Tiger Woods will end his self-imposed “indefinite break” from golf April 8 by making his long-awaited return to the game on the hallowed grounds of Augusta National Golf Club, home of The Masters.

“The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect,” Woods said Tuesday in a statement. “After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I’m ready to start my season at Augusta. The major championships have always been a special focus in my career and, as a professional, I think Augusta is where I need to be, even though it’s been a while since I last played.”

Roars are expected to echo through the Georgia pines and above the multihued azaleas that frame the revered course when the world No. 1 plays for the first time this year. The tournament in Augusta, Ga., is the first major championship of the season and will be Woods’ first since he ran his SUV over a fire hydrant and into a tree in the wee hours of Nov. 27 in front of his suburban Orlando estate. The single-car accident turned his private life into public property as revelations of his extramarital affairs splashed across front pages of newspapers and tabloids around the world.

But there could be critics, too. One thing Woods has not faced through most of his career has been heckling on the course. That could change.

“I hope they boo him off the course,” Alice Kohn of Miami said last week. “He should be booed for the same amount of time he spent cheating on his wife. I used to love Tiger but now I can’t stand him. I still love golf. I still watch it on TV. But I won’t be happy to see Tiger on the golf course. Not anymore.”

Woods occasionally has heard mild criticism for his on-course demeanor: throwing clubs; profanity; aloofness from fans. Continued incidents along those lines could bring more and harsher commentary now.

The announcement ends weeks of speculation about Woods and his return to professional golf. Woods last played in November when he won the Australian Masters, and his last competitive appearance in the U.S. came at the Presidents Cup in October in San Francisco.

“We were pleased to learn that Tiger Woods will be playing The Masters in a few weeks,” PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said in a statement. “He has invested a lot of time taking steps, both in his personal and professional life, in order to prepare for his return. We all wish him and his family the best as he rejoins the Tour.”

Gray Maynard is tired of fighting tough guys who do little for his career. He’s looking for a name that pushes him toward a title shot with UFC lightweight champ B.J. Penn.

“That’s just where I’m at,” Maynard today told MMAjunkie. “The last three or four (fights) I’ve had tough ones, but they’re just not that name. It’s like, ‘Ah well, he beat Nate (Diaz), but he was supposed to. He beat (Rich) Clementi, but he was supposed to.’”

That’s why today on Twitter he called out the winner of a March 31 UFC Fight Night 21 headliner between two-time title challenger Kenny Florian and Japanese import Takanori Gomi.

Maynard (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), a 30-year-old Las Vegas native and veteran of “The Ultimate Fighter 5,” quietly has built a virtually spotless UFC record by taking on fighters who matchmaker Joe Silva struggled to book at the time.

His past five opponents – Frankie Edgar, Rich Clementi, Jim Miller, Roger Huerta, and most recently, Nate Diaz – were fights in which he had a lot more to lose than to gain.

He’s beaten them all with a solid mix of boxing and wrestling in 15-minute wars that all went the distance. But as a result, Maynard said, it’s been harder for him to build the “wow factor” necessary to get big opportunities.

Fighting the winner of Florian vs. Gomi is the perfect solution. “If Florian beats him, [Florian has] a great name,” Maynard said. “It’s like, ‘Florian’s unbelievable, he beat the PRIDE champ’. … It doesn’t matter if [Gomi] is still good or not; it’s his name (that matters).”

Maynard said his split-decision win over Diaz at UFC Fight Night 20 felt more like a loss because he did not earn a title shot from UFC president Dana White.

Not long after the Jan. 11 fight, he watched as White gave the lightweight title shot to Edgar, whom he beat nearly two years ago. The UFC president said Edgar earned the position with a dominating performance over former champion Sean Sherk this past May.

It chafed Maynard even more because he had campaigned for a fight with Sherk. “I asked for Sherk two or three times, and he said no,” Maynard said. “To me, it isn’t that tough of a fight. I think Miller, Diaz, Huerta – that’s more of a tough one.

