When you think of a dog show, you may think that these dogs come from very polished lives – having quite possibly their own upscale bedrooms and being treated to the most expensive meals. But the opposite is true according to David Frei, who will narrate the annual Westminster Kennel Club Show that airs on USA and CNBC.
Of the 2,500 purebred dogs that will be competing, they really aren’t much different from the 10 or 20 dogs the average New Yorker passes every day on the street and in the neighborhood.
“The public sees that dog so disciplined in the show ring,” says Frei. “What they don’t see is that same dog outside rolling in the mud, or drooling, or shedding on your black pants.”
“That’s the real point we try to make on the telecast — that these may be champion dogs, but they’re still dogs. They’re pets, they’re members of families.”
The competition will air 8-9 p.m. today (Feb. 12) on USA, 9-11 p.m. (Feb. 12) on CNBC, and 8-11 p.m. Tuesday (Feb. 15) on USA.
Will you be watching the Westminster Dog Show?
The 2011 Budweiser Shootout lineup was set at the Budweiser Draw Party last night, outside the Daytona International Speedway Turn 4. While the fans were good sports about all of the drivers, there is no doubt that the NASCAR fan favorite drew the pole.
Fans went crazy when Dale Earnhardt Jr. peeled back the Bud label of his choice and revealed “POLE.” Host Kenny Wallace seemed as excited as the fans as he congratulated the 2004 Daytona 500 winner.
"Pretty easy," Earnhardt Jr. said to the press after his selection. "It's not much of a big deal. If you had your choice, that's where you'd want to start. But the race can be won from anywhere in the field, and it doesn't really change our strategy or make our situation any easier."
Driver selections are made by random for the Budweiser Shootout, as drivers choose bottles lined up in no particular order, down to the final #24 spot which was, coincidentally, the last bottle to be chosen on the night. The only driver not actually picking his own spot was driver Joey Logano who, at 20, is apparently too young for the alcohol-associated event. Rather, for the third-consecutive year, Logano was accompanied by Joe Gibbs #20 Home Depot Toyota crew chief Greg Zipadelli, who physically picked the bottle as Logano looked on and offered selection advice.
Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin and Kasey Kahne round out the top five for the night.
The 2011 Budweiser Shootout is set for tonight, Saturday, Feb. 12. The flag is scheduled to drop at 8 p.m. (ET). Fans can watch the race on FOX.
The full lineup of drivers is as follows:
Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian president, has resigned from his post, handing over power to the armed forces.
Omar Suleiman, the vice-president, announced in a televised address that the president was "waiving" his office, and had handed over authority to the Supreme Council of the armed forces.
Suleiman's short statement was received with a roar of approval and by celebratory chanting and flag-waving from a crowd of hundreds of thousands in Cairo's Tahrir Square, as well by pro-democracy campaigners who attended protests across the country on Friday.
The crowd in Tahrir chanted "We have brought down the regime", while many were seen crying, cheering and embracing one another.
Mohamed ElBaradei, an opposition leader, hailed the moment as being the "greatest day of my life", in comments to the Associated Press news agency.
"The country has been liberated after decades of repression,'' he said.
"Tonight, after all of these weeks of frustration, of violence, of intimidation ... today the people of Egypt undoubtedly [feel they] have been heard, not only by the president, but by people all around the world," our correspondent at Tahrir Square reported, following the announcement.
"The sense of euphoria is simply indescribable," our correspondent at Mubarak's Heliopolis presidential palace, where at least ten thousand pro-democracy activists had gathered, said.
"I have waited, I have worked all my adult life to see the power of the people come to the fore and show itself. I am speechless." Dina Magdi, a pro-democracy campaigner in Tahrir Square told Al Jazeera.
"The moment is not only about Mubarak stepping down, it is also about people's power to bring about the change that no-one ... thought possible."
In Alexandria, Egypt's second city, our correspondent described an "explosion of emotion". He said that hundreds of thousands were celebrating in the streets.
Pro-democracy activists in the Egyptian capital and elsewhere had earlier marched on presidential palaces, state television buildings and other government installations on Friday, the 18th consecutive day of protests. Anger at state television
At the state television building earlier in the day, thousands had blocked people from entering or leaving, accusing the broadcaster of supporting the current government and of not truthfully reporting on the protests.
