VIDEO: Alexis Grace Speaks Out about Her Too-Soon Sendoff

Alexis Grace, in all of her 4-foot-11, 98-lb. glory, came by the TVGuide.com offices this week to reflect on her run on American Idol, which many believe ended too soon.

We presented Alexis with the TVGuide.com poll in which 89 percent of the voters agree that a singer lobbying for the Judges' Save should be able to encore any past performance, rather than their most recent one. Impressed by the consensus, Alexis says, "It makes a strong point ... [though] there are arguments to be made for both sides."

In this video sit-down, Alexis also touches on these topics:

• Why she is particularly bummed about not making the cut for Idol's summer tour.

• Her plan to go "Dancing" during Motown week.

• Her favorite song by Pink, whom she has called her "dream duet."

Analyzing Idol: Who Got Knocked Down by Motown?

Throughout American Idol's final weeks, as each sing-off signs off, TVGuide.com will be checking in with TV Guide Network hosts/Idol alums Kimberly Caldwell and Justin Guarini for their particularly qualified take on who soared, who stumbled, and which judge's review most rang true.

This week, Caldwell shares her thoughts on whose star went up and whose went down as they sang Motown. Plus: Did Simon cross a line this week?

TVGuide.com: Who were you most excited for going into Motown night? And who were you most excited for by the end?
Caldwell: I was the most excited for Lil Rounds, obviously. This was really set up to be her week. But I came away most impressed by Adam Lambert. I was very surprised by his sleek look and polished performance.

TVGuide.com: If Adam had walked by you on the street last night, would you have recognized him? Because I would not have.
Caldwell: I definitely would have taken a second look because he looked so stunningly handsome. I really like that he is such a chameleon and so versatile.

TVGuide.com: Having been christened a "star," what should Adam now be cautious of?
Caldwell: Being such a front-runner from the beginning can sometimes hurt you in this competition, but I think that in Adam's case, he has really given us something new and fresh every week. So I say the best thing Adam can do is not be cautious.

TVGuide.com: The judges called Megan Joy an "atrocious," "mad-crazy" "train wreck" who is now "in trouble." Do you concur that she in fact struggled the most out of the Top 10?
Caldwell: I think Megan has a lot of raw talent and that she just had an off week. With a little tweaking and polishing, she could be back in the game.

TVGuide.com: What potential do you see in Megan?
Caldwell: She's very fresh and modern and has that whole Duffy/Amy Winehouse energy. It's worked out for them, so, "Go Megan!"

TVGuide.com: What would be your best advice to Anoop moving forward, assuming he may have hit a ceiling?
Caldwell: When we first saw Anoop, he was on fire. So I really think he just needs to get that spark back in his eye. And when he's on that stage, he needs to soak up the moment and realize this is his time to shine.

TVGuide.com: Michael Sarver was told by Simon that he has "no chance of winning." What does a singer do with that moving forward?
Caldwell: Even though everybody comes to win Idol, it's been proven over and over again that if you represent yourself as the artist you want to be while you're on the show and really take advantage of all the opportunities afterward, winning is not a necessity. But I think Michael is really relatable and likable; he definitely still has a shot.

TVGuide.com: Take a moment here to rave freely about the 17-year-old powerhouse that is Allison Iraheta.
Caldwell: She is flawless. What a superstar! Every performer should aspire to have her comfort level and star power on stage. She is a true pro.

TVGuide.com: Lastly, do you suspect Simon had hell to pay, after the cameras stopped rolling, having doodled with marker on Paula's lip?
Caldwell: I think we all get a kick out of the banter between Simon and Paula every show, however this really took it over the top. But I'm sure in that studio, Simon can do no wrong. Chalk it up to good TV!

GDC 09: 'Modern Warfare 2' set to deploy

Developer Infinity Ward announced the Nov. 10, 2009 (11.10.09) arrival date of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 at the end of the Game Developers Conference awards ceremony Wednesday night with its first teaser trailer for a game ever.

