The great New Year's Eve stay-away

Millions celebrate at home as freezing weather and credit crunch bite

Pubs and nightclubs are bracing themselves for a quiet New Year’s Eve due to a grim combination of freezing weather and the credit crunch.

With night-time temperatures set to plunge below zero in many regions across the country tonight, a lot of revellers are expected to stay indoors.

Coupled with the deepening economic crisis, it all seems to be pointing towards a gloomy night for venue owners, who have already faced a decline in takings as well as a rise in overheads in recent months.

Erika and Grantley Smith, who run the Red Lion, in Bonvilston, near Cardiff, fear their pub might be empty on what is supposed to be one of their biggest nights of the year.

'We're supposed to be expecting about 40 people but whether they'll venture out with the weather I don't know,' said Mrs Smith.

A survey has shown that two out of three of us do not want to celebrate the evening with the traditional night out and will stay at home instead to ring in the year with family and friends.

A spokesman for the Post Office, which conducted the poll, said it was no surprise to discover that people were staying in.

'It's been a tough year financially for many and the expense of going out, coupled with icy temperatures and transport chaos, make a night in with loved ones a very appealing option for seeing out 2008,' she said.

The sober mood is in stark contrast to last year, when mild weather and better economic prospects helped bring out the crowds.

Those brave enough to venture out for Hogmanay in Edinburgh tonight will have to rely on festive cheer to keep them warm – with the mercury struggling to get above zero.

And the following night is expected to see temperatures plummet to an icy minus 5C.

Northern England and Wales will see lows of minus 5C and the rest of the country will experience temperatures of between minus 1C and 0C.

Jennifer Aniston Arrives in Mexico for New Year's!

Jennifer Aniston and Courtney Cox spent Christmas Eve together...and now they're hanging out on New Year's!

The BFFs and pal Laura Dern were spotted at the airport in Los Cabos, Mexico on Dec. 28.

Aniston toted a light pink passport case, jeans and a scarf in the 80-degree weather.

The Mexican resort city is one of Aniston's favorite destinations.

The actress, 39, has had a whirlwind couple of weeks.

Her new flick, Marley & Me, set a Christmas day opening record (and beat ex Brad Pitt's film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button!).

While promoting the doggie drama in NYC, she was spotted in a rare act of PDA with beau John Mayer, 31.

Yellowstone Volcano

Is Yellowstone gonna blow?

A supervolcano is one that explodes in (natch) supereruptions. Definitions vary, but usually we’re talking a magnitude-eight (M8) eruption: one trillion metric tons of ash and other debris filling at least 100 cubic miles, typically upchucked over the course of about a week. Picture 1,000 Mount Saint Helenses, or 8 Tamboras. Besides causing regional devastation, supereruptions affect global climate. An Indonesian super 74,000 years ago kicked off a thousand-year drought that some contend caused a human population crash.

Yellowstone is both a supervolcano and a hotspot; the two don’t always go together. A hotspot is the business end of what’s known as a mantle plume, a stream of magma that rises hundreds of miles through a channel in the earth’s crust. The Yellowstone plume head, 50 miles underground, is several hundred miles wide. Over time, the hot head melts the overlying crust, forming a smaller magma chamber. Yellowstone’s magma chamber is just a few miles down and contains partially melted granite viscous enough to trap gas, allowing pressure to build. Periodically the pressure cracks the surface, ejecting gas and disintegrated rock into the surface world. After about a tenth of the chamber’s contents have erupted, pressure falls and the show’s over. Reheat and repeat.

The Yellowstone hotspot has produced dozens of large eruptions over the past 16 million years, the last three within the Yellowstone volcanic field: two supers and one M7.4 lightweight that created 68 cubic miles of debris. They left overlapping giant calderas, or craters, each 10 to 50 miles wide. Since filled with lava and eroded, the calderas went unrecognized till the 1960s.

Hundreds Of Earthquakes Have Yellowstone Trembling

Probably the only thing we remember from our tours of Yellowstone a couple years ago are guides telling us about the supervolcano that formed the caldera that covers a large chunk of the national park. You can't have geysers and bubbling mudpots without lots of geothermal activity underground, and so Yellowstone is used to the occasional quake. But a recent batch of hundreds of mini-earthquakes, has scientists scratching their heads.

Though even the strongest of the tremors, at magnitude 3.8, is just strong enough to be easily noticed without seismic equipment, the fact that more than 250 quakes have occurred in the past few days has geologists on high alert, one University of Utah professor tells the AP:

This is an active volcanic and tectonic area, and these are the kinds of things we have to pay attention to. We might be seeing something precursory.

Could it develop into a bigger fault or something related to hydrothermal activity? We don't know. That's what we're there to do, to monitor it for public safety.

While it's good to know someone's watching out for park visitors, it's not exactly clear what precautions could be taken if a massive earthquake were to suddenly hit. In 1959, a huge quake triggered a landslide that killed 28. The good news is that these quake swarms happen pretty often, so it could just be a little something to add some edginess to your national park visit.

Bristol Palin Gives Birth !!!

Bristol Palin Gives Birth to Baby Boy!


The 18-year-old daughter of former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has given birth in Alaska to a son.

People magazine reports that Bristol Palin gave birth to Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston on Sunday. He weighed 7 pounds, 4 ounces.

Relative Colleen Jones tells the magazine the baby is fine and Bristol is "doing well." Jones is the sister of Bristol's grandmother.

The father is Levi Johnston, a former hockey player at Alaska's Wasilla High School. He has said he and Bristol plan to marry.

Palin created a stir in September by announcing the pregnancy as she prepared to accept her nomination at the Republican National Convention.

The governor's office called the birth a private family matter.

Bristol Palin gives birth to son

This just in: Sarah Palin's teenage daughter, Bristol, has given birth to a son, according to an online report by People magazine.

Bristol Palin, 18, gave birth on Sunday and named the boy Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston, the magazine reported. He came into the world weighing 7 pounds and 4 ounces.

Colleen Jones, Bristol's grandmother's sister, told People that "the baby is fine and Bristol is doing well."

Mexican Beauty Queen arrested !!!

Police detain Mexican beauty queen, seize weapons

A 23-year-old beauty queen and seven men arrested in vehicles loaded with weapons and cash near the central Mexico city of Guadalajara have been transferred to Mexico City, the state news agency said Wednesday.

Laura Zuniga and the men were traveling Monday night in two vehicles that contained AR-15 assault rifles, 38-caliber specials, 9 mm handguns, cartridges and $50,000 in cash, said Luis Carlos Najera Gutierrez de Velazco, secretary of public security for the state of Jalisco.

Police, who had received a tip that armed men were in a home, detected the vehicles in the city of Zapopan as authorities were en route to investigate the call, Najera said Tuesday.

