First wave of allied assault: 112 cruise missiles

First wave of allied assault: 112 cruise missiles 

- U.S. and British ships and submarines launched the first phase of a missile assault on Libyan air defenses Saturday and a senior American defense official said it was believed substantial damage was inflicted.
In the strikes, 112 Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired at more than 20 coastal targets to clear the way for air patrols to ground Libya's air force.

While U.S. defense officials cautioned that it was too early to fully gauge the impact of the onslaught, the official said that given the precision targeting of the Navy's cruise missiles, they felt that Libya's air defenses suffered a good deal of damage.

The official spoke on grounds of anonymity because the ongoing mission.

In announcing the mission during a visit to Brazil, President Barack Obama said he was reluctant to resort to force but was convinced it was necessary to save the lives of civilians. He reiterated that he would not send American ground troops to Libya.

"We cannot stand idly by when a tyrant tells his people there will be no mercy," he said in Brasilia.
While U.S. defense officials said it was too early to gauge the impact of the onslaught, one senior official said that given the precision targeting of the Navy's cruise missiles, they believe Libya's air defenses suffered a good deal of damage.

It was clear the U.S. intended to limit its role in the Libya intervention, focusing first on disabling or otherwise silencing Libyan air defenses, and then leaving it to European and perhaps Arab countries to enforce a no-fly zone over the North African nation.

Navy Vice Adm. William E. Gortney, director of the Pentagon's Joint Staff, told reporters the cruise missile assault was the "leading edge" of a coalition campaign dubbed Operation Odyssey Dawn. Its aim: prevent Moammar Gadhafi's forces from inflicting more violence on civilians -- particularly in and around the rebel stronghold of Benghazi -- and degrading the Libyan military's ability to contest a no-fly zone.

Prince Harry Instead of William On Royal Wedding Mug

Prince Harry instead of William on royal wedding mug

Everyone knows Kate Middleton is marrying Prince William. Well, almost everyone. The people behind a souvenir mug that commemorates the royal wedding didn't get the memo and made a pretty big gaffe.
They got the picture of Kate Middleton correct, but instead of William, the mug features an image of his younger brother, Harry.

According to the UK's Telegraph, the mug was supposedly designed by Guangdong Enterprises, a Chinese firm. But the Telegraph found that the company is "apparently registered in Britain." Does that mean that this "mistake" could instead be, in the Telegraph's words, "an elaborate spoof"?

Maybe so, Nothing moves "collectible" merchandise like an error that was supposedly never meant to occur (remember all the "error" baseball cards from the '80s and '90s?). Indeed, this mug's joke appeal could make it a hot gag item as the big day draws closer. You can have one of your own for £10 plus shipping and handling.

If royal-inspired mugs aren't your thing, there are plenty of other souvenirs to consider. And some of them are pretty official. Britain’s Royal Mint released a commemorative coin in honor of the wedding, but it was met with little enthusiasm thanks to the questionable likenesses of William and Kate.

And that's not all. The Royal Collection is selling approved items like plates, pill boxes, and English china. You know classy stuff. But not everybody wants to be classy. For those who are tacky and proud of it (or just plain tired of all the royal wedding hype), there are commemorative sick bags.

Hang in there, William and Kate. All this wedding madness will be over soon.

Lakers fans worst in NBA, among worst of all sports

Lakers fans worst in NBA, among worst of all sports

There are lots of much-maligned fans in the NBA, from the regular no-shows in Atlanta to the indifferent in Miami. But none draw others' ire quite like attendees at Lakers games, both for their Hollywood star power and a perceived sense of being fair-weather. In the common view, most of these fans have never heard of Sedale Threatt, or even Elden Campbell.

Look, far be it from me to stick up for celebrity fans like will.i.am and Jeremy Piven, who seem to care more about the scene than whatever's happening on the court. But, as noted by Lakers fan Kurt Helin at Pro Basket ball Talk, there are plenty of real, passionate, legitimate Lakers fans in the upper levels at Staples Center and even more who watch on TV at home. In truth, the percentage breakdowns of good Lakers fans to bad ones is about the same as for any team there are just lots of people in L.A., some of whom are very famous and high-profile.

On top of that, Lakers fans occasionally appear a bit crazy because they root for Kobe Bryant, the most polarizing athlete of his generation. All fans stick up for their stars when they're criticized -- it just happens to be the case that Kobe receives more criticism than anyone. Lakers fans are only doing their sworn duty when they defend the man from all possible criticism. It's really not much different than what Blazers fans do for Brandon Roy, except people in Portland always do whatever possible not to offend anyone too much.

So the next time you want to talk smack about Lakers fans, think for a minute about the obsessive’s in Tarzana who watch every game on KTLA and FOX Sports West. They may not have fake boobs and publicists, but they count, too.

Dog in Japan stays by the side of its ailing friend in the rubble

Dog in Japan stays by the side of its ailing friend in the rubble

It's a universal truth that dogs are man's best friend, but they're pretty darn loyal to their own as well. Case in point: this tear-inducing video, via the website Jezebel, showing a dog, shivering and disoriented, remaining loyally by the side of a stricken fellow canine amid the devastation of the Japanese tsunami.

