Sex sells. Now, a Seattle-based company is looking to see if it sells coffee in Phoenix.

Baristas Coffee Co. Inc. (OTCPK:BCCI) is expanding into the Phoenix market with plans to open five drive-through coffee bars in the Valley early next year.

Baristas features female servers in sexy costumes. CEO Barry Henthorn said the baristas will wear a variety of costumes, including nurses, cheerleaders and bumblebees.

"It won't be anything you wouldn't see on NFL Sundays," he said, referring to National Football League cheeerleaders.

The Seattle company's business model is the coffee-shop equivalent to Tilted Kilt, Hooters and other restaurants and bars featuring scantily clad, attractive young waitresses. Click on the pictures to the right for a slide show on Baristas.

Henthorn wouldn't say which locations the Seattle outfit will be landing at in the Valley, but he did confirm there will be coffee bars in Scottsdale and Phoenix. The first is slated to open in February, and the rest by the end of March.

Baristas is teaming with DCB Management Group LLC to open the local stores.

Baristas already has locations in Seattle and San Antonio, and is expanding into the Tampa, Fla., market.

"We look forward growing our footprint in this region and are very proud of the accomplishments of the growing Baristas team," Henthorn said.

The expansion plans would make Phoenix the company's second-largest market.

Baristas will compete with the Starbucks Coffee Co., McDonald's, Dutch Brothers Coffee, local independent cafes and others in the coffee marketplace.

Mike Sunnucks writes about politics, law, airlines, sports business and the economy.

Mike Sunnucks writes about politics, law, airlines, sports business and the economy.

Baker, North power into Queen of the Palms Classic title matchup

& Overcoming an early 10-point deficit, host Ida Baker defeated Stuart Martin County 56-45 in the semifinals of the Topaz Division of the Queen of the Palms Classic Thursday.&

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The Warriors could get point guard Stephen Curry back from a right ankle sprain for tonight's game against Philadelphia, but they don't expect to have shooting guard Monta Ellis, who returned to Mississippi for his grandmother's funeral.

It's possible that neither member of the vibrant backcourt will play, to which the Warriors say, "No worries."

They feel as though they're in good hands and have the depth to maintain momentum from impressive victories over Chicago and New York. It was an Ish Smith-Brandon Rush backcourt that led the Warriors' comeback against the Knicks on Wednesday, and coach Mark Jackson said Friday that rookie Klay Thompson is "due for a breakout performance."

Smith started in Curry's place against New York, scoring seven of the team's first 10 points. Meantime, the Warriors outscored the Knicks by 10 when Ellis was sitting during the first three quarters, before the scoring dynamo righted his game for 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting and six assists in the fourth quarter.

Jackson said Thompson or Rush could start for Ellis at Oracle Arena tonight. Thompson played only 7 1/2 minutes against the Knicks and is averaging 3.0 points a game on 25 percent shooting. Rush had 19 points, six rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocked shots against New York.

"Klay Thompson has struggled at times, but I have confidence in him and I'm going to keep on going to him," Jackson said. "I believe in Klay Thompson and his ability. With young players, you have to expect and handle the bumps and bruises along the way. It's a learning process, and I'm not going to let go of the rope."

The Warriors' guard play will be significant against the 76ers, a team that likes to push the tempo and score in transition. Their backcourt includes emerging point guard Jrue Holiday, three-point threat Jodie Meeks, do-everything swingman Andre Iguodala and momentum-changing sub Lou Williams.

"Whatever hand we're dealt, we'll play the cards," Jackson said. "Whether we're without Steph, Monta or whoever, the bottom line is: We have guys who are more than capable of stepping up.

"Our identity remains the same. We've got to find a way to go get it done."

After missing out on prized free-agent centers Tyson Chandler and DeAndre Jordan this month, the Warriors focused on signing role players who could trim minutes from Curry and Ellis' workload during the condensed, 66-game schedule. They just didn't know they'd be relying on the reserves this much, this soon.

Curry was able to do pre- and post-practice work Friday but didn't participate in contact drills. Ellis was excused from practice.

"Family is first," Jackson said. "We want to let him take as much time as possible or as much time as he needs to take care of home. Obviously, this is someone he loved dearly, and this is tough."

Mary Cole died at 89 on Christmas morning. Ellis flew to Mississippi to be with his family, and the Warriors said the funeral is scheduled for today.

Curry has had four days for his ankle to heal from a second sprain this month. He had surgery in May in hopes of strengthening the ankle, which endured at least three severe sprains last season and caused him to miss a portion of the exhibition season and eight regular-season games.

"There's a little bit of pressure to get back, but, either way, we still have the bigger picture in mind when it comes to my injury," Curry said. "Obviously, Monta and his family are of the utmost importance right now. It's a big game, and we've got a lot of momentum going, but I'm not going to force it just because he's not here. I am working pretty hard to get back, so one of us is out there.

"Either way, I think our team is ready to take that challenge."

Curry used Thursday's off day to fly to the Nike laboratory in Beaverton, Ore. He had his foot and shoes analyzed for fit and figured out that his ankle naturally rolls to the outside, which is how each sprain has occurred.

As he waits for the complete analysis, Curry has decided to switch from the Nike Hyperdunks to the Nike Hyperbraves, a shoe that he says fits lower and wider on his foot. The Warriors' medical staff is taping Curry's ankle a little looser so as not to affect his movement or shooting mechanics.

This article appeared on page B - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Two months after reopening his commitment, standout ESPNU 150 quarterback Gunner Kiel ended speculation on Tuesday with the decision to play football for LSU.

Kiel (Columbus, Ind./Columbus East), ranked second among quarterbacks and 20th nationally, settled on the Tigers after spending the last month deciding between them, Notre Dame and Vanderbilt. The Tigers were not a factor in his recruitment when he originally committed to Indiana in the summer but LSU made a big impression on Kiel since late October.

"When I went to Louisiana, it was just awesome," Kiel told the website MyIndianaFootball.com. "Friday I woke up and told my parents 'I'm ready to commit. I want to go to LSU and this is the best place for me.'"

