Friday, February 13, 2009

Y! Alert: The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

Yahoo! Alerts
My Alerts

The latest from The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com

Continental Flight: Obama Responds To Tragic Accident Top
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has voiced condolences to the families of people lost in the crash of a commuter passenger jet in upstate New York. In a statement released by the White House Friday morning, Obama said that "Michelle and I are deeply saddened to hear of the tragic accident outside of Buffalo." Obama said that "our hearts go out to the families and friends who lost loved ones" on Continental Connection Flight 3407 Thursday night. He also said he wanted to thank the "brave first responders" who initially arrived on the scene, not far from the Buffalo airport, to try and save lives. More on President Obama
 
Australia Charges Suspect With Arson Top
MELBOURNE, Australia — Authorities charged a man Friday with lighting one of the wildfires that killed a total of more than 180 people in Australia, and whisked him into protective custody to guard him from public fury. Police said the suspect was charged with one count of arson causing death and intentionally lighting a wildfire near the town of Churchill that killed at least 21 people. It was one of hundreds of fires that raged through southeastern Victoria state Feb. 7, leaving 7,000 people homeless and razing entire towns. The suspect also was charged with possessing child pornography. The disaster's official death toll is 181, but efforts to find and identify victims were continuing and officials expected the final tally to exceed 200. More than 1,800 homes and 1,500 square miles (3,900 square kilometers) of forests and farms were burned. The suspect's identity was being kept secret for his own safety, Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Dannye Moloney told a news conference. He was brought to the state capital of Melbourne from Morwell, 75 miles (120 kilometers) to the east and near the the town of Churchill. "He has been moved from that area and moved to the Melbourne metropolitan area for security reasons," Moloney said. Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported from Morwell that the suspect was formally charged in the town's magistrate's court, but that he did not appear. He was ordered to be held in custody and to undergo psychiatric evaluation, the broadcaster said. Police said in a statement that Magistrate Clive Allsop banned publication of any details or photographs of the man that could identify him. Another court hearing was scheduled for Monday. If found guilty, the man faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison for the deadly arson charge, and a maximum of 15 years on the second arson charge. Police have said they believe foul play was the cause of at least two of the deadly blazes, including the Churchill fire. Those suspicions disgusted the country and prompted Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to describe the fires as possible mass murder. Ruth Halyburton, whose home in the town of Marysville was burned to the ground, said Friday she could not comprehend why anyone would want to light wildfires. "Words can't describe how I feel about them," Halyburton told The Associated Press at a relief center in nearby Alexandra. "I'm a Christian, but I don't think to kindly of people if they go light a match and destroy people's property and lives. They don't have a brain in their head." Marysville, a town of some 500 people, was almost completely destroyed Saturday by one of the fires _ but not the Churchill blaze. Firefighters still struggled to contain about a dozen blazes and one of them flared up Friday and menaced the town of Healesville, coming within less than a mile (1 kilometer) and sending embers dropping like rain over houses. The threat was downgraded after a few hours, but it served as a reminder that the disaster may not be over yet. "You can't see anything. All you can see is smoke, and you can't even see where the fire is actually coming from," plant nursery owner John Stanhope told ABC radio from Healesville during the flare-up. "It's just thick smoke everywhere and everyone is just very much on edge." Firefighters raced to take advantage of cooler weather, rain and lighter winds and lit controlled burns Friday in efforts to prevent further breakouts. The catastrophe's scale became clearer Friday. Officials raised the tally of destroyed homes by 762 to 1,831, and the number of people left homeless or who fled their homes and have not returned was raised by 2,000 to 7,000. Officials said the nation had pledged more than 75 million Australian dollars ($50 million) in donations to various charities for survivors. Rudd ordered military bases to be opened to house some of the homeless. The disaster increased the urgency for a nationwide fire warning system, which has been snarled for years in bickering between state and federal officials. "I am determined to see this thing implemented across the nation," Rudd said late Thursday. "If it means cracking heads to ensure it happens we'll do that." Officials partly blamed the dramatic death toll on the number of people who appeared to have waited until they saw the fast-moving blazes coming before trying to flee. Many bodies were found in burned-out cars. More on Australia
 
Jennifer Donahue: "I Couldn't be Judd Gregg" Top
"I couldn't be Judd Gregg." That's what Senator Judd Gregg said in explaining his withdrawal as Commerce Secretary nominee. My question to the Obama team is this: why nominate a Republican if you don't want to hear different viewpoints? How do you have a "Team of Rivals" if you can't tolerate the rivals? Senator Gregg is a fiscal conservative-- has been for thirty years in public service. Did the White House not know that? There are a lot of ways to vet a nominee (see; Geithner, Daschle, et al.), but anyone remotely interested could have figured out where Gregg would be not only on the Economic Stimulus Package but on the Census. The Census is done every ten years, as outlined in the Constitution. The census falls under the pervue of the Commerce Department. The census is how districts are determined in Congress. This is a surprise to anyone in the Administration? Surely this came up when choosing Gregg. Didn't it? President Obama has a lot of good will, from Democrats and Republicans alike. Senator Gregg trusted him, and seemed eager to serve. He made no secret of his principles though, working to get Bonnie Newman appointed to fill his seat with the help of Democratic New Hampshire Governor John Lynch. The basic idea is this: President Obama won a mandate for change. Voters did not want anything like the Bush Administration. They didn't want Senator John McCain and Sarah Palin. Right now, the Administration is operating as if it had a mandate to govern anyway it likes. Hard to see a mandate for that. A mandate for change, yes. But perhaps a mandate for inclusiveness too. Looking at the world through one set of lenses did in the Bush administration and any Republican in their wake (see: John Sununu.) The bigger question for the Obama administration is this: is looking att he world through a different but equally myopic set of lenses akin to change? More on Stimulus Package
 
