Beckham, Henry see chance to shock Man United


French playmaker Theirry Henry and English star midfielder David Beckham see their Major League Soccer All-Star squad in with a chance against Manchester United in their Wednesday matchup.
But both European stars admit pulling an upset will be tough.
"Man United is Man United. I think everybody, in a way, expects them to win," said Henry, the former Arsenal star who tops MLS scoring for the New York Red Bulls.
"We are going to try to cause an upset and see how we can do it. We all know it is going to be a difficult one, but we will try."
Beckham, in the final season of his contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy, is a former Man United star relishing the chance to face his former club.
"We have a chance on Wednesday. It will be tough," Beckham said. "It's never easy coming up against Manchester United, no matter where you play in the world. It's going to be a difficult game but it's going to be a game to enjoy."
Beckham, Henry see chance to shock Man UnitedThe Reds will bring star forwards Wayne Rooney and Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez plus top defenders Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic to face the best talent the American league has to offer.
"You don't get many opportunities to play against the likes of Wayne Rooney and Chicharito and so many other players that they've got," Beckham said.
"As much as we want to win the game it's important that we enjoy it."
Henry expects US fans will enjoy the experience as well.
"They are going to see some of the best players in the world," Henry said. "It's going to be a difficult game and we're going to try to keep the ball, which is not an easy one against them."

Cocaine: The evolution of the once 'wonder' drug

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The history of cocaine
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
  • Cocaine has been praised and cursed, through two frenzied cycles, a century apart
  • Freud used the drug for energy, and at the same time, to calm his nerves
  • Since a peak in the mid-'80s, cocaine use has dropped by about half
  • Whatever the stereotype, cocaine use today is dominated by addicts
(CNN) -- Long before drug cartels, crack wars and TV shows about addiction, cocaine was promoted as a wonder drug, sold as a cure-all and praised by some of the greatest minds in medical history, including Sigmund Freud and the pioneering surgeon William Halsted.
According to historian Dr. Howard Markel, it was even promoted by the likes of Thomas Edison, Queen Victoria and Pope Leo XIII.
It was an explosive debut that would be echoed a century later, when cocaine re-emerged as a different kind of miracle drug, the kind that could let you party all night long with no ill effects and no risk of addiction. Each time, the enthusiasm was misplaced and the explosion left a wreckage of human lives behind.
In 1884, Sigmund Freud was a young physician in Vienna, struggling to make a living even as he dreamed of being a world-famous medical pioneer. He just needed a discovery -- and he thought he had it.
"If all goes well," he wrote his future wife, Martha, "I will write an essay on it and I expect it will win its place in therapeutics by the side of morphine and superior to it. ... I take very small doses of it regularly against depression and against indigestion and with the most brilliant of success."
Dr. Howard Markel: Freud's cocaine problem
Freud wasn't the first to write about cocaine. The drug is derived from the coca plant, where natives in South America had been chewing the leaves for centuries.
By 1880, a number of companies had succeeded in creating a concentrated version: cocaine hydrochloride -- that would set the world reeling.
"It was tens to hundreds of times more powerful than chewing on a coca leaf," Markel says. "It was extremely pure and extremely powerful."
By 1880, a number of companies had succeeded in creating a concentrated version of coca leaves.
By 1880, a number of companies had succeeded in creating a concentrated version of coca leaves.
In the 1880s, medical literature consisted of case reports: doctors writing about their trial and error with individual patients. By the early 1880s, there were case reports on cocaine, many published in the widely read Therapeutic Gazette, which was published by Parke-Davis, cocaine's largest manufacturer.
According to Markel, Freud devoured these reports and set himself to writing the definitive tome. The result, in 1884, was "Uber Coca," 70 pages of tribute to the white powder that Freud thought could prove a cure for morphine addiction. ... Somehow in his rapture, he mentioned only in passing that the drug could also serve as a potent topical painkiller -- for which it is still sometimes used.
Halsted, then 32, was already a well-known surgeon in New York when he read Freud's paper and was immediately drawn to explore its uses as a painkiller. Aside from high rates of infection, surgery in the 1880s was a brutal business.
Ether and chloroform were used as anesthetics, but according to Markel, doctors and nurses would have to literally wrestle the patient to keep them down as they administered the choking gas.
Seeking a better method, Halsted began injecting cocaine into his own limbs, as well as those of friends, students and colleagues. While he discovered a valuable means of deadening nerve endings, the findings came at a high price. By the time a patient came in to his operating room a few months later, with a compound leg fracture, the surgeon was a physical and mental wreck.
Says Markel, "(Halsted) was so high on cocaine that he knew he couldn't operate. So he just left the scene, took a cab and went home, and stayed at his townhouse for the next seven months, high on cocaine."
No doubt there were many addicts like Halsted, but in large part their problems were hidden by a wave of positive publicity.
The drug was part of the pop zeitgest in the 1970s and thought to be an entirely safe drug.
The drug was part of the pop zeitgest in the 1970s and thought to be an entirely safe drug.
"There were all sorts of health claims being made," says Markel. "If you had a stomach ache, if you were nervous, if you were lethargic, if you needed energy, if you had tuberculosis, if you had asthma, all sorts of things. It was going to cure what you had. And this was how it was advertised, too. Not only by marketers who made these drinks, but by major pharmaceutical houses."
But back then, drugs weren't trapped behind pharmacy walls. Cocaine was sold in drinks, ointments, even margarine. The most popular product was Vin Mariani, a Bordeaux wine developed by a French chemist, with 6 milligrams of cocaine in every ounce -- nearly 200 milligrams in a typical bottle.
In Atlanta, a Civil War veteran named John Syth Pemberton created a copycat wine. Pemberton, who had become a morphine addict after suffering war wounds, was interested in cocaine as a treatment for morphine addiction.
He was also a shrewd businessman. When Fulton County, his Atlanta home, banned the sale of alcohol, he concocted a sweet, nonalcoholic version: Coca-Cola.
In Vienna, Freud's own health was deteriorating due to heavy cocaine use. He suffered an irregular heartbeat and severe nasal blockages. "I need a lot of cocaine," he confessed in an 1896 letter. Soon after, though, he swore off the drug. "The cocaine brush has been completely put aside," he wrote to a friend.
Freud may not have been truly addicted, but he wasn't alone in growing wary of the wonder drug. Says Markel, "By the early 1890s, the medical literature was filled with reports of people who had taken too much cocaine and now had become florid addicts to the stuff."
Halsted was one of them. But it didn't keep him from developing the radical mastectomy, as well as techniques that led to sharply reduced rates of complication and infection. Among other things, Halsted invented the rubber surgical glove.
The advertisements went away. By 1903, there was no more cocaine in Coca-Cola. By 1914, the drug was often seen as something for undesirables -- and often, mixed up in ugly stereotypes.
An infamous article in The New York Times, by the physician Edward Huntington Williams, warned of a new danger: "Negro cocaine 'fiends.' " Williams described a North Carolina police chief who claimed his regular ammunition had little effect on these drug users, and had switched to larger bullets.
Wrote Williams, "Many other officers in the South, who appreciate the increased vitality of the cocaine-crazed Negroes, have made a similar exchange for guns of greater shocking power for the express purpose of combating the 'fiend' when he runs amuck."
Later in 1914, Congress passed the Harrison Narcotics Act, banning the nonmedical use of cocaine, as well as other drugs, like marijuana. Cocaine's long career as an outlaw had begun.
Once banned, cocaine was largely off the radar, although Markel says there was an uptick in use during Prohibition. By the 1970s, the stories of criminals and addicts were largely forgotten.
With the forgetting came an explosion in use that would surpass the one a century before. Again, it started with the elite. "To be a cocaine user in 1979 was to be rich, trendy and fashionable," says Mark Kleiman, a professor of public policy at the University of California, Los Anegeles, and co-author of "Drugs and Drug Policy: What Everyone Needs to Know." "People weren't worried about cocaine. It didn't seem to be a real problem." Of course, it was a mirage.
The last straw for many was the 1986 death of Len Bias, the former University of Maryland basketball star who had just been drafted by the Boston Celtics. Bias died of a heart attack after a night of partying and cocaine use with friends.
As they had a century earlier, lawmakers responded with a ferocity that hit poor -- and nonwhite -- users hardest. In 1986 and again in 1988, Congress passed mandatory sentencing laws that led to an explosion in the U.S. prison population.
"Virtually every state, as well as the federal government, now has some mix of mandatory sentencing," says Marc Mauer, executive director of the Sentencing Project, a group that advocates for poor drug defendants. "Federal prosecutors will tell you it's supposed to be for the large-scale or most complex cases, but the reality is, it hasn't worked out that way."
The laws drew a sharp distinction between crack and powder use. The sale of 500 grams of powder cocaine was punishable by a five-year mandatory prison sentence; just 5 grams of crack would bring the same penalty.
It's a distinction with little rhyme or reason, says Mauer. "It's the same drug."
Since the peak in the mid-'80s, the number of users has dropped by about half, according to the most widely accepted studies. Cocaine use today is dominated by addicts, according to Kleiman, who estimates that 50% to 60% of all cocaine is consumed by people who have been arrested in the past year.
Cocaine has been praised and cursed, not through one but through two frenzied cycles, a century apart. And yet addictive drugs, not to mention the lure of any cure-all drug, can have a serious sway on perception.
Freud never acknowledged the role of cocaine in his physical ills, Markel says. "It's amazing what people will do to deny the dangers of the things they tend to like."

