Jay-Z, Alicia Keys perform clean version of "Empire State of Mind" before World Series Game 2

NEW YORK — Jay-Z and Alicia Keys fired up the Yankee Stadium crowd before Game 2 of the World Series on Thursday night, performing a clean version of "Empire State of Mind" from the rapper's hit album.

The two New Yorkers were originally scheduled to perform Wednesday night but were pushed back because of rainy weather. There was some concern about some of the song's raw language but Jay-Z kept it PG for the nationally televised performance.

The rap king - wearing a Yankees hat and jacket - and Keys got a loud ovation when they walked through an opening in the outfield wall in left-centre to the stage behind second base. Keys, in a black and hot purple outfit, played keyboard before joining Jay-Z in the centre of the stage for the end of the song.

Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, who uses a snippet of "Empire State of Mind" for his at-bat music, bobbed his head during the performance. New York reliever Joba Chamberlain also was grooving to the song while the Philadelphia Phillies watched attentively from the top step of the visiting dugout.

A buzz went through the crowd when Jay-Z rapped one of the signature lines of the hit: "I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can."

There was more applause after the performance as Jay-Z and Keys walked arm in arm through the outfield to the gate. Phillies pitcher Pedro Martinez was preparing for his Game 2 start nearby but he kept long tossing as the music stars disappeared from sight.

NOT AGAIN: There was another blown call by the post-season umpires in the seventh inning of New York's 3-1 victory over the Phillies on Thursday night.

With one out and runners on first and second, Johnny Damon hit a smash to Philadelphia first baseman Ryan Howard. Umpire Brian Gorman, standing behind the 6-foot-4 Howard, immediately threw his arm up to indicate the ball was caught in the air, but TV replays indicated it bounced into Howard's glove.

Howard took a few steps toward first before throwing to shortstop Jimmy Rollins, who tagged Jorge Posada to complete the inning-ending double play. Posada stood on second for a few moments before bounding off the base to protest the call, and manager Joe Girardi came out of the dugout to argue.

The umpires gathered in the infield after the players returned to their dugouts, but the ruling stood.

A series of umpiring mistakes during the playoffs has led to calls for expanded use of instant replay, but commissioner Bud Selig said before the game he still thinks it's not necessary. Selig did promise more discussion of the topic.

TOP SPOT: Ruben Amaro Jr. was one of Pat Gillick's top lieutenants when the Phillies won the World Series last season.

This time, he's in charge.

Amaro took over as general manager when Gillick retired following last season, ascending to the top spot after 10 years as an assistant in Philadelphia. The club hasn't skipped a beat under his leadership, winning the NL East and the pennant for the second consecutive year.

"What is really pretty cool about this being here right now is the fact that it's the big stage, it's New York," Amaro said before Philadelphia's 3-1 loss in Game 2. "It's the history and we're playing clearly one of the best teams in baseball, in our minds the best team in the American League.

"To be able to match up with this storied franchise and to be in this situation is pretty gratifying. It's pretty neat."

Amaro made a couple of shrewd moves during the season to help the Phillies get to this point. He acquired left-hander Cliff Lee and outfielder Ben Francisco from the Cleveland Indians for four prospects and signed free-agent righty Pedro Martinez.

Lee struck out 10 in a dominant performance in Philadelphia's 6-1 victory in the Series opener. Martinez went 5-1 with a 3.63 ERA in nine starts in the regular season and pitched into the seventh inning in a sharp outing in Game 2.

Amaro, 44, joined the Phillies immediately after his playing career ended in 1998. He worked under former GM Ed Wade for seven seasons and the last three with Gillick.

"I've had a chance to learn from some very, very good GMs in my mind," Amaro said. "They each had some pretty interesting qualities to kind of feed off of."

MIC CHECK: The World Series is back in New York - without its voice.

Longtime public address announcer Bob Sheppard, who recently turned 99, is missing his first World Series since he began his career behind the Yankee Stadium microphone in 1951. Sheppard worked 121 consecutive post-season games, including 62 in 22 Fall Classics, a stretch that ended with the 2006 playoffs.

"Frankly, I'm content to be out of the swing of things," Sheppard said in a phone interview with The Associated Press on Thursday. "I couldn't do it anymore."

With his distinctive voice and the perfect diction that personified his player introductions, Sheppard said his memories of his time with the Yankees are "precious."

His favourite moments at Yankee Stadium spanned his long career.

"Yankee Stadium has so many memories, among them, of course, is the Don Larsen game. That might be near the top," he said. "Reggie Jackson's three home runs in a row. He was outstanding."

Larsen pitched the only perfect game in post-season history on Oct. 8, 1956. Jackson became Mr. October in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series.

And what memory did he cherish most from the Yankees' run of four World Series titles in five years from 1996-00: "They run together like slices of ham."

Sheppard has not worked a game since late in the 2007 season due to a bronchial infection, although he did record the lineups at his home for the final game at the original Yankee Stadium last September.

Laura Bush Killed a Guy

Many have speculated that Laura Bush killed a guy; well I am not sure that this is true, but as the Bush Family started to pack their bags and is getting ready to go back to their home town Texas, this new sensational news that Laura Bush Killed a Guy started circling around the internet. Many have digging out reports from their past and George W. Bush is not the only one people have been spying on, his wife Laura Bush is also the part of digging the past and spying on the present.

Half a truth is often a great lie but believe me this is complete truth. The better half of Mr. Bush starts killing people earlier then Mr. Ex President Bush. This news can be unbelievable for you to read but we can explain.

