Obama: Afghan decision after Thanksgiving

 expected to deploy 32,000 to 35,000 additional troops

, msnbc.com and news services
Updated 49 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama said Tuesday that he plans Thurs announce his decision must be Whether Thurs commit tens of thousands of new U.S. forces to the stalemated war in Afghanistan "on Thanksgiving."

In comments at a press conference with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who added that his intention is to "finish the job" in Afghanistan but that the Afghan people "ultimately have to provide for their own security."

Military officials and others expect Obama Thurs Settle is a middle-ground option that would deploy an Eventual 32.000 Thurs 35.000 U.S. forces to the 8-year-old conflict. That figure has been rough Stood as the Most Likely option since before Obama's last large war council meeting earlier this month, when their military planners tasked with rearranging the timing and makeup of some of the deployments.

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Chef Paula Deen Hit in Face By Charity Ham

ATLANTA - Celebrity chef Paula Deen got an unexpected serving of ham — across her face.

 Food Network star was helping unload 25,000 pounds of donated meat for an Atlanta food bank on Monday when someone threw one of the hams like a football and accidentally smacked her.

Deen tells WGCL-TV: "I thought it busted my lip, but it didn't.Though smiles and laughter, Deen added: "I'm OK. It just knocked me for a little bit."

She says she was unloading hams when she tossed one to a man, who then said "Back at 'ya." Thinking he meant it only as a sentiment, she turned around to get another ham when the errant swine came at her.

"He really meant, 'Back at 'ya.'"

Later, she tweeted: "I haven't met the ham that could stop me yet!"

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Jennifer Hudson To perform at White House

 be a dreamy entertainment lineup for the first state dinner of the Obama White House: singer Jennifer Hudson is set to perform Tuesday night.

Hudson, who won an Academy Award for her role in the movie "Dreamgirls," is part of a larger lineup that also includes Indian performers, according to an administration official who spoke condition of anonymity is "Because details of the dinner will not be announced until later in the day.

The dinner for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is being held in a tent on the South Lawn of the White House Thurs allow the Obamas Thurs hundreds invite more guests than could squeeze into the East Room, Which tops out at 140 people.Read Morehttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34130562/ns/entertainment-access_hollywood/

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To Millions, Oprah’s Not a Megastar, just a BFF

 like any friend, fans say they support Winfrey no matter what she does YORK - Like any wife who knows her husband well, Nancy Martus knows what will annoy her man. Like when she utters the phrase, "Oprah says..."

"He doesn't like it when I start my sentences that way," laughs Martus, a 36-year-old mother of three in Plymouth, Mass. "He says he doesn't care what Oprah says."

Good luck with that, Mr. Martus. For his wife and for millions of women around the country, Winfrey has become, over the years, much more than a regular television date. Talk to her fans, and you hear a familiar refrain: Oprah's like a favorite aunt, a sister, or a friend. Forget the sprawling media empire and the billions that separate her daily existence from that of ordinary folks. To these fans, she still feels like a BFF.

That connection, especially remarkable for how long it's lasted, is one reason why you can sense tangible disappointment but hardly anger among die-hard fans that she's ending her talk show — well, in a year and a half — and moving to unspecified ventures in cable.

Because, many of these women say, you support your friends, even when they're moving away and you're mad at them for leaving. You have to be happy for them.

"You know, we're selfish to miss her," says Tracy Arenibar, a 37-year-old fan in Homer Glen, Ill. "I'm proud of her because she's making a decision that she's earned. She deserves it."Read

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Mya? Donny? Kelly? Who Will Win ‘Dancing’?

 was judges' favorite after fina: So it comes down to this: Donny Osmond, Kelly Osbourne and Mya. The Showman, the Cinderella, and the ... person who is a much better dancer than either the Showman or the Cinderella.

Neither Donny Osmond nor Kelly Osbourne is a poor dancer, but neither of them touches the natural ability that Mya has shown in her performances with Dmitry Chaplin. Moreover, Mya has never had a single dance in Which she performed poorly - something that can not be said of either or Donny Kelly.

Each of the three final couples - Mya and Dmitry, Donny and Kym Johnson, and Kelly and Louis van Amstel - performed three dances Monday night, and the combination of their scores from those dances will be combined with viewer votes and a final set of judges "Scores for a performance on Tuesday night's finale in Order to crown the winner. It looked from the beginning like it was destined to come down to the most skilled dancer versus the most popular one., but bet on Osmond to winRead Morehttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34118452/ns/entertainment-reality_tv/

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ABC: 1,500 Complaints Over Lambert’s Act

 was surprised; kiss with male musician was left out of Adam Lambert, left, gets ready to kiss one of the dancers as he performs the American Music Awards on Nov. 22. The singers sexually charged performance received hostile and supportive comments online.

 View related photosRead Morehttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34117871/ns/entertainment-television/

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Five Arrested in String Of Hollywood Burglaries

- Five people have been arrested on suspicion of burglarizing homes in the Hollywood Hills belonging to the rich and famous, Los Angeles police said.

Officers recovered items that "well known celebrities" had reported stolen, police spokeswoman Rosario Herrera said. She said she didn't know who the celebrities were.

