The Titans had to play the entire 2011-12 regular season without any primetime games on NBC, ESPN or the NFL Network. Yet, the Jacksonville Jaguars (whom hardly anybody outside of Northern Florida cares about, maybe Los Angeles?) were rewarded with two Monday Night Football home games and a Thursday Night game.
So the 2012 NFL Pro Bowl was supposed to be an opportunity for some of the Titans' best players to gain some national exposure. Unfortunately, nobody wants to see any of the Titans' best players. That, or they just haven't seen them play this season.
I'm not surprised. This franchise doesn't get much publicity outside of Middle Tennessee. Chris Johnson may be the only player who exudes a great deal of star power and interest from football fans in other markets. Jared Cook might become that player if offensive coordinator Chris Palmer starts incorporating him into the offense more often.
I have a friend who is a rather loyal football follower. Back in August, I asked him if he could name five players on the Titans' roster. Outside of Matt Hasselbeck and Johnson, he couldn't do more than "That receiver who's always getting busted for weed" and "that guy who tried to rob Andre Johnson on the football field." He did know who Michael Griffin was once I explained to him that he played his college football at the University of Texas.
So were there any Titans who were snubbed? I think there were two players who were borderline choices. Cortland Finnegan and Rob Bironas may have been selected had they played in bigger markets.
Finnegan has played very well this season. The problem is that it doesn't really show up in the stats. I'm not sure that he'd get selected even if he deserved it since he seems to be one of the NFL's most disliked players after his on-field behavior for the past few seasons. He's not a bad guy though: he was chosen as the Titans' Walter Payton Man of the Year for a second consecutive year in 2011.
Bironas had another fantastic season. He's 26-of-29 on the season and he's converted six of seven field goals from 50+ yards. His only miss from beyond 50 yards was a 66-yard attempt against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the regular-season opener. Sebastian Janikowski received the nod over Bironas after converting on 27-of-31 field goals. Janikowski converted on his 63-yard attempt against the Denver Broncos in the regular-season opener.
With young players like Jake Locker,Karl Klug and Colin McCarthy? This trend will hopefully expire sooner than later.
Joshua Huffman graduated from Middle Tennessee State University as a marketing major in 2009. He's been a Middle Tennessee resident from 1986-1988 and 2001-present. He lived in the Upper Peninsula and Northern Wisconsin from 1988-2001 and for approximately eight months in 2009-2010 while completing a 20-game volunteer position with the USHL's Green Bay Gamblers. His favorite sports organizations include the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Cubs, and Nashville Predators. He also follows the Tennessee Titans, his favorite AFC team.
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WOODLAND ? Teenage brothers from Chico were injured in a crash Dec. 21 on Interstate 5 that involved a second vehicle and a big rig driven by an Orland man.
The California Highway Patrol said Jarred Brown, 16, of Chico, was driving south on I-5 just after 11 a.m. when his 1994 Honda Accord veered into another lane and was struck by a tractor-trailer driven by Robin A. White, 31, of Orland.
Brown and his front seat passenger, Jeremiah Brown, 18, were transported to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, where they were treated for moderate injuries and later released.
White wasn't injured, nor was Soloman Salvador, 55, of Tacoma, Wash,, the driver of a Toyota Sienna involved in a crash with the Honda before it was struck by the big rig.
The CHP said drugs and alcohol are not suspected to the factors in the crash, which is under investigation.
Rico Ferro, 88 of Marco Island died, December 24, 2011. He served in the US Army during WWII, and was a barber shop owner in New York City for many years. He is survived by his wife Angelina of Marco Island, a son Thomas (Susanne) Ferro of Cary, NC, a daughter Susan ( Peter) Novick of San Diego, CA, and four grandchildren, Erika and Kathryn Ferro, and David and Jonathon Novick. Memorial services will be held Monday, December 26 at 11:00 am at Fuller Funeral Home, 4735 Tamiami Trail East. Memorial Donations may be made toThe St. Jude League 205 West Monroe Chicago, Illinois 60606.stjudeleague@claretians.org.
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Let?s get something straight: I believe that the world would be a far better place, and women would be far better off, if Bravo had never invented the ?Real Housewives? television reality show genre. But unfortunately for women ? especially those of Orange County, Beverly Hills, New York City, Atlanta, New Jersey and Washington, DC ? there is obviously some deep human need for a glimpse of the lives of the rich and ostentatious, and what better, albeit sexist, prism than the lives of the privileged women? And so the endless viewing of luxury living and staged catfighting, where men are either non-existent, or as interesting than the furniture, became a staple of American television.
