Free Blog

If you’ve ever seen Richard Widmark, who died Monday at age 93, in the 1947 crime drama “Kiss of Death,” you probably haven’t forgotten him. Grinning like a death’s-head, he terrorizes a woman in a wheelchair with lines like, “You know what I do yo squealers? I let ‘em have it in the belly, so they can roll around for a long time thinkin’ it over.” Then he pushes her down a flight of stairs.

But my generation got to know Widmark from his late work, playing equally dangerous paragons of the establishment in films such as “Coma” (murderous hospital administrator) and “Against All Odds” (lethal L.A. power broker).

Widmark was one of the actors who defined a certain brand of American midcentury manhood, a worthy counterpart to Robert Mitchum, William Holden and Lee Marvin. Check him out as two varieties of hustler in Samuel Fuller’s “Pickup on South Street” and Jules Dassin’s “Night and the City.”

If you’ve been putting off buying a flat-panel LCD TV with the hope of getting one for a dramatically lower price this year, it looks like you’re out of luck. During the DisplaySearch Flat-Panel TV conference in La Jolla, Calif., earlier this month, panelists said they expect price declines in 2008 to be moderate, and some LCD models may actually be a bit more expensive.

There may also be fewer LCD brands to choose from, several panelists warned. Less familiar brands may be pushed off shelves as some better-known brands, including Sony and Vizio, continue to market models specifically for mass-market market retailers such as Wal-Mart.

In plasmas, the other major flat-panel technology, panelists predicted more and deeper price drops than for LCDs, though nothing to rival the declines of the past few years. In both plasma and LCDs, price drops will be greater for 1080p (so-called “full HD”) models than for those with 720p resolution.

Both technologies will continue a growing overlap in screen sizes. In addition to a growing number of sub-40-inch plasmas, some 55-inch LCD models are expected. Ross Young, president of DisplaySearch, predicts we’ll also see 46-inch plasmas emerge to compete with 46- and 47-inch LCD TVs.

As for OLED, the new kid on the flat-panel block, speakers predicted a promising future. But they also said OLED technology isn’t likely to have a major impact on flat-panel TV sales for several years, for reasons that range from high cost and small size to concern about life expectancy and burn-in. More brands of OLED sets will be available in 2008. LG will begin OLED production during the first half of the year, joining Samsung, Sony, eMagin and others. Sharp is expected to build a pilot line this year. We may also see the arrival of some of the first flexible displays, most likely in eBook readers.

Other news from the event:

Wal-Mart is now the second-largest seller of TVs in the U.S., behind Best Buy, and is expanding its offerings and merchandising;

The use of LED backlights in LCD sets will surge in 2008, and we’ll see a growing number of notebooks use this technology, which promises a wider range of colors and more consistent brightness across the display;

In LCD, there will be a heightened emphasis on 120Hz technology, which can help reduce motion blur in fast-moving images. In January, 120Hz models had the majority share of 52-inch sets, despite the 30 percent price premium for sets with the technology;

And retailers will increasingly push product “bundles”-such as a TV, Blu-ray player and software-to help maintain margins as TV profitability declines.

What’s Demi Moore’s secret to looking so sexy at age 45?

Uh, leeches.

On Monday night’s “Late Show With David Letterman,” the “Flawless” actress revealed how she recently went to Australia for a cleansing. The treatment included leech therapy.

Moore said “the highly trained medical leeches” were first placed in her belly button.

[ Demi on Life With Ashton: “We Always Do Family Dinner at 6:30″ - Read the article ]

“You feel [them] bite down on you, and you want to go, ‘You bastard!’ and then you relax and watch it swell up,” she said.

“They have a little enzyme that when they are biting down in you, it gets released in your blood and generally you bleed for quite a bit - and your health is optimized,” she added.

“It detoxifies your blood - I’m feeling very detoxified right now.”

[ Ashton Kutcher: Getting Close to Bruce Willis Wasn’t Easy - Read the article ]

Though she said it first feels “worse then feels better,” she plans on “going back - I only got 4 leeches and I feel a bit cheated.”

Joked Letterman: “Are you sure this isn’t just menopause?”

Before you snuggle up with an airplane blanket or tie a red ribbon on your suitcase, read these tips from frequent fliers
Planning

Know the difference between “direct” and “nonstop” flights, and always opt for the latter. Unlike nonstops, direct flights can touch down at other airports on the way to their ultimate destinations, explains Macon Dunnagan, a baggage handler with US Airways. And while stops are built in to the total travel time, the potential delays they can cause aren’t. “Whenever possible, fly nonstop,” he says.

Make sure you purchase your ticket under the exact name that appears on your ID. It might seem obvious to you that Betsy is a nickname for Elizabeth, but it may not to a skycap, a desk agent, or a security officer — any one of whom could ask you to show identification with that name before boarding, says Delta Air Lines public-relations representative Katie Connell.