The suspects were taken into custody Thursday after police served search warrants in four locations in Southern California and one in Las Vegas, police said in a statement. All were booked for investigation of residential burglary. Bail was set at $50,000 for each.  Read More:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33459870/ns/entertainment-celebrities/

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Report: ‘Cathouse’ Star Stabbed, Slashed, Shot

 CITY - A preliminary autopsy report for a prostitute featured on the HBO reality series "Cathouse" shows that she was shot, stabbed and slashed multiple times.

The report released Monday by the Oklahoma medical examiner's office shows the probable cause of death for 22-year-old Brooke Phillips was a gunshot wound to the right temple.

Phillips and three other people were found shot to death Nov. 9 inside a burning home in Oklahoma CityAn autopsy report for 22-year-old Millie Barrera shows the probable cause of her death was gunshot wounds to the back and head.

Both Phillips and Barrera were pregnant.

Autopsy reports for the other two victims have not been released.

Twenty-eight-year-old David Allen Tyner was arraigned Monday on six counts of first-degree murder and was denied bail.

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Obama welcomes Indian Prime Minister

 - President Barack Obama showered praise on India and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in an elaborate welcoming ceremony Tuesday, declaring it was only fitting the Indian leader should be the first state visitor of his administration.

Obama said the United States and India share the "bold experiments" of becoming democracies after breaking from rule by a colonial power, and in modern times both have known the pain of international terrorism.

"Our nations are two global leaders, driven not to dominate other nations but to build a future of security and prosperity for all nations," Obama said.

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The Cold Water That Has Been Thrown On Global Warming

The Washington Post has an article today (11-23-09) about the now infamous Global Warming Emails. It is not a pretty picture.

In case you missed the original story, click here.

What the WaPo article highlights is the campaign that has gone on to suppress by intimidation the scientists who have questioned the conclusion that there is global warming (beyond the normal cycle) and what it is caused by. The emails show that the data and the interpretative analysis has, in some cases, been manipulated to produce the "desired" conclusion. The article pinpoints two ways this is done: By using what is known as the "peer review" process and the professional publication system. In short, what it shows is that the supposedly "scientific research" community is just as political as any other system that pushes a particular point of view but tries to make it appear as objective. Such as the media.

What the article omits from scrutiny is the money chase in scientific research. There the issue is who gets the grants and contracts that fund the salaries of these "objective" scientists. While that is another story, we would posit that money is the real culprit, and driver, in this global warming debate.

We should say that not all scientists or researchers are out to manipulate the knowledge base within which they operate. But obviously some are. And that in and of itself means that simply because a paper or a book is published by a "respected" journal or publishing operation or reviewed by "the right people" does not make it valid or legitimate. In the emails it can be seen that there was a conspiracy to not cite the works of some of the opponents of the "party line" on global warming. And the article makes a point about the manipulation that occurs when supposedly prestigious professional journals that publish "summary of the research" documents that are used to generate funds or impact public policy pick and choose which research will be reviewed based on who the authors are rather than on the validity and reliability of the research methodology.Read Morehttp://www.beaufortobserver.net/Articles-c-2009-11-23-240258.112112_The_cold_water_that_has_been_thrown_on

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Bironas keeps His Cool Late Field Goal Seals Fourth Straight Win For The Titans

Rob Bironas kept his cool to land a 53-yard field goal in the final minute to see Tennessee Titans to a 20-17 victory over Houston Texans.

Having lost their first six games of the season, Tennessee have now won their last four - although there were a few anxious moments as Kris Brown's 49-yard field goal attempt for the Texans sailed wide with one second left.

And Houston were left to rue what could have been as Brown missed second field goal attempts in total - and fluffed the chance to force overtime for the second game on the bounce.

Tennessee's turnaround in fortunes has coincided with Vince Young taking over at starting quarterback - with the Titans having won all four games since the switch.

Young finished the match with 116 yards passing, 73 yards rushing and a touchdown pass, while he led the drives that saw Bironas land two vital field goals.

Kenny Britt and LenDale White both scored touchdowns for the visitors, while Chris Johnson rushed for 151 yards.

For Houston, quarterback Matt Schaub, who threw for 305 yards, found Steve Slaton and Andre Johnson with touchdown passes but it was not enough as they now slump to 5-5 for the season.Read Morehttp://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12118_5715063,00.html

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Jimmy Clausen Reportedly punched By Angry Fan

Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen was punched in the face by an angry fan outside a South Bend restaurant, according to two online reports.

ESPN.com, citing "a person briefed on the incident," reports Clausen was "sucker-punched" Sunday morning and has a swollen eye. He is not expected to miss any time because of the injury. The Chicago Tribune reports on its Web site that no police report has been filed.

Clausen reportedly was out with family members and teammates after Notre Dame's Senior Day loss to Connecticut on Saturday. The fan who punched Clausen allegedly said something to Clausen and/or a female acquantaince of his before throwing the punch.Read Morehttp://www.sportingnews.com/college-football/article/2009-11-24/jimmy-clausen-reportedly-punched-angry-fan

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