How Busy Am I?

It's ridiculous. It's been a week. And I apologize. The last week I have been babysitting, packing, planning a wedding, planning a conference and charity hockey game (HP4K), helping plan a Stag & Doe, going to meetings, attending my wedding shower, attending my Stag & Doe, recovering from my Stag & Doe, meeting with the bank, and on the agenda for the rest of this Monday? Another meeting, and driving 7 hours home. What have you been doing? It's been a great time the last few days but I must admit that I'm glad it's all over. I am exhausted. Matt is exhausted. In fact, he's sleeping the wrong way on the bed right now, and I'm basically sitting on top of him and he doesn't care. He's out (like a light).

For those of you who look at that paragraph and are super confused by the Stag & Doe thing, don't you fret. I didn't know what it was either. It's mostly an Ontario thing - I think. Even more so a southern Ontario thing. This is what I hear.

But here is the gist: The wedding party throws a big party for the Bride and Groom. There are games, food, lots of drinking, music, and prizes. Lots of prizes. We rented a hall here in Niagara falls. Matty and I bought Cincinnati Reds t-shirts for our wedding party, ushers, shooter girl and DJ. They had their name on the back and 23 was the number. (That's when we're getting married. No one got it.)

At 8 p.m. our guests started to arrive. By 10 p.m. I couldn't tell you where Matt was anymore. By 10:12 I could no longer hear music, nor see straight. At 11:00 the food was served and I somehow missed eating it. By the time the night ended and the lights turned back on I can't tell you what happened next. They said I was dancing. I think they lie. They said I was drunk. Who wasn't? What I remember was fun. Some of what I remember is not fun (Like being groped. Who gropes the bride?) But when it comes down to it, so many people love Matthew that we walked away with a couple thousand dollars in our pockets. Thank you all!

Matty and I trying to love each other. They can never leave us alone.

{Also a super big THANK YOU to our wedding party!!! You guys are the best. Love love love.}

Matty's mother also threw me a wedding shower this weekend. She's awesome. There was so much food, finally some good weather, and tons of people showed up. I think it's unbelievable how many actually. I'm not even from here but have made so many good friends and met so many great people. I couldn't have asked for a better shower.

Me & my mother cutting cake at the shower. Yes, a thumbs up.

So now that the weekend is over we are heading home. A 7 hour trip doesn't seem terrible but it could be. After being super tired for days, a 7 hour car trip is the last thing I want to do. But it's okay. Can't wait to get home and see Lucy. She probably misses us.

>> Oh yeah and some other great news. It's official, we signed. I couldn't be happier. We've already made our way to this country before, but not this town. I love this place. LOVE IT! I am happy, Matt is happy. We are close to great friends again. Great food, beautiful landscape. I can finally snowboard again. I think I'll make a trip to Hotel Laurin and get myself some Funghi Ravioli. (Best food I've ever eaten.) I'm going to learn the language this time. And we're going to have a blast. I know this because as much as we wanted to switch it up every year, we loved this place so much that when the chance came to go back, we couldn't even think of anything else. Vedivi Presto Italia!!!!!!

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Urban Decay Naked Palette: Look #1 Sidecar Gunmetal

[ Sammi Cheng - My Left Eye Sees Ghost ]

Hey loves,

I decided to start doing several looks with Urban Decay's Naked palette since many of you have this palette. Thought I'd share a few looks I can come up with on the way, so incase any of you might be interested and are out of looks to do. Alright so here is Look #1 of the palette, be on the look out for more!

Products Used:

((EYES))
Urban Decay - Primer Potion

UD Naked Palette_

+ Gunmetal
+ Buck

+ Sidecar
+ Virgin
+ Creep

Incolor - Fabu Liquid Liner
Urban Decay - 24/7 Zero

((CHEEKS))

MAC Msf - Cheeky Bronze
Nars - Sin

Nars - Albatross

((LIPS))

Amuse l/l - Burgundy

MAC WW - Spitfire

Good Luck! And let me know what kind of looks y'all might had came up with already! And if you are going to replicate any of my looks. I would love to see the results ^_^ Take care & toodles!

- LOVEVA

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Throwback.

we came such a long way

- LOVEVA

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Funny Video Friday: Left 4 Dead - The Interactive

I made it! It's now just after 10 PM in Arizona, so yes, it is still Friday. Ha ha!  ;) 

I did get a few good suggestions for today's Funny Video Friday. They were either of zombies and not funny enough, or way too specific to the Left 4 Dead video game, which I would love to play, but never have. In any case, thank you for the suggestions, Naomi!

This is also based on Left 4 Dead, but can be entertaining for anyone who enjoys fine zombie fare. This is a series of interactive videos. Choose which character should lead the others, and see the outcome. The follow-up videos are much funnier than the starting one, so give it a try.

"I'm here to kick ass and chew bubble gum... and I'm all out of gum."

"Actually, Davis, I've got some right here if you want a piece."

"Goddammit, Husky! I was trying to be all cool and dramatic, but no - the moment's gone, so just shoot your goddamn rocket launcher."

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Anchor from Blackbeard ship recovered

(CNN) -- Dead men tell no tales, but the sea does, as shown Friday when an anchor was recovered from the wreckage of pirate Blackbeard's flagship.

An expedition off the North Carolina coast hoisted the nearly 3,000-pound anchor, one of three belonging to the Queen Anne's Revenge.

Crews were working in just 20 feet of water, according to the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources.

The Queen Anne's Revenge is believed to have run aground in the shallow waters off Beaufort in 1718. The ship was discovered in 1996, with piecemeal recovery of artifacts intensifying only a few years ago.

Beachcomber stumbles upon historic shipwreck

Staff from the department's Underwater Archaeology Branch are focused on "conducting a detailed assessment of the main mound to determine strategies for dis-assembly and recovery," according to the Queen Anne's Revenge website.

Conservation of the anchor may take four years.

The expedition is trying to score a trove of 18th-century goods, which will be used to educate the public and raise awareness of underwater preservation efforts. The site has already yielded more than 250,000 artifacts, including cannons, gold, platters, glass, beads, shackles and rope, according to the state.

The largest exhibit of fully conserved artifacts from the shipwreck will open at the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort on June 11, the Department of Cultural Resources said in a statement.

Captain Kidd was funded by London's elite

An article published in March on the Smithsonian website said the Queen Anne's Revenge was found to have about 225,000 pieces of lead shot and at least 25 cannons, many of them still loaded.

Romanticized in history books as a notorious ruffian, Blackbeard, born in Britain as Edward Teach, terrorized Atlantic seafarers from the shores of the American colonies to the Caribbean.

In November 1718, the captain, believed to be in his late 30s, died in combat against British naval forces. He was on board another vessel, Adventure.

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Blue Angels leader steps down over low-level move

The commander of the Navy's famed Blue Angels flight demonstration team said Friday he is voluntarily leaving the team soon after some of its jets flew at a lower altitude than allowed at a Virginia air show last weekend.

Navy Cmdr. Dave Koss announced his departure four days after the team said it was going on an indefinite safety stand-down because of the error.

Four of the six F/A-18 Hornets flew below their specified altitude in a diamond formation at the Lynchburg, Va., show. All six aircraft landed safely about three-fourths of the way through the scheduled performance without damage to the planes or injury to the pilots. The exact altitude they violated has not been released.

The team cancelled performances surrounding Friday's graduation at the U.S. Naval Academy and a planned Memorial Day weekend performances at an air show in Millville, N.J.