Then just as nearly every successful reality series from ?Survivor? to ?The Voice? has made aliyah to Israel, so came the ?Housewives? concept. The staged reality series about wealthy Israeli women, ?HaMeusharot,? (?Wealthy Women?) and the timing couldn?t have been more unfortunate. Right around its premiere last summer, Israeli social protesters pitched their tents on Rothschild Street and the ?tycoons? become public enemy number one. It was as if the series premiere of Donald Trump?s ?The Apprentice? coincided with the emergence of Occupy Wall Street.
You?d think people wouldn?t have been in the mood for the rich and famous. But the show quickly drew an audience and received relatively strong ratings for the financially struggling television channel that airs it.
Now, I?ve got as much of a reality show habit as the average Israeli. In a country where so much actual reality is hard to handle, it?s fun to escape into the fake version of reality. Still, I never watched ?HaMeusharot? until Edmund Sanders of the Los Angeles Times took notice of the show and declared:
in the land of the kibbutz ? a nation founded on egalitarian ideals, where lawmakers still wear jeans in the Knesset, or parliament, and the flaunting of wealth was once considered taboo ? this unapologetic celebration of the lifestyles of the rich and Israeli is hitting a raw nerve.?
Sanders used the show as a jumping off point for a discussion about how there are many more very wealthy people in Israel than there used to be, and how rich Israelis are increasingly willing to flaunt their luxurious lifestyles.
It?s hard to argue with his first premise. Yes, there are more wealthy Israelis, many as a result of the country?s high tech success, and that?s not something to be ashamed of. Yes, there needs to be a way to figure out how that wealth could be better distributed and that?s what the social protests were about.
But as for the idea that ?Meusharot? reflects a change in Israeli culture, I think it?s less having more wealthy people willing to show off and more about the whole reality show culture where people are willing to trade their dignity for fame. ?Survivor? participants will eat cockroaches on television; ?Biggest Loser? contestants will weigh in at 400 pounds in front of the country; women on ?The Bachelor? will throw themselves at a guy they?ve just met. So now, wealthy women are willing to shop for designer duds, do their Pilates and get their Botox injected on camera in exchange for becoming instant celebrities. An admirable trend? Not really. But not a local one.
That said, after having viewed the Israeli series ? and yes, there was plenty of behavior on the show that made me squirm ? I also had some surprising positive feelings about it.
First of all, the women are of various ages, with several over 50 ? refreshing at a time when middle-aged women are few and far between in primetime programming. And it is appropriate that there is no mention of the word ?Housewives? in the name of the show. Most of the Israeli women depicted are generally fiercely ambitious business owners. To be sure their lifestyle seems highly subsidized by wealthy husbands, ex-husbands and boyfriends, but none of them seem satisfied with being purely trophy wives and girlfriends. The Israeli title ?HaMeusharot? is a play on words ? the word for ?wealthy? and the word for ?satisfied and happy? are spelled differently, but sound the same.
Maybe I?m overly influenced right now by the current struggle over religious ghettoization of women but right now, it?s good to see assertive and strong Israeli women on screen pursuing happiness for themselves even in this undesirable context. Their values may be skewed, these rich and materialistic lawyers, event planners and Pilates tycoons are tough women who stand up for themselves and refuse to disappear for anybody. I don?t see them sitting on the back of any bus (that is, if they ever rode a bus). In times like these, I?ll take women who won?t be marginalized, designer duds and all.
BEIJING ? Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda arrives in Beijing on Sunday for talks focused on North Korea and promoting stability in the closed country after the death of Kim Jong Il.
Noda's first official visit to Beijing would normally have focused on bilateral issues, such as squabbles over islands claimed by both countries, but the death of Kim a little more than a week ago and the announcement of his son Kim Jong Un as the country's "supreme leader" has shifted the focus away from bilateral issues.
Noda is the first foreign leader to meet China's leaders since Kim's death and he will emphasize the need to get stalled six-party talks on North Korea's nuclear program back on track.
"I would like exchange views and information in detail so as to avert a harmful effect on peace and stability on the Korean peninsula," Noda told reporters in Tokyo before he left for his trip.
Noda meets his counterpart Wen Jiabao on Sunday, and then President Hu Jintao on Monday before returning home. His visit to China was planned before Kim's death was announced Dec. 19.
He will tell Wen that China's role as chair of the six-party talks is "very important," Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said Saturday.