Mr. Bush start killing people in 2001 but you will be amazed to read that Mrs. Laura Bush killed a man in 1963 on the road of Dark Taxes, a teen ager was killed by the dirty hand or Laura Busy in a road accident when she ran over the signal and hit another car this teenager was driving.

The vote bank of George W. Bush is of the opinion that it’s a rubbish story, it is an ill trick, democratic disruption, a campaign initiated by black sheep’s against a good woman to take their revenge of defeat by Mr. G.W Bush and nothing else. How can Mrs. Bush kill a guy?

Now lets put some light on the technical part of the story to make the below statements right.

No, Mrs. Laura Bush did not Killed a guy.

Now technically speaking this statement is right. Mrs. Laura Bush never drove a car. She never ignores the signal in the mid night on the roads of Taxes, because Mrs. Laura Bush did not exist at that point of time, she was Miss Laura Welch at the time of incident. She got married with Mr. Ex-President in 1977, so it is very simple Mrs. Laura Bush never ran a sign over and never killed a man.

TIMELINE-Pakistan suffers bloodiest militant attack in 2 years

Oct 28 (Reuters) - Pakistan suffered its worst militant attack in two years on Wednesday when a car bomb killed more than 80 people in a crowded market in the city of Peshawar. [ID:nSP53705]

The blast, which pushed the year's total for deaths in militant attacks close to 500, came several hours after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in the country, pledging a fresh start in relations. [ID:nSP526167]

Following is a timeline of major attacks this year:

Feb. 5, 2009 - At least 24 people are killed in a suicide bombing near a Shi'ite mosque in Dera Ghazi Khan, central Pakistan.

Feb. 20 - Suicide bomber kills 27 people and wounds 65 in an attack on a funeral procession for a Shi'ite Muslim killed a day earlier in Dera Ismail Khan town.

March 3 - Gunmen attack a bus carrying Sri Lanka's cricket team outside a Lahore stadium, killing seven people, including six policemen and a driver, and wounding six of the cricketers and a British coach.

March 27 - A suicide bomber kills 37 people in a crowded mosque near the Afghan border.

March 30 - Militants armed with guns and grenades storm a police training centre in Lahore killing eight recruits, wounding scores and holding off police and troops for eight hours. The attack is claimed by Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud. Four militants are killed and three arrested.

April 5 - A suicide bomber blows himself up in a religious centre for minority Shi'ite Muslims in Chakwal in central Pakistan, killing 22 people.

April 18 - A suicide car-bomber rams a military convoy, killing 25 soldiers and police and two passers-by near Kohat, 190 km (120 miles) west of Islamabad.

May 27 - Gunmen attack a police headquarters in the Pakistani city of Lahore, setting off a car-bomb that killed at least 24 people.

June 5 - A bomb blast kills around 40 worshippers attending Friday prayers at a mosque in a remote area of northwest Pakistan.

June 9 - Militants attack the Pearl Continental Hotel, which is popular with foreigners, in Peshawar with guns and a truck bomb killing seven people including a U.N. worker.

Aug 27 - A suicide bomber kills 22 Pakistani border guards in an attack at the main crossing point into Afghanistan.

Sept 2 - Unidentified gunmen shoot and wound Pakistan's religious affairs minister, Hamid Saeed Kazmi, in a brazen attack in the capital that killed his driver.

Sept 18 - A suicide car-bomber kills 33 people on a main road near the city of Kohat in northwest Pakistan.

Oct 5 - A suicide bomber dressed as a paramilitary soldier attacks an office of the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) in the Islamabad, killing five staff.

Oct 9 - A suspected suicide car-bomber kills 49 people in the city of Peshawar. About 100 people are wounded.

Oct 10 - Gunmen in army uniforms attack Pakistani army's headquarters in Rawalpindi. The next day Pakistani commandos storm the building and rescue 39 hostages. Nine militants, three hostages and 11 soldiers are killed.

Oct 12 - A suicide bomber hits a military vehicle in Shangla district, near the Swat valley. Forty-one people are killed, including 35 civilians and 6 soldiers, and 45 wounded.

Oct 15 - Militants launch a string of attacks in Lahore, capital of Punjab province, Peshawar and Kohat in the northwest killing at least 31 people.

Oct 28 - More than 80 people are killed and around 100 injured when a bomb explodes in the busy Peepal Mandi market street in Peshawar's old city.

Bay Bridge closure causes nightmare commute as engineers try to determine why rods snapped

Bay Area commuters were dealing with a difficult morning drive today as Caltrans closed the Bay Bridge after two steel rods fell off last night, possible because of high winds.

Caltrans this morning would not give a time estimate for when the Bay Bridge -- a key route between San Francisco and Oakland -- will reopen. A Caltrans spokesman told reporters this morning that it could take days to make the repairs.

The closure left commuters scrambling for alternative routes, whether that meant taking other bridges or taking mass transit. BART subway lines were jammed this morning, and the agency said it was bring in more trains.

The cables broke on the westbound upper deck of the Bay Bridge during the Tuesday evening commute, hitting at least one vehicle and snarling rush-hour traffic.

"If you look at the totality of the circumstances -- you've got the 5:30 commute, you have a 5,000-pound piece of steel falling out of the sky. We are so fortunate that no one was injured or killed," California Highway Patrol Sgt. Trent Cross told KTVU-TV.

According to Caltrans, the incident occurred on a part of the bridge that received emergency repairs during the Labor Day weekend. That work was designed to repair a crack on the bridge.

