US Open Tennis 2009, Schedule, Fixtures, Live Scores, Live Streaming.

The 2009 US Open Tennis Championship will be held from 31st August to 13th September, 2009 at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center at Flushing Meadows, New York City.

Mourners Begin Filling Into Basilica For Funeral Mass,

BOSTON — Mourners dressed in black and in dark suits, taking cover under umbrellas, are entering the church where Sen. Edward M. Kennedy will be remembered this morning.

President Obama, who arrived in Boston on Friday night, left his hotel early today, dressed in a dark suit and overcoat, to walk across the street to the Fairmont Copley Plaza for a 10-minute private visit with Kennedy’s widow, Victoria Reggie Kennedy.

The day’s somber mood is matched by gloomy weather. Rain and unseasonable cold enveloped the area as tropical depression Danny moved up the East Coast.

Mr. Obama will deliver a eulogy at the private service, which begins at 10 a.m. at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, in Mission Hill.

White House aides were mum about the eulogy the president would offer, but Mr. Obama is expected to focus on the impact Kennedy had on American life since first being elected in 1962.

Google’s gaggle of geeks has always been careful to wrap its complex projects in very user-friendly packages. The behind-the-scenes code is esoteric at best, but the presentation is clean, simple, and designed for grandma. Yet, every once in a while, Google gives a wink to its fellow geeks.

For example, search for Ascii art. If you’re nerdy enough to have heard of Ascii, you’ll quickly get the joke.

The usual Google logo in the top-right corner has been replaced by an Ascii version.

Never heard of Acsii? It’s a kind of digital art that uses computer letters to paint objects – something like a Lego project but instead of bricks it uses dashes, hyphens, X’s, O’s, slashes, and whatever else your keyboard can come up with. Google's logo is pretty simple, but Acsii experts have crafted alphanumeric masterpieces, such as pictures of supermodels, TV celebrities, and monocle-wearing velocipedes.

It’s unclear when Google planted this Easter egg, but it seems many people learned about it for the first time last night after the company’s search czar Marissa Mayer revealed it in a Searches for Ascii art shot up around midnight, according to Google Trends.

On the topic of hidden gems, here’s another goofy one: Go to Yahoo's homepage and click on the exclamation point in the top-and-center logo. I won’t spoil the surprise – just make sure your volume is at an appropriate level.

The Wildlife Conservation Society released two photos Thursday of a snow leopard, an endangered cat that lives in the high mountains of Central Asia.

These photos were taken by a trap camera in Sast Valley in Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor and sent to my colleague Dan Vergano,who wanted to share them with the pet community. Thank you, Dan. We'll do more on wild cats and wolves in upcoming blogs.

WCS researchers are conducting ongoing wildlife surveys in this remote area with the goal of establishing a protected area. They found this endangered cat willing to strike a pose or two.

Trap cameras are placed in an animal's habitat and are automatically triggered to go off when an animal goes by, allowing researchers to take photos without being nearby.

Snow leopards are on The World Conservation Union's Red list of Endange

red Species, the same endangered status given to the panda and tiger. Snow leopards are elusive creatures. Sightings are rare, partly because of how well they blend into the landscape. They weigh about 75-120 pounds (roughly seven to eight times the weight of a house cat and one-seventh to one-eighth the size of a tiger). They have large paws that allow them to jump up to 50 feet. More information about the cats and where they roam can be found a

t the wildlife

conservation society and the snow

leopard trust websites.

Peter Matthiessen writes about a magical journey he took on foot - what else? - in the rugged mountains of northwest Nepal with a wildlife biologist to look for these near-mythical creatures in The Snow Leopard.

Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Britney’s Secret Love Revealed

Just when we all thought that Britney Spears was finally back, it seems instead she’s slipping backwards.

The pop princess’s long-standing conservatorship under her father Jamie's reign may come to an end in November, but it sounds like little has changed since her father was put in charge of her affairs last year.

According to a very close insider, Spears is still madly in love with paparazzo Adnan Ghalib, who she dated for a few months at the beginning of last year during her darkest days. The pap-turned-celebrity-by-association was later charged with assault, hit-and-run and battery stemming from an incident in which he allegedly attempted to run over a court official who was trying to serve a restraining order on him.

Kristen Johnston to Join ABC's Ugly Betty,

Stage and television star Kristen Johnston will join the cast of ABC's Ugly Betty this season in the recurring role of Helen, a temp at Mode magazine, according to an exclusive report in EW.com.