“But [Sherk] has a name because he was a champ. I was trying to (get the fight), but he said no. And I was like, ‘Well, I’ll keep that quiet, I guess. He’s got a job, and he’s doing what he has to do, but I would have liked to have that fight.’”

The 2010 Chevrolet Impala ranks 6 out of 7 Affordable Large Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 48 published reviews and test drives of the Chevrolet Impala, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.”With powerful and efficient V6 engines, a comfortable cabin and a smooth ride, the Chevrolet Impala brings a lot to the family sedan table even though its cabin refinement and handling dynamics are a few steps behind the class leaders.” — Edmunds

The automotive press sees the 2010 Chevrolet Impala as an underwhelming choice in the large car segment.  With seating for six and respectable fuel economy, it will be the right option for some.  But its sluggish handling and questionable interior quality give the automotive press a fairly low opinion of the car.

The Impala name has been in service for decades – this car was a flashy status symbol in the late 1950s and early 1960s.  But reviewers are unimpressed with the current Impala.  Chevrolet can build a great family sedan — see the Malibu for proof — but the automotive press is nearly unanimous in saying this isn’t it.

The Impala does have virtues.  It is among the most fuel-efficient large cars, and has a roomy cabin. But its subpar handling dynamics, power-sapping four-speed transmission, boring exterior design, and quality problems within the cabin keep it from being a top choice.The Impala is “a car that seems to have a split personality. …  It wants to be a modern family car, but it also seems to reach back to the heyday of models that boasted powerful American steel.  In the end, it parks itself squarely in the middle.”  — Boston Globe

The Impala’s flaws are surprising, because General Motors is able to produce an award-winning large car in this price range.  The Pontiac G8, only slightly more expensive, has been labelled a triumph by the automotive press.  The G8, however, has been discontinued — along with the entire Pontiac brand.  Impala shoppers might want to see whether they could negotiate a better deal on one of the last G8s instead.

Large car shoppers might also want to consider the Toyota Avalon.  While its up-front cost is higher, it won our Best Large Car for the Money Award in 2009 because of its low long-term cost.  A new 2010 Ford Taurus might also be worth a look – it offers similar power and space with more personality.

The 2010 Chevy Impala is available in five trims: LS, 1LT, 2LT, LTZ, and SS.  For 2010, Chevrolet has added a new Convenience Package with heated mirrors and a universal home remote, and several new color options.  See our Chevrolet deals page for current discounts on the Impala.”Not much to complain or get excited about. The Impala LS is what it is, good enough to make the Impala easily the best-selling American-branded car.” –  Orlando Sentinel

Reviewers agree that the 2010 Impala’s powerful engines pack a mean punch, but find that its handling dynamics suffer — most notably from soft suspension settings.Test drivers report that all Impala trims provide ample power, but complain that its four-cylinder automatic transmission is dated and impedes better fuel economy.

The Impala LS and 1LT feature a 3.5-liter V6 engine that produces 211-horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 214 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm. The more powerful 2LT and LTZ trims come equipped with a 3.9-liter V6 engine that makes 233-horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 240 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm. Meanwhile, the Impala SS packs a 5.3-liter small block V8 engine that generates 303-horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 323 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm. All Impala engines are mated to a four-speed automatic transmission.

With the exception of the SS, which features Active Fuel Management, all Impala trims can run on both gasoline and E85. According to the EPA, the LS and 1LT net a city/highway fuel economy of 19/29 mpg with gas and 14/22 with E85. The 2LT and LTZ, however, achieve 17/27 mpg with gasoline and 13/20 with E85. The Impala SS earns 16/24 mpg.

Blood was spilled on Tuesday, the third day of mass demonstrations in Bangkok, but not in the way that many had feared. Antigovernment protesters pooled their blood — drawn by medical workers in air-conditioned tents — to unleash a red tide at the gates of Government House, the office of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, and later at his party’s headquarters.

