At least one person is dead and several people are wounded this evening after a masked shooter opened fire at Clackamas Town Center, a mall in suburban Portland, Ore.

Police said the shooter had been "neutralized," but would not say whether the person was alive or dead.

"This is no longer an active shooter," Clackamas County Sheriff's Office spokesman Lt. James Rhodes said. "I believe the shooter has been neutralized and we are securing the mall, securing the scene and treating the wounded."

There was not an exact count of those killed or wounded, he said.

"We believe there's at least one deceased and maybe more," he said. "We know there are multiple wounded. Lifeline has landed to treat at least one of those wounded and we're set up to treat them as we find them as we search the mall."

Hundreds of people were evacuated from the busy mall full of holiday shoppers after the shooting began at around 3:30 p.m. PT.

Witnesses described seeing a gunman who looked like a teenager with a white hockey mask, wearing what was believed to be a black, bulletproof vest and carrying an assault rifle.

The person entered the mall through a Macy's store, ran through the upper level of Macy's and opened fire near the mall food court, firing multiple shots, one right after another, with what is believed to be a black, semiautomatic rifle, according to witness reports.

Witnesses described the shooter as being on a mission and determined, looking straight ahead.

Those interviewed said that Macy's shoppers and store employees huddled in a dressing room to avoid being found.

Evan Walters told ABC News Radio that he was locked in a store for his safety and he saw two people shot and heard multiple gunshots.

Beyonce has signed a $50 million deal with Pepsi, The New York Times reports. The agreement includes traditional promotional appearances and a new commercial, but also the beverage company's investment in a number of the singer's creative projects.

Pepsi's move is in line with a trend toward content creation as advertisers seek new inroads into the music business and labels' marketing budgets continue to decline. Red Bull -- through its Red Bull Music Academy and Red Bull Media House -- has been funding original content for some time now, as have Scion and Converse.

Beyonce will appear in a new TV spot for Pepsi, a brand she has been involved with since 2002. Her previous ads have included Britney Spears, P!NK, Jennifer Lopez and David Beckham. She's also performing at the Super Bowl halftime show, which is sponsored by Pepsi.

Billboard notes that Pepsi and rival Coca-Cola are the biggest players in advertisements that touch on music. The two companies have spent over $330 million on campaigns involving entertainment and sports figures. The Times notes that both brands each spent $148 million on domestic advertising in the first six months of 2012.

Jay-Z and Beyonce were the highest-paid celebrity couple of the year. Beyonce earned $40 million to Jay-Z's $38 million.

The "Love on Top" singer's face will also appear on a limited edition run of Pepsi cans. Other artist recently featured by the brand include One Direction and Nicki Minaj.

Guys, have you ever worried you don’t have that elusive something that women crave? Perhaps you think you lack a devil-may-care attitude that the ladies love, or that you don’t have a Jon Stewart-esque wit that would win someone’s heart. Relax! We spoke to relationship experts and women across the country and learned that those attributes men believe are impressive just don’t cut it. In fact, the qualities that attract women may surprise you... and, chances are, you possess at least one of them. Learn how to embrace these six traits for dating success.

1. She loves that you’re a man of few words
It’s no secret that women love to communicate with the men in their lives. “Women like to connect, and when that happens, they will melt,” says Emerson E. Eggerichs, Ph.D., author of Love and Respect: The Love She Most Desires, The Respect He Desperately Needs. Of course, when most men hear that, they cringe, thinking it means long, drawn-out talks about every feeling either of you has ever had since you met. Wrong! According to Dr. Eggerichs, women don’t need lots of verbiage from men. The truth is, your lady can get the same communication from you via eye contact — without a single word being uttered. Simply stand face-to-face with her, look into her eyes, and show your affection with a simple physical gesture — say, holding her arm or caressing her face. “It’s in their very nature for women to want you to look at them,” Dr. Eggerichs explains. “Infant girls make eye contact with adults who are around them, while boys make eye contact but look away if there’s a mobile, ceiling fan or anything else to distract them overhead.” Cultivate your connection with a little unabashed eye contact, and you’ll be on the fast track to winning her heart.

2. She loves your hairy body — really!
Wait, she likes your what?! That’s right, go ahead and cancel that back-waxing appointment. A study at the Zoological Society of San Diego (of people, not animals) revealed that women are more attracted to men with furry bodies, regardless of the silhouette. Scientists theorize that body hair advertises good health and active hormones, making it a positive sign in the selection of a mate. For further proof, just listen to Laura McNeely of Spring, TX: “I always love noticing that a guy, especially a clean-cut one, has a little bit of chest hair sticking up out of his Oxford shirt. It’s like saying, ‘I may have an uptight job, but there’s a caveman lurking inside.’”

3. She loves your unnatural emotional attachment to your favorite sports team
Most men learn by their teens to downplay their obsession with professional sports in front of the ladies. But dating coach David Wygant says that revealing certain elements of your big-league insanity to a woman will make her feel more connected to you. “Men try to hide when our eyes get all wet during the last 30 seconds of a game or when we see our fellow men get all emotional on the sidelines, but after a long season, we need that emotional release,” Wygant says. And the truth is, women would rather see you get sappy over sports than never see you act mushy at all — it lets them know there’s a sensitive guy underneath. And if you are prone to hugging your friends after your team wins? You just added some bonus points!

4. She loves when you act tough
While women often want an evolved, emotionally available man these days, putting a little “wild man” demeanor into your repertoire can equal popularity on the dating scene. “Most women want bad-boy qualities so they don’t have to act perfect all the time,” says Nancy Slotnick, author of Turn Your Cablight On: Get Your Dream Man in 6 Months or Less. After all, if a woman is afraid to be anything less than perfect in front of you, your relationship will be stifled and you’ll both end up bored. Anne Giddens of Wilmington, NC, adds: “A lot of guys are total gentlemen on dates, so being with someone who mouths off a bit shows that he’ll protect me if something happens. And that, in turn, makes me feel girlie and taken care of. It’s a total turn-on.” Hint at your bad-boy side by being slightly protective of your girl when someone else talks to her, suggesting thrill-type dates — which can increase adrenaline production and promote physical attraction — or simply planning a date without consulting her (spontaneity in general is a good thing). Of course, don’t do anything that’s actually disrespectful or dangerous — that’s not the kind of bad-boy behavior anyone wants.

5. She loves your artistic side
You don’t need a massive paycheck to appeal to the ladies. They actually find the “I’m working on a screenplay” lifestyle alluring. One study found that artists and poets had experienced a total of 4-10 romantic partners, while people with less creative jobs had three. According to the study’s author, Daniel Nettle, Ph.D., a psychology lecturer at Newcastle University in the UK, creative people tend to be charismatic and their artistic pursuits are particularly interesting to others. The study also found that the number of romantic partners an artsy type had increased when he spent more time on creative, right-brained pursuits. And you don’t have to be a starving artist to appeal to women. Even if you’re an investment analyst, you might play the saxophone on the side. So flaunt that hobby — women dig guys with creativity.