Iraqi Female Suicide Bomber Kills 35 Shiite Pilgrims Top
BAGHDAD — A female suicide bomber attacked a procession of Shiite pilgrims _ many of them women and children _ south of Baghdad on Friday, killing 35 people and injuring 65 others, officials said. It was the third straight day of deadly bombings against Shiite pilgrims. The bomber detonated her explosives among pilgrims walking to the holy city of Karbala for Shiite religious ceremonies, a police official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media. Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Abdul-Karim Khalaf confirmed the attack and said security officials were rushing to the scene, located between the cities of Mussayib and Iskandariyah about 40 miles (60 kilometers) south of Baghdad. Two medical officials in nearby hospitals, speaking on condition of anonymity for the same reason, confirmed the number of dead and wounded and said most were women and children. The attacks against the pilgrims appear to be part a Sunni extremist campaign to rekindle the sectarian conflict that nearly plunged the country into full-scale civil war two years ago. On Thursday, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive belt packed with nails among Shiite worshippers in Karbala near the revered Imam Hussein shrine, killing eight pilgrims and wounding more than 50. A day earlier, at least 12 people were killed and more than 40 wounded in bombings in Baghdad that targeted Shiite pilgrims traveling to Karbala, 50 miles (80 kilometers) to the south. Iraqi officials have mounted an extensive security operation to protect the pilgrims, who will be celebrating Monday's end of 40 days of mourning that follow Ashoura, the anniversary of the seventh-century death of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson Hussein. He was killed in a battle near Karbala for the leadership of the nascent Muslim nation following Muhammad's death in 632. His death led to the split between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. About 40,000 Iraqi troops have been deployed along major routes to Karbala, and officials say security cameras have been installed near the Imam Hussein shrine to keep a lookout for possible threats. Despite strict security, al-Qaida and other extremist groups have frequently targeted Shiite pilgrims during religious commemorations, which were severely curtailed under Saddam Hussein's Sunni-dominated regime. Last March, a female suicide bomber attacked Shiite worshippers in Karbala, killing at least 49. At least 85 people died in a suicide bombing in Karbala in March 2004. The chief United Nations official in Iraq, Staffan de Mistura, has said the attacks against pilgrims were "clearly designed to sectarian tensions" that many Iraqis hope are behind them. Also on Friday, an old mortar round killed two young boys _ ages 10 and 15 _ who were playing in the backyard of a farm house in Musayyib, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) south of Baghdad, said a police official. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media. More on Iraq
 
Obamas To Return To Chicago For Valentine's Day, Long Weekend Top
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama is getting away from Washington for a few days to his home in Chicago, leaving behind Cabinet headaches and a partisan divide over his economic stimulus package. Obama was to make a Friday afternoon flight with his wife, Michelle, and daughters to his chilly hometown, his first return there since taking office. Aides said he planned a low-key, four-day holiday weekend, including a Valentine's Day dinner on Saturday with his wife and a likely basketball game with friends. Congress this week reached a compromise on a $790 billion economic package that Obama had wanted to sign before he went on vacation. Instead, he was likely to see Congress pass it while watching C-SPAN. "Diverse viewpoints are the lifeblood of our democracy. Debating them is how we learn from each other's perspective. We temper each other's excesses, we make better decisions," Obama said Thursday in Peoria, Ill., where he stumped for final passage of the massive tax cutting and spending bill aimed at jolting the economy back to life. "But the debate is now coming to an end. ... It is time for Congress to act, and I hope they act in a bipartisan fashion." But even as he anticipated victory on the stimulus bill, he suffered a major setback when a third member of his Cabinet withdrew his name from nomination. This time, New Hampshire Republican Judd Gregg said he would remain in the Senate and decline a job running the Commerce Department, the second person to withdraw from consideration for the post. "The one thing I want to make sure of is that people don't take from this the notion that we can't get Democrats and Republicans working together," Obama told reporters after Air Force One landed in Springfield, Ill., where the president spoke at a dinner marking the bicentennial of President Abraham Lincoln's birth. "I am going to keep on working at this and eventually we are going to break down some of these barriers." Obama aides say the president plans a weekend largely out of sight, his first real break since his inauguration on Jan. 20. Last weekend he flew by helicopter to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains. During the time between his election in November and his inauguration in January, Obama stayed in his Hyde Park home and kept a predictable routine: gym in the early morning hours, breakfast with his family, then work at his office. He sometimes ventured out for dinner at restaurants or at friends' houses, but that dropped off as he neared Inauguration Day. Obama aides said they expected a similar agenda this trip, which was expected to last until Monday. More on Barack Obama
 
Halle Berry Wows As Image Awards Host (PHOTOS) Top
Halle Berry wowed at the NAACP Image Awards Thursday night. Berry, along with Tyler Perry, was a co-host of the event. The actress gave birth to daughter Nahla less than a year ago. Read about the awards, at which Muhammad Ali was honored and Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson won, here . During the show, Berry changed multiple times, wearing four different gowns before the night was over. PHOTOS: More on Slideshows
 
Presented By: Top
 
Lee Redmond's Record-Length Fingernails Broken In Crash Top
SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah woman listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for her long fingernails has lost them in a car crash. Lee Redmond of Salt Lake City sustained serious but non-life-threatening injuries in the accident Tuesday. Redmond's nails, which hadn't been cut since 1979, were broken in the crash. According to the Guinness Web site, her nails measured a total of more than 28 feet long in 2008, with the longest nail on her right thumb at 2 feet, 11 inches. Salt Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Don Hutson says Redmond was ejected from an SUV in the crash and taken to the hospital in serious condition. Redmond has been featured on TV in episodes of "Guinness Book of World Records" and "Ripley's Believe It or Not." ___ On the Net: http://tinyurl.com/2khrlh ___ Information from: Deseret News, http://www.deseretnews.com
 