“We will curse them with our blood and our soul!” yelled a protest leader, Nattawut Saikua, to roaring approval from a crowd of several thousand people at Government House, including farmers, monks and vegetable sellers.

Their so-called Red Shirt protest movement remains resentful over the 2006 military coup that ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who championed rural and poorer voters. The movement accuses the current government of favoring the country’s wealthy elite, and has been angered by a series of court decisions in recent years banning political parties allied with Mr. Thaksin.

They want the government to call elections, and with the backing of vast rice-growing areas in the north and northeast of the country, they would have a good shot at winning. Mr. Abhisit, who has nearly two years left in his term, has repeatedly said he will not dissolve Parliament because he does not think it will resolve the political crisis set off by Mr. Thaksin’s ouster.

The Red Shirts continued to occupy the streets of the main government district in Bangkok on Tuesday, though their numbers appears to be down from the more than 100,000 people who crowded the streets on Sunday.

Parliament postponed a scheduled sitting after the majority of the members, including the prime minister, did not show up. Some banks in the neighborhood closed their doors, but most other areas of Bangkok were unaffected by the protests.

The protesters held up the containers of blood like offerings to an angry god before pouring them out. Clumps of coagulated blood clung to the pavement. A Brahmin walked barefoot through the foamy red pools and performed a ceremony. A soldier in full riot gear fainted.

Critics derided the action as a repellent publicity stunt; a government spokesman called it a “photo op.” But the protesters said they were desperate to show their anger at a government that they consider illegitimate.

“To make a monk bleed is one of the worst sins,” said Phol Chanthasaro, a monk in orange robes who stood at the gates of Government House. “I want the government to understand right and wrong.”

Security forces allowed a group of Red Shirts to pass through cordons of soldiers and pour the blood at the entrance to Government House. As the crowd outside the gates shouted “Get Out!” an officer in military uniform, made an announcement on a loudspeaker. “Thank you,” the officer said to the crowd. “We applaud you.”

Even in death, Michael Jackson remains the King of Pop. Less than a year after his shocking passing, the administrators of the late pop icon’s estate have signed the biggest recording contract in music history, a deal that the Los Angeles Times speculated could be worth up to $250 million and include unreleased recordings, DVDs and video games.

The seven-year deal with Jackson’s longtime home, Sony Music Entertainment, could cover up to 10 new Jackson projects, though no specific releases were announced on Monday. “We and Sony feel that the future for Michael Jackson is unlimited,” said John Branca, a special administrator for the estate. In a testament to his enduring appeal, the Jackson deal eclipses a number of mega-deals signed by contemporary acts, including Bruce Springsteen’s $110 million deal with Columbia Records in 2005 and Robbie Williams’ $150 million pact with EMI in 2002.

According to an anonymous source with knowledge of Jackson’s financial dealings, in the nine months since his death the singer has sold more than 31 million albums at a time when the music industry continues a decade-long album sales slide. In fact, the combination of those sales and other licensing deals cut by Branca have brought in close to $250 million to the estate, which has helped to ease the burden of the nearly $500 million in debt Jackson owed at the time of his death.

Rob Stringer, the chairman of Columbia Epic Records, the Sony division that will likely handle the releases, said the recordings will “span across different projects. There may be theater. There may be films and movies. There may be computer games — or multimedia platforms that I don’t know about today that will happen in 2015.”

Already in store is a another reissue of Jackson’s solo debut, 1979’s Off the Wall, due next year, with a variety of new, exclusive material. A special edition of that album was re-released in 2001 with a pair of unreleased demos of the songs “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” and “Workin’ Day and Night.”

“The stuff we have in the vaults around that record is fascinating and remarkable,” Stringer said. “We’re going to build a whole platform with a documentary. The outtakes are fantastic! We have a lot of great stuff from around every time period [in Jackson's career]. We’re plowing through everything now to understand what we’ve got.”

