Will You Ride Google's Wave?

Saturday, May 30, 2009: Google is trying to do something new and bold again. The company has unveiled one of its most ambitious projects -- Wave. Wave is a very bold way to re-write the manner in which people communicate and interact online. It is nothing conventional you can think of. Google merges your e-mails, IMs, Twits, Facebook and a lot of other such services and offer them under one roof called Wave.
You can understand Wave as a content that you have created. Let's assume this news item. Now, you can share this news with people, and your friends may keep adding content to it. They may write some more, add some pics, comment through twits and much more. According to Google Blog, "A 'wave' is equal parts conversation and document, where people can communicate and work together with richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps and more."

But, Wave is a new concept. Google needs to put in a lot of efforts to educate people about its usage. And it seems Google has started that 'education' thing already. The recent developers' meet was focussed around that only.

The flip side is Google is known to roll out a lot of new services, but only a few are successful. Most of the successful products are the ones which it acquired. How many of you use Knol? When was the last time you logged into it? Knol was once one of the most ambitious projects at Google.

But one thing is clear with the timing of the Wave announcement by Google. It has killed the hype that its rival Microsoft was trying to create with its new search engine Bing. Now, what is Bing? It's nothing but the third attempt of the doomed Vista creator to revive its search engine -- first it was MSN Search, then it became Live Search and now it's Bing. What would be the next -- ping pong?

Here's how it works:
In Google Wave, you create a Wave and add people to it. Everyone on your Wave can use formatted text, photos, gadgets and even feeds from other sources on the Web. They can insert a reply or edit the wave directly. It's concurrent rich-text editing, where you see on your screen nearly instantly what your fellow collaborators are typing in your Wave. That means Google Wave is just as well suited for quick messages as for persistent content — it allows for both collaboration and communication. You can also use 'playback' to rewind the wave and see how it evolved.

The Google Wave protocol is the underlying format for storing and the means of sharing waves, and includes the 'live' concurrency control, which allows edits to be reflected instantly across users and services. The protocol is designed for open federation, such that anyone's Wave services can interoperate with each other and with the Google Wave service. To encourage adoption of the protocol, Google says it intends to open source the code behind Google Wave.

Also, if you're a developer and you'd like to roll up your sleeves, you can start working on Google Wave with the company. Google has not yet decided the specific time frame for public release, but plans to continue working on Google Wave for a number of months more as a developer preview.

One of the dangers of Wave is, Google is integrating too many services in it which may lead to vendor lock-in and curb competition. This may make Google the Microsoft of the online world.

Last known Titanic survivor dies

(CNN) -- Millvina Dean, believed to be the last survivor of the Titanic, has died at 97, her friends confirmed Sunday.
Millvina Dean was just an infant when the RMS Titanic sank.

Millvina Dean was just an infant when the RMS Titanic sank.

Dean was just an infant when the RMS Titanic -- publicized as "practically unsinkable" and the largest passenger steamship at the time -- struck an iceberg on the night of April 14, 1912, during its maiden voyage from Southampton in southern England to New York. The ship sank less than three hours later, killing more than 1,500 people.

Brian Ticehurst, a friend of Dean, said she died at 8 a.m. Sunday.

Dean was hospitalized a few days ago for medical complications before returning to the Woodlands Ridge Nursing Home in Southampton, said Charles Haas, a friend and president of the Titanic International Society based in New Jersey.

A nurse at the home declined to comment on Dean's passing.

Haas said Dean's last public appearance was at the British Titanic Society's convention in April, which she attended with her longtime companion, Bruno Nordmanis.

"She only visited a short while, but she wowed everybody with her charm," Haas told CNN. "She seemed in good spirits."

Haas noted that Dean's death fell on May 31, exactly 98 years after the Titanic was launched.

While Dean's survival brought her celebrity-like status in some circles, she was 8 years old before she knew she was on the fateful ship. Dean, along with her young brother and mother, survived the sinking of the Titanic, but her mother didn't tell her about it until years later, Haas said.

Although she didn't have memories of the historic and tragic event, Dean, who never married or had children, became a larger presence for Titanic enthusiasts and historians over the past three decades.

"Having gone through that disaster she was given extra years and an extra dose of vitality," said Haas, who recalled escorting Dean to a Titanic society gala a few years ago.

Dean became the last known Titanic survivor after Barbara Joyce Dainton died in October 2007. The last American survivor, Lillian Asplund, died in May 2006.

Dean's death leaves only artifacts and videotaped interviews with survivors to "speak to us about the Titanic," Haas said.

Apple Offers Free iPod with Mac Purchase

Apple is not usually one for special discounts, but the company announced Wednesday that it will offer a free iPod to students or teachers who purchase a Mac.

The promotion, which runs from May 27 to September 8, will provide a rebate of up to $229 for academics who buy an iPod at the same time they purchase a MacBook, a MacBook Pro, a MacBook Air, or an iMac – which range in price from $949 to $1900.

Eligible music players include the iPod touch, the iPod classic 120GB, the iPod nano 16GB, the iPod nano 8GB, and the iPod shuffle 4GB, which range from $229 to $79.

Once you purchase both devices, you'll have to fill out a rebate form online and Apple will provide you with the credit. If you buy in Rhode Island or Connecticut, you will get an instant rebate. Unfortunately, if you just bought an iPod, you are not eligible for the rebate if you go in today and purchase a Mac.

Who is eligible? The deal is open to any student, faculty, or staff members from a college or university, including students who have been accepted to college for the fall. The promotion is also open to K-12 employees, school board members, as PTA or PTO executives and parents purchasing the items for their college student children.

The company did not provide immediate information on how you will have to prove that you are a student or teacher on the rebate form.

Apple will allow up to five rebates per receipt and per household.

Dell Warns PC Market Hasn't Yet Hit Bottom

By JUSTIN SCHECK

Dell Inc. warned that the painful slump in demand for its personal computers has yet to reach a bottom, as the PC maker posted a 63% drop in quarterly profit amid a 23% decline in revenue.

The results mark the third consecutive quarter of shrinking sales and profit at the company, whose turnaround efforts and new products have been unable to arrest its slide.

The Round Rock, Texas, company said its results were driven by weak business spending during the three months ended May 1. It's profit was also dragged down by restructuring charges.

Brian Gladden, Dell's chief financial officer, said the company has yet to see "a bottom" to the prolonged slump in technology spending. "Demand is still not improving," he said.

Dell's results, along with weak results from rival Hewlett-Packard Co. last week, snuffed recent hopes that tech spending might be picking up.

Executives at tech giants Cisco Systems Inc. and Intel Corp. recently said spending on technology seemed to be leveling off. But that optimism hasn't extended to the PC market, which still accounts for about half of Dell's revenue.

Dell reported a 20% decline in laptop revenue and a 34% drop in desktop PCs for the quarter. The division that sells to large companies posted a 31% revenue slide.

The falloff reflects "very bad demand" among the large corporate customers that make up a sizeable chunk of Dell's business, said Jayson Noland, an analyst at R.W. Baird.

Dell has been trying to become less reliant on corporate customers since early 2007, when founder Michael Dell returned as chief executive. Mr. Dell has since tried to expand into areas like consumer PC sales and tech services to run businesses' computer systems.
[dell net income]

But the turnaround attempt has proceeded slowly. "The tough economic conditions have certainly put a crimp in the plans," said Bill Kreher, an analyst at Edward Jones.

Overall, Dell reported earnings of $290 million, or 15 cents a share, down from $784 million, or 38 cents a share, a year ago. The latest period included restructuring expenses of $185 million. Revenue was $12.34 billion, down from $16.08 billion.

Dell's consumer revenue of $2.8 billion was down 16% from last year despite a 12% increase in consumer PC shipments. The services division saw an 8% revenue drop from last year to $1.2 billion, even though Dell has invested in acquisitions and hiring.

Recently, Dell has indicated it may make more acquisitions to generate new growth. The company this month tried to hire David Johnson, the vice president of corporate development at International Business Machines Corp., to be in charge of mergers and acquisitions.

But IBM sued Dell last week over its attempt to lure Mr. Johnson, a 27-year IBM veteran, alleging that Mr. Johnson's contract prohibits him from working for a competitor for a year after leaving IBM.

Is a Hulu Player coming to PlayStation 3?

Last night I had a blast messing around with the recently unveiled public beta of the Hulu Desktop client for Mac and Windows. I wonder if the unveiling of the Hulu Desktop client right before E3 was meant to line up with Sony's keynote on Tuesday. I would keep an eye out for at Sony's E3 Keynote speech on Tuesday for news of a Hulu client for PlayStation 3. I don't have any hard confirmation but all the pieces for this to happen are there and I think it is only a matter of time before they put the pieces together.

