(CNN) -- When does a cult become a religion? When the cult leader dies. Only then do L. Ron Hubbard's Dianetics practitioners become the religion of Scientology, the followers of Joseph Smith become full-fledged Mormons, or -- by the same logic -- a few anti-establishment apostles become Christianity.

What then of the cult of Apple after the death of its own leader, Steve Jobs? I like Apple products as much as any user, and respect the contributions that Apple under Jobs' leadership made to the co-evolution of human beings and their technologies. But all along I have also been aware of the closed nature of Apple technologies, as well as the leap of faith that has been required to accept Jobs' promise that doing things in some new way will be "fantastic." Without Jobs telling us to cross the chasm, will we continue to embrace each of Apple's future revolutions in hardware, software or both?

For most of us, particularly those of us who want to know as little as possible about technology in order to use it, Apple has been a perfect answer. As members of the first generation of a digital society -- digital immigrants, if you will -- we could not relate to computers and software directly.

Steve Jobs found and employed interfaces that quite literally translated the directories and sub-directories of computers to the files and folders of a desktop. He promoted real world metaphors for otherwise obscure processes, making the immense power of computers accessible to many of us much sooner and more completely than we would have achieved without him. And moving on from there, he and his teams liberated digital music files with iTunes and the iPod, and popularized the smartphone with the iPhone.

At each step, however, we consumers and users had to make certain compromises. Some of them we know about, and others most of us are much less aware of, at least right now.

Back when Jobs returned to Apple and came out with the iMac, many users were aghast at being asked to purchase a computer with no floppy drive! Sure, Steve saw the writing on the wall (or felt confident enough to scribble it up there himself), and decided for us that floppy drives were obsolete. If you can burn CDs, why mess with floppies? Besides, Internet speeds were starting to increase and it was just a matter of time before people exchanged files by e-mail instead of handing and mailing physical disks to one another.

But to take this leap required a bit of faith from consumers. It was a level of faith that I suspect only a leader as charismatic as Jobs could elicit from us. Time after time, Jobs told us to trust him, and time after time we did. No serial port? No firewire? No Flash? No keyboard? Just trust Steve, he has a vision for how this is all going to work out.

Meanwhile, all along the way, we were also being asked to surrender a certain degree of authority over our own devices. Part of the reason Apple products work so well is that they are closed to our intervention. Unlike Microsoft PC's, early Apple products only worked with Apple-made peripherals. That's why Apple machines never (or very rarely) had conflicts or crashes. They weren't trying to accommodate everybody else's printers and modems and drivers. Likewise, Apple iPhones are closed systems. Unless we "jailbreak" our phones, software and content must be purchased from Apple. The iPhone's capabilities are similarly limited to activities that Apple deems appropriate and profitable for itself and its partners.

As beginning users, which most of us are, these are compromises we don't really care too much about. Who wanted to do something with his phone that Jobs said was unnecessary, anyway? But as we get increasingly comfortable with computers and networking, we may start to want to have more of a say in the way we use our devices and for what purposes. Just like AOL subscribers who finally decided they could leave the wading pool and swim out to the real Internet, Apple users might

Answer: death of its own leader,

Summary:
Douglas Rushkoff: Now that Steve Jobs is dead, will cult of Apple endure?
He says Jobs guided many into digital society with user-friendly computers .
He says Jobs told users what they did and didn't need; they trusted his judgment .
Rushkoff: As consumers rely on their own judgment, not Jobs', will they stay with Apple?


(CNN) -- When iReporter Carlos Ortega evacuated Galveston's West End  last week, there was a road, a row of houses and about 150 feet of sand between his house and the water. Now the surf laps about 30 feet from his door. iReporter Carlos Ortega says there's "not an inch that isn't damaged" in his Galveston, Texas, neighborhood. Hurricane Ike devastated the Texas city over the weekend, and Gov. Rick Perry said it could be weeks before residents could return. "There's substantial structural damage, obviously ... (no) electrical power," he said. "It's going to be a while." Ortega, a professor at the University of Houston, and his partner walked about six miles down the beach on Sunday and said there's "not an inch that isn't damaged." iReport.com: See Ortega's home before and after Ike He said one beachfront house was knocked off its stilts and was lying on the ground like an amusement park funhouse. A dead cow washed in front of another home. "It was pretty depressing and devastating to see how everything was just torn up," he said. "People's lives and houses were just torn up." All but two of the houses on the "front row," nearest the beach, in their Bermuda Beach subdivision were destroyed, he said. "You wouldn't know there was a house there." "The house across the street from us is completely gone, and there's no trace of it," he said. The first floor of their house is covered with 3 to 4 feet of sand and debris, including huge chunks of asphalt from the road that ran in front of the house. "We don't keep anything of value down there," he said, because people expect to get high water occasionally. There were some windows out on the second level, but they did not have much water damage. Ortega said the storm washed a Jet Ski out of the garage and dumped it about five blocks away. iReport.com: Have you been home after Ike? Share your story It still worked, Ortega said, but was stuck in the sand. Ortega rode out the storm at his house in Houston, which also suffered some damage. "The expectation was that it was going to be like three years ago when the last storm (Rita) came through, and it was so much worse," he said. iReporter Matteu Erchull stayed on Galveston Island during the storm. "I think everybody downplayed the severity of the storm, including myself," he said, adding that he didn't regret staying. iReport.com: Ike passes over Galveston iReporter After the storm, he put on his fishing waders and helped rescue some of his neighbors. "Some people literally hid in their attics. Right after the storm, you go into these areas, and they were just helpless," the former Eagle Scout said. "They were just waiting." Nearly 2,000 people who did not evacuate have been rescued along the southeastern Texas coast, said Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Office of Homeland Security. On Sunday, a Galveston County sheriff's official said three bodies were pulled from storm wreckage in Port Bolivar, bringing to 10 the number of reported deaths in Texas linked to Ike. Erchull said he got through the storm OK, but most of his stuff was ruined. "I lost everything. Water rose up to about 10 feet. Got into everything and flooded everything I had," he said. He said he tried to wash his clothes, but he just couldn't get the smell out. "The smell was just this really musky moldy wet smell, it's really hard to explain. Imagine leaving your clothes accidentally in the washer for 10 days, it's just disgusting," he said. Erchull said there's no power on the island, and the National Guard was going door-to-door asking people to leave. He went to Dallas

What did iReporter Carlos Ortega announce

Who may not be able to come home for weeks?

Answer: lost everything.

Answer: there's "not an inch that isn't damaged"

Answer: Hurricane Ike devastated the Texas city over the weekend,

Answer: everything.

Answer: residents

Summary:
Galveston residents may not be able to come home for weeks .
iReporter Carlos Ortega says beachfront houses are gone in his neighborhood .
iReporter Matteu Erchull rode out storm and lost everything .
Are you cleaning up after Ike? Share photos, videos .


(CNN) -- When it came to second bananas, Ed McMahon was second to none. Ed McMahon turned being a sidekick into art. McMahon, known to generations of Americans through "Tonight," "Star Search," "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes" and as a commercial pitchman, died Tuesday. He was 86. For 30 years on the "Tonight Show" -- and several years more beforehand -- he was Johnny Carson's trusty sidekick, introducing him, feeding him straight lines, making the guests comfortable on the couch. It was a job that generally aimed the spotlight at Carson, the host. But it made McMahon a star nonetheless. "He was a star in his own right. Being a sidekick didn't mean he was any less," Doc Severinsen, the longtime "Tonight" bandleader, told CNNRadio. "Johnny defined what the host should be and Ed defined what the sidekick was." David Letterman, whose "Late Night" followed Carson's show on NBC from 1982 to 1993, said in a statement: "Ed McMahon's voice at 11:30 was a signal that something great was about to happen. Ed's introduction of Johnny was a classic broadcasting ritual -- reassuring and exciting. Ed was a true broadcaster, and an integral part of Johnny Carson's 'Tonight Show.' We will miss him."  Gallery: Ed McMahon through the years » McMahon, known to generations of Americans through "Tonight," "Star Search," "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes" and as a commercial pitchman, died Tuesday. He was 86. While Carson could be insular and shy off camera, McMahon was always possessed of an outsized, hail-fellow-well-met attitude, comedian Joan Rivers -- a frequent "Tonight" guest and guest host -- told CNN. "I remember him with great affection, and I remember him [as] very solid whenever I hosted the show. ... When you needed him, he was a rock. A real rock," recalled Rivers. "He went beyond the 'Tonight Show' and had his own identity and America liked him very much. He was a good guy. He was the neighbor."  Watch Rivers' memories of McMahon » Dick Clark -- who really was McMahon's neighbor in 1950s Philadelphia, when Clark hosted "American Bandstand" and McMahon was a local TV star -- remembered his "Bloopers" co-host as a man with "a really big heart." "Fifty years ago, Ed and I were next-door neighbors. Over the years, our friendship grew while he became one of America's favorite television personalities," he said in a statement. "We were together for years. Ed was a big man, had big talent and a really big heart. We'll all miss him." Rivers remembers McMahon as someone who was always willing to reach out. After she left the Carson show -- which she had hosted frequently in Johnny's absence -- for her own late-night show, she remembered becoming persona non grata with many in Hollywood. But not McMahon. "Ed McMahon always, whenever he would come in a restaurant or see me anywhere, would make it his business to come over and say hello," Rivers said. "And that was going against, quote-unquote, 'boss' orders.' "  Watch McMahon recall the invention of "Carnac the Magnificent" » The boss, however, knew his sidekick's value. In vaudeville vernacular, a "second banana" was the guy who played off the star comedian (the "top banana"). He was the straight man, the set-up guy, the performer who smoothed the way and occasionally got in his own line, all in the service of the lead. And few were better than McMahon. "Ed was the best at what he did and will never be replaced," said Don Rickles, a longtime friend, in a statement. "Another giant is gone."

What is the name of the "Tonight" bandleader?

