Drew Barrymore's Half Sister Jessica Probably Overdosed, Says Brother

                                            From left: Jessica, Drew and John Barrymore
The half sister of Drew Barrymore, whose body was found in a car early Tuesday, likely died from an accidental overdose, her brother told a New York newspaper.

"It looks like it was a drug misadventure. Mixing alcohol and pills. I seriously doubt she took her own life," John Barrymore, 60, told the New York Daily News. (Drew, Jessica and John all share the same father, John Drew Barrymore.)

Jessica, who would have turned 48 on Thursday, was discovered unresponsive inside her Toyota Camry early Tuesday. Her car was blocking a driveway in National City, California, just north of San Diego. She was reportedly found with an energy drink between her legs and dozens of white pills on the passenger seat.

John also said the car contained empty vodka bottles and "a couple bags of meth."

"My guess is that it was the booze and pills, like with Heath Ledger," John told the paper, referring to the 28-year-old actor's accidental drug overdose in 2008.

The Medical Examiner has not yet released an official cause of death.

John Barrymore went on to say that his half siblings spent almost no time with one another, having reunited once after the passing of their famous actor/father.

"I don’t blame [Drew] for being terrified of anyone she’s related to," John said. "Her parents were pretty toxic."

In a statement released to PEOPLE, Drew, 39, said of Jessica: "Although I only met her briefly, I wish her and her loved ones as much peace as possible, and I'm so incredibly sorry for their loss."

                     Jessica Barrymore; Drew Barrymore (inset)   

Music Aside, Queen of Soul is Pumped for Fair Food

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - There's something beyond delivering a set packed with her hits that's got Aretha Franklin jazzed about fair season: the food.

Ahead of her Thursday performance at the Ohio State Fair, the Queen of Soul says she's eager to track down some elephant ears, a fair staple of fried dough sprinkled with powdered sugar.

"I'm looking forward to it," she says. "I love the state fair, and I love the elephant ears."

There may be plenty of opportunities for fried treats ahead, given that her busy 2014 tour also includes performances at the Wisconsin and Minnesota state fairs in August.

Franklin says her Columbus performance will be packed with familiar songs, selections from an upcoming CD being produced by Babyface and Andre 3000, and "a few surprises; I love surprises."

"We're going to have a rock 'em, sock 'em good time," she says.

After some health issues, the R&B diva says she's feeling as good as she did in her 50s but prefers not to focus on how far past 50 she is now.

"I am certainly old enough to be out after midnight," the 72-year-old star says. "Age is just a number."

She says she's planning a vacation to New York after her Wisconsin gig, including a stop at the U.S. Open. She also is taking French lessons and studying classical piano with a Julliard graduate.

"I always wanted to go to Juilliard, but my schedule was so heavy at that time that it just never allowed me the time to go there for long enough to learn something," she says. "So what I did was I got a teacher who was a graduate and teacher to come to me."

Franklin says she has begun to hear the classical training in her style and inflections and expects audiences will, too. She aspires to be as good as legendary classical pianist Vladimir Horowitz or jazz greats Art Tatum or Oscar Peterson.

"That is the level I want to be playing at," she says. "That's the lifetime level."

Her upcoming recording doesn't have a name yet, but Franklin says she's six tracks and five vocals into it. She expects to finish the final three cuts in August.

It features R&B classics such as "Midnight Train to Georgia," ''What's Love Got To Do With It," Donna Summer's disco classic "Last Dance" and Alicia Keys' "Fallin'."

Witchy Sez :

Entertainers never retire look how old Don Rickles and Regis Philbin are. Joan Rivers too.Rodney Dangerfield started out writing jokes at age 15 and he finally died at age 82 when he was still on the stage making appearnaces. you need to see how alive or almost alive you will be when you hit 72.

　

Maxy's Gone....And his Family is Broken Hearted

Our precious Maxy passed away on Friday. He died while my daughter and I held him at the animal hospital. He was a victim of someone's carelessness. They left out some poisoned bait meant for rodents , we assume, and Maxy ingested some. He had an agonizing death that has traumatized us all. And all we could do was stand helplessly by and watch him suffer.

Please, Please don't use poisons on or around your property for any reason at any time. It is a risk to so many innocent little lives and the dying process is horrible. Maxy bled internally and then his eyes and ears hemorrhaged and he vomited blood. We could not bear to watch him suffer any longer and asked the vet to euthanize him. She thinks it was Warfarin (rat poison) or possibly strychnine.

He was a wonderful little guy with lots of personality and a member of our family. He was beloved in our neighborhood and our friends and neighbors are upset and angry and have sworn to find the culprit. He will be so missed by so many, but he will always be in our hearts and will always be the 'Dog on the Blog'.

Connecting the Dots : Is Fracking Causing Earthquakes?