Solar To The Rescue: Largest California Utility Needs Help Top
The largest utility in California, squeezed by rising demand for electricity and looming state deadlines to curb fossil fuels, has signed a deal to buy solar power from seven immense arrays of mirrors, towers and turbines to be installed in the Mojave Desert. The contracts amount to the world's largest single deal for new solar energy capacity, said officials from the utility, Southern California Edison, and BrightSource Energy, the company that would build and run the plants. When fully built, the solar arrays on a sunny day would supply 1,300 megawatts of electricity, somewhat more than a modern nuclear power plant. That is enough electricity to power about 845,000 homes.
 
Nude Madonna Photo Sells For $37,500 Top
NEW YORK — A full-frontal, nude photo of a 20-year-old Madonna fetched $37,500 at auction Thursday, an apparent record auction price for a photograph of the superstar singer. An unnamed European buyer bought the picture, which had been expected to sell for up to $15,000, according to Christie's auction house. Madonna, then known as Madonna Louise Ciccone, was a dancer trying to make ends meet when she answered a newspaper ad seeking a nude model. She may have earned as little as $25 for the 1979 photo session. Lee Friedlander's raw, explicit black-and-white image appeared in Playboy in 1985. Friedlander has said of the photo session that Madonna "seemed very confident, a street-wise girl. She told me she was putting a band together but half the kids that age are doing that. She was a good professional model." The photograph auctioned Thursday was one of six from that shoot that appeared in Playboy; the other five pictures were sold together in 2003 for $7,170. A Herb Ritts photo of Madonna's "True Blue" album cover, which sold for more than $15,000 in 2006, is the most expensive photograph of the singer to sell previously at auction, Christie's said. Another photograph of Madonna, by Helmut Newton, sold Thursday for $18,750, beating a $15,000 estimate. In that shot, also sold to Playboy in the 1980s, Madonna sports lingerie, curly blond hair and a seductive expression. A man kneels beside her. The Madonna photos were among 150 images, by some of the biggest names in photography, auctioned from the collection of Leon and Michaela Constantiner. They feature fashion and other celebrity icons. The sale fetched more than $900,000 in all, including a top price of $242,500 for "Sie Kommen," Newton's images of nude models for the Italian and French versions of Vogue in the 1980s. ___ On the Net: Christie's auction house: http://www.christies.com More on Madonna
 
BACKTRACK! "Grey's" Creator Denies Heigl & Knight Are Leaving Top
Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes wants to set the record straight: T.R. Knight and Katherine Heigl are not leaving the show. "That was a very interesting rumor," Rhimes said Thursday night at the 40th NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles. "And it's not true." Rhimes was referring to a recent comment in the press attributed to Grey's castmember James Pickens Jr., in which he was said to be confirming the departure of Heigl and Knight.
 
"Clean Coal," Nuclear Spending Removed From Stimulus Top
Somebody in the capital must have seen those "Reality" ads where the kindly man in the construction helmet offers a tour of a clean coal facility (see below), only to take the viewer on a tour of nothing. When the bill left the Senate, it contained $4.6 billion for coal technology, but when the Senate and House unveiled their new version of the stimulus, that promise had disappeared : The Senate version of the bill had contained $4.6 billion for the research and development of carbon-capture-and-sequestration technologies for coal-fired power plants and $50 billion in loan guarantees for the nuclear industry, but that funding appears to have been dropped entirely, to the delight of enviros. "This is a huge win, for our planet and for taxpayers who want stimulus funds to be invested wisely," said Friends of the Earth President Brent Blackwelder. "The bailout in question would have thrilled nuclear industry lobbyists but done virtually nothing to stimulate the economy. Congressional leaders did the right thing and prevented waste by removing this bailout." More on Stimulus Package
 
Satellite Crash Debris Will Threaten Spacecraft For 10,000 Years Top
MOSCOW — The chief of Russia's Mission Control says clouds of debris from the collision between U.S. and Russian communications satellites will circle Earth for thousands of years and threaten numerous satellites. Vladimir Solovyov says the crash occurred in an orbit crowded by satellites from many nations. Solovyov told reporters Friday that numerous fragments left by Tuesday's collision could stay in orbit for up to 10,000 years. He said that even tiny fragments could pose a serious threat to spacecraft made of light alloys. No one has any idea yet exactly how many pieces of space junk the collision created. Space experts said the collision created hundreds, maybe thousands, of fragments. More on Russia
 
