Stergiy Stakhovsky lost his first round match-up in the French Open to Richard Gasquet, but not before a controversial call from the chair umpire. Stakhovsky believed a shot was in-bounds that the umpire called out, but it didn’t stop the 27-year-old from taking a picture with his iPhone after the play, which landed him a warning.

After the match, which finished 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 to Gasquet, Stakhovsky tweeted the picture of the bad call for all too see that read, “Well..here what you ask for …”

The Ukranian tennis player wasn’t joking around in the slightest bit, and he actually has a valid point. When viewing the photo, it’s obvious to tell the ball was to the left of the line and not close enough to be called out, meaning Stakhovsky got the call right and the chair umpire got it wrong.

Nevertheless, Richard Gasquet went on win in straight sets to advance to the second round. This isn’t the first time Stakhovsky has taken a picture of a controversial play, as he did the exact same thing during a match in Munich a few weeks ago.

The first-round loss in the French Open is surely upsetting, but the focus remains on the bad call and his creativity to expose the call on Twitter. Maybe other pro’s will learn from Stakhovsky’s iPhone snapshot and begin taking pictures as well when they don’t agree with a call, though that could cause another debate.

You certaintly don’t want matches being held up so a tennis player can snap a quick picture, and though it’s an easy way to make your point, many people involved in the game would consider it to be disrespectful.

Here’s Sergiy Stakhovsky’s tweet that he sent out shortly after his first-round loss at the French Open.

Well..here what you asked for … twitter.com/Stako_tennis/s…

— Sergiy Stakhovsky (@Stako_tennis) May 27, 2013

Was Stakhovsky right in tweeting out a photo of the missed call by the chair umpire at the French Open?

[Image via Christian Mesiano]

Stergiy Stakhovsky Tweets Picture Of Bad Call At French Open is a post from: The Inquisitr

A new Madoff home is on the market, listed for sale by the US Marshals Service for just a smidge below $4.5 million. A Long Island broker, Shawn Elliot, has been chosen to handle the sale of the beautiful white palace formerly owned by Peter Madoff, the brother of infamous Bernie Madoff. Both men landed in prison for crimes committed to further Bernie Madoff’s decades-long billion-dollar Ponzi scheme.

Just in case you have a few million to spend and need to know, the home is located at 34 Pheasant Run, Old Westbury, New York.

Peter Madoff, who served as a chief compliance officer for his brother, received a plea deal last year where he was sentenced to only ten years in prison for his part in the fraud. Bernie Madoff, who also took a plea deal, got 150 years.

Both men must forfeit the ill-gotten assets to repay what they can to the clients they bankrupted. In Bernie’s case, over $17 billion have been forfeited.

Now the US Marshals Service has the responsibility to sell off Peter’s assets as well. They already liquidated his Park Avenue apartment in New York for $4.6 million.

Why the high prices? There are long-standing myths that you can pick up property below value at federal government auctions.

But, in reality, the feds aren’t allowed to dispose of property too cheaply. US Marshals Service items are supposed to be sold at fair market value. In that way, the victims can be fairly compensated, law enforcement programs can be better funded, and cheap properties don’t drag down prices for other sellers.

Here’s a sneak preview photo by Shawn Elliot, but the official broker’s website has a beautiful slideshow of the gorgeous property that you can drool over.

So, anybody out there got some spare change to purchase the latest Madoff home on the market?

[Peter Madoff real estate photo by Shawn Elliot]

[house for sale top photo by karamysh via Shutterstock]

Madoff Home On Market: Long Island Palace Will Be Sold By US Marshals is a post from: The Inquisitr

Amanda Bynes recently reconnected with former co-star Drake Bell on Twitter. She also used the social media site to defend her sobriety.

The former What I Like About You star has been in the spotlight quite a bit over the past few days. In addition to getting arrested and allegedly throwing a bong out of an apartment window, the actress also got into a Twitter war with Rihanna.

However, Amanda Bynes took a moment to pause the drama so she could reconnect with Drake Bell. The two appeared together for 13 episodes of The Amanda Show in the late 90s.

In the middle of the drama that took place over the Memorial Day weekend, Bell sent Bynes a message that asked what was going on. You can find her cryptic response to his inquiry embedded below.

Amanda Bynes also retweeted a message from one of her fans that appears to be a statement regarding her sobriety. Despite the arrest and marijuana possession charge, the actress is apparently sticking to her story.

For those who were busy doing important things over the holiday weekend, Amanda Bynes has been extremely busy stirring up a fair amount of drama. The Easy A star also stated that she intends to sue the New York Police Department for sexual harassment following an incident with one of the officers.

Bynes also tweeted to her followers about her upcoming career plans. Once everything settles down, Amanda said she intends to move forward with her music career.

