This Is My Job: Stuntman - A look at the life of a 'Matrix' stuntman

By Christian deBenedetti

As a kid, Darrin Prescott was inspired by Hooper, the stuntman character from a 1978 Burt Reynolds film. Prescott's first gig involved wrestling inside a giant salad bowl on a game show, but since then he has earned a place among the elite of the stunt world, working on movies such as the Matrix trilogy, Spider-Man 2 and 3, and The Bourne Supremacy. "One day you're in a car getting smashed into, another you're being set on fire. I love it."

1. SPECTRA HARNESS

This harness, made of ballistic-grade material, is hooked to synthetic Tech 12 cables to help Prescott fly.

2. STUNT GEL

This goop guards the skin from flames. That, and two layers of fire-resistant Nomex, lets Prescott slather on flammable rubber cement and light up.

3. BIKES

Prescott is on his Yamaha YZF 450 motocross bike. The little Honda CRF 50 is his 3-year-old son's. Yes, really.

4. RATCHET, WINCH

The pneumatic ratchet helps jerk a stuntman off his feet as if propelled by an explosion. The computer-controlled winch (bottom, right) developed by Prescott and two partners ups the ante, rapidly flinging a stuntman hundreds of feet.

HOW-TO: CAR CRASH

"To do a 'sidewinder,' we set up a little ramp behind two parked cars. You drive your car in at about 70 mph, hit the ramp, and it throws you into the parked cars and flips you onto your roof. It's such a violent-looking wreck, but they're so much fun to do."

Angelina Jolie’s mother dies of cancer

Associated Press

Marcheline Bertrand was once married to actor Jon Voight

Marcheline Bertrand, actress and mother of Angelina Jolie, has died of cancer, her daughter said Sunday.

Bertrand died Saturday afternoon at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Jolie said in a news release. No age was provided.

Jolie, her older brother, James Haven, and her boyfriend, Brad Pitt, were at the hospital Saturday, according to the news release.

Bertrand, who had small roles in the movies “Lookin’ to Get Out” in 1982 and “The Man Who Loved Women” in 1983, raised Jolie and her brother after divorcing their father, Oscar-winning actor Jon Voight, when Jolie was a toddler.

A private funeral was planned.

In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to the Women’s Cancer Research Institute at Cedars-Sinai.

Yoga causes controversy in public schools

Associated Press

Some parents say it violates the separation of church and state

In Tara Guber's ideal world, American children would meditate in the lotus position and chant in Sanskrit before taking stressful standardized tests.

But when she asked a public elementary school in Aspen, Colo., to teach yoga in 2002, Christian fundamentalists and even some secular parents lobbied the school board. They argued that yoga's Hindu roots conflicted with Christian teachings and that using it in school might violate the separation of church and state.

Portrayed as a New Age nut out to brainwash young minds, Guber crafted a new curriculum that eliminated chanting and translated Sanskrit into kid-friendly English. Yogic panting became "bunny breathing," and "meditation" became "time in."

"I stripped every piece of anything that anyone could vaguely construe as spiritual or religious out of the program," Guber said.

Now, more than 100 schools in 26 states have adopted Guber's "Yoga Ed." program and more than 300 physical education instructors have been trained in it.

Countless other public and private schools from California to Massachusetts — including the Aspen school where Guber clashed with parents — are teaching yoga.

Helping kids focus
Teachers say it helps calm students with attention-deficit disorder and may reduce childhood obesity. The federal government gives grants to gym teachers who complete a teacher training course in yoga.

"I see a lot fewer discipline problems," said Ruth Reynolds, principal of Coleman Elementary School in San Rafael. Her observation of the school's six-year-old yoga program is that it helps easily distracted children to focus.

"If you have children with ADD and focusing issues, often it's easy to go from that into a behavior problem," Reynolds said. "Anything you can do to help children focus will improve their behavior."

In 2003, researchers at California State University, Los Angeles, studied test scores at the Accelerated School, a charter school where Guber sits on the board and where students practice yoga almost every day. Researchers found a correlation between yoga and better behavior and grades, and they said young yogis were more fit than the district average from the California Physical Fitness Test.

Guber, married to former Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Peter Guber, embraced yoga after moving to California in the 1970s. Their 13-acre Bel-Air estate includes a clifftop garden leading to a Yoga House retreat.

In 2004, Americans spent almost $3 billion on yoga classes and retreats, books, DVDs, mats, clothing and related items. About 3 million American adults practiced yoga at least twice a week in 2006, more than doubling from 1.3 million in 2001, according to Mediamark Research.

Exercise or religion?
Despite mainstream acceptance, yoga in public schools remains touchy. Critics say even stripped-down "yoga lite" goads young people into exploring other religions and mysticism.

Dave Hunt, who has traveled to India to study yoga's roots and interview gurus, called the practice "a vital part of the largest missionary program in the world" for Hinduism. The Bend, Ore., author of "Yoga and the Body of Christ: What Position Should Christians Hold?" said that, like other religions, the practice has no place in public schools.

"It's pretty simple: Yoga is a religious practice in Hinduism. It's the way to reach enlightenment. To bring it to the west and bill it as a scientific practice for fitness is dishonest," said Hunt, 80.

"I've talked to too many people who got hooked on the spiritual deception of yoga. They come to believe in this and become enamored with Hinduism or eastern mysticism," he said.

Concerns about yoga's spiritual implications have also fueled a cottage industry of books and videos that offer the purported benefits of yoga — flexibility, strength and weight loss —without mentioning the y-word.

Laurette Willis, 49, wrote an exercise regimen called "PowerMoves Kids Program for Public Schools." The stretching routine includes pauses for children to contemplate character-building quotes from Martin Luther King Jr., Emily Dickinson, Harriet Tubman and William Shakespeare. Willis, who lives near Tahlequah, Okla., also created an exercise regimen called "PraiseMoves: The Christian Alternative to Yoga."

"I'm not here to say that yoga is necessarily bad, but it is counter to what I think the public education system is for: It should have programs without any form of religious overtones whatsoever," Willis said.

The dispute confuses some yogis, particularly Westerners who say they yoga as it's practiced in the United States is primarily about fitness and stress relief.

Baron Baptiste, who owns three studios in the Boston area and practices with his 7-year-old son, loves Guber's program. He said his son takes yoga far less seriously than he does.

"We adults need to be reminded to lighten up, breathe in the joy and have some fun," he said.

A mother’s gentle honesty in the face of death

Associated Press

One family prepares its young children to cope with a future without Mom

Seven-year-old Nicholas Chamernik had rarely seen his parents cry. So he felt a pang of worry when he looked up one evening to see his father wiping away tears.

“Dad, what’s wrong?” he asked.

Jim Chamernik was too choked up to respond. After 18 months of grasping for answers, he and his wife, Aimee, finally had an explanation for symptoms Aimee had been having — slurred speech and weakness in her right arm among them. The diagnosis was Lou Gehrig’s disease, a degenerative condition of the nervous system, also known as ALS.

There is no cure. But how could they explain that to their eldest son, the first in the family to notice his mom’s slurring, when she read him bedtime stories?

How, they wondered, do you tell a child that his mom is dying?

Gentle honesty
It would be tempting for a parent to shield a child as long as possible from such a painful reality. But the Chamerniks have chosen a different path — one of gentle honesty. Theirs is the story of two parents doing the best they can to help their children understand and cope with terminal illness.

The process began that night more than two years ago with a question from their son. It has only led to more questions — and even on their toughest days, the Chamerniks have attempted to answer each one.

“Dad, what’s wrong?”

Aimee — seeing that Jim was struggling — took a deep breath and sat down in the family room of their suburban Chicago home. She pulled Nicholas onto her knee and put her arms around him.

“You know I’m having trouble with my muscles, right?” Aimee began, surprised at her own composure. Her son nodded.

“Well,” she said, slowly, “Daddy’s sad because the doctor told me they’re not going to be able to help me get better.”

Nicholas sat there for a moment, thinking about what his mom had said and then responded in his 7-year-old way. “You know mom, when I grow up, I’m going to be a paleontologist and a St. Louis Cardinals baseball player and a zoologist and a person who studies plants,” he said, breathlessly.

“Well, I’m also going to be a doctor,” he said. “So if you’re still alive, I can help them find out how to make you better.”

Four words from that conversation still echo in Aimee’s head — “if you’re still alive.”

They were the first indication that, at some level, Nicholas understood the gravity of her slow decline. That moment also marked the beginning of a long goodbye for a 37-year-old mother whose oldest children will be lucky to reach their teenage years before she dies.

“I didn’t think she’d be alive as long as other people,” says Nicholas, now 9. “But I still thought it’d be a long time.”

Even Aimee’s doctors don’t know exactly how long she has. The average life expectancy after an ALS diagnosis, they’ve told her, is two to five years. It’s been a little more than two so far.

A quiet urgency
Already, her children — Nicholas, Emily, now 7, and 3-year-old Zachary — have seen her fall several times. She reluctantly uses a cane in public spaces and struggles with tasks most people take for granted — navigating stairs, opening a soda can, unbuckling a car-seat strap.

Even as her body weakens, she constantly reminds her children: “Mommy is still the same person inside.”

But knowing she will eventually lose her ability to move and speak, there is a quiet urgency in the Chamernik household to pack in as much family time as possible and to have the conversations they can’t have later on.

Did you go to doctors?” Emily asks one evening during dinner.

It’s a question she’s asked many times before, but Aimee willingly responds again.

“Lots and lots of doctors,” she says, telling Emily and Nicholas about tests with needles stuck into her legs and above her eyebrow.

“That one hurt more than anything,” she says of the latter.

Often, her kids ask why her muscles aren’t working.

At first, Nicholas thought, “Why can’t she just exercise to be stronger and faster?”

Emily remembered her mom talking about the importance of good nutrition and wondered, “Did mom eat too much dessert?”

Aimee tries to explain what’s happening to her body in ways they’ll understand: She tells them how motor neurons are like “mailmen” — some that still deliver “letters” from her brain to her muscles, while others have quit and headed to Florida for vacation.

No question is off limits. And often, they come out of nowhere.

One day, one of her children asked, “How long will it take for your skin to fall off after you die?”

Aimee winced inside, but replied in a matter-of-fact tone that, while she wasn’t sure how long it would take, it wouldn’t matter because she wouldn’t need her body then anyway.

Often, Nicholas’ queries are fact-based. Because he’s a baseball fan, he’s interested, for instance, in Lou Gehrig’s fight with the illness. He copes by focusing on possible solutions, dreaming up inventions that might help his mom walk and even run again.

He also frets that a new stepmom might throw away his Pokemon cards, which he calls “one of my most prized possessions.”

His sister’s reactions are often more emotional.

“Emily sometimes will run up to me and throw her arms around me so tight and say, ’Oh, Mommy, I just LOVE you,’ and say it with such intensity and hug me with such intensity that it takes my breath away,” Aimee says.

“My reaction in my head is, ’No, no, don’t love me that much, because if you love me that much, it’s going to really hurt when I’m gone.’”

Sometimes, Emily fantasizes about a special telephone to heaven she could use to call her mom. But what will she do, she wonders, when she needs a hug from her mom?

Aimee’s eyes fill with tears at the thought of not being there. “There’s no way to prepare yourself for the heartbreak of a child asking, ’What am I going to do when you’re not here?”’ she says. “There’s really no way to answer those questions.”

Still, she tries — and reminds Emily that her dad, brothers and other family will be there for her when she’s not. “And if you’re really, really still and quiet, I think you’ll be able to think of what I might say,” she says.

Working through concerns
Their worries about the kids, coupled with their own grief, can overwhelm Aimee and Jim. So they meet regularly with a social worker at the Les Turner ALS Foundation in nearby Skokie to help them work through their concerns. The social worker has encouraged their honesty with the kids, but also suggested that they bring conversations back to the present whenever possible.

“Right now, I’m here and I’m able to do this,” Aimee often reminds her kids, whether “this” is baking cookies, taking Emily to a Clay Aiken concert, or going last fall to the World Series to see her beloved Cardinals win.

“Do you worry about Zachary not remembering who you are?” Nicholas asks his mom.

“I do,” she says. “But you and Emily will tell him about things we did — special trips to Mexico and Disney World — and show him pictures.”

It isn’t always the idyllic scene Aimee would like her children to remember.

As all couples do, she and Jim occasionally argue. And the kids have their moments, too.

Sometimes, they claim they can’t understand Aimee’s directions because of her slurred words, when they clearly do. So she calls them over to repeat what she’s said.

“Look me in the eye,” she tells them, pointing at her own eyes. “Right here.”

Sick or not, Aimee knows disciplining is part of being a parent. Still, she hopes her kids will recall the happiest times.

A haven at home
Indeed, even with all they are facing, the Chamernik’s two-story home remains the family’s haven, filled with smiling photos and images of Pooh and Tigger on the living room walls. There often is laughter, with Nicholas, Emily and Zachary wrestling on the floor, putting together puzzles or organizing their many Pokemon stuffed animals and cards.

Nicholas is now in fourth grade. For a recent school project, he described himself as hyper, funny and brave — brave, partly because he stood in front of his class and told them about his mom and ALS, short for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

It’s one way he’s become “a little activist,” as his parents call him. For his last two birthday parties, he’s asked friends to bring donations for ALS research instead of gifts — and raised more than $350 last year.

“I just want my mom to be healthy,” he says.

Her mom describes Emily as “a pirate at heart,” most comfortable in jeans and a T-shirt and quick with a wide grin that has become increasingly toothless. Often hungry, she’s known for her love of Mexican food, especially her mom’s “taquitos.”

Like Nicholas, she’s also one of her mom’s most faithful helpers. They constantly retrieve items for her, from her laptop computer to books to Matchbox cars for their little brother.

When there are too many toys on the living room floor, without prompting, Emily will say, “Mommy can’t walk here — we need to clean up.”

"I wish they could just be kids"
Because mornings are Aimee’s most difficult time of day, Emily and Nicholas also are counted on to help get themselves ready for school. Jim races around the house doing laundry, making breakfast and bringing Aimee coffee and the sports section before he goes to one of his two jobs as a law firm manager.

Aimee can’t help but feel guilty about all the Jim does and about the extra responsibility the kids take on.

“As children, they’re asked to do a lot of things,” she says, quietly. “Sometimes I wish they could just be kids.”

More than anything, Jim worries that, once Aimee’s gone, he won’t be enough for their children — even for little things, such as doing Emily’s hair.

“It’s tough for me to talk about a rosy future when there isn’t one because their world revolves around their mother,” he says one evening in the living room. “There’s no substitution for what they’re going to miss.”

As he speaks, Emily sits on his lap. Nicholas and Zachary are upstairs getting ready for bed, while Aimee works in the kitchen.

The sweet aroma of cookies, made earlier in the evening, is slowly fading.

A mother's will
Just before her birthday, it occurred to Nicholas that his mom would be the same age that Lou Gehrig was when he died.

“I just wondered,” he said, hesitantly because he didn’t want to hurt his mom’s feelings, “If he was 37 when he died, maybe you would die when you’re 37, too.”

His mom looked at him.

“I can’t promise you I won’t die in the next year, because I could be in a car accident or something like that,” she said. “But I won’t die from ALS in the next year.”

Immediately, she could sense his relief.

To this day, that conversation remains his safety net — and while he used to call home during school lunch to make sure his mom was OK, he doesn’t do that anymore.

“I hope I’m not misleading him. It would be fairly shocking for me to drop off in the next six months,” Aimee says. “But a little part of me — there’s that reality that this is fatal and you can’t know.”

If the disease is strong though, so is a mother’s will. Aimee focuses these days on her vow to her son to go on living.

“Now,” she tells herself, “you better do everything in your power to make sure that’s true.”

The State of Angelina

Kellyanne Dignan, "Scarborough Country" producer

While politicians and pundits continue to dissect the State of The Union, The New York Times speculates on the state of Angelina Jolie. It seems the "Gray Lady" is catching on to what the tabloids have known for weeks: Saint Angelina isn't looking quite so saintly these days.

In the early days of Brangelina, Jolie got a bit of a pass for her unconfirmed roll in the Braniston split. The couple made public appearances and gave interviews portraying their new relationship as family oriented with a whole lot of charity thrown in for good measure. Once baby Shiloh came along and People Magazine snapped up the rights to the first family portrait for millions it seemed nothing could slow this couple down. But like all good things...

Angelina's troubles seemed to begin with her January Vogue cover and interview. Her comments about Brad's ex Jennifer Aniston seemed petty and heartless. The Earth mother was heading down a slippery slope. Next up reports Angie called baby Shiloh a blob, Madonna's adoption illegal, and St. John's clothes ugly.

While none of these headlines exactly helped Jolie, she wasn't dead in the water quite yet: then came the Golden Globes. Instead of making headlines for her dress or an award; everyone was talking about her nasty interview with Ryan Seacrest. It seems Ms. Jolie thinks herself above answering red carpet questions on award show morning routines.

Now it seems unlikely Angelina is going anywhere anytime soon, (although I do have it on good authority she just left New Orleans for Vietnam) but she better take note of the Hollywood culture she seems to disdain. It pays her quite well and gives her a platform most charities can only dream of. As any has-been actress will tell her: one day you're in- the next you're out.

A Guy's Guide to Breast-Feeding: Don't be a boob

By Brian Alexander, MSNBC

To look or not to look? How men should act around a nursing mom

Like most men, I want no part of the whole breast-feeding controversy. Women can duke this out on their own.

I’ve had a good friend of mine, a woman with twin sons who struggled to breast-feed, call pro-breast-feeding campaigners “La Leche Nazis.” I have had women I work for, breast-feeding moms, refer to anyone who looks askance at their breast-feeding on commuter buses as “child haters” or “anti-woman.”

