The Cool Kids Lunchtable

The Lap Dancing Nun

2009-04-09T09:38:00.002-04:00

The 38-year-old used to be a lap-dancer, and spent many years working in Italian nightclubs.
She is now using her talents in a rather different way - for what she calls "The Holy Dance" in a performance on Tuesday evening at the Holy Cross in Jerusalem Basilica in Rome, in front of senior Catholic clerics including Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, head of the Vatican's Cultural Department.
Miss Nobili told the BBC World Service that the transformation from podium lap dancer to nun happened gradually.
"It was my mother who went about getting me involved in the faith - she had a powerful vision of Jesus," she says.
"At first I didn't want to know, but then Jesus appeared to me too, and I fell in love with him."

Jesus is a God who dances, not one who stands still
Sister Anna Nobili
Several years ago, she swapped her old life for the Church, after a visit to the shrine of St Francis in Assisi, a place of pilgrimage for millions of Catholics in Umbria.
Sister Nobili, then joined the order of nuns called the Working Lady Nuns of Nazareth House, and it is through them that she tours prisons and hospitals performing her modern Christian dance.
She says the Church is very open to what she does.

Sister Nobili says her dancing has changed since her lap-dancing days
"They understand that our hearts belong to Jesus, that means our moves also show that he is alive, and that he is a God of joy, not one of sadness," she explains.
"He is a God who dances not one who stands still."
Sister Nobili adds that it is for these reasons she has noticed that bishops, and priests in general, are struck by this new form of expression.
She does use some of her past life in her new shows, telling young people in the audience the story of how she converted.
Referring to the actual dancing she does today, with her group, the Jesus Dancers, Sister Nobili says it is different from what she did for her nightclub shows.
"My body has changed, so the way I dance has changed too."

Some People Have GOT to be Stopped!

2009-02-05T09:15:00.001-05:00

Coonery At It's Finest

2009-01-14T11:56:00.001-05:00

...who knew Rudy from the Cosby show was back in the Hollywood game?!

Horrible

Just Another Day At The Office

2009-01-13T13:51:00.001-05:00

The Devil IS A Liar

2009-01-06T09:52:00.002-05:00

...Happy New Year!

Bishop Edward Stephens after finishing his morning sermon on Sunday told his members that on the second Sunday in February the church will be celebrating its anniversary and he wants them to make a sacrifice offering of their whole salary for that week.

Sources within the church state that members just looked at each other without the usual "Amen Bishop" shouts. Some members wonder how in these hard financial times their pastor could ask them to give up a whole weeks pay to the church without telling them what the money is being given for.

While the members of Golden Gate Cathedral a church rumored to have been built with money from jailed drug dealer Skinny Pimp will miss paying bills if they are stupid enough to follow their pastor's wishes, Stephens will not be reduced to giving up his very lavish lifestyle which has been provided him by the members he's trying to fleece.

Stephens drives a Bentley and lives in a $1,207,500 home located at 973 E. Timberlake Dr. And owns another home at 9386 Forest Station in Collierville valued at $566,000. Hopefully the members of Golden Gate will take the shears out of the hands of this pulpit pimp who has clearly fleeced them. By the way he passed out a form asking them if they would like to have a ATM machine placed in the lobby.

Like Stealing Candy From A Baby

2008-12-30T08:53:00.002-05:00

...or least stealing toys from tots. Welcome to Chocolate City!

The four District of Columbia police officers reportedly caught on tape stealing from Toys for Tots “tarnished” the department’s image, a police official said.
Police confirmed that the four officers had been put on desk jobs as internal affairs investigates them for stealing toys. Officials said if the officers did take the toys intended for the city’s youth, they will be prosecuted.

On Christmas Day, the department’s community outreach director, Yvonne Smith, fired off a message to an e-mail network for residents of the Southeast D.C. neighborhood where the thefts allegedly occurred.

Smith wrote that she’d hoped to see Christmastime news coverage include positive stories about police outreach in one of the city’s poorest, most crime-plagued neighborhoods — the 6th District in Southeast Washington — instead of a tale about the strong victimizing the weak.

The story of the four officers accused of taking the toys “starts off Christmas on a sour note, puts distance between the community and the police, and worst of all, tarnishes the image of the Department during a time when we are trying to build strong relationships to foster trust that ultimately helps us solve crimes,” Smith wrote.

As police officials released few details on the investigation on Christmas Eve, police cadets were unloading a van stuffed with toys at Sursum Corda and Potomac Gardens Public Housing Developments, Smith wrote.

“People of all ages ran out and surrounded them, taking toys and saying, ‘the police have never done anything like this here,’ ” she wrote, highlighting how police outreach can benefit relations with the community.

“Please don’t let the Christmas story of the day be about an investigation of officers who make up .001 percent of the department,” Smith concluded. “Many many many more members made outstanding contributions during this holiday season to make a difference in the lives of families who are struggling.”

Two of the accused officers worked for the department’s youth services division, and the four were caught on tape taking the toys, WJLA reported.

A Sign Your Career Is Officially OVER

2008-12-19T11:29:00.002-05:00

Keith Sweat hawking McNuggets? For album sales? Horrible.

For Mama

2008-12-16T13:39:00.001-05:00

Slickback on Blast

Paul Mooney WAS Right...

2008-12-16T12:41:00.000-05:00

From Elizabeth Taylor to Sophia Loren, there have been many faces of Cleopatra. But this might be the most realistic of them all.

Egyptologist Sally Ann Ashton believes the compute regenerated 3D image is the best likeness of the legendary beauty famed for her ability to beguile.

Pieced together from images on ancient artefacts, including a ring dating from Cleopatra's reign 2,000 years ago, it is the culmination of more than a year of painstaking research.

The result is a beautiful young woman of mixed ethnicity - very different to the porcelain-skinned Westernised version portrayed by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1961 movie Cleopatra.

Realism: The result is a strikingly beautiful young woman of mixed ethnicity
Dr Ashton, of Cambridge University, said the images, to be broadcast as part of a Five documentary on Cleopatra, reflect the monarch's Greek heritage as well as her Egyptian upbringing.

'She probably wasn't just completely European. You've got to remember that her family had actually lived in Egypt for 300 years by the time she came to power.'

The picture of the queen contrasts with several other less flattering portrayals. For instance, a silver coin which went on show at Newcastle University's Sefton Museum last year showed her as having a shallow forehead, pointed chin, thin lips and hooked nose. Her lover, the Roman general Mark Antony, fared little better.

The reverse side shows him to have bulging eyes and a thick neck. The queen's appearance has long been the subject of debate among academics. While Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra made reference to her youthful looks and 'infinite-variety', many believe she was short and frumpy with bad teeth.

A statue of Cleopatra exhibited at the British Museum in 2001 portrayed her as plain, no more than 5ft tall and rather plump.

Born in Alexandra in 69BC, into a Macedonian Greek dynasty which had ruled Egypt for three centuries, Cleopatra acceded to the throne at 17. Three years later she seduced Julius Caesar, bearing him a son, Caesarion.

After Caesar was assassinated she courted Mark Antony before committing suicide on his death. Legend has it that she put an asp, a venomous serpent, to her breast.

Six Minutes, Six Minutes, Six Minutes

2008-12-15T14:38:00.001-05:00

The Scientologist Is Broke!

The Human Beat Box is taking a financial beating.

Rap icon Doug E. Fresh - best known for his '80s hit "The Show" - has been socked with three foreclosure actions by banks looking to collect more than $3.5 million in unpaid mortgages on a trio of his Harlem homes.

The rapper, 46, also is being chased by American Express for nearly $60,000 in credit-card debt, and the IRS just slapped him with a $367,000 tax lien on top of more than $40,000 owed to the state tax collector, records show.

The golden-voiced rapper, whose real name is Douglas Davis, grew up in Harlem. After his skill at vocally imitating drumbeats and percussion sounds made him famous in the 1980s, he stayed in the neighborhood, investing in local real estate and raising five sons.

He fell behind in payments and, according to a foreclosure suit filed in Manhattan in late August, 2008, he now owes more than $1.73 million.

Davis is putting the finishing touches on Doug E's Chicken and Waffles, a new Harlem restaurant slated to open next month.

He declined to comment on his woes.

I Know I Am Late

2008-12-15T14:13:00.000-05:00

but this is way too good to resist!

New Music From Macy Gray

2008-12-05T12:34:00.000-05:00

LOL!

Backstabbers!