With the 12-12-12 benefit concert for Hurricane Sandy just around the corner, controversy is stirring about ticket sales for the event.

All profits from the concert, which features performances by The Rolling Stones, Kanye West, Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, and Alicia Keys, among others, are supposed to benefit victims of the superstorm. However, when tickets to the event sold out in minutes, scalpers saw an opportunity for a quick profit of their own.


While even the standard fee that Ticketmaster collects will be going to the concert beneficiary, the Robin Hood Foundation, there is no way to force the ticket scalpers to fork over their personal profits to the charity as well.

New York's U.S. Senator Charles Schumer spoke out against the scalping and urged ticketing sites to keep scalpers from turning a profit on resales.

“Every dollar spent for these concert tickets should go to help the victims of Superstorm Sandy – not to line the pocket of unscrupulous scalpers,” Senator Schumer said in an statement. “Ticket resale websites have the opportunity to make it much more difficult for scalpers to make money of this charitable event, and they should seize it.”

Currently, tickets are listed on StubHub for as much as $27,175. With the highest face-value price of a ticket reaching $2,500, scalpers are in a position to make an enormous profit. While StubHub is donating its service fees and commissions to the Robin Hood Foundation, it isn't regulating the reselling of tickets. NYT reports that StubHub's spokesman, Glenn Lehrman, said about the company's decision, “This is going to take place regardless of whether we enable it or somebody else does, and at least by us enabling it, we can give a good portion to charity.”

Ticketmaster's resale sites, however, are not allowing tickets for 12-12-12 to be sold.

"We proactively blocked all posts for 12-12-12 as is our policy for charitable events," a representative for TicketsNow and TicketExchange said in an email.

Police believe he was from Africa, probably from Angola, but they don't know his identity.

The mystery began in September when residents of a suburban street in the Mortlake neighborhood of West London woke up on a quiet Sunday morning to find the crumpled body of a black man on the sidewalk of Portman Avenue, near a convenience store, an upscale lingerie shop and a storefront offering Chinese medical cures.

Detectives believed at first the man was a murder victim and cordoned off the area. Within a day, however, police concluded the man — probably already dead — had fallen to the ground when a jet passing overhead lowered its landing gear as it neared the runway at nearby Heathrow Airport.

The apparent stowaway had no identification papers — just some currency from Angola, leading police to surmise that he was from that African nation, especially as inquiries showed that a plane from Angola was beginning its descent into Heathrow at about that time.

The macabre explanation made perfect sense to residents, who are familiar not only with the roar of the jets descending, but are also able to see the planes lower their landing gears as they pass overhead, said Catherine Lambert, who lives a few doors down from the spot where the man landed.

"You could see him, his body was contorted," she said. "It was a beautiful blue day, really sunny, but we had to keep the children inside. I didn't want the children to see, and to have to explain to them and put fear into them every time a plane goes over."

A post mortem conducted two days after the body landed listed the cause of death as "multiple injuries."

In the days afterward, some neighbors put flowers on the spot where the stowaway was found, and a small group of Angolans who live in the London area came to place more flowers and to pray. Lambert, 41, said there is lingering sadness, since the man has not been identified and there has been no way to tell his family he is gone.

"I felt, what was he running away from? What made him think he could he could? And how will his family ever know? He's a lost soul now; his father and mother are probably waiting for him to make contact," she said.

A London police spokesman, who wasn't authorized to speak on the record because of force policy, said Sunday that police are appealing to the public for help identifying the man based on a composite image of his face and a photo of a tattoo on his left arm. The tattoo showed the letters "Z'' and "G'' inked on his upper arm, with a horizontal line through the "Z''.

Police also said attempts to identify the man with the help of Angolan authorities had been unsuccessful. They stressed there is only "circumstantial" evidence linking the stowaway to that country.

Sudan and South Sudan have asked the African Union to help hammer out details of a proposed withdrawal of troops from their disputed border, defense ministers from both countries said on Monday, as stalled talks continued to delay oil exports.

Week-long negotiations in Khartoum failed to reach an agreement on how to withdraw their armies, a step both sides had said was necessary to resume oil exports from landlocked South Sudan through Sudan.

"We will meet in Addis Ababa on the 15th to continue our meeting and dialogue on how to implement the cooperation deals signed by Sudan and South Sudan in Addis Ababa," Sudan's defense minister, Abdel Raheem Mohammed Hussein, told reporters.

His southern counterpart, John Kong Nyuon, said some "issues" remained unresolved. The talks in the Ethiopian capital will be brokered by AU mediator Thabo Mbeki.

In September, the former civil war foes agreed to end hostilities and restart oil exports after coming close to war in April, the worst violence since South Sudan seceded from Sudan last year after decades of civil war.

South Sudan's top negotiator Pagan Amum had raised hopes for the Khartoum talks by saying oil exports could restart this month. But Juba has delayed turning on oil wells, originally scheduled for November 15.

South Sudan, which inherited three-quarters of oil production when it broke away, shut down its output of 350,000 barrels a day in January after tensions over pipeline fees escalated.

Lingering disputes have continued to fuel conflict between the neighboring countries.

Sudan said last week it will not allow South Sudan's oil exports to flow through its territory until Juba cuts ties with anti-Khartoum rebels and expels their leaders, dampening hopes bilateral tensions were over.

 While the name of the play may not indicate it’s a holiday tale, Theatre Macon Director Jim Crisp deliberately chose “Meet Me In St. Louis” for the holidays.

“We have to do something really happy and I love this because of the sweetness of the story. It’s about a family and it is openly and unabashedly nostalgic. It harks back to an era or eras in our past lives when things seemed a little simpler and easier and Christmas was about family and spending those times together,” he said.

While most people may be familiar with the film, featuring Judy Garland, Crisp is certain that the story translates to the stage wonderfully.

“This show is so lovely to do on stage. It features a family in St. Louis looking forward to the World’s Fair next summer. Suddenly, the father announces that they will move to New York City and the family is shattered,” Crisp said. “The family is rooted in St. Louis and it was a time when people felt a stronger connection to the places where they lived.”

The show takes place over the better part of a year, but the highlight is undeniably the Christmas Ball.

“This year, as they prepare to move to New York, the ball is bittersweet for the Smith family, who believe they are spending their last Christmas in their childhood home. This feeling still resonates strongly with people. We live in a world now where people lose connections to hometowns and the places where their families are from and families struggle with these issues. But the song ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ remains a favorite for a reason,” he said.