Workers move a section of well casing into place at a Chesapeake Energy natural gas well site near Burlington, Pa., in Bradford County. (AP Photo/Ralph Wilson, File)
In Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio and other states, people who have rarely experienced earthquakes in the past are getting used to them as a fairly common phenomenon. This dramatic uptick in tremors is related to drilling for oil and natural gas, several reports find. And the growing popularity of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is in part to blame.
  Between 1970 and 2000, there was an average of 20 earthquakes per year within the central and eastern United States. Between 2010 and 2013, there was an average of more than 100 earthquakes annually. A United States Geological Survey released last month summarized research on man-made earthquakes conducted by one of the agency’s geophysicists:
USGS scientists have found that at some locations the increase in seismicity coincides with the injection of wastewater in deep disposal wells. Much of this wastewater is a byproduct of oil and gas production and is routinely disposed of by injection into wells specifically designed for this purpose. So, the actual hydraulic fracturing process itself is not to blame in these cases; instead, it’s the injection of wastewater into deep wells that accompanies it.

Hydraulic fracturing produces a higher volume of wastewater than traditional drilling — as the name implies, drillers use millions of gallons of high-pressure water, sand and chemicals to break apart rock and release gas trapped in pockets in the earth. The wastewater generated is often contaminated with salt or poisonous chemicals, and environmental regulations bar drilling companies from allowing it to mix with drinking water; oftentimes, the most economical way for these companies to dispose of it is to sequester it deep in the ground, below aquifers. Once there, it changes pressure underground and lubricates fault lines, with the potential effect of causing earthquakes.
 In both Texas and Oklahoma, the number of earthquakes per year has increased ten-fold. And wells storing wastewater from fracking have also been linked to hundreds of earthquakes near Youngstown, Ohio.

Studies last year found that the largest quake ever recorded in Oklahoma — which was felt 800 miles away in Milwaukee, Wis., damaged 14 homes, injured two people and buckled a highway — could be linked to wastewater injection. Damage from the quake, which measured 5.6 on the Richter scale, "would be much worse if it were to happen in a more densely populated area," the USGS wrote.

And as quakes increase in frequency, residents of Oklahoma and Texas are taking notice. More noticeable than the shaking, for many, is the noise these quakes make: a loud boom, like artillery fire.
In the Netherlands, where the Groningen gas field lies, quakes have also become more frequent, increasing from about 20 each year before 2011 to an average of one per week. Shell and Exxon Mobile, active in the gas field, set aside $130 million to strengthen buildings as the quakes increased in severity. But residents of the area worried that a 4-or-5 magnitude earthquake –the likelihood of which, experts warned, is increasing — would threaten the integrity of the country’s dikes, which protect the low-lying northern Netherlands.
Last month, the country’s government decided to scale back production of natural gas on the Groningen field, foregoing one billion euros a year by 2016, even as the country struggles to cope with the European Union’s deficit reduction targets.

But similar reductions in the US are unlikely. The oil and gas industry employs hundreds of thousands of people in both Texas and Oklahoma, and natural gas has become widely popular among electric utilities for its low cost.

Witchy is not happy :
Why is it okay for mankind to pollute everywhere he goes?...even in outer space. Out of sight out of mind? We should be ashamed.

The three-fold effect are depletion of water levels, fracking poisons ground water, where the first effect leads to the continued collapse of many things above them into the fractured empty basins down below.
Like potholes getting bigger, ya know?

And the reason we cannot develop more efficient, clean, relatively cheap solar energy is because......? Answer: because it is efficient, clean and relatively cheap. Where would billionaires get their billions from? How would they be able to buy the Congress they want? Think of the injustice.

What about sink holes? Has anyone investigated the possible causes of so many new ones?

Our water resources are drying up or being poisoned. Why do Americans think the Bush family bought that massive amount of land, right over the top of a super major aquifer in S. America? Just a coincidence ?

Sinkholes can be formed by underground water erosion and dissolution.
Coal power stations produce sulfur dioxide, nitric oxide and carbon dioxide and these acidify rain.
When that rain falls, it dissolves limestone rocks and over time it can make really big holes and caves.
Guess what Florida is made of ?

If Corporations keep doing this, there wont be a Earth left to live on. It seems they forgetting that the Planets core is not solid. Weakening Earths crust could have some serious consequences.
But Hey , that's just me and the way I roll ... nuff said .
  

The Newest 'Dear White People' Trailer Will Have You Rolling On The Floor With Laughter

The buzz around "Dear White People" has flourished since its introduction at Sundance. Much of which can be accredited to a bundle of trailers and public announcement parodies released on the film's YouTube page.

The newest trailer, posted on Tuesday, is perhaps the funniest yet.
The witty satire takes place on the campus of a fictional Ivy League campus, and follows the adventures of Black Student Union members as they navigate their racially charged college experiences.

"Dear White People" is set to premiere Oct. 17th, but watch the latest teaser for the film below .
The Huffington Post | By Jessica Dickerson

10 Actors Who Died During Production

Being an actor isn’t all Hollywood glitz and glam. In fact, sometimes it can be downright dangerous. Take these 10 Hollywood stars, for example. They all have one morbid thing in common: they died while on the set of the show or movie they were filming. Though there are plenty of other famous actors, like Heath Ledger, who died before finishing a project, not all of them died while on set. Some of these deaths were the result of natural causes, while others met a more gruesome end. Here’s a look at 10 actors whose lives ended before they finished filming their projects.

