GPS tests were rigged, Lightsquared claims

LightSquared isn’t giving up its quest to build a nationwide LTE network despite the odds continuing to stack against it. On Wednesday, LightSquared accused the commercial GPS industry of “rigging” government tests on the potential GPS interference problems of its network and called on the Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to hire an independent lab to conduct a new round of testing.


Last week, the government agency overseeing the national GPS satellite network, the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Executive Committee, or PNT-ExComm, reached the damning conclusion that there is no network LightSquared could build without overwhelming the signals millions of GPS navigation and timing devices depend on. To break ground on its LTE network, LightSquared needs a final okay from the FCC, but its approval is conditional upon LightSquared proving that its high-powered LTE network doesn’t interfere with devices using the neighboring low-powered GPS band.


After a list of the test devices was released to LightSquared, the company found that the only mass market device that reportedly failed the government’s tests -- which were run by the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Executive Committee (PNT EXCOM) -- actually “performed flawlessly during Technical Working Group” testing. The government also reportedly tested LightSquared’s network at a power level that is 32-times greater than the level at which it will actually operate.
LightSquared is relying on FCC approval to solidify a contract with Sprint to help build out the carrier’s 4G LTE network. Sprint most recently gave LightSquared an additional 30 days to gain FCC approval, but the government has said none of LightSquared’s proposed fixes will help it gain approval.
“Transparency is the only way taxpayers can be assured that the testing process is not manipulated to benefit one particular set of self interests,” the company said in a statement on Wednesday.
“LightSquared is confident that a fair process will allow the company to move forward with its plan to deliver wireless broadband to hundreds of millions of consumers.

Web Protests Piracy Bills, and 2 Senators Change

At the stroke of midnight Wednesday, large swaths of content that Web surfers have gotten used to looking up every day started disappearing.


Visitors to Wikipedia who are trying to search the encyclopedia’s usual trivia-filled pages are instead greeted by a shadowy “W” and a message saying, “Imagine a World Without Free Knowledge” — unless they type in the words SOPA or Protect IP ACT.


Craigslist isn’t imposing a blackout per se, but before searchers can access the classified listings they’re hit with a message asking them to tell their senators and congressmen to oppose two online piracy bills working their way through Capitol Hill.


As a senator from Florida, a state with a large presence of artists, creators and businesses connected to the creation of intellectual property, I have a strong interest in stopping online piracy that costs Florida jobs. However, we must do this while simultaneously promoting an open, dynamic Internet environment that is ripe for innovation and promotes new technologies,” wrote Mr. Rubio on his Facebook page.


Mr. Rubio has outsized influence for a junior senator entering his second year in Congress. He is considered a top contender for the vice presidential ticket of his party’s White House nominee this year, and is being groomed by the Republican leadership to be the face of his party – with Hispanics and beyond.


The moves on Capitol Hill came after the White House over the weekend also backed off the legislative effort.


“While we believe that online piracy by foreign Web sites is a serious problem that requires a serious legislative response, we will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet,” White House officials said. With the growing reservations, a bill that passed the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously and without controversy may be in serious trouble without significant changes. Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader and Democrat of Nevada, has scheduled a procedural vote on the Leahy version for early next week, but unless negotiators can alter it to satisfy the outraged online world, no one expects it to get 60 votes.


“I encourage Senator Reid to abandon his plan to rush the bill to the floor,” Mr. Rubio wrote. “Instead, we should take more time to address the concerns raised by all sides, and come up with new legislation that addresses Internet piracy while protecting free and open access to the Internet.”


The Motion Picture Association of America, NewsCorp, the Recording Industry Association of America, the Chamber of Commerce and old-line media companies that have long been Washington powerhouses have been pressing for legislation for at least four years, saying their intellectual property is being stolen by offshore Web sites. A previous version in the last Congress was similarly savaged, but with far less visibility.

Costa Concordia captain claims he tripped and fell into a lifeboat

The Costa Concordia cruise ship captain under fire for abandoning his vessel while thousands of passengers scrambled for rescue has reportedly come up with an explanation for his flight - he accidentally tripped and fell into a lifeboat.
Jailed since the accident, Capt. Francesco Schettino appeared Tuesday before a judge in Grosseto, where he was questioned for three hours.


Several English-language newspapers have reported that, according to La Repubblica, Schettino testified that "the passengers were pouring on to the decks, taking the lifeboats by assault."


The passengers were pouring on to the decks, taking the lifeboats by assault," the newspaper quoted him as telling a judge during a hearing to determine whether he should be held in custody on charges of manslaughter and abandoning ship.


"I didn't even have a life jacket because I had given it to one of the passengers. I was trying to get people to get into the boats in an orderly fashion. Suddenly, since the ship was at a 60-70° angle, I tripped and I ended up in one of the boats. That's how I found myself in the lifeboat," said Schettino.


"Suspended there, I was unable to lower the boat into the sea, because the space was blocked by other boats in the water."


The captain did however admit responsibility for crashing the ship into rocks which tore a hole in the Costa Concordia, forcing him to ground the vessel.


"I made a mistake on the approach," he said.


"I was navigating by sight because I knew the depths well and I had done this manoeuvre three or four times. But this time I ordered the turn too late and I ended up in water that was too shallow. I don't know why it happened. I was a victim of my instincts."


Schettino confirmed he sailed close to the island of Giglio to salute a retired captain, Mario Palombo, and was on the phone to Palombo at the time.


Schettino said he was not afraid of a drugs test: "I don't do drugs and I had not drunk." By grounding the vessel close to the shore after it struck rock he believes he saved the lives of many passengers.