As a folksy politician might say, we men ain’t got no dog in this fight. So call us when it’s over. Really.

Any man who has managed to make it through high school, and isn’t a complete moron, knows that a guy reacts to a breast-feeding woman the same way we react to the woman in the gym whose yoga pants are creeping up her butt. We glance, take note, and move on, expressionless as poker champions.

This isn’t to say we don’t have opinions on the matter, but we’ve learned to keep them to ourselves. But how is a guy supposed to act around a breast-feeding woman? When I discussed this issue with a couple of friends of mine — and our wives — over plates of Mexican food, the women, all of whom had some breast-feeding experience, were full of opinions. They used words like “discretion” and “privacy” and advice like “don’t just flop it out there.” They volunteered that breast-feeding a 2-year-old sounded a little creepy, that it smacked of trying to make some political point rather than passing along immunity to disease or something.

The guys at the table, both smart attorneys, simply nodded in silent agreement with their wives.

See what I mean?

When I pressed them to actually say something, they agreed that “it should be a non-event.”

"But,” I insisted, “do you have to make a special effort not to look?”

“Yes,” they admitted.

“I’d deliberately avoid looking in her direction. I wouldn’t want her to think I was staring at her,” one said.

In other words, depending on the situation, breast-feeding can make us uncomfortable, not because we are opposed in any way, but because we feel trapped. If, say, we were sitting at an airport gate waiting area, and the woman sitting across from us began breast-feeding, we wouldn’t be entirely sure what to do. If we pause for longer than an instant, we risk being accused of voyeurism, even if the sight of mother-baby bonding is simply making us feel warm and fuzzy inside. But if we make a show of NOT looking, we risk being accused of being disapproving.

What's a guy to do?
Cindy Post Senning, of the Emily Post Institute and co-author with Peggy Post of “Emily Post’s The Gift of Good Manners: A Parent’s Guide to Raising Respectful, Kind, Considerate Children,” doesn’t think men ought to do much of anything.

“I would not make a point of reacting. Do whatever you would normally do. Work on the laptop, read a magazine, stare into space.” There’s no need to talk, either. “You do not want to make a comment that implies ‘Ooh, what’s going on here?’ Why would you say something?”

On the other hand, Senning says, if the nursing mother were sitting next to you, or in some situation where you might normally converse with a person, do what you would do if she were bottle feeding. “If you are the type who would be inclined to say ‘How old is the baby’ or ‘What’s her name’ or whatever, then go ahead. Otherwise let it be.”

Mealtime, whether the meal is coming out of a bottle or a breast, Senning believes, is a “first step in children learning some social graces. We tell parents to turn off the TV, don’t answer the phone. It should be you and the baby.”

So having a guy chatter on, even with good intentions, is not ideal.

Of course, this also places etiquette responsibilities on the nursing mother. Senning suggests, as our wives did, that it’s best to find a quiet corner, a “place where you can be tending to that baby in all aspects and in terms of baby manners. You want to create a climate of respect and consideration for others.”

Dual-purpose machines
For men, of course, breasts are complicated. Senning acknowledges that breasts can be sexual and every woman I know who’s been pregnant says her husband or boyfriend goes just a little giddy over the increase in breast acreage that comes with pregnancy. Because breasts are dual-purpose machines, we men can have some trouble completely severing the link between boobs and sex and replacing it with boobs and nurturing babies. Expecting us to regard them as the teats of a lowland gorilla is like asking a seventh-grade boy not to look at Pamela Anderson.

“True,” one of my friends admitted when I pressed and suggested the image of Giselle Bundchen breast-feeding. “It might be harder to avoid looking if the woman was a real babe.” The wives rolled their eyes.

Generational, not gender?
In fact, the husbands and wives at dinner, as well as Senning, agreed that disapproval of breast-feeding is probably more generational than gender-based. None of the people at this particular table were breast-fed. Our mothers simply didn’t do it. Back then it was considered primitive, reserved for native peoples shown in “National Geographic.” So maybe among the senior citizen set, there are more men who tut-tut and stare.

In any case, one of my male dinner companions suggested, “I think people should just lighten up.”

Personally, I don’t get what all the fuss is about, either, but again, I’m in no position to breast-feed so ignore me. Please.

Film's Child Rape Scene Causes Stir

The Associated Press

At a festival that features several films with sexual content, including full male nudity and a documentary about bestiality, a southern Gothic tale that includes the rape of a young girl is causing the biggest stir.

"Hounddog" is the story of Lewellen, a girl played by 12-year-old Dakota Fanning, who is growing up in the 1960s South. She is a free-spirit obsessed with Elvis Presley and has little supervision by her abusive father and alcoholic grandmother.

Even before the first screening of "Hounddog" at the Sundance Film Festival this week, a Christian film critic, citing Fanning's age, decried the movie as child abuse, and Roman Catholic activist Bill Donohue called for a boycott.

Fanning is defending her work as well as the movie, and so is the head of Sundance, who said it was courageous for director Deborah Kampmeier to tackle "challenging material." "Hounddog" is entered in the festival's dramatic category.

"It's not a rape movie," Fanning said Tuesday. "That's not even the point of the film."

The disturbing scene lasts a few minutes but is not graphic. There is no nudity, the scene is very darkly lit and only Fanning's face and hand are shown.

Kampmeier said it took her a decade to get the film made, largely because of the rape scene, but cutting it was a compromise she was unwilling to make.

"This issue is so silenced in our society. There are a lot of women who are alone with this story," she said.

"When you're shooting a film, it's the images you line up next to each other that create a story," Kampmeier said. "If you have a hand hitting the ground, Dakota screaming 'stop' and you see a zipper unzip — that creates a rape."

Ted Baehr, chairman of the Christian Film and Television Commission and publisher of the Web site movieguide.org, claims "Hounddog" breaks federal child-pornography law. He said the law covers material that "appears" to show minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

"Even if they're not actually performing the explicit act, we are dealing with a legal issue here," he said.

Baehr said Fanning is being exploited in the film, and that it should be considered an outrage.

"Children at 12 do not have the ability to make the types of decisions that we're talking about here," he said.

"If we're offended by some comedian's racial slur, why aren't we offended by somebody taking advantage of a 12-year-old child?"

Two other children perform in the film. Cody Hanford plays Buddy, and Isabelle Fuhrman plays a girl nicknamed "Grasshopper."

Kampmeier said she talked with the children and their parents but didn't go into great detail with the young actors about the content.

"I didn't have to articulate to Cody and Isabelle the psychological elements that were going on in this film," she said. "I used images to tell the story. I didn't manipulate these children or explain to these children what was going on."

Fanning said she and Kampmeier talked for months before the film was shot and spent a day painting pottery together and discussing the story.

"It's not really happening," Fanning said of a rape. "It's a movie, and it's called acting. I'm not going through anything. Cody and Isabelle aren't going through anything, their characters are.

"And for me, when it's done it's done," she said. "I don't even think about it anymore."

Sundance director Geoffrey Gilmore said independent filmmakers should pursue sensitive subject matter.

"I feel the mission and very nature of what Sundance is about is to provide a platform for that," he said.

Dogs and dating

By Alan Goldsher

A couple of years ago, a well-meaning co-worker set me up on a blind date with his wife’s friend, Christine. Christine and I clicked almost immediately—it was like at first sight. Not love. Like. From a physical perspective, things progressed at what could be considered a normal pace: First date, peck on the cheek. Second date, a short good-night kiss. Third date, a long good-night kiss. Fourth date, she invites me upstairs.

So we get inside Christine’s apartment and are met by Sydney, her hyper Airedale/Collie mix who takes an immediate liking to my calf. While Christine does her I-just-got-home stuff, I give the pooch a couple cursory scratches behind her ears, head into the living room and park myself on the couch. Sydney, meanwhile, tootles off to find her mommy. After a few minutes, Christine — who had changed into a comfy, if somewhat provocative outfit — saunters into the room, Sydney nipping at her ankles.

Christine plops down next to me. Sydney plops down next to Christine. Christine leans in to kiss me. Sydney leans in to… I don’t know what. Christine kisses my neck. Sydney kisses both of our faces. Christine pulls away, stares angrily at the dog for, like, three seconds, and then breaks into a goofy grin. “Sydney, you’re a bad girl, but I could never stay mad at you!” She eventually shooed the dog away, but the mood was most definitely broken.

I learned after a month of dating Christine that this woman — this intelligent, capable, attractive woman — was psychotically attached to her dog, and vice-versa. She couldn’t go out on a work night without finding a dog-sitter — Sydney, it turned out, would bark non-stop if she was alone for more than 10 hours — and if no sitters were available, she’d bring Sydney along. This was difficult if she came to my apartment, because the dog petrified my cat. After six weeks of tweaking our social schedule to suit the dog’s needs, I bowed out gracefully. I dug Christine, and I dig dogs—I just didn’t dig Christine with her dog.

Shockingly, Christine was willing to speak to me on the record for this article. “First of all,” she said, after I reminded her about the aborted make-out session at her apartment, “you’re exaggerating. That night at my place, Sydney never licked our faces.” (Yes, she sure did.) “All she did was curl up next to me on the couch.” (Yeah, after she licked our faces.) “Second of all, I didn’t take her with us on all of our dates.” (No, just most of them.) “And third of all, I didn’t like your cat.”

Ouch.

In retrospect, Christine and I never could have worked—her neurotic dog would always be a major priority in her life, and if I were to be her honest-to-goodness boyfriend, I would have had to realize, accept, and embrace that, which, at that point in my life, fair or unfair, I wasn’t prepared to do. But if I was in love with her — not like, but love — and was willing to make it work with her and her pet, I’d have done these three things:

Bonding
“It would have made Sydney so happy if you’d have played with her,” Christine said. “She liked you.” I’m not sure about that—I think the dog was jealous. But what Christine was really saying is that it would have made her happy if I’d have played with Sydney. Unless you’re a pooch-a-phobe, playing with canines is pretty darn fun, so if getting into a tug-of-war match with your girlfriend’s dog pleases both her and the pet, then get tugging. You’ll probably enjoy it.

Caretaking
A really good boy- or girlfriend will offer to walk and feed their partner’s pooch. If my playing with Sydney would have made Christine happy, imagine how thrilled she would have been if I took her out for a jog, gave her a bath, and cleaned up her poop.

Studying
There are zillions of excellent books on dogs—and I’m not referring to the children’s book, Walter the Farting Dog. For example, I’d recommend Katz on Dogs: A Commonsense Guide to Training and Living with Dogs by mystery writer and pet-lover Jon Katz. It’s charming and informative and will help you better understand the bond between pet and owner.

The story has a happy ending: Christine is now married to, believe it or not, a guy who has a cat. The foursome — Christine, her husband, Sydney, and the kitty — are currently living in fur-covered bliss.

My own cat, needless to say, is relieved beyond words.

Ali turns 65 with his Voice Muted, but his Mind still Clear

By TIM DAHLBERG, AP Sports Columnist

The images are unsettling at best, upsetting at worst. The world, after all, remembers what he once was.

Muhammad Ali trembles and has to be wheeled to a ringside spot to watch his daughter fight in New York. A frail Ali needs to be supported by basketball player Dwyane Wade at the Orange Bowl in Miami.

The voice that once bellowed that he was "The Greatest" is but a whisper now, and he communicates mostly with facial expressions.

His body is ravaged by Parkinson's disease and the effects of recent spinal surgery. He tires easily. His mind, though, remains sharp and clear, and his passion for people hasn't faded with age.

Ali turned 65 on Wednesday. The heavyweight champion who shocked the world is a senior citizen now, eligible to collect Social Security.

Like many other retirees, he has moved from Michigan to the desert to be out of the cold.

Visitors to the home in a gated area of Scottsdale, Ariz., that he shares with his fourth wife, Lonnie, often find him absorbed in the past, watching films of his fights and documentaries on his life -- and Elvis movies.

Even more, he loves to watch himself talk.

"Muhammad is a little sentimental. He likes looking at older things. He likes watching some of the interviews and saying some of the crazy outrageous things he used to say," Lonnie Ali said. "Sometimes I think he looks at it and says, `Is that me? Did I really say those things?"'

Those were the days when Ali still floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee, when he added to his legend by defying the odds to beat George Foreman in Zaire and Joe Frazier in the Philippines.

"Rumble young man, rumble," cornerman Bundini Brown would yell to him.

That young man's face is now distorted by Parkinson's, making him look far older than he is. Now, instead of the "Ali Shuffle" that once dazzled the boxing world, he is reduced to sometimes using a walker, the result of surgery to help correct spinal stenosis, the narrowing of the spinal canal which causes compression of the nerve roots.

Some days are better than others. Ali reads fan mail every now and then and painstakingly signs autographs with his trembling hand. Sometimes, mostly in the morning before his medication kicks in, the family can understand every word he says.

"We give him enough meds to make his day go well enough, but not enough to make him look absolutely normal," Lonnie Ali said. "He would look better if we did, but we don't want to. We don't want him on too many medications."

His birthday will pass with calls from his nine children and other relatives. Ali's only request to mark the occasion is a trip to one of his favorite magic shops so he can pick up a new trick or two to show visitors.

One of his daughters, Hana, says no one should feel sorry for him.

"People naturally are going to be sad to see the effects of his disease," she said. "But if they could really see him in the calm of his everyday life, they would not be sorry for him. He's at complete peace, and he's here learning a greater lesson."

The man who made headlines and countless television highlights with his predictions and boxing prowess can't really talk about himself anymore.

But others can:

THE DAUGHTER

Hana Ali listens often to the tapes, the ones her father made for an audio diary in 1979 when she and her sister, Laila, were little girls. On them, Ali's voice is strong, his opinions certain.

"This is Muhammad Ali making a tape for future reference explaining what's going on in the world," it begins.

Ali talks about his efforts to mediate the Iranian hostage crisis and meeting kings from different nations. He gives his thoughts on war and peace, and he has a talk with George Foreman on God and religion.

"Sometimes I have to stop listening because I get in this time warp thing," Hana Ali said.

Of all his children, she may be the closest to her dad.

"He needs people like we need the air to breathe," she said. "He knows how great he is, but at the same time he's very humble. He's shocked to see how people still love him and remember him. You see his eyes light up and it takes him back a moment when they chant `Ali, Ali.' It's like charging a battery up."

THE INNER CIRCLE

Gene Kilroy traveled the world at Ali's side. His official title was business manager, but Kilroy was known mostly for being the man who got things done.

He sheltered Ali from anyone trying to make a quick buck off him, and took care of the people around him. For years, he was the lone white man in the champ's entourage.

"I consider myself one of the luckiest guys in the world just to call him my friend," Kilroy said. "If I was to die today and go to heaven it would be a step down. My heaven was being with Ali."

THE OPPONENT

Larry Holmes was proudest of the black eye.

He got it as an amateur the first time he stepped into the ring for a sparring session with Ali at his training camp in Deer Lake, Pa.

"I didn't want to put ice on it," Holmes said. "Having him give me a black eye meant a lot to me."

Holmes would later give Ali much worse when he beat him in his last big fight.

"I can't just say Ali was the greatest because there were so many great fighters out there. I can't say he was greater than Marciano, Louis, Dempsey and everyone else," Holmes said.

"A lot of it today is that people feel sorry for him because he's got that Parkinson's or whatever is wrong with him. They feel he doesn't have too much longer to live and they want to be part of the legend."

THE PROMOTER

Bob Arum wonders if it was somehow partly his fault. A lot of the punches Ali took came on his watch.

Ali had 61 fights over 21 years, winning 56. Arum promoted 25 of them.

"I feel terrible about what happened because for better or worse I played a part in it," Arum said. "Not that it wouldn't have happened if somebody else was involved. But I feel I played a part in his physical decline."

Arum's wife, Lovee, and Lonnie Ali still often talk on the phone. He sees Ali on occasion, and each time he feels conflicted.

"Here was a guy who my memories of him were larger than life. He was full of life, like nobody I've ever seen in my life," Arum said. "Now to see what is essentially a shell of what was is hard. Every time I see him I'm glad to see him, but I feel terrible."

THE FAN

Musician and sometime actor Kris Kristofferson first saw Ali in Rome at the 1960 Olympics. They became good friends and even starred together in a television movie, "Freedom Road."

He hopes there will be advances in treating Parkinson's before it's too late.

"He'll be remembered more than any other great athlete because of his humanitarian work and the courage he showed in his life," Kristofferson said. "He's probably the most remarkable person I ever met on the planet. He's an amazing human being."

THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Howard Bingham had no idea his life would change that day, in 1962, when he went to take pictures of a young fighter at a Los Angeles press conference.

"My assignment that day was to cover this big loudmouth coming into town," said Bingham, who took pictures for a black weekly newspaper. "I had never really heard of him."

Turns out, Bingham was photographing a young Cassius Clay. He's been with Ali ever since and calls him his best friend.

"I've had the opportunity to meet and greet kings and queens. And kings and queens have had the opportunity to meet me, too," Bingham said. "It's been wonderful."

Bingham still travels with Ali and talks to him regularly on the telephone.

"I can't believe that on January 17, 2007, he'll be 65," Bingham said. "It just doesn't seem real."

'Stomp the Yard' Dances to No. 1 Finish

The Associated Press


The dance flick "Stomp the Yard" was a step ahead of the competition at the box office, debuting as the No. 1 weekend movie with $22 million.

Starring Columbus Short as a raw but talented dancer at the center of a step competition between rival college fraternities, the Sony Screen Gems movie knocked off 20th Century Fox's "Night at the Museum," which had been the top film for three straight weekends.