“Thanks for caring! Look forward to seeing me in music videos! I’m getting in shape and getting a nose job! I’m looking forward to a long and wonderful career as a singer/rapper!” she wrote.

@drakebell ily bro!

— Amanda Bynes (@AmandaBynes) May 28, 2013

Here’s the post she retweeted regarding her sobriety.

#TeamAmandaBynes #StraightEdge #OnlyTobacco @amandabynes

— Jonas Polsky (@JonasPolsky) May 28, 2013

Are you a fan of Amanda Bynes? What do you think about the actress reconnecting with former co-star Drake Bell on Twitter?

[Image via s_bukley / Shutterstock]

Amanda Bynes Chats With Drake Bell, Defends Sobriety On Twitter is a post from: The Inquisitr

Chicago, IL – A suspect, a former gang member with nearly three dozen arrests on his criminal record, has been charged in the drive-by shooting death of a 6-month-old girl.

Koman Willis, 33, has been officially charged with first-degree murder and aggravated battery for a shooting in the 6500-block of S. Maryland on March 11 in which Jonathan Watkins, 29, was shot and wounded with a single bullet, and his infant daughter, Jonylah, was shot and killed as they sat in a minivan.

Police believe Jonathan was the intended target and Jonylah was simply an innocent bystander. Authorities do not believe the incident was gang-related, though both men have gang ties.

The drive-by shooting likely stemmed from a burglary where Jonathan was accused of taking a video game system from Willis – thus Willis retaliated with gunfire. Given the circumstances, Jonathan will not face charges for the burglary.

Police got a break in the case last week that ultimately led them to their suspect, who turned himself into authorities on Saturday once he knew detectives were looking for him. The weapon used has not yet been located, nor has Willis confessed to the crime in question.

Lieutenant Kevin Duffin of the Chicago Police Department was quoted by a local ABC News affiliate as saying, “We were able to identify witnesses last week that we had not identified earlier in the investigation; they provided some key information that started the ball rolling.”

Willis is expected to appear in bond court on Tuesday.

Under Illinois Law, a person commits the felony crime of first-degree murder when they kill an individual without justification of self-defense, do great bodily harm to an individual that results in their death or a victim is killed by intent or accident during a commission of another crime.

If found guilty of first-degree murder, Willis could face a minimum of 20 years in prison to a maximum of life in prison – based on his preexisting criminal record – or the possibility of a death sentence if aggravating factors are assessed in the case.

[Image via Shutterstock]

Suspect Charged In Chicago Baby’s Shooting Death is a post from: The Inquisitr

A newborn baby in China flushed down a toilet by his parents was rescued from a sewage pipe in the eastern province of Zhejiang after neighbors heard cries emanating from plumbing alerting them to the infant’s plight.

Residents of the apartment block in Jinhua heard the baby crying after he was flushed down a fourth floor squat toilet and called police.

Attempts to pull the five pound, two day old baby boy from the toilet directly were unsuccessful, and rescuers were forced to resort to sawing apart the piping piece by piece resulting in the infant’s dramatic rescue. The intact pipe was brought to a hospital, where surgeons and emergency workers collaborated to free the baby.

When he was finally freed from the sewage pipe, the Chinese baby flushed down the toilet in Jinhau was discovered to still have his placenta and umbilical cord attached.

In China, the baby’s narrowly avoided fate has sparked intense outcry against his parents. Australian news sources report that the infant’s 22-year-old mother was on scene for the rescue and delivered the baby unexpectedly while using the bathroom.

A police officer said after the rescue of the newborn flushed down the toilet:

“Fortunately the baby survived. But the [parents] still suspected of attempted murder.”

On Sina Weibo, a Chinese social media site similar to Twitter, users lambasted the baby’s parents. The case struck a strong chord particularly following the death of another newborn abandoned in a dumpster in the province of Hebei, and one user posted:

“This should be sentenced to death, they are killing their own baby. This is not the only abandoned baby case I saw in the past ten days, one threw in dumpster and died; the other one was flushed into toilet, those are not actions human beings should do.”

Another said:

“This little boy survived, he will do great in the future. The parents will never have a good life. I don’t even know how to curse them when seeing this shocking news.”

The exact sequence of events isn’t quite clear, as a plea was reported to have been posted by police to the service for the baby boy’s mother to step forward, reading:

“Mom, come back! The baby is resilient and alive. Please show up, Mom. This is your own baby and he should return to your warm embrace soon.”

The baby flushed down the toilet appears to be in good condition following the incident, but his mother is reported to be currently hospitalized following complications she experienced following the birth.