Tags: Ship aground off Italy, Italy cruise ship, Giglio Italy,  Eight deaths reported,  Italy cruise ship Costa,  Costa Concordia,  Divers Search Costa Concordia,  Third survivor heard,  Builders of the Costa Concordia,  Captain left ship early,  Francesco Schettino Costa Concordia Captain,  Owner of concordia, Divers blast holes

Francesco Schettino

He faces possible charges of manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and abandoning ship, charges he denies.


The 52-year-old's life has been dominated by the sea.


Born in the coastal town of Castellammare di Stabia, near the southern city of Naples, he attended a nautical institute in the nearby town of Piano di Sorrento.


Few personal details are known about Mr Schettino, and his family - based in the Naples town of Meta - have said they are no longer giving interviews to the press.


Captain Francesco Schettino was arrested a day after the disaster accused of manslaughter and abandoning the ship before all of the people were evacuated. Prosecutors say he also refused to go back on board when requested by the coastguard.


The captain has been branded a reckless show-off who refused to listen to orders and operated the ship as it if was a speed boat.


Schettino, 52, was being questioned by prosecutors Tuesday following his arrest in the wake of Friday’s disaster that has left at least 11 people dead.


Mario Palombo, a former captain of the doomed  Costa Concordia  with whom Schettino served as first mate for four years, told investigators that he was “too high-spirited and a dare devil,” local media reported.


Tags:  Italy cruise ship Costa,  Three dead, 40 missing,  Costa Concordia,   Third survivor heard,  Cruise ship off Italy,  Rescuers try to reach,  Costa Concordia Cruise ship,  Builders of the Costa Concordia,  Captain left ship early,  Francesco Schettino Costa Concordia Captain,  Owner of concordia, Divers blast holes

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer Advance in Australian Open\

Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer

Rafael Nadal beat German veteran Tommy Haas 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in a 2 1/2-hour match, declaring that the twisted tendon in the heavily taped knee was not a concern.


Just before Roger Federer was due on Hisense Arena, the Swiss found out that his scheduled opponent, Germany's Andreas Beck, had a back injury and had to withdraw.


"Now, I'll just take it easy this afternoon and come out tomorrow and hit intensely, and then I'll be ready for the next match," said Federer, a four-time Australian Open winner.


Just before Federer was due on Hisense Arena, the Swiss player found out that his scheduled opponent, Germany's Andreas Beck, had a back injury and had to withdraw.
"Now, I'll just take it easy this afternoon and come out tomorrow and hit intensely, and then I'll be ready for the next match," said Federer, a four-time Australian Open winner.
Best Sports Pix of the Week
Nadal, asked after his match if he would have appreciated the same kind of good fortune, was pragmatic.
"Before the day started, yes," he said, smiling. "Now that I've played and won, I'm happy. It was a positive match, but not that demanding. We didn't play four hours, five hours. Three sets, so it wasn't that tough."
Nadal figures he's in strong shape to add a second Australian Open title to the one he captured in 2009, one of his 10 Grand Slam singles titles.
"I've been practicing well, I've had a very good preparation in my opinion," Nadal said. "I've won two matches in straight sets with positive feelings."
Nadal and Federer could meet in the semifinals next week. Top-seeded Novak Djokovic and fourth-seeded Andy Murray, the threats from the other side of the draw, play their second-rounders Thursday.
Two of the women's title contenders, defending champion Kim Clijsters and No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, both won their second-round matches Wednesday on their way to a potential quarterfinal meeting.

Tom Brady’s arsenal tough to stop

Team’s theme • Having produced their first playoff victory in four seasons, the Patriots are aiming for their fifth Super Bowl appearance (and fourth championship) in 11 seasons, with the same coach and quarterback. That’s unprecedented.


How they got here • New England went 13-3 to win the AFC East and earn a No. 1 seed, then crushed Denver 45-10 in the divisional playoff round.


Super Bowl-bound if • Quarterback Tom Brady keeps delivering and the defense plays adequately. Brady shredded the Broncos with six touchdown passes and New England’s defense was equally impressive, but Baltimore represents an upgrade of opponents.


Homeward-bound if • The Patriots somehow revert to their offensive form of two years ago, when Baltimore held Brady to 154 passing yards and intercepted him three times in a 33-14 playoff defeat.


During the 2010 regular season, the Pats beat Baltimore, 23-20, in overtime. Like that 2009 playoff game, Brady was harassed, but he made enough plays to get the job done. It was Branch’s first game since returning and he put on a show. As for Welker, he still wasn’t quite 100 percent from ACL surgery. Gronkowski and Hernandez were rookies in their sixth game.


Fast-forwarding to Sunday, Gronkowski and Hernandez have blossomed into stars. Welker is back to being the Welker of old. It’s a bit of a stretch to imagine the Ravens being able to cover that trio. Granted, they were one of the best teams at marking tight ends during the year, but that was shutting down one tight end. Not two.


“They can’t cover everybody,” NFL Network analyst Solomon Wilcots said. “So they’re just going to have to beat the offensive line. They’ve got to hit Brady and get him uncomfortable. They’ve got to make it so he doesn’t have time. They’ve got to win their battles with the line. But even then, with that offense, he’s still making plays.”


One more weapon the Pats didn’t quite use in the last playoff meeting with Baltimore is the no-huddle. They went with it from the start against Denver, and the Broncos’ ace pass rushers, Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller, were non-factors. Rather than blitz or add to the rush, the Broncos dropped more defenders into coverage. We saw how that turned out. Six touchdown passes.

