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    Arianny Celested Naked on a Balcony in Miami Photos

    I’m not sure how I missed this, but shots of Arianny Celeste walking around completely naked on her balcony came out the other day. Check them out here (NSFW obvioulsy). It was… alright I guess. She’s properly stacked but her ass leaves something to be desired. Not that I’m complaining about a quasi-model who thinks it’s a good idea to walk around outside wearing nothing.

    Before you whine about invasion of whatever, I doubt she was expecting any privacy. You don’t walk around your balcony in the buff and expect no one to see. She probably spotted the paps and went, “Yoo hoo!,” and repeatedly thrust her hips back and forth to get their attention. Sort of like what I do when I’m outside Megan Fox’s house and want to get her all hot.

    Taylor Swift’s Unwavering Devotion To Britney Spears

    Country star Taylor Swift has a crush on Britney Spears. Taylor went nuts when she found her Britney’s poster missing from her bathroom! Yeah, you heard me!

    Thank God it was just her thoughtful mom cleaning up the place and giving the poster a more honorable location in Taylor’s house. Britney – from bathroom to bedroom in Taylor’s latest MySpace blog entry:

    “While I was in L.A. my mom reorganized my bathroom… But then I turned around and was startled by something… Where was my Britney Spears poster…. No, this can’t be right… WHERE is it?!? I searched the room frantically for a few seconds before finding it’s new spot. My Britney Spears poster (from 6th grade) had been relocated to my bedroom, which is another AMAZING upgrade. This way, I see it more often and it more proudly displays my unwavering devotion to Britney Spears.”

    Marathon winner disqualified because he didn’t sign up for race

    Scott Downard was stripped of his title in this weekend's Cowtown Marathon because of paperwork, or, more specifically, a lack of paperwork.

    The 25-year-old won the Cowtown Marathon in Fort Worth, Tex. on Sunday but was disqualified when he crossed the finish line because he never registered for the race.

    Compete. The Oklahoman freely admitted the issue to race officials when confronted with it after crossing the finish line.

    Kolin Styles, 25, was named the winner. He finished the race in 2 hours, 40 minutes, 54 seconds, more than three minutes behind Downard.

    "I'll take it," he told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

    A race official told the newspaper that Downard was understanding about the disqualification and said he'd come back to compete next year.
    READ MARE

    Second Student Dies as Alleged Gunman Is Identified

    The alleged shooter who killed two and wounding three others has been identified as T.J. Lane, according to a fellow student who witnessed the incident and ABC News' Cleveland affiliate WEWS.

    The attack left "friends laying all over the place" in puddles of blood, one student told ABC News.

    Nate Mueller, a junior at the school, was having breakfast with three friends when he heard a loud pop like a firecracker about 7:45 a.m., he told ABC News.

    A friend yelled, "Duck" and Mueller told ABC News he turned to see fellow student Lane standing by his table. Mueller said Lane took a second shot and saw a friend get hit.

    "He was over the table in a pool of blood," Mueller said, and another pal "was on the floor in a puddle of blood next to him."

    A third friend "had not been hit yet as I jumped over him," Mueller said.

    Mueller got on the floor and was trying to crawl away when a shot rang out and he felt a bullet graze his ear. He was not badly injured, he said, with just a small red mark left on his ear.

    "It was terror. Everything had just gone tunnel vision, like, I need to get out of here," Mueller said. "You see glances of your friends laying all over the place. There's blood, there's people screaming, everybody's just running in different directions and you're just trying to get out. That's all you can do, get out of the school and not look back even though your friends are back there."

    Two students were taken by ambulance to Hillcrest Hospital and three were taken by helicopter to MetroHealth Hospital, according to WEWS.

    A student identified by MetroHealth Hospital as Daniel Parmertor died from the wounds Monday. His family released the following statement through the hospital:

    "We are shocked by this senseless tragedy. Danny was a bright young boy who had a bright future ahead of him. The family is torn by this loss. We ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time."

    Another students at MetroHealth Hospital is in critical condition, according to police.

    Police have not officially identified Lane as the gunman, saying only that the shooter has not yet been charged and that he is a juvenile.

    Britney Spears to Join ‘The X Factor’???

    After the house cleaning atThe X Factor (ahem, the firing of Paula Abdul, Nicole Scherzinger and Steve Jones), the rumor mill is churning that the two remaining judges, Simon Cowell and L.A. Reid, will hire pop princess Britney Spears!

    OK! NEWS: BRITNEY SPEARS WANTS TO STAR IN MODERN FAMILY

    It sounds like more names have entered the swirl as the game plan, according to Simon, is to see who contacts them before he actually reaches out to contact people. "We're in that place right now, which is a good place to be in," he said in a teleconference with reporters. "I can't confirm or deny any of these rumors at the moment."
    As for Britney in particular, he said, "Are we flattered that there could be interest? Yes." But, his lips are sealed for now. "While you've got The Voice and Idol competing with each other, I've learned one lesson: Keep your mouth shut. Don't give it all away."

    OK! NEWS: BRITNEY SPEARS PLANS LATE SUMMER WEDDING!

    Considering The X Factor auditions begin in two weeks, it sounds like we won't hear anything further about new judges for now. L.A. hinted that two women will be on board. "The only thing you can count on is that we will have two girls. That we can confirm."

    We think Britney would be a pretty good addition to the show! Do you agree?

    Jonas Brothers & Demi Lovato on the Red Carpet

    Walking the red carpet for their movie premiere, The Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato looked great as they posed for the press and fans alike. Jonas Brothers: 3D Concert Experience opens on Friday February 27th. Taylor Swift is also in the film and she chose to not walk the red carpet – instead stayed in Nashville and took in a hockey game.

    Dell Says 'Not Really A PC Company' Anymore

    Dell Inc launched a new line of servers for enterprise customers, boosting its corporate business unit and shifting its focus further away from consumers, who are increasingly choosing such devices as Apple Inc's iPad.