Inside one of the vehicles, authorities found Angel Orlando Garcia Urquiza, 29, who is Zuniga's boyfriend and the brother of "one of the greatest capos [bosses] of narcotraffic," Ricardo Garcia Urquiza, a member of the Juarez cartel already in police custody, Najera said.

All eight were filed before the news media Tuesday. Zuniga, wearing blue jeans and a gray sweater, raised her handcuffed wrists to cover her face in a police picture.

US Police Bust Mexican Drug Gang, Arrest 39


U.S. authorities say they have arrested dozens of suspects and broken up a smuggling network that has hauled up to 200 tons of marijuana to the southwestern state of Arizona each year from Mexico since 2003.

The Arizona attorney general's office issued a statement Tuesday, saying 39 people were arrested on felony charges, and nearly 60 people indicted following the investigation. Officials say the network in question, the Garibaldi-Lopez drug trafficking organization, transported drug loads to Phoenix, Arizona, across the remote desert wastes of the Tohono O'Odham Indian reservation, for Mexico's top Sinaloa cartel.

It says the network moved marijuana worth about one billion dollars through Phoenix for redistribution across the United States, and it used so-called "scouts" in the desert to look out for U.S. law enforcement during the smuggling operation.

Authorities say the operation also led to the seizure of cocaine, methamphetamine, thousands of dollars in U.S. currency, vehicles - some of them stolen - and firearms.

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Mexican Beauty Queen - arrested in anti-drug raid !!!

Beyonce Diva Video Is Out !!!

After two highly successful albums, the former lead singer of Destiny's Child and R&B's favorite diva Beyoncé recently released her third album "I Am…Sasha Fierce." While her latest installment is actually a double album displaying two different personalities of the Queen B, it does not seem to measure up to her two previous works.

"I Am…Sasha Fierce" has a split personality, for lack of a better term. The "I Am" portion of the album set displays a softer side of Beyoncé while she makes a complete 180-degree turn and reveals her alter ego in "Sasha Fierce" in the second portion.

In an October article from Reuters, Beyoncé said that she created her new alter ego to protect her from who she really is. She goes on to say that Sasha Fierce is a more aggressive and glamorous side of her mixed in with sensuality that comes out when she's performing on stage.

Most of the songs from "I Am" have a down tempo acoustic pace to it like Beyoncé's first hit single "If I Were A Boy," which follows the footsteps of "Irreplaceable" from her second album "B'Day." "Halo" provides a more melodramatic sound that you would not normally hear from Beyoncé.

She also displays her wide range through her singing ability that never fails to impress. "Ave Maria" is more of a creative gentle drum track that resembles the original melody Ave Maria, one of the many instances where Beyoncé would go the distance by trying to do so much in one song, which sometimes works against her.

Overall, "I Am" unveils a rather vulnerable version of Beyoncé with tracks that are generally slow-paced and soothing, but nothing spectacular. There aren't too many catchy choruses and you may find yourself skipping some of the tracks due to loss of attention span.

In "Sasha Fierce," Beyoncé brings out her fun side with hard-hitting, attitude filled tracks, some of which are memorable and some disastrous. "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" is Beyoncé's second hit single, an easy favorite for DJs to play at clubs and can get any crowd on their feet, especially the ladies.

Yes this is the same song that Justin Timberlake danced to as Beyoncé's back up dancer in a leotard and heels on Saturday Night Live. This is basically Beyoncé at her best. Watch exclusive Beyonce Diva Video here.



The video for 'Diva', one of Beyonce's two new singles, premiered a few hours ago. Directed by Melina, the video is both a hit and miss affair IMO. Raw, gritty and edgy, the clip really captures the essence of the song.

However, having seen Sasha step her game up on the choreography tip with 'Single Ladies' (and start a dance craze in the process), the choreography in this kinda left me a little salty. The word 'lacking' immediately came to mind when watching her bust moves which looked as if she made them up there and then.

Still, a good video all the same. The black and white concept was pushed a little further with the colour contrasts i.e. the fire explosion etc. Like most things Beyonce, I'm sure this one will be big - it's already taking off at radio.

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Michael Jackson - needs lung transplant ???

Michael Jackson biographer has reported the singer is suffering from a rare genetic disorder and needs a lung transplant, The Sun, a British tabloid, reported Sunday.

The report's veracity is questionable, given the tabloid source and general mystery surrounding the pop singer's health. However, if it's true, things sound dire for Jackson.

Citing information from investigative journalist Ian Halperin, The Sun writes that Jackson has alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency, or A1AD, an inherited disorder that prevents the production of a lung-protecting protein.

The condition, The Sun reported, has left Jackson blind in one eye. The pop star is also battling emphysema and chronic gastrointestinal bleeding, and can barely speak, the tabloid wrote.

The Sun had no comments from Jackson representatives.

Pepper spray (apparently) doesn't faze porn star's appetite: Adult film actor Ron Jeremy kept eating as a member of his crew was pepper-sprayed by a paparazzo in Los Angeles early Sunday, law enforcement sources told celebrity gossip site TMZ.com.

Jeremy and his pals were chowing down at Mel's Diner on the Sunset Strip about 3:30 a.m. when the photographer started snapping pictures, TMZ.com. reported.

One of Jeremy's buddies stood up and objected, at which point the paparazzo is accused of pepper-spraying the man and at no point did Jeremy deviate from his eating, the Web site wrote.

Fumes spread throughout the diner, and the photographer was arrested, according to TMZ.com.

Aside from being a testament to Jeremy's appetite, the dinner fracas seems to underscore the recession's severity. Things must be really bad if a paparazzo is chronicling an adult film actor's early morning dining habits.

Olympian taking post at Squaw Valley: Jonny Moseley is returning to the Lake Tahoe resort where he skied as a child.

Moseley, a freestyle skier who won a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, has been named Squaw Valley USA's chief mountain host.

As part of his job, he will lead ski tours of the resort for guests, VIPs and reporters.

No charges for actor in paparazzo pushing: Prosecutors say Brad Garrett was provoked into pushing a paparazzo and charges won't be pressed.

The Emmy-winning actor from "Everybody Loves Raymond" was shown pushing a man with a video camera and challenging him to a fight in a video posted last month on TMZ.com.

The photographer said Garrett broke his camera, but continued to hold it up as if he was still shooting.

Frail Michael Jackson suffering from rare lung condition

Pop music icon Michael Jackson is near death, suffering from a potentially fatal genetic disease that has affected his lungs and stripped him of vitality, Jackson-biographer Ian Halperin has claimed in a recent interview.

Speaking with the UK's Sun, Halperin has been quoted saying, 'He needs a lung transplant, but may be too weak to go through with it. He also has emphysema and chronic gastrointestinal bleeding, which his doctors have had a lot of trouble stopping. It's the bleeding that's the most problematic part. It could kill him.