Who said: "When you needed him, he was a rock"?

When did End and Johnny start working together?

Answer: Doc Severinsen,

Answer: "I remember him with great affection, and I remember him [as] very solid whenever I hosted the show. ... When you needed him, he was a rock. A real rock,"

Answer: Johnny Carson's trusty sidekick,

Answer: Joan Rivers

Answer: Tuesday.

Answer: For 30 years on the "Tonight Show"

Summary:
Ed McMahon, who died Tuesday, was known as a sidekick -- but also a "star"
His outgoing public persona was in contrast to that of his boss, Johnny Carson .
"Tonight" bandleader Doc Severinsen: "Ed defined what the sidekick was"
Joan Rivers: "When you needed him, he was a rock"


(CNN) -- When it comes to the Academy Awards, Hollywood has some biases. The late Heath Ledger won a Golden Globe for his performance as The Joker in "The Dark Knight." Summer blockbusters get short shrift. Comedies aren't taken seriously. And animated features? They almost never get drawn. Which, on the surface, doesn't bode well for three of the biggest movie stories of the year: "The Dark Knight," Robert Downey Jr.'s performance in "Tropic Thunder," and Pixar's latest marvel, "WALL-E." Each earned critical plaudits and box office success. And each faces an uphill struggle nabbing major-category Oscar nominations when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces its shortlists Thursday morning. Awards expert Tom O'Neil, who follows the Oscars for the Los Angeles Times' TheEnvelope.com, says the best-picture front-runners are "Frost/Nixon," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Milk" and Golden Globe best drama winner "Slumdog Millionaire." Barring a completely out-of-the-box surprise, that leaves "Dark Knight," "The Reader," Clint Eastwood's fast-gaining "Gran Torino" and possibly "Doubt" or "Revolutionary Road" to battle for the final slot.  Watch who took home the Globes » O'Neil believes "Dark Knight," the year's top box office draw, has "an excellent shot" of making the best-picture list. "We know that because Oscar voters belong to guilds that have their own awards, 'Dark Knight' has a strong chance," he says, noting that the Directors Guild, Producers Guild and Writers Guild have all nominated "Dark Knight" for their top awards. Read what EW's Dave Karger has to say about that "WALL-E," however, is almost certainly out of the best-picture race, he says. Animated features, no matter how successful, have fared poorly in general categories. Indeed, only one animated feature -- 1991's "Beauty and the Beast" -- has ever been nominated for best picture. With the addition of the best animated feature category in 2001, it's doubtful that even the best Pixar has to offer will cross over to best picture, particularly since the Academy ignored classics including "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Fantasia" and "Toy Story." "Oscar voters like reality," says O'Neil. Either way, the Oscars could probably use the ratings help a box office success can bring to its broadcast. In recent years, the Academy has nominated several independent or low-budget films for top awards, many of which didn't crack the $100 million mark at the box office. Oscar ratings have tumbled; last year's numbers for "the Super Bowl for women" -- as the Oscar broadcast is known by advertisers -- were the lowest on record and a far cry from 1998, when more than 55 million people watched all-time box office king "Titanic" take home the top prize. That's not to downgrade the expected front-runners, especially since the Oscars' intention is to honor some of the year's best films and performances (though critics have carped they've often not done so). Still, it might behoove the Academy to pay attention to box office as well as prestige, particularly when several films have garnered both. Almost three-quarters of the respondents to an unscientific USA Today Internet survey have said they'd be more likely to watch the Oscar ceremony February 22 if "The Dark Knight" is nominated for best picture. "If a film is very successful, it shouldn't be automatically relegated to the minor leagues," producer Peter Guber told The Associated Press. (Ironically, Guber co-produced the 1989 "Batman," which, despite big box office and Jack Nicholson's Joker, was nominated for just one Oscar -- for Anton Furst's set design. It won.) Historically, summer blockbusters haven't always been ignored. "Jaws,

Who believes "Knight's" could win best picture?

What does one observer believes "Knight's" chances of getting a best picture nomination?

What kind of works do Oscar nominations tend to go to?

What do Oscar nominations tend to go to?

Who believes "Knight's" prospects for best picture nod are excellent?

What was the year's top box office film?

Answer: Golden Globe

Answer: O'Neil

Answer: "an excellent shot"

Answer: "Oscar voters like reality,"

Answer: reality,"

Answer: Awards expert Tom O'Neil,

Answer: "Dark Knight,"

Summary:
"The Dark Knight" was year's top box office film, also critically praised .
Oscar nominations tend to go to "prestige" works .
One observer believes "Knight's" prospects for best picture nod are "excellent"
Other strong possibilities: "Slumdog Millionaire," Mickey Rourke, Heath Ledger .


(CNN) -- When makers of one of the most anticipated video games of the year invited users to help design part of the game, the gamers jumped at the chance to create animated characters. Users will have the option to incorporate other people's "Spore" designs or choose to block them all. But some took it upon themselves to create something entirely different: a new kind of Internet porn. It started when the makers of "Spore" released a Creature Creator program that allowed users to develop their own characters to drum up hype before the game's scheduled release in September. The game, a joint venture from "Sims" creator Will Wright and Electronic Arts, allows users to create a unique creature and then control its evolution from a single cell into a complex cultural civilization. Within 24 hours of the Creature Creator's release, gamers had gone creature-crazy, designing millions of critters that were all thrown into a database and shown on a YouTube channel for the public to see. But scrolling through the database -- past the three-legged sea horse, past the seven-eyed wildebeest and the half-motorcycle-half-pig -- revealed something many users didn't expect. Buried among the more wholesome attempts were two-legged dancing testicles, a "giant breast monster" and a four-legged "phallic fornication machine," for starters.  Watch Bradshaw demonstrate the "Creature Creator" and "Spore" » These naughty -- some would say obscene -- creations have spawned an Internet meme nicknamed "Sporn," short for "Spore" porn. For EA, the developer of "Spore," it's the downside to tapping into the booming user-generated content arena, which has made sites like YouTube, Flickr, MySpace, Facebook and Second Life so popular. These games and sites often allow people to create and host their own content in addition to creating cartoon personas, called avatars, for themselves. Many of the popular user-generated content sites have faced similar challenges in trying to control obscene material. In Second Life, users can read Slustler, a cyberporn magazine, or buy programs that allow them to have animated sex with other characters. "Whether it's modeling clay, dolls or crayons, a small number of people can be counted on to use it for something vulgar," said Lucy Bradshaw, "Spore's" executive producer. Despite its "Sporn" issues, "Spore" is poised to become one of the most popular games because of its ability to let people tell their own story, rather than one mapped out for them, Bradshaw said. "Rather than putting players in the shoes of Luke Skywalker or Frodo Baggins, we're giving them the opportunity to be George Lucas or Peter Jackson, as they create their own universe from scratch," she said. But for every George Lucas and Peter Jackson, there's always a spoiler. Enter the Spornmaster, a 37-year-old Web developer who refused to give his name for this interview. He, like many others, has spent hours creating characters and turning them into sexual beings. "It came up simply as something silly and juvenile to do," he said. The creatures are not just static. Users can create animated scenarios for the characters to engage in, some of which include sexually graphic acts. When EA got word of the Sporn creations, it began working with YouTube to pull them down. Players who repeatedly upload "offensive content" are warned, suspended and eventually banned, Bradshaw said. But the policing isn't restricted to EA and YouTube. Users also are able to flag and report content that they find offensive. That angered some content creators, who feel that they should be able to create whatever they want. "It was a totally ridiculous overreaction," the 37-year-old Web developer said. "I admit it is silly and juvenile, but I don't think there's anything perverted, vile or awful about it. If people find it offensive, they can simply not search for it online.

For which new game does Creature Creator allow gamers to design characters?

What is used to design characters in the Spore game?

What company allows gamers to design characters for Spore?

Answer: "Sporn," short for "Spore" porn.

Answer: EA and YouTube.

Answer: Players

Answer: "Spore"

Answer: a Creature Creator program

Answer: Will Wright and Electronic Arts,

Answer: Electronic Arts,

Answer: "Sporn,"

Summary:
Creature Creator allows gamers to design characters for new "Spore" game .
Some users have created sexual creatures, now known as "Sporn"
"Spore" maker EA is banning those who continue to upload offensive creations .
One Sporn creator: "I don't think there's anything perverted, vile or awful about it"


(CNN) -- When news breaks, D.L. Hughley will be ready to mock it. D.L. Hughley starred in "The Hughleys" and "The Original Kings of Comedy." CNN announced Wednesday that it will premiere a new, "unconventional" weekend show hosted by comedian D.L. Hughley. "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News," as the show is currently titled, will feature Hughley's humorous take on the week's events. It will also include interviews with newsmakers and reporters, according to the network. "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News" is scheduled to debut Saturday, October 25. "I am very excited for the opportunity to work with the network that I have watched for a very long time, and that to a large extent, has shaped my comedic view," Hughley said in a press release. "CNN offers the perfect blend of news and information on a local, national and international level. What more can a comedian ask for?" "D.L. is a news junkie who is bursting with things to say about what is going on in the world -- most of them funny, all of them thoughtful, none of them predictable," said Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S. "When you watch as much news as our audience does, there comes a time you just want to stop and laugh -- and that time will be Saturday nights at 10 on CNN." The show will resemble the late-night talk shows of Jay Leno and David Letterman more than Jon Stewart's "Daily Show," according to Hughley. Hughley is known for his acting and his standup performances. The comedian spent four seasons on his own sitcom, "The Hughleys," and was one of the stars of Aaron "West Wing" Sorkin's series, "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." The performer was also one of the "Original Kings of Comedy," along with Bernie Mac, Steve Harvey and Cedric the Entertainer. CNN and CNN.com are units of Time Warner.

When does D.L. Hugley's show Break the News start

When does "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News" premiere?

Which network will D.L. Hugley's show be on

Answer: Hughley's humorous take on the week's events.

Answer: Saturday, October 25.

