Lamont Peterson's failed drug test demonstrates the costly balancing act event promoters face

There is no person with any decency or sense of fairness who would knowingly advocate allowing a fighter who is using performance-enhancing drugs to compete. The risks are too great. That's why the movement begun by Floyd Mayweather Jr. to implement random Olympic-style drug testing into combat sports is good. Lamont Peterson failed a drug test, putting his fight against Amir Khan in jeopardy. (Getty Images) Even that doesn't come without risks, though, as Richard Schaefer, the chief executive officer of Golden Boy Promotions, sadly found out this week. Schaefer can be thankful it was Lamont Peterson who flunked a drug test for an HBO-televised fight against Amir Khan that was supposed to be held on May 19 in Las Vegas, as opposed to Mayweather or Miguel Cotto, who met on May 5 in a wildly successful pay-per-view bout. The cost to Golden Boy after the expected cancellation of the Khan-Peterson card is going to be around $250,000, perhaps higher. The total cost, to HBO and to fighters who now won't be paid, will likely exceed $1 million.

Move over MLB, 6-year-old Little Leaguer turns unassisted triple play

 

And just think: He had to pull off those feats even quicker than they do in the bigs since he was playing on a diamond with basepaths significantly closer to each other. Of course, those teammates hardly seemed to register what was going on. In fact, Bernath himself seemed to be confused about everything that was going on. For a guy who had just achieved a feat which is practically the unicorn or blue bear of baseball statistics, he had an awfully puzzled look on his face. Then again, it's not every day that anyone, at any level, pulls off an unassisted triple play. Maybe Bernath just forgot there were only three outs in a half inning, or he lost track of how many outs he earned on the play. No matter what the reason, thanks to YouTube, this youngster will never get to forget the day that he turned a triple play by himself. Bernath may never land another one-man triple play again, but that only makes his achievement -- and the adorable puzzlement it left the entire field of players in -- even more special.

Bank of Canada Unveils New $20 Note Design -

 

OTTAWA , May 2, 2012 /CNW/ - Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty and Governor Mark Carney today unveiled the new and more secure $20 polymer bank note at the Bank of Canada's head office, on Wellington Street in Ottawa . To raise public awareness about the new note, the building's north-east corner now features seven-storey high images of both sides of the polymer $20 . As with the previously issued $50 and $100 polymer bank notes, the main reason for issuing a new $20 is to stay ahead of counterfeiting threats.  The new polymer notes are also more economical and have a smaller environmental footprint. "The Bank's goal is to maintain Canadians' confidence in our money as a secure means of payment," said Governor Carney after the unveiling ceremony. "This new $20 note fits the bill." The front of the polymer $20 features a new portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II, who is celebrating her Diamond Jubilee this year. The back of the note pays tribute to the contributions and sacrifices of Canadian men and women in all military conflicts, and features the Canadian National Vimy Memorial - an iconic monument located in Vimy, France that commemorates the Battle of Vimy Ridge and honours those who fought and gave their lives in the First World War in France and have no known grave. On 9 April 1917 , all four divisions of the Canadian Expeditionary Force united for the first time to take Vimy Ridge in France - a strategically important position that had eluded previous attempts by allied forces between 1914 and 1916. "The Canadian Corps' victory at Vimy is often described as Canada's 'coming of age' as a nation," said Minister Flaherty, "This third note in the Frontier series commemorates the combination of technical innovation, tactical planning and meticulous execution with which Canada breached more than just a military frontier at Vimy Ridge." "The Bank is proud to memorialize this pivotal moment in Canadian history and to feature the inspiring Canadian National Vimy Memorial on the new $20 bank note," said Governor Carney. The $20 bill, which accounts for over 50 per cent of all bank notes in circulation and is the main note dispensed by automated banking machines (ABMs), will begin circulating in November of this year. To prepare for the new notes, the Bank is working closely with financial institutions and manufacturers of bank note equipment to ensure a smooth transition to polymer. The Bank is also providing authentication training and support materials to law enforcement officers and to cash handlers in retail and financial institutions. The remaining bank notes in the series - the $5 and $10 - will be issued by the end of 2013. The specific designs and detailed images of these notes will not be released until their official unveiling dates. The themes of all the polymer denominations are:

 Yahoo! Finance

 