Specifically, Halperin claims that Jackson, now 50 years old, has developed a rare alpha-1 anti-trypsin protein deficiency, leaving his lungs unable to protect themselves. He also claimed Jackson, who was photographed in a wheelchair earlier this year, had been battling the disease for several years. 'He can barely speak. The vision in his left eye is 95 percent gone. For years, Michael has been working with his doctors to make sure (the disease) doesn't progress.'

Jackson's usually outspoken and stridently defensive publicist and family members have not moved to deny the claim, which in turn has only fueled speculation.

Related News :

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Pamela Anderson's breasts steal the show

An unexpected appearance by Pamela Anderson's breasts on a new Osbourne family show has been attracting headlines.

The Daily Star newspaper reports the former Baywatch belle was appearing on the show when her celebrated chest received a little more exposure than had been planned.

A representative of Anderson said: "I know that Pam had some issues with the zipper on the back of her dress. But as far as I saw, she remained properly covered and nothing was revealed to the audience."

This was not the impression reported by at least one eyewitness, who explained to the Star the incident occurred during a segment of the Osbournes: Reloaded show called Guess the Guest.

"The Osbournes blindfold themselves and ask the guest questions to guess who they are," the eyewitness said, referring to husband and wife Ozzy and Sharon and their children Kelly and Jack.

"Pam was sprawled on the stage, but when she got up, the top half of her dress completely flopped forward exposing everything."

Needless to say the entire Osbourne family missed the entire incident as they were blindfolded.

According to the Star the clip will be broadcast on the show at a later date. In the interests of journalistic integrity further close study of the clip is planned to establish which claims are correct.

Pamela Anderson: 'It's Good to Get Together With Your Ex'

Pamela Anderson has a Christmas message for all of Hollywood's exes - get it together for the holidays.

The former Baywatch babe - who has two children with ex-husband Tommy Lee - believes she and the Mötley Crüe rocker have the perfect approach to working together for the sake of their kids, despite their split.

She reveals, "Tommy and I are going to spend some time with the kids this Christmas.

"We have this unique situation where we might be exes but our families all get together and have a great time.

"It's good to get together with your ex. You don't have to live with someone to get along with them. All exes should give it a go."

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Jennifer Aniston GQ Photo Shoot

Jennifer Aniston GQ photoshoot happened by accident ???

Jennifer Aniston, who recently posed for American men’s magazine donning just a tie, has said that the photoshoot happened accidentally – after straying off the original plan to depict “moments of undress.”

The ‘Along Came Polly’ actress insisted that she had had no plans to drop her clothes entirely, and the decision to clad herself in just a red and white-striped tie had been made later.

“There was a theme to that photoshoot,” Contactmusic quoted her as saying.

“It was supposed to be moments of undress - starting off in a gown, and then the men were in their tuxedos, then we were going to have me in one of their shirts and then their pants and then somehow that all went out of the window and then there just ended up being a tie,” she added.

Jennifer, who shot to fame by starring as Rachel Green in the popular US sitcom ‘Friends’, had bared it all for the January cover of ‘GQ’ magazine that also accompanied her interview addressing rumours about John Mayer.

Jennifer Aniston And John Mayer Look Smitten After New York Dinner Date: Pictures

Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer appeared to have overcome their camera shyness as they stepped out for a late dine in New York last night.

The Friends star took some time out from her busy schedule to romance boyfriend John in Soho and seemed unable to keep her eyes - or her hands - off her man.

The couple looked smitten as they exited La Esquina restaurant arm-and-arm after dining with Kelly Ripa and her husband Mark Consuelo.

And Jen and John continued to gaze lovingly at each other as they made their way to their NYC apartment in downtown Manhattan.

Jen recently gushed that she thought John was 'extraordionary', hot on the heels of a candid interview where she praised ex-husband Brad Pitt's 'incredible' career.

Bristol Palin - Levi Johnston's Mother Arrested on Drug Charges

Levi Johnston's Mother Arrested on Drug Charges

The mother of Levi Johnston, the Wasilla teenager who is the father of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's daughter's unborn child, was arrested Thursday on drug charges.

The Anchorage Daily News reported Friday that Sherry L. Johnston, 42, was arrested by Alaska State Troopers at her Wasilla home and charged with six felony counts of misconduct involving a controlled substance.

The arrest was the result of an "undercover narcotics investigation," according to police.

Few details were available. Johnston was released on $5,000 bond, according to the paper.

Johnston's son, Levi, drew headlines soon after John McCain named Palin to be his running mate at the end of August. The campaign announced in a press release that Palin's 17-year-old daughter Bristol was pregnant, and that Johnston, 18, was the father. The story became the soap-opera subplot to the Republican National Convention the next week.

Levi Johnston and Bristol Palin have said they intend to marry in the summer. Their baby is due Saturday, according to the Anchorage Daily News.

Levi Johnston's Mother Busted In Drug Raid

Bristol Palin isn’t exactly going to have the mother-in-law of the year. She’s no Sarah Palin! Sherry Johnston, mother of Bristol’s fiancé Levi, was just busted in an undercover drug raid by Alaska State Troopers yesterday.

According to the Anchorage Daily News, Sherry was charged with six felony counts of misconduct, involving a controlled susbstance. Sherry was served the warrant around noon at her home in Wasilla, Alaska, at the "conclusion of an undercover narcotics investigation," a police statement read. She was released on a $5,000 unsecured bond.And to make matters even worse, Bristol is due with her baby in just two days!

Although we realize this has nothing to do with Sarah Palin, it’s hard not to just check off yet another bit of drama that seems to go hand-in-hand with the entire Palin family. But Sarah’s spokesman Bill Allister defends her, saying, "This is not a state government matter. Therefore the governor's communications staff will not be providing comment or scheduling interview opportunities."

No other information is being released at this time. But we’re sure Sarah Palin will schedule some interviews to talk about it just to get herself back in the public eye. She went from 100 to zero in about 5 seconds after Obama’s win! It was like she fell off the face of the earth! This is the perfect scandal to get people interested again!

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Alexandra Stevenson - 'Outside the lines'

There is an enormously poignant story about Julius Erving and his long lost daughter Alexandra Stevenson by Tom Friend as a featured story on ESPN's award-winning show 'Outside the lines'.

It will show up as a TV broadcast next Sunday morning Dec. 21 at 9.a.m. on ESPN. It is a story, often sad, but also with hope and reconciliation about what happens when a celebrity commits adultery and has a child outside of wedlock, and then longs for forgiveness and reconciliation after the fact.

