'Survivor' Artis: 'Abi Was Abusive'

In another edge-of-your-seat episode of this roller coaster season of Survivor, a critical member of the Tandang tribe flipped, causing Louisiana native Artis Silvester to be sent packing. ETonline gets the scoop from the 53-year-old computer engineer on what he really thought of his alliance-mate Abi, his take on Lisa's big move, and how having survived cancer affected his approach to the game.

ETonline: So, were you surprised when your name was called last night?

Artis: No, not at all. Actually, it's the only thing, the smartest move that they could have made. And I knew that. I was disappointed that I wasn't able to keep a particular person in my corner. But as far as the votes, see the way that the votes came out, they came out exactly like I thought they did. Except for that [swing] vote. Once I saw that vote, I thought, "Oh, I couldn't do a good enough job to convince that person to stay with me." And that's when you saw me put my head down 'cause I knew I was going home.

ETonline: I thought it was very magnanimous of you in the closing credits when you were saying that you thought it was great the way that it ended. And that said a lot about your respect for the game, I think.

Artis: Yes! It is a game. I have no problems with anybody's game. ... You know 'cause it is a game. You can't control people, [they] are gonna do what they're gonna do, what they feel is best for them. And even if it's not, in their mind if they feel that it is the best move that they can make, then they're gonna do it. And the other situation is you have some people that play for the million dollars. And you have some people that take Survivor, and they actually believe that it's their stepping stone to fame and fortune and stardom. I wasn't like that. I came there for the money. The game is great, and if you play the game like that. Jeff's job is to edit; the host's job is to edit the game. He can give them the material. You can't go out there trying to help him with his material, because you have this ulterior motive. But, like I said, you can only do so much. And I had a blast.

Related: Lisa Whelchel Snuffs Blair's Torch on 'Survivor'

ETonline: Great. So when you went into that vote, did you know Skupin was going to go the other way?

Artis: Absolutely. Absolutely. There was no doubt in my mind. That was the one time that Mike had any power whatsoever. Mike could do what he wanted to do and not suffer any consequences. And that's what he was looking for. He was looking for an avenue where he could do something, and not suffer any consequences. That was the one time he could do it. 'Cause he had the immunity idol. You take that idol away, and I guarantee you he doesn't do what he does.

ETonline: I noticed in the episode last night, Skupin talked about how he and Lisa were going to be going together 'til the end, and always voted the same way. But Lisa ended up voting with Tandang last night. So I was wondering if you think that she, knowing that Skupin was gonna vote for you, that she felt like she could still vote with Tandang and appear to be loyal, even though she knew you were going home.

Artis: I think Lisa is loyal to Tandang, because Lisa is genuinely loyal to Tandang. She did things that people didn't agree with, myself included. But in her mind's eye, she did things for the betterment of the tribe. Again, she's also one, where she falls into that thing where you gotta make a big move, "Well, this is my big move. And my big move will also help my tribe." I can't fault her for that. Can't get mad at her for that. You know? For people to jump on her like that-- like, why? I mean, there was no need to jump on her like that. I mean, I was disappointed at her move. I told her I was disappointed at it. ... I said "I'm not disappointed in your game play, I know you're gonna make moves. I just wish you had told me you were gonna do it before you did it. Because your move directly affects, impacts, what happens to me in the rest of the game. Or anybody else as well. You know, I'm not mad at what you did, I'm just mad at how you did it." And I told her, "We're still good. We're still good. I have no bias, you're still my girl! Don't worry about it."

Related: Survivor's Jeff Kent: Lisa Burned Bridges

ETonline: And going along those lines. Abi was very direct with everyone in the game. And kind of maybe was a little too honest. Do you think that her outbursts ended up putting a target on your back, because you were in an alliance with her?

Artis: First of all, let's call it what it is. Abi was not honest. Abi was abusive. There's a big difference. There's a huge difference between being honest, and being abusive. Abi was abusive. Alright? Again, I don't know if after getting cast, that she decided that was the character she was gonna portray. ... If so, I would like to say well done, but I'm not. On the other side of the coin, if that is who she is, then there's a lot to be said there as well.