Answer: "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News,"

Answer: his acting and his standup performances.

Answer: Saturday, October 25.

Answer: acting and his standup performances.

Answer: acting and his standup performances.

Answer: D.L. Hughley

Answer: Hughley's humorous take

Answer: "D.L. Hughley Breaks the News"

Answer: Hughley's humorous take on the week's events.

Answer: CNN

Summary:
"D.L. Hughley Breaks the News" premieres on CNN October 25 .
Comedian Hughley known for "The Hughleys," "Studio 60"
Show to feature interviews, comedic takes on the news .


(CNN) -- When pitcher Josh Faiola walks out of the dugout on opening day with the Lake Erie Crushers, he'll already have a large group of fans in the stands -- his new roommates at the Belvedere of Westlake assisted living facility. Pitcher Josh Failoa stands as residents and friends of The Belvedere of Westlake welcome him Tuesday. The 25-year-old, who was drafted in 2006 by the Baltimore Orioles and is trying to work his way to the majors, admits he was caught a little off guard when he was told about his new housing situation. "At first I was like, 'OK, that's a little different,' " he said. "I was taken aback at first." And he was also the butt of a couple jokes from his teammates. "They were saying things like 'So what's the deal? Do you have to go to bed early?' " Faiola said. But then he told them about his room -- a large suite, with his own kitchenette, washer and dryer, furniture and a TV. "Then they changed their tune," he said. "They were like 'That's awesome. Are they any other vacancies?' " Like many of the players in the independent Frontier League who don't rake in the big bucks, Faiola is living with a host family. But his host family is a little different. Most of the players live with families with younger children. But in his case, Faiola is the young one -- about 55 years younger than the rest of his "roommates." Eighty-four-year-old Meda Dennis, who has been living in the center for four years, said Faiola's arrival is the most exciting thing to happen since a good Elvis impersonator showed up. "It's been quite exciting because he's young and new and interesting and we're old," she joked. Faiola made his way to the assisted living center in Westlake, Ohio, near Cleveland, with the help of Cindy Griffiths-Novak. She heard the new local baseball team was looking for host families for the players. But because she has a 3- and 4-year-old at home, she turned to her family's assisted living center as an option for Faiola. Griffiths-Novak went to the residents with the idea and they unanimously voted for Faiola to live there. But his new housing situation is about more than just a place to crash after the game. "It certainly is great for the residents because now we get a lot of energy and youth and excitement," Griffiths-Novak said. It has turned into an exciting time for the residents, who jumped at the chance to decorate the entire facility before the pitcher's arrival. "You should see the decorations," Griffiths-Novak said. "The residents all signed motivational good luck pennants for him, there's a 40-foot banner, we have a whole thing dedicated to Josh. I'm sure he is so embarrassed with all of the baseball cards with their face on it." They've made signs telling him he's in a league of his own, but they've also set their expectations high for him. "Some of the pendants say things like 'Don't get cut, move your butt,' " Griffiths-Novak said. "He's certainly going to be under the microscope! We'll be watching and keeping track of all of his stats." Faiola was awestruck when he walked in and saw all of the decorations. The activity director has been doing craft activities with the residents -- making visors with baseball logos and Crushers necklaces in anticipation of the game. Dennis is looking forward to watching their new ace pitcher hit the mound even though she hasn't seen a baseball game live in a while. "Anything's better than the Indians right now," Dennis joked. "We'll definitely be cheering for him, though, and if he happens to have a bad game, he'll have a lot of shoulders to cry on.

Who is staying at Belvedere of Westlake facility?

Where is the Belvedere of Westlake facility?

Answer: Griffiths-Novak

Answer: Josh Faiola

Answer: Ohio,

Summary:
Because of little pay in independent league, players stay with host families .
Pitcher Josh Faiola staying at Belvedere of Westlake facility near Cleveland, Ohio .
Faiola says teammates joked first, but he's thrilled to bring energy to residents .
Residents decorated facility, will be watching pitcher's every throw .


(CNN) -- When pro quarterback Michael Vick pleaded guilty to bankrolling a dogfighting operation in 2007, there was a spike in reports of dogfighting in the United States. One of six dogs recovered from a Sumter County, South Carolina, dogfight waits in a kennel last week. But when the headlines faded, the blood sport grew stronger and went even more underground, with thugs taking inventive precautions to keep police at bay, animal cruelty experts say. "They know it's just not smart to have large crowds anymore, so we've seen fights where you've got the two handlers, a referee and Web cams everywhere broadcasting the fight on the Internet," said Mark Kumpf, an investigator based in Ohio who directs the National Animal Control Association. Fights are also being staged on the move -- in 18-wheelers. "These guys are very sophisticated," Kumpf said. "If you're driving down the road, there could be dogs in that truck driving next to you that are dying." Dozens more dogfighting cases have been investigated and prosecuted since the Vick case, said Alison Gianotto, who runs the database PetAbuse.com. The computer programmer,  horrified when a neighbor's cat was set on fire eight years ago, created the California-based organization to track animal cruelty cases and animal abusers. The database, which logs media stories, has also become a popular place for law enforcement to send reports. "There's not a central body keeping track of what's happening nationally, which is unfortunate when you consider that a lot of these cases cross state lines," she said. Still, detectives, animal welfare professionals and prosecutors agree that the attention the Vick case has brought to dogfighting has been positive because more people are inclined to report their suspicions. Dogfighting is illegal in all states; penalties vary but usually include heavy jail time or steep fines. The National Football League suspended Vick indefinitely in August 2007 after he pleaded guilty to a federal charge of bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in Virginia. Vick, 29, was freed from federal prison in Leavenworth, Kansas, on May 20 and returned to Virginia to serve the last two months of his 23-month sentence in home confinement. "At the height of attention on the Vick case, things quieted down across the country with some of these dogfighters getting out of the business," veteran animal abuse investigator Tim Rickey said. "But then, the headlines went away, and people thought the attention was off. It just started right back up, almost stronger than before." "Every Saturday night in every county in Missouri, there is a dogfight going on," Rickey said. While the Vick case was making its way through the court system, Rickey, who directs the animal cruelty task force at the Humane Society of Missouri, was initiating what would become an 18-month investigation linking dogfighting rings in eight states. That probe led to the July 8 arrest of 28 people from eight states. As many as 400 dogs were confiscated in raids coordinated by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, Rickey said. He said it was the largest such case involving dogfighting in the U.S. While those involved with the national case declined Monday to give details about that investigation, CNN spoke with several detectives across America who have worked other dogfighting cases. Among the abuses they've uncovered: • Dogs with missing ears and patches of skin • Animals with teeth shaved down to the bone • "Vets" who have used leg splints that are to tight to "treat" animals in dogfighting rings •  Contraptions, usually fashioned out of wood, much like a treadmill, that force chained dogs to run or be choked. Detective Keith Coberly of the police vice squad in Dayton, Ohio, described a case he recently investigated that resulted in the convictions of three men. A neighbor called police when she saw a mangled dog that had apparently escaped from a home where investigators found 60 chained pit bull terriers, many being starved and wallowing in their own waste. There were thousands of hypodermic needles scattered

What are dogfighters doing to avoid police?

Answer: on the move -- in 18-wheelers.

Answer: Fights are also being staged on the move

Summary:
Dogfighters are using Web cams, staging fights in 18-wheelers to avoid police .
Vick case brought attention to dogfighting, but cases have not decreased .
Detective: Anyone who wants to get into dogfighting needs "bad character" reference .


(CNN) -- When rehab and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings didn't work for Eddie Freas, he sought another way to kick his 20-year drug and alcohol addiction. Eddie Freas fights drug addiction by putting all his energy into training for triathlons. He swam 2.4 miles. He biked 112 miles. He ran 26.2 miles. The Pennsville, New Jersey, resident found relief in triathlons. "I feel better when I'm working out," said Freas, 33. "It does wonders for the mind. The reason I started running -- it was a switch that went off in my head. I started feeling positive and feeling great about myself." Freas spent his youth in pursuit of drugs. At the age of 13, he snuck bottles of Amaretto and rum from his mother's liquor cabinet. He also developed a taste for marijuana and cocaine. By his senior year of high school, Freas was kicked off the wrestling and football teams after failing a drug test. Then in 2007, after a three-day binge, "I came home and was crying," Freas said. "I was so depressed. I turned on the TV." The set was tuned to ESPN, which was airing a story about a former drug addict who competed in triathlons. The program's subject was Todd Crandell, who had lost a college hockey scholarship because of a drug addiction. After 13 years of using drugs, Crandell started competing in Ironman races and championed finding positive ways to fight addiction through his program called Racing for Recovery. "Having an athletic background, I was drawn to getting back in shape," Crandell said. "It makes you turn intellectually and spiritually fit. Exercise is essential. It decreases addiction, depression and you use it as part of the recovery." Freas was entranced by the parallels. "His whole story seemed like mine," Freas said. "That's why it hit me so much. It was my story but it happened to somebody else. I knew I had to get back into fitness." He took a bus to Racing for Recovery's office in Sylvania, Ohio. There, Freas said he learned to "stay clean and use other things -- fitness, instead of drugs." On his first day, Freas pushed himself to run 10 miles. "It killed me," Freas said. "I was just motivated. I was sore for a week and I gradually got into it. As soon as I started including fitness into my everyday lifestyle, it made it so much easier. It kept me busy and because of the physical fitness, it was making me feel better about myself." He pushed himself to run farther and raced in his first Ironman competition in 2008. "It's different when you use drugs, you temporarily feel good and afterwards, you feel like doing more drugs," Freas said. "When you go for a long run and do physical fitness, you feel good doing it." Research in animals and humans show that exercise can be a mild antidepressant. "It isn't a huge surprise when you consider many positive effects exercise can have with regards to the brain chemistry: dopamine, serotonin, endorphin, epinephrine -- these are all associated with mood altering effects," said Dr. Cedric Bryant, the chief science officer for the American Council on Exercise. "If they're able to get this natural high, through a natural endeavor such as exercise, it allows them to replace the means to achieve that high with a more positive approach." One study showed that women trying to quit smoking were more successful when they exercised. And the National Institute on Drug Abuse held a conference last year to explore the possible role of physical activity in substance abuse prevention. "The thought centers around the release of mood-altering brain chemical, mainly endorphins," Bryant said. "It gives you euphoria or what you call 'runner's high.' " Crandell said some people who battle drug addiction "want something more than sitting in support groups filled with smoke,

Who finds solace in exercise after spending youth on drugs?

