People Jayman Can't Get Enough Of

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />Hola y’all! So, on Monday of this week, Matt-Man did his “<a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2013/01/people-i-cant-get-enough-of.html" target="_blank">People I Can’t Get Enough Of</a>” post. I was going to follow that up on Tuesday with one of my own, but I just wasn’t in the right place emotionally to do it. So, I waited until today.<br /><br />Also, being a loner means that my list isn’t really that long. Okay, actually there is a very long list of people I can’t get enough of, but I’m not very good at keeping up with people. Even people I very much want in my life and want to be part of their lives. It’s probably my shyness and lack of social skills that causes this. Anyway, here is a list of people that I’m extremely happy they do play a big role in my life and I can’t get enough of on any level.<br /><br /><b><i>First is obviously my family</i></b>. The JayMom, JaySis, JayBro-in-Law. Without them I would probably be either the guy digging through Matt-Man’s dumpster for cans or the guy who keeps setting the Beer Mine’s dumpster on fire. Or both.<br /><br /><b><i>Matt-Man and Schmoopalicious</i></b>. My partners in crime are caring, funny, supportive and all-around decent people. I know you’re surprised by that, but it’s true. They just don’t like to admit it publicly. They both love to talk about being "assholes" and are sarcastic as hell. But, the truth is they both have a heart of gold.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMb6Z8Lnnzk5kDT8vay7IgxVrr66a6MxRs5gB6hIuOC-axix1Y46QA2trnNMwJXNUkWt05aOm0RT1mKteBRQm7fn75uN1IwGli5bqRebDr7tqBPPeJfMqOq_k_YN-3zX6HPlgTafXbK2c/s1600/angie+iws.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMb6Z8Lnnzk5kDT8vay7IgxVrr66a6MxRs5gB6hIuOC-axix1Y46QA2trnNMwJXNUkWt05aOm0RT1mKteBRQm7fn75uN1IwGli5bqRebDr7tqBPPeJfMqOq_k_YN-3zX6HPlgTafXbK2c/s320/angie+iws.jpg" width="254" /></a><b><i>My friends who live inside my computer.</i></b> I love Twitter. Facebook has its moments, Tumblr is full of very shallow, self-centered people, but I’ve found a couple of cool folks there too and Blogs are dying. But, Twitter still rules social media. I follow so many clever and funny people who make me laugh, think and even scream in anger. It’s great!<br /><br />Also, did you see what <a href="http://nomoreemptyfortunecookies.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Angie AKA: Fortune Cookie</a> did? Did you see the IWS pic she made for us? See, that’s what I’m talking about. People on social media can be irritating, stupid, silly, and rude sometimes, but they can also be amazingly cool and thoughtful and supportive. And Angie definitely falls into the amazing, cool and thoughtful category and is one of those people I’m so glad to know even though I don’t know them as well as I should. Thanks babe!<br /><br /><b><i><a href="http://www.artmustdie.me/" target="_blank">Jo Sequist:</a></i></b> Jo is wayyyyyyyyy smarter than me, but doesn’t make a big deal about it. Jo is also wayyyyyyyyyyyy more talented than I am, but doesn’t make a big deal about that either. In fact, she actually acts as if she isn’t a super-talented, magical being. Crazy huh? And, even though sometimes the whole social media thing gets to be a bit too much and she kind of disappears, when she goes *poof* and reappears we just pick up right where we left off having deep discussions about things like building Gingerbread Shanty Towns.<br /><br /><b><i><a href="https://twitter.com/Sweet_PeaNeeee" target="_blank">Sweet Pea:</a></i></b> Let me tell you guys something. Sweet Pea is crazy. I mean down right “you don’t know what she’s gonna say or do next” crazy. And I love her for it. She’s hilarious, even when she doesn’t mean to be. She is endlessly entertaining and will cheer you up instantly if you talk to her or are around her. Sweet Pea is equal parts an open book for all to read and a total freaking mystery.<br /><br /><b><i><a href="https://twitter.com/warrior_kat" target="_blank">Warrior Kat:</a></i></b> If you listen to the IWS Podcast, you have heard Kat introduced as my BFF many times. Well, it’s true. She’s not my fake internet girlfriend like Manti Te’o had or still has (it’s all very confusing) she’s a real person and a real friend. She’s loud (Cajun), spicy (Latina), beautiful, smart and funny and has an endless supply of love and compassion and support.<br /><br />You might notice that my list is full of people who are smarter, funnier, more talented and better looking than me. It’s amazing that they allow me to hang around.<br /><br /><b>Honorable Mention:</b> The NBA, cheeseburgers, “The Wire,” Rihanna, pizza, college football, air conditioning, tequila, Jennifer Lawrence, “Justified,” podcasts, dice with buddies, sports gambling, Drew Barrymore, Chris Rock, The Rolling Stones, New Orleans Jazz, New Orleans, the beach, Ireland, Dave Attell, 50’s-60’s-70’s-80’s Rock ‘n Roll, Politics, Gangster Movies, trashy reality stars (but not the shows), great legs, and of course, every single one of you guys.<br /><br />Jayman<br /><a href="mailto:Jayman3768@gmail.com">Jayman3768@gmail.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.twitter.com/jayman_iws" target="_blank">@Jayman_IWS </a><br /><br />Also, we rocked the house during our “Nothing and Everything” show on IWS. The lovely Dianne (who I’ll never get enough of) called in to hang out with us. It was a good time and you should totally check it out!<br /><br /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.adobe.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,0,0" height="105" id="143577" name="143577" width="210"><param name="movie" value="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf?file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fplaylist.aspx%3Fshow_id%3D4305505&autostart=false&bufferlength=5&volume=80&corner=rounded&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/flashplayercallback.aspx" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/btrplayer.swf" flashvars="file=http://www.blogtalkradio.com%2Fplaylist.aspx%3Fshow_id%3D4305505&autostart=false&shuffle=false&callback=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/FlashPlayerCallback.aspx&width=210&height=105&volume=80&corner=rounded" width="210" height="105" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" quality="high" wmode="transparent" menu="false" name="143577" id="143577" allowScriptAccess="always"></embed></object><br /><div style="font-size: 10px; text-align: center; width: 220px;">Listen to <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/">internet radio</a> with <a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/im-with-stupid">Im With Stupid</a> on Blog Talk Radio<br /><br /><br /></div></div>

People Jayman Can't Get Enough Of

Hola y’all! So, on Monday of this week, Matt-Man did his “People I Can’t Get Enough Of” post. I was going to follow that up on Tuesday with one of my own, but I just wasn’t in the right place emotionally to do it. So, I waited until today.Also, being…

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Sloane Stephens: The Teenage Star Who Beat Serena Williams