Crisp called the show’s cast “superb. ... Jim Penndorf is our musical director, as always, and is doing a marvelous job getting the cast prepared. We have 27 people in the cast, including an incredibly strong group as the family and romance interests.”

Mother and father are being played by Matt Astin and Gail Johnson. Esther, the Judy Garland role, is being played by Kailey Rhodes, whose husband, Matt Hlavity, plays Warren Sheffield, the young heir of the Sheffield fortune from New York. The boy next door is being played by Tayler Darnell. Rose is played by Lauren Paris.

Given that the show is a period piece, special attention has been given to the set and costumes.

“It’s set in 1904 and it is a beautiful period for costumes for both men and women. Shelley Kuhen is designing a beautiful set of costumes for this show. While the opening number sets up the location very well as being in St. Louis, so much of the play takes place inside the home and on their front porch that it really is about this family’s life in their home,” he said. “The main goal was to create a period look inside the home. I want people to have the sense that they are looking through a window back in time to this wonderful era and into the family’s life. ... This play is really just perfect for the holiday season. Everyone will enjoy it.”

 Congress and the White House can significantly soften the initial impact of the "fiscal cliff" even if they fail to reach a compromise by Dec. 31. One thing they cannot control, however, is the financial markets' reaction, which possibly could be a panicky sell-off that triggers economic reversals worldwide.

The stock market's unpredictability is perhaps the biggest wild card in the political showdown over the fiscal cliff.

President Barack Obama's re-election gives him a strong negotiating hand, as Republicans are increasingly acknowledging. And some Democrats are willing to let the Dec. 31 deadline pass, because a rash of broad-based tax hikes would pressure Republicans to give more ground in renewed deficit-reduction negotiations.

A chief fear for Obama's supporters, however, is that Wall Street would be so disgusted or dismayed that stocks would plummet before lawmakers could prove their newfound willingness to mitigate the fiscal cliff's harshest measures, including deep, across-the-board spending cuts that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says could significantly damage the nation's military posture. Some Republicans believe that fear will temper the president's insistence on a hard bargain this month. Obama and GOP House Speaker John Boehner on Sunday held their first meeting between just the two of them since the election, and spokesmen for both emphasized afterward their lines of communication remain open.

The so-called cliff's recipe of major tax hikes and spending cuts can actually be a gentle slope, because the policy changes would be phased in over time. Washington insiders say Congress and the White House would move quickly in January or February to undo many, but not all, of the tax hikes and spending cuts.

Financial markets, however, respond to emotion as well as to research, reason and promises. If New Year's headlines scream "Negotiations Collapse," an emotional sell-off could threaten the president's hopes for continued economic recovery in his second term, even if Republicans receive most of the blame for the impasse.

"Nobody can predict the markets' reaction," said Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn.

Some Republicans are surprised that the White House has not made clearer efforts to reassure Wall Street that if the Dec. 31 deadline is breached, the worrisome pile of tax increases and spending cuts would not hit all at once.

A few liberal commentators are making just that case.

"If we go past the so-called fiscal cliff deadlines and all the resulting budget cuts and tax increases come into force, the administration can minimize the damage," Washington Post columnist E.J. Dionne wrote last week. "Obama can publicly announce he is delaying any cuts, on the theory that Congress will eventually vitiate some of them. And he can make sure the bond markets know of his plans well in advance. ... Everyone (especially Wall Street) should calm down."

Some financial bloggers agree. "Although it would be bad to let the spending cuts and tax hikes fully go into effect, if this thing is addressed in early January, things will be okay," wrote Business Insider's Joe Weisenthal.

So far, the stock markets have stayed calm. The S&P 500 index is up 12 percent for the year.

That might be because investors agree that a temporary trip over the cliff wouldn't be too harmful. Chastened lawmakers, the thinking goes, would quickly minimize the economic damage with a deficit-reduction compromise that eluded them in December.

Many on the Arizona Cardinals must have been thinking about that old cliche during  a soggy Sunday afternoon at CenturyLink field, where the Seattle Seahawks defeated — or some would say destroyed — the Cardinals, 58-0.

The 58-point spread set a Seattle Seahawks franchise record for the biggest point differential in team history. It also set a Cardinals record for worst loss in franchise history.

And for an Arizona Cardinals team that came into the game 0-8 in the team’s last eight games, the Seahawks didn’t let up from the moment Steven Hauschka booted a 31-yard field goal to put the Hawks up 3-0 in the first quarter.

The Seahawks dominated in nearly every category. The team had 22 first downs to the Cardinals 10. Marshawn Lynch rushed for 128 yards and three touchdowns, compared to Arizona runningback William Powell’s 20 yards on five carries. Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson went 7-for-13 with a passer rating of 88 compared to John Skelton’s passer rating of 18.

But most stunning was the difference in turnover ratio. Skelton threw 4 interceptions, including a pick-6 to cornerback Richard Sherman in the second quarter, and the team lost four fumbles in a game were the ball certainly never bounced the Cardinals’ way. The Hawks NFC West division rivals never even made it into the Red-Zone.

After Sherman’s interception return for a touchdown, the Seahawks hardly looked threatened. The Hawks scored 28 points in the second quarter alone, including a Malcolm Smith fumble recovery for a touchdown, a Wilson TD pass and a Marshawn Lynch TD run.

Hawks fans even got their first taste of off-season free-agent signing Matt Flynn after Russell Wilson was pulled out of the game in the third quarter. Flynn went 5-for-9, passing for 68 yards and no touchdowns.

The Brazilian supermodel - who has a two-year-old son Benjamin with husband Tom Brady - gave birth to daughter Vivian Lake at home on Wednesday (05.12.12) and says the little girl is doing well.

She wrote on her Facebook page alongside a picture of Vivian holding her hand: "We feel so lucky to have been able to experience the miracle of birth once again and are forever grateful for the opportunity to be the parents of another little angel.

"Vivian Lake was born at home on December 5. She is healthy and full of life."

The 32-year-old beauty went on to thank her fans on behalf of her and her family for all their congratulatory messages.

She added: "Thank you all for your support and well wishes. We wish you and your families many blessings."

Tom - who plays football for the New England Patriots, who are based in the Greater Boston area - also has a five-year-old son, John, with ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan.

Gisele never officially confirmed her pregnancy, but showed off her changing shape last month, donning a leopard print bikini on the beach in Miami.

Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera died in a plane crash Saturday night, her father and brother confirmed on Telemundo.

"She never gave up and she was good to everyone," said her father, Pedro, about his daughter’s legacy outside of his home in Lakewood, Calif.

