SOME IN GOP SLAM BOEHNER FISCAL CLIFF PROPOSAL, ALREADY REJECTED BY OBAMA: President Obama held to his stance in an interview with Bloomberg Television yesterday (December 4th) that any proposal to avoid the "fiscal cliff" must allow the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans to expire. Meanwhile, showing the tough spot House Speaker John Boehner is in, some conservative Republicans slammed the proposal he'd put forward the day before as going too far, a proposal that the White House had already
rejected for giving too little. Republican Senator Jim DeMint of
MORE
Cairo, continuing demonstrations that have been ongoing since Islamist President Mohammed Morsi last month issued decrees giving him near-absolute power and the rushed-through adoption by his allies of a controversial draft constitution. There were also protests in
Islamist control over everyday life. A nationwide referendum on the constitution is set for December 15th, but the country's judges have already said they won't fulfill their usual role of overseeing the vote, hurting its legitimacy.
FRAIL DOLE RETURNS TO SENATE FOR DISABILITIES VOTE THAT FAILS: A frail former Senator Bob Dole was back on the Senate floor yesterday (December 4th) in a wheelchair, the 89-year-old Kansas Republican who served as his party's Senate leader for 11 years until he stepped down in 1996, the year he was the GOP's presidential nominee, there to show his support for a treaty on disabilities, which ultimately failed to pass. Dole had recently been
hospitalized, but felt strongly enough about the U.N treaty banning discrimination against people with disabilities to come to the Senate personally. Democratic Senator John
Kerry acknowledged Dole's presence, saying the World War Two veteran who was left with permanent disabilities after being wounded was there to advocate for the treaty and ensure that disabled American veterans are treated with dignity and respect. The treaty is nonbinding and is based on our nation's Americans with Disabilities Act, but conservatives argued it could potentially interfere with parents' ability to homeschool their disabled children, a fear
that proponents said was unfounded. In the end, only a handful of Republican senators sided with all the Democrats, the vote falling short of the two-thirds needed in the Senate to approve a treaty.
RUBIO SAYS JUST FINISHED PAYING OFF STUDENT DEBT: Republican Senator Marco Rubio of
college -- the only reason -- was because of federal grants and loans. But when I graduated from law school, I had close to $150,000 in student debt." Rubio, who had a prominent speaking position at Mitt Romney's Republican National Convention at the end of August, is considered to be a potential 2016 presidential candidate.
- President Obama has talked about his own student loans, saying he and wife Michelle only paid theirs off in 2004, the year Obama rose to national fame on the strength of his 2004 Democratic National Convention speech.
AARP LAUNCHES DATING WEBSITE: AARP is looking beyond Social Security and Medicare policy and senior discounts when it comes to helping the over-50 population it serves, launching an online dating channel and dating website. The organization's Nataki Edwards told
that a quarter of AARP's 37 million members are single, and many have been asking for help in this area. AARP is also offering dating tips for its mature membership on its dating channel, suggesting, for instance, not spending the first date talking only about children and grandchildren or aches and pains.
- There are other dating websites targeted at this age group, including OurTime, which bills itself as the premier online 50+ dating service.
EARLIEST KNOWN DINOSAUR BELIEVED DISCOVERED: Researchers believe they've discovered the earliest known dinosaur, with the evidence having been in
that lived about 245 million years ago, 10 to 15 million years earlier than any previously discovered fossils. The dinosaur, which was about the size of a Labrador Retriever, has been named Nyasasaurus parringtoni, after
CHECK IT OUT:
- What the dinosaur might have looked like: http://tinyurl.com/b5xdqt9
who was listed by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest person, died Tuesday (December 4th) in a
MORE INFORMATION RELEASED ABOUT JOVAN BELCHER MURDER-SUICIDE: More information was revealed yesterday (December 4th) about the murder-suicide involving Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher, who killed his 22-year-old girlfriend and mother of their 3-month-old daughter early Saturday (December 1st) before taking his own life. According to a report in the Kansas City Star, Belcher and Perkins had argued early Saturday morning after being out separately the night before. According to the Associated Press,
police found Belcher asleep in his car outside an apartment building at nearly
Belcher stayed at that apartment until 6:30 a.m., and when he got back home, he and Perkins argued, with Belcher's mother, who was staying with them, hearing her son say something like, "You can't talk to me like that" before fatally shooting Perkins. According to the Star, Belcher then leaned over Perkins, said he was sorry, and kissed her on the forehead. Next he
apologized to his mother, kissed his daughter, and drove to the team's headquarters, where he killed himself in front of GM Scott Pioli and head coach Romeo Crennel, who tried to talk him out of it. As police got closer, Belcher said, "I got to go...I can't be here," kneeled down and shot himself in the head after making the sign of the cross.
