Microsoft Corp.'s Zune portable music player is suffering from a glitch that may have frozen thousands of units, in the latest setback for the world's biggest software company. For many people who own the Zune digital media player, New Year's Eve is the day the music died.

It would appear that a Microsoft software bug has put the world's 30GB Zune population on the verge of extinction.

On Wednesday, Zune owners flooded blogs and Internet chat sites to complain that they couldn't listen to music on the 30 gigabyte version of the Zune, an early version of the device, because it wouldn't start up properly. The postings noted that the digital music players get stuck on the Zune logo screen when the machine's software is loading.

The company's Zune Web site said the company was aware of the problem and was working to correct it. It is unclear how many versions of the device are affected.

"We are aware that customers with Zune 30GB devices are experiencing issues with their Zune device," a Microsoft spokesman, in a separate statement, said.

"We are actively working now to isolate the issue and develop a plan to address it. We will keep customers informed on next steps via the support page on zune.net."

Recently, the software giant introduced new versions of the Zune that included additional storage and new features, including the ability to identify and buy songs heard on the radio and receive customized play lists.

18-year-old Bristol Palin gave birth to a son who will carry on the Palin tradition of strange names. Tripp Easton Mitchell Johnston was born Sunday at 7 pounds, 4 ounces, People says. Colleen Jones, the sister of Bristol's grandmother, told the magazine that "the baby is fine and Bristol is doing well."

The baby's arrival is probably welcomed good news after three bad months for the Palin and Johnston families. When it was announced shortly after Gov. Palin was named John McCain's running mate that her teenage daughter was expecting, it triggered national debates on teen pregnancy and marriage, abstinence education, the VP vetting process, the privacy of political families and, well, just about everything.

Bristol Palin is 18, as is her boyfriend of three years, Levi Johnston, a former high school hockey player. Both have dropped out of high school -- she to complete her diploma through correspondence courses, People reports, and he to become an apprentice electrician, he told the AP this fall. They have said they plan to marry in 2009.

You won’t be able to get it delivered in time for Christmas, but here’s the perfect New Year’s gift for the Sarah Palin fan in your life.

A 2009 calendar of the former Republican vice-presidential candidate is currently the top item on the Web site’s list of “Office Products and Supplies.” (Palin beat out “Fiskars DuraSharp DeskWorks Preferred Scissors” and “Brother PT-80 P-touch Electronic Labeling System” for the distinction.)

Washington Wire reported in October that the calendar was the product of former Wasilla deputy mayor and friend-of-Sarah Judy Patrick, an Anchorage-based photographer who culled from her professional and personal photos of the governor and her family to create the calendar.

For only $15.95 (plus $5.50 shipping and handling) you can get a coveted Sarah Palin 2009 wall calendar!

The 13-month calendar has more than 50 photos of Palin and her family – including, we are told “never before seen photos” of the woman picked by John McCain to be his running mate. On the cover is a picture of Palin in a jaunty pose with a shotgun casually slung over her left shoulder.

It is, of course, produced and printed in the United States of America.

The photos were taken by Judy Patrick who is described as “a long time resident of Wasilla, Alaska” – the town where Palin first burst into politics as mayor before advancing to governor.

It’s just what every Sarah fan needs to keep her close until the 2012 presidential campaign.

The names of the female celebrities who will be entering the BIG BROTHER house in January have been revealed.

According to the Daily Star, former Liberty X singer MICHELLE HEATON, model LUCY PINDER, SHAMELESS star TINA MALONE and ex-SUGABABE MUTYA BUENA will all appear on the reality show.

The publication also asserts that SHERRIE HEWSON and PAULA HAMILTON will star.

CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER was cancelled in January 2008 due to the race row caused by the 2007 series, however it will return to the small screen on January 2nd 2009.

DAVINA MCCALL will once again helm the reality show, with GEORGE LAMB taking on BIG BROTHER'S LITTLE BROTHER.

