news can affect you in the way you respond itnews can affect you in the way you respond ithot news about sex, relationship, politics, economics, entertainment, movies, business, finance, musics, health, sports, automotive and more Articles
Report: China trying to crack U.S. computers, buy nukes
2008-03-04 09:48:00 By Mike MountMarch 04, CNNWASHINGTON - The Chinese military continues to increase spending on efforts to break into U.S. military computer systems, expand its Navy, and invest in intercontinental nuclear missiles and weapons to destroy satellites, according to the latest U.S report on China 's military power.The annual report from the Pentagon to Congress says China's total military spending in 2007 was between $97 billion and $139 billion, but it is hard to tell exactly how much was spent and on what.In comparison, the U.S. military budget request for 2008 is $481.4 billion, not including war requests.Pentagon officials said a chunk of China's spending went to cyberwarfare, because 2007 saw several "intrusions" believed to be from the Peoples Liberation Army. In the incidents, unclassified U.S. military computer systems were broken into and information was taken, according to Pentagon officials.While the information taken was not classified, Pentagon officials said the worry is t... More About: Computers , Report , Crack , Nukes
Sexual Revolution Sweeping China?
2008-03-04 09:04:00 By Associated PressMarch 04, FoxnewsBEIJING — The no-tell motels in Beijing's university districts pulsate with sex.Every weekend, lusty college couples make a beeline past greasy spoon restaurants and bootleg video game shops for the dim hotel lobbies to book three-hour blocks of privacy. Students fill half the simple but tidy rooms at the Cheng Lin Ming Guang Hotel, a 10-minute walk from Beijing Normal University.China is in the midst of a sexual revolution, a byproduct of rising prosperity and looser government restrictions on private life. The relaxed attitudes about sex mark a historic turnaround from the days when love and sex were denounced as bourgeois decadence, and unisex Mao suits and drab austerity were the norm.But the revolution is taking place largely behind closed doors, and the word "sex" — or "xing" (pronounced shing) is spoken only among close friends, and then usually in a whisper.As a result, sex education has not kept up with sexual activity, with some un... More About: Revolution , Sexual
Nurse guilty of killing patients
2008-03-04 08:46:00 March 04, BBC NewsA nurse has been found guilty of murdering elderly patients in his care at two Leeds hospitals.Colin Norris, 32, had denied killing the four women at Leeds General Infirmary and St James's Hospital in 2002 by injecting them with insulin.Norris, of Egilsay Terrace, Glasgow, was also convicted of the attempted murder of another patient.The family of one of his victims, Ethel Hall, has called for an inquiry into Norris's killing spree.The trial heard suspicions were raised when Norris predicted the death of Mrs Hall who soon afterwards slipped into a fatal coma.Mrs Hall, 86, from Calverley, Leeds, was recovering after hip surgery at Leeds General Infirmary (LGI) at the time of her death.Tests later showed about 12 times the normal level of insulin in her blood, which the prosecution claimed was caused by injections from Norris.Police then looked into other patients' deaths and discovered that three more elderly women had slipped into hypoglycaemic comas and died wh... More About: Patients , Nurse , Guilty , Killing
Remote control works on the blink of an eye
2008-03-04 02:25:00 By Miwa Suzuki in TokyoMarch 04, News.com.auDON'T read too much into it if someone winks at you in Japan – a researcher has developed a system that will soon let people run their iPods with the flick of an eye.The system, comprising a single-chip computer and a couple of infrared sensors, monitors movements of the temple and is so tiny that it can be built into the side of a pair of eyeglasses.Closing both eyes for one second starts an iPod, while blinking again stops the machine. A wink with the right eye makes the machine skip to the next tune while with a wink of the left eye it goes back.As a person does not have to move either hand, the system can serve as "a third hand" for caregivers, rock-climbers, motorbike drivers and astronauts, as well as people with disabilities."You don't have to worry about the system moving incorrectly as the system picks up signals when you close your eyes firmly. You can use this when you're eating or chatting with someone," said the device's... More About: Remote Control , Works , Control , Remote , Blink
Will dams again rise across the West?
