says it will save about $220 million annually because of the measures.