The Tigers' quarterback situation opens up after this season when Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee both graduate. Left on the roster are unproven backups Zach Mettenberger, a Georgia transfer, and Class of 2011 quarterbacks Jerrard Randall and Stephen Rivers.

Over the last month, Kiel made official visits to his three finalists and planned a decision last week and then again before Christmas Day. He unofficially visited LSU for its game against Arkansas in the regular-season finale and then officially visited Baton Rouge the following week.

Kiel is an early enrollee candidate, and LSU begins its spring semester on Jan. 17 with freshman orientation a week earlier.

"I got to know the guys really well -- they're a special group and really nice guys," Kiel said. "They came out of their way to introduce themselves and talk to me, which meant a lot. Baton Rouge is a special place. It was the perfect fit for me, and I can't wait to enroll and be a part of the team and university."

Indiana and its new coach Kevin Wilson planned on making the in-state quarterback the centerpiece of the rebuilding process in Bloomington and shockingly secured a commitment from the 6-foot-3, 215-pound prospect ranked tops in the Midwest.

Kiel committed during the summer but the relationship between the staff and family deteriorated and Kiel decommitted on Oct. 20. The day Kiel decommitted, his father, Kip, said Indiana's poor record was a factor but that also "a lot of things are concerning." He didn't elaborate on what the other factors were.

Kiel passed for 2,517 yards and 28 touchdowns with only four interceptions as a senior, and he added almost 500 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.

Kiel led Columbus East to the state semifinals and a 12-2 record. Among his numerous postseason accolades, Kiel was named the Gatorade State Player of the Year in Indiana.

Jared Shanker covers Midwest recruiting. He can be reached at jshankerespn@gmail.com.

& Here's what the Eyewitness Newsroom is working on right now- Buffalo, NY (WKBW)&

The Eyewitness News team is monitoring the news of the day, and will have updates on wkbw.com and at 11pm.

The Ice Ball- Statler City opens it's doors to 5,000 people tonight for the "Ice Ball!" Developer Mark Croce is bringing an elegant New Year's Eve event back to the Statler Building. Croce purchased the building earlier this year, and is continuing with renovations. Dignitaries are expected to kick things off at 4:30p.m., followed by an elegant party later in the evening. Channel 7 is a proud co-sponsor.

Tux & Pucks- The Sabres take to the ice at the First Niagara Center tonight with the return of another New Year's Eve tradition - "Tux & Pucks!" Some fans may actually don formal wear for the game, and celebrate the New Year with their favorite hometown team when they take on the Senators. Puck drops at 7p.m. Shawn Stepner will have highlights.

New Year's Eve In WNY & Southern Ontario- People all over WNY and Southern Ontario will be saying goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012. Celebrations are planned at the Hard Rock in Niagara Falls, New York; Gateway Park in Lockport; and from Niagara Falls, Ontario.

But the BIGGEST events include the "FIRST NIGHT" celebration at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center and the "BUFFALO BALL DROP & FIREWORKS" from Roosevelt Plaza.

The Independent Health Foundation supports WNY United Against Drug and Alcohol Abuse at the Convention Center event, kicking off at 5p.m. Advance tickets are $8 at Wegmans, or $10 at the door. Enjoy great family fun, including animals, storybook characters, games, and even an indoor fireworks and balloon drop at 9:45pm.

Then, head on over to Roosevelt Plaza for the "Ball Drop and Fireworks" display!

Eyewitness News brings you "Countdown to 2012", only on Channel 7! Anchors Keith Radford, Joanna Pasceri, Kendra Eaglin, Jason Gruenauer and the Eyewitness News "Behind the Scenes" team will be on hand to bring you all of the downtown excitement, LIVE, from the Electric Tower!

The television show includes "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin Eve" from Times Square, with hot stars like Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga!

Don't miss the live performance in Buffalo from the Jamie Moses Band with Caitlin Koch, of recent reality television fame! 97 Rock morning man Larry Norton and DJ Jickster will be there as well, with surprises for the crowd.

For 2012, make your new years resolution to stay with Channel 7's Eyewitness News!

Here is more on "First Night" and the "Ball Drop" events!

Buffalo Ball Drop Returns to Downtown Buffalo for the 24th Year

BUFFALO, NY- Ring in 2012 at the 24th annual "Buffalo Ball Drop & Fireworks" event at the Electric Tower, 535 Washington Street in downtown Buffalo. New Year's Eve comes alive Saturday December 31st when tens of thousands of people are expected to celebrate at Roosevelt Plaza - where Huron, Genesee, and Washington Streets meet – for the second largest such event in the United States!

Local singing sensation Caitlin Koch and the Jamie Moses Band will headline the show, kicking off at 10:30p.m., concluding with the Buffalo Ball Drop and Fireworks at midnight. This Orchard Park native has picked up a national following with success on reality television talent shows this past year. At age 15, Caitlin won a local radio contest as "Buffalo Idol," and headlined at the HSBC Arena ( Now First Niagara Center ). While attending Orchard Park High School, Koch was a star athlete and captain of the basketball team. Later, Koch became the most accomplished rugby player in the State. Koch also attended Canisius College. Jamie Moses is the owner and publisher of the weekly arts and alternative news weekly ARTVOICE, and is an accomplished musician.

Keith Radford, Joanna Pasceri, and Kendra Eaglin from Channel 7 will join Larry Norton and "D.J. Jickster" from 97 Rock when they welcome Buffalo's Mayor Byron Brown; Sabretooth; and other WNY celebrities to ring in 2012.

The Police Athletic League of Buffalo produces the "Buffalo Ball Drop & Fireworks" and benefits from sponsorship proceeds.

The Electric Tower is owned by developer Paul Iskalo of Iskalo Development, and is one of the premier buildings in downtown Buffalo. 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the Tower, which has recently undergone a complete exterior tower restoration.