The shadowy footage reveals an apparent attack on civilians by suspected Russian terrorists. The trailer can be seen on Infinity Ward's site at http://modernwarfare2.infinityward.com/.

Enthusiasts who want to break down the footage can click an "Analyze" button to freeze images and share their findings on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks."These are hints about what the game will be," says chief technology officer Jason West. "We're giving them (fans) tools to talk about it."

The developer's Robert Bowling has a Modern Warfare 2 twitter feed that has grown to more than 11,000 followers (information at http://www.fourzerotwo.com/) . It was used last month to illicit advice about game features that fans were interested in.

What do you think the teaser trailer means about Modern Warfare 2?

Is Jennifer Hudson Returning to the Idol Stage? American Idol

The already lucky few (hundred) who have tickets to this Thursday's American Idol taping may get even luckier.

Although Fox isn't confirming anything, MJsBigBlog.com (a regular read for the Idol-obsessed) reports that Jennifer Hudson, one of the competition's most successful alumni, is secretly taping a performance this week, to air sometime later in the season.

If that's true, this would mark Hudson's first Idol visit since the October 2008 murders of her mother, brother and nephew. Hudson's very first public performance following that family tragedy came at this year's Super Bowl, where she served up the National Anthem.

Officially set to perform on Idol's next results show — which this week airs on Thursday, due to President Obama's Tuesday-night press conference — are Season 2 champ Ruben Studdard and Smokey Robinson, the guest mentor for this week's Motown theme. According to MJs, once the cameras stop rolling at 9 pm/ET, Hudson will tape her performance of a song off her Grammy-winning, self-titled debut album.

The already lucky few (hundred) who have tickets to this Thursday's American Idol taping may get even luckier.

Although Fox isn't confirming anything, MJsBigBlog.com (a regular read for the Idol-obsessed) reports that Jennifer Hudson, one of the competition's most successful alumni, is secretly taping a performance this week, to air sometime later in the season.

If that's true, this would mark Hudson's first Idol visit since the October 2008 murders of her mother, brother and nephew. Hudson's very first public performance following that family tragedy came at this year's Super Bowl, where she served up the National Anthem.

Officially set to perform on Idol's next results show — which this week airs on Thursday, due to President Obama's Tuesday-night press conference — are Season 2 champ Ruben Studdard and Smokey Robinson, the guest mentor for this week's Motown theme. According to MJs, once the cameras stop rolling at 9 pm/ET, Hudson will tape her performance of a song off her Grammy-winning, self-titled debut album.

Oliphant Israel-Gaza cartoon called 'hideously anti-Semitic'

The latest cartoon by the most widely syndicated political cartoonist in the world has raised the ire of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which is dedicated to fighting anti-Semitism.

The ADL's director called the syndicated cartoon, published Wednesday and reprinted below, "hideously anti-Semitic."

"Pat Oliphant's outlandish and offensive use of the Star of David in combination with Nazi-like imagery is hideously anti-Semitic," Abraham Foxman said in a statement released Wednesday. "It employs Nazi imagery by portraying Israel as a jack-booted, goose-stepping headless apparition. The implication is of an Israeli policy without a head or a heart."

As of late Wednesday, Oliphant had not responded publicly to the ADL's criticism of the cartoon.



Israel in late December launched a three-week offensive in Gaza which left over 1,300 Palestinians dead and countless of homes destroyed. The offensive was a retaliation for Palestine rocket attacks on Israeli territory. Rocket attacks from Gaza and Israeli military responses have occurred sporadically since the end of the offensive.

On Monday, a United Nations expert called called for a probe to assess if the Israeli forces could differentiate between civilian and military targets in Gaza. A U.S. State Department spokesman called that official's views "biased."

The cartoon by the Pulitzer-prize winning Australian native was published by the Washington Post, Slate, and Yahoo! News, among other publications and websites.