The wreckage of the plane was found Sunday in northern Mexico with no apparent survivors, authorities said.

The wreckage was found in the Ejido La Colorada, Municipality of  Nuevo Leon. Gerardo Ruiz Esparza, secretary of communications and transport, said that the plane was not recognizable, but the evidence suggested it was the aircraft carrying the singer, Telemundo reported.

Officials said Rivera's Learjet went off the radar about 62 miles from Monterrey after taking off at 3:15 a.m. local time.

Singer Jenni Rivera, seen here during the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, in January, was aboard a plane that went missing shortly after leaving the northern Mexican city of Monterrey early Sunday.

Rivera was heading for the city of Toluca in central Mexico after a concert in Monterrey on Saturday night. The singer, two pilots and four other passengers were aboard, Mexican officials said.

Jorge Domene, spokesman for Nuevo Leon's government told Milenio television that civilian agency helicopters flew over the state searching for the plane. The missing included her publicist, lawyer, makeup artist and the flight crew, the ministry of transportation and communication said in a statement.

In a photo posted on her Twitter account on Friday, Jenni Rivera can be seen referencing her concert in Monterrey. In the photo she is seen holding up a sign with the words, "Nos Vemos este 7 en Colima, 8-en Monterrey. I love you!"  Translation: "See you this 7th in Colima, 8 in Monterrey."

Paris Hilton has been dating 21-year-old Spanish model River Viiperi for a few months now, and this weekend their relationship went to a whole new level: They wore matching outfits to the pool.

The blonde was spotted in a one-piece, one-shoulder swimsuit and matching coverup at their Miami hotel Saturday. Her muscular beau wore a hoodie in the same print. Unfortunately, his swim trunks did not match (instead they were from Hollister Co.) and he opted out of wearing a floppy sunhat like Hilton and wore a baseball cap instead.

When a fan commented on their "amazing" matching outfits on Twitter, Hilton responded with "#Twins" and a winking face. Clearly, their coordinating ensembles were well planned, and not the result of something like, uh, losing a bet.

The pair have been soaking up the sun and lounging by the water by day, then attending clubs and Art Basel events by night. Oh, and both have been sure to keep their online followers abreast of all of their fun. Hilton tweeted Saturday that she wished she could be in Las Vegas to see the Manny Pacquiao fight, however, she settled for partying with Tiesto and her friends and siblings at LIV Miami.

Must Read collection of famous quotes by the great Indian Political Pundit and economist Chanakya !


Dharma is at root of Happiness
Sukha Mula Dharma

By happiness , Chanakya Means to happiness of the people and by dharma is meant the dutifulness of the rulers. As long as the the ruler or the administrator is conscious of his duties towards the people , they will be happy and contended.

Wealth is at root of Dharma ( Dutifulness)
Dharmasya Mulartha

In order to govern the state well and to keep his people happy and contented , wealth is essential welfare of the people is not possible without money.

Prosperity or wealth depends on ( Good governance ) of the state
Arthasya Mula Rajyam

In order to promote prosperity of the people and stability of the state. It is essential that the state is run efficiently.

Victory over the senses ( self control ) is the root of ( stability of ) state.
Rajyamoolmindrajaya

One who is able to control and conquer his desires , is alone , competent to rule the state in a just , impartial and benovolent manner.

Humbleness is at the root of sense control.
Indriajayasya Moola vinaya

In order to control over one's senses, one has to be humble and modest. It is the learning that makes man humble. A ruler with an inflated ego and arrogance cannot be a good ruler. If he gets down to solving the people's Problems , He has to become humble to succeed.

Attending the elders is the root of humbleness.
Vinayasya Moola vradhopsewa

Irrespective of their status in the society , the ruler has to begin by looking after the needs of the aged.

True Knowledge ( or wisdom ) results from the service of elders.
Vradhasewya Vigyanam

Methods and Techniques of governance can be learnt from the texts but the wisdom of the aged and experienced provides accurate practical knowledge.When the theory and practice come together. It is called Wisdom.

With wisdom one becomes capable.
Vigyanenatmanam sampadyet

Wisdom raises the quality of governance the wisdom is the combination of theory and practice. It makes the ruler more capable and more efficient.


A capable king only become victorious.
Sampaditatma Jitatma Bhavati

Once the ruler has conquered his desires, He becomes wise and strong enough to conquer others.

The Victorious ( King) happens to attain all the riches.
Jitatma Sarvarth sanyujayat

It is necessary for a good and successful ruler to keep his desires under control. If he succeeds in doing so. He cannot only get his wishes fulfilled but also gain prosperity.

Economic Prosperity of the state create prosperity for the people
Arthasampat Prakratisampada karoti

A prosperous ruler will govern the state well , take up welfare activities for the people and promote commercial activities with the result that soon the people also become prosperous.

Kristen Stewart has told HuffPost Entertainment that she will indeed star opposite Ben Affleck in a comedy titled "Focus."

"I can confirm that rumor," she said, referring to Internet reports that began surfacing last month. "It's a comedy. I'm really excited about it. We start shooting in April."

On November 2, Deadline Hollywood reported that Stewart had entered talks to appear in the Warner Bros. production as "an inexperienced con artist who hooks up with the more seasoned Affleck." According to the report, the film will be written and directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, who previously teamed up on "Crazy, Stupid, Love."

Subsequent reports claimed that the role would call on Stewart, 22, to shoot some "passionate" love scenes with Affleck, 40. Affleck was also quoted saying that he hoped Stewart would take the role because she's "terrific."

Stewart told HuffPost that she does not have any other projects lined up, but "would love to find some micro-project before then, because April is kind of a ways away."

Stewart recently finished a world tour promoting "Breaking Dawn 2," the fifth and final installment in the "Twilight" series, which turned her into a global superstar. She is now making the awards-circuit rounds in support of her next film, "On the Road," an indie adaptation of the famous Jack Kerouac novel, due out on December 21.

"On the Road" could give Stewart a shot at an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress, but Affleck is deep in the Oscar hunt with "Argo," which is expected to snag nominations for best picture, best director, and best supporting actor, among others.

South Korean rapper and Internet sensation PSY is apologizing to Americans for participating in anti-U.S. protests several years ago.

Park Jae-sang, who performs as PSY, issued a statement Friday after reports surfaced that he had participated in concerts protesting the U.S. military presence in South Korea during the early stages of the Iraq war.

At a 2004 concert, the "Gangnam Style" rapper performs a song with lyrics about killing "Yankees" who have been torturing Iraqi captives and their families "slowly and painfully." During a 2002 concert, he smashed a model of a U.S. tank on stage.