"I performed a maneuver that had an unacceptably low minimum altitude," Koss said in a statement released by the Navy. "This maneuver, combined with other instances of not meeting the airborne standard that makes the Blue Angels the exceptional organization that it is, led to my decision to step down."

Greg McWherter, a former Blue Angels' Commanding Officer will replace Koss for the season, the team said. Because of the change, the team has cancelled its performances at the Rockford Airfest in Illinois on June 4-5 and the Evansville Freedom Festival Airshow in Indiana on June 11-12.

Blue Angels pilot Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Davis died at a 2007 air show in South Carolina when he briefly lost control of his No. 6 jet and it went down.

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Amy Winehouse Returns To Rehab

(CNN) -- "Back to Black" singer Amy Winehouse is back in rehab, a rep for the Brit star confirmed.

Winehouse "has embarked on a treatment program at the Priory Clinic," her rep tells CNN.

A source close to the "Rehab" singer told People magazine that it was Winehouse's father who helped her seek treatment.

"Her dad sat her down and said 'I think you're drinking too much again.' So she agreed to [get] an assessment to stop it [from] becoming a bigger problem," the source said.

The friend adds that "She's determined, and this is all off her own back...It's just a lapse. There are ups and downs on the road, and there have been mostly ups recently. But this is a down and she's done the right thing and gone to rehab."

The Grammy-winning singer has a history of battling drugs and alcohol, and previously entered a rehabilitation facility in January of 2008.

Winehouse's rep tells CNN that "she wants to be ready for performances in Europe this summer and decided to seek an assessment. She will remain at the Priory on doctors' advice."

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Hillary clean chit: 'Pak was unaware of Osama'

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to calm frayed tempers in the Pakistan establishment, United States secretary of state Hillary Clinton on Friday said there was no evidence of the country's military and intelligence officials knew that Osama bin Laden was hiding in a heavily-fortified compound near the Abbottabad military academy.

'' The US had absolutely no evidence that anyone at the highest level of the Pakistani government knew the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden,'' she told reporters in Islamabad after meeting Pakistan's military and civilian brass. Pakistani leaders, she said, had assured a probe on how bin Laden was hiding in Pakistan , adding that she would return to Washington ever more '' committed' ' to the USPak relationship.

She said after the killing of bin Laden the relations between the two countries had reached a turning point but added that the US and Pakistan need to do more to battle Islamist militancy and extremism. '' This was an especially important visit because we have reached a turning point. Osama Bin Laden is dead but al-Qaida and his syndicate of terror remain a serious threat to us both,'' she said.

'' America cannot and should not solve Pakistan's problems. That's up to Pakistan ,'' Clinton said. To mollify Pakistanis's anger over the unilateral raid in Abbottabad , Clinton acknowledged the '' sacrifices made by Pakistan's military and its citizens'' . Clinton landed in Islamabad early Friday morning amid tight security.

No traffic was allowed on any of the roads leading to the capital. She was joined in Islamabad by Adm Mike Mullen, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff. The two first met with Pakistan president Asif Ali Zadari before sitting down with PM Yousaf Raza Gilani, Army chief Ashfaq Pervez Kiyani and ISI chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha.

Her visit came a day after US announced it was withdrawing some of its troops from Pakistan, at Islamabad's request. It was the first highlevel US visit to Pakistan since the killing of the al-Qaida leader May 2.

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Most memorable music star kisses

Britney Spears and Rihanna kiss

Opening performance of Rihanna and Britney's "S&M" at the 2011 Billboard Awards

We're not sure why this smooch didn't make it on camera seeing as how two of the biggest pop stars in the world caught kissing is a public relations bonanza. Maybe it was unexpected... could RiRi have just been showing genuine affection to her duet partner Britney, rather than this kiss being a calculated move?

Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez kiss

2011 Billboard Awards after Justin Bieber's Best New Artist win

We can only imagine that Selena Gomez's security has been on high alert after her beau Justin Bieber smooched her after his win for Best New Artist. The kiss lasted about three seconds but we're sure that's enough to spark the fury of the Bieber Nation.

Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley kiss

Opening the show at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards

MJ and Lisa Marie's kiss at the '94 MTV VMAs was meant as Exhibit A in the public courtroom that held the validity of their marriage on trial. Unfortunately, the evidence was underwhelming.

Britney Spears and Madonna kiss

During a performance of "Like A Virgin" at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards

Little known fact: Apparently Christina Aguilera was part of this performance too! Not that you'd have noticed her since media mention of the incident saw the starlet eclipsed by the awesome power of Madge and Brit.

Adam Lambert and keyboardist Tommy Joe Ratliff kiss

During a performance of "For Your Entertainment" at the 2009 American Music Awards

While girl-on-girl kissing has been exploited to the max in the media, apparently the world isn't ready to see a male pop star kissing someone of the same sex. Lambert had to go on the defensive after this kiss made headlines.

Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee kiss

In the crowd just before the fight between Mike Tyson and Peter McNeeley at the MGM Grand Garden in 1995

Is it just us or, after the infamous "tape," doesn't this kiss seem kind of tame?

Scarlett Johansson and Sandra Bullock kiss

2010 MTV Movie Awards in front of on stage voyeurs Betty White and Bradley Cooper

Officially, Sandra Bullock was at the MTV Movie Awards to collect her Generation Award; unoffically, she added another notch to her belt by kissing actress and sometime musician Scarlett Johansson.

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart kiss

2010 MTV Movie Awards after collecting the award for "Best Kiss"

Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart squeeze on to our list for two reasons: one, Pattinson is a budding recording artist, who plays piano, guitar and writes his own music; and two, this kiss between him and girlfriend/"Twilight" co-star Kristen Stewart reeks of the kind of "our relationship is real... for real" play witnessed by Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley some 15 years earlier.

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Kara DioGuardi: I tripped out on brownies at Paula Abdul's house

Beware of the baked goods at Paula Abdul's house. That's the lesson Kara DioGuardi learned several years ago after a simple case of the munchies landed her in the hospital.

During a recent appearance on "Lopez Tonight," DioGuardi said she was house-sitting for a vacationing Abdul and decided to have a snack. "The maid at the time found these brownies in the freezer," she recalled. "She took them out, put them in the refrigerator, and I hadn't really eaten much that night... They were these little nuggets, little, you know? I take six, not a lot."

Six hours later, "I was like, 'Hey, what’s going on?'" remembered the host of Bravo's upcoming "Platinum Hit." "I fell out of bed, on the floor and stumbled down stairs... and the ambulance comes, and this guy is like, 'This b— is high as a kite!"'

DioGuardi, who made it clear that the brownies did not belong to Abdul but were left at her home by a friend, added that the incident landed her in bed for three days.

"'I don't even smoke pot. I was hallucinating, I was on an IV. I stumbled out like a junkie... it was bad news," she said. "The maid took one and she was in the hospital—I had six, I almost died."

It was just the kind of incident that would make for great television. And that might explain why the former "American Idol" judge has just landed her very own Bravo reality show, tentatively titled the "KARA" project. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the series will give viewers a glimpse inside the music business through the perspective of songwriter-producer DioGuardi.

"People have one perception of DioGuardi, but this series will peek behind the curtain and reveal much more interesting and multifaceted aspects of this incredibly successful, talented artist and business woman," says Bravo VP of development Eli Lehrer.

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Lindsay Lohan -- The ART Of The House Arrest

Sources close to the actress tell us ... Lohan is looking at her confinement as a "time to relax, focus on her recovery and figure out her new game plan for her life and career."

Before she started to serve her time -- Lohan stocked up on art canvases so she can paint to release the stress.

