NYC reminds residents of military fly-over plans

The New York City Office of Emergency Management is reminding New Yorkers that plans to kickoff this year's Fleet Week celebrations include a fly-by of the Verrazano Narrows Bridge by four military aircraft.

The warning came about three weeks after a nerve-racking Air Force photo shoot over the Statue of Liberty caused a brief panic in lower Manhattan. That incident sent workers rushing into the streets amid flashbacks of Sept. 11.

Wednesday's fly-over by four F-18 Hornets was scheduled for 11:45 a.m. The aircraft were to head north over the Hudson River, dipping to an altitude of 1,000 feet.

Also planned for the 22nd annual Fleet Week kickoff is a parade of 13 ships along the Hudson. The largest and most familiar is the USS Iwo Jima, a 40,500-ton assault helicopter carrier.

Death of ‘Dolla dreams’- Rapper shot dead in mall

Upcoming rapper rapidly climbing the popularity charts, Roderick Anthony Burton II, popularly known as “Dolla“, succumbed to bullet injury from being shot at, at a Westside mall.

This instance of seemingly unprovoked violence, brings to focus once again, the sinister inextricably of show-business from violence.The Hip-Hop community in particular, has been no stranger to violence and crimes of passion, in recent times.

Remembered primarily for his association with the boy band “Da Rascals” in the 90’s, “Dolla” had just begun to work his way up the big time league. Starting with his rather impressive achievement of signing to Akon’s Konvict records in 2007, his career had been going great guns. The crowning glory of his rise, was his debut album “Feelin’ Myself”, that had raised promising hopes for this fledgling star’s future.

The incident has been reported by sources, to have taken place at the Beverly Center Mall, in the valet parking facility area, when Dolla was reportedly waiting there with fellow rapper D.J Shabazz. The ringing out of gunshots was heard inside the mall, where it caused a wave of hysteria in mall restaurant Chipotle’s patrons who, being unsure as to the cause of the violence, insisted on the restaurant being closed down for their safety. One eye witness said he saw a female suspect at the sight of the shooting. While the police are still investigating all possible leads, there aren’t any major suspects apart from a man who was detained while trying to board a plane out. He reportedly drove a silver Merc SUV to the airport. The search continues, while the Hip-Hop community seems to have grown poorer by a ‘Dolla”.

Taste the Hot Dog That Knocked the Others Out of the Park

Oscar Mayer to Give Away up to $1 Million in Hot Dogs To Celebrate Taste Test Victory; Chef Rocco DiSpirito Heats-Up Times Square Celebration to Kick-Off Giveaway

MADISON, Wis., May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- It's official! As compared to the leading beef franks, the best-tasting beef hot dog has a name; its O-S-C-A-R. That's right, Oscar Mayer Jumbo Beef Franks beat Ball Park(R) and Hebrew National(R) in a national taste test.

To celebrate the win and kick-off barbeque season, the Oscar Mayer brand will give away up to $1 million worth of hot dogs and let everyone in America in on the game on one very special day.That's right, Oscar Mayer is giving away up to $1 million worth of hot dogs, while supplies last.

To help spread the word, the Oscar Mayer brand invited chef Rocco DiSpirito to host a pre-giveaway grill-out yesterday in Times Square. Flanked by the world famous Wienermobile vehicles, Rocco gave New Yorkers a taste of the dog that knocked the others out of the park and helped donate 20,000 hot dogs to Feeding America. Oscar Mayer has committed to donating a minimum of $100,000 worth of hot dogs to Feeding America throughout summer.

The "Best In Taste" Dog

Oscar Mayer Jumbo Beef Franks are made with quality cuts of 100% pure beef to deliver a beefy, juicy hot dog with a taste the whole family will love. The brand also launched two new 'dogs' this season, Oscar Mayer Premium Beef & Cheddar Franks and Oscar Mayer Jalapeno & Cheddar Franks.

In Search of Our Best-Dressed Dog - All Summer Long

Although these beefy, juicy champs have little need for improvement, everyone has their favorite topping combination. Whether mustard only, pickle and ketchup, chili, cheese and onions or "the works," preferences differ from person to person and city to city.

To harness the passion for how Americans dress their 'dogs,' the Wienermobile vehicles are cruising the country asking hot dog fans how they'd top the best-tasting Oscar Mayer Jumbo Beef Franks. Those who visit Wienermobile events will get the chance to dress a larger-than-life Jumbo Beef Frank with their favorite topping combinations, and get their photo taken with their creation.

On-site, hot dog fans can also enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a Labor Day grill-out, complete with a visit from the Wienermobile, a top of the line grill and most importantly - bragging rights! Oscar Mayer Premium Beef Franks are available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $3.99.

Happy with who won Dancing with the Stars 2009?

Last night was the final of Dancing with the Stars 2009, and the previous 11 weeks had been building up to this moment, but we now have a winner, and that is gold medal-winning gymnast, Shawn Johnson. This was the closest finish ever, with less than one percent between the winner and the runner up.

Johnson, just 17 is the youngest competitor in the show and was a surprise to most. Shawn was not the best dancer on the show, but over the past few weeks, the girl has made a great comeback and improved with each performance.

Gilles Marini, the actor from the Sex and the City movie was the runner up, and was one of the favorites from the start to win the show. Dallas News says that from the start, Marini had managed to take a few wins, but it was not enough on the night.

Missing link found? Scientists unveil fossil of 47 million-year-old primate, Darwinius masillae

Feast your eyes on what a group of scientists call the Holy Grail of human evolution.

A team of researchers Tuesday unveiled an almost perfectly intact fossil of a 47 million-year-old primate they say represents the long-sought missing link between humans and apes.

Officially known as Darwinius masillae, the fossil of the lemur-like creature dubbed Ida shows it had opposable thumbs like humans and fingernails instead of claws.

Scientists say the cat-sized animal's hind legs offer evidence of evolutionary changes that led to primates standing upright - a breakthrough that could finally confirm Charles Darwin's theory of evolution.

"This specimen is like finding the Lost Ark for archeologists," lead scientist Jorn Hurum said at a ceremony at the American Museum of Natural History.

"It is the scientific equivalent of the Holy Grail. This fossil will probably be the one that will be pictured in all textbooks for the next 100 years."

A team of amateur fossil hunters discovered the near-perfect remains inside a mile-wide crater outside of Frankfurt in 1983.

Experts believe the pit was a volcanic caldera where scores of animals from the Eocene epoch were killed and their remains were kept remarkably well-preserved.

Though the pit has been a bountiful source of other fossils, the inexperienced archeologists didn't realize the value of their find.

Years later, the University of Oslo bought the 95%-intact fossil, and Hurum studied it in secret for two years.

His colleague, Jens Franzen, hailed the discovery as "the eighth wonder of the world."

"We're not dealing with our grand, grand, grandmother, but perhaps with our grand, grand, grand aunt," Franzen said.

The unveiling of the fossil came as part of a carefully-orchestrated publicity campaign unusual for scientific discoveries.