Oliphant, who has published 20 books collecting his drawings, is no stranger to controversy, having once said that political correctness "drives me crazy." His cartoons upset the Asian American Journalists Association in 2001 and American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee in 2005.

But while Oliphant's work has made him enemies, it has also won him accolades: He has won the National Cartoonist Society Editorial Cartoon Award, along with a Pulitzer.

Oliphant's cartoon comes barely one month after a New York Post cartoon depicting a dead chimp triggered protests. Protesters believed the chimp represented President Barack Obama and demanded the newspaper be shut down. Post Publisher Rupert Murdoch later apologized for the cartoon.

Ugadi Greetings | Telugu New Year 2009 Greetings

We are giving you the Sources below for Telugu New Year 2009 Ugadi Greetings and Ugadi SMS

Before that, What is Ugadi?

Ugadi marks the beginning of a new Hindu lunar calendar with a change in the moon’s orbit. It is a day when mantras are chanted and predictions made for the new year.

Traditionally, the panchangasravanam or listening to the yearly calendar was done at the temples or at the Town square but with the onset of modern technology, one can get to hear the priest-scholar on television sets right in one’s living room.

Links to Ugadi Greeting Cards and Ugadi SMS:

Telugu Ugadi Greeting Cards from Telugu-Greetings.com

Ugadi festival greetings from VGreets.com

Send Free Ugadi SMS from VGreets.com

Ugadi wishes Greeting Cards from DGreetings.com

Ugadi online Panchangam Calculator Click here

Ugadi Greeting Cards from 123Greetings.com

A must send Greeting card about Ugadi Pachadi from 123greetings.com

Get your tickets for the White House Easter Egg Roll online

President Jimmy Carter with grandson Jason, 2, on his shoulders daughter Amy and Mrs. Rosalyn Carter arrive for the annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on Monday, April 11, 1977. (AP PHOTO)

Want to join Michelle and Barack and the kids on the South Lawn of the White House for the annual White House Easter Egg Roll on April 13?

This year, for the first time, you can get free tickets online -- starting Thursday morning.

In previous years, you had to go to Washington, D.C., the weekend before the event. Now, all you have to do is go to www.whitehouse.gov/eastereggroll and sign up.

No word on how many tickets will be available.


The theme of the 131st event is "Let's go play," encouraging America's youth to lead healthy and active lives.

The event, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., is open to children 10 and younger, along with their families.

Dating to 1878, the Easter egg roll has children using spoons to roll hard-boiled eggs across the lawn.

Activities this year will also includes sports, cooking classes, musical performances and storytelling.

A maximum of six tickets will be issued per order, and there may be no more than two adults per group.

For more information, call 202-456-7041.

How to: Get to the White House for tours and Easter Egg Roll

Parents have been given an extroardinary opportunity that was previously unavailable under the Bush administration: obtaining Easter Egg Roll tickets online. Parents of years past have been forced to line up outside downtown to secure tickets, limiting attendance to local families able to miss work.

The new ticketing policy forces new questions to arise: will tickets be scalped for high prices? Will out of towners get tickets but fail to show? And that's where I come in, townies and tourists! Tickets are on sale today (probably right now—the time was undisclosed at press time) and I want you to know how easy it is get get to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

But before we continue I need you to understand one thing. You. Can. Not. Drive. to the White. House. Though our new President's administration is savvy to new media, the security-based policies yore remain: you can not drive to the front door, or in this case, the South Lawn, of the White House. Not even on April 13, 2009 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Here are some tips:

* Take Metro
* Allow at least one hour to get there
* Account for little legs, and later, tired legs, on the pedestrian leg of your journey
* The nearest Smart Bike station is Metro Center

The White House advises Metro Center (Red, Orange, and Blue Line) or Farragut West, Federal Triangle, and McPherson Square, all sharing the blue and orange lines. It's a walk to any of these stops, but it's doable provided all in the party are in good health. The walking distance from Metro Center, which WMATA reccommends and is marginally closer, are as follows:

GunBroker.com Closes Financing with Bank of America and Triton Value Partners

GunBroker.com the world's largest online auction site and community for firearms, accessories and hunting supplies, today announced it has closed $7 million in debt financing with Bank of America. The transaction was arranged by Triton Value Partners, an Atlanta based business advisory and private equity firm.