We're told Lohan also has a stack of scripts she intends to read -- so she can decide on her next project.

Lohan is confident she will be released from house arrest before her birthday on July 2nd -- and we're told she's already making plans for a sober celebration.

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U.S. Presses Pakistan to Go After Specific Militant Leaders

In three separate meetings between senior Pakistani and U.S. officials in the past two weeks, the United States has discussed specific militant leaders it wants Pakistan to take action against, according to a U.S. official, a Pakistani government official and a Pakistani intelligence official.

The officials declined to say which militants were discussed or the specific action the U.S. expects Pakistan to take but confirmed that the names had been raised during a visit today by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Speaking to the media in Islamabad, Clinton said the U.S. expects Pakistan to authorize "joint action against al Qaeda and its affiliates," adding, "there is still much more work required, and it is urgent."

Clinton held an unscheduled, private meeting with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, according to a U.S. official, and then met with a larger group that included Chief of the Army Staff Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and Gen. Ahmad Shuja Pasha, who leads Pakistan's premiere intelligence service.

Clinton said that after Osama bin Laden's death, the United States and Pakistan had reached a "turning point," and senior administration officials have said that if Pakistan does not provide more cooperation, the United States could cut off about $2 billion in annual aid.

"It [is] up to the government of Pakistan to take decisive steps in the days ahead," Clinton said.

Today's four hours of meetings were meant to "rebuild the trust" eroded by the United States' launch of a unilateral raid to kill bin Laden without informing Pakistan beforehand, said Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mike Mullen, who flew to Islamabad ahead of Clinton. After Clinton left, Mullen met with his direct equivalent, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Khalid Shameem Wynne, and Chief of Navy Staff Adm. Noman Bashir, according to a U.S. official.

One trust-building event occurred this morning, according to Clinton, when the CIA walked into bin Laden's former compound with high-tech equipment to find any materials hidden in the walls. The CIA, a senior U.S. official said, had been asking for access for weeks, and only in the past few days did Pakistanis grant it.

Clinton said bin Laden was a major theme in today's talks, and Pakistani officials admitted that "someone, somewhere" helped provide bin Laden support. But she went out of her way to repeat that the United States has no evidence senior government officials knew bin Laden was hiding in a large compound a few thousand feet from Pakistan's equivalent of West Point.

Clinton and Mullen -- two of the most trusted U.S. officials among the Pakistani leadership -- said today's meetings were as much about Pakistan as they were about Afghanistan. They pushed Pakistan to facilitate the draw-down of U.S. troops by assisting reconciliation talks and stopping the flow of improvised explosive devices into Afghanistan.

The United States has recently opened up direct talks with a man believed to be a representative of the Taliban leadership council called Quetta Shura, according to two senior Afghan officials. Clinton and Mullen urged Pakistan to support that process, according to senior administration officials, and do nothing to scuttle it. Pakistani intelligence officials have in the past admitted they detained Afghan Taliban leaders who expressed a willingness to reconcile.

Clinton said Pakistani officials expressed a willingness to help a political settlement in Afghanistan, but she was cautious. "We hope those words turn into action into momentum toward political reconciliation," she said.

Clinton Acknowledges Pakistan's Sacrifices

Clinton and Mullen also pushed for help on cracking down on improvised explosive devices (IEDs) used in Afghanistan, a senior U.S. official said. The majority of roadside bombs that have killed more U.S. troops than any other weapon come from materials made in Pakistani factories, according to NATO officials in Kabul, and then are shipped across the border for assembly and placement.

Eight U.S. soldiers died in two IED attacks Thursday in Kandahar only 12 miles from the Pakistani border. It was the deadliest roadside bomb attack since October 2009.

Clinton and Mullen, both of whom looked worried as they walked into the news conference, took pains to acknowledge Pakistani concerns and smooth over the strains in the relationship.

Clinton, especially, acknowledged the sacrifices that Pakistan has made since allying itself with the United States after 9/11.

More than 5,000 troops, 2,000 police and 10 times the number of civilians killed on 9/11 have died in Pakistan in terrorist attacks, according to Pakistani government figures.

But Clinton acknowledged that those sacrifices are rarely discussed in the international media. She raised the deadliest attack since bin Laden's death; suicide bombers who killed about 80 just-graduated recruits for a paramilitary force.

"The loss of those young men who were training to protect their country was a tragedy," she said in her most animated moment of the news conference. "And I don't know if enough Americans understood what that meant."

But Clinton also criticized the portrayal of the United States in the Pakistani media, suggesting that the government and military here have spread "deliberate misconceptions and conspiracy theories."

She said the United States and Pakistan needed to "tell the truth" to the media, and more balanced, accurate coverage would help the two countries' leadership restore trust.

"Let's clear away the underbrush," she said to Pakistani and U.S. journalists. "Let's have the kind of open, candid conversation that you and I are having now and that we had earlier today.

"And then let the chips fall where they may. But let's not be misinterpreting or misrepresenting each other, because then we can never, ever find common ground."

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Obama, in Europe, signs Patriot Act extension

Minutes before a midnight deadline, President Barack Obama signed into law a four-year extension of post-Sept. 11 powers to search records and conduct roving wiretaps in pursuit of terrorists.

"It's an important tool for us to continue dealing with an ongoing terrorist threat," Obama said Friday after a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

With Obama in France, the White House said the president used an autopen machine that holds a pen and signs his actual signature. It is only used with proper authorization of the president.

Congress sent the bill to the president with only hours to go on Thursday before the provisions expired at midnight. Votes taken in rapid succession in the Senate and House came after lawmakers rejected attempts to temper the law enforcement powers to ensure that individual liberties are not abused.

The Senate voted 72-23 for the legislation to renew three terrorism-fighting authorities. The House passed the measure 250-153 on an evening vote.

A short-term expiration would not have interrupted ongoing operations but would have barred the government from seeking warrants for new investigations.

Congress bumped up against the deadline mainly because of the stubborn resistance from a single senator, Republican freshman Rand Paul of Kentucky, who saw the terrorist-hunting powers as an abuse of privacy rights. Paul held up the final vote for several days while he demanded a chance to change the bill to diminish the government's ability to monitor individual actions.

The measure would add four years to the legal life of roving wiretaps, authorized for a person rather than a communications line or device; court-ordered searches of business records; and surveillance of non-American "lone wolf" suspects without confirmed ties to terrorist groups.

The roving wiretaps and access to business records are small parts of the USA Patriot Act enacted after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. But unlike most of the act, which is permanent law, those provisions must be renewed periodically because of concerns that they could be used to violate privacy rights. The same applies to the "lone wolf" provision, which was part of a 2004 intelligence law.

Paul argued that in the rush to meet the terrorist threat in 2001 Congress enacted a Patriot Act that tramples on individual liberties. He had some backing from liberal Democrats and civil liberties groups who have long contended the law gives the government authority to spy on innocent citizens.

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said he voted for the act in 2001 "while ground zero was still burning." But "I soon realized it gave too much power to government without enough judicial and congressional oversight."

Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., said the provision on collecting business records can expose law-abiding citizens to government scrutiny. "If we cannot limit investigations to terrorism or other nefarious activities, where do they end?" he asked.

"The Patriot Act has been used improperly again and again by law enforcement to invade Americans' privacy and violate their constitutional rights," said Laura W. Murphy, director of the ACLU Washington legislative office.

Still, coming just a month after intelligence and military forces tracked down and killed Osama bin Laden, there was little appetite for tampering with the terrorism-fighting tools. These tools, said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, "have kept us safe for nearly a decade and Americans today should be relieved and reassured to know that these programs will continue."