NBA's New Orleans Hornets Changing Their Name to the Pelicans: Yahoo! Sports reported Tuesday (December 4th) that the NBA's New Orleans Hornets are expected to change their name to the Pelicans as early as next season, citing what is said were numerous
sources. The Hornets have planned to change their name since Tom Benson, the owner of the NFL's New Orleans Saints, bought the team in April. Why the Pelicans?
downplaying the story, however, with USA Today reporting that the team isn't confirming or denying that Pelicans will be the new name. Instead, Hornets spokesman Harold Kaufman said, "Any name and color changes are controlled by the NBA and that process has yet to take shape."
GUITARIST CONFIRMS COMPLETION OF NEW
disc will follow up 2009's Black Gives Way To Blue, which ended a 14-year gap between studio efforts for the group and featured singer/guitarist William DuVall. Cantrell said, "In my opinion, that record stood up to anything else we've put out in our career and this new one is right up there, as well."
- Alice In Chains began working on new material in 2011, but the sessions for the album were delayed when Cantrell had to undergo shoulder surgery.
- He said that the pressure in following up Black Gives Way To Blue was like "having to deal with the sophomore jinx for the second time in our career."
- Alice In Chains all but faded from the scene after the release of its self-titled third album in 1995. Staley's death in 2002 seemed to seal the band's fate as well.
- But Cantrell, drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Inez regrouped in 2006 with DuVall, first for several tours and then eventually to create new music.
- Although no official release date has been confirmed yet for the new album, it has likely that the disc may make its debut in early 2013.
The Machine has not played live since headlining its own L.A. Rising festival show in
that that gig could well have been Rage's last. Asked if he had any idea what direction Rage may take in the future, Morello said, "There's no plans, no current direction of anything, so I guess the answer is no. It was my great hope that we'd celebrate the 20th anniversary with a five-continent world tour."
Rage did reissue its 1992 self-titled debut last month in a deluxe box set that includes the remastered album, original demos, tons of live footage on
Morello said, "Whether or not we ever play music again in any capacity is unknown. I'm grateful for the music we played together."
- One day after announcing that Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl's debut as a film director, Sound City, will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival next month, a new
trailer for the documentary has been released. The film tells the story of
Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California, where acts such as Nirvana,
Metallica, Tom Petty and many others recorded some of their
most famous albums. The movie features new interviews with many of the
musicians as well as freshly recorded collaborations by a number of them.
(Antiquiet) - Speaking of Foo Fighters, the band was on hand along with Kid Rock and Lenny Kravitz to pay musical tribute to Led Zeppelin at the Kennedy Center Honors on Sunday night (December 2nd), where the British rock behemoth was honored for its
contributions to popular culture. When Foo Fighters played, however, Grohl
decided to swap places with drummer Taylor Hawkins, getting behind
the kit himself while Hawkins took on lead vocals for versions of
"Black Dog" and "Rock And Roll." The Kennedy Center
Honors show will air on CBS at - The new short film Wounded Warriors, featuring Korn vocalist Jonathan Davis, will make its online premiere on Wednesday (December 5th) at MonsterEnergy.com, with the film also set to reach 34 million homes and military bases around the world with a May 2013 debut on the Pentagon Channel. The documentary, which premiered at the GI Film Festival Hollywood last month, follows
stationed there or in transit from
truly grateful for every single one of them." (Harddrive Radio) - Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has revealed that the debut album from side project Atoms For Peace, titled Amok, will be released on February 25th. Songs set to appear on the disc include "Default," "Before Your Very Eyes," "Stuck Together Pieces," "Judge Jury And Executioner," "Reverse Running" and four others. Yorke said about the group, which also features Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, "Atoms is a ongoing and open ended project, where it leads I know not for certain . . . which is what is nice about it."
