And the Box Office Champions this week are...

Yup! there are two champions this week!

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – In a rare tie, reigning champ "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and the new cartoon "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" shared the top spot at the holiday weekend box office in North America.
According to studio estimates issued Sunday, the movies each sold about $42.5 million worth of tickets during the three-day U.S. Independence Day holiday weekend.
But "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs," the third movie in 20th Century Fox's family franchise, was clearly the top pick on a worldwide basis. It earned $148 million from 101 foreign markets, which the News Corp-owned studio said was the sixth-biggest opening overall.
Including its North American tally of $67.5 million since opening Wednesday, the global total stands at $215.5 million.
Paramount's "Transformers" sequel earned $55 million from 62 markets during its second weekend, taking the foreign haul to $298 million. The global total stands at $591 million, taking the robot sequel past Columbia Pictures' "Angels & Demons" ($474 million) to become the biggest film of the year.
In North America, the lucrative summer season is 5 percent ahead of last year's record-setting haul in terms of ticket sales with $2.3 billion banked so far, said industry analyst Paul Dergarabedian, president of Hollywood.com Box-Office. But he doubted the number of tickets sold (currently 319 million) would exceed the modern record of 653 million set in 2002.
He said it appeared to be unprecedented for two films to be tied, but noted that an eventual victor will be determined on Monday, when the studios release their final data.
Johnny Depp's gangster saga "Public Enemies" got off to a strong start at No. 3 with $26.2 million, a rare adult-oriented drama in a summer field dominated by effects-driven action movies. As with "Ice Age," Universal Pictures' $100 million release opened Wednesday to get a foothold ahead of holiday distractions. Its five-day total stands at $41 million.
Both Fox and Universal declared themselves thrilled with the initial results. Comparisons with the first two "Ice Age" movies, released in 2002 and 2006, are difficult because they came out on Fridays in March. They eventually earned $176 million and $195 million domestically, respectively. The new film cost $90 million to make, said Fox.
Some question marks did surround director Michael Mann's "Public Enemies," in which Depp plays Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger, because moviegoers have opted for fantasy over serious dramas in recent months.
"Good news for people who like films about grown-ups. The genre is not dead," said Adam Fogelson, Universal's president of marketing and distribution.
"Transformers" has earned $293 million after 12 days of release in the United States and Canada, about $100 million more than its 2007 predecessor had earned in the same period. The sequel also surpassed Paramount's "Star Trek" ($250 million) to become the biggest movie of the year in the markets.
Paramount is a unit of Viacom Inc. Universal is a unit of General Electric Co's NBC Universal.

Careful with soccer players! They are a sensitive bunch!

Next time you cal a player that he sucks or he's lousy...be careful or this might happen to you.

BOGOTA (Reuters) – A Colombian soccer player shot and killed a fan for calling him "lousy" on Sunday, days after the player's
team lost a local championship, police said.
Javier Florez, a midfielder for the Atletico Junior team of the Caribbean city Barranquilla, ran from the scene of the shooting but soon turned himself in to authorities.
Witnesses told police Florez shot Israel Castillo with a handgun after the 27-year-old electrician called him a "maleta" -- which in Colombian parlance describes a "lousy" player.
Atletico Junior lost the Apertura Championship final to a team called Once Caldas late last month.
The shooting recalled the case of Andres Escobar, a defender on Colombia's national team who was gunned down after a poor performance in the 1994 World Cup, which was played in the United States.
(Reporting by Hugh Bronstein; Editing by John O'Callaghan)

People in Colombia are very passionate about their "Futbol".

A game show that tries to convert non-theists!

Religions must be desperate! After wrecking the world with their belief in a invisible man, now they want to dominate the world by trying to convert the people with the biggest philosophy in the world; Atheism! Read on and laugh!

By Daren Butler

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - What happens when you put a Muslim imam, a Christian priest, a rabbi and a Buddhist monk in a room with 10 atheists?

Turkish television station Kanal T hopes the answer is a ratings success as it prepares to launch a gameshow where spiritual guides from the four faiths will seek to convert a group of non-believers.

