Proper robbery tools, Chael Sonnen's talent for being beaten up and a crappy music festival

- Who’s ready for the comet of the century and a bizarre type of meteor shower? Earth could get both later this year when the comet ISON passes by, potentially bringing with it an odd meteor shower formed by the dust sloughed off by the comet's tail. Meteor scientist Paul Wiegert the University of Western Ontario believes the meteor shower could be unique. "Instead of burning up in a flash of light, they [the particles] will drift gently down to the Earth below," Wiegert said. He postulated that the specks of dust will be travelling at a speed of 125,000 mph before slowing to a halt once they hit the Earth's atmosphere. If that occurs, observers on the ground probably won't be able to see the meteors as they fall through the atmosphere. "Don't expect to notice," NASA officials said of the shower in a press release. "The invisible rain of comet dust, if it occurs, would be very slow. It can take months or even years for fine dust to settle out of the high atmosphere." Yes, an invisible rain of comet dust. It sounds like the pretentious album name of an über-pretentious indie/hipster rock band, but this time it could be reality as well. NASA is taking a more pragmatic approach, but officials admit that a brilliant light show is possible because the dust from ISON could create "noctilucent clouds" — icy night-shining clouds above the Earth's poles that glow blue. "Electric-blue ripples over Earth's polar regions might be the only visible sign that a shower is underway," NASA officials said. Presently, ISON is winding its way through the solar system, headed toward the sun. Its closest path to the universe’s source of light is expected to be 730,000 miles. NASA's Swift spacecraft spotted the comet in January when the speeding chunk of rock was discharging more than 112,000 pounds of dust every minute as it passed Jupiter. Wiegert then did a series of calculations to determine where the dust might end up on Earth's orbit and if he’s right, the results could be fun to watch…….

- Give Chael Sonnen credit. He knows what he’s good at and he’s found a way to get paid a lot of money for it. Granted, what he’s good at and what people enjoy seeing is him getting his face caved in while inside a giant mesh cage, but a living is a living. Sonnen, the resident loudmouth/punching bag of UFC’s light-heavyweight division, talked himself into a title bout with reigning champion Jon Jones at UFC 159 in Newark, N.J. He showed up and absorbed a beating at the Prudential Center, suffering first-round TKO at 4:33 of the first round. Jones controlled the fight by taking Sonnen to the ground and unloading and although Sonnen tried to get back on his feet, Jones kept putting him on the mat. After the fourth takedown of the fight, Jones kept him on the ground and began abusing Sonnen with his trademark elbows, battering the challenger’s face over and over until the referee Keith Peterson had no choice but to end the fight. Jones won even though he suffered a broken left toe during the fight. He was unaware of the injury during the fight, but the fact that his toe was contorted into an unnatural shape should have been a clue. "I wasn't planning on breaking my big toe," Jones said. "I wanted to outwrestle Chael Sonnen." He admitted that Sonnen’s absurd amount of unjustified smack prior to the fight had him in a vengeful frame of mind and that some of his rage was channeled to his performance inside the octagon. "I was just trying to get back at Chael Sonnen. I really wanted to silence Chael Sonnen and I think I did the job,” Jones added. Of course, the odds of anyone silencing Sonnen are slim. The only reason Sonnen, with a career record of 27-13-1, still gets good fights and makes money to do battle in a place where he is nowhere close to championship level is because of his mouth. Hearing Sonnen talk is entertaining, usually more entertaining than what happens when it gets inside the octagon. Finding someone who believed Sonnen would prevent Jones from successfully defending his title for the fifth consecutive time was virtually impossible in the weeks leading up to the fight and it was obviously with good reason…….

- Climbing Mount Everest is already one of the most thrilling endeavors a person can undertake. The whole “staring an icy death in the face for days on end to reach the top of the world’s tallest mountain” is pretty exciting, more than enough excitement for the most avid thrill seeker. But there is always someone out there looking to push boundaries and shatter the paradigm and that’s when you have awesome stories like a group of European climbers brawling with Sherpas on the slopes of the world’s most-famous peak. This riveting tale broke over the weekend after three Europeans, from Italy, Switzerland and the U.K., threw hands with the famed local guides known for shepherding climbers up the mountain. The three Europeans were headed for Camp 3 at about 23,600 feet on the 29,035-foot mountain on Saturday, but their trip went haywire when they crossed a fixed line being put in place by the Sherpa climbers. A statement issued by Italian climber Simone Moro’s explained how the Westerners had injured another local climber by knocking ice down onto him. According to Moro’s statement, about 100 Sherpas later attacked the three Westerners at Camp 2, lower down the mountain. Punches were thrown, kicks were delivered and the offensive explorers also received death threats. Another group of climbers ultimately intervened and the three climbers headed down to Base Camp by a “circuitous route.” “The climbers believe that the lead Sherpa was tired and cold and felt that his pride had been damaged as the three climbers were moving unroped and much faster to the side of him," the statement said. “Whatever the reason may be, there is no reason to instigate vigilante rule and to try and kill three visiting climbers.” The culprit in sparking the incident appears to have been Briton Jonathan Griffith, who allegedly crossed the line of rope being fixed by the Sherpas. Swiss climber Ueli Steck did the same and from there, it was on. The Sherpas went nuts and with both ice and fists flying, a small initial altercation gave way to the massive brawl in camp later in the day. Offending Sherpas is generally a bad idea because they know the mountain like no one else and are a key to safely traversing its peaks, but knowing that they are also “Likes to Fight” guy adds another reason to the list of why to stay on their good side……..

- Get your tickets now, fans of crappy music. The second annual edition of the Mixtape Festival is coming to Hersey, Pa. on July 26-27 and this year’s collection of musical rejects is truly stupefying. One of the primary acts is reunited man band New Men on the Block and they will be joined by Man band 2.0, a.k.a. the Jonas Brothers. If those were the two headliners, it would already be an astonishing collection of awful artists, but wait, there’s more. The festival will also feature the long-awaited reunion of ‘90s girl-pop group TLC, or at least the two living members of the group. Those two would be Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins and Rozanda "Chili" Thomas, who will get their act back together for their first extensive outing since the death of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes
 more than a decade ago. "We are so thrilled to bring back the Mixtape Festival to Hershey," Live Nation spokesperson Geoff Gordon said in a statement that seems to indicate that he hasn’t actually seen the lineup for his own festival. "There's an incredible lineup and tons of interactive and fun activities, all while being set at a world-class amusement park -- it's really a pop music lover’s dream.” Also on the schedule are mainstream pop acts Train, the Script, OneRepublic, Hanson, along with Run-DMC co-founder Rev Run & DJ Ruckus – the latter two seemingly having signed up for the wrong festival. When talk of a TLC reunion has taken place in the past, Watkins and Thomas have suggested that they might project Lopes on a screen while piping in her vocals. They played what was billed as their farewell concert in 2003, but have played sporadic dates since. Come one, come all for a truly awful collection of pop waste sure to assail the ears and torment your other senses as well……..

- West Haven, Conn. robber Michael Peterson needs to reconsider his choice of tools. Peterson, part-time aspiring criminal genius but full-time idiot, decided to start his criminal enterprise at the bottom with a good ol’-fashioned convenience store robbery. He held up Sam's Food Mart in West Haven and he didn’t come unarmed. No, he showed up with his trusty saw. A clerk at the convenience store called 911 to report that a white male wearing a mask was acting suspiciously. Wearing a mask was probably a tip-off, as is brandishing a hand saw. Police learned about the saw when a second emergency call came in while they were en route to the scene and during that time, their suspect brandished his saw, threatened the store clerk and stole the cash register. Yes….the whole cash register. Peterson then fled the scene in a Chevrolet pickup truck and tried to make his getaway on I-95 North. He was eventually tracked down after exiting onto Route 1 in New Haven and now faces multiple felonies including robbery, larceny and engaging pursuit. While being located by the police was inevitable given that he seems to be not that bright, one can’t help but think how much more successful Peterson could have been had he only shown up for his robbery with a more impressive tool – a chainsaw. A hand saw says, “Hey there, I’m a rustic kook who lives a simple life with a simple mind and no one trusts me with a real power tool.” A chainsaw says, “I’m insane, I’ve seen one too many horror movies and I enjoy hacking limbs and heads off, so give me all your money and get the hell out of my way.” Plus, a chainsaw gives you a chance to cut your way out of your own vehicle after a police chase results in you wrapping said vehicle around a telephone pole or a stately oak in the forest………..