India vs Australia 2nd ODI live and India vs Australia live cricket streaming

New Delhi, October 28: India vs Australia 2nd ODI live and India vs Australia live cricket streaming. India today took advantage of depleted Australian bowling attack by piling up 354 runs. This is one of the best performances by India against Australia.

Most of Indian batsmen did pretty well. But the assault was led from front by none other than Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. When Dhoni came India was three down for around 120 runs.

The Indian captain who has learnt a lot from his previous experience started slowly, hitting ones and two initially and later taking charge and hitting some big shots.

Dhoni hit three sixes and nine fours in his magnificent inning of 124 runs off only 107 balls. This is among his best individual innings against Australia in one day international.

Dhoni first built partnership with Gautam Gambhi who scored 76 runs off 80 balls. In fact Gautam Gambhir should be given credit for stabilizing Indian inning when India was three down.

Gambhir has become the nemesis of bowlers of all sorts.

India was able to pile up 354 runs due to the quickfire 62 runs inning by Suresh Raina and Sehvag who scored 40 runs off just 31 balls.

But the man who did it and helped other players to perform on the field was none other than Dhoni.

Scoreboard

Virender Sehwag c Hilfenhaus b Johnson 40

Sachin Tendulkar c White b Siddle 4

Gautam Gambhir run out (Hauritz) 76

Yuvraj Singh c&b Hilfenhaus 23

Mahendra Singh Dhoni c Paine b Johnson 124

Suresh Raina c Paine b Johnson 62

Harbhajan Singh not out 1

Praveen Kumar run out (Paine) 1

Extras (b 1, lb 6, w 14, nb 2) 23

Total (for seven wickets in 50 overs) 354

Fall of wickets: 1-21 (Tendulkar, 3.3 overs), 2-67 (Sehwag, 10.1), 3-97 (Yuvraj, 15.1), 4-216 (Gambhir, 33.6), 5-352 (Dhoni, 49.3), 6-353 (Raina, 49.5), 7-354 (Kumar, 49.6)

Bowling:

Ben Hilfenhaus 10-0-83-1

Peter Siddle 10-0-55-1

Mitchell Johnson 10-0-75-3

Nathan Hauritz 10-0-54-0

Adam Voges 5-0-33-0

Shane Watson 5-0-47-0

Toss: Australia, who chose to field

Umpires: Ameish Saheba and Shavir Tarapore

TV umpire: Sanjay Hazare

This is It Reviews Respectable, but Irrelevant

No This Is It review really matters, as This Is It reviews are entirely useless. Michael Jackson This Is It reviews look to be respectable, nonetheless. No This Is It review had been posted until today, which is usually the kiss of death for movies. But Michael's This Is It is not just any movie. And no matter what This Is It reviews say, the "final" look at Michael Jackson is about to be a massive phenomenon.

As anyone alive knows, the Michael Jackson This Is It tour was supposed to be the King of Pop's last series of shows. It was his last show, but not for the reasons anyone expected. With Jackson's death, This Is It looked to be dead as well, until director Kenny Ortega and company decided to turn the This Is It rehearsals into a documentary film.

Now This Is It is indeed a swan song for Jackson, as the documentary has two hours of footage in which he rehearses new and old material. It is only supposed to run for two weeks, starting today, but the massive box office to come might extend the run. So This Is It reviews don't stand to do much to change that.

Very few reviews can be that objective, depending on what someone's view of Jackson was. The first This Is Itreview probably wasn't that objective, since it came from Michael Jackson's old friend, Elizabeth Taylor. She posted a series of raves on a Twitter page yesterday, after being one of the first to see the film.

Now, Michael Jackson fans and critics can review This Is It for themselves, and the early responses from critics aren't too bad. As of 9:30 a.m., Rotten Tomatoes has the documentary at 65% positive, with 13 fresh reviews and seven rotten ones. The positive responses rave about seeing Jackson perform one last time, while the negative ones regard it as a missed opportunity with little new insight.

But no matter what future This Is It reviews wind up saying, Jackson fans will deliver the final word with an overwhelming box office win. Hundreds of millions are expected here and worldwide, and that's before other This Is It merchandise comes out.

Korina Sanchez Wedding

Max Roxas and Korina Sanchez

On Tuesday morning, the security around the Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City was tightened. The security was tightened in preparation for the wedding Mar Roxas and Korina Sanchez. The wedding of Senator Mar Roxas and broadcaster Korina Sanchez is said to be one of the most highly-touted weddings of the year. The wedding was scheduled at 3 p.m. at the Sto. Domingo Church and according to a Flash Report by Bernadette Reyes of GMA News, nearly 50 bouncers were tasked to secure the area. High security was present for the wedding because it was expected to be attended by high-profile political. Many popular showbiz personalities also expected to attend the ceremony. The police from Quezon City Police Department also there for security purposes.

According to sources, 2,000 guests were invited by Roxas and Sanchez for the wedding. The head of wedding coordination and security, Mike Miñana said.

“Yung ibang officials basta magdadala ng bodyguards bawal ho yung firearms sa loob ng simbahan (For officials who will be bringing bodyguards, please be reminded that firearms will not be allowed inside the church),”

Mike Miñana added.

“Everybody can bring their cameras, [but] probably their cameras would only be yung mga cellphone at the very most,”

Facebook Password Reset Confirmation Email Contains Virus [ALERT]

Another new virus is spreading through social networks, this time, via Facebook. This one – known as Bredolab – masks itself as a “Password Reset Confirmation Email,” appears to come from Facebook, and attaches a file that purports to contain a new password.

