Transformers 2 Tops $200 Million in Five Days

Well, once again I am speechless at The Reject Report. I really don’t know what to say, or even where to begin with this Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen movie, which has set the five-day record for a Wednesday release with a total gross of $201,246,000. That’s based on the Sunday morning estimates. If we see a spike in the Sunday actuals by at least a couple more million by Monday, this movie may be in a position to also claim victory over The Dark Knight’s overall five-day haul of $203 million.

The weekend box office results are as follows:

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen – $112,000,000
The Proposal – $18,466,000
The Hangover – $17,215,000
Up – $13,046,000
My Sister’s Keeper – $12,030,000
Year One – $5,800,000
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 – $5,400,000
Star Trek – $3,606,000
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian – $3,500,000
Away We Go – $1,678,000

Soccer : US shows it can compete with football's elite

JOHANNESBURG — The United States should remember the 2009 Confederations Cup as the first time it truly showed it was capable of competing with football's elite teams.
After stunning European champion Spain 2-0 in the semifinals, the Americans' were in a position to do the same to five-time World Cup champion Brazil in the final, only to throw away a two-goal lead to lose 3-2.

"We've shown we can play with these teams. Sometimes that shows for a lot, like in the semifinals, and sometimes that counts for little, like tonight," goalkeeper Tim Howard said after the loss to Brazil on Sunday in the first FIFA final at any level for the American men.

"We can compete, we fight, we can score goals, we defend really well. We just need to start getting the small, little things right. If you look at Brazil, Italy, Spain, they got 11 guys who do a lot of the little things right for 90 minutes, and that creates a heck of a problem. We need to get better at that."

Fortunately for the Americans, time is on their side. The U.S. was the youngest team at this tournament, with an average age of just under 25.

source : usatoday.com

Penguins top Red Wings in Game 7, win Stanley Cup

Destiny fulfilled: Sidney Crosby raises the Stanley Cup.
DETROIT (CP) -- Even without Sidney Crosby for most of the game, the skilled and youthful Pittsburgh Penguins could not be kept from the Stanley Cup.

Maxime Talbot scored two goals and Marc-Andre Fleury made huge saves during a desperate third-period barrage as the Penguins defeated the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 in Friday's gripping Game 7 to win the Cup.

"It was so hard watching the clock tick down for the third period," said Crosby, who played one short shift after leaving the game early in the second period with a knee injury. "But everything it took to win, we did it -- blocking shots, great goaltending, having different guys step up."

The Penguins won a third Cup in their history and their first since capturing back-to-back championships in 1991 and 1992.

It was a first for the Penguins' new wave of young talent, led by Crosby, Fleury, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal and others, who are expected to be an NHL power for years to come.

"We'll have a great core for the next couple of years and I can see great things for this team in the future, but right now, I'm going to enjoy this," Talbot said.

The Penguins did it with consecutive 2-1 victories after they were left reeling by a 5-0 loss in Game 5 in Detroit a week ago. But Fleury bounced back from being chased from that game with two exceptional outings while the older, injury-riddled Red Wings faltered.

Crosby played just one shift in the third period after a knee injury early in the second period on a hit by Red Wings forward Johan Franzen. But nothing could prevent the 21-year-old from rushing onto the ice to join the celebration, or from hoisting the Cup, one year after suffering a heartbreaking loss to Detroit in the final.





source: sportingnews.com

UK Minister Says “Three-Strikes” too Draconian

Culture Secretary Andy Burnham instead backs unspecified “technical measures.”
Back in January it was revealed for the first time that the UK govt had all but ruled out disconnecting repeat file-sharers from the Internet. Today Culture Secretary Andy Burnham has repeated that assertion at Music Week’s “Making Online Music Pay” conference.

He did confirm however, that the UK govt is preparing legislation to force ISPs to apply “technical solutions” to address the problem of repeat file-sharers.

“There will be many who don’t think a simple notification would be effective and we will reserve the powers to apply technical measures for persistent offenders,” he said. “Applying these measures will be a serious business, and not one we take lightly, but it is right that they are in place.”

“We intend to give the Office of Communications (Ofcom) powers to apply technical measures and we think that is the right option,” he later added. “The idea is for measures to be applied against individuals who are serial infringers. That is the proposal.”