Pre-"Iron Man 3" movie news, Twitter death threats from NBA ball boys and Iraq cracks down

- Tolerance has increased in Iraq post-Saddam Hussein…..right? Maybe not if Iraqi authorities are suspending the operating licenses of pan-Arab broadcaster Al-Jazeera and nine Iraqi TV channels, as they did on Sunday, after accusing the broadcasters of escalating sectarian tension – code for criticizing Prime Minister Nouri al-Malik's government. The bans gave more ammunition to those who have expressed concern about the Shiite-led government's increasing restrictions on freedom of speech as it moves to tackle deteriorating security amid Sunni unrest and clashes that have left more than 180 people dead in less than a week. The suspensions took effect immediately and shockingly, they target mainly Sunni channels known for outspoken criticism of al-Malik. Excluding Al-Jazeera, the decision affected eight Sunni and one Shiite channels. For its part, the government is badly overmatched in attempting to quell rising unrest in the country that erupted last week after Iraqi security forces launched a deadly crackdown on a Sunni protest site in the central city of Hawija, but this move seems unlikely to change the fact that 23 people died in that conflict, including three soldiers. All together, more than 180 people have been killed in gun battles with security forces and other attacks since the initial violence, although four months of largely peaceful protests by Iraq's Sunni Muslim minority against the government laid the ground work for what has transpired in the past week. While the 10 channels are suspended, viewers will still be able to watch their programming. However, if any of the 10 attempt to work on Iraqi territory they will face legal action from security forces under the rules of Iraq's Communications and Media Commission. In short, the ruling is designed to keep the broadcasters from reporting on what is happening in the country. Sunni lawmaker Dahfir al-Ani denounced the move as part of the government's attempts "to cover up the bloodshed that took place in Hawija and what is going on in other places in the country." Al-Jazeera, based in f Qatar, said it was "astonished" by the move. "We cover all sides of the stories in Iraq, and have done for many years. The fact that so many channels have been hit all at once, though, suggests this is an indiscriminate decision," it said in a written statement. Two of the nine offending stations are al-Sharqiya and al-Sharqiya News, which frequently criticize the government, and for that reason they probably should have expected unjustified sanctions at some point. All of this seems to indicate that Iraq still has a ways to go before reaching its true democratic potential……….

- The Homeless Bill of Rights is not happening without a fight in the Golden State. Although state legislators want to make it legal to loiter, panhandle and sleep on the streets of California in order to reduce the headaches caused by the ever-growing number of down-and-out folks flowing to California’s welcoming climate. Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) wrote the bill and no sooner than the legislation was introduced, a lowly city council member in Citrus Heights had a huge beef with the idea. Citrus Heights Councilwoman Jeanie Bruins sounds extremely offended by the concept and her initial remarks paint a picture of a woman who is ready to go to battle on the issue. “It’s important to us, because I think there are a lot of unintended consequences to this bill,” Bruins said. “It also makes some allegations I found very offensive and that is that cities are mean-spirited when it comes to homelessness, and I just think that’s wrong.” Bruins denounced the bill as a threat to public health because it allegedly creates special rights for the homeless and will cost cities too much money. Some of the protections under the bill are the right to sleep in public places, panhandle and have 24/7 access to hygiene provisions. Some may view it as lending a helping hand to those in need in minimal fashion, but Bruins views it as both enabling the problem causers and casting aspersions on cities for not doing enough already. “I understand that cities are concerned about this issue, and I want to work with them to craft legislation that everyone can support,” she added. Citrus Heights does seem to be the very sort of place that needs encouragement to be nicer to homeless folks, as it has banned panhandling at intersections and taken other anti-homeless actions in recent years……..

- There is a smartphone for just about everyone these days, except for one small demographic that simply cannot enjoy all of the features of an iPhone or Droid. Blind people would love to be physically able to appreciate the brilliant colors of an LCD screen or the user-friendly display on their new phone, but they can't and up to now, no one has stepped up to tackle that problem. Apps such as Siri and SayText do offer a good deal of assistance, but inventor Sumit Dagar knew there needed to be more done for those living with visual impairment. Dagar has come up with a smartphone that's specifically designed for people who have trouble seeing and is now working to polish up the idea. His phone doest have a name yet, but it does have a design, one comprised of a grid of pins that move up and down to form into Braille shapes and characters whenever an SMS message or email is received. The concept phone uses what is known as Shape Memory Alloy technology, meaning that the pins have a sort of virtual memory that allows them to recall their original shape and return to it after expanding. Dagar describes the phone as "[the] world's first Braille smartphone ... a companion more than a phone” and hopes to have the phone on the market by the end of the year. To that end, he is collaborating with IIT Delhi on the prototype, which is being tested at the LV Prasad Eye Institute. The surprisingly affordable price point for the phone is expected to be about $185………

- The NBA playoffs are a tense time. Careers, reputations and legacies are on the line as the league’s best team do battle for the Larry O’Brien trophy and designation of the best team in basketball. The resulting pressure can get to everyone….including some overgrown kid who tries to get as close to the action as possible despite a pronounced lack of actual basketball talent by volunteering as a ball boy. After a season-ending injury for Oklahoma City Thunder star guard Russell Westbrook ripped the heart out of the title hopes of the Western Conference’s best team, many took the news hard. Perhaps no one took it harder than Oklahoma City Thunder ball boy Mitchell Brown, who directed his anger over the injury to the player whose attempted steal of the ball from Westbrook caused the All-Star floor general’s torn meniscus: Houston Rockets guard Patrick Beverley. After it was announced that Westbrook had successful surgery to repair his meniscus and would be out for the remainder of the playoffs, a tweet from the handle @MitchellBrwn said: "Patrick Beverly (sic), I'm coming to kill you." Ordinarily, a tweet from a volunteer ball boy wouldn’t be a major point of contention, but death threats tend to grab attention and Brown didn’t help his case by sending out a second tweet to Beverley's Twitter name, saying: "@pavbev21 I'm coming to kill you." At that point, the situation went from dumb and poorly thought out to a bit disturbing, which Brown seemed to realize because he apologized in a later tweet and then said he was hacked in another post. Nice try, Mitch. It doesn’t work for athletes and celebrities who tweet something regrettable and it didn’t work for you, much the same way it never works when explaining to the cops that it’s not your weed and you were just holding it for a friend. Oklahoma City police captain Dexter Nelson confirmed that his department is working with the Houston police and the NBA to investigate the threats. The Thunder issued a statement saying in part that they "do not condone his comments. He works game nights on a voluntary basis and the matter will be handled internally." In other words, beat it idiot, we don’t need a headache right now from a lowly ball boy. Beverley may have made a borderline dirty play, but it’s Kevin Durant and Co.’s job to deliver payback, not the ball boy………

- Here’s hoping Michael Bay’s absurd comedy/action flick “Pain and Gain” enjoyed its week at the top of the box office earnings list. With “Iron Man 3” guaranteed to capture the most dollars next weekend, Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will have to be content with one week on top after banking $20 million to start their movie off well enough given how terrible its script is. “Oblivion” dropped one spot to finish second and brought in $17.4 million to raise its two-week domestic total to $64.7 million. Third place went to “42,” also down one spot, and the owner of a $7.5 million weekend that elevated its total haul to $69.1 million and counting. “The Big Wedding” opened in fourth place with $7.5 million, a so-so start for a tepidly anticipated project. Next on the list was “The Croods,” slotted fifth with a $6.6 million frame that bumped its overall domestic earnings to $163 million. “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” slipped to sixth with its $3.6 million take that left it at $116.4 million in total earnings after five weeks in U.S. theaters. The tragically unfunny “Scary Movie 5” checked in three spots lower than last weekend, finishing seventh after making $3.5 million. It has earned $27.5 million in three largely uneventful weeks of release. “Olympus Has Fallen” secured eighth place with $2.8 million in its sixth weekend and has been fairly profitable at $93 million in total domestic earnings thus far. “The Place Beyond the Pines” finished beyond the top eight, slotting ninth with a $2.7 million weekend that left its running total at $16 million in five weeks of limited release. “Jurassic Park 3D” claimed the final spot in the top 10 with $2.3 million and now has made $42 million overall in its three-dimensional return to theaters. Matthew McCanaughey’s new drama “Mud” failed to crack the top 10 in its debut (albeit in limited release), while “Evil Dead” (No. 12) and “Oz the Great and Powerful” (No. 13) both dropped off from last weekend’s list……..