Gene Simmons proposes to Shannon Tweed on finale of reality show (Video)

Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed talk to OnTheRedCarpet.com in March 2010. - Provided courtesy of OTRC

Gene Simmons has finally proposed to longtime girlfriend Shannon Tweed, although it is unclear if she agreed to marry him.
The 61-year-old KISS rocker's proposal, which took place in Belize, is seen on the season 6 finale of the pair's A&E reality show "Gene Simmons Family Jewels," which aired on Tuesday, July 26 at 10 p.m. ET.
The episode, which is called "Belize It Or Not," was taped several months ago, People magazine reported on Tuesday. Simmons and Tweed, a 54-year-old former Playboy Playmate and actress, have been together for at least 28 years and have two children - Nick, 22, and Sophie, 18.
"I come with so much baggage," Simmons tells Tweed on a pier as ocean waves crash, as seen in a sneak peek video posted on Today.com (see below). "But you're the only friend I've got. you're the only one I've ever loved. you're the only one I love and you're the only one I will love. I've never said those words to anybody."
He then gets down on one knee and asks her to marry him. Tweed is seen putting her hand on her mouth and weeping. But her answer was not shown.
Some fans were far from amused.
"Got an 8wk old baby and i stayed up late to watch #genesimmons propose to @shannonleetweed and it didn't even show her answer! rubbish! lol." Twitter user atomikmomma said.
Tweed posted Twitter messages about the episode as it aired first on the East Coast.
"I love you all!!! See you in the fall!!!!" Tweed Tweeted after the show ended, later adding: "Trust me. It was the hardest decision I ever had to make. My whole life flashed before my eyes. Did you see how long I stood there? Mind racing.."
People reported on Tuesday that Tweed told the magazine in a recent interview that she had moved out of the family's home and that there was a "slim chance" of her reconciling with Simmons.
Tweed said on the season premiere of "Gene Simmons Family Jewels," which aired in June, that she was tired of Simmons' "wandering eye." The rocker has famously claimed to have bedded some 5,000 women.
The two bickered during an interview with Joy Behar on her HLN show that month and Tweed was seen storming out.
Also during the finale, Simmons is seen talking to his and Tweed's daughter, Sophie, about his upcoming proposal.
"I've known your mom a while," he says. "We've dated for 28 years. I'm an idiot. I thought maybe it's time she made an honest man out of me. I'm going to ask your mom to marry me. Is that okay with you? Can I marry your mom?"
His daughter replies: "I'm so proud of you."
Check out videos of Gene Simmons' marriage proposal to Shannon Tweed as well as his conversation with their daughter below.

Mapping the body: red blood cells

Red Blood Cells on Artery Wall
Red blood cells on an artery wall Photograph: Corbis Flirt / Alamy/Alamy
Surgeons have a more intimate relationship with blood than most. We dread losing too much of the stuff, and we often get covered in it. Last week, while operating on a patient under local anaesthetic, I cut through a vessel and ended up with two stripes across my face. It's no wonder that I have always been fascinated by red blood cells, or erythrocytes.
If you press firmly on one of your fingernails and then release the pressure, the nail-bed will blanch momentarily before pinking up again; it's a simple test used to assess perfusion – the extent to which tissues are adequately oxygenated. And it is the red blood cell that is responsible for this critical job.
When levels of oxygen in a person's tissue decrease – for example from exercise, trauma or disease – the kidney releases a hormone called erythropoietin. This stimulates the production of new red blood cells. Just as they are about to enter the circulation, the cells lose their nucleus making them incredibly light and bendy, and giving them their characteristic biconcave shape. By folding up like tiny umbrellas, they are now able to fit through the narrowest of capillaries, and so deliver essential oxygen.
Red blood cells contains large amounts of haemoglobin – the protein that gives blood both its colour and its oxygen-binding capacity. Each one lives for about a 120 days and travels an amazing 300 miles around the body

Norway attacks: 'No proof of UK link to Breivik'