    Chief Executive Michael Dell said his namesake company is no longer a personal computer company and has transformed itself into a business that sells services and products to corporations, a lucrative market that he said is worth $3 trillion.

    Corporations have grappled with ever-smaller IT budgets as slow economic growth curtails spending. But many experts say tech spending will swell over the long term as companies upgrade systems, connect to the Internet cloud, or begin to make better use of user data.

    Dell's so-called enterprise business has doubled in the past five to six years and now represents half of the company's profit, he added.

    "It's not really a PC company; it's an end-to-end IT company," Michael Dell said at an event in San Francisco where the company launched a new line of PowerEdge servers aimed at businesses with remote computing needs.

    The company's founder said the growth of Dell's enterprise business validates its strategy of diversifying away from personal computers as a new crop of devices such as the iPad captivates buyers.

    Michael Dell said he wants to focus on the enterprise and public markets, rather than a drastically smaller $250 billion consumer market.

    "The consumer market is not particularly healthy and the enterprise business is much more so," Dave Johnson, Dell's strategy chief, told Reuters.

    Dell's storage and networking revenue grew 10 percent last year, while sales of its desktop PCs fell 4 percent.

    The world's No. 3 personal computer maker fell short of Wall Street's estimate for fourth-quarter earnings, hurt by weakness in U.S. public spending and the lingering impact of the Thailand flood on its product mix. It has also forecast weak sales for the current quarter.

    Sales at Hewlett Packard's, the No. 1 PC seller, declined 15 percent in its fiscal first quarter.

    Round Rock, Texas-based Dell has been waging an uphill battle to diversify its revenue base from PCs to become a larger player in the data center equipment market and IT services. It faces stiff competition in those markets from the likes of International Business Machines Corp and HP.

    Free apps Smartphone users Warned of Privacy Dangerscan spy on texts and calls

    Companies are using free smartphone apps as ‘fronts’ to allow them to spy on users’ text messages, intercept calls and even track their location, it was claimed yesterday.

    By accepting little-read terms and conditions when downloading apps, consumers give developers the right to harvest vast swathes of private information.

    Facebook insists that people using its Android smartphone app agree to give them permission to read their text messages, although the internet giant said it had not yet taken advantage of this right.

    Privacy campaigners criticised the abuse of personal information. Nick Pickles, director of Big Brother Watch, described the apps market as ‘an unregulated Wild West’.

    Emma Draper, of the Privacy International campaign group, said: ‘Your personal information is a precious commodity, and companies will go to great lengths to get their hands on as much of it as possible.’

    The Facebook app has been downloaded to Google’s Android smartphones more than 100million times, yet few of its users are thought to know that they have agreed to give Facebook the right ‘to read SMS messages stored on your device or SIM card’. Apps are also used to identify the location of users through global positioning software and access the phone numbers and email addresses of their contacts.

    A spokesman for Facebook said the request for permission to read text messages was to allow the app to read and write data between itself and the phone’s SMS feature, rather than for the company to trawl individuals’ messages.

    He added: ‘If Facebook ultimately launches any feature that makes use of these permissions, we will ensure that this is accompanied by appropriate guidance.’

    Teens Create Hope Out of Scraps and Stuffing

    The Oak Lawn teens talk in excited bursts of language that well up like sudden summer storms, typical of 15-year-olds. When you see one, there is a 99-percent chance that you will find the other. Pals since preschool, Sarah and Bridget frequented the same birthday parties and school activities at St. Linus School.

    “We just said hi,” Sarah recalled of their first meeting as 3-year-olds.

    “I remember playing with the little train set,” Bridget said, both girls laughing so hard they can barely get the words out. “We played blocks and trucks. We played with food.”

    It wasn’t until the middle grades when they became best friends and formed their philanthropic enterprise—Stuffed Love—an organization that distributes handsewn stuffed animals, pillows and other cuddly shapes to those living on society’s fringes.

    “I noticed by doing other volunteer work for school that people just needed stuff, both monetary and foodwise,” Sarah said. “I kept wondering ‘what can two eighth-grade girls do?’”
    A Loving, Caring Message

    The idea for Stuffed Love was born at a random sleepover. Both girls liked to sew.

    “I was looking for something involving stuffed animals,” Sarah said. “I also wanted to get the message out of love and caring.”

    Sarah said she knew the name of their enterprise would be “stuffed something.”

    “We thought about it during class and Bridget said ‘Stuffed Love’ and I was like, ‘yeah.’”

    For their first project—Dec. 23, 2010—the girls stitched a boxful of cats, bears and starfish that they distributed to seniors at a nearby nursing home. The experience opened their eighth-grade eyes.

    “It was just so surprising to see how few had presents or family. They were so happy to get our stuff they were crying,” Sarah said. “I wanted to do it again.”

    “It was very touching,” Bridget added. “My heart grew just like the Grinch’s heart did.”

    From there, Stuffed Love snowballed. They made patriotic pillows for veterans at an outpatient treatment center, and geographic shapes for developmentally disabled adults.

    “Everyone still holds on to their cherished Stuffed Love creations,” Kristen Bonk said, spokeswoman for Park Lawn, an organization that provides social, vocational and residential services for developmentally disabled adults. “Our staff has seen the kindness and creativity of Sarah and Bridget, and all agree that they are a true inspiration.”

    Rihanna In Talks To Play Whitney Houston In Rumored Biopic

    Just days after Whitney Houston's funeral, the rumor mill is buzzing about a biopic chronicling the late singer's life.

    The Daily Mail reports that Clive Davis will helm the project, while Jennifer Hudson, Vivica Fox and Jordin Sparks are on the short list to play Houston, with Rihanna thought to be the favorite.

    But another star may have her eye on the role: Brandy Norwood, Houston's co-star in the 1997 adaptation of "Cinderella."