The prize for converts will be a pilgrimage to a holy site of their chosen religion -- Mecca for Muslims, the Vatican for Christians, Jerusalem for Jews and Tibet for Buddhists.

But religious authorities in Muslim but secular Turkey are not amused by the twist on the popular reality game show format and the Religious Affairs Directorate is refusing to provide an imam for the show.

"Doing something like this for the sake of ratings is disrespectful to all religions. Religion should not be a subject for entertainment programs," High Board of Religious Affairs Chairman Hamza Aktan told state news agency Anatolian after news of the planned program emerged.

The makers of "Penitents Compete" are unrepentant and reject claims that the show, scheduled to begin broadcasting in September, will cheapen religion.

"We are giving the biggest prize in the world, the gift of belief in God," Kanal T chief executive Seyhan Soylu told Reuters.

"We don't approve of anyone being an atheist. God is great and it doesn't matter which religion you believe in. The important thing is to believe," Soylu said.

The project focuses attention on the issue of religious identity in European Union-candidate Turkey, where rights groups have raised concerns over freedom of religion for non-Muslim minorities.

Detractors of the ruling AK Party government, which is rooted in political Islam but officially secular, accuse it of having a hidden Islamist agenda, a charge it denies.

Some 200 people have so far applied to take part in the show and the 10 contestants will be chosen next month.

A team of theologians will ensure that the atheists are truly non-believers and are not just seeking fame or a free holiday.

This reminds me of something Benjamin Franklin once said.."Lighthouses are more helpful than churches".

Enough said!

Sarah Palin has resigned. The question is why?

Sarah "I can see Russia from my house" Palin has resigned as governor of Alaska. Surprise! Well not exactly...
Read on.