2008-12-05T09:12:00.004-05:00

In the words of the Reverend Daryll Bell, "I personally think Clarence Thomas should re-read story of Esther."

Lawsuit just the tip of an iceberg of nationwide efforts seeking to derail Obama's presidential election win

The US Supreme Court will consider whether to take up a lawsuit challenging President-elect Barack Obama's US citizenship on Friday, a continuation of a New Jersey case embraced by some opponents of Obama's election.

The meeting of justices will coincide with a vigil by the filer's supporters in Washington on the steps of the nation's highest court. The lawsuit originally sought to stay the election, and was filed on behalf of Leo Donofrio against Nina Mitchell Wells, New Jersey's secretary of state.

Legal experts say the appeal has little chance of succeeding, despite appearing on the court's schedule. Legal records show it is only the tip of an iceberg of nationwide efforts seeking to derail Obama's election over accusations that he either wasn't born a US citizen or that he later renounced his citizenship in Indonesia.

Kanye on Blast Courtesy of Colbert

2008-12-03T11:15:00.001-05:00

Bust It Baby Busted

2008-12-02T12:34:00.002-05:00

Hours after pleading guilty to two felonies, Christine Beatty issued a tearful apology this afternoon to her family, ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's family and the citizens of Detroit for her crimes in the text message scandal.

Beatty, sitting with her attorneys in their Southfield office, read from a prepared three-paragraph statement, but choked up when she said why she finally agreed to a plea deal 11 months after the Free Press exposed her perjury in January.

"After many months, I decided I needed to end this ordeal ... and not take the chance on not being there for my daughters," Beatty said, her voice thick with emotion.

"I would first and foremost say that I am extremely sorry to the people who were harmed in this ordeal," she said.

Beatty, a now-divorced mother of two young daughters, also said it was an honor to serve Detroit as Kilpatrick's chief of staff, and she hoped that some of the good work she accomplished with Kilpatrick will shine through someday.

"I am truly thankful for the opportunity to serve," she said. She also thanked supporters, some of them anonymous, who she said sent notes and words of encouragement, sometimes from far away places and at times when she most often needed them.

"I ask that you please continue to pray for me," she said.

She singled out her pastor and his wife and her mother, whom Beatty called "a rock."

While she apologized for the pain she caused her family and the city, she made no mention of two police officers who successfully sued the city in a whistle-blower lawsuit. Her lies in that suit, including misleading remarks about one of the cops, Deputy Chief Gary Brown, led to the text-message scandal.

Beatty did not take questions from the media, leaving a meeting room immediately after her short statement.

Letter from Management/ Bama of the Week

2008-12-02T10:31:00.002-05:00

I know I haven't been posting. It's the Holidays, people!

Nevertheless, this should cheer you up. The real-life Cheddar Bob!

As Giants receiver Plaxico Burress was arraigned Monday on two separate counts of a weapons charge, harsh reactions and new questions arose about the events early Saturday morning, when Burress accidentally shot himself in the thigh at a Manhattan nightclub with an illegal handgun.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and the Police Department criticized the Giants, who they said neglected to notify the authorities of the shooting, and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, where Burress was treated, for failing to call the police about his gun-related injury, as state law requires.

The mayor also condemned Burress, saying he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Burress, out on $100,000 bail, did not have a permit to carry the handgun. He is scheduled to return to Manhattan Criminal Court on March 31.

Pointing out that the police did not find out about the incident until it was reported on television, the mayor said, “The hospital didn’t call and the Giants didn’t call, and the Giants should have picked up the phone right away, as good corporate citizens.”

He called it an outrage that the hospital did not notify the police after Burress showed up seeking treatment and said that prosecutors should “go after” the management of the hospital.

Paul J. Browne, a spokesman for the Police Department, said Monday that the department expected the N.F.L. and the Giants to be more forthcoming, considering the seriousness of the situation. The Giants and the N.F.L. said they were cooperating fully with the authorities.

Browne said: “We haven’t gotten a level of cooperation. We haven’t from the N.F.L. or the Giants.”

“You have a series of events,” he added. “And there’s a universe of silence after this shooting.”

Browne said that the police had been promised by N.F.L. security, for example, that Giants linebacker Antonio Pierce — who was with Burress at the club that night — would be available at noon Monday for questioning in the shooting. Burress’s unlicensed handgun was in the glove compartment of Pierce’s Cadillac Escalade at some point, the police said.

But Pierce failed to show up at the 17th Precinct station house in Midtown and was not available for an interview when the police showed up at his residence. Instead, at least two members of the Giants’ staff — Charles Way, the director of player development, and Ronnie Barnes, vice president for medical services — arrived to talk, the police said.

There was also confusion Monday regarding which other Giants player was with Burress and Pierce at the club. The police said they were told by nightclub security that it was running back Derrick Ward, but Ward said Sunday that he was not at the club. Other reports indicated that it was Ahmad Bradshaw, not Ward. On Monday, Giants Coach Tom Coughlin said he was disappointed about Bradshaw’s reported involvement.

Despite the conflicting information, Giants officials insist they have been cooperating in the investigation.

“In the early hours of Saturday morning, as we started to get a sense of what we were dealing with, we did, in fact, notify N.F.L. security, which then contacted the police,” the team spokesman Pat Hanlon said.

Greg Aiello, a league spokesman, said that N.F.L. security notified the police early Saturday morning after being told of the shooting by “a representative of the Giants.” He added that N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell spoke to Bloomberg late Monday, ensuring Bloomberg that the league was doing everything it could to help the investigation.

“He reiterated our pledge to fully cooperate,” Aiello said. “And he expressed his expectation that players would be held accountable. He told the mayor, ‘Let us know how we can help.’ ”

In what prosecutors called “a strong case,” Burress faces a mandatory sentence of 3 ½ years in state prison, with a maximum of 15 years, on each count of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Benjamin Brafman, Burress’s lawyer, said Burress planned to plead not guilty to both counts.

Burress, who caught the winning touchdown in the Giants’ Super Bowl victory in February, surrendered to the police Monday, showing up at the 17th Precinct station house at 8 a.m., with no limp.

Later Monday, having declined to speak with the police for two days about the incident, Burress posed for mug shots and was electronically fingerprinted.

“He is standing tall,” Brafman said. “He’s a mature adult handling this very well, I think, under the circumstances. He has asked me to tell all the fans who have written and called, and his teammates, that he very much appreciates their expressions of concern.”

Throughout the day, as Burress made his way through the legal system, the police confirmed details of the shooting incident.

Burress arrived at the Latin Quarter nightclub in Manhattan at 1:20 a.m. Saturday morning, with four others, including two teammates.

The criminal complaint, released by prosecutors Monday, said that an onlooker then saw Burress near the V.I.P. area of the club holding a drink in his left hand and fidgeting his right hand in the area of the waistline of his pants. The witness then heard a single “pop” sound before hearing Burress say, “Take me to the hospital.”

Burress was on the ground, with his legs shaking, when a bloody gun — a .40-caliber Glock pistol — fell out of his pant leg and onto the floor, the onlooker said. Investigators believe that Pierce was standing next to Burress when the gun went off. The bullet, which broke through the skin of Burress’s right thigh and pierced muscle tissue, traveled through the leg before lodging itself somewhere in the club.

Burress left the club by 1:50 a.m., the police said, and arrived at the hospital at 2:04 a.m., according to surveillance cameras at the hospital.

The gun, with the magazine gone and the chamber cleared, was then placed in the glove compartment of Pierce’s S.U.V., said Browne, the police spokesman.

Pierce, who was interviewed by N.F.L. security at the Giants’ team hotel Saturday, is now under investigation for “his role, regarding the gun and the case itself,” Browne said.

After Sunday’s game, Pierce refused to answer questions about the shooting. On Monday, he hired the lawyer Michael Bachner. “His intention is to cooperate in the investigation,” Bachner said.

Burress checked into Weill Cornell Medical Center at 2:20 a.m., where he was treated and released at 1 p.m. Saturday. The police arrived an hour and a half later, tipped off, they say, by news reports, not the hospital. A hospital administrator there was “not forthright with the police,” Browne said.

Burress’s immediate future with the Giants is uncertain. Under the league’s personal-conduct policy, violations of local gun laws can result in a player’s suspension. He also may be facing other weapons charges. It was unclear Monday whether charges would be filed against Burress in New Jersey, where he lives and where the gun was recovered from his home.