    "My dream role would be to play Whitney Houston," Brandy told TrueExclusives only weeks before Houston's passing. "Of course she would have to sing all the songs. But I would love to play Ms. Whitney. I have her personality down pat, her 'isms' down pat. Like no offense ladies -- it's a lot of talented ladies there -- but nobody can play Whitney like me. Yes!"

    Do you think Rihanna is right for the role of Houston?

    Second Teen Confirmed Brain Dead in Ohio School Shooting

    A second teen was confirmed brain dead after Monday's shooting at a high school in Chardon, Ohio, the medical examiner's office said Tuesday.

    Russell King Jr., 17, was flown to Cleveland's MetroHealth Medical Center where he was treated but pronounced brain dead on Monday, NBC News reported.

    The medical examiner's office received the word about Russell King Jr. early Tuesday morning, office administrator Hugh Shannon said in a statement. It was unclear whether King remained on life support; the statement referred to him as both deceased and brain dead, The Associated Press reported.

    "The cause and manner of death of this case are under on-going investigation and will be released upon completion," Shannon said in a statement. A spokeswoman at MetroHealth System said Tuesday morning that no information on his condition was available.

    The entire school district was closed on Monday and will be closed again on Tuesday as the community grapples with the violence and waits for word on the wounded students.

    "We want them to stay home and spend some time reflecting on family," an emotional Joseph Bergant, superintendent of Chardon schools, told a news conference.

    He urged parents to hug and kiss their children, and praised the actions of teachers, who had been through disaster training and acted quickly to protect the students.

    The Lane family's lawyer described the suspected shooter as a fairly quiet "good kid" who had never been in trouble.

    "His grades are pretty impressive... He's a sophomore. He's been doubling up on his classes with the intent of graduating this May. He pretty much sticks to himself but does havesome friends and has never been in trouble over anything that we know about," Farinacci said.

    A Chardon High School student, Danielle Samples, 16, who was in the cafeteria at the time, told Reuters she heard a series of "pops" and someone yelled to run down the hallway into a classroom. While Samples was in the hall, she heard another round of pops.

    She said the suspected shooter was a student at Lake Academy in Willoughby, which serves at-risk students, and that he had been at Chardon's cafeteria waiting for a bus. She said the student lived with his grandparents and sister.

    Flexible Coco hangs upside down during Aerial Yoga

    The blonde bombshell tweeted two pictures of herself engaging in various positions of Aerial Yoga.

    As she dangled from the ceiling, clinging onto blue silk ribbons more commonly used by acrobats in circus troops, the reality star showed off her infamous derriere in her tight grey workout leggings.

    Last week, the 32-year-old appeared on The Doctors TV show to undergo an ultrasound examination to prove her round and curvaceous bottom is all her own.

    Needless to say, she passed the test with flying colours as the medic only identified subcutaneous tissue and fat along with glute muscles to prove that she is implant free.

    Coco had another trip to the hospital following a pregnancy scare - despite being on the pill.

    She had initially thought she was expecting because she began feeling sick and nauseous, but doctors explained it was in fact high blood pressure due to stress and a poor diet.

    Naomi Campbell is as sexy as ever as she closes Roberto Cavalli's

    The 41-year-old model looked as glamorous as ever as she took to the catwalk in a plunging and backless black dress, which made the most of her incredibly toned figure.

    But Naomi Campbell appears to be continuing to defy the ageing process, as she once again took to the catwalk to close the Roberto Cavalli show in Milan Fashion Week in typically stunning style.

    Naomi wore her glossy black hair loose around her shoulders as she joined her fellow models on the catwalk to showcase Cavalli's most eye-catching evening wear.

    Naomi has spoken previously about how she maintains her incredible physique, revealing in an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2009 that she diets on a cocktail of Maple syrup, cayenne pepper, lemon juice and water.

    Madonna, 53, is an (old) Girl Gone Wild as she strips to her bra on cover of new single

    The black, triangle-shaped lace bra doesn't hide much, and very nearly leaves the superstar exposed.

    She doesn't cover up in other articles of clothing, either, flaunting most of trim and toned stomach.

    Her mouth is open in a suggestive pose, and her blonde locks are artfully tousled.

    Everything about the cover is suggestive, including the title.

    Girls Gone Wild is, quite famously, a video series created by Joe Francis where college-age girls perform various sexual acts on camera.

    Madonna's new electro pop single even seems to be channelling the films with her lyrics.

    She sings that 'girls just want to have fun' and 'get fired up like a smoking gun' and though she realises that she 'shouldn't act this way' because 'good girls don't misbehave', she's a 'bad girl anyway.'

    Francis, too, thought that Madonna's song was much too similar to his famous brand, and demanded that she change the title of the track -- which originally had the same name as his company.

    He also sent her a cease and desist letter to prevent her from singing the song at the Super Bowl.

    The 38-year-old entrepreneur told TMZ: 'Clearly her label was trying to avoid legal action surrounding the song...BUT [the new title] is still infringement as far as the law is concerned, and we have been in touch with Madonna's people in an effort to resolve the issue.'

    The track, which was recorded in London, was produced by electronic star Benny Benassi and written by Jenson Vaughan.

    This sexual single rides hard and fast on the heels of Give Me All Your Luvin', her first single off of her twelfth studio album.

    She debuted the song, which features cameos by Nicki Minaj and M.I.A.during the Super Bowl halftime show earlier this month.

    Someone has to tell the Truth about Fashion

    I write this still exhausted from the assault course that was London Fashion Week. And I do mean assault: the male bouncers at Vivienne Westwood shouted at me, and pushed and grabbed me. Promised a night of ‘dancing and cocktails’ by Stella McCartney, instead I was humiliated in a pen, some several hundred feet above the action.

    While committed fur-wearer Anna Wintour was seated on Stella’s right at the six-course dinner, I – an animal rights activist for 30 years, and a huge fan of Stella’s work and ethics (she refuses to use leather) – was given a couple of almonds to chew on, unable to see the clothes. I had to smile at the irony, though, after my scathing review was published and I was couriered a fabulous gift of perfume, shower gel, body lotion and chocolates (vegan, hopefully), and a handwritten note from Stella herself. Was this an apology? Or a bribe so I would play nicely next time?