David Nalbandian attacks umpire after Australian Open defeat

John Isner won another five-set marathon on Wednesday, but the story of his Australian Open match against David Nalbandian focused on a controversial call that left the Argentinian very angry.


The towering American rallied to defeat Nalbandian 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 10-8 in a second-round match that lasted for 4 hours, 41 minutes, including a 99-minute deciding set.


Although the match didn’t go nearly as long as Isner’s 11-hour, 5-minute battle with Nicolas Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010 – which the 6-foot-9 Isner won 70-68 in the fifth set – it certainly wasn’t short on drama. Nalbandian complained when his request to challenge a line call was rejected by chair umpire Kader Nouni.


It's ridiculous playing this kind of tournament with this kind of umpire. Eight-all, break point. Can you be that stupid to do that in that moment? What does the umpire need? Press, the name, his picture [in the paper] tomorrow? Incredible."


Asked whether he felt Nouni was incapable of taking charge of this kind of match, Nalbandian said: "Absolutely. No doubt. Nothing happened in the match, and in that moment, he called an overrule. I call Hawk-Eye, and he didn't give it.


"I have never seen something like that. So the ATP have to check what they doing for the umpires. Do they practise? I don't know."


Nalbandian ruled out making an official protest, though, believing the evidence was already out there.


"If they really want to do something, I don't need to do anything, because it's on the TV, on the video. But every time we talk to the ATP, it's like nothing, so what is the ATP for, the players or for somebody else?"


Isner, who plays Feliciano Lopez in round three, told ESPN immediately afterwards: "I didn't know what was going on as I was towelling off. I guess I was just a little luckier out there.

Yu Darvish No deal yet, still waiting

$51.7 million is a substantial amount of money, even for a thick-walleted Major League Baseball team. It’s also how much the Rangers paid for the privilege of negotiating with Japanese ace Yu Darvish. And if 5 p.m. ET rolls around and circumstances haven’t changed, that $51.7 million could be making a return trip to the Lone Star State.


As it stands, the Rangers and Darvish have yet to agree on a contract that would bring the sub-2.00 ERA pitcher over to the States and away from the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. If Darvish signs and comes to America, his Japanese club pockets the posting fee, which, according to the Fort-Worth Star-Telegram, would cover their entire 2012 payroll. If not, the money is refunded, the Rangers are down a pitcher, and we do this all again later in the year. But the Star-Telegram report also says that “the Rangers are cautiously optimistic that Darvish will be signed,” and following the departure of C.J. Wilson to Los Angeles, they could certainly use his help. Team CEO Nolan Ryan has also expressed optimism, and a contract for Darvish would cap a multi-year flirtation that included a visit to Arlington and overtures from Rangers players, including Josh Hamilton.


Rangers general manager Jon Daniels and members of his staff worked much of the night (after working much of the day) with Darvish's agents -- Arn Tellem and Don Nomura -- in an effort to get an agreement. But as of this morning, there is no agreement with some issues to still work out, though sources said the club still thinks a deal will get done before the deadline (though likely right up to that deadline).


We'll see. Nothing is a sure thing until both sides have an agreement and they don't yet.


Many members of the Japanese media (one source put the number at about 25) were waiting in the lobby in center field for much of the night (the club provided pizza and beer to go along with the shelter from the cold, according to another report).


If the sides can't reach an agreement, Darvish would pitch in Japan in 2012 and the Rangers would not pay the $51.7 million posting fee to Darvish's team, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.

James Dolan Takes a Victory Lap

NEW YORK -- In a rare, impromptu news conference Tuesday night, New York Rangers owner James Dolan said he feels his Blueshirts are closing in on the Stanley Cup.


"I'm very proud of the organization," Dolan said after the team's 3-0 win over Nashville. "I'm particularly proud of Mr. [Glen] Sather because all the way back to 2004 when things weren't going so well and we had a lot of free agents here and we decided to basically re-do the strategy, Glen and I made a pact.


I gave him something, which I won't reveal today, but I gave him something to seal the pact. I said 'You can't give it back to me until we win the Stanley Cup.' And I think we're pretty close to getting that thing back," said Dolan, who has not addressed the Rangers media since the 2005-06 season.


Tortorella took over and immediately went to work walking back everything Dolan had to say.


"We just have to go about our business. I have my owner up here talking about a Stanley Cup. That's a bunch of B.S. We need to take one day at a time."


That's exactly what the Rangers did on Tuesday. They put the disaster in Montreal on Sunday night behind them and didn't allow themselves to look ahead to games against the Penguins and Bruins in the coming days.


Instead they hunkered down and did what was needed to beat the Predators. It wasn't particularly attractive and it wasn't a perfect effort, but they bounced back from a bad loss with a shutout for a second straight game and that's not too bad.


The Rangers got a fluky goal from Dan Girardi early, extended the lead in the second and then pretty much ran out the clock the rest of the way by possessing the puck and putting the Predators to sleep.


Henrik Lundqvist made some strong saves in the first period and his teammates pretty much ensured he wouldn't have to work too hard the rest of the way.


Dolan's unexpected appearance in front of a microphone wound up being the thing that stuck out the most from the evening, but that's mostly because we're used to seeing the Rangers come up with these kinds of slump busters whenever it looks like they might reach a panic point in their season.