On a weekly conference call Monday, Coughlin declined to discuss the details of Burress’s case because of the continuing investigations. When asked if the team would deactivate Burress, he said the team was still dealing with those issues, adding that it was uncertain whether Burress would be at practice this week.

Horrible!

2008-11-25T10:58:00.001-05:00

This Is A Real Product

2008-11-14T13:18:00.001-05:00

You've been put on blast!

Ka-Paya!

2008-11-13T10:20:00.001-05:00

Mississippi Burning

2008-11-10T16:36:00.002-05:00

Welcome to Mississippi, 2008.

PEARL, Miss. -- The Pearl Schools superintendent said that a school bus driver and a coach were disciplined for allegedly telling students not to say President-elect Barack Obama’s name.Reporters with 16 WAPT News received several calls from upset parents that said a school bus driver told the children on a Pearl school bus that if they said Obama’s name, they would be written up and taken to the principal’s office for disciplinary reasons.Another parent said that a coach at Pearl Junior High School told students that if they speak Obama’s name, they would face expulsion.Parents said the incident is sad as America begins a new presidency."

They feel like they are afraid to say our president's name because they will get in trouble," mother Canishia Simpson said. "They shouldn't have to feel that way."Simpson's son Reginald was one of two students removed from a Pearl school bus Wednesday morning.Reginald Simpson said kids on the school bus were saying, "Obama is our president." That's when he said the bus driver told the kids not to say the president-elect's name because she didn't want to hear it."

Somebody said, 'This is history, woman,'" Reginald Simpson said. "She pulled over and kicked me and the kid off the bus."The two boys were left at Pearl High School. They were later taken to Pearl Junior High School, where they attend school."We teach our kids not to be racist, and here it is going on," Canishia Simpson said. "I feel hurt by this."School officials looked at surveillance video from inside the bus.

They told Canishia Simpson that the bus driver overreacted.In a separate incident, a girl's basketball coach at Pearl Junior High School told students they would be suspended for saying Obama's name."I did have two incidents and the principals did review the bus driver tapes. It appears that some persons, out of disappointment and disillusionment with the election, may have been so frustrated that they said something inappropriate to students,” Pearl Schools Superintendent John Ladner said. “We have taken appropriate steps with the bus driver and the coach.”Ladner would not say what disciplinary action was taken.

"This is what the whole election was about, to support someone," parent Venus Neagu said. "Now they are facing consequences for it."Neagu's son Devin was on the bus Wednesday. He did not get kicked off, but his mother said she plans to confront school officials about the incident.Both of the students kicked off the school bus were allowed to ride on Thursday. They won't face any disciplinary action from the school.

“As adults and professionals we are not going to deprive anyone of their excitement over the current election of President-elect Obama, or any other candidate,” Ladner said. “The whole nation was excited, and in no way and at no time will children be disciplined for saying the name of the president-elect of the United States. Any employee who would attempt to do that would be corrected and disciplined.

We expect professional behavior, respect and demeanor of staff and students. It is unfortunate that some employees mishandled this situation but they have been disciplined and I have spent the day clarifying our policies."Pearl's school superintendent said no child will be punished for saying Obama, Barack Obama or President Obama.Ladner said this is a part of our history now, and students will learn it.

What. Da. Hell.

2008-11-06T09:42:00.001-05:00

David Allan Grier Finally Did Something Funny

2008-10-31T12:16:00.001-04:00

Please Vote

2008-10-30T12:23:00.000-04:00

Chelsea 3 Hull 0

2008-10-30T10:05:00.002-04:00

Frank. Lampard.

Chelsea bounced back from their home defeat to Liverpool and ended Hull's sequence of four straight wins with a deserved victory at the KC Stadium.

Frank Lampard's brilliant early lob put Chelsea ahead but Daniel Cousin almost equalised with a low strike from 20 yards that hit the post.

Suicidal hesitation in the Hull defence allowed Nicolas Anelka to steel in and smash home Chelsea's decisive second.

Florent Malouda then converted Ricardo Carvalho's cross from six yards.

Hull had beaten the four previous London clubs they had met this season - Fulham, Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham - but they were brought back down to earth by Chelsea.

Luiz Felipe Scolari's team put in a thoroughly professional performance, regularly cutting open Hull and always appearing to be in control.

Chelsea could not find the net against Liverpool last Sunday as their long unbeaten home record fell by the wayside but it took them just three minutes to breach the Hull defence.

If there was a hint of fortune when Paul McShane's interception fell invitingly to Lampard, there was nothing but pure class about the England midfielder's finish.

Lampard deceived the Hull defence as his delicious chip floated from one corner of the penalty area and into the top of the net with goalkeeper Boaz Myhill reduced to the role of unwilling spectator. 606: DEBATE
Give your reaction to the result

It was the first time the Tigers had conceded a Premier League goal in five hours and 12 minutes but despite their sensational recent form the home team had looked nervous before conceding and were even more so afterwards.

Phil Brown's team surrendered possession far too easily, while two awful kicks up field from Myhill did little to help them settle.

And by the break Chelsea really ought to have extended their advantage.

A goalmouth scramble was eventually cleared by a Hull defender, while Malouda twice shot wide and missed a header from a Lampard cross that was slightly behind him. Myhill saved a Joe Cole snap-shot and, later, brilliantly tipped over a blistering strike from Anelka.

Yet despite Chelsea's superiority, Hull did have their moments and came perilously close to an equaliser when Cousin dribbled across the face of the opposition box before drilling the brilliant low strike that rebounded off the foot of the post.

Geovanni, displaying self-belief of staggering proportions, forced a save from Petr Cech with a free-kick that must have been 40 yards from goal while Marlon King headed straight at the Chelsea keeper from eight yards.

However, any hopes the home team harboured of forcing their way back into the contest ended minutes into the restart after a moment of defensive madness.

Kamil Zayatte, Michael Turner and keeper Myhill all stood and waited for someone else to deal with a long ball forward, that was allowed to bounce and then intercepted by the alert Anelka, who slotted home from a tight angle.

The off-colour Malouda smashed another good opening over the Hull goal and dragged another shot wide.

Chelsea continued to possess the greater threat without ever really giving the impression of over extending themselves.

Anelka should have doubled his tally but opted for placement instead of power and was denied by Myhill but Malouda finally found the net, slotting home from six yards after a superb low cross with the outside of his boot by Carvalho.

Hull, who play Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday, continued to press forward whenever possible and almost crafted an equaliser but substitute Richard Garcia headed wide of Cech's goal.

Hull City boss Phil Brown:
"To go behind after three minutes gave us an uphill task.

"We said at half-time that we had an extra day's rest after the weekend but we conceded a poor goal straight away.

"But we have 20 points from 10 games and we have to make sure that we continue to build on that."

Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari:

"I think Frank Lampard's goal was one of the best in the Premier League.

"It was a fantastic goal - only Frank Lampard can make this goal. It was one of the best goals I have seen in my life.

"He is a very intelligent player and he is a man that is never tired.

"There are many very good players in England, and one of the best is Frank."

For Batch

2008-10-30T09:35:00.000-04:00

Notorious

2008-10-27T11:02:00.000-04:00

...I have to admit, I am kinda Stanning for this to come out.

For Team Chunk

2008-10-24T13:47:00.001-04:00

You Got Served

2008-10-23T11:55:00.001-04:00

http://view.break.com/592648 - Watch more free videos

Don't Try This At Home

2008-10-16T15:33:00.000-04:00

Finger Licking Good

2008-10-16T11:11:00.000-04:00

MMM Tastes Like Chicken.

FAST food fan Natalie Jackson was hit with a £150 fine at KFC — for staying too long gorging on a monster-sized “family bucket”.

The trainee nurse and a pal plumped for FOURTEEN chicken pieces, SIX bags of fries and large COKES after driving to their local branch.

They spent an hour and a half scoffing the 5,456-calorie feast. Days later regular customer Natalie got the fine in the post for breaking the restaurant car park’s 75-minute limit.

The 24-year-old fumed yesterday: “It’s disgusting. I spend a lot of money in there. Now I’m never going back.”

Natalie — who eats at KFC three times a week — complained to restaurant bosses that she was unaware of signs warning of the time limit in Huddersfield, West Yorks.

The mega bucket, which busts the Health Department’s recommended 1,940-a-day calorie count for women, cost her £13.16p.

Natalie vowed there was fat chance of her paying the £150 — insisting: “It didn’t feel like I was in there all that long. We were hungry.”

Last night KFC said restaurant parking was contracted to private firm Civil Enforcement Ltd — but promised to review Natalie’s case.