Johnston's many stage credits include The Women, Aunt Dan & Lemon, The Understudy, and Celebrity Autobiography: In Their Own Words. She is scheduled to star in the Mint Theatre's production of So Help Me God! in 2010. Johnson is best known for her Emmy Award-winning work in the sitcom Third Rock from the Sun.

The Early Show (N) 7 a.m. KCBS

Today Coffee; Natasha Bedingfield performs. (N) 7 a.m. KNBC

KTLA Morning News (N) 7 a.m. KTLA

Good Morning America Reba McEntire performs; chef Martha Hall Foose. (N) 7 a.m. KABC

Good Day L.A. Director James Cameron ("Avatar"); Peter Reckell ("Days of Our Lives"); Chris Wallace, Fox News Sunday. (N) 7 a.m. KTTV

Rachael Ray Kathy Griffin. 9 a.m. KCBS

Live With Regis and Kelly Guest co-host Tamara Taggart; Renée Zellweger ("My One and Only"); journalist Geraldo Rivera. (N) 9 a.m. KABC

The View Susan Sarandon and Geoffrey Rush ("Exit the King"); Carol Leifer. 10 a.m. KABC

The Morning Show With Mike & Juliet Adam Lambert performs; chef Fabio Viviani. 11 a.m. KTTV

The Bonnie Hunt Show Brian Williams; "The Amazing Race 14" castoffs Jodi Wincheski and Christie Volkmer. Noon KNBC

The Tyra Banks Show Questions about women's health. 1 p.m. KTTV

The Martha Stewart Show Chef Pete Evans; crafters Cheryl Robinson and Anna Wulick. 2 p.m. KNBC

Oprah Winfrey Financial advisor Suze Orman. 3 p.m. KABC

The Tyra Banks Show The psychic twins. 3 p.m. KTTV

Dr. Phil The latest dangerous teen trends. 4 p.m. KCBS

The Ellen DeGeneres Show Steve Carell ("The Office"). 4 p.m. KNBC

Tavis Smiley Stan Brock, Remote Area Medical; Alexis Bledel. (N) 7 and 11 p.m. KCET

Washington Week The Obama administration's efforts to break the stalemate blocking comprehensive healthcare reform: Ceci Connolly, the Washington Post; Peter Baker, the New York Times; Jeanne Cummings, Politico; Naftali Bendavid, the Wall Street Journal. (N) 8 p.m. KCET

Real Time With Bill Maher Jay Leno; Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.); Chuck Todd; author Sam Harris; Jeremy Scahill. 10 and 11 p.m. HBO

Charlie Rose Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino ("Inglourious Basterds"). (N) 11:30 p.m. KCET

Late Show With David Letterman Christina Applegate; Patton Oswalt; Brendan Benson performs. (N) 11:35 p.m. KCBS

The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien Eva Mendes; Christopher Mintz-Plasse; the Dead Weather performs. 11:35 p.m. KNBC

Nightline (N) 11:35 p.m. KABC

Jimmy Kimmel Live Seth Rogen; Melissa Sagemiller; Jack's Mannequin performs. 12:06 a.m. KABC

The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson James Spader. 12:37 a.m. KCBS

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Dylan McDermott; Wendy Williams. 12:37 a.m. KNBC

Last Call With Carson Daly No Doubt; Adam Carolla; Friendly Fires perform. 1:36 a.m. KNBC

President Obama takes the fight to enemy air, woos right-wing radio audience on health care plan

The silky-smooth President spent 25 minutes on the air calmly playing health-reform myth buster with nationally syndicated conservative talk radio host Micheal Smer and his listeners.

"I guarantee you, Joe, we are going to get health care reform done," Obama told a caller, who wondered if the President's "knees are bucklin' a little bit" in the health care fight.

"Passing a big bill like this is always messy," explained Obama, who didn't appear worried about declining poll numbers or Obama-bashers who have hijacked some recent health care town-hall meetings.

The President insisted he's still wooing Republicans, but lamented that the GOP probably decided long ago to oppose health care reform.

"I think early on a decision was made by the Republican leadership that said, 'Look, let's not give them a victory and maybe we can have a replay of 1993-94 when [President Bill] Clinton came in. He failed on health care, and then we won in the midterm elections, and we got the majority,'" Obama said.