Intelligence officials have denied improper use of surveillance tools, and this week both FBI Director Robert Mueller and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper sent letters to congressional leaders warning of serious national security consequences if the provisions were allowed to lapse.

The Obama administration says that without the three authorities the FBI might not be able to obtain information on terrorist plotting inside the U.S. and that a terrorist who communicates using different cell phones and email accounts could escape timely surveillance.

"When the clock strikes midnight tomorrow, we would be giving terrorists the opportunity to plot attacks against our country, undetected," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said on the Senate floor Wednesday. In unusually personal criticism of a fellow senator, he warned that Paul, by blocking swift passage of the bill, "is threatening to take away the best tools we have for stopping them."

The nation itself is divided over the Patriot Act, as reflected in a Pew Research Center poll last February, before the killing of bin Laden, that found that 34 percent felt the law "goes too far and poses a threat to civil liberties. Some 42 percent considered it "a necessary tool that helps the government find terrorists." That was a slight turnaround from 2004 when 39 percent thought it went too far and 33 percent said it was necessary.

Paul, after complaining that Reid's remarks were "personally insulting," asked whether the nation "should have some rules that say before they come into your house, before they go into your banking records, that a judge should be asked for permission, that there should be judicial review? Do we want a lawless land?"

Paul agreed to let the bill go forward after he was given a vote on two amendments to rein in government surveillance powers. Both were soundly defeated. The more controversial, an amendment that would have restricted powers to obtain gun records in terrorist investigations, was defeated 85-10 after lawmakers received a letter from the National Rifle Association stating that it was not taking a position on the measure.

According to a senior Justice Department national security official testifying to Congress last March, the government has sought roving wiretap authority in about 20 cases a year between 2001 and 2010 and has sought warrants for business records less than 40 times a year, on average. The government has yet to use the lone wolf authority.

But the ACLU also points out that court approvals for business record access jumped from 21 in 2009 to 96 last year, and the organization contends the Patriot Act has blurred the line between investigations of actual terrorists and those not suspected of doing anything wrong.

Two Democratic critics of the Patriot Act, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon and Udall of Colorado, on Thursday extracted a promise from Senate Intelligence Committee chairman Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., that she would hold hearings with intelligence and law enforcement officials on how the law is being carried out.

Wyden says that while there are numerous interpretations of how the Patriot Act works, the official government interpretation of the law remains classified. "A significant gap has developed now between what the public thinks the law says and what the government secretly claims it says," Wyden said.

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Memorial Day Observance to Honor Nation’s Fallen Heroes

The public is invited to attend a solemn Memorial Day observance at Golden Gate National Cemetery on Monday. The program, starting at 10:30 a.m., will include patriotic songs, a rifle salute, a U.S. Coast Guard flyover and guest speakers.

The observance honors those service men and women who have died in service to the nation. Former U.S. Congressman Paul “Pete” MCloskey, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, will deliver the keynote address. Also participating will be a Marine Corps color guard and nine veterans organization. Some 200 flags will line the cemetery’s Avenue of Flags.

In connection with the Monday observance, San Bruno Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts as well as Scouts from around the area and community members and veterans will place more than 112,600 small U.S. flags on gravesites throughout the cemetery.

Scouts will gather for a ceremony at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, then disperse to place the flags. Volunteers are welcome to participate.

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Plethora

What? Something other than a "Funny Video Friday" post? Yes, yes, it's true! Things have been going pretty quietly lately, save for the deranged wailing of a couple lunatics. They really aren't worth my time or effort, so onward with other things.

The kids' last day of school was yesterday. Within four hours of getting home from school, Sarah started saying how bored she was. Oh boy. She was crying because she missed two of her friends. She had just seen them a few hours previous. Anyway, those two will be sleeping over our house in a couple weeks. That should be interesting.

Skylar's last day was actually last week. She'll be going into kindergarten in August. Wow! When I first made Skylar's acquaintance, she was only six months old. She has grown so much, into a little person... with her little hands in everything. Skylar keep asking me if she's going to start kindergarten tomorrow, and if she's going to be in Savannah's classroom. Same school, kid. Different class.

Savannah's class had all received t-shirts that say, "I Run..." on them. There was a space below to fill out a "reason" for running. Savannah wrote: "Because I'm hyper." Pardon my bad English, but ain't that the truth! For some reason, Savannah seems to be the only one of our daughters who doesn't mind school being out.

And now for a different sort of education. The Wicca classes I mentioned way back when (see the bottom of the entry), will finally be starting in late June. They'll run for two hours a week on a weekday, for eight months. Nikki and I will both be attending. I can't wait! The reason this was delayed so much, was that the High Priest's and High Priestess' son passed away a few months ago. Naturally, everything was put on hold for awhile. I sent them my condolences, of course, however ineffectual that may have been. I can't even begin to imagine such a loss.

Nikki and I are very excited about tonight. We're going to a "girl's night out", at a local restaurant, with a few friends, and quite a few new people (soon-to-be friends, I hope!). I know it'll be a lot of fun. I'll post the whole rundown here.

We're following up on Saturday, with a party at our apartment complex, celebrating Nikki's graduation from hell! She worked at a school with some really abusive, crazy middle schoolers... and the staff was even worse. The teacher and principal harassed her at every opportunity, in an attempt to get Nikki to quit, or do something that would be grounds for terminating her employment. I first wrote about that horrible mess over here.

Therapy has been going well, and we've been discussing quite a few heavy topics. I first mentioned this new therapist here. I do feel a lot more comfortable around this guy now. Well, as comfortable as I can be around any guy anyway. He has a very dry sense of humor, which suits me just fine. It didn't show up during our first session, but wow, is it making appearances now. He's funny. He's easy to talk to, but he tends to challenge me with questions to make me think. Most of the time, I know the answer to his question, or at least part of it.  It's just that putting heavy issues like that into words when put on the spot... yeah, it's kind of hard sometimes. But then, it's supposed to be.

Tomorrow is another Funny Video Friday, and my last zombie-related vid for Zombie Month, or Zombie Awareness Month, what-have-you. The only thing is, I'm out of funny zombie videos. Any suggestions?

Thanks for reading!

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American Idol: Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony & Sheila E. Put the Salsa in Season 10 Finale

¡WEPA! The salsa beats were in full swing as Marc Anthony took the stage and performing his rendition of Héctor Lavoe’s “Aguanile” on the finale of American Idol held at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, Calif. Wednesday night.

Adding sazón to the mix was his wife and Idol judge, Jennifer López, who emerged dancing a sensual routine for her hubby, wearing a barely-there white leotard and heels as veteran percussionist Shelila E. played the Timbales in the background.

López shaked shaked what her momma gave her, gyrating to-and-fro, making the crowd go into frenzy. The steamy performance ended in a lip-lock between her and Anthony.

"Now we know what they do at home!" American Idol host Ryan Seacrest said.

Other signature performances included those of Mother Monster Lady Gaga, Beyoncé who also performed with Idol’s ‘Top’ 12 Girls, and duets by Jack Black and Casey Abrams, Carrie Underwood and Lauren Alaina, and newly crowned Season 10 American Idol, Scotty McCreery and Tim Macgraw.

López’s fellow judge, rockstar Steven Tyler wowed the crowd, playing the piano and singing Aerosmith’s classic “Dream On.”

Spider man also webbed his way into the finale, as Bono and The Edge performed “Rise Against the Machine.”

Recreating the beloved scene in the first Spiderman movie, Spidey slowly descended upside down in front of López.