A spokesman said: “A parking restriction was introduced to prevent non-KFC customers using the car park.

“The 75-minute time limit is designed to accommodate our customers who generally eat for about 30 minutes.”

Why I Am Single

2008-10-14T10:39:00.000-04:00

...ladies and gentlemen, butta creme!

Classic Dave Chapelle

2008-10-14T09:45:00.001-04:00

The End of The American Dream

2008-10-14T09:16:00.003-04:00

...Marcia Brady was on coke, dated Michael Jackson and let Greg smash? Next thing you know, we'll find out that Santa gives kids defective toys and the Easter Bunny sells rotten eggs. Oh, wait.

The "Brady Bunch" actress who starred as Marcia Brady admits in a new memoir she was a cocaine fiend who swapped sex for drugs, partied at the Playboy Mansion and bedded screen sibling Greg Brady.

While on-camera, the big Brady sister pined for Monkees dreamboat Davy Jones, but off-camera she dated funnyman Steve Martin and singer Michael Jackson.

Maureen McCormick, 52, dishes the salacious secrets in "Here's The Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice."

The tell-all tome hits bookstore shelves Tuesday and shreds what the actress describes as the "unreal perfection" of her television teen queen.

"As a teenager, I had no idea that few people are everything they present to the outside world," she writes in the book. "Yet there I was, hiding the reality of my life behind the unreal perfection of Marcia Brady."

McCormick was 14 in 1969 when viewers were introduced to the aw-shucks wholesomeness of the Brady Bunch - consisting of a "lovely lady," "a man named Brady" and their six kids.

Since then, fans have learned that Barry Williams, who played Greg, was a Casanova who romanced not just his on-screen sister but his on-screen mom, Florence Henderson, too - and that on-screen dad Mike Brady was gay.

McCormick's publishers last year shot down reports that she had a steamy lesbian affair with Eve Plumb, who played younger sister Jan.

Still, "Here's The Story" dishes plenty of dirt, with McCormick revealing she blew an interview with Steven Spielberg when she was high, and had long struggles with depression.

The book describes her post-"Brady Bunch" descent into drug addiction, parties with Hugh Hefner and Sammy Davis Jr. and an unwanted pregnancy.

Married with a teen-age daughter, McCormick has settled into a very Brady existence in California with her husband.

The actress writes that she's a long way from her days as a sweet-faced young hellion who sang "I think I'll go for a walk outside now - the summer sun's callin my name" by day, then ran wild by night.

"No one suspected the fear that gnawed at me even as I lent my voice to the chorus of Bradys singing, "It's a Sunshine Day,'" she wrote.

Cindy McCain Is Off The Chain!

2008-10-09T12:01:00.000-04:00

Kansas Sucks!

2008-10-06T13:33:00.002-04:00

ARKANSAS CITY, Kan —

The mayor of a Kansas town issued an apology Thursday for appearing as a drag-queen in blackface last weekend as part of a fundraising event, according to the local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Arkansas City Mayor Mel Kuhn participated in and won a drag queen contest held as part of an annual fund raiser sponsored by Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), an agency that supports foster children in the court system.

Kuhn appeared dressed as a character which he called “Smellishis Poon,” with his face painted dark for the event.

But Kuhn told FOXNews.com that he was not in blackface, but in "tanface," and did not intend to offend anyone.

"Blackface is shoepolish," he said. "That's not what I did. I dressed up to win and because it was so hilarious."

According to the NAACP, he also had suggestive back-up dancers for the talent portion of his performance, which he called the “Red Hot Puntangs.”

"We danced to black music. The Weather Girls and Aretha Franklin," Kuhn told FOXNews.com.

Kuhn said he got the idea from the popular movie "Norbit," a controversial comedy starring Eddie Murphy, which some critics have decried as racist toward African Americans.

While he won the award that night for the “most creative talent,” several local residents found the performance to be insulting and racially offensive, the Arkansas City Traveler reported.

Kuhn initially defended his actions, saying he originally meant to portray an “over-the-top woman," and that he didn’t care what people thought.

But he changed his tune on Wednesday, following a meeting with the NAACP. In a written statement, he claimed full responsibility for his actions and said he “sincerely apologized” for their “offensive nature.”

“It has been brought to my attention how offensive this was and I absolutely agree that it was shortsighted of me not to see that in the first place,” the statement said.

Still, he said he was never nervous that people would be offended by his skit and that it was not meant to be hurtful to anyone.

Instead, he said, painting his face and portraying a black woman "was the best way to win."

"I had to make it as fun as possible," he told FOXNews.com. "That was the best way I could think of to make as many people laugh as possible and raise money for this charity"

Kuhn added that he was saddened that the event had been "blown so out of proportion," by the local media and bloggers.

"I am the mayor of a small town in Kansas," Kuhn told FOXNews.com. "We are poor people, but we don't have poor ways. To paint me as a racist is just not right."

"No one has come up to me and complained," he said, "I told a girl who was there, a black girl, that I was sorry. She said she knew it. Then I asked her why she thought it was being made into such an issue. She said she had no idea."

To help rectify his actions, Kuhn has promised to work with the NAACP and other local groups to raise awareness about issues of racism in his city.

Still, he warned that he might rescind his apology if "people wouldn't accept it."

For many Americans, blackface minstrelsy has a long and painful history dating back to the Jim Crow era, when white actors would paint their faces with grease or tar and exaggerate their lips and hair to mock African Americans.

While changes in racial attitudes have effectively eliminated its use in comedy, films and theater, it is still occasionally seen. Actor Robert Downey Jr. recently appeared in blackface in the hit film "Tropic Thunder."

Sarah's Plan

2008-10-06T13:31:00.000-04:00

Daily Show With Jon Stewart

2008-10-02T12:12:00.000-04:00

"...Sniffin' That Yayo, Trying To Be Sosa..."

2008-10-02T11:32:00.001-04:00

Travis Henry, you are the bama of the week, week, week!

Ex-Broncos RB, another man met to buy drugs from a person cooperating with authorities, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration
By Arnie Stapleton and Catherine Tsai | The Associated Press
6:39 PM EDT, October 1, 2008
DENVER - Former Denver Broncos running back Travis Henry has been arrested following an alleged cocaine deal, the Drug Enforcement Administration said Wednesday.

Henry and James Mack were arrested a day earlier after the two met to buy cocaine from a person who was cooperating with authorities, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Mack and Henry were in federal custody on suspicion of knowingly and intentionally conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. They were advised of charges Wednesday. A preliminary hearing and detention hearing were scheduled for Monday.

It was not immediately known whether Mack had an attorney. Henry's attorney, Harvey Steinberg, confirmed he was representing Henry in the case but declined to comment on the charges when reached by The Associated Press.

Video
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Steelers 23, Ravens 20, OT Photos
Poll: Should Harbaugh have challenged?
In the loss to the Steelers, should Ravens coach John Harbaugh have challenged Derrick Mason's first-quarter catch in the end zone that was ruled incomplete?

Yes

No

View current results

Poll: Are Ravens more disciplined under Harbaugh?
Jarret Johnson's unnecessary roughness penalty in the third quarter proved to be a turning point in the Steelers' win over the Ravens. Are the Ravens a more disciplined team under coach John Harbaugh?

Yes. They're more disciplined this season.

No. They're less disciplined than Brian Billick's teams.

There's no major difference in discipline between this season and last year's team.

It's too early to tell.

Ravens draft database: Search for every pick in team history The case has its roots in Montana, where a trooper and DEA agent stopped a car that was carrying six pounds of marijuana and about three kilograms of cocaine on Sept. 16, the affidavit said.

A passenger in the car, whose name was not disclosed in the affidavit, told authorities Mack and Henry had supplied him with the drugs, which he was supposed to deliver to customers in Billings. The man said he was supposed to be paid $5,000 for delivering the drugs and transporting about $63,600 in sales proceeds to Henry, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit indicated that separately, the passenger and another customer in Billings already owed Henry about $40,000 in drug proceeds. The passenger told authorities Henry had threatened him and his family over the debt.

The passenger agreed to cooperate with authorities and set up a drug deal Tuesday with Henry that led to the arrests of Mack and Henry, the affidavit said.

Broncos coach Mike Shanahan declined comment Wednesday, saying it wouldn't be fair to say anything until he knew the facts of the case.

Henry was released from the Broncos June 2, when Shanahan said his commitment was lacking.

Henry signed a five-year, $22.5 million contract with the Broncos before the 2007 season, but was dogged during training camp by a sprained left knee.