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><iframe height="360" id="kaltura_player_1359001422" src="http://cdnapi.kaltura.com/index.php/kwidget/wid/1_utr00pz2/uiconf_id/3775332/st_cache/23218?referer=http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/sloane-stephens-19-beats-serena-williams-18297379&autoPlay=false&addThis.playerSize=392x221&freeWheel.siteSectionId=nws_offsite&closedCaptionActive=true&addThis.playerSize=640x360&closedCaptionsOverPlayer.fontsize=18" style="border: 0px solid #ffffff;" width="640">Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames.</iframe> <div style="margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px;">Sloane Stephens, 19, Beats Serena Williams</span></div><div style="font-size: x-small;"></div><div id="date_partner" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; height: 32px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 150px; min-height: 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 490px;"></div><div class="byline_date" style="float: left; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 490px;"><div class="byline_date_inner" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 485px;"><div class="byline" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">By JENNIFER ABBEY and <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/author/ron_claiborne" rel="author" style="color: #336699; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">RON CLAIBORNE</a></div><div class="date" style="margin: 0px; padding: 4px 0px 0px;">Jan. 23, 2013</div></div></div><div style="font-size: x-small;"></div><div id="sponsoredByAd" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; left: 430px; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0px; text-align: right; top: 404px;"><span id="sponsoredbylogo1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span id="_fw_container_sponsoredbylogo1" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">Some may call it the shock heard around the tennis world.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Sloane Stephens defeated one of the greatest players to lace up tennis shoes, Serena Williams, a tennis player whose poster once adorned Stephens' bedroom wall.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The 19-year-old can now say she is the only American younger than Williams to beat the 31-year-old. Stephens, with a giant white smile from ear to ear, won 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 against Williams in the Australian Open quarterfinals Wednesday.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The match was the farthest Stephens has ever gotten in a Grand Slam tournament. Williams, on the other hand, is a 15-time major winner, a five-time Australian Open champion and was on a 20-match winning streak.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Unfortunately for Williams, she suffered injuries in her ankle and back during the game. She called a trainer onto the court and had a three-minute medical timeout.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When asked about the win, all 29th-seeded Stephens could manage to say was, "I don't even know. Oh, my goodness."</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"While it's not good for Serena, it's a great development for U.S. tennis. They've been waiting for a long time for someone to come to the forefront," said Christine Brennan, a sports columnist for USA Today and sports consultant for ABC News. "It's too early to know what this will all mean, but it's possible that they may have found the next up-and-coming female star."</span></div><div class="rel_container g_4" id="rel_image_feature" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; float: left; line-height: 23px; margin: 20px 50px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 200px;"><div class="rel_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="rel_thumb" style="line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8896966065785019252" name="lpos=widget[Left_Rail_Image]&lid=view[Image]" style="color: #336699; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img alt="PHOTO: Sloane Stephens of the US hits a forehand return to compatriot Serena Williams during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia on Jan. 23, 2013." border="0" height="112" src="http://a.abcnews.com/images/US/ap_sloane_stephens_kb_130123_wg.jpg" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 0.5px; padding: 0px;" title="" width="199" /><span class="image_icon" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://a.abcnews.com/assets/images/icons/image_icon_35x35.png); background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; height: 35px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 5px; top: 73px; width: 35px;"></span></span></a></div><div class="rel_headline" style="line-height: 15px; margin: 3px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="photo_credit" style="color: #aaaaaa; line-height: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Andy Wong/AP Photo</span></div><div class="photo_caption" style="margin: 5px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Sloane Stephens of the United States hits a... <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8896966065785019252" name="lpos=widget[Left_Rail_Image]&lid=view[Image]" style="color: #336699; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">View Full Size</a></span></div></div></div></div><div class="rel_container g_4" id="rel_1" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; float: left; line-height: 23px; margin: 20px 50px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 200px;"><div class="rel_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="rel_thumb" style="line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8896966065785019252" name="lpos=widget[Left_Rail_Video_1]&lid=view[Video]" style="color: #336699; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://a.abcnews.com/images/WNT/abc_wn_index1_130123_wl.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="200" /><span class="image_icon" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://a.abcnews.com/assets/images/icons/play_icon_35x35.png); background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; height: 35px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 5px; top: 73px; width: 35px;"></span></span></a></div><div class="rel_headline" style="line-height: 15px; margin: 3px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Instant Index: Divers Save Dolphin; Orangutans Play With iPads Watch Video</span></div></div></div><div class="rel_container g_4" id="rel_2" style="background-color: white; clear: left; color: #333333; float: left; line-height: 23px; margin: 20px 50px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 200px;"><div class="rel_content" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="rel_thumb" style="line-height: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8896966065785019252" name="lpos=widget[Left_Rail_Video_2]&lid=view[Video]" style="color: #336699; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://a.abcnews.com/images/WNT/abc_wn_couric_130123_wl.jpg" style="margin: 0px; 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margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="112" src="http://a.abcnews.com/images/WNT/abc_wn_hasan_130123_wl.jpg" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="200" /><span class="image_icon" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://a.abcnews.com/assets/images/icons/play_icon_35x35.png); background-position: 0px 0px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; height: 35px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 5px; top: 73px; width: 35px;"></span></span></a></div><div class="rel_headline" style="line-height: 15px; margin: 3px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Prince Harry Returns Home to Storm of Controversy Watch Video</span></div></div></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Even before Stephens started playing tennis, she had posters of both Williams sisters -- Serena and Venus -- up in her bedroom, her mother, Sybil Smith, told ABC News. When she began playing tennis at age 9, she began looking up to their game.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"The funny thing about it is we kind of have a joke with Team Sloane, with my family," Smith said. "We say, 'We think you can beat everyone but Serena because she's the best.' And that's a little bit of a joke, because she is the best. Sloane said she's arguably the greatest of all time. So Sloane always had in her mind that Serena would be extremely tough to beat."</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Stephens played against Williams before in Brisbane, but this time around she was ready for the match-up.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"She wasn't so paranoid about playing Serena. She was excited to play Serena," Smith said. "She wasn't so concerned about the hype and playing the greatest of all time. She just changed her mind-set and said, 'You know, it's just another tennis match. I've got to go compete, no matter who I'm playing against.'"</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Off the court, Stephens, originally of Plantation, Fla., but now living in Bel Air, Calif., is a typical teenager. She texts, she tweets, she loves spending time with friends, and she has a serious shopping addiction.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"I said I was going to buy one thing but now I'm going to buy two," she said in an interview just after the big win. "I was begging my mom for these pair of shoes, but I'm sure she'll have them waiting when I get home -- so I have to think of something quick so I can tell her, so she can have it when I get home."</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Stephens told ESPN she had 145 text messages after her win. She added she hoped the win would get her more Twitter followers. Her followers shot from 17,000 before the competition to 46,300 and counting.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Stephens is also getting attention from Hollywood and other sports greats after her win.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"Just found out her dad is John Stephens from the Pats. (that's my real name) I had his football card when I was a kid. I was so proud, ha ha," John Legend tweeted. Stephens' father is a former New England Patriots player who died in a car accident in 2009.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"@sloanetweets congrats on a great match. Excellent focus n poise. Keep it goin. When u defeat a legend you become a legend. Keep it going," Shaquille O'Neal tweeted.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"Wow. What a win for Sloane. Some amazing defense. She gets every ball back," Dallas Mavericks player Dirk Nowitzki tweeted.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The real test now is to see how Stephens can handle the pressure of the main stage of tennis and if she can keep rising.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"Could Sloane put back-to-back matches together? How's she going to react?" Brennan wondered. "There are a lot of unknowns. Sloane is now going to enter a new phase of her career."</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Stephens' mother said her daughter has a good head on her shoulders. She's determined to play her game the best that she can but she also schedules valuable time with friends and family.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">"She called home last night right after the match. She was getting ready to go into press, and she goes, 'What are you guys doing?'" Smith said. "It was three minutes of what's going on at home right now. It wasn't even about tennis."</span></div><div class="story_pagination" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 0px; text-align: right; text-transform: uppercase;"><ul style="display: inline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><li style="background-image: url(http://a.abcnews.com/assets/images/icons/bullet-999.gif); background-position: -5px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; display: inline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 13px; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;"><a class="previous" href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/sloane-stephens-teenage-star-beat-serena-williams/story?id=18296642" name="lpos=widget[Story_Pagination_Previous]&lid=view[Link]" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://a.abcnews.com/assets/images/story/pagination_arrows.png); background-position: 0px -50px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: #336699; display: inline-block; height: 20px; margin: 0px 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration: none; top: -5px; width: 103px;"><span style="font-size: 10px; line-height: 10px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; right: 8px; top: 5px;">PREVIOUS PAGE</span></a> </li><li class="pager" style="background-image: url(http://a.abcnews.com/assets/images/icons/bullet-999.gif); background-position: -5px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; display: inline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 13px; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;"><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/sloane-stephens-teenage-star-beat-serena-williams/story?id=18296642" style="color: #336699; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">1</a> </li><li style="background-image: url(http://a.abcnews.com/assets/images/icons/bullet-999.gif); background-position: -5px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; display: inline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 13px; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;"><span class="pipe" style="color: #cccccc; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 5px; position: relative; top: -1px;">|</span></li></ul></div><div class="story_pagination" style="clear: both; color: black; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 0px; text-align: right; text-transform: uppercase;"><ul style="display: inline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><li style="background-image: url(http://a.abcnews.com/assets/images/icons/bullet-999.gif); background-position: -5px 5px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; display: inline; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-left: 13px; padding-right: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important;"><span class="pipe" style="color: #cccccc; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 5px; position: relative; top: -1px;"><br /></span></li></ul></div><div style="font-size: x-small;"></div><div style="font-size: x-small;"></div></div></div>