Hulu Desktop Simpsons menuHulu Desktop

Hulu.com is a major effort by TV producers to make a hyper popular unified website for streaming TV content with limited commercials. You can watch almost any episode at any time, pause, fast forward and do a whole bunch of Web 2.0-ish stuff all through streaming web video. I believe most major US TV content producers have signed up to have their content on Hulu at this point. Ironically Hulu is an official rip-off of early pirate TV on the web sites but they made a much better user friendly product that makes money for the content producers. Everyone wins.

Hulu Desktop is a stand alone tool that can run full screen and access almost all the content on Hulu but with access to remote controls. I think it is a much more elegant solution than the Web version of Hulu. This might be a sign of what a stand alone client application would work on internet enabled media device like the PlayStation 3 would look like.

A few weeks ago I met with some Sony PlayStation Network PR reps and they said to expect big announcements at E3 about PSN and how Sony is trying to position the PS3 as the source for digital media entertainment in the household. They were very proud of the fact that Hulu.com was already working on the PS3 web browser and I would generally describe their attitude as very bullish on Hulu.

Technologically all the pieces are there. Sony already has a version of the Adobe Flash player that Hulu is based on working as a part of the PS3 web browser. They have enough RAM, CPU/GPU power and access to broadband internet connections. The PlayStation Network on PS3 is not a walled garden of data like the Xbox Live Network but it can communicate to any part of the internet. Netflix Streaming is the first and only kind of external network access on Xbox Live.

Sony also has the friends in the broadcast media industry to pull this off. Sony already has a working relationship with broadcast TV and media companies through their years in Hollywood and membership in the MPAA and NAB. Sony CEO Howard Stringer has gone on record about his desire to position the PS3 as a platform for Web services.

Now Netflix on Xbox is based on a totally different set of competing technology than what Hulu uses. Hulu uses Adobe Flash that competes with the Microsoft Silverlight and Windows Media DRM than Netflix streaming. While Netflix streaming on Xbox Live requires a paid gold Xbox Live membership and a Netflix subscription the Hulu Desktop client and PlayStation Network and is completely free for the end user.

I would be surprised if Sony didn't try to bring Hulu to the PlayStation 3 with a dedicated client and this is exactly the kind of efforts that Sony and Microsoft need to look into to extend and redefine how people use their video game system hardware. If there was a big Hulu button on the PS3 I could see people who have never been into the PS3 would be interested to know they could watch thousands of TV shows on it for free. All that Sony would need to do is to announce a partnership with Hulu and to bring the Hulu client to the PS3. They have the motivation, the partnerships and all the technical pieces. I hope they announce something like this at the Sony E3 Keynote on Tuesday.

By making a software application they could give PS3 users access to huge amounts of free on-demand video content and it would let the Hulu content partners make money by having ads and viewer tracking on Hulu for targeting ads.

If they bring Hulu to PS3 there is no way that I will ever get a normal cable TV subscription again.

Sony Ericsson Unveils PS3-compatible Cell Phone

It's not the PSP phone, but it's close. Sony Ericsson yesterday unveiled three new mobile phones including Aino, a cell phone that can sync with both your PlayStation 3 and PC. Aino also features an 8.1-megapixel camera with geotagging capability; 3G, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity; a physical keypad; and a three-inch touchscreen.
sony ainoPull From PS3

Using the Remote Play feature designed for the PSP, Aino can pull almost any content off your PS3, including music, videos, and photos. What about games, you ask? Sorry, HD video and games are not syncable, but like I said, this is not the fabled PSP phone that first hit the rumor mill in 2007; Aino is just a phone that happens to talk to your PS3.

The upside is you can use the Remote Play feature to pull files from your PS3 wherever you are in the world. Sony Ericsson didn't specify whether Remote Play will work over a 3G connection. Aino will also sync with the media files on your PC via Sony Ericsson's proprietary Media Go multimedia manager. Just drop your Aino into its charging stand and Media Go takes care of the rest via Wi-Fi. Aino users in Italy, France, Spain, Germany, and the U.K. will also be able to take advantage of the PS3's TV place-shifting and DVR feature PlayTV. Sony first unveiled PlayTV in 2007, but the feature has not yet come to North American PS3 models. PlayTV lets you use your PSP or Aino to remotely watch recorded and live television over the Internet via your PS3.

Out of the box, Aino comes with a charging stand, wireless stereo headphones, and an 8GB SD card -- Aino is not compatible with Sony Memory Sticks. Aino will come in black and white, and be available in select markets this fall. Sony Ericsson did not specify when or if Aino will be coming to North America, but I'd say its arrival here is a pretty safe bet.
sony satio
Other New Phones

Alongside Aino, Sony Ericsson also announced two other phones: Satio and Yari. Satio is the ultimate camera phone, including a 12.1-megapixel camera, a 3.5-inch widescreen touch display; and running the Symbian OS. Satio previously debuted as Idou at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Sony Ericsson's Yari packs a respectable 5-megapixel camera, but is designed for the gamer with a built-in accelerometer for iPhone-style gesture and motion gaming. Satio and Yari will be available this fall; U.S. release dates were not announced.sony yari

In addition to announcing three new phones, Sony Ericsson said it will release details about its own application store during next week's JavaOne conference in San Francisco.

Sony’s may unveil PSP-Go at E3; slimmer PS3 being kept under the wraps

There are all kinds of rumors making rounds, and expectations mounting, with regard to the prospective products Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft would unveil at the forthcoming E3 at Los Angeles!

However, there would be some information kept under the wraps by Sony - particularly that pertaining to the company's thinner version of PS3 likely to hit the markets in August or September. However, the details of the company's new PSP-Go have been leaked out big time on the Internet, and Sony will, in all probability, unveil the product at the E3.

The obvious reason why Sony would currently like to keep a low profile about the slimmed-down PS3 is that with a number of its PS3 systems available in the stores, the company intends sitting back till the time the supply of those units somewhat dry up during the summer. Sony will probably begin releasing the slimmer PS3 systems for retail once the retailers are ready for new stock.

Though Engadget happened to possess some of the supposedly leaked pictures of a smaller PS3 weeks back, the features of the slimmer PS3 vis-a-vis its predecessor more or less remain undisclosed. Nonetheless, it is being rumored that the upcoming UMD-less PSP would not only be lighter than the earlier version, but also be comparatively low-priced and more energy-efficient!

In This Year's NBA Finals, It's Magic-Lakers, Not LeBron-Kobe

One inescapable aspect of any major athletic league is promotion. Whether of the self- variety or via shoe companies, there's always a rush to attach a brand to a superstar's face... as many times as possible. It's not enjoyable; it's just business.

To that end, "witness" the relentless promotion of "LeBron vs. Kobe." Between the steadily improving "puppet" ads by Nike and the Vitamin Water ads, it was clear that David Stern and the NBA knew what its most marketable Finals would be. Kobe vs. LeBron was coming.

But then a funny thing happened: the Orlando Magic exposed a serious flaw in LeBron and the Cavs' game, but not in the way you'd think. LeBron wasn't exposed as a fraud; this was a giantly productive series for him. The problem is that the Cavs figured out pretty early that they would be getting rather favorable treatment from the referees and played that way; the same held true on Orlando's side, but we'll get back to that in a second.

For LeBron and Cleveland (but mainly LeBron), playing with the knowledge that a foul can be had was maybe the worst thing that could have happened. It turned every meaningful possession (and plenty of non-meaningful ones) into LeBron-on-5. That worked in the 4th quarter of Game 5, but even when it works, it spells bad news.

Look at the end of Game 4, which was a ludicrously officiated game. At the end of regulation with the Cavaliers down 2, LeBron drove toward the basket--no no, he drove toward the defender, Mickael Pietrus, made contact, then fell down. Foul on Pietrus. At no point was LeBron thinking about hitting a shot; he was trying to get to the line, and he got it. it was a productive strategy, but it only reinforced the notion that LeBron could play for a foul. When he tried the "jump into a guy on a late three pointer" maneuver that hasn't worked since Reggie Miller retired, even the referees had the common sense not to blow the whistle; meanwhile, the horrendous form on the shot caused it to clang harmlessly off the rim. It was a waste of a crucial opportunity.

Nobody on Orlando would have tried that, though, because they also knew they were fighting an uphill battle with the calls, and I think that had a galvanizing effect on them, a "waaaait a second, we're actually literally better than them and the league knows it" realization.

Oh, and before we go any further, an aside. While David Stern would have loved the financial windfall of LeBron vs. Kobe in the finals, I don't think he or Stu Jackson was rigging any officiating (even if both teams were playing as if they had). Hanlon's Razor, which is one of my favorite maxims of all times, states: "Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence." The refs weren't being told to tilt things in Cleveland's favor; they did it because they're not very good and they have no idea how to officiate someone like LeBron (and he knows it).

So Orlando not only persevered through a hailstorm of bad calls, the most egregious of examples coming in Game 2 or that horrendous, later-overturned technical on Dwight Howard in Game 4, but they probably drew strength and confidence from it. And speaking of incompetence, chalk some up my way for not mentioning Howard until now; his Game 6 was masterful, the fatal stake in the heart of Cleveland's hopes. 40 points on 21 shots, 14 rebounds (6 offensive), 4 assists and only 2 turnovers? Forget it; that's unfair. Granted, there's few competent on-the-ball post defenders on the Cavs (sorry, Ben Wallace), but we're only now about to find out if Andrew Bynum or Pau Gasol qualify themselves.