Select your seats ASAP. “If you have a disability and need a premium seat in the bulkhead, tell the agent when you make your reservation rather than at the airport,” says David Martin, a Delta passenger-service specialist who creates the airline’s policies for customers with disabilities. Other passengers might be able to nab those seats 24 hours before the flight, when they’re made available to everyone through the airline’s website.

Get to your gateway city as early as you can. “Since delays stack up as the day progresses, it’s smart to book the first flight you can into a hub (if you have a connecting flight),” says Dunnagan. “Spending a few extra hours at the airport is better than missing your connection because your first flight was late.”

Double-check foreign document requirements. Some countries — like Chile, Kenya, and India — require a visa for entry; others, like South Africa, won’t allow entrance unless a traveler’s passport contains at least two blank, unstamped pages. You need to be aware of those requirements before you make your flight reservations or you could get stuck Stateside, according to a source at the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs. For a complete list of entrance regulations, visit www.travel.state.gov/travel.
Packing
Set your luggage apart from the pack. Tying a red ribbon to your black bag is not the most effective way to distinguish it. “When passengers use ribbons and bows, they can be torn off in the transporting process,” says Chris Gossner, a customer-service supervisor with US Airways for more than 20 years. Not to mention the fact that you’ll probably see dozens of other red ribbons circling on the baggage carousel. Your best move is to purchase a suitcase in an unusual color, such as bright blue.

Stockpile samples. To save precious quart-bag space on overnight trips, Freida Burton, a US Airways flight attendant for almost 31 years, carries samples of cosmetics, moisturizers, and prescription creams, which she requests from her doctor. Go to walmart.triaddigital.com/free-samples.aspx or www.freesamplesblog.com for a variety of regularly updated freebie offers. Or take advantage of Sephora’s and Kiehls’s policies of giving three free samples with any online order at www.sephora.com and www.kiehls.com.

BYO blanket (and disinfecting wipes, too). “I hate to say it, but tray tables are rarely cleaned, so wipe them off before you use them,” says Sarah Scott, a former US Airways flight attendant who worked for 19 years. “And steer clear of the blankets and pillows. They’re only washed when they look dirty.”

Pack your electronics in a single layer. You will increase your chances of speeding through security if you take the time to lay your electronics flat. “When things are tossed in haphazardly or jumbled together, we spend more time determining what they are (from the X-ray) and have to manually check bags,” says Sterling Payne, a spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Do your own bag check before you leave. To keep from getting stalled in security and losing innocent (but sharp) items you forgot were in your bag — hello, nail scissors! — carefully check each piece of luggage at home first. “If you think through the screening process as you’re packing, you’ll be fine,” says Stephanie Carter Naar, a transportation security officer based in Washington, D.C.
At the Airport

Know your airport’s code. It’s easy for luggage-destination tags to get mixed up at a curbside check-in. Learn the three-letter airport code for your destination and make sure your skycap labels the bag properly. The codes aren’t always intuitive (for example, New Orleans’s Louis Armstrong Airport is MSY), so check the list at www.airport-technology.com, especially if the city you’re going to has more than one airport. “Cities with multiple airports can cause problems if passengers don’t know which they’re flying into,” says Tim Wagner, a spokesperson for American Airlines.

Ask about your options. Many airport waits can be made more enjoyable by asking insiders for advice. Stuck with your children at Boston’s Logan Airport? An airport employee can direct you to terminal C, where a baggage carousel–style slide anchors a play area. Tired of the same old food-court choices? In the Austin, Texas, airport, make a beeline for Salt Lick — it serves up some of the state’s best barbecue. You can even get through security faster by seeking out additional lines: “Airports will often open another line during peak times, so it pays to ask,” TSA spokesperson Sterling Payne says.

Exercise caution in duty-free shops. “Not everything in duty-free is a bargain,” says Janice Mosher, director of the Customer Service Center for U.S. Customs. “If you really want that bottle of Opium perfume, find out what it costs in your local department store first.” And consider the three-ounce rule when stocking upon things like alcohol and olive oil. “If you are transferring to another domestic flight after clearing customs in the United States, you’ll have to put your liquid duty-free purchases in a checked bag,” Mosher says. “And if you don’t have room in your suitcase, you’ll have to leave that big bottle of olive oil behind.”

Spring for an afternoon in the lounge. For a fee — usually about $50 a day, which you can pay on the spot — you can take advantage of the drinks, snacks, uncrowded bathrooms, and comfy chairs at most airline club lounges, plus you can get help from the club’s dedicated ticket agents. “Several times when it’s looked like I would be stuck somewhere for another day, a club agent has pulled a rabbit out of his hat,” says Bill Coffield, an attorney who flies between 50,000 and 100,000 miles a year.
Arrival Gate

Call for help. If you’ve missed a connection, don’t stand in line to rebook with a gate agent. Instead, use your cell phone to call the airline’s customer-service number (tuck it in your wallet before leaving). You may speak to someone faster, giving you a better shot at a seat on the next flight. Also, “the people on the phone are slightly less frazzled, because they don’t have 10 angry customers in their faces,” says fashion designer Melody Rains, who flies about 70,000 miles a year, domestically and internationally.