SPORT tennis Sloane Stephens: The Teenage Star Who Beat Serena Williams

Unfortunately your browser does not support IFrames. Sloane Stephens, 19, Beats Serena WilliamsBy JENNIFER ABBEY and RON CLAIBORNEJan. 23, 2013Some may call it the shock heard around the tennis world.Sloane Stephens defeated one of the greatest playe…

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Lone Star College officials grateful that shooting did not escalate

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">From: <a href="http://www.latimes.com/">http://www.latimes.com</a><br /><table cellspacing="0" style="background-color: #f2f2f2; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; color: black; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px auto; text-align: left; width: 1px;"><tbody><tr><td style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><img alt="Lone Star College shooting" border="0" height="386" src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-51004452/turbine/la-na-nn-houston-college-shooting-20130123-001/600" style="border: 0px; display: block; margin: 0px auto;" title="Lone Star College shooting" width="580" /><div class="small" style="font-size: 11px; margin-top: 6px; padding: 0px;">Lone Star College freshman Sheketa Taylor hugs her father Judson Gimblin after they found each other on the Lone Star Campus following Tuesday's shooting. <span class="credit">(<span class="photographer">Thomas B. Shea / Getty Images</span> /<span class="dateMonth">January </span><span class="dateDay">22</span><span class="dateYear">, 2013</span>)</span></div><div class="small" style="font-size: 11px; margin-top: 6px; padding: 0px;"><span class="credit"><br /></span></div><div class="small" style="font-size: 11px; margin-top: 6px; padding: 0px;"><span class="credit"><span class="byline bordered" style="background-color: white; color: #292727; display: block; font-size: 13px;">By Matt Pearce </span><span class="titleline" style="background-color: white; color: #292727; display: block; font-size: 13px;"><i>This post has been corrected, as indicated below.</i></span></span></div><div class="date" style="background-color: white; color: #930000; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; margin-top: 3px; padding: 0px;"><span class="dateString" style="display: inline;">January 23, 2013</span><span class="dateTimeSeparator" style="border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; color: white; display: inline; font-size: 10px; letter-spacing: -1px; margin-left: 6px;">, </span><span class="timeString" style="display: inline; text-transform: lowercase;">12:09 p.m.</span></div><div class="date" style="background-color: white; color: #930000; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; margin-top: 3px; padding: 0px;"><span class="timeString" style="display: inline; text-transform: lowercase;"></span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none;">As normality returned to a Houston-area community college Wednesday the day after a campus shooting that injured three, officials expressed relief that the violence did not escalate into the kind of mass-casualty rampage that has horrified the nation in past months.</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none;">The initial shock that gripped the campus during a lockdown and concern over the injured in the immediate aftermath of the shooting gave way to an almost palpable sense of gratitude Wednesday that the Lone Star College's North Harris campus did not become another "active shooter" scenario. Officials have determined that the shooting started because of an argument.</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none;">"<span class="userContent">A shooting on a campus, in which three people were hit by gunfire, is bad enough," the Harris County Sheriff's Office said in a Tuesday post on its Facebook account. "But we are grateful that this worrisome incident at Lone Star College today (North Harris campus) did not escalate into the kind of shocking event we saw at Newtown, CT."</span></div><div style="color: black; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none;">Officials so far have charged Carlton Berry, 22, with aggravated assault. He and the other man involved in the argument remained in the hospital Wednesday, officials said.</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none;">It remained unclear exactly how the shooting transpired and how both men came to be shot; a spokeswoman for the Harris County Sheriff's Office declined to provide further details Wednesday morning as the investigation continued.</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none;">A maintenance man in his mid-50s was shot in his leg, and a fourth victim, woman with a student ID, was hospitalized due to an undisclosed medical condition following the shooting. Their names and medical conditions have not been released.</div><span class="userContent" style="color: black; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 20px; text-transform: none;">The public debate over Newtown, in which public officials have debated how to prevent violence at schools, has resonated with Lone Star officials.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 20px; text-transform: none;"></span><div style="color: black; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none;">"We know there is significant national dialog regarding the unfortunate frequency of shootings on public school or college campuses," Jed T. Young, a Lone Star college spokesman, said in a statement Tuesday evening. "Though we never expected to be a part of that discussion, we hope that there are always things that can be learned and our protocols will be evaluated regarding the best way to protect students and employees."</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none;">Guns are not allowed on the 19,000-student North Harris campus of the Lone Star college system, which has which has 90,000 students and six campuses.</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none;">The sheriff's office said it would release more information at 3:30 p.m. CST Wednesday.</div><div style="color: black; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px; text-transform: none;"><strong>[For the record, 12:58 p.m. Jan. 23:</strong> An earlier version of this post said <span class="userContent">the Harris County Sheriff's Office and the Lone Star college system made their statements on Wednesday;</span> actually, those statements were issued Tuesday.]</div><div><br /></div><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div>

gun shot school Lone Star College officials grateful that shooting did not escalate

From: http://www.latimes.comLone Star College freshman Sheketa Taylor hugs her father Judson Gimblin after they found each other on the Lone Star Campus following Tuesday's shooting. (Thomas B. Shea / Getty Images /January 22, 2013)By Matt Pearce Thi…

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Aretha, J-Lo defend Beyonce's inaugural http://hotnewsof.blogspot.com/backing tracks