2008-03-04 02:22:00 Environmentalists urge conservation instead, but some officials weigh ideaMarch 03, MSNBCSPOKANE, Wash. - The West ern states’ era of massive dam construction — which tamed rivers, swallowed towns, and created irrigated agriculture, cheap hydropower and environmental problems — effectively ended in 1966 with the completion of Glen Canyon Dam.But the region’s booming population and growing fears about climate change have governments once again studying construction of dams to capture more winter rain and spring snowmelt for use in dry summer months.“The West and the Northwest are increasing in population growth like never before,” said John Redding, regional spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in Boise. “How do you quench the thirst of the hungry masses?”The population of the Western states grew nearly 20 percent in the 1990s, to more than 64 million, and continues to swell even as climate change poses new threats to the water supply.Read more this news quotep... More About: Rise
Gold hits 4th straight record, silver at 27-year high
2008-03-03 11:48:00 By Lewa PardomuanMarch 03, ReutersSINGAPORE - Gold edged closer to the $1,000 an ounce mark on Monday, setting a record high for the fourth straight day after the dollar tumbled and crude oil held near an all-time high.Silver jumped to $20 an ounce for the first time since November 1980 to track gold. Platinum and palladium held near their recent highs, while a firming yen ignited selling in yen-denominated Japanese precious metals futures.Gold jumped as high as $984.60 an ounce, partly driven by purchases from Japanese speculators who took advantage of the dollar's drop to a three-year low against the yen. Gold was last quoted at $973.30/973.75 in New York on Friday.Gold has gained around 18 percent in 2008 as investors shift some of their money into the precious metal on expectations of more interest rate cuts in the United States, volatile stock markets and fears of rising energy costs."Everybody talks about $1,000. There's Japanese buying. It's cheaper for them to buy," said ... More About: High , Hits , Record
Teaching Boys and Girls Separately
2008-03-03 10:04:00 By ELIZABETH WEILMarch 02, NY TimesOn an unseasonably cold day last November in Foley, Ala., Colby Royster and Michael Peterson, two students in William Bender’s fourth-grade public-school class, informed me that the class corn snake could eat a rat faster than the class boa constrictor. Bender teaches 26 fourth graders, all boys. Down the hall and around the corner, Michelle Gay teaches 26 fourth-grade girls. The boys like being on their own, they say, because girls don’t appreciate their jokes and think boys are too messy, and are also scared of snakes.The walls of the boys’ classroom are painted blue, the light bulbs emit a cool white light and the thermostat is set to 69 degrees. In the girls’ room, by contrast, the walls are yellow, the light bulbs emit a warm yellow light and the temperature is kept six degrees warmer, as per the instructions of Leonard Sax, a family physician turned author and advocate who this May will quit his medical practice to devote himself full... More About: Girls , Teaching , Boys
R rating for games dismissed as 'porn'
2008-02-29 11:49:00 By Chloe Lake, Technology EditorFeb 29, News.com.auTHE head of Australia's videogames industry body says there is a way to solve the R18+ videogame rating issue but the South Australian attorney-general has dismissed it as "pornography".Ron Curry, chief executive of the Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia, said an R18+ rating could still be introduced into federal legislation.The issue will be discussed for the first time since 2005 at the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General (SCAG) next month.South Australian Attorney-General Michael Atkinson has reaffirmed his opposition to an R rating, which would prevent the full consensus required for legislative change.However, Mr Curry said a classification can still be banned in one state even if it is permitted in Australia."In Queensland, they don't allow X-rated publications," he said"Although it is legal federally."Read more this news quotephoto: Illicit pixels ... a promo image for Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness, rat... More About: Games
Exploring Small Stories of the Great War