So many have loved Dr. J through the years, and still do--- witness his recent Dr. Pepper commercials. But there is another side of the man, a man who cheated on his wife of many years Turquoise, several times, and on more than one occasion it led to the birth of a child--- in this case Alexandra Stevenson, a budding tennis player on the women's circuit.

What I find especially moving about this whole story is Alexandra's willingness to forgive a father who had really no part in her life before she was 18, a father whom she still has trouble calling 'Dad'.

For you see it takes more than paternity to make a real father, a real Dad. And this case it takes real forgiveness before the 60 something Julius Erving could even begin to be a Dad to Alexandra Stevenson. Read the story and see what you think.

ESPN Reunion Between Dr. J and Daughter Alexandra Stevenson

ESPN’s award-winning multimedia enterprise journalism series Outside the Lines today debuted the first ever interview about the recent reunion between basketball great Julius Erving and his 27-year-old daughter, pro tennis player Alexandra Stevenson. ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com senior writer Tom Friend sat down with the pair for their first extensive interviews on the subject. The Outside The Lines feature story, including original video, is available exclusively on ESPN.com at: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=drjandalexandra.

Additionally, on Sunday, December 21 at 9 a.m. ET Outside The Lines (re-air at 12 noon on ESPNEWS) will feature the first on-air interview, with a detailed account of their estranged relationship through the years, how they came to the moment of their reunion (which occurred less than two months ago) and why it was important for both of them to reunite now.

In 1999, while becoming the first women's qualifier to ever reach the Wimbledon semifinals, Stevenson was revealed to be Erving's out of wedlock daughter with sportswriter Samantha Stevenson. Erving denied being her parent at first, and, even when he came clean two days later, they never tried contacting each other.

The estrangement lasted nine years until Stevenson -- ravaged by injuries, strapped financially and trying to make a comeback -- reached out to Erving in October, hoping he could help her find sponsors. Erving returned her call, referred to himself as "dad,'' promised to help and arranged their initial meeting, on Halloween Day.

The reunion has already lifted Stevenson's spirits. After undergoing surgery in 2004 for a torn labrum, she is now ranked 212th in the world and considers herself fully healthy. She will compete in this January's Australian Open qualifying tournament -- and Erving is already in contact with potential sponsors. He plans to come see her play at the 2009 Wimbledon -- 10 years after the scandal began.

biggest loser 2008 - Michelle wins 'The Biggest Loser'

Michelle Tops Out as Winner of The Biggest Loser: Families

Some moments in life are meant to be shared with family. On Tuesday’s Biggest Loser: Families finale, Michelle Aguilar got that moment with her estranged mother when she won the season six title with a whopping 110-lb. weight loss.

As confetti rained down around her and the crowd went wild, Aguilar – who beat out this season’s villain, Vicky, and Ed, the only man to make it into the finale – celebrated her victory and a $250,000 prize by jumping off the scale for a group hug with her mom Renee Wilson, whom she barely knew before the two went on the show together and hugged her.

She tells PEOPLE that after a gruelling journey to victory, she’s ready for a break. “I am planning a really good vacation for the family,” says Aguilar, a 27-year-old an assistant director from Fort Worth, Texas. “I think everybody needs a little time off. We’re all a little bit worn out – at least I am!”

Aguilar, who went from 242 lbs. to 132 lbs. and lost 45.45% of her body weight, beat Louisiana nurse Vicky Vilcan’s 41.06% loss (she went from 246 lbs. to 145 lbs.) and runner-up Ed Brantley’s 41.49% (the chef from North Carolina went from 335 lbs. to 196 lbs.) after viewers and contestants were finally told who would be in the finale.

Early in the show, Ed and his wife Heba Salama, 30 – who both fell below the yellow line in last week’s episode and then pleaded for America to vote Heba into the finale – stood on the stage with Alison Sweeney as she announced the vote was a landslide, with 84% of viewers picking Ed to be in the final three.

“It is what it is,” an obviously disappointed but resigned Salama responded, adding that she was still a winner for losing so much weight.

Had Salama been voted into the finale, her weight loss–from 294 lbs. to 156 lbs. at the finale for a 46.94% loss–would have been enough to have beaten Aguilar.

Still, there were no hard feelings.

“She [Michelle] had a hard time this season so it was really nice to see her come through all of that and win the prize,” Salama told PEOPLE.

Aguilar is only the second female contestant ever to win the Biggest Loser title in the U.S. (The U.K. version had a female winner, Jodie Prenger, in 2006).

As for the two runners-up, both took the loss with grace, smiling and trying not to look too disappointed. Even Vicky, one of the most disliked contestants in BL history and famous for her smirk, had nothing but a genuine smile of acceptance when it was clear she hadn’t lost enough weight to win.

For Aguilar, who almost left the ranch mid-season to deal with personal issues, this victory is well-deserved, her trainer Jillian Michaels tells PEOPLE. “Michelle brings a unique perspective and sensitivity and an insight that we really haven’t seen in our winners thus far.”

Adds Michaels, “She’s gone on to make Biggest Loser history.” –Sara Hammel, with reporting by Cynthia Wang and Rebecca Gross

Michelle is 'Biggest Loser'

Michelle Aguilar, the 26 year old from Dallas, was named "the Biggest Loser" in the sixth season finale Tuesday.

She lost 110 pounds in the competition, dropping from a starting weight of 242 to a current 132 as part of Jillian Michaels' team. The percentage weight loss was 45.45 percent and she took home the title and the $250,000 final prize.

Ed Brantley, 31, a chef from Raleigh, lost even more pounds, 139, but the 41.49 percent weight loss was less than the winner (or loser) when he went from a starting 335 to 196. He had been part of Bob Harper's team of husbands and wives, with his wife Heba Salama, 30, who was also among the final four but was eliminated by viewer vote during the finale in a rather lopsided margin -- an 84 percent majority chose Brantley. But Salama did win the $100,000 prize for the biggest loser of those eliminated.

Also part of Harper's team was Vicky Vilcan, 37, the mother from Houma, La., who said she felt guilty that her weight had helped make her daughter overweight as well. Her weight loss, losing 101 pounds from a starting 246 to 145, was good enough for a third place finish.

"The Biggest Loser" finale came as part of a big two hour finale, which really was not so big -- every episode of the show this season was two hours long, something of a record. There won't be much time without the show. It returns with a new group of overweight contestants Jan. 6.

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X-Men Origins - Wolverine Trailer

X-Men Origins: Wolverine Movie Trailer - What Do You Think?

20th Century Fox has finally released the new X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie trailer online. To me, it looks like it could be a good ol’ fashion 80’s style action movie, or it could be really bad. I’m also not quite sure if the additional mutants, including Gambit, are a sizable part of the story, or just thrown into the mix to get comic book fanboys excited.