That said, the Lakers, unlike the Cavaliers, played like the title is to be won by a team and not a face. Kobe has been their MVP of each series, of course; I sometimes wonder how he ever misses a shot. But Kobe's big leap has been acknowledging (if only to himself) that he needs help, and he has gotten plenty of it from Gasol, Bynum, Lamar Odom, and Trevor Ariza. Granted, logic dictates that those four and Bryant can't be on the floor at the same time, which forces a stinker like Derek Fisher or Jordan Farmar into the lineup. Point guard abominations aside, the Lakers, not just Kobe, played inspired basketball to close out the Denver series.

And now, the Lakers face the Magic. In the face of the breathless Kobe-LeBron hype, it's refreshing to see a Finals comprised of two teams who still realize basketball is a five-on-five sport

Hot Topic putting out The Twilight Saga: New Moon merchandise

According to Twilighters Anonymous, Hot Topic stores are beginning to put out The Twilight Saga: New Moon merchandise for sale.

Say they,

Over on the . . .forum, [a member] also tells us that a manager at Hot Topic told them that next week the stores will be getting in the first shipments of New Moon gear. Some stores already have the junior cut tees, but adult cut tees and New Moon posters are also on their way.

Hot Topic’s online webstore has not yet added any New Moon merchandise to their page, but if you want to check out and stock up on their available Twilight merchandise, click here.

Hot Topic, we know, has put a lot of faith in (and reliance on) the sales of Twilight-related merchandise, and predicts that its sales for New Moon gear will help to keep its fall quarterly estimates at a sustainable level (see here). Some have referred to Hot Topic's reliance on New Moon sales as the top five dumbest stock move (see here), but others have said that it is pure genius.

At any rate, with the increasing availability of this sort of merchandise, one has to suspect that the intelligence of this move by the company will be evidenced in full (one way or the other) within the coming months.

New Moon' Trailer To Premiere On MTV Movie Awards

By Eric Ditzian

Last week, we dropped a bombshell of OME proportions when we announced that the cast of "New Moon" will be presenting exclusive footage from their upcoming "Twilight" sequel during the MTV Movie Awards. Now we can reveal that the never-before-seen video that Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner will be introducing on Sunday's live show is the movie's first trailer.

The stars will present the premiere of the "New Moon" trailer on the Movie Awards, airing at 9:00 pm ET on Sunday. Then at 10:45 p.m., the high-definition video will debut online. To make sure you don't miss the premiere, snag our Movie Awards countdown clock below — when the trailer makes its online debut, it will shapeshift into a video player!

(How pumped are you for the "New Moon" trailer? Share your video reactions!)

This year, "Twilight" leads all other films at the Movie Awards with seven nominations, including nods for Breakthrough Performance Male nods for Pattinson and Lautner, and Best Performance Female for Stewart. Cam Gigandet, who plays evil vampire James in the movie, has been campaigning heavily (with the help of FunnyOrDie.com) to win Best Fight for his battle with Pattinson. Voting in the Best Movie category, for which "Twilight" is also nominated, will stay open until the end of the live telecast.

Joining the "Twilight" trio will be an all-star group of Hollywood presenters, including Denzel Washington, Will Ferrell, Lil Wayne, Cameron Diaz, Sandra Bullock, Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, Abigail Breslin, Shia LaBeouf, Leighton Meester, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Sienna Miller and Channing Tatum.

In addition to this cavalcade of celebrity presenters, the Movie Awards will feature musical performances by Eminem, who will perform music from his new album, Relapse, and Kings of Leon, who will perform their hit "Use Somebody."

MTV Movie Awards' Hottest Red Carpet Looks

By Jocelyn Vena

The MTV Movie Awards are the perfect place for celebrities to let loose and show off their fun, flirty and hip sense of fashion. Gone are the gowns and stuffy attire reserved for shows like the Oscars and the Golden Globes. In are the miniskirts and relaxed suits that best emphasize the chilled-out, party atmosphere of every MTV occasion.

We can't wait to see what our guests are going to wear at the show this Sunday night, but in the meantime, here are five of the best looks worn on the carpet in the last two years.

Megan Fox
In 2008, the "Transformers" star didn't need any jewels for her outfit. Instead, she rocked the carpet with rhinestone-encrusted straps on her white minidress, paired with her long straight hair and modernized bombshell makeup.

Zac Efron
Forgoing the casual look, in 2007 Efron opted for a slim-fitting gray suit and skinny gray satin tie, a retro fashion befitting the star of "Hairspray." Efron proved that guys don't need to be messy to embody the fun, carefree feeling of the Movie Awards.

Lauren Conrad
In 2008, wearing a slinky, knee-length, one-shouldered blue dress, LC embraced her "Laguna Beach" roots by keep her hair in loose, beachy waves and accessorizing with two simple gold necklaces.

Robert Pattinson
With his now-infamous devil-may-care hair in place, the "Twilight" heartthrob greeted the screaming fans on the 2008 red carpet in a gray, sharkskin blazer, slightly unbuttoned black shirt and black jeans. The look showed everyone that RPattz is one of the hottest young guys in Hollywood.

Cameron Diaz
The little black dress never fails, and Cameron's funky, polka-dotted take on the idea was adorable in 2007. Plus, the very short length of it was perfect for Cameron's super-long legs. Her relaxed hair and makeup kept the style light, airy and fun.

Same-sex marriage debate heats up in New York

NEW YORK (CNN) -- As she lobbies members of the New York Senate these days, the politician in Christine Quinn can understand what the gay rights activist in her sometimes cannot.

"The fear of the unknown," is how she describes it. "This is a vote they've never cast before. And they don't know how people are going to react. You are in a position where people's reaction to you is the key to your success. And the unknown creates fear and fear often creates paralysis."

Quinn is the openly gay speaker of the New York City Council, and a proponent of legalizing same sex marriage in New York state.

"It is really encouraging to see what's happening around the country in places where you really wouldn't expect it, like Iowa," says Quinn's longtime partner, Kim Catullo. "To be in a place like New York and not have it just doesn't seem to make sense."

The New York Assembly passed legislation allowing same-sex marriages earlier this month, and the question now is whether there are enough votes in the state Senate to pass the legislation before the legislature adjourns for the year. Go behind the scenes with John King as he discusses his report from New York

Quinn, who spent time in Albany this past week meeting with undecided senators, is cautiously optimistic.
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"It was amazing how much openness there was," she said of private meetings with lawmakers who are undecided and even a few who have said they are likely to oppose the legislation. "We just all have to create a moment for them to step forward. So I really think it is going to happen this month, before the legislative session is over."

Maggie Gallagher sees the Senate math quite differently.

"We are now working in 24 Senate districts," says Gallagher, president of the National Organization for Marriage, which opposes same-sex marriages. "We know we have generated thousands of phone calls to legislators. I don't think they will be passing a gay marriage bill this session."

The New York legislation is part of a growing national debate, and one which will gain even more attention because of the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy and the nomination of federal appeals court judge Sonia Sotomayor to fill it.

"Not tomorrow. Not likely in the coming year unless the courts move dramatically faster than we are used to seeing them move," is how Columbia Law School Professor Suzanne Goldberg answers when asked when the issue of same-sex marriage is likely to make the Supreme Court docket. "But certainly some time in the next couple of years we're likely to see the Supreme Court issue a position or two on this issue."

Goldberg knows Sotomayer well; the judge is also a lecturer at Columbia.

"We've never spoken about the issue," Goldberg told us. "I have no inside information about her views. What I would say is that she is both a wise person and a thoughtful person and being wise and thoughtful are the right ingredients for reaching what to me is the right answer on this issue, which to me is that equality applies to all people."

The likelihood of the issue reaching the Supreme Court in the next year or two raises the stakes in the state battles.
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Opponents of California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage vow to try again in 2010 in hopes of a different result. A new federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8 was filed this week and could well be among the cases that make it to the Supreme Court eventually.

Five states now allow same-sex marriage: Maine, Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts and Vermont, and the states with active debates include California, New York, New Jersey and New Hampshire.

In an interview in their apartment in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York, Quinn and Catullo agreed the ideal solution for them would be federal recognition of the right of same-sex couples to marry.

But the federal Defense of Marriage Act signed by President Clinton defines marriage as between a man and a woman. And President Obama says he supports civil unions and other benefits for same-sex couples but opposes marriage.

"He's not perfect on this issue and I want him to be perfect," Quinn said of Obama. "And I'm fairly certain that pretty soon he will be perfect on this issue and what we just have to do is keep talking to him and keep educating him and keep working on him."

"It doesn't help," Catullo says of Obama's opposition. Still, like Quinn, she hopes eventually, "he can evolve."