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="thumbnail" style="background-color: #f2f2f2; float: left; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 18px; padding: 13px 8px 8px; position: relative; text-align: center; width: 600px; z-index: 1000;"><div class="holder" style="display: inline-block; margin: 0px auto 5px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><img alt="Beyonce" src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-51002790/turbine/la-et-ms-aretha-jlo-defend-beyonces-inaugural--001/600" /><br /><span style="font-size: 12px;">Singer Beyonce performs the national anthem during the ceremonial inauguration of President Obama at the Capitol. </span><span class="credit" style="font-size: 12px;">(<span class="photographer">Mark Wilson/Getty Images</span> / <span class="dateMonth">January </span><span class="dateDay">23</span><span class="dateYear">, 2013</span>)</span></div></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;">The world may never know just what, exactly, was coming through the speakers during </span><a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/music/beyonce-PECLB002839.topic" id="PECLB002839" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43; text-decoration: none;" title="Beyonce">Beyonce</a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43;">'s performance of the national anthem at Obama's second inaugural Monday.</span><br /><div id="story-body-text" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">Fans and critics applauded her virtuoso take on "The Star-Spangled Banner," but then sources at the U.S. Marine Band confirmed that she had used a pre-recorded version, a common practice for large televised events (especially those held outdoors in cold temperatures). It's still unclear whether or not she used an entire backing track and lip-synced, or used a mix of live and pre-recorded vocals.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">The Marine Band followed up with a cryptic, almost Donald Rumsfeld-ian "unknown unknowns" walkback: "Regarding Ms. Knowles-Carter's vocal performance, no one in the Marine Band is in a position to assess whether it was live or pre-recorded," Capt. Eric Flanagan said in a more recent statement.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">Now other vocalists, including 2009 inaugural singer <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/music/aretha-franklin-PECLB001793.topic" id="PECLB001793" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Aretha Franklin">Aretha Franklin</a>, are coming to Beyonce's defense in the matter. “But, when I heard the news this evening that she was pre-recorded I really laughed. I thought it was funny because the weather down there was about 46 or 44 degrees and for most singers that is just not good singing weather,",” she told ABC News. “When I heard that I just really cracked up. I thought it was really funny, but she did a beautiful job with the pre-record ... next time I'll probably do the same.”</div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">On "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart," <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/music/jennifer-lopez-PECLB003044.topic" id="PECLB003044" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Jennifer Lopez">Jennifer Lopez</a> pulled back the curtain on these types of big public performances, saying, "Sometimes it happens when you are in certain stadiums and certain venues and things, they do pre-record stuff because you're going to have that terrible slap-back."</div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">Of course, leave it to "American Idol's" classiest act,<a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/music/aerosmith-%28music-group%29-PECLB0017764436.topic" id="PECLB0017764436" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Aerosmith (music group)">Aerosmith</a>'s <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/music/steven-tyler-PECLB0038794794.topic" id="PECLB0038794794" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Steven Tyler">Steven Tyler</a>, to cut right to the quick of what really matters in the story: "Beyonce's so hot she can do anything,” he told TMZ. “Let's just get real."</div></div></div>

Aretha J-Lo Aretha, J-Lo defend Beyonce's inaugural http://hotnewsof.blogspot.com/backing tracks

Singer Beyonce performs the national anthem during the ceremonial inauguration of President Obama at the Capitol. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images / January 23, 2013)The world may never know just what, exactly, was coming through the speakers during Beyonce…

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Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2012 hot pictures Part 2

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px;">The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show took place Nov. 7 in New York. The show will be broadcast on Dec. 4 on CBS.From: </span><a href="http://www.latimes.com/">http://www.latimes.com</a><br /><img alt="Singer Justin Bieber performs." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdba8/turbine/lat-vsfs-one-wre0006810578-20121107/600" /><br /><br /><h1 style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2012</h1><div class="subheadline" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px;"></div><span class="credit" style="background-color: white; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; padding-bottom: 3px;">(<span class="photographer"> Evan Agostini / Associated Press </span>/ November 7, 2012 )</span><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;">Singer Justin Bieber performs.</div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;"><img alt="Model Doutzen Kroes walks the runway." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdbda/turbine/lat-vsfs-one-wre0006810591-20121107/600" /></div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;">Model Doutzen Kroes walks the runway.</div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;"><img alt="Model Lindsey Ellington." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdc9c/turbine/lat-vsfs-one-wre0006810604-20121107/600" /></div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;">Model Lindsey Ellington.</div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;"><img alt="Rihanna." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdc9a/turbine/lat-vsfs-one-wre0006810547-20121107/600" /></div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;">Rihanna.</div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;"><img alt="Brazilian model Adriana Lima." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdd12/turbine/lat-vsfs-one-wre0006810562-20121107/600" /></div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;">Brazilian model Adriana Lima.</div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;"><img alt="Singer Justin Bieber performs." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdd14/turbine/lat-vsfs-one-wre0006810565-20121107/600" /></div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;">Singer Justin Bieber performs.</div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;"><img alt="Models walk the runway." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdd16/turbine/lat-vsfs-two-wre0006810244-20121107/600" /></div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;">Models walk the runway.</div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;"><img alt="Model Behati Prinsloo." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdd89/turbine/lat-vsfs-two-wre0006810254-20121107/600" /></div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;">Model Behati Prinsloo.</div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;"><img alt="Model Barbara Palvin in a Christmas-themed outfit." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdd15/turbine/lat-vsfs-two-wre0006810241-20121107/600" /></div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;">Model Barbara Palvin in a Christmas-themed outfit.</div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;"><img alt="Model Joan Smalls." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdd15/turbine/lat-vsfs-two-wre0006810064-20121107/600" /></div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;">Model Joan Smalls.</div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;"><img alt="Model Ieva Laguna." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdd16/turbine/lat-vsfs-two-wre0006810245-20121107/600" /></div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;">Model Ieva Laguna.</div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;"><br /></div></div>

girls hot Justin Bieber performs Model pictures Sexy Victoria's Secret Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2012 hot pictures Part 2

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show took place Nov. 7 in New York. The show will be broadcast on Dec. 4 on CBS.From: http://www.latimes.comVictoria's Secret Fashion Show 2012( Evan Agostini / Associated Press / November 7, 2012 )Singer Justin Bieber p…

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Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2012 hot pictures Part 1