Oklahoma Tornado Cleanup Begins, FEMA Assessing Damage Top
LONE GROVE, Okla. — Susan Fambrough clutched her daughter Kaylee's hand to comfort the 13-year-old as a howling tornado bore down on their mobile home. Within moments, they were yanked apart as the swirling twister splintered the little house. "She said she was just jerked out of her hands," said Danna McCord, Susan Fambrough's oldest daughter. Kaylee emerged from the wreckage with minor injuries, but later Tuesday night, McCord's husband Stephen discovered the bodies of Susan Fambrough, 54, and her husband, Vincent, 48. The two were among eight people killed by the Tuesday night tornado, said Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management spokesman Michelann Ooten. Another 14 were seriously injured. By Thursday, search and rescue efforts were finished, and it was time for residents to take on the daunting task of cleaning up debris and rebuilding 100 homes damaged or destroyed in the storm. Others killed as the tornado ripped across the southern Oklahoma town of Lone Grove included an Air Force retiree, a trucker from Jones who was passing through the area and a well-liked clerk who worked the graveyard shift at a truck stop along Interstate 35. Lone Grove City Manager Marianne Elfert said Thursday that 10 to 15 people are still unaccounted for, but they are believed to have simply left the area. She said Federal Emergency Management Agency officials would be assessing damage as the state works through the process of seeking federal assistance for uninsured losses. Most utility service was restored by Thursday to the southern Oklahoma town of 4,600 people. The state Medical Examiner's Office on Thursday identified the other victims as Tim Nevill, 36, a carrier for the U.S. Postal Service; Molly Hutchison, 53, a clerk at a Springer Truck stop; Gary Boyd Jr., 39, a truck driver from Jones; Donna McGarvey, 54, a retiree and South Dakota native; William Wheat, 78, an Air Force retiree; and Trevor Morgan, 30. All of the victims except Boyd lived in Lone Grove and all suffered some form of blunt force trauma, said Cherokee Ballard, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner's office. Residents sorted through belongings Thursday, beginning cleanup and checking on friends and relatives. Lynn Self sifted through the debris of a mobile home where he said his friend's wife died. He said his friend is living with him temporarily and does not want his name released. The tornado picked the couple's mobile home off its foundation and tossed the contents over a wide area. "They actually found some of the belongings from this house down there," Self said, pointing to a pile of debris 100 yards away. The couple's four dogs all survived and were found inside one of their demolished cars. The storm took many by surprise because even in tornado-prone Oklahoma, February twisters are rare. According to the weather service, 44 have touched down in the state during the month of February since 1950. More on Extreme Weather
 
Image Awards: Beyonce And J-Hud Win, Muhammad Ali Honored Top
LOS ANGELES — It was a dreamy night for a couple of "Dreamgirls." Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson both glided away with trophies Thursday and wowed the audience with individual performances during the 40th annual NAACP Image Awards. Beyonce won the female artist category while Husdon picked up the new artist award. They costarred in the 2006 film "Dreamgirls." "This is where we come from," Hudson said, accepting the trophy. "So it's always an honor to come home and feel welcome and to feel the love. I really cherish this and appreciate it." Along with Beyonce and Hudson, will.i.am and Seal performed on stage at the Shrine Auditorium ceremony, which was hosted by actress Halle Berry and actor-screenwriter Tyler Perry. The show coincides with the 100th anniversary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and kicks off a yearlong centennial celebration. "The Secret Life of Bees" won for motion picture. "Grey's Anatomy" won for TV drama. Several of the winners were awarded before the live ceremony, including Chandra Wilson from "Grey's Anatomy" for actress in a drama series, Columbus Short from "Cadillac Records" for supporting actor in a motion picture and singer-actor Jamie Foxx for male artist. Chris Brown, who's accused in a domestic dispute that reportedly involves pop superstar Rihanna, was up against Foxx with Common, John Legend and will.i.am for the male artist trophy. Rihanna was competing against Beyonce with Alicia Keys, Jennifer Hudson and Mariah Carey for the female artist award. Neither Brown or Rihanna were in attendance. Sean "Diddy" Combs picked up the TV movie actor trophy for his role in "A Raisin in the Sun." Other acting winners included Hill Harper for "CSI: NY," Tracee Ellis Ross for "Girlfriends," Taraji P. Henson for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and Will Smith and Rosario Dawson for "Seven Pounds." The awards honor achievements and performances of people of color in TV, film, music and literature. Former Vice President Al Gore and Kenyan activist Wangari Maathai received the Chairman's Award. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali won the President's Award. Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons was given the Vanguard Award. "I discovered that giving made me happy," Simmons said during his acceptance speech alongside daughters Ming and Aoki, who precariously held up his trophy and counted down his remaining speech time. "As you get older, that's the easy route, so it's always been such an easy thing. It seems kinda crazy to be honored for it." ___ On the Net: http://www.naacpimageawards.net
 