                                                    Jon-Erik Hexum
An unintentional gunshot wound to the head on the set of the CBS adventure series Cover Up killed Hexum in 1984, writes Access Atlanta. He played Mac Harper, the Green Beret-turned-model in the TV show that delved into international mystery and fashion photography. According to Entertainment Weekly, Hexum had been napping on October 12, 1984, during delays in filming. When he learned there would be more delays, he jokingly picked up a .44 Magnum pistol loaded with blanks, said "Can you believe this crap?" and pulled the trigger. The blast’s impact fractured his skull, which drove a bone fragment the size of a quarter into his brain causing massive bleeding. He was rushed to the hospital where surgery was performed, however, he remained comatose and was then pronounced brain dead on October 18, writes Entertainment Weekly.

                                              Vic Morrow
During the filming of Twilight Zone: The Movie, Morrow was killed on set in July 1982, along with two child actors, Myca Dinh Le and Renee Chen, says How Stuff Works. The Twilight Zone script called for the use of both a helicopter and pyrotechnics, a deadly combination in this case. During a scene in which Morrow was being attacked by American Soldiers in Vietnam, the pyrotechnics exploded, severing the helicopter’s tail, which caused it to crash, decapitating Morrow and killing the two child actors as well, per Ranker.

                                                       John Ritter
He collapsed while on the set of 8 Simple Rules for Dating my Teenage Daughter on September 11, 2003. Ritter had become ill while working on the ABS series and ended up collapsing on set. He was rushed to the hospital where he underwent surgery for a tear in his aorta, a rare medical condition that can hit without warning, writes Fox News. Ritter died that evening, per Fox News. The show was retitled 8 Simple Rules and continued for another season with David Spade and James Garner as replacements, writes Access Atlanta. Ritter was well-known for his many works in television and on film, particularly for his role as Jack Tripper in Three’s Company, according to Madame Noire.

                                                      Tyrone Power
While filming Solomon and Sheba, Tyrone Power suffered a massive heart attack on set during a fencing scene. He died on the way to the hospital on March 15, 1958, according to Ranker. Power first rose to popularity in 1936 with Lloyds of London, according to About. Solomon and Sheba was a series about King David’s younger son, Solomon, who he names his heir ahead of his older son, Prince Adonijah, just before his death. During Solomon’s reign over Israel, the Queen of Sheba arrives in Jerusalem. Solomon falls in love with her, but she is in cahoots with the Pharaoh of Egypt; their goal is to divide the 12 tribes of Israel, according to IMDb. Eventually, Sheba falls in love with Solomon and chooses to side with him against the Pharaoh.

                                                       Redd Foxx
While filming on the set of The Royal Family (co-starring Della Reese), Foxx died of a massive heart attack in 1991. In an ironic twist, he had become famous for grabbing his chest and calling out to his dead television wife, Elizabeth, while he pretended to have a heart attack on the ‘70s show Sanford and Son, per Madame Noire. Foxx was 68 years old at the time of his death.

                                                      Brandon Lee
Lee, the son of martial arts legend Bruce Lee, was killed on March 31, 1993 in a stunt accident on the set of The Crow. "Lee’s character was supposed to get shot in a scene, but the handgun used contained a fragment of a real bullet," writes Ranker. During the filming of a scene, Lee was walking through a doorway carrying a grocery bag as another actor fired blanks at him from 15 feet away, per The Los Angeles Times. At that moment, Lee activated a toggle switch underneath the grocery bag and set off the small charge, called a squib, which is a device commonly used on movie sets to simulate gunfire effects. Lee was hit in the abdomen by a projectile, and he died later that day at the age of 28.

                                                        Martha Mansfield
While filming The Warrens of Virginia, the silent film star was sitting in a car taking a break in between takes. In what can only be described as a freak accident, a passerby lit a cigarette, accidentally flicking the match into the automobile. The match landed on Martha Mansfield’s costume, which was a giant and highly flammable Civil War-era dress that went up in flames, per Death and Taxes. Mansfield died in the hospital the next day (November 30, 1923) from severe burns.

                                                      Steve Irwin
Known as an Australian adventurer and animal advocate, the "Crocodile Hunter" was stung and killed by a stingray on September 4, 2006, while filming Ocean’s Deadliest, an underwater documentary. According to The Los Angeles Times, Irwin and his cameraman, Justin Lyons, were in chest-deep water near Queensland, Australia. The pair came across an 8-foot-wide stingray; after filming the stingray for a while, it ended up attacking Irwin. "It started stabbing wildly with its tail," Lyons told The Los Angeles Times, "hundreds of strikes within a few seconds." Despite the crew’s efforts to save him, Irwin died before they could get him help. In Lyons’ interview with The Los Angeles Times, he said Irwin’s last words were "I’m dying."