That file is actually a trojan horse that will download a host of nasty files from the Web and infect your computer with them. Email security firm MX Labexplains further:

“Bredolab is a trojan horse that downloads and executes files from the Internet, such as rogue anti-spyware. To bypass firewalls, it injects its own code into legitimate processes svchost.exe and explorer.exe. Bredolab contains anti-sandbox code (the trojan might quit itself when an external program investigates its actions).”

The way to avoid this one: if you didn’t request your password from Facebook, there’s no reason you should be getting a password reset confirmation email, so don’t open it. Further, even if you did,Facebook would not send your new password as an attachment. Finally, f you’re still not sure, take a look at the full details of the email – if the mail server’s don’t belong to Facebook, you know the message is not legit.

Left 4 Dead 2 TV Spot Hits a Home Run

Want to smash the Infected in the face with a baseball bat? As the first Left 4 Dead 2 TV spot shows, the power of the home run comes with restrictions - namely, where you get the game.

When the Left 4 Dead 2 trailer showed up on YouTube last week, the general consensus seemed to be "yeah, Valve makes some pretty awesome cinematics." That's also the case with the brand-new TV ad for next month's Left 4 Dead 2, which offers some easy humor by presenting the fight against the vicious not-quite-undead in the context of a baseball game.

The video is as much an ad for L4D2 as it is an ad for GameStop, because it reminds people that if you want to make like Coach and treat zombie heads like your own personal home-run derby, you need to preorder the game with them, and with them alone. Which means that everyone who has already pre-bought the game via Steam in hopes of getting an early demo is S.O.L. in this case. (Edit: I have been informed that this isn't the case and that Steam preorders get the baseball bat too. Well, no worries then.)

Of course, it's just a baseball bat - it isn't like we won't be able to get our hands on classic zombie-slaughtering weaponry like a chainsaw (or, Valve willing, a crowbar). I'm curious, though: The tail end of the video clearly specifies that this is an "American Baseball Bat." Is there... any other kind of baseball? I could understand "American Football," but "American Baseball"?

Hell, "American Cricket" might have made more sense. Though, interestingly enough, the News Team's resident Canadian, Andy Chalk, informs me that "Sam Bat, the company that created and developed the maple bat, is based in Ottawa, Ontario." So that's not American, either.

Maybe I'm getting a bit hung up on a minor detail. There are zombies, survivors, and survivors beating up zombies with baseball bats. Go watch.

This is why I'm planning on playing as Coach, by the way.

Ivanka Trump married long time boyfriend, Jared Kushner on Sunday in an extravagant ceremony in front of 500 guests. The wedding took place at the Tr

Ivanka Trump’s wedding took place yesterday and a few photos have already popped up on the net. The ceremony was lavish, and beautiful, as was the bride in her Vera Wang gownIvanka Trump married long time boyfriend, Jared Kushner on Sunday in an extravagant ceremony in front of 500 guests.

The wedding took place at the Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey and was planned by celebrity event creator Preston Bailey. Ivanka wore a Grace Kelly inspired gown designed by none other than Vera Wang. You can see a picture here. Among the many celebrity guest was Regis Philbin, who they called on to sing at the reception.

Like many celebrities, Ivanka Tweeted constantly about the event in the days leading up to it, and even the day of. Of course she Tweeted to let everyone know when she got engaged to 28 year old Kushner, calling it the happiest moment of her life. On the evening of her rehearsal dinner she said,

“At a very casual ‘rehearsal’ dinner with friends…just 5 of my lady friends and me having a casual dinner and getting excited. Perfect!”

She also Tweeted that she was looking forward to “dancing like a maniac with all of my friends.”

And just before the ceremony, she went on a hike and Tweeted once again,

“Just finished a gorgeous hike. The leaves are spectacular and the sun is shining,” she Tweeted. “Everything is simply perfect! I’m getting married today!”

Ivanka Trump’s wedding photos will be here soon, until then check out a photo here of Ivanka in her beautiful gown alongside her new husband Jared Kushner.

NAMI Calls for Increase in Funding for National Institutes of Health NAMI joins patient advocates in asking White House to support resources for NIMH

ARLINGTON, VA, October 25, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is joining advocates from across the nation in asking President Obama to make medical research for improving health care a priority and support robust funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

"NAMI is pleased to join other disease advocacy organizations in support of the 'Research Means Hope' movement to ensure that the president's FY 2011 budget meets the goal of making biomedical research funding a national priority," says Michael J. Fitzpatrick, NAMI Executive Director. "Investment in medical research is the source of hope for people living with serious mental illness."

UFC 104 post fight press conference, MMA videos, UFC 104 play by play

LOS ANGELES, October 25: UFC 104 post fight press conference, MMA videos, UFC 104 play by play. He’s only had seven pro bouts, but with rapid fight-to-fight progress and a one-sided second round thumping of highly regarded Ben Rothwell Saturday night at STAPLES Center, it’s clear that Cain Velasquez isn’t just the future of the heavyweight division; he may be ready to be its present.
The fans certainly agreed, as they greeted Velasquez (7-0) with a huge roar as he was introduced to the Los Angeles crowd and immediately the Mexican-American favorite looked to give them even more to cheer about as he traded blows with Rothwell (30-7) before tripping him to the canvas.

Velasquez bulled the former IFL star and UFC debutant into the fence, with the UFC newcomer’s attempts to escape greeted with more takedowns.