"Night at the Museum" slipped to second place with $17.1 million, raising its total to $185.8 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The weekend's other new movies had ho-hum debuts. Universal's youth drama "Alpha Dog," featuring Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster and Justin Timberlake in a tale of drugs, kidnapping and murder, opened at No. 7 with $6.1 million.

Disney's "Primeval," a thriller with Dominic Purcell and Orlando Jones as part of a news crew pursuing a prolific serial killer, premiered at No. 8 with $6 million.

Expanding to nationwide release after a limited run in December to qualify for the Academy Awards, "Arthur and the Invisibles," a live-action and animated family film from the Weinstein Co. and MGM, was No. 9 with $4.3 million.

Strong turnout by black movie-goers — who accounted for nearly two-thirds of the audience, according to Sony — pushed "Stomp the Yard" over the top. The movie followed in the footsteps of other black-themed films that debuted at No. 1 over previous Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekends, including "Glory Road" last year and "Coach Carter" in 2005.

"Sony picked a great weekend to release the film," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. "The urban audience wields a lot of clout at the box office. If you put a film in the marketplace that has that built-in appeal to that audience, look at the numbers. The numbers speak for themselves."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC.

Final figures will be released Tuesday.

Li Says He Struggles With Love Scenes

The Associated Press

Action star Jet Li says he struggles with love scenes in his movies because of his introverted personality.

Li made the comment in his Web log while shooting the Chinese-language martial arts epic "Ci Ma (Piercing Horse)," in which his character becomes romantically involved with the character played by Chinese actress-director Xu Jinglei.

"Every time I start a movie I don't know how to have a conversation with the female lead. I'm rather introverted, so I don't know how to communicate with her," Li said in a blog entry on his Web site Tuesday.

In this case, Li said he tried to break the ice by asking Xu to help promote his charity fund.

Li recently set up The One Foundation, which focuses on disaster relief.

"The first day I saw Xu Jinglei I asked her to help us promote it (the charity) on her blog," he said.

"Ci Ma," directed by Hong Kong's Peter Chan, is a remake of famed martial arts director Chang Cheh's 1973 movie "The Blood Brothers."

It is about the breakdown of the friendship among three soldiers during China's Qing dynasty when one kills another to steal his wife, and the third seeks revenge.

The movie also stars veteran Hong Kong actor Andy Lau and Taiwanese-Japanese heartthrob Takeshi Kaneshiro.

The Latest Trends for Plus-Size Figures

By Sasha Emmons

Who says trends are only reserved for size-2 teenagers? Thanks to a slew of fashion-forward plus-size stores, women of all sizes and shapes can partake in the latest styles. We asked the experts for their tips on how to translate runway trends for real figures. Truth be told, some of the current looks are challenging, no matter what your size.

"I think this season is one of the trickiest for plus-size women," says Clinton Kelly, co-host of TLC's What Not to Wear. "For crying out loud, skinny jeans can make a size 6 look like a size 12." Here, the pros offer their secrets on how to adapt trends for a curvier shape:

Skinny Jeans and Leggings

Although the boot cut is still a universally flattering classic, slimmer silhouettes are the look du jour. Fran Kauchner, style expert at plus-size retailer Silhouettes, says slim jeans and leggings are popular this year, despite the fact that they can be hard to wear. She recommends a denim legging that marries two great trends and looks modern tucked into a high boot. But Kelly counsels caution. "Skinny jeans put all the emphasis on your hips, thighs, and butt. Some women don't mind that, but most women I know want those body parts to look smaller," he says. If you do want to wear skinnies, "make sure you're doing them in a dark wash, and emphasizing your waist somehow."

Tunics

Today's tunics are a godsend to those of us who love comfort dressing, but be careful with the cut. If your top is too roomy, you could look like you're wearing a tent. "The last thing a plus-size girl should wear is a shapeless tunic that covers the butt. She'll look top-heavy and bigger than she really is," says Kelly. "Tunics are great if they narrow a little at the waist and have darting at the bust." Kauchner recommends embellished and bohemian styles, or a "tress" -- a dress/tunic hybrid that will have the tailoring and the length in one piece.

Belts

Cinching the waist is an easy way to create an hourglass -- and to capitalize on a huge trend. "Wear a chain belt so it's not hugging tightly," says Kauchner. "Wider belts can break up the top half of your body." Should you position it at your hips, natural waist -- or even higher? "Most women are smallest under the bustline, so raise that belt higher than your natural waist -- right at the bottom of your rib cage," says Kelly.

Boots

Tucking pants into knee boots has been a big look for several years now, but now even those who don't have twig-like legs can pull off this style. Silhouettes, J.Crew, Lane Bryant, and Ann Taylor are among the retailers that offer extended-calf boots. Booties also look chic this year -- and fit everyone, regardless of calf size.

Prints

Big, bold prints -- especially animal-inspired -- have made a huge comeback and can help distract the eye from a problem area. Kauchner says a "bold, statement-driven top" with a dark bottom is a no-fail look. "Remember to keep your prints proportionate with your frame," says Kelly. "Just as a petite woman would be overwhelmed by gigantic prints, a plus-size woman can be underwhelmed by itsy-bitsy Holly Hobby florals." This daring tress from Silhouettes (pictured above) offers look-at-me swagger.

Do iPods and TV Hurt Exercise Benefits?

By MICHAEL HILL, Associated Press Writer

Jennifer Unruh can run a mile in two songs.

"I've got it figured out," said Unruh, who moves to the beat of Van Halen and The Fray on her iPod. "Usually, every song lasts about four minutes. I run a mile in a little over eight. So if I can get through two songs, I know I'm a mile though my run."

Gyms are jammed with people like Unruh — the guy on the treadmill watching ESPN, the aerobic class bouncing to "Hollaback Girl," the spinner reading Self magazine. Words, images and especially songs can provide inspiration for exercisers, as well as a distraction from tedium and discomfort.

Unruh, director of wellness support at the YMCA of Metropolitan Atlanta, uses her songs-per-mile mind games as a way to keep engaged.

But are those distractions good or bad for exercisers? Researchers say it cuts both ways. Yes, a dose of video or audio can inspire better workouts. But distractions can also hurt performance. In a way, music can add some static to the mind-body connection.

Since the dawn of the Walkman, headphones have been as important as sneakers to many exercisers. Jacqueline Wojtusik, a fashion designer who lives near Albany, N.Y., and wears headphones for her regular workouts, listens to disco, '80s dance, electronic — anything as long as it has a fast beat.

"If it has a higher beat per minute," she said, "then I tend to stay with that beat."

Science is on her side.

In a 2005 study, British researchers put 18 undergraduates on stationary bicycles to pedal either to silence or to "popular electronic dance music" on headphones. Participants worked about 13 percent harder to the up-tempo music compared to silence. One of the researchers, Sam Carr, suggested in an e-mail interview that music competes with an exercisers' awareness of how hard they're breathing, or how much their legs ache.

Psychologists sometimes use the phrase "dissociation effect" to describe distractions like music and TV, and they have found it can have other benefits.

Dr. James Annesi, a health psychologist who works at the same Atlanta YMCA as Unruh, found that novice exercisers given a choice of TV or music were more apt to stick with an exercise program than those told to focus only on their exertions or people limited to one type of media. If the gyms look like media centers, that's fine by Annesi, as long as it encourages people to exercise.

"The more dissociation the better, the more we can distance the people from their discomfort," he said.

Still, athletes digging deep for peak performance would do well to ditch the headphones and focus on their bodies. Studies have shown that the more distracted the athlete, the slower the times, said Ohio University psychology professor Benjamin Ogles.

"If you want to maintain a high level of intensity, you pretty much have to focus on your body," he said.

This is related to the belief that noisy gadgets interfere with the intensely focused mental state many athletes refer to as "flow." For instance, visitors to the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, in Stockbridge, Mass., are encouraged to leave the headphones behind. Jennifer Young, director of healthy living programs, said she wants to keep visitors' mind-body connections strong.

Hikers at Kripalu are coached to "scan" their bodies by concentrating sequentially on their ankles, hips, shoulders and so on. Even during weightlifting — an activity linked more to Metallica then meditation — people are asked to visualize what their muscles are doing, or to focus on their breathing.

"Don't turn out and turn off," Young said, "because then there's that underlying signal, 'Oh, working out is something I don't want to do. I'm escaping it by doing this.'"

Even Anna Fyodorova, a triathlete from New York City who calls the iPod one of the "greatest creations made" for training, sees its limits. When other runners wore their ear buds during a recent 60 kilometer race, she decided against it.

"When you're racing, you have to concentrate," she said, "you have to be totally in the moment."

Coach: Beckham won't play again

Culled From FOX Sports

David Beckham won't play again for Real Madrid after announcing his departure at the end of the season for the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS.

"He is not going to play any more. He will practice, but he is not going to play," coach Fabio Capello said Saturday at a news conference.

Beckham announced this week he will not extend his contract with Real Madrid when it expires in June and is instead leaving for the Galaxy and a five-year deal.

"The player's decision is to go to Los Angeles. He has always been a great professional, but a player who has such a major contract with another team ... we cannot count on him," Capello said. "I think one cannot have the same drive if one is already with another team."

Beckham's spokesman, Simon Oliveira, said the 31-year-old midfielder would "continue to give his full commitment and professionalism to the club."

"David is surprised at the quotes from Fabio Capello, as nobody from the club has informed him of their intentions," Oliveira said.

"As far as David is aware, he has a contract for the remainder of the season and he remains dedicated to the club and its supporters."

Beckham, who joined Madrid from Manchester United in 2003, has said he plans to leave Real Madrid after his contract expires June 30 and to join the Galaxy in August.

"I think one cannot have the same drive if one is already with another team. But I repeat that he is a great professional," Capello said.

"Now he must stay in good physical condition, but we cannot rely on him. I have never had even the smallest problem with Beckham. He has to decide what to do until the end of the season."

The Galaxy did not immediately respond to phone messages early Saturday morning in Los Angeles.

Make This Your Year

By Jessie Knadler, Prevention magazine

You can eat better, find energy and lose the weight you want. No matter what your goal, our expert tested strategies will get you there.

We know all about New Year's resolutions.

They're shiny with possibility before midnight—but come the cold light of day, they've stopped giving you that giddy feeling. Maybe you hang on to them for another week or two, but eventually they get lost in the momentum of your life. Again.

We understand. But we also know that you can make those important changes stick. A classic study on resolutions found that 60 percent of people who set a New Year's goal give up on it within three months. But that means 40 percent succeed. The difference between the ones who reach their goals and those who fall short? Successful changers seek out or stumble onto the right strategies. Losing weight, for instance, is tough, but researchers have learned that regular weigh-ins increase the chances of success by more than 80%. And when you're trying to get yourself up off the couch, having a plan B (like using an exercise DVD when rain dampens your enthusiasm for a brisk walk) makes you 20 percent more likely to become a habitual exerciser.

We surveyed top researchers in psychology, weight loss, exercise and more to identify the most common resolutions, along with the roadblocks that most often get in the way. Then we gave our experts a challenge: How can you jump over, sneak under, or crash right through the barriers? To get on the fast track to your goals, read on.

Eat Healthier

"Lunch isn't enough to get me through my whole workday, so I grab something unhealthy."

Stock up on snacks.

When people are trying to eat right, they often toss out their snacks; the very word conjures up Dipsy Doodles and Ho-Hos. Then, when they get hungry, they hit the office vending machine. Instead, make the right munchies your first line of defense, says Walter Willett, MD, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and author of Eat, Drink & Weigh Less. Dry-roasted nuts are chock-full of monounsaturated (good) fats and protein—and they're satisfyingly crunchy and rich. To avoid a munching marathon, pour a small bag of nuts onto a plate and eat one morsel at a time.

"When I'm hungry, fruits and vegetables aren't what I want."

Get your veggies in a creamy, crunchy form.

Here's another way strategic snacking pays off: Keep a container of hummus in the fridge and dip in (with whole wheat crackers or pita) when you need something that feels sinful, recommends Suzanne Havala Hobbs, DrPH, a clinical assistant professor at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health. Half a cup qualifies as a veggie serving. Another proven way to boost your intake: Keep a bowl of fruit on your desk or kitchen counter. You may not feel like having fruit in the abstract, but if it looks good and smells great, you might find yourself in the mood.

"I have a sweet tooth."

Satisfy it—but steer clear of the super-sweetener.

Processed foods frequently contain large amounts of high fructose corn syrup. The sweetener is metabolized differently from other forms of sugar, and some studies suggest that its effect on your insulin levels actually prompts you to eat again sooner. (Another processed-food ingredient, trans fat, also may pack on extra pounds per calorie.) Besides, says Hobbs, "High fructose corn syrup tastes sweeter than other forms of sugar, which may condition us to want ever-sweeter foods."

Make Exercise a Habit

"I don't have time."

Start with mini-workouts and add on from there.

In a 2005 study funded by the National Institutes of Health, short-but-frequent workouts (10-minute sessions, four times a day) produced the same health benefits as a daily 40-minute session. So forget holding out for a trip to the gym; you can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, cut your risk of diabe-tes, and control your weight if you just take a quick walk whenever you have time, says Rod K. Dish-man, PhD, an exercise psychologist at the University of Georgia.

"Something always comes up."

Create a backup plan.

Having a fallback makes you 20 percent more likely to fit exercise....

....5 Meet-Your-Goal Moves

What you do before you start to change a habit is crucial, researchers say—and so are a couple of key moves in the midst of your efforts. Here are the most critical steps you can take toward success:

1. Make a plan. Research shows it's essential to think ahead about what you'll do and when, says John C. Norcross, PhD, a psychologist at the University of Scranton. Get specific: That forces you to prepare for inevitable barriers and temptations, he says. "Launching a New Year's resolution with no planning is like jumping out of an airplane and then trying to sew your parachute on the way down."

2. Believe that you will succeed. Self-efficacy, psychologists' term for the belief that you can do it, gives you an essential boost, says Norcross, because it helps you keep trying in the face of obstacles. How do you develop that belief? By mastering small challenges first (opting for the salad over the bread sticks, for example), and then moving on to bigger ones (committing to attend a group like Weight Watchers).

3. Get your friends and family on board. Studies show that getting people involved in your behavior change—whether it's a trainer or a friend who joins you for walks or routinely asks about your progress—can help keep you focused and your motivation high.

4. Reward yourself. Create small, achievable targets on the way to your big goal, and celebrate every success. If you go a week without a late-night snacking session, buy yourself flowers or a new book. Rewards condition you to expect a good outcome, says addiction researcher Alan Marlatt, PhD, of the University of Washington—and that optimism will help you keep going when things get tough.

5. Never stop trying. Making a change is a long process, with inevitable slipups along the way. Think of even failed attempts as steps toward eventual success, says Marlatt, who points to studies on people trying to quit smoking: Though just 40% succeeded on the first try, another 20 percent reached their goal after more than six attempts. No matter what your resolution, persistence pays off.

Found: Four Hours Per Week to Exercise

By Karen Collins, R.D., American Institute for Cancer Research

If you stop watching commercials, you can start getting in shape.

The latest Nielsen Media Research report shows that the average American spends 4 hours and 35 minutes watching television per day.

And that might be low, as we settle into the couch for the pro football playoffs.

Per week, television viewing adds up to more than 30 hours well beyond a part-time job. Other reports show that national and local commercials now total an average of eight minutes of every half-hour show. So the average viewer is watching 40 minutes of commercials a day or more than four-and-a-half hours weekly.

There's your lost time for exercise. Four-plus hours each week, plenty of time to drop a few pounds, improve your heart health and feel more positive. And, let's face it, how many more beer, insurance or car commercials can you watch in between touchdowns?



Television is not necessarily wasted time as people use it to relax and learn. However, lack of time is one of the most commonly reported reasons that people don’t exercise or plan and prepare healthier meals.

Perhaps it is worth considering the benefits that the time you spend watching television could otherwise bring. If lack of time keeps you from adopting some healthful habits but you aren’t ready to reduce your television-watching time, you might reconsider the way you spend commercials. There are several different approaches you could take to make use of this gold mine of time.

First, you could use commercial times to accomplish those health-supporting tasks you never seem to get done. Many people find that one of the secrets to healthier eating is to plan meals ahead. This allows you to grocery shop more efficiently and avoids the stress that comes when you haven’t given dinner a thought until a few minutes before you hope to eat. Within an hour of television programming, you could plan close to a week’s worth of meals and perhaps even write the grocery list for a weekly shopping trip.

People often say that they would like to save money and eat better by bringing their lunch to work, but that they have no time to make it. Others say they find no time to prepare the fruit they’d like to have with their breakfast. Commercials offer plenty of time to do these tasks. You could also assemble foods for the next day’s breakfast.

What about fitness goals that are never met? In a single commercial break you could do several sets of crunches to tone those ab muscles, other strength-training exercises or stretches to improve your flexibility. Stashing weights or exercise bands near the television allows you to readily start an activity when the commercials start.

A second approach is to use commercials to take care of small general tasks that eat up the time you’d like to spend going for a walk or attending a fitness class. By using commercials to pay bills, do laundry and sort through mail and e-mails, the average American can accumulate more than four hours of time saved in the course of a week, enough to make a substantial boost in exercise time.

Technology offers a third option. If you have a recording technology you can record television shows and fast-forward through the commercials. You can finish four-and-a-half hours of television shows in less than four hours. The trick, however, is to use the extra time to work for you, instead of to watch yet another show.

12 Months, 12 Healthy New Habits

By Bob Condor for MSN Health & Fitness

This year you can succeed at being healthier. Just follow these small changes, one month at a time.

Here’s the first thing to remember about living a healthier 2007. You’ve got the entire year to establish new, positive habits. It doesn’t all have to be accomplished in January or even before the swimsuit season.