In a controversial decision that is already sparking debate around the country, the New York Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday that viewing child pornography online is not a crime. "The purposeful viewing of child pornography on the internet is now legal in New York," Senior Judge Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick wrote in a majority decision for the court. The decision came after Marist College professor James D. Kent was sentenced to prison in August 2009 after more than 100 images of child pornography were found on his computer's cache. Whenever someone views an image online, a copy of the image's data is saved in the computer's memory cache. The ruling attempts to distinguish between individuals who see an image of child pornography online versus those who actively download and store such images, MSNBC reports. And in this case, it was ruled that a computer's image cache is not the same as actively choosing to download and save an image. "Merely viewing Web images of child pornography does not, absent other proof, constitute either possession or procurement within the meaning of our Penal Law," Ciparick wrote in the decision. See a copy of the court's full ruling on the child pornography decision. The court said it must be up to the legislature, not the courts, to determine what the appropriate response should be to those viewing images of child pornography without actually storing them. Currently, New York's legislature has no laws deeming such action criminal. As The Atlantic Wire notes, under current New York law, "it is illegal to create, possess, distribute, promote or facilitate child pornography." But that leaves out one critical distinction, as Judge Ciparick stated in the court's decision. "[S]ome affirmative act is required (printing, saving, downloading, etc.) to show that defendant in fact exercised dominion and control over the images that were on his screen," Ciparick wrote. "To hold otherwise, would extend the reach of (state law) to conduct—viewing—that our Legislature has not deemed criminal." The case originated when Kent brought his computer in to be checked for viruses, complaining that it was running slowly. He has subsequently denied downloading the images himself. More popular Yahoo! News stories: • 12 sets of twins graduating from just one high-school class • Maurice Sendak's 'Where The Wild Things Are,' as read by Christopher Walken (VIDEO) • Star Wars attraction creates personalized figurine 'frozen in carbonite'

Viewing child pornography online not a crime: New York court ruling | The Sideshow - Yahoo! News

In a controversial decision that is already sparking debate around the country, the New York Court of Appeals ruled on Tuesday that viewing child pornography online is not a crime. "The purposeful viewing of child pornography on the internet is now legal in New York," Senior Judge Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick wrote in a majority decision for the court. The decision came after Marist College professor James D. Kent was sentenced to prison in August 2009 after more than 100 images of child pornography were found on his computer's cache. Whenever someone views an image online, a copy of the image's data is saved in the computer's memory cache. The ruling attempts to distinguish between individuals who see an image of child pornography online versus those who actively download and store such images, MSNBC reports. And in this case, it was ruled that a computer's image cache is not the same as actively choosing to download and save an image. "Merely viewing Web images of child pornography does not, absent other proof, constitute either possession or procurement within the meaning of our Penal Law," Ciparick wrote in the decision. See a copy of the court's full ruling on the child pornography decision. The court said it must be up to the legislature, not the courts, to determine what the appropriate response should be to those viewing images of child pornography without actually storing them. Currently, New York's legislature has no laws deeming such action criminal. As The Atlantic Wire notes, under current New York law, "it is illegal to create, possess, distribute, promote or facilitate child pornography." But that leaves out one critical distinction, as Judge Ciparick stated in the court's decision. "[S]ome affirmative act is required (printing, saving, downloading, etc.) to show that defendant in fact exercised dominion and control over the images that were on his screen," Ciparick wrote. "To hold otherwise, would extend the reach of (state law) to conduct—viewing—that our Legislature has not deemed criminal." The case originated when Kent brought his computer in to be checked for viruses, complaining that it was running slowly. He has subsequently denied downloading the images himself. More popular Yahoo! News stories: • 12 sets of twins graduating from just one high-school class • Maurice Sendak's 'Where The Wild Things Are,' as read by Christopher Walken (VIDEO) • Star Wars attraction creates personalized figurine 'frozen in carbonite'

Viewing child pornography online not a crime: New York court ruling | The Sideshow - Yahoo! News

 

 

 

Whenever someone views an image online, a copy of the image's data is saved in the computer's memory cache. The ruling attempts to distinguish between individuals who see an image of child pornography online versus those who actively download and store such images, MSNBC reports. And in this case, it was ruled that a computer's image cache is not the same as actively choosing to download and save an image. "Merely viewing Web images of child pornography does not, absent other proof, constitute either possession or procurement within the meaning of our Penal Law," Ciparick wrote in the decision.

 

Even now, during the closing months of his first term, Barack Obama remains a curiously elusive political leader. That is why the abrupt conclusion to his evolution on gay marriage, announced Wednesday in an interview with ABC’s Robin Roberts, is one of the most fascinating moments in his presidency. Glib theories about Obama’s often-cautious approach to the presidency, especially in an election year, have to be revamped in light of his sudden endorsement of gay marriage. There is a temptation to view the turnabout solely in electoral terms. Obama himself said that the politics of same-sex marriage “may hurt me.” But perhaps the president made the calculation that he was willing to risk the loss of a fraction of socially conservative swing voters in states like Ohio in order to guarantee the enthusiasm of his top fundraisers. (A Washington Post analysis found that almost 20 percent of Obama’s bundlers have publicly revealed that they are gay). Maybe there is even private Obama polling indicating that November turnout among voters in the millennial generation is apt to be higher if the president took a firm position on gay marriage.

Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen under investigation by Internet child pornography unit | Ball Don't Lie - Yahoo! Sports

 

On Thursday night, the Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 to tie their first-round playoff series, and did so without Chris "Birdman" Andersen, who is dealing with an issue greater than basketball. Thursday afternoon, Douglas County sheriff's deputies entered and searched Andersen's home in an investigation related to their Internet Crimes Against Children unit. The Nuggets, in turn, have excused Andersen indefinitely from all team functions. P. Solomon Banda of the Associated Press has more details:

New Canadian $20 Bill Too Provocative for Some | The Exchange - Yahoo! Finance

Photo taken of the Mother Canada mourning in 2004, in colour (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If there was ever a need to confirm how badly U.S. currency needs a makeover, this is it. Our neighbors to the north just introduced a new $20 bill in Ottawa, and the redesign has garnered a bit of controversy. The bill features Queen Elizabeth II, who is celebrating her Diamond Jubilee this year, on the front of the note. The back pays tribute to the sacrifices of Canadian men and women in military conflicts with an image of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial. (Watch the Bank of Canada's video introducing the new bill and the significance of Vimy here.) However, some people have called elements of the bill "pornographic," while others have noted a resemblance to the Twin Towers that used to stand in lower Manhattan. The main reason for issuing a new $20 is to prevent counterfeiting threats, said the bank. The new polymer notes are also cheaper and have a smaller environmental footprint. (An image of the back of the $20 note is below.)

Anna Paquin

Actress Anna Paquin - "True Blood" 25th Annual Paley Television Festival - ArcLight Cinemas, Los Angeles. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Anna Helene Paquin (pronounced /ˈpækwɪn/; born 24 July 1982) is a Canadian-born New Zealand actress. Paquin's first critically successful film was The Piano, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1993 at the age of 11 – the second youngest winner in history.[1] Her acting career took off almost half a decade later when she appeared in a string of successful films including She's All That, Almost Famous and the X-Men franchise.
Paquin has received critical acclaim for her role as Sookie Stackhouse in the HBO series True Blood, for which she won the 2008 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Drama.
Contents  [hide]
1 Early life
2 Career
2.1 Child actress
2.2 X-Men and beyond
2.3 Theatrical career
3 Personal life
4 Filmography
5 Theatre credits
6 References
7 External links
[edit]Early life

Paquin was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, the daughter of Mary Paquin (née Brophy), an English teacher and native of Wellington, New Zealand, and Brian Paquin, a high school physical education teacher, native Canadian. Paquin is the youngest of three children; she has two older siblings: a brother, Andrew, a director, born in 1977, and a sister, Katya, born in 1980,[2][3] who is the partner of Green Party co-leader Russel Norman.[4] Paquin's family moved to New Zealand when she was four. She attended the Raphael House Rudolf Steiner School until she was eight or nine.[5] Her musical childhood hobbies in New Zealand included playing the viola, cello and piano. She also participated in gymnastics, ballet, swimming and downhill skiing, though she did not have any hobbies related to acting.[6][7]
While in New Zealand, Paquin attended Hutt Intermediate School from 1994–95. Having begun her secondary education in Wellington at Wellington Girls' College, she completed her high school diploma at Windward School in Los Angeles, where she moved with her mother following her parents' divorce in 1995.[8] She graduated from Windward School in June 2000 and completed the school's community service requirement by working in an LA soup kitchen and at a special education center. She studied at Columbia University for one year, but has since been on a leave of absence to continue her acting career.
[edit]Career