The new financing, which is comprised of a three-year term loan and a revolving credit facility, is the first permanent outside capital ever secured by GunBroker.com in its 10-year history. GunBroker.com, founded in 1999 by Atlanta entrepreneur Steve Urvan, had previously used founder’s capital and internally generated funds to become amongst the top 5 most-visited auction sites on the Internet.

The new capital will be used to provide additional liquidity for GunBroker.com to continue expanding its technology platform, pursue value added services and content for its large growing community, and explore new business opportunities which leverage its core assets. Triton Value partners acted as both the deal Arranger and Advisor to GunBroker.com on the transaction.

“In these difficult economic times it was a pleasure to expand our current relationship with Bank of America, who already provides a variety of cash and credit card services to GunBroker.com, to a new level of partnership” said Urvan who serves as GunBroker Chairman and CEO “We look forward to our continued strategic alliance with Bank of America and Triton Value Partners as my financial team to help drive the growth of the GunBroker.com businesses in the coming years.”

Paul H. Freischlag, Jr., Managing Director of Triton Value Partners commented “It was a privilege to bring together two of our closest strategic relationships, GunBroker.com and Bank of America, to construct a forward thinking financial transaction that speaks to the quality and vision of all parties involved. Notwithstanding much of the dire stories we see every day in the media, we firmly believe there is always capital available for solid companies from quality financial institutions to fund well conceived growth plans.”

About GunBroker.com

GunBroker.com is the world's largest online auction of firearms and accessories. According to HitWise, GunBroker.com is among the top 3 most-visited auction sites on the Internet and Quantcast ranks GunBroker.com within the top 1000 web sites of any kind. GunBroker.com offers the firearm and hunting enthusiast a large selection of quality firearms and accessories in a state of the art, user friendly Internet auction environment. For more information about GunBroker.com visit www.gunbroker.com.

About Triton Value Partners

Triton Value Partners is a full-service management advisory and private equity firm that provides small and medium-sized enterprises with the mission critical experience, services and resources required to create and execute business plans that drive value. Triton's team of Atlanta-based Partners boasts an average of twenty-five years of experience as corporate executives, business owners and professional investors. The firm draws upon this wealth of experience to provide a full range of advisory services including: strategic planning, business/market development, operations, and capital structure. Triton's client service approach leverages its Partners' functional expertise and industry skills to maximize the strength of each client's organization and infrastructure. Triton Value Partners is based in Atlanta, Georgia, but serves a client base that operates across the U.S. and internationally.

GunBroker.com Observes 10th Anniversary

GunBroker.com® (www.gunbroker.com), the world's largest online auction site for firearms and hunting/shooting accessories, observed its 10th Anniversary on March 15.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) March 20, 2009 -- GunBroker.com® (www.gunbroker.com), the world's largest online auction site for firearms and hunting/shooting accessories, observed its 10th Anniversary on March 15.

Steve Urvan launched GunBroker.com on March 15, 1999, about three weeks after eBay stopped auctioning guns. He commented, "Our sincere thanks to all the hunting and shooting sports enthusiasts, collectors and retailers who have supported GunBroker.com over the past 10 years. Thanks to you, we have seen amazing growth in our overall site traffic and auctions. Especially gratifying is the increase in the number of firearms retailers who use our site to expand their business. They have come to understand that we are not a competitor, but a strong business partner."

It's vital that we pitch in and help foster the hunting and shooting sports, to preserve the heritage and brighten the future
Urvan, CEO of GunBroker.com, cited the following milestones in the site's growth over the past year:

* March 2008--1 million registered users
* November 2008--2.5 million unique monthly visitors
* Hitwise, a Web site measurement service, ranks GunBroker.com third in the United States' "Shopping and Classifieds--Auctions" category, exceeded only by eBay and eBay Motors
* Quantcast, another online measurement service, ranks GunBroker.com among the 1,000 largest U.S. Web sites of any kind
* Inc.'s listing of America's 5,000 fastest-growing private companies ranks GunBroker.com at number 2,503.