Rejecting $150K donations, a "Scream" TV series and hockey is just fine, thank you

- Warning, all visitors to Saudi Arabia: Don’t be too good-looking or you could find yourself on the next plane home. Allow the disturbing and eye-opening tale of Omar Borkan Al Gala to serve as a teachable moment for all of the really, really hunky dudes out there because Al Gala was reportedly one of three men deported from Saudi Arabia last week after religious police in the deeply conservative Muslim country bum-rushed a stand manned by delegates from the United Arab Emirates at the Jenadrivah Heritage & Culture Festival. According to local media reports, the three men were thrown out of the festival and immediately deported to the UAE because they were so handsome that police “feared female visitors could fall for them.” It’s a legitimate problem and one that the Saudis are wise to look out for; the last thing anyone would suspect for a small, non-threatening nation is a hostile takeover that starts with them sending three men posing as cultural ambassadors to steal the hearts and minds of the ladies in a foreign country. Al Gala, a Dubai native, posted about the incident on his Facebook page but stopped short of admitting to being one of the three accused studs involved in the incident. Knowing a chance for good PR when he sees it, Al Gala has ducked media inquiries and done his part to fuel the intrigue around the case. He did post some nauseatingly cheesy romantic quotes and glamour pictures on his Facebook page, writing, “The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.” Oh, and he’s also a poet, so he has pretty much all of the necessary ingredients to help lead the UAE’s covert quest to subvert the Saudis using handsomeness…………

- Earth’s core is H-O-T. Specifically, it is far hotter than prior experiments suggested, with new estimates pegging its temperature as 6,000 degrees Celsius. That would make the temperature as hot as the Sun's surface for the solid iron core that is actually crystalline, surrounded by liquid. Much of the debate over the exact number had centered around the temperature at which that crystal can form. Agnes Dewaele of the French research agency CEA, a co-author of the study, and a team of researchers used X-rays to probe tiny samples of iron at extraordinary pressures to examine how the iron crystals form and melt. Although seismic waves captured after earthquakes around the globe can offer information as to the thickness and density of layers in the Earth, they don’t help estimate temperature. That work is left to computer models that simulate the Earth's insides. In the early 1990s, scientists studied iron's "melting curves" - from which the core's temperature can be deduced – and pegged the core temperature at around 5,000 degrees Celsius. "It was just the beginning of these kinds of measurements so they made a first estimate... to constrain the temperature inside the Earth," Dewaele said. "Other people made other measurements and calculations with computers and nothing was in agreement. It was not good for our field that we didn't agree with each other.” If the core temperature truly is higher, it would affect all of disciplines that study regions of our planet's interior and alter mankind’s understanding of everything from earthquakes to the Earth's magnetic field. "We have to give answers to geophysicists, seismologists, geodynamicists - they need some data to feed their computer models," Dewaele said. To calibrate their measurements, Dewaele and his tean used European Synchrotron Radiation Facility - one of the world's most intense sources of X-rays. They used a device called a diamond anvil cell to subject their iron samples to high pressures and high temperatures using a laser, then applied X-ray beams to carry out diffraction and next thing you know, they had reinvented the way science views the fiery core of the planet we all inhabit……

- Hockey is just fine, thank you. At least according to the worst commissioner of a major American professional sports league, the NHL has not suffered any severe short-term consequences for a four-month lockout that wiped out nearly half of its current season and left the league with a shortened 48-game schedule. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman insists that fans have come back and are watching and attending games at the same rates they were before the lockout. Bettman said Friday that teams are filling up their buildings to 97.4 percent of capacity and that television ratings on a national level in the United States and Canada have actually increased. “We may not have as large a fan base as a couple of the other major league sports, but there are no more avid, passionate fans in all of sports than ours," Bettman said. "We believe in the strength of our game." He went so far as to claim that some teams have reported ratings gains of double and triple digits this year, which is obviously true because leagues and those who run them never lie or fabricate information about ticket sales, TV ratings and revenues. "We don't take our fans for granted," Bettman said. "Our fans are passionate about the game, they get angry when they have reasons to be angry, they are excited when they have reasons to be excited, they are emotional, but most of all they are well-informed. Overwhelmingly, fans understand what we need to do and what we have done. They come back because they love the game. We are grateful on a daily basis for our fans." One point on which Bettman is standing on solid ground is his assertion that the best thing to come out of this lockout is that the new agreement with the players' association should stabilize the league for the better part of a decade. After two lockouts in nine years and four in his two decades running the NHL, labor peace is a welcome concept.  "It doesn't mean there isn't a lot of work to be done, it doesn't mean that we're not continuing to focus as a priority on issues such as player safety, but the business has been strong this season," Bettman added. "We continue to believe that we are in for continued growth." Continued growth, of course, is a relative term. The NHL is at best fourth in the pro sports power rankings in the United States and remains light years behind the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball……..

- If MTV brings back one of the most tired, played-out movie franchises of the past two decades as a new TV series, does that actually represent improved decision making on the part of the network? Sadly, the answer may be yes and the reason for the question is “Scream.” Amidst its slew of increasingly terrible reality shows featuring IQ-deficient losers pandering to ridiculous stereotypes and to the cameras filming their every (scripted) move, the network that used to be about music has announced plans to bring tired horror franchise “Scream” to the small screen. MTV has enlisted Dimension Films, the studio responsible for the franchise’s feature films, for the reboot and has also reached out to director Wes Craven to direct the pilot show, which it wants to debut over the summer of 2014. Craven piloted the films and although there doesn’t seem to be much of a story left to tell for “Scream,” it has been nearly 20 years since the original movie was released in 1996, starring Courtney Cox, David Arquette and Neve Campbell. All three returned to reprised their roles in “Scream 2” and “Scream 3,” released in 1997 and 2000, respectively, and still hadn't found anything better to do when they all came back in 2011 for “Scream 4.” No word has been given on whether any of them will be sought out to be a part of the potential series, but given the fact that all of them are nearly 20 years older than they were when this whole trip started, it seems unlikely. For now, MTV has ordered only a one-hour pilot based on the films starring the Ghostface serial killer who has since been lampooned by the “Scary Movie” films…….

- Just as the homeless people of New York City didn’t want the muffin stumps Elaine Benes attempted to donate in the famed “The Muffin Tops” episode of “Seinfeld,” the city of Osawatomie, Kan. does not want the $150,000 one of its residents attempted to donate toward much-needed repairs on the city's public pool. Osawatomie resident Webster Hawkins was looking to do something good for his town when he offered to donate $150,000 pay for repairs to reopen the city’s lone public swimming pool. Osawatomie is not the sort of place where there is a ton to do during the summer (or any other time of year), so fixing the pool seemed like a smart decision, even for a  87-year-old former newspaper publisher who isn’t a big fan of the water. "I can't even swim," Hawkins said. Yet he offered up the money and it seemed to come at a perfect time, as t he 50-year-old pool did not see a swimmer all last season after the city discovered a huge leaking problem. City officials concede that they don’t have the funds to fix the pool….yet they rejected Hawkins’ donation. "I just thought we need it," Hawkins added. "I just thought it would be great for the community, for the adults as well as the kids, for everybody." Hawkins’ hope was that his donation would have the pool open in time for Memorial Day, but those hopes were derailed when the city council passed on his offer. "Sometimes free money is not inexpensive," city manager Don Cawby said. Hmm……it sounds as if there may have been conditions imposed on the donation, perhaps an oversized statue of Hawkins being erected outside the facility? Nope. Instead, council members fretted that Hawkins' donation would not be enough to completely fix the pool and that they would then be expected to pay tens of thousands of additional dollars to make all the necessary remaining repairs. "We want to make sure that if we're going to put money into that pool, that it's something that'll last several years," Cawby said. "Especially when someone's gifting something to the city, we'd feel a responsibility to make sure that money's used wisely." Cawby suggested that city officials are looking for ways to make Hawkins money go further, but from the sounds of it, this good Samaritan may be reconsidering the offer all together and could find a more willing recipient to take the cash off his hands………