Also there were revelations he had fathered nine children by nine women, a fact that came out in a child support case in Georgia.

Henry rushed for 691 yards on 167 carries with four touchdowns in his one season in Denver, which was marked by a successful appeal of a one-year NFL suspension over a failed drug test. Shanahan publicly supported Henry in the matter, contending the running back was innocent, but the issue hung over the team for much of the season and the Broncos stumbled to a 7-9 record, their first losing season since 1999.

Henry was slow to return to offseason workouts after a hamstring injury this summer, and Shanahan jettisoned him in June. About a week after his release, reports surfaced that Henry had again tested positive for marijuana, his third offense putting him in line for a one-year suspension from the NFL if he signed on with another team.

If convicted as charged, Henry and Mack face up to life in prison and a $4 million fine.

YACK!

2008-09-29T14:16:00.002-04:00

JERMAINE Dupri had a little too much of a good time celebrating his 36th birthday.

The other night, Dupri and his squeeze, Janet Jackson, went to Tenjune, where, spies say, they shared bottles of Jay-Z's Ace of Spades Champagne and Patrón tequila with Ne-Yo, Busta Rhymes and Ice-T - until Dupri "vomited in Janet's lap. Ms. Jackson bolted out of the scene and sped off in her chauffeured Maybach." A rep for Jackson and Dupri didn't return calls. A rep for Tenjune declined to comment. Meanwhile, we hear Dupri is under some stress at work.

The head of urban music for Island/Def Jam put out his lady's last album, "Discipline," which flopped. Our insider said, "[IDJ head] L.A. Reid had wanted to make changes to the album, make it fresher with some newer artists added in, but Janet said no - and Jermaine backed her up. He looks silly right now."

The Remix

2008-09-24T11:48:00.000-04:00

Pastor Weeks Looking for 20-Year Old Wife

2008-09-24T11:12:00.000-04:00

Horrible.

You Got Stole On!

2008-09-24T10:24:00.000-04:00

Go Speed Racer, Go!

2008-09-22T18:11:00.000-04:00

Did He Just Say That?

2008-09-17T13:45:00.002-04:00

...look around the 5:30 mark when your boy R. Kells asks "how young is too young?"

Merck!

New Campaign Posters

2008-09-16T13:19:00.000-04:00

The remix

New Campaign Posters

2008-09-16T12:39:00.002-04:00

Just Plain Horrible

2008-09-16T12:23:00.001-04:00

Sarah Palin Is Ready to be President

2008-09-15T16:49:00.000-04:00

See more Gina Gershon videos at Funny or Die

Somehelpful Advice

2008-09-15T15:11:00.000-04:00

The remix.

How To Be The Perfect Boyfriend

Somehelpful Advice

2008-09-15T15:08:00.000-04:00

How To Be The Perfect Boyfriend

McCain Picks Woman?

2008-08-29T10:19:00.001-04:00

DENVER (AP) — John McCain kept his vice presidential pick a closely guarded secret hours before the high-stakes announcement Friday as top prospects seemed to drop away and speculation moved to darkhorse candidate Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Two GOP strategists close to the McCain campaign said all indications pointed to Palin, 44, a self-styled "hockey mom" and political reformer. The strategists spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized by the McCain camp to discuss the matter. There was no confirmation from McCain or his advisers.

With an announcement scheduled in Dayton, Ohio, an associate of Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty said the governor had been informed he is not McCain's pick. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak for Pawlenty, who had all but ruled himself out.

Your Friday Funny

2008-08-29T10:00:00.000-04:00

Your Daily Dose of Deebo!

2008-08-28T14:43:00.000-04:00

"You got knocked out!"

A Moment in History

2008-08-28T09:51:00.002-04:00

DENVER — Barack Obama stepped triumphantly into history Wednesday night, the first black American to win a major party presidential nomination, as thousands of Democrats transformed their convention hall into a joyful, shouting celebration.

Competing chants of "Obama" and "Yes we can" surged up from the convention floor as the outcome was announced.

Paying a late-night visit to the hall, Obama embraced runningmate Joe Biden and implored the delegates to help him "take back America" in the fall campaign against Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

"Change in American doesn't start from the top down," he told the adoring crowd, "it starts from the bottom up."

Makes Me Wanna Holler

2008-08-28T09:25:00.001-04:00

8 States Cut From System That Tracks Rate of H.I.V.
By SHAILA DEWAN
ATLANTA — Eight states and Puerto Rico will no longer receive federal money for an advanced H.I.V. monitoring system that showed that the annual infection rate in the nation was 40 percent higher than previously estimated, officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

The change will lower the number of jurisdictions using the system to 25, from 34, just as health departments are struggling to react to the news, released earlier this month, that the spread of AIDS is far worse than they had thought.

The jurisdictions that lost financing were Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Puerto Rico.

Terry Butler, a spokeswoman for the National Center for H.I.V., S.T.D. and TB Prevention at the centers, said that the total money for the system — which is awarded to applicants on a competitive basis — would remain the same, but that the remaining 25 participating states and cities would receive more. Ms. Butler said those participants had the most reliable systems and could help the centers produce the best estimates.

The system uses a new test that distinguishes recent infections from old ones, helping epidemiologists track them in something much closer to real time than was previously possible.

Julie Scofield, the executive director of the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, said that over all, money for tracking H.I.V. infections and trends had decreased and that states were struggling to keep up. Ms. Scofield estimated that the money lost by the nine jurisdictions was about $3 million.

“Surveillance funding is starving at the C.D.C.,” Ms. Scofield said. “Their ability to say that they’re going to have ongoing reliable reports of incidence is somewhat questionable unless you have funding for that.”

The alliance has called for a $35 million increase in surveillance financing.

The new H.I.V. report did not use data from all 34 jurisdictions, only the 22 with data that met scientists’ standards, Ms. Butler said. Future monitoring will use data from all 25 jurisdictions.

But Ms. Scofield said that using fewer jurisdictions would make more extrapolations necessary to get national estimates for infection rates.

Dr. Carlos del Rio, the co-director of the Emory Center for AIDS Research in Atlanta, said Georgia’s loss of money was unfortunate.

“If you’re trying to find an enemy like H.I.V.,” Dr. del Rio said, “you want to have as much information as you possibly can.”

Check Your Boy

2008-08-27T13:30:00.002-04:00

Michael Eric Dyson, you are the bama of the week.

TV One's "After Party" analysis of Michelle Obama rear end by Michael Eric Dyson, lacked class while lowering the low standard for television news.

Dyson's admiration for Michelle Obama's figure was off base and deserves an apology from TV One and and the George Town Proffessor.

It's tough enough trudging through opinion based biases on a daily level with pundits and analyst, Dyson has officially added sexism to mainstream media's divorce of discussing real issues.

Michael Eric Dyson's referenced a recent trip to Europe, by labeling European women with flat rear ends and was proud to see Michelle Obama's, "gluteus maximus" as a symbol of the beauty of African American women. Education and common sense are obviously two distinct values and Dyson's comments are living proof.

And So It Begins

2008-08-27T10:42:00.002-04:00

Luckily, these guys were clowns, but this probably won't be the last time Barack is threatened.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/times_online_tv/?vxSiteId=d8fa78dc-d7ad-4d5a-8886-e420d4bc4200&vxChannel=Times%20Online%20News&vxClipId=1152_timesonline1170&vxBitrate=300

Three white supremacists with a sniper rifle and high on drugs who were arrested near the Democratic convention in Denver wanted to assassinate Barack Obama, US authorities said last night.

The FBI and the US Secret Service carried out an “intensive” investigation into the plot — in which the supremacists talked of shooting Mr Obama as he accepted the Democratic presidential nomination in an open-air sports stadium on Thursday night — but found insufficient evidence of a “true threat”.

One of the suspects, Shawn Adolph, 33, was connected to a high-velocity Ruger sniper rifle seized during a series of early morning arrests on Monday and had made clear threats and “racial slurs” against Mr Obama, Troy Eid, Denver’s US district attorney said.

This Is Why You Don't Do Crack

2008-08-27T10:27:00.002-04:00

Go to about 1:50 to see your favorite Jodeci singer fall out!

"Are you sure you wanna hang with ol' Eddie Kane?"

Chelsea 4 Portsmouth 0

2008-08-18T08:56:00.001-04:00

Luiz Felipe Scolari's reign as Chelsea boss started in style with an impressive win against Portsmouth.