                                                         Paul Mantz
Mantz was a legendary aviator who lost his spot at the U.S. Army Flight School after buzzing over a train filled with high ranking officers in an effort to show off his skills. Later, he landed a role in Air Mail, where he flew a biplane through a hangar that wasn’t much bigger than his aircraft. Mantz then appeared in several other films, such as For Whom the Bell Tolls, Twelve O’Clock High, and The Wings of Eagles. The daredevil died on July 8, 1965 while performing a stunt for The Flight of the Phoenix – a movie he came out of retirement to film, according to How Stuff Works. Mantz was flying over a desert in Arizona when his plane struck a hill and broke into pieces, immediately killing the aviator. Most of the film had already been shot, so filmmakers substituted another plane for some remaining close-ups. The Flight of the Phoenix was released later that year.

                                                          Roy Kinnear
While in Toledo, Spain, filming the movie The Return of the Musketeers, Kinnear fell from a horse. The 54-year-old British actor sustained a broken pelvis and was taken to a hospital in Madrid. The following day, September 20, 1988, Kinnear died from a heart attack, writes Oddee. Kinnear "played the role of Planchet, the servant of the Musketeer d’Artagnan, a role he created in the Richard Lester hit, The Three Musketeers, in 1974," according to The New York Times. The director, Richard Lester, was deeply affected by Kinnear’s death and shortly after quit his own film career, per Oddee.

Happy Birthday 'Prince George'

Royal family to celebrate Prince George's birthday with tea party,

It’s going to be a prince of a party.

Britain’s royal family has plans to fete Prince George’s first birthday with a private tea party in Kensington Palace, according to Vanity Fair.
The Royal heir will become a 1-year-old on Tuesday and he’s already proving himself to be a forward child — already walking on his own.

His parents, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, released a photo ahead of his birthday that shows just how much their little cherub has grown.

The blond-haired, chubby-cheeked child is the picture of health as he flails about on his stubby little feet in denim overalls.

Prince William and Kate recently took little George to the Sensational Butterflies exhibit at the National History Museum in London.

Justin Bieber : Loud Partying Could Trigger Probation Violation

Justin Bieber is playing with fire after cops responded to complaints at his Beverly Hills condo 6 TIMES over the weekend ... and his freedom is literally on the line.

Cops received 4 separate complaints for loud music and partying on the roof top Saturday night and they sent patrol cars each time -- at 8:30 PM, 12:50 AM, 1:50 AM and 3:00 AM. We're told Bieber was not cited because he agreed to turn the music down.

There were 2 other incidents involving disturbances with fans and paparazzi.

Here's what's so significant ... Bieber is currently on 2 years probation for egging his neighbor's house. Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... if the Bev Hills PD cites Bieber ... they will forward the matter to the L.A. County Probation Dept., which could trigger a probation violation and then he's in jail territory.

Cops have responded to numerous incidents involving Bieber at the condo over the last month ... incidents involving both noise and weed.

                                         

Witcy sez :
They won't do a thing to him. The judges & DA's in California are "star struck" and the high paid crooked lawyers will do under the table deals. Those poor people in that Condo building are doomed for many months to come.
He is still being treated with kid gloves.
Anyone else would have had his stereo equipment confiscated, guests made to leave AND been arrested on the 3rd call.
They will just keep letting him go... and one day when he is older...he will be in prison. One day the golden ticket will expire... and he doesn't know any other way to act. He's a kid... but he needs someone to bring him off his cloud. As a mother... he doesn't do anything for me... and most kids think he is a clown...but give it time...he's headed for the big house.

TV legend James Garner dies at 86

LAS VEGAS - JULY 27: Actor James Garner competes in the 2006 World Series of Poker media/celebrity event at the Rio Hotel & Casino July 27, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The WSOP no-limit Texas Hold 'em main event begins on June 28.

Pictured: James Garner as Jim Rockford THE ROCKFORD

LOS ANGELES - FEBRUARY 28: Actor James Garner and wife attending 'Giant Steps Benefit' on February 28, 1977 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, CaliforniaBy LYNN ELBER
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Actor James Garner, whose whimsical style in the 1950s TV Western "Maverick" led to a stellar career in TV and films such as "The Rockford Files" and his Oscar-nominated "Murphy's Romance," has died, police said. He was 86.

He was found dead of natural causes at his home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles Saturday evening, Los Angeles police officer Alonzo Iniquez said early Sunday.

Police responded to a call around 8 p.m. PDT and confirmed Garner's identity from family members, Iniquez told The Associated Press.

There was no immediate word on a more specific cause of death. Garner had suffered a stroke in May 2008, just weeks after his 80th birthday.

Although he was adept at drama and action, Garner was best known for his low-key, wisecracking style, especially with his hit TV series, "Maverick" and "The Rockford Files."