“Everything happens in small changes,” says Gregory Florez, CEO and president of First Fitness, a personal training company based in Salt Lake City. “Most people fail on their diet and exercise goals by looking too far ahead.”

That’s why your best strategy for a healthy and happy New Year is to take it one month at a time. If you figure on establishing one positive habit each month, by Dec. 31, 2007, you will benefit from a dozen upgrades to your personal health. The result will be energizing on both the physical and mental levels.

“The first thing I tell clients is to start where you are,” says Florez, whose company works extensively with companies, plus operates the FitAdvisor.com Web site. “Don’t worry about how out of shape you might be. Commit to doing something different this month and you will feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the 30 days.”

So, the idea is think small (changes) for big dividends. Let’s go through 12 healthy habits you can adopt for 2007. You can mix up the order if one habit resonates more than another, though, it will work out best if you keep the January habit in place as your starting point. Also, visit our message board to tell us about small changes that have produced big results for you.

January

New habit: Formulate clear diet and fitness goals. For eating, work on a one-week plan for meals. For fitness, schedule your workouts three weeks out to avoid other commitments canceling your good intentions.

The skinny: University of Rhode Island psychologist James O. Prochaska has conducted landmark studies that show it takes us three weeks or 21 days to establish new habits. We need that time to develop a routine and get into a mindset.

For his part, personal trainer Florez says his successful clients share the common trait of making the time to eat right and to exercise. “You can begin with 10-minute walks at lunch, that’s OK,” he says. “The important point is formalizing the process of planning your fitness time.”

Action steps: Florez recommends coming up with a menu for the week and selecting one day every week to shop at the supermarket for supplies. The idea is to create a menu that you follow for most meals and snacks. The most critical areas? Having healthy items for breakfast (see April’s habit for more details) and stocking up on nutritious snacks for work, school, the car and other times you’re on the go.

On the fitness side, for the next 21 days, make two to three standing appointments with yourself each week for physical activity. As the 21 days draw to a close, then update your schedule again.

Be realistic about if you can commit to a short walk or 90-minute gym session. But make it your January priority to plan this time for yourself and carry out the docket.

“Schedule that time and then protect it,” says Florez. “Treat your physical activity plans and workouts with the same diligence as a parent-teacher conference, meeting with a superior at work or running a volunteer organization meeting. Don’t put yourself last.”

February

New habit: Switch to unrefined sea salt to replace table salt.

The skinny: Julie Burns is a Chicago-based nutritionist who works with clients ranging from the Chicago Bears football team to working moms. When asked about the most important small changes a person could make in 2007, her first answer was salt.

“Unrefined sea salt has about 80 trace minerals, many of which we all have in short supply in our bodies,” says Burns. “Table salt is too acidic to be healthy. Unrefined sea salt is a real food and a huge plus in the diet. I always carry my own with me. That’s how strongly I feel about it.”

Action steps: Look for unrefined sea salt. Not all sea salt products qualify. Burns suggests the brands Celtic and Redmond, which are both available online or at many health food stores.

Replace all table salt in your shakers and pantries with unrefined sea salt. Look for a portable shaker you can take with you when you’re away from home. Feel free to use unrefined sea salt more liberally than table salt. Experiment with it in recipes.

March

New habit: Wake up at the same time each day, weekends included.

The skinny: Most sleep researchers agree that wakeup time is....

....December

New habit: Be accountable to someone for your physical activity.

The skinny: Gregory Florez says that one reason why personal trainers have succeeded in this country is because people feel accountable to their investment and the person who is training them. The reputable trainers—and Florez is one of them—visualize working with clients for an introductory timeframe, then expect that client to become self-motivated. In fact, a competent trainer who feels a client is not sufficiently motivated, say, after six months, might even resign from the trainer role.

The X Gym in Seattle takes it one step further as a business model. If gym members don’t show up consistently for training, they will be asked to stop paying dues and lose active membership. The gym’s concept is that motivated people have superior results and the word of mouth about the training business is enhanced with those success stories.

James Prochaska, the University of Rhode Island psychologist who has developed a widely admired six-stages of behavioral change model, says that telling someone about your intentions for diet or exercise is critical to success. “You make it public,” he says. “It shifts the way you think about it, then act on it. You feel more attached to the change.”

Action steps: Florez suggests each exerciser creates “some type of accountability” in the form of friends, workout partners, personal trainers or “even the dog” that accompanies you on walks or runs.

“Don’t judge yourself or be negative about your capacity,” says Florez. “Finding a person to whom you are accountable is often the step that makes all the difference to some of our clients.”

Florez has one more tip, no matter which habit or month you are in.

“You will fall off track on establishing a new healthy habit,” says Florez. “The most important thing is don’t try to analyze it or get frustrated with yourself. Just get back to the positive habit the next day.”

Stealth-Health Cooking Tips

By Devon Alexander, Runner's World magazine

Lose the fat, keep the flavor.

In 1987, before I found out that I prefer running over vegging-out in front of General Hospital, I was a 5'6" 16-year-old who weighed more than 180 pounds. Then I heard something that changed my life: If you eliminate 100 calories from your diet per day, you can lose 10 pounds in a year. So I started the elimination process, and within the next few years, I lost 55 pounds. I've kept them off largely by making these five realistic changes in my cooking. They slay every dieter's enemy-that feeling of deprivation-at no cost to you in taste.

1. Love a low-fat cheese

As long as you stick to a low-fat cheese, you can eat it in comfort-grilled on a sandwich or with macaroni-and still lose weight. Several low-fat varieties taste very close to traditional cheeses these days with a fraction of the fat. And they melt in a satisfying way. To keep the low-fat benefits, be sure to shred the cheese finely. This guarantees it will spread evenly, with fewer calories and less fat in every bite.

2. Stock up on salsa

Salsa is a dieter's gift- it's one of the few insta-flavor-explosions that's actually good for you. Most salsas are completely fat-free and full of fresh vegetables or fruits. Plus, salsa adds fiber to your meal, filling you up without a lot of added calories. Spoon 1/2 cup of your favorite salsa over a piece of baked or grilled fish or chicken breast; over omelets or poached eggs; on low-fat tacos; or on top of baked potatoes.

3. Embrace olive oil

It's easy to trick yourself into thinking you're eating a decadent meal by adding a touch of extra virgin olive oil. Olive oils are monounsaturated fats (the best kind) and have been linked to lowering bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and reducing the risk of heart disease and cancer. Extra virgin means no chemicals were used in the pressing; the finest ones should be labeled "first cold pressed" and "unrefined."

4. Cover for cream

It's amazing how easy it is to feed a common craving-cream sauce or gravy-with fat-free half-and-half, some broth, a bit of flour for thickening, and your favorite seasonings. Heavy cream has 51 calories, 6 grams of fat, and 3 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon. The same serving of fat-free half-and-half has only 10 calories, 0 grams of fat, and still provides that rich texture of its full-fat counterpart.

Hello, Perfect Skin! Go Get it Girls!

By Gwen Flamberg

Foundation How-Tos

Who hasn't stood staring at a wall of compacts and bottles at a makeup store and thought, Okay, am I more ivory or more beige? Do I want a powder or a liquid? Argh! The choices! Our all-new expert advice will help you find the best choice for your skin type and color.

How to Choose the Right Shade

In the store, apply a dab of foundation on your collarbone. Why there? "To avoid a line of demarcation, foundation needs to match your neck and your chest, not just your face," says Brigitte Reiss-Anderson, creative consultant for IsaDora cosmetics at Walgreens. Other areas, like the jawline and the inside of your forearm, may be pigmented similarly to your face, but they're usually paler than your decolletage.

How to Apply It Like a Pro

Always blend foundation on after applying moisturizer. Start with a dime-size drop and work from the center of your face out to the edges. Different application tools give you different finishes. For the sheerest look, use a damp sponge. Fingers can be used for more coverage; their heat helps the product blend seamlessly. Foundation brushes offer the same results, but they blend extra fast and don't absorb as much of the product as other applicators, so there's less waste, says Collier Strong, makeup artist for L'Oreal.

How to Flatter Dark Skin

Choose a liquid or cream -- they blend better on darker skin tones than powders, says Strong, because these formulations tend to have sheerer pigments. Powder foundation often contains micronized minerals like titanium dioxide, which can look ashy or white on dark skin. If you like the staying power of a powder, use a liquid or cream foundation, then apply a touch of loose, translucent powder.

How to Make It Work with Blush

If you're partial to cheek stains, you should know that they actually look best if you put them under foundation (your healthy flush will show through, we promise). But other formulas, like powders, gels, and creams, should be applied over foundation, says Sonia Kashuk, creator of the Sonia Kashuk cosmetics line at Target.

How to Get the Look of the Moment

Go either matte or dewy -- they're both in style. But there are some times when one is more appropriate than the other. "Matte is more of an evening finish because it looks done, while dewy is perfect with minimal makeup for day and especially on weekends," says Brian Duprey, a makeup artist in New York City and creator of Duprey Cosmetics.

How to Look 'Au Naturel' -- Only Better

Try tinted moisturizer -- it contains about half the pigment of a medium-finish foundation. It gives a little boost to the complexion, but not much coverage, says Reiss-Anderson. If you have a mostly even skin tone, use tinted moisturizer instead of your usual hydrating lotion, then spot-conceal with a cream foundation or concealer.

How to Prevent a Foundation-Related Breakout

Stick with the newest formulas, which are noncomedogenic (meaning they won't clog pores), and even contain good-for-skin ingredients, like vitamins and moisture-binding humectants. But as with all cosmetics, there's a toss-by date to prevent contamination. "Liquid and creams in nonairtight packaging can breed breakout-causing bacteria," says Laura Geller, makeup artist and owner of the Laura Geller Makeup Studio. Discard them after six months, and replace powder after a year.

How to Use Foundation Instead of Thick Concealer to Hide Undereye Circles

Blend a liquid formula along your lash line. Foundation is less opaque than concealer, so you'll get uniform coverage rather than the lighter, raccoon-eyed look you can get with concealer. Plus, you'll need one less product in your arsenal. "Women are always surprised by how even their face looks," says Geller.

How to Get a Smoother Foundation Finish

Use a primer. Applied under foundation, this sort of silicone-based gel can even out skin texture. If you have fine lines, large pores, or a bumpy skin surface, a primer will help create a smooth canvas for makeup, says Duprey. An added benefit: It helps anchor foundation, so you'll get extra wear. Smooth primer on after moisturizer, then follow with foundation.

How to Add Serious Staying Power

Set your makeup with a dusting of loose, translucent powder to get extra mileage. "Follow with a spritz of water spray like Evian to prevent a chalky look," says Reiss-Anderson. This will take away the powdery finish, but the foundation will stay set.

Seriously High-Tech Foundations

Welcome to the brave new world of foundations. Here, all-new formulations so advanced, we've included detailed instructions.

M.A.C Studio Mist Foundation, $28.50, maccosmetics.com

The all-new secret: Superfine pigments look invisible.
To use it: Spray this airbrush formula onto the back of your hand, then apply with your fingers to areas that need coverage.

Yves Saint Laurent Perfect Touch Radiant Brush Foundation, $50, saks.com

The all-new secret: Antibacterial brush blends in seconds.
To use it: Twist open, then squeeze the tube gently to release foundation into the attached brush. Blend on, starting at the center of your face.

SK-II Air Touch Foundation, $150, select Saks Fifth Avenue locations

The all-new secret: Ionic technology attracts makeup to skin so it looks 100 percent natural.
To use it: First, apply all your powder-based makeup, such as blush and eye shadow. Then press the button to release a mist that creates an ultra-fine matrix over your skin. The formula is magnetically charged to be attracted to the moisture in your skin, so it won't adhere to powder, hair, or clothing.

Best for Your Gym Bag!

Have limited space? Stash Model Co. FluidSplash, $42, sephora.com. The light, oil-free foundation contains a perfect-match concealer in its cap, so it's all you need to leave the gym with you-only-better glowing skin.

This Stuff Is Magic!

Fix any skin issue with these easy solutions.

Fix It! Redness

Smooth on a cream-to-powder compact foundation, such as Prescriptives AnyWear Multi-Finish Powder Foundation SPF 12, $32.50, prescriptives.com. Micronized pigment spheres form a veil over skin, lightly diffusing redness and spider veins.

Fix It! Dry Patches

Infuse moisture with a rich cream formula like L'Oreal Paris Age Skin-Support Perfect Makeup SPF 12, $16.59, drugstore.com. Intensely hydrating ingredients, including water, keep skin dewy, plus collagen and peptides will help plump up deeper layers.

Fix It! Fine Lines

Light-diffusing ingredients, like the ultra-fine pearls in Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Cream Foundation, $9, maybelline.com, help create the illusion of a smoother surface.

Fix It! Visible Pores

Apply a product that contains a mix of oil-absorbing powders plus pigment, such as Shiseido The Makeup Dual Balancing Foundation SPF 17, $35, Nordstrom.com. The combination minimizes shine in oily areas, so skin takes on a finer texture.

Fix It! Dark Spots

Brush on a mineral-powder foundation like Neutrogena Mineral Sheers Foundation, $12.25, ulta.com. Titanium dioxide covers freckles and evens out undereye circles without looking opaque or masky. Plus, it naturally blocks the sun's rays to prevent new hyperpigmentation from forming.

Diaz, Timberlake Confirm Uncoupling

By Joal Ryan

For Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake, it was all over but the press release.

In a joint statement issued on behalf of the celebrity couple Thursday, Diaz and Timberlake confirmed the biggest non-secret in Hollywood: They're no longer a celebrity couple.

"We have, in fact, ended our romantic relationship, and have done so mutually and as friends, with continued love and respect for one another," the statement said.

Diaz and Timberlake said they would have preferred to avoid the press-release route—"out of respect for the time we've spent together."

The ex-twosome chalked up their confirmation letter as a response to "recent speculation" and "inaccurate stories that are being reported by the media."

Diaz, 34, and Timberlake, 25, didn't note why or when they broke up, leaving "recent speculation" to do the job.

According to the buzz, Diaz and Timberlake uncoupled last month. The Jan. 22 Us Weekly narrows the split to some time after Timberlake hosted Saturday Night Live on Dec. 16 to sometime before a Diaz Christmas getaway to Vail, Colorado.

Diaz and Timberlake were a couple for more than three years, having begun dating in 2003.

No strangers to breakup rumors or when-will-they-marry speculation, Diaz and Timberlake were unusually tight-lipped when the New Year brought new reports that they were kaput.

The ex-couple watch intensified when Timberlake attended the Jan. 3 premiere of his new movie, Alpha Dog, minus Diaz. Even Tuesday's People's Choice Awards couldn't bring the pair together: Diaz attended the Los Angeles gala in person; Timberlake appeared via satellite—from nearby Anaheim.

Timberlake, who friends insist to Us Weekly was a one-star man while dating Diaz, seemingly has wasted no time getting his sexy back.

Last week, E! Online columnist Ted Casablanca reported Timberlake was spotted at the Alpha Dog post-premiere party in the company of Scarlett Johansson, with whom he shot a video, "What Goes Around," right after Christmas.

The music-video casting of Johansson, 22, was cited by Us Weekly as the "final straw" for the Diaz-Timberlake tandem, with Diaz said to be jealous of the younger actress and Timberlake said to be tired of Diaz's jealousy.

Timberlake and Johansson, recently uncoupled from Josh Hartnett, have copped to no more than a friendship.

Timberlake is likewise "friends, nothing more," his rep recently told E! Online senior editor Marc Malkin, with Kate Hudson, recently divorced from rocker Chris Robinson, and recently uncoupled from reputed beau Owen Wilson. Timberlake was among the New Year's revelers who rang in 2007 at the Los Angeles home of Hudson, 27.

Diaz, meanwhile, is said by Us Weekly to be commiserating with Charlie's Angels costar Drew Barrymore, recently uncoupled from Strokes drummer Fabrizio Moretti.

Removing himself from the breakup vortex that is currently Hollywood, Timberlake is scheduled to be some 340 miles north on Thursday night for the San Jose, California, date of his arena tour.

Diaz, who appeared in only three movies during her Timberlake era, won't appear in another one this year, per the Internet Movie Database, though she'll be heard as the voice of Princess Fiona in Shrek the Third, due out this summer.

During their run as a couple, Diaz and Timberlake never appeared more united than when they banded together against paparazzi, with whom they occasionally legally tangled. The most recent incident came last September, when Diaz accused a photog of trying to hit her and Timberlake with a car.

Diaz and Timberlake also sounded as if they were on the same page about marriage: Neither wanted one.

"I'm a commitment phobe," Diaz said on the Ellen DeGeneres Show last November. "Don't want to do it."

And now she won't have to. Not with Timberlake, anyway.

N.J. clergy not required to do unions

By GEOFF MULVIHILL, Associated Press Writer

Clergy in New Jersey cannot be required to unite gay couples in civil unions, the state attorney general said in a decision that quieted the fears of some religious groups opposed to same-sex ceremonies.

Attorney General Stuart Rabner's legal opinion, sent Thursday to the state registrar of vital statistics, came less than a month after the state became the third to approve civil unions for gay couples.

The unions offer the legal benefits of marriage, but not the title. Couples may begin applying for licenses in New Jersey Feb. 19 and can be united 72 hours later.

Under the law, all the same people who perform marriages — among them clergy, judges, mayors and other local officials — can preside over civil union ceremonies.

Some opponents worried that gay rights might sue to force clergy to perform the ceremonies.

Patrick R. Brannigan, executive director of the New Jersey Catholic Conference, which lobbies on behalf of the state's Roman Catholic dioceses, said Thursday he had feared Catholic clergy could also be accused of hate crimes when they denied requests to perform civil union ceremonies.