CHECK IT OUT: Watch the brand new trailer for
And here's the trailer for Wounded Warriors:
BILL MURRAY
SIGNS ON FOR 'GHOSTBUSTERS 3': Harold Ramis has
confirmed that Bill Murray has
officially signed on to be in the third Ghostbusters movie. He had
reportedly dropped out of the film but called Ramis in the middle of the night
one night to say he would participate.
LIFETIME'S
'AN AMISH MURDER' WILL PREMIERE IN JANUARY: Neve Campbell's
project for Lifetime called An Amish Murder is set to premiere in
January. It follows a detective who grew up Amish who returns home to to her
community to solve a series of murders.
FORBES
RELEASES LIST OF MOST OVERPAID ACTORS: Eddie Murphy, Katherine
Heigl, and Reese Witherspoon have made the list of
The list is based on what each star was paid compared to what the movie made at
the box office.
FIRST
has been released. The film will close the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. Take a
look: http://usm.ag/UmQ4MH
FRANKIE
MUNIZ SUFFERS A STROKE:
26-year-old Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz is in an
"mini-stroke." It is still unclear what caused the stroke but a
friend told TMZ that the actor was having trouble speaking and
understanding words before he was rushed to the ER on Friday (November 30.)
account on Tuesday (December 4) revealed that Anderson Cooper is recovering from temporary blindness. He was on assignment in
struck him in the eye.
IS ANGELINA JOLIE RETIRING FROM ACTING? Angelina Jolie may still be getting some plum roles in
Jolie explained that she would probably have to be home managing the kids once they
hit their teenage years and that she has found her human-rights work to be a
bit more rewarding than acting. She expressed how grateful she is for her
career but said, "If it went away tomorrow I would be very happy to be
home with the children. I wake up in the morning as a mom and I turn on the
news like everybody else and I see what's happening and I want to be part of
the world in a positive way."
- Angelina is currently working on a live-action retelling of Sleeping Beauty called Maleficent
CHRISTMAS DISPLAY PORTRAYS SANTA AS A DEER HUNTER: An
compared with Dr. Seuss's "Grinch." (Patch.com)
CHECK IT OUT
- Another local display shows Santa urinating (with yellow Christmas lights) - http://bit.ly/SKSUeu
WHAT
fir. (UPI)
AN EEL CAN POWER CHRISTMAS
and used it to power a sequencer. The sequencer operates circuitry that flashes
the lights, fast or slow, based on the level of voltage he puts out." The aquarium's director of public relations and marketing, Angie Hyde, said, "Visitors can visually and audibly experience the power of our electric eel and get a real sense of how amazing this creature is. We thought we'd put a festive twist on it for the holidays which has been a huge hit with our members
and visitors." Their holiday tree, with lights powered by the eel, will be on display through New Year's Eve. (SaltLakeCity.About.com)
CHECK IT OUT
- A photo of the eel-powered tree - http://bit.ly/RA5Kzp
FACEBOOK "DEFRIENDTION" APP NOW AVAILABLE: A new app allows you to post a public note to your friends' Facebook wall, timeline, and news feed that informs them
of what they have done to offend you. It's called the "Defriendtion" app, and to use it you add it to your Facebook account and then fill out a form. The form allows one to call-out the offender, say why you found their post offensive, and put them on "notice" for a period of time. (The Stir)
Check out the "Defriendtion" app form here: http://tinyurl.com/bu7mj6u
1) Rap makes you more creative. Spontaneous lyrical improvisation engages your
brain's prefrontal cortex region, which is responsible for creative thought,
finds a new National Institutes of Health study. With those parts of your brain
fired up, you're more likely to experience new insights or bursts of
creativity, the study suggests.
2) Classical music helps you focus. Brain scans conducted by
is surprised by an unanticipated chord or harmony - helps engage and sharpen
brain regions responsible for attention and anticipation, the study authors
say.