In what does the New Jersey man find solace

Answer: triathlons.

Answer: working out,"

Answer: "stay clean and use other things -- fitness, instead of drugs."

Answer: Eddie Freas

Answer: triathlons.

Summary:
New Jersey man finds solace in exercise after spending youth on drugs .
Eddie Freas now member of group that advocates physical fitness in place of drugs .
Freas competes in Ironman and also mentors a New Jersey teenager .


(CNN) -- When scores of disgruntled Tunisians took to the streets in January to demand the ouster of their country's president, actor Dhafer L'Abidine was watching from afar.

Based in the UK, L'Abidine, who is one of Tunisia's most famous actors, went through a roller-coaster of emotions as he watched the unfolding of the uprising that subsequently spurred the Arab Spring.

"I was trying to keep in touch all the time and see what happens and follow the news and understand what's happening," remembers L'Abidine.

"You go through everything," he says. "Sadness, frustration and then happy moments at the end so it was a difficult time but I think it was an amazing time and I think what's happening now is quite amazing because you've got the first free elections coming in October -- it's a new page in the Tunisian history."

The months of civil unrest culminated in the collapse of the regime of Tunisia's President Zine el Abidine who ruled the country for more than 20 years.

Today, the north African country is still dealing with the aftermath of the revolution but people remain optimistic that the move to democracy can still be achieved.

L'Abidine, who has set up a production company in Tunisia, believes the recent events will open up opportunities for artists in the country, giving them the freedom to express themselves without any restrictions.

"Before, if you write something that doesn't suit the ideas of the dictatorship or the government then there's no way you're going to make it," says L'Abidine, a former football player and model.

"Now, at least we've got the freedom to write stories that we want to tell -- the censorship is not there. I think this is a great opportunity for artists, whether singers or writers or filmmakers, just to go for it and use the opportunity into progressing the movie industry back home."

The talented actor is perhaps best-known for his part in big-budget romantic comedy "Sex and the City 2," in which he played the role of a charming host whose job was to look after the film's four main characters on a trip to Abu Dhabi.

"It was great fun," says L'Abidine about his part in the Hollywood movie. "I had some filming to do in New York and then in Morocco and it was a great experience -- just to be involved in such an iconic TV program and then a film, so I'm very happy about having been part of that."

While L'Abidine has been carving a successful path as an actor in the international stage -- his work also includes roles in "Centurion" and "The Stone Merchant" -- he's maintained links with the region he's from, getting the best of the two worlds.

The much-traveled actor has appeared in several TV series across the Middle East and North Africa and also presented one of the biggest talent shows in the region -- "Prince of Poets" -- with an audience of about 20 million viewers per show.

"I'm lucky in a way that actually I can go back to Tunisia or in the Middle East and do different roles in Arabic or sometimes in French or in English," says L'Abidine who is fluent in four languages. "Playing different parts and also being in England there's a great opportunity to do different roles."

But long before wowing moviegoers, L'Abidine pursued his teenage passion for football in Tunisia, going to school during the day and training in the evening.

After spending three years in France, where he studied computer science and played football, L'Abidine returned to Tunisia before relocating to the United Kingdom to follow his dream of acting.

But settling in his new environment wasn't without challenges -- L'Abidine, who at the time didn't speak the language, had to divide his time between studying hard and working part-time in restaurants and bars in London to support himself.

"There were hard times but now when you look back they were very useful and actually you can learn from them and they make you

What show is he know for appearing in?
What is the name of the actor?
Is he a famous person in tunisia?
What role is he best known for?
which role is he best known for?
What country is the actor from?
when was the uprising in Tunisia?

Answer: "Prince of Poets"

Answer: Dhafer L'Abidine

Answer: Dhafer L'Abidine

Answer: of a charming host whose job was to look after the film's four main characters on a trip to Abu Dhabi.

Answer: "Sex and the City 2,"

Answer: Tunisia's

Answer: in January

Summary:
Dhafer L'Abidine is one of Tunisia's most famous actors .
He says there's no more censorship in the country after January's uprising .
The actor is best-known to Western audiences for his role in 'Sex and the City 2'


(CNN) -- When she heard news of the Continental Airlines plane that plunged into a house in suburban Buffalo, New York, on Thursday night, killing 50 people, Jenny Gomez experienced a familiar feeling creep deep within her psyche. "It definitely sparked those old feelings of anxiety," she said. The risk of dying in a jet crash has been estimated to be one in 70 million, according to an MIT analysis. Gomez, 31 and a mother of two, was never afraid to fly during her childhood and early adolescence. "I had flown all my life since I was very small, getting on a plane to visit my grandparents at least a couple of times a year, and I was fine," she remembered. Then, in her late adolescence, the panicky feelings began, slowly at first, but then the anxiety and nervousness started to snowball. "Every bump, every shake of the plane would set me off." Finally, during a college psychology class, she realized she fit the classic criteria for someone with a fear of flying, also known as aviophobia or aviatophobia. For five years, Gomez avoided flying altogether. "I missed out on some really cool things in my life back then because I wouldn't get on an airplane," she said. An estimated 10 percent to 25 percent of the U.S. population experiences the phobia of flying, according to the American Psychological Association.  View a timeline of recent notable crashes » In contrast, the risk of dying in a domestic jet crash has been estimated to be one in 70 million, according to MIT statistician Arnold Barnett, who has performed statistical analyses for the Federal Aviation Administration. Among the causes for aviatophobia is what many will experience as a result of seeing reports about the crash near Buffalo: vicarious trauma. This is trauma that one observes and subsequently develops within based on that observation. "They see it, and they imagine what would that be like if it happened to me," said anxiety disorder psychologist R. Reid Wilson. By focusing on the possibility instead of the actual probability of the plane crashing, someone who's vulnerable to such fears can grow even more anxious about flying, he said. The fear of flying constitutes one of the two most common fears humans grapple with (the other one being fear of public speaking), said Wilson, who served as lead psychologist for American Airlines' first national program for fear of flying. Gomez's development of the phobia later in life is not unusual either, Wilson said; the average age of onset is 27, which is relatively old compared with when most other phobias begin. Some people who are subject to vicarious trauma actually see the crash scene in the media and actively put themselves in the scenario. Wilson has seen patients who fixate on visualizing themselves in the plane and who go so far as to seek out information such as how long the plane fell through the sky so they can intensify the reality of the experience in their minds. "They get wrapped up in what is actually happening. Your body reacts to what you're seeing," he said. Another cause of the condition is the perception of a non-dangerous event -- such as turbulence or normal sounds that planes make -- as being an actual threat to one's safety. Many people afraid to fly actually have panic disorder, which is an anxiety disorder characterized by unexpected and repeated episodes of intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms. Having what Wilson refers to as a "constellation of other fears" could also contribute to the phobia of flying; claustrophobia, fear of death and being afraid of turning control over to the pilot could all contribute to the ultimate fear of the not-so-friendly skies. Visit CNNhealth.com, your connection for better living Overcoming the fear of flying begins with a solid trust in the aviation industry and the ability of the plane, the pilot and everyone involved in the safety of the flight to be competent. "If it's about someone else, then you have no control, but if you shift your

What percentage of US population has flying phobia

What is the average age of the onset of the phobia?

What is the average age of onset of the phobias?

10-25% of which country experiences a phobia of flying?

Answer: 27,

Answer: 10 percent to 25 percent

Answer: 27,

Answer: 27,

Answer: U.S. population

Summary:
10 percent to 25 percent of the U.S. population experiences the phobia of flying .
Fear can be exacerbated by watching reports of other crashes .
Average age of onset of such phobias is 27 .
Relaxation, meditation, breathing skills can improve the chances of beating fear .


(CNN) -- When she was about 8, Frida Sepulveda developed dark folds of skin around her neck. It's a well-known warning sign of type 2 diabetes. Blanca Sepulveda, right, was "devastated" when her daughter Frida began showing signs of type 2 diabetes. Frida's mother, Blanca Sepulveda, who has watched other family members struggle with diabetes and obesity, was "devastated" to see her daughter experience similar health problems. Now at age 11, Frida is about 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs around 180 pounds, her mother said. Despite a high body weight for her age and height, Frida does not seem to have additional symptoms of diabetes -- or any other major health concerns -- but her parents are trying to reverse the weight problem Frida has had since infancy. The San Diego, California, family is among a disproportionately high number of Latino-American families with overweight and obese children. According to the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health, 16.6 percent of Latino high school students were obese and 18.1 percent were overweight. The corresponding national averages for high school students were 13.3 percent obese and 15.8 percent overweight. It's an epidemic that shocked and saddened Lorena Garcia, a chef who appears on Univision and Telemundo. "I travel all over the country to the major Hispanic festivals and I realized that 90 to 95 percent of the kids that I saw at the festivals were overweight," said Garcia, who established the Big Chef Little Chef program to teach Latino youth healthy cooking and eating habits.  Watch Garcia interact with her fans » The problem is caused by a wide range of cultural, social, economic, environmental and possibly genetic factors. Experts agree it is an uphill battle to solve. "You can't just try to change someone's behavior necessarily without trying to change their environment," said Dr. Michael Goran, director of the University of Southern California's Childhood Obesity Research Center. How can childhood obesity be reduced? Blanca Sepulveda, 38, believes her own upbringing in Mexico before coming to the United States in junior high school ultimately contributed to her daughter's weight problem. "The way I was raised ... you don't [leave] the dinner table until you're done with all your food. That's instilled in you," Sepulveda said. Back in Mexico, she said, the food was healthier and fresher, and she didn't drink soda. But she still applied that mentality to her own children, who were born and raised in the United States, where sugar-laden and fattening foods are widely available. The Sepulveda family's story is similar to that of other immigrants who are healthier than their American-born children: Those born outside the United States are less likely to be obese than native-born children, said Luisa Franzini, Ph.D., of the University of Texas School of Public Health. Despite the trends, more study is necessary to determine whether American acculturation is entirely to blame for poor diets among Latinos, an expert says. Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, a nutrition and public health professor with the University of Connecticut, wrote in the June 2009 issue of Journal of the American Diabetic Association that adaptation to U.S. society may explain, to some degree, "deterioration of dietary quality" and the risks of diabetes and other chronic diseases. However, he wrote, it's still not completely clear. Healthy food harder to come by Economic factors play a major role for many Latinos in their weight struggles. Angelica Delgado is trying to overcome the obstacle with the Healthy Latino Families initiative, a culturally tailored nutrition and exercise program in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As the Community Research Supervisor for the United Community Center, Delgado is trying to get healthy school lunches in the Bruce-Guadalupe Community School, with which she's working on Healthy Latino Families. About 80 percent of Bruce Guadalupe's student body, which is 97 percent Latino, come from low-income households and therefore are eligible for reduced-price or free lunch. Without money coming in to support the lunch program, it

