Merlin Olsen, 69, died Thursday morning from complications early related to mesothelioma, which erodes the protective lining around the lungs.

Olsen, along with Rosey Grier, Deacon Jones and Lamar Lundy, was part of the Los Angeles Rams' famous Fearsome Foursome in the 1960s, together they were considered one of the best defensive fronts in all of NFL history.

After football, Olsen began a career as a football commentator for NBC and TV star. He co-starred with Michael Landon on the series Little House on the Prairie.

Rodger Goodell said today that "Merlin was a larger-than-life person, literally and figuratively, and leaves an enormously positive legacy."

Olsen is survived by his wife, Susan; their children Nathan, Jill and Kelly; his brothers Phil, Orrin and Clark; his sisters Colleen, Lorraine, Gwen, Winona and Ramona; and several grandchildren.

“Addicted to True Blood”

By: Sarah Reynolds

While the temperature is getting warmer and the days are getting longer many people would tell you that it’s a sure sign that spring is on its way.

For my husband and I, we would tell you that means there is only a few more months before the third season premiere of HBO’s hit show, True Blood. While much of the country is addicted to the latest vampire craze, my husband Matthew and I fell into the genre by accident.

I have been raiding the Internet trying to find any spoilers for the approaching season three, which stars Anna Paquin, Steven Moyer and Alexander Skarsgard.

Those who read the Sookie Stackhouse series books could tell you what will happen in the future, but the show’s creator Alan Ball is steering the show in another direction.

The only hints that can be found are by observing any casting the show is doing. So far the show has stayed true the books story line by recently casting the character from the book series Alcide Herveaux as a potential love interest. Joe Manganiello will portray the werewolf.

It is also rumored that we will be hearing more about Sam Merlottes mysterious past.

Many question still have to be answer from a season two cliffhanger. What happened to Sookie’s love Bill Compton. Moments after he proposed to Sookie, a mysterious person appeared and kidnapped him while Sookie was in the bathroom. Will Sookie think he skipped town because of her startled reaction from his proposal?

Could this be the season where a brokenhearted Sookie turns to Eric to mend her broken heart?

As the months wind down and we wait for the June season premiere it is clear that Ball has his viewers attention.

By: Sarah Reynolds

“And the Oscar goes to.”

While the Academy Awards have come and gone, it got me thinking.

While the stars get all glitzed up in various designer gowns and suits, it seems many of the stars lack the sense of grace that Hollywood had back in the 1950s.

One actress though stood out from the rest. She embodies that old Hollywood glamour and has a personality to match. That actress recently won for her performance in “The Blind Side.”

I grew up watching Sandra Bullocks films and adoring her romantic comedies. When I heard that she would be starring in a film about football player Michael Oher, I thought it would be worth seeing.

She portrayed Leigh Anne Tuohy without a flaw, for two hours I even forgot I was watching Sandra Bullock, a movie star. To forget you are watching one of the most recognized faces in the world is a true testament that the actor did their job.

She deserved that Academy Award. Her performance was hearfelt. We often hear about stars and their “personalities,” and Bullock has had a reputation for being the one of the nicest individuals in Hollywood. Talk about icing on the cake. Her speech was humble, thanking the individuals whose lives she portrayed. When time winded down she said a thank you to, “the moms that take care of the babies and the children no matter where they come from. Those moms and parents never get thanked.”

She paused for moment, tears welling up in her eyes and thanked her late mother, Helga for giving her the proper upbringing, and not allowing her to ride in cars with boys and encouraging her to practice her art.

For a down to earth person like Bullock, she makes the young girls in the world, who give their Oscar speeches in their bedrooms with the hair brushes a sense of hope, that one day they may follow in the foot steps of a good role model.

Corey Feldman on Larry King Live told viewers to "stop jumping the gun" and spreading rumors that Corey Haim died from an drug overdose. He said until all the information is out there, "nobody knows" what really lead to the death of his friend.

On Larry King Live Feldman said Haim had a "long and detailed drug history and battled addiction for many, many years". Feldman did add though that Haim had been "in the best frame of mind that he's ever been in" up untill the time of his death.

Feldman and Haim were known as the "Two Coreys" during the height of their fame in the late '80's. They starred together in the film "The Lost Boys".

Haim died early Wednesday morning from an apparent overdose of prescription drugs.

Actor Corey Haim died today of an apparent overdose of prescription pills according to the LAPD. Haim was 38.

Police were called around 4 AM PT Wednesday morning to investigate the apparent overdose.

Haim starred or co-starred in a number of films such as Lucas, Murphy's Romance, and in The Lost Boys with Corey Feldman.

Haim, according to reports, suffered a drug-induced stroke in 2001. Haim also had been in and out of rehab over a dozen times throughout his life.

It may be possible to look into America’s future. How? Watch what’s going on in Greece. According to the Washington Post, “Greece needs to raise about 23 billion [more than $31 billion] in April and May to pay debts coming due. Greek officials say that either is impossible, or would require punitive interest rates — making it harder to bring the budget under control — unless Europe helps out.” So the Greek government awaits a bailout from Germany and France, but first it has to impress them that it is serious about fiscal austerity.