Kevin Love Contract: Timberwolves Likely To Offer 60 Million Dollar

According to the Pioneer Press, Minnesota is set to present a contract extension offer to star forward Kevin Love. But will the offer be good enough to get Love to sign?: “Look for the Timberwolves to offer Kevin Love a $60 million, four-year contract extension within the next eight days. Love, 23, who is playing for $4.6 million this season, can become a restricted free agent after the season unless he signs an extension before Jan. 25. If he opts for free agency, the Wolves would have the right to match any outside offer.


Love is currently making only $4.6 million this year, making him the fifth highest paid member of the Wolves. A report says that the Wolves will likely be offering him a $60 million, four year long contract at some point in the next week. With Love eligible for free agency in the next few years, it could a smart move by the Wolves if true.


Love began the 2012 season with a ludicrous 13 straight games with double doubles and is averaging high numbers in just about every category. If this is indeed the contract that the Timberwolves are going to offer their forward, it's hard to say that it wasn't very well deserved.

Ricky Rubio and 10 Early-Season Surprises

In the visitor's locker room moments after the Wolves lost a tense game in Atlanta the other day, only two players were still dressed in full uniform. One was Kevin Love. The other, Ricky Rubio.
You could understand why Love took it hard; he's a proud All-Star, endured three prior years of losing in Minnesota, all that. But Rubio? Kid's been in the NBA for all of 10 minutes. What does that say about him, that he'd sit by his locker long after the game, chin in hand, feet in an ice bucket, feeling like someone just ordered him to get a crewcut?
"The one thing we didn't know is that he's a competitor," said Wolves coach Rick Adelman.
Yes, among other things. Rubio was mainly a mystery to the NBA when he arrived in Minnesota, someone who clearly had court vision but put up measly numbers in Europe, couldn't hit a jumper no one could recall and whose will to win on the big stage was untested. He had more questions following him into the NBA than squealing teenaged girls.
Then the season starts, and all the predictions that were completely off get brushed under the rug, and the analysts pretend like they saw it all coming.
Well, we didn't see it all.
In fact, some of these no one saw coming, or at least only a minority of people. Here are the 10 biggest surprises to the season so far.

Tim Tebow: Not the Typical Athlete

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — Tim Tebow is expected to make a full recovery, without surgery, from rib, lung and chest injuries he sustained in the Denver Broncos’ loss at New England in an AFC divisional playoff game last weekend.


ESPN first reported Wednesday that Tebow got hurt on a third-quarter tackle during Denver’s 45-10 loss, then had trouble sleeping because of the pain and underwent an MRI on his chest Monday.


Team spokesman Patrick Smyth said that while he couldn’t confirm the exact extent or nature of the injuries due to team policy, he acknowledged that Tebow finished the game in considerable pain.


Backup Brady Quinn got ready after Tebow was hit by Vince Wilfork and Rob Ninkovich, but Tebow stayed in.


As a mother of two boys finding their way in the world having to balance their faith with the many challenges in becoming young men, I have to say that I am thrilled to see a role model that I don’t have to say “but his judgment was lacking when he…”.


It’s wonderful to see someone using their talent in a positive way. He is involved in numerous outreach programs. The Tim Tebow Foundation’s mission is “to bring faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need” and before each game he spends time with children/families dealing with a health crisis.


He has displayed good sportsmanship and determination being labeled the underdog in the NFL and even finished a game in high school with a broken leg.


Too many athletes get caught up in a world of excess with no good values or faith to guide their lives or decisions they make. We’ve heard story after story of famous athletes who cheat, are involved in one sex scandal after another, are caught under the influence of drugs and alcohol maybe even endangering others while driving in that condition and too many other offenses to name them all. Why are they celebrated? Why is their behavior accepted?


While there certainly are lessons to be learned from these bad decisions I hope my boys learn more from Tebow’s good decisions.


Tags:  Tim Tebow Patriots, Tim Tebow Broncos, Tebow Clifton Woman, Tebow little with, Tebow OC Dolphins, Tebow Brady face, Tebow the hype, Tebow Story,  Tebow good mix,  Tebow over NFL

Tim Tebow played against Patriots

Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow played through considerable pain in Saturday night's AFC divisional playoff game against New England.


At the start of the third quarter, Tebow tore cartilage on his first rib where it attaches to his sternum, bruised his lung and had fluid buildup in his pleural cavity, according to an NFL source.


The injuries came as the result of a hit in the pocket when Tebow was pressured after throwing a pass. Even so, he was determined to finish the game with his teammates regardless of the score.


The Patriots defeated the Broncos 45-10.


Team spokesman Patrick Smyth said that while he couldn't confirm the exact extent or nature of the injuries due to team policy, he acknowledged that Tebow finished the game in considerable pain.


Because of the severe pain, Tebow had trouble sleeping over the weekend, then had an MRI on his chest Monday to determine the extent of the damage. He has been undergoing rehab throughout this week.


Even with the injuries, it is believed Tebow will begin his offseason training program according to schedule.


Broncos chief of football operations John Elway proclaimed Tebow the incumbent at a season-ending news conference Monday, but Tebow said Tuesday that he's not treating his offseason any differently.


An NFL source told ESPN that Tebow suffered an injury to his chest that tore a rib and caused fluid buildup in his pleural cavity - the area of the torso below the lungs.


Tebow was reportedly in so much pain that he had trouble sleeping over the weekend. He had an MRI on his chest Monday.


Team spokesman Patrick Smyth said that while he couldn't confirm the exact extent or nature of the injuries due to team policy, he acknowledged that Tebow finished the game in considerable pain.


Backup Brady Quinn got ready after Tebow was hit by Vince Wilfork and Rob Ninkovich, but Tebow stayed in.


