EdwardKnoxII

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/West/12/22/ca.e...uake/index.html Earthquake hits central California Tens of thousands lose power (CNN) -- A strong earthquake that could be felt from Los Angeles to San Francisco hit the central California coast Monday, but witnesses and authorities had few immediate reports of damage. The quake registered a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 when it hit about 11:15 a.m. (2:15 p.m. ET), the U.S. Geological Survey said. Its epicenter was about six miles northeast of the town of San Simeon, about 240 miles north of Los Angeles and 200 miles south of San Francisco. More than 30 aftershocks were reported in the hour after the quake, with the strongest measuring about 4.7. More aftershocks are expected during the next several days, USGS spokesman Bob Stein said. Stein said some aftershocks could be larger than Monday's main quake, which he called a "garden variety" magnitude 6.5 event. A spokesman for Pacific Gas & Electric, the utility that serves the area, said about 40,000 customers were without power after the quake triggered rockslides that brought down power lines near San Luis Obispo. No damage was reported at PG&E's Diablo Canyon nuclear plant, about 100 miles from the epicenter, Stein said. Officials at nearby hospitals said no patients had arrived with injuries. "We certainly felt it in a big way," said Nicki Edwards, the chief nursing officer of Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in San Luis Obispo. She estimated the rolling lasted about 30 seconds, but other than "some very minor breakage" of a few light fixtures, nothing was damaged and no patients were injured. In Paso Robles, about 30 miles from San Simeon, the downtown building housing the city's landmark clock tower collapsed, said Madelyn Stemper, an accountant at a nearby firm. The clock tower adorned a building across from a municipal park, and "a lot of the buildings across from the park in both directions are pretty well demolished," she said. "It was really jerky," she said. "Other ones that I have been in had that roll to them, but this was just like a 'Bam.' It was real shaky. It got your attention really quick." The collapse of the brick-and-wood building inflicted no injuries, said Detective Rick Ince of the town's police department. Much of the damage around town was "more cosmetic than structural," he said. Templeton resident Tony Vasquez said he was in the shower when the quake hit. He said he heard "a slight rumble, and then this enormous jolt knocked me down and actually sheared off the shower head." "I never thought I'd have to wear a seat belt in the shower, " Vasquez said. Mary Carson, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce in nearby Cambria, said the rolling lasted for what seemed like a minute. "At first, it felt like a big truck was going by," she said. "Then it kind of rolled." Park rangers in San Simeon ordered evacuation of the Hearst Castle, the palatial home built by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, a worker at the attraction's gift shop said. The castle is now a state historic site. A spokeswoman for the Cambria Fire Department said firefighters had received an unconfirmed call about a structure that was on fire. "Right now, nothing severe has been reported," said Greg Haas, an aide to U.S. Rep. Lois Capps, the area's congresswoman. "But it's pretty early, and communication is limited." The quake was felt as a sustained rolling motion in Los Angeles and San Francisco, CNN crews in both cities reported. The earthquake was considered a strong one, said Brian Lassiege, a USGS geophysicist. It was relatively shallow, striking about 4.7 miles below the Earth's surface, he said. Lassiege said shallower earthquakes tend to inflict more damage. Carson said her building swayed as the quake hit. "Things did fall off the shelves, a couple of windows broke and some ceilings came apart," she said. "But, as far as I can tell, I haven't heard of any injuries or severe damage."

http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/...1|,00.html Method Man, Redman Team for FOX Sitcom HOLLYWOOD (Zap2it.com) - - They've worked together in movies and on each other's records, so it's not much of a surprise that they're now collaborating on a TV project. The two rappers are set to star in a sitcom pilot for FOX, playing versions of themselves. The network has given a pilot commitment to the show, which comes from 20th Century Fox-affiliated Regency TV and writer Kell Cahoon ("Just Shoot Me," "The Larry Sanders Show"). The show will have the two rappers shaking up a mostly white neighborhood in New Jersey when they buy a house there. Method Man's mother eventually moves in to keep the boys in line. "It is a very traditional fish-out-of-water story, but Meth and Red really bring a lot of charm and their particular brand of charisma to it and make it very appealing," Regency's Erin Simon Berenson tells The Hollywood Reporter. Method Man and Redman pitched the show to Peter Aronson, who was then president of the production house, several months ago. Regency bought the idea quickly and sent them and Cahoon to FOX. Redman and Method Man starred in the 2001 comedy "How High" and have appeared together on screen several other times, most recently in "Scary Movie 3."

