Carmelo Anthony to Lakers:A Magical Combo

There’s been a great deal of talk about exactly where Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony could be traded this season. The strongest buzz has been for the NY Knicks, although a new heavyweight might have entered the arena, reports ESPN. Carmelo Anthony to the Lakers might be the next big National Basketball Association headline.
All about the Carmelo to Lakers trade
It is very possible for a Carmelo Anthony to Lakers trade to occur. Mere days after former Lakers legend Earvin "Magic" Johnson proclaimed that the team has to change something in order to win a championship, Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak told the LA media that he is open to a trade. Carmelo and his wife, Music Television personality La La Vazquez, purchased a home in Los Angeles last summer, too. Lakers representatives have coyly denied interest.
Details on the Lakers
The first in Pacific Division is the Lakers that also have 36-16. Answers are being looked for by the team though since lots of high-profile losses have happened. Anthony would be exactly what the Lakers need as he is a strong scorer. He’s a dominant scorer who can pull up for the jumper or abuse smaller players down low (‘Melo is 6-foot-8, 230 pounds). With Pau Gasol, Bryant and Lamar Odem, the Lakers would be unstoppable. Guarding them would be hard.
The sacrifice the Lakers is willing to make
If the Carmelo Anthony to the Lakers deal goes through, ESPN reports the Lakers would likely move oft-injured center Andrew Bynum. Interior scorers can have difficulty scoring with the size and mobility of Bynum. Still, the durability of him is questioned. In accordance with ESPN, more players than just Anthony may be offered since salary is a major concern of the Nuggets right now. Also, the NBA requirements would all be filled with a straight up trade between Carmelo Anthony and Andrew Bynum.
Other Carmelo Anthony trade possibilities
The NY Knicks have been talking to the Denver nuggets about Carmelo Anthony trade as well as the Los Angeles Lakers. A three team deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves was one of the deals that have not occurred yet. None of the speculated deals have been happening. There were calf and ankle injuries that Kicks forward Wilson Chandler sustained. That means the trade hasn't happened yet.
Information from
ESPN
sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=6101304
ESPN Los Angeles
espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/lakers/post/_/id/15841/the-philosophy-of-trading-andrew-bynum
Los Angeles Times
latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2011/02/dont-count-on-carmelo-anthony-coming-to-lakers.html
Lakers’ Ron Artest on how to guard Carmelo Anthony
youtube.com/watch?v=a-QTcU9YEi8

Scientology,Tom Cruise religion,Investigated for Human Trafficking

The FBI has launched a probe into Scientology, the faith that has gained notoriety from celebrities such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta. The FBI investigation has to do with human trafficking accusations leveled against Scientology. Stories of pushed confinement and slave labor have emerged from ex-Scientology members who escaped their captors. Post resource – FBI investigates Church of Scientology for human trafficking by Newsytype.com.
Using the desert as a scientology get away for work
Former Scientologists trying to quit were interviewed by agents in 2009 starting the FBI human trafficking investigation of Scientology. Those considered apostates would get confined to a Scientology compound east of LA in the California desert. This was where several had hazing occur while pushed labor for hardly any pay happened as well, in a story the St. Petersburg Times broke out 2 years ago. The New Yorker said on Feb. 7th the FBI investigation of Scientology was occurring. Screenwriter Paul Haggis revealed this. In 2009, the Church of Scientology lost Haggis. This was due not only to what the Times showed was human trafficking but also due to the Proposition 8 support that California had and was supported by Scientology.
Labor helped Tom Cruise get better
It was shown in the Times and New Yorker that there have been escapees out of the Scientology desert compound. They would be forced to return back there though. Women were pushed into abortions when getting pregnant as they were told not to have kids. The workers in the compound got paid $50 a week while previous Scientologists explained leader David Miscavige lived well on the church's money. Miscavige forced a worker to customize motorcycles for Cruise. Thousands of dollars is normally what is paid for something like this. Cruise also had an SUV customized and an airplane hangar renovated with forced Scientology labor.
Human trafficking with the scientology
Human trafficking was denied by the Church of Scientology meaning the FBI was denied. A spokesman called the New Yorker article a “rehash of unfounded accusations.” However, signs of human trafficking listed on the FBI website match the experiences shared by Scientology defectors. Some of those signs include individuals living and working in the exact same place who experience physical and emotional abuse, as well as control of their food, schedule, money, speech, ID and travel documents.
Articles cited
St. Petersburg Times
tampabay.com/news/scientology/article1150248.ece
New York Daily News
nydailynews.com/news/national/2011/02/07/2011-02-07_FBI_probing_allegations_of_human_trafficking_and_enslavement_in_scientology_repo.html
The New Yorker
newyorker.com/reporting/2011/02/14/110214fa_fact_wright
New York Post
nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/cruise_church_labor_probed_lNckRxqOTLp5LvQAe3iGFI

Brandi Farve Going to Prison for Her Part in Meth Ring

The Associated Press accounts that Brandi Favre, younger sister to currently retired National Football League star Brett Favre, was arrested in her Diamondhead, Miss., home. As outlined by Hancock County Sheriff’s Maj. Matt Karl, Brandi Favre, 34, encounters accusations of manufacturing meth, possession of a controlled substance, transport of a controlled substance and creating hazardous waste. Favre was among five people arrested at a trendy Diamondhead residence on Golf Club Drive. She most likely will not need a payday advance to make bail.
Brandi Favre had help with meth getting made
When the Hancock County Narcotics Task Force came to see Brandi Favre, her neighbors weren't astonished although Diamondhead is a quiet community normally. There was a sting outside diamond head, said task force director Karl. WLBT3 NBC reports that this is what led to the location of where the meth was being produced. Seven units nearby were all evacuated. The risk of an explosion is very high with meth production because you will find flammable evaporated solvents that production releases. Authorities uncovered a large amount of the finished drug.