    On Monday, I was called by Sir Philip Green, the boss of Arcadia. He told me he enjoyed my review of London Fashion Week, most particularly of his Topshop show, so much that he had instructed his assistant to bike me the olive greatcoat I’d liked so much.

    ‘Ooh, goodie,’ I said. But he went on to say that he’d immediately cancelled the order when he reached the last paragraph of my piece, which revealed how, every time Sir Philip sees me at one of his catwalk shows, he asks, without fail: ‘Who let you in?’

    Like a trend, you can be in one minute and a snow-washed denim pariah the next.

    When I read all the other reviews of the McCartney love-in, I felt as if I was living in a parallel universe. ‘I was in the queue for the loo with Kate Moss!’ gushed one grown woman.

    This is an example of why you can never dignify a person who writes about fashion or edits a glossy with the epithet of journalist – and most certainly can never utter their name in the same sentence as that of someone like Marie Colvin, the murdered war reporter.

    Alex Reid's Gruesome Confession about Pregnant fiancée Chantelle Houghton v

    The cagefighter has revealed that he wants to drink his pregnant fiancée's breast milk when she gives birth to their daughter in June.

    The couple reportedly could not keep their hands off one another during the photoshoot - in which the glamour model showed off her burgeoning belly - with AlexChantelle was asked if her bump had slowed down their sex life at all, to which she replied: 'No, not at all! Obviously, you can’t go mental. That’s the only bit that has changed! It’s a bit… nicer.

    'I’m going to keep on going [through this pregnancy]. You’ve got to keep your man happy. If not he will go somewhere else!'

    Chantelle said she had been eating a lot since falling pregnant, consuming four cakes the night before.
    She admitted she hadn't been exercising, and didn't plan on it, although she hadn't noticed any stretch marks yet.

    Alex appeared to have ideas about his wife-to-be's post-baby figure, saying: 'We’ve got a plan. She’s going to be in some sexy underwear by my birthday!'

    The couple also spoke about some of the nasty comments they had endured on Twitter, including from one user who said the baby would have a low IQ.

    Last month Alex demanded an apology from The Only Way Is Essex star Joey Essex after he said in an interview that Chantelle 'used to get around a bit'. He said he was still waiting for him to say sorry.

    The couple have not yet planned their wedding as Alex said he was still married to Katie Price which was 'pants'.

    'Sweatpants, hair tie, chillin' with no make-up on!' Kim Kardashian

    The 31-year-old star is seen baring her washboard stomach in a pair of loose jogging bottoms and cropped sports top as she poses and pouts for the camera.

    She accompanied the shot with the caption: 'Sweatpants hair tie chillin with no make up on (sic)!'

    And despite looking less than red carpet ready in the outfit, Kim still managed to look as picture perfect as ever in the shot, taken in her bathroom.
    In a previous interview, Kim said that she doesn't like to rely too much on make-up to look good.

    'As much as it’s fun to glam up, the most important thing is to be comfortable in your own skin- with or without make-up.'

    Kim's sexy dressed-down photo came after she spent the evening with sisters Kendall, Kylie and Khloe.

    Suicide Car Bomber Attacks Jalalabad Airport In Afghanistan, Killing 9

    American officials have called the incident a mistake and issued a series of apologies. Afghan President Hamid Karzai has urged calm, saying that Afghans should not let the insurgents capitalize on their indignation to spark violence.

    Monday's attack appeared to be a sign that the Taliban are seizing the opportunity to do just that.

    The bomber drove up to the gates of the airport – which serves both civilian and international military aircraft – shortly after dawn and detonated his explosives in a "very strong" blast, said Nangarhar provincial police spokesman Hazrad Mohammad.

    Among the dead were six civilians, two airport guards and one soldier, Mohammad said. Another six people were wounded, he said.

    An AP photographer saw at least four destroyed cars at the gates of the airport.

    NATO forces spokesman Capt. Justin Brockhoff said that no international forces were killed in the early morning attack and that the installation was not breached by the blast.

    The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying a suicide car bomber had driven up to the airport gate and detonated his explosives as international forces were changing from night to morning guard duty.

    "This attack is revenge against those soldiers who burned our Quran," Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said in an email.

    More than 30 people have been killed in protests and related attacks since the incident came to light this past Tuesday, including four U.S. soldiers.

    On Sunday, demonstrators hurled grenades at a small U.S. base in northern Afghanistan and the ensuing gun battle left two Afghans dead and seven NATO troops injured.

    Still, the top U.S. diplomat in Afghanistan said Sunday that the violence would not change Washington's course.

    "Tensions are running very high here, and I think we need to let things calm down, return to a more normal atmosphere, and then get on with business," Ambassador Ryan Crocker told CNN.

    In the most high-profile attack, two military advisers were found dead in their office at the Interior Ministry in the heart of the capital with shots to the back of their heads. The slayings inside one of the city's most heavily guarded buildings raised doubts about safety as coalition troops continue their withdrawal.

    The incident prompted NATO, Britain and France to recall hundreds of international advisers from all Afghan ministries in the capital. The advisers are key to helping improve governance and preparing the country's security forces to take on more responsibility.

    Osama Bin Laden's House In Abbottabad Destroyed

    Pakistani authorities have reduced the house where Osama bin Laden lived for years before he was killed by U.S. commandos to rubble, destroying a concrete symbol of the country's association with one of the world's most reviled men.

    Workers completed the demolition job in the garrison town of Abbottabad in northwest Pakistan on Monday.

    The al-Qaida leader moved into the three-story house in 2005. Acting on intelligence gathered by the CIA, a team of U.S. commandos flew in by helicopter from Afghanistan and killed bin Laden on May 2 before dumping his body at sea hours later.