Russia tramples human rights, a rock star nearly seeks a day job and AT&T's hoem security on your mobile phone

- Smartphones and tablets already serve as phones, address books, organizers, computers and more, so AT&T is merely looking to add another useful function to their existence with its new service that it announced on Friday. The telecom giant announced Friday that it has created a service allowing customers to use smartphones or tablets to activate home alarm systems and perform other duties like open doors for guests or adjust the temperature in their domicile. The Digital Life home security and management system will be rolled out in selected U.S. cities for monthly subscription prices starting at $30 after installation charges. "People rely on their mobile devices more than ever, so Digital Life offers an easy and convenient way to secure their homes, protect their families and simplify their lives from virtually anywhere," AT&T senior vice president Kevin Petersen said in a statement. AT&T wisely has developed apps for personal computers as well as smartphones or tablets that are available for Apple, Android or Windows mobile software. These apps allow users to remotely control cameras, door locks, lights, thermostats and appliances. The Digital Life system also includes alarm systems and monitoring centers, according to AT&T. It can even be customized with options such as viewing feeds from security cameras online or remotely controlling door locks. It sounds like the perfect tool for the paranoid home owner or one who simply isn’t good at always remembering their keys. Of course, keeping track of one’s phone can be just as difficult………

- The Weiner is back and there could be plenty more for New Yorkers – and the world – to see. Disgraced former congressman Anthony “Yes, that is my” Weiner, who resigned in 2011 after a scandal surrounding his brilliant decision to tweet a link picture of his bulging groin region to a 21-year-old woman in Seattle, is venturing back into politics as a candidate for mayor in New York City and he’s making the rounds on various television and radio shows in an attempt to convince the public that he’s the next disgraced politician who should receive a second chance. He did a round of TV sitdowns today and while Weiner wanted to keep the focus on challenger Christine Quinn and term limits, those interviewing him curiously kept asking about his very public cybersex habits. Weiner, realizing how futile it would be to attempt to evade every question about his sexting ways, admitted that the archive of suggestive pictures that already exist of him online may not be the full extent of his debauchery. The mayoral hopeful admitted that sent sexy messages for "a couple of years" and that not all of them have come to light. "If reporters want to go try to find more, I can't say that they're not going to be able to find another picture, or find another person who may want to come out on their own," Weiner said. "The basics of the story are not going to change.” The basics might not change, but adding more chapters to this X-rated book clearly would not be the best development for someone who wants to the mayor of Manhattan. One would imagine that anyone in possession of an unreleased Weiner weiner shot would have plenty of incentive to release said shot when it would do the most damage – i.e. right before election day. "Basically, New Yorkers know the story. I did it. I did it with multiple people," Weiner added. “These things were wrong and inappropriate, and I never should have been dishonest about it. They played out in the most public and embarrassing way possible. And that's it.” Except that may not be all of it………

- Releasing a new album is often a stressful and trying experience for a band. It can test members’ unity, sanity and chemistry and depending on the amount of illegal narcotics and alcohol involved in the recording process, can also wreak long-term havoc on each member’s internal organs. For Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig, the process of making the band’s third album, “Modern Vampires of the City,” nearly pushed him to the point of walking away from music entirely. The album is set to drop on label XL on May 13, but it almost never happened as Koenig conceded that he contemplated quitting music and getting a more traditional job before fully committing to the new album. "I still loved music but I had this weird feeling," Koenig said. “I met a lot of people who worked in movies and TV and I thought, 'Well, if I just started out as a writer’s assistant, I could start a new job at the very bottom. But when I say I daydream about going to law school or becoming a freedom fighter instead, it’s not because I’m brave or restless.'” Vampire Weekend has become something of a hipster darling on the indie rock scene and their third album is highly anticipated on that indie scene, so having the lead singer quit before the project event started definitely would have thrown the music world for a loop, even more so if Koenig walked away to become a paralegal or a writer’s one-off shows at assistant. Instead, he found his muse once more and now his band is ramping up promotional efforts for their latest release with New York’s Roseland Theatre this Sunday and London’s The Troxy on May 2. They will presumably have their lead singer in place for those shows unless an exciting new career grabs his attention in the next day or so……..

- Prepare to (not) be shocked and (not) be astonished, world. In the least surprising news since we learned that water is wet, a human rights group has alleged that Russian despot Vladimir Putin’s regime has launched an "unprecedented" crackdown on political activists and civil society groups. Human Rights Watch made the claims in a report released this week and the report described a "nationwide campaign" of harassment and intimidation by Putin’s tyrannical government. In a not-a-coincidence occurrence, the report dropped the very same day outspoken Putin critic Alexei Navalny asked a court to throw out what he said were trumped-up charges intended to silence him. Foreign governments have criticized what they deem a series of human concerns in Russia, including restrictions to harsh fines for unsanctioned political meetings, electoral fraud and the detention and trial of citizens without due process and the title of the HRW report, "Laws of Attrition: The Crackdown on Russia’s Civil Society after Putin’s Return to the Presidency," seems to back those claims up. “Putin’s government has sought to portray critics as "clandestine enemies" a number of political activists have been jailed and a series of restrictive laws, including one against treason that could criminalize international human rights campaigners and others that impose "draconian limits on association with foreigners," have been passed,” the report states. If one believes a report from a human rights watch group, in Russia have been subjected to "intrusive" inspections about a raft of matters such as tax affairs, fire safety and air quality. "Taken together, the laws and government actions described in this report violate Russia’s international legal obligations to protect freedom of association, expression, and assembly and threaten the viability of Russia’s vibrant civil society," the report said. A cynic might view all of this as further evidence that Russia has stopped bothering to pretend that it gives a damn about its international human rights obligations, but let’s not jump to hasty conclusions………

- It’s already been quite a weekend for ex-LSU cornerback Tharold Simon. Simon is a fringe late-round draft pick who may hear his name called at the NFL draft but will definitely hear his name called by a judge in a Louisiana courtroom very, very soon. Simon did not attend the draft, as likely late-round selections tend not to do, and instead was in his hometown of Eunice, La. to be recognized on what the city had designated “Tharold Simon Day.” Before that day arrived, Simon had quite a day courtesy of Eunice’s finest. He was arrested Thursday night and charged with public intimidation, resisting arrest and unnecessary noise. Local news outlets reported that Simon’s trouble started when his vehicle was blocking a street and he was asked to move it. In a true “Do you know who I am” moment, he elected not to move the vehicle and instead told the officer "I own Eunice" and "I'm going to buy these projects and you are going to be mine," before getting into his car, spinning his wheels, backing up in “an aggressive manner” and “turning his radio all the way up.” He was summarily arrested and continued his defiance, telling the officer that "the mayor was on my side" and that the officer would be fired for giving him a ticket. His agent, Peter Schaffer, jumped into action quickly, disputing the police report and saying the officer overacted in a "shameful" abuse of power. "There were 30 witnesses. We've talked to about 20. They all corroborate Tharold's story. He did nothing wrong. The police overreacted," Schaffer said. "We're 100 percent confident he'll be completely exonerated and that charges should never be filed." The arrest isn't likely to inspire any teams to move Simon up their draft board, not for a player who only started one year at LSU and recorded a solid 45 tackles and four interceptions but was not a game changer in any sense. In light of Simon’s arrest, a ceremony Friday night in downtown Eunice commemorating "Tharold Simon Day" was canceled, although Mayor Rusty Moody said e hoped no one would rush to judgment. "I wasn't there. I've heard two versions, and in the United States you're innocent until proven guilty, and people need to consider the feelings of Tharold and his family also," Moody said. "He really is a good guy and he's looked up to by a lot of the children in town. He's a football hero." Yes, a guy who was suspended for the Auburn game in 2011 after testing positive for smoking synthetic marijuana and (allegedly) tried to big-time and threaten a cop is clearly a great human being and role model……..