The Broncos eventually lost to the Patriots 45-10.


The injuries aren't expected to interfere with Tebow's offseason training program.


Tags: Tim Tebow typical Athlete,  Tim Tebow Broncos, Tebow Clifton Woman, Tebow little with, Tebow OC Dolphins, Tebow Brady face, Tebow the hype, Tebow Story,  Tebow good mix,  Tebow over NFL

Jim Caldwell have been fired by the Indianapolis Colts

INDIANAPOLIS— Jim Irsay has big plans for the Colts' future. He just hasn't worked through the details yet.


Two weeks after overhauling the front office, Indianapolis took the next big step in its major housecleaning project Tuesday -- firing coach Jim Caldwell after three seasons.


"This (search) is something that's going to start immediately and I really think we're going to get a coach that's going to lead us going into the future, and I think it's a bright future," Irsay said Tuesday. "It's tough to change and go forward, we've had such excellence and greatness here over such a long period of time and that's what I expect us to do again."


Irsay is following the same plan he installed after the 1997 season. Back then, a season-ending loss on the road allowed the 3-13 Colts to clinch the No. 1 overall draft pick. The next day, Irsay fired the general manager and the head coach and eventually changed quarterbacks.


The real question is whether or not Peyton Manning will be next out the door. I would think the next coach wants the opportunity to work with one of the greatest NFL quarterbacks of all time while grooming Manning's successor, Andrew Luck.


My guess is that Irsay tries to convince Manning to delay or renegotiate his $28-million bonus that is due in early March to keep him in Indianapolis. If he can't reach an agreement with Manning, the Colts will let him go, too.


When Irsay fired the Polians from his front office, the clock started ticking on Caldwell.


Until Jim Caldwell gets another chance to coach, there will be questions about whether he won only because he inherited Tony Dungy’s team or because he had Peyton Manning to run the offense. With Dungy gone three years and Manning injured, Caldwell couldn’t keep the Colts upright (2-14).


The same questions were asked about George Seifert and Barry Switzer. Did Seifert win because of Steve Young and with Bill Walsh’s team in San Francisco? He flamed out on his own in Carolina. Did Switzer win with Troy Aikman and Jimmy Johnson’s team in Dallas? The Cowboys were 6-10 his last season, four years removed from Johnson. He hasn't coached again.


Questions aside, the Colts appear to be cleaning the slate as they did in 1997 and Caldwell had to go. Vice chairman Bill Polian and general manager Chris Polian were the first to get fired. Now, despite owner Jim Irsay’s contention that Manning is there to stay, look for him to be the next Colt to ride out of town.

Nick Cannon Focuses On Kids After Health Scare

Nick Cannon had a warning for Howard Stern Tuesday: You’re going to work way longer hours than you expect as an “America’s Got Talent” judge this summer.


Cannon, who hosts “America’s Got Talent,” said judges can put in three 12-hour days in a row. Stern said in that case, the new judge may fall asleep.


Cannon and Stern joined for a rare live broadcast on WXRK (92.3 FM), where Cannon hosts the morning show, and Stern’s show on SiriusXM.


Stern, of course, used to host the 92.3 FM morning show, while Cannon was returning to the air after a long break to recover from what he called mild kidney failure.


Cannon, who has temporarily adapted a strict renal diet, said that his time in the hospital made all of the important things very clear. "There's a second where you're thinking, 'What if I'm not able to instill the things I want to instill into my children?' It just makes you think, like, 'I need to give them everything I could possibly give them right now,' and obviously it starts with love."


The radio and stand-up comedy host was hospitalized during a vacation with his family in Aspen, Colorado, after experiencing severe pains in his lower back. Doctors initially suspected kidney stones as the culprit, before more tests showed that his kidneys were shutting down due to an overdose of protein, medication he was taking and a lack of proper sustenance.


"I always considered myself as someone who was in great shape, but I was doing too much [to my body] so my immune system got confused and just started attacking my kidneys," Cannon told MTV News. "You look at my Twitter picture and I look like I'm in shape, but I was putting the wrong stuff into my body, speeding all the time, not sleeping and eating properly. It's all about taking time and really caring about yourself and how you fuel yourself.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" and sure to divide

A bright, socially awkward boy tries to make sense of 9/11 and find some closure with the father he lost on what he calls "the worst day" in "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close."


The film, based on a Jonathan Safran Foer novel, is a sometimes tearful remembrance of that day and the lives it ended or forever disrupted. And while it flirts with the preciousness that comes with Foer novels ("Everything is Illuminated"), it is engrossing and emotional in ways no other 9/11 drama has managed.


Oskar (Thomas Horn), our hero and narrator, is a tween who was once tested for Asperger’s Syndrome, but those tests were "inconclusive." He’s a loner who thinks and thinks and thinks; his sympathetic dad (Tom Hanks) had figured out a way to bring him out of his shell.


It’s a combination fable/adventure yarn that, I suspect, is not meant to taken on face value; most of it’s filtered, after all, through the eyes and imagination of a grieving child who’s alternately annoying and endearing.


That’s 11-year-old Oskar Schell, a socially awkward New Yorker with more than his share of manias and fears. Asperger’s syndrome is suspected, he says, but as he informs a total stranger: “Tests were inconclusive.”


After his dad (saintly Tom Hanks) dies on 9/11, Oskar tries to make sense of something that's impossible to make sense of.