The new series of BIG BROTHER is not going to be a 24 hour show, with bosses hoping to avoid any issues such as the JADE GOODY racism row.

However some critics have suggested this will leave fans "short changed", with a source telling the Sun that it is now an entertainment show rather than a reality one.

Former Sugababes singer Mutya Buena, glamour model Lucy Pinder and former 'Emmerdale' actress Sherrie Hewson are rumoured to be part of the latest 'Celebrity Big Brother' line-up.

Those believed to be joining them in the house include 'Shameless' actress Tina Malone, former Liberty X band member Michelle Heaton and 1980s supermodel Paula Hamilton.

'Austin Powers' "mini me" actor Verne Troyer, politician Tommy Sheridan, US rapper Coolio and former footballer Ian Wright are also being touted as the latest celebrity housemates.

Other names being thrown in to the mix, include Lib Dem MP Lembit Opik and singer Whitney Houston.

Confirmation of the house guests won't be made until the controversial Channel 4 show returns on Friday January 2.

It will be hosted by 'Big Brother' veteran Davina McCall. George Lamb will present 'Big Brother's Little Brother' on E4, while comedian Jack Whitehall is set to host the debate show 'Celebrity Big Brother's Big Mouth'.

Next year's 'Celebrity Big Brother' is to be sponsored by Dreams, the bed retailer, in a deal thought to be worth around £800,000. The previous sponsor, Carphone Warehouse, pulled out of its partnership following the Shilpa Shetty racism row in 'Celebrity Big Brother' 2007.

Channel 4 chose not to run the show this year after the row and instead broadcast a different version called 'Big Brother Celebrity Hijack' on E4 last January.

The original format is set to return in January next year, however Channel 4 is reportedly planning to censor footage and scrap 24-hour coverage.

An Iraqi journalist threw his shoes at the US President George W. Bush during Bush's joint press conference with Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Sunday.

The correspondent of the Cairo-based Al-Baghdadiya TV Muntadar al-Zaidi hurled one of his shoes at Bush saying, "This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog", as quoted by the BBC.

Throwing his second shoe at the US President immediately after that al-Zaidi said: "This is for the widows and orphans and all those killed in Iraq".

Both throws were near misses as George W. Bush leaned to avoid them. In Arab culture, throwing shoes at someone is a sign of disdain.

The Iraqi TV correspondent was wrestled down immediately after the throws, and is presently being interrogated.

The US President joked after the incident that the shoes thrown at him were size 10 (43,25 European, 9 UK), as cited by the BBC.

During his surprise farewell visit to Iraq George W. Bush declared that the war in the country was not over, and that a lot of work remained to be done. After Iraq, George W. Bush flew to Afghanistan on his last visit there as the US Commander-in-Chief.

Miss India Parvathy Omanakuttan finished as the first runner up and Miss Trinidad and Tobago Gabrielle Walcott was the second runner-up.

Who is Parvathy?

Twenty-one-year-old Parvathy stands tall at 5 feet 9 inches and hails from Kerala. India had high hopes on her to win the crown that last came to the country in 2000.

Parvathy's crucial answer

Parvathy impressed the jury with her looks and quick wit and was one the five finalists out of the 109 contestants at the Sandton Convention Center.

Exuding charm in her white gown, Parvathy cat-walked confidently on the stage to answer her question in the final round. She was asked what being in South Africa meant for her. To this she compared the "similarity in the cultures" of India and South Africa and thanked the locals for their hospitality. She also compared legends Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi and how inextricably linked the two countries' fates have been.

Earlier, a collective cheer went up in the audience when Paravathy’s name was announced at the end of a 15-name long list of semi finalists.

Other semi-finalists included Ms Trinidad and Tobago, Ms US, Ms Guatemala, Ms Venezuela, Ms Ukraine, Ms Croatia, Ms Brazil, Ms Angola, Ms Kazakhstan, Ms Puerto Rico, Ms Spain, Ms Russia and Ms South Africa.