What is a latino-american family problem?

What are Latino-American families struggling with?

Answer: Economic

Answer: families with overweight and obese children.

Answer: weight

Answer: overweight and obese children.

Answer: teach Latino youth healthy cooking and eating habits.

Summary:
A disproportionately high number of Latino-American families struggle with obesity .
Programs designed specifically for Latino children have had mixed results .
Economic factors play a major role for many Latinos in their weight struggles .
Exercise, and whether or not children feel safe to play, is another factor .


(CNN) -- When tens of thousands hit the streets to decry an authoritarian regime -- calling for its overthrow, trying to overrun police, setting fires -- one might expect the arrival of army tanks would be met with fear, consternation and violence.

But not in Egypt.

The warm embrace that demonstrators gave troops this week illustrated the military's respected and central role in Egyptian society. This fact makes the armed forces potentially a kingmaker in the current crisis, while also showcasing its challenge to somehow re-establish security without undermining its popularity.

"How they behave on the streets is going to matter a whole lot," said Shibley Telhami, a Middle East expert and senior fellow at the Brookings Institution think tank. "That's going to be the dilemma: Can they maintain the order without antagonizing the public that they need?"

The ascendance began in 1952, when the military helped overthrow Egypt's ruling monarch. Its support for a constitutional democracy and its performance in various wars and battles earned it the admiration of many Egyptians.

"There's a good reason that the Egyptian military is held in pretty high esteem," said Peter Bergen, a CNN national security analyst, author and fellow at New York University's Center on Law and Security. "The army has done relatively well."

All males between ages 18 and 30 must serve one to three years, as the CIA World Factbook notes, meaning almost every family in Egypt has some personal connection to the military.

Still, one of the military's biggest assets in the eyes of everyday Egyptians may be that it is not the widely reviled security force. The U.S. State Department has frequently blasted Egyptian police for torture and otherwise depriving citizens of their civil rights, including in its most recent 2009 Human Rights Report.

"They're held in great disdain by their own population, for very good reason," Bergen said. "They know that security forces have tortured literally thousands of people ... for almost any reason."

This animosity boiled over this week, when angry demonstrators burned and ransacked police stations. On Friday, there were reports of casualties after police fought back citizens' attempts to take the Interior Ministry in Cairo, the security forces' headquarters.

Just blocks away, in Tahrir Square, it was a very different and far more festive scene: Joyous demonstrators gathered near troops and embraced them, sometimes literally.

This showering of love on the military, which were deployed Friday to patrol the streets for the first time since the mid-1980s was repeated many times over throughout Egypt.

Video footage from Cairo showed some protesters celebrating by scaling tanks, with no repercussions. Many of them smiled and shook hands with troops on patrol, with one soldier even cradling a baby and posing for a picture.

In Alexandria, where at least 2,000 gathered in Raml Square on Saturday, protesters chanted, "The military and the people together will change the regime."

That said, these same demonstrators were demanding the overthrow of President Mubarak -- a former hero in the Air Force and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. He has largely surrounded himself politically with other veterans, including Saturday's appointment of Omar Suleiman (a former lieutenant general in the army) as vice president, the first time Mubarak has tapped someone for that role in his 30 years in power.

Experts aren't surprised Mubarak has moved to align himself with the military even more so, recognizing the armed forces' place in Egypt. Still, by doing so, he also created a quandary for the military: Do they back Mubarak, whom they report to? Or do they support the people, having largely been among them not long ago and wanting to preserve their reputation?

Andrew Pierre, a senior fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace, said he expects top military officials to remain loyal to the president. But the rank and file are a different story, especially if they are called on to beat back civilians.

"They're military people for two years or so, and I don't know that they will be willing to shoot

The military must decide how to keep order without antagonizing who?

What did an expert say about the military?

Where is the military now well represented?

Who is well represented in Mubarak's government?

Answer: the public

Answer: demonstrators

Answer: demonstrators

Answer: "How they behave on the streets is going to matter a whole lot,"

Answer: troops

Answer: in Egypt.

Answer: the military's

Summary:
Protesters have embraced Egyptian troops since they were deployed on the streets .
This is in sharp contrast toward how they've approached the much reviled national police .
The military is well represented in Mubarak's government .
An expert says the military must decide how to keep order without antagonizing the public .


(CNN) -- When the 13th cannon raised from Blackbeard's flagship, Queen Anne's Revenge, came to the surface this morning, researchers at the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources had one question: Was it loaded?

The 8-foot cannon is one of 25 found since the vessel's discovery in 1997, a treasure trove of 280,000 artifacts pulled to surface over 14 years. Shackles, ship riggings, crystal wine glasses' remains, and cannon shot are among the booty. Four cannons have so far been found "with cannon shot and wads in place ready to be fired," said Sarah Watkins-Kenney, Queen Ann's Revenge chief conservator.

Christened "Baby Ruth," the newest cannon can only reveal its secrets after researchers painstakingly remove the "concretion" from the 1-ton weapon. Concretion is a cement-like shell of sand, salt and sea life that can take archaeologists up to five years to remove.

The Queen Anne's Revenge's remains are scuttled two miles off the North Carolina coast near Atlantic Beach in 25 feet of water, where the pirate Blackbeard left the vessel in June 1718. Historians believe Blackbeard and his fleet of 300 to 400 pirates wanted to rid themselves of the vessel. "It's believed he ran this aground intentionally as a part of corporate downsizing," said Fay Mitchell with North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources.

Researchers continue to work the site.

"Our goal is to have research on the site completed by 2013, assuming the funding holds out," Mitchell said.

How long can it take concretion if shell of sand, salt and sea life to remove?

What must researchers now remove from the 1-ton weapon?

How many years does it take to remove concreation?

How many 8-foot cannons have been found since the vessel's discovery in 1997?

The 8-foot cannon is one of 25 that have been discovered since what year?

Answer: up to five years

Answer: "concretion"

Answer: cement-like shell of sand, salt and sea life

Answer: five

Answer: 25

Answer: 1997,

Answer: 8-foot

Answer: 1997,

Answer: 1-ton

Summary:
The 8-foot cannon is one of 25 found since the vessel's discovery in 1997 .
Researchers must now remove the "concretion" from the 1-ton weapon .
Concretion is shell of sand, salt and sea life; can take up to five years to remove .


(CNN) -- When the 2,455th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is laid on Monday for actor Steve Guttenberg, Ana Martinez will once again be working behind the scenes as curator-in-chief to the iconic attraction.

The Walk of Fame is one of showbiz's most visible landmarks,and Martinez has been its inconspicuous producer for almost half the attraction's 51 years, making sure the constellation of stars is perfectly aligned on the Hollywood sidewalks.

For 24 years, she has been the person deciding where celebrities will receive their coveted symbol of fame in the heart of Tinseltown. When a star is unveiled to the international press corps, Martinez is the field marshal orchestrating every detail of one of showbiz's alpha moments.

"If there was one phrase to describe Ana, it would be mistress of ceremonies," said Sam Smith, the former chairman of the board for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. "She truly is a master of the ceremonies."

Martinez has produced 586 star ceremonies. On Monday, Martinez will be at the ready with clipboard and iPhone in hand, negotiating over an obstacle course that typically numbers 22 film crews with 39 people, 22 still photographers, eight wire photographers, three newspaper reporters, two radio reporters, two photographers from the Chamber of Commerce and sometimes a celebrity's personal photographer.

"She is a gatekeeper of the integrity of the Walk of Fame. At the same time she's responsible for promoting the Walk of Fame all around the world," said Smith.

A star is awarded after a lengthy process in which hundreds of nomination applications are sent to the Hollywood chamber, and then its Walk of Fame committee selects the winners, with the approval of the chamber's board of directors. The names also are submitted to the city of Los Angeles' Board of Public Works Department. The chamber requires a $30,000 "sponsorship fee," often paid by a studio, recording label or even a group of fans, chamber officials said.

Martinez also coordinates when her boss, the president of the Chamber of Commerce, and various political figures speak in honor of the star.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa recognizes the importance of the walk as a civic landmark. He said it is "a powerful magnet which brings people from around the world to Los Angeles."

"Ana Martinez and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce have played a vital role cementing L.A.'s reputation as the creativity capital of the world," Villaraigosa said in a written statement to CNN.

It's clear that Martinez loves what she does.

