Friday, July 3, 2009

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Shawn Amos: Michael Jackson's Fans & Neighbors Collide at Neverland Top
On July 1, one week after Michael Jackson's death, hundreds of his fans gathered at his Neverland Ranch to pay their respects. They were also hoping for a public viewing which didn't happen. That'll be Tuesday morning at Staples Center. Maybe. Nothing's ever for certain in the Jackson world. From a 16 year old with her cat "Billie Jean" to an 86-year old grandmother, Jackson devotees from around the the world moonwalked and wept for their fallen King of Pop. I went to Neverland to to meet Jackson's army and Jackson's old neighbors in the town of Los Olivos. I even got on my toes in front of the gates in honor of the Gloved One. Here's a video from the day.   GALLERY: See the King of Pop's fans and their memorials at Neverland.      More on Michael Jackson
 
Madonna Plans Michael Jackson Tribute Top
LOS ANGELES — Madonna is paying tribute to Michael Jackson in the same arena where he was to stage his great comeback. The superstar is preparing a special part of her concert Saturday at O2 arena. Madonna publicist Liz Rosenberg says she is going to unveil a special choreographed dance in honor of Jackson. Michael Jackson was to perform his comeback concerts at O2 starting July 13. He died last week at 50. He had been rehearsing for those shows in his final days. More on Michael Jackson
 
ABBA Member Shoots Down Reunion Rumors Top
LONDON — Forget those reports that Swedish supergroup ABBA will be reuniting to cover Michael Jackson's sold-out concert dates. "No one has even asked us, and if they asked us they would have 'no' as an answer, because (Jackson's concerts were) going to happen in a week," said Benny Andersson, who co-wrote ABBA hits like "Dancing Queen" and "Take a Chance on Me" with Bjorn Ulvaeus. "And even if it wasn't happening in a week, no, no we're not on," Andersson said Friday. Jackson died while preparing for a run of 50 shows at the 02 arena in London, set to kick off July 13. There had been speculation that ABBA might reunite to fill the gaping vacancy at one of London's biggest and most important music venues. AEG Live chief David Campbell was quoted in the Sun newspaper as saying, "There's a little foursome out in Sweden we keep talking to." If so, that foursome wasn't Andersson, Ulvaeus, Agnetha Faltskog and Annifrid Lyngstad, who unofficially disbanded in 1982. Millions of fans have been clamoring for a reunion ever since. Andersson, 62, was in London on Friday promoting his new CD, "Story of a Heart." He said he sympathized with AEG's plight. "All of a sudden, they have 50 nights and they are just empty, you know. I don't envy the situation of the management down there. I understand that they need to do something, but we are not the answer." More on Michael Jackson
 
Rob Richie: Sarah Palin's resignation to reduce women governors to six Top
Sarah Palin's surprise announcement today that she will step down this month as Alaska's governor has stirred a firestorm of conjecture about her motives and political prospects. There is one particularly concrete consequence, however: she will be the third woman governor to leave office since the November elections in the wake of President Obama tapping two women governors for his cabinet (Kansas' Kathleen Sebelius and Arizona's Janet Napolitano). Women make up a majority of today's electorate, but come August, there will be 44 male governors and only six female governors, two of whom (Hawaii's Linda Lingle and Michigan's Jennifer Granholm) are barred from running for third terms next year. According to the invaluable Center for American Women in Politics , a majority of states have never had a woman governor in their history. As highlighted in my commentary i n Roll Call this week with Cindy Terrell, representation of women in elected office remains very low. We need to talk about it more, and urge more women to run, urge more partisans to promote women for office and consider changes to our electoral laws to create more incentives for women to run viable campaigns. More on Sarah Palin
 