ETonline: Yeah.

Artis: So I guess she figured that you know, "If nobody likes me, they'll take me to the end." And for the most part, that's right. But I'm just not a fan of that philosophy. Because, you don't know what goes in the minds of other people, alright. And at that point in time, you are actually really competing for the million dollars. And you're probably sitting there with your chest stuck out, all big and proud, thinking that because you brought Abi to the end, and nobody likes her, that you're automatically gonna get that gold. But you don't know what goes on in the psyche of a human being's mind. They could flip around and say nobody likes her, but they refuse to get rid of her, and she's still there. Now they give her the million dollars, and then you're gonna feel like an ass. Now if you pressed me, I would never take Abi to the end. I wouldn't even give her the opportunity to have a shot at the million dollars in a situation like that. I believe you need to earn that shot.

ETonline: If you could go back, and do anything over again, would you do anything differently?

Artis: Yes. Probably two things. One of two things, depending on how they played out. First is I would've went to Jeff, before Jeff got voted out, and let him know that he was on the block. And see if he could get his people together, and we get rid of Mike. Alright. Tandang still would've been up in the numbers. I like Jeff. Jeff would've still been in the game. Jeff's own tribe [member], Penner, got rid of Jeff. He did, Penner literally got rid of Jeff. I would've went to Jeff. Other than that, I might-- you know, looking back at it now, I'm thinking that I might have sided with Penner. But I really don't think that I would take that route. I think that the move I would've made would've been to go with Jeff and get Jeff to get rid of Mike. Penner's an excellent player. But he better be. You play this game this game three times, and you still haven't learned nothing? You should stay your ass at home. You know? Again, you play it three times-- you play it two times you're supposed to win. The third time, if you don't get that check, you really do need to stop playing. Regardless of what everybody thinks about you.

ETonline: Why do you think that Penner was able to break the Tandang alliance ultimately? And do you think it was him that was ultimately responsible for swaying Skupin?

Artis: No, Mike was gonna leave regardless. He didn't even have to say anything. All Penner would have to do is say [was], "Hello, Mike?" and Mike would've been like, "I'm there." He was gone. He was gone so fast. All he needed was somebody just to say hello to him.

ETonline: So I saw in your profile, I don't think this really came out much in the show, but you have beaten cancer in the past. Congratulations on that.

Artis: Thank you.

ETonline: How did that affect how you approached playing Survivor?

Artis: Before I got cancer, as I would watch the show, I thought I would play one way. 'Cause before cancer I was this monster of a man. I mean I literally was huge. I'm not even half the size of what I was before I got cancer. I was literally a rock solid monster. So I'm just thinking of all these things that I would've done. But after going through it, and being given a whole new outlook on life, you know -- before playing the game I didn't care. I wouldn't have cared about hurting your feelings. Nothing like that, I wouldn't have cared anything. I just would've squashed you on my way to the end. But now, when I play this time, understanding that it is a game, I'm gonna play hard. I don't care if you like me. Liking me is irrelevant. But I never want to see anyone hurt. You know, because it is a game. And you should not be hurt by a game. So, a softer side of me played this game. Until we started competing, because I always compete hard and heavy.

Related: Exclusive First Look: 'Survivor' Reaches the Merge

ETonline: Cool. So one last question. Who do you think is going to be victorious in the end?

Artis: I don't know. Because who I thought was gonna be victorious is not there. I thought it was gonna be me! Without a doubt, I hands down was like, "I got this!" But now, it's just a wild card, I just have to look. I have to watch and see what I wanna do. You know, where I want to give my vote. Who I want to give the money to. I have to watch and see who's left. And then evaluate, of the people left, who I wanna give this money to. I have no frontrunner. My frontrunner was me. And if anybody who plays the game says anything other than that, they shouldn't have played the game.

ETonline: Great. This season to me, having watched many seasons of Survivor, seems to be one of the most up-in-the-air that I've ever seen. So it's really anyone's guess.

Artis: It sure is. I'm interested to see who's still left and who comes home next.