http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/...1|,00.html Alf Gets a Talk Show LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Alf is returning from the TV hinterlands of cheap-phone-service commercials. Nickelodeon is developing a talk show that the alien puppet and star of a 1980s NBC sitcom would host. "Alf's Hit Talk Show" is one of several series in development for its Nick at Nite programming block. Alf -- real name Gordon Shumway, voice by Paul Fusco -- was a regular in NBC's prime-time lineup from 1986-90. More recently, he's hawked cheap long-distance service from 10-10-220 and collect calls from 1-800-COLLECT. Nick's sister station, TV Land, will once again stage the TV Land Awards, honoring shows and performers from the medium's past and designating one current series a "future classic." Other Nick and Nite and TV Land series in development for next year include: "Zen & Buster": An animated series about Hollywood, seen through the eyes of the dogs of the rich and famous. Kelsey Grammer provides one of the voices, and his company, Grammnet, is producing. "Take 2": A family comedy from creator Dan Schneider ("The Amanda Show," "What I Like About You") about an actor-turned-psychologist who's unable to escape his former persona. A new version of "Kids Say the Darndest Things." "Return Engagement": Actor-director Peter Bonerz ("The Bob Newhart Show," "Friends") created this comedy about retired actors who inherit an L.A. apartment building with similarities to "Melrose Place." "TV Land Moguls": Merv Griffin hosts this set of TV Land specials, scheduled for April, that features profiles and interviews with some of the creative minds behind the camera, including Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, Aaron Spelling and David E. Kelley.

Shawn's past it? hahaha yeah right.

http://www.comcast.net/News/DOMESTIC//XML/...5f6fdc0d9b.html Illinois Seeks to Buy Drugs From Canada By MAURA KELLY, Associated Press Writer CHICAGO - To save the state money on prescription drugs, Gov. Rod Blagojevich wants the federal government to give Illinois the right to bend the law by shopping for medications in Canada. Blagojevich on Monday plans to ask the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to let the state buy drugs at lower prices in Canada for its 230,000 state employees and retirees, a spokeswoman said. Blagojevich is seeking approval from Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson for a pilot program through the new Medicare bill, spokeswoman Abby Ottenhoff said Sunday. The bill grants Thompson the power to tell Congress that _ for the purpose of a pilot program _ reimportation of drugs poses no additional risk to the public's health and safety, Ottenhoff said. Illinois is asking him for a waiver authorizing the reimportation of an agreed list of prescription drugs, she said. "The benefit of doing it that way is they can work with us and figure out how best to set up a regulatory process and be a part of the process rather than watch some states move forward on their own," Ottenhoff said. New Hampshire and Boston have announced plans to buy prescription drugs from Canada as a way to cut costs, and Springfield, Mass., is already allowing its employees to do so. But Blagojevich, while continuing to push to overturn the federal ban on importing lower-priced drugs from Canada, has said he will not break the law. Bill Pierce, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, said previous laws have included similar language but Thompson and Donna Shalala, his predecessor, were never able to guarantee the safety of reimported drugs. "Nothing changes," Pierce said. "The bottom line is, twice there have been similar laws to allow reimported drugs but only if they have been certified as safe. Donna Shalala and Secretary Thompson have said they could not do that. That's the key part." Blagojevich also plans to announce that he and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty have scheduled a prescription drug summit for the nation's governors on Feb. 24, 2004, in Washington, D.C. "Illinois, like other states around the country, is dealing with limited resources at a time when we're trying to keep up with increased health care costs," Ottenhoff said. "This is a logical way to continue to provide services to the people of Illinois but do so at half the cost." Blagojevich commissioned a report earlier this year that said Illinois would save as much as $91 million if state employees and retirees bought drugs from Canada, which is illegal. Illinois spent $340 million on prescription drugs for its employees and retirees last fiscal year, a 15 percent increase from the previous year. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration criticized that report for inflating savings and wrongly assuming Canadian health authorities can guarantee the safety of drugs sent to the United States. Brand-name drugs often cost less in Canada because of government price controls, but the FDA and pharmaceutical companies warn that buying Canadian drugs presents significant potential health and safety risks. Blagojevich's plan for a pilot program calls for developing a preferred drug list of prescriptions that can be safely obtained from Canada, Ottenhoff said. She said the list will be made up of mostly brand-name drugs for long-term use. Only FDA-approved drugs in FDA-approved dosages will be eligible for the list, Ottenhoff said, adding that only state employees and retirees could participate in the pilot program.