Paul Begala: Sarah Palin Turns Pro Top
I wish Hunter S. Thompson had lived to see this. As Hunter said, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." Sarah Palin makes Mark Foley, the congressman who sent filthy emails to pages look almost normal. She makes David Vitter, the senator who was hanging out with hookers, look almost boring. She makes Larry Craig, caught hitting on a cop in a men's room, look almost stable. She makes John Ensign, the senator who was having an affair with a staffer, look almost humdrum (and compared to the rest of the GOP whack-jobs, he is). And she makes Mark Sanford, the governor with the Latin lover, look positively predictable. It was an almost impossible mission, but in resigning from office with 17 months to go in her first term, Sarah Palin has made herself the bull goose loony of the GOP. Let's stipulate that if there is some heretofore unknown personal, medical or family crisis, this was the right move. But Gov. Palin didn't say anything like that. Her statement was incoherent, bizarre and juvenile. The text, as posted on Gov. Palin's official website ( here ), uses 2,549 words and 18 exclamation points. Lincoln freed the slaves with 719 words and nary an exclamation; Mr. Jefferson declared our independence in 1,322 words and, again, no exclamation points. Nixon resigned the presidency in 1,796 words -- still no exclamation points. Gov. Palin capitalized words at random - whole words, like "TO," "HELP," and "AND," and the first letter of "Troops." Gov. Palin's official announcement that she is resigning as chief executive of the great state of Alaska had all the depth and gravitas of a 13-year-old's review of the Jonas Brothers' album on Facebook. She even quoted her parents' refrigerator magnet. (Note to self: if one of my kids becomes governor, throw away the refrigerator magnet that says: "Murray's Oyster Bar: We Shuck Em, You Suck Em!") She put her son's name in quotations marks. Why? Who knows. She writes, "I promised efficiencies and effectiveness!?" Was she exclaiming or questioning? I get it: both! And I don't even know what to make of a sentence that reads: *((Gotta put First Things First))* Ponder the fact that Rupert Murdoch's Harper Collins publishing house is paying this, umm, writer $11 million for a book. Ponder that and say a prayer for Ms. Palin's editor. I'm no latter-day Strunk & White, just a guy who was struck by Palin's spectacularly rambling and infantile prose. It bespeaks a rambling and infantile mind. But perhaps not. Perhaps this is all a ruse. Perhaps Gov. Palin wants us to believe she's an intellectual featherweight who is slightly shallower than an actor on High School Musical . Maybe she's trying to throw us off the trail. Naah. A lot of people thought that about George W. Bush. He couldn't be so block-headed, they said. He couldn't be as childish and churlish as he came off. Oh yes he could. And so, too, might Ms. Palin be as vapid and puerile as her inane statement suggests. We will know. In the fullness of time (and I predict, not much time) we will know. Again and again in her statement, Gov. Palin returned to the nettlesome ethics inquiries that have been visited upon her since she signed on to be John McCain's running mate. No doubt they are annoying. But does anyone believe that's why she's resigning? No, there's more to this story. And Ms. Palin's resignation only increases the chances that we will all know the rest of the story soon. Or, as she might put it: We will all KNOW the "rest of the Story" *((SOON!))* More on Sarah Palin
 
North Korea Fires Missiles: Reports Top
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea fired three missiles off its eastern coast Saturday, South Korea said, in what was likely to be seen as a message of defiance to the United States on its Independence Day holiday. The launches, which came two days after North Korea fired four short-range missiles, could further escalate tensions in the region as the U.S. tries to muster support for tough enforcement of the U.N. resolution imposed on the communist regime for its May nuclear test. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the missiles were fired Saturday morning, but declined to elaborate on the type. Two missiles were fired early Saturday, while a third was fired later in the morning, it said. South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted military officials as saying the missiles appeared to be a type of Scud missile. A senior presidential official told The Associated Press the missiles fired are believed to have a range of less than 300 miles (500 kilometers). "Our military is fully ready to counter any North Korean threats and provocations based on strong South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture," the Joint Chiefs of Staff statement said. North Korea's state news agency carried no reports on the launches. The chief of U.S. Naval operations, Adm. Gary Roughead, said the American military was ready for any North Korean missile tests. "Our ships and forces here are prepared for the tracking of the missiles and observing the activities that are going on," Roughead said after meeting Japanese military officials in Tokyo on Saturday. Speculation had been high that the communist country might launch more missiles. North Korea had warned shipping to stay away from its east coast effective through July 10. The senior presidential official cautioned that North Korea could fire more missiles in coming days, but said there was little possibility it could fire the intercontinental ballistic missile it threatened in April. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media. Saturday's launches came on July 4, or U.S. Independence Day. The North has a record of timing missile tests for the U.S. national day. "The missiles were seen as part of military exercises, but North Korea also appeared to have sent a message to the U.S. through the missile launches," the presidential official said, without elaborating. The Japanese government condemned the North's action. The launch "is a serious act of provocation against the security of neighboring countries, including Japan, and is against the resolution of the U.N Security Council," Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo Kawamura said in a statement. The statement also urged North Korea to suspend all missile development activities. In Beijing, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said he had no immediate comment. In 2006, Pyongyang fired a barrage of missiles, including a long-range Taepodong-2 that broke apart and fell into the ocean less than a minute after liftoff. Those launches while Americans were celebrating the Fourth of July holiday also came amid nuclear tensions with the U.S. A long-range missile launch by North Korea toward the United States would directly flout a U.N. sanctions resolution punishing Pyongyang for its May 25 nuclear test. Despite early speculation fueled by Japanese media and the North Korean warning to shipping, spy satellites have apparently not detected any of the preparations that would normally presage a launch. "I think North Korea is moving step by step," Kim Yong-hyun, a professor at Seoul's Dongguk University and an expert on the country, said Friday. Thursday's tests were a "warm-up to medium-range missile launches," he said. The North wants to show Washington that it is not yielding to pressure, and the regime is likely to save a long-range launch for later, he said. ___ Associated Press writers Yuri Kageyama and Tomoko A. Hosaka in Tokyo and Henry Sanderson in Beijing contributed to this report. More on North Korea
 

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