Gallagher, of the National Organization for Marriage, is worried more about the high court than any pressure on Obama from gay rights activists.

"Well I don't believe David Souter was on our side on the gay marriage issue although we don't know for sure," Gallagher said. So in her line of speculating, swapping Sotomayor for Souter isn't likely to swing the court in any major way. Her major worry is if one of the more conservative judges decided to retire in the near future.

"I don't think this one is going to tip the balance," Gallagher said. "But we're very close. We're probably only one Supreme Court justice away from a nationally imposed right to same-sex marriage whether we like it or not. That is the ultimate game plan of the gay marriage forces."
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Catullo would prefer a conversation less political.

"I really do believe that if someone lived next to us or really knew us, it wouldn't be an issue at all," she said. "I mean we are good people. We're law-abiding. We're taxpayers. We're just an eight-year couple that's been together a long time and we do a lot of the things that a normal couple does. There's a lot more things in the world to worry about than the fact that we want to be married."

It's Not Magic, It's Execution

Posted by Kevin Arnovitz

The Cavs and Magic each came into the series with a full playbook of good offensive material that worked all season -- which is why they're playing basketball in late May. The difference came down to which team better executed its stuff. Saturday night, it wasn't even close.
Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard: Turning Defenses Inside Out (John Raoux/NBAE via Getty Images)
Game 6 was a full exhibition of Dwight Howard's best attributes. He got 40 touches in the paint -- a series high -- and his 40-point output included nine points off put-backs, 12 from the free throw line, sharp dribble moves, soft running hooks, and buckets in transition. He bullied his way to the rim at will, and Cleveland had no recourse to stop him.

As dominant as Howard was -- he chalked up twice as many points as Orlando's second-highest scorer -- the Magic's clincher was a collective effort offensively. What's striking about Orlando is how many different things they execute well offensively -- to say nothing of their top-ranked defense. Orlando gets a lot of praise for its pick-and-roll game, which is spearheaded by Hedo Turkoglu and Dwight Howard. Orlando is special in that everyone in their rotation can perform this part of the offense.

Just look at how Orlando amassed its first double-digit lead:

* [2nd quarter, 7:41] It's not the patented 3-5 Turkoglu/Howard screen-and-roll. Howard isn't even in the game, nor is starting point guard Rafer Alston. Rotund backup point guard Anthony Johnson is at the controls. Rashard Lewis steps out to the top of the floor, and slips a screen to Johnson's right. When Johnson recognizes that Wally Szczerbiak and Daniel Gibson have gotten crossed up on the switch, he shuttles the ball over to Lewis, who has an open driving lane to the hoop. Varejao challenges Lewis underneath, but Lewis puts the ball in his off hand, contorts himself, then lays it in.

There's nothing ingenious about what Orlando does. It's the flexibility of the team's personnel that makes the Magic impossible to defend. Everyone is an interchangeable part in the offense. Each of the six guards and forwards can shoot the three, pass the ball, and put it on the deck. Howard appreciates this, and has gotten very shrewd at letting his teammates make plays for him. He checks in immediately after Lewis' hoop, and converts on the very next possession:

* [2nd quarter, 6:20] Johnson is still at the point. He gets a strong screen up top from Lewis, then penetrates into the paint. Howard, meanwhile hangs out just off the mid-post on the left side. The instant Cleveland's interior defense collapses on Johnson, he pitches the ball off to Howard, who now has a huge amount of space to muscle his way to the rim. Anderson Varejao tries to reestablish his presence underneath, but Howard is too quick. By the time Varejao shifts his attention back to the big man, Howard is already into his drive. His running hook from five feet is soft.

This is the Howardized variation of the drive-and-kick, only with the ball ending up in the hands of the big man near the basket rather than a shooter out on the arc.

Orlando uses its bread and butter to establish control of the game just before halftime, and Howard gets the assist:

* [2nd quarter, 4:55] The Orlando 4-out/1-in: The single most effective offensive scheme we've seen from any team in the postseason. Everyone on the floor and on both benches knows it's coming.

When Howard gets the ball off the left block, the Cavs promptly send a double-team, as Delonte West joins Varejao on the cover. Howard has gotten so good at sizing up the backside of the defensive zone in this situation. He takes a looks at his four shooters spread around the arc. At first glance, there isn't much there. For all of Cleveland's problems this series, they're still one of the best defensive teams in basketball, and they rotate very well early in this set. Orlando realizes that in order to work itself an open shot, someone has to scramble the defense.

That's when Courtney Lee dives hard for the basket from the top of the arc. LeBron James, who has been monitoring the top of the floor, has no choice but to pick up Lee on the cut. When Lee cuts, Lewis fills that open space up top, where Howard finds him for the wide open three-pointer. Lewis drains it. He finishes with 18 points on the night, capping off a solid series.

What disintegrates the Cleveland defense? Lee's basket cut. A less-disciplined team would settle for a mediocre shot after their first option doesn't get them the open look they want. Not the Magic. They're so patient, so confident that they can get something out of the possession, even if it takes them deep into the shot clock. Lee never actually touches the ball, yet he's the catalyst. How many teams execute an offense where off-the-ball players routinely create shots?

This is just a sampling. Roll through the game tape, and you can find possessions like these everywhere: Another set run through Howard on the left block that results in a full swing of the ball around the perimeter for an open three-point shot by Alston [2nd quarter, 1:27], a Turkoglu/Gortat screen-and-roll that produces a kickout to a wide open Mickael Pietrus [2nd quarter, 8:04], Howard doing his best Pau Gasol imitation with a pass over his shoulder out of the block to Pietrus on the basket cut [3rd quarter, 0:22].

All season, skeptics questioned whether Orlando played a style of basketball that was conducive to winning a championship -- as if winning is a question of aesthetics. In modern basketball, we've seen fast teams, slow teams, motion offeneses, pick-and-roll outfits all win NBA Championships. No matter what their offensive agendas, these teams had one thing in common: They executed.

Convicted killer beheaded, put on display in Saudi Arabia

(CNN) -- Saudi Arabian officials beheaded and then publicly displayed the body of a convicted killer in Riyadh on Friday, an act that prompted a stiff denunciation by a leading human rights monitor.

The Saudi Interior Ministry said Ahmed Al-Shamlani Al-Anzi was sentenced to death and then "crucifixion" -- having his body displayed in public -- for the kidnapping and killing of an 11-year-old boy and for the killing of the boy's father, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.

Amnesty International issued a statement deploring the punishment, with the group's Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui saying in a statement it is "horrific" that beheadings and crucifixions "still happen."

Even though the word "crucifixion" is used to describe the public display, the act has no connection to Christianity and the crucifixion of Jesus. The bodies are not displayed on crosses, Lamri Chirouf, who researches Saudi Arabian issues for Amnesty, explained.

The Saudi Interior Ministry asserted that Al-Anzi's body was displayed as a warning that those involved in similar crimes would suffer the same fate, the press agency reported.

The ministry said Al-Anzi kidnapped the boy and held him for a "malicious purpose" at a grocery store where he worked. He tied rope around the boy's neck and strangled him to death, the ministry said.

When the boy's father came to the store looking for his son, Al-Anzi axed the father repeatedly until the man died. When police came to arrest Al-Anzi, Al-Anzi resisted arrest by threatening them with a knife.

Police later discovered that Al-Anzi had been previously convicted of other crimes, including possession of pornographic videos and sodomy, the Interior Ministry said.

Chirouf, the Saudi Arabian researcher for Amnesty International, said his understanding of how the Saudi government carries out crucifixion jibed with Saudi Press Agency's account.

Government officials do use crucifixions, or public displays of executed bodies, as a tool to deter people from committing such a crime, he said.

This latest case was classified as an offense of rebellion, one that basically rejected all of the rules of religion and society, he said.

Chirouf said those crucified are beheaded first and then their heads are sewn back on their bodies. Then, the corpse is mounted on a pole or a tree.

The English-language Saudi Gazette newspaper said the body was placed on public display throughout the evening and Chirouf said it was his understanding that the body was to be displayed for a few hours.

In its denunciation of the punishment, Amnesty International deplored the "extensive use of the death penalty" in Saudi Arabia.

"King Abdullah should show true leadership and commute all death sentences if Saudi Arabia is to have any role to play as a global leader or member of the G-20," Sahraoui said.

The group asserts that "trial proceedings" in the country "fall far below international fair-trial standards."

"They usually take place behind closed doors without adequate legal representation. Convictions are often made on the basis of "confessions" obtained under duress, including torture or other ill-treatment during incommunicado detention," Amnesty International said.

"Those who are sentenced to death are often not informed of the progress of legal proceedings against them or of the date of execution until the morning when they are taken out and beheaded."

Amnesty International said there were 102 executions in Saudi Arabia in 2008 and is aware of 136 people believed to be awaiting execution. It says there has been "a high number of executions of migrant workers and other foreign nationals, in particular from Asia and Africa."