The video is a stark reminder that, as was the case when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005, there will likely be thousands of pets orphaned or involuntarily abandoned due to the catastrophe in Japan. If you'd like to help efforts to help these animals, you can find info on doing so here.

UPDATE: CNN and the UK Telegraph have both reported that the dogs have been rescued since the footage aired, and are both receiving veterinary care; the more seriously wounded dog is at a clinic in the city of Mito, while the protective spaniel-type dog is receiving care at a shelter in the same town.

Diet Coke Wins Battle in Cola Wars

Diet Coke Wins Battle in Cola Wars

 

U.S. sales of Diet Coke overtook those of Pepsi-Cola for the first time in 2010, making the diet soda the No. 2 carbonated soft drink in the country behind Coca-Cola, industry data are expected to confirm Thursday.

Occupying the top two rankings would mark a historic win for Coca-Cola Co. in its decades-old rivalry with Pepsi Co Inc. which has seen its market share slip in recent years and is trying to retool its marketing.

The two companies have fought over the past decade to win market share from one another as cola sales overall have dropped.

Pepsi-Cola commanded only a slight lead over Diet Coke in 2009, when each brand had slightly less than a 10% market share among carbonated soft drinks. That year, regular Coke won the cola wars with a 17% market share, according to Beverage Digest, a trade publication and data service.

But market-share data to be released Thursday by Beverage Digest is expected to confirm Diet Coke pulled ahead in 2010.

The signs are there: Last month, Beverage Digest reported Pepsi-Cola's market share fell 0.5 percentage point while Diet Coke slipped just 0.1 percentage point in U.S. supermarkets, convenience stores and other retail outlets. This week's comprehensive data will also include food-service data, including restaurant fountain sales, where Coca-Cola is larger.

PepsiCo made a big bet in 2010, when it didn't market its flagship cola on the Super Bowl or in other TV spots. Instead, it launched the Refresh Project, an online charitable-giving program that disbursed $20 million in donations "for refreshing ideas that change the world.''

Some industry analysts have questioned whether that program would translate into cola sales. PepsiCo says that the initiative improved its corporate profile as more than 87 million votes were cast for charitable projects, and that it will help boost revenue in the long run.

Coca-Cola has ramped up its traditional TV marketing in recent years to focus on its core brands. After a nine-year hiatus, it has advertised its flagship Coke brand during the past five Super Bowls. It has also pitched Diet Coke during the past five Academy Awards.

PepsiCo says it will continue its Refresh Project but also plans more traditional ads to try and boost Pepsi-Cola and Diet Pepsi.It plans to promote Pepsi-Cola on "X Factor," a televised music competition created by Simon Cowell to compete against "American Idol," which Coca-Cola sponsors.

PepsiCo also returned to the Super Bowl this year to promote Pepsi Max, a diet cola that targets males and competes against Coke Zero, another diet cola.

Increasing the stakes, Coca-Cola and Pepsi Co. also spent billions of dollars last year to acquire their largest independent U.S. bottlers in a bid to bring drinks to stores more quickly.

Butler upends Old Dominion on buzzer-beating tip-in

Butler upends Old Dominion on buzzer-beating tip-in

In the second game on the first full day of the NCAA tournament, last year's Cinderella, Butler, hit a miracle buzzer beater to knock off Old Dominion, 60-58. Matt Howard, a senior who was instrumental in the team's 2010 run to the NCAA championship game, tapped in a basket with 0.2 remaining to give the Bulldogs the win after Shawn Vanzant stumbled while driving for the game-winning score.

Howard's presence of mind to get his hands off the ball quickly were key in converting the basket before time expired. Had he pushed his hand up even a little more, it would have been on the ball as the buzzer sounded.

Butler had held the lead for much of the game before ODU tied the game on a Frank Hassel jumper with 31.2 seconds remaining.

It's the seventh straight year a team from Butler's Horizon League has won a game in the NCAA tournament. The Bulldogs will face the winner of Pittsburgh-UNC Asheville in the next round.

Awkward moment on live TV for ESPN analyst Doug Gottlieb

Awkward moment on live TV for ESPN analyst Doug Gottlieb

Those situations are always painful, yet they pale in comparison to the cell phone mishap that ESPN college basketball analyst Doug Gottlieb endured earlier this week. Gottlieb's cell phone rang as he was explaining his Final Four picks on live TV, leaving him no choice but to reach into the breast pocket of his suit, fumble for the phone and attempt to shut it off all without losing his train of thought.

Host David Lloyd finally comes to a stammering Gottlieb's rescue, grabbing the phone from him and taking it offset. Gottlieb, to his credit, laughs at himself as best he can and then goes on to finish his point.

The phone going off was just the culmination of a hard-luck 60 seconds for the usually polished, professional Gottlieb. He also struggles with a touch screen TV, opening the segment by having it turn into a non-functioning "Sports Center" logo and then later accidentally selecting the wrong team to advance to the title game.

About the only thing that could have made it worse for Gottlieb is if he'd had a less traditional ringtone. The Oklahoma State fight song or the theme to "Mission Impossible" would have been a nice touch.