Rothwell did fight his way free and the two traded punches briefly before Velasquez scored two more takedowns, simply showing his dominance against a world-class foe as he proceeded to pound away on Rothwell. With under a minute to go, Rothwell managed to get to his feet, but only briefly as Velasquez took him down again, bloodied him and fired away with more strikes until the bell rang, capping off one of the more dominant rounds in recent memory.

There was no stopping Velasquez in round two as he took Rothwell back to the mat and laid into his foe with more and more punches. After bulling Rothwell into the fence again, Velasquez locked his foe up and landed six unanswered head shots, prompting referee Steve Mazzagatti to call a stop to the bout 58 seconds into the round. The stoppage brought a chorus of boos from the crowd and protests from Rothwell, but there was little doubt that the accumulation of punishment taken by the game Wisconsin native played into the final call.

India Vs Australia Live Cricket Streaming: 1st ODI 2009 Australia Vs. India

India vs, Australia live cricket streaming is in demand. India vs. Australia live cricket streaming is a must, as the India vs. Australia cricket match will not be

States. Cricket fans desiring to watch the 1st ODI between India and Australia will need to find a live cricket streaming site on their computer.

What is an ODI? ODI stands for "One Day International." It is a form of cricket where 50 overs are played per team between two national cricket teams. The India vs. Australialive cricket streaming will be this type of cricket (ODI).

Although cricket is not a highly watched sport in America, it is still a very interesting and action-packed sport to watch. For those who have not seen any cricket matches before, I recommend viewing the India vs. Australia live cricket streaming this year.

So what is cricket? According to WiseGeek.com, "Cricket is played by two teams of eleven players each, which take turns to bowl a hard-leather ball. AT first view, cricket looks somehow similar to baseball, with players batting a ball and trying to score as many runs as possible. The differences, however, are many. For starters, cricket is played with a flat bat, rather than a rounded one, and players do not run on a square to score a point, but instead run forward in an effort to reach the opposite end of the pitch. If the ball is hit hard enough to go far, a player may keep running back and forth between the opposite ends, scoring one point every time they complete the full distance."

Those interested in viewing the India vs Australia live cricket streaming should consider opening two or more live streams on two or more computers. Computer live streaming for cricket matches can be unpredictable and cause you to miss a crucial part of the India vs Australia live streaming cricket match. If you miss a great play, you will never forgive yourself for not having more than one India vs Australia live cricket streaming matches open.

Marine Corps Marathon 2009 Hosts Health and Fitness Expo

The 34th Marine Corps Marathon will be held on October 25, 2009 and features a weekend full of activities, including the Marine Corp Marathon Health and Fitness Expo. The Expo started Friday and will end Saturday, October 24 at 7pm. The 2009 Health and Fitness Expo will be held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC with over 200 exhibitors and vendors.

Sunday's Marine Corps Marathon 2009 is part of an event filled weekend. Prior to the marathon, there be vendors at the Expo featuring everything runners and their support teams want including running apparel and gear, training and nutrition products, food samples, MCM licensed merchandise and entertainment. This event is free to the public.

The MCM Health and Fitness Expo, supported by nearly 300 military and civilian volunteers, offers more than 200 booths and interactive centers for enjoyment by an expected 100,000 runners and guests.

As part of the Marine Corps Marathon procedure for runners involved in the event, runners will need to retrieve their race materials at Packet Pick- up, part of the MCM Health and Fitness Expo, located inside the Washington Convention Center. The packet includes the participant bib number and D-tag.

All runners who pick up their packet can then retrieve their coveted "goodie bag" at the Expo. This year, the Marine Corps Marathon celebrates its 34th year so there will be 34 super-sized goodie bags with some very valuable prizes inside. No two goodie bags will be alike at the Expo, so it is suggested by the marathon coordinators that runners arrive early for a chance to get one of the bigger goodie bags. All runners will get a goodie bag full of great marathon items but the 34 over-sized bags will include high value products from MCM sponsors and licensees.

Some of the products in the super-sized 34th Marine Corps Marathon goodie bags at the Expo include:

*Airline tickets from JetBlue
*Free pair of Brooks shoes
*Original MCM Finisher Bear from Vermont Teddy Bear
*Pair of tickets to a 2009-2010 Washington Wizards game courtesy of Comcast SportsNetEagle Bank
*Pair of tickets to the 2009 Eagle Bank Bowl
*HD Radio from WTOP
*Flashdrive from Hyatt Regency
*Bart Yasso's new book "My Life on the Run" courtesy of Nissan
*Free photo from MarathonFoto
*Complimentary poster and one gold ticket for a complimentary signed Giclee from Lasting Commemoratives

The 2009 Marine Corps Marathon gets underway Sunday morning, October 25. The Health and Fitness Expo is just the beginning of a weekend full of activities for runners, their families and spectators.

Check back for more news on the 2009 Marine Corps Marathon throughout the weekend.

Barbecue again draws people together in county

Carlton Hurt, who worked as a sportswriter here from February 1998 to November 2005, stopped by for a visit Monday. A group of us went to lunch with him - to a barbecue restaurant, naturally.

It seemed a fitting choice in the week leading up to the Barbecue Festival, and county natives (Carlton graduated from West Davidson) often make a beeline for their favorite barbecue joint when visiting. We used to joke with Carlton that whenever we went to lunch, he would always see several people he knew. Although he's been gone for almost four years, Monday was no exception.

That's one of the great things about eating at one of Lexington's barbecue restaurants. Chances are good you'll run into someone you know. I just don't think that happens as much at chain restaurants.