December 13, 2008 has turned out to be a most lucky day for Miss Russia, despite the number 13, widely considered unlucky in many parts of the world. If indeed luck is where fortune meets preparation then turning the number 13 into "lucky 13" were the 15 semi-finalists:

- Second Runner Up, Miss Trinidad and Tobago Gabrielle Walcott (below with Julia Morley)

- Miss Russia Kseniya Sukhinova (left)

- Miss Mexico Ana Gabriela Espinoza Marroquin

- Miss Iceland Alexandra Helga Ivarsdottir

-Miss Barbados Natalie, Olivia Griffith

- Miss Venezuela Hannely Zulami Quintero Ledezma

- Miss Ukraine Iryna Zhuravska

-Miss Croatia Josipa Kusic

-Miss Brazil Tamara Almeida Silva

- Miss Angola Brigite Santos

- Miss Kazakhstan Alfina Nassyrova

- Miss Puerto Rico Ivonne Orsini Lopex

- Miss Spain Patricia Yurena Rodriguez Alonjo

- Miss South Africa Tansey Coetzee

- 1st Runner Up, Miss India Parvathy Omanakuttan

Russia's Ksenya Sukhinova was on Saturday crowned Miss World 2008 after beating scores of international beauties, including India's Parvathy Omanakuttan who finished first runners up, at a glittering African extravaganza held here.

"Miss World 2008 is Russia," announced Julia Morley, head of the Miss World committee that organises the event.

The 21-year-old Parvathy, who hails from Kottayam in Kerala, narrowly missed out on joining five Indian glamour queens Reita Faria (1966), Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mookhey (1999) and Priyanka Chopra (2000) who had won the title.

The second runners up was Gabriel Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago.

More than 100 international beauties participated in this year's Miss World pageant, hosted by South Africa.

On Thursday morning, "Slumdog Millionaire" received a total of four nominations for the 66th annual Golden Globe Awards, including best film, best director for Danny Boyle, best screenplay for Simon Beaufoy and best score for A.R. Rahman.

It was also a good morning for Miley Cyrus and Brangelina. Cyrus, the 16-year-old recording phenom, earned a Golden Globe nomination for best original song for "I Thought I Lost You" from "Bolt," which also received a nomination for best animated feature. Cyrus penned the music and lyrics with Jeffrey Steele and is the voice for the character Penny in the hit Disney film.

Angelina Jolie was nominated for a Golden Globe on Thursday for best actress in a drama for her role as a devoted mother trying to find her missing son in "Changeling." Meanwhile, her significant other, Brad Pitt, was nominated in the category of best actor in a drama for his portrayal of a man who grows younger as he ages in the fable, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."

"Benjamin Button," which opens Christmas Day, also received nominations for best film drama, best director for David Fincher, best screenplay for Eric Roth, and best score for Alexandre Desplat.

Also getting giggles was Tom Cruise's nomination for best supporting actor as a foul-mouthed movie producer in "Tropic Thunder." He's competing in that category with fellow cast member Robert Downey Jr., who plays a movie star who takes method acting to an extreme.

On a more serious note, "Milk," Gus Van Sant's drama about slain gay activist Harvey Milk, was overlooked for best film, though Sean Penn, who plays the lead, was nominated in the category of best dramatic actor.

Christopher Nolan's critically acclaimed Batman adventure, "The Dark Knight," turned out to be one of the biggest box-office hits of the decade but only received a Globe nomination for the late Heath Ledger's seminal performance as the Joker.

Best director nominations also went to Stephen Daldry for "The Reader," Ron Howard for "Frost/Nixon" and Sam Mendes for "Revolutionary Road." Best motion picture, comedy or musical, nominations went to the Coen brothers' dark comedy, "Burn After Reading"; Mike Leigh's comedy about an optimistic young woman, "Happy-Go-Lucky"; "In Bruges," a grisly comedy about two hapless hitmen; the musical based on the music of Abba, "Mamma Mia!"; and Woody Allen's romantic farce, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."