Terminology: What is a biopharmaceutical?

Abstract: The concepts, paradigms, terminology and definitions concerning generic biopharmaceuticals (biogenerics) are still in a primitive state, and anarchy and chaos prevail. Use of essentially all current terms may support, denigrate or obfuscate various views and discussions of the topic, e.g., to many 'generic' (and biogeneric) evokes negative connotations from association with generic drugs and/or suggests that products are identical, rather than similar/related. There are three basic views/paradigms/definitions of generic biopharmaceuticals. Entity-based views concentrate on the products and active agents, including chemical structures and the unique aspects imparted by their biological source/identity, manufacturing process and specifications (process=product paradigm). Regulatory-based views concentrate on biopharmaceuticals as being approved or on track for approval as biogenerics (involving abbreviated filings based on comparative testing, sometimes therapeutic equivalence/substitution). Market/commercial-based views concentrate on products as competing for similar/same indications, having similar names, or any other perceived similarities. Depending on the view/paradigm/definition used and whether one takes a world or just Western (major market)-centric view, there are currently either many (hundreds), some or just a few biogeneric products in commerce; and biogenerics have either been around for a century or more, a few decades, a few years or do not yet even exist.

Boyle Threatened To Bolt "BGT"

(CBS) The pressure may be getting to sudden singing sensation Susan Boyle.

A British tabloid says she -- boiled over at the hotel where contestants stay from the show that made her famous, "Britain's Got Talent."

As CBS News correspondent Richard Roth put it, "Fame has a price," and Boyle is "learning that part of it's sometimes bad press."

Britain's best-selling Sun newspaper says Boyle lost her cool in an encounter in the hotel's lobby with a pair of strangers -- one that ended in a chat with police.

Details are thin, Roth says, except for the paper's claim that the encounter included Boyle swearing at the strangers.

But on The Early Show Thursday, one of Boyle's biggest backers, "BGT"Judge Piers Morgan, said he's "feeling more supportive" of Boyle "today than I was before, because I feel really sorry for Susan.

"From what I hear," he told co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez, "she's been in tears the last two days. She even threatened to leave the show yesterday at one stage, because of the sheer amount of pressure on her.

"And you have to remember with Susan, she's a 48-year-old lady from a tiny village in Scotland who has never been exposed to anything like this kind of attention. And I think she's really feeling the heat.

"The hotel she's in is crawling in tourists, crawling in the media. I think maybe she overreacted. I don't know what happened. She denies, apparently, some of the things that have been reported.

"But either way, I know she's feeling a lot of pressure, and I think that most people watching this show and hearing about this will feel natural sympathy toward her. And I just hope it all calms down for the final. Because, on Saturday, she sings for the competition" -- for all the marbles.

Morgan, a former tabloid editor, admits he'd be covering Boyle heavily, too, if he were still in his old job. "Susan is the hottest story in town," he observed. ... Every single thing that Susan has done in the last three or four weeks has been headline news in Britain, in America, in Russia, in China. She's a true global phenomenon. ... And she's beginning to realize that her life will never be the same.

"I feel very, very sorry for her," Morgan continued. "At the same time, I've tried to explain to her, 'Look, you know, this is still a wonderful opportunity for you. And most people out there still have great affection for you, and are really willing you to victory. So try to keep calm, don't read the newspapers, don't watch television, keep yourself very cool and composed, and just focus on the (Saturday's) performance."

Boyle, Piers adds, "is quite naturally feeling the pressure. ... She knows that, on her semifinal performance, when she sang, she cracked at the start, and nearly blew it. And now she knows that she's got this amazing career ahead of her, if she can nail that song on Saturday. And it's going to be a fantastically exciting moment, because this is it. This is the two minutes that will define Susan Boyle's life."

Boyle backlash -- but Susan set to cash in

LONDON, England (CNN) -- She may have finished second, but Susan Boyle continued to make newspaper headlines in the UK Sunday following her shock defeat in the final of "Britain's Got Talent."
Susan Boyle fans watch her perform for the final time on "Britain's Got Talent."

Susan Boyle fans watch her perform for the final time on "Britain's Got Talent."
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"Boyle Backlash" said the headline in the tabloid News of the World, suggesting that the Scottish 48-year-old's alleged "four-letter tantrum" earlier this week had influenced millions of viewers to switch their votes to dance act Diversity.

The buildup to Saturday night's live final had been dominated by reports that Boyle lost her temper in a London hotel and had even considered pulling out of the talent show finale.

The Mail on Sunday said she had been been "comforted by psychiatrists" ahead of Saturday's final.

"They have a whole army of doctors, psychiatrists and experts all available to any contestant at any time. They have all been taking great care of Susan," the paper quoted "Britain's Got Talent" judge Piers Morgan as saying. Video Watch how Boyle's rise to fame has been an emotional ride »

In Scotland, where crowds had gathered in Boyle's hometown of Blackburn in anticipation of victory, celebration parties were stopped in their tracks as the unexpected result was announced.

"Boyle foiled in final: Susan's dream is over," said the headline in the Sunday Mail.

Earlier, the paper said, Blackburn's community center had been "a sea of hands" as Boyle performed her signature tune, "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical "Les Miserables."

"They stood with tears in their eyes as Susan hit every note. Stamping and chanting her name, her fellow villagers could not have been more proud." Video Watch the dramatic end to Susan Boyle's dream »

But "the cheers were caught in the collective gullet ... as dance troupe Diversity gatecrashed this most expectant of parties," the Sunday Herald reported. "Jaws were left agape. Tears were shed. And then the supportive chanting of 'SuBo' began again."

Boyle could still be the real winner from the series, which became a global hit after clips of her audition of "I Dreamed a Dream" racked up millions of hits on YouTube. Did Susan deserve to win? Sound Off below

"£6M superstar" said the Sunday Mirror, claiming that "Britain's Got Talent" impresario Simon Cowell plans to take Boyle across the Atlantic to "conquer the U.S."

The News of the World upped Boyle's likely earnings on the back of "Britain's Got Talent" to £8 million ($13 million).
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On top of a multi-million dollar record deal and share of album sales, Boyle is also set to earn from a Hollywood movie of her rags-to-riches life, a book deal, and millions more from image rights, endorsements and television appearances, the paper said.

In an interview with the News of the World, Cowell said Boyle could be the biggest star he had ever discovered.

"They don't care in America whether she wins a British TV show -- they care about the woman they saw singing on YouTube," a Cowell insider also told the paper. "If anything, £8 million in her first year might be an underestimate."
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Meanwhile, competition winners Diversity are also set to cash in on their success with a film deal and a possible slot supporting Michael Jackson when the superstar plays a series of shows in London next month, the Sunday Mirror said. The group collected £100,000 ($162,000) for winning the final and will perform in front of Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Variety Show later this year.

"We feel electric. Words can't describe it. I'm genuinely shocked. We thought Susan was unstoppable -- she's an unbelievable talent," the paper quoted the group's choreographer, Ashley Banjo, as saying.

Israel stages biggest-ever war drill

JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Israel started its biggest emergency drill in the nation's history Sunday to prepare civilians, soldiers and rescue crews for the possibility of war, the defense force said in a statement.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has expressed skepticism that Iran can be persuaded to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has expressed skepticism that Iran can be persuaded to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

The five-day drill, nicknamed Turning Point 3, comes amid the nation's rising tensions with Iran.

It will be conducted in public facilities, including schools, military bases and government offices. Students, soldiers and other civilians will practice how to gather at protected places during an emergency.

Officials said the drill will include simulated rockets, air raids and other attacks on infrastructure and essential facilities, and use of weapons on civilians.

Everyone is expected to go to a protected place at the sound of sirens, the defense force said, adding that more instructions will be broadcast on a public channel.

"It is of great importance that every civilian, institute and workplace will seriously practice in order to improve our preparedness and national resilience," Maj. Gen. Yair Golan of the Home Front Command said in a news statement.

The move comes amid tension between Israel and Tehran.
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* Hamas, Fatah clash kills six in West Bank
* Obama urges Israel to halt West Bank settlement activity
* Netanyahu presses U.S. over threat of nuclear Iran

The Israeli government considers Iran's nuclear program as the dominant threat facing the country. Israel is publicly supportive of President Barack Obama administration's outreach to the Islamic state.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak told Israeli Army Radio last week that he believes "that the chance the dialogue has of stopping Iran's nuclear efforts is very low."

Barak's views are keeping with the majority of his countrymen.

An Israeli poll released this month found that 74 percent believe that the U.S. policy of engagement with Iran will fail and 81 percent think Iran will develop a nuclear weapon capability.

Israel has conducted emergency drills the past two years, but officials said this is the biggest so far.
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LeBron James comes up small in blowing off media

LeBron James, whose off-court behavior mostly has been a model for other young superstars to follow since he joined the NBA, pulled a huge, unacceptable no-no Saturday night when he blew off the news media after the Cavaliers lost the Eastern Conference finals to Orlando.