So he embarks on a quest to every corner of New York, and if you care to join him on that adventure — I did, the moment he packed an Israeli gas mask and tambourine to go with his cell phone and map — you’ll likely found “Extremely Loud” incredibly affecting, a multi-hanky story of loss and guilt and connection, expertly made.


If you don’t? You’ll resist the film’s manipulations (and don’t all films manipulate?), perhaps quite vocally.

LL Cool J to Host 2012 Grammy Awards

Two-time GRAMMY® Award winner and NCIS: LOS ANGELES star LL COOL J is set to host THE 54th ANNUAL GRAMMY® AWARDS, marking the first time in seven years that the music industry's premier event will have an official host. Music's Biggest Night® takes place live from the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012 (8:00-11:30 PM, ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network.


“I’m thrilled to be a part of music’s biggest night,” says LL COOL J. “I will always have fond memories of my first GRAMMY Awards and to now be hosting the GRAMMY show, in the company of so many other incredible artists, is a dream come true. Great performances and great music – it's going to be a great night,” he added.


LL COOL J has hosted THE GRAMMY NOMINATIONS CONCERT LIVE! — COUNTDOWN TO MUSIC'S BIGGEST NIGHT® since its inception in December 2008, and this is his first time hosting the annual GRAMMY Awards broadcast. Past hosts include Queen Latifah at THE 47th ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS and Jon Stewart for THE 43thANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS and THE 44th ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS broadcasts. Over the years, other GRAMMY hosts have included Billy Crystal, Ellen Degeneres and Rosie O'Donnell, among others.


I'm thrilled to be part of Music's Biggest Night," LL Cool J said, via statement. "I will always have fond memories of my first Grammy Awards and to now be hosting the Grammy show, in the company of so many other incredible artists, is a dream."


The MC joins previously announced performers and current Grammy nominees Jason Aldean, Kelly Clarkson, Foo Fighters, Bruno Mars, Nicki Minaj, and Taylor Swift. Aldean and Minaj will perform on the Grammy telecast for the first time, while Clarkson, Foo Fighters, Mars, and Swift are returning to the stage.

Jeff Goldblum, Brian Stokes Mitchell to Play Rachel

Jeff Goldblum and Brian Stokes Mitchell will guest star on the February 14 episode of FOX's Glee as Hiram and LeRoy Berry, playing the adoptive parents of Rachel, the character played by Lea Michele, according to a report on Deadline.com.
Goldblum received a Tony Award nomination for his performance in The Pillowman. Among his other stage credits are The Prisoner of Second Avenue and Speed-the-Plow at the Old Vic in London and Twelfth Night in Central Park. Among his film and television credits are The Switch, The Fly, The Tall Guy, Will and Grace, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.


THR polled the cast in February, with the top candidates ranging from Taye Diggs, Nathan Lane and Hugh Jackman. Casting for the roles began in December.
Goldblum, whose credits include The Fly, JurassicPark and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, has a roster of Broadway credits including The Pillowman, Two Gentlemen of Verona and The Exonerated and is a an accomplished jazz pianist.


Stokes Mitchell, meanwhile, is a Tony winner for his performance on Broadway's Kiss Me, Kate, and has been nominated for three other Tonys for his performances in Man of La Mancha, King Hedley II and Ragtime. His small-screen work includes The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Frasier and Ugly Betty.
Both actors are slated to sing in the episode. They join a season which so far has featured a slew of guest stars in parental roles as McKinley's seniors -- including Rachel, Finn (Cory Monteith), Mike (Harry Shum Jr.) and Kurt (Chris Colfer) -- head toward graduation.
What do you think of the castings? Glee returns with its Michael Jackson tribute episode on Jan. 31 at 8 p.m.

Michelle Williams wanted another baby

Just days after winning her first Golden Globe for portraying blond bombshell Marilyn Monroe in "My Week With Marilyn," the normally buttoned-up Michelle Williams is turning up her bombshell dial to a big "10" in the new issue of GQ. Gracing the pages in a platinum blond bob and leaving little to the imagination in lingerie, Williams opens up about her early days in Hollywood, her parents and her critically acclaimed work in "Marilyn." And eventually, she talks about her late boyfriend Heath Ledger.




"Our initial meeting, the circumstances of how we first met, were cosmic or something," she said when asked what attracted them to one another while they were shooting "Brokeback Mountain." After an on-again, off-again relationship and one child together, his 2008 death became headline news, and reporters and paparazzi soon intruded on her life.


"It was making me crazy. I felt like I was going crazy. It was too much — trying to deal with what had happened and trying to deal with what was at our doorstep. I just felt trapped," she said, later referencing their daughter, Matilda. "And it's not just me — there's somebody else who I'm trying to protect, and I can't. I can't make it stop, I can't make it go away. Trying to find ways to explain it or shield her from it. It's like you're trying to go about your life, and make dinner...but the roof is off of your house, and the walls are falling down.


Although Michelle has found life tough since Heath passed away from an accidental drugs overdose, she thinks it is harder for her daughter because the youngster will have few memories of her father that she doesn’t share with anyone else.


“You know, as hard as certain things have been for me, it’s been harder thinking about how things will be for her. I have a lot of things that she doesn’t, and some of what I have I can give to her the memories that I have, the objects that I have, the physical reminders that I have, the stories. But she won’t really have any that are solely...” she said.


Michelle and Heath met on the set of Brokeback Mountain in 2004 with the actress giving birth to their daughter in 2005 and the 31-year-old actress believes their relationship developed so quickly because they subconsciously knew they didn’t have much time together.