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px;">The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show took place Nov. 7 in New York. The show will be broadcast on Dec. 4 on CBS. From: </span><a href="http://www.latimes.com/">http://www.latimes.com</a><br /><img alt="Models Adriana Lima, left, Doutzen Kroes and Candice Swanepoel lead the final runway walk during the 2012 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdc98/turbine/lat-vsfs-one-wre0006810593-20121107/600" /><br /><br /><img alt="Singers Justin Bieber, Rihanna and Bruno Mars celebrate during the finale." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdb2f/turbine/lat-vsfs-one-wre0006814317-20121107/600" /><br /><br /><img alt="Models, from left, Izabel Goulart, Lindsay Ellingson, Miranda Kerr, Adriana Lima, Doutzen Kroes and Candice Swanepoel." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdb33/turbine/lat-vsfs-one-wre0006814306-20121107/600" /><br /><img alt="Singer Justin Bieber performs." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdb30/turbine/lat-vsfs-one-wre0006814304-20121107/600" /><br /><img alt="Brazilian model Alessandra Ambrosio walks the runway wearing the 2012 VS fantasy bra, worth $2.5 million. The bra, made by London Jewelers and encrusted with more than 5,000 sapphires, rubies, diamonds and other stones, features a 20-carat diamond as a centerpiece." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdb33/turbine/lat-vsfs-one-wre0006810617-20121107/600" /><br /><img alt="Singer Bruno Mars, center, performs while a model walks the runway." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdb32/turbine/lat-vsfs-one-wre0006810612-20121107/600" /><br /><img alt="Models Adriana Lima (wearing red, left), Doutzen Kroes and Candice Swanepoel, right, lead the final runway walk during the 2012 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show on Wednesday." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdb33/turbine/lat-vsfs-one-wre0006810614-20121107/600" /><br /><img alt="Model Lily Aldridge wears a patriotic creation during a rehearsal for the 2012 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdb34/turbine/lat-vsfs-one-wre0006813916-20121107/600" /><br /><img alt="Model Doutzen Kroes." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdb34/turbine/lat-vsfs-one-wre0006813976-20121107/600" /><br /><br /><h1 style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2012</h1><div class="subheadline" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px;"></div><span class="credit" style="background-color: white; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; padding-bottom: 3px;">(<span class="photographer"> Evan Agostini / Associated Press </span>/ November 7, 2012 )</span><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;">Model Doutzen Kroes.</div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;"><img alt=""Diamonds" singer Rihanna." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdba7/turbine/lat-vsfs-one-wre0006810569-20121107/600" /></div><div id="pgCaption" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;"><h1 style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2012</h1><div class="subheadline" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px;"></div><span class="credit" style="display: block; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; padding-bottom: 3px;">(<span class="photographer"> Evan Agostini / Associated Press </span>/ November 7, 2012 )</span><div id="pgCaption" style="margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;">"Diamonds" singer Rihanna.</div><div id="pgCaption" style="margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;"><img alt="Model Hilary Rhoda." src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-509bdba7/turbine/lat-vsfs-one-wre0006810567-20121107/600" /></div><h1 style="font-size: 16px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2012</h1><div class="subheadline" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px;"></div><span class="credit" style="display: block; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; padding-bottom: 3px;">(<span class="photographer"> Evan Agostini / Associated Press </span>/ November 7, 2012 )</span><div id="pgCaption" style="margin: 6px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 10px 3px 0px;">Model Hilary Rhoda.</div></div></div>

girls hot pictures Sexy Victoria's Secret Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2012 hot pictures Part 1

The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show took place Nov. 7 in New York. The show will be broadcast on Dec. 4 on CBS. From: http://www.latimes.comVictoria's Secret Fashion Show 2012( Evan Agostini / Associated Press / November 7, 2012 )Model Doutzen Kroes.V…

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Kate Upton's sexy car commercial ruffles some feathers [Video]

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="byline" style="background-color: white; color: #292727; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px;">By Christie D'Zurilla From: <a href="http://www.latimes.com/" style="background-color: transparent;">http://www.latimes.com</a></span><br /><div class="date" style="background-color: white; color: #930000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; margin-top: 3px; padding: 0px;"><span class="dateString" style="display: inline;">January 23, 2013</span><span class="dateTimeSeparator" style="border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; color: white; display: inline; font-size: 10px; letter-spacing: -1px; margin-left: 6px;">, </span><span class="timeString" style="display: inline; text-transform: lowercase;">3:13 p.m.</span></div><div class="date" style="background-color: white; color: #930000; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; margin-top: 3px; padding: 0px;"><span class="timeString" style="display: inline; text-transform: lowercase;"><br /></span></div></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uPq7jVGPs3g?feature=player_embedded" width="640"></iframe><br /><br /><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">It's been a while since we had any clearly gratuitous beefcake or cheesecake here at the Ministry of Gossip, but thanks to Kate Upton and Mercedes-Benz, it's time for a little taste.</div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="watch-title long-title yt-uix-expander-head" dir="ltr" title="Kate Upton Washes the All-New Mercedes-Benz CLA in Slow Motion">The lovely and talented Ms. Upton stars in a new commercial for the car company, tantalizingly and rather obviously titled, "Kate Upton Washes the All-New Mercedes-Benz CLA in Slow Motion." What's not to love about <em>that</em>, right? </span></div><div class="articlerail" style="background-color: white; clear: both; float: left; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 234px; z-index: 4;"><div class="articleRelates module" style="border: 1px solid rgb(231, 231, 231); margin: 0px 0px 30px; padding: 10px 10px 0px;"><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li class="newRelatedItem" style="clear: both; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-aretha-jlo-defend-beyonces-inaugural-backing-tracks-20130123,0,389242.story" style="clear: both; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; display: block; text-decoration: none; width: 212px;" target=""><img alt="Aretha, J-Lo defend Beyonce's inaugural backing tracks" height="105" src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-5100278f/turbine/la-et-ms-aretha-jlo-defend-beyonces-inaugural-backing-tracks-20130123-thumbnail/187/16x9" style="border: 0px; display: block; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-right: 5px; padding-right: 8px;" title="Aretha, J-Lo defend Beyonce's inaugural backing tracks" width="187" /></a><a href="http://hotnewsof.blogspot.com/2013/01/aretha-j-lo-defend-beyonces-inaugural.html" style="clear: both; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; display: block; text-decoration: none; width: 212px;" target="">Aretha, J-Lo defend Beyonce's inaugural backing tracks</a></li><li class="newRelatedItem" style="clear: both; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-justin-bieber-lady-gaga-twitter-20130122,0,1985344.story" style="clear: both; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; display: block; text-decoration: none; width: 212px;" target=""><img alt="Justin Bieber tops Lady Gaga as Twitter's most-followed user" height="105" src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-50ff08a4/turbine/la-et-mg-justin-bieber-lady-gaga-twitter-20130122/187/16x9" style="border: 0px; display: block; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-right: 5px; padding-right: 8px;" title="Justin Bieber tops Lady Gaga as Twitter's most-followed user" width="186" /></a><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-justin-bieber-lady-gaga-twitter-20130122,0,1985344.story" style="clear: both; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; display: block; text-decoration: none; width: 212px;" target="">Justin Bieber tops Lady Gaga as Twitter's most-followed user</a></li><li class="newRelatedItem" style="clear: both; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-shakira-baby-milan-gerard-pique-20130122,0,5565657.story" style="clear: both; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; display: block; text-decoration: none; width: 212px;" target=""><img alt="Shakira, boyfriend Gerard Piqu&eacute; welcome a baby boy " height="105" src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-50ff2a94/turbine/la-et-mg-shakira-baby-milan-gerard-pique-20130122-thumbnail/187/16x9" style="border: 0px; display: block; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-right: 5px; padding-right: 8px;" title="Shakira, boyfriend Gerard Piqu&eacute; welcome a baby boy " width="186" /></a><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-shakira-baby-milan-gerard-pique-20130122,0,5565657.story" style="clear: both; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; display: block; text-decoration: none; width: 212px;" target="">Shakira, boyfriend Gerard Piqué welcome a baby boy</a></li></ul></div></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="watch-title long-title yt-uix-expander-head" dir="ltr" title="Kate Upton Washes the All-New Mercedes-Benz CLA in Slow Motion">"This ad [reinforces] for millions of wives, daughters and sisters across the country that you use your sex appeal to get what you want," a spokeswoman for the group told the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2267207/Is-Kate-Upton-Super-Bowl-commercial-racy-TV-Family-group-denounces-90-second-spot---BUT-viewers-disappointed-model-doesnt-skin.html" style="color: #2262cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Daily Mail</a>. "If anything, this ad proves that we’ve regressed rather than progressed over the last several years."Well, the Parents Television Council doesn't seem to be head over heels about it.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="watch-title long-title yt-uix-expander-head" dir="ltr" title="Kate Upton Washes the All-New Mercedes-Benz CLA in Slow Motion">(Using sex appeal to market cars? Who'd'a thunk it?)</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="watch-title long-title yt-uix-expander-head" dir="ltr" title="Kate Upton Washes the All-New Mercedes-Benz CLA in Slow Motion">Alas, the ad's twist is a cruel one, for those of us expecting a bit of skin. Despite the title, and despite our watching the video through to the end at least four or nine times just to make sure we didn't miss one slo-mo bit, at no point in the spot does Upton actually engage in washing the car.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="watch-title long-title yt-uix-expander-head" dir="ltr" title="Kate Upton Washes the All-New Mercedes-Benz CLA in Slow Motion">That, it seems, is a job better left to a bunch of cute-but-not-too-cute young men in football jerseys -- who may represent the "new, hip, and preferably younger buyers" that <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/rebeccalindland/2013/01/17/mercedes-benz-unveils-sleek-sexy-2014-cla-class/" style="color: #2262cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Forbes</a>says the brand hopes to attract with the CLA.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="watch-title long-title yt-uix-expander-head" dir="ltr" title="Kate Upton Washes the All-New Mercedes-Benz CLA in Slow Motion">Many commenters on Mercedes' <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPq7jVGPs3g&feature=youtu.be" style="color: #2262cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">YouTube</a> and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/MercedesBenz/posts/592571310768785" style="color: #2262cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a>pages seem to be unimpressed, calling the ad low-brow or dumb or even porn, while others seemed to get a kick out of it or wonder what the fuss was all about.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="watch-title long-title yt-uix-expander-head" dir="ltr" title="Kate Upton Washes the All-New Mercedes-Benz CLA in Slow Motion">Our fave comment? The one woman who called for an equal-opportunity version of the ad in which <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/movies/jake-gyllenhaal-PECLB005326.topic" id="PECLB005326" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Jake Gyllenhaal">Jake Gyllenhaal</a> was the one washing the car.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;"><br /></div></div>