Rabner's opinion puts that to rest, he said. "It recognizes our right to practice our faith," Brannigan said.

Gay rights advocates said the opinion came as no surprise.

"It's always been true that religious groups can say no to any couple that wants to get married," said David S. Buckel, the marriage project director for Lambda Legal.

Rabner said religious rites performed by clergy are exempt from New Jersey's law against discrimination so, unlike municipal officials, they cannot be compelled to perform civil unions.

The attorney general had issued another opinion last month saying mayors and other non-clergy who regularly perform marriages cannot turn down gay couples who ask to have civil unions performed.

Those officials, he said, will have to perform the unions or stop doing all weddings. To perform any marriage requested but then turn down civil unions would be a violation of the anti-discrimination law, he said.

Only Massachusetts has legalized gay marriage. Vermont and Connecticut already allow civil unions, and Washington state's five openly gay lawmakers called for gay marriage rights Thursday, saying they would pursue that goal while seeking enhanced domestic partnership rights.

Make Breakfast More Filling

By Lucy Danziger

There's no better way to start your day - and shed pounds - than by eating a healthy breakfast. And here's a surprise for most dieters: Eggs are a healthy option, as long as you know how to fix them.

Eggs are high in protein, surprisingly low in saturated fat and more satisfying than carbohydrates. In fact, people who had eggs and toast for breakfast ate 419 fewer calories the following day than those who had a bagel with cream cheese and yogurt, the Journal of the American College of Nutrition reports.

The trick to including eggs in any healthy eating plan is to avoid cooking them in a lot of fat. For a tasty, filling meal, coat a pan with cooking spray and scramble up an egg or two with veggies; have it with a slice of whole-wheat toast, as the fiber will help you stay fuller longer.

Because eggs do contain a fairly high amount of cholesterol, limit your intake to no more than seven per week.

Worth the trouble?

By Josh Peter, Yahoo! Sports

Could David Beckham really be worth $250 million to a soccer team in Los Angeles?

That was the multimillion-dollar question Thursday after the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer announced it had signed Beckham – the world's best-known soccer player and arguably the world's most marketable athlete – to a contract reportedly worth $250 million over five years.

Putting Beckham and his magical but aging right foot on the soccer field is one way the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), which is shelling out the money for the 31-year-old star, hopes to recoup its investment. AEG also intends to capitalize on Beckham's star power, amplified by his celebrity wife, Victoria, the former pop star who went by the name Posh Spice.

But $250 million?

It's an investment, and it's a risky one at that," said Marc Ganis, a noted sports marketing expert who runs Sportscorp Ltd. in Chicago. "It's one that could pay off, and the way it would pay off is not what happens in the next five years, but if his participation and what they build raises the level of interest in the MLS forever – that's what they're hoping for.

"But make no mistake about it, this is not a slam dunk. Or, maybe to use a term from soccer, this is not a penalty kick. But this is a risk that makes sense to take at this stage."

Even if the Galaxy sells out all of its home games for the 2007 season at the 27,000-seat Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., AEG will need to do far more to make back the $250 million – a figure the Galaxy said in a press release that industry experts estimate Beckham could actually exceed. And selling lots of Beckham jerseys and Beckham bobblehead dolls isn't going to get it done.

An increase in corporate sponsorship, TV rights fees and fan base ultimately will determine if the deal was a good one for the soccer team's owner, experts said.

"It's easy to sit here and think it was a great deal, but I think many thought the A-Rod deal would work out well and that has proven to be extremely detrimental," said David Carter, a sports marketing consultant, referring to the $252 million contract that baseball star Alex Rodriguez signed in 2000 and has become an albatross during his erratic play for the New York Yankees.

"But in this case, you have AEG. And I don't think anybody would be better suited to take advantage of (the Beckham deal) based on their tentacles throughout the entertainment industry and their ability to promote, cross-promote and cross-sell a guy like that."

As Beckham is no ordinary soccer player, AEG is no ordinary company. It's owned and operated by Philip Anschutz, who is ranked by Forbes as the 31st-richest man in America with an estimated net worth of $7.8 billion.

His company's sports assets include the Staples Center – home arena of the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Kings – but Anschutz also gets his kicks from soccer. In addition to the Galaxy, AEG owns two other MLS teams – the Houston Dynamo and Chicago Fire – in a 13-team league that's adding a club in Toronto this season.

Anschutz recently sold D.C. United for a reported $33 million – a year after another prospective buyer offered about $25 million – which league officials cite as a sign of the MLS's health. The league also signed a new TV deal that will include regular broadcasts on ESPN, Univision, FOX's soccer channel and HDNet, the new cable network launched by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

"I would say the MLS is a very good sports business," said Paul Swangard, who directs the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon. "If you take a snapshot of it today, it's probably a better business than people realize."

Soccer historians might be more pessimistic than sports marketers and economists – and for good reason. Three decades ago, the New York Cosmos of the National American Soccer League (NASL) created a worldwide splash when they signed Pele, widely regarded as the greatest player in soccer history.

The Cosmos reportedly paid him $4.5 million, considered a mega deal when Pele arrived in New York in 1975. Sellout crowds filled stadiums across the country to watch the aging Brazilian star, and he helped spawn the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), in which tens of millions of youngsters have competed. Yet despite the attention Pele brought the league during his three-year stay, the league folded in 1985.

Phil Woosnam, former commissioner of the now-defunct NASL, said fiscal irresponsibility offset Pele's impact and led to the league's demise. To prevent a similar collapse, the MLS has established the appropriately named Beckham Rule, which will permit teams to sign only one star player whose contract will not count against the league's salary cap.

That may help ensure that Beckham's presence has a lasting effect on the league, Woosnam said.

"Oh, I think this will be a tremendous lift for the sport," he said. "It'll be a repeat of what Pele brought to the game."

But is it worth $250 million?

"You're talking to somebody who when he played got $50 and a meal per game," Woosnam said.

While it could take years before AEG determines if it invested the money wisely, Swangard predicts an immediate economic impact when Beckham and his wife arrive in Los Angeles.

"I'm sure the shopping center on Rodeo Drive is very excited about the possibility of Posh being there to buy stuff on a regular basis," he said.

Fading Out of Fashion

By Ylan Q. Mui, Washington Post Staff Writer

As Gap's Dominance Unravels, Chain May Go Up for Sale

Twenty-four-year-old Marlies Fitch of Reston has a closet filled with clothes from Gap: sweaters, ribbed turtlenecks, polo shirts and blazers, even shoes and a handbag.

A retailer's dream? Not quite. Almost every Gap item Fitch owns is at least several years old. Some items date to high school.

"I used to shop there, like, all the time when I was younger," she said. But lately, "I haven't really seen anything there that has jumped out at me."

Such is the plight of Gap Inc., which once dominated the realm of casual cool with its classic T-shirts and jeans and now is reported to be considering putting itself on the block as it struggles to find an identity in today's crowded shopping mall. Its low-priced chain, Old Navy, has been under assault from fast-fashion purveyors such as Target and H&M. Its higher-end division, Banana Republic, is barely surviving as it chases after increasingly affluent shoppers.

And Gap's namesake stores, meanwhile, are stuck in the middle: too pricey to be cheap chic but too cheap to be chic.

"What they need to do is take a stand," said Mark Montagna, an analyst with CL King & Associates. "If they continue to stand for the basics, that hasn't worked, and it's not going to work."

The identity crisis at Gap Inc. has shaken its financial performance. Sales at stores open at least a year, a key measure of success in retailing, have declined or stayed flat in all but two months since June 2004. The holidays were dismal, forcing Gap to restate its yearly earnings projections. Speculation that the iconic chain might put itself up for sale is rampant after CNBC reported this week that it has hired Goldman Sachs to explore "strategic alternatives."

Some analysts estimate that a sale could generate as much as $20 billion for shareholders, but new owners would still be left with merchandising problems. Several industry experts said yesterday that they thought a takeover was unlikely.

Gap spokesman Greg Rossiter declined to comment. The company's board said last week that it was conducting a review of Old Navy and Gap to be completed by March 1.

The company has tried a variety of salves over the past year. None has abated the sales decline.

In the fall, a TV ad campaign touting its skinny black pants featured scenes of Audrey Hepburn dancing wildly from the movie "Funny Face." Gap President Cynthia Harriss hailed the campaign as a "breakout" and said the pants, along with other pieces from a line of clean and simple apparel, were popular -- but didn't spark a turnaround.

The chain also introduced Product Red apparel, whose proceeds go toward AIDS relief. And in a handful of Gap stores in New York City, it sold dresses by European designer Roland Mouret, stealing a page from Target's handbook. The rapid pace of change led some industry analysts to question whether Gap was losing focus, launching myriad projects but failing to address core problems.

"We know it will take several seasons of compelling messaging and product to rebuild our traffic," chief executive Paul S. Pressler said.

The company has reinvented itself before. Gap, whose name references the "generation gap," was founded in 1969 in San Francisco, where it is headquartered. It started out selling Levi's jeans, but under the leadership of legendary chief executive Millard "Mickey" Drexler expanded its merchandise to include basics that were fashionably easy to throw together.

Drexler turned Gap into a powerhouse. He was known for his hands-on approach, even picking colors for polo shirts. In the mid-1990s, when the brand began to falter from overexposure, Drexler introduced Old Navy, which initially succeeded in providing affordable fashions for the entire family. A quirky 1998 TV spot featuring young adults dancing madly to Louis Prima's classic "Jump, Jive An' Wail" while wearing Gap khakis quickly became a hit.

But sales soured a few years later as the chain courted fickle teenagers, turning off older, more loyal shoppers. By 2002, Drexler resigned and Pressler replaced him.

"As they've gone back and forth between being fashion-forward and being basic, they've really confused their customer," said Christine Chen, an analyst with Pacific Growth Equities and who owns shares in the company.

Pressler, who was hired from Walt Disney Co., had no experience running a retail chain. In an early coup under his leadership, Gap signed Madonna and rapper Missy Elliott to model corduroy pants for fall 2003. That helped update an image that often walks the line between classic and boring.

However, Pressler's greatest impact arguably has been in the back office, where he improved inventory management and began tailoring stores to different kinds of customers. But that hasn't been enough to compete against retailers who sell a lifestyle as much as they do apparel.

Pacific Sunwear and Abercrombie & Fitch, which owns Hollister, blare music inside their heavily themed stores. Hollister stores look like surf shops. Abercrombie once hired male models to stand shirtless in front of its stores.

Pamela Burns, a personal shopper in the District, said she has all but given up on Gap. She used to find cute flannel pajamas and expensive-looking velvet blazers there. Now, she said, she walks out almost as soon as she walks in.

Even the basics have lost their appeal. This holiday season all she bought at Gap was a candle.

"I feel like there's no style right now," she said. "Who wants to really walk in for khakis and white shirts?"

Croc Hunter's Daughter makes TV debut

Culled From Yahoo News

Bindi Irwin, the 8-year-old daughter of the late "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin, followed in her dad's footsteps Thursday, using her American television debut to talk about animals.

The khaki-clad girl skipped across the stage holding a blue-tongued lizard as she greeted audiences of the "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."

"This is Spanky. He's 10 years old," Bindi told DeGeneres as she prodded the lizard to lick her face in an attempt to show its tongue.

"I just love animals. My dad really brought it out in me," Bindi said. "He's the one that made me."

Her father, animal lover and conservationist Steve Irwin, died Sept. 4 from the poisonous jab of a stingray. Along with Bindi, he left behind his wife, Terri, and 2-year-old son, Bob.

Like her father, Bindi said she loves "all animals, great or small."

She will star in a wildlife series to air on the Discovery Kids network early next year.

"I want to be like my dad," she said. "I want him to be proud of me."

New York Fashion Council Rejects Rules for Skinny Models

Culled From Yahoo News

Despite growing concern about skinny waifs on the catwalk, the leading association of US fashion designers stopped short of issuing rules on the size of models, instead calling for more education about eating disorders.

The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), which founded New York's fashion week and still plays a key role in the event, said it would not follow some European authorities who have set body mass index requirements for models.

"The CFDA Health Initiative is about awareness and education, not policing," the group said in a statement, releasing the guidelines ahead of castings for fashion week, which begins on February 2.

"Eating disorders are emotional disorders that have psychological, behavioral, social, and physical manifestations, of which body weight is only one," it said.

Instead the group recommended educating the industry to identify the early warning signs of eating disorders and suggesting models suffering such conditions be required to seek help before they can continue modeling.

Its suggestions included establishing workshops on the nature of eating disorders, providing regular breaks and healthy meals at shoots and promoting awareness about smoking and underage drinking among models.

The CFDA formed a special committee to look at the issue, composed of designer Diane von Furstenberg, the council's new president, a nutritionist, a psychiatrist, a trainer and a representative from a fashion PR firm.

Vogue Editor Anna Wintour and an agent from top modeling agency DNA also took part in committee meetings.

The issue of skinny models came to a head last September when Madrid authorities banned models who failed to meet a certain weight to height ratio from taking part in a major fashion show to avoid sending out the wrong message to young girls.

The debate intensified with the death in November of Brazilian Ana Carolina Reston, who suffered from anorexia. Sao Paolo's fashion week has since announced it will run a public information campaign on the condition.

In Italy, authorities and fashion designers last month adopted guidelines banning models if they do not meet a body mass index equivalent to 55 kilos (121 pounds) for someone measuring 1.75 meters (five foot seven).

Tribute to 'father' of comic boy hero Tintin takes off in Paris

By Dominique Chabrol

The unmistakable red and white checked moon rocket spanning the height of the French capital's huge Pompidou centre leaves little doubt of the enduring popularity of the intrepid comic boy hero, Tintin.

With his ceaseless taste for adventure, often in international hot-spots, the ageless and iconic blond-haired boy reporter was the brainchild and creation of Belgian author Herge (Georges Remi) in 1929.

To mark the 100th anniversary of Herge's birth next year, an exhibition of original drawings and plates by the artist go on display from Wednesday at the Paris contemporary arts mecca, as part of events in Europe and North America planned for throughout 2007.

"It was important for the Centre to show the work of Herge next to that of Matisse or Picasso, important that the museum show Herge as another artist...," said exhibition organiser Laurent Le Bon, who is also curator at the National Museum of Modern Art.

"What I wanted was to bring cartoon into the collections of the Modern Art Museum."

About 300 original items take visitors to the Paris exhibition through the illustrative career of the artist, who died in 1983, and is recognized as one of the leading creative forces of the 20th century.

Born in May 1907 near the Belgian capital Brussels, Georges Remi began signing his drawings with his inverted initials RG from 1924. Soon, he was to become known simply as Herge, derived from the French pronunciation of the letters R and G.

From his first drawings that appeared in the Belgian press, his career went on to see his meeting the American king of pop art Andy Warhol in the mid 1970s as well as develop a passion for contemporary painting.

But, mostly Herge is known for Tintin.

The boy reporter first appeared in print on January 10, 1929, in a children's supplement to the Brussels newspaper Le Vingtieme Siecle in the adventure, "Tintin in the Land of the Soviets".

"Tintin has been for me an opportunity to express myself, to project, outside of myself, the desire for adventures and violence, of violence and resourcefulness that there is in me," Herge once said.

That first adventure was followed by 23 other albums (including one left unfinished on Herge's death), while the books have been translated into more than 60 languages and sold over 200 million copies worldwide.

Today, 77 years after his 'birth', Tintin is still a kid's favourite and provides an initiation into modern history, with tales of conflict in the Middle East ("Land of Black Gold") or South American revolution ("The Broken Ear").

But, perhaps the highlight of the Pompidou centre's tribute underscores the stories' equal appeal to grown-ups, as Herge sought to present underlying values, such as courage or fraternity, in his work.

More than 120 original plates for "Blue Lotus" offer insight into the adventure which ran from opium dens to acts of railway sabotage and whose inspiration was sparked by a meeting in 1934 with a Chinese student portrayed as Chang in the cartoon.

The album marked a significant point in Herge's career as he became conscious of the universal nature of his character and set out to defend humanist values.

In the 1940s, Tintin's world expanded to include characters such as Captain Haddock, Tintin's seafaring best friend, Bianca Castafiore, the opera diva, and another of his companions, Cuthbert Calculus.

But the exhibition also reveals an artist troubled, at times, by self-doubt, who hesitated, abandoned or resumed different projects, and, who in a letter in 1954 in response to a reader, found himself defending having yielded to anti-Semitism in one of his characters.

Other exhibits revealed at "Herge", in the Centre Georges Pompidou in central Paris, include manuscript notes and sound recordings of the artist, a 'family portrait' of his characters and a series of self-portraits.

Entrance to the exhibition, which runs until February 19, is free of charge and is open every day, except Tuesday, from 11:00 am until 9:00 pm.

UNDRESSED!

By Kat Giantis

These Boots Are Made for Gawkin': For the three of you left out there who still believe Kevin Federline led Britney Spears down the road to Skanksville (by way of Child Endangerment-town), behold her latest execrable ensemble, which has just one thing going for it: It ensures no one will suffer permanent retinal or emotional damage from exposure to parts south of her Caesarean scar. The stagnant pop starlet makes her way through a throng of paparazzi and into a hotel lobby sporting a seemingly reinforced bikini that, thanks to its traffic-hazard-cone-orange hue, clearly warns of the approaching danger. Perhaps worried that going out in public wearing less fabric than some exotic dancers could further fuel the media's "skewed perception" of her, Britney decides to cover up using one of K. Fed's dressier wife-beater tees. Unfortunately, the translucent top performs its job about as well as her rap-tastrophe of a soon-to-be ex-hubby performed his. The no longer pitiable Spears sets off her two-bit togs with accessories straight from "The Simpsons'" new Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel fashion line, mixing her unsexy, straight-off-the-farm cowboy boots with an au courant pack of cancer sticks and cheesier-than-Velveeta plastic sunglasses that are likely the same shade of red as the bleary eyes they're hiding. The Mr. Blackwell-slammed Britster finishes off her déclassé look with bedraggled, lubricated locks we're guessing are only slightly more damaged than the tender psyches of sons Sean Preston and Jayden James.