His quick-witted avoidance of conflict provided a refreshingly new take on the American hero, contrasting with the steely heroics of John Wayne and the fast trigger of Clint Eastwood.

Well into his 70s, the handsome Oklahoman remained active in both TV and film. In 2002, he was Sandra Bullock's father in the film "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood." The following year, he joined the cast of "8 Simple Rules ... For Dating My Teenage Daughter," playing the grandfather on the sitcom after star John Ritter, who played the father, died during the show's second season.

When he received the Screen Actors Guild's lifetime achievement award in 2005, he quipped, "I'm not at all sure how I got here."

But in his 2011 memoir, "The Garner Files," he provided some amusing and enlightening clues, including his penchant for bluntly expressed opinions and a practice for decking people who said something nasty to his face - including an obnoxious fan and an abusive stepmother. They all deserved it, Garner declared in his book.

It was in 1957 when the ABC network, desperate to compete on ratings-rich Sunday night, scheduled "Maverick" against CBS's powerhouse "The Ed Sullivan Show" and NBC's "The Steve Allen Show." ''Maverick" soon outpolled them both.

At a time when the networks were crowded with hard-eyed, traditional Western heroes, Bret Maverick provided a fresh breath of air. With his sardonic tone and his eagerness to talk his way out of a squabble rather than pull out his six-shooter, the con-artist Westerner seemed to scoff at the genre's values.

After a couple of years, Garner felt the series was losing its creative edge, and he found a legal loophole to escape his contract in 1960.

His first film after "Maverick" established him as a movie actor. It was "The Children's Hour," William Wyler's remake of Lillian Hellman's lesbian drama that co-starred Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine.

He followed in a successful comedy with Kim Novak, "Boys Night Out," and then fully established his box-office appeal with the 1963 blockbuster war drama "The Great Escape" and two smash comedies with Doris Day - "The Thrill of It All" and "Move Over Darling."

Throughout his long film career, Garner demonstrated his versatility in comedies ("The Art of Love," ''A Man Could Get Killed," ''Skin Game"), suspense ("36 Hours," ''They Only Kill Their Masters," ''Marlowe"), Westerns ("Duel at Diablo," ''Hour of the Gun," ''Support Your Local Gunfighter").

In the 1980s and 1990s, when most stars his age were considered over the hill, Garner's career remained strong.

He played a supporting role as a marshal in the 1994 "Maverick," a big-screen return to the TV series with Mel Gibson in Garner's old title role. His only Oscar nomination came for the 1985 "Murphy's Romance," a comedy about a small-town love relationship in which he co-starred with Sally Field.

His favorite film, though, was the cynical 1964 war drama "The Americanization of Emily," which co-starred Julie Andrews.

Unlike most film stars, Garner made repeated returns to television. "Nichols" (1971-72) and "Bret Maverick" (1981-82) were short-lived, but "The Rockford Files" (1974-80) proved a solid hit, bringing him an Emmy.

Among his notable TV movies: "Barbarians at the Gate" (as tycoon F. Ross Johnson), "Breathing Lessons," ''The Promise," ''My Name Is Bill W.," ''The Streets of Laredo" and "One Special Night."

He said he learned about acting while playing a non-speaking role as a Navy juror in the 1954 Broadway hit play "The Caine Mutiny Court Martial," starring Henry Fonda and Lloyd Nolan.

"I had no lines, and I had trouble staying awake," Garner recalled.

After "Caine Mutiny," Garner found work in Hollywood as a bit player in the "Cheyenne" TV series. Warner Bros. gave him a screen test and signed him to a seven-year contract starting at $200 a week.

The studio cast him in supporting roles in three minor films, followed by the important break as Marlon Brando's sidekick in "Sayonara." When Charlton Heston declined a war movie, "Darby's Rangers," because of a money dispute, Garner assumed the role.

"Maverick," which co-starred Jack Kelly as brother Bart Maverick, made its debut on Sept. 22, 1957.

Garner was born James Scott Bumgarner (some references say Baumgarner) in Norman, Okla. His mother died when he was 5, and friends and relatives cared for him and his two brothers for a time while his father was to California.

In 1957, Garner married TV actress Lois Clarke, and the union prevailed despite some stormy patches. She had a daughter Kimberly from a previous marriage, and the Garners had another daughter, Gretta Scott. In the late 1990s, the Garners built a 12,000-square-foot house on a 400-acre ranch north of Santa Barbara.

"My wife and I felt ... we'd just watch the sunset from the front porch," Garner said in 2000. "But then the phone started ringing with all these wonderful offers, and we decided, 'Heck, let's stay in the business for a while.'"

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Actor James Garner, whose whimsical style in the 1950s TV Western "Maverick" led to a stellar career in TV and films such as "The Rockford Files" and his Oscar-nominated "Murphy's Romance," has died, police said. He was 86.

He was found dead of natural causes at his home in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles Saturday evening, Los Angeles police officer Alonzo Iniquez said early Sunday.

Police responded to a call around 8 p.m. PDT and confirmed Garner's identity from family members, Iniquez told The Associated Press.