Flowers and candles commemorate the victims on the lake shore facing Utoeya island, Norway, 26 July      Flowers and candles commemorate the victims on the lake shore facing Utoeya island  
Norway's domestic intelligence chief has told the BBC no proof has yet been found to link Anders Behring Breivik to right-wing extremists in the UK.
Mr Breivik, who admits Friday's bomb and gun attacks which killed at least 76 people, has written of meeting such groups nine years ago.
But intelligence chief Janne Kristiansen said she believed he had acted completely on his own.
Norwegian police have begun releasing names of victims.
They published four names, with more expected to follow later on Wednesday; others have been identified in Norwegian media.
The bomb in the capital Oslo targeted buildings connected to Norway's Labour government, while the mass shooting occurred at an annual Labour youth camp on a small island, Utoeya.
Mr Breivik has said he had wanted to inflict maximum damage on the party, which he accuses of failing the country on immigration, according to his lawyer.
The massacre prompted up to a quarter of a million people to take to the streets of Oslo on Monday to commemorate the victims.
A Norwegian cabinet minister, Administration and Church Affairs Minister Rigmor Aasrud, will make a symbolic return on Wednesday to her bomb-damaged office, Reuters news agency reports.
'Calculating and evil' "I can tell you, at this moment in time, we don't have evidence or we don't have indications that he has been part of a broader movement or that he has been in connection with other cells or that there are other cells," said Ms Kristiansen, who heads the Norwegian Police Security Service.
Anders Behring Breivik
Anders Behring Breivik leaves court, 25 July
  • Grew up in Oslo, son of a diplomat
  • Obsessed with "Islamisation of western Europe"
  • Likened himself to a Crusader knight
  • Wrote a manifesto detailing his attack plans
She said she did not think Mr Breivik was insane, as his lawyer has suggested.
Instead, she described him as calculating and evil, and someone who sought the limelight.
The lawyer, Geir Lippestad, said it was too early to say if his client would plead insanity at his trial, even though "this whole case indicated that he is insane".
"He believes that he's in a war and he believes that when you're in a war you can do things like that without pleading guilty," Mr Lippestad told reporters.
Norwegian police have defended the fact that it took armed units an hour and a half to reach Utoeya after the shooting began.
"I don't think we think we could have done this faster," Police Chief of Staff Johan Fredriksen said in Oslo.
Daily name release The names and addresses of four victims were published on Tuesday on the Norwegian police's website.
Norway attack victims
  • Tronde Berntsen
  • Tore Eikeland
  • Hanna M Orvik Endresen
  • Kai Hauge
  • Tove Ashill Knutsen
  • Gunnar Linaker
They were listed as Gunnar Linaker, 23; Tove Ashill Knutsen, 56; Hanna M Orvik Endresen, 61; and Kai Hauge, 32.
It is also known that Crown Princess Mette-Marit's stepbrother, Trond Berntsen, an off-duty police officer, was among those killed at the youth camp, as was Tore Eikeland, 21, who was named by Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg at a memorial service on Sunday.
Police chief Sveinung Sponheim said names would continue to be released at 1800 local time (1600 GMT) each day until all the victims had been identified and all relatives informed.
Mr Breivik, an anti-Muslim extremist, is facing terrorism charges and police are considering also charging him with crimes against humanity, which carry a possible 30-year sentence, a prosecutor has said.
He appeared in court on Monday to face charges of destabilising vital functions of society, including government, and causing serious fear in the population.
He accepted responsibility for the attacks but denied the terrorism charges, and was remanded in custody for eight weeks, the first four in full isolation and on suicide watch.

Amy Winehouse Joins the '27 Club' of Musicians Dying Young

http://images.contactmusic.com/dn/amy+winehouse_855_18493621_0_0_7009193_300.jpg
Amy Winehouse, the Grammy winning singer whose styles combined R&B, soul, and jazz, has joined a rather sad group of hard living, troubled musicians who have managed to die at the age of 27.
A report in the U.K. Daily Mail suggests that Winehouse's death may have been brought on by a combination of ecstasy, cocaine, and ketamine which she bought the night before her death. She was also observed to have been drinking heavily. This comes as no surprise, considering that Winehouse has had a long term problem with alcohol and drug addiction, as well as a recent breakup with her former director and lover.
Winehouse is not the only famous musician to have died at 27, however.
Brian Jones was a founding member of the Rolling Stones. Shortly after leaving the band, Jones was found at the bottom of a swimming pool at Cotchford Farm. His death was officially ruled as the result of "misadventure" but it was also noted that his liver and heart had been greatly enlarged by drug and alcohol abuse.
Janis Joplin, born in Port Arthur Texas, and a famous singer of the late 1960s, died of an apparent overdose of heroin possibly combined with alcohol. Joplin's career was as meteoric as her downfall, having been a pioneer for women in rock music, hitherto dominated by men. Her raspy, blues style was unique both then and now.
Just over two weeks before Joplin died, Jimi Hendrix, a former Army paratrooper who pioneered electric guitar music, died in his own vomit apparently as the result of sleeping pills combined with wine. Hendrix, remembered for his iconic Afro and colorful costumes on stage, is best known for the song "Purple Haze."
Jim Morrison of The Doors died in 1971, officially of heart failure, though no autopsy had been performed. Morrison was regarded as much of a poet as a rock musician and with The Doors produced some of the first music videos in history. Morrison was also a well known abuser of LSD, believing that it would open for him higher states of consciousness.
Kurt Cobain was the founding member and lead guitarist of Nirvana, and a pioneer of the Seattle based grunge rock style. Cobain struggled with drug addiction as well as clinical depression for most of his life. His 1994 death was officially ruled as suicide by shot gun, though the circumstances of his death are still hotly debated by fans of his music.

Why 3-D smartphones can be a big pain

A new study has determined why prolonged viewing of stereo 3-D displays on smartphones and desktop devices can lead to visual discomfort, fatigue and headaches. Researchers say these displays strain our eyes by forcing us to focus on the screens and simultaneously adjust to the distance of the content.
This conflict and its effect on viewers of stereo 3-D is referred to as "vergence-accommodation," according to a new Journal of Vision study.
"When watching stereo 3-D displays, the eyes must focus — that is, accommodate — to the distance of the screen because that's where the light comes from. At the same time, the eyes must converge to the distance of the stereo content, which may be in front of or behind the screen," explained Martin Banks, professor of optometry and vision science, University of California, Berkeley.
Through a series of experiments on adults, Banks and his team observed the interaction between the viewing distance and the direction of the conflict, and examined whether placing the content in front of or behind the screen affected viewer discomfort.
The results found that on devices such mobile phones and desktop displays that are typically viewed a short distance away, stereo content placed in front of the screen — appearing closer to the viewer and into the space of viewer's room — was less comfortable than content placed behind the screen.
Conversely, when viewing at a longer distance such as a movie theater screen and stereo content placed behind the screen — appearing as though the viewer is looking through a window scene behind the screen — was also less comfortable.
Discomfort associated with viewing stereo 3-D is a major problem that may limit the use of technology," Banks said. "We hope that our findings will inspire more research in this area."