The estate’s other executor, John McClain, who worked with Jackson for over 40 years and helped produce the singer’s last studio album, 2001’s Invincible, is compiling an album of previously unreleased material that could be released later this year.

“John McClain tells me they’ve got over 60 unreleased recordings that they’re choosing from,” Branca told the Times. “The first album will have around 10. There’s some very recent stuff and vintage stuff that deserves to be shared with Michael’s fans.”Jackson is said to have left behind more than 100 unreleased songs that could be mined for releases for decades in the same way that the recordings of Elvis Presley and Jimi Hendrix have since those performers’ deaths.

Heres three pictures of Lady Gaga in her Bad Romance videoshoot

“Hannah Montana” stars Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus know how to plan a sneak attack: After inviting dozens of military families to fill the studio audience during the March 12 taping of the hit series, they surprised the audience by inviting them to take part in filming a concert scene for the show.”My dad has always been super involved with the troops so [the producers] always try to find things that are close to our hearts and that we’re really involved in,” Miley, 17, told PEOPLE.

Added Billy Ray, 48: “This past December I was in Afghanistan and Iraq and that trip inspired the writers to say let’s do an episode to say thank you to the troops.”In between takes, all the kids in the studio audience — many of whom have parents who are deployed — were also given the chance to tape greetings to their moms and dads abroad.

“It’s going to be a satellite thing where the troops can see their kids. It’s really cool that they’re having the opportunity to say hi to a mom or dad they haven’t seen in a long time,” Miley explains. “I think that’s the coolest thing.” A New Direction With only seven episodes left to tape in the final season of Hannah Montana, Billy Ray can’t help but get sentimental about the series that launched his little girl into the spotlight.

“I’ve gotten to go through this entire journey with Miley and watch her grow not only as a little girl to a young lady but as an actress,” said the proud father. “For any daddy out there to get to go through that with one of their children, it’s an amazing journey.”

Said Miley, who stars in the upcoming Nicholas Sparks drama “The Last Song,” “I’ve gone these last five years of doing Hannah Montana with everyone telling me what to do and now it’s kind of up to me do what I think is right in my career and I’m just kind of going in my own direction.”The last season — titled “Hannah Montana Forever” — will begin airing this July.

On the other hand Miley Cyrus shares the big-screen with her boyfriend Liam Hemsworth in Disney’s ‘The Last Song.’ The young lovebirds chirped about kissing in front of Miley’s mom, Tish, who was the film’s executive producer.Liam told ET’s Kevin Frazier, “Her mom was watching. Her grandma was also watching, which was really funny. She was on set everyday and she’d be right at the monitor with the headphones on…She should have been directing the film. She knew more about it than anyone.” He also admitted, “Intimacy’s always tough. I feel like it’s the hardest thing for me as an actor.”

Miley blushed: “I don’t know who had a bigger crush on him at the beginning, my mom or me. I was like, ‘No, maybe he’s just too pretty. I don’t want to be with someone who’s better looking than me. That’s like awkward.’” In theaters March 31 and adapted from best-selling author Nicholas Sparks’ latest novel of the same name, ‘The Last Song’ finds Miley playing a rebellious teen sent to spend her summer with her estranged father (Greg Kinnear).

The Obama administration plans to send a wide-ranging overhaul of the No Child Left Behind education law to Congress on Monday, arguing that the current legislation has pushed schools to lower their standards to meet federal requirements. The 8-year-old law was one of the signature policies of the Bush administration. It set up a regimen of state reading and math tests for students in third through eighth grades, intended to identify failing schools. But critics have said the Bush administration never properly funded the effort and that states needed more flexibility in meeting those goals.

During his weekly radio address Saturday, President Obama said his administration’s proposed overhaul will “set a high bar — but we also provide educators the flexibility to reach it.” “Under these guidelines, schools that achieve excellence or show real progress will be rewarded, and local districts will be encouraged to commit to change in schools that are clearly letting their students down,” he said.During his 2008 presidential campaign, Obama said the law’s goal was “the right one,” but the legislation “has significant flaws that need to be addressed.” And Education Secretary Arne Duncan told CNN last week that educators have “lowered the bar” to meet No Child Left Behind standards.