Joe Cole slid home Michael Ballack's pass after 12 minutes and Nicolas Anelka headed in Deco's cross from close range in the 26th minute.

Frank Lampard added the third from the spot on the stroke of half-time after Sylvain Distin handled.

And Deco crowned a superb Chelsea debut with a swerving shot from 25 yards a minute from the end.

Scolari hopes to bring a more attractive brand of football to Stamford Bridge - and his new charges certainly delivered in their first Premier League game.

But the display should also be placed in the context of a truly wretched performance from Harry Redknapp's side, who looked a shadow of the unit that had an impressive campaign last season.

Chelsea took only 12 minutes to score the first goal of the Scolari era, and it was perfectly fashioned as Ballack's pass with the outside of his foot found Joe Cole, who slid a finish beyond James.

Anelka almost added a second when he was denied by James after racing clear - but it was only a temporary reprieve for Portsmouth as the striker was on target after 26 minutes.

Jose Bosingwa's cross was retrieved by Deco, who was having an outstanding first half, and Anelka headed home with James stranded out of position.

Anelka's pace was proving too much for Portsmouth, and he shot narrowly wide after racing clear.

Chelsea lost Ballack to injury after 37 minutes, but his replacement Florent Malouda almost had an instant impact with a driven cross that flashed across the face of goal.

Portsmouth had a half-chance when Petr Cech was forced into a block from Niko Kranjcar, the Chelsea keeper recovering to block another effort from Peter Crouch.

Portsmouth were being totally outclassed, and the scoreline was given a more realistic appearance when Chelsea took a three-goal lead in the dying seconds of the opening period.

Distin handled Joe Cole's cross and Lampard beat James with ease form the spot.
Chelsea continued to press after the break, with both Anelka and Joe Cole only inches away from adding to Portsmouth's misery.

Little had been seen of Portsmouth's new strike force of Crouch and Jermain Defoe, but it finally showed glimpses of promise with 13 minutes left.

Crouch headed a long ball into Defoe's path, but he was stretching and steered his finish wide.

Chelsea deserved a fourth goal, and it was fitting that Deco got it with two minutes to go, firing in from 25 yards via the hands of James, who should have done better.

Owner Roman Abramovich was all smiles at the final whistle as he revelled in the first impressions created by his new manager.

Sweet Daddy Williams

2008-08-14T10:25:00.001-04:00

...ya'll don't know anything about this!

Good Times!

Vote Me in 2008

2008-08-13T13:39:00.000-04:00

...it's the White House or bust. You see it!

Olympic Accident

2008-08-13T12:56:00.001-04:00

Be warned: not for the faint of heart.

Worst Political Ad Ever

2008-08-13T12:52:00.002-04:00

...McCain sinks to a new low. "Hot chicks dig Obama?" Are you serious? "He has soft eyes?" Really?

Horrible.

Rest Peacefully

2008-08-13T10:40:00.003-04:00

The New Kanye Joint

2008-08-13T10:33:00.002-04:00

Champion
by yardie4lifever2

Sometimes You Just Gotta Let It Out!

2008-08-07T15:16:00.000-04:00

...dedicated to ___________________.

You See It - He Doesn't Age!

2008-08-07T11:31:00.001-04:00

...this post very reluctantly dedicated to several unamed fans.

I Wish It Would Rain

2008-08-05T12:11:00.000-04:00

It doesn't get much better than this.

Disney Takes an "L"

2008-07-31T08:26:00.002-04:00

Epic. Fail.

The illest thing about the "teaser" is the minstrel crackhead firefly that comes in at the end sounding like Tyrone Biggums.

Horrible. With a mega capital "H."

Sermon of The Century

2008-07-30T09:15:00.000-04:00

...hands down. We have a winner!

It HAS To Be True!

2008-07-29T13:40:00.000-04:00

Wolverine: Origins

2008-07-28T14:42:00.001-04:00

...coming May 2009. You're welcome.

Source

The Worst Commercial of All Time

2008-07-28T13:51:00.001-04:00

...ladies and gentlemen, WE. HAVE. A. WINNER.

How Far

2008-07-28T10:59:00.000-04:00

...have the mighty fallen.

It's About Time!

2008-07-28T10:18:00.002-04:00

SEATTLE (AP) ― The Army formally apologized Saturday for the wrongful conviction of 28 black soldiers accused of rioting and lynching an Italian prisoner of war in Seattle more than six decades ago.

"We had not done right by these soldiers," Ronald James, assistant secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs, said Saturday. "The Army is genuinely sorry. I am genuinely sorry."

Relatives of the soldiers joined elected officials, military officers and one of the defense lawyers to hear James give the apology before hundreds of people in a meadow near the old Fort Lawton parade grounds and chapel in Discovery Park.

In addition, the soldiers' convictions were set aside, their dishonorable discharges were changed to honorable discharges and they and their survivors were awarded back pay for their time in the brig.

All but two of the soldiers are dead. One, Samuel Snow of Leesburg, Fla., planned to attend the ceremony but wound up in the hospital instead because of a problem with his pacemaker.

The convictions were overturned in October at the prodding of Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Seattle, largely based on the book "On American Soil" published in 2005 by Jack Hamann, a CNN and PBS journalist, and his wife Leslie about the riot on the night of Aug. 14, 1944, and subsequent events at Fort Lawton.

Dozens were injured in the melee that started with a scuffle between an Italian prisoner of war and a black soldier from the segregated barracks near the POW housing. A POW, Guglielmo Olivotto, was found hanged at the bottom of a bluff the next day.

The Army prosecutor was Leon Jaworski, who went on to become special prosecutor in the Watergate scandal of the early 1970s.

Forty-three black soldiers were charged with rioting and three also were charged with murder. Two defense lawyers were assigned to the case and given two weeks to prepare without ever being shown an Army investigation criticizing the way the riot was handled.

Hamann also wrote that at least two soldiers were threatened with lynching by Army detectives. When one witness said a "Booker T." was present at the riot but couldn't give any more detail, the Army charged two men by that name. Another was charged with rioting although white, black and Italian POW witnesses all said he tried to quell the disturbance.
In the ensuing trial 28 men were convicted.

One of those attending the ceremony Saturday, Arthur Prevost of Houston, said his father Willie, one of the convicted soldiers, never talked about what had happened.

"I think he was embarrassed," Prevost said. "I wished he had told us."
Snow's son, Ray Snow, told the gathering his father felt no animosity for the long-ago injustice.

"He was so honored" by the tribute, Ray Snow said. "We salute you for remembering a travesty that took place."

Ante Up!

2008-07-24T11:39:00.000-04:00

News For All The Bible Geeks Out There

2008-07-24T09:07:00.002-04:00

Two Words: Codex Sinaiticus.

The oldest known surviving copy of the New Testament gets the modern touch Thursday when parts of it go online for the first time.

The British Library plans to begin publishing the Codex Sinaiticus, a 4th century text handwritten in Greek, on its Web site. The Gospel of Mark and the Book of Psalms go online Thursday. The full manuscript is to be online in a year.

Translations of the Codex Sinaiticus have long been widely available, but publishing images of the manuscript online will let anyone see pages that, until now, have been viewed in detail mainly by academia.

As the Web site becomes operational, it will show photographs of each page of the text, with links to translations in English and German. There will also be a search function.

"It contains the earliest complete copy of the New Testament," said Scot McKendrick, the head of Western Manuscripts at the British Library.

While the Codex contains all of the New Testament, it also includes part of the Old Testament and originally contained the entire text of the Christian Bible. The manuscript also includes the Apocrypha, 14 disputed books of the Old Testament that are usually omitted from the Protestant Bible. It also includes two early Christian texts: the "Epistle of Barnabas" and the "Shepherd of Hermas."

The library announced plans three years ago to digitize the 1,600-year-old book, a tough job since pieces of the manuscript reside in four countries.

"It was a challenge, but it was ... also very exciting," said Juan Garces, the curator of the project.

Photographers took digital pictures of the text in United Kingdom, Russia, Germany and Egypt to put the entire manuscript online.

"It unites something that belongs together," he said.

The complete text once was housed at the Monastery of St. Catherine in Sinai, Egypt, before it came to the attention of a German scholar, Constantine Tischendorf, in the 19th century. He took parts of it to Germany and Russia. The British Library later bought several hundred pages from the Russians.

Digitizing the text is a windfall for scholars, but the main goal was to make the Codex available to everyone.

"It makes it accessible, and it opens up to anyone who can access it via the Internet," Garces added.