Martinez, who is 5 feet 4 inches with shoulder-length brown hair, declined to give her age, but said she started her career at the chamber as a receptionist in her early 20s after a brief stint at CBS. She assisted the then-publicist in handling the Walk of Fame. The publicist left the chamber six months later and even though Martinez was the obvious person to fill the role, management initially hesitated.

"The other staff and management said I was too nice, too shy," Martinez said. But Martinez eventually evolved in a way many stars do. "I had to create a different persona for the (star) ceremonies," she said. "I have to control everything."

With her staple head-to-toe black regalia to her dark shades -- green or gray depending on how bright it is outside -- she definitely controls the event.

When singer Shakira received her star in November, fans turned out in full force. The emotional followers swelled to nearly a thousand and nearly spilled over barricades when they saw their idol. Martinez said she welcomes fans because it also is a big day for them, but she keeps a close eye on security.

When one enthusiastic Shakira fan jumped over a barrier to meet his idol, the no-nonsense show-runner sprang into action. "I grabbed his wrist, pushed him back and our security girl carried him out," Martinez said.

Then of course, there is the celebrity. Martinez often already knows each family member and friend

Who is unveiling the Steve Guttenberg's star?

What number of star ceremonies has she produced?

Answer: master of the ceremonies."

Answer: 586 star

Answer: curator-in-chief

Answer: Ana Martinez

Answer: Steve Guttenberg,

Answer: 586

Answer: 586

Summary:
Ana Martinez is the curator-in-chief for the Hollywood Walk of Fame .
So far Martinez has produced 586 star ceremonies .
On Monday she will be at the helm for the unveiling of Steve Guttenberg's star .


(CNN) -- When the Connecticut Huskies take to the field to play West Virginia on Saturday, their helmets will carry the initials of cornerback Jasper Howard, who was stabbed to death over the weekend. The incident happened at 12:33 a.m., shortly after a sponsored student dance on campus. "It'll be good to get on the practice field tomorrow," UConn head football coach Randy Edsall told reporters Monday. Asked whether the team considered postponing the game, he said, "I know Jasper wouldn't want us to do that. I just know that." Howard, a 20-year-old cornerback who started in every game for the team last season, was killed in a fight after a student dance on campus Saturday night, authorities said. Edsall said two other UConn players were with Howard at the time of the incident, but declined to identify them. On Monday, the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said Howard died of a stab wound to the abdomen. The death has been classified as a homicide, said Bill Farrell, an investigator in the medical examiner's office. During the dance at the university's student center, a fire alarm was pulled at 12:26 a.m., campus police Maj. Ron Blicher told reporters. More than 300 people who were attending the dance left the building and spilled out into the street. A fight broke out between two groups, and Howard and another person were stabbed, police said.  Watch family, friends react to loss » The incident happened at 12:33 a.m. Howard and the other victim were taken to a local hospital. Howard was then airlifted by helicopter to St. Francis Hospital in Hartford, where he later died, police said. The second victim, who was treated and released, was 19-year-old Brian Parker, a redshirt freshman on the UConn football squad, according to CNN affiliate WTNH. Johnny F. Hood, 21, was arrested in connection to the fight -- not for the stabbing -- and charged with interfering with an officer and breach of peace, according to a police report. He was released on $100,000 bond. Hood's attorney said his client was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time, WTNH reported Monday. UConn police and the Connecticut State Police are investigating the incident. They don't have a suspect in the stabbing, but they "don't believe it was a random act," Blicher said. Both students and nonstudents were in the area at the time. Authorities are investigating whether alcohol was involved and what the altercation was about, he said. Anyone with information is asked to contact UConn police. Howard, a father-to-be, was a cornerback for the Huskies, who are 4-2 this season. The team's Web site says he started in every game last year and led the Big East conference in punt returns. On Saturday, the Huskies beat Louisville 38-25. Howard was awarded the game ball after the game, Edsall said. Howard's mother, Joangela, said her son called her after the game, which she watched from her Miami home. Just hours after that chat, she received another call from Edsall, who told her Howard had been stabbed. "He was a good child, a wonderful, sweet, loving child," Joangela Howard told CNN affiliate WSVN. "I just hope whoever did it turns himself in. [Jasper] didn't deserve this." Edsall said Howard's family would be arriving in Connecticut Monday afternoon. CNN's Gabriel Falcon contributed to this report.

What happened to Jasper Howard?
What does his mother say about him?
Who was killed after the student dance?
What was his death classified as?
What was Howard's death classified as?
Who was killed?
When was he killed?
What are police saying about the crime?

Answer: died of a stab wound

Answer: "He was a good child, a wonderful, sweet, loving child,"

Answer: Jasper Howard,

Answer: homicide,

Answer: homicide,

Answer: Jasper Howard,

Answer: Saturday night,

Answer: "don't believe it was a random act,"

Summary:
Jasper Howard, 20, killed after a sponsored student dance on campus .
Howard's death has been classified as a homicide .
No suspects, but police "don't believe it was a random act"
Slain football player a "wonderful, sweet, loving child," his mother says .


(CNN) -- When the January 12 earthquake hit Haiti, I watched hour upon hour of coverage on CNN. Like everyone else in the world, I saw images that were among the most horrifying caused by a natural disaster in our time.

I had never been to Haiti at the time. Like many, I have friends and even family members of Haitian descent. But what occurred to me and most others were the questions: "How could this happen and be so destructive?" "Why the lack of infrastructure?" "Why the lack of preparation for disaster?" No country could be totally prepared for that kind of disaster, but Haiti and its people seemed to be particularly disadvantaged against Mother Nature's might.

Click to find out more about CNN documentary "Rescued"

I immediately got on my computer and began doing research, reading about Haiti's history. Admittedly, my American history dates were a bit foggy, so I tried to give myself a brief refresher. In school, we learned very early on about the abolition of slavery and Abraham Lincoln. But I was never taught that there was a small black nation in the Caribbean that had defeated Napoleon's army in 1803.

That was the same year the French decided to sell their only other colony in the Western Hemisphere: Louisiana. Had the slaves, led by Toussaint L'Ouverture, not overthrown the French Army in Haiti, would the French have sold Louisiana to the United States?

The Louisiana Purchase instantly doubled our country's size. Now, I have spent my time in Louisiana. I graduated from Louisiana State University. But I never linked these two events. I am sure historians do, but does the average American know that the Haitian revolution possibly played a large role in the history of the United States of America?

So, I ask myself, had Toussaint L'Ouverture not lived, would America be the America it is today? If his army and the slaves had not defeated the French, would the French have wanted to sell their only other colony, so close to Haiti?

So, the earthquake made me begin to read about history and look at events a little more closely. I do not understand why a country so close to some of the richest economies in the world could be in this position.

I am not a political person by nature. But it does make you wonder how politically and historically, Haiti's own government and those of nearby countries have shown no accountability.

That same day, I began to get calls from many organizations, people I do business with, friends asking for financial assistance and donations. I kept responding: "Get back to me on what to do for the children." "Call me on what we can do with the schools." "Can someone find me someone dealing with the orphan situation?" "Are these kids going to be out on the streets being sold into God knows what?"

I continued to be overwhelmed with requests, and to be honest, was very concerned about people taking advantage, or looking for their "moment in the spotlight to look like a savior," or that conversations seemed premature or were losing focus on the big picture.

You could not be human and look at the images and hear the stories and not feel helpless and complete empathy for those who were suffering. Amid the chaos of what was unfolding on television, I tried my best to put myself in the place of the people and children who were living this reality.

What does it feel like to lose a family member, or many family members and friends all at one time? Parents? Children? What does it feel like to be trapped inside a building that has fallen around you, in many cases for days, waiting for someone to find you and dig you out. What does it feel like to be hungry and without water for days at a time, not knowing if you will ever taste anything again?

Now, months later: What does it feel like to be abandoned? What does it feel like to have a leg amputated, no parents,

Which country experienced an earthquake?

Answer: Haiti,

Answer: "Rescued"

Summary:
Shaquille O'Neal saw images from Haitian earthquake and asked "How could this happen?"
O'Neal: He and others knew little about Haiti and its slave revolution's impact on U.S.
It's essential for Haiti's future to remember its children, make sure they thrive, O'Neal writes .
Learn about Haiti's orphans on CNN's documentary "Rescued," Saturday at 8 p.m. ET .


(CNN) -- When the highly anticipated movie "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" opened Friday in theaters, many fans had already seen it. The pirating and distribution of "Wolverine," starring Hugh Jackman, is being investigated by the FBI. The online leak of a pirated, unfinished version of the 20th Century Fox film a month ago sent federal authorities springing into action and stoked a heated conversation within the entertainment industry about digital piracy. Piracy of upcoming films is not new, but the theft of "Wolverine" is especially troubling for an industry concerned with a stalled economy and the financial bottom line. It's rare for high-quality copies of a big-budget blockbuster to appear on the Internet more than a month before the film's release, experts say. Within a week of "Wolverine's" March 31 leak, more than a million people had downloaded the movie, according to TorrentFreak, a blog devoted to the BitTorrent file-sharing protocol.  Watch intrepid reporter look for answers » "Unfortunately, the recent leak of the Fox film 'Wolverine' provided a stark backdrop to the impact that digital piracy has on the large investments that producers make in creating state-of-the-art films," said Rep. Howard Berman, chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, who oversaw a congressional hearing on piracy after the leak. "During our hearing in Los Angeles, director Steven Soderbergh said that in 2007, the entertainment industry generated a trade surplus of $13.6 billion," Berman added. "Imagine what those numbers would be if we could rein in piracy." Bootleg, or illegally copied, movies have long been a thorn to the film industry. In 2003, a version of Universal's "The Hulk" appeared on the Internet two weeks before the film opened. A New Jersey man pleaded guilty to the theft. And in 2005, a pirated print of "Star Wars: Episode III -- Revenge of the Sith" was uploaded to the Web within hours of the movie's release. But where Hollywood's biggest headache used to be murky, muffled copies of films taken by someone who snuck a camcorder into a theater, today's pirates are getting more sophisticated and gaining access to better-quality goods. Greg Sandoval, who covers media and digital entertainment for CNET News, said that in the digital age, thieves can gain access to near-perfect advance copies of films on DVD that have greater potential to undermine a movie's box-office prospects. And even studios' attempts at safeguarding their products against piracy, such as by encoding DVDs with digital watermarks that allow authorities to trace individual copies, aren't enough, Sandoval said. He said tech-savvy thieves have figured out how to strip such watermarks from DVDs. "When you're talking about digital content ... it's impossible to lock it down completely" from theft, Sandoval said. "These hackers are very creative. Sometimes, they're one step ahead of the security experts." 20th Century Fox issued a statement vowing to prosecute the "Wolverine" thief "to the fullest extent of the law." The FBI is investigating, but as of Thursday, no arrests had been made. Darcy Antonellis, president of technical operations for Warner Bros. (which is owned by the parent company of CNN), said the growth of technology has aided the pirates. "Digital piracy has continued to increase with greater access to [files] and improved broadband services," said Antonellis, who helps oversee Warner Bros.' anti-piracy efforts. "As broadband services increase their capacity to support legitimate services, they also enable increased illegal file-sharing. Technologies have evolved to encumber such distribution but must compete with the strength of viral or super distribution of content." The bad guys aren't the only ones keeping up with the technology. Keith Bolcar, special agent in charge of the FBI's cyber division in Los Angeles, said agents and their partners as "doing everything we can to keep up with the learning curve of technology,