[edit]Child actress
It was in New Zealand in 1991 that Paquin became an actress by chance. Director Jane Campion was looking for a little girl to play a key role in The Piano, set to film in New Zealand, and a newspaper advertisement was run announcing an open audition. Paquin's sister read the ad and went to try out with a friend; Paquin herself tagged along because she had nothing better to do. When Campion met Paquin—whose only acting experience had been as a skunk in a school play—she was very impressed with the nine-year-old's performance of the monologue about Flora's father, and she was chosen from among the 5000 candidates.[7]
When The Piano was released in 1993 it was lauded by critics, won prizes at a number of film festivals, and eventually became a popular movie among a wide audience. Paquin's debut performance in the film earned her an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress at the age of eleven, making her the second-youngest Oscar winner in history after Tatum O'Neal.[7] The Piano was made as a small independent movie and wasn't expected to be widely known, and Paquin and her family did not plan to continue in the acting circles.[6] However, she was invited to the William Morris Agency, and she kept receiving offers for new roles. She systematically refused them, but she did appear in three commercials for the phone company MCI (now Verizon) in 1994.[9] She later made a series of television commercials for Manitoba Telecom Systems in her birth city of Winnipeg.[10] She also appeared as a voice in an audio book entitled The Magnificent Nose in 1994.
In 1996, she appeared in two movies. The first role was as young Jane in Jane Eyre. The other was a lead part in Fly Away Home playing a young girl who, after her mother dies, moves in with her father and finds solace in taking care of orphaned goslings.[11]
As a teenager, she had roles in films including A Walk on the Moon, Amistad, Hurlyburly, She's All That and Almost Famous.
[edit]X-Men and beyond
Paquin returned to worldwide prominence with her role as the mutant superheroine Rogue in the Marvel Comics movie X-Men in 2000,[1] its sequel X2 in 2003, and its third instalment, X-Men: The Last Stand, in 2006.


Paquin in 2006
In the fall of 2006, she completed filming Blue State. She was the executive-producer of the film, the film having been made by Paquin Films, a production company formed by both her and her brother, Andrew Paquin.[12] In November 2006, she completed the film Margaret, which was released in 2011.
In 2007, Paquin received an Emmy Award[13] nomination for Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or A Movie for her role as Elaine Goodale in HBO's made-for-TV movie Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, based on Dee Brown's best-seller. She also received Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations in similar categories.
In 2008, Paquin appeared as waitress Sookie Stackhouse in the HBO series True Blood, her first role in a TV series. The show is based on The Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris, set in the fictional town of Bon Temps, LA.[14] Paquin won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Television Drama Series for her role in the show, and also won a Satellite Award in a similar category. She was also nominated for the same category in the 2009 Golden Globe Awards. The second season of True Blood premiered in the US in June 2009. Season three premiered in June 2010, and season 4 in June 2011.
In 2009, Paquin played Irena Sendler, a Polish woman hailed as a heroine of the Holocaust, in The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler, a CBS TV film biographical film based on the book Mother of the Children of the Holocaust: The Irena Sendler Story, by Anna Mieszkowska. The film was made in Latvia, and was a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation for the network.[15] Paquin's performance earned her a 2010 nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Film.
Paquin's film The Romantics, a romantic comedy with Josh Duhamel and Katie Holmes, was released in the US at selected theatres in September 2010.
Paquin was cast in a cameo role in Scream 4, which was released on April 15, 2011.[16]
Her next film is Straight A's, co-starring Ryan Phillippe, due for release in 2012.
[edit]Theatrical career
Paquin made her stage debut in 2001 in a production of The Glory of Living at the MCC Theater. She won a 2001–2002 Theatre World Award for her performance.[17] She has since appeared in a number of other plays, but only once outside the USA, when she appeared on the West End stage in London in a production of This is Our Youth in 2002.
[edit]Personal life



Paquin with husband and True Blood costar Stephen Moyer, 2009
On 5 August 2009, it was announced that Paquin was engaged to her True Blood co-star Stephen Moyer, whom she had been dating since filming the series pilot in 2007.[18][19][20] On 21 August 2010, Paquin and Moyer married at a private residence in Malibu, California.[21] Through her marriage to Moyer, Paquin has a step-son, Billy, born in 2000, and a step-daughter, Lilac, born in 2002.[22] Paquin and Moyer reside in Venice, Los Angeles.[23] On 17 April 2012, it was announced they are expecting their first child together, due in the fall.[24]
On 1 April 2010, Paquin came out as bisexual in a public service announcement for the Give a Damn campaign as part of the True Colors Fund, an advocacy group organised by Cyndi Lauper dedicated to LGBT equality.[25] The True Colors Fund was created to “inspire and engage everyone, especially straight people, to become active participants in the advancement of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality” [26]. The video features Anna Paquin stating, "I'm Anna Paquin. I'm bisexual, and I give a damn". [27] When asked about her participation in the video, Paquin responded by saying, "It wasn't like it was a big secret, it was just a cause I cared about and privately supported, but not one that I had ever had an opportunity to speak out about in a way that would be useful. Obviously I know that one person's voice doesn't necessarily do that much, but I just wanted to do my bit." [28] Anna also supports other charities and foundations such as the Children's Hospital Los Angeles and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. [29]