    The operation left Pakistan's army in the awkward position of explaining why it had not detected the U.S. raid, and how bin Laden was able to live in the town without its knowledge. U.S. officials have said they have found no evidence that senior Pakistani officials were in the know about bin Laden's whereabouts.

    Mechanized backhoe vehicles and construction workers began pulling down the house on Saturday night, working under floodlights.
    An Associated Press photographer said Monday the job was completed, save for a section of its boundary walls.

    The house stood less than half a mile (one kilometer) from one of the Pakistan army's top training academies.


    Authorities never allowed journalists inside the building, and starting from a few days after the raid stopped them from even getting close to it.

    Officials did not explain why the house was destroyed. Some residents of Abbottabad thought it should be a tourist attraction, although given the sensitivities surrounding the property it was hard to see the government developing it as one.

    Property documents show the land was owned by a man who later served as a courier for bin Laden. He is believed to have been killed during the raid.

    U.S., Iran Poised For Mine Warfare In The Persian Gulf

    If the tense confrontation with Iran ignites into war, strategists say they expect Iran will strike with thousands of deadly sea mines to try to halt oil tanker traffic and take out American warships.

    In the shallow, crowded waters of the Persian Gulf, mines pose a sobering challenge. When the U.S. Navy has faced a massive mine threat there in the past, it has failed to protect even its own ships.

    Now, both Iran and the United States seem poised to fight it out again. Iran has acquired a stockpile of 2,000 to 3,000 mines, including "smart'' Chinese-built mines that could track and target U.S. warships, according to a report by Anthony Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a nonpartisan think tank in Washington.The 660-pound warhead carried by one such mine could puncture the hull of a U.S. aircraft carrier, the report says.

    But the Navy says this time it's prepared for a mine war, with a four-ship fleet of high-tech counter-mine vessels patrolling the Gulf, along with airborne sensors, robot submarines, a squadron of mine-hunting dolphins and sea lions on standby -- and two decades worth of operational experience off the coast of Iran.

    The United States holds air and naval superiority across the region. Nevertheless, mine warfare in the Persian Gulf could be a lengthy, nerve-wracking conflict, putting at risk the steady flow of oil tankers and the ships and sailors of the U.S. Fifth Fleet.

    Just as cheap, makeshift bombs, or IEDs, have exacted a bloody toll on Americans in Iraq and Afghanistan -- killing more than 3,000 and wounding more than 31,000, according to the Defense Department -- mines are an indirect but effective tactic for Iran to use against a more powerful opponent.

    "No nation from this region wants to take the U.S. on with conventional munitions," said a senior Navy official, who agreed to discuss the issue anonymously because of continuing international diplomacy relating to Iran. "The asymmetric weapon is the way to go, and mines are cheap, easily manufactured and, not unlike an IED, are tripped by an unsuspecting victim," he said.

    Constitution Referendum Dismissed As Farce By International Community

    Syrian artillery pounded rebel-held areas of Homs on Monday as President Bashar al-Assad's government announced that voters had overwhelmingly approved a new constitution in a referendum derided as a sham by his critics at home and abroad.

    The outside world has proved powerless to halt the killing in Syria, where repression of initially peaceful protests has spawned an armed insurrection by army deserters and others.

    However, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent entered the besieged Baba Amro district of Homs and evacuated three people on Monday, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said. Foreign reporters in the area were not evacuated and the bodies of two journalists killed there had not been recovered, it said.

    While foreign powers argued over whether to arm the rebels, the Syrian Interior Ministry said the reformed constitution, which could keep Assad in power until 2028, had received 89.4 percent approval from more than 8 million voters.

    Syrian dissidents and Western leaders dismissed as a farce Sunday's vote, conducted in the midst of the country's bloodiest turmoil in decades, although Assad says the new constitution will lead to multi-party elections within three months.

    Officials put national voter turnout at close to 60 percent, but diplomats who toured polling stations in Damascus saw only a handful of voters at each location. On the same day, at least 59 people were killed in violence around the country.


    Qatar joined Saudi Arabia in advocating arming the Syrian rebels, given that Russia and China have twice used their vetoes to block any action by the U.N. Security Council.

    "I think we should do whatever is necessary to help them, including giving them weapons to defend themselves," Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani said in Oslo.

    Arab countries should help lead a military force to provide a safe haven for anti-Assad forces inside Syria, he added.

    Assad says he is fighting foreign-backed "armed terrorist groups" and his main allies - Russia, China and Iran - fiercely oppose any outside intervention intended to add him to the list of Arab autocrats unseated by popular revolts in the past year.
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    'The Artist' Oscars: Silent Film Wins Best Picture, Best Actor Honors

    "The Artist" is the first silent winner since the World War I saga "Wings" was named outstanding picture at the first Oscars in 1929 had a silent film earned the top prize.

    "I am the happiest director in the world," Havanavicius said, thanking the cast, crew and canine co-star Uggie. "I also want to thank the financier, the crazy person who put money in the movie."

    The other wins for "The Artist" were musical score and art direction. Martin Scorsese's Paris adventure "Hugo" also won five Oscars, all in technical categories.

    Streep's win was her first Oscar in 29 years, since she won best actress for "Sophie's Choice." She had lost 12 times in a row since then. Streep also has a supporting-actress Oscar for 1979's "Kramer vs. Kramer."

    "When they called my name, I had this feeling I could hear half of America go, `Oh, no, why her again?' But whatever," Streep said, laughing.

    "I really understand I'll never be up here again. I really want to think all my colleagues, my friends. I look out here and I see my life before my eyes, my old friends, my new friends. Really, this is such a great honor but the think that counts the most with me is the friendship and the love and the sheer job we've shared making moves together," said Streep, the record-holder with 17 acting nominations.

    Streep is only the fifth performer to receive three Oscars. Jack Nicholson, Ingrid Bergman and Walter Brennan all earned three, while Katharine Hepburn won four.