New X-Men Origins: Wolverine Trailer And Photos

There’s a brand-new trailer out for X-Men Origins: Wolverine that is so hot it will singe your beard and curl your mustache! There are some hot fight scenes with both Hugh Jackman as a freshly christened Wolverine and Liev Schreiber as a not-so-bushy-yet Sabertooth.



In the film we learn why the Wolverine/Sabertooth rivalry is so strong. And we also get a peek at some new mutant characters including Gambit, Blob and what looks like Silver Fox.

Wolverine goes on a rampage after getting his adamantium implants.

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Servivor Gabon - Who won ???

Servivor Gabon Winner : Bob Crowley Winner of Survivor Finale

Bob Crowley was crowned the winner of Survivor Gabon during the Survivor finale show. Bob Crowley is a high school physics teacher from Portland, Maine. He is the oldest winner of Survivor.

Susie came in second, while Sugar was completely shut out with zero votes.

Did the Survivor Gabon finale turn out the way you expected? Did you think Bob Crowley would win Survivor this season ?

'Survivor: Gabon' Winner Crowned

The last standing person to win "Survivor" Gabon edition has been revealed. Warning spoiler ahead. Beating Susie Smith from Charles City and Jessica "Sugar" Kiper is, 57-year-old physics teacher Robert "Bob" Crowley. He won a close call, receiving four out of the seven votes made by the jury.

At his age, Bob officially is the oldest contestant in the history of the show to have won the competition as well as one of the contestants with the most consecutive immunity challenges, five in total. He, therefore, won the one million dollar prize and crowned "the sole survivor" over Susie who got 3 votes. Sugar meanwhile, received none.

The two-hour season finale on Sunday, December 14 was followed by a reunion show. Before leaving the camp to be back to their normal routine in the city, the final three literally set their camp that they had been living on for 39 days, ablaze. Susie said as she watched the fire, "39 days just like that. Done."

Host Jeff Probst last week revealed to Ryan Seacrest that the next "Survivor" will be taken to Brazil. No detail yet on which area of the South American country the new season will take place.

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Miss America

MISS AMERICA

About the Show

Hosted by Tyler Harcott, the series will follow the 52 state title holders as they live together on the Queen Mary luxury ocean liner and face a series of team and individual competitions to help them prepare for the pageant -- and prove they have what it takes to be the next Miss America.

Two consultants -- Kym Douglas and Antthony Mark Hankins -- will guide the 52 women through their experience and decide which contestant is best prepared for the 2009 title and tiara.

The contestants are expected to push their personal limits to win a gold sash and advance into the "top 15" at the Miss America pageant, which airs live on TLC from Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas on Jan. 24.

Voting begins after the 15 gold-sash finalists are selected and will be conducted via text messaging and on TLC.com/MissAmerica.

"For the first time ever, America has the chance to be a judge and select four of the contestants they think deserves to make it into the pageant," said Brent Zacky, vice president of development at TLC. "By giving viewers the chance to get to know the girls during Countdown to the Crown, we are confident four great contestants will take the stage in January to compete for the Miss America title."

About the Pageant

The Miss America Pageant has entertained millions since its humble beginnings as a "bathing beauty" contest in Atlantic City in the 1920s. The Miss America Organization is the largest provider of scholarship assistance for young women. Last year, it gave more than $45 million in cash and scholarship assistance.

What to Expect in the Online Countdown

OK, so it's December and we "pageant people" are just starting to get really itchy, aren't we? Where are the contestant photos? Bios? When are we going to meet these girls, anyway?? Well, get ready pageant people, 'cause it's coming.

So much is coming, actually -- and it's really exciting! Along with all the contestant photos and bios, there will be quizzes about pageant history, as well as fun interactives that will let you live vicariously through the contestants -- 'nuff said on that for now. Plus I'll be here along the way, chiming in as much as you all can stand. I know, I can't think of anything better, either. So December should get your blood pumping, and will get everyone ready for the real fun -- the reality series, Countdown to the Crown, beginning Jan. 2!

I'm sure you've all read about the show by now -- the Queen Mary, the "golden sashes" ... THINK of the power you all will have when it comes time to judge (mwah hah hah)! We're really going to get to know these girls, and we will be able to help four of them into the top 15! There are no "power states" -- everyone is on equal footing. Put yourself in the contestants' shoes for a minute, however high heeled they might be. It doesn't matter what the state is on your sash -- you can impress the general public with your personality, beauty, wit, intelligence and charm... and it could score you a ticket to the top 15!

So, after the first show airs on Jan. 2, the first poll will appear on the Web site. You will then start your "judging": In week one you'll judge your first impression of the contestants based on their official photos. In week two, you'll judge their swimsuit photos, and in week three you'll judge their YouTube videos. And after the final episode, you'll help those four girls make it to the semifinals to compete on live TV from Las Vegas.

Phew - I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted already. That's a lot of stuff, and a lot of "face time" for the contestants. It's all starting -- pageant season is upon us!! It's like Christmas, only better. C'mon, you know you agree with me, my fellow pageant peeps!

Miley Cyrus Porsche ???

Miley Cyrus has just got herself a Porsche Cayenne for her 16th Birthday and still it wasnt really what she wanted. What else could she get do you get when you are a teen disney star, that has just about everything, including the model boyfriend.

Miley Cyrus complained that the porsche wasn’t the one she wanted. “"I do have a car. I took my mom's old car," she tells Extra. "I got the old car, which wasn't so bad because it was a Porsche ... It was a pretty good hand me down."

Miley Cyrus' first car is a Porsche? And so it begins...

OK, it’s a hand-me-down, but it's still a Porsche.

After earning her learner's permit on Wednesday, Miley Cyrus, who turned 16 last month, received an early Christmas present.

Her mom, Tish, gave her daughter her "old" Porsche Cayenne.

Can a speeding ticket, DUI or an invalid license be far off?

"Tish got a new car recently, so she's giving Miley her old car," a source tells People. "She's so excited. Her mom lets her drive to work when she's with her."

Miley Cyrus told press earlier this year that her dream sweet 16 birthday gift would be "a car, but we'll see ... I don’t want to name a certain kind. I want my parents to know that I'm happy with anything that they get me. I know I'd be really lucky to even get a car."

Wow. Big week for Miley Cyrus. A Porsche and her first Golden Globe nomination for best song: "I Thought I'd Lost You" in "Bolt."

Kinda reminds us of another talented little girl who grew up too fast.

Related News :

Miley Cyrus - Gets a Porsche ???

Bernard Madoff - Arrested for Conducting Ponzi Scheme

Bernard Madoff Arrested for Conducting $50 Billion Ponzi Scheme

Bernard Madoff, a long-time fixture and powerful adviser on Wall Street, was arrested and charged on Thursday with allegedly running a $50 billion Ponzi scheme, U.S. authorities said.