By RACHEL D'ORO, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 8 mins ago
WASILLA, Alaska – Even for a nonconformist, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has defied political logic with her sudden, stunning announcement to leave office more than a year early.
Supporters and critics alike say the former GOP vice presidential candidate's resignation, announced Friday afternoon and effective July 26, is an inexplicable move for a high profile Republican widely seen as a contender for a White House run in 2012. A half-term governor campaigning for president?
"If she is thinking that leaving her term 16 months early is going to help her prepare to maybe go on to bigger and better things on the political stage, I think she's sadly mistaken. You just can't quit," said Andrew Halcro, a Palin critic who lost the 2006 gubernatorial race to her.
Palin's abrupt announcement Friday rattled the Republican Party but left open the possibility of a presidential run. She and her staff are keeping mum on her future plans.
Palin's spokesman, David Murrow, said the governor didn't say anything to him about this being her "political finale."
"She's looking forward to serving the public outside the governor's chair," he said.
And Pam Pryor, a spokeswoman for Palin's political action committee, said the group continues to accept donations on its Web site, which saw an uptick in contributions Friday afternoon.
The announcement caught even current and former Palin advisers by surprise. Former members of Sen. John McCain's 2008 presidential campaign team, now dispersed across the country, traded perplexed e-mails and phone calls about the vice presidential nominee's decision to step down.
In a hastily arranged news conference at her home in Wasilla, a suburb of Anchorage, Palin said she had decided against running for re-election as Alaska's governor, and believed it was best to leave office even though she had 1.5 years left to her term. Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell will take her place.
"Many just accept that lame duck status, and they hit that road," Palin said. "They draw a paycheck. They kind of milk it. And I'm not going to put Alaskans through that."
Palin has proven formidable among the party's base. But the last week brought a highly critical piece in Vanity Fair magazine, with unnamed campaign aides questioning if Palin was really prepared for the presidency.
The backbiting continued with follow-up articles elsewhere recounting the nasty infighting that plagued her failed bid. Her advisers sniped with other Republicans, underscoring the deeply divided GOP looking for its next standard bearer.
Meghan Stapleton, Palin's personal spokeswoman, shot down speculation that ranged wildly from Palin dropping out of politics altogether to eyeing runs against fellow Alaska Republicans Rep. Don Young and Sen. Lisa Murkowski. Palin's comment about serving outside government refers to the present, she said.
Stapleton, however, said it's too early to say whether Palin would seek the presidency. In the meantime, the governor will continue to work to bring "positive change as a citizen without a title right now," she said.
"Her vision is what's best for Alaska, which translates into what's best for America," Stapleton said.
Murkowski, whose father was the governor when he lost to Palin in the 2006 Republican primary, was dismissive of the announcement.
"I am deeply disappointed that the governor has decided to abandon the state and her constituents before her term has concluded," she said in a one-sentence statement.
At the news conference, Palin alluded to how she could help change the country and help military members — an indication that she didn't think her time on the national stage was over.
On her Twitter page Friday evening, Palin wrote that she was remembering America's service members on the eve of Fourth of July.
"Thinking of our vets who kept us free & our troops keeping us free today: THANK YOU!" she wrote on the social-networking Web site.
Palin's decision not to seek re-election is a familiar one for those considering a presidential campaign. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney chose not to seek another term as he geared up for an unsuccessful 2008 presidential bid. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has announced he won't seek another term, giving him plenty of free time ahead of a potential 2012 bid. But Romney completed his term and Pawlenty plans to finish his.
Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, said the announcement left many confused. "I think it eliminates her from serious consideration for the presidency in 2012," he said.
Palin, 45, also has the potential to make far more money in the private sector than the $125,000 or so she has been making as governor. She already had a deal with publisher HarperCollins to produce her memoirs, with publication planned for next spring. Terms of the deal have not been disclosed. Six-figure book deals are common for high-profile political figures.
Palin emerged from relative obscurity nearly a year ago when she was tapped as then Republican presidential candidate McCain's running mate.
She was a controversial figure from the start and soon became the butt of talk-show jokes. Comedian Tina Fey famously imitated her elaborate updo and folksy "You betcha!" on "Saturday Night Live."
In Alaska, she saw her popularity wane this year after returning from the presidential campaign. She's become a polarizing figure, and multiple ethics complaints have been filed against her with the state personnel board.
All but two of the 15 complaints have been dismissed with no findings of wrongdoing, although one complaint led to Palin's agreement to reimburse the state about $8,100 for costs associated with trips taken with her children. The state says it has spent nearly $300,000 to investigate the complaints, and Palin says she has racked up more than $500,000 in legal fees fighting them.

I think it's all David Letterman's fault!

New Boricuas Beyond video!

Thanks to my friend Wewex, Guelo and Chizo for their very funny animations

It's confirmed! David Carradine's death ruled "Accidental Asphyxiation"

It was concluded that the cause of David Carradine's death several weeks ago was due to "accidental asphyxiation", or the inability to breathe.

The medical examiner stated he was certain of his findings, but admitted they still had not figure out why: "[W]hy that happened is still what we're working on."

However, Dr. Michael Baden knows he can rule out suicide as the cause of Carradine's death.

"He didn't die of natural causes, and he didn't die of suicidal causes from the nature of the ligatures around the body, so that leaves some kind of accidental death," says the doc.

Though the doctors findings did rule out suicide, they do not rule out the possibility that the asphyxiation could have been "auto erotic", or brought on by sexual activity.

We're sure, for the family, on some level, it's nice to have some more information on his passing and know that he didn't take his own life.

Still...it's kinda of stupid to die that way.

The new Air New Zeland in-flight safety video, The Bare Essentials!

Yup, those Kiwis can grab your attention! If you're like me, we barely listen or look at the in-flight safety briefing the crew gives you before take-off. Well Air New Zealand took it one step further.

Just before take off, they play this video on the cabin. It's called "The Bare essentials of flight safety" It features a group of crewmembers of the airline explaing the safety procedures, naked except for body paint of their uniforms.

We here at the Les'Shyerar Laboratories and Fried Chicken Shack, we have obtained a copy of the video for your viewing pleasure, being the cheeky bastards that we are. Don't worry, the video is safe for work.

Enjoy and fasten those seat belts!