car Kate Upton Sexy Kate Upton's sexy car commercial ruffles some feathers [Video]

By Christie D'Zurilla From: http://www.latimes.comJanuary 23, 2013, 3:13 p.m.It's been a while since we had any clearly gratuitous beefcake or cheesecake here at the Ministry of Gossip, but thanks to Kate Upton and Mercedes-Benz, it's time for a litt…

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Apple (AAPL) Announces it Sold 47.8 Million iPhones But Investors Disappointed

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><img alt="PHOTO: Advertisements for the iPhone 5 are displayed at an Apple store, Jan. 14, 2013 in New York." src="http://a.abcnews.com/images/Business/gty_apple_sales_iphone_lpl_130122_wg.jpg" /><br /><span style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 14px;">Advertisements for the iPhone 5 are displayed at an Apple store, Jan. 14, 2013 in New York. </span><span class="caption_credit" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #888888; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">(Getty Images)</span><br /><span class="caption_credit" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #888888; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></span><br /><div class="byline" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">By <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/author/susanna_kim" rel="author" style="color: #336699; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">SUSANNA KIM</a> (<a href="http://twitter.com/skimm" style="color: #336699; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">@skimm</a>)</div><div class="date" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 4px 0px 0px;">Jan. 23, 2013 From: <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/" style="background-color: transparent;">http://abcnews.go.com</a></div><div class="date" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 4px 0px 0px;"><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/topics/business/companies/apple-computer.htm" style="color: #336699; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Apple</a> stock took a hit after its first-quarter earnings were released on Wednesday afternoon, topping profit forecasts but with lower than expected iPhone sales.</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">Shares of Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) fell more than 5 percent in after-hours trading. Apple stock was up 1.86 percent to $514.17 at the close of trading in New York.</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">"No technology company has ever reported these kinds of results," <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2012/12/apple-ceo-tim-cook-intense-interest-in-improving-tv/" style="color: #336699; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Tim Cook, CEO of Apple</a>, said on the earnings call.</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">The company reported that it sold 47.8 million <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2012/09/iphone-5-1-day-sales-hit-2-million/" style="color: #336699; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">iPhones</a> in the quarter, compared with 37 million in the same quarter a year ago. Many investors had hoped that the company would sell 50 million iPhones, which drives Apple's earnings.</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">Investors eagerly awaited Apple to report its earnings, seeking clarity after a number of rumors about iPhone parts and sales.</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">Earlier this week there were reports about the next iPhone being released in June.</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">"Certainly a new product line is in the works," said Brian Colello, Morningstar senior equity analyst. "It remains to be seen what Apple will ultimately come out with and when. Those are certainly factors to keep an eye on."</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">Last week, a <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2013/01/apple-stock-aapl-closes-near-500/" style="color: #336699; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">report that Apple had decreased its order for iPhone parts</a>may have contributed to a decrease in its stock price to near $500.</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">"It will be interesting to see if Apple is really pushing the envelope in terms of innovation and shortening the product cycle," Colello said.</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">Colello said Apple is facing growing competition from Samsung. Last summer, when Apple released the iPhone 4S, <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/samsung-galaxy-android-smartphone-review/story?id=16607381" style="color: #336699; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Samsung also released its Galaxy S 3</a>, which saw strong sales.</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">On Wednesday, Apple Inc., based in Cupertino, Calif., said it sold a "record" 22.9 million iPads in the quarter, compared to 15.4 million a year ago. The company also sold 4.1 million Mac computers, compared to 5.2 million in the same quarter last year.</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">On Apple's earnings call CFO Peter Oppenheimer attributed the Mac slide to the refreshed Mac products not being released until December. Its <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/apple-imac-2012-review-reason-desktop/story?id=17847986" style="color: #336699; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">new iMac desktops</a> were not sold until early December.</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">"We believe our Mac sales would have been much higher without those constraints," Oppenhimer said on the call.</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">Colello said the iPhone unit sales were "a bit of a disappointment."</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">And despite a record number of iPad sales, he said they were still lighter than Wall Street's expectations.</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">The company failed to beat Wall Street's expectations about revenue, but it did beat forecasts for profit. Apple's own forecast was $52 billion in revenue.</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">"We're thrilled with record revenue of over $54 billion and sales of over 75 million iOS devices in a single quarter," said Cook in a statement. "We're very confident in our product pipeline as we continue to focus on innovation and making the best products in the world."</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">In light of the company's "fairly weak" quarterly earnings, Colello said Apple's forecast for $41 billion to $43 billion in future revenue was also "light."</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">The company still can boast about the amount of cash it has hoarded: $137 billion.</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">On Tuesday, some investors had their hopes up after Verizon reported a stronger than expected number of new iPhone subscribers during its conference call.</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">Colello cautioned that Verizon's iPhone sales were strong but they also sold a large number of older iPhone models.</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">"Obviously the iPhone is the biggest driver, but there are a couple factors in there, such as the types of units and at what prices," Colello said. "Was it the Phone 5 or 4S?"</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;">Apple does not break out the type of iPhones sold.</div><div style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 22px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 150px;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Joanna Stern contributed to this report.</em></div></div></div>