The rapid growth continues. Most recently, GunBroker.com passed the 1.25 million registered user mark. The site currently draws around 2.7 million unique visitors per month and hosts as many as 300,000 auctions daily. One of the highest sale prices ever for a single item on GunBroker.com was $140,000, Urvan noted.

Business success aside, Urvan recalled that from the beginning, GunBroker.com made a commitment to serve the firearms industry as a friend and leader. Currently, Urvan and his staff are working with industry veteran Bob Delfay on a new initiative to form marketing/advertising partnerships with selected companies. GunBroker.com also partners with the industry through support of the NRA, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Hunting Heritage Trust, Shooting Sports Summit and USA Shooting. The site hosts the Treasures and Traditions auctions and SHOT Show auctions, as well as numerous charity auctions to benefit a variety of causes.

"It's vital that we pitch in and help foster the hunting and shooting sports, to preserve the heritage and brighten the future," Urvan said.

GunBroker.com® is an informative, detailed, secure and safe way to buy and sell firearms and hunting/shooting accessories. GunBroker.com promotes responsible gun ownership. Aside from merchandise bearing its logo, GunBroker.com sells none of the items listed on its Web site. Third-party sellers list items on the site and Federal and state laws govern the sale of firearms and other restricted items. Ownership policies and regulations are followed using licensed firearms dealers as transfer agents.

Putting the "Die" in "Funny or Die"

Horror fans aren’t going to want to miss this new fake movie trailer from FunnyOrDie.com, featuring Christopher Lloyd in “Gobstopper” — clearly a cross between “Willy Wonka” and “Hostel.” Sadly, I’d pay to see an actual film like this in a heartbeat. I’m that eager to see Christopher Lloyd returning to big-screen villainhood in the vein of his Judge Doom portrayal from “Who Framed Roger Rabbit.”

Gobstopper Trailer from Gobstopper Movie

Marg Helgenberger Offically Files for Divorce from Alan Rosenberg

After separating in December, CSI star Marg Helgenberger has officially filed for divorce from actor husband Alan Rosenberg. Helgenberger, 50, and Rosenberg, 58, have an 18-year-old son. The two met when they were both appearing on the soap opera Ryan’s Hope. Helgenberger cited irreconcilable differences as the reason behind her split from actor Alan Rosenberg, and is seeking spousal support while asking the court to deny him any.

Helgenberger is perhaps best known for playing Catherine Willows on CBS’ highly rated drama, “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. Rosenberg has guest-starred on his wife’s show, was a regular on the TV series “LA Law” and “The Guardian,” and received an Emmy nomination for a guest role on “ER.” Rosenberg has been under stress recently as president of the 120,000-member Screen Actors Guild, which is at an impasse in contract negotiations with the studios, with the possibility of a strike looming.

Adam Lambert gets a standing ovation--from Smokey Robinson!

Adam Lambert tells Smokey Robinson he's really nervous, singing "Tracks of My Tears." Smokey tells him he's never heard anyone sing it tender and soft like that, very proud of the interpretation. Adam smartly asks him what inspired him to write it; says his goal "is to do it justice."

Elvis-like hair, gray suit. Man, from the get-go, this is great; so smooth, so in control, so heartfelt, such pitch-perfect vocals. Audience is hushed; Adam totally gets this song. It's him at his best; no weirdness for the sake of weirdness, just exercising his creativity and making us hear a song totally differently. He's got us all in the palm of his hand--and Smokey Robinson and the audience gives him a standing ovation.

Kara stands, calls it awesome. Paula loves how he's completely in his own league, surprises us every week; loves the clean, classy look. Simon calls it the best performance of the night, which is like a no-duh moment. "You tonight really have emerged as a star."