Norway mass killer wants time in court to tell why

OSLO (Reuters) - Anders Behring Breivik wants to tell Norway and the world why he killed at least 93 people in a bomb attack and shooting rampage when he appears in court on Monday, his lawyer said.
People place flowers in front of Utoeya island northwest of OsloCalling himself a crusader against a tide of Islam in a rambling 1,500-page online manifesto, the 32-year-old mass murderer wants the opportunity to explain actions he deemed 'atrocious, but necessary'.
Lawyer Geir Lippestad said his client had admitted to Friday's shootings at a Labour youth camp and an earlier bomb that killed seven people in Oslo's government district, but that he denies any criminal guilt.
"He has been politically active and found out himself that he did not succeed with usual political tools and so resorted to violence," Lippestad told TV2 news.
"I await a medical assessment of him," he said.
The worst peacetime massacre in the normally placid country's modern history appears to have been driven by Breivik's mission to save Europe from what he saw as the threats of Islam, immigration and multi-culturalism.
Flowers are seen in front of Utoeya islandThat he deliberately surrendered to police when finally confronted on the tiny island of Utoeya after gunning down 86 youngsters underlines his desire to secure a public platform for his radical thoughts.
In other instances of gunmen going on killing sprees the perpetrators often commit suicide when the police arrive or actively provoke officers to shoot them dead.
"He has a message he wants to get across," criminologist Professor David Wilson told Britain's Sky News.
It was not clear how long Breivik will have to talk in court since the hearing will be about custody and he will not be required to enter a guilty or innocent plea.
Police played down a report in Norwegian media they had already decided to ask for the hearing, when a judge is set to remand him in custody, to be held behind closed doors.
"It's up to the judge to decide. It's not uncommon that the police will ask for it in advance but I don't know if the police will ask for that," Liv Corneliussen, a police prosecutor, told Reuters.
The issue could trigger a debate about freedom of expression with many Norwegians opposed to allowing a man who has shaken the nation's psyche the right to speak out.
Norwegian markets will open as normal, but the country will observe a minute of silence at midday (1000 GMT). An exact time for the court hearing has not been set, but it was likely to be after 1 p.m.
"He explains himself fairly calmly, but every now and then expresses emotion," Lippestad said of Breivik. "He buries his head in his hands."
"He has said that he believed the actions were atrocious, but that in his head they were necessary," adding his client did not feel he deserved punishment.
Police believe Breivik acted alone after becoming disenchanted with mainstream parties, even those that have gained popularity and parliamentary seats on anti-immigration policies in otherwise liberal and tolerant European countries, including affluent Norway.
IMMIGRATION
The attack was likely to tone down the debate on immigration ahead of September local elections, analysts said, as parties seek to distance themselves from Breivik's beliefs and reinforce Norwegians' view of themselves as an open, peaceful people.
Norway's immigrant numbers nearly tripled between 1995 and 2010 to almost half a million in a population of 4.8 million.
The sense that many were drawn by Norway's generous welfare handouts helped spur the growth of the Progress Party which became Norway's second biggest in parliament after the 2009 election on a largely anti-immigration platform.
Breivik was once a member of the party, but left complaining it was too politically correct. It was then he began scheming to "resist," burying ammunition more than a year ago, weight-lifting, storing up credit cards and researching bomb-making while playing online war games.
After three months of laboriously pounding and mixing fertilizer, aspirin and other chemicals on a remote farm, Breivik drove a hire car packed with the results to the center of Oslo on Friday, triggering the device outside government offices, killing seven and shattering thousands of windows.
He then drove to the small island of Utoeya, 45 km (28 miles) away, and dressed as a police officer calmly hunted down terrified youngsters attending a youth summer camp for the ruling Labour Party. The young people made desperate attempts to hide in the woods, under beds or leapt into the water and tried to swim to the mainland.
"This is going to be an all-or-nothing scenario," Breivik wrote in his English-language online journal on the morning of the attack. "First coming costume party this autumn, dress up as a police officer. Arrive with insignias:-) Will be awesome as people will be very astonished:-)."
"DUM-DUM"
A surgeon at a hospital that treated 35 of the wounded said "dum dum" bullets that cause maximum damage were possibly used.
"These bullets don't explode inside the body but fragment into pieces more quickly than other bullets," Colin Poole, chief surgeon of the Ringerike district hospital, told Reuters.
While Breivik gunned down victims on Utoeya, it took police a full hour to get a team of elite forces to the island after one boat, overloaded with officers and equipment, was forced to stop when it began to take on water.
Norwegian television managed to charter a helicopter and filmed the killer before the police showed up. When police did arrive, Breivik gave himself up without a fight.
"He had at that point used two weapons and had been, and was still, in possession of a substantial amount of ammunition," Johan Fredriksen, chief of staff at Oslo police. "Thus, the police's response has hindered further killing on the island."
At the custody hearing police can request an initial detention of eight weeks in solitary confinement with no access to news, letters or visitors, except a lawyer. Police have said a trial could be a year away.
The maximum jail term in Norway is 21 years, although that can be extended if there is a risk of repeat offences.
"In theory he can be in jail for the rest of his life," said professor of criminal law at the University of Oslo, Staale Eskeland.

Fake Apple stores found in Kunming city, China

Inside fake Apple store, Bird AbroadAt first glance the fake Apple stores look very like the real thing 
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An American blogger has discovered three fake Apple stores operating in Kunming city, China.
Pictures of the stores, their staff and a description of a stroll around them was posted on the BirdAbroad blog.
In the article, she writes about conversations with staff, many of whom were convinced that they were employed by the US electronics firm.
Apple has said it has no comment to make on the discovery of the counterfeit shops.
On her blog, BirdAbroad described the stores as a "beautiful ripoff - a brilliant one - the best ripoff store we had ever seen".
She describes how convincing the shop was at first glance because so much trouble had been taken to copy key elements of a real Apple store.
For instance, it has a winding staircase, upstairs seating area and employees wearing blue T-shirts and chunky ID lanyards.
Staff in fake Apple store Staff believe they are working in a real Apple store
Shoddy construction On closer inspection, wrote BirdAbroad, the store did not seem to be constructed to a particularly high standard.
The stairs appeared to be poorly put together, the walls were not painted properly and, most damning, it had the words "Apple store" written on the shop front.
"Apple never writes 'Apple Store' on its signs - it just puts up the glowing, iconic fruit," wrote BirdAbroad.
Research by the blogger revealed that the only official Apple stores in China are in Beijing and Shanghai.
The words "Apple store" do not appear on the signs of real Apple stores
Fake Apple store, Bird Abroad
A further check revealed that none of the three stores she found are mentioned on Apple's list of official resellers known to be trading in Kunming.
What was also unclear was where the fake store had got the Apple products on sale - whether they had come from an Apple distributor or a grey market source.
The blog entry mentioning the visit to the fake store has proved hugely popular and has gathered more than 500,000 visits in less than 48 hours.