The Greek welfare state’s annual deficit is about 13 percent of its GDP and its accumulated debt is 113 percent of GDP. Meanwhile, the U.S. government’s overall debt is now on track to reach 90 percent of GDP by 2020, more than $20 trillion. Just last week the Congressional Budget Office said that over the next decade, the annual budget deficit will be $1.2 trillion more than the Obama administration has guessed. The ten-year figure is now projected to be $9.76 trillion. The annual deficit is about 10 percent of GDP.

Government spending is rising — and the new entitlement called health-care “reform” hasn’t passed yet. That’ll be good for a couple of trillion over the next decade.

The economic consequences of all that are likely to be dire. As the government tries to borrow more money, both to finance its programs and to pay the old debt that’s coming due, it will have to promise a better return to nervous lenders, such as China. But raising the interest rate will push other borrowers’ rates up, which in turn will put a damper on economic activity. Unemployment will grow and revenues will shrink, but entitlement programs, such as Medicare and Social Security, will keep growing. They already face tens of trillions of dollars in unfunded liabilities and are heading toward bankruptcy. Military spending will also increase, along with most other government spending.

What will the politicians do when they find interest payments swallowing the budget, leaving them less and less money to shower on political supporters? They might resort to higher taxes, which would further dampen economic activity. They might get the Federal Reserve to monetize the debt through inflation; but that would wreak economic havoc. Politicians aren’t likely to cut spending because it would jeopardize their careers. At that point, the government might default on its debts, a step that has much to recommend it.

Thus, the welfare state is a fiscal failure.

The welfare state has long been presented as the viable “third way,” a happy medium between laissez faire — full separation of state and economy — and state socialism — government control of the economy. Advocates of individual liberty have emphasized that the welfare state violates freedom because government takes wealth from those who produce it and transfers it to favored groups. Defenders have responded that the welfare state embodies compassion: people with means give to those less fortunate. But forced transfers through government are not true compassion. A virtue like compassion requires free choice, but government gives you no choice. So the compassion of the welfare state is counterfeit. It’s more about distributing goodies at others’ expense to win votes for politicians.

Historically compassion had little to do with government programs for the poor and social insurance for the working and middle classes. Beginning as far back as Queen Elizabeth I poor laws were intended to control people who were potential sources of social strife; and social insurance beginning in Bismarck’s German welfare state was calculated to make working people dependent on the government. In both cases the free society was subdued for the sake of those in power.

Now it is clearer than ever that the welfare state is not only morally flawed, it is also fiscally unsustainable. Politicians will always have an incentive to spend, while hiding the costs or pushing them onto future generations through debt. But reality doesn’t go away. It comes back to bite in unexpected ways.

We’re seeing it in Greece today. Tomorrow it will be other European welfare states. Then, if nothing changes, it will be America’s turn.

Sheldon Richman is senior fellow at The Future of Freedom Foundation http://www.fff.org and editor of The Freeman magazine.

New York City’s fiscal year 2011 budget could be greatly impacted by the outcome of the State budget, according to a report <http://www.osc.state.ny.us/reports/budget/2010/nyc_budget_rpt_2010.pdf> New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli released today. While the City’s current plans greatly reduce the $4.9 billion budget gap that the City had projected for fiscal year 2011, proposed reductions of $1.2 billion in State assistance could increase the City’s budget risks to about $2 billion, according to the report.

“The City has been far more fiscally responsible than the State,” DiNapoli said. “But, unfortunately, fiscal problems trickle down, and the State’s actions could have a harsh impact on the City’s finances.”

The DiNapoli report found that while the impact on the City of the global economic downturn has not been as painful as initially forecast, New York City has lost nearly 162,000 jobs and the unemployment rate has hit 10.5 percent, the highest in 17 years. The effects of the recession contributed to a decline in City tax revenue, which fell by $2.8 billion in fiscal year 2009, or 7.1 percent – the steepest decline in at least 30 years.

The City has relied upon conservative budgeting through the recent recession, and its fiscal health has been aided by a faster-than-expected recovery on Wall Street, which is on pace to post record profits in excess of $55 billion in 2009. The City in its January 2010 financial plan estimated a surplus of nearly $2.9 billion in fiscal year 2010, which reflects an improved revenue outlook ($1.8 billion); a drawdown on reserves ($600 million); and agency cost-reduction actions ($484 million). The surplus is being used to help balance the fiscal year 2011 budget.

The DiNapoli report also notes that the City will grapple with growing out-year gaps related, in part, to the expiration of federal education aid. The out-year gaps could total $6 billion, according to the report.

Click here <http://www.osc.state.ny.us/reports/budget/2010/nyc_budget_rpt_2010.pdf> for a copy of the report, or visit the OSC Web site at http://www.osc.state.ny.us