In Demand: Four Majors Employers Love

By Jennifer Merritt


Degrees that make the jobs come looking for you

Do you feel like the bulk of your job search rests solely on your shoulders? Fear not--employers are looking for you, too. Job hunters can expect to see more employment opportunities in the spring of 2007, as employers begin aggressively hiring in anticipation of pending retirements, a recent recruiting-trends survey of 864 companies by Michigan State University (MSU) shows.

With companies reporting a need for more professionally trained graduates, certain career fields, such as business and engineering, will be hiring more so than others, the report reveals. As a result, specific academic majors will be in high demand.

Get a jump on your career-hunting homework with a sneak peek at four hot fields--business, engineering, nursing, and computer science--with advice from experts on what you'll need to ace your job search.

Getting down to business

With so many career options for business-degree holders, such graduates can narrow down prospective jobs with the knowledge that the financial sector has one of the highest intentions of hiring new employees--66 percent, according to the MSU report. Indeed, those within the profession report strong demand for certain qualified employees.

"I try to steer business majors toward accounting," says Martha C. Stark, senior vice president of Signature Bank in Garden City, N.Y. "Accounting firms are desperate for new employees since the advent of Sarbanes-Oxley," she continues, referring to the 2001 legislation that called for stricter accounting practices by companies in the wake of financial scandals like the Enron and WorldCom debacles.

Furthermore, Stark says an accounting education is a great foundation for any position in business. For example, a recent survey by the Association of Financial Professionals reports a strong demand for treasurers--those responsible for the money management of virtually any organization. The survey, which polled more than 500 treasurers in companies with average revenues of $2 billion, found that 37 percent of companies have expanded their treasury staff in the last three years. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) echoes those results, projecting 18 to 26 percent job growth for the profession through 2014.

"Students should seek out training programs," advises Stark. "What could be better than having someone pay you to learn? Do your research by connecting with as many people in the profession as possible. Not only will the connections prove invaluable down the road, but they will provide you with information you won't find elsewhere."

Engineer your way to a career

Engineering will be another high-demand major in 2007 according to MSU's report. It's also a career field with one of the highest starting salaries. First-year chemical engineers, for example, earn an average of $51,664 annually. And the high end of the range can be as high as $100,000 per year, according to the MSU data. How can you get on the higher end of the pay scale? By specializing, experts say.

For instance, as more and more companies go "green" and invest in ways to reduce emissions and pollution, the need for environmental scientists is strong. The BLS forecasts the profession to grow much faster than average--27 percent or more--through 2014. What's more, in May 2004, the average annual salary of environmental scientists was $51,080, with the highest 10 percent in the profession earning more than $94,460, according to the most recent data available from the BLS.

Despite environmental science's seemingly targeted specialty, numerous career options abound: About 44 percent of environmental scientists were employed in state and local governments; 15 percent in management, scientific, and technical consulting services; 14 percent in architectural, engineering, and related services; and 8 percent by the federal government, according to the most recent BLS data. About 5 percent were self-employed.

Rehabilitate your earning potential

Health care is another in-demand industry with high earning potential within specialized fields. Bachelor's degree-toting nurses, on average, earn about $46,865 per year, but for nurses with a specialty focus, earning potential can jump as much as $15,000. For example, physical therapists in 2004 earned an annual salary of $60,180, according to the most recent BLS data. Earnings vary based on the area of physical therapy, but generally the BLS states that positions in home health-care services, nursing-care facilities, physician offices, and general medical practices and hospitals fall within the $60,000-$65,000 salary range.

Again, job hunters are faced with dozens of career paths within a specialty and the need to narrow it down.

"Spend time interacting with physicians, nurses, occupational therapists, speech pathologists and others," suggests Diane Jette, a physical therapist and tenured professor who is chair of the department of rehabilitation and movement science at the University of Vermont. "Many students become interested in physical therapy because they or someone they are close to has had physical therapy for an injury or disease," she continues.

That, she adds, is what makes physical therapy most rewarding. "We spend substantial time with individuals and get to know them really well," she says. "We are involved in helping them improve quality of life. It's a physical job--you don't sit for most of the day--and it involves understanding individual's lives, motivations, and potential."

As a result, those interested in pursuing physical therapy need only a strong desire to help others, backed by at least a bachelor's degree. In fact, Jette reports that among her physical therapy students are those formerly employed as a Wall Street broker, building contractor, and professional dancer.

Technically speaking

After a brief dip in demand following the dot-com crash of 2001, the need for information technology professionals is once again on the rise, according to MSU's recruiting report, particularly within smaller companies. The BLS expects the need for computer-savvy employees to grow faster than average, up to 27 percent, through 2014.

Computers are yet another instance where salaries vary depending on the specialty. Starting offers for computer science graduates with an M.B.A. and one year or less of experience averaged $52,300, according to a 2005 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. In other areas, earnings can eclipse $100,000. According to the most recent data available from the BLS, the top three earners among computer and information managers in May 2004 were software publishers, with an average annual salary of $107,870; system designers, earning an average of $103,850; and company IT managers, with an annual salary average of $99,880.

For Paul Claxton, a management specialist and project engineer for American Forces Radio and Television Network, the key to finding his specialty was to never stop learning. "I started out as an administrator and as new network technology came to dominate TV broadcasting, I expanded my studies into networking, then eventually into security," he says.

Claxton had some help in deciding to pursue a specialty. "I was given an excellent piece of advice by some Microsoft administrators I met at a conference: 'Try to be the best there is at one specific thing rather than a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none,'" he recounts. [MSN is a division of Microsoft.] "I narrowed my focus down to security and networking following that advice."

Now, he passes the advice on, enhanced by his own experience. "Never, ever stop learning," he advises. "Like the law, like medicine, our profession is always changing and evolving. You can't pause and relax in this career field for very long at all. You have to enjoy the challenge; you have to enjoy learning."

So there you have it: four hot career fields, numerous specialties, and a higher paycheck. Choose wisely and your next employer may come looking for you.

Cinnamon Twist?

By Rich Maloof for MSN Health & Fitness

The debate continues about whether this spice can flavor your health for the better.

Cinnamon may reduce risk factors for people with diabetes. Or not.

A 2003 USDA study explored whether cinnamon could help improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. The results were encouraging: After receiving 1-, 3-, and 6-gram tablets of cinnamon daily for 40 days, the study’s subjects showed levels of glucose, triglycerides , and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol each down by nearly 30 percent. But the most recent work, which focused on postmenopausal and perimenopausal women, showed mixed results. Likewise, researchers who have tested isolated cinnamon compounds on animals have been unable to produce conclusive data.

“Clearly, the bottom line is that results are mixed,” says Roger A. Clemens, spokesman for the American Society for Nutrition and an expert in food technologies. “The trials have just been too small in scope and the studies not well-enough defined. [Saying] otherwise is leveraging minimal science to claim it may be beneficial for those with Type 2 diabetes.”

Cinnamon contains antioxidants.

We do know that cinnamon has antioxidants, but there is no evidence that high doses of the spice will produce any of the healthy effects associated with antioxidants, such as helping prevent cardiovascular disease. Antioxidant potential is assessed in a test tube. Whether or not their presence in cinnamon translates to a health benefit for people is yet to be proved.

Cinnamon may help kill bacteria, fungi and viruses.

That’s a good thing, too, considering the insect pieces and rodent hairs that might be spicing up your coffee cake. But again, properties proven on a laboratory bench may not translate to benefits in the human body. “One also has to ask if those antimicrobial properties are friendly or adversarial,” says Clemens, who holds a doctorate in public health. “We have bacteria in and on us that are good for us, and bacteria that are bad for us. Typically, they live in harmony and allow us to be healthy. If we create antimicrobials out of cinnamon, how do we know what is going to be active and what is going to be knocked out? We have to be very careful as we look at different kinds of flora, especially in the gastrointestinal tract.”

There are many hurdles to approving alternative medicines.

It’s tempting to believe that giant pharmaceutical companies have a stranglehold on Food and Drug Administration approvals—that no medicine or dietary supplement gets approved unless it will profit the drug industry. But the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has its work cut out. Clemens, who has served on a NCCAM committee, explains that variables in cinnamon bark have to be controlled before we can start to address the vast physiological variables in people with diabetes.

“Even in the trials conducted, the type and quality of the cinnamon could affect results,” Clemens says. “Was there a botanist there to determine all the cinnamon came from the same plant? Did it come from the same region? The same season? This kind of information helps establish consistency of data.”

Cinnamon studies are worth further examination.

Research on cinnamon is challenged in part because the companies that manufacture spices are unaccustomed and unmotivated to support the tremendous number of tremendously expensive clinical trials. “Fortunately, there have been a number of investigators around the world that have provided fuel for the concept of cinnamon as a healthy supplement or medicine,” says Clemens. “We know that plants similar to cinnamon may have benefits. But we have a lot to do in terms of clinical science. It’s intriguing. We want to encourage those who conduct this kind of research to continue.”

Of course, laypeople attempting to conduct their own “research” over a box of cinnamon doughnuts must factor in the prospect of diminishing returns.

A Mother's Sorrowful Secret

By Ann Kirschner

Unearthing History

When my mother gave me a box of letters on the eve of cardiac surgery she feared she would not survive, I was bewildered. "My letters from the war," she announced that summer day, in 1991. I was aware that my mother, Sala, was a Holocaust survivor, the youngest of 11 children, and that most of her family had perished during the war. Beyond that, I knew almost nothing -- her early life in Poland and her experiences during the war were a mystery. My mother's silence about her past was so profound my siblings and I knew better than to ask questions. We could only look on with admiration at the person she had become: Mrs. Sidney Kirschner, the war bride of an American soldier she met in 1945, presiding over an apartment in Queens, New York, accompanying us on our school trips to the Statue of Liberty and cooking Thanksgiving turkey.

Inside the red box, which had once held one of my games, I found a collection of more than 350 letters she'd received while a prisoner in Nazi slave labor camps. Many of the letters were signed by her older sister Raizel, whom I knew as Aunt Rose. "I took her place in the camps," my mother explained. "I was only 16, but a tomboy and very daring. My sister was easily frightened, very shy and religious. I didn't know anything about a labor camp -- nobody did! -- but whatever it was, I was sure that I would find it easier than Raizel to adjust. So when she was ordered to report to a camp for six weeks, I told our parents that it was better for me to go. Somebody had to show up. They had no choice. They had to let me go."

Those six weeks in the camps turned into almost five years. My mother was in seven different camps altogether, part of a slave labor force attached mainly to construction projects or factories. Until late in 1943, prisoners were allowed to receive letters and packages. "But then we were supposed to return them," my mother explained. "You could be beaten if you were caught with anything personal." She told about how she risked her life to preserve the letters -- hiding them from guards during lineups, handing them off to friends, even burying them. I asked her why she risked her life for these letters, only to conceal them after the war, this time from her family. "Without them I did not want to live," my mother said simply. "But I wanted you and your brothers to be normal, just regular kids." She feared her history would be too much of a burden for us.

During the war my mother had received mail from some 80 different family members and friends, some who were still at home, others in other camps. Most of them were dead by the end of the war. My father urged her to put away the sadness of the past, so she took her letters out only occasionally. But when she held them, my mother said, "it was as if my family and friends were talking to me. I couldn't call them, I couldn't even visit their graves, but through their letters I could hear them." Their words told of the daily grind of finding food and work and often belied their dire circumstances. "Well, you wanted to know where we are working," Raizel and her sister Blima wrote in May 1943 when my mother was working at a textile factory. "Not with fine materials as you do, Sala. Only with cotton. It's clean and light work. We're working regularly, from 6 to 5 in the evening with one hour lunch in between. Are you also working regularly or in shifts?" They drummed up little nuggets of good news to bolster a young girl's spirits, and sometimes managed to find humor in their situation. "Imagine, now I sleep with dear mother," Raizel wrote tongue in cheek in April 1941 about the straw mattress she had to share. "Are you envious? I think you must be."

Sharing Her Story

My mother waited a long time to reveal her letters. And I waited a long time to propose an idea I'd been pondering. But in 2002, I suggested sharing the letters with the public by donating them to the New York Public Library. My mother's initial concern was whether anyone, other than me, would really care about these papers. But after decades of keeping them tucked away, she ultimately decided that she was ready to give them up.

When the letters were finally shown to the public in an exhibition that debuted last March, my mother went from being the most silent of survivors to a reluctant celebrity. Suddenly strangers were reading about her camp romance with a handsome Czech businessman named Harry, the intimacies confided by her friends. And, she protested, "does everyone have to know that I was born in 1924?"

I decided that although the letters would be seen by thousands of visitors to the library, there was more of my mother's story that needed to be told. So I became her biographer, spending months in research libraries and traveling back and forth to Europe retracing my mother's steps through her seven camps. With her permission, I began writing Sala's Gift. As I filled in historical details that were missing from the letters, I uncovered brutal facts that replaced what had been my mother's hazier version of what happened to her loved ones. She knew little of the massacre in her hometown and neighboring cities that began on August 12, 1942, when tens of thousands of Jews, including her parents and most of her siblings, nieces, nephews and cousins, were killed in the streets or sent to Auschwitz and gassed. During a nightmarish selection process that went on for days, in brutal summer heat and torrential rains, with machine guns circling the crowd to maintain order, only her sister Blima was chosen among the family for a labor camp. When a Nazi guard turned away for a moment, Blima snatched Raizel away from the group designated for certain death. Neither sister had ever talked to my mother about that day or about the forced march they endured, walking almost 300 miles in the winter of 1945 without shoes or food, arriving half-dead in Bergen-Belsen, Germany. Although they survived, they had been badly weakened by the ordeal. Blima died of a heart condition, in 1955, at age 34. Aunt Rose was not able to bear children. Of the 11 siblings, only my mother would survive and bring a new family into the world.

My mother reviewed the manuscript of Sala's Gift carefully. No surprise. My smart mother turned out to be a wonderful editor and sensitive reader. But she was weighing more than words. When she encountered my description of her own deportation, she struggled to convey how and why her mother allowed a stranger to lead her youngest child to the train. "She didn't want to let me go!" she cried, lost in the memory of being pulled away from her mother. She turned my words around and around until she found the ones she needed to convey her mother's agony.

Telling my mother's story has been a journey of self-discovery for both of us. The letters have taught us about the power of friendship and laughter, and about the persistence of life and love amid the most horrific circumstances. And so each year we commemorate the day she gave me the letters. "I didn't know what would happen," she says. "But I didn't want to take the secrets with me. It was instinct to give them to you, and then a tremendous load was lifted. You did the right thing."

David Beckham to play for L.A. Galaxy

Culled From Yahoo News

David Beckham agreed to a five-year deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer, leaving the Real Madrid club at which he enjoyed worldwide popularity but experienced disappointment on the field.

Beckham, the former English captain who also starred for Manchester United, will join the Galaxy after his contract with Real Madrid expires on June 30. Los Angeles opens its season April 8 in Houston.

"I am proud to have played for two of the biggest clubs in football and I look forward to the new challenge of growing the world's most popular game in a country that is as passionate about its sport as my own," he said in a statement released Thursday.

The move was announced following the end of talks on extending the 31-year-old English midfielder's contract with the Spanish club. MLS recently changed its rules on salary caps, clearing the way for Beckham to sign a lucrative deal. British news reports put the Galaxy deal at $250 million.

"This week, Real Madrid asked me to make a decision regarding my future and the offer to extend my contract by a further two seasons," Beckham said in the statement. "After discussing several options with my family and advisers to either stay here at Madrid or join other major British and European clubs, I have decided to join the Los Angeles Galaxy and play in the MLS from August this year."

Beckham has soccer academies in London and Los Angeles. His wife Victoria, a former Spice Girl, was recently photographed househunting in Los Angeles.

"David Beckham will have a greater impact on soccer in America than any athlete has ever had on a sport globally," said Timothy J. Leiweke, president & CEO of Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owns the Galaxy. "David is truly the only individual that can build the bridge between soccer in America and the rest of the world."

Beckham joined Real Madrid in 2003 after a hugely successful run with Manchester United, where he won six league titles, two FA Cups and the Champions League title. But Beckham did not win a single major trophy with the Spanish club, and his spell coincided with Madrid's worst slump since the early 1950s.

Alan Cumming, Boyfriend make it Official

Culled From Yahoo News

Alan Cumming married illustrator Grant Shaffer in a civil ceremony outside London over the weekend, the actor's spokeswoman, Bianca Bianconi, said Tuesday.

"Not only are we so happy to be able to celebrate our love for each other, but also to be able to do it in a country that properly recognizes the rights of same sex couples," Cumming, 41, said in a statement released by Bianconi.

"As residents of America we would have loved to marry there, but we hope that soon the civil rights that we have been afforded in the U.K. will be available to all gay Americans, and we look forward to celebrating not only our marriage, but the end of prejudice."

The couple, who had been dating two years, were married Sunday at the Old Royal Naval College in the town of Greenwich, Bianconi said. Among the 140 guests were Ian McKellen, Geri Halliwell, Rufus Wainwright, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio and Monica Lewinsky.

Cumming, who was born in Scotland, was previously married to actress Hilary Lyon. They were divorced in 1993.