She teased him and slowly took off his mask enough to show his mouth and just when we thought she would lean in to kiss him, she playfully touched his lips and said “boop!”

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Kung Fu Panda 2

Cast:

Angelina Jolie; Gary Oldman; Seth Rogen; Dustin Hoffman; James Hong; Jack Black; Michelle Yeoh; David Cross; Lucy Liu; Jackie Chan
Directed by:
Jennifer Yuh Nelson

There's something about the "Kung Fu Panda" series that brings out the best in DreamWorks animators.

I don't know that I've seen a mainstream piece of animation as beautifully imagined, drawn and colored as "Kung Fu Panda 2." And yes, that includes anything done by Pixar.

You could see the spark of inspiration in the original "Panda" - something about the palette and the shapes of the Asian setting had the folks at DreamWorks on a creative high.

And while sequels sometimes bring out the worst in studios, in animation they sometimes allow artists to expand their range, to take existing animated computer models and embellish them, adding variety to form and movement. (And the 3-D is actually pretty good.)

It all pays off handsomely in "Panda 2," and is especially valuable in the early going as the story labors to get started.

"2" has title character Po (Jack Black) confronting the fact that he's obviously adopted. You'll recall his father (James Hong) is a duck.

Turns out Po was the last survivor of an attack on his panda family, brought about by a peacock warlord (Gary Oldman) mindful of a prophecy that he will be defeated by a kung fu warrior in black and white.

The warlord also fears kung fu, and so designs a modern instrument of war to render physical combat obsolete. Backed by his dragon-headed cannons and army of wolves, he rules over his kingdom by fear.

Yes, that sounds a little heavy for children, but pains are taken to keep the tone as close as possible to the lighthearted spirit of the original.

As Po and his band of kung fu animal pals (Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogen, Jackie Chan)) travel to confront the peacock king, there are standard action beats and sequences and the movie skips along.

And the animators invent an ingenious, disarming way to investigate darker aspects of Po's story. They create a flatter dimension for Po's dreams and recovered memories, so that when we finally see what happened to his parents, it takes place in a less immediate, less threatening cartoon realm.

And when the story does come together, it carries unexpected emotional weight. Po learns to face and accept his past, while acknowledging his debt to the "man" who actually raised him.

Again, the finale is an achievement for the animators, who find dramatic visual ways to depict Po's transformation to a self-confident warrior who's achieved "inner peace."

Long live kung fu.

Long live Po.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger Denies He Used State Funds to Cover Up Affairs

Arnold Schwarzenegger's lawyer Wednesday denied tabloid rumors the former California governor used state funds to cover up his extramarital exploits, "Entertainment Tonight" reported.

Schwarzenegger's legal rep, Marty Singer, said claims his client used members of the California Highway Patrol to "to ferry scantily clad women in and out of his [hotel] suite" were "completely false."

"Unfortunately, the media's relentless desire for new information has some outlets running stories that are made up by paying sources that have zero credibility," Singer said about The National Enquirer report, which cited a former hotel security officer.

"My client stated from the beginning that he takes full responsibility for his actions and deserves the public and media criticism. This does not entitle some in the media to be totally irresponsible," the lawyer added, referring to the recent revelations, in the wake of Schwarzenegger's split with wife Maria Shriver, that the movie star turned politician had fathered a lovechild with housekeeper Mildred Patty Baena.

Despite the denial by Singer -- who is also representing actor Charlie Sheen in his Warner Bros. lawsuit -- the California Attorney General will pursue an inquiry into the alleged misuse of government resources, according to Radar Online.

As Singer handles the media storm over the lovechild bombshell, Schwarzenegger is laying low and was spotted out on a bike ride Wednesday in the celebrity getaway of Ketchum, Idaho.

Two former California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers also spoke out Wednesday, denying they helped the former California governor cover up his love affairs.

"I can say without a shadow of a doubt as a supervisor of his protective detail that at no time did I see Governor Schwarzenegger say or do anything that could be deemed inappropriate," retired CHP Sergeant Mark Hammond, who worked for Schwarzenegger for seven years, told TMZ.

Retired CHP officer Manny Trevino reiterated the denial, saying, "I never witnessed the Governor acting in a less than honorable manner."

Meanwhile another woman -- child actress Gigi Goyette -- told "Extra" she had an affair with Schwarzenegger in the late eighties, while he was married to Shriver.

"Arnold is a very physical and sexual man, with a voracious appetite that likes a lot of physical attention," Goyette told the entertainment TV program.

Singer similarly dismissed that reported affair, calling Goyette "a person who wants to make money selling stories," according to People magazine.

Schwarzenegger, 63, and Shriver announced in May they had separated after 25 years of marriage which produced four children -- Katherine, 21, Christina, 19, Patrick, 17, and 13-year-old Christopher.

Shriver, 55, has already hired one of Hollywood's top divorce lawyers, Laura Wasser, and could file for divorce by the end of the week, sources suggest.

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‘American Idol’ 2011: Scotty McCreery — in it to win it

Scotty McCreery, the 17-year-old country crooner with the deep voice and the chill attitude was, after all, “in it to win it” on the 10th season of “American Idol.”

McCreery beat 16-year-old Lauren Alain in an all-country finale, “Idol” host Ryan Seacrest announced at the end of Wednesday’s two-hour-plus finale.

Scotty is the fourth consecutive guy to win the pop singing contest, but the first country male singer to win. He’s also the first country singer to take the prize since season 4 winner, Carrie Underwood who is one of “Idol’s” most marketable winners, winning five Grammys and becoming a fixture on country radio.

The other winner: The “Idol” franchise itself, at a crossroads with the departure of the show’s virtual anchorman, Simon Cowell, which made some bets on personnel and format changes – like lowering the eligibility age to 15 -- that paid off.

More than 122 million votes were cast in the final round of competition, and three-quarters of a billion votes over the season, Seacrest noted at the top of Wednesday’s finale.

“That’s two votes for every man, women, and child living in America – not bad,” he told the jammed Nokia Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.

The singers this year were an unusually diverse field for the usually middle of the road show, including a metal rocker James Durbin who made it to fourth place, a jazzy bluesy chanteuse Haley Reinhardt, in third and a genre-bender named Casey Abrams who soloed with a standup bass.

With Cowell jumping ship last season to launch his own singing competition show in the fall, “The X Factor,” (co-starring another “Idol” judge veteran Paula Abdul), the “Idol” producers needed to make a statement with the judging panel. Judge Randy Jackson returned, with new faces Aerosmith front-man Steven Tyler and singer/actress/diva Jennifer Lopez.

The show opened with tape of its coast-to-coast auditions and right away Tyler introduced some new energy to the tired act—leering at the girls, spouting off wacky patter (“what’s with the jujubes on the oo-oo-bees,” he asked one auditioner who wore a starry bra). As the season wore on, however, the judges table seemed to run out of gas when they settled into a routine of congratulating instead of criticizing the parade of contestants.

“Idol” producers had an ace in the hole, however: veteran hit-making producer Jimmy Iovine, who they’d signed as a mentor for the Idolettes to cure a long-standing problem for the franchise: the winners careers would fizzle once they actually tried to launch a recording career.

It fell to Iovine to fill Simon Cowell’s shoes, giving pointed but actually useful tips, as well as to help the Idolettes choose material that raised the overall level of competition.

Iovine had clearly pegged Scotty as a contestant with a real shot at a country career and worked hard to give the young singer some stage presence, and move him out of the straight-ahead, traditional country groove where he seemed content to stay.