3) Fast tunes boost your speed. Music helped cyclists bike faster for
longer periods and reduced game-day jitters among basketball players, according
to two recent studies from
central nervous system for activity while simultaneously helping to distract
your mind from discomfort or difficulty, the research suggests.
4) Your favorite song really does make it all better. Listening
to music that moves you triggers the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter in
your brain that also heightens the pleasure you get from sensual experiences
like food and sex, finds a study from
the music must give you chills, the study authors explain. So whether it's the
theme to Shawshank Redemption or fun.'s rousing "We Are Young", throw
on your favorite inspirational tune to heighten the mood with your girlfriend -
or the taste of a good ol' cheeseburger.
5) Certain chords can heal you. Patients who listened to mellow music
before, during, and after surgery reported reduced pain and anxiety and
required less sedative medication, according to a
emotionally. The result? Distraction from your pain, says study author Lori
Gooding, Ph.D., director of music therapy at
Brickman, or Burt and Joe Wolff - they're proven pain reducers, says Gooding.
6) Singing could be good for your health. Researchers found that
hospital employees who took part in a choir program reported both improved
health and greater engagement at work. Why? Social bonds formed during cultural
activities (like singing) have a positive effect on your perceived well being
and general health, says study author Jonas Vaag, a clinical psychologist at
Nord-Trøndelag Health Trust in
endorphins, which boost your feelings of happiness and pleasure, finds a recent
NEW INVENTION HELPS LOCATE ANYTHING USING A
lost possession, or even a pet or child. The app helps users track down the sticker, and can be set to alert the user whenever a sticker moves a predetermined distance from their phone. The stickers are about the size of a quarter and can produce sound and light when they are paged. They can be detected by the phone app up to 100-feet away and run on a battery similar to a watch battery. (Daily Mail)
IS MURDER CONTAGIOUS? New research suggests murder is contagious and spreads like a virus would through populations. Researchers used the same techniques that public-health officials use to track the spread of diseases, but instead applied them to homicides in
to violence as a defensive measure. (Huffington Post)
30 COOL GIFTS FOR WINOS: http://tinyurl.com/bcnft2y
THE HEALING POWERS OF PINE TREES (Fox News)
- An extract for what ails you. In the 1940s, a French researcher named
Jacques Masquelier discovered that pine bark and needles contain vitamin
C.That researcher went on to test French coastal pine trees (Pinus
maritima) and learned that they're loaded with beneficial antioxidant
compounds called flavonols and bioflavonoids. He extracted the compounds
with hot water and patented his discovery as Pycnogenol. Now marketed as a
dietary supplement, Pycnogenol - which has been used as a jet lag remedy -
has also been studied for its ability to ease circulatory problems, knee
pain, and menstrual cramps; it may even improve memory in the elderly. - A scent for stress relief. In one study, researchers at the
pine-forest strolls one day, compared to a control day when they didn't
walk. Volunteers rated their mood on a standard psychological scale. Their
hostility and depression scores decreased significantly after walking.
What's more, the more stressed-out the volunteers were to begin with, the
greater the relaxation they experienced. While most of us don't have
access to ancient Japanese pine forests, we can fake the same emotional
effects by taking a stroll through a local Christmas tree farm - or by
using essential oils such as balsam or silver fir, spruce, pine, or Scotch
pine. Traditional aromatherapy recommends these forestry evergreen oils for
soothing bumpy emotions and easing stress. Simply shake a few drops on
your pillow or even onto a tissue. Breathe in deeply and slowly, relax,
and visualize walking through a piney glade. - Oils for Bronchitis or chest coughs. Pine also provides gentle relief for colds and
congested sinuses. Add three drops of pine essential oil to a bowl of hot
tap water, cover your head with a towel, and inhale the steam through your
nose and mouth. - A massage for sore muscles. Add five drops of pine oil (P. pinaster) to
two tablespoons of vegetable oil and use it to massage away muscle aches
and pains. (Caution: Don't use Scotch pine oil - P. sylvestris - on the
skin, as it may be irritating.)