He has starred in films including "Circle of Friends," "Spy Kids" and "X2: X-Men United." He won a Tony Award in 1998 for his role as the Master of Ceremonies in the musical "Cabaret."

Surviving (And Thriving) on $12,000 a Year

By Donna Freedman

I've made my choices, and they include no more husband, a college education and huge changes in the way I spend money.

I'll be living on just over $1,000 a month this year. That doesn't sound like much -- and it isn't -- yet I plan not just to live on it, but to build a savings account.

My 2007 "income," the money I can actually count on, will be $12,084. I know this because it consists of alimony and a portion of a school grant. (I went back to college last year; the grant covers tuition and books with a little left over.) I already know my big-ticket annual costs, too: rent of $6,300 and $1,200 for car insurance. Subtract these from my income and I'm left with $382 a month for food, utilities, clothes, medical deductibles and co-pays, gasoline, renter's and life insurance and any help I give my daughter, who lives on even less than I do.

Make no mistake: I'm poor by choice, because I needed to change my life. I chose to leave my marriage, and I chose to become a student. I can live this way because I know it won't be forever. I'll have my degree in two more years, and I'll go back to work.

I survive on economies large and small. I bring my laundry to baby-sitting jobs (yes, I ask permission). I brown-bag my lunch every single day. I combine coupons and rebates to get items for free (I haven't paid for toothpaste, shampoo or other toiletries for years). I drink water, not soda.

But in order to thrive, you have to hustle, too, always looking for ways to save a dime or to make one. I exchange spent ink cartridges for reams of printer paper at Office Max. Whenever I see a candy dish, I put a piece in my coat pocket; if my energy flags midday, those toffees and peppermints keep me from buying snacks. After I won a basket of specialty coffees at a college event, I immediately sold it on Craigslist.org; I sold a "free after rebate" phone that way, too.

If you've never been really broke, all these desperate little economies might seem silly. You're probably thinking, "Why not have a soda? It's only a dollar." Because I've got just 382 of those dollars each month, that's why, and those dollars have other places to go. The COBRA insurance runs out in May and I'll need to get student insurance, at $389 per quarter. The car needs a 60,000-mile checkup. My share of a dental crown is going to be $486; I will ask for a discount if I pay in cash.

Jill of all trades

Last year I survived on a number of here-and-there gigs: freelance writing, work-study, baby-sitting, mystery shopping, resident manager (read: janitor and handyma'am) of my apartment building, paid medical research and writing for the community-college newspaper. (I was the oldest living cub reporter.)

There was little downtime; when I wasn't working I was studying, doing homework or writing papers. And I was perpetually weary and frequently ill all year long. Fact of life: A 48-year-old college student simply doesn't have the energy of an 18-year-old college student.

This year I'm dumping most of the part-time gigs. I'll still freelance and baby-sit, but very selectively. My new school means tough classes, a long bus commute and lots of reading and studying. More to the point, it's a great opportunity, and I'd like to take full advantage. So I'm choosing to work less in 2007, focusing instead on getting healthy and getting my education.

That means careful money management and a fair amount of sacrifice. I'm willing to do both. As a freelance writer and recent divorcee, I'm accustomed to lean living. Here are some of the mantras that have kept me going thus far:

It's not what I have, but how much of it I can keep. To paraphrase Ben Franklin, every dollar I don't spend is a dollar I have earned. So when I think I need something, I ask, "Can I do without this?" Often I find I can. If I can't, then my next question is . . .

How can I get it free, or almost free? The obvious answers are sites like Craigslist.org and thrift shops, especially ones like Value Village that offer coupons and half-off sales. My 99-cent clock-radio wakes me up every morning just as efficiently as a high-tech alarm from The Sharper Image. Rummage sales are swell, too; my church has an annual sale called "Superfluity" (I love that name) at which I bought my desk for $4 and a small chest of drawers for $1. I also buy Christmas and birthday gifts at Superfluity and an annual "500-family" rummage sale. No one has to know that that hardback bestseller under the tree cost you only 50 cents.

Enough is as good as a feast. I love to eat. I don't love paying for it. Because I don't have a "regular" job of at least 20 hours a week, I don't qualify for food stamps. So I shop very, very carefully, and I go to the food bank. Most weeks I can count on potatoes, apples, bread and a can or two of vegetables. Some lucky weeks I get milk, orange juice, pasta, tomatoes, rice or a small package of meat. I cook a lot of beans and stews, and I'm adequately fed -- maybe not as richly or as conveniently as I'd like, but well enough to keep me going.

Every day is casual Friday! When my jeans are in tatters I buy a "new" pair at Value Village (one pair cost me just $1.63, and it was new -- still had the department-store tags on it). I spend $15 or less on running shoes from clearance tables. I've bought a couple of thrift-store tops, but mostly get by with shirts I've had for ages. (Hint: The clothes dryer takes years off the life of your duds. Get a drying rack.) Some days I wish I looked nicer. Most days it doesn't bother me, and I doubt it'll bother anyone else, since students at my school have been known to wear flannel PJs to class. Bonus: When you dress the way I do, panhandlers hardly ever ask you for money.

Announce my intentions. Time and again I have found that when I need something I should "put it out in the universe," which is also known as "prayer." One night last fall, squinting over my homework, I realized I needed more light in the apartment. A day later, a halogen floor lamp landed in the Dumpster outside my window. Recently my umbrella got cranky about opening. The next week I was given a high-quality bumbershoot as a thank-you gift for helping with a campus blood drive. Coincidences? Maybe.

$20 to feel rich

I've decided to increase my monthly church tithe to $20. Sure, I could use that extra $240 a year. It just about equals the university registration fee, or the money I promised my daughter toward the price of her wedding dress. It also represents almost half of the car insurance premium heading my way in April.

But giving that money away makes me feel rich. No matter how straitened my circumstances, I can be a part of services the church provides for the homeless, the impoverished elderly and those living with AIDS. In other words, tithing reminds me that there are lots of people worse off than me, people who'd love to have my so-called "problems."

That's not to say that I wouldn't like to have more cash. It would allow me to help my daughter, to secure my future, to buy more roasts and fewer pinto beans. But I figure I won the cosmic lottery just by being born in America, a country where I can not only work on a college degree at age 48, but also find scholarships and education grants to help me pay for it. I have a roof over my head, food every day, family and friends, and occasionally even a $10 student ticket to the Seattle Symphony. Some days I feel like the luckiest person in the world.

If I really am lucky, then I'll make it through 2007 with a positive bank balance. Check back with me next December and I'll let you know how I did.

Tricks to help teens maintain a healthy weight

New book titled, 'Weight Loss Confidential,' by dietitian Anne Flether, encourages teens to shed excess pounds with advice from other teens

For some teens, losing weight can feel like a do-or-die situation. But a new book encourages them to take the lead in shedding excess pounds in a sensible way with advice from those who’ve been there. Author and registered dietitian Anne Fletcher, and her son, Wes Gilbert, whose own battle of the bulge inspired her to write "Weight Loss Confidential: How Teens Lose Weight and Keep It Off — And What They Wish Parents Knew," were invited to discuss the book and teen weight loss on TODAY. Here’s an excerpt:

As with all my books, "Weight Loss Confidential" was in my head for years before it came to be. You see, I have a child who became overweight — not just a little, but a lot. By the end of eleventh grade, my oldest son weighed 270 pounds — a weight far too heavy for the well-being of his psyche and his large-boned 6'2" frame.

Wes’s weight problem started when he was in sixth grade, and he gained steadily as he turned from the athletic interests of his elementary school days to the sedentary pursuit of high school debate championships.

Despite my expertise in the area of weight management, little I said or did made any difference in the habits that led Wes to pack on the pounds. And when he would attempt to cut back, his peers, many of whom could eat whatever they wanted without gaining weight, made fun of him.

I first got the idea for this book from an experience Wes had at a summer academic camp when he was thirteen. While standing in the cafeteria line, he noticed that the kid in front of him was ordering his salad dressing on the side and reaching for a can of diet soda instead of regular.

Wes asked him why, since he was so thin. “Oh, yeah?” the boy replied as he pulled out a photo of himself when he was at least 40 pounds heavier. “Everyone in my family eats like a slob, and I didn’t want to be like them!”

Wes and the boy proceeded to share weight management tips — something neither one had ever been able to do before with other kids the same age: “Did you know that kids are less likely to make fun of you if you drink Fresca, since the word ‘diet’ isn’t in its name? Did you know that if you dip the tips of your fork in a thick salad dressing instead of dumping all the dressing on top of your salad, you can get the taste without a lot of calories?”

When Wes shared this experience, the realization struck me: Teens typically don’t listen to adults — their parents, dietitians, or other health care professionals — but they do listen to each other. Who better to help teenagers manage their weight than young people who have done it themselves?

Thus, the seeds were sown for this book, but more important, hope was kindled in Wes that he’d eventually be able to slim down. Even though he didn’t lose weight until years later, he now says, “I remember thinking, ‘If this kid with overweight parents and negative influences could do it, so can I.’ Now 21, Wes has kept off 60-plus pounds for three years — a journey he began during his senior year in high school.

What This Book Is—and What It’s Not
This book is not a one-size-fits-all prescription for teen weight loss, nor is it intended for teens who want to lose five or ten pounds to look better. Rather, it’s a book about healthy weight management for overweight teens and their families — written from the perspective of young people who used to be overweight and who found a variety of sensible means to arrive at a weight that’s right for them. (These teens don’t necessarily fit society’s definition of “thin,” but they’re healthier and happier than they used to be.) Weight Loss Confidential is not only about how the teens got to a just-right weight; it’s also about how they stay there.

The teens and their parents share firsthand insights into what works and what doesn’t in weight management. I’ve pored over the latest research studies on the issue and interviewed countless experts, distilling the best of what’s out there and putting it all together to come up with sound advice for overweight young people — all the while keeping their best interests in mind from a health and a psychological standpoint. I’ve also considered the very real concerns that teens face in wanting to fit in with their peers and in feeling pressured to look like the skinny models and celebrities they see in magazines and on TV — at the same time that they’re trying to cope with an environment that encourages us all to sit around and eat too much.

In the three years that it’s taken me to research and write this book, I’ve learned that there aren’t many well-designed studies on what works for overweight children and teens. In fact, most of the good studies have involved younger children rather than adolescents, and most have involved relatively small numbers of young people. And state-of-the-art child obesity treatment programs generally do not have high success rates. Moreover, a recent review of studies on interventions to prevent child obesity concluded that many were not effective in preventing weight gain.

With more and more children and teens becoming overweight, it’s clear that we need to think about this problem in a new way — perhaps by listening more closely to what young people themselves have to say.

A Controversial Subject
Although I’d been thinking about this book since 1997, I held off on writing it in large part because talk about weight loss for teens even if the teens are truly overweight isn’t considered politically correct in some circles. Some experts don’t think we should even talk about weight loss for teens. A number of them subscribe to the “fatness (or size) acceptance” or the “health at every size” philosophy. They suggest putting less emphasis on appearance and on what the scale says and more on healthful eating and increased physical activity, then accepting the weight that results — even if that means a teen remains overweight.

Although we need to continue to work on changing the stigma associated with being overweight, we can’t afford to ignore the very real problems of overweight teens or what the teens who have succeeded at weight loss have to say. In the United States, 1 out of 3 children and adolescents ages two through nineteen is overweight or at risk for being overweight. Indeed, the proportion of children and adolescents who are overweight has tripled in the past three decades, and the numbers continue to rise. Similarly, in the past two decades, weight problems have nearly tripled in Canadian children, and societies that never had weight problems have become part of what’s called a global obesity epidemic. As a result, overweight teens face health issues that were virtually unheard-of in young people until recently.

Although some children do outgrow their weight problems, most do not. Several studies suggest that up to 8 out of 10 overweight teens will become obese adults. Both groups are at increased risk for a number of health problems.

When I first became a dietitian, type 2 diabetes, a weight-related health problem, was called adult-onset diabetes because it was seen only in adults. This problem is increasing in young people, particularly in minority teens, including African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans. A growing number of kids also are developing conditions such as high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol, both of which increase the risk of heart disease. According to a report in the New England Journal of Medicine by renowned child weight expert William Dietz, M.D., Ph.D., about 6 out of 10 overweight children and teens have at least one of these risk factors. More and more children have other weight-related ailments, such as sleep apnea, which is a nighttime breathing problem.

As the teens in this book make clear, our society isn’t kind to overweight people. Taylor S. says, “Regardless of how they may appear on the outside and how content they might seem to be, the majority of overweight teens deal with a lot of emotional anguish. It will almost always be hidden, but it’s there.” After being reduced “to the point of tears” because of teasing, Taylor lost 100 pounds when he was sixteen, and he’s kept the weight off for about four years.

Only If It Comes from Them
As the stories of the teens and parents in this book suggest, children of any age should never be given the message that their weight determines their value; they need to be loved without conditions. Over and over, both teens and parents told me that the incentive for arriving at a healthier weight has to come from within the teen, not from the parents.

Taylor S. says, “If a teenager is really concerned with losing weight and has good reason to believe he’s overweight, don’t tell him he’s fine just the way he is. Let him know he’s loved unconditionally. However, if he feels he needs to change something about himself, within reason, he has every right to do it and needs to be supported 100 percent.”

Tom C.’s mother says, “We should not have told him he looked good when he did not. He eventually resented us for lying to him.”

The strategies in Weight Loss Confidential are intended for teens who have already shown some interest in changing, not for parents to use to persuade teens that they should change, by saying, in effect, “Look, this is what you need to do.” It presents options that teens may choose to attempt or reject — suggestions to be tried on for size.

The good news is that many teens — like Wes, Taylor, and Tom — have found an approach that has worked for them to arrive at and stay at a weight that’s right for them. And they’ve done it without compromising their mental or physical health. I invite you to listen to these teens’ stories.

Phone Companies in Brazil Blocking YouTube

Culled From Yahoo News

Telecommunications companies in Brazil began blocking access to YouTube on Monday after a Brazilian model sued to get the popular video sharing service to remove footage of her having sex from its Web site.

Last week, a court in Sao Paulo state ordered phone companies that provide Internet service in Brazil to block YouTube until it removed the video.

Daniela Cicarelli, a model and ex-wife of soccer star Ronaldo, and her boyfriend, Renato Malzoni Filho, sued YouTube and demanded $116,00 in damages for each day the video, which apparently showed them having sex on a Spanish beach, remained on the Web site (www.youtube.com).

Anyone can post video on YouTube, a unit of Internet search engine Google Inc.

The case dragged on for several months before they filed a third lawsuit in December requesting that YouTube be shut down as long as the video is available to users.

Brasil Telecom said it had blocked Brazilians from seeing the YouTube site. The sex video had been the most widely viewed in Latin America's biggest country for days.

Embratel Participacoes, Brazil's leading long distance telephone company, said it was analyzing the technical details of the legal ruling with a view to complying.

Spain's Telefonica said it would obey the court's ruling.

Neither Google, nor the lawyer for Cicarelli and Malzoni Filho were immediately available for comment.

Cartoonist who created Scooby-Doo Dies

By DAISY NGUYEN, Associated Press Writer

In a career that spanned more than six decades, Iwao Takamoto assisted in the designs of some of the biggest animated features and television shows, including "Cinderella," "Peter Pan," "Lady and the Tramp" and "The Flintstones."

But it was Takamoto's creation of Scooby-Doo, the cowardly dog with an adventurous heart, that captivated audiences and endured for generations.

Takamoto died Monday of heart failure at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Warner Bros. spokesman Gary Miereanu said. He was 81.

Born in Los Angeles to parents who had emigrated from Japan, Takamoto graduated high school when World War II began. He and his family were sent to the Manzanar internment camp in the California desert, where he learned the art of illustration from fellow internees.

Despite a lack of formal training, he landed an interview with Walt Disney Studios when he returned to Los Angeles and was hired as an apprentice.

Takamoto worked under the tutelage of Disney's "nine old men," the studio's team of legendary animators responsible for its biggest full-length films before moving to Hanna-Barbera Studios in 1961. There he worked on cartoons for television, including "Josie and the Pussy Cats," "The Great Grape Ape Show," "Harlem Globe Trotters" and "The Secret Squirrel Show."

Takamoto said he created Scooby-Doo after talking with a Great Dane breeder, and named him after Frank Sinatra's final phrase in "Strangers in the Night."

The breeder "showed me some pictures and talked about the important points of a Great Dane, like a straight back, straight legs, small chin and such," Takamoto said in a recent talk at Cartoon Network Studios.

"I decided to go the opposite and gave him a hump back, bowed legs, big chin and such. Even his color is wrong."

Takamoto also created other famous cartoon dogs such as Astro from "The Jetsons" and Muttley, the mixed-breed that appeared in several Hanna-Barbera animations. He also directed the 1973 feature "Charlotte's Web."

Takamoto was survived by his wife, Barbara, son Michael and stepdaughter Leslie.

Funeral arrangements were pending.

Diana Death Inquest Resumes in London

By JENNIFER QUINN, Associated Press Writer

The British inquest into Princess Diana's death in a 1997 car crash in Paris resumed Monday with a plea from her sons that conclusions be reached quickly.

"It is their desire that the inquest should not only be open, fair and transparent but that it should move swiftly to a conclusion," according to a letter from Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, private secretary to the princes, which was read at the opening session.

Baroness Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, a retired senior judge and member of the House of Lords, presided at the preliminary hearings at the Royal Courts of Justice, which concentrated on procedural issues. She ruled that all sessions would be open to the public, and that the deaths of Diana and her friend Dodi Fayed would be examined together.

Queen Elizabeth II sided with Fayed's father, Mohamed al Fayed, in urging that a jury — if called — should be made up of members of the general public. Because Diana was buried as a royal, normally an inquest jury would be made up of royal household members.