Scotty had, for weeks, been the odds on favorite to win the competition, though the show’s three judges pronounced Lauren the hands-down winner of Monday’s final performance night.

“Scotty, sorry…Lauren gets it – hands down,” Tyler had said after each of the two finalists performed three tunes.

The Wednesday night grand finale of the “Idol” season featured a parade of stars for what’s become a major annual showcase for the music industry.

Beyonce led the “Idol” female finalists in a medley of her songs and a dance number; Casey Abrams joined his celebrity role model, Jack Black to ham it up singing “Fat Bottom Girls.”

Tim McGraw sang a duet with Scotty McCreery; Tony Bennett did Irving Berlin with Haley Reinhardt; Jacob Lusk was joined by Kirk Franklin and Gladys Knight.

Some musicians, however, got to appear Idolette-less. Bono came on stage for a number from the oft-delayed, upcoming Broadway Spider-Man production. Lady Gaga appeared on top of a towering rock pile, dressed like a Venetian masquerade reveler who plunges to her faux death with her lover while singing “Edge of Glory.”

Throw in TLC and Lil John, and Jennifer Lopez doing a get-a-room-hot number with husband Marc Anthony and there was some genre for everyone.

“It’s been a year since Lauren and me auditioned, and we’ve been together since Day One and we’re gonna stay together,” Scotty announced when he was pronounced the winner.

“Never in my wildest dreams… I got to thank the Lord first – he got me here,” Scotty added.

Then Scotty was compelled to sing the song Iovine had chosen to be his first single should he win: “I Love You This Big.” Like we said last nght, no song that requires the singer to hold his arms out in a fish-that-got-away gesture should ever be sung on a topic other than fish. In this case, it’s the hook for the cutesy-romantic song.

And yes, it’s another dreadful “Idol” debut single. Some things never change.

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X Factor Judge Cheryl Cole Dropped From Show Because Of Accent

If the real reason Cheryl Cole was dropped as a judge from Fox’s upcoming U.S. remake of the popular U.K. talent competition The X Factor is to be believed, the producers are underestimating the American public’s intelligence, or at the very least, our ability to understand a British accent, to an almost insulting degree.

TMZ is reporting that Cheryl Cole has been dropped from the upcoming Fox talent competition The X Factor because producers were “concerned her English accent would be too difficult for an American audience to understand.” Just for some frame of reference.

Sure, she has an accent but would that really be an issue for American viewers? Simon’s been speaking with a British accent for an American audience for over a decade and somehow we’ve all managed to figure out what he’s talking about. Interpreting Paula Abdul’s commentary, on the other hand, was sometimes a challenge.

Speaking of Abdul, TMZ adds that they were told that there is a “lack of chemistry” between Abdul and Cole. Whether that’s vague, insider-speak for “they don’t like each other,” or there’s simply something off in the dynamic between the two, it’s likely that it played at least some part in Cole being dropped and reportedly replaced by Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, who was originally set to co-host the show. If one of the two had to go, it’s logical that the producers would keep the more familiar face around.

Accents can be toned down. This is just speculation, but I’m calling drama on this one.

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Lauren Alaina Goes Toe-to-Toe With Carrie Underwood in ‘American Idol’ Duet of ‘Before He Cheats

Lauren Alaina more than held her own with returning ‘American Idol‘ champion Carrie Underwood, during a duet of the latter’s 2006 smash ‘Before He Cheats.’

As opposed to the other vocal performances of the night, which each got big introductions, the performance started right out of a commercial. It was a dramatic move that ensured that all eyes were on her, and all ears were evaluating her vocal abilities without any sort of mental preparation.

Alaina was dressed all in black while Underwood came out mostly in white; and when they started circling each other, it seemed like an actual confrontation for a minute. From the “eye of the tiger” look on Lauren’s face, Carrie’s lucky it wasn’t a real fight.

Instead, they teamed up, and delivered a powerful take on the song. Underwood, who won Season 4 of the show back in 2005, no doubt knows every single nervous feeling Alaina is going through right now. Imagine having to perform on the biggest episode of one of the most popular shows in the country, with your hero, while you’re less than an hour away from finding out if you’re going to win ‘American Idol?’

Considering all that, we’d have to say Lauren Alaina did a pretty darn good job, don’t you think?

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Elizabeth Smart confronts man who abducted her

SALT LAKE CITY — Elizabeth Smart finally got her chance Wednesday to confront the street preacher convicted of holding her captive and raping her for months when she was just 14. Now 23, she stood tall in the courtroom -- stoic, with an even voice and a strength Brian David Mitchell clearly lacked.

Mitchell, frail and skinny with a long, peppery white beard, sang hymns softly and closed his hollow eyes, just as he did throughout his trial, just as he would moments later as the judge gave him two life sentences without parole. That did not stop Smart from looking right at him and coolly speaking her piece.

It took her about 30 seconds.

"I don't have very much to say to you. I know exactly what you did," said Smart, wearing a houndstooth checked skirt, an ivory jacket and pearls. "I know that you know that what you did was wrong. You did it with full knowledge ... but I have a wonderful life now and no matter what you do, you will never affect me again.

"You took away nine months of my life that can never be returned. You will have to be held responsible for those actions, whether it's in this life or the next, and I hope you are ready for when that time comes."

Mitchell's sentencing closed a major legal chapter in the heartbreaking ordeal that stalled for years after he was declared mentally ill and unfit to stand trial in state court. A federal jury in December unanimously convicted the 57-year-old of kidnapping and unlawful transportation of a minor across state lines for sex.

When the judge asked if he had anything to say, Mitchell, whose hands and feet were bound, kept right on singing. His bizarre demeanour changed just once during the hearing: As he was sentenced, he sang louder.

Outside the courthouse, a beaming Smart, now a Brigham Young University music student, told reporters that the sentencing "is the ending of a very long chapter and the beginning of a very beautiful chapter for me." She said she wants to work with other crime victims and lend her support to the cause of missing children.

Smart was snatched from her Salt Lake City bedroom by knifepoint in the early hours of June 5, 2002. The massive search to find the blond-haired, blue-eyed girl riveted America, as did her improbable recovery while walking with her captor on a suburban Salt Lake City-area street on March 12, 2003.

At trial, she testified in a steady, clear voice about her "nine months of hell." Mitchell whisked her away to his camp in the foothills near the family home. She was stripped of her favourite red pyjamas, draped in white, religious robes and forced into a polygamous marriage with Mitchell. She was tethered to a metal cable strung between two trees and subjected to near-daily rapes while being forced to use alcohol and drugs.

Mitchell, who outlined his religious beliefs in a rambling 27-page manifesto he called "The Book of Immanuel David Isaiah," took Smart to California for five of the months she was held captive. She recalled being forced to live homeless, dress in disguises and stay quiet or lie about her identity if ever approached by strangers or police. She said he threatened her life and the lives of her family every day.

U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball said Mitchell deserved a life sentence because the facts of the case were "unusually heinous and degrading."

Carlie Christensen, U.S. attorney for Utah, said the resolution was long overdue for Smart and her family. "It is a measure of justice for Elizabeth and it will certainly ensure Brian David Mitchell will never inflict such intolerable and unspeakable cruelty on anyone else again," Christensen said.

Though Smart testified at Mitchell's trial, she never addressed him directly then because he was removed from the courtroom each day after singing hymns to disrupt the proceedings. On Wednesday he sang songs including "Come Come Ye Saints" and "O Come O Come Emmanuel."