Utilize cell-phone lots. These free-parking areas, where drivers can wait for the “I’m here” call for 30 minutes or longer, have sprung up at more than 50 airports in the last few years. “The lots cut down on congestion at the arrival areas. Now I can call my husband as soon as I start walking down the concourse, and we meet just outside the door,” says Sara Nelson, a United Airlines flight attendant for 12 years. (For a complete list of these lots, visit the Airports Council International website at www.aci-na.org.)

Get fed fast. It’s late. You’ve just landed, and you’re starving. To have dinner waiting in your hotel room when you arrive, call and order room service from the road. “It can save a hungry half hour,” says Barbara Talbott, an executive with Four Seasons Hotels in Toronto who flies about 20 times a year.

On the Plane Bring a car seat for your child. “Car seats aren’t just safer for children,” notes Veda Shook, a flight attendant who has been with Alaska Airlines for 16 years. “They also help kids stay calmer, since they’re used to being in them.” Shook suggests investing in a car seat–stroller combination. “The seat slides right out of the stroller part, which you can check at the gate,” she says.

Corral your in-flight necessities. Blocking the aisle during boarding while you dig for gum, a book, or a snack isn’t just a drag for you; it can delay the entire plane. Dezirae Bridges, a Delta flight attendant for 11 years, suggests packing small must-haves in a resealable gallon-size bag that you can toss onto the seat while you put away everything else.

Stow your bag near your seat. “It’s tempting to toss your suitcase into the first empty space you see, but that slows down deplaning, as passengers who had to stow their bags near the back move downstream to collect their belongings,” says Beth Jones,* a US Airways flight attendant with 34 years under her (safety) belt. To avoid backtracking, board as early as you can and enlist the help of a flight attendant when storing bags.