The six-party talks, which include the two Koreas, the United States and Russia, are aimed at disarming North Korea of its nuclear capability. Pyongyang walked out on the talks in 2009 ? and exploded a second nuclear-test device ? but now wants to re-engage.
Last year, Pyongyang also was blamed for two military attacks on South Korea that heightened tensions on the peninsula.
Noda, who came to power in September, met Hu in November on the sidelines of an APEC meeting in Hawaii.
Japan does not have diplomatic relations with North Korea, while China is the impoverished country's most important supporter and supplies it with food aid and much of its energy resources.
Noda also is expected to discuss the possibility of renting pandas for a zoo in Sendai to cheer up the northern Japanese region as it recovers from the tsunami disaster in March.
Japan and China have a list of sensitive topics they are trying to make progress on, including fights over islands and energy disputes in the East China Sea, and recently the arrests of Chinese fishermen Japan says have been illegally fishing in its waters.
The countries also want to make sure relations are on an even keel in the run-up to the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties in September.
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Associated Press reporter Mari Yamaguichi in Tokyo contributed to this report.
The President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil today greeted fellow citizens on the auspicious occasion of Christmas, which will be celebrated tomorrow.
In a message, the President said, ?On the occasion of Christmas, I send my greetings and good wishes to all my fellow citizens.
Christmas is a time of great joy, cheer, hope and happiness. It proclaims Lord Jesus Christ?s message of love and sacrifice, compassion and service, courage and humility, peace and harmony?.
AT&T has dropped its bid to take over T-Mobile USA for $39 billion in the wake of opposition from government regulators who say the deal would violate antitrust laws.
The move by AT&T -- announced Monday afternoon -- was a stunning outcome for the telecom giant that had sought to buy Bellevue-based T-Mobile USA -- an American subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom. AT&T had underestimated the opposition it would face from government regulators and from competitors who feared what would become of the highly competitive wireless industry if the merger went through. The deal would have created the nation's largest carrier.
AT&T's decision to scrap its merger plan leaves T-Mobile in limbo. T-Mobile USA?s parent, Deutsche Telekom, is getting $3 billion in cash by the end of the year. And T-Mobile USA will get what Deutsche Telekom calls a ?large package of advanced wireless solutions spectrum? and a seven-year national roaming agreement that will allow T-Mobile to bring faster service to Seattle and other big cities.
The deal gives T-Mobile more time to figure out its future, including upgrading its network and finding a new partner.
Microsoft says that Novell Inc. has insufficient evidence to reasonably support its antitrust lawsuit against the Redmond software giant now that a jury has failed to reach a verdict in the case.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has used the annual Consumer Electronics Show as a platform for CEO Steve Ballmer to showcase his company?s latest hardware and software offerings.
But times are changing, and apparently Ballmer and Microsoft no longer need the exposure from the big tech trade show that it has dominated in the past with presentations and exhibits. Microsoft will make the upcoming 2012 CES show its last because it is relying more heavily on its own marketing campaigns and retail stores to reach its customers.
Here are a few things I am catching up on this week:
The Seattle Mariners are valued at $641 million, according to a Seattle divorce trial judge handling the case of Mariners minority owner Chris Larson, who made his fortune as a programmer at Microsoft
The Seattle Times reports that based on the $593 million sale of the Texas Rangers and $610 million sale of the Houston Astros this year, King Count Superior Court Judge William Downing estimated the Mariners were worth $641 million, considerably higher than the $449 million estimate by Forbes earlier this year.
Amazon?s Lovefilm division and Sony Pictures Television inked a content arrangement giving Lovefilm members in the UK exclusive streaming access to new and upcoming Sony Pictures titles like "The Social Network? and ?Salt.?
The deal between Lovefilm and Sony is the latest in a series of content deals in the UK. Others involve Warner Bros., Entertainment One, STUDIOCANAL, Disney, Momentum and Lionsgate.
Origami just got microscopic ? and autonomous. It's now possible to select the best flat starting shapes for making tiny boxes that build themselves.
This is tough as the number of possible 2D cut-outs is overwhelming. For a simple cube, there are just 11 different options, but a dodecahedron of 12 pentagon faces has 43,380.
A team led by David Gracias of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, made hinged nickel cut-outs, edged with alloy, using algorithms to choose the fastest-folding starting shape. Melting the alloy made the shapes fold into boxes less than a millimetre wide. The team found that the least spread-out starting shapes folded fastest.