"Exploitation of religion is not a defence," Smart's father, Ed, said at Mitchell's sentencing, in a statement that was even shorter than his daughter's. "You put Elizabeth through nine months of psychological hell."

The facts of the case have never been in dispute, but defence attorneys have said Mitchell's actions were tainted by mental illness and long-held delusional beliefs that he had been commanded by God to fulfil important prophecies.

Elizabeth Smart, who recently returned from a Mormon church mission in France, described her captor as vulgar and self-serving when she testified at trial. She said she believed he was driven by his desire for sex, drugs and alcohol, not by any sincere religious beliefs.

Mitchell was deemed competent for a federal trial, though a parallel state case -- where he remains charged with six felonies -- stalled after a judge twice determined he was unfit and rejected a petition for forced treatment. A key witness for federal prosecutors, New York forensic psychiatrist Dr. Michael Welner, concluded that Mitchell was "malingering" or faking a mental disorder to avoid prosecution.

Defence attorneys maintain Mitchell needs psychiatric attention and asked the judge to recommend incarceration in a federal prison hospital rather than a standard prison.

Wanda Barzee, his estranged wife and co-defendant in the case, is already serving a 15-year sentence in a federal prison hospital in Texas for her role in the kidnapping.

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Obama to British schoolgirls: Work hard, dream big

XFORD, England — First lady Michelle Obama combined a message of hard work with hugs Wednesday as she drew on her family life to inspire a group of London schoolgirls who were visiting Oxford University.

In the ancient vaulted hall of Christ Church college, Oxford, also known as Hogwarts dining hall in the "Harry Potter" film franchise, Obama created some magic of her own for the rapt youngsters.

"She's amazing," one schoolgirl whispered excitedly on her way out, after Obama rounded off a speech and question-and-answer session with a hug for each of the 40 or so pupils visiting Oxford from London's Elizabeth Garrett Anderson school, the school Obama visited in 2009 on her first official visit to Britain.

The ethnically diverse school is in one of the most deprived areas of north London and has 59 languages spoken among its 900 female pupils.

The first lady urged the girls, who were on a day visit to the world-famous institution, to believe they could do anything if they were prepared to work hard enough.

"You should be pushing yourself to dream big, because if you can see yourself in Oxford, you can see yourself anywhere," she said.

Obama grew up in Chicago's South Shore neighborhood and went to Princeton University and Harvard Law School.

"I used to think there was some magic that happened," she told the schoolgirls. "I didn't know back then it was just plain old hard work.

"But the more success you have, the more chances you take. You don't let the failures and the stumbles defeat you."

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Scotty McCreery, Tim McGraw 'Live Like You Were Dying' on 'American Idol' finale

Scotty McCreery got a great call for the "American Idol" finale duet. He got to sing "Live Like You Were Dying" with country superstar Tim McGraw. And despite wanting to push Scotty off the screen just so we could see Tim sing (kidding, kidding), we thought it was really good!

"Live Like You Were Dying" was definitely the type of single Scotty should release (as opposed to the awful "I Love You This Big" from the final performances). It was no Jack Black/Casey Abrams on "Fat Bottomed Girls," but it was pretty great.

Would you buy a single from Scotty like this Tim McGraw classic? We have a feeling he's about to be the next "American Idol," so we're sure we'll have plenty of country songs on his debut album to pick from.

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'American Idol' finale: Haley Reinhart is smooth with Tony Bennett

We didn't think "American Idol" finalist Haley Reinhart could get any sexier, but that was before she dueted with musical legend Tony Bennett at the finale. They sang "Steppin' Out With My Baby" and even though Bennett is 85 years young, it sounded pretty darn good.

Chances are not high that Ms. Haley will release a debut album of oldies like "Steppin' Out," but what a beautiful album that would be. We would buy it. We can just hear her on "At Last" and songs like that.

What did you think? Did Haley stand up to the already-great performances of James Durbin/Judas Priest and Casey Abrams/Jack Black? We thought she held her own.

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Singer Lady Gaga was truly 'Born' to be fame's mistress

Even Lady Gaga's most ardent admirers would have trouble contesting this point: The woman who just replaced Oprah as Forbes' most powerful celebrity is more famous for her voracity and canniness in chasing fame — and clinging to it — than she is for any singular talent or accomplishment.

That might not be a problem if Gaga were a "Real Housewife," a C-list "Dancing With the Stars" contestant or any number of aggressively unexceptional media hounds who have somehow managed to captivate the public in recent years. But for an artist who has achieved her level of prominence and clearly cares about old-school virtues such as respect and staying power, it's a precarious position.

On Gaga's new album, "Born This Way" (½ out of four), out Monday, it's not always easy to distinguish between her creative ambition and her desire to simply sustain and milk our fascination.

This has been true of other pop icons — notably Madonna, whom Gaga apes shamelessly on the first single and title track. But at this stage in her career, Madonna's singles had a freshness and genuine yearning that defied attempts to cast her as a mere provocateuse.

Gaga's new tunes seem cooler and more calculated, sucking you in (or banging you over the head) with a barrage of bracing grooves that can grow numbing. Other songs embrace more classic and conservative textures, evoking radio hits from and before the 25-year-old singer/songwriter's preschool years.

In fact, the most daring aspect of "Born This Way" may be its unabashed nostalgia. A number of tracks are heavily influenced by '80s rock. E Street Band sax player Clarence Clemons is a guest, and you could easily imagine the power ballad "You And I," with its soaring vocals and bombastic guitar riffs (by Queen's Brian May), being played in an arena as the audience waves lighters in unison.

Gaga's platform, too, is at its core a traditional one for a pop star. Let your freak flag fly, she tells fans, and let everyone else do the same. There are numerous references to New Testament figures (and here's to you again, Ms. Ciccone) and a bit of quasi-social commentary. Predictably, Gaga fares best when she keeps her observations general and peppers them with wry humor.

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Democrat Wins New York Special Election

A Democrat has won an upset victory in a hotly contested race for a U.S. congressional seat from upstate New York, where proposed cuts to federal health assistance were seen as a pivotal issue.

Democrat Kathy Hochul won the seat Tuesday in New York's 26th Congressional District, where Republican Chris Lee stepped down after a scandal earlier this year.

Republicans outnumber Democrats in the district. Until recently, the Republican candidate, Jane Corwin, was expected to win easily.

But Hochul gained ground in recent weeks. Final results gave Hochul 47 percent of the vote and Corwin 43 percent. A Tea Party ((ar-right) candidate, Jack Davis, got 9 percent of the vote.

Some Democrats said Corwin's campaign floundered because she supported a Republican proposal to lower government spending in part by cutting funding for and transforming Medicare - the public health insurance program for people 65 and over.

Observers say this election could be an indication of how Republicans and the Medicare plan will fare in nationwide elections next year.

Corwin's decline may also have been due in part to a third candidate, Jack Davis, who ran with the support of the conservative Tea Party movement.  He may have drawn votes from people who otherwise would have supported the Republican candidate.

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Welcome to the Lady Gaga Wars

Amazon.com Inc. wants a piece of Apple Inc.'s commanding position in digital music. It's using Lady Gaga's new hit album, "Born This Way," to wage its war.

How both companies approach "Born This Way" says a lot about how the two companies are positioning themselves for the fast-changing media business.

Market-trailing Amazon is using aggressive discounts: A 99-cent one-day sale followed by a $6.99 everyday price, which is still below the album's wholesale cost of around $9.