“We’ve had low expectations — not because it’s the right thing educationally, not because it’s the right thing for our economy. We did it because of political pressure,” Duncan said. The Department of Education has identified 11 states it said lowered math standards. But several of those states have disputed that conclusion, and it was not clear whether any reduced their standards so that their scores would look better.

The administration’s “Blueprint for Reform” shifts the focus from singling out underperforming schools to fostering a “race to the top” to reward successful reforms. The proposed revisions promise that low-performing schools that fail to improve will be asked to show “dramatic change,” but states and school districts be held accountable for those shortcomings as well.

It supports the expansion of public charter schools and calls for giving states and school districts additional flexibility in how they spend federal dollars, “as long as they are continuing to focus on what matters most — improving outcomes for students.” And it also allows them to use federal grant funds to change the way teachers and principals are paid, “to provide differentiated compensation and career advancement opportunities to educators who are effective in increasing student academic achievement,” among other considerations. But the newly published “blueprint” immediately came under fire from the nation’s largest teachers union, the National Education Association, which said it was “disappointed” by Obama’s proposals.

“We were expecting more funding stability to enable states to meet higher expectations,” the union’s president, Dennis Van Roekel, said in a statement issued over the weekend. “Instead, the ‘blueprint’ requires states to compete for critical resources, setting up another winners-and-losers scenario. We were expecting school turnaround efforts to be research-based and fully collaborative. Instead, we see too much top-down scapegoating of teachers and not enough collaboration.” The Obama administration’s $50 billion proposed education budget adds $3 billion in funding to help schools meet these revised goals, with the possibility of an additional $1 billion if the overhaul plan passes Congress.

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It’s a daunting proposition to fight UFC lightweight Clay Guida (25-11 MMA, 5-5 UFC) at sea level, but to fight him at a mile high? You’ve got to have guts. Shannon Gugerty (12-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) was depressed after a second-round submission loss to Terry Etim this past November at UFC 105 and needed a new challenge, quickly.

“I just wanted to get back into the gym as soon as possible and get another fight,” Gugerty told MMAjunkie. Thus, he didn’t think twice when his camp presented him a fight with Guida at UFC on Versus 1 on March 21. He knew he’d be in for one of the most grueling nights of his career – in the thin air at 5,400 feet above sea level. But if he fights to his potential, win or lose, it at least will be a memorable fight.

“I want people to be like, ‘Damn, Shannon Gugerty can scrap,’” Gugerty said. Gugerty trekked to Big Bear, Calif., with his coaches, light heavyweight Brandon Vera and a smattering of up-and-coming fighters, to prepare for the heightened battle. He and Vera immediately struggled to adjust to the elevation.

“The first week was the worst,” Gugerty said. “I couldn’t sleep. (I was) waking up in the middle of the night. You felt like somebody had a bag over your head and was trying to kill you.” He could barely make it through two rounds in those days. But after a week of wheezing, his lungs adjusted, and he picked up the intensity.

Since then, it’s been like a summer camp without summer in the California mountains. Gugerty is one of a large cadre of fighters living in the house. Everyone has a job to do. Some cook; some shovel snow. Others travel to get movies and supplies. There’s little to do but eat, sleep and train.

Five weeks into camp, several crews of five or so fighters have rotated into the house to provide fresh training partners. Gugerty said it’s been an amazing time in his competitive development. After a month and a half spent at 6,700 feet, Gugerty won’t need to acclimate to the air of Broomfield, Colo., where UFC on Versus 1 is slated.

“My coaches have been so awesome just helping me peak at the right time, and that’s the goal, To get out there and be peaked in Broomfield,” he said. “Hopefully everything goes as planned.” Only the creature comforts have been missed. “Most of all I miss my dog,” Gugerty said. “I hope my girlfriend doesn’t read that.”