Chinese Baby Flushed Down Toilet, Rescued From Sewage Pipe is a post from: The Inquisitr

Henrik Lundqvist is one of the best goaltenders in all of hockey, and he’s spent his entire eight-year career in the NHL with the New York Rangers. He currently has one-year left on his contract through next season, but the 2012 Vezina Trophy winner isn’t quite sold on signing an extension with the team just yet.

“I’m gonna talk to my agent, and we’ll see,” Lundqvist told the New York Daily News when asked about the possibility of re-signing before his contract is up. “You know, I had such a great time here in New York. From day one they treated me really well and have given me an opportunity to play a lot of hockey. It’s been a lot of fun. I have one more year on the contract.”

Lundqvist’s comments should be viewed as a warning sign for the Rangers and their fans, as it almost sounds like he’s already on his way out of Madison Square Garden. When Lunqvist says, “I had such a great time here in New York,” he’s almost insinuating this his time with the team is already up.

“I’m just focused on – well, right now, I’m trying to get over this year – but we’ll see. I’ll talk to my agent and take it from there,” he added.

The 31-year-old has become the premier netminder in the NHL since coming to the league in 2005 after four seasons in the Swedish Elite League (SEL) with Frolunda HC. Since joining the Rangers, Lunqvist has been named to the All-Star game three times and has also been named the Rangers’ MVP in six of his eight seasons.

It’s obvious the team would love to have him back, but Henrik Lundqvist ins’t so sure if that’s the best idea for him at this time. All signs are leading to his final season with the Rangers in 2014, and the fact that he’ll be in the final year of his contract will also raise questions of a mid-season trade at the deadline.

Either way, Lundqvist could sign an extension before the season to erase any doubts of his departure from the Rangers.

Do you believe Henrik Lundqvist will sign an extension with the Rangers or will he play out his contract and take his talents elsewhere after the 2014 season?

[Image via Robert Kowal]

Henrik Lundqvist: Not Sold On Extension With New York Rangers is a post from: The Inquisitr

A new image from Thor: The Dark World gives fans a good look at the film’s villain.

Former Dr. Who star Christopher Eccleston will square off against the blonde superhero in director Alan Taylor’s upcoming sequel. Although much has been said about the villain, nobody has gotten a really good look at the guy until now.

According to Collider, Christopher Eccleston will star as Dark Elf Malekith the Accursed in Thor: The Dark World. However, plot details are still few and far between at this point. Even the recently-released trailer keeps the story’s specifics under wraps.

A new batch of images from Taylor’s flick recently appeared in an issue of Empire magazine. However, you can find a pic of Eccleston as Malekith embedded below. More photos, including glimpses of the villainous dark elves, can be found over at Cinema Blend.

Here’s how Marvel describes the next Thor movie:

“In the aftermath of Marvel’s ‘Thor’ and Marvel’s ‘The Avengers,’ Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos…but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all.”

In addition to Christopher Eccleston, the sequel stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Jaimie Alexander, Stellan Skarsgard, Idris Elba, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Kat Dennings, Ray Stevenson, Zachary Levi, Tadanobu Asano, Jaimie Alexander, Rene Russo, and Anthony Hopkins.

You can check out the new image featuring Malekith below.

Nueva foto de Christopher Eccleston como Malekith el Maldito en Thor: The Dark World twitter.com/paodlcastillo/…

— Paola Del Castillo (@paodlcastillo) May 28, 2013

Alan Taylor’s Thor: The Dark World will arrive in theaters on November 8. Be sure to swing by the official website for more information about the flick.

‘Thor: The Dark World’ Image Features Christopher Eccleston As Malekith [Photo] is a post from: The Inquisitr

A cougar attack was foiled by a skateboard, but a second sighting this weekend of what might be the same dangerous mountain lion has caused Canadian authorities to close part of the Banff township where the attack occurred.

The original attack victim phoned in the cougar encounter to Parks Canada late Thursday. He gave limited information, causing officials to sweep the northern industrial part of Banff in search of the animal.

They haven’t yet caught the cougar, but they did locate the victim. He admitted that he was knocked to the ground and felt he had no choice but to battle the animal by hitting it away with his skateboard.

On Sunday, Parks Canada conservation manager Bill Hunt told CTV News:

“I think he was reluctant to contact us right away because he’d be in trouble for striking an animal inside a national park. But of course, in that situation you’re in defense mode and it’s totally appropriate.”

According to the fuller account from the unnamed victim, he was wearing earbuds, which allowed the cougar to sneak up and attack him from behind. Fortunately, the victim was able to stun the big cat with the skateboard he was carrying long enough to make his escape.

A second observer said that they saw the cougar chasing a deer on Sunday, so the animal is clearly still hunting in the area.

By the way, cougar, mountain lion, and puma are all different names for the same species.