Survivor: Philippines airs on CBS on Wednesday nights at 8/7 c.

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WATCH as Superstorm Sandy floods PATH stations

No wonder they still aren’t up and running!

Superstorm Sandy unleashed all of her fury on Hoboken and Exchange Place PATH stations, as these dramatic videos taken during the height of the storm demonstrate.

The first snippet from the Port Authority’s closed circuit security cameras shows the outside of the Exchange Place station completely submerged in rolling, white-capped waves.

The inside of the station under water is shown next.

The video also shows the severely-flooded Hoboken station, which is recognizable because of the distinctive “H” on the pillar.

That station was so flooded, water is seen gushing out of the elevator at river rapid strength.

The jaw-dropping video comes as officials announced that the Christopher Street PATH station will begin weekend-only service on Saturday and the World Trade Center station could open later this month.

“The men and women of PATH have done heroic work,” said Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye.

Christopher Street — which will be in operation from 5 am to 10 pm on Saturdays and Sundays — is opened weekends-only because it could become overcrowded due to nearby stations being shuttered.

“World Trade Center service, I expect, will open later this month,” he said.

The agency has struggled to bring back stations following superstorm Sandy because of heavy damage to signals, power stations and communications equipment.

Some of the equipment damaged and ruined was 80 to 90 years old and isn’t manufactured anymore.

Meanwhile, Foye said a southwest portion of the World Trade Center -- near West, Washington and Cedar Streets -- was flooded with over 125 million gallons of water.

“That much water would fill a swimming pool almost 6.5 million miles long, 50-feet wide and 10 feet deep,” he said.

They expect the agency’s insurance to pick up much of the tabs for repairs, although it remains to be seen what the final tally will be, he said.

“The assessments are ongoing,” he said following the Port Authority’s first board meeting since the storm.

The bi-state agency honored several Port Authority cops and three civilian employees for saving dozens of people’s lives during the storm.

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Florida tourist numbers keep going up

Summer brought more tourists to Florida this year than last, according to preliminary numbers from Visit Florida.

The state’s official tourism marketing corporation said 21.9 million people visited the state in the third quarter of the year, 3.5 percent more than last summer.

The number of domestic travelers, which make up the vast majority of visitors, increased 3.2 percent. Overseas visitors jumped 5.5 percent and Canadians increased 4 percent.

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Service dogs help military veterans with injuries seen and unseen

As Diego Hurtado gently toyed with his dog’s ear, he recalled jumping out of a plane at 2,000 feet, then freefalling when his parachute failed to open.

He tightly held the dog’s ear in his palm as he recalled the mid-air collision of two aircraft at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina, that spilled fuel and debris on the base, killing 24 fellow paratroopers and injuring countless others.

Hurtado’s dog Rex, a nearly 80-pound yellow Labrador-golden retriever mix, may seem like any other four-legged canine.

But Rex, 3, is also a service dog trained to help Hurtado cope with post-traumatic stress disorder as well as with the service-related physical injuries.

“With Rex I have been able to reduce my anti-depressants by more than half,” said Hurtado, 51, a sergeant first class who served in the Army for 20 years. “I am able to go to a lot of places I was not able to go to at all.”

Like many other veterans who struggle with PTSD and physical injuries, Hurtado turned to man’s best friend for help. Nonprofit organizations across the country provide dogs to veterans to help servicemen and servicewomen cope with their injuries, both physical and emotional.

Kendall resident Jose Moran received his German shepherd, Jana, from the same organization as Hurtado: New York-based America’s VetDogs.

Coral Springs resident and Iraq war veteran Moises Castro turned to Florida-based Dogs 4 Disabled Veterans for his pit-boxer mix, Salsa.

Both organizations train the dogs to match the personality and needs of each veteran and provide the dogs for free.

Castro, 47, served in Kuwait during the Iraq War as a U.S. Navy petty officer second-class. Once he came back, his anxiety, due to PTSD, was high, especially when he would go into crowds. To add to that, in 2010 he had a brain tumor removed, leaving him with sporadic seizures.

For two years, he barely left his home.