Video walls set up by Indigo Productions will offer digital images of the Buffalo and Times Square ball drops, including a presentation of the "Countdown to 2012" HD telecast presented by WKBW Channel 7, a co-sponsor of the Ball Drop events since the first one in 1988 - when 97 Rock offered it as a gift to the city.

"The Buffalo Ball Drop is a tradition for the Western New York community. WKBW is proud to continue that tradition in making good things happen for the Police Athletic League, our viewers, sponsors, and everyone who attends this exciting event," said Channel 7 President and General Manager Bill Ransom. Coverage of the "Buffalo Ball Drop & Fireworks" will begin with "Eyewitness News at 11pm" followed by the television special that includes "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" on ABC-TV.

Anchor Sponsor for the "Buffalo Ball Drop & Fireworks" is Independent Health, a premier health maintenance organization, dedicated to making a difference.

Returning sponsors for the "Buffalo Ball Drop" include the Chevy Dealers of WNY, sponsoring the fireworks presentation from the Skylighters.

FWS Home Furnishings are sponsoring the entertainment stage.

The Ball will drop in sync with its sister in New York's Time Square, followed by a spectacular fireworks display presented by the Skylighters of Western New York. Bill Minnich and the Skylighters team shoot the fireworks show and choreograph it to classic rock and seasonal music favorites.

Here are some interesting facts about Western New York's premier New Year's Eve event:

The fireworks used are created in Cuba, NY in the Southern Tier, with materials made in the USA.

The fireworks are custom made to be shot from nearby the Electric Tower, creating a short range due to the close proximity of other buildings in the downtown urban setting.

There are approximately 1,800 "shots" fired from specially made "cans."

The fireworks used are a mix of tails and multi shot fireworks to create colorful splashes.

There are approximately one dozen fireworks experts from The Skylighters, who begin their day Saturday at 9am for the Midnight show.

The Ball itself takes approximately (1:30) to descend from the top of the Electric Tower.

The weight of the ball is approx. 550 pounds.

The diameter is 5 feet.

The ball illuminates with 10,000 watts of light.

There are 350 bulbs are on the ball.

Engineers from the Electric Tower work to secure the "Ball" on the cables that stretch the length of the building, (which is over 200 feet) controlled from the top of the tower.

Engineers are in communication with the ground crew to make sure the ball does not "sway," and is making a smooth descent in sync with the Times Square Ball to land at midnight.

The Ball is made of metal and Plexiglas, with small spotlights built inside. The ball has computer technology to control the light display.

The Ball is stored at the facilities of Indigo Productions all year, and is only brought out for the New Year's Eve event!

The Buffalo Ball Drop was first presented as a gift to the City of Buffalo by 97 Rock, WGRF-FM in 1988.

15,000 people attended the first Ball Drop at Roosevelt Plaza, which was broadcast LIVE by WKBW Channel 7, and every year since. Channel 7's Keith Radford has anchored each telecast.

The event has grown to be the second largest Ball Drop in the United States, with an estimated 40,000 people now coming to Roosevelt Square each year.

The Buffalo Police Athletic League has been serving the Buffalo community for almost 60years, providing pride, attitude, and leadership through recreational opportunities for youth.

The Electric Tower was erected in 1912, and was modeled after the Electric Building at Buffalo's Pan American Exposition in 1901. This year, the building will celebrate its 100th birthday.

The exterior of the Electric Tower is white glazed terra cotta. Iskalo Development, owner of the Electric Tower, renovated the entire interior of the building into Class A office space after taking over the building in 2004, and recently restored the exterior tower.

Independent Health has been the primary sponsor of the Buffalo Ball Drop for decades, and for the last 23 years the Independent Health Foundation has presented "First Night" – A Drug and Alcohol Free party in association with WNY United Against Drug and Alcohol Abuse - to ring in the New Year. The event this year runs 5pm – 10pm at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center.

The restaurant El Bulli just outside Roses, Spain, the subject of this Gereon Wetzel documentary, is already cloaked in a kind of nostalgia. In 2010, after Mr. Wetzel had completed filming, Ferran Adria, the chef and co-owner of El Bulli, announced that the 2010-11 season would be the restaurant's last. Instead, he would focus his energies on a research foundation that would continue to push the boundaries of cuisine.

The restaurant had been named the "best in the world" five times on the prestigious Restaurant Magazine list. According to El Bulli's records, up to 2 million reservation requests were made each year for approximately 8,000 seats, while thousands of talented young chefs applied for the privilege of working for free for the acclaimed chef.

Mr. Wetzel followed the restaurant during its second-to-last season, filming the chef and his team for about 15 months. The shoot of "El Bulli: Cooking in Progress" began with the day a small team of chefs transferred a van full of equipment and documents to the restaurant's laboratory, where months would be spent exploring new ingredients and techniques before the chefs returned to re-open the restaurant for the second half of the year.

The first 53 or so minutes of the film follow Mr. Adria's team of chef-researchers as they perform precise experiments on a small set of ingredients, such as mushrooms, sweet potatoes and the citrus fruit yuzu, exploring different effects and combinations.

There are small moments of comedy: Mr. Adria steps through the doorway and is handed a small spoonful of food to taste before he has time to remove his coat or put down his keys. A hard-drive crashes, and a momentary crisis ensues: The experiments might be lost! A moment later it becomes clear that all the hard-copy notes are safe, but Mr. Adria continues to rant and rave, declaring, "This is a disaster!"

While there is little attempt to explore the relationships between the chefs, one thing is clear: Mr. Adria has the final word.

For the most part, the time in the laboratory is merely tedious, punctuated by the occasional glimmer of insight. One young chef traces the idea for adding shards of ice to a dish back to a meal he ate in Brazil, where a piece of ice fell into his plate of fish and sauce. But these moments of exposition are few and far between.

Voiceovers, narrative captions or even a less linear progression of events might have helped create a more coherent story. Instead, Mr. Wetzel attempts to follow a few ingredients from experiment to finished dish, but the chefs work so quickly, on so many different ideas, that it is difficult to pick out one idea from another.

