Source:bearcreeklogcabins

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The 20-year-old son of Grammy award-winning rapper and producer Dr. Dre was found dead over the weekend at his home in Woodland Hills, California, according to the Los Angeles County coroner’s office.

Andre Young Jr. was out with friends Friday night and his mother later found him “unresponsive in bed” when she tried to wake him early Saturday morning, coroner’s spokesman Ed Winter told Reuters. She immediately called paramedics, who later pronounced Young dead at the scene.

“Dr. Dre is mourning the loss of his son Andre Young Jr. Please respect his family’s grief and privacy at this time,” said a statement released by his spokeswoman.

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DENVER - Democrats were using the one-two punch of Hillary and Bill Clinton to unify their party against Republicans and argue that the nation would be safer — its economy as well as its citizens — under a Barack Obama administration.

Anticipating Wednesday night’s focus on national security at the Democratic National Convention, Republican John McCain contended in a new TV ad that Obama showed he was “dangerously unprepared” for the White House when he described Iran as a “tiny” nation that didn’t pose a serious threat.

“Iran. Radical Islamic government. Known sponsors of terrorism. Developing nuclear capabilities to ‘generate power’ but threatening to eliminate Israel,” says the ad, which was being run in key states. “Terrorism, destroying Israel — those aren’t ’serious threats’”?

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Superman (sometimes called Superman (volume 1) and for a time published as Adventures of Superman) is a comic book published by DC Comics. The character Superman began as one of several anthology features in the National Periodical Publications comic book Action Comics #1 (June 1938). The strip proved so popular that National launched Superman into his own self-titled comic book, the first for any superhero, premiering with cover-date June 1939. Between 1986 and 2006 it was retitled Adventures of Superman while a new comic book used the title Superman. As of June 25, 2008, the series has reached issue #677.

Superman

Whereas Action Comics at the time was an anthology featuring stories of several different characters in addition to Superman such as Zatara and Tex Thompson, the Superman comic only contained Superman stories.

The Superman comic book began being published quarterly, soon going bimonthly and in the late 1950s turning monthly. Twelve Annual issues were published between 1960-1986, and three Special issues were published between 1983-1985. This initial Superman series went on a three-month hiatus with issue #423 (Sept. 1986), as did sister title Action Comics, while the new Man of Steel limited series was published, introducing the post-Crisis on Infinite Earths Superman.

Awards

The creators who have worked on Superman over the years have received a number of awards and nominations, including the 1969 Alley Award for Strip Most Needing Improvement, the 1970 Shazam Award for Best Writer (Dramatic Division), for Dennis O’Neil for his work on Superman, Batman, and Green Lantern, and a 1986 Jack Kirby Award nomination for Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons for Superman Annual #11 (1985).

Adventures of Superman

The death of Superman and its aftermath ran through a number of issues of the Superman comics in 1992–1993 (Adventures of Superman #499. Cover art by Tom Grummett and Doug Hazlewood).
The death of Superman and its aftermath ran through a number of issues of the Superman comics in 1992–1993 (Adventures of Superman #499. Cover art by Tom Grummett and Doug Hazlewood).
The survivors of the Crisis are about to enter into the paradise dimension. Cover of Adventures of Superman #649 (April 2006), by Ivan Reis, the “final” issue of the series under that title.
The survivors of the Crisis are about to enter into the paradise dimension. Cover of Adventures of Superman #649 (April 2006), by Ivan Reis, the “final” issue of the series under that title.

After the Man of Steel limited series, Action Comics returned and Superman (Volume 2), #1 was published. A new title, Adventures of Superman premiered with #424, continuing the numbering of the original Superman series. The initial team working on the renamed title was writer Marv Wolfman and artist Jerry Ordway.

Adventures of Superman was numbered from issue #424 (January 1987) to issue #649 (April 2006), for a total of 228 monthly issues (including issue #0 (October 1994) published between issues #516 and #517 during the Zero Hour crossover event and issue #1,000,000 (November 1998) during the DC One Million crossover event) and nine Annuals published between 1987 to 1997.

The plots of the Superman books were often linked during the first few years of the series run. To coordinate the storyline and sequence of event, from January 1991 to January 2002, “triangle numbers” (or “shield numbers”) appeared on the cover of each Superman comic book. During these years the Superman story lines ran with the story continuing through the titles Superman, Action Comics and later in two further series, Superman: The Man of Steel and Superman: The Man of Tomorrow. After February 2002, the integration between the Superman titles became less frequent, and the remaining issues of Adventures of Superman commonly carried self-contained stories. The final issue (#649), however, was part of a three-part crossover with Superman and Action Comics, an homage to the Golden Age Superman in the wake of events in the limited series Infinite Crisis.