The Allen comedy also scored nominations for best performance by an actress and an actor in a comedy or musical for Rebecca Hall and Javier Bardem and supporting actress for Penelope Cruz. "In Bruges" also earned nominations for Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson for best performance by an actor in a motion picture, comedy or musical.

Other best original score nominees, besides "Button," were "Changeling," "Defiance," "Slumdog Millionaire" and "Frost/Nixon." For screenplay, in addition to "Button," there were also nominations for "The Reader," "Frost/Nixon" and "Doubt."

"Bolt," "Kung-Fu Panda" and "Wall-E" are the best animated feature nominees.
Nominations for best actress in a drama series on TV went to Field for "Brothers & Sisters," Hargitay for "Law & Order: SVU," January Jones for "Mad Men," Anna Paquin for "True Blood" and Kyra Sedgwick for "The Closer." The nominees for best actor in a TV comedy series are: Baldwin for "30 Rock," Carell for "The Office," Kevin Connolly for "Entourage," David Duchovny for "Californication," and Shalhoub for "Monk."

Earning nominations for best television series, drama, were "Dexter," "House," "In Treatment," "Mad Men" and "True Blood." Nominations for best television series, comedy or musical, went to "30 Rock," "Californication," "Entourage," "The Office" and "Weeds."

Nominees for best actor in a TV series, drama, are Gabriel Byrne for "In Treatment," Michael C. Hall for "Dexter," Jon Hamm for "Mad Men," Hugh Laurie for "House," and Jonathan Rhys Meyers for "The Tudors."

Competing for best performance by an actress in a TV series, comedy or musical, are Christina Applegate for "Samantha Who?" America Ferrera for "Ugly Betty," Tina Fey for "30 Rock," Debra Messing for "The Starter Wife" and Mary-Louise Parker for "Weeds."

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said today that federal authorities arrested Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich today because the governor went on "a political corruption crime spree" that needed to be stopped.

Fitzgerald said secret tape recordings showed Blagojevich was attempting "to sell the U.S. Senate seat" that President-elect Barack Obama recently vacated. The governor has the sole power to pick Obama's replacement under the state constitution.

"The conduct would make Lincoln roll over in his grave," Fitzgerald said, quoting Blagojevich as saying the Senate seat is "a bleeping valuable thing. You just don't give it away....I've got this thing and it's bleeping golden."

Blagojevich wasn't against the corrupt deal for the Senate seat, he was against "being stiffed in the corrupt deal," Fitzgerald said.

The remarks came at a news conference to discuss charges against Blagojevich and his chief of staff, John Harris. Blagojevich and Harris are scheduled to appear in court at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Judge Nan Nolan.

Robert Grant, FBI special agent in charge of the Chicago office, characterized Illinois' place in the pantheon of political corruption.

"If it isn't the most corrupt state in the United States, it's certainly one hell of a competitor," Grant said. "Even the most cynical agents in our office were shocked."

Grant said he called Blagojevich about 6 a.m. and told the governor that two FBI agents were outside his door and that they had a warrant for his arrest.

After initially asking Grant "is this a joke," Grant said Blagojevich was "very cooperative."

Grant said the arrest of Blagojevich should serve as notice that "business as usual will no longer be tolerated. That selling your office for personal gain is a thing of the past."

Fitzgerald said the investigation into Blagojevich continues, but authorities acted today to avoid further harm taking place.

"I was not going to wait until March or April or May to get it all nice and tidy" and bring charges," he said. "I think that would be irresponsible."

Fitzgerald thanked the Chicago Tribune, which had been reporting on the investigation, for honoring a rare request about eight weeks ago not to report on certain aspects of the investigation that he said could have been jeopardized.