Alabama
# Class 6A - Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa def. Homewood 66-55
# Class 5A - Butler def. Russellville 66-59
# Class 4A - Bullock Co. def. Central-Coosa 45-40
# Class 3A - Madison Academy def. Clarke County 48-42
# Class 2A - R.C. Hatch def. Barbour County 81-69
# Class 1A - St. Jude def. Sulligent 72-59
Alaska
# Class 4A - South Anchorage def. Bartlett 56-54
# Class 3A - Haines def. Heritage Christian 41-30
# Class 2A - Galena def. Bristol Bay 73-49
# Class 1A - Buckland def. Kalskag 70-63
Arizona
# Class 5A Division I - Desert Vista def. St. Mary’s 63-50
# Class 5A Division II - Ironwood Ridge def. Marcos de Niza 61-51
# Class 4A Division I - Millennium def. Aqua Fria 49-48
# Class 4A Division II - Desert Edge def. Santa Rita 40-36
# Class 3A - Estrella Foothills def. Payson 64-51
# Class 2A - Northwest Christian def. Thatcher 56-42
# Class 1A - St. Gregory Prep def. Duncan 44-37
Arkansas
# Class 7A - Litte Rock Catholic def. Conway 46-44
# Class 6A - Little Rock Hall def. Benton 57-46
# Class 5A - Siloam Springs def. Greene County Tech 61-40
# Class 4A - Lonoke def. Hamburg 47-42
# Class 3A - Rose Bud def. Prescott 54-51
# Class 2A - Earle def. Stephens 67-62
# Class 1A - Izard County def. Nevada 60-51
California
# Division V - Branson def. Renaissance 40-33
# Division IV - Campbell Hall def. St. Mary’s College 83-61
# Division III - Santa Margarita def. Sacramento 72-55
# Division II - Mater Dei def. Archbishop Mitty 65-53
# Division I - McClymonds def. Dominguez 73-54
Colorado
# Class 5A - Denver East def. Thunder Ridge 62-59
# Class 4A - Abraham Lincoln def. Widfield 63-59
# Class 3A - Faith Christian def. C.S. Christian 54-42
# Class 2A - Sedgwick Co. def. Paonia 43-28
# Class 1A - Hi-Plains def. Caliche 63-60
Connecticut
# Class LL - Crosby def. Trinity Catholic 82-79
# Class L - Malony def. Lyman Hall 54-46
# Class M - Stratford def. Hartford Public 63-55
# Class S - Bloomfield def. Kolbe Cathedral 78-71
Delaware
# Title Game - Carvel def. Newark 53-50
Florida
# Class 6A - Miami Norland def. Boyd Anderson 59-54
# Class 5A - Dillard def. Lakewood 61-55
# Class 4A - Monsignor Pace def. Kathleen 80-76
# Class 3A - Pine Crest def. P.K. Yonge 69-50
# Class 2A - Arlington Country Day def. Sagemont 54-53
# Class 1A - Orlando Christian Prep def. Grandview Prep 49-33
Georgia
# Class 5A - Norcross def. Wheeler 57-54
# Class 4A - Columbia def. Fayette County 69-63
# Class 3A - Glenn Hills def. Carver-Columbus 64-57
# Class 2A - Wesleyan def. E. Laurens 68-51
# Class 1A - Hancock Central def. Turner County 48-44
Hawaii
# Division 2 - Farrington def. Aiea 70-68
# Division 1 - Punahou def. KS-Hawaii 41-38
Idaho
# Class 5A - Vallivue def. Coeur d’Alene 67-45
# Class 4A - Burley def. Bonneville 75-54
# Class 3A - Fruitland def. Kiimberly 68-51
# Class 2A - Firth def. West Side 56-57
# Class 1A - Troy def. Hagerman 60-48
Illinois
# Class 4A - Oak Lawn def. Zion 67-63
# Class 3A - Marshall def. Simeon 69-61
# Class 2A - North Lawndale def. Manual 56-42
# Class 1A - St. Anne def. Nokomi 67-61
Indiana
# Class 4A - Brownsburg def. Marion 40-39
# Class 3A - Washington def. Harding 84-60
# Class 2A - F.W. Bishop Luers def. Winchester 69-67
# Class 1A - Triton def. Lutheran 50-42
Iowa
# Class 4A - City High def. Central 65-54
# Class 3A - Wahlert def. Harlan Community 70-67
# Class 2A - Western Christian def. Saint Edmonds 71-61
# Class 1A - NUH def. George-Little Rock 49-44
Kansas
# Class 6A - Wichita Southeast def. Lawrence 88-67
# Class 5A - Highland Park def. Carroll 64-39
# Class 4A - Hayden def. Girard 57-48
# Class 3A - Trinity Academy def. Nemaha Valley 55-39
# Class 2A - St. Mary’s Colgan def. St. John 53-48
# Class 1A - So. Gray def. Hanover 49-42
Kentucky
# Sweet Sixteen - Mason County def. Holmes 57-48
Louisiana
# Class 5A - Lafayette def. H.L. Bourgeois 75-55
# Class 4A - Helen Cox def. O.P. Walker 75-51
# Class 3A - Wossman def. Richwood 57-44
# Class 2A - St. Thomas Aquinas def. Ferriday 61-52
# Class 1A - Christian Life def. Country Day 48-39
Maine
# Class A - Cheverus def. Bangor
# Class B - Maranacook def. Cape Elizabeth
# Class C - Winthrop def. Calais
# Class D - Central Aroostook def. Richmond
Maryland
# Class 4A - Springbrook def. Thomas Stone 61-57
# Class 3A - Largo def. Long Reach 84-58
# Class 2A - Winters Mill def. Randallstown 54-47
# Class 1A - Snow Hill def. Surrattsville 92-75
Massachusetts
# Division IV - N. Cambridge Catholic def. Avon 77-54
# Division III - Frontier def. Scituate 79-65
# Division II - Catholic Memorial def. Tantasqua 74-56
# Division I - Central Catholic def. St. John’s 68-47
Michigan
# Class D - Muskegon Western Michigan Christian def. Detroit City 58-57
# Class C - Kalamzoo Christian def. Flint Beecher 54-51
# Class B - Lansing Catholic def. Flint Powers Catholic 54-53
# Class A - Saginaw def. Detroit Pershing 90-71
Minnesota
# Class 4A - Game to be played March 29, 2008
# Class 3A - Game to be played March 29, 2008
# Class 2A - Game to be played March 29, 2008
# Class 1A - Game to be played March 29, 2008
Mississippi
# Class 5A - Provine def. Greenville-Weston
# Class 4A - New Hope def. Picayune 56-51 (OT)
# Class 3A - Aberdeen def. Columbia 79-50
# Class 2A - Newton def. Scott Central 68-60
# Class 1A - East Webster def. Durant
Missouri
# Class 5 - Websters Groves def. McCluer North 71-62
# Class 4 - Notre Dame def. St. Charles West 48-36
# Class 3 - Maplewood-Richmond Hts def. Lutheran North 56-55
# Class 2 - Harrisburg def. South Iron 51-44
# Class 1 - Jefferson def. Glasgow 59-30
Montana