Obama set the low-key tone in the moments before going on the air, assuring an unusually nervous Smerconish they would have a "great time" on the show and asking the host about his four kids:

"Four? Man, well, I hope you're saving for college tuition, brother."

Muslims around the world will start the holy fasting month of Ramadan either on Friday or Saturday depending on the sighting of the new moon.

Friday, August 21:

Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Oman, Morocco, Mauritania, Libya (Shiites), Lebanon (Shiites), Iraq, Turkey, Kosovo, Macedonia, Romania, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Serbia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Albania, Slovenia Russia

Saturday, August 22:

Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Sudan, Yemen, Iraq (Sunni), France, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, North America

Below is the 2009 Ramadan Calendar. Check it out.

LOS ANGELES — The King of Pop will be buried on what would have been his 51st birthday, a spokesman for Michael Jackson's family said Tuesday.

Jackson will be buried at a private ceremony at Forest Lawn-Glendale on Aug. 29, spokesman Ken Sunshine said in a statement. Guests will be limited to family and close friends, Sunshine said.

"The Jackson family once again wishes to express its gratitude to Michael's fans around the world for their support during these difficult times," the statement said.

Details about the ceremony and the whereabouts of Jackson's body have been tightly guarded. The announcement came a day after the New York Daily News reported comments by Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, that his son would be buried on what would have been his birthday.

Sunshine said Jackson will be buried on the Holly Terrace at the cemetery's Great Mausoleum. The cemetery's Web site describes the mausoleum as featuring replicas of works by Michelangelo. It also features a stained glass recreation of Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper."

The cemetery is located in the city of Glendale, which is about 8 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. It is a different location from the Hollywood Hills cemetery where Jackson's family was seen gathering days after his death on June 25.

KARACHI: Pakistan Computer Association (PCA) started its series of free training programmes for IT professionals on Monday from Islamabad.

The programme, which will be extended throughout the country, provides a unique opportunity for IT professionals and computer vendors to learn and understand Open Source Operating Systems, said a PCA statement released here.

“Stakeholders will be given detailed orientation sessions about different operating systems, which would be available almost free of cost to the stakeholders, ending monopoly of expensive software in the country.”

This would be first training programme of its kind where IT experts and other stakeholders would be provided an opportunity to learn about low cost operating systems helpful in Pakistan’s business environment.

PCA would not charge any cost of training, but provide maximum literature, data and training advice from national and international experts to learn about the Open Source Operating Systems.

Pakistan Computer Association (PCA) has decided to organize an extensive training programme in order to provide a unique opportunity to IT professionals and computer vendors for learning and understanding the Open Source Operating Systems (OSOS) from August 17 (today), an announcement of the PCA said here on Sunday.

The stakeholders would be given detailed orientation sessions about these operating system, which would be available almost free of cost to the stakeholders, ending monopoly of expensive software in the country.

This would be first of its kind of training program where IT experts and other stakeholders would be provided an opportunity to learn about low cost operating system helpful in Pakistan business environment and working conditions of local corporate culture.

PCA will not charge any cost of the training, but would provide maximum literature, data and training advice from national and international experts in order to learn about the OSOS.

The training would help the IT professionals to learn how to operate state-of-the-art software technology and launch the same in Pakistan effectively and the affordable new IT new technology would be available to all users in Pakistan besides protecting and ensuring following the Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) Regulations.

Pakistan’s IT industry needs to enhance its adaptability to grasp the emerging global trends as well as to ensure smooth application of the rapidly changing technology and to attract further investment in the sector.

Pakistan Computer Association (PCA) has taken special initiative of providing training opportunity in Open Source Operating Systems to the stakeholders of the industry throughout Pakistan, whose trend is rapidly growing and getting popular in Europe and rest of the world.

Reporting from New Delhi - Bollywood mega-star Shah Rukh Khan returned to India today, telling fans that the U.S. immigration screening process was discriminatory and involved bizarre and irrelevant questions -- even as he denied that his strong reaction was a publicity stunt for his upcoming movie.

Khan, 43, was taken for secondary screening at Newark Airport for about 90 minutes Friday, which he said happened because of his Muslim name and South Asian origin.

Khan was on his way to Chicago to attend a celebration for Saturday's Indian Independence Day. In recent months, he's traveled repeatedly to Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York to shoot his upcoming film "My Name Is Khan," about the discrimination Muslims have faced in the U.S. since Sept. 11.