"We discovered the full lab in the bathroom; it was still cooking. I think we collected pretty close to 10 grams (worth about $1,000) of finished product, which, that’s a lot of meth,” said Karl.

Meth ring gets others arrested
David Logan, Marty Grimes, Alesha Kirkland and Carl Wynn III were all arrested with Brandi Favre. All of the suspects were ages 25 to 53. Favre has been arrested before, on charges ranging from felony shoplifting to unlawful use of a weapon during a drive-by shooting.
"She’s always in trouble," Karl told MSNBC, indicating that the current Brandi Favre mug shot circulating the Web is not her first.
Since you will find already issues with the Jenn Sterger debacle along with the Brandi Favre problems, maybe it is a good thing that Brett Favre retired.
Restricting cold medicine sales creates lucrative crystal meth market
It seemed like crystal meth became more wanted after the ban on pseudoephedrine. This was on any cold medicines using it, Impact Lab reports. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration explains that this made for a "sub-criminal culture." That means that by selling 10 grams of crystal meth, Brandi Favre was able to bring in about $1,000 in profit.
Articles cited
MSNBC
msnbc.msn.com/id/41051422/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/
Impact Lab
impactlab.net/2011/01/11/restricting-sale-of-cold-medicine-creates-lucrative-black-market/
NBC Sports
offthebench.nbcsports.com/2011/01/13/favres-sisters-mug-shot-is-here/
WLBT
wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=13831137
Meth lab toxic waste hidden by snow
youtube.com/watch?v=OQMemezw6Uk

Pennsylvania Gets Snipes for Prison Sentence

Wesley Snipes has reported to jail. He started serving his sentence following a protracted courtroom fight. Snipes reported to a Pennsylvania prison to begin serving his sentence on Dec. 9th. Neglecting to file income taxes resulted in Snipes receiving a three year sentence. Evidently there wasn't a paydayloans large enough to purchase off his freedom with this one.
Wesley Snipes prison term begins
Actor Wesley Snipes reported to prison today, Dec. 9, in Pennsylvania, according to ABC. The McKean Federal Correctional Institution that he will be serving in is in Lewis Run, Penn., and he can be serving for three years. Snipes, now Bureau of Prisons inmate number 43355-018, is likely to be housed within the minimum security wing of the prison, a facility located adjacent to the primary prison. The wing for minimum security is typically for any inmates who don't have risk of violence. They are typically white collar criminals. Snipes will probably serve at least 26 months of his sentence supposed to last 36 months as he is in a federal prison.
Legal battle seemed too long
Staying out of prison was Wesley Snipes' goal. This is why he went via the legal battle. A federal judge in FL ordered a sentence to start being served by Snipes just this year. Wesley Snipes had appealed his sentence, which is not really for tax evasion. Wesley Snipes didn't file a tax return instead of willfully trying to keep away from paying taxes which is the definition of tax evasion as Wesley Snipes and Larry King discussed. Advisors told Snipes they were filing his returns. He thought it had been getting done. His firm had been defrauding him meaning they didn't really file.
Charges of finance with other stars
Snipes is not the first celebrity to face jail time over white collar crimes. Six months was given to Martha Stewart for insider trading charges. Charges for taxes got hotel magnate and heiress Leona Helmsley jailed. Then there was Willie Nelson who owed the IRS so much. He wrote a song called "The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories?" after getting his house back after it was taken from him.
Details from
ABC News
abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wesley-snipes-report-federal-prison-year-sentence/story?id=12345648&page=3