The action picks up considerably once the chefs return to the restaurant, and Mr. Adria and the permanent staff begin to interact with the year's interns. As he welcomes the interns, Mr. Adria declares, "You will see the work day by day that it takes to be creative."

One of the best moments is a scene where Mr. Adria leads a seminar for the interns, exploring the ideas behind his cooking and the connection between the techniques and the emotions of food. "Going to eat in an avant garde restaurant gives you something like a creative emotion," he says. "It's not just mmm it tastes good. You feel something. ... For us the emotional elements have always been more important. But for that you sometimes need a certain technology."

The use of hand-held cameras and the apparent desire to document without interrupting keeps the filmmakers at a distance and makes it difficult to get a good grasp on any of the dishes. Happily, as the film progresses, discussions get more concrete, and we begin to learn a little bit more about the finished dishes that will work their way onto that season's menu: Vacuumized mushrooms with hazelnut oil; a ravioli whose pasta dissolves before it's eaten; a dish of olive oil and miniature tangerines with scattered shards of ice.

At the very end of the film, we finally get a good look at the food: A slideshow of luminous photographs shot for the restaurant by Francesc Guillamet documents the new dishes developed that season. The ends, in this case, did not quite justify the means. El Bulli was a fascinating restaurant, and many would appreciate a peek into it's inner workings. This film never gives us much more than a glimpse into the creative minds and talented hands at work.

In Catalan, with English subtitles. Opens today at The Harris Theater, Downtown.

First published on December 26, 2011 at 12:00 am

Hyderabad, Dec 30 (PTI) Does the thought of a female receptionist handling your complaints at a police station seem too far fetched? Not necessarily, if one goes by what Andhra Pradesh Police are planning to do in the New Year.
Andhra Pradesh Police is planning to introduce ''Model Police Stations'' to help the public while lodging a complaint.
"We are trying on build a ''Model Police Station'' on the lines of a corporate office that will have a lady receptionist with colourful dress (rather than khaki-clad) to look into public complaints. As such, any person who approaches the police station can be at ease rather than being under fear while filing a complaint," Andhra Pradesh DGP V Dinesh Reddy told reporters here today.
"We are planning to bring about similar measures through innovative ways to become more people friendly during 2012," he said.
Another plan is to have a single Police Commissionerate for Hyderabad city from the existing Hyderabad and Cyberabad Commissionerates, Reddy said, adding, "We felt it is better to have a single commissionerate for Hyderabad. We have to form a committee regarding the matter as it is a major exercise."
These plans are at nascent stage. Before starting we have to study various aspects, he said.
Similarly, plans are afoot to set up one battalion of APSP (Andhra Pradesh Special Police) in every district of the state besides on setting up composite police control rooms in Hyderabad and in different parts of the state to handle different calls of public including fire assistance, he added.
PTI VVK VKV

Wow! Is that really Amber Rose?

The same model who poses nude and cavorted around town in skimpy outfits with Kanye West is doing a style 180 in a new photo shoot.

In a shoot for StyleCaster that was photographed by Blossom Berkofsky, Amber buttons up in some surprisingly conservative gear. A turtleneck? A long skirt? A crisp button-up blouse? She's also posing with houseplants and gauzy curtains instead of rappers.

Actually, we're loving the softer side of Amber. Let's just say it's a far cry from THIS photo shoot.

And in keeping with her romantic new look, Rose says that her dreams for the future include settling down, as she told StyleCaster's Summer Krecke:

"Acting, making music, getting married, being with [boyfriend] Wiz [Khalifa] on a tour bus with a bunch of babies," she tells me beaming. "I even want to write a romance novel. There's nothing I'm not afraid to try."

Check out some of the pics below, and read the full interview at StyleCaster.

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Photo courtesy of StyleCaster.

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& & PHILADELPHIA — A rare violin worth $172,000 that was mistakenly left onboard a Boston-to-Philadelphia bus by a groggy music student from Taiwan has been found and returned to its grateful owner.&

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Megabus USA director Bryony Chamberlain said Friday that a cleaning crew recovered the instrument, which had been left in an overhead bin earlier this week. The New England Conservatory student got on a Megabus in Boston with the 176-year-old violin but got off without it late Tuesday, police said.

"It could have been quite a tragedy on Christmas, but in the end we were able to trace down the violin and put it back as soon as we could," Chamberlain said.

The 19-year-old student, Muchen Hsieh, told investigators that she left the instrument in an overhead bin and only realized she had forgotten it after she had been picked up. The violin was lent to her by the Chi Mei Culture Foundation in her native Taiwan while she studies in the U.S.

Hsieh said she initially called the bus company to see if the instrument had been found, but she was told it wasn't on board. Megabus offers low-cost express bus service to more than 70 cities in the U.S. and Canada.

She also reported the loss to police, who later called the bus' cleaning company and eventually the rare instrument was returned. Hsieh was so happy she hugged detectives and played her violin during a police news conference Friday afternoon.

Lt. John Walker said people always hope for Christmas miracles around this time of year.

"In this case," he told The Philadelphia Inquirer, "we got one."

Eddie Vedder and his Pearl Jam bandmates made one family's Christmas wish come true by donating a signed guitar to replace a special memento which was stolen in a burglary.

The band handed over a signed instrument to Josh Hardy from New Hampshire in 1992 when he was dying of brain cancer and after his death, the instrument was left to his younger brother, Ben.

The precious guitar was recently stolen from Ben in a break-in and subsequently returned with the musicians' signatures scrubbed off, but the 34 year old was delighted when a special delivery from the band arrived just before Christmas.

He tells the Boston Herald, "FedEx delivered a new guitar. In a note Pearl Jam said they've been following the story and this is what they decided to do. It's an amazing gesture of goodwill. It exceeds expectations... They went above and beyond."

Ben's mother Donna Hardy adds, "It's a blessing for our family to have all this happen. This is our Christmas story. Pearl Jam is amazing and to think that they remembered Josh after all these years is incredible."

Throngs of Canadian tweens rejoiced as Justin Bieber announced he was spending the holidays at home and his fans got a special treat when he decided to make it a family affair.