AAPL Apple iphone Apple (AAPL) Announces it Sold 47.8 Million iPhones But Investors Disappointed

Advertisements for the iPhone 5 are displayed at an Apple store, Jan. 14, 2013 in New York. (Getty Images)By SUSANNA KIM (@skimm)Jan. 23, 2013 From: http://abcnews.go.comApple stock took a hit after its first-quarter earnings were released on Wednesd…

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Merlot & me

<p>Watched a crazy programme the other night.  Called 'Merlot & me' it was all about Irish housewives and their drinking habits. Presented by Maia Dunphy, it was quite an eye opening watch.</p><p>A few of the ladies interviewed on the show revealed that they don't eat all day so as to save their calories for wine in the evening time.  OMG, what the heck!! What is this?! Alcorexia??!!</p><p>Another few ladies talked about going off to the bathroom to have a "vom" to empty their stomach so they could drink some more.  Mad! Booze-elimia!</p><p>I think some of these ladies need to take a serious look at their drinking habits!</p>

Merlot & me

Watched a crazy programme the other night.  Called 'Merlot & me' it was all about Irish housewives and their drinking habits. Presented by Maia Dunphy, it was quite an eye opening watch.A few of the ladies interviewed on the show revealed that they d…

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THE BALKANS – ORGANIZED CRIME AND POLITICAL CORRUPTION PART 1

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font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14yW51w-dzRaMarKYLQA16A35K8ltyJ5DG_W9MMmbVoPSWs8gcv9Ds8OH1eKnNHTVJgsruL2KrMZSXjaAC5NunwBE58_bpp5qzB23LAiHyOnPDh_MY97-DVMcsCs_0waTviv3CVg_avYK/s1600/genetic_makeup_of_the_balkans_map.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj14yW51w-dzRaMarKYLQA16A35K8ltyJ5DG_W9MMmbVoPSWs8gcv9Ds8OH1eKnNHTVJgsruL2KrMZSXjaAC5NunwBE58_bpp5qzB23LAiHyOnPDh_MY97-DVMcsCs_0waTviv3CVg_avYK/s640/genetic_makeup_of_the_balkans_map.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">SOUTHEASTERN EUROPEAN ORGANIZED CRIME, EXTREMISM & GEOPOLITICS</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: 153.0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Adapted by Geopolitical Analysis and Monitoring from Ioannis Michaletos </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: 153.0pt; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ORGANIZED CRIME (OC) SYNDICATES EMERGING IN THE BALKANS</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The main threat to the BALKANS nowadays is the existence of well organized criminal groups that to an extent are an integral part of the world wide “Crime Syndicates” that for the most part control the narcotics trade as well as human trafficking in our époque. The infamous BALKAN drugs route is the main path by which narcotics and specifically heroin; are smuggled to EUROPEAN countries. It is actually a network of contrabands, corrupted public officials and war lords that make sure that the heroin produced in AFGHANISTAN is smoothly transferred to the EUROPE.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">ORGANIZED CRIME SYNDICATES (OC) CONSTANTLY INCREASE THEIR RICHES AND THUS POLITICAL INFLUENCE</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">According to the Council of Foreign affairs, AFGHANISTAN has almost tripled its heroin production and in 2005 32,000 acres were reserved for poppy cultivation, out of 12,000 acres in 2004. This fact shows first of all failure by the International Community (IC) in that country to create the necessary framework for the reconstruction process. As far as the ramifications for the BALKANS are concerned, the increased profits by Organized Crime syndicates (OC) have boasted them with tremendous riches and political influence.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">There are mainly two organized ethnic groups that deal most of the arrangements concerning the OC in the Balkans. The so-called ALBANIAN mafia and the TURKISH crime syndicates. The ALBANIAN OC is very active since the collapse of the Communist rule in this country that opened the way for various indigenous gangs to spread their wings further and take part in one of the most profitable commerce of all times, namely drugs and human trafficking. A leading FRENCH criminologist Xavier Raufer has extensively dealt with the issue of the ALBANIAN mafia. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">He considers the ALBANIANS as the only true “Mafia” in the BALKANS due to the peculiar social structure of their society in the Northern parts of the country “The land of the Genghis”.</span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">An isolated society with very firm beliefs in issues of honor and manhood pride coupled with severe social problems and a culture of vendetta; has been transformed into a huge international crime network. Various reports indicate that roughly 70-80% of the heroin distributed in EUROPEAN is under ALBANIAN control, a really impressive percentage for a nation of just 6 million people. Moreover in the BALKAN route –In reality three distinct routes-, the ALBANIAN mafia plays a vital role in safeguarding the interests of the world drugs trade by having its “Soldiers” and “Capos” along the way and protecting shipments from police and official interruption.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TRAFFICKING OF WOMEN FROM ALBANIA IS ONE OF THE MAIN WAYS TO ESTABLISH A “WAR CHEST” FOR OC</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Furthermore ALBANIA as a country is a major producer of Cannabis, which is mainly exported to neighboring GREECE and ITALY. The narcotic traded is placed along the trafficking and human trafficking operations that have seen the ALBANIANS gaining the fame as the most powerful and dangerous criminal group in SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE. In GREECE alone the revenues from prostitution run at around 7.5 billion USD, a large portion of that being controlled by ALBANIAN criminal groups. Trafficking of women from ALBANIA is one of the main ways to establish a “War chest” for OC, in order to invest its wealth in the drugs trade.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In essence the first stage for every respectable OC unit, is to establish a prostitution ring, make easily large amounts of cash, and then invest them for the drugs trade by constructing the expensive logistics bases, fake companies, pay corrupted officials and so on. Therefore when looking into the different aspects of organized criminal activity, one should note that all forms of that activity are interconnected and that each one leads to the other. That actually is one of the differences of organized crime from the other forms of criminality.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">INTERCONNECTION BETWEEN OC AND TERRORISM</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Back to the activities of the ALBANIAN criminal groups, the recent history illustrates the existence of a hybrid criminal form, meaning the interconnection between criminal activities and terrorism. The ALBANIAN groups that are mostly active in the North of the country have been associated with the preparations of the U.C.K guerilla forces in the late 90’s, as well as, with their arming and training. The troubling 90’s in SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE saw the convergence of the drugs trade along with the formation of radical Islamic groups and the pervasion of corruption in the upper echelons on the countries involved. In the ALBANIAN case the past decade it is assumed that the country is facing a virtual takeover of its institution by the OC that in its turn has been linked with international terrorism, with Al Qaeda withstanding.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The main role of the ALBANIAN Mafia in the narcotics trade is the one of wholesale distributor of AFGHAN heroine. Along the BALKAN route and especially the one passing through SOUTHERN BULGARIA, FYROM; the ALBANIANS import heroin and then dispense it to ITALY, or BOSNIA- CROATIA to AUSTRIA and CENTRAL EUROPE. After 1999 and the consequent ALBANIAN dominance in KOSOVO, Pristina has become the unquestionable narcotics capital of EUROPE. A traditionally provisional city in the midst of the BALKANS is nowadays the epicenter of all drugs deal of an area encompassing CENTRAL EUROPE, BALKANS, and MIDDLE EAST.