Black Sabbath rocks on, one mega-expensive title bout and Israel makes nice

- Boxing definitely isn't what it used to be, but it can still bring in the big money. Mixed-martial arts has surpassed it in the combat sports world, but there is definitely still value in a big fight. If there weren't, then Russian promoter Vladimir Hryunov wouldn’t have bid an exorbitant $23,333,330 for the rights to the title bout between heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko and secondary titlist Alexander Povetkin. Hryunov’s purse bid for their mandatory bout is the third-biggest winning bid ever and far exceeded expectations to the point that even those involved were taken aback. K2 Promotions, Klitschko's company, bid $7.13 million and Sauerland Event, which promotes Povetkin, bid $6,014,444 in an event held at WBA headquarters in Panama City. With a minimum bid of $1 million, no one seems to have expected the price tag to reach eight figures and then some. “We all were totally surprised,” Klitschko manager Bernd Boente said. "We only have to make sure that the money goes into escrow and that it's real. We are definitely willing to go through with it, but we have to make sure this is not one of those fake Don King purse bids [where he has defaulted multiple times after high bids].” Klitschko stands to profit immensely from the bid because as champion, is entitled to 75 percent of the winning offer ($17,499,997) with Povetkin due the remaining 25 percent ($5,833,333). Boente admitted that the purse is the biggest in Klitschko's career "by far." As would be expected of a man who just put in a $23 million bid for a fight, Hryunov has a plan. He announced after winning the bidding that the fight, assuming Klitschko (59-3, 51 KOs) and Povetkin (25-0, 17 KOs) both win their interim bouts, will take place Aug. 31 in Moscow, Berlin or Las Vegas. Both men are former Olympic gold medalists, Klitschko in 1996 for Ukraine and Povetkin in 2004 for Russia. Povetkin has been the mandatory challenger for Klitschko twice before, but the bout never happened because Povetkin pulled out. In order to make the megafight happen, Klitschko must defeat Francesco Pianeta of Italy at SAP Arena in Mannheim, Germany on May 4 and Povetkin must beat Andrzej Wawrzyk on May 17 at Croscus City Hall in Moscow. The only fights to draw bigger bids were a potential Evander Holyfield-Mike Tyson heavyweight championship fight that never happened and a Buster Douglas-Holyfield heavyweight championship fight in 1990……….

- Everyone needs a place to belong and a community to rely on, even whales. A new study of humpback whales shows that these massive sea dwellers learn from their peers in the same way humans do for tasks such as searching for food, learning local customs and even learning new songs. Luke Rendell, a marine biologist at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, co-authored the study and found strong evidence that a group of humpback whales in the Gulf of Maine functions by sharing a newly observed behavior via their social networks. The behavior, known as lobtail feeding, was first recorded in one whale in the Gulf of Maine in 1980. In the 33 year since, 278 humpback whales—out of about 700 observed individuals that frequent the Stellwagen Bank area—have begun using the strategy, according to the study. "I've been arguing for over a decade now that cultural transmission is important in cetacean societies," Rendell said. He and his team found that the whales learn the new feeding strategy socially, rather than a more traditional method such as a genetic predisposition to the behavior. Lobtail feeding is a new spin on a common technique called bubble-net feeding, in which a whale blows bubbles into a kind of net surrounding the prey, corralling them into dense schools and lunging upward with jaws open to swallow as much food as possible. Lobtail feeding differs in that the humpback slaps the surface of the water one to four times with the underside of its tail before diving down and blowing the bubble net. "The origin of this behavior was strongly associated with the collapse of herring stocks and a boom in sand lance stock," Rendell added. Wait…stock booms? Is this Wall Street or Whale Street…..(insert rim shot here)?             For the study, researchers combined data on fisheries stocks with a sampling of a long-term dataset (1980-2007) on humpback whale observations. The spread of the new feeding behavior closely mirrored the loose social connections among the whales. This study is expected to spur further analysis of this kind of network analysis in relation to traditions and social learning among whales and other intelligent animals………

- In a world full of bombs, missiles, riots and general rage run amok, a single kind gesture can go a long way. Israel's army made just such a gesture Thursday when it announced that it would magnanimously halt its use of white phosphorus shells after years of international criticism for using the incendiary munitions in crowded Palestinian areas. Israel clearly could have gone right on ignoring those pleas, but instead its leaders said in a statement that they would replace white phosphorus shells with ones based entirely on gas. The rest of the plot was left vague, so there is no specific date for retiring the shells and not specifics on what will replace them. White phosphorus is a material made from a common allotrope of the chemical element phosphorus and has been a target for haters who decry it as a relic of a bygone era and lament the fact that it burns fiercely and can set cloth, fuel, ammunition and other combustibles on fire, and cause serious burns or death. The heat on Israel to stop using the shells, which were popular during the World War II era, intensified after the three-week winter war in Gaza in 2008 and 2009 against the territory's Hamas. White phosphorus shells were used during the three-week conflict to assault a U.N. warehouse where more than 700 Palestinians were sheltering. There are a limited number of battlefield situations where white phosphorus can still be used legally, but Israel's use of it in Gaza drew war crimes allegations by the U.N. and rather than risk further wrath from the international community, the Israelis have decided to dial it down and play nice-ish……..

- They are old, they are past their prime and they likely have little to no short-term memory from their years of abusing every conceivable drug known to man (and some non-drugs), but Black Sabbath still has fuel left in the tank. The veteran British rockers are currently on tour in Australia, performing new tracks from "13," their new album – and 19th overall - due out June 11 on Vertigo/Republic. With the Australian leg of their tour just firing up, the band have already announced plans to expand the upcoming U.S. leg of their tour with four new gigs. Tickets for the late-summer run will go on sale on various dates between May 3 and May 11 and the American leg of the tour will now launch on July 25 in Houston. All together, the reunited rockers have added 16 more shows to their North American itinerary, including performances in Toronto, Seattle, Los Angeles and Holmdel, N.J. Their new album was produced by Rick Rubin and it is the first Ozzy Osbourne-fronted Sabbath album in 35 years "God Is Dead?," the eight-minute first single from "13," dropped last week and the album is already available for pre-order through various online music markets for the fools who spend money securing a copy of a product that can never run out and will still be fully available in two months when they can actually buy it and obtain it immediately. In between legs of the tour, Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler will head to Tokyo for the inaugural Ozzfest in Japan on May 12 and Black Sabbath will get some additional promotion for their new project when one of their songs appears during the May 15 episode of "CSI." The band will also make a cameo in the episode……..

- The past week has been a total bummer for Colorado stoners. First, Denver’s first Stoner Christmas party, a.k.a. the first 4/20 rally since the state legalized the hippie lettuce, turned into a massive clusterf*ck when one kook brought a gun and shot two people. Mass panic ensued and critics immediately touted the incident as proof that legalizing ganja was the wrong move. Now, the state’s legal system is piling on as well and sucking all the joy out of lighting up the ol’ bong for some recreational drug use. It is still legal to smoke pot, but the Colorado Court of Appeals has determined that lighting up a joint even off the clock is a justifiable reason to fire an employee. Despite the fact that Centennial State voters approved a measure last fall to legalize marijuana use, a divided court ruled that employees can still be fired for testing positive for chron even if they never show up for work while baked. The ruling came in the case of Brandon Coats, a quadriplegic medical-marijuana patient who was fired in 2010 from his job as a telephone operator for Dish Network after testing positive for pot. Coats’ attorneys argued he was protected under a Colorado law that makes it illegal for workers to be terminated for participating in lawful activities off the clock, but a trial court dismissed the claim in 2011 and the appeals court concurred  that medical marijuana use isn't a "lawful activity" covered by the termination law. Even though Colorado’s laws have changed, justices concluded that in order for something to be lawful it "must be permitted by, and not contrary to, both state and federal law." Defense attorney Michael Evans decried the ruling as a major blow to Coloradans who use marijuana for medicinal purposes. "This case not only impacts Mr. Coats, but also some 127,816 medical-marijuana patient-employees in Colorado who could be summarily terminated even if they are in legal compliance with Colorado state law," Evans said. He speculated that the three-judge panel ultimately reached its decision out of a reluctance to issue a groundbreaking reversal that could shape the future of marijuana-related legislation in the state. Here’s hoping that the case winds it way to the Supreme Court so the noted pot lovers of the high court can weigh in on this one…..