For its last few years, Adventures of Superman was written by Greg Rucka. Notable plots included the villain Ruin, the attempted assassination of Lois Lane and a number of well-regarded Mxyzptlk appearances.

Awards

Issues #501 through #503 of the series were a part of the story The Reign of the Supermen which won the Comics Buyer’s Guide Fan Award for Favorite Comic Book Story for 1993.[citation needed]

Superman returns

Superman (Volume 2) reached issue #226 (April 2006) and was then cancelled as part of the companywide Infinite Crisis storyline. Adventures of Superman was returned to its original title, Superman, with issue #650 (May 2006). Action Comics had continued publication normally.

The annual editions after the retitling back to Superman (Volume 1) continued starting with Annual #13 released November 28, 2007 (cover dated Jan. 2008, the last annual issue prior to the 1987 retitling was Annual #12 in 1986). The Annual issue’s lead story was the finale to the “Camelot Falls” arc by Busiek and Pacheco.

The book also participated in the weekly series Countdown to Final Crisis, giving a different perspective on certain happenings that are shown in the weekly title, such as the events preceding the death of New God Lightray.

As of summer 2008, the current creative team on Superman is James Robinson and Renato Guedes, replacing writer Kurt Busiek after his 25-issue run on the title. The most recent issue of Superman to reach publication (as of June 2008) was #677. Geoff Johns, the writer of Action Comics, and Robinson have stated that his title and Superman as well as “Supergirl” will cross over frequently.[1] Superman-line editor Matt Idelson also proclaimed that the character’s origin story will be retold in an arc crossing over between Superman and Action, written by Johns and Robinson respectively.

CAIRO, Egypt - A 27-year-old Egyptian woman gave birth to septuplets early Saturday in the coastal city of Alexandria, family members and the hospital director said.

Ghazala Khamis was in good condition after having a blood transfusion during her Caesarean section due to bleeding, said Emad Darwish, director of the El-Shatbi Hospital where she gave birth.

The newborns, four boys and three girls, weigh between 3.2 pounds and 6.17 pounds and are in stable condition, Darwish said. They have been placed in incubators in four different hospitals that have special premature baby units, he said.

“This is a very rare pregnancy — something I have never witnessed over my past 33 years in this profession,” Darwish told The Associated Press by phone from the hospital.

Darwish decided to carry out the Caesarean section at the end of Khamis’ eighth month of pregnancy due to the pressure on her kidneys. He said Khamis, who already has three daughters, took fertility drugs in an effort to have a son.

Khamis, the wife of a farmer in the northern Egyptian province of Beheira, was admitted to the hospital two months earlier, Darwish said.

“From the initial checkup, I say that none of the babies have any sort of deformities or incomplete organs,” Darwish said.

The woman’s brother, Khamis Khamis, said even though his sister was trying to conceive more children so she could have a son, the family was astonished when they found out she would give birth to multiple babies.

“We thought about an abortion, but then we felt it’s religiously forbidden. So we said ‘Let God’s will prevail,’” he told the AP by phone.

Egypt’s health minister announced that the seven babies will receive free milk and diapers for two years, the brother added.

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Bernie Mac blended style, authority and a touch of self-aware bluster to make audiences laugh as well as connect with him. For Mac, who died Saturday at age 50, it was a winning mix, delivering him from a poor childhood to stardom as a standup comedian, in films including the casino heist caper “Ocean’s Eleven” and his acclaimed sitcom “The Bernie Mac Show.”
 
Though his comedy drew on tough experiences as a black man, he had mainstream appeal — befitting inspiration he found in a wide range of humorists: Harpo Marx as well as Moms Mabley; squeaky-clean Red Skelton, but also the raw Redd Foxx.

Mac died Saturday morning of complications from pneumonia in a Chicago-area hospital, his publicist, Danica Smith, said in a statement from Los Angeles.

“The world just got a little less funny,” said “Oceans” co-star George Clooney.

Don Cheadle, another member of the “Oceans” gang, concurred: “This is a very sad day for many of us who knew and loved Bernie. He brought so much joy to so many. He will be missed, but heaven just got funnier.”

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LOS ANGELES - A Hispanic woman who won the Miss California USA contest only to have her crown yanked days later sued the pageant Thursday for half a million dollars, alleging rigging and racial bias.

The pageant director rejected the claims, saying winners during his tenure have been some of the pageant’s most racially diverse ever.