Because this cougar seems to be displaying predatory behavior too near the popular tourist town, Parks Canada may have to euthanize it. However, they have said that they will try to understand why it attacked before they make their final decision.

Cougar attacks may be a rising problem in western Canada.  Here’s another cougar attack victim’s story:

Meanwhile, the victim is probably thankful that he was carrying that skateboard to fight off the cougar attack.

[cougar photo by Forest Wander Nature Photography via Wikimedia Commons]

Cougar Attack: Skateboard Used To Beat Off Rampaging Mountain Lion is a post from: The Inquisitr

Chris Brown has denied giving false details to a driver after hitting another vehicle in Los Angeles on May 21.

Officials are allegedly investigating whether the “Fine Brown” violated the terms of his probation last week during the road incident.

The 24-year-old was driving his Range Rover with on-off-now-reportedly-on-again girlfriend and model-cum-designer Karrueche Tran in the passenger seat when the accident occurred.

According to a TMZ report, Los Angeles police are following up a claim by the victim of the car crash that Brown was reluctant to hand over his insurance and driver permit details when asked.

The female driver, who has not been named, was driving a Mercedes-Benz.

TMZ reports that Brown “copped an attitude when the woman pressed him for his [information].”

The site also claimed that, when Brown did eventually exchange details, they were false. If this is proven to be true, Brown could be in serious trouble.

The singer remains bound by the terms of his probation sentence, which he was given in 2009 after assaulting his then girlfriend Rihanna.

If Brown is found to have broken his probation, he could face a jail sentence of up to four years.

But in a statement to TMZ, from sources close to the singer, Brown has denied lying about his personal details during the road incident. In addition, TMZ was given a photo of the victim’s car which appears to show no signs of damage.

The sources insist Brown has not been contacted by police, adding: ”When his lawyer attempted to contact [the other driver] not long after the accident, she hung up on him.”

Meanwhile, the singer has slammed his management team over their handling of the release of his upcoming single “They Don’t  Know,” which features vocals by the late Aaliyah.

The single was supposed to premiere on Monday, May 27 and is a cut from Brown’s forthcoming studio album X, which is slated for release on July 16. The video was shot in L.A. earlier this month.

However, the new single has not yet been released. Brown informed his over 12 million Twitter followers on Monday that the date had been moved, adding the following in a series of seemingly frustrated tweets, some of which have now been deleted.

“My management is so incompetent at times that they don’t communicate. So … Blame these wack n–gas for the release being moved. I’ll keep y[']all posted. They got me looking crazy. Video/single will be released soon. Not gonna tell y’all  an exact date becuz I keep getting false info.”

You can see the artwork for Brown’s forthcoming new song “They Don’t Know (feat. Aaliyah)” below.

Chris Brown Denies ‘Hit And Run’ False Details, Slams ‘Incompetent Management’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Maybe you’re not on the Eastern seaboard — but the live cicada cam is there to show you what you’re missing.

The live cicada cam marks the first time the appearance of the normally hibernating insects coincides with the existence of the social web. In decades past, people were forced to call relatives to complain about the freaky, noisy bugs that only show up once every seventeen years.

National Geographic explains that, while some cicadas are annual, the seventeen year variety (seen on the live cicada cam) are rarer and spur more interest:

“Cicadas are also famous for their penchant for disappearing entirely for many years, only to reappear in force at a regular interval. There are some 3,000 cicada species, but only some share this behavior (the 17-year cicada is an example). Others are called annuals because, although individuals have multi-year lifecycles, some adults appear every year. The dog day cicada, for example, emerges each year in mid-summer.”

Thanks to the magic of technology, the live cicada cam on Animal Planet Live can be viewed from your desktop, laptop, or smartphone, and the network explains:

“Like a scene from a horror flick, these creepy crawlers emerge from ground every 17 years to invade the mid-Atlantic. We found these Brood II Cicadas taking over Washington, D.C.”

Animal Planet continues:

“During the next few weeks, they will be emerging from their lengthy slumber to molt and mate. Their offspring will then burrow into the ground for 17 more years. From North Carolina to Pennsylvania, little children and grown-ups alike will recoil in horror from the Cicada Invasion.”

The live cicada cam, embedded below, sparked interest after Sunday night’s Swarm Chasers and Cicada Invaders 2013 – and it features the creepy bugs in a Washington, D.C.-like terrarium.

Live video by Animal Planet L!ve

Live Cicada Cam Entrances, Freaks Out Social Web [Watch] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Chicago Blackhawks survived a late scare from the Detroit Red Wings to emerge 4-3 winners in Game 6 on Monday evening at Joe Louis Arena.

The victory sets the stage for a decisive Game 7 on Wednesday at United Center with a berth in the Western Conference final on the line.