Dominique Strauss-Kahn accuser gives first interview

Cover of Newsweek in which Strauss Kahn's accuser has given an interview Nafissatou Diallo told Newsweek that she has told the truth about the incident on 14 May
The New York hotel maid who accuses former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn of attempting to rape her in a hotel suite has given her first interview.
Nafissatou Diallo told Newsweek magazine that she has told the truth about the incident on 14 May.
The move comes as authorities consider whether to drop charges against him amid doubts over her credibility.
The French politician, 62, who resigned as head of the IMF to defend himself, vigorously denies all the charges.
He has said that what happened between he and Ms Diallo was consensual, and his lawyers have described the maid's interview as "unseemly".
Media campaign? Ms Diallo told Newsweek magazine: "I want him to go to jail. I want him to know there are some places you cannot use your power, you cannot use your money."
The 32-year-old immigrant from Guinea told the magazine that she was scared about losing her job when she eventually ran from the room where the incident allegedly took place.
But Mr Strauss-Kahn's representatives accused her of conducting a "media campaign" to persuade prosecutors to pursue charges against the former IMF chief, Reuters news agency reported.
He is charged with seven counts including four more serious felony charges - two of criminal sexual acts, one of attempted rape and one of sexual abuse - plus three misdemeanour offences, including unlawful imprisonment.
Strauss-Kahn allegations
  • 2006: Publication of Sexus Politicus, book by Christophe Deloire and Christophe Dubois, with chapter on Mr Strauss-Kahn and his tendency of "seduction to the point of obsession"
  • 2008: Mr Strauss-Kahn admits an affair with IMF colleague; he admits an "error of judgement"
  • 2011: Mr Strauss-Kahn arrested on 14 May in New York, accused of sexually assaulting a hotel maid
  • 16 May: Writer Tristane Banon comes forward to say Mr Strauss-Kahn tried to assault her in an interview nearly a decade before
  • 1 July: Mr Strauss-Kahn freed without bail from New York house arrest
But some US media reports say the case is close to collapse. Court prosecutors have said that the maid gave false testimony to a grand jury, citing inconsistencies in her account of the sequence of events on the day.
Mr Strauss-Kahn was released from house arrest on 1 July and had his $6m (£3.7m) cash bail and bond returned.
Meanwhile, French authorities are investigating allegations that Mr Strauss-Kahn attempted to rape French writer Tristane Banon a decade earlier.
Mr Strauss-Kahn denies any wrongdoing, and has launched a counter-claim, suing Ms Banon for making false statements.
Ms Diallo has also granted an interview to the ABC news network, excerpts of which are due to be broadcast on Monday.
Until she came forward for interview, her name had not been reported by media outlets which normally protect the identities of people who say they have been sexually assaulted.

Women's World Cup final: Japan beat USA on penalties

Highlights - Japan 2-2 USA (3-1 pens)
Highlights - Japan 2-2 USA (3-1 pens)
Japan beat USA 3-1 on penalties to become the first Asian nation to win the Fifa Women's World Cup.
Saki Kumagai scored the winning penalty after Ayumi Kaihori had saved two out of three American three spot-kicks.
Alex Morgan had opened the scoring with a low strike before Aya Miyama poked in the equaliser late in normal time.
Abby Wambach headed USA ahead in extra-time but Homare Sawa ensured a thrilling finale with a spectacular flicked effort at the near post.
The US will be heartbroken and annoyed that they did not manage to secure a record third World Cup having dominated for long periods in the match. But Pia Sundhage's side will rue their profligacy in front of goal, particularly in the first half.
Wambach was the biggest threat in that period and went closest when she crashed a vicious strike against the crossbar following a typical bulldozing run into the area.
Lively winger Lauren Cheney also went close on three occasions. First, she fired just wide at the near post before looping a header over. She then diverted Megan Rapinoe's delightful cross fractions off-target.
Atlanta Beat midfielder Carli Lloyd also should have done better when she smashed her shot over the bar from 14 yards after Shannon Boxx's ball into the area was cleared into her path.
USA striker Alex Morgan
Morgan scored USA's opener Japan, who had not beaten the USA in 25 meetings - losing 22 of those, looked to catch their opponents on the counter. That tactic paid dividends against hosts Germany in the quarter-final and semi-final opponents Sweden, but the USA defence had dangerwomen Nahomi Kawasumi and Kozue Ando well-marshalled for much of the half.
The surprise finalists did manage to breach the USA area once in the opening half, when fleet-of-foot Shinobu Ohno, playing in her second World Cup, slid the ball into the path of Ando who fell over as she struck what was a tame effort into the hands of goalkeeper Hope Solo.
The second half followed a similar pattern to the first, with USA the more threatening of the two sides.
Forward Morgan, who came on at half-time for Cheney, tried to make her mark within four minutes of setting foot on the pitch, when she stretched out a leg to poke a driven cross against the post.
The pacy 22-year-old had given the USA an alternative target to the physical and aerial threat of Wambach, and in the 69th minute she scored what, at that point, was the most important goal of her young career.
Midfielder Megan Rapinoe, whose delivery was exemplary on the night, launched a 50-yard pass over the top which Morgan latched onto before driving into the box and launching an angled drive past the reach of Ayumi Kaihori.
The youngster was close to tears as she slid to the ground and was embraced by her team-mates.
The USA seemed comfortably on course to victory with Japan dormant as an attacking force.
Japan's Homare Sawa
Sawa scored a sensational equaliser But with nine minutes remaining the Asian side woke up when Rachel Buehler and Alex Krieger failed to clear their lines allowing Miyama to smash the loose ball past Solo.
The USA were the stronger team in extra time and regained the lead at the end of the first period when Wambach headed in her 13th goal in world cup finals after connecting with Morgan's cross from the left.
But once again, resilient and stubborn Japan equalised when captain Sawa produced an audacious flick from a corner that left keeper Solo helpless.
USA pressed again in search for a late winner. Morgan was en route to scoring her second before she was brought down by Azuza Iwashimizu on the edge of the area, who received a straight red from referee Bibiana Steinhaus.
The free-kick came to nothing which was followed by the whistle to signal the end of extra-time.
A nervous-looking Shannon Boxx set the tone for USA's penalty kicks as she struck her effort straight at Kaihori. The Japanese keeper also saved from Tobin Heath while Carli Lloyd blazed over the bar. Wambach was the only player to find the back of the net but by this stage it was advantage Japan.
Norio Sasaki's side missed one but scored the all-important penalty when young defender Kumagai stayed cool to fire in a brilliant spot-kick high into net.

Facebook — The E-Commerce Mall and Bank of the Future?

Who knew? Facebook has a mall called Payvment with 60,000 retailers and is adding 400 a day, I learned from Chris Skinner at The Finanser.
Put together an online mall and a credit system such as Zynga, and you could wind up with a retail powerhouse running its own payment system, leaving banks to supply the payment utility but not much else.
Chris who writes about banking and runs the Financial Services Club in London and other cities in Europe, is an is enthusiastic, if often optimistic, early spotter of trends.  He notes that Facebook requires its credits be used for social games, like Zynga — Facebook takes a 30 percent cut of  the credits. Chris figures the social gaming earns Facebook about $1 billion a year…that’s just games, not any e-commerce, yet.
“If Facebook gets its act together for using Credits for Commerce, then they could be bigger than PayPal and Google. This is because, by 2020, Facebook – or it could be Google Circles or something else – will  be the internet.
“People will go there first and stay there, visiting all of the destinations these ecosystems offer and trading with them in their currencies.
“These social sites will house millions or even billions of people in a social ecosystem that embraces music, relationships, ideas, creativity, business … life basically.
“And where there’s life, there’s commerce.”
Take a look at his story for how this can play out for banks…not very well. Can you spell plumbing?
Chris says Facebook could offer 1 Facebook Credit as a bonus for every $10 spent with retailers on its mall.
Maybe, but this has been a long-time threat that doesn’t seem to have happened so far in mixed banking-commerce partnerships. Some years ago, after flying back to New York on Virgin and having spent time shopping at Tesco, I speculated at the great competitive advantage that a company offering consumer goods and banking services might have. After all, a bank can offer customers money (whatever happened to toasters?) in the form of discounts on loans or higher interest rates to reward multiple accounts. But really, is the difference between .25 percent rate on savings and .75 percent compelling? But if you are Virgin and can throw a $100 discount on a transatlantic seat that would otherwise be empty, you have a powerful incentive for customers and help fill planes without paying outside consolidators.