"Routine security procedures weren't followed," he said, adding that he felt embarrassed and uncomfortable having to find a U.S. national to vouch for him.

Khan said U.S. workers already had scanned his retina and taken his fingerprints in the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and should have just matched it against his actual prints when he landed, avoiding any problem.

His comments hit a nerve with upwardly mobile Indians who have faced enhanced and sometimes intrusive scrutiny since September 2001 when trying to attend U.S. schools, visit their relatives or participate in business meetings. His popularity also guaranteed that his complaints were heard by millions of poorer fans unlikely ever to travel abroad.

"This has definitely done huge damage to the U.S. reputation in India," said Shyamal Sengupta, a professor at the Whistling Woods International film school in Mumbai.

Hoping to blunt the criticism, recently named Ambassador to India Timothy J. Roemer said through a spokesman that Khan had millions of fans in the United States and was always welcome to visit. U.S. border officials said Khan was not detained or discriminated against but rather subject to normal procedure.

Khan, from a country with a healthy VIP culture, sought to deflect criticism that he was upset because he hadn't received special treatment. His celebrity status only allowed him to highlight treatment that many ordinary people face each day at U.S. borders, he said.

The U.S. has every right to defend its borders, he added. But it might want to balance this against a desire to present a more open attitude toward people from around the world.

"There's a little [U.S.] paranoia, which is OK from their point of view, but they need to look at it," said Khan, dressed in a gray V-neck shirt and dark glasses.

India's Foreign Ministry has pledged to take up the issue with the U.S. government. And Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni suggested that India should "return the compliment" when U.S. dignitaries next visit India.

Mahela Jayawardene cracked an unbeaten century as Sri Lanka recovered well from the shock of losing early wickets to wrest control on day one of the first Test against New Zealand in Galle.

Jayawardene scored an unbeaten 108, his 26th Test century, as the hosts put the Black Caps' attack to the sword on a pitch which had assisted the fast bowlers at the start.

Chris Martin had secured early breakthroughs with the new ball, reducing Sri Lanka to 16 for two inside the first three overs. However, opener Tillakaratne Dilshan gave the home side impetus with a belligerent 92, while Jayawardene and Thilan Samaraweera carried the momentum forward, helping the home side reach 293 for three at stumps.

Samaraweera is unbeaten on 82 and has so far added 159 for the fourth wicket with Jayawardene.

The start of play in the morning was delayed due to rain and, when play finally began 90 minutes late, the Black Caps gained the early advantage.

Martin, who immediately found movement in the air and off the pitch, removed opener Tharanga Paranavitana for a duck with his third delivery with the new ball. The paceman got one to slant across the left-hander and flick the edge through to wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum.

Kumar Sangakkara then began his innings with two classy drives - but he was snared by Martin for nine while attempting a third, Daniel Flynn taking the catch.

Dilshan and Jayawardene steadied the ship with an impressive partnership before the former was dismissed by a poor delivery from Iain O'Brien, which he dragged back onto his stumps.

Former captain Jayawardene then assumed command following the departure of Dilshan. He drove Daniel Vettori for a couple of runs to long-off to get past the 50-run mark and pulled O'Brien to the midwicket fence to secure his century.

Samaraweera made a slow start but grew in confidence as his innings progressed.

Yang becomes first male from Asia to win a major, outdueling Woods, who had been a perfect 14 for 14 in majors when leading after three rounds.

Moody's Investors Services downgraded some of its credit ratings on six Czech financial institutions, and said the outlook was negative, reflecting their vulnerability if the economy worsens more than expected.

The credit rater ended its review for possible downgrades begun May 25 for five of the financial companies, though Home Credit AS will remain on review owing to its status as a consumer-finance company.

Moody's said it considers the ability of the Czech Republic - where opposition accusations of mishandling of the economic crisis toppled the government in March - and its central bank to support lenders to be more closely aligned with the government's own fiscal flexibility.

Before the financial crisis and global recession, Moody's didn't expect systemic government support would be required to support banks and the state's ability to support the lenders was higher, benefiting some ratings at the time.

Moody's downgraded the long-term local currency ratings of Ceska Sporitelna, Komercni Banka and Ceskoslovenska obchodni Banka, by one notch to A1, six notches above junk territory, while affirming their long-term foreign currency and bank financial strength ratings.