Another thing that has always struck me about the barbecue restaurants is the longevity of many of the employees. Some of the waitresses who were working when I came to Lexington 20 years ago are still there. Food services is often considered an industry with high employee turnover, and that's probably more true for fast food. But continuity and stability are the name of the game at the barbecue restaurants.

We do love our barbecue and spread the word about it to others. When family and friends come see us, usually we'll head to a barbecue restaurant, like we did with Carlton. When my in-laws visit from the Charlotte area, often they'll stop on the return trip and pick up some barbecue to eat later at their home.

Some people avoid the barbecue slaw (even Carlton left it on his plate), and others may quibble about the hush puppies. But few people turn their nose up when it comes to the barbecue itself, whether they try it chopped, coarse chopped or sliced (or another exotic version, often known primarily to locals, like white lean chopped).

We sometimes joke at The Dispatch that it's an offense punishable by dismissal to misspell barbecue. The word appears numerous ways - barbecue, barbeque, bar-b-q, BBQ, etc. - but for Lexington-style the preferred spelling uses a c. I did notice that the sand sculpture for this year's festival uses "Boo-B-Q" for its Halloween theme, so maybe I need to move beyond my 'cue hang-up.

Lexington residents know that October is Festival Month, but did you know that Gov. Bev Perdue proclaimed this Pork Month? Perdue's proclamation, which the N.C. Pork Council proudly publicized, offered these interesting facts: the pork industry contributes more than $9 billion to the state economy, employs 46,000 people full time and sent 18 million pigs worth almost $2 billion to market in 2007. I wonder how many of those 18 million pigs were consumed by diners in Lexington restaurants?

Like many people, I'm keeping a close eye on the weather forecast and radar as I write this Friday. I thought Stephanie K. Saintsing, the festival's executive director, offered a good perspective on the weather in our preview story published Friday. "We just have to move forward despite the weather."

That's certainly my plan for Saturday. My sons' soccer schedules make visiting the festival somewhat tricky, but we have a strategy to spend a couple of hours uptown and still fulfill their sports obligations. If we have to wear ponchos and use umbrellas, so be it. We'll still have a good time.

My 10-year-old, in fact, ranks the day of the Barbecue Festival in his top three for the year, alongside Christmas and his birthday. That's a pretty high compliment. He already has plans for a light breakfast so he can enjoy lunch from one of the vendors (alas, he's not a barbecue fan yet).

I hope you will venture downtown and spend a couple of hours taking in all the sights, sounds, tastes and smells of the Barbecue Festival. For 26 years now the festival has drawn tens of thousands of people to our city for one day to celebrate barbecue. Few small cities can boast of such a vibrant event, so Lexington residents can walk tall and feel pride on this special day.

Michelle Obama on Jay Leno show

New Delhi, October 24: Michelle Obama on Jay Leno show. For the first time since Barack Obama’s coronation at White House, viewers got a chance to know about his habits, likes and dislikes on "The Jay Leno Show". Even some spicy titbits about the First Lady of the US tumbled.

Putting in an appearance at the show via satellite, Michelle Obama dexterously handled 10 random questions thrown at her by Jay Leno. The questions mostly included trivia ranging from her iPod song list to her husband President Obama's most annoying habit.

According to statuesque Michelle, Obama is perfect. But when pressed further by the host, she revealed his fault, saying: "When he beats me at tennis, that gets to be pretty annoying and he beats me quite often!" The answer was greeted with rapturous applause.

Then she was asked about her favourite artists she loves listening to. Gushingly she said: "I've got Sting, I've got Stevie Wonder, my favorite. I've got some Sara Bareilles, I've got, ooh, some Robin Thicke, some Mary J. Blige. I got it all.

Some Herbie Hancock. I love my iPod!" She was also asked about the Halloween and what her daughters would wear on that day. She never wavered during the question session. When asked what she whispers after her husband’s speech? She quipped, "I usually ask him, did he take out the garbage?". Is it so, Mr President?

Gas Stations Paying The Price For Gouging 3 Local Stations Fined

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Some gas stations in North Carolina will be paying up after state officials caught them overcharging customers.

WXII showed video from when the Four Brothers raised their prices in Yadkinville on September 12, 2008.

North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper announced Friday that 14 gas stations, including two in Yadkin County and one in Montgomery County, will have to pay a total of $70,000 in fines.

LR&S Inc., the owner of the Four Sister Center and Yadkinville Food Mart gas stations in Yadkinville, will pay $7,700 in fines, and Steve Compton will have to pay $7,800 for his BP Station in Troy.

Cooper said the stores sharply raised their prices on Sept. 12, 2008, the day Hurricane Ike made landfall along the Texas coast.

Cooper said the stations raised their prices from about $4 to more than $5.60 in a matter of hours. The BP in Troy raised prices to more $5.99, though no customers paid that high price.

The investigation found that those prices increased the company's markup over wholesale costs by more than 400 percent. The stations dropped their prices later that day after the news media, including WXII 12 News, reported they were price gouging.

Time Change - Fall 2009

Blue indicates countries where DST is currently used (via: Wikipedia). Note: It shows India as a country where DST was once used (yellow color) but not any more. To my knowledge DST was never used in India.

I hope you haven’t forgotten to set your clocks back by 1 hour before you went to bed. Today is the day oftime change for Fall 2009.

24th October 2009 is the day when you get one extra hour of sleep each morning. Have you woken up already?