Eventually, the manuscript will be translated into Russian and modern Greek.

"The user will come to the Web site and will be able to look at images of each page of Codex Sinaiticus, will be able to zoom in and out and look around the page and see the page lit in standard light." Garces said.

Stop. Your. Boy.

2008-07-23T11:20:00.001-04:00

Hold on to your seats people. The Jesse wants Barack's Nuts controversy ain't over. They say your boy Jesse also dropped a couple of N-bombs in previously unreleased footage from the hot mic conversation that caught him saying he wanted to cut Obama's nuts off. Rumors run the gambit from claiming Jesse called Obama a "no good half breed nigga" to him claiming, "Obama be trying to tell niggas what to do".

Let Your Pants Sag At Your Own Risk

2008-07-23T10:47:00.001-04:00

Dicks, who took over the department last month on an interim basis, announced that his officers would start arresting people wearing saggy pants that expose skivvies, boxer shorts or bare bottoms.

"Some people call it a fad," Dicks told the Free Press this week while patrolling the streets of Flint. "But I believe it's a national nuisance. It is indecent and thus it is indecent exposure, which has been on the books for years."

On June 27, the chief issued a departmental memorandum telling officers: "This immoral self expression goes beyond freedom of expression."

The crime, he says, is disorderly conduct or indecent exposure, both misdemeanors punishable by 93 days to a year in jail and/or fines up to $500.

Dicks, 41, broke down his interpretation of the laws as such: Pants pulled completely below the buttocks with underwear showing is disorderly conduct; saggy pants with skin of the buttocks showing is indecent exposure, and saggy pants, not completely below the buttocks, with underwear exposed results in a warning.

The American Civil Liberties Union is already scrutinizing the enforcement, something Dicks fully expected. But he said he's not backing down until the pants stop falling down.

Still, as of Tuesday, no one had been arrested for saggy pants.

"We want to put the word out before we take aggressive action," he said.

On Monday, a Free Press reporter and videographer rode with the chief as he confronted teens sporting the sag look. He issued verbal warnings to several people and said the style also gives police probable cause to search those wearing no-rise jeans.

As he drove through Flint's north and east sides, he flipped on the flashing lights of his departmental-issued Chevy Tahoe as he stopped a shirtless young man walking in the streets with saggy shorts and exposed boxers.

"Did you hear about the law?" the chief asked.

"I heard about it the other day," the man responded.

"I'm gonna issue a warning. I need you to get a belt because it's indecent exposure," the chief said to the twentysomething man on Delaware and N. Franklin.

During another stop, Dicks marveled at the steps a man took to wear his pants low.

"This guy had a belt on but he'd rather have his belt on around his thighs than above his waist," he said. "If no one tells him it's against the law, he'll never know."

Different opinions
Flint is often called one of the most violent cities in America, however in recent years, it has seen a drop in homicides.

A city of about 120,000, dwindling jobs and a dwindling population has left an aging, retired sector, older blue collar workers, a few middle-age professionals and youths. And depending on who you talk to about sagging, those within each generation don't necessarily put their pants on the same way.

"If I pay for my pants, I should be able to wear them how I want to," said 16-year-old Montez Phifer, taking a break from playing hoops in the city Monday. "Everyone thinks it's gangster, but it's a fashion. Nothing more."

His friend, Lorenzo Johnson, 14, said his mother warned him about the chief's stance on sagging.

"I pulled them up to respect her," he said. "When she left I pulled them back down."

Another friend Senita Abrams, 18, said: "I think it's cute when boys sag."

Down the street, 32-year-old Saneka Nichols weighed in.

"The sagging is out of control," she said. "It went from a style to a disruption. The chief has a good idea. I'm not saying people should go to jail, but maybe they should do community service.

"If you don't want to pick up your pants, pick up for the neighborhood. How's that sound?"

Greg Gibbs, a lawyer and chair of the ACLU Flint chapter, said the crackdown sounds like a "vast waste of resources."

"We are concerned that the enforcement of the chief's memo may lead to some constitutional violations on a case-by-case basis due to the failure of his memo to define what constitutes indecent exposure," Gibbs said. "From a First Amendment standpoint, I still have to crack the books to find out what the courts have said on this issue."

Flint's not the first city to take a look at policing the exposure of underwear. Pontiac, Auburn Hills, Atlanta and cities across the nation have debated the issue. But Dicks makes the assertion that wearing pants below the waist can give police probable cause to search saggers for other crimes, such as weapon and drug possession. He said because sagging is a crime, it presents probable cause for police to search saggers.

The sagging style
Dan Henson knows all about the style of sagging. He's a manager at Mr. Alan's clothing store in Hamtramck and a former sagger himself. He said customers frequently come in to buy large-fitting pants that sag.

"I stopped when I was around 21," he said of wearing his pants low. "But this style has been around for a long time. I think the rap videos and music industry have a lot to do with it. I don't think this style is going anywhere."

Michigan ACLU Executive Director Kary Moss said race could become an issue if the chief aggressively enforces the law.

"We will wait and see if this new policy is enforced before we decide to take action.," she said in a statement. "We will be concerned if the policy disproportionately affects African Americans."

Dicks also scoffed at any suggestions that any enforcement unfairly targets black men and teens.

"This is not a black issue. This is an issue that's all walks of life," said Dicks, who is black. "Many people from different ethnic backgrounds and races are doing this fad."

McCain-Romney 2008?

2008-07-23T10:15:00.001-04:00

Amid increasing buzz John McCain will pick a candidate for vice president this week, a source close to former Bay State Gov. Mitt Romney say he is “near the top of a very short list” of Big Mac’s choices.

The Republican presidential contender whipped up speculation about an impending VP decision but declined to give a straight answer during his New Hampshire visit yesterday.

“We’ll announce when we’re ready to announce,” McCain said when asked at a stop in Epping, N.H., if he had decided who would share his ticket. He had grinned coyly when asked about a vice presidential announcement in an earlier media scrum.

Political analysts said this week could be the best choice for McCain to make his pick public to recapture the headlines from Barack Obama’s overseas trip.

“The timing is probably right. He’s got the convention coming up and you want to announce your choice before then, and right now all the press is covering Obama and this would break that cycle,” said Andrew Smith, director of the University of New Hampshire’s survey center.

Jeff Beatty, a Harwich Republican challenging U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry, sent a letter to McCain yesterday urging him to choose Romney.

“He and Mitt Romney are the two best people suited to deal with the biggest challenges facing our country - national security and the economy,” Beatty said.

Romney, however, is far from the buzz - vacationing with his family on Lake Huron in Ontario, according to spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom.

“There’s a lot of speculation going on, but Gov. Romney expects to be campaigning for John McCain as a supporter of the ticket and not as a member of it,” Fehrnstrom said in a statement.

McCain also plans to meet today with Louisiana Gov. Robert Jindal, another vice presidential possibility. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist has also been floated as a possible VP choice.

Jeff Grappone, local spokesman for McCain, declined to say whether the Arizona senator will make an announcement this week.

“John McCain is the campaign’s lone spokesperson on the vice presidential selection process,” Grappone said.

I (Heart) Cupcakes

2008-07-23T09:48:00.002-04:00

...jacked from Crunk and Disorderly. Enjoy.

And, We're Back Like Bell Bottoms

2008-07-22T11:17:00.001-04:00

It has been a busy two weeks for The Cool Kids, but now we are back. As you know mainitaing a blog is hard work - really hard work.

Thank you for all of your emails and support. We really appreciate it.

Sincerely,

The Cool Kids

Your Daily Dose of Aw Hell Naw

2008-07-07T12:07:00.002-04:00

This Is Why THEY Don't Like Us To Sing

2008-07-03T14:48:00.000-04:00

Batman Begins

2008-07-03T14:28:00.000-04:00

...yes, you are VERY welcome.

Nick Cannon Is GlitterBoy

2008-07-03T14:16:00.001-04:00

...with all the rumors about him being Mariah's pet, glitterboy seems....perfect!

Bush Gets Cold Shoulder

2008-07-03T14:05:00.001-04:00

...I don't know why, but this is just SO funny to me!

Your Daily Dose of Negro Please

2008-07-02T13:28:00.000-04:00

RENO, Nev. (AP) _ Dennis Haysbert likes to believe his portrayal as the first African-American U.S. president on Fox's "24" may have helped pave the way for Barack Obama.

"If anything, my portrayal of David Palmer, I think, may have helped open the eyes of the American people," said the actor, who has contributed $2,300 to the Illinois Democrat's presidential campaign.