The Wings had a chance to close out the series, but three goals by the Blackhawks in the third period was a hole too deep to dig out of despite a furious fightback in the final minute.

Chicago captain Jonathan Toews was delighted with the performance and credited his team’s unwavering belief for the big victory.

“It was pure confidence,” he said. “Our heads were just in the right spot. We knew what we had to do and we weren’t panicking.”

“We’re finding ways, we’re doing the right things to score goals and we’re confident when we get those chances that they’re going to go in somehow.”

The visitors flew out of the gates and were rewarded for their ambition when Marion Hossa pounced on a loose puck in the crease to beat Jimmy Howard 3:53 into the first period.

Detroit tied things up when Patrick Eaves scored late in the opening frame to give the home side all the momentum heading into the intermission.

The Wings then took a 2-1 lead thanks to a goal from Joakim Andersson midway through the second period and the conference final seemed within reach.

The Blackhawks had other plans, however, and stormed back with goals from Michal Handzus, Bryan Bickell, and Michael Frolik to take a comfortable 4-2 lead with 10 minutes remaining.

Damien Brunner scored for the home team with less than a minute left to set up a tense finish for the Blackhawks.

The Chicago Blackhawks held on in the final seconds to set up a winner-take-all clash against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday at United Center.

Chicago Blackhawks Beat Detroit Red Wings To Force Game 7 is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kobe Bryant got a new tattoo in honor of his two daughters, and he posted his new ink on Instagram for all of his followers to see. The 34-year-old has never been much of a talker, unless it was a post-game rant in the locker room, but, ever since he’s joined Twitter, “The Black Mamba” has been sharing his views with everyone.

The move to social media has given fans a chance to see Kobe Bryant as a regular guy and not just a five-time NBA champion and future Hall of Famer. The Lakers’ superstar has taken Twitter and Instagram in stride, and he regularly posts photos and updates throughout the day.

On May 14th, Bryant tweeted that he was “thinking about getting a little more ink,” and he obviously stuck to the plan as he posted the photo of his new tattoo this past weekend. He even posted a photo on Instagram of himself sitting in the chair as the work was being done on his right arm.

Kobe Bryant’s new tattoo displays a cursive font with the names of both of his daughters, Gianna and Natalia. He eventually went on to re-post his new ink on Twitter that has since been shared over 1,500 times. If one thing’s for sure, it’s that Bryant will always have his daughters with him no matter where he goes or how far away he is.

Tons of fans commented on the post and shared their thoughts on the new ink, most of which were compliments. Over 90,000 followers liked the photo on Instagram, and the tattoo doesn’t look to have any spelling mistakes, which became a hot topic with Kevin Durant’s new back piece.

Here’s the Twitter post that Bryant sent out to all of his 2.6 million followers on Saturday.

Forearm art #ink . More art done on my right arm. Will post soon.. instagram.com/p/ZwPWu2xNgN/

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) May 25, 2013

Do you like Kobe Bryant’s new tattoo that he used as a symbol for his daughters?

[Image via Kobe Bryant | Instagram]

Kobe Bryant Gets New Tattoo In Honor Of Daughters is a post from: The Inquisitr

Keith Urban has some new songs out, but, if you want to hear them, the singer’s Light The Fuse Tour 2013 may be a better bet than iTunes or Amazon.

Speaking to Billboard, Keith Urban explains that “the road” isn’t normally where he chooses to unleash new material — but, as he prepares to take to stages across America for the tour he kicks off in July, that’s probably how his new material will be introduced.

Urban eventually plans on forging his new stuff into an album but not before he hits the stage on July 13 in Cincinnati. Explaining that “there’ll just be certain songs that feel right to do live even though nobody knows them, Urban adds that “our stage will be kind of like our radio station, and we’ll be playing these songs for the first time.”

Of his upcoming releases, Keith says that the process should help him figure out what his next album looks like, telling the mag:

“If you had asked me three months ago, I’d have said we’ve got 13, 14 songs done and were just going to round them out … But new songs have come along that I’ve finished writing or I find, and before you know it, we’re back in tracking those, and then the album goes off into a different direction.”

Urban continues:

“I’ve probably got about 16 or 17 songs, and I’ve got about three or four, maybe five more to do. There’s lost of material; I’ve just got to figure out what constitutes the album at this stage.”

He adds: ” … the way I look at it is that when people hear a song on the radio, that’s the first time they’ve heard it, too, and hopefully it connects with them and they want to hear it again.”

Do you have plans to catch Keith Urban on tour this summer before his album hits this fall??

Keith Urban Will Debut New Material On Tour is a post from: The Inquisitr

Snakes in the state capitol building in Baton Rouge, Louisiana? It doesn’t sound too unusual — until you realize that the reports involve the slithering reptiles, not the politicians.