During his Justin Bieber: Home for the Holidays concert special last night in Toronto, the 17-year-old pop star carried his three-year-old sister, Jazmyn, on stage to join him in song.

During his set at Massey Hall, Bieber performed acoustic versions of songs from his Christmas album, 'Under the Mistletoe' that has sold more than two million copies.

Bieber gave a shout out to his parents, grandparents and friends from his hometown of Stratford, Ontario who were in the audience, and then brought his little sister on stage so they could sing an adorable rendition of Bieber's hit song "Baby."

Bieber is thrilled to be home for the holidays -- yesterday he tweeted:

"waking up in CANADA - where is my Timmy Ho's?"

And on stage he told his hometown audience he has performed all over the world, "but it doesn't compare to Toronto. It means the world to me to perform for you, more so here than anywhere else."

The popstar has been keeping very busy at home. In addition to his concert special where he presented the local Children's Wish Foundation with a check for $500,000, he also spent time meeting fans and handing out canned goods at The Daily Bread Food Bank, and spent some time on the ice with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

See how Justin has been spending his time in Toronto:

Related on HuffPost:

Online auditions for the second season of Fox's hit show THE X FACTOR are now open.

Now through December 31, 2011, solo artists and vocal groups 12 years old and over have the opportunity to submit their two minute audition videos to THE X FACTOR USA WEBSITE.

In addition to online auditions, aspiring performers will soon be able to participate in open call auditions held in various cities (to be announced) across the country.

Also, MyStudio Booths will once again be available for hopefuls to record and submit their auditions, just as THE X FACTOR finalist Drew Ryniewicz did for Season One.

Auditioners should continue to check www.TheXFactorUSA.com for full terms, conditions and eligibility, as well as for more information about audition cities and dates.

From Contact Music:

Christmas came early for one British family after actor Rupert Grint escorted them to Florida for an all-expenses paid trip to the Harry Potter theme park.

Grint was heartbroken to hear about the grief-stricken Carters, who have been struggling to cope with the loss of their mother Denise, who died giving birth to her and her husband Steve's fourth child in 2009.

… As an extra special surprise, Grint recently accompanied the group to Orlando to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios and gave them a personal tour of the rides and wand shops.

Family patriarch Steve Carter tells film-news.co.uk, "The best thing was the look on the kids' faces. There are great memories and I know Denise was watching over us on the trip."

Alright, friends. The moral of the story? If you're not COMPLETELY enamored by Rupert Grint and his selfless, loving, thoughtful actions, then you have a cold, dead heart and I don't even know why you bothered watching the video. Are you a Kardashian or something?

Anyway, Merry Christmas, folks! We'll continue normal posting on Christmas Eve, but will be off Christmas Day, resuming our regular snark schedule on Monday morning. Have a safe and happy holiday, and if this video didn't cheer you up, then check these photos out again. They're sure to put a smile on your face

Read more at: Rupert Grint is the Ultimate Santa Claus
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Who'd have guessed it would come to this?

A few weeks ago, the Indianapolis Colts seemed inexorably on their way to a winless season that would guarantee a dubious -- though much needed -- consolation prize in a chance to presumably select Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick in next April's NFL Draft.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the war room. The Colts let a winning streak get in the way.

Consecutive defeats of the Tennessee Titans and Houston Texans, while assuaging a fan base accustomed to perennial playoff contention, have complicated matters for a front office on the eve of Indianapolis' Week 17 visit to Jacksonville's EverBank Field for Sunday's season finale with the Jaguars.

Now tied with St. Louis for the league's worst record at 2-13, the Colts could lose the top overall pick if they beat the 4-11 Jaguars and the Rams lose as expected to the playoff-bound San Francisco 49ers this weekend.

If both teams finish with identical marks, Indianapolis would maintain the No. 1 slot and have first crack at selecting Luck, seen by many as the ideal heir apparent to an aging 35-year-old Peyton Manning, who's missed the entire 2011 schedule after a pair of neck surgeries.

St. Louis's actions with the pick would be unclear, given that the Rams drafted quarterback Sam Bradford with the first overall pick in 2010.

"That's not for the players to worry about," Colts running back Joseph Addai said of the team's draft status. "I don't worry about that. I just go out and keep playing ball."

The Colts dropped a 17-3 home verdict to Jacksonville on Nov. 13 after gaining just 212 yards of offense. Meanwhile, Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew gained 114 yards on his own in that contest.

Jones-Drew enters the season's final week with a league-best 1,437 yards rushing, 128 more than Philadelphia's LeSean McCoy. He's accounted for 46.5 percent of Jacksonville's offense this season, a pace that's well ahead of former teammate Fred Taylor's club record of 36.2 percent set in 2003.

The Pro Bowl back could be the second player since 1995 to lead the league in rushing with the NFL's worst passing offense. Previously, Baltimore's Jamal Lewis accomplished the feat in 2003.

"He's been a beast," Jacksonville guard Uche Nwaneri said of Jones-Drew. "Everyone knows we're going to run it and they still can't stop him. It's unbelievable."

Sunday's game will be the Jaguars' last under owners Wayne and Delores Weaver, who helped bring the franchise to Jacksonville in 1995. Shahid Khan bought the team two weeks ago for $760 million and will officially take over on Jan. 4.

"Mr. and Mrs. Weaver mean a lot to this city and our fans and our players know that. Our coaches know that," Jaguars interim head coach Mel Tucker said. "We want to put our best foot forward in their last game. Quite frankly, we'll give everything we can for them to finish on a high note."

SERIES HISTORY

Indianapolis has prevailed in 15 of 21 all-time matchups with Jacksonville, but the Jaguars have won two of the last three meetings in the series and dealt the Colts a 31-28 loss at EverBank Field last season. Indianapolis had come out on top in three consecutive visits to Jacksonville prior to that defeat, including a 35-31 verdict in 2009, and sports a 7-3 overall record as the visitor in this set. The Colts' most recent triumph over the Jaguars came at home by a 34-24 score during December of the 2010 campaign, and Jacksonville has never previously recorded a season sweep over Indianapolis in its history.