He was. I loved the part were Santa is watching the scene were the actor is putting away the toys when a monster breaks in the room and the actor can't say Son Of a Bitch. And on that the kiddie actor didn't really feel like doing the movie either.

Goldberg lands another movie gig... WWE's Goldberg is set to star in the comedy/horror film, Santa's Slay. Brett Ratner's Rat Entertainment will be producing the film. The film is a "tongue in cheek comedy, which casts everybody’s favorite holiday figure in a different and sinister light. Our hero, Nicholas, learns the terrifying truth about ol’ St. Nick from his eccentric grandfather." Credit: FilmJerk.com

He did during his feud with Booker. I think he won it twice but, they were on house shows and Benoit held it for a day. But, WCW never said anything about it.

I wonder if Bret really was at WM 20 would Angle STILL try and get him to wrestle. Angle: Come on Bret I don't care if you can barely move damn it I want a match with you RIGHT NOW.

I'm pretty sure for Pam Anderson it wouldn't be the first time. And besides you don't want the horse to catch STDs do you?

Not that there's anything wrong with that Hell I figured Stern of all people would enjoy that.

Yeah remember when even months after the media had drop it Bradshaw STILL had to make cracks about the Dixie Chicks.

And fuck you to Maher.

Just the way JR yelled the answer to Chris after he asked the question just made me want to punch the TV.

Benoit was out of action because of his neck during the angle.