State Rep. Joe Harrison (R-Napoleonville) had a question: “Are we talking about snakes that slither or the kind of snakes with last names?”

Well, apparently the good representative needs to watch himself, because there have been multiple reports of baby water snakes being found all on the House side of the Baton Rouge state capitol building. They’ve turned up in closets, in committee rooms, and even in a bathroom corner.

Yikes.

The leading newspaper for Baton Rouge, The Advocate, published an extensive investigation on Tuesday into the reports. Can you blame them? Their reporters have to walk into that building.

Reporter Koran Addo said that the exact number of the snakes invading the capitol hasn’t been pinned down. The official word is that it might be only four or five snakes, and maybe the story just got bigger along the line.

However, multiple workers in the building, including State Rep. Karen St. Germain and director of the House Democratic Caucus Chris Frink, said that they’d seen the snakes themselves.

Rep. Katrina Jackson (D-Monroe) told Addo: “It’s definitely something I think about when I’m walking to my car at night.”

Water snakes are not poisonous. However, they are frequently confused by locals with the dangerous water moccasin and for a very good reason.

Many members of the water snake Nerodia genus have evolved to look like water moccasins in order to trick predators into leaving them alone. Most people can’t tell the difference at a glance, and I myself have seen a man wrongly kill a Nerodia that he was convinced was a cottonmouth — another name for the venomous water moccasin.

That photo I took?  Please don’t try this at home.  The man who picked up this harmless Nerodia water snake and posed him for me was a Louisiana state wildlife official, who later released the animal unharmed in a safer spot.

Would you freak out if you saw a snake in your state capitol building?

[adult water snake Nerodia species photographed in Louisiana by Elaine Radford]

[Baton Rouge state capitol photo by Richard Rutter via Flickr and Wikimedia Commons]

Snakes Invade Louisiana State Capitol But Not The Usual Two-Legged Kind is a post from: The Inquisitr

Keith Urban still isn’t sure if he’s coming back for American Idol next season.

The country music star is just as clueless as everyone else when it comes to his role in the singing competition. If producers have decided to bring him back next season, then nobody has informed him about the good news.

“I’m pretty much in the same boat as everybody else here with the rumors that have been floating around. I don’t know anything more about what’s happening next season. It was like this before I signed on … so it’s not unusual for the ‘Idol’ folks to be in this place of figuring out what they want to do, then they always pull it together,” Keith Urban told CBS News.

Urban told People magazine that he would love to come back for the next go-around.

“I would. I mean, I literally enjoy coming to work every day, and that’s a rarity. I joined an ensemble like this in the same way I joined a band. I like being in a team and I felt that immediately, with [host Ryan Seacrest] and Randy [Jackson], particularly,” the 45-year-old musician explained.

Various reports suggest that none of the judges are coming back for the next season of American Idol. Record low ratings, combined with negative feedback from viewers, have sent FOX scrambling back to the proverbial drawing board.

However, Keith Urban’s latest album will likely keep him busy while he’s waiting to see what happens. The country music star is set to release Fuse this September. The musician told Billboard that he has plenty of songs lined up for possible inclusion on the album.

“I’ve probably got about 16 or 17 songs, and I’ve got about three or four, maybe five more to do. There’s lost of material; I’ve just got to figure out what constitutes the album at this stage,” Urban explained. He added that some of the songs will be featured during his Light The Fuse tour.

“Basically we’re going to hit the road with one single out, an album in the works, and there’ll just be certain songs that feel right to do live even though nobody knows them,” Urban said. “So our stage will be kind of like our radio station, and we’ll be playing these songs for the first time.”

Keith Urban fans can catch the country music star on tour this summer while they’re waiting to see if he returns to American Idol next season.

[Image via s_bukley / Shutterstock.com]

Keith Urban Has ‘No Idea’ If He’s Returning To ‘American Idol’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Facebook post about a business in Michigan called M Spa and an alleged incident of poor treatment involving a mother and her autistic child went viral this weekend, garnering tens of thousands of shares worldwide after another patron of the salon who witnessed the incident wrote up what she says she saw and encouraged friends to share.

The original Facebook post came from a woman named Vanessa Hunt, of Battle Creek, who detailed her M Spa experience in Portage over the weekend.

Hunt was at M Spa with a friend for manicures when she witnessed the little boy — crying quietly about his haircut — and his mother as they were approached by a woman Hunt later learned from her friend was the spa’s owner.

According to Vanessa, the child’s sobbing was not very disruptive — but the owner’s alleged behavior made several clients and the boy’s mother upset to the point of tears.