“Our initial meeting, the circumstances of how we first met, were cosmic or something. Yeah, a lot of things happened at once. It’s a bit like: We had a lot of things to do, because we didn’t have a lot of time, or something,” she added.

‘Spider-Man’ Producers Sue Taymor for Breach

The producers of “Spider-Man” fired back at ex-director Julie Taymor
on Tuesday, portraying her in a lawsuit as a money-grubbing diva who nearly sabotaged the musical.


In the Manhattan Federal Court suit, Michael Cohl and Jeremiah Harris slammed Taymor’s “hallucinogenic”
and
lurid vision of the show and said she routinely rejected advice to improve it.


“Taymor refused to develop a musical that followed the original, family-friendly ‘Spider-Man’ story, which was depicted in the Marvel comic books and the hugely successful motion picture trilogy based on them,” the suit charges.


“Instead, Taymor, who admits that she was not a fan of the ‘Spider-Man’ story prior to her involvement with the musical, insisted on developing a dark, disjointed and hallucinogenic musical involving suicide, sex and death” the suit says.


Since Taymor was fired from the show in March, “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark” has become one of the top-grossing shows on Broadway.


Bono, who worked with Ms. Taymor to develop “Spider-Man” for several years and had once called her “my close friend,” wrote an e-mail last Jan. 7 criticizing her for “shooting ideas down before taking time to understand them,” according to the producers’ lawsuit. (Bono wrote the score of the musical with his band mate the Edge.)


Glen Berger, a playwright Ms. Taymor had hired to help her write the “Spider-Man” script, wrote to a colleague on the show last Jan. 20 that Ms. Taymor had threatened to stop collaborating with him if he sided with the producers over ideas to change and possibly improve the musical.


Referring to the producers, Mr. Berger wrote: “If they want to know what my ideas are, damn straight I’m going to tell them my ideas — they have every right in the world to know. And yeah, Julie forbade me from telling them, and said she wouldn’t be able to work with me if I started telling other people my ideas, or if I even started bringing them up to her. That was wrong of her.”


Mr. Berger sent the e-mail to Daniel Ezralow, a longtime colleague of Ms. Taymor’s and the musical’s sole choreographer at that point.


The countersuit also attributes statements to Ms. Taymor that portray her as dismissive about the producers’ desires to improve the musical — including the use of an expletive in declaring that she did not care whether audiences liked her version of “Spider-Man.” That comment could not be independently verified; a phone call to Ms. Taymor’s home was not answered on Tuesday.


Ms. Taymor’s credits and biography were recently deleted from the official “Spider-Man” Web site, and Mr. McKinley is now the only person listed on the site with the title of director. A spokesman for the show said he did not immediately have information about when or why Ms. Taymor was scrubbed from the site; he said that she is still credited as original director in audience Playbills.


Ms. Taymor’s union has been pursuing an arbitration claim against the “Spider-Man” producers, Mr. Cohl and Mr. Harris, claiming she is owed more than $500,000. The producers also filed an antitrust lawsuit on Tuesday against Ms. Taymor’s union.

How Many of Jay-Z’s Songs Contain

The reports were wrong: even the birth of his baby daughter will not stop Jay-Z from using the world "bitch". And it appears the rapper is not the author of the widely circulated poem about Blue Ivy Carter, in which the writer says: "Before I got in the game, made a change, and got rich/ I didn't think hard about using the word b*tch/ I rapped, I flipped it, I sold it, I lived it/ Now with my daughter in this world I curse those that give it."


The poem, initially attributed to Jay-Z, was actually written by the blogger Renee Gardner on 10 January. Three days after it was posted at Rolling Out, Perez Hilton brought it to wider attention on his own blog. "Jay-Z Swears Off 'B*tch' for Blue Ivy!" he wrote. He did not give a source.


Soon the story was picked up by the Daily Mail, NME and New York magazine. The Guardian covered it, too. But when E! News asked Jay-Z's representatives for comment, the answer was unequivocal. "A source close to the rapper's camp [said] the poem in question is not by Jay-Z," it reported. "No word how the lyrics made it online, but it wasn't from the rap mogul." Another denial came via a tweet from the Roots' leader, ?uestlove: "This just in: [Jay-Z] to me.


Some TIME writers and I combed through the lyrics to Jay-Z’s 15 studio albums (both solo and collaborative) and this is what we’ve found: 109 out of 217 songs contain the word “Bitch.” That’s 50.2% of Jay-Z’s entire lyrical output. Hova’s bitchiest album appears to be 1998’s Vol 2…Hard Knock Life, on which 71% of the songs feature the newly illicit B-word. On the song “Paper Chase,” he even took the women-as-dogs metaphor a step further with the line “Greyhound bitch, stay down bitch.”


There are, of course, countless ways the word can be used, and to varying degrees of offensiveness. To simplify things, all uses of “bitch” were treated equally in our lyrical survey. For example, Jay-Z’s 1996 debut Reasonable Doubt included commonplace phrases such as “Life’s a bitch” and others as rude as “If your leg’s broke bitch, hop on your good foot.”


While I appreciate Jay-Z’s newfound feminism (if it is indeed true), I don’t know how he’s going to avoid using the word if he wants to keep performing his old material. He could just bleep it out, I guess, but that’s not very helpful; we’d still know what he meant. No, Jay-Z will have to find an apt replacement to fit every lyric. That must be the 100th problem he’s been trying to avoid.