The new Xbox, learn from David Petraeus and Zach Braff needs your help

- Ready to learn how to carry on a covert affair with your biographer while possibly compromising national security in the process? Then Macaulay Honors College at City University of New York just might be the place for you. That’s where David Petraeus, the former four-star general who was forced out as head of the Central Intelligence Agency because he had an affair with his biographer, has accepted a post as a visiting professor. The university released a statement Tuesday saying the former commander of coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan has been named a visiting professor for public policy, beginning Aug. 1. In his defense, Petraeus earned his bachelor of science degree at West Point and has a doctorate from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and he has written extensively on international relations, military strategy and national security. In the column against Petraeus, he did plow his biographer and lie about it, ending his political career in a giant ball of scandalous flame. Still, CUNY is fired up to have him come on board – it even said so in an official statement. “CUNY is profoundly honored to welcome Dr. Petraeus to our academic community,’’ Matthew Goldstein, chancellor of The City University of New York, said in a statement. “With his appointment, our students will have a unique opportunity to learn about public policy firsthand from a distinguished leader with extraordinary experience and expertise in international security issues, intelligence matters and nation-building.” Petraeus is likewise fired up to have something to do other than receive withering stares from his wife or stare aimlessly at the wall, wondering what the f*ck he did to his life. “Sixty percent of Macaulay students are the children of immigrants or immigrants themselves, and as the son of an immigrant who settled north of New York City, I identify with them and applaud their achievements in earning a place in CUNY’s honors college,” Petraeus said. At least when he’s caught getting after it with one of his students or a graduate assistant, the FBI won't need to investigate this time…….

 

- Zach Braff needs your help. He wants to maintain his creative and indie credibility, but he also wants to make a new movie. If he works with a studio on the project, his creative vision will undoubtedly be tweaked and manipulated by executives looking for the most marketable movie instead of the most artistically awesome one and Braff can’t have that. He’s decided that in order to solve this little dilemma, he’s going to follow the example of Kristen Bell and Rob Thomas, who used a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for a movie version of the defunct TV show “Veronica Mars” in which Bell starred under Thomas’ direction. Braff, who wrote and starred in  2004's indie hit “Garden State,” is hopeful that the Kickstarter funding approach will work for him and provide the $2 million necessary to finance his next directorial effort, "Wish I Was Here." “I am often asked by my fans or by the press when I am promoting films in which I've acted, 'Why haven't you directed another film since Garden State?' The truth is, it's very hard to get small, personal films made without sacrificing some aspect of your artistic integrity,” Braff explained. “Crowd-funding sites like Kickstarter could be a game-changer for independent films. Already 10 percent of the films at the most recent Sundance Film Festival had some Kickstarter money and that's growing exponentially. Social media has begun to give content creators a chance to appeal directly to their fan base and say, 'I wanna make something for you, but I'm gonna need your help.'” In breaking down why people with a fraction of the disposable income a Hollywood actor typically has would pony up the cash to make this movie happen, Braff suggested those people “will not only get to see something that wouldn't have been made otherwise, but they'll get to do so knowing they made it happen.” So what are fans and supporters buying into? The movie is based on the story of struggling actor, father and husband Aidan Bloom (Braff) who's "trying to find his identity" and "purpose in life." That may sound generic and unoriginal, but it could be a generic and unoriginal movie that you made possible……..

- The new Xbox is on the way, but gamers will have to be patient for a while longer. Microsoft will unveil the next incarnation of its popular gaming system at a press event at its Redmond, Wash., campus on May 21, giving the world a first look at the console just weeks before the June Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. For those who didn’t score an invitation to the unveiling, the event will be live-streamed. “On that day,” Microsoft executive and Xbox programming director Larry Hryb wrote in a company blog post, “we’ll share our vision for Xbox, and give you a real taste of the future. Then, 19 days later at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, we’ll continue the conversation and showcase our full lineup of blockbuster games.” Microsoft is lagging behind its home console competitors in this area, as all of them have already introduced their next generation of gaming systems. Nintendo’s Wii U was released in late 2012 and Sony had its PS4 bash in February, although it did not show the system in action at the event. Both the new Xbox and the PS4 are scheduled to be released by the end of 2013 and if either console lives up to the hype, gaming will never be the same….allegedly. Sony describes the PS4 as a “supercharged PC” with an overhauled, touchpad-enabled controller. Details on the new Xbox are sparse, with Hyrb cryptically promising it would usher in a “new generation of games, TV and entertainment.” Those words suggest it will be for more than just games and indeed, reports have speculated that the new Xbox will communicate directly with home cable boxes via an HDMI connection, potentially allowing the system to more easily become an entertainment hub for the living room. Whatever the future looks like for the Xbox, it will be shown to the world live at 10 a.m. on May 21 for anyone watching on Xbox.com, Xbox LIVE and, for television viewers in North America, Spike TV………

- This time will be different. Mike Shanahan promises it will be. After playing a leading role in wrecking his franchise quarterback’s right knee by continuing to play Robert Griffin III in a playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks even after Griffin was limping noticeably after a throwing a touchdown pass in the first quarter, Shanahan wants everyone to know that he's going to be more cautious in the future with the most important player on his team. Sure, he should have thought that way after Griffin missed games late in the season with a sore knee and came back when he shouldn’t have for the first round of the playoffs, only to tweak his knee and go tumbling to the ground in the first quarter of his first game back. His coach – any coach really – should have known to pull him out then and there, but Shanahan didn’t and as a result, Griffin went under the knife for reconstructive surgery on torn ligaments in his right knee. He’s on the road to recovery and everyone from Shanahan himself to Griffin’s orthopedic surgeon has marveled at the speed of his rehabilitation progress, but Shanahan says that from now on, the policy on Griffin will be that he  "never plays if he's not 100 percent." After the playoff game, Shanahan didn’t exactly own the decision not to remove Griffin from the game and said he relied on Griffin's word and that of team physician Dr. James Andrews, who was on the sideline, in keeping Griffin in the game. The veteran coach said Wednesday he learns about his players as time goes along and that if "it's your gut to take somebody out, sometimes it changes from year to year. I know mine does with different players." That doesn’t sound too confidence-inspiring, but if the head coach can abide by the policy that “one thing we're going to make sure of is that Robert never plays if he's not 100 percent,” then the Redskins (and Griffin’s knees) will be much better off moving forward………

- Bad news, stoners of the world. Colombia, typically known for keeping cokeheads nose-deep in piles of the sticky icky and the stomachs of hookers covered in the Colombian nose candy, has dealt a stiff blow to the pothead community by seizing nearly 6 tons of marijuana and cocaine allegedly owned by major rebel and drug trafficking groups. The massive supply of illegal narcotics was seized in raids by Colombian police in the southwestern departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca. Police claimed the operations represented major blows to the FARC rebel group and drug cartels, but that can’t possibly be true because FARC has denied involvement in the drug trade. The rebel group is engaged in a decades-long battle with the Colombian government, which views it as a terrorist organization. That much pot would come in handy for chilling out after a long, difficult day of battling the army and police, or to sell to drug dealers the whold world ‘round. Still, if FARC says it doesn’t do drugs (sales), then it must be telling the truth and police must be lying when they allege that the  2 tons of marijuana they confiscated believed belonged to the Sixth Front of FARC, which operates in the area. Likewise, the 3 tons of additional ganja found in the town of Buga in Valle del Cauca were either planted to frame FARC or they just happened to be holding the drugs for a friend. Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon can throw around all the nasty allegations he wants, but those two seizures and the taking of  1,490 pounds of cocaine in the port city of Buenaventura are going to do plenty of damage by driving up prices and delaying deliveries for all of the hard-working, drug-purveying entrepreneurs out there who depend on Colombia to be their narcotic hookup. Oh, and just think of all of the cokeheads and stoners who won't get the hippie lettuce or Bolivian marching powder they crave, all because the Colombian police had to get all law-abiding with it……….