Then along came 2-year-old Salsa with white paws.

She has been trained to sense when Castro is about to get a seizure.

“She just knows it before I do,” he said, adding that during a seizure she licks his face to comfort him.

And when the two enter a big crowd that may induce anxiety, she veers him away.

“Then she keeps looking at me to make sure everything is OK,” said Castro. “She has given my freedom back to me.”

During Moran’s service in the U.S. Army as a sergeant first class, his vehicle ran over an explosive device in Sadr City, Iraq, a suburb of Baghdad The impact crushed one of the disks in his spine and his left knee.

“I don’t really remember too much,” said Moran, 45. “I heard a pop and I was out.”

After returning to South Florida, it was not easy to return to civilian life. Sometimes he did not eat for a week because his PTSD caused him so much anxiety in crowds that he avoided going to the grocery store.

“It got pretty bad there for awhile,” he said. “As bad as you can get without crossing the line.”

Three years ago he got Jana, who has been trained to sense Moran’s anxiety levels and knows when the two are about to walk into an uncomfortable situation.

“She can tell if someone is going to annoy me,” said Moran.

On a recent visit to the Miami VA, a man got in the elevator with the two. He “was just loud” and asked a lot of question about Jana, Moran said.

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NASCAR’s Keselowski can’t tweet in car anymore

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Brad Keselowski became a social media darling after hopping on Twitter during a lengthy delay in the Daytona 500.

Keselowski was the center of attention, and NASCAR seemed trendy and hip — a description its executives surely adored.

Turns out, tweeting from the car isn’t cool with NASCAR.

Keselowski was fined $ 25,000 on Monday for tweeting during the red flag at Phoenix International Raceway. The punishment was confusing to fans who vented on Twitter, of course, wondering why Keselowski was punished for Sunday’s tweets when he was celebrated by NASCAR for doing the exact same thing in February’s season-opening race.

Some alleged the Sprint Cup Series points leader was actually being disciplined for his profanity-laced outburst after Sunday’s crash- and fight-marred race.

NASCAR spokesman Kerry Tharp on Tuesday dismissed the conspiracy theories, and said drivers had been told after the Daytona 500 that electronic devices — including cellphones — could not be carried inside the race cars going forward.

“Brad’s tweeting at the Daytona 500 was really our first introduction to the magnitude of the social media phenomenon at the race track, especially how we saw it unfold that evening,” Tharp said. “We encourage our drivers to participate in social media. We feel we have the most liberal social media policy in all of sports, and the access we provide is the best in all of sports.

“But we also have rules that pertain to competition that need to be enforced and abided by. Once the 500 took place, and in the days and weeks following the 500, NASCAR communicated to the drivers and teams that while social media was encouraged and we promoted it, the language in the rule book was clear and that drivers couldn’t carry onboard their cars electronic devices, like a phone.”

Keselowski, who takes a 20-point lead over Jimmie Johnson into Sunday’s season finale in his quest to win his first Sprint Cup Series title, has not commented on his penalty.

But with the championship on the line, his crew chief indicated Tuesday he’ll be doing his best to keep the phone out of the No. 2 Dodge this weekend.

“Never even crossed my mind, to be honest with you,” Paul Wolfe said. “We get so involved in worrying about how to make the race car go around the track that, obviously, Brad’s cellphone is not on my mind a whole lot. I’ll definitely remind him this weekend.”

The Daytona 500 was stopped for nearly two hours when Juan Pablo Montoya crashed into a jet dryer that was cleaning the track during a caution period. The crash caused a fuel explosion, and Keselowski used his phone to tweet pictures, answer questions and give updates on the cleanup during the delay.

The race, which had been rained out for the first time in 54 runnings, was being aired on Monday night in prime time for the first time in history and Keselowski’s tweeting drew worldwide headlines.

Afterward, NASCAR specifically said Keselowski did not violate a rule barring onboard electronic devices and would not be penalized.

“Nothing we’ve seen from Brad violates any current rules pertaining to the use of social media during races,” NASCAR said the day after the race. “We encourage our drivers to use social media to express themselves as long as they do so without risking their safety or that of others.”