Daylight saving time (DST), also known as summer time in British English, is the convention of advancing clocks so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less. Typically clocks are adjusted forward one hour near the start of spring and are adjusted backward in autumn. Modern DST was first proposed by George Vernon Hudson, a New Zealand entomologist in 1895. Many countries have used it since then.

Iowa football playoff pairings revealed

Clay Central-Everly fullback picks up yardage during a district game against North Iowa on Friday, Oct. 23, 2009, in Royal. Klett ran for a season-high 219 yards to lead the Mavericks (7-2) into the postseason.
(Photo by Michael Fischer)

Clay Central-Everly was the only team left standing in the local coverage area when the Iowa High School Athletic Association released the 2009 postseason football pairings late Friday night.
The pairings included all potential matchups in bracket form, beginning with substate games and showing each postseason qualifier's road to "The Dome."

A number of northwest Iowa teams will be represented in the playoffs, though Spencer and Sioux Central will not be among them after failing to capture postseason bids with Week 9 losses.

The Mavericks earned their first postseason home game since 2001 Friday with a 36-22 win over North Iowa, which wrapped up a district runner-up spot for CC-E. The second-place finish behind Southern Cal gave the Mavericks clearance into the Class A bracket in what can now only be referred to as "the old-fashioned way" after Iowa expanded its playoff field to include an extra 16 teams and a substate round in each class beginning last year.

Clay Central-Everly (7-2) will host Woodbury Central (4-5) Wednesday in Royal after the Wildcats clinched the third seed in District 1 with a win over River Valley in the final week.

A win for the Mavericks would put them on the road against Le Mars Gehlen (9-0) or at home against Rockwell City-Lytton (6-3) on Monday, Nov. 2.

The West side of the Class A bracket features eight teams with records of 7-2 or better, including six who finished at 8-1 or better. Algona Garrigan, Rockwell City-Lytton and Bedford all finished 6-3. The remaining five teams have losing records.

Also representing the 12 counties (Lyon, Osceola, Dickinson, Emmet, Sioux, O'Brien, Clay, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Cherokee, Buena Vista and Pocahontas) that make up the northwest corner of Iowa are MOC-Floyd Valley and Le Mars in Class 3A; Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley, Pocahontas Area, Sheldon, Sioux Center, Western Christian and Cherokee in Class 2A; West Lyon, Hinton, West Sioux, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn and Emmetsburg in Class 1A; Le Mars Gehlen, Alta, and Akron-Westfield in Class A; and Remsen St. Mary's, West Bend-Mallard, Armstrong-Ringsted, North Sentral Kossuth, Remsen-Union and Graettinger-Terril in 8-Man.

Emmetsburg is the only school located in one of the 12 counties to appear in the East Bracket in its respective class.

This year's postseason pairings include 25 teams in Class 3A down to 8-Man with records of 5-4. Eighteen teams with losing records qualified for this year's postseason, including East Sac County (3-6) and Roland-Story (3-6) in 2A, Highland (2-7) and Earlham (3-6) in A, and West Bend-Mallard (3-6), Clarksville (3-6) and Moravia (3-6) in 8-Man.

Iowa High School Football Playoff Pairings

(The first team listed in each matchup is the substate host. The team with the higher finish in their respective district will be the home team for the first-round playoff games. All games are 7 p.m., unless noted)

Class 3A

West Bracket

Sioux City Heelan (8-1) vs. Creston/O-M (5-4)

Glenwood (6-3) vs. Denison-Schleswig (5-4)

Harlan (9-0) vs. MOC-Floyd Valley (5-4)

Le Mars (6-3) at ADM (6-3)

Clear Lake (9-0) vs. Dallas Center-Grimes (4-5)

Ballard (8-1) vs. Webster City (5-4)

Carroll (9-0) vs. Hampton-Dumont (5-4)

Charles City (6-3) vs. JSPC (5-4)

East Bracket

New Hampton (7-2) vs. Vinton-Shellsburg (4-5)

La Porte City Union (7-2) vs. Oelwein (5-4)

Marion (9-0) vs. West Delaware (7-2)

Decorah (7-2) vs. Maquoketa (7-2)

Williamsburg (8-1) vs. Pella (6-3)

Grinnell (8-1) vs. Fairfield (7-2)

Centerville (9-0) vs. Washington (5-4)

Clear Creek-Amana (6-3) vs. Carlisle (6-3)

Class 2A

West Bracket

Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley (9-0) vs. East Sac County (3-6)

Pocahontas Area/PP (8-1) vs. Sheldon (7-2)

Eagle Grove (8-1) vs. Sioux Center (5-4)

Western Christian (8-1) vs. Cherokee (6-3)

Bondurant-Farrar (7-2) vs. Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto (5-4)

IKM-Manning (8-1) vs. West Marshall (6-3)

Carroll Kuemper (7-2) vs. PCM (4-5)

CMB (8-1) vs. Missouri Valley (5-4)

East Bracket

Osage (9-0) vs. Dyersville Beckman (4-5)

Cascade (8-1) vs. Hudson (5-4)

North Fayette (9-0) vs. Roland-Story (3-6)

Gilbert (6-3) vs. Sumner-Fredericksburg (7-2)

Solon (9-0) vs. Mediapolis (6-3)

Mid-Prairie (7-2) vs. Center Point-Urbana (6-3)

Davis Country (7-2) vs. North Cedar (5-4)

Iowa City Regina (8-1) vs. West Burlington/Notre Dame (6-3)

Class 1A

West Bracket

West Lyon (8-1) vs. Underwood (5-4)

Griswold (8-1) vs. Hinton (7-2)