Christina Silva, 24, was crowned Miss California USA on Nov. 25. Three days later, the pageant’s executive director, Keith Lewis, told her “there has been a mistake and you are not the winner,” according to the lawsuit filed in Superior Court.

Raquel Beezley, 21, was subsequently crowned.

Silva is of Ecuadorean and Mexican descent. The lawsuit claims Lewis was “uncomfortable with the fact that Miss Silva spoke Spanish with certain vendors; he felt that it may detract from the caliber of the pageant and some of the ‘all American girls’ may not opt to compete in the following year.”

Silva alleges that Lewis, the pageant, its producer K2 Productions and the Miss Universe Organization engaged in fraud, negligence, breach of contract and intentional infliction of emotional distress, among other charges.

Lewis told The Associated Press the allegations of racial bias were unfounded.

“I’ve had three winners since I’ve been a director,” Lewis said. “Two have been African American, two of four in the history of the state pageant. And the current Miss California USA is 25 percent Filipino,” Lewis said, referring to Beezley. “I think my record speaks for itself.”

Miss Universe spokeswoman Lark-Marie Anton declined comment.

The lawsuit seeks $500,000 in damages for public humiliation and lost prizes.

Source:news.yahoo

Solutions: Pay cash. It’s a lot harder to purchase a $200 jersey dress if you have to count out every $20 bill you give to the cashier, rather than pulling out a credit card. Hit the ATM before you go shopping, and vow not to spend any more than you take out, says David Bach, author of “Smart Women Finish Rich: 9 Steps to Achieving Financial Security and Funding Your Dreams.”

Take a breather. Before making a big purchase, exit the store. Once you’ve escaped the enticing lighting and persuasive salespeople, you may very well realize that, no, you don’t need that tie-dye tunic after all.

10 Fashion Trends With Staying Power
 
Avoid “buy one, get the second one half off” sales. “Do the math. You’re not getting that great a deal – about 25 percent off,” says Jona Kessans, a former department-store supervisor. If the item is $50, you’ll wind up spending $75 total, as opposed to $100. “That, and you’re probably buying two of something you don’t need to double up on,” says Kessans. “You’re better off waiting until merchandise is marked down by 30 percent.”

Visit less affluent areas for sale merchandise. Ritzier areas are more likely to sell out of an item before it has a chance to go on sale. “Wealthy people are generally more likely to buy items at full price than to wait for them to go on sale,” says Tara Makarechi, a former salesperson. So if you live in an affluent area but still appreciate a bargain, visit a neighborhood that has less traffic or a community that is less posh.

Do an inventory of what you already own before you stock up on the new season’s merchandise. Although fall fashions beckon, once you realize how many Fair Isle sweaters you have, you may be less tempted to buy a new one. On the same note, “never go shopping when your closet is empty because most of your clothes are dirty,” says Amanda Ford, author of “Retail Therapy: Life Lessons Learned While Shopping.” “You might lament that you have nothing to wear and go shopping without realizing that you have all you need. You just need to do your laundry.”

Problem: You hate fighting crowds and sorting through messy merchandise

Solutions: Shop during the middle of the week. Not only are stores less crowded on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday but you’ll also get first dibs on new merchandise, according to many salespeople. “Retailers prefer to get their merchandise on the floor before the weekend, when it gets crowded,” says Jeff Rhodes, a store manager for a line of upscale boutiques.

Wake up early. “The best time to shop is in the morning,” says Underhill. “The employees have yet to tire from irritable shoppers, the merchandise hasn’t been picked over and
displaced, and there’s also comfort in the fact that you have time to come back for a purchase that needs to be mulled over.”

Problem: You want to save time

Solutions: Make a shopping list. You write down fruit, cereal, and toilet paper for the grocery store. Why hit a retail store, where you’re likely to spend a lot more money, empty-handed? Write down what you want and where you plan to buy it.

Avoid the mall. If you’re looking for just one or two things, you may want to stop at a boutique or a freestanding department store. “It’s in the mall’s best interest to place the best stores far inside, at the heart, away from the entrance, which is why stopping into one store at the mall ends up taking you a solid two hours,” says Paco Underhill, author of “Call of the Mall.”

Shop alone. Women spend the most time in a store when they’re shopping with a friend or a child, says Underhill. If you want to get in and out, go solo.

Problem: You’re shy about asking for a discount

Solutions: Don’t be shy. “Ask for a discount on anything you buy - but not for a specific amount off,” say Kristina Matisic and Anna Wallner, authors of “The Shopping Bags: Tips, Tricks and Inside Information to Make You a Savvy Shopper.” Instead, leave things open-ended by asking, “Can you give me a better deal?” “If your salesperson isn’t authorized, you may have to ask the manager,” says Matisic. If you find a slight flaw or damage - or even if the product’s packaging is mangled – you may be entitled to a discount, says Jona Kessans.