Fayed has accused the queen's husband, Prince Philip, of orchestrating a plot to murder Diana and Fayed. A police inquiry published last year concluded that there was no murder conspiracy, and that the deaths were accidental.

In a letter to the court, the queen's lawyer, Sir John Nutting, said a royal jury should be avoided "to avoid any appearance of bias in consideration of the issues which such an inquest would be bound to consider." Butler-Sloss concurred.

"I think that's one decision I can make today," Butler-Sloss said. "I think it entirely inappropriate for me to ask for a jury from the royal household."

She reserved a decision, however, on whether to have a jury or to hear the case by herself.

The full inquest, which was swiftly adjourned in 2004 shortly after it began, is expected to take place later this year, nearly a decade after the couple were killed in a car crash in a Paris tunnel. The inquest was put off until the French investigations were completed.

The two-year French investigation, a three-year Metropolitan Police inquiry and repeated legal action by al Fayed have delayed the inquests by nearly a decade.

Under British law, inquests are held when someone dies unexpectedly, violently or of unknown causes.

Diana's former private secretary, Patrick Jephson, said Monday that he hoped the inquest would put an end to conspiracy theories.

"At its best the inquest will show us that this sad matter is now settled and that we can concentrate on remembering the princess in an entirely positive light as Princes William and Harry obviously want us to," Jephson told British Broadcasting Corp. radio.

Al Fayed, who owns Harrods department store, pressed the British authorities to hold Monday's hearings in public and had threatened legal action if they did not.

Diana's sister Lady Sarah McCorquodale was in court, as was al Fayed.

The early hearings were originally going to be private, but Butler-Sloss decided otherwise, saying public interest in the case was overwhelming. Nearly 70 seats have been reserved for the media. An additional 50 seats have been set aside for the public, who will have to line up to see the early proceedings.

Late last year, a sweeping British police inquiry dismissed allegations that the princess was the victim of a murder conspiracy. The inquiry, headed by Lord Stevens, the former chief of the Metropolitan Police, said the chauffeur in the 1997 crash was drunk and driving at a high speed to elude pursuing photographers. Stevens' report largely confirmed previous findings by French investigators.

When the full inquest begins, Stevens' report "will assist in identifying the scope," according to the inquest's Web site, but Butler-Sloss will assess what evidence is relevant and which witnesses to call.

Diana, 36, and Fayed, 42, were killed along with chauffeur Henri Paul when their Mercedes crashed in the Pont d'Alma tunnel in on Aug. 31, 1997. The only survivor, bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, was badly hurt.

Al Fayed rejected Stevens' report, calling it a cover-up.

"For nine years I have fought against overwhelming odds and monstrous official obstructions. I will not stop now in my quest for the truth," he said in a statement.

My Father's Life (After Death)

By William G. Phillips, Men's Health


Seven years ago, my dad gave a stranger the most valuable gift of all: life. You could do the same one day. All it takes is two minutes and a pen. Why aren't you an organ donor yet?

My father died on Oct. 26, 1999, after falling down eight steps. That's where some stories end. It's where this one begins. Dad was an organ donor. And when you're an organ donor in today's world, where miracle machines can sustain the mechanical functions of the body, you don't die in a conventional sense.

You don't stop breathing. Your heart doesn't stop beating. You don't turn cold. Rigor mortis doesn't set in. You're dead, but every organ continues to function normally.

Well, except one. Your brain.

It's called brain death, and it's especially confusing to grieving families because it looks a lot like life. Consider: As my family gathered at my father's bedside to say our last goodbyes, machines beeped and whirred behind him. One showed that his blood pressure was 146/100 and his pulse 98. Another reported that he was breathing 20 times per minute. His face was flushed. His skin was warm. Five minutes before, he was alive, technically. Then two doctors came by and declared him dead, technically. But nothing seemed to have changed, really. Time of "death" was 1:26 p.m.

Dad was only 59. Two days before, he'd met my future in-laws for the first time. They talked of grandchildren to come and vacationing together someday. I couldn't believe this was the end. As I left Dad's hospital room, I stopped and looked back. I saw him lying there as he'd been for the previous 44 hours. I saw the organ-recovery coordinator entering the room. I suddenly became uneasy, overcome with guilt. It felt as if I was abandoning my father. For seven years after, I wondered: What happened to him next?

Now I know.

And as I pieced together the past, I learned a few things: That organ transplantation is brutal, gruesome, lifesaving and far too rare. That there's a huge shortage of organs in this country. That the extraordinary efforts of scientists will soon bridge that gap, saving many more lives — perhaps yours, perhaps mine.

But mostly, I learned how my father changed one man's life that day.

Full Story

Prince William's Girlfriend, the new Diana?

By Michael Thurston

As the inquest into the death of the Princess of Wales finally looms, fears are growing that a new royal girlfriend could suffer the same fate as the young Diana, mobbed by the media before even marrying.

Prince William's photogenic partner Kate Middleton is coming under an increasingly intense spotlight, fueling comparisons with the press hounding of the young Lady Diana Spencer ahead of her marriage to Prince Charles in 1981.

The latest surge of media coverage has seen dozens of photographers camped outside Middleton's London flat, and following her in blacked-out vans and motorcycles, reminiscent of last minutes of Diana's life.

As lawyers met Monday to prepare for a long-awaited inquest into Diana's death, royal aides have rebuffed reports that police protection has already been beefed up around Middleton, who celebrates her 25th birthday on Tuesday.

But observers point out that something needs to be done to protect her from the kind of hounding that many say contributed to the accident that took Diana's life in the Pont d'Alma road tunnel in Paris in 1997.

"As preliminary hearings in the inquest into the death of Diana resume today, it is obvious that media behaviour has changed less than was promised after she died," said Guardian in an editorial.

"The present explosion of interest in the relationship between Prince William and Kate Middleton ... is leading some photographers who follow the couple to behave in a disturbing way," it added.

Prince William, the 24-year-old eldest son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, has been dating Middleton for three years, after the pair met while studying at St Andrews University in Scotland.

Media speculation has mounted in recent weeks that the pair will get engaged, and heightened last Friday after 10 police officers protected her from photographers as she left a London nightclub.

Without being married to William -- who is second-in-line to the throne -- Middleton is not entitled to protection paid for by taxpayers.

Royal aides have dismissed suggestions of any wrongful use of public funds, but are increasingly worried by the press intrusion.

"Kate is a bright, down-to-earth young woman but there is a limit to how much more of this she can take. The situation is becoming unbearable," one senior courtier told the Sunday Telegraph.

The Sunday Telegraph said that Harbottle and Lewis, the firm that acts for the Prince of Wales as well as Middleton, is poised to take civil and criminal action against those they say make her life intolerable.

Prince William has told friends that he is "very angry" at the way Middleton is being tormented, the paper reported.

It also said it is now a question of when, rather than if, legal action will be taken against media who overstep the mark. "Sooner rather than later, push will come to shove," said one informed legal source.

On Monday and Tuesday lawyers are meeting in the High Court to discuss preparations for Diana's inquest -- delayed pending the conclusion of the British police investigation.

The Diana proceedings come as Prince William prepared to start his new life as a British Army officer, reporting for duty at the Blues and Royals regiment of the Household Cavalry.

William, known in the army as Cornet Wales, will be based at Combermere Barracks near his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II's favourite residence, Windsor Castle, west of London.

The Real Woman's Guide to Leggings

By Wendy Rodewald

Love for Leggings

If the word "leggings" still conjures images of '80s fashion, with big sweaters and bigger hair, it's time to update your style vocabulary. Over the past few seasons, leggings have gone from the runway to the mainstream, and it looks like straight and skinny silhouettes for legs are here to stay. But how do you incorporate this look into your wardrobe while flattering your figure -- and without looking like you're headed to the gym? Read these tips to get a leg up on this surprisingly wearable trend.

The Look Right Now

Today's leggings aren't worn the way they were 20 years ago. This time around, think sophisticated layering instead of body-hugging exposure. Sloppy T-shirt tops are out; pulled-together belted looks are in. The new leggings can look great on most shapes, as long as you follow a few simple guidelines. And forget that old saying -- you can sport this trend even if you wore it the first time around.

Wear them with...

Dresses: This season's mod-inspired jumpers and knit dresses look great over leggings. Add a wide belt at the waist to give this look shape.
Extra-long tops: Layer leggings under a belted tunic or oversized sweater. The volume on top will balance out the narrow line of the legs. Just make sure to cover your assets -- leggings don't give you the same coverage as pants!
Shorter skirts: Opaque leggings won't show skin, so you can wear a shorter skirt without baring your legs or freezing to death. Use leggings to transition warm-weather pieces through the seasons.
Flats, heels, or low boots: Almost any shoe can work with leggings. Flats create a laid-back, bohemian look. Heels can add a bit of glamour. Pull on a pair of boots to keep warm through the winter.

Dos and Don'ts

When wearing leggings, there are some dos and don'ts that can mean the difference between fashion plate and fashion victim.

Do layer leggings under pieces that are long enough to cover your behind.
Don't wear leggings with short tops. Think of them as tights, not stretchy pants.

Do keep it simple: Black leggings are the most elegant, and they match everything.
Don't choose leggings in bright colors or wild patterns unless you're a teenager. Neutral shades are much more sophisticated and flattering.

Do choose a length that flatters. "Be sure to pick a pair that stops at the thinnest part of your calf," advises Misty Elliot, spokesperson for Spanx. "For most women, leggings look best in longer lengths."
Don't wear leggings that stop above the middle of the calf: This faux pas makes legs look shorter.

Jolie Shocked by Madonna attacks

Culled From CNN

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie has said she was shocked by attacks on Madonna over her adoption of a Malawian boy, but said she would only take a child from a country where the rules on adoption are clearly defined.
Madonna's adoption of the boy last year led some right groups in Malawi to question whether the American pop star had used her celebrity to bypass laws governing the adoption of Malawians by foreigners -- an argument denied by her lawyers.
"I was horrified by the attacks against her," Jolie, who has two adopted children herself, told French magazine Gala.
But Jolie added that she would have steered clear of adoption from a country like Malawi.
"Madonna knew the situation in Malawi ... In this country, there is not really a legal framework for adopting. Personally, I prefer staying on the right side of the law. I would never bring back a child from a country where adoption is illegal."
Jolie and actor Brad Pitt have formed one of Hollywood's most glamorous families with baby daughter Shiloh, adopted Ethiopian daughter Zahara and adopted Cambodian son Maddox.
Madonna signed interim adoption papers for one-year old David Banda when she and her husband, British film director Guy Ritchie, visited Malawi in October on what they said was a humanitarian mission to help orphans in the southern African nation.
David Banda, whose mother had died, was living in an orphanage and his father -- who initially voiced some questions about the process -- later said he supported it.
Under the interim order, David Banda was to stay with Madonna for 18 months during which time his progress would be monitored by Malawian officials before deciding whether final approval may be given for him to remain with her family.

How to turn Lust into Love

By Lisa Lombardi


Whoa. The animal magnetism between you and your date is so strong you’re finding it difficult to speak, much less pay attention to anything either of you is saying. In a way, feeling instant sparks with fourth-of-July wattage is any dater’s dream come true... and yet, it also can present challenges. Like: Can you two keep your clothes on long enough to figure out whether you have anything in common? Could there be true love in your future? Well, it turns out there are ways to actually get you two bonding. Try our advice to achieve that enviable state of love plus lust.

Try to take things slow
Diving headlong into bed with each other sure may be tempting, but the longer you can hold off, the better it bodes for your relationship potential. “Lust has to do with hormones and requires no work. But there is no safety net with lust,” says relationship expert Bonnie Eaker Weil (www.makeupdontbreakup.com). “Love takes time to develop, so go slowly. Don’t give into your lust if you can avoid it—that is, if you want more than a booty call.” To keep your urges from overwhelming you, try getting to know each other in less charged environments where you can’t get into trouble—over email and the phone, or lunch dates vs. 10 p.m. meetings, which all too easily involve alcohol and can lead back to someone’s apartment.

…And if you don’t wait, enjoy it!
Of course, not everyone has the will power to wait—nor should they! It all depends on what you’re looking for. “If you’re easily hurt or really want to be in a relationship, this might not be the best decision for you,” says Sharyn Wolf, author of So You Want To Get Married: Guerrilla Tactics For Turning A Date Into A Mate. One way to tell if you’re psychologically capable of taking the plunge is to ask yourself: If you get up tomorrow and you don’t hear from this person in 24 hours, how will you feel? If your answer is “devastated,” then do your best to abstain. If your answer is “Not great, but hey, that night of unbridled passion was worth it anyway!” then feel free to proceed.

Up the intensity in bed
Whether you sleep together sooner or later, there are plenty of things you can do during sex that can make a purely physical connection feel much more romantic. For starters, try some eye contact. “Anytime you look into someone’s eyes during sex, it’s intense,” says Julie Taylor, author of How To Be A Dominant Diva. “Also, caressing someone’s face or hair feels especially tender.” And if you’re the talkative type? While it may be tempting to shower them with compliments like “You’re so hot/amazing/gorgeous!” you’re better off with exclamations that emphasize how you two are amazing together, like “I can’t believe how our bodies fit together so perfectly.”

Make it known you want more
What if, after a few dates (or nights) together you find yourself wondering, “Could this be the real thing?” Then it’s probably time to put out some feelers in your date’s direction. “Let this person know where you stand, instead of trying to fish around and find out where he or she stands, which never works,” says Wolf. “Say something like, ‘The level of chemistry here is intense, and that makes me curious if there’s something more here.’ That way you’re just throwing it out there rather than putting on the pressure.” If your date responds with “I feel the same way,” then you may well be on your way to a relationship. If your date shrugs it off, that may mean he or she isn’t interested in a relationship and that you should move on.

Time your “I love you”
It’s the moment of truth: You’ve spent enough time together that you could swear you want to spend the rest of your life with this person—and not just in bed, either. It’s time to utter those three little words... only when? And is it too soon? Here, some general rules of thumb: Don’t say it in bed after getting busy; great sex can cloud your judgment. Plus, the recipient will forever wonder, “Does this person love me because the sex is great, or does this person love me for me?” So instead, choose a moment when you two are doing something incredibly unpassionate—parting ways after a lazy weekend brunch together, or just sitting around one evening watching bad reality shows. Because these are the moments, no matter how unsexy, on which a solid relationship is really built.

Bride's Joke Breaks off Austrian Wedding

Wedding jokes aren't always funny. When a bride in Austria jokingly answered "no" instead of "yes" when asked if she wanted to marry her husband-to-be, the official performing the civil wedding promptly broke off the ceremony.

Not even the bride's sobs could reverse the decision and the couple had to wait two and a half months before they could give it another — successful — try, the Austrian newspaper Oberoesterreichischen Nachrichten reported Friday.

Officials at the registry office in the city of Steyr where the mishap occurred declined to comment directly but noted the incident was highly unusual, according to the newspaper.

Lohan Has Appendicitis, Publicist Says

By The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES -- Lindsay Lohan was to have surgery to remove her appendix, her publicist, Leslie Sloane Zelnik, said Thursday.

Zelnik declined to give details. In response to a query by The Associated Press, Zelnik said in an e-mail that the 20-year-old actress was "having her appendix removed. She is resting comfortably."

Celebrity Web site TMZ reported Zelnik as saying Lohan wasn't feeling well Wednesday and had gone to a doctor, who performed several tests and determined that she was suffering from appendicitis.

Doctors asked her to return to the hospital Thursday to remove her appendix as a precaution, TMZ said.

Lohan, whose screen credits include "Bobby," "A Prairie Home Companion" and "Freaky Friday," was treated for several hours at a Los Angeles area hospital last July for overheating and dehydration after being overcome by the heat on the set of "Georgia Rule."

She was treated at hospitals twice in January 2006 — in London for a cut on her leg and in the Miami area for an asthma attack. In 2005, she was hospitalized for exhaustion and lost a noticeable amount of weight.

Brazil Model Wins YouTube Battle

Story from BBC NEWS

A Brazilian judge has ordered the video-sharing website YouTube to remove a clip of supermodel Daniela Cicarelli romping in the sea off Cadiz in Spain.

The ex-wife of Brazilian football star Ronaldo was secretly filmed cavorting with Brazilian banker Renato Malzoni.

The court told YouTube to find a way to permanently block the intimate video from being uploaded on its servers.

Inaction could result in a daily fine of $119,000 (£61,300), the couple's lawyer said. YouTube has not commented.

File name change

The Sao Paulo state supreme court first ordered YouTube and two other websites - Globo and IG - to remove the five-minute clip in September after the couple sued.

The two other websites did remove the footage, but despite YouTube's efforts to withdraw the clip it keeps appearing on the site.

The internet is democratic and has to be defended, but this struggle is to have some level of control to avoid the violations of people's fundamental rights, like privacy and intimacy Lawyer Rubens Decousseau Tilkian

As a result Supreme Court Justice Enio Santarelli Zuliani made a new order for its permanent removal, the court's press office said in a statement.

Lawyer Rubens Decousseau Tilkian, who represents Ms Cicarelli's boyfriend, told the Associated Press news agency that YouTube had not taken sufficient action to enforce the order as people kept re-posting the clip by constantly changing the name for the file.

"The internet is democratic and has to be defended, but this struggle is to have some level of control to avoid the violations of people's fundamental rights, like privacy and intimacy," Mr Tilkian told AP.

According to Mr Tilkian, the case will now go before a panel of three judges who will decide whether to fine YouTube.

The hugely popular YouTube website - which claims clips on its site are viewed 100 million times every day - was bought by the search engine company Google for $1.65bn last year.