Six of the last eight contests between these teams have been decided by seven points or less, and five of those tilts had a margin of victory of four points or fewer.

Indianapolis' Jim Caldwell owns a 3-2 career record against Jacksonville as a head coach, while Tucker will be opposing both Caldwell and the Colts for the first time as a man in charge.

WHEN THE COLTS HAVE THE BALL

In the team's two wins, Colts quarterback Dan Orlovsky has completed 34-of-58 passes for 326 yards with two touchdowns, zero interceptions and an 85.8 passer rating. He has a 95.0 rating in the fourth quarter as a starter in 2011 as well. Addai had two rush touchdowns in the Colts' 2010 meeting with the Jags in Jacksonville, while backfield mate Donald Brown is averaging 7.3 yards per carry in past two games (27 attempts, 196 yards). Wide receiver Reggie Wayne needs 113 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the eighth consecutive season. He had a game-winning touchdown catch against the Texans last week and has two scoring receptions in the Colts' past two games. Wayne also has compiled 1,599 career receiving yards against the Jaguars, his most against any opponent. Fellow wideout Pierre Garcon (925 receiving yards) needs 75 receiving yards to reach 1,000 for the first time in his career and has six touchdown receptions this season, tied for a career-best set last year. Slot receiver Austin Collie has four touchdown receptions in his past four games against the Jaguars.

Middle linebacker Paul Posluszny leads the Jaguars with 115 tackles and had an interception against the Colts in the Week 10 win, while end Jeremy Mincey has a career-best 5 1/2 sacks in 2011 and registered the first pick of his career in last Saturday's 23-17 loss at Tennessee. Cornerback Drew Coleman had an interception in Jacksonville's previous game against the Colts this year, while fellow defensive back Morgan Trent posted his first pick as a Jaguar last week.

Statistically speaking, the Colts' offense is 28th in scoring (15.3 ppg), 30th in total yards (286.1 ypg), 27th in passing (183.5 ypg) and 24th in rushing (102.5 ypg). On defense, the Jaguars are 11th in points allowed (21.1 ppg), fifth in total yards allowed (314.0 ypg), seventh against the pass (206.6 ypg) and 11th against the run (107.4 ypg).

WHEN THE JAGUARS HAVE THE BALL

Rookie quarterback Blaine Gabbert, the 10th overall pick in this past April's draft, has thrown two touchdown passes in each of his past two home games and registered his first win against an AFC South opponent in Jacksonville's Nov. 13 victory at Indianapolis. Jones-Drew (1,437 rushing yards) needs 136 yards to surpass Taylor (1,572 in 2003) for the most on the ground in a season in franchise history, and also needs just one rushing touchdown to surpass Taylor (62) for the most scores in team annals. Jones-Drew has 74 career touchdowns, the most ever by a Jaguar, and averages 95.8 rushing yards per game against the Colts for his career while amassing 80 yards or more in 14 of 15 games in 2011. Tight end Marcedes Lewis has the most receiving yards (2,651) and touchdown receptions (17) by a tight end in club history, while second-year receiver Jarett Dillard posted his first career scoring catch in the last meeting against Indianapolis.

Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney, the team's lone representative to the upcoming Pro Bowl, has nine career sacks against the Jaguars and counterpart Robert Mathis has three sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery over the past two games. Mathis (8.5 sacks) aims for a third straight game with a sack against Jacksonville as well and needs 1 1/2 sacks to reach double digits for the fifth time in his career. Middle linebacker Pat Angerer has a team-best 137 tackles along with a sack, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 15 games this year, while Antoine Bethea has produced 129 tackles and two forced fumbles.

By the numbers, Jacksonville is 29th in scoring (14.9 ppg), dead last in both total yards (259.2 ypg) and passing (140.5 ypg) and 13th in rushing (118.7 ypg). On defense, the Colts are 30th in points allowed (27.4 ppg), 27th in yards allowed (378.3 ypg), 22nd against the pass (237.4 ypg) and 29th against the run (140.9 ypg).

KEYS TO THE GAME

Green Gabbert. The rookie quarterback has exceeded 200 yards passing just three times in his 14 games, including just 118 in the aforementioned November defeat of the Colts. Jacksonville has scored 20 points just twice in Gabbert's tenure, a number that may have to improve with Indianapolis having been a bit better on offense since Orlovsky took over.

Winning mentality. The Jaguars, who've lost five of six games since defeating the Colts in Week 10, haven't had a plus-.500 season since going 11-5 and reaching the playoffs in 2007, but will be motivated to send the Weavers out in style. Indianapolis, meanwhile, would love to finish what's been a dreadful campaign strong to build momentum for the upcoming season.

Long goodbye. Indianapolis veterans such as Wayne, Mathis and center Jeff Saturday are each in the final year of their respective contracts and may be playing their final game with the Colts, which could also serve as an intangible. Wayne caught the decisive pass in the final seconds of last week's 19-16 defeat of Houston.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

The Jaguars have been no one's example of success this season, but they do have this particular game's best player in Jones-Drew and a defense that's high-end enough to shut down an offense led by the likes of Orlovsky. The Indianapolis veterans might have a bullet or two left in the gun, but the matchups on both sides of the ball tip the scales in the home team's favor.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Jaguars 17, Colts 13

& & NEW YORK — Hollywood, as everyone knows, loves the Next Big Thing. And four years ago, Barack Obama was certainly that: a political supernova, the equivalent of a breakout movie star.&

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"He is 'The One,'" declared Oprah Winfrey, his biggest and most influential celebrity champion. "The best candidate I've ever seen," pronounced George Clooney. Halle Berry said she'd "collect paper cups off the ground to make his pathway clear." Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am chimed in with the famous "Yes We Can" video. And so on.

But you can't be the Next Big Thing twice. And so, with the 2012 vote less than a year away, there's clearly a different mood in heavily Democratic Hollywood: less gushing, not to mention snippets of criticism, most prominently from actor Matt Damon, who campaigned for Obama last time but now makes no secret of his disillusionment.