Apple, meanwhile, is milking the advantage it has in being the dominant player, with customers who are steeped in a music-buying process where one part of the business feeds off the other. Its sleek music players, starting with the first iPod, led people to its iTunes Store, where people became accustomed to buying music. The gadget-software-store model means many users treat iTunes as their default music retailer, while also reinforcing sales of the company's gadgets.

Digital-distribution executives at record companies say Amazon has never put much of a dent in iTunes' market share, which is estimated to hover around 90%. And on Monday, the Lady Gaga album was selling briskly on the Apple site at full price, even as Amazon was offering it for 99 cents. Yet some say the Gaga promotion could bolster Amazon, at least temporarily.

Amazon's discounts appear to have succeeded in attracting some price-sensitive consumers. Like Apple, Amazon offers an expanded edition of the album, with 22 songs instead of the usual 14. Apple sells that version for $15.99; Amazon sells it for $12.99. The higher-priced edition has been Apple's top seller for two days. It is No. 4 on Amazon's sales chart, which is led by the cheaper version.

Amazon and Apple declined to comment.

Amazon typically offers a daily album deal for $3 to $5. Monday's 99-cent special generated extensive attention after the company's computer servers slowed down, apparently unable to keep up with demand for the The Lady Gaga album, released by Interscope records, part of Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group, is expected to be among the year's best sellers. The two online stores combined sold about 250,000 to 350,000 copies of the album in its first 24 hours, according to early estimates from a person in the music industry. Only a handful of albums this year have sold more than that in an entire week.

Initial estimates of CD sales are likely to become available Wednesday morning. Nielsen SoundScan won't deliver a full first-week tally for another week.

Amazon often forgoes profits as it seeks to acquire customers in many product categories. The retailer has recently emphasized expansion and revenue growth in its conventional retail business. Its first-quarter profits dropped 33% as it spent to build more fulfillment centers, among other things, and the company has predicted lower earnings for the second quarter.

With the Gaga promotion, it aims to attract users of its new Cloud Drive and Cloud Player—services that let users store music on Amazon's computer servers and listen to it from Android smart phones or Internet-connected PCs.

The service launched without agreements in place with major record labels that would have let Amazon offer certain features that might have made it easier to use. Among those features is one known as "scan and match," which lets users avoid the time-consuming process of uploading their music libraries.

Apple, meanwhile, has built a cloud music service of its own and is in the late stages of negotiations with all four major labels that would let it offer such features, according to people familiar with the matter.

Such an offering from Apple, which could be unveiled as early as next month, would be in keeping with its approach so far. That approach has focused on improving the overall quality of the iTunes Store experience: allowing users to share purchased songs across multiple computers, providing a sophisticated recommendation feature based on an analysis of users' current library of music and offering exclusive additional content.

"Apple tries to cultivate a very different experience. In the end, they're taking a more high brow, refined view," said Mike McGuire, an industry analyst for Gartner.

Analysts say that Apple can afford to take the high road and not compete on price because it dominates the music retail industry. While it doesn't break out data about its music sales, Apple reported a 23% increase in sales to $1.63 billion in a category that includes the iTunes Store and third-party iPod accessories in the most recently reported quarter ended March.

"It's their game to lose," said Mr. McGuire.

Amazon launched its digital-music store in 2007. Unlike the iTunes Store at the time, it offered music files without copy protection software known as digital-rights-management, or DRM. That let people put the files on any computer or music device without restrictions. Analysts say this nudged Apple—whose iTunes was launched in 2003—toward dropping DRM protection on its own songs in 2009.

This week's Lady Gaga promotion probably gave Amazon a short-term boost, according to people in the music industry. But the downloading delays frustrated the users that Amazon was trying to woo, prompting hundreds of them to complain.

The online retailer also can't afford to take losses on every album, leaving the question of how it will entice consumers to come back and download the rest of its catalog at higher prices.

Amazon also faces the challenge of overcoming users' tendency to stay loyal to one service—which so often is iTunes.

"Most people are creatures of habit, and Apple locked that in a long time ago," said Danielle Levitas, an analyst at IDC.

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The Hangover Part II

Is this some kind of a test? "The Hangover, Part II" plays like a challenge to the audience's capacity for raunchiness. It gets laughs, but some of them are in disbelief. As if making sure no one was not offended, it has a montage of still photos over the closing titles that include one cruel shot that director Todd Phillips should never, ever have used. The MPAA's elaboration of the film's R rating says the movie has "pervasive language, strong sexual content including graphic nudity, drug use and brief violent images." Also other stuff. Maybe their space was limited.

It's not that I was shocked. This is a raunch fest, yes, but not an offense against humanity (except for that photo, which is a desecration of one of the two most famous photos to come out of the Vietnam War). The movie has its share of laughs. There's a wedding toast that deserves some sort of award for deliberate social embarrassment. And Alan (Zach Galifianakis), the character who stole much of the original 2009 film, walks off with a lot of this one, too.

If you saw that earlier film (which grossed $485 million, so you may have), there's not much need for me to describe the plot this time. It's the same story. Director Todd Phillips seems to have taken "The Hangover" screenplay and moved it laterally from Las Vegas to Bangkok while retaining the same sequence of scenes: Call to bewildered bride to be, flashback to wedding plans, ill-advised bachelor party, four friends waking up with terminal hangovers in unfamiliar hotel room, ominous signs of debauchery, desperate quest to discover what happened, etc.

As the film opens, a few years have passed. The dentist Stu (Ed Helms) is now the prospective groom. He's engaged to a beautiful Thai woman named Lauren (Jamie Chung). Her father (Nirut Sirichanya) is not happy. His son, Teddy (Mason Lee), is a brilliant 16-year-old pre-med student at Stanford, and the father tells Stu: "In this country, we do not consider a dentist a doctor." At a pre-wedding feast, he calmly and implacably offers a toast comparing Stu to a flavorless rice pudding.

Then the lads go down to the beach for one (1) beer, and the next thing they know they're regaining consciousness in a sleazy Bangkok fleabag, Stu has a facial tattoo, and young Teddy is missing, except for a severed finger wearing a Stanford class ring. That sets off their search through the city's underbelly for people who might be able to help them reconstruct the missing hours? Days? Let me just observe that no search of the Bangkok underbelly that involves Ping-Pong balls is going to be altogether reassuring.

Their adventures are punctuated by a series of behavioral eruptions by Alan (Galifianakis), who links passive aggression with clueless trouble-making. These interventions have a certain charm, but Alan's funniest scene takes place in his own bedroom, before he ever gets to Thailand. Describing himself as a "stay-at-home son," he issues commands to his mother through a speaker system and seems determined to remain a fanboy for life. This character, as seen in this scene, could inspire a movie of its own that I would pay good money to see. (Galifianakis should regrow his hair, however; I like him looking like a shaggy bear more than like the bouncer in a biker bar.)

I'm no expert, but I've been to Bangkok, and while the city no doubt has a seamy side, let it be said that much of "The Hangover, Part II" plays like an anti-travelogue paid for by a rival tourist destination — Singapore, maybe. Some of its surprises would shock only those who know little about the city's sex workers, but others are truly unexpected, including the appearance of Paul Giamatti as a crime boss, and Nick Cassavetes as a tattoo artist. The gangster Mr. Chow (Ken Jeong) is back, still in need of serious tranquilizing.

While many weekend comedies these days seem too timidly in search of the PG-13, "The Hangover" embraced its R, and "Part II" seems to be testing the MPAA's patience. I wonder if there will be an unrated director's cut. The sequel repeats the medical miracle of the first film, in that the characters are able to regain consciousness after horrifying debauches and quickly return to the land of the living. In real life, they'd check into themselves into an emergency room.

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