"The military has stood aside and people are flooding through [a gap where barbed wire has been moved aside]," Al Jazeera's correspondent at the state television building reported.
He said that "a lot of anger [was] generated" after Mubarak's speech last night, where he repeated his vow to complete his term as president. 'Gaining momentum'
Outside the palace in Heliopolis, where at least ten thousand protesters had gathered in Cairo, another Al Jazeera correspondent reported that there was a strong military presence, but that there was "no indication that the military want[ed] to crack down on protesters".
Click here for more of Al Jazeera's special coverage
She said that army officers had engaged in dialogue with protesters, and that remarks had been largely "friendly".
Tanks and military personnel had been deployed to bolster barricades around the palace.
Our correspondent said the crowd in Heliopolis was "gaining momentum by the moment", and that the crowd had gone into a frenzy when two helicopters were seen in the air around the palace grounds.
"By all accounts this is a highly civilised gathering. people are separated from the palace by merely a barbed wire ... but nobody has even attempted to cross that wire," she said.
As crowds grew outside the palace, Mubarak left Cairo on Friday for the Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Shaikh, according to sources who spoke to Al Jazeera.
In Tahrir Square, hundreds of thousands of protesters gathered, chanting slogans against Mubarak and calling for the military to join them in their demands.
Our correspondent at the square said the "masses" of pro-democracy campaigners there appeared to have "clear resolution" and "bigger resolve" to achieve their goals than ever before.
However, he also said that protesters were "confused by mixed messages" coming from the army, which has at times told them that their demands will be met, yet in communiques and other statements supported Mubarak's staying in power until at least September. Army statement
In a statement read out on state television at midday on Friday, the military announced that it would lift a 30-year-oldemergency law but only "as soon as the current circumstances end".
IN VIDEO
Thousands are laying siege to state television's office
The military said it would also guarantee changes to the constitution as well as a free and fair election, and it called for normal business activity to resume.
Al Jazeera's correspondent in Tahrir Square said people there were hugely disappointed with that army statement, and had vowed to take the protests to "a last and final stage".
"They're frustrated, they're angry, and they say protests need to go beyond Liberation [Tahrir] Square, to the doorstep of political institutions," she said.
Protest organisers have called for 20 million people to come out on "Farewell Friday" in a final attempt to force Mubarak to step down. Alexandria protests
Hossam El Hamalawy, a pro-democracy organiser and member of the Socialist Studies Centre, said protesters were heading towards the presidential palace from multiple directions, calling on the army to side with them and remove Mubarak.
"People are extremely angry after yesterday's speech," he told Al Jazeera. "Anything can happen at the moment. There is self-restraint all over but at the same time I honestly can't tell you what the next step will be ... At this time, we don't trust them [the army commanders] at all."
An Al Jazeera reporter overlooking Tahrir said the side streets leading into the square were filling up with crowds.
"It's an incredible scene. From what I can judge, there are more people here today than yesterday night," she said.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters havehered
in the port city of Alexandria [AFP]
"The military has not gone into the square except some top commanders, one asking people to go home ... I don't see any kind of tensions between the people and the army but all of this might change very soon if the army is seen as not being on the side of the people."
Hundreds of thousands were participating in Friday prayers outside a mosque in downtown Alexandria, Egypt's second biggest city.
Thousands of pro-democracy campaigners also gathered outside a presidential palace in Alexandria.
Egyptian television reported that large angry crowds were heading from Giza, adjacent to Cairo, towards Tahrir Square and some would march on the presidential palace.
Protests are also being held in the cities of Mansoura, Mahala, Tanta, Ismailia, and Suez, with thousands in attendance.
Thousands of police in riot gear were in position in the centre of the Algerian capital to stop a planned pro-democracy demonstration that could mimic the uprising which forced out Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.
Officials have banned Saturday's opposition march in Algiers, setting the stage for possible clashes between police and demonstrators.
Protesters are demanding greater democratic freedoms, a change of government, and more jobs. The demonstration was set to begin at 11:00 am (1000 GMT).