Wait until the store has a major sale, when most items are already discounted 20 to 30 percent. After convincing the clerk or manager that you’re serious about a larger-than-normal purchase, request an additional 10 to 20 percent discount to close the deal. “If she won’t discount the items further, ask her to throw in shirts, shoes, ties, or socks at no additional cost,” says Wayne Tate, who, after 25 years of practicing law, has mastered the art of negotiation in and out of the courtroom.

SOurce:shopping.yahoo

On Thursday, Oprah introduced Oregon resident Thomas Beatie to anyone who hadn’t yet heard of him. Beatie, a transgender man who is legally male, is six months pregnant with his and his wife’s child. La Winfrey called the expectant situation “a new definition of what diversity means for everybody.”

And everybody, it seems, is interested. Over the past seven days, searches for “pregnant man” rose 26,879%. Demand for “thomas beatie” grew more than 3,000%. Interest in “oregon man pregnant” has swelled 461%.

As for the skeptics who typed “man claims he is pregnant” and “pregnant man?” into Search, we can answer: Mr. Beatie retained his female reproductive organs. Because he has a uterus, he can get pregnant and carry a baby to term.

In Buzz, some of the most popular articles from the past week focused on the bun in Beatie’s oven. As we posted earlier, Boing Boing and Huffington Post were two of the first sources to surface with articles on the story. Since then, the Huffington Post scored another hit with an item revealing more photos of the fertile daddy.

LilSugar, Yahoo! News, and People.com have also polled well with Buzz readers. The People.com article, which offers an exclusive video clip from the Oprah appearance, was one of the most voted-on articles in Buzz after the show aired.

So has this childbearing event really redefined what diversity means for everybody? The tale certainly seems to have people thinking about gender issues. We’ve noted a surge in queries for “transgendered” and “transgender pregnancy.” Lookups for “pregnant man” have flowed in from every state in the U.S. and every age group.

With the fruitful papa about to enter his third trimester, we may have three more months of this baby buzz. Enjoy it!

Source:buzz.yahoo

CROZET, Va. - Authorities believe a pair of troublemaking teens were behind a series of random shootings in an area where memories of the Washington-area sniper shootings six years ago are still fresh.
 
Investigators on Friday charged Slade Allen Woodson, 19, of Afton, after authorities stormed a farm and fired at an unidentified man carrying a gun. Authorities also charged a 16-year-old from Crozet, whose name also was not released.

“Everyone can, I think, rest compared to the state that we were in overnight,” State Police Superintendent Steven Flaherty said at a news conference Friday in Charlottesville.

Investigators said they now believe the shootings that slightly injured two drivers were part of a long night of random gunfire in which the pair also shot at a credit union and a residence.

Woodson was charged in the shootings at the home and the credit union, as well as shootings along Interstate 64. He and the other teen were charged with two felony counts of malicious wounding, one count of attempted malicious wounding, two counts of the use of a firearm in a felony and five counts of maliciously shooting at an occupied vehicle.

They were being held pending bond hearings Monday.

According to police, the shootings began early Thursday in central Virginia. Gunshots hit two cars, a van, a tractor-trailer and an unoccupied dump truck. Shots also were fired at the credit union and a residence in Waynesboro.

Investigators promptly shut down a 20-mile stretch of I-64 between Waynesboro and Charlottesville, home to the University of Virginia, reopening it around dawn.

Surveillance video at the credit union captured a light-colored AMC Gremlin around the time shots were fired there, and police found the car Thursday afternoon, abandoned along a road.

Authorities determined that Woodson owns a vehicle similar to the car in the video and accelerated a manhunt that wrapped up in a pre-dawn raid Friday.

State and county police moved in on a farm just before 5 a.m., shooting a man who confronted them with a handgun, police said. Woodson was taken into custody, and the man was taken to a hospital, where he was in stable condition. His identity wasn’t released.

Police said they recovered a gun from the house that is the same caliber as most of the ballistic evidence from the shootings; a search warrant indicated police were looking for a .22-caliber weapon.

At Woodson’s home in Afton, a handwritten statement was duct-taped to a truck.

“All we can say is that we love our boy an(d) we hope the incident on I-64 is not related to him,” the note stated. “We also want to say our hearts are with the innocent victim that was shot by police during our sons arrest.”

People at the home declined to be interviewed.

Source:news.yahoo