Women's Soccer Win a Boost of Morale for Weary Japan


Japanese soccer fans celebrate on the street in Tokyo after Japan beat the U.S. in their Women's World Cup final soccer match in Frankfurt, July 18, 2011.
Kim Kyung-Hoon / Reuters

It was a needed miracle. Japan's Women's World Cup win against the U.S. is not only one of the country's greatest sporting triumphs, it is a shot of welcome inspiration for a nation still reeling from the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster. "Even though the Japanese team is physically smaller than the Americans, they had the strong mentality to win," says Jun Hajiro, 36, amidst a wildly cheering crowd at one of Tokyo's top sports bars. "They played for Japan and our recovery."
With a level of technique that was as beautiful as it was lethal, the team lived up to its nickname "Nadeshiko" — or 'beautiful flower' — with a 3 to 1 win on penalty kicks during the match in Germany on Sunday. But with team members averaging just 5 feet 4 inches, "petite powerhouse" might be a more appropriate moniker. (See pictures of the women's world cup.)
As the clear favorites, the U.S. team had the advantage of height and speed, dominating the start of the game. Twenty-four minutes into the second half, the U.S. got the opening goal. But 12 minutes later, Aya Miyama tied the game. The second half ended in a draw sending the game into overtime. At 14 minutes into overtime, U.S. team favorite Abby Wambach scored with a header and gave U.S. a 2-1 lead, but again, soon after, Japan's captain and tournament MVP Homare Sawa pushed in another score bringing the game to a 2-2 draw that lasted until the end of the period.
"I can't believe it," Sawa, a five-time World Cup veteran, told reporters after the game. "We won because we never stopped fighting until the end. This has been my goal and now we can take home the gold trophy." During the following penalty shoot-out, Japanese goalie Ayumi Kaihori succeeded in blocking two U.S. kicks, giving Japan its first soccer championship. Japan had not won against U.S, the top-ranked, two-time champion, in their last 24 encounters. (Read more about the game.)
Coach Norio Sasaki's calm confidence helped push the team onward. "My girls really played their hearts out," he told the press after the game. "You never know which way it is going to go in a penalty shootout but we stayed cool. I am really surprised."
It was a joyous, unexpected surprise for most fans in Japan who had been happy enough that the team made the finals. "This is a turning point for Japan," said Kohei Kimizu, 28, shouting above the roar of a packed Roppongi crowd. "The U.S. has been ranked number one so we didn't think we could win. It's a great day for the country."
Though they were underdog at Frankfurt, the Japan squad has had its share of successes over the past 20 years. They placed fourth at the 2008 Olympics and have appeared in each of the six women's World Cups since 1991. They also had a win at the 2010 Asia Games in Guangzhou, China.
Incredibly, their rise has come with little financial backing. It was only five years ago that the Japanese Football Association (JFA) put more resources into women's soccer. Corporate sponsorship has been minimal; Japan's L. League is non-professional, unlike the U.S. Women's Professional Soccer League, and many players have had to hold down daytime jobs, with practice in the evenings, to make ends meet. There are only 25,000 girls registered to play youth soccer in Japan, compared with around 200,000 girls registered in California alone.
This win could give those numbers a boost. "The team looks so cool, and so beautiful at the same time," says Emi Murai, 29. "I'm sure they'll inspire many more girls to play soccer." Her husband Shintaro Takahashi, between exhuberant hugs with fellow fans and strangers, adds, "I've been following women's soccer since the 2008 Olympics." The display of affection, unusual in Japan, was infectious at a game like this, when so much emotion was riding behind it.
Coach Sasaki has time to build interest in the game. In Japan, soccer is played 365 days a year, not seasonally as in many other countries; training long and hard at any sport is a time-honored custom. Kids concentrate on only one sport, and the search for members of the women's national team starts at age 12. "Japan's women are strong, like the team," says Katsuhiko Ikeda, 56, as he steps out of the bar into the morning sunshine at the end of the game. "Now the men will have to improve."

Social Networking Site: Google+

Social Networking Site: Google+
F or years now, I’ve been wondering why Google hadn’t made a proper social networking play. Aside from search and advertising, look at its services: Gmail, Blogger, YouTube, Docs, Sites, Maps, Calendar, Shopping, Picasa (picture storage), Picnik (picture editing), Groups, Books, Scholar, Questions, its Chrome OS and browser, not to speak of the Android OS for cellphones, some developed on its own, some from acquisitions. Put them together, and you pretty much have all you need. Except that Google seemed reluctant to put them together.
Instead, we saw Wave, which didn’t exactly disturb the waters, Buzz, a sort of Twitter me-too, which soldiers on obscurely in a tab in our inboxes, and most recently, the +1 button, which works like Facebook’s ‘Like’ button.
Now, finally, the search behemoth is in, with the Google+ Project, launched on June 28 in a ‘limited field trial.’
G+, as we’ve already abbreviated it, requires a free Google ID, which is easily got usually, but not exclusively, by signing up for Gmail. If you use a Google service, you would have noticed some changes, most notably a slim black bar that runs across the top of your browser window with, on the left, the G-products you use and, on the right, your settings and a link to your profile. G+ launches from that bar, and keeps you updated with a discreet icon that turns red when you have new G+ notifications, visible even when you’re using other G-services.
G+’s most visible feature, Circles, operates like Facebook’s little-used Lists: You sort people you follow into Circles; you can then post messages to, or share things (links, video, photographs) with individuals privately, selected Circles or combinations of Circles, or make ‘public’ posts or sharings that can be found by anyone on the Web. No Facebookian walled garden. The other big difference from Facebook: It is asymmetric; you don’t have to ‘friend’ someone to follow or message them (“Hi Larry Page! Hi Sergei Brin!” don’t count on them replying, though), but you can block or be blocked. Which is Twitteresque, but then it’s much more than Twitter, with granular control over who you share with, plus lots more power, flexibility and user-friendliness. Like Sparks,  which throws up fresh content for you on subjects you’re interested in (which you can then ‘+1’). G+ also plays nice with handhelds: Huddle lets you exchange messages via your phone with groups that you assemble on the fly; and Hangouts — a big hit already — is a group video chat application with little conceits like automatically enlarging the visual of the person speaking, with the video adjusting to bandwidth and device limitations. (Caveat: Huddle isn’t private. Anyone with your Huddle link can join in.)
mg_52902_google_video_280x210.jpg
Some limitations are already visible and annoying. Personal URLs are long: 21 numerals after the base http://plus.google.com/, impossible for most to remember. But the ecosystem is finding ways: Within days you could get shortened vanity URLs that redirected to G+ pages (I’m gplus.to/griff). Then, Google sternly says that companies shouldn’t set up IDs, G+ is only for real people. Naturally, a number of organisations are blithely ignoring that injunction. (Proving Google hasn’t really anticipated what users will want. Marketers will kill to be where their audiences are.)  And there’s the requirement to use a real name, which runs counter to Google’s much-trumped support for anonymity and pseudonymity.
But the big deal here is in the naming: This is the Google+ Project,  part of a much bigger plan, a reshaping of  the Google experience and really, of Google itself.  No longer does Google want to send you on your way after your search results; now, they’re betting the company on keeping you engaged, tearing you away from the world’s biggest time sink: Facebook.
Google hasn’t said when the rest of the world can jump in, but rumour is that should be by end-July. Which, in Internet time, is an aeon, so don’t be surprised if it’s public by the time you read this.