In the criminal complaint, authorities allege that Blagojevich and Harris sought to pressure the Tribune to fire editorial writers that were critical of his administration. Tribune Co. had been negotiating with the Illinois Finance Authority to purchase Wrigley Field as part of the company's efforts to sell the Cubs baseball team.

Tribune editor Gerould Kern said today he never experienced any pressure over the Tribune editorials.

"There was never an instance where I was contacted or called, where any influence at all was placed against me. There were no instances of that."

Kern said he became editor on July 18 and since then there's "never been any hint of that. I was as surprised as everyone else when I saw that."

Kern said nobody from the Blagojevich administration ever contacted him about the editorials.

"I never got a complaint. I never got any contact whatsoever from Blagojevich, no complaint--nothing from inside Tribune company."

Kern pointed out there were no staff reductions in the editorial board. "The facts are what they are."

Will President-elect Barack Obama keep the White House smoke-free?

That's true! Obama says he won't light-up in the White House, but that doesn't mean he hasn't given into the temptations of cigarettes. The future Prez was on Sunday's "Meet the Press," telling Tom Brokaw, "There are times where I've fallen off the wagon."

Obama said in an interview with Men's Health magazine that he bummed a cig or two during the campaign. "But I figure, seeing as I'm running for president, I need to cut myself a little slack."

“Well, fair enough,” he said. “What I would say is, is that I have done a terrific job under the circumstances of making myself much healthier, and I think that you will not see any violations of these rules in the White House.”

After 20 years at the helm of the firm founded by her father, Christie Hefner, the daughter of Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner, will step down as chairman and chief executive officer of the adult magazine company Playboy Enterprises Inc. next month, the adult entertainment company said Monday.

Before the start of trading, Playboy said that Hefner will stay on as CEO until Jan. 31 and remain on the board until a replacement is found. In the meantime, the company said it has appointed Jerome Kern, a long-time director, to be interim non-executive chairman.

In the announcement, Hefner said that "just as this country is embracing change in the form of new leadership, I have decided that now is the time to make changes in my own life as well" but gave no other specific reasons for her departure.
She leaves as the company remains mired in the loss column, stung by charges and dwindling revenue across almost all of its divisions.

Media companies have been hit hard in the current recession, and those like Playboy have not been exempted. Skittish advertisers often cut their ad budgets first, while consumers can find a plethora of free adult fare online and have become increasingly reluctant to pay for it.

The stock has also suffered, scraping to an all-time low of $1.03 just weeks ago after trading just shy of $10 at this time last year. On Monday, however, it jumped more than 11% to $1.95 in morning action.

Still, Kern said that during Hefner's time at the company, she oversaw its "transition from a domestic magazine publisher to a global lifestyle and multi-media company," directing its entry into TV, online and mobile offerings.
"Under her leadership, the licensing group grew from insignificance to become the company's most profitable business," Kern said.

For his part, Christie Hefner's father Hugh said he asked his daughter to "step up as president when the company faced serious financial difficulties more than two decades ago," and that as the result of her efforts, "the company today has more consumers and fans than at any time in our history."

Pelvic lifts : One of the most common and important exercises, it improves sexual performance by strengthening the pelvic area. It also helps in evoking powerful sexual feelings and enhancing your endurance. Vijaya Shetty, a clinical pathologist and a gym-ball trainer elucidates, "During any floor exercise, we train the core muscles and when a same thing is repeated again, it strengthens the body part being worked upon. As for sexual benefit, it's a fact that a strong body can sustain for long, so more the endurance of your pelvic muscles, the more you'll enjoy the prolonged act."

Technique : Lie on your back with your knees bent and slightly apart, feet flat on the floor and arms at your side. Inhale clenching in your stomach and hips and lift the pelvic from the floor until your back is straight. Hold this position for 10 seconds and exhale as you lower your body. Repeat this at least 4-5 times for desired results.