There was no immediate word on a more specific cause of death. Garner had suffered a stroke in May 2008, just weeks after his 80th birthday.

Although he was adept at drama and action, Garner was best known for his low-key, wisecracking style, especially with his hit TV series, "Maverick" and "The Rockford Files."

His quick-witted avoidance of conflict provided a refreshingly new take on the American hero, contrasting with the steely heroics of John Wayne and the fast trigger of Clint Eastwood.

Well into his 70s, the handsome Oklahoman remained active in both TV and film. In 2002, he was Sandra Bullock's father in the film "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood." The following year, he joined the cast of "8 Simple Rules ... For Dating My Teenage Daughter," playing the grandfather on the sitcom after star John Ritter, who played the father, died during the show's second season.

When he received the Screen Actors Guild's lifetime achievement award in 2005, he quipped, "I'm not at all sure how I got here."

But in his 2011 memoir, "The Garner Files," he provided some amusing and enlightening clues, including his penchant for bluntly expressed opinions and a practice for decking people who said something nasty to his face - including an obnoxious fan and an abusive stepmother. They all deserved it, Garner declared in his book.

It was in 1957 when the ABC network, desperate to compete on ratings-rich Sunday night, scheduled "Maverick" against CBS's powerhouse "The Ed Sullivan Show" and NBC's "The Steve Allen Show." ''Maverick" soon outpolled them both.

At a time when the networks were crowded with hard-eyed, traditional Western heroes, Bret Maverick provided a fresh breath of air. With his sardonic tone and his eagerness to talk his way out of a squabble rather than pull out his six-shooter, the con-artist Westerner seemed to scoff at the genre's values.

After a couple of years, Garner felt the series was losing its creative edge, and he found a legal loophole to escape his contract in 1960.

His first film after "Maverick" established him as a movie actor. It was "The Children's Hour," William Wyler's remake of Lillian Hellman's lesbian drama that co-starred Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine.

He followed in a successful comedy with Kim Novak, "Boys Night Out," and then fully established his box-office appeal with the 1963 blockbuster war drama "The Great Escape" and two smash comedies with Doris Day - "The Thrill of It All" and "Move Over Darling."

Throughout his long film career, Garner demonstrated his versatility in comedies ("The Art of Love," ''A Man Could Get Killed," ''Skin Game"), suspense ("36 Hours," ''They Only Kill Their Masters," ''Marlowe"), Westerns ("Duel at Diablo," ''Hour of the Gun," ''Support Your Local Gunfighter").

In the 1980s and 1990s, when most stars his age were considered over the hill, Garner's career remained strong.

He played a supporting role as a marshal in the 1994 "Maverick," a big-screen return to the TV series with Mel Gibson in Garner's old title role. His only Oscar nomination came for the 1985 "Murphy's Romance," a comedy about a small-town love relationship in which he co-starred with Sally Field.

His favorite film, though, was the cynical 1964 war drama "The Americanization of Emily," which co-starred Julie Andrews.

Unlike most film stars, Garner made repeated returns to television. "Nichols" (1971-72) and "Bret Maverick" (1981-82) were short-lived, but "The Rockford Files" (1974-80) proved a solid hit, bringing him an Emmy.

Among his notable TV movies: "Barbarians at the Gate" (as tycoon F. Ross Johnson), "Breathing Lessons," ''The Promise," ''My Name Is Bill W.," ''The Streets of Laredo" and "One Special Night."

He said he learned about acting while playing a non-speaking role as a Navy juror in the 1954 Broadway hit play "The Caine Mutiny Court Martial," starring Henry Fonda and Lloyd Nolan.

"I had no lines, and I had trouble staying awake," Garner recalled.

After "Caine Mutiny," Garner found work in Hollywood as a bit player in the "Cheyenne" TV series. Warner Bros. gave him a screen test and signed him to a seven-year contract starting at $200 a week.

The studio cast him in supporting roles in three minor films, followed by the important break as Marlon Brando's sidekick in "Sayonara." When Charlton Heston declined a war movie, "Darby's Rangers," because of a money dispute, Garner assumed the role.

"Maverick," which co-starred Jack Kelly as brother Bart Maverick, made its debut on Sept. 22, 1957.

Garner was born James Scott Bumgarner (some references say Baumgarner) in Norman, Okla. His mother died when he was 5, and friends and relatives cared for him and his two brothers for a time while his father was to California.

In 1957, Garner married TV actress Lois Clarke, and the union prevailed despite some stormy patches. She had a daughter Kimberly from a previous marriage, and the Garners had another daughter, Gretta Scott. In the late 1990s, the Garners built a 12,000-square-foot house on a 400-acre ranch north of Santa Barbara.

"My wife and I felt ... we'd just watch the sunset from the front porch," Garner said in 2000. "But then the phone started ringing with all these wonderful offers, and we decided, 'Heck, let's stay in the business for a while.'"