(He also apparently did not stick around to shake the winners' hands, but that's not my department.)

On SportsCenter, host John Buccigross suggested James be given a break, what with the many interviews he did all season.

Jalen Rose, a former player, offered the opposite - and correct - opinion: disappointing.

All I can say is this: Yo, LeBron, don't be pulling that stuff around here whenever you lose a big game for the 2010-11 Knicks.

Two convicted murderers escape from prison

By Stan Morris

GRADY, AR (KAIT) - Two men convicted of murder, including one in Greene County, escape from the Cummins Unit in Grady according to a state spokesperson.

39 year old Calvin Adams of Greene County and 32 year old Jeffrey Grinder of Washington County escaped from the Cummins Unit Friday evening, according to State Corrections Spokeswoman Dina Tyler.

Tyler tells Region 8 News that the escape happened Friday evening, just minutes after the early evening count. Because of the timing, the escape went undected until the next count that occurred near 10:00 PM.

Video surveillance shows two inmates, in prisoner uniforms, entering the prison library just after 6:00 PM. Minutes later, Tyler says they left the library dressed in correctional officer uniforms. Wearing this disguise, the convicted killers walked through the main building and left through the entry building as officers changed shifts.

The escapees then crossed the prison parking lot at 6:18 PM, Tyler says, and drove off in a four-door burgundy-colored sedan. The car had apparently been left for the two Thursday afternoon, but the make, year and license plate number are unknown.

Adams is serving a life sentence without parole for capital murder charges. He was convicted February 7, 1995, in Greene County. Grinder is also serving a life sentence without possibility of parole for capital murder charges. He was convicted April 15, 2004, in Washington County.

Authorities are asking for the public's help in finding the escaped killers, since they escaped by wheel and are not suspected to be nearby the prison. Their direction of travel is not known, but anyone with information on the two should contact State Police, local authorities or dial 911.

Game 6 preview: Five keys for Cavs-Magic

By John Schuhmann,


ORLANDO -- When you've got the MVP on your team, a guy who has played at a level much higher than any other player in this postseason, you've got a better chance than most to come back from a 3-1 series deficit.

But in order for the Cavs to force a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference finals and get that chance, they've got to get a win at Amway Arena, where they've lost five in a row.

Do the Cavs carry momentum into Game 6 (8:30 p.m. ET, TNT), having played their best game of the series on Thursday? Or are the Magic just a bad matchup for the league's best regular season team, having beaten Cleveland 11 of the last 16 times they've met?

One thing is for sure: What happens in any particular game in this series is impossible to predict. So don't bother. Just watch and enjoy the drama as two great teams battle for the chance to meet the Lakers in the 2009 Finals.

In three of the five games so far, the Cavs have had a shot to win the game in the air as the final buzzer went off. While one of those shots is considered to be the greatest in Cavaliers history, the other two were offline. That's the difference in this series so far, and why the Magic have the opportunity to close it out in their own building.

Who's the pressure on? Both teams, of course. The Cavs are down to their last out, while the Magic don't want to put their season on the line in a Game 7 back at Quicken Loans Arena.

"A team is dangerous when they know they are on their last limb, especially with us," LeBron James said on Friday. "I think we are very dangerous at this point. I mean, it is going to be a crazy atmosphere. We look forward to the challenge."

Here are five keys to Game 6...
1. Turnovers

In Game 4, the Cavs hurt themselves by committing nine turnovers in the fourth quarter and overtime, with James responsible for almost all of them. In Game 5, turnovers continued to be a problem as Cleveland let its 22-point lead slip away. The Cavs coughed the ball up eight times in the first half and another four times in their first nine possessions of the third quarter.

But after that, they took care of the ball, not turning it over once in their final 35 possessions of the game, and the result was a 34-point fourth quarter and a late-night flight back to Orlando.

Meanwhile, the Magic coughed the ball up eight times in the second half of Game 5.

"At key times, we turned the ball over and allowed them back in the game," Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy pointed out afterward.

When games come down to a possession or two, taking care of the ball becomes priority No. 1. Not only do you lose a chance to score, but you also put your opponent in a better position to get an easy basket.
2. The Point Guards

Mo Williams' shooting, along with his psyche, was the Cavs' biggest issue through the first four games. Williams was shooting just 32 percent from the field through Game 4, unable to make the Magic pay for focusing their defense on James.

Things changed in Game 5, as Williams shot 7-for-14 from the field and 6-of-9 from 3-point range, hitting multiple big shots and scoring 24 points. Now, the question is whether or not Thursday's performance was the start of a turnaround for Williams, or just an aberration.

"There is no doubt in my mind in any way, shape or form that Mo's not going to come through for us," Cavs coach Mike Brown said Friday.

On the other end of the floor, it's no secret that the Cavs want Rafer Alston shooting the ball. The strategy burned them in Game 4, as Alston scored 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting, but paid off in Game 5, as he made just one of his 10 shots from the field.

In the Magic's two losses so far, Alston is shooting just 2-for-17 (12 percent) from the field. Clearly, his ability to make shots is a key in this series.

"They left me from the start of the game until the end," Alston said after Game 5. "I just didn't make them like I did [in Game 4]. I look forward to them leaving me again on Saturday."
3. LeBron at the Nail

The Cavs had terrific success in the fourth quarter of Game 5 by isolating LeBron James at the middle of the foul line, a spot on the floor dubbed "the nail."

Catching the ball at the nail makes James a true triple threat. If you give him space, he can knock down a 15-footer. If you play him tight, he can drive around you and get to the rim with just one dribble. And if you send a second defender at him, he can find an open shooter on the perimeter or a big man cutting to the rim.

The Magic doubled James at the nail just a few times on Thursday, mostly leaving Mickael Pietrus alone with the MVP. We'll probably see a different approach in Game 6, and the success of the Orlando defense in that situation will depend largely on whether or not James' teammates are knocking down shots.
4. Free Throws

The most offensively efficient game in this series so far was Game 1. Not coincidentally, it was also the game with the fewest free throws, as the teams combined for just 31 trips to the line. Over the last four games, they've combined for an average of 68.8 free throws per contest.

The result has been some ugly games where both teams tend to lose their offensive rhythm at one point or another. In Game 3, when the Magic attempted 51 free throws, the Cavs never scored on more than three consecutive possessions.

Both coaches want their teams to play good defense without fouling, because not only does putting your opponent on the line give them free points, but it also allows them to set up their defense and make it harder for you to score on the other end.
5. Late-Game Execution

If you haven't figured it out by now, these two teams are very evenly matched. Three of the five games so far could have gone either way in the closing seconds, and the stakes in Game 6 will be higher than they've been all series. If the Cavs lose, their season is done. And if the Magic lose, they're looking at a Game 7 in the toughest building to win a game this season.

Both teams will do everything in their power to avoid going down by double-digits at any point. So expect another close game in the final minutes. The winner will be the team that makes plays and gets stops down the stretch.

Can the Cavs slow down the pick-and-roll and keep Dwight Howard from getting position under the basket? Will guys like Alston and Pietrus step up and knock down shots for the Magic?

Can Orlando keep James out of the paint? And will the MVP get the help he needs from his supporting cast?

Tune in and find out.

Lakers finally arrive

Lakers put it all together and finish off Nuggets to reach championship series for the second year in a row. Kobe Bryant scores 35 points.
By Mike Bresnahan
May 30, 2009
Reporting from Denver -- In a season of redemption, where the Lakers decided from day one to finish off what they couldn't a year ago, another authoritative step was taken toward an NBA championship.

Those who questioned the Lakers' resolve were quieted. Those who wondered if they were too fatigued now know the answer.


Those who didn't think the Lakers could handle the physical, unpredictable Denver Nuggets witnessed a thorough 119-92 series-clinching victory in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals Friday at Pepsi Center.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals begins Thursday against either Orlando or Cleveland. The Lakers went 2-0 against Cleveland and 0-2 against Orlando in the regular season, but they would have home-court advantage against Orlando.

Kobe Bryant had 35 points and 10 assists in a dominant effort Friday that brought home the franchise's 30th conference championship. James Worthy then handed a silver trophy to Lakers General Manger Mitch Kupchak, amid a reaction by the players that would be called appreciative rather than excitable or declarative.


Once they were done with the brief ceremony, the Lakers removed the T-shirts and caps that proclaimed them conference champions. Andrew Bynum, who missed this part last season because of a knee injury, was the only one who wore his new merchandise out to the team bus.

The victory marked the second consecutive time the Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals, though they never came home with the Larry O'Brien trophy last season, losing to Boston in six games.

"It's good to be here, but it's not our goal," said forward Trevor Ariza, who had 17 points on seven-for-nine shooting. "It was just a step. I know we'll be happy when we get that ring."

There were plenty who weren't sure the Lakers would have a chance after they sleepwalked their way through a seven-game series against Houston in the conference semifinals.

But they took everything the Nuggets threw at them -- flagrant fouls, technical fouls and a maze of tattoos and attitude -- and emerged relatively unscathed.