Guida was originally scheduled to fight former lightweight champion Sean Sherk on the Versus-broadcast card, but Sherk withdrew from the fight due to injury. (Sources close to the fighter said Sherk may not fight for the remainder of 2010.) Guida is currently on a two-fight slide and recently told MMAjunkie.com that he needs a win against Gugerty.

Meanwhile, Gugerty has alternated wins and losses in four octagon appearances. A win over Guida would be a significant step up in his career. “Most guys wouldn’t want to take that fight, so I’m happy and proud of myself for stepping up,” Gugerty said.

It’s not a mystery what Guida brings to the fight. A wrestler by trade, he’s a frenetic ball of energy and three-time “Fight of the Night” winner that alternates between punching flurries and old-school ground and pound. Only those truly in shape keep up with him.  “That’s the good thing about fighting Clay – he’s a pretty predictable fighter,” Gugerty said. “But you know you’re going to get a tough-ass fight in itself.

“My mom doesn’t watch UFC; she just knows that I fight. But when my dad told her I was fighting Clay Guida, she even knew who he is.” Gugerty, a jiu-jitsu brown belt, knows his strength is in submissions, even if he’s worked diligently on his stand-up. Guida usually puts his opponents on their backs after a short spell. It’s a significant risk for Gugerty, but there’s a huge upside if he catches a submission on the mat.

If he’s not careful, though, he could wind up on his back and on the wrong end of elbows and punches. Nevertheless, it’s a fight almost guaranteed to be exciting. Gugerty is ready to show fans he’s worth watching.”As soon as they told me, I was like, ‘For sure,’” Gugerty said. “I didn’t care. I’ve always wanted to test my skills against his anyways. Why not go out there and fight a huge name? “I was just like [expletive] it; let’s do it.”

Gilbert Arenas says he deserves to be punished for bringing guns to the locker room. The suspended Washington Wizards guard told Esquire magazine that he wasn’t using “longevity thinking” when he took out four guns in what he says was an attempt to play a prank on teammate Javaris Crittenton in December.

Arenas pleaded guilty to a felony gun charge in January and will be sentenced next week. He has been suspended until the end of the season by the NBA. In the Esquire interview, which hits newsstands next week and was obtained by The Associated Press in advance, Arenas says he has “messed up” the legacy of Wizards owner Abe Pollin, who died in November.

“I have a painting of him in my garage. I just walk by it with my head down,” Arenas said. “I called Mrs. Pollin and said, ‘If Abe was still with us, I would’ve had to talk to him, so I’m gonna give you the same respect. I want to say sorry to you. I deserve to be punished. I’ll do everything it takes to get back your husband’s respect.”‘

Arenas has kept a low profile since his guilty plea. He told the AP this month that he would have “no problems” playing for the Wizards again and that he’s not nervous about his sentencing date as long as the judge “goes off the actual real story” of what happened. Last week, he submitted paperwork to change his jersey from No. 0 to No. 6 next season.Arenas told Esquire that he used to have as many as 500 firearms in his home, having bought many of them from an elderly man’s World War I collection. He says he put all but four of them in storage when he started having children.

Arenas also said that he and Crittenton returned to good terms almost immediately after their confrontation, which stemmed from a card game on the team plane. Crittenton also displayed a gun during the spat and was sentenced to unsupervised probation for a misdemeanor gun charge.”He goes into the Jacuzzi,” Arenas told the magazine. “You know what? I gotta warm my knee up anyway. I go in and sit with him. We’re just sitting in there talking. We didn’t have no problem. It was just some fun that got out of control.”

Arenas also gave his perspective on another fallen star, Tiger Woods, separating the golfer’s infidelity from the sport. “Say it’s all true,” Arenas said. “At the end of the day, that’s not the reason I love Tiger. I got three Tiger Woods games for my Xbox just in case one gets scratched. On the cover, it doesn’t have him walking next to his wife. It just has Tiger Woods, hitting shots.”