James Garner: Handsome, talented, a long marriage, respectable, devoted, and made clean movies. Who could ever take his place? Thank you, sir, for all the good memories in the movies you made.

Wonderful actor. Never put his life out there for the tabloids and was respected by all.

Condolences to the family ....RIP James! ......From the PICs

The Simple Truth Of John Lennon’s Classic ‘Imagine,’ Illustrated And In Color

This was always one of my favorite songs. And ever since Lennon died, it often brings tears to my eyes. It's quite nice illustrated and in color, don't you think...
Thanx /Brandon Weber

Thanx /brandon-weberBrandon Weber

Hillary Hasn't Asked Me If She Should Run For President, Claims Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton has insisted that Hillary has never once asked him whether she should seek the presidency in 2016.


The former president also said it was untrue that his wife felt "entitled" to the White House. Hillary is considered to be the front runner for the Democratic nomination, but she has yet to formally declare an intention to run.

However the former secretary of state jokingly dropped a hint on Tuesday when she told Jon Stewart on the Daily Show that she would like an office with "fewer corners".
Speaking to BBC Newsnight's Emily Maitlis on Thursday evening, Bill Clinton said he has told his wife "repeatedly" it was up to her to make the decision whether to run or not."If she wants my opinion, I'll give it to her," he said.

A disbelieving Maitlis cut in: "She hasn't asked? I don't believe that she hasn't asked you for you opinion as to wether she should run."

Clinton replied: "Absolutely not." He added: "It's her time. She gets to decide. And if I can help, I will. She can tell me what she wants me to do."

The former president said he had struck a deal with his wife when she was elected as a Senator for New York in 2001. "We were married a very long time, when she was always in effect deferring to my political career, even when she was involved in policy making.

"I told her when she got elected to the Senate from New York, she had given me 26 years, and so I intend to give her 26 years. Whatever she wanted to do was fine with me ... if she wanted to know my opinion I would tell her."

Clinton observed that for the last 14 years his wife has had more "hands on" political experience than he has. "We just passed the half way mark. I've got to live another 12 years or so, so I guess I'll have to live to be 80 to be free at last," he joked.

Clinton also insisted accusations that Hillary, how narrowly lost out to Obama in 2008, felt she was owed the presidency were false. "All these suggestions she feels entitled to it and all that, that's not true," he said. "We have been in too many races in almost 40 years now to believe in any such thing as a sure deal."

Witchy  says : 
Way to go Bill , stand  by  your  woman .... the  time is  right  and  you have a winner in all departments .  Without  Hillary ,  you wouldn't be the  man  you are  now . You  white  hair devil ... it  do look good  on you ...  Hahahaha!!!

Blues Legend Johnny Winter Dies at 70 in Zurich

By JOHN HEILPRIN

GENEVA (AP) -- Texas blues legend Johnny Winter, known for his lightning-fast blues guitar riffs, his striking long white hair and his collaborations with the likes of Jimi Hendrix and childhood hero Muddy Waters, has died. He was 70.

Winter was a leading light among the white blues guitar players, including Eric Clapton and the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, who followed in the footsteps of the earlier Chicago blues masters. Winter idolized Waters - and got a chance to produce some of the blues legend's more popular albums. Rolling Stone magazine named Winter one of the top 100 guitarists of all time.

His representative, Carla Parisi, confirmed Thursday that Winter died in a hotel room in Zurich a day earlier. The statement said his wife, family and bandmates were all saddened by the loss of one of the world's finest guitarists.

There was no immediate word on the cause of death.

Winter had been on an extensive tour this year that recently brought him to Europe. His last performance came Saturday at the Lovely Days Festival in Wiesen, Austria.

The tour, a documentary that premiered at the SXSW Festival exploring his music, youth and substance abuse battles, and a newly released four-CD set of recordings were all part of Winter's celebration of turning 70 this year.

John Dawson Winter III was born on Feb. 23, 1944, in Mississippi, but was raised in Beaumont, Texas. He was the older brother of Edgar Winter, also an albino, who rose to musical fame with the Edgar Winter Group.

Winter was one of the most popular live acts of the early 1970s, when his signature fast blues guitar solos attracted a wide following. But his addiction problems with heroin during that decade and later battles with alcohol and prescription medication, including methadone, also drew attention.

His career received a big boost early on when Rolling Stone singled him out as one of the best blues guitarists on the Texas scene. This helped secure a substantial recording contract from Columbia Records in 1969 that led to an appearance at the Woodstock Festival and gave him a wide following among college students and young blues fans.

Crowds were dazzled by the speed - and volume - of his guitar playing, which had its roots in urban blues but incorporated elements of rock `in roll.

Winters paid homage to Waters on "Tribute to Muddy," a song from his 1969 release "The Progressive Blues Experiment." He continued to pick up accolades, producing three Grammy Award-winning albums for Waters and recording with John Lee Hooker, which helped revive their careers.

Winter performed often with blues and rock singer Janis Joplin and the two became close during the 1960s.