Bob Burnett: Marriage or Civil Union? Top
On November 4th, while many California progressives were out of town working for Obama, golden state voters passed Proposition 8, which denied same-sex couples the right to marry. As the California Supreme Court debates the legality of this proposition, the key issue is the role of government in marriage. California and other states require notification when we're born, die, and marry. Religious institutions have parallel ceremonies to commemorate birth and death with baptisms and memorials. However, church and state merge when we marry. Only state officials can sign a birth or death certificate, but there are multiple possible signatories for marriage. Religious couples may have a minister or priest sign their marriage license, while non-believers have the option of getting a judge's signature. However, in many countries outside the United States, there's complete separation between the civil ceremony and the marriage. In France, the marriage certificate is issued and signed by a mayor or judge; only after the civil union is legalized can the marriage take place. Writing in the February issue of In These Times , Terry Allen suggests the US adopt the system used in France and separate the civil action completely from the marriage ceremony. "The state's job, then, would be to assign benefits, if any, to couples, but not to define who can enter into coupledom." Allen's suggestion clarifies the marriage process. If couples want to ensure the considerable civil rights inherent with the status of marriage - adoption, hospital visitation, survivor's benefits, and so forth - they would apply for a civil-union license. If they want to ensure the blessing of their religious denomination, they would ask to be married by their minister or priest. This would be an entirely separate procedure, one that requires a prior civil union. Under this two-step process, the question of who can marry is left to religious institutions. This is consistent with common practice, as the religious rules for who can be married have traditionally been more restrictive than those of the state. Churches usually won't let you marry your cousin or, in many cases, someone who is not baptized. States don't care about these distinctions. Nor should the state care about whether or not the couple is heterosexual . The arguments for prohibiting same-sex marriages fall into two categories. The first cites the Bible and notes the supposed Old Testament prohibition against homosexuality. But many Americans are not Christians or do not accept this biblical teaching. What all Americans agree on is that marriage in a religious institution should be performed according to the rules of that denomination; if Baptists don't want to marry same-sex couples, that's their right, but it shouldn't prevent same-sex couples being married by Quakers or Unitarians. The second argument against same-sex marriage asserts marriage of same-sex partners is inherently different than that of heterosexual partners and, therefore, shouldn't be termed marriage. This had led to laws providing for "domestic partnerships," "civil partnerships," or "civil unions." There are two problems with these laws. The first is that they typically fail to ensure the same rights to partners as the marriage laws do - the right to equal coverage under insurance benefits being a notable example. The second problem is that they do not permit the same-sex couple to say they are "married" even though their union may have been blessed by their church. For example, at the present time, same-sex couples cannot get a marriage license in California, but can be married by liberal religious denominations such as Quakers. Baring the state from issuing "marriage" licenses to same-sex couples is not a religious issue but a civil rights issue . It's a form of segregation, an indication of continuing discrimination against gays and lesbians. In my lifetime I've seen racial attitudes dramatically shift. My grandfather regarded "coloreds" as inferiors, undeserving of full civil rights. My father saw blacks and browns as equals, but was uncomfortable mixing with them socially, wanted them to stay with "their own." Now, I have people of color in my family. Progress with regards to sexual orientation has lagged that regarding race. In many parts of America, citizens regard gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender individuals as inferiors, undeserving of full civil rights. Just as white supremacists once justified segregation on the basis of pseudo-scientific studies alleging that people of color were genetically inferior, straight supremacists now justify the segregation of GLBT citizens on the basis of false science purporting to show non-orthodox sexual orientation reflects moral or psychological inferiority. It's time to end discrimination against the GLBT community and all forms of segregation based upon sexual orientation. Speaking as a straight white guy, I believe the solution is simple. Get the state out of the business of marrying people. Let the state issue certificates of civil union to whoever wants them and let churches marry couples according to their rules.
 
John Marshall: You're a Good Man, Charlie Darwin Top
On the occasion of Charles Darwin's 200th birthday, we should celebrate his ideas, even though some have been proved wrong. For example, Darwin mistakenly believed in survival of the fittest, while we have corrected that to survival of the richest. Darwin has his naysayers. As evidence that man does not evolve, Darwin's critics point to the Bible or Joaquin Phoenix. Sarah Palin says people shared the earth with dinosaurs, which means she could see herself co-existing with a velociraptor but not Katie Couric. The Creationists have not only made America number one in pseudoscience, but they have challenged widely held beliefs about the separation of church and red state. Most, however, agree that the evidence for evolution is overwhelming. How else to explain the progression from heavy metal to hair metal to speed metal to death metal? Or all those CSI's? Or the transformation of one Jay Leno show into an even earlier Jay Leno show? Darwin's theories are sound, but he is full of contradictions. He believed in natural selection, yet when it came time to choose a wife, he picked his cousin, which not only is unnatural, it barely counts as a selection. Bible thumpers claim Darwin had nothing in common with the Bible, yet his daily ailments, such as severe stomach pains, vomiting, headaches and large boils qualify him as the Job of 19th century naturalists. Was Darwin perfect? No. He wasn't right about everything. Some species just don't evolve, like sea turtles, spiny mollusks and Republicans. The great man's work is still mysterious. We know that monkeys evolved into humans. But we still don't know why monkeys dressed as humans are hilarious. How exactly did wolverines evolve into investment bankers? And Darwin simply cannot help us understand the curious case of Benjamin Button. However, few people believe in either evolution or Creationism. Instead, most subscribe to a new theory called Unintelligent Design. This holds that the world was created during the eight years of the Bush administration. So, Charles Darwin, for your birthday I salute you with our latest evolutionary belief: Only the strong survive. Unless they get a bailout.
 