Bryant said this playoff journey through the West, which took 18 games, wasn't comparable to last season's breezy stroll that required only 15.

"Much, much tougher," he said. "Much more physical. Mentally challenging for us. But we gained valuable experience, went through a roller coaster of emotions."

If progress can be measured series by series, the Lakers obviously learned from their struggles against Houston. Two weeks ago, they suffered a 15-point Game 6 loss to a weakened Houston team and were forced to play a Game 7.

This time, it was never in doubt, as the Lakers shot 57.3% and made all 24 of their free throws.

The Nuggets trailed, 41-37, in the final minutes of the second quarter before Ariza made a three-pointer and Bryant scored a quick seven points, including a three-pointer with 4.1 seconds left that gave the Lakers a 53-40 halftime lead.

"No one in basketball could have covered him," Denver Coach George Karl said of Bryant's second-quarter flurry. "He made about four shots in the stretch that I think Jesus would have had trouble covering him."

Bryant also stymied several small second-half Denver rallies with an array of outside shots and successful drives to the basket.

Not to be forgotten were Pau Gasol (20 points, 12 rebounds), Lamar Odom (20 points, eight rebounds) and Luke Walton (10 points, three assists).

Nuggets fans began leaving en masse with 4:17 left, the Lakers ahead 105-85, the Nuggets not close to being the energetic bunch that convincingly tied the series at 2-2 with a 19-point victory in Game 4.

The Lakers can say bye-bye to Birdman but now might have to face Superman.

The Lakers lost twice this season to Orlando, including a 109-103 home loss in December in which they were pounded down low, Dwight Howard finishing with 25 points and 20 rebounds. The Lakers suffered a 106-103 loss a month later in Orlando, Sasha Vujacic's three-point attempt rimming out in the final seconds.

On the other hand, the Lakers won both games against Cleveland, including a 101-91 victory in February that snapped Cleveland's 23-game home winning streak. Odom had 28 points and 17 rebounds in that game, helping cover for an ailing Bryant, who had 19 points despite flu-like symptoms.

"I think overall, we want to play Orlando even though they beat us two times during the season just because we get the home-court advantage," Bynum said. "That's huge in the playoffs because that means we've just got to get one there. If we do wind up playing Cleveland, though, everybody remembers what happened last year and how we have to steal one of the first two [road] games."

A year later, a year wiser, the Lakers have another shot at winning the franchise's 15th NBA championship.

The human side of the global recession

After a Pay Cut, Surviving on Less

For millions of families, the recession has not meant a layoff or drastic income reduction, but a pay cut that has forced them to thrash through daily calculations, as The Times's Michael Luo reports.

In California, state workers like Jeff Farrell were forced to accept two-day-a-month furloughs. Now vaccinations for his family’s two cats and two dogs are out. Haircuts have become a luxury. Grocery trips are calculated to a penny.

“People just say: ‘Oh, it’s just a 10 percent pay cut. Cut the fat out of your budget,’ ” said his wife, Sharon. “But we’ve cut the fat. We’ve cut the fat all along, and so this is really pushing us close to the bone now.”

If Money Can't Buy Happiness, How About Optimism?

According to Gallup, the rich are feeling the most optimistic in the present recession, and as The Times's Economix blog reports, the reverse was true late last year as the stock market tumbled and those with more money had gloomier outlooks.

Two Officers’ Paths to a Fatal Encounter in Harlem

Omar J. Edwards’s mother did not like the idea of her son becoming a police officer. But he joined the New York Police Department anyway, nearly two years ago.
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Michael Nagle for The New York Times

Officer Omar J. Edwards's father, Ricardo Edwards, leaving his son's home.
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The Sequence of Events in the Police ShootingInteractive Graphic
The Sequence of Events in the Police Shooting
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Investigators Reviewing a Timeline of Seconds That Led to a Police Shooting (May 30, 2009)
,Off-Duty Officer Is Fatally Shot by Police in Harlem (May 29, 2009)
City Room: A Troubling History of Officers Firing on Colleagues
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Officer Omar J. Edwards and his family in a Facebook photo.

Then he fell in love and married a woman whose father had been an officer in one of the tougher precincts in Brooklyn.

Officer Edwards, 25, like many new graduates of the Police Academy, had been assigned most recently to an Impact Response Team: new officers and seasoned supervisors who flood specific areas where there are spikes in crime.

On Thursday night, he was scheduled to work in Harlem from 6 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., but he received permission to leave early, and did so shortly after 10 p.m.

Officer Andrew P. Dunton, 30, had been with the department for four and a half years. A raft of felony arrests had earned him a place on an anti-crime unit in Harlem’s 25th Precinct. He had never fired his weapon.

These two officers — early in their careers, fighting crime in a city that had become significantly safer than in decades past — encountered each other shortly after 10:30 p.m.

Both had guns in their hands. Neither was in uniform. And within a matter of seconds, they became the latest pairing in one of the most wrenching of police confrontations: Officer Dunton, mistaking Officer Edwards for a threat, shot him dead.

Police Department investigators and Manhattan prosecutors have begun what is likely to be an intensive investigation into what went wrong.

According to the preliminary accounts, Officer Edwards, who was black, drew his weapon after encountering and racing after a man who was breaking into his car around the corner from the police station he worked from, on East 123rd Street; Officer Dunton, one of three white officers in an unmarked police car patrolling the neighborhood, saw him racing down the street with his pistol in the air, and emerged from the car to shout, “Police! Drop the gun.”

Officer Edwards, according to the account, turned to face his unwitting colleagues, his gun pointed their way.

Several witnesses told the police that Officer Edwards never said a word. But one witness, according to a law enforcement official with knowledge of the case, said Officer Edwards might have managed to begin to say one word — “Police.”

If history is a guide, a grand jury will consider possible charges against Officer Dunton. There will be calls for reform of procedures to better protect minority officers, who have most often paid the price for such cases of mistaken identity. And Officer Edwards and Officer Dunton will have their sad places in the latest chapter of a familiar police disaster.

As the investigation of the shooting got under way, little information emerged about Officer Dunton, who has been placed on administrative duty, and who has been assigned a lawyer by his union.

A police official said Officer Dunton, the son of Long Island schoolteachers and a former soccer player at Siena College, had made 104 arrests in his career, including 71 for felonies, several of them for gun possession.

In the minutes after the shooting, Emergency Service Unit officers arrived and began tending to Officer Edwards. After rolling him over and removing an outer shirt or jacket, they saw that he was wearing a Police Academy T-shirt and then found his shield in his pocket, the police said.

When Officer Dunton learned that he had just fired on a fellow officer, he was shattered, said a person familiar with the accounts of the two officers who had been riding with him.

“He took this news very hard,” said the person. “The color drained from his face, he was shell-shocked, in disbelief. He was physically shaking. You never want to shoot your gun, and when you shoot your gun and find out it’s a guy on your own team, it’s devastating.”

In interviews with Officer Edwards’s friends and relatives, a picture emerged of a quiet but determined man, who had graduated from high school, taken some college courses, but then committed to the Police Department.

Officer Edwards’s father, Ricardo Edwards, said the police force had been his son’s dream since he was growing up in Brooklyn.

“He was that kind of boy and that kind of adult: He never got mixed up in any trouble, in anything bad,” Mr. Edwards said.
s’s mother did not like the idea of her son becoming a police officer. But he joined the New York Police Depart

Saha nets fastest FA Cup final goal

Louis Saha scored the fastest goal in FA Cup final history today to put Everton in front against Chelsea.

The French striker netted after 25 seconds at Wembley, rifling a left-footed shot past Petr Cech from 15 yards.

Saha's goal beat the 42-second strike by Roberto di Matteo for Chelsea against Middlesbrough in the 1997 final, which was the earliest goal scored in an FA Cup final at the old Wembley.

In the 1895 final, records show that Bob Chatt scored after 30 seconds for Aston Villa as they beat West Brom 1-0 at Crystal Palace.

Gas price surge may stall recovery

By Aaron Smith, CNNMoney.com staff writer

Americans everywhere are feeling the recession's pain – some more than others.
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NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The rising price of gasoline is putting pressure on cash-strapped motorists and throwing barricades into the path of a speedy economic recovery.

The national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas edged up to $2.488 on Saturday, from $2.467 the day before, according to motorist group AAA.

That marks the 32nd consecutive increase. In that one-month period, the average price of gas jumped more than 20%.

That surge is causing concern for drivers as the summer driving season gets underway.
0:00 /2:24Summer pump jump

Americans are already dealing with high unemployment and a collapsing housing market. If gas prices continue to climb at their heady rates, Americans who are living "paycheck to paycheck" could put the brakes on their plans to tool around this summer, crimping some of the government's efforts to pull the economy out of recession, said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst for the Oil Price Information Service.

"There's way too much optimism about a driving season lift," said Kloza, who believes that higher prices, in conjunction with the recession, will dampen the typical summer travel surge.