NASCAR did not issue a technical bulletin to clarify phones could no longer be inside cars, and the clarification to drivers was apparently done quietly. In fact, Keselowski tweeted from Victory Lane at Bristol in March, and from inside his car parked on pit road during a rain delay at Richmond in September. It’s possible someone could have handed him his phone both times.

A year ago, the outspoken Penske Racing driver was fined $ 25,000 headed into the finale for criticizing electronic fuel injection. At the time, NASCAR had been privately punishing drivers for making disparaging remarks about the series, but word of Keselowski’s fine leaked and forced NASCAR to change its policy during the offseason.

Still, many fans were convinced this week’s fine against Keselowski was actually for his post-race comments about the aggressive racing at Phoenix.

He’d been criticized by several drivers for racing Johnson hard over a pair of late restarts at Texas a week earlier, and felt his aggressive driving paled in comparison to Jeff Gordon intentionally wrecking Clint Bowyer with two laps to go on Sunday. Gordon’s retaliation also collected Joey Logano and Aric Almirola, and forced Keselowski to weave his way around the accident.

“It just drives me absolutely crazy that I get lambasted for racing somebody hard without there even being a wreck and then you see stuff like this … from the same people that criticized me,” he said. “It’s OK to just take somebody out. But you race somebody hard, put a fender on somebody and try to go for the win, and you’re an absolute villain. We can just go out and retaliate against each other and come back in and smile about it, and it’s fine. That’s not what this sport needs. It needs hard racing, it needs people that go for broke, try to win races and put it all out there on the line. Not a bunch of people that have anger issues.”

Social Media News Headlines – Yahoo! News

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Bobbi Kristina's Uncle Concerned Over Suspected Drug Use

"Her behavior, it's just not normal," reveals a concerned Gary Houston of his late sister's (Whitney Houston) daughter, Bobbi Kristina.

Video: Bobbi Kristina Visits Mom's Grave on 'Houstons'

In tonight's episode of Lifetime's The Houstons: On Our Own, Gary confides with close family friend and Whitney's former bodyguard Ray Watson about behavior he deems suspicious.

Imploring the family confidant, Gary asks whether Ray has seen Bobbi Kristina act in a way that might raise worry.

"We got a situation that we need to address when it comes to [Bobbi Kristina]," says Gary. "I don't know what's happening, but something's going on."

Pics: Remembering Whitney Houston

Watch a preview clip of tonight's episode in the player above.

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Grieving beau blasts murderer who killed, raped his fianceé and left corpse in his bed

"You son of a bitch!"

A Manhattan chef who came home last November to discover his fiance's raped and slashed corpse in his bed cried in court as the murderer was sentenced today to a possible life term -- and issued a victim impact letter that was both scorching and heartbreaking.

"She was an angel to me," Fernando Vargas, 37, wrote of victim Rita Morelli, 36, a beautiful Italian woman here studying art history on a student visa.

Vargas was a chef at Buon Gusto on the Upper East Side and Morelli was a waitress and manager there, as well as a student at the Borough of Manhattan Community College.

"When we met we fell in love. I was her life, and she was mine," said Vargas, who wiped tears from his eyes and visibly trembled in the audience of Manhattan Supreme Court as a Spanish translator read his letter aloud at the sentencing of rapist and murderer Bakary Camara, 42.

"Every day when I get home and she is not there I start crying and thinking how I was not there to take care of her and protect her and kill that son of a bitch," Vargas, who'd been with Morelli almost three years, said in his letter.

"I would bury this son of a bitch for the rest of his life in prison," he told Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan, who sentenced Camara to a term of 25 years to life in prison, meaning Camara will be 67 when he sees his first parole board and might never see daylight.

And if Camara is ever released, the grieving fiancé told the judge, "I would tattoo on his face, 'I'm an assassin and a rapist… I don't know why he did this to her, the son of a bitch," Vargas added. "He has taken a life full of virtues."

Camara, a native of Senegal, had once worked security at a downtown clothing store where Morelli was a sales clerk, and had maintained a friendship and become infatuated with her, pursuing her to the East Harlem apartment she shared with Vargas.