2008-02-29 11:13:00 By MICHIKO KAKUTANIFeb 29, NY TimesWith her new novel, “Life Class,” Pat Barker returns to the subject of World War I — a subject that earned her immense acclaim in the 1990s with her “Regeneration” trilogy (“Regeneration,” “The Eye in the Door” and “The Ghost Road”), an artful improvisation on the lives of the poets Siegfried Sassoon, Wilfred Owen, Robert Graves and their compatriots, which unfurled into a fierce meditation on the horrors of war and its psychological aftermath.After several intriguing but lumpy novels set in the present or near-present, it becomes clear to the reader that World War I resonates with Ms. Barker with special force, for “Life Class” possesses the organic power and narrative sweep that her recent books with more contemporary settings lack.Perhaps it’s that Ms. Barker’s tactile ability to conjure the fetid horror of the trenches and the field hospitals has little applicable use in describing daily life in modern-day Britain.... More About: Stories , Great , Small , Exploring , Great War
Prince Harry: Diana Is Looking Down on Me
2008-02-29 07:36:00 Feb 28, PeopleMore details are emerging about Prince Harry 's time fighting in Afghanistan – including his heartfelt thoughts about how his mother Diana would have felt."Hopefully she would be proud," the 23-year-old royal told reporters, including the U.K.'s Press Association, during his time on the front line fighting Taliban forces. "She would be looking down having a giggle about the stupid things that I've been doing, like going left when I should have gone right, finding myself in an awkward position earlier today."His thoughts were echoed by brother William. "William sent me a letter saying how proud he reckons that she would be," Harry adds. "You know, it's one thing that I don't necessarily think about the whole time because I've got the guys to worry about. You worry about yourself, you worry about the blokes you're looking after, you worry about the blokes that you're not even looking after."Harry's deployment in Afghanistan was publicly confirmed on Thursday af...
Yao's Injury May Keep China's Favorite Athlete Out of Olympics
2008-02-27 12:29:00 By Wing-Gar ChengFeb 27, BloombergChinese sports fans may spend the next five months tracking medical bulletins after Yao Ming suffered a stress fracture in his left foot that might keep him out of the Beijing Olympics .The Houston Rockets said yesterday the 7-foot-6 Yao will miss the rest of the National Basketball Association season because of the injury. He'll be sidelined for about four months before beginning his rehabilitation in the weeks leading up to the Aug. 8 opening ceremony in Beijing.Yao's loss would deprive the Olympics host of one of its most recognizable sports stars internationally and most popular domestically. It would also harm China's chances of winning its first basketball medal and, according to the player, represent the biggest setback of his career.``If I cannot play for my country in the Olympics this time, that would be my biggest loss,'' Yao, 27, said at a news conference late yesterday.Interest in basketball in China has spiraled since the Rockets s... More About: Injury , Favorite , Athlete
Starbucks Takes a 3-Hour Coffee Break
2008-02-27 11:05:00 By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUMFeb 27, NY TimesAt Starbucks stores across the country on Tuesday night, it was time for the corporate version of re-education camp.In its campaign to revive the intimate, friendly feel of a neighborhood coffee shop, Starbucks orchestrated the closing of 7,100 of its American stores at precisely 5:30 p.m. for a three-hour retraining session for employees.It was an exacting enterprise. At a store on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the drink-making employees, known as baristas, were told to dispense espresso into shot glasses instead of cups. They were urged to check the color of each shot. They were urged to pay more attention to the particularities of steaming milk.A handout labeled “Espresso Excellence” informed them that “without aeration, the milk screams and lacks sweetness.” And: “The perfect milk requires surfing the tip of the steam wand until the sound is SSHHHH.”Read more this news quotephoto: A training session on Tuesday at a Starbucks ... More About: Coffee , Break , Coffee Break , Hour
Jackson faces Neverland auction