Yeah sounds like he was out of it.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor..._son_arrested_3 Al Gore's Son Arrested for Pot Possession WASHINGTON - The son of former vice president and 2000 Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore (news - web sites) has been charged with marijuana possession. Albert A. Gore III, 21, was arrested Friday night after he was stopped for driving a vehicle without its headlights on. Two passengers were also arrested and charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession. They were identified as Yann V. Kumin, 21, and Marc G. Hordon, 22, both of Cambridge, Mass. A Montgomery County, Md., police officer stopped the car, a dark-colored Cadillac, in Bethesda, a Washington suburb, around 11:30 p.m. Friday. The officer noticed the car's windows and sunroof were open, despite cold temperatures Friday night. There was also a smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle, according to a news release from the police department. A search of the vehicle turned up a partial marijuana cigarette, a cigarette box containing suspected marijuana, and a soft drink can that also smelled of marijuana. All three were released pending trial. In September 2002, the younger Gore was ticketed for driving under the influence. He was pulled over and ticketed by military police just outside Fort Myer in suburban Virginia, but was not taken into custody. In the summer of 2000, Gore was cited by the North Carolina Highway Patrol for driving 97 mph in a 55-mph zone. Under an agreement with prosecutors, a reckless driving charge was dropped in the North Carolina case, but he was fined $125 for speeding and his driving privileges in the state were suspended.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...mn_pluggedin_dc Retro Games, Devices, Recall Electronic Youth By Franklin Paul NEW YORK (Reuters) - When Cindy Simmons and her husband get home from a hard day at the office, they cozy up and relax like many young couples -- by bombing enemy ships on "River Raid" using their classic Atari video game console. "It is just like being 11 years old again," said Simmons, 32, an on-air radio personality from Atlanta. "Except I didn't have 30 games then -- now I do." High-tech gadgets like digital cameras top many holiday wish lists, but old-school items such as "Pac-Man" video games and vintage televisions are finding an audience with tech-savvy consumers yearning for nostalgia. Rapid advances in computer technology have allowed consumer electronics makers to pack increasingly more power into smaller boxes, helping to grow the CE market to almost $100 billion. But even "thirtysomething" shoppers -- the first generation to grow up with personal "Walkman" music players and own a home version of "Space Invaders" -- are overwhelmed when confronted with Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news) (news - web sites). PlayStation 2 (news - web sites) and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox (news - web sites) consoles that also surf the Web and play DVDs, or pocket devices that can store 10,000 songs. "Devices and games are getting more complex. The learning curve is not what it used to be and or you're not as willing to spend the time to learn as you would years ago," analyst Danielle Levitas of research firm IDC said. "Also, every generation experiences nostalgia, reflecting on what they did in their free time when they were teen-agers." The trend is most evident with video games. Teens today enjoy them primarily on living room consoles that can, for example, simulate with stunning three-dimensional precision, a World War II battle scene. A single game, packed with maps and myriad weaponry, can take hours to learn and weeks to complete. By contrast, beloved games of late 1970s and early 1980s were no-brainers, where strategy meant little more than picking whether to chase and chomp the stationary picture of a strawberry or the red cone-shaped monster with the googly eyes. "The essence of these games was that they didn't go on for 40 hours. You can just pick up and figure out what was going on fairly quickly and then play," said Keith Robinson, president of Intellivision Productions, which is also selling a version of its 1980s games for new game consoles. RESURRECTING ASTEROIDS, SPACE ARMADA At eBay Inc.'s online auction site, more than 43,000 vintage gaming items are being offered for sale, including the classic brand names Atari, Colecovision and Commodore. Gross merchandise sales -- the value of goods sold via the site -- for Commodore alone are up 61 percent for the last three months. "This growth is related to the children of baby boomers wanting to recapture a piece of their youth in the early 1980s," eBay spokesman Hani Durzy said. Intellivision this year is offering "Intellivision Lives!" for PS2 and Xbox, resurrecting long-forgotten titles like "Shark! Shark!" and "Space Armada." Its Intellivision 25 direct-to-TV controller lets users without a console play 25 games by plugging a game controller into their TV or VCR. Similar game controller products are available from Atari, Activision and Namco, bringing "Dig Dug" and "Asteroids" from the era of Lionel Ritchie and Diane Keaton to that of Missy Elliott and Ben Affleck. Each game controller looks almost exactly like the original joystick-and-single-button model -- a relic compared to current models that often sport six buttons and two directional sticks. "People identify with the original Atari 2600 joystick," said Genna Goldberg of JAKKS Pacific Inc., which makes the three joystick games. "For many it was the first video game system they had as a kid." MORE THAN GAMES The nostalgia trend extends beyond games. For example, one of PalmOne Inc.'s most successful handheld computers is in its Zire line of no-frills versions whose features are more like that of its 1998 forefather, the Palm III. Data storage company Verbatim Corp. sells blank recordable computer CDs whose face resembles a vinyl album. The "Digital Vinyl CD-R," which looks like an old, groovy 45-rpm record, is marketed as "a great way to save delicate LP collections" and urges buyers to "grab a blast from the past." Dave Riedel and Mike Scott, principal partners at Telstar Electronics in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, sell 1950's style 21- and 24-inch "Predicta" televisions. Each is as eye-catching for its design and hand-polished wood as a 50-inch plasma screen is for its flatness. Riedel says buyers of the TVs, which come cable-ready with a remote control and sell for up to $3,300, understand today's advanced technology, but want something more unique. "They don't need a big TV in order to have a satisfied life," he said. "And they are not afraid to embrace technology -- a majority of our sales are assisted by our Web site." According to IDC's Levitas, this nostalgia market is still a niche category, "but one that should have legs and evolve with the aging population."

Carey said the reason he did Ace Ventura 2 was because he was under contract to do it. Carey said wouldn't have done it otherwise.

Because Cena is getting over and we can't have that now can we?

I remember this one time after the US went to war. Harvard Chris was coming the ring and he said something like this "Should the US bomb a country just because they don't agree with us." And JR yells back "HELL YEAH WE SHOULD."

I don't think they're going to cut Scotty 2 Hotty. I mean he's just got back and they're giving him and Risksi (sp?) a decent push. Hell I have a feeling sooner or later they will hold the SD tag titles.

I think they might cut Ultimo Dragon. Lord knows they're not doing anything with him.

Seeing as how Steph didn't know anything about the angles on Heat I bet that if Stevie and Tommy do get cut they could still go and wrestle on Heat and none of higher ups would know it.

Well we know they're not resigning Dustin so who else do you think the fed might cut?