Prior to pleading guilty in the midst of jury selection last month, the monster had fought rape charges by claiming he'd only had sex with Morelli's corpse. He also tried to call what prosecutor Evan Krutoy derided as a "witch doctor" to the stand to argue that he was compelled to kill Morelli by a West African curse of unknown origin.

"He's the worst victim, along with her parents," Morelli's cousin, Giorgio, a New York-based journalist, said of the still-bereft fiancé. "Because he saw the body. He saw her." The pair had planned to marry this past summer and move to Cancun, said the cousin, who vowed at the hearing to fight Camara ever being paroled.

Morelli's brother, Giuseppe, 41, flew in from the family home in Pescara, Italy to read the judge a letter written by his father, Bruno.

"She was in love with America," the father wrote in the letter, which was read aloud in court by an Italian translator. "Now Rita is in the cemetery and all we can do is pray God that he may protect her."

Camara's brutality created voids impossible to measure, the prosecutor said at sentencing. "This defendant's legacy is one of creating emptiness," he said, describing how in just one of myriad instances Morelli's former English professor realized, upon speaking with investigators, that her seat in his class had been abandoned forever.

"This defendant's legacy is creating a vacuum where this woman once was," the prosecutor said.

The judge had the final word, telling Camara, "Rita did not deserve this. Rita did nothing to bring this on…Mr. Camara, to take a young and promising life in such a brutal way is senseless and inexcusable. I want you to look around you," he said to Camara, who continued staring down at the defense table, as he did for the entire hearing.

"I want you to look at Rita's family and I want you to consider the devastation," the judge said.

Camara and his lawyer, Seema Iyer, declined to speak before he was led away in handcuffs to prison.

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Residents balk at plans for alcohol in Pinecrest Gardens

Plans to create a restaurant in Pinecrest Gardens hit a snag on Tuesday.

Dozens of residents showed up at Tuesday’s Village Council meeting to scold council members for what they said was an attempt to create a banquet hall at the Gardens.

Residents told the council they disapprove of plans to give a restaurateur the freedom to host parties at night in a proposed restaurant at the Gardens because they say it would lead to the creation of a banquet hall in a residential area.

Resident Gladys Patino said a banquet hall does not belong “in the backyard” of other residents.

“One thing is to have a restaurant,” she said, “another thing is to have a venue where people are drinking and driving and causing accidents.”

But Mayor Cindy Lerner said the village has no plans to create a banquet hall.

She told residents that a consulting firm hired by the village suggested that they give leeway to anyone who plans to start a restaurant at the Gardens’ Cypress Hall to cater parties, as well as run a full-service restaurant.

“A banquet hall has never been our intent,” Lerner said. “We don’t want a banquet hall. We want a full-service restaurant.”

Village Manager Yocelyn Galiano Gomez said that it would also be physically impossible to have a banquet hall in Cypress Hall, because the room would be able to accommodate no more than 150 people — too few for a banquet hall.

For the past several years, Pinecrest officials have tried to start a restaurant at Cypress Hall, which has had the support of the community.

The village already sent out a request for proposals, but residents feel the language used in the village’s written solicitation gives any future restaurateur too much freedom.

On Tuesday, council members were considering a resolution that would loosen existing restrictions on night-time parties with alcohol at the Gardens in order to allow alcohol at indoor facilities at night.

The resolution was one of many steps village officials were considering to attract a restaurant operator to the Gardens.

“We wanted to assure a restaurateur that they would not be limited to those rules for outdoor parties,” Lerner said.

Residents were unconvinced, though. They said that it if a restaurant is allowed to throw parties at night with alcohol, it would surely result in drunk-driving accidents for the surrounding community.

Danielle Sayet, a Pinecrest resident, said that it would be wiser to have a café serving sandwiches and coffee rather than a full-service restaurant, considering that Pinecrest Gardens is a family-friendly place.

“I don’t understand how we would allow that in a residential area,” she said. “I am sorry, I don’t think that alcohol mixes.”