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">KEY ELEMENT IN BALKANS OC: KOSOVO-ALBANIAN DIASPORA</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The lack of law coupled with the existence of a society reluctant to pursue OC, has created a “black hole” in the centre of the BALKANS that primarily lives on criminal activities and the remittances of the KOSOVO-ALBANIAN Diaspora. The latter is strategically located in countries such as SWITZERLAND, AUSTRIA, GERMANY and DENMARK and dominates the EUROPEAN heroin trade. Despite the fact that ALBANIANS are relatively newcomers to the EUROPEAN organized crime scene-Like the old-timers Sicilians, Corsicans – they have already taken over the entire EUROPEAN heroin market and make large advances in the sectors of trafficking, racketeering, arms smuggling, illegal gambling and human trafficking.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TURKISH CRIME SYNDICATES ARE THE <span style="font-size: large;">UNDISPUTED</span> PARTNER OF THE ALBANIANS</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The infamous ALBANIAN mafia is a formidable criminal network, but the existence of another one, influential as well, should be added in order to examine the whole spectrum of drugs trade in the BALKANS. The TURKISH crime syndicates are the undisputable partner of the ALBANIANS. It would not be possible for the ALBANIANS to become distributors in the first place if the weren’t able to acquire their goods from the East, and that is where the role of the TURKS begins.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TURKEY is a country strategically located between the EAST and the WEST. Apart from its importance in political and military level, it is also an integral part of the international narcotics smuggling. It would just be very hard for heroin to travel from CENTRAL ASIA to EUROPE without being able to trespass TURKEY, the only ASIAN country bordering with EUROPE. TURKEY traditionally is producing Opium, for pharmaceutical purposes. In the early 70’s international pressure –Mostly from Nixon administration in the USA- obliged TURKEY to enforce stricter rules for Opium production in 1974. Up until then heroin was produced in TURKEY as an Opium derivative and quantities were sold to the West with the assistance of the Sicilian and Corsican mafias.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TURKISH NARCOTIC PRODUCTION BASES ESTABLISHED IN AFGHANISTAN AND NORTHERN PAKISTAN</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The heroin to be sold was transported with ships to Sicily, and then to Marseilles were the Corsicans had created labs for the fabrication of the commercial product. From then onwards it was transferred to New York and other USA ports where the AMERICAN-ITALIAN mafia would assure its allocation in the end-users, the heroin addicts. The forceful USA administration at that time declared a war against narcotics and obliged the TURKS to seek other sources of the lucrative opium. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Soon enough TURKISH operational production bases were established in AFGHANISTAN and NORTHERN PAKISTAN. The war in the former during the 80’s, as well as, the resurge of the KURDISH guerilla fighting after 1984 and the IRAQ-IRANIAN war the same period; created a convergence of political, criminal and military operations based in heroin trade.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Events such as the IRAN-Contra scandal illuminate how far the <b>heroin trade has penetrated the higher echelons of the world’s decision-making process and how it interacts with the international affairs.</b> See: <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/09/crime-corruption-and-political-system.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/09/crime-corruption-and-political-system.html</a>and <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/09/crime-corruption-and-political-system_7.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/09/crime-corruption-and-political-system_7.html</a> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Moreover the effective destruction of Beirut during the 80’s collapsed the cities ubiquitous reputation as the prime port for narcotics trade and this role was taken over by Istanbul. The situation after the end of the Cold War in 1989, found the TURKS financially strong from their trade in the previous decades and also ready enough to pursue stronger ties with the countries of Central ASIA.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">TURKEY, A KEY PLAYER IN DRUG TRAFFICKING?</span></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Furthermore the appearance of the ALBANIANS and the civil wars in former YUGOSLAVIA, provided ample of human resources in the BALKANS, eager in getting involved in the drugs trade so as to survive financially or gain capital to achieve their political aims. EUROPE now already hosted considerable TURKISH minorities-Especially GERMANY – and individuals from those TURKISH communities were used to act as local retail agents for the heroin distribution in EUROPE.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In 1996 the Susurluk accident(</span> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susurluk_scandal">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susurluk_scandal</a>) revealed to TURKEY the extent where the Drug –Lords have penetrated the upper crust of the society and they were able to conduct their businesses untouched by the law. Even the spouse of the then TURKISH Prime Minister Tancu Tsiller was accused by the local media for close interactions with notable underworld figures. Furthermore the accusations that the TURKISH security forces were conducting drugs trade in South Eastern TURKE, were in relation to the civil strife in that region because of the KURDISH fight and that presents once more that politics and criminal groups seem to go hand in hand.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiveE5Ekdx93pmeJM_1OTsg5banAE-UbpTwhAi_-1qJK_epdupMu45i8_77iwbBG1UfuACSPl0mMcwlX5hyphenhyphenzqAWvj-rEzBj4Nk44CP36HS9NUfS0ATDdbpNvZE5lPKtlBk_yn8hgEWUuTjL/s1600/balkan_map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiveE5Ekdx93pmeJM_1OTsg5banAE-UbpTwhAi_-1qJK_epdupMu45i8_77iwbBG1UfuACSPl0mMcwlX5hyphenhyphenzqAWvj-rEzBj4Nk44CP36HS9NUfS0ATDdbpNvZE5lPKtlBk_yn8hgEWUuTjL/s400/balkan_map.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The modus opperandi of the TURKISH organized crime in drugs trade follows the role of the coordinator and distributor. Large amounts of heroin shipments enter TURKEY each month and then delivered through the BALKAN route mostly, to all over EUROPE. It has to be noted that the country with the largest TURKISH community-GERMANY- is being used also as a redistribution centre. That means that when heroin reaches GERMANY, it is being handed out from there to the other major EUROPEAN markets, especially UK and SCANDINAVIA. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Moreover some of the strongest “Capo” of the TURKISH syndicates resided in GERMANY and generally speaking this country has become the centre of gravity for the TURKISH drug barons, as far as, their posture in the EUROPEAN narcotics scene is concerned. Furthermore the impact of the TURKISH drug lords has alarmed EUROPEAN security agencies due to the importance of their overall contribution in the narcotics market on the Continent. For instances since the 1970s, TURKEY has accounted for between 75 and 90 per cent of all heroin in the UK. The key traffickers are TURKS or criminals who operate along that route using TURKISH contacts.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The alliance of TURKISH and ALBANIAN crime groups can be explained at first glance by the cultural, religious and ethnic links –A large percentage of TURKS in Western TURKEY have ALBANIAN ancestry. Also, the tradition of the ALBANIANS to join and serve larger ethnic groups with whom they feel to have a kind of affinity might have its explanation. The same was the case in USA and New York especially where for decades the ALBANIAN crime syndicates tended to operate under the aegis and influence of the much stronger AMERICAN-SICILIAN crime corporations.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">See also </span>Part 2 to 6 on this Blog<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </span></span></div>

THE BALKANS – ORGANIZED CRIME AND POLITICAL CORRUPTION PART 1

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