# Class 2A - Billings West def. Missoula Sentinal 58-40
# Class A - Browingin def. Butte Central 72-52
# Class B - Shelby def. Fairfield 47-30
# Class C - Winifred def. Rocky Boy 68-54
Nebraska
# Class A - Omaha Central def. Bellevue East 59-58
# Class B - Beatrice def. Elkhorn 39-36
# Class CI - Hastings St. cecilia def. Bennington 50-43
# Class CII - Elmwood-Murdock def. Grand Island CC 59-48
# Class DI - Archbishop Bergan def. Humphrey St. Francis 56-43
# Class DII - Falls City def. Pleasanton 66-54
Nevada
# Class 4A - Reno def. Cheyenne 76-72
# Class 3A - Faith Lutheran def. Dayton 59-40
# Class 2A - Lincoln County def. Needles 78-69
# Class 1A - Lake Mead def. Trinity 61-43
New Hampshire
# Class I - Monadnock def. Hanover 42-35
# Class L - Salem def. Trinity 66-45
# Class M - Conant def. Newmarket 55-48
# Class S - Colebrook def. Wilton-Lyndeborough 68-52
New Jersey
# Tournament of Champions - St. Anthony’s def. Science 69-36
New Mexico
# Class 5A - Hobbs def. Clovis 73-71
# Class 4A - St. Pius def. ABQ Academy 59-51
# Class 3A - Pojoaque def. West Las Vegas 50-46
# Class 2A - Texico def. Mesilla Valley 58-55
# Class 1A - Cliff def. Animas 53-41
New York
# Class AA - Bishop Maginn def. Niagra Falls 68-37
# Class A - Jamesville-DeWitt def. East Hampton 78-54
# Class B - Olean def. Malverne 63-53
# Class C - Maple Grove def. Mechanicville 71-46
# Class D - Chateaugay def. Northstar Christian 52-41
# NYS Class AA - Game to be played March 30, 2008
# NYS Class A - Game to be played March 29, 2008
# NYS Class B - Game to be played March 29, 2008
North Carolina
# Class 4A - East Mecklenburg def. Apex 72-63
# Class 3A - Kinston def. Trinity 60-58
# Class 2A - West Bladen def. Pisgah 65-50
# Class 1A - Winston-Salem Prep def. Pamlico 73-42
North Dakota
# Class A - Bismarck def. Fargo South 63-48
# Class B - Grafton def. Turtle Lake-Mercer 53-42
Ohio
# Division 4 - New Knoxville def. Worthingon Christian 74-52
# Division 3 - Ottawa-Glandorf def. Sugarcreek Garaway 62-44
# Division 2 - Chillicothe def. Toledo Libbey 70-69(OT)
# Division 1 - Newark def. Lakewood St. Edward 65-52
Oklahoma
# Class 6A - Memorial def. Putnam City North 55-46
# Class 5A - Guthrie def. BT washington 58-57
# Class 4A - B. McGuiness def. Southeast 80-63
# Class 3A - Verdigris def. Sequoyah Tahlequah 62-51
# Class 2A - Pawnee def. Oklahoma Christian 95-79
# Class A - Agra def. Thomas 31-30
# Class B - Springtown def. Chattanooga 51-43
Oregon
# Class 6A - Grant def. Oregon City 63-56
# Class 5A - Jefferson def. Corvallis 55-52
# Class 4A - Marist def. Brookings-Harbor 50-47
# Class 3A - Regis def. Horizon Christian 49-36
# Class 2A - Portland Christian def. Western Mennonite 70-38
# Class A - Mohawk def. Triangle Lake 60-48
Pennsylvania
# Class 4A - Chester def. Norristown 81-77
# Class 3A - Steelton Highspire def. Susquehanna 65-52
# Class 2A - Jeannette def. Strawberry Mansion 76-72
# Class 1A - Serra Catholic def. Freire Charter 67-66
Rhode Island
# Division 3 - Moses Brown def. Central Falls 57-48
# Division 2 - Classical def. West Warwick 71-62
# Division 1 - Bishop Hendricken def. Woonsocket 67-64(OT)
South Carolina
# Class 4A - Summerville def. Spartanburg 50-48
# Class 3A - Myrtle Beach def. Greenville 83-55
# class 2A - Southside def. Burke 73-53
# class 1A - Calhoun County def. Hemingway 67-66
South Dakota
# Class 2A - Watertown def. Mitchell 49-40
# Class 1A - Platte-Geddes def. Madison 55-42
# Class 1B - White River def. Langford 66-50
Tennessee
# Class 3A - Ridgeway def. White Station 68-56
# Class 2A - Fulton def. Mitchell 74-68
# Class 1A - Union City def. Manassas 83-81
# Division II-AA - Harding Academy def. Tipton-Rosemark 72-68
# Division II-A - Briarcrest def. Christian Brother 68-49
Texas
# Class 5A - North Crowley def. Ft. Bend Dulles 73-67
# Class 4A - South Oak Cliff def. Fort Worth Southwest 80-77
# Class 3A - Kennedale def. Burkburnett 61-59
# Class 2A - Ponder def. Jim Ned 62-41
# Class 1A Division I - Thorndale def. Big Sandy 53-42
# Class 1A Division II - Laneville def. Goodrich 56-50
Utah
# Class 5A - Lone Peak def. Bingham 67-53
# Class 4A - Provo def. Bountiful 45-42
# Class 3A - Judge Memorial def. Wasatch 77-65
# Class 2A - Manti def. Parowan 58-49
# Class 1A - Escalante def. Piute 48-42
Vermont
# Division IV - Proctor def. Danville 50-44
# Division III - Lake Region def. Winooski 56-42
# Division II - Windsor def. Mt. Abe 56-42
# Division I - Burlington def. Rice 49-33
Virginia
# Class 3A - T.C. Williams def. Bethel 70-57
# Class 2A - Millbrook def. Brunswick Co. 53-43
# Class 1A Division II - George Wythe def. Gate City 68-53
# Class 1A Division I - Nelson Co. def. Surry 50-47
Washington
# Class 4A - Ferris def. Federal Way 68-44
# Class 3A - Rainier Beach def. Lakes 53-45
# Class 2A - Ephrata def. Burlington-Edison 58-56
# Class 1A - Charles Wright def. Riverview 53-48
# Class 2B - NW Christian def. Toutle Lake 42-41
# Class 1B - Sunnyside Christian def. Tekoa-Oakesdale 38-37
West Virginia
# Class 3A - Woodrow Wilson def. South Charleston
# Class 2A - Wyoming East def. Ravenswood
# Class 1A - Wheeling Central def. Charleston Catholic
Wisconsin
# Division 4 - Eleva-Strum def. Suring 62-58
# Division 3 - Aquinas def. Iola-Scandinavia 70-51
# Division 2 - New Berlin Eisenhower def. Adams-Friendship 54-41
# Division 1 - Wauwatosa East def. Madison Memorial 58-56(OT)
Wyoming
# Class 4A - Cambell County def. Rock Springs 68-53
# Class 3A - Lander Valley def. Newcastle 49-44
# Class 2A - Niobrara County def. Sundance 69-63
# Class 1A - Encampment def. Southeast 40-38

