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During the Tokyo Game Show 2008, one of the most popular games presented was Halo 3 Recon, an expansion pack for Halo 3. The setting occurs between Halo 2 and Halo 3 where a new hero emerges with a whole new story for gamers.

Details of the game were sketchy at best, but it is expected for release in Fall 2009. it will feature a single-player campaign and new multiplayer maps.

Lindsay Lohan’s controversial relationship with celebrity DJ Samantha Ronson has been the subject of gossip for the past few months after the young singer/actress spilled the beans. There had been very few details about the relationship, but Lohan finally opened up in the new cover story for the December issue of Haper’s Bazaar.
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Hurricane Ike is currently wreaking havoc on Texas and Louisiana coastlines and just tossed a disabled freighter in rough water. Though Ike’s eye was expected to hit the area around Galveston late Friday or early Saturday, it was already thrashing through the area causing floods in the Louisiana coast which was still recovering from the wrath of Hurricane Gustav.

Ike is considered one of the biggest storms that have entered the US lately and is expected to move towards Houston. Though most of the residents of Galveston have already evacuated, Houston’s 2 million residents were ordered to hunker down and stay to avoid highway gridlock when the storm comes in. Most Houston residents are now stocking up grocery supplies and boarding up their homes in anticipation of the coming storm.

Dr. House just hit the jackpot. It seems Hugh Laurie, who plays the role of my favorite doctor on TV, just joined the list of highest paid actors on TV. The British actor just signed a deal with Fox to continue the famous “Dr. House” series.

The British actor’s salary is expected to rise to about $400,000 an episode, or more than $9 million a year, under a pact with producer Universal Media Studios.

Laurie, 49, who had humble beginnings on “House” with a starting salary in the mid-five figures in 2004, got his first major salary bump in summer 2006 when his per-episode fee was upped to $250,000-$300,000 an episode.

The list of highest-paid actors on drama series is now topped by departing “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” leading man William Petersen ($600,000 per episode) and “24′s” Kiefer Sutherland (close to $500,000), who both serve as executive producers on their series.

Just as Sutherland’s Jack Bauer is synonymous with “24,” curmudgeonly medical genius Dr. Gregory House is at the heart of “House.” The role has earned Laurie two Golden Globes and three Emmy nominations.

He also would get some sort of producing credit on the medical drama, which returns for a fifth season Tuesday. The deal also adds another year to Laurie’s contract on the series, assuring he will stay on at least through the 2011-12 season.

This past season, the medical drama averaged 16.7 million viewers, the second-highest-rated scripted series behind ABC’s “Desperate Housewives.”

Probably the most enjoyable vacation the family had was when we visited Los Angeles, California. It was fun simply because my kids loved the place. Although the kids enjoyed Knotts Berry Farm, Disneyland, and SeaWorld the most, the most memorable for me was when we took a ride in the Aerial Tramway at Palm Springs. Riding the tramway is not for the faint of heart. My kids and I took the ride and enjoyed it, but not for the old guy that was taking the ride at the same time. When we reached a certain height, my kids and I could see he was scared to death by the look on his face. He was turning green and looked like he was going to faint. My youngest son, who was 6 at that time, kept staring at him as if waiting for him to throw up or jump off the ride. My son’s brows were furrowed as if wondering how long it would take before the guy puked in front of him. My other two kids were already controlling fits of laughter behind my back. We were almost at the end of the ride when my kid couldn’t hold back any longer and spoke to the old guy directly, “Mister, you will feel better letting it out. But please don’t put any on my shoes. They are new.” We are planning to take the Los Angeles tours again soon.

You too can have memorable vacations in any city in the US with your family. Check out the online travel guides of TrustedTours.com and you will find the best sites to spend with your loved ones. I did promise the kids that we will visit Knott’s Berry Farm again. I can even print the Knotts berry farm tickets from their site with no hidden fees.

If you are planning a US vacation for your family too, I suggest you take advantage of TrustedTours.com’s ongoing promotion. Sign up for the Trusted Travels eNewsletter and get a chance to win a $150 Magellan’s Gift Certificate. Do it soon because the offer ends August 31st, 2008.