Council Bluffs St. Albert (9-0) vs. West Sioux (4-5)

Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn (8-1) vs. Logan-Magnolia (6-3)

Pella Christian (7-2) vs. Panorama (5-4)

Woodward-Granger (7-2) vs. Des Moines Christian (6-3)

Prairie Valley (9-0) vs. Nodaway Valley (5-4)

Mount Ayr (7-2) vs. Manson-Northwest Webster (7-2)

East Bracket

Emmetsburg (9-0) vs. Aplington-Parkersburg (6-3)

South Winneshiek (8-1) vs. Lake Mills (5-4)

Turkey Valley (8-1) vs. Fort Dodge St. Edmond (5-4)

Saint Ansgar (6-3) vs. Denver (7-2)

Clayton Ridge (8-1) vs. Wapello (6-3)

Belle Plaine (7-2) vs. Starmont (6-3)

West Branch (9-0) vs. Bellevue (6-3)

Goose Lake Northeast (7-2) vs. Eddyville-Blakesburg (6-3)

Class A

West Bracket

Le Mars Gehlen (8-1) vs. Rockwell City-Lytton (6-3)

Clay Central-Everly (7-2) vs. Woodbury Central (4-5)

Southern Cal (8-1) vs. Alta (4-5)

Akron-Westfield (7-2) vs. Algona Garrigan (6-3)

Madrid (8-1) vs. Corning (4-5)

Treynor (8-1) vs. Earlham (3-6)

A-H-S-T (9-0) vs. Southeast Warren (4-5)

Van Meter (8-1) vs. Bedford (6-3)

East Bracket

Cedar Falls NU (9-0) vs. Lisbon (5-4)

Central (8-1) vs. Northwood-Kensett (6-3)

Wapsie Valley (8-1) vs. Tripoli (4-5)

Mason City Newman (8-1) vs. East Buchanan (6-3)

WACO (6-3) vs. H-L-V (5-4)

B-G-M (8-1) vs. Cardinal (5-4)

North Tama (9-0) vs. Highland (2-7)

Danville (5-4) vs. North Mahaska (7-2)

Class 8-Man

West Bracket

Remsen St. Mary's (9-0) vs. West Bend-Mallard (3-6)

Armstrong-Ringsted (8-1) vs. Ar-We-Va (6-3)

North Sentral Kossuth (9-0) vs. Remsen-Union (6-3)

Woodbine (6-3) vs. Graettinger-Terril (7-2)

Adair-Casey (7-2) vs. Farragut (5-4)

East Mills (7-2) vs. Coon Rapids-Bayard (7-2)

Stanton (9-0) vs. Glidden-Ralston (7-2)

CAM (7-2) vs. Sidney (5-4)

East Bracket

CWL (7-1) vs. Dunkerton (6-3)

West Central (8-1) vs. Janesville (6-3)

Preston (9-0) vs. Clarksville (3-6)

Northeast Hamilton (9-1) vs. Lansing Kee (6-3)

Tri-County (9-0) vs. East Union (5-4)

Ankeny Christian (8-1) vs. Melcher-Dallas (4-5)

Lenox (9-0) vs. Moravia (3-6)

Harmony (5-4) vs. Grandview Park Baptist (7-2)

Site Selections for all Games

Substate (All Classes)

Wednesday, Oct. 28, 7 PM

First Round Games (All Classes)

Monday, Nov. 2, 7 PM

Quarterfinal Round Games (All Classes)

Friday, Nov. 6, 7 PM

Semifinal and Championship Round Games

Thursday, Nov. 12-Monday, Nov. 16 & Friday, Nov. 20-Saturday, Nov. 21

Kimberly quarterback Mitch Hintz to miss WIAA football playoffs with broken ankle

The Kimberly Papermakers will have to play the postseason without senior quarterback Mitch Hintz.

Coach Steve Jorgensen said Thursday that Hintz broke an ankle in the Papermakers' regular-season finale — a 20-8 win over Oshkosh North — and would be sidelined the remainder of the season.

Junior Austin Rodgers is expected to replace Hintz. Rodgers rushed for 87 yards Wednesday and tossed a 31-yard touchdown pass to Mitch Weber.

Kimberly is the two-time defending WIAA Division 2 state champion. The Papermakers will learn their playoff opponent and site late this afternoon when the WIAA releases the pairings.

Ticket sales: Kimberly is selling tickets for Tuesday's WIAA football playoff game from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Monday and from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday in the school commons.

All tickets are $4. No passes will be honored. Children 6 and younger will be admitted free.

Games cancelled: Hortonville and St. Mary Central high schools didn't play varsity football games Thursday to end the regular season. Hortonville's Bay Conference game at Marinette was cancelled due to an outbreak of the flu virus at Marinette High School.

Classes were called off Thursday and today at Marinette after 34 percent of the students were confirmed ill as of noon Wednesday.

The game will not be made up and Hortonville has gained a forfeit win. The Polar Bears finish the season with a 3-6 record.

Meanwhile, St. Mary Central forfeited its game scheduled at Algoma on Thursday. SMC athletic director Mike Heideman said 50 students were out on Thursday with flu-like symptoms. The school, however, remained open.

The Packerland/Olympian Conference-Small game has no WIAA postseason playoff implications.

The Zephyrs were eliminated from playoff contention earlier. Algoma (6-2) had qualified earlier.

"We totally respect St. Mary Central's decision," Algoma athletic director Eric Nelson said. "We had to forfeit a junior varsity game earlier due to illness."