last updated 3/24/08

In Detroit and Southern California, foreclosure opportunists are going after cheap homes in downtrodden neighborhoods, which are selling in the five-figure range.

But there are plenty of million dollar-plus homes out there, in good neighborhoods, which have fallen into foreclosure as the result of shoddy lending practices, speculative buyers and homeowners walking away from a negative equity situation.

Using RealtyTrac and REOTrans, two companies that track the foreclosure market, Forbes.com looked for million dollar-plus homes in elite neighborhoods around the country that were in any stage of foreclosure or in a real-estate owned (REO) situation, where the bank was trying to sell off the delinquent loan.

Many of those in the high-end foreclosure market were traditionally good borrowers with strong credit scores, unlike the profile of the typical subprime borrower. Still, the same gaffes occurred on the lending approval side, as people were given excessively high loans, based on the presumption that housing prices would continue upward. “There were people with $100,000 incomes getting million-dollar loans,” says Wendell Cox, founder of Demographia, a St. Louis-based demographics and housing research company.

Foreclosures have always been present in the top end of the market, but what best accounts for the increase are negative equity situations. For homes around the million-dollar mark, especially those derided as McMansions, it’s a case of the home no longer matching the value of the loan. Many of the million dollar-plus homes listed as foreclosures and REOs were built in the last five years and are now worth significantly less than the inflated prices the owners originally paid. But it’s not necessarily that buyers didn’t put down enough money or had a piggyback loan; the owners may have owed more on the house than it was worth, sinking them into a negative equity situation.

One example: a 5,000-square-foot, four-bedroom, three-and-a-half bathroom home in Annandale, Va., just outside Washington, D.C. The house was built in 2004 and the previous owners paid $1.4 million for it in early 2006, according to Fairfax County records. Unfortunately, this was at the tail end of housing price increases nationwide.

According to the home’s appraised value, it had a $140,000 drop in equity since 2006, but based on what the bank is now asking, the home has declined in value by $300,000. Even at the price of $1.06 million, it’s been on the market for almost two months. Prices on foreclosures in the D.C. suburbs still have some distance to fall before they’re in line with market conditions, says Cullen Watson, a real estate attorney and broker based in Washington D.C.

Banks are often reluctant to list foreclosures for less than the loan’s outstanding value because they don’t want to take a loss. In addition, they’re usually paying a brokerage firm to list the house, as banks aren’t in the business of owning and selling property. Brokerages take foreclosed home listings on a case-by-case basis.

Firms and agents don’t generally specialize in top end foreclosures; they specialize in the top-end market. Despite the previous owners not being able to, or not wanting to, make payments, there’s nothing wrong with the houses. The best way to find such homes is through Web sites like RealtyTrac.com and REOtrans.com.

But foreclosures are not all bad news for the high-end real estate market. Nelson Gonzalez, a broker with Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell, specializing in Miami Beach, says that the rash of foreclosures in Florida, which has the second-highest foreclosure rate in the country, has driven interest from out-of-town and foreign buyers looking to snag a deal. “They think that every house in Florida is in foreclosure,” he says. “The offers we’re getting are fairly decent, but the sellers are not coming down yet.”

If you’ve been holding your breath for The A-Team movie, well, we feel sorry for you.