After hearing from a dozen unhappy residents, the council postponed a vote on loosening the alcohol rules.

Councilmember Joseph Corradino said he also supported a restaurant and not a banquet hall.

He said he could not imagine that any member of the council wanted a banquet hall either, but he conceded that their current plans were too unpopular to move forward with.

“I think we need to step back and work with the community,” Corradino said, “maybe in a workshop.”

The council also decided to rewrite parts of the village’s request for proposal to make it clear that a banquet hall could not be created in the Gardens. They also decided to extend the process for seeking a restaurateur, since changes were made.

Lerner said the resolution was simply needed to make a restaurant facility in Cypress Hall more profitable, as well as less dependent on taxpayer money. Currently, Pinecrest Gardens relies on village taxpayers for most of its budget.

She said profit margins for restaurants typically come from catering and serving alcohol.

“This is being blown way out of proportion,” Lerner told residents.

Tucker Gibbs, an attorney representing retirement homes near the Gardens, accused the village of attempting to break some legal promises that were made when the village bought the site, which used to be Parrot Jungle.

“Part of the covenant through the buying of Parrot Jungle promised that there would be no alcohol expect for four times a year, and it has to be approved by the Village Council,” Gibbs said. “Nobody wanted a Signature Gardens back then,” he said, referring the large banquet facility in West Kendall, “and that’s what you are doing.”

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Fire destroys townhome near Opa-locka airport

The day before a young family was to move to a new home, a fire destroyed their townhome near the Opa-locka airport.

Angie Douglas, her husband and their 2-year-old child were not home Tuesday afternoon around 1 p.m. when the blaze started at the town home at Northwest 167th Street and 55th Avenue. They had already packed up their belongings for moving day. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue spokesman Arnold Piedrahita said everything was destroyed.

“The rear of the townhome was completely engulfed in flames,” Piedrahita said. “We initially feared that the fire would spread to adjoining townhomes, but we were able to contain it.”

Eighty firefighters from 25 fire rescue units took 20 minutes to put the fire out. There was some water and smoke damage to one of the townhomes next door.

No one was home in the neighboring units at the time of the fire, but the Douglas family dog, a Rottweiler, was tied up in the backyard. Piedrahita said the animal managed to escape the smoke by taking shelter in the small space between two fences.

Neighbors told fire rescue that they suspected foul play sparked the fire, but Piedrahita said investigators are still looking into the cause.

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Bradley Cooper on Jennifer Lawrence's Comedy Chops

Bradley Cooper appears in the offbeat film Silver Linings Playbook with Jennifer Lawrence and he says the Oscar-nominated actress does a great job showcasing her comedy skills in a compelling role as a sex addict.

Speaking at a New York screening of the film on Monday night, Bradley said the Hunger Games star was "incredible" in the role. "Actually if you know her at all, she's closest to this role I think in her real life," he said. "She's very funny and her timing in incredible, she's very off-the-cuff and you never really know what to expect, in a wonderful way."

VIDEO: Jennifer Lawrence On Bradley Cooper & Playing a Sex Addict

Bradley responded to comments made by Jennifer that he actually picked up the film's dance routines faster than she did. "Well, I had a lot easier time because the woman usually has the brunt of all the hard moves, so she really worked her tail off.' He also laughed off Jennifer's suggestion that he could someday win Dancing with the Stars.

VIDEO: Jennifer Lawrence on Her Kinship with Bradley Cooper

Silver Linings Playbook -- hitting theaters November 21 -- stars Bradley as Pat Solatano, a grown man living with his mother (Jacki Weaver) and father (Robert De Niro) after losing his house, job and wife -- and spending eight months in a state institution on a plea bargain. Determined to rebuild his life and reunite with his wife, Pat meets a mysterious girl named Tiffany (Jennifer), who has her own set of issues, but offers to help him reconnect with his wife if he'll do something very important in return.

VIDEO: Bradley Cooper Suggests the Next 'Sexiest Man Alive' 

Watch the video to also learn about Julia Stiles' role and to hear Chris Tucker talk about working with the film's talented cast.

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