2008-02-27 08:30:00 Feb 27, BBC NewsPop star Michael Jackson could lose his Neverland ranch if he fails to pay nearly $25m (£12.5m) that he owes on the sprawling California property.If Mr Jackson does not pay more than three months' arrears on the property it will go to auction on 19 March, a Santa Barbara official told the BBC.The reclusive singer has not lived at the property since his acquittal on child molestation charges in 2005.He bought Neverland in 1987 intending to create a fantasy-land for children.Read more this news quotephoto: Neverland ranch 2003 (Getty Images) More About: Auction , Faces
Google winner as Microsoft and Yahoo face off
2008-02-27 06:54:00 By Daisuke Wakabayashi - AnalysisFeb 27, ReutersSEATTLE - Neither Microsoft Corp nor Yahoo Inc wants to blink first in the software giant's proposed $41.7 billion takeover of the Web pioneer but as the gamesmanship drags on, archrival Google Inc, the merger's raison d'etre, is the biggest beneficiary.Not much has progressed since Microsoft offered to buy Yahoo on February 1, a proposal that was rebuffed by Yahoo's board as undervaluing the company. Microsoft has countered by saying its offer was fair and urged the board to take a second look.The union of its two biggest Web rivals could eventually loosen Google's grip on online search and advertising, but a messy takeover battle followed by a complicated integration could give Google ample time to build on its advantage."Google benefits if Yahoo is in a state of limbo," said RBC Capital analyst Jordan Rohan. "The longer the uncertainty persists, the greater lead Google has in online advertising."Read more this news quotephoto... More About: Face , Winner
Why DVR Viewers Recall Some TV Spots
2008-02-26 11:11:00 NBC Study Tracks What Is Absorbed In Fast ForwardBy STEPHANIE KANGFeb 26, The Wall Street JournalWhat do Matt Damon and an animated piece of phlegm have in common? Viewers seem to remember them especially well, according to a new test that measured what people recall about TV ads, even when they're zapping through them.The test is part of a continuing effort by General Electric's NBC Universal to measure the effectiveness of television ads that viewers skip through with their digital video recorders. The bottom line: Viewers still remember the spots -- or at least some elements of them -- even when they're watching at up to six times the speed of regular live TV.Tracking biometric measurements such as eye movements, heart rate and sweat, the study found that the ads people concentrated on the most and recalled the most shared several traits. The most successful ads concentrated the action and the brand's logo in the middle of the screen, didn't rely on multiple scene changes, a... More About: Recall , Spots
Oil Falls From Record $100.10 on Speculation Stockpiles Gained
2008-02-20 02:58:00 By Christian SchmollingerFeb 20, BloombergCrude oil fell from a record $100.10 a barrel in New York on speculation that a U.S. Energy Department report will show stockpiles rose for a sixth week.Supplies probably gained 2.28 million barrels in the week ended Feb. 15 from 301.1 million barrels, according to the median of responses in a Bloomberg survey. Inventories will rise as refiners are closed for repairs and upgrades as U.S. heating- fuel use slows and before warmer weather spurs an increase in gasoline demand.Crude oil for March delivery dropped as much as 90 cents, or 0.9 percent, to $99.11 a barrel in after-hours electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It traded at $99.30 at 9:10 p.m. in Singapore.Yesterday, futures soared $4.51, or 4.7 percent, to settle at $100.01 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It was a record closing price and the first time Nymex futures have closed above $100 a barrel. Futures reached $100.10, the highest intraday price sin... More About: Record , Falls
Ailing Castro steps down as Cuba’s leader
2008-02-19 11:09:00 Revolutionary icon, not seen in public since '06, ruled for 49 yearsFeb 19, MSNBCHAVANA - Ailing leader Fidel Castro resigned as Cuba’s president early Tuesday after nearly a half-century in power, saying in a letter published in online official media that he would not accept a new term when the newly elected parliament meets on Sunday.“I will not aspire nor accept — I repeat I will not aspire or accept — the post of President of the Council of State and Commander in Chief,” read the letter signed by Castro and published quietly overnight without advance warning in the online edition of the Communist Party daily Granma.The new National Assembly is meeting Sunday for first time since January elections to pick the governing Council of State, including the presidency Castro holds. There had been wide speculation about whether he would accept a nomination for re-election to that post or retire.Read more this news quotephoto : Fidel Castro gestures during a three-hour speech i... More About: Leader , Steps