    It was a night that went as expected, with front-runners claiming key prizes. Streep's triumph provided a bit of drama, since she had been in a two-woman race with Viola Davis for "The Help."

    The biggest surprise may have been the length of the show, which clocked in at about three hours and 10 minutes, brisk for a ceremony that has run well over four hours some years.

    The 82-year-old Plummer became the oldest acting winner ever for his role as an elderly widower who comes out as gay in "Beginners."

    "You're only two years older than me, darling," Plummer said, addressing his Oscar statue in this 84th year of the awards. "Where have you been all my life? I have a confession to make. When I first emerged from my mother's womb, I was already rehearsing my Oscar speech."

    The previous oldest winner was best-actress recipient Jessica Tandy for "Driving Miss Daisy," at age 80.

    Completing an awards-season blitz that took her from Hollywood bit player to star, Spencer won for her role in "The Help" as a headstrong black maid whose willful ways continually land her in trouble with white employers in 1960s Mississippi.

    Spencer wept throughout her breathless speech, in which she apologized between laughing and crying for running a bit long on her time limit.

    Miley Cyrus Bikini Pictures

    Olivia Wilde’s Covert Cleavage Drop Photo

    For years I’ve had my doubts about Olivia Wilde’s hotness sustainability, one minute she’s gorgeous the next she’s weird looking, but I’m beginning to think she’s the real deal. Here she is out for a stroll with her dude wearing what I originally thought was the kind of thing Amish women wear while working the fields. That is until I looked a little closer and saw her perky little breasts making an appearance. She fooled me, I almost walked right by these pictures. Well played. I highly doubt the Amish show this much cleavage.

    Dress, Earrings Will Be Sold To Highest Bidder


    A black velvet dress that belonged to Whitney Houston and a pair of earrings she wore in “The Bodyguard” will be sold to the highest bidder next month.
    Celebrity auctioneer Darren Julien said Sunday the pieces and other Houston items became available after the singer’s unexpected death on Feb. 11 and will be included among a long-planned sale of Hollywood memorabilia such as Charlie Chaplin’s cane, Clark Gable’s jacket from “Gone With the Wind” and Charlton Heston’s staff from “The Ten Commandments.”
    Julien said celebrity collectibles often become available after their namesakes die.
    “It proves a point that these items, they’re an investment,” Julien said. “You buy items just like a stock. Buy at the right time and sell at the right time, and they just increase in value.”
    But could it be too soon to profit from Houston’s passing? She was just buried on Saturday.
    “It’s a celebration of her life,” Julien said. “If you hide these things in fear that you’re going to offend someone – her life is to be celebrated. These items are historic now that she passed. They become a part of history. They should be in museums. She’s lived a life and had a career that nobody else has ever had.”


    Houston is “someone who’s going to maintain a collectability,” he said. “For people who are fans of Whitney Houston and never would have had a chance to meet her and never got to talk to her, these are items that literally touched a part of her life. They are a way to relate to her or be a part of her life without having known her.”
    The singer’s floor-length black dress is valued at $1,000 but likely to collect much more. Same goes for the vest she wore in “The Bodyguard,” listed at $400, and the faux-pearl earrings that start at $600.
    Houston fans and other collectors can bid online, by phone or in person during the “Hollywood Legends” auction on March 31 and April 1. Lots will be shown during a free public exhibition beginning March 19 at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills, Calif., just blocks from the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where Houston died at age 48.

    39 Eyerolls From Episode 3, ‘Enter Mr. DiMaggio,’ In Chronological Order

    39 Eyerolls From Episode 3, ‘Enter Mr. DiMaggio,’ In Chronological Order:
    You’re a waitress.” “What about the adoption?” “You got it! You’re Marilyn!”

    Presented without commentary, the most absurd, comical, self-serious and/or humorless moments from episode three, “Enter Mr. DiMaggio.”



    1. Derek and Ivy’s sexy time.

    2. “I’d really like to get together sometime and work on her.”

    3. “I’ll have my assistant call you and put it in the book.”

    4. “Do you think he gave me the part because I slept with him?”

    5. “You got the part. You got. The part.”

    6. “Life is long. Theater is longer.”

    7. “We’re Brits, that’s what we do.”

    8. “How’s this?” [KISS] “What movie are we doing now?” “‘Gone With the Wind,’ baby.”

    9. “He’s doing that Bruno Mars show.”

    10. That Bruno Mars show.

    11. “Well, apparently he’s a huge baseball fan.”

    12. “I think it sounds amazing.”

    13. “It’s only a workshop! All I need is $200,000.”

    14. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that.”

    15. Ellis and his friends.

    16. Ellis in the kitchen.

    17. Julia’s brainstorming face.

    18. Ellis stealing Julia’s notebook.

    19. Iowa.

    20. “I look like a duck in that costume.” “A very fetching duck.”

    21. Ellis kissing his roommate.

    22. “I just wanna be a great father.”

    23. “I think Artie would love to see his dad play Joe DiMaggio.”

    24. Julia’s sexual tension face with Michael.

    25. “You smell good.”

    26. “It’s not actually a secret. They’re having sex in the dressing room.”

    27. “I feel like you should give him a little space right now.”

    28. “I’m gonna get you a cup of tea.”

    29. Ellis’s smirk.

    30. “Feminism is overrated.”

    31. “Time for some karaoke!”

    32. “Hey Broadway!”

    33. Karen’s “Hey Broadway!” friend dancing.

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    ‘The Artist’ Jean Dujardin Wins Best Actor At 2012 Oscars

    French actor Jean Dujardin beat fellow nominees like George Clooney and Brad Pitt to win the Best Actor statuette for his role in the silent, black and white movie “The Artist” at the 84th Academy Awards held at the Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles, California on Sunday (February 26).
    Jean, who sat at the table with his co-star Uggie (the real star of the movie!), a 10 year-old Jack Russell, didn’t have to speak to win this Oscar, which is quite an accomplishment. The 39 year-old was certainly amused by the win as he proclaimed his love for America and added, “If George Valentin could speak, he would say: Merci! Formidable!” Congratulations!