Randy says from day one he knew he had the range, loved the falsetto, "unbelievably hot."

New Trailer for Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock

A trailer has arrived for Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock, the adaptation of the memoir Taking Woodstock: A True Story of a Riot, a Concert, and a Life by Elliot Tiber, with Tom Monte.

Ang3 Taking Woodstock tells the story of Tiber, the gay man who helped facilitate Woodstock, providing the permit that made the Festival possible, as well as the eventual location on his milkman Max Yasgur's farm.



The film stars Demetri Martin as Tiber, Imelda Staunton and Henry Goodman play Tiber's parents, Jonathan Groff plays Woodstock organizer Michael Lang; Emile Hirsch plays a recently returned Vietnam vet, Eugene Levy plays Yasgur, and Liev Schreiber plays a transvestite named Vilma. Jeffrey Dean Morgan plays a closeted married man having an affair with Tiber, and Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan play a hippie couple attending the concert.



Emile Hirsch talked about the mudslide scene (below) last year, to EW: "The mud's pretty cold. It's later in the year than it was during Woodstock. We were all shivering, and we had these silver-foil space blankets that miraculously keep you really warm...I did a Superman slide down a hill, and started turning on my back. I was covered in mud. I think there was pig crap mixed in, because we all smelled like crap."

Check out the trailer AFTER THE JUMP, which Demitri Martin introduces in his trademark drawing style...

Valerie Bertinelli Gets Back In Her Bikini

The night before Valerie Bertinelli prepared to

step out in public wearing a bikini -- for the first

time in nearly 30 years! -- she found herself unable to sleep. As her mind raced with insecurity ("I thought, Am I really going to do this? Can I pull this off?" the actress admits), Bertinelli tried to summon up a pep talk, telling herself, "What am I so afraid of? Come on -- it's just a bathing suit!"

And yet as any woman knows, those innocent-looking strips of Lycra can be a terrifying sight -- especially for someone just shy of her 49th birthday (April 23), who only two years ago tipped the scales at 172 lbs. -- more than 40 lbs. over her goal weight for her 5'4" frame. But after whittling herself down to 132 lbs. in about 9 months on Jenny Craig (for whom she serves as a company spokeswoman), Bertinelli, who had last worn a bikini when she was 20, was ready for a new challenge.

Aircraft to make Castle new home

3/25/2009 - Contractors move an RF-8 to Castle
Air Museum March 25. The 1950's era aircraft
began its departure 9:30 a.m. from the Air Forc
e Flight Test Center Museum.
(Air Force photo by Mike Cassidy)

F-22A crash claims life of Edwards pilot

Force F-22A crash today claimed the life of a USAF veteran and Lockheed Martin test pilot.

David Cooley, 49, of Palmdale, Calif., died when the F-22A he was piloting crashed northeast of Edwards AFB. Cooley worked as a test pilot with Lockheed Martin, and was employed at the 411th Flight Test Squadron, 412th Test Wing, on Edwards AFB. Cooley joined Lockheed Martin in 2003 and was a 21-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force. He worked at the F-22 Combined Test Force, where a team of Lockheed Martin and Air Force pilots conduct F-22 aircraft testing.

"This is a very difficult day for Edwards and those who knew and respected Dave as a warrior, test pilot and friend," said Maj Gen David Eichhorn, Air Force Flight Test Center commander. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Dave and his family as we struggle through, and do all we can to support them."

At approximately 10 a.m. this morning Edwards received word that the F-22A had gone down 35 miles northeast of the base. First responders transported Cooley from the crash scene to Victor Valley Community Hospital in Victorville, where he was pronounced dead.

A board of officers is investigating the accident through an Accident Investigation Board, whose findings will be released to the public upon completion.

Base officials stress that the accident site is remote and may contain hazardous materials released from the crash, and ask that individuals refrain from entering the area until the full investigation has been completed, and debris removed from the scene.