The former chairman of the Nasdaq Stock Market who remains a member of Nasdaq OMX Group Inc’s nominating committee, is best known as the founder of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, the closely-held market-making firm he founded in 1960.

But the alleged fraud involved a hedge fund he ran from a separate floor of the building where his brokerage is based.

Bernard Madoff told senior employees of his firm on Wednesday that “it’s all just one big lie” and that it was “basically, a giant Ponzi scheme,” with estimated investor losses of about $50 billion, according to a criminal complaint against him.

A Ponzi scheme is a pyramid-type swindle in which very high returns are promised to early investors, who are paid off with money put up by later ones.

The $50 billion allegedly lost to investors would make Madoff’s fund one of the biggest frauds in history. When Enron filed for bankruptcy in 2001, one of the largest at the time, it had $63.4 billion in assets.

Prosecutors charged Bernard Madoff, 70, with a single count of securities fraud. They said he faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $5 million.

“Bernard Madoff stated that the business was insolvent, and that it had been for years,” Lev Dassin, acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a statement.

Authorities said that, according to a document filed by Bernard Madoff with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on January 7, 2008, Madoff’s investment advisory business served between 11 and 25 clients and had a total of about $17.1 billion in assets under management.

Bernard’s most recent 50 political contributions. I’m guessing a Ponzi scheme would have been cooler. Seems like he madoff with a lot of money.

The Madoff Story Is Huge

The story of Bernard Madoff, if the charges of fraud are true, is the single biggest financial story of the year.

It is bigger than WorldCom, bigger than Boesky and bigger than Tyco.

It attacks at the core of investor confidence -- because, if true, and this could happen ... Investors might think that almost anything imaginable could happen to the money they have entrusted to their fiduciaries.

And it helps to explain why Treasury bill returns are basically at zero.

For more, check out the SEC's statement on Madoff's arrest as well as Jim Cramer's take on the scandal.

Jason Richardson - Traded

Jason Richardson Traded to Phoenix

Goodness gracious this came out of nowhere. Word is that the Suns, who have been hurting for an offensive spark, sent Boris Diaw, Raja Bell, and Sean Singletary to Charlotte in exchange for Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley and a 2010 2nd round pick.

“He’s athletic and gives us a really potent offensive player,” Suns General Manager Steve Kerr said. “He’s also an excellent defensive players and he’s in his prime. He’s a very high-character guy and well-regarded around the league for his professionalism.”

We’ll hit you with complete analysis as to how this move impacts both rosters and everyone’s fantasy value. But on face value, it’s a really good move for Phoenix, who needed to shake things up. Up to this point this season, the Suns doesn’t have a guard outside of Steve Nash who is putting up 12 points per game. Add in that Amare hasn’t had a problem vocalizing his frustration, and it’s easy to see where this could have ended.

From Charlotte’s perspective, they didn’t make this move because of Diaw’s and Bell’s contracts. Diaw is under salary through 2011-12 (player option) and Bell will be around until ‘09-10.

Suns trade for Richardson, will be REALLY shorthanded tonight

The remodeling of the Suns continues. Last year, it was Shaq, now, it's Jason Richardson. The explosive! two guard is heading to Phoenix along with Jared Dudley and a 2010 second rounder in exchange for Laker favorite Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, and rookie PG Sean Singletary. In the short term, it means the Suns will be playing with a skeleton crew tonight at Staples... and also totally messes with my planned pregame analysis. In the long run, it's another step in the process of D'D'Antonizing the roster, adding a more conventional, more talented shooting guard to a lineup that already includes O'Neal, Steve Nash, and Amare Stoudamire.

Richardson is a fantastic three point shooter (currently up around 46%) and given his explosive offensive talent- far more versatile than either Diaw or Bell- should help spread the floor for a team determined to force feed O'Neal down low. It should help Stoudamire as well. On the other end, Richardson isn't a good defender, making you wonder how exactly they're going to continue the drive to improve in that area- again it looks like Phoenix is built to pile up points- but overall it's a net positive for the Suns, at least on a sheer talent level.

It's certainly going to make them a more complicated cover for the Lakers, once everyone is on board and the Suns have had a chance to integrate Richardson into their offense.

How this makes sense for Charlotte I'm not sure, but frankly does it matter?

Waubonsie Valley High School

Waubonsie Valley High School Locked Down

Parts of Waubonsie Valley High School remain on lock down this morning, while police investigated a potential threat.

"As a precaution, I have locked down the school this morning while the school administration and the police investigate a potential threat,'' Prinpical Kristine Marchiando said on the school's website. "I want to stress this measure is a safety precaution only and all of our students and staff are safe. We will provide an update as soon as we have more information."

The lockdown for the Freshman Building was lifted shortly before 10 a.m. Marchiando said the main building was still being checked, but that there was no imminent threat.

There were unfounded rumors of a gun at the school. Students were being sent to a nearby parking lot, while police swept the school buildings.

Aurora high school on lockdown, police checking rooms

An Aurora high school building remained on lockdown Wednesday morning while police check the school following earlier reports of a person with a gun.

Waubonsie Valley High School was put on lockdown, according to a message posted on the school's Web site and sent to parents via phone calls and an e-mail by principal Kristine Marchiando, "as a precaution, while the school administration and the police investigate a potential threat.

"I want to stress this measure is a safety precaution only and all of our students and staff are safe," she said.

Aurora police were going room to room at the school Wednesday morning after receiving a report about someone in the school with a gun. School officials said all staff and students are safe.

A police officer said officials received an “unsubstantiated rumor” about someone with a gun in the school at Eola Road and Route 34 on Aurora’s Far East Side. Rumors that someone was shot are false, police said.

As of about 10 a.m., the Freshman Building was no longer on lockdown, according to an update on the school's Web site. Students in the Freshman Building were back in their classes and resuming their normal day's schedule.

The main building lockdown was still in effect, though. Police have been checking each room to make sure no one was being held hostage or was in danger.

grammy nominees 2009

The 2009 Grammy Nominees Revealed ... Probably, In Bigger Than The Sound

If, at some point today, you feel one side of your body go numb, have trouble walking, and/or are overcome with the desire to hear Herbie Hancock covering Joni Mitchell songs, well, chances are you've just got a severe case of Grammy Fever. Either that, or you are having a stroke.

If it's the former, you are not alone. On Wednesday night (December 3), in much-hyped live concert on CBS, the nominees for the 51st Annual Grammy Awards will be announced, and the excitement is palpable. There is electricity in the air — seriously, reach out and touch it! — and a buzz in the streets. People are overcome with joy and crippling paralysis. At the same time. Cars are driving off the road. Dogs are walking themselves. It's bedlam, I tell you ... bedlam!