    HTC announces new One X, One S and One V smartphones

    Taiwanese mobile phone giant HTC has announced the new One series of smartphones, including the X, S and V handsets.

    The One X, previously referred to as the HTC Edge or Endeavor, has a powerful quad core 1.5 GHz processor and runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich with the HTC Sense 4 user interface overlay.

    HTC One X and One S


    The smartphone comes with a 4.7-inch 720p high definition touchscreen (1280 x 720 resolution) and an 8-megapixel camera with 1080p video recorder. It has 1GB of RAM and 32GB of internal memory.

    HTC said that the One X will also be available in select 4G LTE markets with an LTE-enabled Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, including on AT&T in the US.

    The One S also runs Ice-Cream Sandwich with HTC Sense 4, but has a dual core 1.5 GHz processor. It comes with an 8-megapixel camera, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of internal memory.

    Users of both new devices can benefit from an additional 25GB of storage for two years, available through HTC's partnership with cloud storage provider DropBox. The phones also come with Beats Audio software for an enhanced audio experience.

    HTC said that the One V is a lower end smartphone that has a "unibody design", a 3.7-inch screen and a rear camera, but no front-facing snapper.

    "The best moments in life are captured with a photo or remembered by a song, so it was key for the HTC One series to improve these emotional experiences with an amazing camera and authentic sound experience," said HTC Corporation chief executive Peter Chou.
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    Private Practice Star Caterina Scorsone Is Pregnant Photo

    The Private Practice actress stars as Amelia Shepherd in the Shonda Rhimes series, the sister of Grey's Anatomy's Derek Shepherd (Patrick Dempsey).

    Speaking about having her first child, she told People: "We're over the moon. I'm starting to show now. Everybody on set has been pretty sweet and is offering me fruit."

    She added that her character will soon also become pregnant in Private Practice, revealing: "This year Amelia, who had been sober, fell off the wagon after her friend died. She hit rock bottom, had an intervention and went to rehab. So this news is on the heels of that."

    Scorsone explained that Rhimes decided to use her real life pregnancy for a dramatic new storyline, saying: "The news came out of left field and I think she decided she could use this for dramatic purposes.

    "As an actress it never feels like the right time. But once we knew what was happening we were like, 'This is perfect.'

    "Shonda was immediately excited and talked about what we could do when the baby came so [he or she] could be on set. She's been unbelievably supportive."

    Rob Giles's music with The Rescues has featured in several episodes of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice, while he has also worked with its stars Kevin McKidd and Sara Ramirez.

    5 Home Remedies that Actually Work

    Nobody is naysaying the wonders of modern medicine-what would we do without a medication like penicillin to treat infections? But, as it turns out, everyday items have secret curing powers, too. Next time you don't want to fork over money to get a common wart removed, consider using duct tape. Already popped two aspirin but can't get rid of the headache? A pencil could do the trick. Below, get medical explanations behind a few bizarre-albeit brilliant-MacGyver-esque home remedies.


    Duct Tape to Remove Warts


    In 2002, a group of doctors compared duct tape's effectiveness with liquid nitrogen in removing warts. After two months of wearing duct tape on a daily basis and using a pumice stone about once a week to exfoliate the dead skin, 85 percent of patients' warts were gone, whereas freezing only removed 60 percent. "The question is whether there is something in the chemical adhesive itself, or if the occlusion (suffocation) causes the destruction of the wart," says New York City-based dermatologist, Robin Blum, MD. "The other thinking is that the duct tape causes irritation, which stimulates our body's immune cells to attack the wart." Photo: Thinkstock Learn 4 ways to fight cold sores.


    Vapor Rub to Cure Nail Fungus


    While there are no studies to prove coating infected toenails with vapor rub once or twice a day is an effective treatment for nail fungus, a basic Internet search results in a number of personal testaments to the medicinal ointment's fungus-killing powers. "I've heard many patients say that vapor rub does help, but I'm not exactly sure why," Dr. Blum admits. While some argue it's the menthol in the balm that kills the fungus and others say it's the smothering effect of the thick gel, if used consistently, vapor rub has been shown to get rid of not just the fungus, but the infected toenail, too, which will turn black and eventually fall off. When the new nail grows in, it should be fungus-free. Photo: Thinkstock

    Oatmeal to Soothe Eczema


    "This is absolutely true, as oats have anti-inflammatory properties," Dr. Blum says. Whether it's used as a paste or poured into a bath, most experts recommend choosing colloidal (finely ground) oatmeal and soaking the affected area for at least 15 minutes. In addition to reducing inflammation, oats are thought to have an antihistamine effect, Dr. Blum says. By lowering levels of histamine, which triggers inflammation as part of the immune system's recovery response, she explains, oats prevent or reduce the redness. Photo: Thinkstock
    Check out these simple itchy-skin soothers.

    Yogurt to Cure Bad Breath


    Bad breath comes from a number of places, the two most common being the mouth and the stomach. The neutralizing powers of yogurt and other probiotics treat the latter cause. "Yogurt shouldn't have any effect at all on the bacteria that live on the tongue because it's not there long enough," says Robert Meltzer, MD, a New York City-based gastroenterologist and attending physician at Lenox Hill Hospital. However, it likely has a neutralizing effect on the acid that resides anywhere between the mouth and the stomach, including the back of the throat and the esophagus, he explains. "I think almost any milk product or food that contains live cultures would have the same effect." While yogurt can get rid of bad breath that results from gastrological conditions, like acid reflux, it won't have any real effect on bad breath that is the product of gum, liver or lung disease, says Ohio-based dentist Matthew Messina, DDS. Photo: Thinkstock

    A Spoonful of Sugar to Cure Hiccups


    In 1971, Edgar Engelman, MD, conducted a study to find out if a spoonful of sugar really is an effective cure for hiccups. He assembled a group of 20 patients who had been experiencing intractable hiccups for more than six hours, eight of whom had had them anywhere from a full day to six weeks. Each of the test subjects was given one teaspoon of white granulated sugar to swallow dry, and for 19 of the 20 hiccup patients, the cure was immediate. André Dubois, MD, a gastroenterologist in Bethesda, Maryland, noted in The Doctors Book of Home Remedies that "the sugar is probably acting in the mouth to modify the nervous impulses that would otherwise tell the muscles in the diaphragm to contract spasmodically." Photo: iStockphoto

    ‘The Artist’ Wins Top Oscar Honors in Bow to Silent-Film Era

    “The Artist,” a black-and-white film with just a few words of dialog, won Oscars for best picture, director and actor as Hollywood continued to honor smaller-budget films.