The credit rater downgraded the Czech Export Bank Aaa rating by one notch to Aa1, and lowered J&T Banka two notches to Ba1, one notch into junk territory. BH Securities' ratings were confirmed.

Police in Pakistan say at least three soldiers were killed in a suicide attack in the country's northwestern Swat Valley.

Security officials say a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden vehicle into a security checkpoint in the town of Khawaza Kehla Saturday. At least four soldiers were wounded.

Pakistan's military launched an offensive in Swat and surrounding areas in late April after militants violated a peace deal and began advancing toward the capital, Islamabad.

Officials call the operation a success and say most of the Taliban insurgents have been driven from the region. However, Pakistani forces have encountered some lingering resistance.

The military says eight militants were killed Saturday in a clash that erupted as soldiers searched another area of Swat Valley. Two others were detained.

Elsewhere in northwestern Pakistan, security officials say fighter jets targeted a suspected militant hideout in the South Waziristan tribal region Saturday.

jimmy martyniak



"We hope you enjoy our little. . . Illumination"
"Phantom" is a small venue pyromusical that uses over 1000 pyrotechnic effects including comets, shells, mines, girandolas and fountains. The musical score is a compilation of sounds from the original cast of "Phantom of the Opera"

Phantom was the winner of the display competition at the 2005 Pyrotechnics Guild International. Team consisted of Joshua Hengen, Pete Hengen, Joe May, Mike Kauzlarich, Joe Domanico, George Stewart, Bernie Woodard, Graylin Presbury, John Miller, Jimmy Martyniak, Ron Silva Jr. and Daniel Clark.

Phantom also won first place at the display competition in Fredericksburg, Virginia in May 2005. A big thanks to the crew: Ron Silva Jr., Daniel Clark, Ron McLain, Bill Turner, Mark Swain, Danny Yochelson, Wayne Bringazi, and Joey Gargaro.

Phantom's next appearance will be in Virginia this fall presenting for Skylighter.

A special thanks to Pyromate firing systems for their ongoing support.

"Phantom" is currently available for your venue via "Fire in the Sky" Pyrotechnics. To schedule, call (703) 494-2828.

gina carano playboy pics

Gina Carano, the hottest lady in the world of MMA fighting is making headlines. Rumors were circulating that Gina Carano is going to pose for Playboy Magazine, though it wasn’t happened but the 25-year-old beauty has posed for Maxim Magazine and I must tell you, she is looking awesome in these pictures.

Even outside the MMA ring, Gina Carano is very famous. Former back-up Dallas Cowboys quarterback Glenn Garano is the father of Gina Carano. Her amazing beauty made her famous as well. In 2008, Yahoo ranked Gina Carano as one of the 10 most influential women. Gina Carano is also listed in the 100 Maxim celebrities.

Gina dropped down to 141 lbs and she is looking even more attractive in her recent physique. Once she said in an interview that for Playboy, she’ll never pose nude but for the magazine, she has made an appearance.

Gina will face Brazilian mauler Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos in her next fight. Cyborg is a splendid fighter and best known for brutality and aggressive style. On Showtime TV, Carano will be facing Cyborg this Saturday. It would be a wonderful fight as both the fighters are strong and competitive.

If you are a fan of Gina Carano, see her Maxim Magazine pictures below and don’t forget to watch her fighting Cyborg, who is unbeaten in her last seven consecutive fights.

jeff varner
Good Morning America Kris Allen, Adam Lambert and David Cook perform. (N) 7 a.m. KABC

Good Day L.A. Ashley Greene ("Twilight"); Dr. Mehmet Oz ("The Dr. Oz Show"); the winner of "So You Think You Can Dance"; Chris Wallace, Fox News. (N) 7 a.m. KTTV

Live With Regis and Kelly Jeff Varner; David Cook performs; Susan Lucci ("All My Children"). (N) 9 a.m. KABC

The View Meryl Streep, Amy Adams and writer-director Nora Ephron ("Julie & Julia"); author Lauren Costello. (N) 10 a.m. KABC

The Morning Show With Mike & Juliet Director J.J. Abrams. 11 a.m. KTTV

The Bonnie Hunt Show Heather Graham; Barry Watson. Noon KNBC

The Tyra Banks Show Men who have close relationships with men. 1 p.m. KTTV

The Martha Stewart Show Everyday Food editors Anna Last, Lucinda Scala Quinn and Margot Olshan provide recipes. 2 p.m. KNBC