In the lengthy post, Hunt says:

“[The boy] was crying during it but it didn’t bother Jess or I. Heck, the music was still louder than the little boy … All of a sudden a lady stormed into the portion of the spa we were sitting in and proceeded to give the mom a severe tongue lashing and explained how inappropriate her son’s behavior was. It got silent in the room besides the woman ranting to the mother. It was seriously painful to watch seeing as I have been there more than once myself and it’s very hard when your child is having a tantrum in public. The last thing you need is a woman yelling at you for it.”

Hunt continues:

“At the conclusion of this woman’s tantrum to the mother the mother said through tears, ‘I’m so sorry, he’s autistic.’ Yup, this woman yelled at a mother and child which is bad enough on it’s own just for the mother to reveal her son has special needs on top of being what any 2 1/2-3 year old child might act like when getting a haircut … The mom cradled her son and left while the stylist followed her.”

She continues, noting that her companion identified the woman as the salon’s owner, and that she regretted spending money there that day. Hunt adds:

“Jess and I walked outside to see the hairstylist finishing the little boy’s haircut on the lawn. The mom still crying and cradling her precious son. We hugged her and cried with her too. It was so awful to see this. So heartless.”

Already, local spas and salons in Portage have reached out to the mother (who has not stepped forward) and her autistic son, offering a free haircut. Locals have also created a boycott M Spa page, with more than 6,000 fans so far.

Hunt spoke with Michigan’s MLive, confirming that she indeed wrote the post and claiming that the incident occurred as she described it on Facebook.

She tells the site:

“People were commenting from Switzerland and Australia … I don’t understand how it got this big. This was not my intention and I’m almost bothered by how much attention it’s getting, but I’m glad I said something because I think it’s the right thing to do. I think people need to be aware that things like this happen all the time.”

MLive identifies the owner of M Spa as Michelle Mott, and says that attempts to obtain her version of events after the autistic boy’s mother was allegedly berated in the salon have thus far been unsuccessful. The Facebook page of M Spa has been removed from Facebook following the controversy.

Facebook Post About M Spa Owner’s Alleged Treatment Of Autistic Child Goes Viral is a post from: The Inquisitr

Apparently Whoopi Goldberg has a role in the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles flick.

Although details about her involvement with the film are sketchy at best, the co-host of The View was recently spotted on the set of producer Michael Bay’s reboot. You can check out a picture of the actress wearing a pretty large wig embedded below.

According to the folks at Comic Book Movie, Whoopi Goldberg’s part in the TMNT flick has been a closely-guarded secret up until this point. If producers were hoping to unveil her casting at a later date, it would seem that an amateur photographer has beaten them to the punch.

So who is Goldberg going to play? That’s really anybody’s guess at this stage in the game. Since most of the major roles have already been cast — and this writer doubts she’s been brought in as Shredder or Casey Jones — it could be a character who’s wholly unique to the script.

ConcreteLoop theorizes that Whoopi’s involvement will likely amount to nothing more than a cameo. Of course, all of these reports are nothing more than pure speculation. The only thing for certain right now is that Goldberg has a role in the movie. Beyond that, it’s truly anybody’s guess.

Talented character actor William Fichtner recently signed on for an “iconic” role in the upcoming reboot. According to First Showing, it’s still unknown which character he will play. Since both Shredder and Casey Jones are still up for grabs, he may have been tapped to fill one of those vacancies.

The photo of Goldberg on the set of the reboot lies below.

Whoopi Goldberg en el rodaje de Las tortugas ninjas twitter.com/cdc_cinefilo/s…

— Info_cine (@cdc_cinefilo) May 28, 2013

Director Jonathan Liebesman’s TMNT is one of the more highly-anticipated endeavors slated to arrive next year. Fans of the franchise have been pouring over set photos and video in hopes that Liebesman and Bay are doing right by the characters. Only time will tell.

What do you think about Whoopi Goldberg’s involvement with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot?

[Image via Featureflash / Shutterstock.com]

Whoopi Goldberg Spotted On The Set Of ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ [Photo] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Napoli has appointed Rafa Benitez as its new manager just days after former boss Walter Mazzarri left the club to join Inter.

The ex-Chelsea interim coach led the Blues to the Europa League title earlier in May but leaves London to presumably make way for Jose Mourinho‘s expected return to Stamford Bridge.

Benitez has penned a two-year deal with Napoli and the club released a statement on its website welcoming the Spaniard to southern Italy.

“Rafa Benitez is the new manager of Napoli. The agreement was signed today in London. Napoli is happy to welcome a coach so prestigious to its own family.”

This will be Benitez’s second tour of duty in Serie A after he coached Inter for six months at the start of the 2010 season. He led Inter to the Club World Cup in December but was sacked at the end of that same month after giving president Massimo Moratti an ultimatum.