Presented By: Top
 
Tallulah Morehead: Survivor: Tocantins. "Aarf," Said Sandy. Top
Survivor , the game show version of LOST , is back, with Survivor: Tocantins. Tocantins, it turns out, does not mean the cans ground Toucans are sold in. (Mmmm. Toucan. Good eatin', but a big bill.) Rather, it's a remote region of Brazil. As far as I'm concerned, any region of Brazil, even Rio, is remote! I know all about Tocantins, as I saw a movie with Wallace Beery (All man), Lewis Stone (About 50% man) and Bessie Love (0% man) that was set there, called The Lost World . It's hot, has plateaus, and is infested with living dinosaurs, neanderthal men, and overacting. This season the audition shows and Hollywood Week were all cut, so we just opened with the Top 16 contestants, already divided into teams by some mysterious, not-shown, selection process, being driven in enforced silence out into the bush. Frankly, Tocantins is a good place for the ex-President to reside. I just hope he doesn't "privatize" the rain forest. We listened to them make horrifically stereotyped snap judgements about each other on the basis of nothing. Tyson Professional Cyclist of Timbira (the black team, very in this year) henceforth forever to be known as "The Nude Mormon," decided, without even speaking to her, that Erinn Hairstylist (such unusual last names) was "The Bitch". Meanwhile, on the other side of the transport, Stephen Corporate Consultant (In other words, unemployed) of Jalapeno (They misspell it as Jalapao. Not me. The red tribe, commies! ), instantly declared Sandy Bus Driver to be "The strung-out old lady." Speaking as a strung-out old lady myself, thanks darling. Sandy Bus Driver, whom we were shortly to learn is insane, said of Stephen, "I think he's like a geek." Perhaps he'd been biting the heads off of chickens before the cameras rolled, which is rare in a New York City corporate consultant. During this drive we also met Sierra Model, who was whining about her strep throat ("I'm siiiiiick ."), and Coach Soccer Coach (Like Jean Valjean!), a full-of-himself soccer coach and symphony orchestra conductor. I can just imagine him with his orchestra. " YOU WILL PLAY THAT BACH FUGUE FASTER, MAGGOT! WHAT IS YOUR MAJOR MALFUNCTION, OBOE? I CAN'T HEAR YOU, TRIANGLE! DROP AND GIVE ME 16 BARS! " The first challenge was surprisingly urban for a show taking place 20 miles west of nowhere. The two teams were instructed to rob and strip, before the fuzz arrived, a truck apparently abandoned by Indiana Jones en route to the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls. Jalapeno right off stamped themselves with the Loser Idiot Team tattoo by not stealing any of the water or food. Yes, what would you need with water when it's a balmy 110 in the shade? (Which is a lovely musical show I'd much rather have been watching.) Jalapeno tribesboy Spencer Student, who is 19, in his aged wisdom said, "We'll be all right." Does Spencer know that Mommy's kitchen won't be out in the bush? Then Jeff Probst announced an instant elimination vote. Each tribe would vote someone out before they've even learned each other's names. It was voting from sheer ignorance and blind prejudice, like an election in Florida. Ballots were marked with such enlightened identifications as "Grammy," "Guy with glasses in peachy orange shirt," "The Old Lady," "Gray and black T-Shirt," "Zebra-striped top," (They were voting off clothes. Now we're getting somewhere!), "Purple tank with the ruffles," "Blonde girl with jeans," etc. In the end, Sandy Bus Driver was voted off of Jalapeno, and Sierra Strep Throat was voted off of Timbira. Sherlock Probst said they looked upset. To the amazement of Mankind, they were both pissed about being voted out five minutes in, especially since, as Sierra whined some more, she was sick. She had a note from home. Her dog ate her health. Ah but, the Ye Olde Survivor Twist was at work. The tribes were now going to have to carry all the grub they'd looted off the truck on a four-hour Death March (Actually Timbira made the trek in a considerably longer time) in triple-digit heat, to their camps. I shuddered in the comfort of my living room, sipping an icy vodka, remembering why I've never been stupid enough to try out for this show. Second twist: Sandy and Sierra were only voted off the trek. They would travel to camp by helicopter, while nursing grudges against everyone who wrote their insulting descriptions on the ballots. Oh, this game is on. Sandy showed what a master gameswoman she was by whooping with delight, and basically doing an In your faces, fools! happy dance in front of the tribesmates who would be hauling all that weight through the torrid heat for hours, and, one day soon, (tomorrow) be sitting beside her at a tribal council. "Thank you, God," Sandy said to Jeff Probst, who is cool, but not actually a god, let alone God. Jeff had to point out to the idiot woman that the vote showed that her tribe already hated her; maybe making them hate her more wasn't the best strategy at this point. Along the Death March, Jalapeno consulted a map and a compass, and Carolina Bartender (whom Probst annoyingly pronounced "Caroleena") helpfully piped up in her ear-splitting nasal voice "Remember, the compass always faces north." I'm sure she meant points north, but the dialogue was cribbed from the season premiere of LOST , when Richard Alpert answered Locke's question "What does the compass do?" with "It points north, John." If a smoke monster appears, someone is going to get sued. Stephen Corporate Consultant was wearing assless pants. Good fashion choice, but not with those orange flowered boxers under them. Stephen said, "You know, that's going to be nice for the ladies." What ladies, Steve? Blind ones? Stephen apparently suffers from the delusion that he's attractive. Continuing the stereotyping, Stevie also instantly decided that JT Cattle Rancher, a cowboy from Alabama, was a KKK Good old boy who wouldn't like "the anxious New York Jew," based solely on JT's accent. Maybe JT won't like the instant-stereotyping of his southern accent. JT just seemed to be trying to help everyone survive the Death March. Over on Timbira's Death March, we met Jerry Army Sergeant, just back from a 12 month tour of Afghanistan. I'd get another travel agent if I was him. But the blistering Brazilian heat must have felt like the arctic to him after Afghanistan. Full-of-himself Coach told us "I consider myself a Renaissance man adventurer." and made the rookie mistake of taking charge and giving orders. Jerry, the army sergeant used to leading a hundred men into real battles, had brains enough to keep his mouth shut. Not Coach, who was painting a large target on his own back. Coach made the weird comment "I wanna change this game. It's survival of the weakest; it's survival of the people that can't survive in the wild. You and I can change this game by making the strong survive." Huh? It's survival of the people who can't survive? I can't wait to see the look on his face when he gets blindsided at Tribal Council. I hope it's soon. And if he keeps running his mouth like this, it will be. But Coach wasn't done with his peculiar philosophy. He told Brendan Entrepreneur: "If we look back at our ancestors, whether it be American Indian, whether it be the Norse Vikings, whether it be the Samurai warrior..." (Unusual ethnic mix, but he hasn't hit my ancestors yet, the Iowa Moreheads) "... they prayed for an opponent that was worthy enough to defeat them, and died with honor and glory in the battle." May his prayers be answered soon. Brendan was busy making sure he could spell Coach's name correctly on the ballot. I doubt Jerry had been praying for a "Worthy Talibanian" to kill him. What a fatuous fool, especially next to Jerry, a real warrior. Sandy arrived at the Jalapeno camp and said, "Maybe I am the older woman..." ( Maybe? ) "But I'm older and I'm wiser, and this game is mine." She