"While I'm grateful for the freedom to express one's self, I've learned there are limits to what language is appropriate and I'm deeply sorry for how these lyrics could be interpreted," he wrote in the statement. "I will forever be sorry for any pain I have caused by those words."

The 34-year-old rapper says the protests were part of a "deeply emotional" reaction to the war and the death of two Korean school girls, who were killed when a U.S. military vehicle hit them as they walked alongside the road. He noted anti-war sentiment was high around the world at the time.

PSY attended college in the U.S. and says he understands the sacrifices U.S. military members have made to protect South Korea and other nations. He has recently performed in front of servicemen and women.

"And I hope they and all Americans can accept my apology," he wrote. "While it's important that we express our opinions, I deeply regret the inflammatory and inappropriate language I used to do so. In my music, I try to give people a release, a reason to smile. I have learned that thru music, our universal language we can all come together as a culture of humanity and I hope that you will accept my apology."

His participation in the protests was no secret in South Korea, where the U.S. has had a large military presence since the Korean War, but was not generally known in America until recent news reports.

PSY did not write "Dear American," a song by the Korean band N.EX.T, but he does perform it. The song exhorts the listener to kill the Yankees who are torturing Iraqi captives, their superiors who ordered the torture and their families. At one point he raps: "Kill their daughters, mothers, daughters-in-law, and fathers/Kill them all slowly and painfully."

Lady Gaga broke one of her personal rules to offer a little support to her friend Tamar Braxton.

Braxton released her new single "Love & War" on Thursday, receiving an extra promotional push from Lady Gaga through a tweet the singer sent to her fans.

After just one day on iTunes, the single claimed the top spot on the U.S. chart -- beating out Rihanna and Taylor Swift during it's ascent. Tamar performed the track during an episode of her television show "Tamar & Vince" and teased an acapella version of the track during an interview with ABC News Radio.


Tamar Braxton rose to fame through the hit WE reality show "Braxton Family Values." It followed the interactions of her and her four sisters, including R&B legend Toni Braxton. Tamar released her debut album "Tamar" in "2000," but according to Billboard, the album never charted.

Tamar was shocked by the single's instant success, telling Essecnce.com it surpassed her expectations.

"I definitely did not expect this kind of response," said Braxton. "The single came out [yesterday], and it's number one!"

The group that complained about Ellen DeGeneres' appearance in a Christmas commercial for JC Penney is not going to pursue further protests of the ad, a group spokeswoman said Thursday.

"We're not taking action, we're moving on," One Million Moms director Monica Cole told The Christian Post. "We've already contacted the company."

On Tuesday, the group posted about the ad on its website, saying "JCP has made their choice to offend a huge majority of their customers again. Christians must now vote with their wallets."


The commercial in question is a 30-minute spot featuring DeGeneres in a diner accidentally making short jokes while chatting with three of Santa's elves.

Cole told The Christian Post that the group's web post was not "an attack on any one person or company," but was targeted at "the agenda behind it." She described DeGeneres to the Post as "a strong gay activist" and said that her appearance, not the ad's content, was at issue.

She also told the Post that the group's web alert was posted due to requests by members of the organization.

The group first drew attention to JC Penney's use of DeGeneres as a spokeswoman back in February. The store did not drop DeGeneres.

"They wanted to get me fired and I am proud and happy to say JC Penney stuck by their decision to make me their spokesperson," DeGeneres told her studio audience in March, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The group's protest of the elf ad drew plenty of puzzled reaction online.

Cacia Griggs knew she had to do something about her obesity when she broke her daughter's bed while tucking her in one evening.

Since that horrible night one year ago, Griggs, 26, has lost 112 pounds and married her fiancé in a beautiful wedding dress with the help of a local weight center in Peterborough, England.

Her daughter, Isabelle, now four, noticed Griggs's incredible transformation. "She commented about how I didn't have a big belly anymore and she loved doing exercise with me," Griggs told Yahoo! Shine. "She was also great at reprimanding me when I tried to take something from her plate. She would say, 'mummy you're not allowed these, you'll get a big belly again!'

In fact, the major motivating factor for Griggs was concern for her daughter's future weight. After reading an article in the newspaper about how children of obese parents are more likely to be obese themselves, Griggs strengthened her resolve to lose weight. "It might as well have been written about me and my daughter," she said in an interview with the Daily Mail. "She was already starting to copy my bad eating habits, asking for the fizzy drinks and junk food that I was eating. The thought of subjecting my beautiful little girl to a lifetime of weight-battling misery and ill health was too much for me to bear."


[Cacia on her wedding day.] Cacia on her wedding day.The Journal of Pediatrics conducted the study Griggs read about, which determined that there are five factors in whether a child will become obese. The main risk factor is parental weight. "Nearly 80 percent of obese 10- to 14-year-olds with an obese parent will be obese as adults," the Yale Medical Group summarized.

Griggs's commitment required major lifestyle changes, such as cutting out high calorie foods and introducing regular exercise into her schedule. She began her diet on a meal replacement plan, only drinking shakes and eating protein bars. She then slowly reintroduced healthier foods, mostly vegetables and protein. "Now I love seafood and vegetables. I noticed how colorful my plate was becoming," Griggs told Yahoo! Shine. "The increase of water made a massive difference not only to weight loss but to my skin and energy levels."

Doesn't look like Chad Henne's doing too badly after getting let go by Miami only to sit on the bench behind Blaine Gabbert in Jacksonville. Check out this cuddly little photo courtesy of the Facebook page of Henne's wife, Brittany, his girl since he was 14.

His and hers onesies? You're either throwing up or jealous right now. Either way, give it up to Chad for his perfect execution of a happy-wife-happy-life end around.

Henne could have more reasons to smile if Jacksonville figures out it's better off with him under center rather than Gabbert, who's out for the season with an arm injury. All Henne has done in the three games since taking over at quarterback for the Jaguars is throw for 817 yards and seven touchdowns.

 A federal appeals court on Monday upheld a $319 million verdict over profits from the game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" and rejected Walt Disney Co.'s request for a new trial.

A jury decided in 2010 that Disney hid the show's profits from its creators, London-based Celador International. The ruling Monday by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found no issues with the verdict or with a judge's rulings in the case.

"I am pleased that justice has been done," Celador Chairman Paul Smith said in a statement.

Disney did not immediately comment on the decision.

The ruling comes more than two years after the jury ruled in Celador's favor after a lengthy trial that featured testimony from several top Disney executives. The company sued in 2004, claiming Disney was using creative accounting to hide profits from the show, which first ran in the United States from August 1999 to May 2002 and was a huge hit for ABC.

The jury found that Celador was owed $269.2 million, and a judge later added $50 million in interest to the judgment.

The appeals court determined the verdict was not "grossly excessive or monstrous" and that it was not based on speculation or guesswork.