    Michel Hazanavicius captured best director for the mostly silent film and Jean Dujardin was honored as best actor for playing George Valentin, an aging film star unable to make it in talking pictures. Meryl Streep won best actress for playing Margaret Thatcher in “The Iron Lady.” The Oscars were handed out last night at the 84th Academy Awards, hosted by Billy Crystal, at the Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles.

    As in past years, academy voters shunned top-grossing films

    focusing on lower-budget, less-seen movies such as “The Artist,” which cost about $15 million, according to Box Office Mojo, a researcher. Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo,” which tied “The Artist” with five awards, was the costliest at $170 million.

    “When people love the movie, it’s not very difficult, because you’re not selling, you’re not promoting,” said Hazanavicius backstage. “You just smile and say, ‘thank you.’”

    Streep, 62, captured her third Oscar for her portrayal of Thatcher, the former British prime minister. Her 17 lifetime nominations are tops for the industry, according to the academy’s database. Streep’s win was among the few upsets, based on betting lines from Paddy Power PLC, a British oddsmaker.

    “It was like I was a kid again,” Streep said backstage. “I understand Streep fatigue, and it shocked me it didn’t override this thing tonight.”
    Box Office

    Of nine films nominated for best picture, “The Help” from DreamWorks Studios and Walt Disney Co. leads among fans with $206.7 million in worldwide ticket sales, according to Box Office Mojo. “Hugo” has collected $115.8 million in worldwide ticket sales and “The Artist” has taken in $76.5 million.

    With the Oscar, “The Artist” became the second silent film to win best picture. “Wings” was crowned outstanding picture at the first Academy Awards on May 16, 1929, at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, steps from this year’s ceremony. “The Artist” was shot in Los Angeles.

    “They must be going nuts in France right now,” Crystal said after the award for the 39-year-old Frenchman Dujardin.

    The picture produced five awards for Weinstein Co., the closely held New York-based studio that distributed “The Artist” in the U.S. “Hugo” generated five Oscars for Viacom Inc.’s Paramount, which also grabbed best animated feature for “Rango.”

    First Oscar

    Christopher Plummer, 82, became the oldest Oscar winner for his role in the film “Beginners,” about a man who comes out as gay late in life. Octavia Spencer won best-supporting actress for her role as the sharp-tongued housemaid Minny Jackson in “The Help,” about the sometimes-tense relationship between black maids and the white women who employ them.

    The nomination was Plummer’s second in more than 40 years of acting and his only win. The film, from Universal Pictures’ Focus Features, stars Ewan McGregor and took in $14.3 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo.

    Santorum: no apology needed for Quran burning

    Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum criticized President Barack Obama's apology for the burning of Qurans in Afghanistan, adding that Afghanistan should apologize to the U.S. for the deaths of four U.S. soldiers during six days of violence sparked by the incident.

    "There was nothing deliberately done wrong here," Santorum said Sunday on ABC's "This Week". "This was something that happened as a mistake. Killing Americans in uniform is not a mistake. It was something that deliberate."

    More than 30 people have been killed in clashes since it emerged Tuesday that copies of the Muslim holy book and other religious materials had been thrown into a fire pit used to burn garbage at Bagram Air Field, a large U.S. base north of Kabul. Protesters angry over Quran burnings by American troops lobbed grenades Sunday at a U.S. base in northern Afghanistan and clashed with police and troops in a day of violence that left seven international troops wounded and two Afghans dead.
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    Danica Patrick not happy after getting wrecked again at Daytona

    Trouble found Danica Patrick again.
    Danica Patrick (7) gets spun by teammate Cole Whitt (88).
    (Getty Images)

    Just 48 hours after smashing hard into a retaining wall in a qualifying race for Sunday’s Daytona 500, Patrick got clipped again, this time by her own teammate, Cole Whitt, sending her into a spin and eventually the wall just 50 laps into the DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway.

    “What the [expletive],” she yelled over her team radio. “He [expletive] hit me.”

    After driving her damaged race car to the garage, Patrick jumped out, helmet still on, and stormed into her team hauler, leaving a trail of media behind her.

    It was the second time in three days her race was ruined by a crash that was no fault of her own. Thursday she got bumped by Aric Almirola; Saturday it was Whitt.

    “I don’t think it’s ever great when teammates come together,” she said afterward. “We’ll have to figure out what happened and move forward.”

    As Whitt explained it, the two were trying to use the two-car draft to move to the front, with him playing the role of the pusher.

    “We’re teammates,” he said. “We want our team to win. I mean, that’s why we were pushing each other anyways – we want to get our team up front together.”

    When told Patrick expressed her dissatisfaction over the radio, Whitt responded, “I wouldn’t expect her to be happy about it. I wouldn’t be happy about it either. I don’t know why anyone would expect her to be like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s great.’ ”

    The wreck ruined what could have been a storybook day for Patrick, who on Friday became just the second woman ever to win a pole position for a Nationwide Series race. Starting up front, Patrick teamed up with her boss, Dale Earnhardt Jr., to lead the first two laps of Saturday’s race.

    She was running comfortably in the top 20 at the time of the accident. She wound up 38th.
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