But help is on the way for you and your oxygen-deprived brain. So just hold on. Until June 12. Of next year. Feel better? You should, actually.

The release date, as reported by Variety, is the first for the long-discussed, long-suffering project.

John Singleton, who last yelled cut on Four Brothers, will direct; Michael Bandt and Derek Haas, who helped shoot the lights out with 3:10 to Yuma, are writing the screenplay.

As reported, the movie will follow the basic recipe of the 1983-87 TV series: Take four ex-military men; add one war crime they didn’t commit; mix in chases, pursuits and more chases.

Given the source material, Singleton has promised an action movie, a serious action movie—”wall to wall kicking ass and talking s–t,” as he put it to Collider.com. The film presently is sans actors, A-list, B-team or otherwise, as Singleton himself has made very clear.

“I don’t know who is in the cast yet, so all this bulls–t of who is saying who is this person and who is [this person],” Singleton told Collider.com.

Singleton did allow that he “really, really want[s]” Woody Harrelson to play “Howling Mad” Murdoch, the sanity challenged pilot given life on the TV series by Dwight Schultz.

In the interview, conducted in January, Singleton sounded a lot like a man who’s been a little bit hounded by fans demanding to know who’s going to play Mr. T.

“Nobody is playing Mr. T—the character’s name is B.A. Baracus,” the filmmaker reminded.

And, no, before you bother Mr. Singleton again, B.A. Baracus hasn’t been cast yet, either. Ice Cube, however, has thrown his Mohawk into the ring.

“Hell yeah,” the Barbershop multitasker recently told blackfilm.com when asked if he’d consider copping a “Bad Attitude,” as it were, “especially with John Singleton directing!”

And, yes, we know Ice Cube doesn’t really have a Mohawk to throw into a ring. But that could change.

“I wouldn’t try to duplicate what Mr. T did,” he told the Website. “I’m going to bring my own flavor to it, and I am going to do the Mohawk.”

The race seems wide open for the roles of Col. “Hannibal” Smith, the disguise-handy ringleader, and the smooth-talking “Face” Peck, played on the TV series by the late George Peppard and the still-plugging-away Dirk Benedict, respectively.

Even with the cast undetermined, an announced director and a release date marks the furthest along the movie has gotten since the project started raising hopes nearly 10 years ago amid a spate of TV-to-film conversions, à la Charlie’s Angels, The Mod Squad and Wild Wild West.  Per the calendar keepers at the Internet Movie Database, on June 12, 2009, the big-screen A-Team will go head-to-head with an Eddie Murphy comedy called NowhereLand.  Which is about where The A-Team movie used to live.

WASHINGTON - Hillary Rodham Clinton adviser James Carville is refusing to apologize for comparing New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to Judas.

Carville made the comparison to The New York Times after Richardson, once a member of President Clinton’s Cabinet, endorsed Hillary Clinton rival Barack Obama last week for the Democratic presidential nomination. Carville called it an “act of betrayal,” and pointed out that it came during Holy Week.

“Mr. Richardson’s endorsement came right around the anniversary of the day when Judas sold out (Jesus) for 30 pieces of silver, so I think the timing is appropriate, if ironic,” he said.

Richardson told “Fox News Sunday” that he wouldn’t respond by getting “in the gutter like that.”

“That’s typical of many of the people around Senator Clinton,” Richardson said. “They think they have a sense of entitlement to the presidency.”

Carville told CNN on Monday that Richardson had committed an “egregious act” and he intended to make a sharp response to it.

“I wanted to use a very strong metaphor to make my point,” Carville said. “I doubt if Governor Richardson and I will be particularly close in the future.”

Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson told reporters Monday that he didn’t agree with Carville’s comment.

“If I had said it, I would apologize,” Wolfson said. “I did not say it, and if I had I would, but that’s up to him.”

Richardson served as ambassador to the United Nations and energy secretary during the Clinton administration.

When it comes down to it, Easter is really all about eggs and plenty of them. There always seems to be an excess of hardboiled eggs after the day’s festivities wind down. The eternal Easter question seems to be, what to do with all those left over eggs? (Actually, at my house I do field many earnest questions about how the Easter Bunny does his job.)

Here’s a way to turn those leftovers into a wonderful snack. Traditional Deviled Eggs contain calorie and fat laden mayonnaise that really has no redeemable nutritional elements. So take your leftover eggs and try this healthy, easy, and super tasty recipe for Not So Devilish Eggs.

To check out the recipe, just read more.

Not So Devilish Eggs
FitSugar

What to do with all those left over hard boiled eggs? Make a healthy treat with this easy, recipe.

Not So Devilish Eggs

Ingredients

1 dozen hard boiled eggs
1 16 oz. container of Hummus (you can go with any variety you want)
A few pinches of Paprika
A handful of slivered almonds

Directions

1. Cut the eggs in halves (length-wise) and remove the yolk.
2. Fill the hole where the yolk was in each half with a scoop of hummus.
3. Top with a few raw, slivered almonds and a pinch of paprika.
4. Serve and eat!