Among the blues classics that Winter played during that era were "Rollin' and Tumblin'," "Bad Luck and Trouble" and "Good Morning, Little Schoolgirl." He also teamed up with his brother Edgar for their 1976 live album "Together."

He was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1988.

There was no immediate word on funeral services

Gregory Katz contributed from London .

Condolences  to the family ....  RIP  Johnny ... From the PICs

States with fracking see surge in earthquake activity

BY EMILY SCHMALL AND JUSTIN JUOZAPAVICIUS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- States where hydraulic fracturing is taking place have seen a surge in earthquake activity, raising suspicions that the unconventional drilling method could be to blame, especially the wells where the industry disposes of its wastewater.

Fracking generates vast amounts of wastewater, far more than traditional drilling methods. The water is pumped into injection wells, which send the waste thousands of feet underground. No one knows for certain exactly what happens to the liquids after that. Scientists wonder whether they could trigger quakes by increasing underground pressures and lubricating faults.

Oklahoma has recorded nearly 250 small-to-medium earthquakes since January, according to statistics kept by the U.S. Geological Survey. That's close to half of all the magnitude 3 or higher earthquakes recorded this year in the continental United States.

A study published earlier this month in the journal Science suggests that just four wells injecting massive amounts of drilling wastewater into the ground are probably shaking up much of the state, accounting for one out of every five quakes from the eastern border of Colorado to the Atlantic coast.

Another concern is whether injection well operators could be pumping either too much water into the ground or pumping it at exceedingly high pressures.

Most of the quakes in areas where injection wells are clustered are too weak to cause serious damage or endanger lives. Yet they've led some states, including Ohio, Oklahoma and California, to introduce new rules compelling drillers to measure the volumes and pressures of their injection wells as well as to monitor seismicity during fracking operations.

Here are some answers to key questions about the phenomenon:

Q: HOW MANY QUAKES HAVE THERE BEEN NEAR WASTEWATER INJECTION AREAS?

A: Researchers are still debating the appropriate parameters for measuring the link between injection wells and earthquakes, including at what distances injections can possibly stimulate quakes. Previously seismologists had linked injection wells to earthquakes occurring within 3 miles of injection sites, but a new study tracks earthquakes as far as 20 miles away from wells.

Q: HOW DAMAGING HAVE THEY BEEN?

A: No injuries or deaths have been reported, but there has been varying degrees of property damage. Most of the quakes are big enough to be felt but too small to do damage like classic California or Japanese quakes. In the North Texas city of Azle, which has endured hundreds of small earthquakes since fracking and injection well activity began, residents have reported sinkholes, cracks in the walls of homes and air and water quality concerns. Two structures collapsed during Oklahoma's 5.7-magnitude earthquake in 2011.

Q: WHAT DOES THE MOST RECENT RESEARCH SAY ABOUT THE LINK BETWEEN THE TWO?

A: Studies on the swarms of temblors in central Oklahoma, Ohio and North Texas have found probable links between injection wells and earthquakes, with the caveat that a dearth of information on conditions underground before the injections began makes it difficult to unequivocally link them to quakes. However, studies more than 50 years old have linked injection wells to tremors in Colorado.

Q: HOW HAS THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY RESPONDED TO THESE STUDIES?

Wastewater injection disposal does risk inducing earthquakes, said Dana Bohan with Energy In Depth, a research and education arm of the Independent Petroleum Association of America, a Washington-based group that represents thousands of oil and natural gas producers. However, Bohan said, very few events have been documented over the decades in which the disposal wells have been in operation.

Q: HAVEN'T SMALL QUAKES BEEN SEEN AS POSSIBLE PRECURSORS TO LARGER QUAKES?

A: Large quakes follow small quakes about 1 percent of the time, according to Stephen Horton, research scientist at Center for Earthquake Research and Information at the University of Memphis. However, when earthquakes are induced by wastewater injection, large quakes typically do follow smaller ones, depending on the quantity of water injected into the subsurface, Horton said.

Danielle Sumy, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Southern California and a former USGS visiting scientist, was the lead researcher on a study published in March that said a magnitude-5.0 quake in Oklahoma induced by nearby wastewater injection early on Nov. 6, 2011, set off subtle pressure changes that triggered earthquakes along the fault, almost like dominoes, before finding relief in the 5.7 temblor later that day.

***Juozapavicius reported from Tulsa, Okla. AP Science Writer Seth Borenstein contributed from Washington.

Witchy is really pissed :

Physics laws state that for every action there is a opposite and equal reaction. Pounding and putting pressure on a relatively thin solid area that exists on top of a liquid magma layer will result in motion of that magma layer that houses the solid tectonic plates on it. The crust of the earth is like an egg shell. The next layer is like the uncooked egg's center. Beat on that egg shell enough and sooner or later stuff will happen to the physical integrity of the shell that is holding that egg together. That's what humans are doing to the crust of this planet that is resulting in earthquakes, global warming, and ocean characteristics. Sooner or later, our greediness will kill us all off.