Internet sex predators 'aren't who you think'
2008-02-19 04:38:00 By Julie Steenhuysen in ChicagoFeb 19, News.com.auDESPITE popular myths, the typical online predator does not pose as a teen and lure victims into face-to-face meetings to abuse them, according to new research.Rather, they tend to be adults who make their intentions of a sexual encounter quite clear to vulnerable young teens who often believe they are in love with the predator.And contrary to the concerns of many parents and politicians, the US researchers found that social networking sites such as Facebook or MySpace do not appear to expose teenagers to greater risks."A lot of the characterisations that you see in internet safety information suggests that sex offenders are targeting very young children and using violence and deception against their victims," said Janis Wolak of the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire."Especially since social networking sites became popular, people are suggesting that these offenders are using information to st... More About: Internet , Predators
Lindsay Lohan Poses Nude – as Marilyn Monroe
2008-02-19 04:30:00 By Stephen M. SilvermanFeb 19, PeopleIn what is likely her greatest role to date, Lindsay Lohan plays Marilyn Monroe between the sheets – literally – in the new spring fashion issue of New York magazine.Recreating Monroe's legendary 1962 final photo shoot for Bert Stern with the veteran lensman himself, Lohan posed for the spread on Feb. 5 at the Hotel Bel-Air.When it came to being nude before the camera, "I was comfortable with it," says Lohan, 21 (Monroe was 36 in 1962, the year she died) – though Lindsay does admit to having done "250 crunches" the night before the shoot.There was also no avoiding the parallels between Monroe's tragic fate – dead from an accidental overdose of prescription medicines – and that, recently, of Heath Ledger's."They are both prime examples of what this industry can do to someone," says Lohan.Read more this news quotephoto: Lindsay Lohan, in homage to Marilyn Monroe (courtesy Bert Stern for New York Magazine)
Taking Play Seriously
2008-02-19 03:04:00 By ROBIN MARANTZ HENIGFeb 18, NY TimesOn a drizzly Tuesday night in late January, 200 people came out to hear a psychiatrist talk rhapsodically about play — not just the intense, joyous play of children, but play for all people, at all ages, at all times. (All species too; the lecture featured touching photos of a polar bear and a husky engaging playfully at a snowy outpost in northern Canada.)Stuart Brown, president of the National Institute for Play , was speaking at the New York Public Library’s main branch on 42nd Street. He created the institute in 1996, after more than 20 years of psychiatric practice and research persuaded him of the dangerous long-term consequences of play deprivation. In a sold-out talk at the library, he and Krista Tippett, host of the public-radio program ‘‘Speaking of Faith,’’ discussed the biological and spiritual underpinnings of play.Brown called play part of the ‘‘developmental sequencing of becoming a human primate. If you look at wha... More About: Taking
US orders massive recall of beef
2008-02-18 12:32:00 Feb 18, BBC NewsThe US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has ordered the recall of 143m lb (64.9m kg) of beef - the largest meat recall in the country's history.It comes from a company in California, which officials said allowed meat from cattle unable to stand at the time of slaughter to enter the food chain.But the USDA said the health hazard was minimal. Much of the meat was purchased for federal nutrition programmes.The meat-packing plant is also being investigated for animal cruelty.The USDA had suspended operations there after an undercover video came to light showing crippled and sick animals being mistreated.CautionThe USDA recalled frozen beef products from the Westland/Hallmark Meat Co in Chino, dating back to 1 February 2006.The move surpasses a 1999 recall of 35m lbs of ready-to-eat meats, officials said.Some of the beef was destined for federal welfare assistance programmes, as well as some major fast-food chains.But officials said most of the recalled meat has probabl... More About: Recall , Beef , Orders