Why we like it: Deviled eggs are a typical and easy snack but hardly a healthy one due to the yolk and mayonnaise concoction that makes the deviled egg so devilish.
Hummus (rather than a yolk-mayo mixture) cuts the fat and adds iron.
Paprika adds a bit of Lycopene.
Almonds provide some good fats (yup, such a thing exists) that help lower cholesterol.
Egg whites are always a great source of protein.

Get Easter myspace flash comments. You can use these comments and comment codes to comment your friends or post the Easter animated comment in your myspace profile.

<br /> <center><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/"><img src="http://www.newsblogtwist.com/wp-content/uploads/festivals/christian-festivals/easter/easter1.gif" alt="Myspace Easter Comments" border=0></a><br /><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/" target="_blank">Myspace Layouts</a></center><br />

<br /> <center><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/"><img src="http://www.newsblogtwist.com/wp-content/uploads/festivals/christian-festivals/easter/easter2.gif" alt="Myspace Easter Comments" border=0></a><br /><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/" target="_blank">Myspace Layouts</a></center><br />

<br /> <center><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/"><img src="http://www.newsblogtwist.com/wp-content/uploads/festivals/christian-festivals/easter/easter3.gif" alt="Myspace Easter Comments" border=0></a><br /><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/" target="_blank">Myspace Layouts</a></center><br />

<br /> <center><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/"><img src="http://www.newsblogtwist.com/wp-content/uploads/festivals/christian-festivals/easter/easter4.gif" alt="Myspace Easter Comments" border=0></a><br /><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/" target="_blank">Myspace Layouts</a></center><br />

<br /> <center><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/"><img src="http://www.newsblogtwist.com/wp-content/uploads/festivals/christian-festivals/easter/easter5.gif" alt="Myspace Easter Comments" border=0></a><br /><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/" target="_blank">Myspace Layouts</a></center><br />

<br /> <center><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/"><img src="http://www.newsblogtwist.com/wp-content/uploads/festivals/christian-festivals/easter/easter6.gif" alt="Myspace Easter Comments" border=0></a><br /><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/" target="_blank">Myspace Layouts</a></center><br />

<br /> <center><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/"><img src="http://www.newsblogtwist.com/wp-content/uploads/festivals/christian-festivals/easter/easter7.gif" alt="Myspace Easter Comments" border=0></a><br /><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/" target="_blank">Myspace Layouts</a></center><br />

<br /> <center><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/"><img src="http://www.newsblogtwist.com/wp-content/uploads/festivals/christian-festivals/easter/easter8.gif" alt="Myspace Easter Comments" border=0></a><br /><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/" target="_blank">Myspace Layouts</a></center><br />

<br /> <center><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/"><img src="http://www.newsblogtwist.com/wp-content/uploads/festivals/christian-festivals/easter/easter9.gif" alt="Myspace Easter Comments" border=0></a><br /><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/" target="_blank">Myspace Layouts</a></center><br />

<br /> <center><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/"><img src="http://www.newsblogtwist.com/wp-content/uploads/festivals/christian-festivals/easter/easter10.gif" alt="Myspace Easter Comments" border=0></a><br /><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/" target="_blank">Myspace Layouts</a></center><br />

<br /> <center><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/"><img src="http://www.newsblogtwist.com/wp-content/uploads/festivals/christian-festivals/easter/easter11.gif" alt="Myspace Easter Comments" border=0></a><br /><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/" target="_blank">Myspace Layouts</a></center><br />

<br /> <center><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/"><img src="http://www.newsblogtwist.com/wp-content/uploads/festivals/christian-festivals/easter/easter12.gif" alt="Myspace Easter Comments" border=0></a><br /><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/" target="_blank">Myspace Layouts</a></center><br />

<br /> <center><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/"><img src="http://www.newsblogtwist.com/wp-content/uploads/festivals/christian-festivals/easter/easter13.gif" alt="Myspace Easter Comments" border=0></a><br /><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/" target="_blank">Myspace Layouts</a></center><br />

<br /> <center><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/"><img src="http://www.newsblogtwist.com/wp-content/uploads/festivals/christian-festivals/easter/easter14.gif" alt="Myspace Easter Comments" border=0></a><br /><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/" target="_blank">Myspace Layouts</a></center><br />

<br /> <center><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/"><img src="http://www.newsblogtwist.com/wp-content/uploads/festivals/christian-festivals/easter/easter15.jpg" alt="Myspace Easter Comments" border=0></a><br /><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/" target="_blank">Myspace Layouts</a></center><br />

<br /> <center><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/"><img src="http://www.newsblogtwist.com/wp-content/uploads/festivals/christian-festivals/easter/easter16.jpg" alt="Myspace Easter Comments" border=0></a><br /><a href="http://www.myspacetwist.com/" target="_blank">Myspace Layouts</a></center><br />