Which movie had pirated versions distributed online?

What is used by the industry to hinder thieves?

who should consider the livelihood of those who make films?

What movie was pirated before the debut?

What happened weeks before the "Wolverine" movie premiere?

Answer: "Wolverine,"

Answer: digital watermarks

Answer: tech-savvy thieves

Answer: "X-Men Origins: Wolverine"

Answer: The online leak of a pirated, unfinished version

Answer: allow authorities to trace individual copies,

Summary:
Pirated version of "Wolverine" distributed online weeks before movie's debut .
Industry employs technology like digital watermarks to hinder thieves .
Pending French legislation would shut down Internet accounts of downloaders .
MPAA exec says fans should consider the livelihood of those who make films .


(CNN) -- When the series "ER" airs its finale on Thursday, the event will not only mark the completion of one of NBC's most successful shows, but it can also be viewed as the end of an era for the network.

NBC's "ER," which ends on April 2, helped launch the careers of several actors, including George Clooney.

"What's so symbolic about 'ER' leaving is that that 10 o'clock Thursday night slot started out what I always called the beginning of the second golden age of television with 'Hill Street Blues'," said Robert Thompson, a professor and founding director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University.

"In almost a quarter of a century it went from 'Hill Street Blues' Thursday at 10 to 'L.A. Law' Thursday at 10 to 'ER' Thursday at 10. 'ER' is kind of occupying sacred space."

Beginning this fall, such prime time real estate, which also previously housed another acclaimed hospital drama, "St. Elsewhere." will be occupied by a new talk show helmed by "The Tonight Show" host Jay Leno.  It's a significant move for NBC in an age where sitcoms and dramas have increasingly given way to the less-expensive-to-produce reality TV shows.   "ER," which at one point was paying millions of dollars per episode just in actor salaries, definitely fit into the realm of costly productions.

Despite the price tag, the show ran for 15 seasons and is the most Emmy-nominated series in television history with 122 nominations, 22 of which resulted in wins.  Check out a timeline of the show's actors »

It almost never made it out of a pile of scripts.

Created by the late author Michael Crichton and steered by the creative team at Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, the concept didn't immediately tickle the fancy of television honchos.

"Every network had passed on it, twice," the show's longtime executive producer, John Wells, told The New York Times. "It had all these characters and medical dialogue, and they found it utterly impossible to follow."

Once it did get the green light, it caught on like a house afire.

"ER" quickly attracted legions of fans and catapulted many members of the ever-changing ensemble cast to superstar status -- most notably George Clooney, who played hunky Dr. Doug Ross.

Baltimore Sun television critic David Zurawik, who writes about the industry in the paper's "Z on TV" blog, said there may never be another collection of such talent in an ensemble drama on network television.

"There's just no way in the business model of network television for a producer out in Hollywood to say 'Here's the concept, and I've got this star, this star and this star,' " Zurawik said.

"By the time they got two sentences out, the production studio head they are pitching would say 'Who's going to be paying for that.' The economics for that are just not there, and neither is the audience."

Zurawik noted that audiences and actors alike now have gravitated to cable television, where dramatic hits such as "Mad Men" and "Rescue Me" are being produced by the likes of AMC and FX.

"Cable is growing whereas network TV isn't," Zurawik said. "The better actors, the ones who work in film and theater, really like doing cable because cable has been flexible. It's not, if you sign on to this series you are going to do 22 episodes a year and you have to sign away five or six years of your life. Nobody wants to do that anymore."

Former Dallas Morning News TV critic Ed Bark, who now runs the site Uncle Barky's Bytes, said he believes in the coming years most of the Emmy-caliber shows will be on cable.

Cable television benefits, he said, from the double revenue stream of both money from advertisers and subscribers, so

who is now drawing audiences for popular dramas?

Answer: April 2,

Answer: 15

Answer: April 2,

Answer: AMC

Answer: 15 seasons

Summary:
"ER" ends its NBC run on Thursday, April 2, after 15 seasons .
Drama to be replaced by new Jay Leno talk show .
The popular show had continued long tradition of drama in 10 p.m. slot .
Cable television now drawing audiences for popular dramas .


(CNN) -- When the stirring speeches, heavyweight debates and fevered campaigning of the U.S. elections are long forgotten, a handful of far less noble incidents are  likely to be our enduring memories of the 2008 White House race.

"Hey America, I'm Paris Hilton and I'm a celebrity too."

While the candidates would like us to view their bids for the top job as an honorable battle of wits, policies, values and big issues, the sad truth is that it's more likely to boil down to a list of gaffes, embarrassments and sideshows.

Both Democratic and Republican PR machines have been working hard to keep their campaigns on-script, but with a cast list of John McCain, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Sarah Palin and the Clintons, they had their work cut out.

Alaskan "hockey mom" Palin's late arrival undoubtedly stirred things up, adding a dash of vigor as the race lumbered into its final straight, but even before she began stealing the show, there was no shortage of scrapbook moments.

Sound off: Which do you think are the most memorable moments from the 2008 election?

In no particular order, here is a selection of some of the best:

1. Crying game: Back in January's New Hampshire primaries, Hillary Clinton welled up with emotion, almost crying into her coffee cup during a chat with voters. This unexpected exposure of her human side was credited with winning back some women supporters. Read more

2. McCain bombs: John McCain displayed rather off-key singing and diplomacy skills when asked if there was a plan to attack Iran back in April 2007. Changing the words to the classic Beach Boys' song "Barbara Ann," the Arizona senator responded: "Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran." Read more

3. Pastor disaster: Proving once again that religion and politics don't mix, Barack Obama was forced to distance himself from his former pastor and mentor Jeremiah Wright, after a series of pulpit fulminations in which he made racially-charged criticisms of Hillary Clinton and said of the 9/11 terror attacks: "American's chickens are coming home to roost." Read more

4. Ramblin' man: Garrulous "gaffe machine" Joe Biden got the last word in a primary debate about his tendency to speak his mind and not shut up. Asked if he could hold his tongue enough to "reassure your voters in this country that you have the discipline you would need on the world stage," Biden replied succinctly: "Yes." Read more

5. The pig issue: Obama may have been hoping to generate oinks of outrage when he commented in September that McCain's policies were like "lipstick on a pig," after the Arizona senator named Sarah Palin as running mate. The Democratic candidate refused to apologize for what Republicans said was a misogynistic response to Palin's own claim to be a pitbull in lipstick. You couldn't make it up.  Read more

6. Miss-firing: Hillary Clinton had her campaign guns blazing in March when she described the drama of a visit to Bosnia 12 years earlier. "I remember landing under sniper fire," she said. Clinton was later forced to admit "misspeaking" after video footage of the event showed her strolling leisurely from the aircraft. Read more

7. Ordinary Joe: First there was Joe Biden, then there was Palin's mythical beer swiller Joe Sixpack and finally there was Joe the Plumber -- just a regular guy worried about his business going down the drain. Despite not actually being a licensed plumber, and not even being called Joe, he has been seized on by McCain as an everyman hero. This endorsement sprung more leaks when Joe failed to appear on cue to a recent McCain event. Read more

8. Bad business: Neither presidential candidate makes claim to being psychic, but McCain might have done better consulting his tea leaves rather than the advisors who led him to say "the fundamentals of our economy are strong" on the eve of America's worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Read more

9.

What were the most memorable election moments?

Answer: Hillary

Answer: displayed rather off-key singing and diplomacy skills when asked if there was a plan to attack Iran back in April 2007. Changing the words to the classic Beach Boys' song "Barbara Ann," the Arizona senator responded: "Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran."

Answer: Alaskan "hockey mom"

Answer: McCain bombs:

Summary:
Most memorable election moments likely to include gaffes and embarrassments .
Biden, Obama, McCain and Clinton all hit headlines for wrong reasons .
Palin generated many headlines for wrong reasons in last weeks of campaign .