Oprah Winfrey How to talk to children about sex: Dr. Laura Berman. 3 p.m. KABC

The Tyra Banks Show Women's health. 3 p.m. KTTV

Dr. Phil Extreme religious groups; two women travel to a compound to try to rescue their relatives. 4 p.m. KCBS

The Ellen DeGeneres Show Heidi Klum. 4 p.m. KNBC

Larry King Live Jermaine Jackson. (N) 6 and 9 p.m. CNN

Dr. Phil Filmmaker Eric Steel ("The Bridge"). 7 p.m. KCAL

Tavis Smiley Katty Kay, BBC; Paul Giamatti. 7 and 11 p.m. KCET

Washington Week Economic recovery; unemployment; taxes: John Harwood, the New York Times. Healthcare debate during Congressional recess: Peter Baker, the New York Times. President Clinton's mission to secure the release of two American women jailed in North Korea: Martha Raddatz. (N) 8 p.m. KCET

Real Time With Bill Maher Arianna Huffington, Jack Kingston (R-Ga.); Rep. Darrell E. Issa (R-Vista); Dr. David Scheiner, President Obama's former doctor. 10 and 11 p.m. HBO

Charlie Rose Meryl Streep and Nora Ephron ("Julie & Julia"). (N) 11:30 p.m. KCET

Late Show With David Letterman Joaquin Phoenix. 11:35 p.m. KCBS

The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien Eric Bana; Mary Lynn Rajskub; Flo Rida performs. (N) 11:35 p.m. KNBC

Jimmy Kimmel Live Quentin Tarantino; Rachel Nichols. (N) 12:06 a.m. KABC

The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson Don Rickles; Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings perform. (N) 12:37 a.m. KCBS

Late Night With Jimmy Fallon Paul Giamatti; Ken Jeong; Julian Plenti performs. (N) 12:37 a.m. KNBC

paula abdul



With the not so unexpected announcement that Paula Abdul will not be returning to "American Idol" for season 9, we at PopWrap felt it important to honor the woman who gave us Mc Skat Kat, countless ramblings masquerading as thoughtful critiques and enough Vicotin to fill a Coke cup -- allegedly! So let's take a look back at some of the highs and the highs of Paula Abdul's 20-plus-year career.

health club shooting

2 Victims Identified In Health Club Shooting

tribune review

A grassy knoll on Washington's Landing provides a zen-like outdoor setting for Quantum Theatre's production of Naomi Iizuka's drama "36 Views."

The Allegheny River island location separates us from the workaday world with a timeless quality that allows us to contemplate big questions of what's authentic, who's sincere or telling the truth and how to judge the true value of art with a fast-paced story of romance, intrigue and suspense.

As the sun sets, the lights come up on scenic designer Tony Ferrieri's elegant, minimalist set of white Japanese-style panels onto which are projected Carolina Loyola-Garcia's images of Asian art treasures. Sound designer Zachary Brown supports the Asian ambiance with a mix of Japanese instruments that serves as bridges between scenes as well as punctuation marks for scenes and actions.

"36 Views" refers to Japanese artist Hokusai's woodblock series of multiple views of Mount Fuji as well as the three dozen ancient Japanese poetesses, one of whom might have inspired the play. It also subtly suggests that the angle from which you experience something affects how you perceive reality.

Iizuka's play is set in the seemingly glamorous worlds of art, academics and antiquities, where the difference between a genuine artwork and a fake often depends on whose authority you trust, who spins the better story or what truth makes you happiest.

She also examines our capacity for self-deception and our willingness to buy into the dreams of true love, achievable fame or fast money.

At the center of the story is Darius Wheeler, a dealer in Asian antiquities who's deft at acquiring objects of incredible beauty, shifting them across borders and into the hands of willing collectors and increasing their desirability with a tale of adventure and intrigue.

Wheeler is a busy man. He's offered an opportunity to turn a buck by helping someone illegally acquire a national treasure and almost simultaneously discovers a rare manuscript written by a Heian period (roughly 11th century) Japanese female writer.

What follows is a fast-paced, involving tale that requires careful listening and commitment. Quantum Theatre artistic director Karla Boos directs with a precision that allows us to absorb the multiple story threads and character agendas, but also swiftly moves the events along to a conclusion that -- once experienced -- appears as inevitable as it is surprising.