"We have lots of cool technology from the chip manufacturing world for printing to 2D forms," says Erik Demaine of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who specialises in the mathematics of folding. "How do you nanomanufacture 3D surfaces? This provides a natural way to bridge that gap."
Journal reference: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1110857108
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LOS ANGELES ? Sophie Clarke slayed the competition on "Survivor: South Pacific."
The brainy 22-year-old medical student from Willsboro, N.Y., overcame 39-year-old "Survivor" veteran Benjamin "Coach" Wade of Susanville, Calif., and 26-year-old high school baseball coach Albert Destrade of Plantation, Fla., to win the CBS reality competition's $1 million grand prize Sunday. Clarke earned six votes from the nine-person jury of former players.
"I think I had my finger on the pulse of the game the whole time," said Clarke after it was announced she won.
Clarke secured her place among the final three contestants on the 23rd edition of "Survivor" by forging a strong alliance from the outset and winning three individual immunity challenges, including the final physical competition, which ousted seasoned 30-year-old "Survivor" veteran Oscar "Ozzy" Lusth of Venice, Calif., from the 39-day survival contest.
"I knew the only one that could beat me at a challenge ? no offense, guys ? was Sophie," Lusth said.
Wade, who previously competed on the "Tocantins" and "Heroes vs. Villains" editions, and Lusth, who was featured on the "Cook Islands" and "Micronesia" editions, formed strong alliances with new contestants, though Lusth spent most of the game's second half on Redemption Island battling fellow voted-off castaways for a chance to return to the game.
At the end of the finale, show host Jeff Probst announced that the 24th season would be titled "Survivor: One World" and would feature two tribes competing against each other while living together on one island. "One World" is set to premiere in February.
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CBS is a division of CBS Corp.
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Online:
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/survivor/
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AP Entertainment Writer Derrik J. Lang can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/derrikjlang/.
WASHINGTON ? Iraq war veterans at the White House:
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Name: Tanya Bradsher
Military experience: Lieutenant Colonel in U.S. Army; served in Iraq from 2008 to 2009.
White House position: Spokeswoman, National Security Council
On the war's end: "I want to see (Iraq) succeed. You could see the skeleton of what was there ... I would love to see that vision realized again and just to see a vibrant country."
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Name: Matt Flavin
Military experience: U.S. Navy intelligence officer; served in Iraq from 2005 to 2006.
White House position: Director of veterans and wounded warrior policy.
On the war's end: "Based on the extent of our sacrifice as a nation, I want a peaceful, stable democratic government in Iraq that is an ally of the United States. I think we've earned that."
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Name: Steve Miska
Military experience: Lieutenant Colonel in U.S. Army; served three tours in Iraq between 2004 and 2009.
White House position: Director of Iraq.
On the war's end: "Knowing that the war is coming to an end was really just a sense of relief for me in a huge way. And it is very personal. Not only do we know many of the people who are currently serving there on the U.S. side, but we know many of the Iraqis that we served with."
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Name: Darienne Page
Military experience: Army sergeant; served in Iraq from 2003 to 2004.
White House position: Assistant director of the Office of Public Engagement, focusing on veterans and wounded warriors.
On the war's end: "To watch deployments year after year, always seeing my friends go and my family members stationed over there, and now to be in an administration bringing the war to a responsible end, it's a great feeling."
Stocks edged higher Friday afternoon as spreading optimism about the U.S. economy boosted companies that benefit from broad economic growth. BlackBerry maker Research in Motion plunged after slashing its forecast for holiday sales.
The Dow Jones industrial average inched up 9 points, or 0.1 percent, to 11,877 as of 1:45 p.m. It had been up 99 points earlier. Most of the 30 stocks in the Dow rose, led by Home Depot Inc. with a 2.6 percent gain.
Materials and industrial companies rose, signaling that traders expect the economic recovery to remain on track. The Dow Jones industrial average broke a three-day slump Thursday after a report showing sharply fewer layoffs and signals that business conditions for manufacturers are improving.
Utility and telecommunications companies lagged the market as traders sold companies considered safer when the economy is weak.
Proposed spending cuts in Italy also soothed fears about the threat posed by Europe's debt crisis. A flat reading on U.S. inflation sent bond yields lower.
Some analysts believe nervousness about Europe this fall and winter pushed stock prices lower than their fair value. Investment adviser Uri Landesman, president of Platinum Partners, expects stocks to rise into next year because of the growing likelihood that economic news and European headlines will remain positive.
"The odds are, the news is going to be better than the market is discounting," Landesman said. He said the market is near the low end of its recent trading range, and a dose of positive news could set off a mini-rally. Any market moves next week could be sharp as trading volume thins out before the Christmas holiday, Landesman said.