Actually, I'm exaggerating. Not many people really care about the Grammy Awards anymore, except music-industry suits, people who are afraid to buy anything online and anyone who still listens to Herbie Hancock records (though, often, these are all the same people). This is largely because the Grammys are out-of-touch with reality, don't make much sense and are voted on by a shadowy cabal of "industry professionals" who have, over the years, never seen it fit to bestow an award on Led Zeppelin, Neil Young, the Beach Boys or Diana Ross, but have given Sheryl Crow nine of them.

Combine that, uh, "track record" with the rather byzantine scope and state of the voting process — for this year's awards, Recording Academy members may nominate only albums and songs released between October 1, 2007 and September 30, 2008, and those nominees are spread out across 31 fields (pop, gospel, etc.) and 110 categories within those fields — and you're faced with one resounding fact: attempting to predict just who is going to be nominated for a Grammy is near impossible.

Still, that doesn't mean I'm not going to try. After all, I did the same thing earlier this year before the Video Music Awards (a.k.a. "the only awards show that makes less sense than the Grammys"), and I ended up picking the winners in three of the eight categories — a smashing success, indeed.

So, to prevent you from having to even tune in to the Grammy nominee concert bonanza jamboree (because, really, how many times do you need to see Taylor Swift perform at a televised event?), I'm presenting my fearless (and more than likely incorrect) Grammy Nominee Predictions. I didn't pick noms in all 110 categories, because that would take about a year (and there are w-a-a-y too many choices for "Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package"), but I've taken a run at a few of the biggies. Remember, I am not a professional prognosticator, so wager accordingly.

Record of the Year

This is the award given to the song of the year (in olden tymes, songs used to be called "records"). Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" won last year, beating out the likes of Rihanna's "Umbrella," Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around ... Comes Around" and the Foo Fighters' "The Pretender" (seriously). Given that every year, this category consists of four solid, massive radio hits and one decidedly WTF track, I'm thinking the 2008 nominees will look something like this:

» Coldplay's "Viva la Vida"
» Kid Rock's "All Summer Long"
» Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love"
» Something from Al Green's Lay It Down or Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' Raising Sand (a.k.a. the token "rewarding the aging legend selection")
» Taylor Swift's "Teardrops on My Guitar"

If Swift's "Teardrops" is ineligible (and, to be honest, there is a very good chance it is, given the in-and-out game it played on country and adult-contemporary radio), look for Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" or Usher's "Love in This Club" to sneak in instead. Or perhaps Pink's "So What?" Sadly, I think my choice, the Hold Steady's "Sequestered in Memphis," is a long shot to snag a nom.

Album of the Year

Given to the actual album of the year. Last year, Herbie Hancock took this one home for his River: The Joni Letters album, besting Kanye's Graduation, the Foos' Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace and Vince Gill's These Days, among others. Given the perplexing release-date requirements, there's a pretty good chance an album competing for a Grammy at this year's awards was actually released sometime in 2007 ... also, sadly, efforts by West and Beyoncé missed the cut for inclusion, since they were released after September 30 of this year. I know, confusing indeed. Anyway, the nominees for the 2008 Album of the Year are:

» Alicia Keys' As I Am
» Coldplay' Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
» Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III
» Metallica's Death Magnetic
» Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' Raising Sand

Keys' album was released after the cutoff date for last year's Grammys, so look for her to land a nod this year (Academy voters lover her). Same goes for Plant and Krauss' Sand. Coldplay are safe and generic and massively successful. Wayne sold a million copies in a week and should be rewarded here. Metallica's Death Magnetic is the long shot here, though it did sell well, garner positive reviews and have the benefit of having Rick Rubin's hands all over it. If not them, then perhaps Mariah or Leona Lewis take their spot.

Song of the Year

Given to the writers and composers of a song. Aside from that, confused as to how this differs from Record of the Year? Me too. So let's just press on. Oh, Winehouse's "Rehab" won this last year too.

» Duffy's "Mercy"
» Sarah Bareilles' "Love Song"
» Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love"
» John Mayer's "Say"
» Sugarland's "Stay"

My thought process for this category was basically this: Think of a bunch of songs soccer moms listen to on the radio, and go with them. John Mayer is also performing during the Grammy nominations concert, which means he's bound to grab a big nod somewhere. This might be the spot. Also, I have never heard a Sugarland song in my entire live. BTW, I will probably go five-for-five in this category, given how little thought I put into it.

New Artist

Probably the most interesting award of the year, especially because, in the past, Academy voters have decided to give it to artists who are not exactly new (Maroon Five!) or are completely unknown by 95 percent of the general public (Ledisi!). Oh, also, there is an outside chance either Miley Cyrus or the Jonas Brothers get nominated in this category.

» Duffy
» Katy Perry
» Leona Lewis
» Miley Cyrus
» Vampire Weekend

Sorry, tweens. I think Miley gets the nod, the JBs don't (and are Tokio Hotel even eligible? If so, maybe they get it instead). In their place, I'm putting Vampire Weekend, just because I wanna see as many boat shoes as possible at the awards ceremony. Duffy and Lewis are mortal-fricking-locks here. I also think that this is the only one of the "big four" categories Perry gets a nomination in, despite having one of the year's biggest songs. Academy voters have a long-standing policy against kissing girls and liking it.

Best Polka Album

The biggest of the big. Seriously. And not just previous winning albums have names like Polkasonic and Let's Polka 'Round.

» Brave Combo's Polka's Revenge
» Bubba Hernandez and Alex Meixner's Polka Freak Out
» Jimmy Sturr and His Orchestra's Come Share the Wine
» John Gora & Gorale's Bulletproof Polkas
» Walter Ostanek and Brian Sklar's Dueling Polkas

Actually, these are just the nominees from last year's Grammy Awards. Could you tell the difference?

Barack Obama appoints Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston ???

Obama appoints Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston to his ‘team of rivals’

President-elect Barack Obama today appointed Peter Orszag as his budget director, and Robert Nabors as his budget deputy director and vowed to act swiftly and boldly on the economy, saying that he’ll hit the ground running according to AP.

As he collects the finest minds in America to fix the collapsing economy, he also continued to announce new members to his ‘team of rivals’. ‘Team of rivals’ is a reference to a biography about Lincoln who liked to work with difficult, opposing and argumentative politicians. And politicians who had run against him for President. Obama is doing the same: Hillary Clinton, Robert Gates…

Today I read on comedian Andy Borowitz’s blogpost that Obama is now appointing Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston to key cabinet positions.

Continuing in his quest to assemble a so-called “team of rivals,” President-elect Barack Obama today announced that he would name Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Aniston to key Cabinet positions.

The two actresses, who have been perennial tabloid fodder as a result of their longstanding feud over actor Brad Pitt, were surprise choices for Mr. Obama’s Cabinet, since neither of them has been a government official or even portrayed one in a movie.