"We are ready for the march," said Mohsen Belabes, a spokesman for the Rally for Culture and Democracy (RCD) opposition party, which is one of the organisers of the protest. "It's going to be a great day for democracy in Algeria."
Mubarak's resignation on Friday, and last month's overthrow of Tunisian leader, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, have electrified the Arab world.
Many are left wondering which country could be next in a region where a flammable mix of authoritarian rule and popular anger are the norm. Police on alert
Said Sadi, head of the RCD, said earlier that he expected around 10,000 police officers were coming in to reinforce the 20,000 that blocked the last demonstration staged on January 22, when five people were killed and more than 800 hurt.
A heavy police presence is routine in Algeria to counter the threat of attacks by al Qaeda insurgents.
At May 1 Square, the starting point for the planned march, at least 15 police vans, jeeps and buses were lined up. A similar number were in a nearby side-street outside the city's Mustapha hospital.
At several road junctions, the police had parked small military-style armoured vehicles which are rarely seen in the city. Police standing outside a fuel station about 2 km from the square were wearing anti-riot body armour.
The latest rally is being organised by the National Co-ordination for Change and Democracy (CNCD), a three-week-old umbrella group of opposition parties, civil society movements and unofficial unions inspired by the mass protests in Tunisia and Egypt.
Demonstrators in the oil-rich nation have been protesting over the last few months against unemployment, high food costs, poor housing and corruption - similar issues that fuelled uprisings in other north African nations.
Earlier this month, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Algeria's president, said he would lift emergency powers, address unemployment and allow democratic marches to take place in the country, in a bid to stave off unrest. Wider implications
Widespread unrest in Algeria could have implications for the world economy because it is a major oil and gas exporter, but many analysts say an Egypt-style revolt is unlikely because the government can use its energy wealth to placate most grievances.
Meanwhile, in a statement, rights group Amnesty International said "Algerians must be allowed to express themselves freely and hold peaceful protests in Algiers and elsewhere".
"We urge the Algerian authorities not to respond to these demands by using excessive force."
The government said it refused permission for the rally for public order reasons, not because it is trying to stifle dissent. It said it is working hard to create jobs, build new homes and improve public services.
Other Arab countries have also felt the ripples from the revolts in Egypt and Tunisia.
Jordan's King Abdullah replaced his prime minister after protests.
In Yemen, President Ali Abdullah Saleh promised opponents he would not seek a new term.
The Bahraini government has also made several concessions in recent weeks, including promising higher social spending. Activists there have called for protests on February 14, the tenth anniversary of Bahrain's constitution.
Michael Rosenbaum will reprise his role as Lex Luthor for the series finale of Smallville, TVGuide.com has confirmed.
"I'm delighted to return for the series finale," Rosenbaum said in a statement. "I'm simply doing it for all of the fans out there who made Smallville the great success it is. I appreciate all of their passion, their relentlessness, and even their threats. Ha ha." Smallville flies off with a two-hour series finale
A huge topic of speculation and fan fodder, Rosenbaum's return comes as a sigh of relief for the Smallville diehards, who hoped he would honor the fans' wishes and come back to the series one last time.
As for how Lex Luthor will return in the two-hour season finale, airing May 13, executive producers Brian Peterson and Kelly Souders say, "There'll be no doubt about how Lex becomes the great rival in Clark Kent's life. He is the villain of the story." Smallville's Erica Durance: Lois Lane finds her place among the superheroes
Though a Lex Luthor has appeared on the series in the tenth and final season as a clone, Rosenbaum hasn't been seen on Smallville since the Season 7 finale. He'll next appear in the Fox comedy Breaking In.
TVLine.com first reported the news.