(CNN) -- When the water of Lake Delton ripped through the highway and drained into the Wisconsin River this week, so did the lifeline for much of the surrounding community. Boats sit mired in mud Tuesday after Lake Delton drained into the Wisconsin River the day before. Lake Delton Village and Wisconsin Dells, the self-professed "waterpark capital of the world," are home to about 5,000 residents. But the area's motels, resorts and vacation homes can accommodate more than 10 times that, according to the visitors bureau. Innkeepers, restaurateurs and other business owners were getting ready for the typically bustling tourist season this week when torrential rains sent the 267-acre lake rushing through an embankment propping up Highway A. The manmade lake sucked a 200-foot swath of highway and a half-dozen homes into the Wisconsin with it. "I was on the water when I realized the plug had been pulled," said Steve Zowin, who was towing a capsized pontoon boat when he noticed the water level quickly diminishing. "It drained like a bathtub."  Watch a report from the lake » Zowin and his wife, Kathy, have owned Lake Delton Watersports for almost three decades. In addition to running a marina, the couple offers parasail rides and rents boats. Personal watercraft and ski boats are their most popular wares, he said. "My gross income will be reduced by about 75 percent, and that's huge," he said Wednesday. "It's a big step backwards for someone who's been in business for 29 years." Zowin, 56, says that most of the tourists hail from metropolises like Chicago, Illinois; St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin -- all "within a gas tank of the Dells." They start trickling in on Father's Day, and tourism booms between Independence Day and mid-August, he said. Like many business owners around Lake Delton, Zowin is seeing canceled reservations from disenchanted visitors who will be spending their summers elsewhere. Asked whether visitors were canceling reservations at her lakeside resort, one owner who didn't want to give her name replied, "Every day, many." Thomas Brown, who owns Port Vista, a popular burger and steak joint on the lake, said that one of his resort-owner friends has refunded $10,000 in deposits for canceled reservations. The friend has closed his resort until at least July, Brown said. iReport.com: Are you near the floods? Send photos, video Brown, 49, who has owned the bar and restaurant for 15 years, said business hasn't been hit hard yet. "The first couple of days has been absolutely packed because of all the people coming by to look at the lake and stopping by for a burger or steak," he said, adding that he doesn't expect business to boom for long. "I think when people see what they have to see, it's going to be not so good." Some business owners who aren't on the lakefront are still trying to gauge what effect the drained lake will have on them.  Watch the rushing lake carry a home away » Del-Bar is a popular seafood and steak restaurant near the lake on Wisconsin Dells Parkway. It's so popular, in fact, that actor Johnny Depp and director Michael Mann recently stopped in during filming of their upcoming movie "Public Enemies," owner Jeff Wimmer said. Wimmer said his restaurant, which he has owned for 30 years, may be more resilient than lakefront businesses because he relies more on Wisconsin Dells locals. The 66-year-old knows that the summer brings hungry tourists; it's just too early to tell how many of them have been deterred by the dry lake bed. "We're anticipating that it's going to affect us, but it's too early to tell right now," Wimmer said. How long the lake will remain dry is also a question. Business owners say, some skeptically, that there are efforts afoot to refill the lake by mid-July. Delton Oaks Resort

What are many businesses already seeing?

How much income will be lost by local businesses?

Answer: canceled reservations

Answer: ripped through the highway and drained into the Wisconsin River

Answer: the day before.

Answer: "waterpark capital of the world,"

Answer: between Independence Day and mid-August,

Answer: 75 percent,

Summary:
Lake Delton went away as businesses were getting ready for busy tourist season .
"My gross income will be reduced by about 75 percent," one business owner says .
Many businesses at the lake are already seeing canceled reservations .
Some owners not on lakefront try to gauge how drained lake will affect them .


(CNN) -- When travel author Beth Whitman was in Vietnam, she witnessed a group of young American male travelers rough-housing in the streets outside of the Rex Hotel. Americans traveling to sites around the world like the Blue Mosque in Istanbul should be respectful. In their youthful, loud exuberance, they ended up ripping each other's shirts as they horsed around. "I thought to myself that those shirts probably cost maybe 20, 30, 40 dollars apiece, and here you are in a culture where the people may not be even making that much on a monthly basis. "It's that sort of thing, just not being aware how off-putting that can be to the local culture." Such behavior, while seemingly harmless, can help to cement the moniker of "the ugly American," which came to refer to loud, rude and thoughtless behavior of U.S. citizens abroad. The term came about as a result of the book "The Ugly American," and more than 50 years after its publication, those from the United States continue to battle an image of arrogance and nationalism. Written by William J. Lederer and Eugene Burdick, the novel chronicled American foreign policy and diplomacy failures in a fictitious developing nation. In the book, the American ambassador to the country is portrayed as crude and inept. That enduring legacy has not been easy to shake, and even the U.S. president knows the score. During a recent trek to Turkey, President Obama said in his remarks at the Tophane Cultural Center in Istanbul that he knows the "stereotypes of the United States are out there." "Sometimes it suggests that America has become selfish and crass, or that we don't care about the world beyond us," he said. "And I'm here to tell you that that's not the country that I know and it's not the country that I love." Whitman, the author of the "Wanderlust and Lipstick" guides and publisher of "Traveling with Kids," often gives lectures and workshops -- many geared toward female travelers -- and speaks on the importance of Americans being stellar representatives of their homeland while abroad. "It's about being respectful of the country and the culture, treating the people respectfully and not flashing around your money and your material possessions," Whitman said. "It's up to every individual to be that ambassador and portray their country well." Author Ann Hulbert wrote a piece for The New York Times Magazine a few years ago about her desire not to be mistaken for an ugly American when her family traveled to Istanbul and the Turkish coast. Hulbert took the step of vetoing one of her teenage son's T-shirts, worried that the message on it, "The Fighting Quakers. Beat them 'til they reach consensus," might be misunderstood in the Muslim country. "I think that when you are a big and powerful country, it's easy for the rest of the world to feel that you don't deal with the kind of consideration and humility that other people do," said Hulbert, who researches the areas she visits prior to her trips. iReport.com: Ever been to the Netherlands? Share your travel pics Christopher P. Baker, who is a Cuba travel expert and award-winning author of the best-selling guidebook "Moon Cuba," said he has concerns about what will happen if and when travel restrictions are completely lifted from that country. He recalled two years ago when he was reviewing one of Havana's first five-star hotels that had just opened. Standing in the lobby with one of the hotel's executives, he witnessed a man, dripping wet from the pool and wrapped in a towel, emerge from the elevator. The man walked through the bar, down the stairs and into the marble lobby just as the staff tried to intercept him, Baker said. "I heard them say, 'We don't allow guests in the lobby dressed this way,' and the man said, 'Yeah, I know' in this deep American brogue,"

What are travel expert's recommendations?

What did president Obama say about perceptions of Americans?

Answer: travelers rough-housing in the streets outside

Answer: loud, rude and thoughtless

Answer: respectful.

Answer: being respectful of the country and the culture, treating the people respectfully and not flashing around your money and your material possessions,"

Answer: he knows the "stereotypes of the United States are out there."

Summary:
Decades after the publication of "The Ugly American," the perception persists .
President Obama spoke of perception of Americans as "selfish and crass"
Travel expert urges visitors to be "respectful of the country and the culture"
Election of Obama may be helping change America's reputation abroad .


(CNN) -- When word came down Monday that an ownership lockout would cancel at least the first two weeks of this year's NBA season, players' association president and Los Angeles Lakers point guard Derek Fisher had a three-word response.

"LET US PLAY."

But they didn't come in a press release or a statement in front of a bank of news cameras. Instead, they were on Twitter, the social-media platform where the league's stars have millions of followers and where they hope their high profiles will win public sympathy during an increasingly bitter labor fight.

It's not the first time pro athletes have used the site's micro-blasts of info to make their case in such disputes. In fact, "let us play" was a refrain used by the NFL players' association on Twitter during last summer's labor negotiations, which were settled without any regular-season play being missed.

But it may be the first time it's been an integral part of a plan to sway public opinion.

"This is an orchestrated effort by the players attempting to gather attention and support for their cause, much in the same way carrying a picket sign might have in another era," said Eric Rabe, senior adviser at the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government, where he studies the use of social media.

Fisher added the hashtag "#standunited" to his post, a tag other players have adopted, allowing Twitter users to follow all of their tweets in one place.

In a letter to fellow players after it was clear that negotiations had broken down between players and owners, Fisher said he and New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul would be "utilizing our personal social networking channels to show the fans and you all that we are united and want to get back to work under a fair deal."

"We invite you each to do the same," he wrote in the letter, which was obtained by Sports Illustrated. "To show our unity and to remind the fans that this is not our choice and we would like to go back to work and play the game they love to support."

Some of the game's biggest stars took the cue.

"I wanna sincerely say sorry to all the fans! It's a sad day for all of us, especially u guys!" Miami Heat superstar LeBron James wrote on his Twitter feed. "There's no US w/o You."

And that, observers say, is where the players have the advantage. James has 2.5 million followers on Twitter. His teammate Dwyane Wade has 1.7 million. Almost all of the league's top players who are active on the site are followed by hundreds of thousands of fans. (Twitter, not Facebook, has been the go-to platform for NBA stars' messages about the labor dispute.)

"It's logical for the players to take this approach," said Rabe, who as head of Verizon's corporate communications was responsible for spearheading that company's social-media efforts, as well as representing it through several labor disputes. "They've got a resource there to exploit and an issue they want to get on the table in front of the fans. I'm sure they'll have some success with it."

In most labor situations, management is less apt to appeal directly to the public for a variety of reasons, Rabe said. "I'm not sure that's necessarily wise, but that's a tendency that management has in these situations."

That's certainly been the case in the NBA talks, during which owners have remained much lower profile..

Dallas Mavericks boss Mark Cuban is the league's most high-profile owner and one of its most active on Twitter, with more than 700,000 followers.

But despite tweeting regularly, the often-outspoken Cuban does not appear to have mentioned the lockout in recent days. One of his other projects, cable channel HDNet, has gotten more mentions than the NBA of late.

Other high-profile owners were equally mum about the lockout. Portland

Can players use their personal popularity to spread opinions?

Answer: they hope

Summary:
As NBA lockout threatens season, players take to Twitter to make their case .
Lakers guard Derek Fisher urges colleagues to use social media .
Players can use their personal popularity to spread opinion in a way ownership can't .
As players tweet, ownership has remained mostly quiet on social-media platforms .