Toyota unveils first car under new cost-cut scheme
2008-02-18 12:23:00 By Chang-Ran Kim, Asia auto correspondentFeb 18, ReutersTOKYO - Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T: Quote, Profile, Research) on Monday took the wraps off its remodeled Crown sedan, the first car to incorporate the cost-cutting strategy that the automaker hopes will help it save at least $2.8 billion a year.Toyota began work three years ago on the ambitious plan, called "VI" for Value Innovation, which seeks to lump some of the tens of thousands of car components together to form modules and systems. Analysts have been keen to see the fruits of the scheme for hints to its impact on the car's price, features and eventually the competitiveness of parts suppliers.The 13th incarnation of the high-end Crown series features many examples of cost-cutting measures under the VI plan, enabling Toyota to cap the car's price while packing more safety and other features compared with the previous generation, the company said."We were able to enhance the car's cost performance through the VI efforts,"... More About: Cost
Computer Intelligence Will Outpace the Human Brain By 2030
2008-02-18 05:22:00 Get ready, you mortal, the Matrix needs you!By Bogdan Botezatu, Hardware EditorFeb 18, SoftpediaThe computers will become more intelligent than the human beings within the next 20 years, if the computer industry keeps up with the actual progress. Scientific futurologists claim that the next 50 years will bring 32 times more technical progress than the entire 20thcentury.One of the most important achievements of the next 20 years will be artificial intelligence that will reach the human capacities. American computer guru Ray Kurzweil claims that the machines will rapidly become more intelligent than humans. The apocalyptic scenarios are out of discussion, and Dr. Kurzweil claims that their intelligence will be put to work in order to solve some of the most challenging problems of the 21st century.Kurzweil is one of the computing pioneers that could be called a technology prophet. He is deeply related to multiple fields of computing, such as optical character recognition, optical stor... More About: Intelligence , Computer , Human , Brain , Human Brain
Nostalgia and fireballs in Street Fighter IV
2008-02-18 03:28:00 By Edwina Gibbs in JapanFeb 18, News.com.auLINING up for an hour and a half may seem like a long wait to pick a fight, but for those in the gaming industry the unveiling of Street Fighter IV was a chance to throw a few fireballs down memory lane and try out some new moves.Game developer Capcom, which will release the first version of the classic fighting game in almost eight years to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the original Street Fighter 's debut, said it was hoping to draw back old fans of the game and hopefully their kids as well.To that end, Street Fighter IV is most like Street Fighter II, the most popular version of the game that was released in the early 1990s, with the emphasis more on tactics and strategy than difficult gameplay techniques."Later Street Fighters became complicated and were very expert-focused. This is more accessible but still with plenty in it for experts," said Seth Killian, a Capcom events organizer and former Street Fighter champion.A new Stre... More About: Nostalgia
Toshiba considering abandoning HD-DVD format
2008-02-18 03:04:00 Feb 18, Channel News AsiaTOKYO: Japan's Toshiba is considering abandoning its HD-DVD format as it is losing the battle for market dominance against rival Sony's Blu-ray format, an industry source said on Monday.Toshiba is reviewing its HD-DVD business and "a complete withdrawal is one of the options it is considering", the source said.The move came after top US retailer Wal-Mart on Friday drove another nail into the coffin of HD-DVDs by announcing it would shift to exclusively selling movies on Blu-ray.Weekend reports said losses for the company could reach tens of billions of yen (several hundred millions dollars) if it decides on the pullout.The HD-DVD camp also includes Microsoft, Intel, Universal Home Studios, and Paramount Home Entertainment.The battle between the two incompatible DVD formats for next-generation DVDs is often dubbed as a replay of the VHS-Betamax battle between two types of video cassette tapes in the late 1970s and early 1980s.Wal-Mart's decision came in th... More About: Format