We all know where this is going: Professor X and Magneto will one day be the deepest enemies. How they get to that point is the story told in "X-Men: First Class," and if the first trailer is any indication, how they get there is going to be totally badass.This is an origin tale, after all, as the trailer makes clear. The footage begins with an appropriately edgy, slow-building score in the background, then a shot of Professor X's office, with his empty wheelchair in the foreground. The words "Before he was Professor X" appear over a shot of what looks like Patrick Stewart as X, hooked up to Cerebro, then, continuing the first phrase, the words "He was Charles" are shown over a shot of James McAvoy as our young Chuck Xavier.The next sequence opens with "Before he was Magneto" over shots from previous "X-Men" films and Ian McKellan wearing the famous helmet and cape, then "He was Erik" over a clip of serious/brooding Michael Fassbender as young Erik Lehnsherr.Cut to Marvel's recognizable movie insignia, the shuffling comic book pages with the logo, followed by McAvoy's Xavier and Fassbender's Lehnsherr walking together in a prison. The next clip shows the famous "School for the Gifted," with the words of JFK speaking to the Cuban Missile Crisis in the background and the rest of the cast/X-Men crowded around the television listening to Kennedy's televised address. Next up we get brief character intros, with JFK's words — "The cost of freedom is always high" — still echoing in voice-over as Emma Frost (January Jones), Angel Salvadore (Zoe Kravitz), Hank McCoy/Beast (Nicholas Hoult), Alex Summers/Havok (Lucas Till), Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne) and saucy shape-shifter Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) all flash in succession onscreen.The last half of the 1:51 spot kicks up the action, with shots of fighter jets (Beast in the cockpit!), missiles launching, young mutants learning how to use their powers to fight and Lehnsherr taking hold of the famous helmet and stepping into the black-and-red suit of Magneto, followed by stern words from Xavier."Listen to me very carefully, my friend," Xavier says to Lehnsherr/Magneto. "Killing will not bring you peace.""Peace was never an option," he responds, which is followed by quick teases of some of the big action scenes, including one where Lehnsherr is pulling a submarine out of the water and into the air.The last thing we see is a revamped and slightly imposing logo for "Xavier's School for the Gifted Youngsters," First Class, followed by the June 3 release date.Check out everything we've got on "X-Men: First Class."
Neroli Roocke's home was all but swallowed with the raging Brisbane River when it was in full flood. Here she tells her story.
What a shock to realise it's been a month since dirty, brown water invaded my home and I learned to see my city in a new light.
As neighbours scrambled to move antiques, plasma TVs and cars - my family waded away from our house on a Tuesday afternoon with five chickens in a box, a terrified terrier, three mice, a shouting budgie and a complaining cat.
The decision to go when we did was sound. Within an hour we'd have needed a boat to cross the road and Noah's Ark wasn't available.
The next day we accepted a lift in a tinnie to get back inside our house. With water to our knees upstairs we lifted books, instruments and keepsakes to higher shelves.
While the Brisbane River raged and roared less than a kilometre away, in my street the water was a quiet, almost stealthy, invader. It reached a peak of about 4 metres across my garden. It was chest deep in our bedrooms and kitchen but up to my neighbour's gutters.
We stayed in the home of a friend and turned off the television.
Getting back inside our house on the Saturday morning was a struggle. The back door had warped and had to be wrenched and it then took 45 minutes for us to pick our way through to the front door.
Things don't just get wet in a flood, they float and whirl around and land in all sorts of places. Not only little things move, things like fridges, beds, cupboards and sofa cushions end up all over the place coated in thick, slimy and smelly mud.
But into the mud and the mess and the shock came the angels. These are the friends, relatives and the complete strangers who helped us face and begin the task of sorting and clearing.
Soldiers carried my piano and my sofas to the street; a woman I'd never seen before and haven't seen since cheerfully emptied the putrid fridge; a neighbour's friends emptied my wardrobes and a team of more than 80 men shovelled the collapsed walls and ceilings out from downstairs.
The middle of my street looked like landfill but, in a surreal way, a carnival atmosphere developed. A band played, sausages sizzled, people offered drinks, brooms, cupcakes and hugs.
Since that weekend the shell of my home has dried slowly and it awaits a team of builders.
Women who were hit by the storms in The Gap several years ago have washed our clothes, passing on the care they accepted when they were in trouble.
I have learned it's good to cry with your neighbours, that complete strangers are happy to get filthy and weary helping you with an enormous mess, that you can fit five chickens in a cat box if you squash them a bit and that blue tongue lizards know how to keep safe from the water and find their way back your garden.
I have also learned to never under-estimate water in Queensland.
The next time someone I meet on a trip to rural Queensland tells me they couldn't live in big city because no one cares and no one knows anyone I'll set them straight. I live in Brisbane and it's a city of mud and angels