The six characters are uniformly interesting, complex and highly entertaining.

At the center of the story is the relationship that develops between Matthew Gray's Darius Wheeler, who is as engaging as he is amoral, and Rebecca Hirota's Setsuko Hearn, a smart and likable scholar hoping to make her career through her study of the newly discovered manuscript.

Adding layers to the tale is the relationship between Wheeler's learned but willingly subservient assistant, John Bell, played by Jason Martin, and Claire Tsong, a multimedia artist unimpressed by the commercial side of art. Actress Shammen McCune plays Tsong with refreshingly outspoken skepticism and acerbic wit. Robert Haley adds interest and necessary context as the veteran academic Owen Matthiassen, as does Tressa Glover as Elizabeth Newman-Orr, the young journalist who serves as go-between for the illicit deal Wheeler undertakes.

They are each possessed of individual secrets and agendas that interweave into a multi-layered plot of mystery, romance and adventure that lends personal consequences to the abstract ideas under exploration.

george sodini

Police said George Sodini, 48, of Scott Township, walked into an exercise class Tuesday night at the LA Fitness and fired dozens of shots, killing three women and himself and injuring nine other women, authorities said.Channel 11 News was able to find what is believed to be Sodini's blog on the Internet, where he detailed his plans for Tuesday. Below are transcripts from some of the entries.Aug. 3:

"I took off today, Monday, and tomorrow to practice my routine and make sure it is well polished. I need to work out every detail, there is only one shot. Also I need to be completely immersed into something before I can be successful."The blog goes on to say the following:

"Tomorrow is the big day … Last time I tried this, in January, I chickened out. Lets see how this new approach works .. Also, any of the "Practice Papers" left on my coffee table I used or the notes in my gym bag can be published freely. I will not be embarased, because, well, I will be dead. Some people like to study that stuff. Maybe all this will shed insight on why some people just cannot make things happen in their life, which can potentially benefit others."

kalahari resorts water park

WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. – Reports of the death of Wisconsin Dells’ tourism industry are greatly exaggerated.

Last year’s draining of Lake Delton and the subsequent impact on tourist-related businesses is still on people’s minds, even though things are pretty much back to normal in this central Wisconsin community.

A few days of family vacation is all one needs to prove that fact.

Whether the weather is hot and sunny, or cool and rainy, there is always plenty to do in The Dells. Even winter provides plenty of options for fun activities for visitors of all ages.

Following is a guide of 10 “can’t miss” opportunities to help plan your Wisconsin Dells stay. A family can spend a lot of money at The Dells if they’re not careful. A little pre-planning can keep your trip on budget.

obama joker poster

The Obama posters feature Obama draw as heath ledger joker and adds the captions of socialism or socialist. The Los Angeles location of the posters haven’t been identified which have appeared on some news sites crashing today and reportedly snapped by photographer “Chris”.

First he’s the antichrist, now he’s The Joker. No one knows who is responsible for them, but they are multiplying like rabbits.

Personally, I think they would be better with a caption across the bottom that reads:

tiger woods fart





















Tiger Woods' fart on 18th fairway at Buick Open
The camera follows Tiger Woods walking up the 18th fairway of Sunday's Buick Open from behind, a normal enough looking golf scene. Caddy Stevie Williams carries Woods' bag, while Woods performs some odd-looking calisthenics, stretching out his right leg. And then one of them lets loose a fart loud enough to be heard on camera.

Woods and Stevie immediately begin laughing, none of the announcers say a word, and soon we cut away to a different shot. It shows a side of Tiger Woods we seldom get to see on or off the golf course: his human side. Some would argue that it was a little too human, but the fact of the matter is it is hilarious, and must happen all of the time.

Woods appears to be trying to find a way to get through the incident as quietly as possible, working it out with his right leg while Stevie gets the bag down. What comes next is so loud, so gaseous that some people are incorrectly assuming it is an off-camera fan with a whoopee cushion. Not so.

Given the fact that crews with cameras and microphones follow golfers around for the entirety of their rounds, with agreed-upon breaks only during commercials, it is simply amazing that this doesn't happen more often. As of yet, neither Woods nor Williams have made public comment on the incident, but proper golf etiquette dictates that he who smelt it dealt it.