"I think he misinterpreted his mandate," Damon said earlier this year, and then recently told Elle magazine the country would have been better off with a one-term president with guts (he used a much saltier word).

But while the adulation of the 2008 election may be significantly muted among Hollywood liberals, as with liberals elsewhere, Obama supporters say that's only natural, given the circumstances. Fundraisers there say that events have been selling out and there's plenty of enthusiasm.

Most importantly, they add, the nation's attention has been on the battling Republicans. Soon, the choice will get starker and the Democratic base will be energized, they argue.

"The moment the Republicans have their nominee is when you're going to see anyone still on the fence jump in," says Chad Griffin, a Los Angeles-based communications strategist and Democratic fundraiser. "Once you have a head-to-head matchup, the contrast will be grand."

Numbers compiled by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics show that while overall political contributions were up in Hollywood for the first three quarters of this year compared with the same period four years ago, contributions to Democrats were slightly down.

According to the group, the movie, television and recording industries — a large chunk of which is Hollywood — gave $17,639,267 in the first three quarters to federal candidates and parties, with 71 percent going to the Democrats and 29 percent to Republicans, as opposed to $15,642,561 four years ago, when 77 percent went to the Democrats and 23 percent to Republicans.

But numbers for the Democrats were down by more than $2.5 million from four years ago — $9,249,303 this year compared with $11,966,077 four years ago.

Obama's fundraisers note that four years ago, Obama was locked in a tense primary battle with Hillary Rodham Clinton — and primaries drive early fundraising.

"A re-election is always different," says Andy Spahn, a longtime political adviser to one of the top Democratic fundraisers in the nation, DreamWorks co-founder Jeffrey Katzenberg, along with his partners Steven Spielberg and David Geffen.

He calls the current mood among Hollywood Democrats a "matured enthusiasm," but says support is strong.

Though Damon's remarks about the president have been the most pointed, other celebrities have expressed disappointment, or at least mild disillusionment.

"I love the president like most of us," Sean "Diddy" Combs told Source magazine this year. "I just want the president to do better."

And will.i.am, creator of that viral video that ended with the word "HOPE," told The New York Times earlier this year: "I don't want to hope anymore." Asked if he was disappointed in Obama, he said: "I don't feel disappointed. I feel like, Argggh! Speak louder! I feel like, Do something!"

What about core Obama celebrity supporters Clooney and Winfrey? Far from being disillusioned with Obama, Clooney said recently: "I'm disillusioned by the people who are disillusioned by Obama."

"Democrats eat their own," the actor said. "I'm a firm believer in sticking by and sticking up for the people whom you've elected." He went on to list the accomplishments of the Obama administration, wondering why Democrats weren't selling them better.

And Winfrey, credited with helping Obama win over many women in 2008, told Politico in August: "I'm in his corner for whatever he needs me to do."

There already have been plenty of celebrities hosting or showing up at Obama fundraising events. Actress Eva Longoria hosted one at the home of Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas. Lady Gaga attended a September fundraiser at the home of Facebook's chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg. Alicia Keys performed at a New York fundraiser.

And in the summer, film executive Harvey Weinstein held a Manhattan event sprinkled with celebs including Keys, Jimmy Fallon, and Gwyneth Paltrow and husband Chris Martin. A 50th birthday-themed fundraiser in Chicago featured performances by Jennifer Hudson, Herbie Hancock and the band OK Go.

Of course, celebrity support isn't always a win-win for a candidate. Just as Obama's opponents in 2008 tried to use his taste for arugula to paint him as elitist, they tried to use his celebrity connections to imply he was lightweight, all pizazz and no substance — most pointedly in an ad tenuously linking him to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears.

The tactic seemed to scare Obama's campaign enough to downplay the role of celebrities at the Democratic convention that summer. Will the campaign similarly seek to downplay the celebrity role this time?

"Celebrities are helpful in terms of exciting a base," says Griffin, the fundraiser. "I don't think the president will have any shortage of surrogates."

One thing is clear: They won't include Damon, and the president wasn't shy about making a few jokes at the actor's expense back in May, at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.

"Matt Damon said he was disappointed in my performance," the president noted. Then he referred to one of Damon's recent films. "Well, Matt, I just saw 'The Adjustment Bureau,' so right back atcha, buddy."

Damon, whose representatives did not respond to a request for comment, has given no sign that he plans to do anything as dramatic as switch sides in November. The real danger, say some Obama supporters, is that comments like his would lead voters — especially key younger ones — to stay home.

That's a threat the president faces in places well beyond Hollywood.

Ken Sunshine, a prominent public relations consultant who has represented top entertainers and politicians, thinks that ultimately "the activist community in entertainment and everywhere else will come home and support the president's re-election with the same degree of enthusiasm as before — if for no other reason than ... consider the alternative!"

"But once we help him get re-elected," Sunshine adds, "then we really hold his feet to the fire in the second term."

Russian military prosecutors have launched an investigation into whether safety regulations were breached, following a massive fire that started aboard a docked Russian nuclear submarine.

In a sign of the gravity of the incident, President Dmitry Medvedev dispatched Russia's military chief of staff Nikolai Makarov to the scene, the Kremlin said on Friday.

Russia's Investigative Committee said it had opened a criminal enquiry into damage of military property by negligence. Medvedev summoned top cabinet officials to report on the situation and demanded punishment for anyone found responsible.

Firefighters extinguished the fire on Friday after a nearly day-long blaze raised concerns about the security of the fleet. Authorities assured the public that there was no radiation leak and that the vessel's nuclear-tipped missiles were not on board.

The fire broke out on Thursday at an Arctic shipyard outside the northwestern Russian city of Murmansk where the submarine Yekaterinburg was in a dry-dock on a wooden scaffolding and then engulfed the sub's outer hull Russia's military said.

The blaze, which shot orange flames high into the air through the night, was put out but firefighters continued to spray the vessel with water to cool it down.

Russian state television earlier showed the rubber-coated hull of the submarine still smoldering, with firefighters gathering around it and some standing on top to douse it with water.