ipad Expected to Slow the Sale of Personal Computers

The 2010 Personal Computer sales prediction has been revised downward from initial projections. The iPad and other tablet Personal computers are whittling away at 2010 PC product sales and analysts expect the trend to continue. The growing popularity of hosted virtual desktops for business, combined with the tablet, is looked at as harbingers of the PC era’s conclusion.
Tablets slow sale of personal computers this year
The global 2010 Personal Computer sales forecast was cut by a popular tech research firm Gartner on Monday. There was a huge change in Personal Computer sales. This was since the Apple iPad tablet came out. You will find also a lot of product sales of tablet iPad imitators. PC sales are expected to drop due to them too. Gartner changed what the 2010 Personal Computer sales from 2009 were. It went from 17.9 percent to 14.3 percent now. Also, growth was intended to be 18.1 percent in 2011 for Personal Computer sales and is now 15.9 percent. 10 percent of Personal Computer sales are expected to be taken by tablets. Really, this ought to happen by 2014.
The reason fewer PCs are sold
Because of the weak employment and uncertain business climate, the PC sales already were suffering before Apple's iPad. Apple's Macintosh computers have been selling fewer than the iPad already. Personal computers haven't been able to innovate as much since the volume increase and price decrease has been the focus although Gartner points out that PC's are necessary. Steve Jobs is the CEO of Apple. He explained the change from farmer's trucks to family vehicles in the 20th century is just like the change from PCs to tablets.
The PC monster?
The hosted virtual desktops (HVDs) are also not helping Personal Computer sales. Employees are able to use HVDs in order to connect to a virtual machine running on a back-end server with cheap terminals. IT departments are able to fix problems with systems without having to go to each and every individual unit with HVDs. It’s expected that HP and Dell will take huge hits soon. This is what will occur with these changes. Microsoft, which sells 85 percent of Windows on new Personal computers, may also have to adapt.
Citations
Computerworld
computerworld.com/s/article/9198381/Tablets_expected_to_clobber_PC_sales_in_2011?taxonomyId=12
Apple Insider
appleinsider.com/articles/10/11/29/tablets_like_apples_ipad_expected_to_displace_10_of_pcs_in_2014.html
San Francisco Chronicle
sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2010/11/29/businessinsider-business-pc-market-strong-today-but-watch-out-2010-11.DTL

Giada de Laurentiis and John Mayer Linked

A rumored fling by Giada de Laurentiis with Mayer has taken the internet by storm. De Laurentiis, upon hearing the rumors, was not amused and slammed the rumors. John Mayer's camp had a similar reaction. It could be that the gossip pages are making up celeb pairings to determine what sticks.
Giada de Laurentiis rumors across the internet
TV chef Giada de Laurentiis is rumored to have been seen out in New York on November 10 with John Mayer. However, as outlined by both parties involved it didn’t happen at all, and the alleged hookup had been a total fabrication by Star magazine, according to the Los Angeles Times. The parties involved say they have meet up once about something unrelated but that is it, there is no relationship. Giada de Laurentiis' representative requested an apology from the gossip magazine after spreading these rumors online. de Laurentiis is married and a mother already, not just the host of "Everyday Italian" a successful cooking show. She also comes from a line of success. Movie producer Dino de Laurentiis is her grandpa.
Dollar signs in eyes of reporters who report on celebrity hookups
Regardless of the truth behind a relationship, gossip magazines make big bucks when they report on the. Rumors about John Mayer tend to make a large amount of money. John Mayer has tried to stay out of the spotlight after a napalm incident when he discussed his relationship with Jessica Simpson. He even deleted his Twitter account. Additionally there were rumors about his relationship with Jennifer Aniston.
The term celebrity should disappear
It's not just Americans who have an awful obsession with celebrities. People need to think about taking up a new hobby and getting rid entirely of this unhealthy pointless term of a celebrity.
Details from
LA Times
latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2010/11/giada-de-laurentiis-john-mayer.html
Pop Eater
popeater.com/2010/11/10/giada-de-laurentiis-john-mayer-couple/

Investment firm Terra Firma loses lawsuit over Electronic and Musical Industries

In 2007, investment firm Terra Firma purchased control of music giant EMI Ltd. $2.5 billion in the hole, Terra Firma has not done well with the investment. Terra Firma, headed by Guy Hands, sued Citibank over the investment. A jury decided in support of Citibank. Terra Firma accused Citibank of defrauding them within the obtain of Emi.
EMI bought by Terra Firma
The British business EMI was bought by Terra Firma in August 2007 for $6.8 billion. In October 2007, the obtain was funded by Citigroup right before the credit market stopped. Since that purchase, Guy Hands, who controls the Terra Firma fund, has lost billions within the business. He has additionally been the target of frustrated investors who aren’t happy with the fact two-thirds of the fund is tied up within the quickly shrinking Electronic and Musical Industries.
Citigroup and Terra Firma in the courtroom
Citigroup, which funded the Terra Firma purchase of EMI, has been on the defensive. Terra Firma states that it had been defrauded in the Electronic and Musical Industries purchase by Citigroup which led to the suit. It was not a "bidding war" to get EMI. This is what Terra Firma had been led to believe. Everybody in the jury agreed that Citigroup was no guilty. Terra Firma was not defrauded.
The upcoming place EMI will go
EMI is a music label in Britain. It’s one of the largest in fact. The Rolling Stones had been once on the EMI label. Others like Lilly Allen either have been or are on the label right now. In 2007, Guy Hands and Terra firma became in charge of the label. This meant that hardly cash was spent. This led to large acts leaving the label. The Rolling Stones was one of these. EMI cost Hands more than $8 billion he claims besides cost cuts. Hands might really well be removed as the head of Terra Firma, also as Emi. Refinancing for EMI is "much less likely" to take place with Citigroup after the suit. One more company might end up purchasing the musical industry giant due to this.
Citations
Business Week
businessweek.com/news/2010-11-04/citigroup-wins-trial-against-terra-firma-over-emi-sale.html