Late-night talk show host David Letterman was honored at the 35th Annual Kennedy Center Honors on Saturday night in New York. There to help him celebrate was his wife, Regina Lasko.

Lasko, a former staff member on Letterman’s show, began dating Dave in 1986. Their son was born in 2003. Normally, the attendance of a spouse at a prestigious ceremony wouldn't be particularly noteworthy. However, Lasko's appearance marked what may have been the couple's first public outing together since the Letterman blackmail scandal of 2009.

Back then, Letterman admitted to having had an affair with an assistant and told authorities that a staff member was attempting to blackmail him with the information. Rather than pay up, Letterman went public on his show, apologizing to Lasko, who he married just a few months before, in front of his late-night audience.

    "My wife, Regina, she has been horribly hurt by my behavior. And when something happens like that, if you hurt a person and it's your responsibility, you try to fix it. At that point there is only two things that can happen: Either you are going to make some progress and get it fixed, or you're gonna fall short and perhaps not get it fixed. So let me tell you folks, I got my work cut out for me."

Of course, none of this was alluded to at the Kennedy Honors. Letterman was introduced by Stephen Colbert, who praised Letterman for his "stupid" comedy. "Dave was stupid. Dave was ours. Dave was like us," Cobert said. "We wanted to throw things off of buildings... We would love to stick our heads out the window of 30 Rock and yell at passers-by, 'I'm not wearing any pants!'"

President Obama also poked fun at Letterman: "It's different when you're not the one with the mic, isn't it, Dave? You're looking a little stressed, aren't you? I'd also point out it's a lot warmer here [at the White House] than it is on Dave's set."


The Kennedy Center Honors will be broadcast on CBS on December 26. Also honored this year: musician Buddy Guy, actor Dustin Hoffman, rock band Led Zeppelin, and dancer Natalia Makarova.

Sen. John Kerry, the next secretary of state?

Republican Sen. John McCain had some fun Monday at the expense of his friend and Democratic colleague. Responding to a Kerry introduction at a news conference on a disabilities treaty, McCain said, “thank you very much, Mr. Secretary.”

It was a clear reference to the recent talk that Kerry is a top candidate to replace Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. It was also a nod to McCain’s opposition to the current front-runner, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice.

Kerry gave it back with his own quip, one that pained McCain.

“Thank you very much Mr. President,” Kerry said when he returned to the microphone. McCain unsuccessfully sought the presidency in 2000 and 2008.

The HBO Girls star, 27, welcomed her second child with husband Michael Mosberg, Us Weekly confirms.

A source tells Us, "Jemima and Mike had the baby about a week ago. It's a boy named Memphis. The Girls crew and Lena [Dunham] are so happy for her!" (Kirke and attorney Mosberg are already parents to daughter Rafaella, 2.)

Girls creator and Kirke's costar Lena Dunham hinted at the baby news on Nov. 21 by tweeting, "Yesterday was amazing. One of my friends had a baby, one got engaged and the doctor told me the bump on my tongue is nothing to worry about."

In an interview with Vulture earlier this year, Kirke, who is also a painter, revealed she hopes to have a big family in the future. "I want lots of kids and I want a garden and I hope to stay married to my husband," she said. "I hope to be working in some way that fulfills me."

World-famous brunette Kate Middleton debuted a daring new hairstyle at London's Natural History Museum Tues. Nov. 27 -- with cropped, side-swept layers that framed her face, and her longer locks in loose, sexy waves.


The Duchess of Cambridge put the stylish new 'do to the ultimate test the next day when she and husband Prince William arrived in the town of Cambridge for the opening of a new hospital. The chilly late-November wind threatened to upend the future Queen's talked-about new tresses as she and William, both 30, waved to subjects from a balcony.

The Daily Mail reports that Kate (clad in a MaxMara Belli overcoat and dress with brown suede Aquatalia ankle boots) was visibly nervous dealing with the windy situation -- and even admitted to one royal subject that she was having second thoughts about the switch-up.

"I told her I loved her new hair style," spectator Joanne Baldwin told the Mail. "She said: "I'm not sure about it. It's a bit windy today." I said don't worry, it looks lovely.'"

During the day in Cambridge, Middleton also ran into a relative, Dr Penny Barton, first cousin to her father, Michael Middleton.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge waves to the crowds as she arrives at Cambridge Guildhall as she pays an official visit to Cambridge with Prince William, Duke of Cambridge on November 28, 2012 in Cambridge, England.   
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge waves to the crowds as she arrives at Cambridge Guildhall as she pays an official visit to Cambridge with Prince William, Duke of Cambridge on November 28, 2012 in Cambridge, England.

"She did look a bit surprised, although I think she knew I would be here," Barton told the paper. "The family is terribly thrilled and very very proud because we think she does a good job and it's not easy walking about talking to lots of people and being genuinely interested in who she meets."

The new Voice mentor, 35, showed off her growing baby bump in an Instagram picture Nov. 27. With her red shirt pulled up, the fresh-faced star leaned into her boyfriend, soccer player Gerard Pique, 25.

"I could have another nine months like this," the Colombian singer wrote in the caption.

Shakira announced her pregnancy Sept. 19 via Facebook. "Shakira is really looking forward to being a mother," a source close to the international superstar recently told Us Weekly. "They definitely want more than one together."
 What Shakira thinks of Taylor Swift's impersonation of her

The "Tortura" singer will welcome a baby boy in 2013. Shakira and Pique met in 2010 while shooting the video for her South Africa World Cup theme song, "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)."

Shakira will join Usher as a new mentor for The Voice's fourth season; the musicians, who have already begun filming, will be replacing Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green.

When all hell breaks loose above ground and the entire population is forced into the underground transit network to survive, who you used to be doesn't matter anymore. Your goal is to be a survivor. That's why the disheveled young lady in this live action trailer for Metro: Last Light is so terrified and, well, disheveled. Things have gone from great to awful for her if you want to take the time and get into her whole backstory.

However, I fully recommend watching the trailer and listening to the hot blonde with the Russian accent tell you how much she likes bullets. That's not what you expect from your typical super model. The bullets part, I mean. Russian accents are totally a part of super modeling. In any case, somebody find out who this actress is and let us know on Facebook so we can book a photoshoot with her.

 Well, I guess the house that boobs built will have to be home to another hedonistic, lingerie party loving couple! Lisa Hochstein has just listed her mansion featured in the infamous bitch slap n broom beat-down episode for $10.75 Million dollars.

The Real Housewives of Miami star recently purchased the home Lea Black wanted on Star Island, an elite celebrity resting ground and apparently they are finally ready to relocate to their next palace of boobs, butt implants, and Botox.