The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose 4, or 0.4 percent, to 1,220 as of 1:45 p.m. The Nasdaq composite index rose 14, or 0.6 percent, to 2,555.
The gains were broad. Seven of the 10 industry groups in the S&P 500 index rose, led by materials and industrial companies. U.S. factories in some regions have seen shipments and orders rise this month, according to two surveys released Wednesday. Materials companies are benefiting from soaring commodity prices.
Online game developer Zynga Inc. fell 10 percent in its first hours of trading on the Nasdaq. The maker of Farmville's initial public offering was priced late Thursday at $10 per share, raising $1 billion. That means the San Francisco company can boast the biggest Internet IPO since Google Inc. first offered shares in 2004.
Research In Motion Ltd. plummeted 11 percent after the company said late Thursday that new phones seen as critical to its future will be delayed until late next year. RIM also is taking a big loss on unsold tablet computers and predicted that its BlackBerry sales will fall sharply during the holiday sales season.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury note plunged to 1.86 percent from 1.93 percent earlier Friday after the government said consumer prices were unchanged last month, suggesting that inflation remains low. Low inflation makes bonds more attractive because it doesn't diminish the buying power of the fixed return a bond provides over time.
If stocks hold their gains, it will be only their second rise this week. Indexes gained Thursday after positive economic news brought relief to choppy markets. The Dow rose 45 points after separate reports showed sharply fewer layoffs and better business conditions for factories on the Eastern seaboard.
Italy's lower house of parliament approved an austerity package in hopes of lowering the country's escalating borrowing costs. The measures are seen as a crucial step toward soothing fears about Europe. Italy's borrowing costs have risen in recent weeks to levels at which other nations, such as Greece and Portugal, were forced to take bailouts.
The cuts are aimed at persuading bond traders that Italy can emerge from the widening crisis without defaulting on its debts.
Among the other companies making big moves:
? New York-area cable TV provider Cablevision Systems Corp. plunged 15 percent, the most in the S&P 500, following the sudden departure of its chief operating officer, Tom Rutledge.
? Adobe Systems Inc. jumped 8.4 percent, the most in the S&P 500, after the software maker reported earnings and revenues that were far better than what analysts had expected. Analyst Walter Pritchard at Citigroup said the quarter was a "blow-out when most expected weakness."
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Follow Daniel Wagner at http://www.twitter.com/wagnerreports.
All Critics (66) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (61) | Rotten (3)
It's a definitive example of naturalistic moviemaking -- you feel you're breathing the air that the characters are breathing.
Its final moments offer a vision of what a contemporary romance can achieve: an appreciative gasp of truth, a wet-eyed hope for more.
One of the truest, most beautiful movies ever made about two strangers.
If you've ever met someone who changed your life in the space of days, you'll relate to something in this movie.
The organ that "Weekend" is most concerned with isn't the one you might think, but the human heart.
In just a short period of time, a weekend hookup tests the boundaries each man has set for himself.
Part of the brilliance of Haigh's film is how specific the characterizations are of his two main characters, how their different natures both allow for the possibility of love and impede it.
Deserves to find a place in the hearts of wistful romantics everywhere, no matter what their sexual preference.
It's splendidly played with an understated intensity that deftly captures the shifting emotional tone of the relationship.
Offers up the kind of subtle, truthful relationship drama that's all too rare in cinema.
There's a fresh, sweaty, honest, unpretentious air to it, and when they part, with Glen on his way to spend a year working in Portland, Oregon, we genuinely believe that something like love has come into their yearning lives.
Writer-director Andrew Haigh has a delicate, sensitive touch, and this is appealing as a simple peek into modern romance... but there's a sense of wishful thinking -- or even desperation -- that I suspect is not intended here.
There's a deceptive simplicity to British writer-director Andrew Haigh's poignant, fluent character study, which has already earned comparisons to Before Sunrise.
Haigh treats his subject matter with matter-of-fact realism. If this is a new voice on the British film scene, it's a refreshingly adult one.
It is a tender, humane film, with an easy, unforced cinematic language: a film that doesn't need to try too hard.
Haigh's film is written with a shrewd, unpretentious feel for the way young people behave when they're getting to know each other, shot with a keen eye for urban solitude, and completely nails its seemingly modest tasks...
Haigh, writing, directing and producing, drives through the meeting-cute introductions and the medium-molten sex scenes as if they were merely marks on the map, to follow the simple, complex arc of an evolving love affair.