Benitez will be hoping his second stint in Italy goes a lot smoother and revealed that he is relishing the challenge at Napoli.

“Now that the agreement is confirmed, I can say that I’m very happy and very satisfied for having committed to a great club with an illustrious heritage like Napoli,” he said.

“I must confess that I am extremely excited because I can share my passion with the fans of Napoli. We will begin from the start as we mean to go on and will fight from the beginning to achieve success for the fans of Napoli.”

Benitez also revealed that he will take his backroom staff from his days at Liverpool and Inter with him to Napoli.

Napoli has appointed Rafa Benitez as its new manager and hopes he can replicate the success he has had overseas and lead the club to its first Serie A title since 1990.

Napoli Appoints Rafa Benitez As New Manager is a post from: The Inquisitr

TV analyst Keith Hernandez picked the wrong day to use a common baseball figure of speech on Memorial Day during a live broadcast of the Yankees-Mets game. Hernandez used a “dead soldier” line in reference to a broken bat in the first inning of the game.

With one out in the bottom of the first inning, the Mets’ Daniel Murphy broke his bat off a pitch from the Yankees’ Phil Hughes in an common play that regularly happens in the MLB. After the play, Hernandez compared the broken bat to a “dead soldier,” on Memorial Day no less.

“That is a dead soldier right there folks laying in that infield dirt. That’s what we call getting sawed off. And that’s nothing to be ashamed of. It happens,” Hernandez said about the play.

In the following inning, the Yankees’ Vernon Wells broke his bat on a pitch, but Hernandez was completely silent, though he never addressed his original comment in the first place.

The Mets went on to beat the Yankees 2-1 in Game 1 of the Subway Series after taking the lead in the eighth inning. Though the Mets have been struggling of late and produced a huge win over there inner-city rivals, the focus remained on Hernandez’s comment from the beginning of the game.

Keith Hernandez has been working as a Mets’ broadcaster since 2002, and he is widely considered one of the most respectable people involved in the game. Nevertheless, he slipped up on Monday during a live broadcast for all to hear.

Hernandez isn’t just an MLB analyst, as he’s also a former player who won 11 consecutive Gold Glove Awards. He played in over 2,000 games in his career, drove in more than 1,000 runs, and he also won two World Series.

His success on the field quickly transitioned to even more success as a broadcaster, but he now has his first setback behind the booth. Here’s video of the analyst’s “dead soldier” line he used in the first inning of the Subway Series on Monday.

[Image via Creative Commons]

TV Baseball Analyst Uses ‘Dead Soldier’ Line On Memorial Day [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Trump 2016 race is being discussed by the real estate mogul, but a presidential run by Donald isn’t likely to get very far.

Donald Trump announced this week that he’s spending money to explore a potential run in the upcoming presidential election.

Trump hinted at a potential run in 2012, but ultimately decided to stay out of the race.

Many dismissed his 2012 flirtation with running as a ploy for publicity, but this year sounds more serious. Trump is reportedly spending $1 million to explore a potential run in 2016.

Trump’s camp insists that he’s serious about 2016.

“We did not spend $1 million on this research for it just to sit on my bookshelf,” said Trump’s special counsel, Michael Cohen. “At this point Mr. Trump has not made any decision on a political run, but what I would say is that he is exactly what this country needs. The turnout at these political speeches indicates his following remains very strong and is growing.“

Trump has also hinted toward a run in public statements.

“Everybody tells me, ‘Please run for president. Please run for president.’ I would be much happier if a great and competent person came along,” Trump said. “I’d be happy if President Obama did a great job. I’m a Republican, but before anything, I love this country … I would love to see somebody come in who is going to be great.”

But a Trump 2016 run would have some big roadblocks. While Trump is known mostly for his attention-getting statements and pressure on President Obama to release his birth certificate, he is light on experience compared to other GOP potential candidates like Chris Christie or Marco Rubio.

Trump has stood out for his lack of experience in foreign policy and some odd statements in this area. In 2011 he advocated that the U.S. not pull out of Iraq, but rather stay in the country and seize the oil fields to pay for the war.

“We pay ourself back $1.5 trillion or more. We take care of Britain, we take care of other countries that helped us,” said Trump at the time.

If Trump were to somehow overcome his lack of experience and earn the Republican nomination in 2016, he would likely run into a buzzsaw known as Hillary Clinton. Though the former Senator and Secretary of State has not declared her intention for 2016, she has led in early polls. Trump wasn’t included in the polls, but if Clinton shows a wide lead over more serious candidates, she would likely crush Donald.

Though the real estate mogul and reality television star may flirt with a campaign, a Trump 2016 run likely won’t go anywhere.

Trump 2016: Donald Would Have Big Problems With Potential Run is a post from: The Inquisitr