Shooting nature's pest, losing track of bombs and the Bobcats do Bobcat things

- The name of Radiohead guitarist Thom Yorke is either pointless or some sort of elaborate joke because Atoms For Peace just does not seem to be the right handle for a band fronted by a man who promises to "f*cking knock their teeth out" if anyone dares to refer to the band as a supergroup. Such supergroups are increasingly common as musicians look to channel their inner NBA star and team up together to make a bigger impact. Atoms For Peace consists of York, producer Nigel Godrich, Flea from Red Hot Chili Peppers on bass, percussionist Mauro Refosco and drummer Joey Waronker. Yorke was in a cagey mood when discussing the band’s debut album and was asked about the fact that the project, titled “Amok,” debuted at No. 2 on the album charts in Britain, behind pop/R&B singer Bruno Mars. "Who the f**k is Bruno Mars?” Yorke responded. "Sorry. I'll get slandered now." Just to be clear, Thom Yorke does not like the supergroup label and he definitely is not a fan of Bruno Mars. What he IS a fan of seems to be rest, as he took time off from Radiohead to work with Atoms For Peace and sounds like he could use a vacation at this point. "What am I doing? I don't know, really. More electronic crap," he said. "I think I need a break at some point. I went straight from Radiohead into this. The break's, like, three days. That's kind of all I need." Later on in his mini-rant, Yorke lit up DJs for making too much money for showing up and jerking around with someone else’s music, so the entire process felt a bit like the temperamental rock star being bitter at the world and complaining about everything. Of course, you know what’s great therapy for that, right? F*cking knocking someone’s teeth out……..

- What’s wrong with Spain? It’s an amazing country filled with life, history, culture and natural beauty, which makes it decidedly peculiar that its official population fell last year for the first time since records began. Could the decline be tied to Spain’s financial turmoil or maybe to the fact that its royal family is embroiled in a legal scandal? Put your money on the former, because the numbers seem to be due to a decrease in the number of immigrants due to a five-year, on-and-off recession that has sent unemployment skyrocketing. According to the National Statistics Institute, Spain’s population fell by 206,000 to 47.1 million, with that decline accounted for by the fall in the number of registered foreign residents. It’s the first official population drop s since records began in 1857, although figures were compiled roughly every decade until 1998. Spain’s economic woes, along with those plaguing the rest of Southern Europe, seem to have no end in sight. Up until 2008, Spain was in the midst of an economic boom that drew Spanish-speaking immigrants from Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia to Europe in search of work in construction. During the first eight years of the decade from 2001-10, the country’s immigrant population swelled from 924,000 to 5.7 million. No sooner did that number hit its apex than the recession hit, complete with a bursting of the housing bubble and a government chafing under the restrictions of austerity measures imposed by the European Union. Spain’s unemployment rate has hit 26 percent and this seems to have inspired those same immigrants who flocked from half the world away to return home. According to the NSI, the biggest chunk of the population decline came from Ecuadoreans and Colombians. Even the country’s two largest groups of immigrants, Romanians and Moroccans, both shrank substantially last year. The one group whose numbers did increase was native Spaniards, whose numbers grew last year by 10,000……and still a smaller increase than in recent years………

- Aaaaand that’s why you’re the Charlotte Bobcats. One year ago, the organization being run (into the ground) by the greatest player ever to lace up a pair of basketball shoes hired a relatively unknown coach with no NBA experience to take over their league-worst team. Mike Dunlap was asked to come in and turn around a team that set a league record for highest losing percentage in a shortened, 66-game season. After winning just seven games last year, there was nowhere to go but up….right? Yes and no. The Bobcats did win more games – a virtual certainty with a full, 82-game schedule – and lowered their losing percentage with a 21-61 mark. Dunlap seemed overwhelmed in exactly the way a coach who is in way over his head typically would, struggling with game management and handling NBA players. He showed incredibly thin skin by benching veteran players for weeks at a time after they'd irritated him and feuded with veterans such as Ben Gordon, with the vets chafing under his micromanaging approach. For those reasons and more, the Bobcats fired Dunlap as coach Tuesday after a single season. Finishing with the second-worst record in the NBA ahead of only the Orlando Magic can have that effect, even when a team concludes the season with a three-game winning streak that bumps them from having the best odds in the upcoming draft lottery. Bobcats president of basketball operations Rod Higgins said he and general manager Rich Cho spoke with Dunlap and players before tracking owner Michael Jordan down on the back nine of whatever country club he was visiting for the day and asking him to make a coaching change. "The change was allowed," Higgins said. Higgins conceded that player input was "a part of the process, but not the only indicator." "I just don't think he was a great fit," Cho said. "Probably best that we go in a different direction." In other words, we f*cked up by hiring a coach whose most extensive experience was as an assistant coach at St. John's, making Dunlap the first person to make a direct move from an assistant coach at the college level to a head coaching position in the NBA. Maybe the Bobcats can make a better hire this time around, just as long as they find Jordan before he’s four beers deep into his second round of the day at the club…….

- Doesn’t this just feel like a time when the United States and all of its citizens should be aware of where their incendiary and explosive devices are? With last week’s tragic events at the Boston Marathon and no shortage of kooks eager to procure a copy of the Anarchist’s Cookbook or go online and learn how to make a bomb, knowing where all manner of things that go boom are located just seems wise. In that spirit, would someone care to explain why the hell a military explosive device was found Sunday afternoon on Cardiff State Beach in San Diego? The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department confirmed the discovery of the explosive device at about 1:10 p.m. by a beachgoer, who picked it up and took it to nearest lifeguard station. Picking up explosive devices without knowing whether they are about to detonate or not is generally a bad move, but this dumb do-gooder managed to escape the situation without blowing themselves up or losing any digits or limbs. The lifeguard were a bit smarter in handling the problem once it arrived at their door and they immediately called sheriff’s deputies, who ordered a full evacuation and called for the arson-bomb squad. The squad arrived on the scene, contained the device and took it away for disposal. Within two hours, the evacuation order was lifted and all of the surfers, tourists and bros hanging out and catching some rays at the beach were able to get back to their afternoon of leisure. In a development that doesn’t exactly inspire an immense amount of confidence, bomb technicians were unable to determine exactly what kind of explosive device it was, saying only that it appeared to be military ordinance………

- Nature’s pests have been put on notice in Oregon. In this case, the pest is sea birds and the mighty hammer of God striking down that pest is the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Technically, the agency is merely killing sea birds to see if they are eating protected young salmon, but the issue is much bigger than that. If these rule-flouting fowls can’t respect basic guidelines about which fish are acceptable eats and which ones are off limits, then they need to be made aware. That’s why the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has allowed Oregon to expand a study started last year into how many salmon cormorants are eating from the Tillamook estuary into the Umpqua and Rogue estuaries. Under the new rules, the department can now shoot 50 cormorants a year on each of the estuaries, through March 2015. All of this stems from pressure that started last year from sport fishing groups that led the department to ask for permission to reduce the number of cormorants eating young salmon on the Oregon Coast by 10 percent. The bureaucratic impediments at the USFWS denied that request until the department gets hard data showing it would help the recovery of threatened coho salmon, not just salmon in general. Department spokesman Rick Swart confirmed that the first cormorant was shot on the Umpqua estuary last week and with 4,000 cormorants nesting on the Oregon Coast at the Tillamook, Umpqua and Rogue estuaries, there is plenty more shooting to do. Of course, bird-huggers will point out that cormorants are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act the department has killed sea lions, protected by the Marine Mammal Act, for years now because they threaten and endanger salmon at Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River. When studies showed that d cormorants at the mouth of the Columbia River eat 15 percent of the millions of young salmon and steelhead migrating to the ocean, the time to act had arrived. Swart explained that department personnel do the shooting and check the birds' stomachs and if the contents are not clearly salmon, they are sent to a lab at Oregon State University for identification, and sometimes DNA analysis. Now, let’s get to shooting some annoying birds…….