Impressively directed and superbly written, this is an emotionally engaging and strikingly naturalistic romantic drama with terrific central performances from newcomers Tom Cullen and Chris New.
A remarkable film that signals an exciting new voice in the LGBT landscape.
Sexy, provocative, engrossing and occasionally ornery, it should appeal to anyone whose curiosity about someone new has provoked them to question their own identity.
Terrific low-key turns from the two leads inject their growing bond with genuine emotion, making this a love story that will get under the skin of romantics everywhere.
Cullen and New are British stage actors with little background in film. Haigh's only previous film was a documentary. Perhaps because they don't feel bound by a set of rules, they've created one of the year's most enjoyable surprises.
Weekend is the year's wittiest hymn to romance.
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WASHINGTON ? The Obama administration has added a senior member of a Lebanese militant group to the list of global terrorists subject to U.S. sanctions.
The State Department says Saudi citizen Saleh al-Qarawi is a high-ranking operative for the Abdullah Azzam Brigades in Lebanon. The group has claimed responsibility for the bombing of a Japanese oil tanker last year and for several rockets fired from Lebanon into Israel.
The move freezes any assets held by al-Qarawi in the United States and bans Americans from doing business with him.
The department said that before moving to Lebanon, al-Qarawi fought American forces in Fallujah, Iraq, and worked alongside killed al-Qaida in Iraq chief Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
It said al-Qarawi is wanted for extradition by Saudi Arabia for extremist activity.
Leah Messer fears for the health of one of her twins on "Teen Mom 2."
By Drusilla Moorhouse, E! Online
Just like Jenelle and her friends, Tuesday night's episode of "Teen Mom 2" took a detour from Planet Fun.
Chelsea is changing her Facebook status to "in a dysfunctional relationship," Kailyn's "living like trash," while Jenelle and bad-boy boyfriend Kieffer are living?in her car. But it's Leah who has her very own suite in the heartbreak hotel, as she and hubby Corey cope with potentially devastating news about baby daughter Ali....
LAST WEEK'S RECAP: "Teen Mom 2" recap: Halloween horror nights!
Chelsea and Adam 4EVAH: Shocker! After messaging her on Facebook (presumably not addressing her as a "fat stretch-mark b----" and calling their daughter a "mistake" as he did in past texts), Chelsea agrees once again to get back together with her baby daddy. Anyone with a GED knows that Chelsea's plan to "use her head, not her heart" was inherently flawed. As "sad" as it makes her, a heart is all this girl's got.
And maybe reuniting with the lazy man is best; he's sure to help out with baby Aubree while Chelsea recovers from her knee surgery and hits the books. As she points out, "With all the distractions I haven't been studying at all for my GED." And if Adam again refuses to pay rent to Chelsea's enabling/"mean" father, well, maybe he's just saving for their future: "In 10 years ... when we get married." Wait, what?! Guess it's time to toast the happy couple with a cup of spit-soaked sunflower shells.
MORE: So true? So false? Does "Teen Mom's" Amber Portwood really earn six figures?!
Unwanted houseguest: Sinceshe left baby daddy Jo and moved out of his family's house, Kailyn has been living with her mom ? and her Bartleby the Scrivener boyfriend. Returning to their home (sometime in between her two jobs and full-time college classes), Kailyn finds a note from Mr. Tidy: "Your rooms stink," he writes. "We don't live like ? me and your mom don't live like trash." That's all the invitation Kailyn needs to finally strike out on her own, and after rejecting welfare, she finds her own apartment, apparently financed by a nonprofit organization that helps young moms.
MTV, who are you trying to fool here? Amber Portwood admitted in court that she received $280,000 for a year of filming "Teen Mom." Are we supposed to believe the "Teen Mom 2" cast is working for free?
MORE: "Teen Mom's" Jenelle ? Is she really back with slacker boyfriend?
"Dude, I seriously did not just drive all the way the (bleep) up here for everybody to be (bleeping bleep) pants": Since Jenelle's mom and hater of true love kicked her daughter out, the "Teen Mom" has been bunking with BF Kieffer in her car. And despite those sweet Ed Hardy seatcovers, things aren't going so well for the two lovebirds. While Jenelle tries to do her homework in the library, Kieffer uses his free time to gamble. He's got to do something besides "stare at the wall."