Early Mars Too Acidic, Salty for Life, Experts Say
2008-02-18 02:54:00 Mars likely had liquid water early in its past—but it was probably too acidic and oxidizing for life, scientists say.Anne Minard in Boston, Massachusettsfor National Geographic NewsFeb 17, National GeographicThat's the latest news from the longer-than-expected visits to the red planet by NASA's rovers Spirit and Opportunity, said Andrew Knoll, a Harvard University researcher and member of NASA's Mars program."That's not a very good place to live, and it's a worse place for the kind of chemistry that we think gave rise to life on Earth," he said.Knoll and other Mars scientists presented their latest results in Boston Friday at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.Related findings will be published in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Geophysical Research—Planets.Martian GauntletSpirit and Opportunity have been traversing the Martian surface for nearly 1,400 Martian days—well beyond their expected life spans of 90 days apiece.The m... More About: Life , Mars , Experts , Early
Kosovo MPs proclaim independence
2008-02-18 02:32:00 Feb 17, BBC NewsKosovo 's parliament has unanimously endorsed a declaration of independence from Serbia, in a historic session.Celebrations went on into the night after Prime Minister Hashim Thaci promised a democracy that respected the rights of all ethnic communities.Serbia's PM denounced the US for helping create a "false state".A split later emerged at the Security Council, when Russia said there was no basis for changing a 1999 resolution which handed Kosovo to the UN.Seven Western countries said it was quite clear the situation had moved on.Tens of thousands of people had thronged the streets of Kosovo's capital, Pristina, since the morning. When news came of the declaration in parliament, the centre of the city erupted with fireworks, firecrackers and celebratory gunfire.Read more this news quotephoto: Kosovo Prime Minister Hashim Thaci (centre) shakes hands in parliament (17/02/08)/Getty Images More About: Independence
NIU shooter's girlfriend: No sign he was 'planning something'
2008-02-18 02:11:00 By Abbie Boudreau and Scott ZamostCNN Special Investigations UnitFeb 17, CNNWONDER LAKE, Illinois -- The girlfriend of the gunman who killed five people and then himself at Northern Illinois University last Thursday told CNN that there was "no indication he was planning something."art.baty.cnn.jpg"He wasn't erratic. He wasn't delusional. He was Steve; he was normal," Jessica Baty tearfully said in an exclusive interview Sunday.Baty, 28, dated Steven Kazmierczak off and on for two years and had most recently been living with him."He was a worrier," she said. He once told her he had "obsessive-compulsive tendencies" and that his parents committed him as a teen to a group home because he was "unruly" and used to cut himself.He had been seeing a psychiatrist, Baty said, and was taking an anti-depressant. But Kazmierczak had stopped taking the medication three weeks ago, "because it made him feel like a zombie," she said."He wasn't acting erratic," she said. "He was just a little qui... More About: Girlfriend , Planning , Sign
Michael Jackson: $30 Million Offer to Play London
More articles from this author:2008-02-15 07:47:00 By Roger FriedmanFeb 15, Fox NewsMichael Jackson had better wake up and smell the coffee. He’s got a real, solid, $1 million-a-night offer on the table to play London ’s Millennium Dome.AEG Live, as I told you a few weeks ago, wants Jackson to play its Millennium Dome in London. Sources tell me they’ve made him an extraordinary offer.The deal that’s been offered could total up to $30 million. It begins with a $10 million guarantee for 10 nights, with a maximum of 30 nights adding up to $30 million.The first grouping is all he has to do, though, just those 10 shows. With bump-ups, etc., he could gross around $17 million.It’s not a hard show to do, either. The proposal, as I’ve been told, is for Jackson to stage his bestselling album "Thriller" from beginning to end at each show. Then, for encores, he would add in several hits from "Off the Wall" and other albums.Read more this news quotephoto by AP More About: Play 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
|
 |
|
 |