No radiation leak

"Nine people were slightly poisoned by toxic smoke, seven of them were military personnel, and two staff members of the Emergency Situations Agency as well," said state investigative committee spokesman Vladimir Markin.

An unspecified number of crew remained inside the submarine during the fire, a defence ministry spokesman said in a statement.

The spokesman said there was never any danger of the fire spreading inside the submarine and said the crew reported that the conditions on board remained normal.

There has been no radiation leak from the blaze, the defence and foreign ministries said, and Norway's Radiation Protection Authority across the border reported it had not measured any increased radioactivity.

The vessel's nuclear reactor had been shut down and its nuclear-tipped missiles and other weapons had been unloaded before repairs, it said.

Toxic fumes from the blaze had spread to the town of Roslyakovo where the shipyard is located, but officials said there was no need to evacuate local residents.

Until seconds before he plowed the bullet-shaped nose of his locomotive into the rear of another in an accident that killed him and 39 others, Pan Yiheng had no idea he was whizzing along occupied track.

The other train's driver, He Li, knew something was wrong because fail-safe systems had stopped his train, and he was busying himself getting it moving again.

Zhang Hua, the dispatcher coordinating both trains, was juggling at least eight others as well, some of them traveling through a storm of almost 50 lightning strikes per minute on a railway called the Harmony Express.

On the world's largest, fastest and most-modern high-speed railway, July 23 was a Saturday night marked by massive equipment failure that was made worse by incomplete emergency procedures, confused communications and numerous operational missteps, according to a government report on the incident.

The long-awaited report released late Wednesday on the website of China's State Administration of Work Safety provides previously undisclosed details of a train crash near the eastern Chinese city of Wenzhou that raised serious questions about China's high-speed rail ambitions and served as a metaphor for the nation's emphasis on growth. The accident underscored the growing power of China's Twitter-like microblogs, where the nation's voluble online community provided the first reports of the accident in a rural corner of the east-coast city and criticized the government response and lack of disclosure for weeks afterward.

China's online community continued its criticism on Thursday, saying the report put too much blame on officials already in custody over other matters.

The report lacks technical and systemic details that could shed more light on how the accident happened. It doesn't say specifically how a key railway signaling device could be knocked out by lightning, nor what lines of software code resulted in bungled messages being transmitted to train pilots. The report also fails to say whether the entire railway system is riddled with problems like those that caused July's accident, though it discusses how speedy building of the system made it unsafe.

Still, the report is extraordinary in terms of Chinese government disclosures. Over about 50 pages, it details widespread problems with manufacturers and officials. It includes a second-by-second reconstruction of events, including recorded dialogue the pilots and dispatcher.

It also names culprits, starting with the head of the Railway Ministry, Liu Zhijun, who had already been ousted on corruption charges, continuing down to a station technician named Zang Kai, who first noticed malfunctioning railway signals on the fateful night. Neither train driver is implicated in the accident, and the people named in the report couldn't be reached on Thursday for comment.

Around 7:30 p.m. local time, lightning strikes wreaked havoc with signals on a particular section of the Yongwen line north of Wenzhou South Railway station. When fuses burned out in a trackside LKD2-T1 signal assembly designed to carry messages between dispatchers and trains, no one noticed that it was transmitting a "green" signal that the track was open – in fact, the detection system was broken.

Mr. Zang, the station technician, quickly saw that signals on three other adjacent sections of the track – known as circuits – were malfunctioning. The fourth, flashing green, wasn't spotted as malfunctioning.

The first three malfunctions were quickly fixed, though engineers failed to let anyone know. That would set in motion a process where drivers would be instructed to use visual running procedures in these zones and override the electronics that make trains halt at any hint of problems.

At this point, both trains – Mr. He's D3115 from the eastern Chinese city of Hanghzou, and Mr. Pan's D301 – were sitting as scheduled on the same track to Wenzhou waiting for instructions to proceed.

Mr. He, piloting D3115 with 1,072 passengers, was then told by his dispatcher to enter the problematic track circuit zones but to proceed with caution. "If you come across red lights, switch to visual running procedures, and maintain speed below 20 kilometers per hour," he was told by the dispatcher, Mr. Zhang, according to the account.

Indeed, he soon entered the zone no one knew was a problem, where track-circuit problems triggered a fail-to-safe halt to his train. Mr. He tried to get going again by overriding the system, called an Automatic Train Protection, or ATP, but he couldn't immediately so was stuck on the track. Messages between Mr. He and dispatchers also couldn't go through, likely as a result of the faults that knocked out the LKD2-T1.

Around this time, the dispatcher Mr. Zhang saw empty track on his computers– the failed signal on the Yongwen line that was still broadcasting green – and instructed Mr. Pan's D301 from Beijing with 558 people aboard to set off.

The "green" zone was the last section of a series of track circuits around 15 kilometers long, each one of them designed to electronically detect whether a train is on the track. For trains running at 250 kilometers per hour, the line's designated top speed, passing this section would take less than four minutes, though due to the storm trains were running slower than that. The ATP is part of a multipart signaling system that includes track circuits that detect whether there is activity on a particular stretch of track – they don't see or sense other trains ahead like radar might.

After standing more than seven minutes in the zone that was falsely flashing green signals, Mr. He of D3115 managed to override his ATP's fail-safe and get it moving again about 8:29 p.m.. That action apparently made the train appear on the dispatcher's screen for the first time; the false green signal had made him all but invisible.

But it was immediately apparent to dispatchers that D301 was barreling into the zone.

"D301 please pay attention to your operation. Your zone has a train," a dispatcher barks. "There is D3115. Would you please pay attention to your operation? Now the equipment…."

The black box fails to record the full statement.

Under a half-minute later, D301 – traveling at 99 kilometers per hour and with emergency brakes applied – smashed into D3115, likely killing Mr. Pan first and setting off a major crisis on the world's largest high-speed railway.

–James T. Areddy and Yang Jie; follow Jim on Twitter @jamestareddy