Jenelle's resentment of the poster boy for failure explodes when he brings a bottle of liquor to drink before their bowling night at Planet Fun. Just when their friend Ben is trying to bizzout, Jenelle and Kieffer have a huge fight in the parking lot. "That was my change jar, Jenelle! What the hell would you do that for?" shrieks Ben after she chucks his coins at her boyfriend ? who retaliates by shoving her and throwing her in the car. Cue MTV's domestic violence PSA, and next week's previews showing Jenelle pressing charges against Kieffer for assault.
MORE: "Teen Mom's" Kailyn Lowry Puts Son Isaac to Work -- as Face of His Own Clothing Line!
Baby Blues: Leah has to take a day off from her new job as a dental assistant to take baby Ali, who's been suffering from an undiagnosed developmental disorder, to the eye doctor for a checkup. Although the ophthalmologist has some good news ? Ali's adorable pink glasses seem to have corrected her nystagmus ? he recommends a brain MRI because her small optic nerves could indicate a brain abnormality.
When Leah is discussing the scary news with hubby Corey and his stepmom, Joetta, Ali's twin Aleeah takes her first steps while her sister ? who has only just learned how to sit up by herself ? watches. That's when Joetta drops another bombshell: She did some research and discovered that it is not uncommon for patients with Ali's diagnosis to go blind.
If anyone deserves a night at Planet Fun, it's this family.
PHOTOS: "16 and Pregnant's" Teen Moms: Where Are They Now?
What did you think of Tuesday night's episode? Sound off on The Clicker's Facebook page.
Electric utility provider Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK - News) saw an uninspiring third quarter as sales were flat and income was sour with the heavy burden of increasing costs and emission charges. Additionally, mild weather conditions in the U.S. this year did not help the company's cause.
Let's dig deeper.
Powerless quarter Net sales were flat at $3.96 billion, falling short of the market expectation of $4.11 billion. Duke's inability to make more revenue this quarter was mainly due to milder weather conditions compared to last year. Summers were more tolerable while winters were warmer. This reduced demand for electricity-based products such as coolers and heaters.
However, there is more to Duke's lackluster performance than unfavorable weather. Profits fell 30% compared to last year's quarter, to $472 million. Expenses such as increasing construction costs of a plant in Indiana and heavy emission charges hurt Duke's income. Barring the effects of such nonrecurring items, Duke earned $0.50 per share, above the market expectation of $0.47 per share.
Where are these costs coming from? Duke is building a coal gasification power plant in Edwardsport, Ind., which was initially estimated to cost $1.87 billion. However, expenses have exceeded the prior budget, and now investment in the unit is at $2.98 billion. In the quarter, the company incurred an additional $220 million charge because of rising construction costs. This project, which will start operations next year, will be the world's cleanest coal-fired power station.
Moreover, Duke's commercial power segment incurred a $79 million charge as emission allowance under the new air pollution control regulations. There were other special costs the company incurred owing to its planned merger with Progress Energy (NYSE: PGN - News). Although Duke is now feeling the pinch on profitability and margins, these costs are not here to stay.
Energized side Looking at the brighter side, Duke's international segment performed very well. This business contributed nearly 18% to the company's profits before tax, growing at the rate of 52% from the previous year. Higher prices and better volumes from regions such as Central America and Brazil helped the business. Peer PPL (NYSE: PPL - News) beat the street's top-line and bottom-line estimates, benefiting from better business in the U.K.
Barring the effect of weather, Duke's commercial and industrial customers seem to be using more power. A better economy would mean more factories and growth and thus more use of power and electricity. Industries such as automobile and textile are generating more demand, whereas slower moving industries, such as real estate and construction, have been performing poorly for the power industry.
The Foolish afterthought Duke seems confident about its performance in the next quarter, lifting its full-year earnings expectation. I think that makes sense. The company recently bought three solar farms in North Carolina, and it plans to merge with Progress Energy in a $13.7 billion deal soon, which would make the merged entity U.S.' largest utility company, serving more than 7 million customers in six states. Once the deal fulfills legal obligations, it will be huge for the company. Fools should keep a close watch on Duke and the developments on this deal.
Navjot Kaur does not own shares of any of the companies mentioned in this article. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) ? A New Mexico restaurant employee says he's now seen it all, after three men left his diner with rolls of toilet paper and were nabbed in the parking lot by police.
Burgers, Dogs and Wings employee Josh Flannery-Stewart tells KOAT-TV (http://bit.ly/rtVXdL ) in Albuquerque that he was immediately suspicious of the men when they came in Saturday because they weren't talking and appeared "messed up."