Kloza said the impact will be especially painful in economic "sore spots" like California, Florida, Arizona and the rural South.

Gas is particularly expensive in California, where the average price is $2.725 a gallon. In Arizona, the average price is less expensive, at $2.341 a gallon.

Currently, the highest gas prices are in Alaska, where prices average $2.752 per gallon. The cheapest gas can be found in South Carolina, where the average is $2.299 a gallon.

Despite the recent surge, the average price of a gallon of gas remains 40% below its all-time peak of $4.114 on July 17, 2008. But the repercussions of that peak are still being felt.

Kloza said that drivers are more likely to focus on the recent increases, than to feel relieved that gas prices are off their 2008 peak.

"People are crazy when it comes to the price of gasoline," he said. "Nothing has quite the emotional component than gas prices do."

Last year's gas price spike also severely hampered demand for SUVs and trucks, hastening the downward spiral for the Big Three automakers.

Chrysler filed for bankruptcy on April 30 and is awaiting a ruling from a federal judge as to whether it may sell its assets and form a new company. General Motors (GM, Fortune 500) is expected to file for bankruptcy next week and its stock price is trading below $1 a share for the first time since the Great Depression. To top of page

Kobe vs. LeBron? Maybe.

By Nathan Rush
All season long, a Kobe vs. LeBron match-up in the NBA Finals was taken for granted.

Vegas put their money on it, Nike (apparently inspired by Jim Henson) made a puppet-ly presumptuous ad campaign, SLAM magazine (apparently inspired by the A-Rod "man in the mirror" Details photo shoot) put the two face-to-face on its most recent cover and TNT-plus-ESPN (in conjunction with NBA.com) built the entire NBA Playoffs marketing campaign around the two most recent league MVPs’ “inevitable” meeting.

Now, the one-name icon (LeBron) with a biblical nickname (King James), a presidential monogram (LBJ) and the number of recent basketball royalty (His Airness’ 23) has to come through on the road in Orlando for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals in order to even have a chance at the dream scheme Finals scenario.

Following a decisive 119–92 Finals-clinching win by the Lakers in Denver on Friday night, three-time NBA champ Kobe Bryant has done his part, brushed his shoulders off and is already thinking about adding a fourth ring in his sixth trip to the final round of April-through-June Madness.

“Now we’re in a place where we didn’t get the job accomplished last year,” said Kobe, referring to last year’s 4–2 loss to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, following a statement win on the Nuggets homecourt.

“Hopefully we will this time.”

As for LeBron, his Cavaliers jumped out to a 35–18 first-quarter lead over the Magic in Game 5 before being outscored 61–43 in the second and third quarters combined, then righting the ship with a 34–23 edge in the fourth quarter and a 112–102 final margin in front of a star-studded crowd of New Yorkers such as Jay-Z, A-Rod, Mariano Rivera and CC Sabathia.

(Editor’s note: The Yankees were in-town to face the Indians, not persuade LeBron to play for the Knicks; Shawn Carter, however, is actively recruiting his most powerful fan to the Nets, a team slowly moving to Brooklyn and co-owned by Beyonce’s husband.)

In the end, James ruled Game 5 against Orlando, producing game-highs in points (37), rebounds (14) and assists (12). In the process, LeBron became the first player to record at least 37-14-12 in a playoff game since the “Big O” Oscar Robertson carried the Cincinnati Royals in 1963 as a 24-year-old — coincidentally, the same age as LBJ today.

“I was attacking anyone in the way, no matter who it was,” said LeBron, who is averaging 41.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game in the Conference Finals.

“There’s always a sense of urgency when you are on the brink of elimination. …

“It was win or go home.”

That will be the case once again, when King James takes on the Magic Kingdom in a pressure-packed Game 6 on the road at Orlando’s Amway Arena, where the Cavs are a winless 0–4 this season — with losses in Game 3 (99–89) and Game 4 (116–114) of this series, along with regular season defeats of 116–87 (April 3) and 99–89 (Jan. 29).

In a city that is full of Walt Disney World tourists at this time of the year, LeBron James will have to be the best show in town if the NBA Finals is going to feature the fairy tale ending — Kobe vs. LeBron — that Commissioner David Stern’s league has been wishing on stars for all season long.

Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals tips off on Saturday, May 30, at 8:30 p.m. ET on TNT. If necessary, Game 7 will be played on Monday, June 1, in Cleveland, where the Cavaliers are 6–1 in the playoffs after going 39–2 during the regular season.

White House responds as GOP continues Sotomayor attacks

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Republicans kept the pressure on the president's Supreme Court pick Friday, pushing the idea that Judge Sonia Sotomayor is an activist judge who will bring a leftist agenda to the bench.
Judge Sonia Sotomayor in the White House with Vice President Joseph Biden and President Obama.

Judge Sonia Sotomayor in the White House with Vice President Joseph Biden and President Obama.

Meanwhile, the White House tried to soften remarks Sotomayor made in 2001 that have rankled conservatives, who say her assertion that her experiences as a Latina woman might make her judgments more sound than those of a white man brands her as a racist.

"I'm sure she would have restated it, but if you look at the entire sweep of the essay she wrote, what's clear is that she was simply saying that her life experiences will give her information about the struggles and hardships that people are going through that will make her a good judge," President Obama said in an interview with NBC's Brian Williams.

Sotomayor, a U.S. District Court judge who would be the first Hispanic on the Supreme Court if she is confirmed, spoke on her reflections as a Latina judge during a 2001 speech at the University of California-Berkeley Law School.

Different perspectives brought on by individual experiences, she said, create a "diversity of opinion" even within groups, and those perspectives will especially differ from the majority in a white male-dominated society.

Pointing out that studies show "women and people of color ... report in significantly higher percentages than white men that their gender and race has shaped their careers," Sotomayor said that the idea of "impartiality is an aspiration because it denies the fact that we are by our experiences making different choices than others."

Thus, she said -- in the remarks that have offended conservatives -- "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."

"Let us not forget that wise men like Oliver Wendell Holmes and Justice [Benjamin] Cardozo voted on cases which upheld both sex and race discrimination in our society," she said. "Until 1972, no Supreme Court case ever upheld the claim of a woman in a gender discrimination case."

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that Sotomayor's "word choice in 2001 was poor."

"She was simply making the point that personal experiences are relevant to the process of judge," he said, "that your personal experiences make you have a tendency to make you more aware of certain facts and certain cases, that your experiences impact your understanding. I think we all agree with that and that on a court that is collegial, that it can help others that are trying to wrestle with the facts of those cases."

Gibbs took issue with a former congressman's comparison of the Hispanic civil rights group that sponsored that speech with the Ku Klux Klan.

"It's sort of hard to completely quantify the outrage I think almost anybody would feel at the notion that you are being compared to somebody who used to be a member of the Ku Klux Klan," Gibbs said, referring to remarks made by former Republican Rep. Tom Tancredo, who condemned Sotomayor on CNN Thursday for her membership in the National Council of La Raza, an organization he called "a Latino KKK without the hoods or the nooses."

On CNN Friday, La Raza president Janet Murguia disputed Tancredo's statements about the 40-year-old group. The motto, she said, is not "All for the race, nothing for the rest," the organization is very much "mainstream," the group's name does not translate to "the race" as understood in English.
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Our name has a long history to it, but the bottom line is that words in English and in Spanish, have different meanings," she said. "Race in Spanish, la raza in Spanish, has a broader meaning. It means the people, the community. And it really is meant to be a very inclusive term. It comes from the term 'la raza cosmica,' the cosmic race, which is a very inclusive term."

Sotomayor's remarks drew charges of racism from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, radio talker Rush Limbaugh and others, although Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas said such language about the nominee was "terrible."

And former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, also of Texas, slammed La Raza and another Hispanic civil rights organization, the League of United Latin American Citizens, as "a bunch of radical leftists that try to make the world believe that they speak for Hispanics," but said the debate about Sotomayor's background "is racist in itself."

"I am disgusted that we are considering her nomination because she is Hispanic," he told CNN. "She has a world view. She has a judicial temperament. She has a record. And that's what we ought to be looking at. It's racist in itself to have this debate."

DeLay add that "in my mind" Sotomayor is not qualified for a seat at the Supreme Court.

"She's an activist," he said. "She's a judicial activist, and I've worked my entire career against judicial activism. And if Obama -- Obama couldn't have appointed a more activist judge, and, therefore, I don't think she's qualified. I don't want somebody writing law from the bench."

Most conservatives oppose what they call "judicial activism," which they define as enacting legislation through rulings, although it generally refers to reaching beyond the U.S. Constitution to bring rulings in line with contemporary values.
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Many support a "strict constructionist" judicial philosophy that requires judges to apply the text of the Constitution as written to the matters at hand, although there are differences of opinion about what the term actually means, even among conservatives.

The true opposite of judicial activism, however, is not strict constructionism, but rather judicial restraint, which urges judges to defer to Congress whenever possible.