Dang – boob jobs buy a lot of equity – I may have to consider a career change! Dr. Lenny Hochstein, lover of bright colored man-blouses, built chateau, self-titled "Palacio del Eden," in 2007 and shortly after moved Fembot in to be his living recreation of his life's work.


According to AOL, the 10,000 square-foot home (that's it? pshaw!) boasts floor-to-ceiling marble columns, legendarily trashy parties, massive chandeliers, fresco ceilings, gilded detailing, stained glass windows, a silicone filled pool, Botox fountains, and everything a Real Housewives of New Jersey star wishes her house contained. That's code for tacky, tacky, tacky! 

Just imagine, all of that could be yours for a cool $10 mil. You can see photos of the monstrosity gilded palace below!

In other RHOM news, after a week off for holiday break, the ladies telenovella are back tonight with more crazy drama! Tonight's episode features bring your parents to work day as Lisa is forced to entertain her unsurgically altered, but demanding in-laws.

Joanna Krupa's mom appears and she shares the family's love of dysfunction. Adriana de Moura hosts a party for Frederic's parents. Meanwhile the Elaine Lancaster vs. Marysol Patton drama continues and reaches a breaking point! 

Family patriarch Joseph Jackson, 83, suffered a mild stroke yesterday morning in Las Vegas and is receiving treatment at an area hospital.

His pal Rutt Premsrirut said, “He’s fine.  He’s back to the regular Joe Jackson, cracking jokes and talking.”

Joe sought emergency medical treatment after having trouble standing up and walking.  He has suffered two similar incidents in the past five years.

The former Jackson 5 manager resides in Sin City and stays busy promoting several businesses and products.  His wife Katherine Jackson lives in Calabasas, California with Michael Jackson’s three children.

Harvard students who have bedroom proclivities that would make their parents’ faces go crimson will soon be able to share the details – in a school-sanctioned club for scholars who like kinky sex. An informal group that calls itself “Harvard College Munch” began meeting last year in the dining hall to discuss the sexual ties that bind them, and it is on the brink of gaining recognition from the school's Committee on Student Life.

    “Pretty much everyone who joins this club always thought they were alone.”

- "Michael," a Harvard student and kinky sex enthusiast

The committee expects to approve the group, along with 14 other student organizations, on Friday, The Harvard Crimson reports.

For charter members, such as one the school paper identified only as “Michael,” the recognition means future generations of students will be free to talk among themselves about all their nocturnal adventures.

“It’s a little hyperbolic for me to get teary-eyed and paternal about sophomores, but it’s really a joy to see the experience they will have now,” Michael told the Crimson.

In joining other student organizations, such as the Harvard Undergraduate Mathematics Association and the Harvard Undergraduate Maternal Health Initiative, the new, 20-member group will be allowed to apply for grants, openly recruit members and promote their, um, events.

“If you come to campus and you have the sexual interests we represent, you may not even suspect that such a group exists,” Michael told the Crimson, adding that recognition “shows we are being taken seriously.”

Harvard spokesman Jeff Neal said the school recognizes more than 400 independent student organizations, and the groups are required to submit an organizational constitution and agree to the school’s nondiscrimination and anti-hazing policies. Then, their fate is decided by a committee composed of students and administrators.

“The college does not endorse the views or activities of any independent student organization,” Neal told FoxNews.com. “Rather, it ensures that independent student organizations remain in compliance with all applicable provisions of the Handbook for Students.”

Nearly 20 years after 10-year-old Andrea Parsons vanished from her Florida neighborhood a convicted felon has been arrested and charged with her murder.

42-year-old Chester Duane Price was arrested Thursday and charged with killing Andrea, whose body has never been found. The arrest comes after Price voluntarily returned to the area to give testimony to a grand jury in the case, The Palm Beach Post reports.

Martin County Sheriff Robert Crowder said in a news conference Thursday detectives were led to Price after a team was assigned to review the evidence in the case last year.

“The resolve to find Andrea and get answers surrounding the circumstances of her disappearance has never wavered,” he said.

Price has an extensive criminal history dating back to 1991. He lived in the same county as Andrea at the time of her disappearance, and deputies said they had their eye on him from the beginning, according to The Palm Beach Post

“We were aware of him from the beginning of the investigation … He was one of our people of interest,” Crowder told TCPalm.com.

Andrea vanished on July 11, 1993 after making a trip to a convenience store. She had been home with Pat Daniels, her mother's boyfriend at the time. He told authorities he had given her permission to walk to the store and to visit a friend because she was bored. She never returned.

The Palm Beach Post reports Andrea's neighbor, Claude Davis, told investigators he had seen men stuff Andrea  into a car the night she disappeared. He then said he had been collecting cans with the girl when she hit her head on a trash can and died. He said he drove around looking for help, but eventually dumped Andrea's body in a trash bin.

Davis was charged with false imprisonment but the case was dropped in 1994 due to lack of evidence. He later served nine years in prison on unrelated charged, and told The Palm Beach Post in 2000 he did not know where Andrea was.

Jared Leto is dedicated to his craft. So dedicated, in fact, that he has fasted for the past month to embody his "Dallas Buyers Clubs" character, whittling down to a shockingly thin frame that has made him virtually unrecognizable.

Leto opened up about his dramatic weight loss for his role in "Dallas Buyers Club" during an interview with Vulture on Tuesday at the IFP Gotham Awards. "Your body goes through weird stages," Leto told Vulture of fasting. "Sometimes it's hard to hold on to water. But for me, it's not about the most weight I can lose, it's more to represent the character. I'm focused on what it means to be a transsexual woman."

At the awards show, some reporters didn't even notice the "My So-Called Life" heartthrob on the red carpet. "He actually looks like a young Courteney Cox," quipped Showbiz 411's Paula Schwartz. She added, "few journalists bothered interviewing him because they didn’t recognize who he was."

Leto apologized to the audience that night for his fast-inducing lightheadedness and his shaved eyebrows. Despite the physical toll, he has found deeper meaning in his transformation, telling Vulture, "Historically, people have done it for pursuit of self, to achieve a meditative state, so I'm hoping for that, and not the other things. It's not necessarily a bad thing."

This is not the first time Leto has drastically changed his weight for a movie role, ABC News notes. He lost 25 pounds to play a drug addict in 2000's "Requiem for a Dream," then gained 60 pounds to play Mark David Chapman in 2007's "Chapter 27."

In "Dallas Buyers Club," the 40-year-old plays Rayon, a transsexual woman with AIDS living in Texas in the 1980s. On-set photos of the actor dressed in drag surfaced earlier this month.

But, Leto is not the only one whose shocking weight loss is making headlines.