George Lucas Wants to Retire and Make Art Films

Last fall, my esteemed and wordy colleague Darren Franich posted an essay entitled “Stop hating George Lucas, and stop loving Star Wars so much: Why it’s time to grow up.” It was in reaction to the uproar surrounding Lucas’ decision to make Darth Vader say “Nooooo!” at the climax of Return of the Jedi, and it touched a nerve, inspiring mostly spirited and totally geeky online debate over whether Lucas’ many changes and alterations to the Star Wars films over the years had, in fact, ruined our childhoods.
Well, Lucas haters, you’ve gotten your wish: In a story appearing in the upcoming issue of The New York Times Magazine and posted online yesterday, the man who helped invent the modern summer movie blockbuster says he’s retiring from making big-budget feature films, including and especially any more Star Wars movies. “Why would I make any more,” he says in the story, “when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?” Yes, anonymous fanboy commentors, George Lucas has read your Han-Solo-shot-first! screeds, and he’s taken it kinda personally: “I’m saying: ‘Fine. But my movie, with my name on it, that says I did it, needs to be the way I want it.


Briefly mentioned in the Times piece is that Lucas has wanted to follow the path of fellow Bay Area director Francis Ford Coppola, who has begun to self-finance films. Twixt, which screened at last fall’s Toronto Film Festival and stars Val Kilmer as a third-rate mystery writer who encounters vampires, murderers and intermittent 3-D during a book tour stopover, isn’t a particularly good movie. But it is loose and personal (witness the scenes that flashback to what is essentially a recreation of the speed boating death of Coppola’s son Gian-Carlo) and was filmed on and around Coppola’s Northern California estate.


If Coppola — a man who has gone bankrupt at least twice and now uses the proceeds from his wine business to fund films — can get together some slightly washed up stars and make a film in his backyard, surely the eternally flush Lucas can do the same. He can probably shoot, edit, mix, and do all the sound effects right on his sprawling Skywalker Ranch. The fact that he wants to make “esoteric” films makes it even easier; 30 minutes of digital sunburst patterns, no people, no dialogue, no overhead. Done.


Though, as might be clear, we suspect he won’t do any of this. He’s talked this game for a while and the closest he’s come to “experimental” is the dialogue in the Star Wars prequels. If one of the wealthiest men in show business is unable to achieve his dreams, what hope do the rest of us have?

Chris Christie calls on Mitt Romney to release his tax returns

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Wednesday that Mitt Romney should put out his tax returns “sooner rather than later” but added that the former Massachusetts governor has already started speaking about the tax rate he pays.
“I would say to Governor Romney is that if you have tax returns to put out, you know, you should put them out sooner rather, than later because it’s always better in my view to have complete disclosure, especially when you’re the front-runner,” said Christie on NBC’s “Today Show.”




Christie said he releases his tax returns every year after he files them. But Christie noted that Romney has already started to speak about his tax returns, telling reporters yesterday that he pays close to a 15 percent tax rate.


The issue of Romney’s tax returns has been magnified in recent days, as he campaigns in South Carolina, which holds the country’s next primary on Saturday and which is among the nation’s poorest states. Among his competitors, Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said he will release his tax returns this week. Texas Governor Rick Perry already released his. A spokesman for former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum said he would release his returns, but offered no timeline. The campaign of Texas Representative Ron Paul did not respond to questions yesterday about whether Paul will release his.


Presidential nominees in the past few elections have generally released their returns around April. It has become tradition for presidents to release their tax returns, though there is no law obligating them to do so.


In the same interview, Christie refused to rule out serving as vice president under Romney, though he said he wants to continue being governor of New Jersey. “I think it’s rude and wrong to say you wouldn’t do something you haven’t been asked to do,” Christie said.

Portland metro area to winter storm warning

Communities across Oregon braced for a new punch from Mother Nature as forecasters warned of hurricane-force wind gusts overnight on the coast and heavy snow in the Columbia River Gorge and the Cascades.


The National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for the mountains until Wednesday afternoon. A less severe winter weather advisory was in effect for the Willamette Valley, but forecasters backed off earlier projections that significant snow accumulation was possible in Portland. By Tuesday afternoon, they didn't expect snow at lower elevations, with most of Portland seeing a mix of rain and snow.


The city of Portland has set up two places for drivers to chain up. One is on West Burnside Street at Northwest 23rd Avenue and the other is at Southwest Sam Jackson Park Road at Terwilliger Boulevard at the bottom of the hill. Both locations will be available through the forecasted snow, according to the city.


The city will have all of its 55 trucks ready to plow and sand roads as they are needed. View the plow map.


If the public observes trees, rocks or other debris blocking roads and sidewalks, they can report the location to the city by calling 503-823-1700. They can report downed power lines by calling PGE at 503-464-7777.


The Oregon Coast is set to get battered by high winds when the storm system comes onshore early Wednesday morning.


The National Weather Service issued a “hurricane force wind warning” for the ocean off the central coast. Forecasters think sustained winds could be as strong as 60 miles per hour with gusts up to 86 miles per hour.


Onshore, most of the coast is under a “high wind warning” through Wednesday afternoon. Beaches and headlands could also see wind gusts in the 80s, forecasters said.


The NWS warning said areas south of Tillamook have the greatest chance of being impacted by the wind. Forecasters warn there could be power outages and trees down across roadways.


Our neighbors to the north are preparing for a very large storm on Wednesday. Seattle is smack in the middle of the wet storm that will push through Oregon and a cold, arctic air mass pushing south from Alaska. That’s a recipe for heavy snow.


Forecasters at KOMONews.com in Seattle expect 4-6 inches of snow in the greater Seattle and up to 12 inches in places near Olympia and south.