Futurama canceled again, Google Earth goes 3-D and the Big Ten gets a clue

- Congratulations, powers that be in the Big Ten. After holding down the most ass-hatted division names ever conceived for any college or pro league in any sport, anywhere in the world, the conference has finally admitted the obvious and decided to change from Legends and Leaders to names that suck exponentially less. Beginning in the 2014 season, the conference will use geography to determine its new divisions and

division names. Big Ten presidents and chancellors are expected to approve the new divisions and division names for 2014, shifting from the platitude-ish, preachy Legends and Leaders monikers to East and West.

The proposed Big Ten West includes the six teams located in the Central time zone -- Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern and Wisconsin -- plus Purdue, with Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers in the Big Ten East. New additions Maryland and Rutgers helped spur the move, which will be split along strict geographic lines. As part of the new alignment, the Big Ten will adopt a nine-game schedule for football beginning in the 2016 season. The one minor dilemma with the new divisions is the separation of in-state rivals Purdue and Indiana. With the new division format, rivals Indiana and Purdue will be the only protected game between teams from the East and West divisions, but most of the existing rivalries will already stay intact by virtue of the teams placed in each division. Purdue's campus is located west of Indiana's, so the Boilermakers get to move west while the Hoosiers head east. Next to the league finally shirking the horrifically bad Legends and Leaders handles that have made it the butt of jokes and derision ever since they were first put in place back in 2010, which school ends up in which division is such a small and largely irrelevant matter……..

- The indignities are never-ending for Detroit. Emergency takeovers from government-appointed managers, entire neighborhoods turned into ghost towns because residents can't afford to pay their mortgages and…well….being Detroit. There doesn’t seem to be any group, entity or organization that is currently riding high financially in the Motor City and local firefighters are no exception. Detroit firefighters are tasked with keeping a city from burning down even though burning it down might actually increase its value, but many of them claim that they’re subjected to unsanitary working conditions and lack the means to deal with the problem. An anonymous firefighter who spoke about conditions at Engine Company 53 on Greenfield and Fenkell streets called the working conditions at the firehouse deplorable and claimed that the company’s supply room is empty, preventing its firefighters from doing their job safely. This anonymous first responder said there are no gloves in the supply room, which is a problem because gloves are kind of important for a firefighter looking to do his or her job safely and properly. “There are gloves for EMS, and they told us they don’t have any to give us. So we don’t have any,” this anonymous firefighter said. “We do anything we can to help and what ends up happening is, it’s unsanitary. Those latex gloves are sanitary, so it protects us from blood and it protects the people from us. So, when we don’t have the latex gloves, we have to use our fire gloves.” Wait….so not being able to provide immediate aid properly to wounded victims and working in a setting you freely describe as “pure insanity” is a problem? So what’s a fire department to do when supplies are scarce and money is scarcer? Beg for help. The firefighters or Engine Company 53 are asking the public to donate supplies, including gloves, and they claim that every fire station in Detroit is in a similar situation. Donated items can be dropped off at any fire station in Detroit……….

- It’s time to make a run to Barneo, y’all. No, not Borneo – Barneo. Borneo is a tropical paradise, whereas Barneo is a frigid camp situated about 70 miles away from the North Pole. Barneo is Russia’s drifting polar station and it is open for only one month every year. That month is quickly winding down and the station is set to close on Thursday. Before it shuts its doors for the year, it is expected to host talks of the Arctic Council envoys for the first time. The council consists of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States. Barneo has opened its doors every year since 2000, at 89 degrees north latitude, and for one month it becomes the center of research, sports and tourism in the Arctic. The Russian Geographical Society sponsors the base, which consists of an ice camp and a runway. Once it closes, virtually all traces of the complex are erased by nature and it must be built from scratch every year. As it turns out, it is physically impossible to keep a landing field on drifting ice for more than one season. April just happens to provide the perfect conditions and timing for erecting the base as the polar night ends by then, while the sun is not yet strong enough to start melting the ice. Factor in the absence of strong winds and moderate temperatures and you have a perfect setting for your basic Arctic ice camp. The station’s name is a not-so-clever joke by the Russian polar explorers as the weather conditions at the base are the complete opposite of the ones at the tropical island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. This year’s camp had its location determined by satellite in the middle of March, followed by a helicopter scouting mission to pinpoint the exact spot. On March 26, the Russian air force flew the first of three flights from the northern city of Murmansk to the Barneo 2013 location, delivering 50 tons of equipment and food, two tractors and 20 expedition members who then set up the base. “The cargo drop is performed by parachute from low altitude,” said Evgeny Kirillov, the spokesman for the Russian Northern Fleet. “The pilot changes the pitching (raises the plane’s nose upwards seconds before the drop) and the cargo rolls out of the bay due to its own weight. The Russian Air Force pilots are the only ones, who are capable of performing such maneuvers in super-high Arctic latitudes.” Once the camp is constructed, tourists can be transported to Barneo by Antonov An-74 cargo-passenger aircrafts. They land at the Ice Camp, which is the main infrastructure component of the expedition. They and the camp’s staff are housed in specially designed heated tents in which the temperature is kept between 15 and 18 Celsius. Some 250 tourists visit the station every year and use it as a launch point for a ski or a helicopter trip to the North Pole or an adventure such as dog sled riding, parachuting, diving in the Arctic Ocean and ballooning……..

- Google Earth is upgrading again. The search giant’s virtual mapping service has gone three-dimensional, adding support for Leap Motion's 3D motion controller. With this upgrade, users can swoop, dive, glide, and navigate the earth with simple hand gestures. Google Earth 7.1 launched today in celebration of Earth Day, although the Leap Motion Controller doesn't start shipping until mid-May. "While you're flying around the globe, take a minute [to] zoom out to outer space," the Google Earth team said in a Google+ post. "We've updated the star field and Milky Way to bring added realism (and fun) to space exploration." That announcement would have had a much bigger impact…..if only a single person in the world who isn't on the Google payroll actually used Google+. To upgrade the 3-D mapping and searching experience, users can throw away $400 a year, er, pat $400 for Google Earth Pro, an advanced feature that allows them to more easily visualize, analyze, and share 3D map data and imagery while also using map-making functions like creating legends and adding titles directly to a map. The new version of the service also comes equipped with viewshed, which helps to identify and calculate viewpoints, measure distances, and visualize potential views. "Our mission at Leap Motion is to provide a fundamentally better computing experience that frees people to create and explore the digital world in new ways," CEO Michael Buckwald said in a statement. "Google Earth combined with Leap Motion's 3-D, touch-free technology feels so incredibly immersive — people feel connected to the world in a new and compelling way." Sadly, the window has nearly passed for the 50-percent, 24-hour price reduction Google used for an Earth Day incentive to draw in potential buyers for Google Earth Pro. The offer expires at noon Tuesday, so act quickly…….

- Say goodbye to “Futurama” again....for what should be the final time. The cult-favorite adult cartoon has been axed again, this time by Comedy Central. The show originally ran from 1999-2003 on Fox before wrapping up its fifth season with the fan-favorite series finale titled “The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings.” After bidding farewell to the show but pushing to revive it in some form, fans were successful in convincing Comedy Central to pick it up in 2010. Four additional seasons resulted and while appearing on basic cable all but guaranteed that the show’s ratings wouldn’t ever climb as high as they were on Fox, a loyal band of fans remained squarely behind “Futurama.” There was also the show's brief rerun stint on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, its unsuccessful foray into four direct-to-DVD movies (which were eventually separated into sixteen episodes for its inaugural season on Comedy Central), all of which made it feel as if a desperate effort to sustain a doomed ship was being staged. Eventually, the subpar ratings were too much for Viacom – which owns Comedy Central – to ignore. In a slice of good news for fans, the end is near but they do have time to prepare themselves to say goodbye. The second series finale in the show’s history will air on Sept. 4 and the episode will be titled “Meanwhile.” Of course, Netflix has suddenly jumped into the business of giving short-lived, cult-favorite shows a second life, so maybe it can be convinced to give “Futurama” a third one………