Leto's "Dallas Buyers Club" co-star, Matthew McConaughey, has also become dramatically skinny for his role. In the film, he plays Ron Woodroof, a drug taking, women loving, homophobic man who is diagnosed with AIDS in 1986.

McConaughey, who has had to drop 40 pounds from his 183-pound frame, also tries to view the weight loss goal differently. "If anything, it's as much a spiritual journey as it is physical," he told People magazine.

James Bond, Snow White and a whole lot of hobbits and superheroes are in the running for the visual-effects prize at the Academy Awards.

The superhero blockbusters "The Avengers," "The Dark Knight Rises" and "The Amazing Spider-Man" are among 10 films that made the cut for visual-effects nominations for the Oscars on Feb. 24.

The other seven contenders announced Thursday include the Bond adventure "Skyfall," "Snow White and the Huntsman," "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," "Cloud Atlas," "John Carter," "Life of Pi" and "Prometheus."

Members of the academy's visual-effects branch will view 10-minute excerpts from each of the films on Jan. 3, and then pick five nominees for the Oscars.

Republicans have rejected President Obama’s opening budget bid.

In a Capitol meeting with House Speaker John Boehner Thursday, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner submitted the Obama administration’s proposal for addressing medium term deficits, and avoiding across the board tax increases and spending cuts at the end of the year.

Republicans called the proposal outlandish and brushed it aside as unserious. But it’s almost entirely comprised of policies Obama campaigned on and included in his budget for the current fiscal year. And by satisfying GOP demands that Obama offer up a plan that includes spending cuts, it paints Republicans, who have been reluctant to specify their own Medicare cut proposal, into a tight corner.

The White House formally proposes to increase tax revenues by $1.6 trillion over 10 years by increasing top marginal income tax rates and taxes on both capital gains and dividends, and by limiting tax deductions for top earners, according to Republicans.

Obama proposes to reinstate the estate tax at its 2009 level, as well as patch the alternative minimum tax.

The administration asked Republicans to boost the economy, too, by either extending the payroll tax cut, or replace the holiday with a similar stimulus, such as the Making Work Pay tax credit in the Recovery Act. They also want to extend emergency unemployment benefits.

On top of that, the administration proposes $50 billion in new infrastructure spending, as well as a mortgage refinancing program. The plan would prevent automatic reimbursement cuts to physicians who treat Medicare beneficiaries, and would eliminate congressional control over the debt limit altogether.

In exchange, the administration proposes a tax reform proposal consistent with its $1.6 trillion in new tax revenues taken from top earners, and to cut 10-year deficits overall by $4 trillion, including $400 billion in savings from Medicare and Medicaid in Obama’s budget.

Meteorologists use the term "atmospheric river" to describe a long, narrow plume piping deep moisture from the tropics into the mid-latitudes.  One type of atmospheric river you may have heard of is the "Pineapple Express", a pronounced plume tapping moisture from the Hawaiian Islands to the U.S. West Coast.

Amazingly, according to NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory (ESRL), a strong atmospheric river can transport as water vapor up to 15 times the average flow of liquid water at the mouth of the Mississippi River! 

Suffice to say, if an atmospheric river stalls over a particular area, significant flooding can be the result.  In fact, a study by Ralph et al. (2006) found atmospheric rivers responsible for every flood of northern Calfornia's Russian River in a 7-year period. 

That said, they're also important for western water supply considerations. 

According to NOAA/ESRL, 30-50% of the average annual precipitation in the West Coast states typically occurs in just a few atmospheric river events.

With that in mind, one such atmospheric river is now soaking parts of the West Coast and will continue to do so through the weekend. Let's get to the forecast details
Flood Threat Through the Weekend

The graphic at the top of this article depicts the upper-air pattern that will stay in place through the weekend. Namely, a deep dip, or trough, in the jet stream is currently in place over the eastern Pacific Ocean. 

This will continue to send a parade of frontal systems and upper-level disturbances into the West Coast.

The first storm arrived on Wednesday and brought rainfall from California to the Pacific Northwest. The combination of wind and rain led to hefty delays at San Francisco International Airport.

The upper-level pattern has now tapped into the atmospheric river of moisture extending from just north and west of Hawaii to the West Coast. This will continue to send the ongoing latest round of very heavy rain and gusty winds into northern California through Friday afternoon. Expect a very wet commute with more possible airport delays in the Bay Area Friday morning.

Though rain showers will continue Friday night into Saturday, the intensity should let up some before the next round of very heavy rain and strong winds arrives in northern California and southwest Oregon for Saturday night into Sunday.

Is “password” your password?

Despite the obvious insecurity in using the word "password" as your password, it’s the most popular (and least secure) password used on the Internet, according to a new list published by SplashData.

The Internet security firm’s annual list of scary logins comes just in time for Halloween -- with a warning. Anyone caught using these lame passwords is most likely already or soon to be the victim of a security breach. 

"At this time of year, people enjoy focusing on scary costumes, movies and decorations, but those who have been through it can tell you how terrifying it is to have your identity stolen because of a hacked password,” said Morgan Slain, SplashData CEO.

    'Those who have been through it can tell you how terrifying it is to have your identity stolen by a hacked password.'

- Morgan Slain, SplashData CEO

“We're hoping that with more publicity about how risky it is to use weak passwords, more people will start taking simple steps to protect themselves by using stronger passwords and using different passwords for different websites."

Several high profile password hacking incidents dotted headlines in 2012, including a handlful at major sites including Yahoo, LinkedIn, eHarmony, and Last.fm.

But despite these -- and the publicity created around the 2011 list of the worst Internet passwords -- little has changed, SplashData noted: The top three passwords, "password," "123456," and "12345678," remain unchanged from last year's list.

New entries to this year's list include "welcome, " "jesus," "ninja," "mustang, " and "password1."

SplashData, provider of the SplashID Safe line of password management applications, releases its annual list in an effort to encourage the adoption of stronger passwords.  It culls the list from millions of stolen passwords posted online by hackers.

#              Password                Change from 2011
1               password                 Unchanged
2               123456                    Unchanged
3               12345678                Unchanged
4               abc123                     Up 1
5               qwerty                     Down 1
6               monkey                    Unchanged
7               letmein                     Up 1
8               dragon                     Up 2
9               111111                    Up 3
10             baseball                   Up 1
11             iloveyou                   Up 2
12             trustno1                   Down 3
13             1234567                  Down 6
14             sunshine                  Up 1
15             master                      Down 1
16             123123                    Up 4
17             welcome                  New
18             shadow                    Up 1
19             ashley                      Down 3
20             football                     Up 5
21             jesus                        New
22             michael                     Up 2
23             ninja                         New
24             mustang                   New
25             password1               New

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