"And I mean the American people from across the board _ from the poorest to the richest, every color and creed, every religious base _ to prove the possibility there could be an African-American president, a female president, any type of president that puts the people first," he said Tuesday.

Haysbert, who now stars on "The Unit" on CBS, made his comments to reporters during a teleconference call promoting the upcoming American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe.

Haysbert, who also played Nelson Mandela in the 2007 film "Goodbye Bafana," said his role as President Palmer seemed to "confuse people" who would approach him on the street "every day, almost every hour, and ask me to run."

"I still, even after three seasons into `The Unit' playing Sgt. Maj. Jonas Blaine, I'm still asked by people on the street to run," he said.

Haysbert, 54, said he recently stopped for dinner south of Los Angeles with his daughter in Dana Point, Calif., a town he described as "very wealthy, very white and very Republican."

"I go into this little restaurant with that demographic and a lady comes up to me and says, `You know, I want to vote for you,'" he said. "I don't know if it is a joke or that people just like to say those things. But to me, for them to say it out loud means they are thinking about it."

Makes Me Wanna Holler

2008-07-02T09:46:00.001-04:00

THIS. IS. NOT. MADE. UP.

Anne Lu - Celebrity News Service News Writer
Los Angeles, CA (CNS) - "Tropic Thunder" wants America to taste Booty Sweat. Paramount Pictures has announced plans to release a real version of the energy drink that appears in the upcoming comedy film.

To help promote the comedy action flick, the movie studio is planning to market Booty Sweat, the fictional energy drink that appears in the film, in the real world.

The movie stars Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black as actors who were unwittingly left in an actual war zone so that the director can finish the film even after it had been shut down by a studio boss.

Michael Corcoran, president of consumer products at Paramount, tells Advertising Age, "Not to my knowledge has this ever been done before. We're very excited, because it has the potential to live for quite a while, well beyond the film."

Unlike its name, the actual Booty Sweat will taste like bubbly cherry, according to Paramount licensing director Tammy Stockfish. IT will be available at retailers including Hot Topic, Hastings, Wherehouse and Coconuts, Amazon.com, and college bookstores nationwide.

"Tropic Thunder" is scheduled for release on August 15.

Bond. James Bond.

2008-07-01T14:28:00.000-04:00

Black Republicans - Radio Ad

2008-07-01T13:45:00.002-04:00

“Bitter is what Obama called blacks and whites who love God. Racist is what Obama called his white grandmother who raised him and made sacrifices so Obama could get a good education and become a millionaire. Obama’s friends are terrorist Bill Ayers and Rev. Wright who said innocent Americans deserved to die on September 11th. Obama is an arrogant elitist who turned his back on poor blacks and his own country.”

I just publish 'em people - I don't endorse 'em.

The Return of The Beautiful Game - Chelsea Style!

2008-07-01T11:51:00.001-04:00

Deco, bitches.

Chelsea have signed Portugal midfielder Deco from Spanish giants Barcelona on a two-year deal for a fee of about £8m.

The 30-year-old was recently told by Barca's new coach Pep Guardiola that he did not feature in their future plans.

"It is good for me to be here and first of all I am very happy to be here," Deco told Chelsea's official website.

Deco becomes the Blues' first signing since Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari was appointed manager earlier this month.

However, his signing is Chelsea's second of the summer after international team-mate Jose Bosingwa.

Brazil-born Deco joined Barcelona from Porto in 2004 after helping the Portuguese side win the Uefa Cup, Champions League and domestic league titles under former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.

606: DEBATE
Chelsea will get 4 good years out of Deco who is one of the best playmakers about

mickmcmillan
He won two league championships with the Catalan giants, and was part of the team that beat Arsenal in the Champions League final in Paris in 2006.

However, a series of injuries hampered him during the 2007-08 season, and he made just 14 starts in Barcelona's La Liga campaign.

"I am sure I have come at the right time to do great things and be able to help Chelsea go back to the way it was and come back to being the first one, not only in England but also to win the Champions League that has been their dream for so long," added Deco.

"The Premier League is a great league and it is getting better and you can see that with the Champions League final, where you had two English teams."

Deco's arrival significantly boosts a midfield line-up already featuring the likes of Frank Lampard, Michael Ballack, Michael Essien, Jon Mikel Obi and Claude Makelele.

Deco's arrival looks like hastening the departure of Frank Lampard

BBC football correspondent Jonathan Legard
"It is great that we have so many great players here at Chelsea and it is great that there is the competition which is healthy for everybody and this just makes the team better," he added.

"To have great players in any position of the club just enhances the club. I know it is a new challenge but I am looking forward to it."

BBC Radio 5 Live football correspondent Jonathan Legard said that Deco caught the eye in Scolari's midfield during Euro 2008 more than team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo.

"A two-year deal suggests he is not a long-term building block. He will be 31 in August but his winners' pedigree, Champions League triumphs with Barcelona and Porto will balance recent fears about fitness and consistency," said Legard.

And Legard believes Deco's arrival makes Lampard's possible exit to Inter Milan even more likely.

"Deco's arrival looks like hastening the departure of Frank Lampard, who has done little to quell long-term speculation that he is bound for a reunion with Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan.

"Barring a last-minute change of heart on both sides it's a question of when he signs in Italy, not if."

Hitting ROC Bottom

2008-06-30T11:30:00.001-04:00

Yes We Can!

2008-06-27T10:08:00.001-04:00

Send Barack Your Baby!

2008-06-25T12:01:00.001-04:00

Source

Alicia Keys Killed It At The BET Awards

2008-06-25T10:39:00.001-04:00

I Love Japanese Game Shows

2008-06-24T10:20:00.001-04:00

Open Mouth. Insert Foot. Repeat

2008-06-24T09:48:00.002-04:00

NEW YORK - Months after returning to the radio with a pledge to mend the wounds caused by his comments about a women's basketball team, Don Imus is once again defending on-air remarks regarding race.

During an on-air conversation Monday about the arrests of suspended Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam Jones, Imus asked, "What color is he?"

Told by sports announcer Warner Wolf that Jones, who used to be nicknamed Pacman, is "African-American," Imus responded: "There you go. Now we know."

In the face of criticism that ensued, Imus said Monday that he had been misunderstood.

"I meant that he was being picked on because he's black," Imus said in a statement released by his spokesman.

The on-air exchange came six months after Imus' return to work on a new show on WABC-AM following his firing from MSNBC and CBS Radio for making a sexist and racially charged comment about the Rutgers University women's basketball team. When he returned to work, Imus gave a lengthy on-air apology and pledged to use his new show to foster an open dialogue on race relations.

Before Imus offered his explanation Monday, civil rights leader Al Sharpton criticized the remark, saying his National Action Network would look into it.

"I find the inference of his remark disturbing because it plays into stereotypes," Sharpton said in a statement. "We will determine in the next day or so whether or not his remark warrants direct action on our part."

Sharpton was one of the chief critics who successfully pushed for Imus' firing from his televised radio show in April 2007.

WABC and Citadel Broadcasting Corp. Vice President Phil Boyce said Imus would explain his comments on his Tuesday morning show and said it was unlikely the broadcasters would take disciplinary action.

Boyce said Imus had explained himself in a private conversation Monday afternoon and the explanation was satisfactory.

"I think some people may be misunderstanding what he meant," Boyce said.

Jones' attorney did not immediately respond to an e-mail.

Rutgers University women's basketball spokeswoman Stacey Brann said there was "no need to revisit the past" and wouldn't comment further.

On Monday's show, Imus and Wolf were discussing Jones' request Saturday that people stop using his nickname. Wolf explained Jones was suspended from the NFL following a shooting at a Las Vegas nightclub, and he added that Jones had been "arrested six times since being drafted by Tennessee in 2005."

Imus' next words were, "What color is he?"

Nate Dogg News

2008-06-24T09:40:00.001-04:00

...the king of the rap hook tried to run wifey off the road. Horrible.

Nate Dogg was arrested this morning for trying to run his ex wife off the 405 in L.A.:

“Cops [have reported that] a woman who said she was Nate’s estranged wife called into 911 freaking out as she was driving, claiming Nate was making death threats against her and ‘dangerously’ following her as she drove down the road. The CHP stopped them both, and after interviewing both parties, arrested him for making terrorist threats and driving on a suspended license.”

The Pentatonic Scale and Amazing Grace

2008-06-24T08:44:00.000-04:00

Awesome!