But in his weekly Internet address, the President-elect explained his rationale for choosing the sworn enemies to his Cabinet: “I chose Jennifer and Angelina for the same reason I have chosen every other Cabinet member: they clearly despise each other with a passion.”

(And just for the record yesterday, Obama officially named Timothy Geithner as treasury secretary and Lawrence Summers as director of the National Economic Council. He also appointed Melody Barnes as director of the Domestic Policy Council, and Heather Higginbottom as the council’s deputy director.)

Obama names budget director, promotes restraint

President-elect Barack Obama named Peter Orszag as his budget director on Tuesday and said his job will be to conduct a thorough review of federal spending programs, "eliminating those programs we don't need and insisting that those we do need operate in a cost-effective way."

With the economy in crisis, Obama said, "Budget reform is not an option. It's a necessity."

Echoing Abraham Lincoln, Obama added, "I will ask my economic team to think anew and act anew."

Orszag is the director of the Congressional Budget Office, a man who the president-elect said "knows where the bodies are buried."

Obama's focus on careful federal spending marked something of a contrast from Monday, when he declared that restoring the economy to health took priority over the budget deficit. He called on Congress to prepare an economic stimulus program for him to sign as soon after Inauguration day as possible. Estimates of the measure range from $500 billion to $700 billion over two years.

"We are going to have to jump-start the economy ... but we have to make sure that those investments are wise. We have to make sure we are not wasting money in every area," he said Tuesday, defining the two objectives that will guide his economic program.

Elected in an Electoral College landslide, Obama claimed "a mandate to move the country in a new direction and not continue the same old practices that have gotten us into the fix we are in."

At the same time, he said, after gaining only 53 percent of the popular vote," we enter into the administration with a sense of humility and a recognition that wisdom is not the monopoly of any political party."

He added, "I think what the American people want more than anything is just commonsense, smart government. They don't want ideology, they don't want bickering."

Along with Orszag, Obama named Robert Nabors as deputy budget director. Nabors has been the top staff aide on the House Appropriations Committee, which prepares spending legislation.

The president-elect said he would have additional appointments to his economic team in the coming days.

At first glance, his roster of economic officials so far embodies what seem to be mutually exclusive goals. Timothy Geithner, Obama's choice for treasury secretary, Lawrence Summers, who will head the National Economic Council, and Orszag all have links to Robert Rubin, who as President Clinton's treasury secretary pushed for a balanced budget.

But all three will also be part of an administration that will drive deficits to new heights with an economic plan designed to save or create 2.5 million jobs and redirect the economy over the next two years. Economists from across the political spectrum, including some who have served as informal advisers to Obama, have put the size of an economic recovery package as high as $700 billion over those two years.

Obama summed up the challenge Monday.

"The way to think about it is short term, we've got to focus on boosting the economy and creating 2.5 million jobs, but part and parcel of that is a plan for a sustainable fiscal situation long-term, and that's going to require some reforms in Washington," he said during a news conference in Chicago to introduce Geithner and Summers.

"To make the investments we need," he said at another point, "we'll have to scour our federal budget, line by line, and make meaningful cuts and sacrifices, as well, something I'll be discussing further tomorrow."

Obama is already starting in the red. The federal government reported a record deficit of $237.2 billion in October, which reflected only a portion of the $700 billion Congress approved last month to rescue the financial markets. The government's red ink has been rising over the past eight years, reversing a surplus achieved during the Clinton administration.

Leonard Burman, director of the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center, said Geithner and Summers reflect both the need for a large-scale stimulus to the economy and for fiscal restraint once the economy shows signs of improvement.

"What's good about the appointments that Obama has made is that it suggests, in ways that his campaign never did, that he really understands this," Burman said.

American Music Awards 2008

R&B star Chris Brown sweeps American Music Awards

R&B singer Chris Brown swept the American Music Awards on Sunday, winning three prizes including artist of the year.

The 19-year-old star, famed for his on-stage athleticism, overshadowed Alicia Keys, who led the field with five nominations, and ended up with a pair of statuettes.

Alicia Keys

Brown was clearly shocked when his name was announced for artist of the year, the ceremony's final award.

"I probably was shocked like everybody else," Brown told reporters backstage at the Nokia Theater. "I know everybody was like, 'Huh?' I thought Coldplay should have genuinely won that award, but I'll take it!"

Chris Brown

He was also named favorite male artist in both the soul/R&B and pop/rock categories. His girlfriend, Rihanna, won those categories for the women, beating Keys in both races.

Rihanna

Keys' awards were for her chart-topping disc, "As I Am," which was named favorite album in the soul/R&B and pop/rock categories.

Behind Keys in the nominees list were British rock band Coldplay and American country-rock veterans the Eagles, who both went home empty-handed.

Other multiple winners included outspoken rapper Kanye West, who has never been afraid to express his dismay when he is overlooked at awards shows. He won the first two American Music Awards of his career, but said he would give one of them away to fellow nominee, Lil Wayne.

"If it was last year, this would have been my award," he said of the favorite male rap/hip-hop category. "This year, it's Wayne's award. We'll see what happens next year."

Earlier, he won for the statuette for favorite rap/hip-hop album with "Graduation." West challenged musicians of all genres to push each other, and to reclaim the spirit of artists like the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. In his case, he declared, "I wanna be Elvis!"

But host Jimmy Kimmel retorted a little later, "Elvis died on the toilet with half a jelly donut in his mouth, so you might want to rethink that one."

Kimmel also took a dig at addiction-plagued rocker Scott Weiland, who had to struggle to introduce a performer. Kimmel suggested that Disney starlet Miley Cyrus, who turned 16 on Sunday, would now be able to drive him home.

Among the first-time winners were Taylor Swift, current holder of the No. 1 spot on the U.S. pop album chart with her album "Fearless." She appeared to be the only shocked person in the Nokia Theater room when she was named favorite female country singer.

"It's an honor that you even care about the songs I wrote in my bedroom," said the 18-year-old star.

Another country star, Brad Paisley, was also a first-time winner, in the genre's favorite male artist category.

"I have always, always wanted to win an American Music Award," he said, pausing to survey the bottom of his perspex statuette. "Made in China?"

For the second year, winners were determined by online voting. They used to be decided by a poll of 20,000 music buyers, but producers decided to make the event more inclusive in the wake of slumping ratings. The move seemed to work, with last year's show attracting 11.8 million viewers, up from 10.9 million the year before.

The performance-heavy event spanned the generations, from Cyrus to former Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox, who earned a standing ovation with her heartfelt piano ballad "Why."

The Scottish rocker received a lifetime achievement award and said, "I never thought that I would live to see the day that I would be 53 years old standing on the stage."