South Africa celebrates Nelson Mandela's 93rd birthday

A picture released by the Mandela family ahead of Nelson Mandela’s 93rd birthday shows Mr Mandela (C), flanked by (from L) Zaziwe Manaway and baby Ziphokazi Manaway, daughter Princess Zenani Dlamini and Zamaswazi Dlamini with baby Zamakhosi Obiri  
The Mandela family released this photo ahead of Nelson Mandela's 93rd birthday
South Africans are set to celebrate ex-President Nelson Mandela's 93rd birthday.
His foundation has urged people to do 67 minutes of voluntary work on the day - to represent the 67 years he devoted to South Africa's political struggle.
The anti-apartheid icon is expected to spend the day with family in his childhood village in the Eastern Cape.
The country's 12.4m school children are also due to sing to him simultaneously in the morning.
At 0805 (0605 GMT), school assemblies across the country are set to sing Happy Birthday Tata Madiba - a song specially composed for his 93rd birthday.
Start Quote
The best way we can thank Nelson Mandela for his work is by taking action for others and inspiring change”
End Quote Ban Ki-moon UN secretary-general
Mr Mandela, who is a hero to many in South Africa and around the world for his long fight against white minority rule, has appeared increasingly frail since he retired from public life in 2004.
He has been receiving round-the-clock medical care at home following his release from hospital in January where he was treated for an acute respiratory infection, says the BBC's Nomsa Maseko in Johannesburg.
Known to South Africans by his clan name Madiba, Mr Mandela has not appeared at a public engagement since the closing ceremony of the football World Cup in July 2010.
A photo released ahead of his birthday shows him smiling and surrounded by members of his family.
'Moving'
School children hold birthday cards during a symbolic handover on 17 July 2011 at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg
The Nelson Mandela Foundation, backed by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said it wanted Mr Mandela's birthday to inspire people to help make the world a better place.
School children have made birthday cards for Mr Mandela
"If a man could dedicate 67 years of his life to doing good for the world, imagine what we could achieve if everyone just gave 67 minutes of their time to do the same," said Said Achmat Dangor, the head of the foundation.
South African companies, charities and celebrities have all announced plans for voluntary work they will do on the day.
Mr Ban urged others around the world to do the same. "The best way we can thank Nelson Mandela for his work is by taking action for others and inspiring change," he said.
In a statement released ahead of the occasion, US President Barack Obama said Mr Mandela's life and legacy exemplified "wisdom, strength and grace".
His wife, Michelle Obama, and daughters met Mr Mandela last month in Johannesburg during a visit to South Africa.
Mr Obama said his family's time with Mr Mandela was "the most moving part of their trip".
Mr Mandela stood down as South Africa's president in 1999 after serving one term, handing over to Thabo Mbeki.
Upon leaving prison in 1990 after 27 years in jail, he led the African National Congress party to a landslide victory in 1994 - the first time South Africa's black majority was allowed to vote.

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Breaking Bad's Season 4 Premiere: A Special Message from Gus


 Breaking Bad 's Season 4 Premiere: A Special Message from Gus

I'll never look at a box cutter in the same way again. It's only fitting that Breaking Bad kicked off its fourth season with Gale in awe of a sample of Walter's 99-percent pure blue meth. It's only fitting that Gale's idolization of a bag of filthy narcotics is the reason Walter was hired by Gus. And it's only fitting that, in this tale of morality and consequences, it was Gale's own admiration of Walter that would eventually lead to his death.
Gale was an innocent casualty of Walter's path of indirect destruction. Just like Jane. Just like Combo. Just like all those passengers of the plane that exploded over Walt's house. But as the bodies continue to pile up (and there will be many more), they get closer and closer to Walt. So far, these deaths have resulted from Walter's self-preservation or his protection of his business. Those thugs on the corner would have murdered Jesse if Walt hadn't intervened. If Gale hadn't been killed, Walt would have been, so Walt saw to it that Gale died instead. With each drop of blood spilled, Walter takes one step closer to becoming a ruthless drug kingpin. How long until Walter pulls the trigger not to save his business or his partner, but just for the thrill of it? That's the direction in which Breaking Bad appears to be headed, and it's all the more interesting for it.
 Breaking Bad 's Season 4 Premiere: A Special Message from Gus

The murders don't seem to be fazing Walter one bit. In fact, I think he's gained confidence from them and is feeding off that energy, making him more dangerous than ever. Think of a rabid wolverine trapped in the corner—but this wolverine seems happy to be there. There wasn't a glint of remorse in Walt's eye as he waited in his meth lab to be judged by Gus. He looked more like a man waiting impatiently in a dentist's office than a man whose life hung in the balance.
That wasn't the case for Jesse, who didn't even utter a word for the first three-quarters of "Box Cutter"—though his face said plenty as he busted a cap in Gale's eye and proceeded to completely detach himself from the present. Jesse has always served as Walt's conscience, but Walt's drive has forcefully submerged that sense of right and wrong in water and held it there 'til it stopped kicking. Jesse's never really had the stones to go as far as Walt, but does he even have a choice now? Here's a kid who was a small-time dealer and big-time user, handcuffed into a life of crime by his former chemistry teacher. How far will he be forced to go?
Skyler, meanwhile, might be the person who's best-suited for criminal undertakings. She's always been one to judge others while behaving in whatever manner benefits her. Her transformation almost seems too natural, like she was cut out to do this from the start. But everything's easy for Skyler right now—all she has to do is swim through piles of money, figure out how to make the cash seem legit, and dupe the occasional locksmith into letting her into somebody else's apartment. But when bloodshed reaches her, how far will she be able to go?
Listening to Walter essentially recite his resume to Gus as a reminder of how valuable he is, there was more confidence than fear in his voice. Even though he was at the mercy of some pretty badass criminals, Walt's intricate knowledge of the situation and the players made him confident that he was safe. Walt knew he hadn't landed in another Tuco scenario, where the slightest flinch or a shiny object could set someone off on a senseless murder spree; he was facing Gus, a business man before anything else.
 Breaking Bad 's Season 4 Premiere: A Special Message from Gus

