Thursday, March 31, 2011

Librarian's improbable NCAA bracket

Librarian's stunning NCAA bracket. (AP Image)

An Oregon woman defies incredible odds by picking every Final Four team.

School librarian correctly books improbable Final Four



Before the final buzzer sounded last Sunday, 99.9 percent of amateur bracketologists across the globe had already torched their brackets. For the first time in the history of the Big Dance no No. 1 or No. 2 seeds had advanced to the Final Four. The rash of unpredictable upsets made many entries appear slashed and bloodied, leaving a bitter taste in mouths of optimistic prognosticators who two weeks earlier were supremely confident they had submitted a winner.
However, one, out of nearly three million Yahoo! Tourney Pick 'Em submissions, unbelievably basked in glory. …

Missing Libya woman spurs reporters

A Ministry of Information official, center, removes Iman Al-Obeidi, who said she spent two days in detention after being arrested at a checkpoint in Tripoli, Libya, and was sexually assaulted by up to 15 men while in custody, from the Rixos hotel in Tripoli Saturday March 15, 2011. (Albert Facelly, Sipa Press/AP Photo)  

Eman al-Obeidy hasn't been seen since she accused Gadhafi troops of a horrible assault.

Libyan state TV smears alleged rape victim while foreig

Covering the story of Eman al-Obeidy has become something of a cause for foreign journalists. Al-Obeidy is the woman who burst into a hotel favored by international reporters in Libya's capital city of Tripoli last weekend and frantically recounted her alleged capture and gang rape by 15 members of strongman Muammar Gadhafi's security detail. She was then whisked away by Libyan officials, and has not been heard from since.
Meanwhile, the state-run media in al-Obeidy's home country has launched an assault on the woman's reputation.

7 reasons 'Jersey Shore' has lost its mojo

'Jersey Shore' cast.  (John Kessler/MTV)  

The hit reality TV show has become boring and repetitive, one writer claims.

Gym, Tan, Yawning: Why We're So Over 'Jersey Shore'


Okay, before you go labeling us "haterz," let us explain. We've been loyal viewers of "Jersey Shore" since the beginning, back when The Situation was just plain old Mike. And yes, the first two seasons of "Shore" were highly watchable, highly quotable reality-TV gold. But in Season 3, MTV's monster hit has seemingly run out of gas, becoming repetitive, tiresome, and (the most unforgivable sin for a reality show) dull as dirt. Here, we run down the ways "Shore" has lost our interest — and offer a few tips on how the show can win us back with the upcoming, Italy-based Season 4.

Mavs player dating former Miss Universe

Jose Barea #11 of the Dallas Mavericks. (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)  

 J.J. Barea, one of the NBA's smallest players, says his new girlfriend keeps up with all of his games.

 

J.J. Barea is dating a former Miss Universe



NBA players are usually so tall that the smallest ones -- men who in any other context would just be normal people -- are often considered to be adorable little scamps who use their minor physical gifts to stay relevant in a league of giants. Never mind that they're unbelievable athletes with physical tools that most 25-year-olds would kill for -- at the highest level of basketball, they look like the closest thing to that crafty dude that wins with his tricks at the local gym.

This is ludicrous, because these men lead lives that we could only dream of. For instance, diminutive Mavericks guard J.J. Barea(notes) has a pretty impressive girlfriend. From Jeff Caplan for ESPNDallas.com:

7 reasons 'Jersey Shore' has lost its mojo

Tilikum returns to SeaWorld (ABC)  

 Tilikum's return one year after killing his trainer is accompanied by subtle but substantial changes.

 

Gym, Tan, Yawning: Why We're So Over 'Jersey Shore'


We need a break from the "Jersey Shore" gang
MTV
Okay, before you go labeling us "haterz," let us explain. We've been loyal viewers of "Jersey Shore" since the beginning, back when The Situation was just plain old Mike. And yes, the first two seasons of "Shore" were highly watchable, highly quotable reality-TV gold. But in Season 3, MTV's monster hit has seemingly run out of gas, becoming repetitive, tiresome, and (the most unforgivable sin for a reality show) dull as dirt. Here, we run down the ways "Shore" has lost our interest — and offer a few tips on how the show can win us back with the upcoming, Italy-based Season 4.

Concern looms over arming Libyan rebels

Libyan rebels jump onto the back of their vehicle as they leave Ras Lanouf, 250 km east of Sirte, central Libya, Tuesday, March 29, 2011. (Anja Niedringhaus/AP Photo) 

The U.S. grapples with questions about who the opposition is and if it can defeat Gadhafi.

Questions loom about possibility of arming Libyan rebels


Not long into the enforcement of the no-fly zone in Libya, a military stalemate appears to be taking shape. Forces loyal to Muammar Gadhafi continue to hold key towns against incursions by Libyan rebels--and the fragile international coalition that has been carrying out airstrikes over the past 11 days in order to protect Libyan civilians from attack is now at odds over whether the Libyan rebels require more direct military assistance.

10 ways to get your marriage back on track

Affectionate Hispanic couple standing on beach (Photo by Thinkstock)   

 Imagine a perfect day in your perfect relationship, then create a plan to get there.

10 Ways to Get Your Marriage Back on Track


First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes happily ever after. End of story, right? Not quite… While it’s true that couples relax a bit after they think they’ve nabbed the matrimonial Holy Grail, the reality is that they may also find themselves dumbfounded if their fairytale starts slipping away. “Many people think that marriage is about marrying the right person, so when things go wrong, they automatically go to the ‘Crap, I accidentally married the wrong person’ place,” says Alisa Bowman, author of Project: Happily Ever After. “Although you do want to marry someone you are basically compatible with, marriage has a lot less to do with marrying the right person than it has to do with doing the right things with the person you married.” In other words, relationships are a constant work in progress. To keep the happy connection that made you say “I do” in the first place—or maybe even create a newer-and-improved version—try out these 10 tips to rehab your romance.

Rising star's staggering pledge to Japan

Ryo Ishikawa of Japan (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)  

 Golfer Ryo Ishikawa promises to give all of his 2011 prize money to the rebuilding of his homeland.


Ryo Ishikawa will donate all of 2011 prize money to Japan



There are people that step up during crisis situations, and people that step up, and for victims of the Japan earthquake and tsunami, they can look at young Ryo Ishikawa to be leading the latter group.
Ishikawa, just 19 years old and a Japanese professional golfer, announced on Wednesday that he will be donating all of his 2011 prize money to victims of the natural disaster that devastated Japan on March 11. That means that Ishikawa will probably be donating over $1 million, a number people estimate Ryo will win if he has a solid second full season on the PGA Tour, especially since a season ago he earned 151 million yen ($1.8 million) on the Japan Tour alone to go along with his $149,180 in the states.