The three went into the bathroom and emerged carrying about a dozen rolls of toilet paper. They got in a car in the parking lot, but didn't get far.
Albuquerque police apparently already had the trio under surveillance and quickly surrounded the car and arrested them.
The toilet paper was returned to its rightful owner.
ARBIL, Iraq (Reuters) ? Rioters burned dozens of alcohol shops and damaged several hotels in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region after Friday prayers, prompting an attack a pro-Islamic party office, authorities and witnesses said Saturday.
Iraq's Kurdistan in the north of the country has enjoyed more stability and security since becoming largely autonomous in 1991, and has been governed by two ruling parties who have shared power since Saddam Hussein was ousted in 2003.
After Friday prayers, during which one religious leader criticized the sale of alcohol, protesters burned more than 30 liquor shops and bars and damaged three hotels in Zakho, 440 km (275 miles) north of Bagdad, officials and witnesses said.
"Dozens of people came out after Friday prayers and burned alcohol stores," one eyewitness said.
Fahad Mulla Saleh, a member of the Kurdish Islamic Union, said the party's headquarters had been attacked after the riots. But his party denied any responsibility for the attacks on stores in Zakho.
Kurdistan Regional Government President Masoud Barzani in a statement condemned the attacks, which he said appeared to have been triggered by religious leaders.
Kurdistan has enjoyed investment and growth even as the rest of Iraq still struggles with power shortages and the stubborn violence from Sunni Islamist insurgents and Shi'ite militias more than eight years after the U.S. invasion.
But many Kurdistan residents say they have seen little of the region's new wealth, complaining the two ruling parties have concentrated power in their hands. Two months of protests earlier this year demanded the two parties loosen their grip.
(Reporting by Baghdad newsroom; Writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by Sophie Hares)
ROME (Reuters) ? Mario Monti's government will unveil austerity measures totaling 20-25 billion euros over the next two years on Monday, government sources said, as Italy seeks to shore up public finances but also help growth to head off an acute debt crisis.
About 10-12 billion euros of the total will be used to cut the budget deficit, the sources said, aimed at ensuring Italy meets its goal of balancing the budget in 2013 despite a steep economic downturn and rapidly rising borrowing costs.
The remainder will free up resources to try to re-generate Italy's recession-bound economy.
Italy's cabinet is set to meet on Monday to approve the measures, the prime minister's office said in a statement, adding that two news conferences would be held immediately afterwards - one for foreign reporters - to detail the plans.
The package will then be presented to the lower house of parliament at 1500 GMT and to the Senate at 1700 GMT, the statement said.
Measures are expected to include extending the retirement age for many workers, liberalizing professional services and new taxes on private assets.
Monday's announcement will be a vital step for re-establishing Italy's shattered credibility with financial markets after a series of unfulfilled reform promises by the previous centre-right government.
Monti has said the program is aimed at ensuring Italy's deficit cutting goals can be reached even as growth prospects worsen in the euro zone's third largest economy.
Italy, one of the world's most heavily indebted and slowest growing economies, faces the prospect of recession next year, with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development forecasting gross domestic product will contract by 0.5 percent.
CUTS, TAXES
Under the new reform plan, programmed cuts to the national health service budget will be accelerated by one year, to reduce spending by 2.5 billion euros in 2012 and 5 billion euros from 2013, according to a local government source.
The maximum limit for cash transactions, currently at 2,500 euros, will probably be reduced to 500 euros, a government source said.
Ministers are also considering raising income taxes on higher income brackets and hiking taxes on boats and other luxury goods.
Political sources said a local housing tax (ICI) abolished by Berlusconi's government will also be reintroduced, bringing in estimated revenue of at least 3.5 billion euros per year.
Changes to pensions will be key, with eligibility requirements toughened up for so-called seniority pensions which are based on a combination of workers' age and the years for which they have paid contributions.
(Writing by Catherine Hornby; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
LOS ANGELES ? The doctor sentenced to four years behind bars for causing Michael Jackson's death has filed a notice that he intends to appeal the conviction.
Conrad Murray signed a one-page document that was filed in Los Angeles on Friday seeking all records and transcripts from the case. The filing does not indicate the basis on which Murray will argue to overturn his conviction or sentence.
The 58-year-old was sentenced Tuesday to four years in jail for his involuntary manslaughter conviction, but the term will be automatically cut in half.
Murray's challenge will be heard by a state appeals court in Los Angeles, assuming he files an opening brief at a later date.
Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor blasted Murray's conduct on Tuesday, calling him a disgrace to the medical profession.
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