At least, that's what Walter thought. Gus sure had one last move up his sleeve, didn't he? Sensing that the power was shifting to Chef Meth-ardee, Gus illustrated just how serious he is about this whole game by almost tearing Victor's head off in what has to be the most graphic scene in the history of basic cable. Holy sh*t. When it comes to violence, Breaking Bad sure knows how to make an impression. The writers don't kill off characters just to provide a cool twist; these deaths leave marks. Gus' message was clear: "Regardless of what you think, Walter, I'm still in control here." Message received. And it appears to have just scratched the surface of how far Gus will go.
But this is The Walter White Show, and while it's fun to see what extremes the people around him will go to, Season 4's main question is, "How far will Walt go?" I can imagine limits for Skyler, Jesse, and maybe even Gus, but there's something about Walter—something behind those eyes and that chemistry speak—that makes me think limits are a thing of the past for him. This is going to be a very fun season.
 Breaking Bad 's Season 4 Premiere: A Special Message from Gus

Additional notes:
... After seeing Walter's face as he hiked up his pants and set off to retrieve his car from a cul-de-sac, it's incredible to think that this is the same character we saw working in a car wash just a few seasons ago. Bryan Cranston's commitment to the physical transformation is staggering.
... Jesse's reaction to Gus slitting Victor's throat was much different from Walt's. Whereas Walt flinched as if Gallagher was smashing a watermelon right in front him, Jesse used the opportunity to stare Gus down, unfazed by the violence in front of him. Jesse no longer has any qualms about dissolving a guy in acid, like he did in Season 1. Later in the episode, when Walt and Jesse were at Denny's, it was Jesse who was able to eat. Is his ease with the situation a liability, or is he simply growing into the business?
... Amazing cut to fries swirling around in ketchup after the guys finished mopping up blood.
... It was a great decision to spend only a few minutes each on Hank, Saul, and Skyler. The most important thing to relaunch the series was to spend a lot of time with Walter and Jesse. So many shows try and do too much with a premiere and end up making a mess (*cough* True Blood), "Box Cutter" focused on the important things.
... Dave Porter is absolutely killing it with the show's score. His minimalist use of eerie sounds adds so much to its tone.
... The episode continued the show's great use of color. The greens, blues, yellows, and reds popped to remind us how primal everything is. Is red the color of violence? Jesse was wearing red when he shot Gale, Gus was wearing red when he slit Victor's throat. And of course, red is the color of both blood and the floor of the lab, the foundation of the drug that's killing kids all over Albuquerque. Is blue the color of intelligence? Walter's wardrobe is full of it. Is green the color of power? The box cutter was green, as was some of the lab equipment out of the box. And don't forget about cold, hard cash. Is yellow the show's neutral color? Gus wore yellow for much of last season, before he became such a danger to Walter. I'm just throwing things out here.

Serena Williams’ plunging minidress steals show at ESPYs


To say Serena Williams stole the show at the ESPYs suggests that there was a show to steal.
The world No. 172 walked the red carpet in a dazzling, low-cut pink minidress that accentuated her curvy physique. The gold Christian Louboutin heels added at least four inches to Serena's 5-foot-9 frame.
Despite playing in two tournaments since last year's show, Serena was awarded the ESPY award for best female tennis player, which is like the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences giving an Oscar to Al Pacino for this year's sure-to-be stinker "Jack and Jill" because he was fantastic in "The Godfather II."
Yes, we know; it's useless to complain about a meaningless, arbitrary award like an ESPY. Still, you'd think ESPN could have lured Serena to the show with the promise of something else (a lifetime achievement award, a montage of her comeback, a shawl) rather than a prize for playing no matches during the voting period. Not that there were many other candidates for the prize but surely there was someone. What about wheelchair tennis great Esther Vergeer, who's won more than 400 matches in a row? Or mom-turned-champion Kim Clijsters? Or those ladies who always play doubles at the court down the street from you because, you know, they played tennis this year.Serena is playing some World TeamTennis events for the Washington Kastles this month before returning to tournament play July 25 in Stanford. She's set to play three more tournaments before the U.S. Open.



Shank it, NBA: Locked-out players can golf with Jordan, but not for charity?



Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan could lose $1 million dollars this week at the American Century Classic golf tournament, and that figure would have nothing to do with any sort of side bets he makes on making par with his foursome.
Because the NBA has locked out its players, and prohibited any sort of contact between NBA team employees and NBA players (even if they are currently "under contract," so to speak, with other teams), Jordan could face a million dollar fine should he either be paired with or simply speak to one of the five NBA players scheduled to appear at the tourney.
Who are the players, and team employees, you ask?
Michael Jordan and Vinny Del Negro.
What is, "a fair 5-on-2 game if each of the participants were in their prime," Alex?
No. It's actually part of a lineup in a golf pro-am in Lake Tahoe that is taking place this weekend featuring current NBA stars, along with current NBA team employees like both Jordan and Del Negro.
Not a big deal, you'd think. And something you might not even have been aware of until reading a post like this, or receiving a tweet like I did. But as we mentioned earlier Wednesday, the NBA is ready to levy fines of $1 million should NBA team employees (say a Charlotte Bobcats owner, like Jordan; or a Los Angeles Clippers coach, like Vinny Del Negro) decide to commiserate with NBA players; much less re-tweet them, or even speak about how much they'd like to see them play Summer League hoops this summer in one word or less.
So why are NBA players allowed to tee it up with Jordan and Del Negro this weekend, and not withPortland Trail Blazers team employee (and former Portland power forward) Brian Grant's Trail Blazer-filled charity golf tournament pitched to raise money for Parkinson's research?

As was included in the Portland Tribune piece we linked to on Wednesday, Portland cannot include current Portland Trail Blazers who are currently locked out:
Brian Grant — also on the Blazer payroll as an ambassador — can't have current NBA players participate in his upcoming golf event for Parkinson's disease.
So what's the difference with the American Century Championships? Is it because it's nationally televised? Because too many sponsors would feel the heat if either Jordan or all of the NBA stars dropped out? I mean, this particular tournament (unlike Brian Grant's) isn't even for charity. A fun batch of viewing, no doubt (I'm a closet golf dork), and you know all the corporate sponsors will have their various charitable write-offs as the year progresses, but Grant's tourney is easily the thing to sign a waiver on, right NBA?
Is it because there's a better chance of current Blazers chatting it up with Brian Grant at his tournament? Seems a bit farfetched, especially as Ray Allen still endorses Michael Jordan's specific line of Nike shoes.
If the Portland Tribune is to be believed, and the five current NBA players listed above actually show up to this tournament, then we have some real -- and absolutely needless -- hypocrisy here, led completely by the NBA and its league office decision-makers.
We're not saying The Lake Tahoe Five, or Jordan and Del Negro, should go home. We're impressing upon the NBA to stop trying to win the PR war that it's already lost with these sorts of rules. Rules that we've learned aren't exactly hard and fast, especially if you get to have your tournament on national TV.