showed her wisdom by sobbing and carrying on like a 4 year-old. She was given the choice to spend the tribe's time away either working on building them a camp (the materials were all there), or following clues to a hidden immunity idol. She chose to search for the idol, reasoning (and I use the term loosely) that if she built them a camp, "they probably wouldn't like [it] anyway because a woman made it." However, her hopeless stupidity made her idol hunt a fruitless task. When, on the second day (It took her an entire day to find the stick in the sand and dig out the clue a foot down in the sand), she found a clue telling her to walk ten paces towards the only palm tree, she hilariously wandered about aimlessly, asking the sky stuff like "I wonder what a 'pace' is. Pace gods, give me a clue. What are 'paces'?" For a woman with two actual "clues," she truly had no clue. The Pace gods apparently save their divine interventions for people who know what paces are, as they didn't even draw her attention to the lone palm tree, so she was rambling around in all directions. Boy, is she stupid. But she made one wise choice. She hid the clue in her breasts, where no one will ever find it. Meanwhile, the tribe arrived annoyed that, while they were trekking through the heat, she'd sat on her butt amidst the building supplies, and done nothing to prepare the camp for them. Sandy has world-class stupidity. She could compete for America in The Stupid Olympics. Sierra, faced with the same choice, chose to build a camp, despite her strep throat. When her tribe arrived, well after dark, she became their new BFF. Brendan was so impressed, he immediately hugged the contagious girl. Coach touched all our hearts when he said, "I think that Sierra, even though she's awesome, she's got to go." When it comes to Survivor , I'm all about the manflesh, hot men in hot climates, no shirts, wet pants. I'm still deeply in love with last year's dreamboat James Gravedigger, who was on two consecutive Survivors , looking dreamy, and getting himself blindsided whenever his chronic overconfidence kicked in. As yet, no one has stepped up with to-die-for pecs. Over on Jalapeno, so far only Joe Real Estate Sales has shown anything worth looking at, a pair of mildly-defined, over-manscaped pecs, still recovering from what must have been a nasty waxing a couple months before, and a slightly flabby belly. Hopefully, deprived of razors and wax, his rain forest will grow back over the course of the series, and no flabby belly ever survives a month starving on Survivor . Spencer Student is a skinny hairless boy who may, I suppose, appeal to fans of David Archuletta and the Jonas Brothers. JT is kind of pudgy, but that will melt over the weeks too. And then there's Stephen. Stephen took his shirt off for the immunity challenge. Keep the shirt on, Stephen. Please. Carolina was instantly annoying everyone on her tribe as she nagged them with her ghastly, nasal voice to build the camp Sandy hadn't bothered to build. She was right of course, but she was also more annoying than Sandy, and that takes some doing. Bossy and nasal: bad combination. Over at Timbira, Tyson Cyclist, went to fetch water with Sierra Model and another girl (I think her name was "Girl Generic"), and told us, "I'm probably not the stereotypical Mormon," as he stripped naked in front of the giggling girls, and wandered about starkers, wearing only a floating blur. This would be great TV except that he's already too thin and bony, and it's only the second day. Three weeks from now, he'll be a living skeleton animated by Ray Harryhausen. And then Tyson said this: "I want that million dollars, exotic, expensive furs on my shoulder, jewels on these pretty fingers..." (Does he have someone's severed fingers in a bag? Because his fingers are not "pretty.") "... we're talking big time. I'll wear a tiara, a man tiara. Do they make those?" This is one Mormon about whom I have no worries that he'll tithe the prize money to be used to keep Proposition 8 on the California law books. PETA will love him too. I see him, Tyson, the naked, bony, Mormon drag queen manque, wearing just a "Man Tiara" and a smile. The main challenge for the episode was for immunity and a flint. How important is fire when it's 120 degrees? The trick in that heat is not catching fire. The challenge involved a lot of running around the beach, wading out in a river to fetch a raft, building a stairway to Paradise, playing pachinko I think, and running a peg through a slot maze. I was just reaching for the remote control to see if Tom Welling was shirtless over on tonight's Smallville repeat when I remembered I was reviewing this show and had to watch it. Actually, in 120 degree heat, tying one's shoes and walking in a slow circle is enough of a challenge. JT raced out to the raft, way ahead of everyone else, but since they weren't allowed to move the raft until the whole team got there, it was just pointless exertion in 120 degree heat. JT, save it for when it makes a difference. At one point, Probst announced, "Tyson taking a big, heavy load." Great. Now my neighbors will think I was watching gay porn - again. If only I was. Watching people lay down planks while a crazy old woman screams orders at them is always riveting TV viewing. Jalapeno finished their staircase with a big lead, but then Spencer and a blond girl called Sydney Model (Sierra's sister?) were so lame at the peg maze, that Timbira caught up, passed them, won immunity, celebrated, finished their 39 days in Brazil, and were off to Los Angeles for the reunion show while Spencer and Sydney were still struggling through the maze. Probst announced, "Nothing good ever happens at Tribal Council," as though encouraging channel-surfing during the last ten minutes. You'd think his Emmy would have ended his self-esteem issues. Now here's the thing about Survivor 's last 15 minutes every week. It's always edited to make you think Person A is going to be voted out, and then it's always Person B. This week Person A was Sandy: stupid, annoying, old, shouted orders at people all through the challenge, has bonded with no one, has already been voted out once, couldn't find the hidden immunity idol even if it were stuffed in her boobs next to the clue. She was such a sitting duck, you just knew she was safe. If Sandy were going home, all the footage we'd see would be of how horribly grating Carolina Bartender was, how everyone couldn't stand hearing her voice one second longer. We did get Carolina annoying us. Gloating faux-sympathetically over Sandy's perceived imminent ouster, she said, "With every failure there's an opportunity for growth. That's one of my number one sayings." Carolina, you can only have one "Number One Saying." How do you count your tips? Carolina then unwittingly campaigned for saving Sandy, by telling everyone what they should all be doing in the future from her great wisdom, in her grating voice, making sure that people would prefer that she be gone rather than crazy Sandy. Taj Former Pop Star, a plump black woman who must have been very former because I've sure never heard of her, and a "Star" is someone you've heard of, was clearly ready to drown Carolina after about two minutes. Carolina was very grateful when Taj advised her to close her mouth, and talked and talked and talked about how much she agreed with Taj that she, Carolina, should shut up. She would not shut up about how much she should shut up. Tribal Council . Sandy arrived convinced she was leaving, Probst asked Sandy what she had been doing instead of building a camp, knowing full well she couldn't say "I was looking for the hidden immunity idol," and thus forcing her to lie, when just getting out a coherent sentence is a challenge she is not up to. Then came a Moment of Truth. Jeff Probst: "Sandy, you a little crazy?" Sandy Bus Driver: "I'm a lot crazy." Truer words were never babbled. But of
 