Another pelvic raise could be where you lie down on the bed and as you inhale, you raise your legs to a 90 degree angle. Then while exhaling, you pulse them towards the ceiling. For those, who can't take their legs up to this angle, they can just make an L-shape angle and push their legs upwards along with a proper breathing technique, thus making the abdomen and pelvic area very strong.

Kegel Exercise : Many might not know about the 'secret' muscles that are active during sex and by strengthening these, couples can enjoy intense sex. Kegels are very safe and simple and work on the entire pelvic floor area. Neesha Bukht Choksy, fitness trainer and a dietician confirms, "Kegel is basically a contraction of the internal muscles attached to the pelvic bones, so it tightens the vaginal muscles, helping women gain better control, prolong sex and reach orgasm more easily. It tightens the entrance of the uterus, which evidently enhances your gratification level during sex."

Technique : Contract your pelvic muscles and inhale as you squeeze (as though stopping urine), hold them for 5 seconds and release as you exhale. Start with just 10 or 20 squeezes. The best part is that you can do Kegel nearly anytime, anywhere. Try them while having your meals, sitting at your desk, talking to people or watching television, do at least 100-200 squeezes a day. It's very effective for women in their post delivery stage, as it tightens the loosened muscles."

Butterfly Stretch : Another important part that works actively during sex is the inner thigh area. During a butterfly stretch, the emphasis is on strengthening the inner thighs to make them flexible. Vijaya explains, "Apart from greater flexibility, as you stretch out your legs during this exercise, it's almost a similar position that you have during a sexual act."

Technique : Sit on the floor with your feet together, as the souls touch each other and the knees are kept apart. Try and take your feet as close as you can to your hips and use your elbow to push down your knees below, so that your inner thighs are under pressure.

Stop the presses!! We hear that reality star Kim Kardashian might be named a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador to South Africa. Ahlawd...Could it be true??

Kardashian, 28, attended the Empowerment of Africa dinner in New York on Dec. 1. The event was headlined by music mogul Russell Simmons and his Diamond Empowerment Fund, which supports educational initiatives to empower economically disadvantaged people in African nations where diamonds are a natural resource.

According to Bossip.com, Kim was asked if she would be interested in becoming an ambassador because the "U.N. is looking for more influential pop culture celebs to inspire younger generations to become more involved in international affairs."

Kim, who recently indicated that she was done posing nude, has long expressed admiration for superstar Angelina Jolie, who herself has been a U.N. Goodwill Ambassador since 2001. Over the years, Jolie, 33, has donated millions of dollars to charity as well as raised awareness of important social causes.

Kardashian, who used to party with Paris Hilton in her youth, became an overnight celebrity after her sex tape was leaked on the Internet in 2007. Since then, she has become a fixture of celebrity tabloids, thanks to her hit reality tv show and frequent partying.

But now that Kardashian is edging closer to 30, maybe she's thinking more seriously about her future and wants her legacy to be more than just a tacky sex tape. If so, we salute you, Kim. You go, girl!

More than a third of Britons rank sexual activity at the top of their list of freetime activities, according to the YouGov survey conducted over the Internet.

That was more than the next three highest options combined - gossiping with friends (18 per cent), window shopping (9 per cent) and going to a museum (6 per cent). According to the poll, however, women preferred gossiping with friends, while men tended to rank sex as number one.

It also showed that passion levels may be tied to the cold weather, with 43 percent of Scots rating sex as their favourite freetime activity, compared to 35 percent of Londoners.

Lisa Power, head of policy at the Terrence Higgins Trust, the sexual health charity that commissioned the poll, urged couples to practise safe sex.

"Rates of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections are on the up so when you snuggle down with a partner, make sure you do it safely," she said

Rebecca Findlay, from the Family Planning Association advised: "If anyone's having more sex at the moment whatever the reason, do think about your contraception, your condoms and any testing you might need for sexually transmitted infections.

"And you can get all of these for free on the NHS."

The YouGov survey interviewed 2,144 people over the Internet between November 21 and 23.