It has yet to define who is a “serial infringer” and who will decide the guilt or innocence of accused file-sharers.

A spokesman for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said the govt doesn’t want to terminate file-sharers’ Internet connections now that the Internet has become as vital as other utilities like water and electricity.

He said that the highly anticipated Digital Britain report, due to be released June 16th, “is likely to include an obligation on ISPs to send out letters to people who are infringing copyright.”

“What Mr Burnham also said was there was the likelihood that the MoU would be backed up by new powers for Ofcom to impose ‘technical solutions’ for repeat offenders if that process of sending out letters was not effective enough,” added the spokesman.

What precisely the “technical solutions” will be is still unclear, but it’s likely to be connection speed throttling, data caps, or a combination of the two. The UK film and television industry recently called for the govt to force ISPs to institute pop-up windows warning users who visit file-sharing related websites.

Burnham also warned that ISPs and the music industry could solve the problem on their own, without govt intervention, if only they were to sit down and figure out a framework for cooperation to tackle the problem.

“Both sides must find a point of balance,” he said. “Don’t wait for the heavy hand of Government, do it now. If you wait for Government then that might be worse.”

Worse? Without govt oversight private business interests will determine who’s a file-sharer and who isn’t. The music industry may lot like it, but the Internet has become a vital utility necessary for full civic participation, and any efforts to hinder or prevent that ability without trial is far worse for UK society than any problems illegal file-sharing may pose.

source : zeropaid.com

Federer claims first French Open

PARIS (AP) -- Oh, how Roger Federer savored every moment with his first French Open trophy.

He raised it overhead. He cradled it in the crook of his elbow. He closed his eyes and kissed it. He examined the names of other champions etched on its base. Even in a downpour on Court Philippe Chatrier, as heavy, gray clouds blocked any shred of sunlight Sunday, that silver trophy sure seemed to glisten.

Finally, the lone major championship that had eluded Federer was his. With his latest masterful performance, Federer tied Pete Sampras' record of 14 major singles titles and became the sixth man to complete a career Grand Slam.

History was at stake, and Federer was at his best, completely outplaying No. 23-seeded Robin Soderling en route to a 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-4 victory in a French Open final that lacked suspense but not significance.

"Maybe my greatest victory -- or certainly the one that takes the most pressure off my shoulders," Federer said in French, moments after dropping to his knees, caking them with clay, as his 127 mph service winner ended the match. "I think that now, and until the end of my career, I can really play with my mind at peace and no longer hear that I've never won at Roland Garros."

Federer came heartbreakingly close in the past, losing the previous three French Open finals, so there certainly was something poetic about his tying Sampras' Grand Slam mark at this particular tournament, on this particular court.

"Now that he's won in Paris, I think it just more solidifies his place in history as the greatest player that played the game," Sampras told The Associated Press.

"If there's anyone that deserves it, it's Roger," Sampras said. "He's come so close -- lost to one guy who's going to go down as probably the greatest clay-courter of all time."

That would be Rafael Nadal, the man who beat Federer at Roland Garros in the 2006-08 finals and the 2005 semifinals, too. But Nadal's 31-match French Open winning streak ended this year with a fourth-round loss to the hard-hitting Soderling.

"I knew the day Rafa won't be in the finals, I will be there, and I will win. I always knew that, and I believed in it. That's exactly what happened," the second-seeded Federer said. "It's funny. I didn't hope for it. But I believed in it."

Only 7-13 against Nadal, Federer entered Sunday 9-0 against Soderling and, other than the threat of postponement because of rain, there was never any doubt that would become 10-0 by day's end.

That's because Federer showed off the athleticism and artistry that carried him to five championships at Wimbledon, the last five at the U.S. Open and three at the Australian Open. Federer hit more aces than Soderling, 16-2. He broke Soderling four times. He won 40 of the first 47 points on his serve. He won five points with delicate drop shots.

Federer was outstanding at the start, taking a 4-0 lead, and close to perfect in the tiebreaker. That was Soderling's chance to get into the match, but Federer wouldn't allow it: The Swiss star served four points -- and all four were aces, ranging from 118 mph to 132 mph.

Federer called it "one of the greatest tiebreakers in my career."

Soderling never really stood a chance, not against Federer, not on this day, not on this stage.

"You really gave me a lesson in how to play tennis," Soderling told Federer.