BUFFALO PLANE CRASH: Continental Connection Flight 3407 Crashes Into House, Kills 49 (VIDEO) Top
SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS AND SLIDESHOW This is a breaking story - check AP for updates here . CLARENCE, N.Y. - A commuter plane "basically dove" into a house while coming in for a landing outside Buffalo, sparking a fiery explosion and killing all 48 people on board and one person on the ground. It was the first fatal crash of a commercial airliner in the U.S. in 2 1/2 years. Witnesses heard the twin turboprop aircraft sputtering before it went down in light snow and fog around 10:20 p.m. Thursday. Flames silhouetted the shattered home after Continental Connection Flight 3407 plummeted into it around about five miles from Buffalo Niagara International Airport. "The whole sky was lit up orange," said Bob Dworak, who lives less than a mile from the crash site. "All the sudden, there was a big bang, and the house shook." The 74-seat Q400 Bombardier aircraft, operated by Colgan Air, was flying from Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and preparing to land at Buffalo Niagara International Airport. A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security in Washington, said there was no indication terrorism was involved. Keep reading the breaking story here . Relatives of passengers aboard flight should call 1-800-621-3263 for information The crash is America's deadliest since a Comair commuter jet crashed in Lexington, Ky., on Aug. 27, 2006. That crash also claimed 49 lives. Here is video of the plane crash: Here is MSNBC video with accounts from witnesses: Dramatic recordings of cockpit-control tower communicatons capture the repeated attempts to get in touch with the plane. "All of a sudden, we have no response... We're not talking to them now, " says a controller at one point. Listen to the recording: Here is CNN video of the press conference held by emergency officials: Click through this slideshow of the crash scene: UPDATE 2:30 AM : Chilling recordings of a female pilot's communications with air traffic controllers, from the Website LiveATC.net , capture the moments before the crash. Nothing seems unusual as the plane is asked to fly at 2,300 feet. But a minute later, when the controllers tries contacting the plane and doesn't get a response, he makes another attempt. The Associated Press reports what happened in the next few minutes: Then the controller asks the pilot of a nearby Delta Air Lines plane to see if he can see the Continental flight. "Delta 1998, look off your right side about 5 miles for a Dash 8 about 2,300 (feet). You see anything there?" he asks. "Uh, negative," the Delta pilot says. UPDATE 2:10 AM : The plane came in low and fast, according to witnesses interviewed by CNN and the Buffalo News reports that the plane had experienced mechanical problems: Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority spokesman C. Douglas Hartmayer said there was little communication between the plane, Flight 3407, and the tower before the crash. Crew members aboard the flight from Newark Airport had reported mechanical problems as they approached Buffalo. The plane reportedly was a Bombardier Q400, a twin-engine turboprop with a passenger capacity of about 74. Reuters reports : A commercial plane crashed into a house in Buffalo, New York, and burst into flames, and there was no immediate report if there were any survivors, CNN reported on Friday. The plane, which could seat up to 60 passengers, was on a flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Buffalo, when it crashed late on Thursday night, it said. The New York Times reports : [Erie County executive Chris] Collins said the plane, Continental Airlines Flight 3407, crashed about 10:20, five minutes before it was due to land. The house it crashed into was still fully engulfed in flames at 12:30 a.m., and Mr. Collins said that about 12 houses were evacuated and a limited state of emergency was declared. Here is more info on the flight path of Flight 3407. CNN talked to some bystanders who witnessed the crash: Area resident Keith Burtis said he was driving to the store about a mile from the crash site when he heard the plane go down. "It was a high-pitched sound," Burtis said. "It felt like a mini-earthquake." Shortly after the crash, Burtis said he saw a steady stream of fire trucks rush by him as smoke billowed into the sky. More on Slideshows
 

CREATE MORE ALERTS:

Auctions - Find out when new auctions are posted

Horoscopes - Receive your daily horoscope

Music - Get the newest Album Releases, Playlists and more

News - Only the news you want, delivered!

Stocks - Stay connected to the market with price quotes and more

Weather - Get today's weather conditions




You received this email because you subscribed to Yahoo! Alerts. Use this link to unsubscribe from this alert. To change your communications preferences for other Yahoo! business lines, please visit your Marketing Preferences. To learn more about Yahoo!'s use of personal information, including the use of web beacons in HTML-based email, please read our Privacy Policy. Yahoo! is located at 701 First Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94089.
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)